Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance listed four Russian ruble trading pairs, according to an announcement on Dec. 2. The first trading pairs featuring the ruble include Binance Coin (BNB), Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and XRP. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao commented on the development in a tweet sent the same day. Binance’s addition of trading pairs follows the introduction of ruble trading on the platform in late October when Zhao announced that users could then deposit and withdraw fiat funds in rubles. Zhao has previously lauded Russia’s position as an important jurisdiction for the crypto and blockchain industries, recognizing the wealth of …

The futures market provides good insight into the sentiment of larger players. If the futures volume continues to rise in a falling market, this indicates that a decline is likely to extend further. However, if the volume increases with a rise in price, this shows that the market participants are accumulating positions. On Nov. 27, Bitcoin closed in the green and Bitcoin futures on Bakkt hit a new all-time high volume record which was 60% higher than the previous record. This shows that institutional players have increased their activity during the most recent relief rally. This points to possible accumulation …

Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced in a blog post on Nov. 28 that it partnered with crypto travel startup TravelByBit to launch a rewards card that facilitates crypto payments on major travel websites. Per the announcement, the card will function like a traditional prepaid card with access to additional discounts and rewards that users will be able to load with Bitcoin (BTC), Binance USD (BUSD), Binance Coin (BNB) and Ontology (ONT). The card will be released early next year and will initially target travelers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and Europe, with plans to gradually expand. Traveling …

The theft of 342,000 Ether (ETH) from South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit could have halted the current relief rally taking place in the crypto market. However, Lee Seok-woo, the CEO of Upbit’s operator, Dunamu said that the company will cover for the losses. This erased some of the initial concerns of the market participants and improved sentiment. When sentiment is negative, the markets fall quickly but take a lot longer to rise. This week a bullish bit of news came from Bitcoin ATM firm Bitstop. The company intends to install Bitcoin ATMs at several Simon Malls locations in the United …

The total crypto market capitalization has bounced from the $180 billion mark. We anticipate a strong support in the $168 billion to $183 billion range because the market cap had consolidated in this range in April of this year, before moving higher. So, on the way down, we expect this range to act as a strong support. Although Bitcoin (BTC) has started this leg of the down move, it is interesting to note that it has not given up its crypto market dominance, which remains above 66%. This shows that the altcoins are unlikely to go against Bitcoin’s main trend. …

Fear gripped the markets on the news that Chinese authorities had raided the offices of the leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance. This negated all the positive effects that had accrued following President Xi Jinping’s endorsement of blockchain technology. Though Binance denied reports of any raids, price action within the sector has remained subdued. Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360 Naysayers will use these bearish moments to further spread panic among market participants by issuing outlandish targets on the downside. Peter Schiff believes that Bitcoin could plummet to $1,000 as it has formed a head and shoulders pattern. We, however, could not …

The Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell has said that the Fed is not developing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), but it is conducting its own research to evaluate the benefits and limitations of such an initiative. On the other hand, Edith Cheung, partner at blockchain-focused venture capital fund Proof of Capital, believes that China will launch its digital currency within the next six to twelve months. A CBDC by a large economy will be an interesting development. Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360 The crypto markets have been losing ground in the past few weeks due to the …

At present, the combined capitalization of the 2,022 crypto assets with a known market cap was roughly $222 billion. On Nov. 19, 2017, just weeks before the current all-time highs would be set for the price and capitalization of Bitcoin and the crypto market overall, the 985 tokens with a known market cap represented a capitalization of around $244 billion — a similar zone to where the market is at currently. However, with the capitalization of Bitcoin (BTC) having grown 15% from $134.1 billion to $154.6 billion during the 24 months following November 2017, more than twice as many altcoins …

Since the Great Recession, the health of the global financial system has only deteriorated. Corrupt leadership, worsening standards of living and several other problems have sparked unrest in a number of countries. The latest country to see unrest is Iran. Recently protestors set several buildings on fire and one among them was a branch of Iran's central bank in Behbahan, a city located in the southwestern region of the country. Such events underline the importance of cryptocurrencies because crypto is the only asset class which cannot be controlled or manipulated by leaders and regulators. Though many suggest that gold can …

The United States Federal Reserve believes that stablecoins “could complement existing payment systems and improve consumer welfare” but the operators behind the digital assets will require constant oversight and regulation. The Fed warned that if a stablecoin payment network achieves a global scale quickly, it will increase risks related to financial stability and monetary policy. Interestingly, with all the regulations and monetary policy initiatives of the Fed, the total debt of the US has hit $23 trillion. It is not only the US that is burdened by debt. Global debt will reach a staggerring $255 trillion by the end of …

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee believes that cryptocurrencies “are network value assets” and as the number of people who hold the asset increases, the value of the cryptocurrencies would also move up. According to him, about half a million people use and own Bitcoin currently and if the number doubles, he expects Bitcoin (BTC) to easily reach his target of $25,000. Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao believes that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s support of blockchain technology will result in the mass adoption of crypto. As more people learn about blockchain technology, they would understand cryptocurrencies better, boosting adoption. Zhao also expects …

Although Bitcoin (BTC) is not showing any trending move, Bakkt and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group continue to roll out products designed to attract the large traders. Bakkt recently announced that it will add a cash-settled futures contract to its existing Bitcoin-settled contract. On the other hand, the CME group plans to offer options on Bitcoin futures after receiving the necessary regulatory approvals. Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange is also planning to launch a slew of products, which include, options trading and a gold-backed stablecoin, to attract customers. These actions by cryptocurrency exchanges instill confidence that trading volume is likely to …