Exchange Problems Mount at Kraken and Coinbase but Bitfinex Reopens Registrations for 10k+ Deposits

Exchanges are regarded by many in the cryptocurrency world as a necessary evil. They provide liquidity and an on-ramp from fiat currency, but many other aspects of their service leaves a lot to desired. From onerous KYC requests to sudden withdrawal of service, nary a week goes by without major exchanges leaving customers seething. This … Read more

Russia Drafts Bill to Legalize Cryptocurrency Trading on Approved Exchanges

The Russian Ministry of Finance is drafting a bill to legalize cryptocurrency trading at approved exchanges. The ministry is already preparing a list of approved trading platforms. Also read: Russian Regulators Draft Law to Restrict Crypto Mining, Payments, and Token Sales Some Exchanges Will be Legalized The Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev told reporters that … Read more

Bitstamp Is Asking Users Who Want to Withdraw a Lot of Questions

Customers of Slovenia’s Bitstamp exchange are being forced to jump through hoops to meet an unprecedented level of compliance. A widely circulated image, purporting to reveal Bitstamp’s enhanced KYC procedure, has been attracting a lot of attention. The document requests screenshots of other cryptocurrency exchange profiles, bank account statements showing fiat deposits to third party … Read more

No, Mainstream Media, That Country Did Not Ban Bitcoin. Again.

Headlines roared late last night in the western hemisphere, morning in the east, as mainstream media outlets breathlessly ran with an initial report from a legacy wire service: the Republic of South Korea is to ban cryptocurrency. The truth is more subtle, and it’s fast becoming an object lesson in fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). … Read more

Venezuela Will Pre-Mine the Petro and Launch in 6 Weeks

One day after Venezuela’s oil-backed cryptocurrency was declared illegal, the government of president Nicolas Maduro announced plans to pre-mine the petro. The new currency is expected to launch in six weeks. Also read: South Korea Urges 23 Countries, EU, and IMF to Collaborate on Curbing Crypto Trading Petro Mining Restricted to Government The Venezuelan Superintendent of … Read more

GDAX on Its Botched Bitcoin Cash Launch; “Heavy Buy Demand Resulted in Insufficient Liquidity”

On January 9, Adam White, the general manager of the GDAX exchange, a subsidiary of Coinbase, gave his “retrospective” on the recent and controversial bitcoin cash (BCH) launch on the platform. White details that despite the company’s best efforts things didn’t go as planned, and the executive gives a transparent timeline of events. Also read: … Read more

Bitcoin Adoption Continues to Thrive Within Africa’s Borders

According to multiple reports this week the decentralized currency bitcoin is still booming in many African countries. From South Africa to the Sub-Saharan region, citizens from all walks of life are finding bitcoin beneficial. This is making domestic cryptocurrency exchanges and peer-to-peer trading platforms’ volumes climb while digital currencies are also selling at a premium. … Read more

South Korea to Cooperate with China and Japan on Regulation

South Korean regulators are seeking cooperation with counterparts from Beijing and Tokyo to address cryptocurrency speculation. Six commercial banks have been targeted by Seoul authorities inspecting crypto trading. Korean experience is to help a possible trilateral approach to regulation. Also read: Vietnam Expedites Cryptocurrency Legal Framework – Ready End of January “Trial-And-Error” to Shape the … Read more

After The Rise of its Controversial ”Digital USD” Tether Releases EURTs

Tether, creator of a USDT token claimed to be backed by the U.S. dollar, has been a hot topic of conversation lately to say the least. The company has been very successful so far issuing tokens to individuals and exchanges, but many skeptics are worried the digital currency is not backed by real fiat. Skeptics … Read more