The Daily: Binance Expands, Putin Advisor Visits Huobi, Brazilian Brokerage Goes Crypto

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is making good on its promises to expand globally – focusing on emerging markets and fiat-to-crypto trading services. Also in The Daily, Huobi founder and CEO Leon Li meets a Putin adviser in Beijing, a leading Brazilian brokerage firm shares plans to launch a crypto exchange, and digital assets management firm Altonomy caters … Read more

The Daily: Russians Used Bitcoin to Hack US Elections, Trader Bets on the Price of BTC

Russian intelligence officers accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential elections in the US have used bitcoin to finance their campaign, cover the tracks and obscure their identities, a new federal indictment suggests. You can check the details in today’s edition of Bitcoin in Brief. Also in the daily, billionaire Steven Cohen invests in crypto … Read more

Putin: Cryptocurrency Has Its Place, No State Can Have Own Crypto

Cryptocurrency has its place in the world and Russia should carefully consider when and how to take part in the process of its development, Vladimir Putin said in his annual Q&A session with Russian citizens. The president noted that “by definition” neither Russia, nor any other country could have a national cryptocurrency. Putin also mentioned the … 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

Centralized Cryptoruble Not Possible, Minister Tells Putin

The Russian Ministry of Finance is not against a national cryptocurrency, provided the state does not participate in it. The creation of a centralized coin, like the cryptoruble, seems impossible, as cryptocurrencies are based on decentralized ledgers, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told President Putin, according to Russian media.   Also read: Russian Authorities Criticized over … Read more