• June 25, 2024

Significant Drop In Usage Of India's Central Bank Digital Currency

According to Odaily, insiders involved in the pilot project have reported a significant decrease in the usage of India's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the digital Rupee. The usage has dropped to one-tenth of its peak in December 2023. Initially, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) managed to achieve one million daily retail transactions with the digital Rupee by incentivizing banks and allocating part of the wages in digital currency. However, once these incentives ended, the daily transaction volume fell to approximately 100,000, indicating a lack of organic demand. The central bank is currently focusing on testing technology and developing use cases, with no immediate plans for rapid expansion.

  • June 25, 2024

US SEC Chairman Discusses Cryptocurrency and Securities Law Overlap

According to Odaily, Gary Gensler, the Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), recently spoke about the intersection of cryptocurrency and securities law, the political implications of crypto regulation, and his priorities at the SEC during an interview at the Bloomberg Investment Summit on June 25. Gensler emphasized that there is no inconsistency between crypto securities and existing securities laws. He pointed out that the rules governing securities are clear and can protect investors, ensuring fair, orderly, and efficient markets. Despite this, he believes that many entities within the cryptocurrency field do not comply with these laws. This non-compliance is a key issue that the SEC aims to address through its regulatory oversight. Regarding the growing political significance of the cryptocurrency industry, Gensler stated that his primary responsibility is to protect investors and supervise issuers, ensuring access to fair, orderly, and efficient markets. He added that while others can participate in political discussions, his duty is to maintain the integrity of the capital markets.

  • June 25, 2024

UBS Economists Reiterate Soft Landing Outlook for US Economy, Expect Fed to Cut Rates in September

According to BlockBeats, on June 25, UBS economists reiterated their outlook for a soft landing of the US economy. They predict that the Federal Reserve will begin to cut interest rates in September and believe that the market may have misjudged the extent of the Fed's future rate cuts.UBS pointed out that although there have been abnormal fluctuations in economic data since the outbreak of the pandemic, certain trends now seem to have been established. The US labor market, which was severely overheated two years ago, has returned to a state close to pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong growth in labor supply.In addition, there are signs of a slowdown in retail sales and inflation. In May, the core CPI, excluding food and energy prices, only rose by 0.16%, marking the smallest increase since August 2021. Although the core inflation rate is showing a downward trend, it is still much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

  • June 25, 2024

Paraguay's Bitcoin Mining Industry Responds To Shutdown Of Illegal Mines

According to Odaily, the Bitcoin mining industry in Paraguay has responded to the National Electricity Administration's (ANDE) involvement in shutting down several illegal Bitcoin mines. Bruno Vaccotti, the public affairs director of Bitcoin mining company Penguin, revealed the existence of three 'vulture contracts' that have slowed the development of Bitcoin mining operations in Paraguay. In a radio interview, Vaccotti admitted that illegal mining activities have damaged ANDE's revenue. However, he criticized the agency's statements about Bitcoin mining activities. He stated that Penguin pays $850,000 in electricity bills each month, which is almost 50% of the $2 million loss claimed by ANDE due to illegal cryptocurrency mining. The 'vulture contracts' are agreements signed by ANDE with other undisclosed Bitcoin mining third parties. These contracts have affected the power supply for new mines and caused losses to the country. Vaccotti said that these contracts, which involve a large amount of energy, are usually signed by foreign investors seeking speculation. The energy allocated to these parties is prevented from being used for these operations, thereby damaging the potential for real Bitcoin mining investors to utilize the involved energy. Vaccotti emphasized that this could have a greater impact than the illegal activities ANDE is investigating.

  • June 24, 2024

Federal Reserve's Daly Cautions Against Premature Rate Relaxation

According to BlockBeats, on June 25, Federal Reserve's Daly expressed the need for careful consideration to avoid prematurely relaxing interest rates or maintaining a status quo for too long. Daly's statement highlights the delicate balance central banks must maintain to ensure economic stability. The timing of interest rate changes is crucial in managing inflation and economic growth. A premature relaxation could lead to inflationary pressures, while a prolonged status quo could stifle economic growth. Therefore, Daly's cautionary stance underscores the importance of strategic decision-making in monetary policy.

  • June 24, 2024

SEC and Ripple Labs Dispute Continues: Key Developments

According to CryptoPotato, the ongoing dispute between the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple Labs regarding the classification of XRP as a security is expected to have significant implications for the entire industry. The case, which has been in progress for several years, is currently in the trial phase.David Hirsh, the Chief of the Crypto Asset and Cyber Unit at the SEC, recently resigned after serving the SEC for over nine years. His resignation came shortly after the SEC reduced its demanded penalty from Ripple from $2 billion to $102.6 million. This reduction was a response to Ripple's legal team's request for a penalty not exceeding $10 million. The SEC justified the revised penalty by comparing it to the gross profit of the violative conduct, resulting in a $102.6 million penalty, significantly higher than the $10 million cap insisted by Ripple.However, Ripple's legal challenges are not limited to the SEC case. Brad Garlinghouse, the company's CEO, is also involved in a separate lawsuit in California. This lawsuit is related to statements he made years ago about his personal investment in XRP. Despite the case proceeding to trial, the presiding judge dismissed several allegations, including those suggesting that Ripple violated federal securities law. Ripple's chief lawyer stated that the New York ruling that XRP is not a security remains undisturbed, and one state law claim based on a 2017 statement is going to trial. Garlinghouse reiterated his support for the statements he made in 2017 and considered the dismissal of allegations a significant victory for the company.

  • June 23, 2024

Swiss Central Bank Extends Pilot Project for Tokenized Bonds Settled with Experimental Digital Currency

According to Odaily, the Swiss Central Bank recently announced that it will extend its pilot project for selling the first batch of tokenized bonds settled with its experimental digital currency, also known as wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), for another two years. The bank described the project as 'very successful'. The Swiss Central Bank stated that using CBDCs for settling and clearing financial transactions could eliminate credit risk. In contrast, all digital bonds issued in the United States so far have been settled with private digital tokens, which do not have the same safeguards as central bank-backed currencies. Moody's Corporation stated in a declaration that the lack of digital cash compatible with distributed ledger technology is often a significant barrier to the development of this technology, and Switzerland is the most advanced country in this field.

  • June 20, 2024

US Court Rejects Four Collective Lawsuits Against Ripple, Allows One State Lawsuit to Proceed

According to BlockBeats, on June 21, a US regional court judge dismissed all four collective lawsuits against Ripple, but allowed one state lawsuit to continue. The jury will continue to discuss whether Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse made 'misleading statements' related to securities sales in a television interview in 2017. Previously, a civil lawsuit for securities claims against Brad Garlinghouse was heard in a California court. The decision by the judge marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battles faced by Ripple and its CEO. The dismissal of the four collective lawsuits provides some relief for the company, but the continuation of the state lawsuit indicates that Ripple's legal troubles are far from over. The focus of the ongoing discussion is on the statements made by Garlinghouse in 2017, which are alleged to have been misleading in relation to securities sales. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for Ripple and the broader cryptocurrency industry.

  • June 20, 2024

Richmond Fed Chair Urges Clarity On Inflation Path Before Rate Cut

According to BlockBeats, Richmond Federal Reserve Chair, Barkin, stated on June 21 that the Federal Reserve needs to further clarify the path of inflation before it can cut interest rates. Barkin, who has voting rights on monetary policy this year, said the current policy positioning is good and added that the Federal Reserve has the strength needed to curb inflation.When asked if the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates once and maintain them at that level, Barkin said it depends on economic data. If the current situation continues, now may not be the best time to provide guidance on the timeline for subsequent policy adjustments. 'Sometimes we want to provide forward-looking guidance and we do,' he said, 'In my view, it doesn't seem like that time now. It doesn't feel like the time to release forward-looking guidance. Let's see where the data will lead us.'

  • June 17, 2024

Terraform Settles With SEC For $44.7 Billion, Founders Accused Of Fraudulent Trading

According to Foresight News, a recent statement submitted by the Financial Securities Crime Joint Investigation Department of the Southern Seoul Local Prosecutor's Office reveals that in a conversation between Do Kwon and Shin in May 2019, they discussed the possibility of creating seemingly real but fraudulent trades. The prosecutors believe that this indicates that Do Kwon and Shin had the intention to manipulate trades related to Terra from the beginning of their venture, with the aim of defrauding investors. They allegedly used these fraudulent trades to inflate trading volumes, thereby attracting investors and expanding their business. In a previous report by Foresight News, it was revealed that Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District Court in New York had approved a settlement agreement of $44.7 billion between Terraform and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As per the agreement, Terraform will pay nearly $36 billion in forfeiture, $4.2 billion in civil penalties, and an estimated $4.67 billion in interest. On the basis of cooperation with Terraform, Do Kwon agreed to pay $110 million in forfeiture, $14.3 million in pre-trial interest, and $80 million in civil penalties.