With Bitcoin’s (BTC) halving less than 23 days away, traders would like to go into the event with strong bullish sentiment but this is yet to be determined. If Bitcoin is able to breakout and sustain above its overhead resistance, it is likely to pull the crypto markets higher. The first sign of strength would be if the total market capitalization can sustain above the $211 billion mark. Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360 Although Bitcoin is the leader, there are a few altcoins that are showing promise and could outperform the largest cryptocurrency next week. Here are the …

Venezuelan crypto exchange Criptolago has announced that it will launch a text message-based payment system that can process transactions in Venezuela’s oil-backed Petro (PTR) and other cryptocurrencies. The system may expose new segments of Venezuela’s population to cryptocurrencies amid the country’s ongoing hyperinflation crisis — with the value of the Venezuelan bolivar fluctuating by 1.58% in the past 24 hours and roughly 2,500% in 12 months. Criptolago unveils SMS-based crypto transfers In a tweet published on April 6, Criptolago stated that it developed the service in response to a call from the country’s president for financial companies to develop payment …

The cryptocurrency industry was initially headlined as anonymous digital cash. While experts were keen to point out that this was not exactly the case, Bitcoin (BTC) found initial popularity in darknet markets such as Silk Road, where merchants sold illegal goods ranging from light drugs to, allegedly, hitman services. Founded in 2011, Silk Road thrived for the next two years until the Federal Bureau of Investigation shut it down in 2013. Authorities later revealed that completely free blockchain explorers aided their investigative efforts. Bitcoin’s transaction ledger is completely open for the public to view. What the blockchain does lack is …

The world is in a state of panic due to the coronavirus pandemic. People are fighting over toilet paper, which shows the extent of nervousness. At such a time, even investors are likely to show irrational behaviors. The governments are attempting to calm the markets by supplying enough liquidity, which is likely to run into trillions of dollars. However, even after that, the world economy might slip into a global recession. The head of operations at Genesis Mining Philip Salter said that if the economic crisis does not deepen further, it “will not have major implications for Bitcoin.” However, if …

With increasing speculation in the crypto community that cryptocurrency markets are on the cusp of the next major bull season, it can be easy to lose sight of the maturation that the crypto ecosystem has undergone to get to the present moment. When comparing the current crypto markets against the climate preceding the previous bull run, many top markets have seen volume gains by a factor of multiple thousands, evidencing a significant expansion in market liquidity. Daily BTC trade up 519 times since 2017 As of Feb. 15, 2017, Bitcoin (BTC) was the single-most traded crypto asset, having generated $89.76 …

A major global company that helps fight illicit cryptocurrency-related activity does not think that privacy in crypto markets is necessarily bad. Despite representing one of the primary sources of crypto transaction data for federal agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI, Chainalysis does not exactly oppose the privacy and decentralization of crypto. “Complete transparency is not necessarily an ideal place” Jonathan Levin, co-founder and CSO at blockchain and crypto analytics firm Chainalysis, reiterated his stance to privacy in crypto, claiming that full transparency of cryptocurrency transactions might not turn out to be the best situation. Speaking in an …

The coronavirus outbreak that started in China has gradually spread to a number of countries across the world. This is creating panic among investors as the death toll continues to rise. As a result, global equity markets and crude tumbled last week. Though cryptocurrencies also gave up some ground, they are currently attempting a relief rally and most major cryptocurrencies are trading in the green. Previously, such unforeseen events did not offer large investors a cost-effective way to hedge their crypto portfolio. However, with the recent launch of Bitcoin options, institutional investors can now protect their portfolios using various options …

The year 2019, for a short while, raised expectations that stablecoins would bring about mass adoption of cryptocurrencies. 2020, however, seems to be dousing those hopes with ever-tightening regulation that is putting pressure on investors and companies alike. The first complication came only 10 days into the year. In early January, the European Union’s landmark Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, or 5AMLD, was signed into law. The law is the latest evolution of the EU’s response to the Panama Papers scandal, in which a leak of over 11 million documents uncovered the opaque financial networks used by the world’s richest and …

Most major cryptocurrencies have started the new year on a positive note. However, in the past 24 hours, the crypto markets are witnessing a sea of red. This shows that the rally has hit a roadblock, which could result in a minor correction or consolidation for the next few days. Such a move will be healthy for the crypto markets because it will shake out the weaker hands. The next dip will also give an idea about the cryptocurrencies that have bottomed out and have started a new uptrend. Acclaimed veteran trader Peter Brandt believes that Bitcoin has bottomed out …

The CME Group will launch its Bitcoin options contract on Jan. 13. The analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. have spotted a 69% increase in open interest from year-end in CME’s existing Bitcoin futures contracts. They also noted that the number of large open-interest holders has picked up. This shows an increase in institutional interest before the launch of options trading. Nevertheless, as Bitcoin price action has been mixed during previous launches of such services, it is difficult to predict the move based on this event alone. Halving, however, is an important event and analysts at market research firm Fundstrat …

Bitcoin (BTC) has come to Burger King in Venezuela as a new partnership opens up cryptocurrency payments at the fast-food chain. Confirmed in a tweet on Dec. 30, a single Burger King branch in the Sambil area of Caracas now accepts Bitcoin, along with altcoins Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Binance Coin (BNB) and Dash (DASH), as well as stablecoin Tether (USDT). Altcoins, Tether join BTC foray A total of 40 locations will follow suit in 2020, according to a blog post from Dash executives about the move. Cryptobuyer is a Panama-based cryptocurrency merchant gateway startup that also runs a fleet …

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get your holiday shopping out of the way for good. And while online retail giants such as Amazon and eBay have made online purchasing wonderfully simple for the average person, they do not really cater to a growing population of individuals who are looking to use their crypto for digital payment purposes. While a number of startups have entered this space over the last three to four years due to issues relating to market volatility, certain remaining setbacks need to be tackled before the sector can really flourish. But …