Category: Government
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Iran Issues More Than 1,000 Cryptocurrency Mining Licenses
The Iranian government has reportedly issued more than 1,000 licenses for cryptocurrency mining since it began regulating the industry. A number of large mining farms have set up in the country, but high electricity tariffs have kept many small investors away. Also read: Regulatory Roundup — New US Crypto Tax Bill, Central Banks Join Forces…
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Trump ‘Loves’ Negative Rates and ‘Could Get Used to’ Them, Criticizes Fed at World Economic Forum, China Trade Deal
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9SPvQLczAg&w=560&h=349] U.S. President Donald Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Tuesday saying the U.S. and other nations are “forced to compete … with nations that are getting negative rates, something very new.” Trump took direct shots at the U.S. Federal Reserve, claiming they’ve not lowered rates quickly enough. The harsh…
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Cypherpunk Bitstream Hosts Share Importance of Payments, Dropgangs, and ‘Meatspace’ Allies
The Cypherpunk Bitstream podcast is a relatively new program that’s just released its fourth episode. The hosts, known as Frank Braun and The Real Smuggler, are so-called ‘privacy extremists’ and dyed-in-the-wool crypto-anarchists concerned with exposing cypherpunk ethos to a wider audience. Braun and Smuggler took time out recently to discuss their journeys to crypto-anarchy, the…
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Crypto Experts Join OECD ‘High Level’ Advisory Board
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental body with 36 member countries, has formed “a high-level expert group” which includes executives from the crypto industry. They will provide advice in helping develop international blockchain policy principles. Also read: Regulatory Roundup: EU-Wide Crypto Regulations, New Rules in Europe, US, Asia ‘High-Level Expert Group’ Formed…
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Russia’s New Prime Minister Has an Opinion of Cryptocurrencies
The Russian Federation has a new prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, with a track record of statements regarding cryptocurrencies and an affection for digitalization. A stated goal of his government will be to turn the country into a digital platform “for the people.” Time will tell, however, whether his plan encompasses the legal use of decentralized…
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Unnecessary Evil: How Government Regulations Kill Crypto Startups and Encourage Crime
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYkdEU_B4o&w=560&h=349] Thanks to the EU’s most recent money laundering directive, a small business called Post-a-coin, which sold cute postcards pre-loaded with tiny amounts of bitcoin, is being forced to shut down. Meanwhile, the most heinous criminals in history are continuing to facilitate violence, trafficking and laundering of cash with impunity. Also Read: Why the…
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IIF Report Predicts Global Debt Will Reach New All-Time High of $257T in 2020
Global debt records were broken in 2019, but that likely won’t be the end of such ominous economic milestones, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) predicts. The number could reach $257 trillion sometime in Q1 2020, according to a recent report by the group. Economies worldwide are struggling to address pressing issues such as stimulation…
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Regulatory Roundup: EU-Wide Crypto Regulations, New Rules in Europe, US, Asia
In this roundup, we cover EU-wide crypto regulations and individual countries’ new digital asset rules including Austria and the U.K. We also cover numerous crypto regulatory developments in the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea, India, and the Philippines. Also read: Regs Roundup: SEC Actions, Crypto Tax-Free in Korea, New Chinese Laws EU-Wide Crypto Regulations Begin…
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China Issues Digital Currency Guide for Party Cadres
Understanding a complex subject should be easier with access to educational materials. With blockchain and CBDC now part of Beijing’s political vocabulary, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has issued a guide to digital currencies meant to prepare party officials for upcoming changes in the country’s financial system. Also read: China Saw $11.4 Billion in…
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Bithumb Pledges $8M to South Korea’s ‘Regulation-Free’ Blockchain Zone
South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has pledged to invest roughly $8 million into the Busan blockchain zone. The region was recently declared “regulation-free” by the national government and modeled after the Switzerland town of Zug. Bithumb’s subsidiary GCX Alliance will discuss the preliminary plans with the Financial Services Commission (FSC) this month. Also read: Mining…