William Green, a 46-year-old New Jersey resident, was indicted by a federal grand jury on account of allegedly running an unlicensed money transmission service. The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the indictment in a press release on July 24. According to the DoJ, the indictment filings and court statements indicate that Green operated a fiat-to-Bitcoin (BTC) conversion service through the website Destination Bitcoin. As such, Green reportedly would receive money from his customers in order to convert their cash to BTC. The findings further indicated that Green had not registered with the Secretary of the United States Treasury …

In a world where the global crypto community continues to face a growing number of regulatory hurdles with each passing day, the term “virgin Bitcoin” is starting to become more common among digital currency enthusiasts. However, it is of utmost importance to clarify what this term actually means and the significance it carries. According to Dave Jevans, the CEO of CipherTrace, virgin Bitcoins are essentially BTC tokens that do not have a transaction (TX) record associated with them. As a result of this, coins lack a defined attribution history, making them extremely useful for money launderers as well as other …

Fiat-crypto exchange Binance Jersey has listed a proprietary GBP-backed stablecoin, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on July 19. ‘Overwhelming demand’ for stablecoin diversification Listing of the Binance GBP Stablecoin (BGBP) confirms earlier indications that the major industry player had its sights on imminently issuing its own fiat-pegged assets, starting with a cryptocurrency 100% backed by the British pound. Binance Chief Financial Officer Wei Zhou has given an official statement, in which he noted that: “There has been an overwhelming demand in the market and Binance community for more stablecoin diversification, including a GBP-pegged stablecoin.” Zhou added that …

LibertyX, the firm that launched America’s first Bitcoin (BTC) automated teller machine (ATM), will add 90 new machines to its network. In order to expand the network, Boston-based LibertyX has partnered with independent ATM operator DesertATM, according to a report by global ATM market publication ATMmarketplace on July 18. As a part of the partnership, DesertATM will upload LibertyX on 90 of its Genmega ATMs to enable Bitcoin operations. New Bitcoin ATM locations will include gas stations such as AMPM, ARCO & Chevron, as well as Family Dollar retail stores, the press release notes. In October 2018, LibertyX teamed up …

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the authority will be preventing Bitcoin (BTC) from becoming an “equivalent of Swiss-numbered bank accounts.” U.S. secretary of the treasury to closely monitor Bitcoin regardless of price In a press briefing reported by CNBC on July 18, Mnuchin criticized Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as they can be used for illicit purposes such as money laundering, adding that the department intends to enforce strong regulations on the space. The official emphasized his own intent to closely monitor Bitcoin to prevent illegal activity regardless of its price, claiming that there are billions of dollars in Bitcoin …

Internet crowdsourcing company Share Internet Data Ltd (SID) has partnered with private equity firm LDJ Capital to launch a blockchain-based digital banking solution. The new digital banking app is called LDJ Digital, according to a press release on July 16. According to the announcement, LDG Digital can function as a debit card and it supports both fiat money and cryptocurrencies. Moreover, the professed goal of LDJ Digital is to provide banking services to the unbanked, as per the report. LDJ Digital will reportedly be a part of the existing SID platform and is based on its core technologies and principles. …

Former Republican congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul says he is in favor of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology because he likes competing currencies. Ron Paul delivered his remarks in a “Squawk Alley” interview on CNBC on July 15. According to Paul, cryptocurrencies are a great idea, and governments should only step in to regulate the space to prevent fraud: “I’m for the least amount of regulation. I don’t know what’s gonna happen to cryptocurrencies. I think it’s a great idea. And I only have one rule: no fraud […] I think that the government has a role. And somebody has …

Ohio-based professional basketball team the Cleveland Cavaliers (The Cavs), along with its associated esports club Cavs Legion GC, have partnered with the cryptocurrency firm UnitedCoin. The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the new partnership in a press release on July 15. The partnership will reportedly be used to advertise UnitedCoin and provide the Cavs with an inroad to the fintech sector via cryptocurrency. For the Cavs, one aspect of this partnership will reportedly be LED signage inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during Cavs games. The Cavs Legion will reportedly advertise UnitedCoin as its official cryptocurrency partner. Within NBA 2K, this means …

Finland-based cryptocurrency firm Prasos has secured a payment institution license via the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FFSA). The news comes by way of an official announcement via its crypto exchange website on July 12. According to the announcement, Prasos is now the third crypto firm in Europe to secure a payment institution license. According to its website, Prasos operates a crypto exchange, a crypto investment platform, and Bitcoin (BTC) ATMs. Prasos stated that, thanks to its new license, its crypto investment platform Coinmotion is now capable of supporting a payment service in the European Economic Area, which includes EU member …

Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced the expansion of its fiat-enabled trading platform in Singapore in a press release shared with Cointelegraph on July 10. Binance Singapore has been first launched in April, but with limited functionalities and only one trading pair. Now, Binance Singapore will now allow users to buy and sell cryptocurrency for Singapore dollars. Currently, local users can buy Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Binance Coin (BNB) on the platform, with more crypto coming in the future. The platform reportedly allows for instantaneous deposits and withdrawals via the Singapore Fast and Secure Transfers system. Furthermore, since its soft-launch …

Fortress Investment Group is buying bitcoin (BTC) claims from Mt. Gox creditors, according to a report by CoinDesk on July 8. The Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy in 2014 after losing $473 million worth of bitcoin at the time due to an apparent hack. Bitcoin reportedly experienced a subsequent decline in value, dropping by 36% over the month when this took place. As per the report, Fortress executive Michael Hourigan has sent out a letter to creditors detailing the buyback offer. According an apparent copy of such a letter, Fortress has offered to buy the bitcoin claims …

United States President Donald Trump has proposed the U.S. should ‘MATCH’ Chinese and Euoropean currency manipulation, sparking a dip in the greenback’s value. The president shared his thoughts in a tweet published on July 3: “China and Europe playing big currency manipulation game and pumping money into their system in order to compete with USA. We should MATCH, or continue being the dummies who sit back and politely watch as other countries continue to play their games - as they have for many years!” The renewed attack comes despite the fact that the Trump administration formally stopped short of accusing …