As an unlikely but welcome source of hope during crypto market jitters, Deutsche Bank’s report, the “Future of Cryptocurrencies,” sheds light on potentially bullish cryptocurrency activity. A survey critical to the report suggests that neither traders nor investors are likely to part with their crypto holdings in the event of a bear market. Marion Laboure, a director of macro strategy for Deutsche Bank, told Cointelegraph: “It is interesting to note the deep bullishness for cryptocurrencies. Even in an extremely bearish crypto market in which values were to drop 80%, less than half of investors say they would reduce their investments …

Leaked data shows that until recently, Swiss bank Credit Suisse held accounts valued at more than $100 billion for sanctioned individuals and heads of state reportedly accused of money laundering. The New York Times reported on Feb. 20 that the data leak included more than 18,000 bank accounts. The data goes back to accounts that were open from the 1940s until into the 2010s, but not current operations. Among the account holders holding “millions of dollars in Credit Suisse” were King Abdullah II of Jordan and Venezuela’s former vice-minister of energy, Nervis Villalobos. King Abdullah has been accused of misappropriating …

Grayscale Investments’ latest report “Reimagining the Future of Finance” defines the digital economy as “the intersection of technology and finance that’s increasingly defined by digital spaces, experiences, and transactions.” With this in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many financial institutions have begun to offer services that allow clients access to Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets. Last year, in particular, saw an influx of financial institutions incorporating support for crypto-asset custody. For example, Bank of New York Mellon, or BNY Mellon, announced in February 2021 plans to hold, transfer and issue Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as an …

Protesting anti-vax truckers blockading downtown Ottawa, Canada had their fund-raising platform shut down because their host fears the “promotion of violence.” The protesters move to a Bitcoin crowdsourcing funding service. It quickly raised $900,000. Russian troops gather on Ukraine’s borders. Ukrainian NGOs and volunteer groups embrace cryptocurrencies to help defend their country in the event of a coming war, according to a Feb. 8 investigation by Elliptic, a blockchain analytics firm. Recent reports like these raise the question: Are Bitcoin and other cryptos becoming the preferred fundraising platform for political protesters and social movements — given that cryptocurrencies don’t respect …

Amid Binance halting its services in countries like Israel over licensing matters, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume continues strengthening relations with Russia. Binance announced Thursday its entry into the Association of Banks of Russia, aiming to facilitate dialogue with local authorities, lawmakers and experts in the cryptocurrency industry. Founded in 1990, the association includes over 300 banks and financial institutions in Russia, covering nearly 90% of the country’s banking infrastructure. The association’s council has approved Binance’s membership in the association, launching a dedicated expert center for digital financial assets and digital currencies. The expert center’s mission is …

As payment methods continue to evolve, new innovations are improving financial infrastructures that have been in use for years. Currently, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are a topic that has grabbed the attention of many nations worldwide including the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Middle Eastern nation has faced considerable economic and financial hardships due to sanctions imposed on it by the United States and believes that piloting a CBDC can resolve problems associated with the blockade. Furthermore, some view a CBDC as a potential solution to the country’s perceived corruption problem. Corruption allegations have trailed Iran for decades. The …

In Spain, companies across various industries — not just digital finance — have begun to apply blockchain technology to their operations. This disruptive technology has promoted pioneering projects in the country that are expected to add 20 billion euros to Spanish gross domestic product by 2030. As expectations around this technology increased in Spain throughout 2021, so did investment, hype and concerns regarding the stability and regulation of digital assets. Here, we will take a look at some of the most notable developments in the Spanish cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystems throughout 2021. Central bank warns about risks of crypto investment …

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Japan’s largest financial group, is working hard to take the lead in stablecoin development, launching a proprietary stablecoin project. On Wednesday, MUFG introduced its stablecoin platform called “Progmat Coin,” a blockchain-based system for issuing and managing stablecoins pegged on a 1:1 ratio to the Japanese yen. The platform aims to enable a “universal digital asset payment method,” providing cross-chain interoperability with a wide range of other digital assets other than those issued on Progmat, as well as Japan’s central bank digital currency, the digital yen. According to the announcement, the Progmat Coin project is based on …

Amid Bitcoin (BTC) posting a significant price recovery since early February, JPMorgan analysts suggested that the “fair value” of BTC is actually lower than its market price on Tuesday. The current fair-value level for BTC is around $38,000, JPMorgan strategists said in the bank’s latest investor note published on Tuesday. Led by JPMorgan crypto market analyst Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, the strategists estimated the “fair value” based on Bitcoin being nearly four times as volatile as gold. The “fair value” of Bitcoin would rise to $50,000 in a scenario where the volatility level narrows to three times, the strategists suggested, adding: “The …

Wells Fargo Investment Institute, the research division of Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management, has released a report highlighting the potential of cryptocurrencies as an investment opportunity akin to the early days of the internet. In a report today titled Cryptocurrencies — Too early or too late?, the banking giant referred to cryptocurrencies as “viable investments” today, but hinted there was no rush for investors to enter the still maturing market. Wells Fargo’s global investment strategy team said it did not subscribe to the idea that it was “too late to invest” in crypto, given that the space is “relatively …

Martin J. Gruenberg, the acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, named “crypto-assets” among the agency’s key priorities in 2022, alongside addressing financial risks associated with climate change and promoting amendments to major federal statutes relevant to FDIC’s jurisdiction. A Feb. 7 statement outlines five key areas that the agency deems most important for its mission of maintaining public confidence in the U.S. financial system. Number four on the list is evaluating “crypto-asset risks.” Acknowledging the rapid pace with which digital asset-based products are becoming part of the financial landscape, the statement emphasizes systemic risks that this …

In the past year, we’ve seen the crypto economy undergo exponential expansion as heaps of money poured into various cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance (DeFi), nonfungible tokens (NFT), crypto indices, insurance products and decentralized options markets. The total value locked (TVL) in the DeFi sector across all chains has grown from $18 billion at the beginning of 2021 to $240 billion in January 2022. With so much liquidity in the ecosystem, the crypto lending space has also grown a significant amount, from $60 million at the beginning of 2021 to over $400 million by January 2022. Despite the exponential growth and the …