Hong Kong and Singapore Emerge as New Meccas for Token Sales

Two countries have recently emerged as the new Meccas for token sales following bans in China and South Korea. The number of initial coin offerings in Singapore and Hong Kong has skyrocketed in recent months, as companies seek a favorable environment to raise funds outside their home countries. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the … Read more

India Divided on Whether to Ban Crypto Use

As India works on the bill to regulate cryptocurrencies, each government department has its own opinion on whether to ban the use of crypto, including bitcoin. The Finance Ministry, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Income Tax Department, and the Special Investigation Team have voiced their opinions on the upcoming bill. Also read: Russian Regulators … Read more

Central Bank of Iran Bans Banks from Crypto

Iran’s central bank has issued a statement banning the country’s banks and financial institutions from dealing with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, citing money laundering and terrorism financing risks. However, the local crypto community in Iran believes that the ban will not affect them and some exchanges continue to operate normally. Also read: Russian Regulators Draft Law … Read more

Russia’s Supreme Court Overturns Decision to Block Bitcoin Website

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has struck down the ban imposed on the Bitcoininfo.ru portal. The outlet is one several dozens of crypto-related websites that have been taken offline by the Russian authorities in the past few years. The decision sets a precedent which and is likely to determine the faith of many … Read more

Indian Exchange Takes Central Bank to Court Over Bank Ban

The Indian bitcoin community keeps fighting for their rights to operate freely in the country like any other industry. The latest show of defiance is a petition to the court against the actions of the Reserve Bank of India by the operators of a local exchange. Also Read: SPI Solar to Host 5,000 Bitcoin Miners … Read more

Telegram Uses Bitcoin in Effort to Thwart Russian Authorities

Recently, a Moscow court handed a win to Russian security forces. In an effort to combat terrorism, they announced Telegram would be banned immediately. The company refused to hand over user information. A day after the ban going into effect, CEO Pavel Durov announced Telegram would use bitcoin to fund proxies and VPNs as possible … Read more

Government of Iran Bans Foreign Fiat Currency Exchanges

It appears that the Iranian people are losing trust in the rial as it continues to depreciate in value. In response, the government of Iran is trying to prevent them from getting their hands on foreign currency, providing another example of the need for bitcoin. We should expect to see a growth in local bitcoin … Read more

Hanoi Prohibits Use of Cryptocurrencies in E-commerce Transactions

The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has prohibited organizations and individuals involved in e-commerce business in the city from using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This follows a directive signed by the country’s prime minister intended to strengthen the legal framework of cryptocurrencies. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space Banning Crypto Use … Read more

Russian Court Bans Telegram, CEO Pavel Durov Defiant

Russian security services ordered Telegram to hand over access to encrypted user messages, but the messaging application (app) refused. Founder Pavel Durov didn’t bother to send lawyers to Moscow’s Tagansky court, and the court dutifully ruled against his company, taking less than 20 minutes in decreeing an immediate ban. Also read: CBS’s NCIS Los Angeles Weaves … Read more