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Monero Plummets Following Major Crypto Exchange Delisting, Are More Losses Imminent?

On February 6, Monero (XMR), a privacy and security-focused token, saw its price drop after Binance, one of the largest crypto exchanges, announced its delisting in the following weeks alongside another three tokens.

Monero (XMR) To Be Delisted This Month

Binance recently announced the delisting and cease of all trading activity of Aragon (ANT), Multichain (MULTI), Vai (VAI), and Monero (XMR) starting on February 20, 2024, at 03:00 (UTC). The decision came after Binance’s most recent review, which determined that the platform could no longer support the tokens.

Following the review of digital assets in the exchange, Binance revealed its resolution to delist these tokens, affirming that they no longer met the exchange’s standards. Some of the factors the decision was based on include “evidence of unethical or fraudulent conduct or negligence” and “contribution to a healthy and sustainable crypto ecosystem.”

Binance has announced the removal of Monero’s trading pairs, including XMR/BNB, XMR/BTC, XMR/ETH, and XMR/USDT, from the platform. All trade orders will be automatically removed once the trading ceases.

Additionally, any XMR deposit done after February 21, 2024, at 03:00 (UTC), won’t be credited to the user’s accounts, and withdrawals of XMR will be supported until May 20, 2024. Binance also informed that XMR tokens may be converted into stablecoins on behalf of users after the withdrawal deadline, although it “is not guaranteed.”

Binance Faces Criticism Upon Delisting News

A plunge in Monero’s price immediately followed the announcement. According to data from CoinGecko, XMR went from trading at $165 before the announcement to $148 in the following 30 minutes. Since then, the token has continued to dive lower, trading at $111,85 at writing time, accounting for a 32.7% drop in the last 24 hours.

The crypto community received the news with concerns. Several users questioned the reasons for Monero’s delisting and expressed disappointment in the exchange’s decision.

The team behind Monero shared on its X account (formerly known as Twitter) that the delisting comes after Binance’s new requirement. The crypto exchange stated that deposits must come from a “publicly transparent address, which Monero doesn’t allow.”

Crypto Trader John Brown shared his thoughts on XMR’s delisting from the exchange on his X account, saying that, although it’s a negative situation for Monero, this is mostly a “negative sign for Binance” due to his belief that the exchange is “so compliant” that they no longer can choose the assets to support.

Last year, Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, faced regulatory scrutiny after pleading guilty in the United States to the charges of Anti-Money Laundering, Unlicensed Money Transmitting, and Sanctions Violations.

XMR, XMRUSDT, Monero

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Binance Sets New Record: Spot Trading Volume Reaches $427 Billion

According to a recent CoinGecko report, Binance, the world’s largest centralized exchange (CEX) by trading volume, has retained its market leadership position in 2023. 

Despite facing increased regulatory scrutiny and undergoing significant leadership changes, Binance maintained a market share of 43.7% and saw its spot trading volume rise to $427.1 billion in December 2023, representing a 37.5% month-on-month (MoM) increase.

Binance Trading Volume Reached $3.8 Trillion In 2023

According to CoinGecko’s report, Binance started the year with a commanding 63.5% market share but experienced a gradual decline throughout 2023, ending with a 43.7% market share in December. 

While Binance still dominated the market with 52.6% of the total spot trading volume in 2023, the exchange’s relative market share decline was notable. In absolute terms, Binance generated $3.8 trillion in trading volume throughout the year.

Binance

As previously reported, Binance faced significant regulatory pressure throughout 2023, culminating in a settlement agreement in November that required the exchange to pay a $4.3 billion fine to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) for alleged financial breaches. 

As part of the settlement, Binance’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), also agreed to step down. Richard Teng has assumed the role of the company’s head, while CZ remains restricted from traveling outside the jurisdiction of the United States as the legal battle unfolds. 

Upbit And OKX Follow Closely

Upbit, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, managed to maintain its position as the second-largest centralized exchange in 2023, with a 9.5% market share and $687.0 billion in spot trading volume for the year.

According to the report, Upbit benefited from the Kimchi Premium, which resulted in strong local demand and premium prices for crypto assets. 

The exchange’s monthly spot trading volume hit a yearly high of $90.7 billion in December, with a 93.5% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) increase.

Conversely, OKX secured the third position among centralized exchanges in 2023, with a 6.7% market share and $485.9 billion in trading volume. Throughout the year, OKX experienced a steady increase in market share, starting at 5.1% in January and ending at 8.9% in December. The exchange’s trading volume in Q4 reached $177.9 billion, reflecting a notable 151.6% QoQ gain.

Among the top 10 centralized exchanges, CoinGecko reports that MEXC recorded the highest growth in Q4 2023, with trading volume surging by 203.7% to $90.4 billion. 

Bybit followed closely with a growth rate of 162.1% ($107.5 billion), while KuCoin experienced a growth rate of 161.2% ($49.2 billion). KuCoin regained its spot in the Top 10 in Q4 after briefly losing it in Q3, with a market share of 3.3% at the end of December.

Binance

Binance Coin (BNB) has successfully maintained its position above the $300 threshold, with the current trading price standing at $304. This represents a 1.8% decrease in price over the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Crypto Payments Soared To Unprecedented Levels In 2023, CoinGate Report Reveals

The year 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge in crypto payments, signaling a significant milestone in adopting digital currencies for retail and e-commerce transactions. 

According to a recent report by CoinGate, a crypto payment processor firm, the number of crypto payments processed reached staggering heights, showcasing robust growth and diversification in the crypto landscape. 

Massive Surge In Crypto Payments

In 2023, CoinGate processed an astounding 1,294,058 cryptocurrency payments, marking a 39.4% increase compared to the previous record. This exponential growth, equivalent to one payment every 24 seconds, underscores the accelerating pace of crypto adoption. 

Notably, approximately one-third (32.35%) of all transactions processed by CoinGate in the last ten years occurred in 2023, emphasizing the surge in the popularity of digital currencies.

Per the report, integrating Binance Pay wallet into CoinGate’s payment services in March 2023 played a significant role in driving this growth. 

Crypto

Binance Pay accounted for 8.2% of all crypto payments in 2023, showcasing a steady increase in usage throughout the year. This upward trend, from 4.5% in March to 13% in December, indicates the growing adoption and usage of Binance Pay as a preferred payment method.

Lightning Network Surges In Popularity

Moreover, CoinGate’s report highlights the increasing maturity and acceptance of the Lightning Network, an essential component of Bitcoin payments. 

In 2023, the Lightning Network facilitated 7.8% of all Bitcoin payments processed by CoinGate, representing a notable increase from previous years. 

Furthermore, the overall number of Lightning Network payments grew by 35.9% compared to the previous year, indicating a growing reliance on this technology. 

However, Bitcoin, long considered the dominant cryptocurrency for payments, saw a decline in its share of total transactions processed by CoinGate. While Bitcoin accounted for 54.8% of all transactions in 2021, its share dropped to 35.6% in 2023. 

Stablecoins, particularly Tether’s USDT, emerged as a popular choice for crypto payments in 2023. The usage of USDT increased from 15.1% in 2022 to an average of 25.4% in 2023, indicating a shift towards stablecoins due to their perceived stability and reliability. 

Alternative Payment Solutions 

According to CoinGate’s report, crypto-friendly merchants experienced remarkable success in 2023, with a significant portion of their sales attributed to cryptocurrency payments. 

Eldorado.gg, a gold and accounts marketplace for gamers, reported crypto payments contributing to 3% of their total sales. IPRoyal, a proxy service provider, saw over 30% of their payments made in cryptocurrencies. 

Hostinger, a web hosting provider, captured nearly one-fourth of all crypto-paying customers, showcasing the effectiveness of alternative payment solutions in catering to diverse customer needs.

Overall, 2023 demonstrated a paradigm shift in the adoption of cryptocurrency payments. The surge in transactions processed by CoinGate, the increasing usage of Binance Pay and the Lightning Network, and the diversification of cryptocurrencies used for payments all point towards a new era of acceptance and trust in digital currencies. 

As crypto-friendly merchants reap the benefits of embracing these payment methods, it becomes evident that cryptocurrency payments offer sales growth, solutions for the unbanked population, and global accessibility. 

With the stage set for further expansion in 2024, the transformative power of cryptocurrency payments continues to reshape the retail and e-commerce landscape.

Crypto

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Binance 2023 Report Reveals: 40 Million New Users Added, Total Registered Users Reach 170 Million

In its recently released 2023 review report, Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, showcased significant growth despite facing legal disputes and regulatory scrutiny. 

The report highlighted the evolving crypto market, increasing institutional interest, and the company’s commitment to compliance and user experience.

Binance’s 2023 Review

Despite a volatile year for the market, Binance emphasized that digital asset regulation had taken a direction toward greater clarity and harmonization in some regions. 

The exchange acknowledged the challenges but noted that Web3 adoption and institutional interest continued to grow steadily, demonstrating the industry’s resilience and long-term potential.

Regarding growth within the company, Binance Square, formerly known as Binance Feed, was introduced as a social platform designed to be the central hub for Web3 content. 

According to the report, the platform experienced substantial growth, expanding from 1,200 to 11,000 creators and attracting over 1.6 million active daily users. Binance Square aimed to facilitate conversations and enable users to generate “compelling content,” fostering engagement within the Web3 community.

In October, Binance Futures launched its Copy Trading feature, allowing users to replicate the trading strategies of expert lead traders. This feature provided a monetization avenue for trading experts and added a social aspect to the trading experience of the platform users.

Binance

Furthermore, Binance continued its support of fiat currencies, reaching 69 supported fiat currencies with 30 fiat channels available globally. 

Binance P2P, the peer-to-peer trading platform, expanded the number of supported payment methods to 970 and fiat currencies to 112. The report highlights that the platform facilitated 18% more trades with 39% more users than the previous year.

The report further noted Binance’s commitment to compliance, with a significant investment of $213 million in its compliance program, a 35% increase from the previous year. 

Binance allocated substantial resources to develop in-house compliance tools, including a case management system and an internal transaction monitoring engine. 

Is Binance Leading The Way In Crypto Venture Funding?

Per the report, in 2023, Binance focused on enhancing user experience by partnering with localized KYC (know-your-customer) vendors and implementing various electronic ID (eID) solutions globally. 

The exchange added support for 298 new ID and proof-of-address documents across 64 countries, streamlining the onboarding process for users.

To make Web3 “more accessible,” the report notes that Binance launched its Web3 Wallet, which aims to provide a “secure” gateway into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi). The platform aimed to address usability barriers and attract new users by offering improved product and user experience across DeFi, blockchain gaming, and SocialFi.

Ultimately, while the crypto venture funding market faced challenges in 2023, Binance Labs emerged as one of the most active participants in the crypto venture capital (VC) space, particularly in the DeFi and Web3 gaming sectors, according to the exchange.

Overall, Binance’s 2023 Review Report highlights the company’s focus on compliance, user experience, and expanding Web3 offerings as key to continued growth despite ongoing legal issues and regulatory enforcement actions.

Binance

As of the current update, Binance Coin (BNB) demonstrates a significant upward trend in price action, surging to $330. This surge represents a 21% increase over the past seven days.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Binance Compliance Officer Under Scrutiny For FTX, Gemini, And Sex Trafficker Associations

In a recent investigative report by the media outlet Unlimited Hangout, serious allegations were made against Noah Perlman, the chief compliance officer of Binance. 

The report highlights Perlman’s alleged ties to the collapse of FTX, the troubled Gemini exchange owned by the Winklevoss twins, and even convicted and deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

If the allegations made by the media outlet prove true, and Perlman is investigated by US authorities, Binance could find itself embroiled in another executive scandal following the departure of former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ).

Associations With Epstein And Alleged Fraud 

Unlimited Hangout alleges that Perlman’s father, Itzhak Perlman, a renowned violinist, had flown on multiple occasions on a plane owned by Jeffrey Epstein. Itzhak Perlman also reportedly accompanied Epstein to Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts, where Epstein later built a lodge for him, which was later described as a “lair to target girls.” 

While Noah Perlman served as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice’s Special Coordinator for Crimes against Children, these family connections to Epstein raise questions about his associations.

After leaving the Department of Justice, Perlman joined Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange owned by the Winklevoss Twins, as the chief compliance officer. Although Perlman had left Gemini months before the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the exchange, he had been allegedly “heavily involved” in Gemini’s Earn program, which became the focus of the alleged $1.1 billion fraud. 

As reported by NewsBTC, the lawsuit alleges that certain individuals knew that the program’s partner, Genesis, was financially unstable and withdrew their funds before its collapse.

Per the report, Perlman held the position of chief operating officer at the time, raising suspicions about his role in the alleged misconduct.

Troubled Bank’s Links To Binance Officer And FTX

Perlman’s involvement with Farmington State Bank, later renamed Moonstone, adds another layer of complexity to the alleged wrongdoing cited by Unlimited Hangout.

According to the report, in 2019, Perlman was listed as a director of FBH Corp., the entity that took over the rural bank. Moonstone Bank later garnered attention when Alameda Research, linked to FTX, acquired an $11.5 million stake. 

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former chief of FTX, also reportedly invested $50 million in the bank. However, Moonstone Bank faced regulatory challenges, with the Federal Reserve initiating an enforcement action against it shortly before the Bank of Eastern Oregon acquired its deposits and assets.

Overall, Perlman is at the center of serious allegations concerning his alleged connections with Jeffrey Epstein, the failed Earn program at Gemini, and Moonstone Bank. 

However, it is important to note that these allegations have not been substantiated by any investigations or official connections made by US authorities or other global agencies. 

The claims and allegations put forth by media news outlets require further response from Binance’s executives and investigation by relevant authorities.

There has been no official statement from Perlman regarding these allegations. It remains to be seen how the exchange and Perlman himself will address these claims and provide clarity on the matter.

Binance

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Crypto Expert’s Picks: 5 Cryptos To Buy, HODL, Or Sell Now

Renowned crypto expert and Forbes’ Director of Digital Asset Research, Steven Ehrlich, has provided insights on five prominent cryptocurrencies in the current market landscape.

Solana Shakes Off Setbacks, Positioned As Top Crypto To Buy

Bitcoin BTC), the most prominent cryptocurrency, has experienced a remarkable 120% surge in 2023. After a long wait for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approval of a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), recent developments indicate that a Spot Bitcoin ETF could finally get the green light by January, as many in the crypto community have predicted, according to Ehrlich.

Introducing Bitcoin ETFs is anticipated to generate significant demand from mainstream investors, contributing to a potentially bullish environment. Furthermore, the impending fourth halving event in April, which reduces block rewards and slows down supply, adds to the positive outlook for Bitcoin.

While Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency, has demonstrated substantial growth historically, its performance this year has been comparatively modest, with a 65% increase. 

Crypto

Concerns about regulatory ambiguity in the United States, particularly as it relates to tokens like Ethereum, have dampened investor confidence. In addition, despite a major upgrade aimed at improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption, Ethereum’s growth in key metrics, such as transactions per second and active users, has been underwhelming; for these reasons, Ehrlich believes investors need to hold ETH tokens.

Solana (SOL), on the other hand, often referred to as the “Ethereum killer,” suffered setbacks following the collapse of FTX in 2022. However, the stigma surrounding Solana has dissipated, leading to an impressive 313% gain this year. 

According to Ehrlich, Solana stands out for its “robust technology,” capable of processing thousands of transactions per second and potentially reaching 50,000 transactions per second. As such, Ehrlich believes this is a buy signal for SOL.

Binance Coin At Crossroads

Binance’s native token, BNB, experienced significant growth, reaching a peak value of $100 billion. However, recent developments, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao’s guilty plea, substantial fines, and his decision to step down as CEO, have instigated a decline in BNB’s value. 

While BNB’s utility within the Binance ecosystem and rebate mechanisms for traders may provide some support, concerns arise if traders abandon the exchange en masse. 

Given these developments, BNB’s future remains uncertain, and Ehrlich believes that BNB could fall even further, stating that investors should consider selling the token.

Crypto

Blur, a marketplace focused on non-fungible tokens (NFTs), has emerged as a strong contender in the NFT market. As the largest marketplace for Ethereum-based collections, Blur rewards users with its native token, BLUR, based on trading volume and provides voting rights for platform governance. 

While NFT trading experienced a slump this year, recent signs of recovery, along with notable brands such as Disney and Nike embracing NFTs, indicate a potential rebound. However, Ehrlich believes investors should exercise caution due to the risk of unexpected token airdrops flooding the market.

Overall, Bitcoin’s forthcoming spot ETF and halving event, Ethereum’s regulatory challenges, Solana’s technological prowess, BNB’s uncertain future, and Blur’s position within the crypto NFT market are all factors that warrant consideration. 

It remains to be seen how these cryptocurrencies will react to further developments, and what will be the impacts on their price actions for the last part of the year. 

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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BNB Plummets 10% Amid Binance’s $4.3 Billion Settlement And CEO’s Impending Resignation

Binance Coin (BNB), the native token of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, has experienced a sharp decline of 10% following reports that Binance is preparing to settle criminal charges with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) through a $4.3 billion fine. 

Binance CEO To Plead Guilty

The Wall Street Journal has disclosed that Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), commonly known as CZ, will plead guilty to violating criminal anti-money laundering requirements. 

Concurrently, Binance will also plead guilty to a criminal charge related to anti-money laundering violations, resulting in a significant fine. Furthermore, CZ is expected to step down as CEO, with Richard Teng being considered as a potential successor.

Changpeng Zhao is scheduled to appear before a federal court in Seattle to enter his guilty plea. This crucial legal step can further impact BNB’s price action as investors assess the implications of CZ’s admission of guilt regarding violating anti-money laundering requirements. 

The reported settlement involves Binance pleading guilty to a criminal charge related to anti-money laundering violations, leading to a hefty $4.3 billion fine. This substantial sum encompasses payments to settle civil allegations made by regulators. 

These developments occur in an increasingly stringent regulatory environment in the cryptocurrency industry. The recent charges brought by the SEC against Kraken further highlight the regulatory scrutiny faced by industry players. 

Additionally, market participants anticipate significant enforcement actions by the DOJ, which adds to the atmosphere of uncertainty and apprehension.

Will CZ’s Statement Halt BNB Downtrend? 

Despite the shocking revelation surrounding Binance’s leadership and its impact on the crypto community, there may still be hopes for a potential recovery of Binance Coin and the overall crypto market as the case reaches its conclusion.

With CZ reaching a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and pleading guilty to criminal charges, the exchange can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that regulatory agencies have addressed their concerns and potential legal action.

Furthermore, this settlement could be seen as a victory for regulators, particularly in light of the ongoing legal battles between the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple Labs, which involve the cryptocurrency XRP. 

A favorable outcome in these cases could potentially boost confidence in the broader crypto industry and drive prices higher.

BNB

Currently, BNB is trading at $240, showing signs of recovery from its recent drop, which briefly touched $235 but managed to stay above the critical support level of $232. 

In further declines, BNB bulls will need to hold the support levels at $228, $217, and $214 to prevent the token from dropping below the critical level of $200.

However, suppose Changpeng Zhao and the new Binance CEO can provide a statement that reassures the community and instills a sense of calm. In that case, it may bring a renewed positive sentiment and potentially halt the current downtrend for BNB.

The unfolding of the situation, the next steps for the exchange, and CZ’s fate remain to be seen. The community and market participants eagerly await further developments and announcements shaping the future of Binance and its native token, BNB.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Binance Founder CZ’s Fortunes Plummet By $12 Billion Amidst Downturn in Crypto Trading

Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ and the founder of Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has suffered a significant blow to his fortune. According to a recent Bloomberg report, CZ’s wealth plummeted by $12 billion due to the ongoing slump in crypto-trading activities. 

Per the report, this decline was primarily attributed to a sharp drop in trading volumes at Binance throughout the year.

CZ’s Financial Losses

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index revised its revenue estimates for Binance, slashing it by 38% after data revealed a decline in trading volumes at the exchange. As a result, CZ’s net worth now stands at $17.2 billion, marking a significant reduction from his previous valuation.

According to Bloomberg, CZ’s involvement in recent events that led to the bankruptcy filing of FTX further impacted his financial situation. In November, CZ announced the liquidation of a token linked to FTX (FTT) after reports emerged that Alameda Research, the hedge fund owned by Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, held a large position in it. 

The announcement triggered a rush among FTX customers to withdraw funds, overwhelming the exchange’s infrastructure. As a consequence, FTX declared bankruptcy within a week, erasing Bankman-Fried’s fortune, which had peaked at $26 billion in March the previous year.

To estimate Binance’s revenue, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index relies on spot and derivatives trading data from crypto-tracking services Coingecko and Coinpaprika. 

Binance had witnessed a significant gain in market share earlier this year, reaching 62% of total on-exchange crypto trades during the first quarter. However, after a promotional zero-fee period for popular trading pairs ended, Binance’s market share slid to 51% by the end of the third quarter, as reported by research firm CCData.

Binance Value Plunges As Lawsuits And Allegations Take A Toll

Binance has also faced increasing regulatory scrutiny, isolating itself from the traditional financial system. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Binance in June, accusing the exchange of violating regulations. 

Earlier this year, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) also took legal action against Binance for non-compliance with rules that allowed US users to access the platform. 

Allegations against Binance include inadequate money-laundering controls, inflated trading volumes, and mishandling of client assets. Binance has strongly disputed these claims and is currently contesting them in court. 

In June, Bloomberg’s wealth index reduced the value of Binance’s US exchange to zero after it announced the discontinuation of dollar transactions, resulting in a significant decline in trading volumes. 

Binance.US had previously been valued at $4.7 billion during a funding round in March 2022, while CZ’s net worth peaked at $96 billion in January.

The challenges faced by Binance are not unique, as regulatory uncertainties and rising interest rates have made alternative investments more appealing. Coinbase Global, another leading cryptocurrency exchange, experienced a 52% decline in spot trading volume in the third quarter compared to the previous year, according to Bloomberg. 

Binance

Despite the personal wealth challenges CZ faces, Binance Coin (BNB) has capitalized on the overall market recovery, showcasing substantial gains across various time frames. Currently, the token is trading at $225.2, maintaining its upward trend with a 2.2% increase over the past 24 hours.

Furthermore, BNB has demonstrated significant gains of 5.8%, 9.6%, and 6.1% over the seven, fourteen, and thirty-day time frames, respectively. These positive trends highlight the token’s strong performance in recent weeks.

Featured image from Binance, chart from TradingView.com 

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Binance And Tether Accused By Lawmakers: DOJ Investigation Requested For Illicit Finance

In a recent development, US lawmakers have urged the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate a criminal investigation into cryptocurrency exchange Binance (BNB) and stablecoin issuer Tether (USDT). 

The lawmakers, led by Senator Cynthia Lummis, reference a controversial Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that alleges Hamas and its affiliate raised significant funds through cryptocurrencies. 

Binance And Tether Face Calls For Criminal Charges

In a joint letter signed by Senator Lummis and Representative French Hill, the lawmakers express deep concern over reports indicating that “unregulated crypto intermediaries” outside the United States have allegedly facilitated illicit financial activities, including financing terrorism, such as Hamas’s attacks on Israel.

Lummis and Hill urged the DOJ to promptly reach a charging decision regarding Binance, considering the extent of its involvement, and to conclude the ongoing investigation into Tether’s alleged illicit activities.

The lawmakers refer to the WSJ report of October 10, 2023, which disclosed that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah had received cryptocurrency funding since August 2021. They stress the DOJ’s need to hold any entities facilitating illicit activities accountable. The letter further reads: 

We believe that it’s imperative that the Department of Justice hold bad actors accountable if they are shown to facilitate illicit activity. Binance, notably, is an unregulated crypto asset exchange based in the Seychelles and Cayman Islands. Binance has historically been linked to illicit activity and is purportedly the subject of a current Department of Justice investigation.

On the other hand, Tether faced a fine by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2021 for issues related to backing its stablecoin USDT. 

The lawmakers urged the DOJ to thoroughly assess whether Binance and Tether have provided material support and resources for terrorism by violating applicable sanctions laws and the Bank Secrecy Act. Lummis and Hill emphasize the importance of swift action to cut off funding sources for terrorists targeting Israel.

Tether Counters Allegations

In response to Senator Lummis and Rep. Hill’s claims, Tether issued a statement addressing the “misinformation” surrounding the potential misuse of cryptocurrencies. 

Tether references independent investigations by Chainalysis and Elliptic, which found significant errors and faulty attribution techniques in reports, including the WSJ’s article. 

Tether emphasizes its commitment to regulatory compliance, due diligence, and global collaboration with law enforcement agencies. They highlight their track record of freezing assets tied to illicit activities and assert no evidence of sanctions law or Bank Secrecy Act violations.

Tether further notes the inherent transparency of blockchain technology and the proactive measures taken by virtual asset service providers to monitor and report potentially illicit activities. 

They reaffirm their dedication to transparency, compliance, and collaboration with authorities, inviting constructive dialogue and cooperation.

As the call for a DOJ investigation unfolds, the cryptocurrency community awaits further developments and the potential impact on Binance and Tether’s operations.

Binance

As of this writing, BNB is trading at $221, representing a decrease of 0.9% within the last 24 hours. However, it is worth noting that the token has experienced significant gains over the past seven and thirty days, amounting to 5.3% and 4.9%, respectively.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Binance Immense XRP Holdings Exposed In Detailed Proof of Reserves Report

Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world, just released its 11th report for its reserves, and the numbers are staggering as always. According to the report, Binance’s XRP holdings, in particular, have increased in the past month. This is evident, as there have been reports of investors depositing XRP into exchanges in the past month.

Binance Releases Proof Of Reserves Showing Massive XRP Holdings

According to Binance’s Proof of Reserves report, the exchange holds a staggering amount of XRP to cover 104.15% of customer balances.

Binance currently has over 2.738 billion XRP tokens worth more than $1.35 billion against customer deposits of 2.629 billion XRP tokens. This marks a rise of almost 50 million XRP in its reserve as compared to the previous month’s total of 2,686,407,725 XRP.

As one of the first major exchanges to list XRP in 2017, Binance has been known to be one of the major places for XRP trading. Data from Coingecko shows a trading volume of $84 million of Binance’s XRP/USDT trading pair in the past 24 hours, representing over 16.9% of the total XRP trading volume. This massive XRP stash cements Binance as one of the top holders of XRP and the amount of XRP trading on the exchange. 

Binance’s Reserves And XRP’s Promising Outlook

The latest reserve report shows Binance is fully backed on other cryptocurrencies. Based on the report, the exchange has a BTC ratio of 104.67%, ETH ratio of 107.29%, BNB ratio of 113.72%, USDT ratio of 118.45%, BUSD ratio of 106.99%, USDC ratio of 104.09%, and LTC ratio of 101.31%.

The Proof of Reserves report is part of Binance’s push for more transparency. By disclosing its reserves, it aims to assure users that client funds are backed 1:1. While some have backed the reserve data to be consistent with on-chain data, regulators have expressed concerns about the legitimacy of Binance’s reserve audit.

XRP has also witnessed movement into other exchanges in the past few months, as recent sporadic updates regarding Ripple have always put the cryptocurrency in the limelight. According to NewsBTC, XRP witnessed a 1,300% surge in trading volume on exchanges at some point. 

According to predictions from crypto analysts, XRP is set for massive gains in the near future. A new forecast by an analyst predicts that a recently formed 39-month cycle could push XRP as high as $1,000. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $0.5228, up by 4.92% in the past month.

(This site’s content should not be construed as investment advice. Investing involves risk. When you invest, your capital is subject to risk).

Featured image from Pandaily

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Binance Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged ICO Missteps And Token Distribution Discrepancies

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is currently grappling with challenges that have raised concerns about its credibility and market performance. 

Recent reports by Forbes shed light on Binance’s initial coin offering (ICO) and the subsequent distribution of its native cryptocurrency, Binance Coin (BNB). 

Behind The Curtain

The investigation reveals allegations of undisclosed token retention, discrepancies in the ICO process, and the accumulation of a significant token reserve by Binance. 

Per the report, in June 2017, Binance initiated its ICO, aiming to raise $15 million by selling 100 million BNB tokens. However, the Forbes investigation, conducted with the assistance of crypto forensic firms, suggests that only around 10.78 million BNB tokens were transferred to investors during the ICO. 

An additional 20 million tokens were “quietly” allocated to angel investors, doubling their initial allocation to 40 million tokens. Consequently, according to Forbes, Binance likely raised less than $5 million during the ICO, contrary to the $15 million claimed by founder Changpeng Zhao. 

The Forbes report indicates that Binance’s white paper did not disclose the company’s plans for unsold tokens in the event of an undersold ICO. While it is not illegal for issuers to retain unsold tokens, transparency is crucial in such cases, Forbes alleges. 

Binance founders and insiders reportedly ended up with 145 million BNB tokens instead of the originally planned 80 million. These tokens, initially valued at less than $10 million, are now estimated to be worth approximately $14 billion.

Furthermore, Binance implemented a token buyback and burn program to reduce the total supply of BNB tokens over time. 

According to Binance’s website, approximately 48 million tokens have been burned as of August 31, 2023. However, Forbes suggests that Binance controls nearly 117 million tokens, accounting for 76% of the total outstanding supply. 

The analysis combines disclosed tokens issued to the founding team with a proprietary probabilistic analysis that identifies previously undisclosed wallets holding customer funds and serving other corporate purposes.

Forbes concludes discrepancies and lack of transparency surrounding Binance’s ICO and token distribution raise questions about the integrity of reported trading volumes and the adequacy of consumer protections. 

Binance CEO Maintains Silence Amid Ongoing Forbes Allegations 

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the Chief Executive Officer of Binance, has remained silent in the face of recent allegations and ongoing investigations brought forth by Forbes. 

The prolonged exchange of statements between the cryptocurrency firm and the renowned news outlet has endured for a significant period. Binance had taken legal action against Forbes in 2020, filing a defamation lawsuit in the US District Court in New Jersey. 

The lawsuit stemmed from Forbes’ publication of “false statements” that Binance allegedly used deceptive practices to deceive regulators and participated in money laundering activities.

Forbes published a series of articles that made damaging claims about Binance’s corporate structure, asserting that it was deliberately designed to deceive regulators and engaged in activities characteristic of money laundering. Binance vehemently denied these allegations, deeming them false and highly defamatory. 

Binance’s attorney, Charles J. Harder, has emphasized the harm caused to Binance’s reputation by Forbes’ misleading story. Binance had requested a retraction or correction from Forbes, which was refused, leading to the necessity of the defamation lawsuit. 

Overall, Binance and Forbes have been embroiled in contentious claims and disputes, with both parties accusing each other of disseminating inaccurate information. 

As the situation unfolds, it remains uncertain how the cryptocurrency exchange will respond to the latest allegations put forth by Forbes.

Binance

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Binance Will Halt These 39 Liquidity Mining Pools This Week

On Sunday, Binance announced that it will halt 39 liquidity mining pools this week following the latest assessment. As a result of a supposed failure to pass this assessment, these 39 liquidity pools are expected to stop operating on September 1, 2023.

Liquidity Pools Stopped By Binance

This decision was made due to the platform’s recent liquidity mining performance. The announcement said Binance Liquid Swap will “periodically review listed liquidity pools to concentrate liquidity for our users and ensure optimized trading experience, price and slippage.”

As a result of the most recent review, the 39 liquidity pools listed below are expected to cease operation on Friday: 

ADA/BNB, ALICE/BTC, APE/BTC, AVA/USDT, AVAX/BNB, BTC/TUSD, CHZ /BNB, CHZ/BTC, CTSI/BNB, DOT/BUSD, ENJ/USDT, FIL/BNB, FRONT/BUSD, GALA/BNB, ICP/BNB, ID /BTC, KDA/USDT, LIT/USDT, MATIC/BNB, NEO/BNB, PAXG/USDT, PEPE/USDT, SANTOS/USDT, SUSHI/BNB, SUSHI/BTC, SXP/BNB, SXP/BTC, THETA/BNB, THETA/BTC, TKO/USDT, TLM/USDT, TRX /BNB, TRX/ETH, WBTC/ETH, XMR/ETH, XMR/USDT, XVS/BTC, XVS/USDT, ZEN/USDT.

For now, users will not be able to add liquidity to these liquidity pools from today. However, the liquidity of the liquidity pools listed above will still remain accessible to ensure that users are provided with a trading experience. 

Users will also still be able to redeem and withdraw their assets from the respective pairs on Binance Spot before the closing date on September 1, 2023. User deposits in the liquidity pool will be calculated following the current composition of the respective pool and then it will be converted to the user’s Spot wallet automatically.

According to the announcement, the removal of the liquidity pools listed above will not hinder other trading respective pairs on Binance Spot and users will still be able to trade on other liquidity pools that are currently available on Binance Liquid Swap.

This marks the second time Binance has eliminated liquidity pools this month. On August 9, 2023, Binance also announced that the exchange would stop about 38 liquidity pools on August 18, 2023.

Binance Coin (BNB) price chart from Tradingview.com

Multiple Charges Hinder Binance’s Business

Amid these developments, the Binance crypto exchange continues to deal with regulatory pressures that seem to be affecting its business. Firstly, Visa and Mastercard are slowly cutting their ties with Balance due to the multiple regulatory actions from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against the exchange.

One of the allegations brought against Binance is that the exchange has been operating under an unregistered business and misled investors about the company’s risk.

Also, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in May brought multiple charges against the exchange for what it calls a “willful evasion” of US law.

Among the hurdles the exchange is also facing include allegations that the US Department of Justice is looking into the exchange and is considering charging Binance for fraudulent activities.

On August 23, 2023, Binance announced on X (formerly Twitter),  that the exchange’s card known as the Binance Card will no longer be available to users in Latin America and the Middle East.

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MasterCard Axes Partnership With Binance Amid Regulatory Pressures

The crypto space is in pandemonium after MasterCard, a global payment service giant, announced the imminent termination of its services and alliance with the Binance crypto exchange.  

Mastercard To Sever All Ties To Binance

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is facing new challenges that could impact its reputation and growth rate. According to reports, Mastercard will discontinue its services on Binance, ending a years-old relationship and crypto cards programs starting Friday, September 22. 

The reason for the abrupt termination has not been clarified by Mastercard. Some have attributed the news to the recent regulatory challenges and lawsuits Binance has been up against since this year. 

Binance has refrained from making any comments regarding the reason for the suspension or who initiated the decision first. However, the crypto exchange has reassured users around the globe, stating that their Binance accounts are not affected by the news and they can continue their crypto transactions per usual. 

“Binance accounts around the world are not affected. Where available, users can also shop with crypto and send crypto using Binance Pay, a contactless, borderless, and secure cryptocurrency payment technology designed by Binance,” Binance stated.

Mastercard and Binance have been working together as partners for about four years. Around August 2022, they both joined hands to initiate debit card programs for four major countries, allowing users in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Bahrain to have access to cryptocurrency assets via their Mastercards linked to a cryptocurrency wallet. 

Binance first partnered with Mastercard to launch crypto card payments in Brazil and Latin America at the beginning of 2023. The crypto exchange then made a similar announcement and launched prepaid crypto cards in Argentina in August 2022. 

Binance Coin (BNB) price chart from Tradingview.com (MasterCard)

Financial Service Companies Break Away Following SEC Lawsuit

Binance has been in a legal battle with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) since June when the SEC sued the crypto exchange for allegedly offering unregistered securities. The regulator further attempted to freeze all Binance assets stating that the crypto exchange was operating a “web of deception” and filing 13 charges against Binance. 

Since then, Binance has been facing regulatory hurdles and industry challenges with many companies ending year-long partnerships and the price of BNB declining as a result. 

The cryptocurrency exchange has also ended several projects in the course of a month and carried out massive layoffs following the SEC’s Lawsuits. 

Recently, Binance shut down all cryptocurrency service operations on its official fiat-to-cryptocurrency payments provider, Binance Connect. The cryptocurrency exchange also discontinued its partnership with Checkout.com, a global payment service, after Checkout’s CEO terminated its contract this month.  

Visa, another payment service giant, also cut ties with Binance in July and stopped supplying co-branded cards with Binance in Europe. 

At the moment, it is unsure what the outcome of the SEC and Binance case would be. However, the results will undoubtedly impact the crypto industry and financial sector.

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Binance Celebrates Significant Milestone After Six Years In Operation

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has achieved another significant milestone. The firm, which recently turned six, keeps racking up several achievements despite the FUD that has surrounded it in recent times. 

A Worthy Feat For Binance

The world’s largest crypto exchange by daily trading volume has recently disclosed that its registered users now stand at a whopping 150 million. This was revealed in a tweet by its CEO, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, on Thursday. 

In the tweet, CZ noted his company’s milestone amidst growing regulatory scrutiny of its operations the world over. However, despite navigating through different challenges, Binance has managed to captivate the interest of several millions of users around the globe. So this is a testament to the platform’s quality service delivery and amazing features. 

Just over a year ago, in July 2022, the exchange’s user base stood at about 120 million. The astonishing growth of 30 million users within the span of just 12 months tells of Binance’s undeniable hold in the constantly evolving cryptocurrency ecosystem. 

A cursory look at the platform’s traffic data for the last three months shows that the top five nations contributing to this spike are Vietnam, India, Russia, Turkey, and Argentina. The increased expansion across various diverse geographies demonstrates the heightened acceptance and penetration of digital currencies. 

Binance Coin (BNB) price chart from Tradingview.com

Navigating Regulatory Challenges

As expected, with growth comes challenges and Binance’s journey has not always been all growth and triumph. The platform has been the subject of various legal challenges across diverse jurisdictions. 

The exchange was recently charged with “will evasion” and fraud by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in June this year. In Europe, Binance is under probe by French regulators who accused the platform of engaging in money laundering. It has also been ordered to cease rendering crypto services by Belgium’s financial watchdog. 

In China, the services of the platform are restricted and inaccessible to millions of users within the country. Binance has also withdrawn its license applications and canceled its registration bids in several countries. 

However, Binance has been able to make some gains in recent times. Earlier this month, it restored services in Japan, following the purchase of the local exchange Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC) in November 2022. It has also been given a license to render cryptocurrency services in Dubai. 

All these hurdles make the latest milestone not only remarkable but testamentary. The road to 150 million registered users has been paved with various challenges, but Binance has so far emerged victorious and triumphant. 

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Holding FTT And BNB? It Might Be Time For You To Get Out

Cryptocurrencies such as BNB and FTT have been seeing some downside in the last 24 hours. This follows an eventful weekend that has culminated in what has been a clear intention of crypto exchange Binance to begin dumping its FTT holdings. As a result, there is expected to be a reaction from both FTT and BNB when the exchange completes the dumping of its billion-dollar holdings in FTT.

Binance Pulls Out Of FTT

Social media was lit afire when Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said that the crypto exchange had decided to liquidate its FTT position. Now, Binance had been an incubator for the FTX exchange and when the exchange exited, it had received $2.1 billion in stablecoins and FTT tokens, which Binance has held until now.

However, according to CZ, the crypto exchange has decided that it is going to sell off its FTT holdings following recent “revelations”. Binance had already begun its sell-offs with almost $600 million worth of FTT tokens that were moved to the exchange to be sold. 

CZ explained that they were actually looking at ways to sell the tokens while minimizing the impact on the market. The CEO said that the exchange usually just holds tokens that they get, but it had decided to go this way with FTT following what can only be speculated to be glaring red flags about the token or the FTX exchange.

It is no surprise that Binance is choosing to play it safe this time around. The Terra collapse had actually cost the exchange billions of dollars because it held through the worst of it. The exchange’s $2.2 billion worth of LUNA tokens was only worth a couple of hundred dollars once the network collapsed.

FTT Token price chart from TradingView.com

FTX Token struggles at $22 | Source: FTTUSD on TradingView.com

Retaliation Against BNB?

As CZ mentioned in his tweet, the crypto exchange actually holds tokens so it doesn’t seem like they were taking action against competitors. With the selling of its FTT tokens, there is no doubt that this is how it will come off, especially after the offer for FTX to buy the tokens from Binance at a value of $22 per token was reportedly turned down.

Given this, it is expected that FTX would likely retaliate towards the exchange by selling off any BNB tokens that it holds. A development such as this could see both digital assets suffer massive declines in price, which is already being witnessed at this point.

At the time of this writing, FTT and BNB are both down 1.85% and 5.01% respectively in the last 24 hours. As the saying goes, “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”, retail investors will likely bear the brunt of the war between these two giants.

For many, this has signaled an exit point while watching the battle unfold from afar. If it turns into a full-blown war of both exchanges trying to undermine the other, then it will likely be the trigger that pushes the crypto market below its current cycle lows.

Featured image from Bitcoinist, chart from TradingView.com

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Cream Finance Plans To Repay The Stolen Funds To Its Users

Cream Finance is a decentralized finance protocol to repay users for the flash loan hack on its platform. The hack of nearly $19 million occurred on Aug 30, 2021.

Cream Finance puts news of a post-mortem to the massive exploitation of the AMP flash loan. The protocol promises to repay the stolen Amp (AMP) and Ether (ETH) coins.

It plans on footing its promise by allocating 20% of all the protocol fees until the debt is fully paid. Furthermore, the protocol will post collateral with the pertinent parties at AMP. It will also involve the Flexa digital payments network, the creators, for the security of the debt.

From the post-mortem report, this recent flash loan hack stands for Crean Finance’s first time to face direct hacking.

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This mishap caused the loss of about 2,800 ETH and 462 million AMP coins. Through the assistance of PeckShield, a blockchain security company, Cream Finance discovered the major cause of the hack.

The protocol uncovered that there’s an error in its means of AMP integration. Cream confirmed that though the situation is disappointing and unfortunate, it will solely bear the responsibility for its error.

Cream Finance Is Inspecting The Hack

Besides the massive exploit on its platform, Cream Finance has found a similar attack. However, this smaller move comes from an address with a history of transactions on the Binance crypto exchange. Binance is currently working together with Cream Finance to fish out this second attacker.

Cream revealed that it would cooperate with the necessary authorities to track the perpetrator. Furthermore, it will work with law enforcement bodies to prosecute the attacker using the full weight of the law.

Also, the hacked protocol will part with a 10% bug bounty to the attacker where they are ready to return the stolen assets.

Additionally, Cream appealed for public assistance in identifying the perpetrator or providing relevant information for his arrest and prosecution. The protocol pledged a ransom of 50% of returned funds for such assistance.

As recently notified, on August 30, Cream stopped supply and borrow contracts on AMP. This move closes the exploit that gave the attacker access to about $19 million worth of ETH and AMP from assets reborrowing within 17 different transactions.

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Following this recent huge exploitation, the prices of AMP and CREAM, the Cream’s native coin, have plummeted. The AMP value has suffered almost a 13% dip.

At the time of writing, CREAM is trading sideways | Source: CREAMUSD on TradingView.com

Furthermore, these affected coins now have continuous price dipping preceding the attack. For example, cream token CREAM has plummeted by 11% within the last seven days. The token now sells at $163.08 at the time of writing. AMP, being down also, is at $0.05275.

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView.com