The Tarjih Council and the Central Executive Tajdid of Muhammadiyah, one of the largest non-government Islamic organizations in Indonesia, issued a new fatwa against cryptocurrency use, deeming it haram, or unlawful, for Muslims. The fatwa, a ruling on the point of Islamic law, was issued on Tuesday and pointed towards two critical issues with cryptocurrencies that make them illegal as an investment tool and a medium of exchange under Islamic laws: The speculative nature of cryptocurrencies makes them imperfect as an investment tool. The crypto tokens are believed to contain “gharar” (obscurity) which means they are not backed by anything …

More than a year after a Canada-based Middle Eastern restaurant chain converted its fiat cash reserves into Bitcoin, the owner reported the move helped save the business during the pandemic. According to a Tuesday report from Canadian news outlet Toronto Star, when Tahini’s restaurant owners Aly and Omar Hamam and their cousin Ahmed decided to convert the company’s savings into Bitcoin (BTC) in August 2020 because it offered “a much better alternative to saving cash,” the price of the crypto asset was roughly $12,000. Aly Hamam reported the business had benefited from the initial crypto investment. “We made the move …

Cryptocurrency individual retirement account and 401(k) provider iTrustCapital said it had raised $125 million in a growth equity investment, making its valuation reach $1.3 billion. In a Wednesday announcement, iTrustCapital said it had completed a $125 million Series A growth equity investment led by New York-based VC firm Left Lane Capital. The company said it planned to use the funds for expanding its existing product and service line in addition to exploring strategic acquisitions. "We are equally excited to partner with iTrustCapital to help support their mission to provide access to cryptocurrency and other alternative investment products through self-directed IRAs,” …

While key Bitcoin (BTC) metrics don’t paint a pretty picture, the bears could be running on fumes. Contrary to analysts warning that Bitcoin could dip to $38,000 “before an eventual breakout”, CoinShares and Arcane Research suggest that the tide could be turning. In brief, Bitcoin institutional outflows were negative four out of the last five weeks, totaling $55 milion. The total assets under management fell to a three-month low of $35 billion midweek last week. CoinShares' findings illustrate that large investors in the Bitcoin ecosystem; those using companies such as Grayscale, CoinsXBT, ProShares, and ETC Group have been reducing their …

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus', the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, has not urged his flock to invest in Bitcoin, despite videos claiming otherwise. A clip recently emerged claiming that Kirill had urged the faithful to invest in cryptocurrencies. While the video does include genuine comments from the patriarch regarding the benefits of robotics for the economy, and a mention of Bitcoin (BTC), the comments were heavily edited, with the narrator further claiming that the leader would bless those who wish to invest in crypto in a special service at a Moscow church. The church's top media …

According to some estimates, as many as 20% of Americans were invested in cryptocurrencies as of August 2021. While the exact number can vary significantly from one poll to another, it is clear that cryptocurrencies are no longer just a niche passion project for tech enthusiasts or a tool for financial speculation. Rather, digital assets have become a widespread investment vehicle with the prospect of becoming mainstream. Optimistic as that is, this level of mass adoption still does not enjoy a commensurate political representation, with senior United States politicians largely lagging behind the curve of crypto adoption. This makes the …

Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary laid out his plans to invest in mining company stocks. In an interview with Anthony Pompliano, Mr. Wonderful shared stories about his recent travels in the Middle East to find ways to invest in Bitcoin (BTC) mining. According to the Shark Tank mogul, investors in the Middle East are looking into “sovereign mining operations.” O’Leary also predicts that in the next 2-3 years, sovereign funds may decide to invest in Bitcoin mining. However, the businessman notes that the funds will choose mining businesses that use sustainable energy. Due to environment-related controversies, the eco-friendliness of mining operations …

Throughout 2021, the Brazilian cryptocurrency market managed to distance itself from the police pages and finally win acceptance with the general public, whether in the financial market or even in the greatest national passion: soccer. Last year, Bitcoin (BTC) acted as a strong alternative to the Brazilian real that ended 2021 by breaking negative records and reaching a devaluation of 6.5% by December, making it the 38th worst currency in the world. In a year of ups and downs for Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency hit a bottom of 167,000 real in January and soared along with global markets to 355,000 …

Despite the ongoing uncertainty about cryptocurrency regulation in India, local financial firms are backing new ventures aiming to launch Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETF). Torus Kling Blockchain, a joint venture between Cosmea Financial Holding, a financial firm backed by former Reliance Capital CEO Sam Ghosh, and Kling Trading India, is preparing to launch Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) futures ETFs in India, The Economic Times reported Thursday. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s major stock exchange, the India International Exchange (INX), to launch crypto ETFs alongside investment products tracking major metaverse-related companies listed in the United States. …

Eduardo Paes, mayor of Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro, wants to allocate 1% of the city’s treasury into Bitcoin (BTC), Cointelegraph Brazil reported. Paes reportedly announced plans for “Crypto Rio,” or turning the city into a cryptocurrency hub during Rio Innovation Week on Thursday, according to a report by local news agency O Globo. The mayor spoke about Rio’s cryptocurrency-related ambitions in a panel with Miami mayor and Bitcoin bull Francis Suarez, who started accepting his paychecks in BTC in November 2021. “We are going to launch Crypto Rio and invest 1% of the treasury in cryptocurrency. The government has …

The vast majority of cryptocurrency owners in the United States made the first-ever crypto investments just within last year, according to a new survey. About 70% of crypto hodlers in the U.S. started investing in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) in 2021, according to the Crypto Perception Report 2022 by Huobi Group, the operator of major crypto exchange Huobi. The company polled about 3,100 U.S. adults in mid-December 2021 to assess respondents’ knowledge of crypto, what they think about the crypto market rise in 2021 and more. The survey found 68% of respondents got their first crypto exposure within a year, …

Comedian and former Daily Show host Jon Stewart said Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Mark Cuban broke down the intricacies of the crypto space in practical terms. Speaking to Stewart on a Thursday podcast, Cuban said he didn’t focus on the price speculation around cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE), comparing it to “gamesmanship” akin to that of stocks. The Dallas Mavericks owner explained some of the basics of the space to Stewart, calling it “decentralized and trustless,” with token holders having a “typically equal vote” to determine the direction of each project — characteristics that appealed to the …