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Visa and Tangem Unveil Combined Payment Card-Crypto Wallet

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Visa and Tangem Unveil Combined Payment Card-Crypto Wallet

Switzerland-based cryptocurrency wallet maker Tangem AG has launched a payments partnership with Visa.

The collaboration, announced Friday (July 5), has resulted in a Visa payments card combined with a hardware wallet that lets Tangem users make payments using their crypto or stablecoin balances at merchants that accept Visa.

“We are delighted that Visa has chosen to partner with Tangem, one of the most reliable and secure solutions for personal cryptocurrency storage,” Andrey Kurennykh, co-founder and CEO of Tangem, said in a news release.

“Our users will get a two-in-one solution — the convenience of a regular bank card and the capabilities of a self-custodial crypto wallet, all in one card.”

Kurennykh added that the partnership will go a long way toward “bridging the gap between traditional banking and digital assets, making it easier for everyday users to navigate and leverage the benefits of both worlds.”

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According to the release, the new solution differs from traditional custodial solutions, which rely on third-party entities to handle user funds. In this case, Tangem’s card embeds a private key within the chip and requires the physical card’s use for every transaction, making sure users are always in control of their assets.

The partnership is happening a moment when, as PYMNTS wrote earlier this week, the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector finds itself at a crucial juncture.

“It is the same critical juncture, or at least one strikingly similar, that the crypto and digital asset sector has always found itself at — a juncture where regulatory developments, interoperability and scalability, and institutional acceptance are at the forefront,” that report said.

The reason? Regulations, usability and acceptance are the three themes and trends observers believe will mold the future of Web3, a future that’s more than a decade in the works.

While the adoption of crypto as a mainstream payment mechanism has yet to displace more traditional methods in spite of the rise of digital transactions, crypto has still seen some success as a financial asset, that report argued.

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One of the most pressing issues facing the space is a need for clear regulation to protect consumers, prevent fraud and drive institutional investment.

Taming the “Wild West” that is the crypto landscape remains a challenge, the report noted. This week began with the Securities and Exchange Commission accusing Silvergate Capital, once a favorite partner of the crypto industry, with a range of compliance failures.


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Germans, Mt. Gox, or Feds: Who Caused the Bitcoin Dip?

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Germans, Mt. Gox, or Feds: Who Caused the Bitcoin Dip?

The dollar value of Bitcoin remains extremely volatile. Although there were signs of recovery over the weekend, the value tumbled this morning (Monday) as the Asian markets opened. What is the cause of this dip? Is it due to the expected repayment from Mt. Gox or the Germans offloading their Bitcoin stash? Additionally, the US Feds’ decisions on rate cuts cannot be ignored.

A Bloody Week

Bitcoin peaked at almost $74,000 earlier this year, boosted by the approval of the long-awaited spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States. However, due to periodic volatility, the cryptocurrency is trading around $57,500, down by around 23 percent.

In the past week alone, the value of Bitcoin has decreased by about 10 percent.

As always, the reasons behind Bitcoin’s volatility are mixed. However, this time, the bearish sentiments might have been triggered by a few events.

Bitcoin price movement in the past 1 month

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A $9 Billion Payout

A prominent trigger might be the upcoming repayment to the creditors of the now-defunct crypto exchange Mt. Gox. After ten years of countless delays, the Mt. Gox administrator finally decided to repay the distressed creditors in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.

At its peak, Mt. Gox handled 70 percent of all Bitcoin transactions. However, the exchange lost an estimated 740,000 Bitcoin, which led to its closure in 2014.

Recently, Mt. Gox-related Bitcoin wallets moved 47,228 Bitcoins. However, it was unclear if those Bitcoins were moved for the purpose of repayment. The anticipation of such a massive volume of Bitcoin hitting the market might have created selling pressure, resulting in the recent volatility.

The Mt. Gox payout is estimated to be $9 billion. However, experts believe that the $1.1 trillion Bitcoin market has the potential to absorb the pressure from the sell-off by the Mt. Gox creditors.

“Mt. Gox moved [a massive amount of] BTC, signalling the start of their repayment process, which has caused some market fear due to the large potential sell-off,” Willy Chuang, COO of crypto exchange WOO X, told crypto-focused publication Coindesk. “However, it’s worth noting that despite these concerns, the long-term impact may be less severe as the market gradually absorbs the selling pressure.”

The German Sell-Off

Another major reason for the latest downward Bitcoin spiral might be the selling off of seized Bitcoins by German authorities. Earlier this year, German law enforcement seized 50,000 Bitcoins linked with a piracy website.

After months of holding onto those seized cryptocurrencies, the German government-linked wallets moved out 6,500 Bitcoins, worth about $425 million at the time. After a series of transactions, 1,000 of these Bitcoins were sent to two crypto exchanges, Kraken and Bitstamp. On-chain analyst Arkham also confirmed that the German government moved another 1,300 Bitcoins, worth $76 million, to Kraken, Bitstamp, and Coinbase on July 4, after which the Bitcoin price took a massive hit.

The German government also moved an additional 1,700 Bitcoins to an address likely moved “for an institutional service or OTC.”

Despite the sell-offs, the German government still holds a substantial amount of Bitcoins from the seizure. Similarly, the US government accumulated a sizable amount of Bitcoin from seizures against illegal operations over the years.

Is It the Feds?

Although a regular event, the US Federal Reserve’s decision might be another factor behind Bitcoin’s volatility. On Thursday, the Feds decided not to cut interest rates for another cycle. Even though rate cuts are not directly related to Bitcoin, higher interest rates always lure investors to keep their money away from risky investments like Bitcoin.

Currently, the Fed funds rate is at 5.5 percent, significantly higher compared to 0.25 percent in March 2022.

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The US interest rate over the past 5 years

Room for Upward Movement

Bitcoin entered the mainstream financial market earlier this year when the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the spot Bitcoin ETFs. Prominent asset managers like BlackRock and Fidelity, along with nine other issuers, are now listing spot Bitcoin ETFs on American stock exchanges.

Further, the mining reward of Bitcoin was halved earlier this year, an event that has positively impacted the cryptocurrency’s price movement historically.

Despite the recent volatility, many analysts are still optimistic about Bitcoin. According to analysts at crypto data and research firm CCData, Bitcoin is yet to reach the top of its current appreciation cycle and is likely to hit a fresh all-time high.

CCData pointed out that Bitcoin halvings always preceded a period of price expansion, which lasts between 12 to 18 months “before producing a cycle top.” These historical time frames have yet to pass after the latest halving on 19 April 2024.

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“Moreover, we have observed a decline in trading activity on centralised exchanges for nearly two months following the halving event in previous cycles, which seems to have mirrored this cycle. This suggests that the current cycle could expand further into 2025,” the CCData report stated.

The dollar value of Bitcoin remains extremely volatile. Although there were signs of recovery over the weekend, the value tumbled this morning (Monday) as the Asian markets opened. What is the cause of this dip? Is it due to the expected repayment from Mt. Gox or the Germans offloading their Bitcoin stash? Additionally, the US Feds’ decisions on rate cuts cannot be ignored.

A Bloody Week

Bitcoin peaked at almost $74,000 earlier this year, boosted by the approval of the long-awaited spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States. However, due to periodic volatility, the cryptocurrency is trading around $57,500, down by around 23 percent.

In the past week alone, the value of Bitcoin has decreased by about 10 percent.

As always, the reasons behind Bitcoin’s volatility are mixed. However, this time, the bearish sentiments might have been triggered by a few events.

Advertisement

Bitcoin price movement in the past 1 month

A $9 Billion Payout

A prominent trigger might be the upcoming repayment to the creditors of the now-defunct crypto exchange Mt. Gox. After ten years of countless delays, the Mt. Gox administrator finally decided to repay the distressed creditors in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.

At its peak, Mt. Gox handled 70 percent of all Bitcoin transactions. However, the exchange lost an estimated 740,000 Bitcoin, which led to its closure in 2014.

Recently, Mt. Gox-related Bitcoin wallets moved 47,228 Bitcoins. However, it was unclear if those Bitcoins were moved for the purpose of repayment. The anticipation of such a massive volume of Bitcoin hitting the market might have created selling pressure, resulting in the recent volatility.

The Mt. Gox payout is estimated to be $9 billion. However, experts believe that the $1.1 trillion Bitcoin market has the potential to absorb the pressure from the sell-off by the Mt. Gox creditors.

Advertisement

“Mt. Gox moved [a massive amount of] BTC, signalling the start of their repayment process, which has caused some market fear due to the large potential sell-off,” Willy Chuang, COO of crypto exchange WOO X, told crypto-focused publication Coindesk. “However, it’s worth noting that despite these concerns, the long-term impact may be less severe as the market gradually absorbs the selling pressure.”

The German Sell-Off

Another major reason for the latest downward Bitcoin spiral might be the selling off of seized Bitcoins by German authorities. Earlier this year, German law enforcement seized 50,000 Bitcoins linked with a piracy website.

After months of holding onto those seized cryptocurrencies, the German government-linked wallets moved out 6,500 Bitcoins, worth about $425 million at the time. After a series of transactions, 1,000 of these Bitcoins were sent to two crypto exchanges, Kraken and Bitstamp. On-chain analyst Arkham also confirmed that the German government moved another 1,300 Bitcoins, worth $76 million, to Kraken, Bitstamp, and Coinbase on July 4, after which the Bitcoin price took a massive hit.

The German government also moved an additional 1,700 Bitcoins to an address likely moved “for an institutional service or OTC.”

Advertisement

Despite the sell-offs, the German government still holds a substantial amount of Bitcoins from the seizure. Similarly, the US government accumulated a sizable amount of Bitcoin from seizures against illegal operations over the years.

Is It the Feds?

Although a regular event, the US Federal Reserve’s decision might be another factor behind Bitcoin’s volatility. On Thursday, the Feds decided not to cut interest rates for another cycle. Even though rate cuts are not directly related to Bitcoin, higher interest rates always lure investors to keep their money away from risky investments like Bitcoin.

Advertisement

Currently, the Fed funds rate is at 5.5 percent, significantly higher compared to 0.25 percent in March 2022.

The US interest rate over the past 5 years

Room for Upward Movement

Bitcoin entered the mainstream financial market earlier this year when the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the spot Bitcoin ETFs. Prominent asset managers like BlackRock and Fidelity, along with nine other issuers, are now listing spot Bitcoin ETFs on American stock exchanges.

Further, the mining reward of Bitcoin was halved earlier this year, an event that has positively impacted the cryptocurrency’s price movement historically.

Despite the recent volatility, many analysts are still optimistic about Bitcoin. According to analysts at crypto data and research firm CCData, Bitcoin is yet to reach the top of its current appreciation cycle and is likely to hit a fresh all-time high.

Advertisement

CCData pointed out that Bitcoin halvings always preceded a period of price expansion, which lasts between 12 to 18 months “before producing a cycle top.” These historical time frames have yet to pass after the latest halving on 19 April 2024.

“Moreover, we have observed a decline in trading activity on centralised exchanges for nearly two months following the halving event in previous cycles, which seems to have mirrored this cycle. This suggests that the current cycle could expand further into 2025,” the CCData report stated.

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Bitcoin slides to $54k after Mt Gox begins distributions By Investing.com

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Bitcoin slides to $54k after Mt Gox begins distributions By Investing.com

Investing.com– fell sharply in early Asian trade on Monday, reversing a modest rebound seen over the weekend and hitting an over four-month low on concerns over a flood of token supply from defunct crypto exchange Mt Gox.

The fell 5.8% in the past 24 hours to $54,601.7 by 21:28 ET (01:28 GMT), coming close to its weakest level since late-February. The token also broke below a key $55,000 support.

Bitcoin was nursing steep losses in the past two weeks amid concerns over token distributions by Mt Gox. The trustees of the exchange said last week that they had begun distributing tokens stolen during a 2014 hack back to creditors through a slew of exchanges, although they did not specify just how many tokens were being returned. 

Wallets associated with the exchange were seen mobilizing about $9 billion worth of Bitcoin earlier this year. 

Mt Gox has been a major point of contention for crypto markets, as traders speculated that given the massive increase in Bitcoin’s price over the past decade, receivers of the token would be likely to sell it on the open market, increasing the token’s supply.

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Fears of such a scenario spurred widespread dumping of the token, with several Bitcoin “whale” wallets also coming online and mobilizing their holdings for sales.

Selling in Bitcoin spilled over into the broader crypto market, with world no.2 token sinking 7.3% to a two-month low.

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Investigating Cryptocurrency Investment Trends: Analyzing BlockDAG, ARB, and Litecoin

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Investigating Cryptocurrency Investment Trends: Analyzing BlockDAG, ARB, and Litecoin

BlockDAG, ARB, and Litecoin are all making significant strides in the cryptocurrency arena, presenting varied investment opportunities. BlockDAG has quickly distinguished itself with its presale success, securing over $56.6 million from 19 separate batches. In comparison, the ARB token from Arbitrum provides an appealing purchase prospect as it approaches an all-time low of $0.74, yet the optimistic sentiment among the community points to a promising price revival. Litecoin is also showing signs of increased network engagement, with its unique addresses climbing to over 700,000, possibly signaling a demand spike and favorable price trends, particularly as its Relative Strength Index (RSI) reaches its most advantageous point since the previous September.

BlockDAG Hailed as Top Crypto of July 2024 by Analysts

In a pivotal moment, cryptocurrency experts have declared BlockDAG the leading cryptocurrency of July 2024, thanks to its exceptional presale coin performance. Surpassing $54.5 million and earning $500,000 each day, BlockDAG is on a trajectory to reach $100 million before its mainnet debut. This explosive demand and investor enthusiasm underscore the vast potential of BlockDAG’s innovative blockchain technology.

The imminent mainnet debut marks a crucial juncture in the cryptocurrency sector. With the completion of its Peer-to-Peer Engine and the Block & DAG Algorithm, along with ongoing progress on EVM Compatibility and Metamask Integration, BlockDAG is well-prepared for success. The Testnet is expected in mid-August, with the Mainnet launching in four months, demonstrating BlockDAG’s commitment to providing a premier platform.

Through relentless development and strategic marketing, BlockDAG has risen to prominence, suggesting a staggering 30,000x return potential. Currently priced at $0.014 in Batch 19, BlockDAG embarks on a thrilling journey in the crypto space. Analysts foresee a bright future with coin values expected at $10 by 2025, $20 by 2027, and $30 by 2030.

Even during the presale phase, early BlockDAG investors have seen significant returns, establishing its status as a formidable investment. From $0.001 in Batch 1 to $0.014 in Batch 19, the price has soared by 1300%. With over $56.6 million raised, projections suggest a possible $30 coin value by 2030. By then, a $500 initial investment could swell to $15 million, highlighting BlockDAG’s exceptional investment potential.

Arbitrum’s Market Outlook: Why It’s an Ideal Time for Investors

Arbitrum’s ARB token is nearing a historical low of $0.74, creating a prime investment window. Unlike other altcoins at peak prices, ARB’s low entry cost makes it accessible. Despite nearing a low price point, community morale remains surprisingly upbeat, with a surge in purchases indicated by the Price Daily Active Addresses (DAA) divergence metric. This measure shows an increase in user interactions with ARB, suggesting a potential price recovery. For investors, this may be a golden opportunity to invest before anticipated price increases, driven by hopeful stakeholders.

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Litecoin’s Network Activity Skyrockets: Is Now the Investment Time?

This month, Litecoin’s blockchain has experienced a notable rise in activity. Santiment, a blockchain data analysis firm, reports that the count of unique addresses engaging with Litecoin has more than doubled, skyrocketing from 345,000 in May to over 700,000 currently.

This spike in unique addresses suggests a growing user base involved in transactions and other activities on the Litecoin network. This heightened activity might boost network demand and positively influence price trends. Additionally, Litecoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently in its “Opportunity Zone,” a positive signal not observed since last September.

For investors, these developments indicate a dynamic and potentially rewarding environment. Increased network usage generally correlates with rising investor interest and could be a precursor to future price appreciation. Keeping an eye on Litecoin’s network growth and RSI trends could provide critical insights for those exploring investment options in the cryptocurrency sphere.

Massive Buying Opportunity

As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, BlockDAG, ARB, and Litecoin each offer unique opportunities for discerning investors. BlockDAG leads with its groundbreaking technology, potentially offering returns up to 30,000 times the initial investment due to its innovative DAG architecture and strategic market positioning. Meanwhile, ARB’s current low price presents a timely investment chance, with community confidence suggesting an impending rebound. On the other hand, the surge in Litecoin’s network activity indicates robust user engagement that could propel future price increases.

Invest in the BlockDAG Presale Now:

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Website: https://blockdag.network

Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network

Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetwork

Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu

Disclaimer: The statements, views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily represent those of Crypto Reporter. Crypto Reporter is not responsible for the trustworthiness, quality, accuracy of any materials in this article. This article is provided for educational purposes only. Crypto Reporter is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Do your research and invest at your own risk.

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