Immutable deploys Transak’s functionality into its zkEVM gaming development infrastructure, powering in-game cryptocurrency and fiat payment methods.
Binance CEO Disputes JPMorgan Chief’s Critique Of Crypto
Richard Teng, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the world’s largest crypto exchange Binance challenged JPMorgan Chase’s CEO Jamie Dimon’s stance on cryptocurrencies.
Binance CEO Disagrees With Jamie Dimon
The Binance CEO recently defended cryptocurrencies by opposing the anti-crypto narrative promoted by the JPMorgan CEO in a hearing held on Wednesday. Teng took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his displeasure with Dimon’s narrative against crypto.
The JPMorgan CEO’s critics were set on the legitimacy and regulation of cryptocurrencies. According to Dimon, he has “never supported cryptocurrencies” and believes the “only real use case for crypto is criminals.” He further added that he would close down crypto if he had the power to do so. The CEO stated:
I’ve always been deeply opposed to crypto, the only true use case for it is criminals. If I were the government I’d close it down.
Teng underscored the need to compare the scope of illegal activity in cryptocurrency to that of traditional fiat money. He further highlighted the data compiled by Dr. Andrzei Gwizdalki from sources like the UN and the World Economic Forum.
The data shows that illegal activities connected to fiat currencies are over 100 times bigger than crypto. According to the data, cryptocurrencies are linked to an estimated $20 billion in illegal activities.
Meanwhile, fiat currencies such as the United States dollar are implicated in approximately $3.2 trillion in illegal activities yearly. However, due to the secret nature of money laundering, it is difficult to determine the total amount that has been lost.
So far, Dr. Andrzei Gwizdalki believes the corruption and money laundering in connection with fiat “casts a dark shadow.” He also added that this is a reputation that the crypto space should not mirror.
Furthermore, Gwizdalki has urged policymakers to be well-informed and handle real issues within their traditional systems. He believes using crypto for illegal reasons is “stupid and dangerous” since every transaction is transparently recorded.
The Crypto Firm Faces Potential Collapse
Former United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official John Reed Stark has highlighted a potential collapse for Binance. Stark’s belief is due to the Binance plea agreement by the former CEO of the crypto exchange Changpeng CZ Zhao. Stark stated:
The Binance Plea Agreement is Already Blowing Up. More Evidence of the Possibility of a Binance Collapse (And a 10-Year Sentence for CZ).
He also highlighted Teng’s failure to provide answers to simple questions during an interview as another potential reason. In the interview, journalist Scott Chipolina asked Teng where Binance is headquartered, but the CEO refused to provide specific answers.
So far, Stark has voiced doubts about the exchange’s capacity to comply with the stringent DOJ/FinCEN monitoring and cooperation requirements. He believes that while investigations are still ongoing, the government will bring more accusations against Binance and Changpeng Zhao.
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Euro payments, deposits, and withdrawals are back on for European Binance users months after the severance of services by PaySafe.
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Bitcoin on $3K discount at Binance.US, but there’s a catch
Bitcoin is selling for just over $27,500 on Binance.US, a nearly $3,000 discount from global spot prices.
Binance.US solves USD withdrawal issues but warns it won’t last long
“While USD withdrawal remains fully operational on the platform today, we expect our banking partners to discontinue that service in the near future,” said Binance.US.
Major Australian bank to decline ‘certain’ payments to crypto exchanges
Commonwealth Bank executive James Roberts cited a huge scale of “investment scams” involving crypto exchanges.
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The exchange’s current banking partner is only accessible to users based in the European Economic Area (EEA).
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USD Coin Long-Term Technical Score of 23 Signals Bearish Pattern
USD Coin price is currently trading at $0.999137, down 0.2 percent in the last seven days, data from Coingecko show, Saturday.
USDC hit its all-time high three years ago or on May 8, 2019, at $1.17. The coin registered its all-time low last year on May 19, 2021, at $0.891848.
It has a total of 55 billion coins in circulation and has a trading volume of $5,576,310,766.
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USD Coin Remains Bearish With LTT Score Of 23
The long-term technical score of USDC is now at 23 which gives away a weak and bearish standpoint based on its long-term trading movement.
USDC trading volume is currently below the seven-day average seen in the last 24 hours or with a total trading volume of 6,391,817,313 as of Saturday. USD Coin currently has an active address count of 24,676.
The moving averages noted in the 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-hour moving averages have been inconsistent and there was no clear trend seen. More so, there is a marked choppiness in terms of price with the moving averages being crossed and has oscillated from 2,009 to 23,685 as seen in the past 29 weeks.
USD Coin Value Remains Consistent
USDC, a stablecoin founded by Centre Consortium, is fully backed and pegged to the US dollar and has a set value of $1 per coin. It’s considered a great investment and passive income stream for many crypto investors because the value doesn’t change regardless of the market volatility or economic state.
Unlike other coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and the like, with prices fluctuating wildly by the hour, the value of the USDC Coin remains consistent and predictable over time.
USDC total market cap at $55.3 billion on the daily chart | Source: TradingView.com
Every USD coin is also collateralized by the US dollar in a bank. This means every USDC has an equivalent US dollar in storage. A fresh new coin is created and backed in a separate bank account by demand.
It is in fact the only stablecoin that is both crypto-collateralized and fiat-collateralized. Unlike Tether, USDC is completely backed by fiat assets which makes it extremely popular and widely accepted even by traditional investors who have risk aversions against the extreme volatility and uncertainty of most digital assets.
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USDC provides stability to the very erratic state of cryptocurrencies. With US dollars in the blockchain, it provides quick USDC to USD conversions, peer-to-peer transactions, e-commerce, and payments done in minutes.
Featured image from Freepik, chart from TradingView.com
Sri Lanka central bank reiterates crypto warning following protestors seizing president’s residence
Thousands of Sri Lankans took to the streets of Colombo in protest of the government’s response to the economic situation in the country.
Tether reports 17% decrease in commercial paper holdings over Q1 2022
“This latest attestation further highlights that Tether is fully backed and that the composition of its reserves is strong, conservative and liquid,” said Paolo Ardoino.
Fiat – Not Crypto – Still The Top Choice For Financial Crimes, US Treasury Says
Fiat, a government-issued currency, is still the best choice of financial criminals.
Concerns have always centered on the possibility of crypto assets being used for nefarious reasons, however the US Treasury department just released something that dispels these anxieties.
Despite widespread fears that cryptocurrency could be used for criminal purposes, a newly published report by the US Treasury indicates that the bulk of financial crimes are still committed using fiat money.
The US Treasury presented a three-year report on money laundering, proliferation financing, and terrorist financing early this month. And they were all based on digital assets.
And crypto detractors may believe this is all about digital assets being widely employed in these sectors.
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It’s Fiat, Not Crypto
Nevertheless, fiat currencies and traditional money are still more often utilized in this circumstance, thus they are more likely to come into play.
The Treasury’s findings include a detailed discussion of virtual currencies, stating that both their user base and market capitalization have expanded dramatically since the previous risk assessment in 2020.
However, these reports found that criminal flows via fiat currency and established networks continue to outnumber those involving cryptocurrency.
Crypto total market cap at $1.805 trillion on the daily chart | Source: TradingView.com
The US Treasury disclosed the following:
“The use of crypto assets for money laundering continues to be significantly less prevalent than the use of fiat cash and other more traditional means.”
Crypto Still A Good Choice For Crime
According to the National Money Laundering Risk Assessment, “virtual assets” are an ever-evolving domain within money launderers’ expanding armory for concealing their finances.
It singled out DeFi and “anonymity augmenting technology” as possible perpetrators.
Throughout the pandemic, virtual assets have apparently been used extensively in phishing assaults and ransomware scams.
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Shady operators may use pledges of profit from the unpredictable cryptocurrency market to entice victims into disclosing personal information or infecting their devices with viruses.
The attackers may then demand payment in crypto following the attack, which is both pseudonymous and irreversible.
In a recent Chainalysis Crypto Crime Report, many criminals use over-the-counter brokers to launder their cryptocurrencies.
OTC brokers are individuals or businesses that assist transactions between buyers and sellers who do not wish to (or are unable to) conduct business on a cryptocurrency exchange.
A Staggering Amount
Meanwhile, a United Nations report says that money laundering costs the global economy between $800 billion and $2 trillion per year.
This equates to between 2% and 5% of gross domestic output. Today, almost 90% of money laundering remains undetected.
However, technological advancements have led in the development of more effective tools. Criminals continue to use these advancements to move dirty money.
Simultaneously, government agencies and fintech firms utilize technology to identify transaction characteristics and assist in exposing fraud.
Featured image from India Today, chart from TradingView.com
‘One currency change every generation,’ how monetary skepticism spearheaded cryptocurrency adoption in Czechia
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Mexico’s president rules out accepting crypto as legal tender
The Bank of Mexico and the National Banking and Securities Commission issued a statement earlier this year warning financial institutions not to deal with digital assets, but the president has not often spoken directly on the subject.