Crypto

Winklevoss Twins Criticize Kamala Harris, Shiba Inu's Stagnating Burn Rate, And More: This Week In Crypto

Published

1 year ago

August 18, 2024

The week was buzzing with cryptocurrency news, from the Winklevoss twins’ critique of Vice President Kamala Harris‘ absence at a crypto roundtable to the stagnating burn rate of Shiba Inu’s tokens. The crypto world also saw some political influences, with Anthony Scaramucci advocating for a bipartisan commitment to crypto regulation and Mark Cuban securing an assurance from Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on sensible crypto law. Let’s dive into the details.

Winklevoss Twins Criticize Kamala Harris

Co-founders of Gemini, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, expressed their disappointment over Harris’ continued absence from cryptocurrency roundtables. Cameron Winklevoss took to social media to voice his concerns, stating, “Harris is a no-show again for the latest crypto roundtable. But don’t worry, she’s really into crypto. She gets it. Progress is being made. We just can’t point to anything at this time.” His brother, Tyler, echoed these sentiments.

Read the full article here.

Shiba Inu’s Stagnating Burn Rate

Shiba Inu SHIB/USD saw a 45% drop in its burn rate over two days as of Thursday, causing traders to question the coin’s near-term upside. In other news, the Shib community launched ShibHub, an app that forms the core of the Shiba ecosystem, allowing users to engage in DeFi, NFTs, social networking, and Web3 gaming.

Read the full article here.

See Also: Ethereum Creator Vitalik Buterin Shakes Up Crypto World With Surprise ETH Deposit To Exchange

Scaramucci Advocates for Bipartisan Crypto Regulation

Scaramucci, CEO of SkyBridge Capital, stressed the need for positive and bipartisan regulation of digital assets during a virtual town hall interaction organized by the “Crypto for Harris” advocacy group. He emphasized that industry leaders wish to avoid political battles and maintain neutrality.

Read the full article here.

Chuck Schumer’s Assurance to Mark Cuban

Senate Majority Leader Schumer assured billionaire entrepreneur Cuban of the importance of “sensible and long-lasting” regulation for the crypto industry during a virtual town hall interaction. Schumer acknowledged the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies, stating that approximately 20% of Americans use them and that the number is expected to rise.

Read the full article here.

Trump vs. Harris: Impact on Crypto

As the U.S. presidential election approaches, market sentiment suggests that a victory for Donald Trump could be bullish for crypto assets, while a win for Kamala Harris could be bearish. A Bernstein report highlights the emergence of Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, as a key indicator of election trends.

Read the full article here.

Read Next: Trump-Era White House Official Anthony Scaramucci Says Industry Leaders Want Bipartisan Commitment On Crypto Regulation

Image via Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Anan Ashraf.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Click to comment

Crypto

Fed ‘Sweet Spot’ Sends Signal for Bitcoin as Jobs Data Quietly Sets Stage for $100K BTC

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Fed ‘Sweet Spot’ Sends Signal for Bitcoin as Jobs Data Quietly Sets Stage for 0K BTC

Bitcoin’s march toward $100,000 is gaining momentum as cooling U.S. labor data, shifting Fed policy expectations, and geopolitical tensions converge, setting the stage for renewed price discovery and a possible breakout beyond prior all-time highs.

Crypto

Rumors are swirling about Venezuela holding $60 billion in Bitcoin—but crypto experts are skeptical | Fortune

Published

23 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Rumors are swirling about Venezuela holding billion in Bitcoin—but crypto experts are skeptical | Fortune

Following the United States’ capture of Nicolás Maduro over the weekend, a report came out claiming that Venezuela had $60 billion stored in Bitcoin—leading to speculation that the U.S. could lay claim to cryptocurrency as well as oil. Despite numerous reports of the huge Venezuelan Bitcoin stash, however, a crypto forensic firm is skeptical of the claims.

The news of Venezuela’s Bitcoin holding began to bubble up last Saturday, the same day that Maduro was ousted. The digital publication Project Brazen reported that his regime could control $60 billion in the original cryptocurrency—but offered little in the way of proof.

“The article does not mention any addresses as a starting point, making it difficult to verify any of these speculated claims,” said Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at Nansen, about Project Brazen’s report.

Barthere is not the first person to express skepticism about the country’s purported crypto treasure trove. Mauricio di Bartolomeo, the Venezuelan co-founder of the financial services company Ledn, told Fortune on Wednesday that the level of the country’s corruption makes the figure hard to believe. He expanded his argument in an opinion piece he wrote for Coindesk.

Estimates of Venezuela’s crypto holdings vary wildly. Bitcointreasuries.net estimates that the country has $22 million worth of Bitcoin. That figure would make Venezuela the government entity with the ninth-most money tied up in the original cryptocurrency, just behind North Korea.

While the exact size of Venezuela’s Bitcoin wealth is unclear, the country has long been a player in crypto. Maduro introduced a token called the Petro in 2018, which was shuttered six years later. Its citizens have also turned to stablecoins as a way to fight their currency’s hyperinflation.

Trump has said that he will “run” Venezuela, and some have speculated that includes seizing the country’s Bitcoin holdings. Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis, said he could not speak to the likelihood of such a seizure. He did, however, explain what gaining control of assets might look like.

A freezing of assets could occur through centralized services, he says. These services would get a court order for an exchange or an issuer like Tether or Circle who could blacklist an address. The second method is through physical seizure. The U.S. could get control of wallets, devices, and keys through compelled cooperation.

For now, there is unlikely to be a full and accurate account of Venezuela’s Bitcoin holdings until the political situation in the country becomes more stable.

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Crypto

Pantera Signals 2026 Crypto Breakout After 2025 Quietly De-Risked Markets

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Pantera Signals 2026 Crypto Breakout After 2025 Quietly De-Risked Markets

Crypto’s biggest gains in 2025 weren’t on price charts but in policy, institutions, and infrastructure, as regulatory reversals, Wall Street access, and onchain growth quietly reset the industry’s long-term trajectory, Pantera Capital argues.