Despite the growing adoption of various cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) all over the world, the global trading community continues to ask one question: When will a spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF go live in the United States? According to some ETF analysts, a spot Bitcoin ETF could become real in mid-2023, following years of rejection by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Despite the SEC’s apparent unwillingness to allow such a product, industry players like Grayscale continue to actively push for a spot BTC ETF. There are a decent number of reasons why a potential approval of a spot Bitcoin …

Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), plunged to its lowest level in almost two months against Bitcoin (BTC) as a crypto market sell-off intensified on May 12. Macro headwinds catch up to ETH/BTC finally The ETH/BTC trading pair fell by 7.5% to 0.0663 in the past 24 hours. The downside move came as a part of a correction that began May 11 when the pair traded at the local high of 0.0768. That pushed Ether down against BTC by up to 13.75%. Cryptocurrencies have come under stress in recent weeks alongside stock markets. Notably, money managers, traders and investors show signs …

A crypto trader who defrauded over 170 people was sentenced to 42 months in prison on Wednesday for operating a series of cryptocurrency funds claiming to make big returns but in reality, were losing money and instead operated as a Ponzi scheme. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) said that 25-year-old Jeremy Spence had solicited millions through false representations, “including that Spence’s crypto trading had been extremely profitable when, in fact, Spence’s trading had been consistently unprofitable.” Spence, who operated the social media channels for a crypto investment scheme called Coin Signals, was handed the decision by United States …

Townsquare Media, a New York-based digital marketing and radio station company, is the latest business to back the original cryptocurrency with its addition of $5 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to its balance sheet. A filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing Townsquare’s purchase of Bitcoin was first picked up by Macroscope, a Twitter account that focuses on institutional trading, posted the find on Monday. In an SEC filing today, Townsquare Media (NYSE: TSQ), based in New York, stated: "During the first quarter of 2022, the Company invested an aggregate of $5.0 million in Bitcoin. The …

The Flow ecosystem is set to get a boost in support from a new $725 million fund that will be used to invest in the growth of the nonfungible token network. Flow (FLOW) is a layer-1 blockchain developed by Dapper Labs and purpose-made for nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Dapper Labs also created the popular NBA Top Shot NFT collection. Flow utilizes an eco-friendly proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm. The new fund was backed by 17 firms that have experience backing other Web3 companies, including large investment firms a16z, Spartan Group and CoinFund. The funds will be used to attract developers to bring …

MicroStrategy’s CEO and Bitcoin proponent Michael Saylor is confident his firm’s BTC holdings will more than cover a potential margin call on Bitcoin-backed loans. The American business intelligence and software giant made headlines in 2021 with a number of major investments into Bitcoin. Saylor was a driving force behind MicroStrategy’s decision to convert its treasury reserve into BTC holdings. Global markets have suffered major losses in early May and Microstrategy’s stock has not been spared. MSTR has seen its value drop by 24% and the value of Bitcoin has also slumped considerably along with the wider cryptocurrency markets. This is …

Bitcoin (BTC) mining has always been a controversial topic. But, Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW) model has reached new levels of concern as senior decision-makers and investors pay closer attention to environmental, social and governance factors. As such, many crypto miners are highlighting environmentally friendly practices by acquiring carbon offsets. Yet, some would argue that this isn’t enough to guarantee green Bitcoin mining. Other risk factors may also be involved with carbon credits. For instance, Kevin O’Leary — the Canadian entrepreneur better known as “Mr. Wonderful” for his role on Shark Tank — told Cointelegraph that he typically indexes public mining companies …

The global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin aims to go beyond centralized trading services and focus on Web3 with new funding backed by firms like Circle Ventures. The KuCoin cryptocurrency exchange officially announced on May 10 a $150 million pre-Series B funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $10 billion. The latest funding round mainly aims to strengthen the exchange’s partnership with major industry players as well as promote the mass adoption of crypto, KuCoin CEO Johnny Lyu told Cointelegraph, noting: “KuCoin is financially healthy. [...] We are still in contact with many VCs, and we are open to have another round …

Australians will soon have more options for spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) after a previous hold-up was given the green light this week and new funds entered the ETF market. The latest update came late on Monday as Cboe Australia issued a round of market notices that three funds previously delayed are expected to begin trading on May 12. They include a Bitcoin (BTC) ETF from Cosmos Asset Management, plus BTC and Ether (ETH) spot ETFs from 21Shares. Cboe Australia and Cosmos did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a spokesperson from 21Shares confirmed to Cointelegraph: “We’re …

Retirement plans still largely remain at the periphery of both crypto adoption and the regulatory discussion. But last week, a major development emerged in this department. United States Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tina Smith of Minnesota became concerned about Fidelity’s recent announcement of adding Bitcoin (BTC) to its clients’ 401(k) retirement investment menu. In a letter to the company’s CEO Abigail Johnson, the lawmakers expressed their uneasiness over a “conflict of interests” and the “significant risks of fraud, theft and loss,” requesting from Fidelity a detailed outline of risk mitigation actions. Crypto 401(k) plans are still relatively rare, …

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville from Alabama has unveiled a new bill he calls the Financial Freedom Act to allow Americans to add cryptocurrency to their 401(k) retirement savings plan unencumbered by regulatory guidance. The new bill is Tuberville’s response to the United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) push to potentially keep crypto out of 401(k) investment plans due to its perceived potential for risk to investors. As Cointelegraph previously reported, the DOL said employees who choose to invest in crypto through their 401(k) could attract legal attention. In an op-ed for CNBC on Thursday, Senator Tuberville stated: “The Federal Government …

Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of the hedge fund SkyBridge Capital, thinks that the next United States presidential candidate will likely be pro-cryptocurrency, given that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced the approval of a fourth Bitcoin (BTC) futures exchange-traded fund (ETF). During an interview at SALT’s Crypto Bahamas conference, Scaramucci told Cointelegraph that he has been bullish on a pro-crypto presidential candidate since the SEC approved Bitcoin futures under the Securities Act of 1933 (‘33 Act) and the Securities Act of 1934 ('34 Act). He added: “The Congress is indicating that they are more crypto-friendly. You now …