Crypto
Nigerian Officials Demanded Huge Crypto Payments To Make Cryptocurrency Probe ‘Go Away,’ Binance CEO Claims – Arise News
The CEO of prominent cryptocurrency platform Binance, Richard Teng, unveiled in a blog post on Tuesday that undisclosed individuals in Nigeria sought substantial payments in digital currency to resolve the company’s challenges in the country.
The revelation comes in the wake of the detention of two senior Binance executives by the Nigerian government on February 28. Nadeem Anjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan were held as part of an investigation into alleged illegal operations and forex rate manipulations.
Teng detailed Binance’s efforts to engage with Nigerian authorities, citing a meeting in Abuja on January 8, where the company faced criminal accusations.
He said that despite repeated requests, Binance did not receive specifics of the allegations, prompting concerns about the fairness of the process.
Teng said, “There were a number of reasons for that, including the sensitivity of the information and getting the opportunity to see the allegations in full and prepare a thorough substantive response.”
“The meeting ended with the Chair confirming they would consider the matter and revert through Binance’s local counsel.
“However, as our employees were leaving the venue, they were approached by unknown persons who suggested to them to make a payment in settlement of the allegations.
“Later that day, our local counsel — representing us at that time — was summoned by the Committee through someone purporting to be their agent, who relayed the Committee’s terms and instructed our local counsel to advise us.
“Counsel reported back that he had been presented with a demand for a significant payment in cryptocurrency to be paid in secret within 48 hours to make these issues go away and that our decision was expected by the morning.
“Our team grew increasingly concerned about their safety in Nigeria and immediately departed.”
The Binance CEO however revealed that the request for payment was declined because it was not seen to be a “legitimate settlement offer”.
According to Teng, Binance made it clear that it would only negotiate a settlement after viewing the pertinent petition or the specifics of all the accusations. Any settlement “must be official, recorded in writing, and signed by all relevant parties,” he added.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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Cryptoquant CEO Predicts Bull Run Midpoint as Bitcoin Recovers – Market Updates Bitcoin News
Crypto
Top Trader Ditches Bitcoin For Altcoins, 'Dogecoin Killer' Shiba Inu's Potential Breakout And More: This Week In Cryptocurrency
The week was a rollercoaster ride in the world of cryptocurrency. From a top trader’s surprising move to a CEO’s political warning, the crypto market was buzzing with activity. Here’s a quick recap of the top stories that made headlines.
Top Trader Ditches Bitcoin for Altcoins
Renowned cryptocurrency trader Michael van de Poppe shocked the market by announcing that he had sold all his Bitcoin holdings to invest in altcoins. Despite Bitcoin’s recent weak price action, Van De Poppe clarified that his decision was not due to a loss of faith in Bitcoin. Read the full article here.
Uniswap CEO’s Political Warning
Hayden Adams, CEO of Uniswap UNI/USD, criticized the Biden administration for underestimating the political significance of cryptocurrency. Adams likened the administration’s oversight to a severe strategic miscalculation, expressing concern that this could alienate a significant voter base and impact campaign funding. Read the full article here.
See Also: ‘Dogecoin Killer’ Shiba Inu Pumps 6%: ‘I Felt Underexposed,’ Says Trader Who Sees More Short-Term Upside
Millionaire Trader’s Meme Coin Success
Trader ‘Bonk Guy’ revealed a seven-figure profit in 48 hours trading AMC AMC/USD and GameStop GME/USD derivatives on Solana. Bonk Guy invested around $155,000 in trade, which is currently worth $1.3 million, marking 641% gains. He believes the real “meme coin season” hasn’t even begun yet. Read the full article here.
‘Dogecoin Killer’ Shiba Inu’s Potential Breakout
Crypto trader Javon Marks predicts that ‘Dogecoin Killer’ Shiba Inu SHIB/USD could surpass its all-time high of $0.000088598, implying a price appreciation of over 282% from current levels. Marks suggests that the meme coin is currently in an “intermission” phase before continuing its upward trajectory. Read the full article here.
Dogecoin’s Potential Resurgence
Crypto Kaleo expressed his belief in Dogecoin’s DOGE/USD resurgence, attributing it to the retail sector’s renewed risk appetite. He emphasized Dogecoin’s enduring relevance, stating, “Dogecoin isn’t dead. As soon as it starts to catch a bit of a bid, it will move vertical once again.” Read the full article here.
Read Next: Donald Trump’s Election Odds Just Spiked To 51% According To This Crypto Prediction Market
Read Next: Why This Crypto Market Is ‘A Bear Trap’ And Which Coins This Trader Is Backing
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Crypto lender Genesis to return $3 billion to customers in bankruptcy wind-down
Crypto lender Genesis Global received a significant victory in bankruptcy court on Friday, securing approval for its liquidation plan that will return approximately $3 billion in cash and cryptocurrency to its customers. The ruling, however, delivers a blow to Genesis’s owner, Digital Currency Group (DCG), which will receive no recovery from the bankruptcy.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane overruled DCG’s objection to the plan, which centred on the valuation of crypto assets. DCG argued that customer claims should be capped at the value of cryptocurrencies in January 2023, when Genesis filed for bankruptcy. Crypto prices have surged since then, with Bitcoin, for example, rising from $21,084 in January 2023 to its current price of around $67,000.
Judge Lane rejected DCG’s argument, stating that even with the lower valuation, Genesis would have to prioritise paying other creditors, including federal and state financial regulators with claims totalling $32 billion, before distributing funds to its equity owner.
“There are nowhere near enough assets to provide any recovery to DCG in these cases,” Judge Lane wrote in his ruling.
Genesis aims to return funds to customers in cryptocurrency wherever possible, although it lacks sufficient crypto assets to fully repay all outstanding claims.
Sean O’Neal, an attorney representing Genesis, refuted DCG’s assertion that customers could be paid in full based on the lower January 2023 valuations. “We don’t buy into the idea that claims are capped at the petition date value,” O’Neal stated.
Genesis initially estimated in February that it could repay up to 77% of the value of customer claims, subject to future fluctuations in cryptocurrency prices.
This court approval marks a significant step forward in the resolution of Genesis’s bankruptcy, providing much-needed relief to its customers while leaving its owner, DCG, without any financial recovery.
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