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Cryptocurrency is emerging as a 2024 election issue

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Cryptocurrency is emerging as a 2024 election issue

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In the past decade or so, digital cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, has gone from a technological novelty to an industry with a multitrillion-dollar global market.

BronxCrypto Founder Julio Barrios said many people don’t understand the industry so several years ago he started an educational platform.

“I go in and I host classes and seminars, workshops,” Barrios said. “I host free workshops at libraries all over the Bronx.”

He said the industry has been marred by misunderstanding and bad actors that have led to government leaders approaching it cautiously. 

“That happens to all technologies,” Barrios said. “In the beginning it’s used by criminals. It’s used by people trying to do illegal things and then all of a sudden when people see the potential of like the blockchain, that’s when people get on board.”

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Tech industry coalition Chamber of Progress’ Director of Financial Policy Kyle Bligen said the Biden administration has been generally hostile toward crypto, but Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris may be changing that.

“We’ve seen a little bit of a tone shift here in recent reporting saying that her surrogates and her close advisors are actually reaching out to industry, trying to ensure that she has a comprehensive understanding of what  cryptocurrency, blockchain technology is and how she can better work with industry in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Republican nominee Donald Trump is beginning to make crypto a key component of his campaign. Over the weekend, he spoke at a Bitcoin conference in Nashville, laying out several specific policy plans including creating a strategic reserve similar to what the government has for petroleum. 

“The actual mechanics of that, how that would come to fruition and what the benefit would be for the actual marketplace, that still needs to be bore out but that was the first time that I have ever seen someone on the level of a presidential candidate or someone in the administration ever calling for that type of policy,” Bligen said.

Chamber of Progress said while Republicans, by way of Trump, are embracing the industry they hope Democrats will join in creating a bipartisan regulatory plan. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is one of the party’s leaders on the issue.

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“If we want to make the market safe for Americans to participate in, we need basic transparency, accountability, know your customer rules, anti-money laundering rules, safety and soundness rules and I’ve written legislation to provide exactly that,” Gillibrand said.

She said regulating crypto and promoting American innovation should not be partisan. 

“I think cryptocurrency and blockchain isn’t a top five issue for most New Yorkers or most Americans and so our elected leaders haven’t really had the experts within their staff to give them guidance about what regulation is needed,” Gillibrand said.

Chamber of Progress said polling shows pro-crypto voters may prioritize the issue over others in choosing a candidate. Barrios said there needs to be an all hands-on deck approach.

“America has to see this,” Barrios said. “They have to wake up. We cannot let China control most of this Bitcoin mine.”

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The organization said more than 20 million Americans either buy, trade or sell cryptocurrency and reference polling claiming more than 52% of Americans nationwide support the technology. 

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What Is Toncoin (TON) Cryptocurrency? The Complete Guide

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What Is Toncoin (TON) Cryptocurrency? The Complete Guide

Buying Toncoin is a relatively straightforward process that can be completed in just a few steps:

Step 1: Choose a Cryptocurrency Exchange

The first step is to choose a reputable cryptocurrency exchange that lists Toncoin. Some popular exchanges that list Toncoin include Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken. Consider factors such as fees, security, and user interface when selecting an exchange.

Step 2: Sign Up and Verify Your Account

Once you’ve chosen an exchange, create an account by providing some basic information such as your name, email address, and password. You must also verify your identity through a know-your-customer (KYC) process, which typically involves uploading an image of a government-issued ID and a selfie.

Step 3: Deposit Funds

Next, deposit funds into your exchange account using a payment method accepted by the exchange, such as a bank transfer, card, or another cryptocurrency.

Step 4: Buy Toncoin

After depositing funds, navigate to the exchange’s trading platform and search for Toncoin (TON). Click “Buy” and enter the amount of Toncoin you want. You will need to decide whether to use a market order to buy instantly or a limit order to set the price at which you would like to buy it later. Review the transaction details and confirm the purchase.

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Step 5: Store Your Toncoin

Finally, transfer your Toncoin to a secure wallet to store your coins safely. While many people opt to keep their cryptocurrencies on the exchange they used to buy them, this isn’t always the safest way to store them as it requires trusting a third party to look after your assets. Instead, you can use a self-custody wallet to store your assets, which is generally safer if set up correctly.

Now you have successfully purchased TON, remember to stay up to date on the latest news and project developments so you can manage your investment effectively. As with any investment, it’s essential to always do your research, set a budget, and only invest what you can afford to lose.

This article is not an endorsement of any particular cryptocurrency, broker or exchange nor does it constitute a recommendation of cryptocurrency or CFDs as an investment class.  Cryptocurrency is unregulated in Australia and your capital is at risk. Trading in contracts for difference (CFDs) is riskier than conventional share trading, not suitable for the majority of investors, and includes the potential for partial or total loss of capital. You should always consider whether you can afford to lose your money before deciding to trade in CFDs or cryptocurrency, and seek advice from an authorised financial advisor.

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Trump Digs Deeper Into Cryptocurrency? Bakkt Shares Soar On Reported Interest From President-Elect's Media Company – Bakkt Hldgs (NYSE:BKKT)

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Trump Digs Deeper Into Cryptocurrency? Bakkt Shares Soar On Reported Interest From President-Elect's Media Company – Bakkt Hldgs (NYSE:BKKT)

Donald Trump was viewed as the more pro-cryptocurrency presidential candidate in the 2024 election and his support for crypto could get another push with a report that his media company is acquiring a cryptocurrency trading company.

What Happened: Shares of Bakkt Holdings BKKT are soaring Monday on reports the cryptocurrency company, which went public in October 2021 via SPAC merger, is being acquired by Trump Media & Technology Group DJT.

The media company co-founded by Trump, which owns the Truth Social platform, is in advanced talks to acquire Bakkt, according to the Financial Times. The report said Trump Media & Technology Group would acquire the cryptocurrency company, which is backed by Intercontinental Exchange ICE, in an all-share deal.

Benzinga reached out to Trump Media & Technology Group for comment on the report and will update the story accordingly. Benzinga has also contacted Bakkt for comment.

Bakkt’s first CEO was Kelly Loeffler, who was previously a member of the U.S. Senate, representing the state of Georgia as a Republican. Loeffler is helping to organize Trump’s inauguration in January and has close ties to the president-elect.

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The Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, owns a reported 55% of Bakkt. The exchange company would have to give approval to any such sale to the Trump media company.

Did You Know?

Why It’s Important: Bakkt said in June it was exploring strategic alternatives that could include a sale or breakup of the company.

The company previously said its crypto custody business could be wound down. This segment might not be included in the buyout, according to the report. Bakkt is planning to build a crypto trading platform geared to institutional investors.

DJT shares have experienced high volatility and an increased valuation after Trump won the 2024 election.

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Trump’s pro-crypto stance may have helped elevate Bitcoin BTC/USD and other cryptocurrencies to all-time highs following his 2024 election win.

An acquisition of Bakkt would push Trump’s media company and the president-elect deeper into the cryptocurrency sector, which comes after he promoted a crypto venture called World Liberty Financial with business partners.

BKKT, DJT Price Action: Bakkt stock was halted several times after the report and ended Monday’s session 163.04% higher at $29.71 versus a 52-week trading range of $5.57 to $68.75. Bakkt shares are down 44% year-to-date in 2024.

Trump Media & Technology stock is up 16.65% to $32.78 Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $22.55 to $79.38. Trump Media & Technology stock is up 85% year-to-date in 2024.

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Photo via Shutterstock.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

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Finance ministry pledges to address cryptocurrency taxation issue – Focus Taiwan

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Finance ministry pledges to address cryptocurrency taxation issue – Focus Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 18 (CNA) Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance has pledged to review regulations on taxing cryptocurrency gains amid surges in the digital asset’s prices following the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, a crypto supporter, in early November.

Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) made the promise during a legislative hearing Monday after officials admitted to Kuomintang lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) that the agency has yet to effectively collect taxes from individuals profiting from cryptocurrency trades.

Lai said cryptocurrency is classified as a digital asset, and such assets, as defined in the Income Tax Act, should not be exempt from income taxes.

Wu Lien-ying (吳蓮英), director-general of the National Taxation Bureau of Taipei, defended her bureau’s existing policy, saying it collects business and corporate income taxes from the 26 cryptocurrency exchanges that have acquired anti-money laundering registration from the Financial Supervisory Commission.

She struggled, however, to provide clear details of how income taxes are being collected from investors trading on these platforms.

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Sung Hsiu-ling (宋秀玲), director-general of the Taxation Administration, agreed with Lai that cryptocurrency gains are categorized as digital assets, and investors are required to file income taxes accordingly.

But Lai responded: “Who will file taxes if there’s no auditing?”

Eventually, at Lai’s request, Chuang and Sung vowed to review related rules within three months to better enable the government to tax cryptocurrency gains.

Wu and Sung also mentioned that the Financial Supervisory Commission was drafting a new law related to taxing cryptocurrency, but did not offer any details.

The issue was raised in light of the crypto market’s activity following Trump’s victory.

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Trump has voiced support for virtual currencies and introduced a new cryptocurrency project with his three sons in late September called World Liberty Financial.

Bitcoin, the oldest and largest cryptocurrency, has surged nearly 33 percent as of Monday since Election Day on Nov. 5 to US$90,723, while dogecoin, a cryptocurrency backed by Trump supporter and Tesla founder Elon Musk, has more than doubled over the same period.

A crypto-friendly climate is expected under Trump’s second presidency.

Under current Taiwanese law, individual income tax follows the principle of territoriality, meaning that income tax is only levied on income generated within Taiwan.

If an individual earns income from non-regular trading of virtual assets within Taiwan, it is categorized as “income from property transactions” under Article 14 of the Income Tax Act, with property referring to different asset classes.

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The taxable income is calculated by subtracting the original acquisition cost and related expenses from the transaction price. This amount is then added to the individual’s total income and subject to taxation.

This territoriality principle, however, poses challenges for enforcing strict tax laws on cryptocurrency transactions, a legal professional familiar with cryptocurrency told CNA, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“As far as I know, the Finance Ministry can only monitor the currency flow of bank accounts used for transactions, similar to how it monitors stock trades,” the source said.

“Taxes can easily be evaded by disguising the transactions as overseas activity conducted in U.S. dollars.”

The expert also noted that for individuals trading virtual currencies on overseas exchanges, even large earnings can evade scrutiny as long as the recorded gains remain below the threshold for taxable overseas income.

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For 2024, the threshold is NT$7.5 million (US$230,372), an increase from NT$6.7 million in 2023.

“At this point, I can’t imagine how they’re going to amend these regulations,” the source said.

(By Alyx Chang and Chao Yen-hsiang)

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