Korean Crypto Exchanges Upbit, Bithumb Raided Over Lawmaker’s Crypto Dealings

South Korean prosecutors have raided two of the country’s largest coin trading platforms within an investigation into the crypto investments of a politician. They seized materials from Upbit and Bithumb amid suspicions of wrongdoing related to the lawmaker’s cryptocurrency holdings. South…

Former Paxful CEO Says He Cannot ‘Vouch for Anything Happening There Now’ — Platform Tells Users It Is Back Online

The former CEO of Paxful, Ray Youssef, has told users of the peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace that he is no longer in control and therefore cannot vouch for “anything that is happening there now.” Youssef also told a user who claimed to…

Iran Shuts Down Over 8,000 Illegal Crypto Mining Farms in 3 Years

Authorities in Iran have closed down more than 8,000 underground facilities for cryptocurrency mining in the past three years, local media reported. Despite the government’s crackdown, illegal crypto mining continues to account for a serious amount of energy consumption, official figures…

Binance Announces Lightning Network Withdrawal Implementation Amidst Bitcoin Network Congestion Issues

Binance has announced its intention of implementing Lightning Network, a layer 2 Bitcoin scaling protocol, on its platform after experiencing an episode of congestion regarding withdrawals on the Bitcoin network. The exchange had to pause bitcoin withdrawals twice due to a…

SEC Probes First Republic Bank Executives for Insider Trading; Lawmakers Dump Bank’s Shares Before Collapse

After the second largest bank failure in history, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly investigating First Republic Bank executives for allegedly engaging in insider trading. Two sources have claimed that the securities regulator is scrutinizing the bank’s executives…

Saudi Arabia Joining BRICS Would Accelerate Chinese Yuan’s Use as Trading Currency, Says Professor

Professor Ashok Swain of Uppsala University’s Department of Peace and Conflict Research says Saudi Arabia joining the BRICS economic bloc “would accelerate the bilateral trading being conducted using the yuan as the trading currency. ” How Saudi Arabia Joining BRICS Could Boost…

Satoshi’s Last Emails: ‘Make It About the Open-Source Project,’ Economist Predicts ‘Catastrophic’ Fall in US Living Standard, FRC Shares Plummet, and More — Week in Review

Another week has passed in the world of crypto and finance, with the anniversary of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto’s last known emails, predictions of massive declines in Americans’ standard of living, and important developments at the struggling First Republic Bank. All…

Brazil Bans Telegram Temporarily Due to Alleged Lack of Collaboration in Fight Against School Violence

A federal judge in Brazil has ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram in the country and established hefty fines due to the supposed lack of collaboration of the company in a national crusade against school violence. Telegram failed to deliver information…

World’s Largest Regional Organization to Switch to Settlements in National Currencies

A China-led regional organization that covers more than half of Eurasia intends to transition to settlements in the currencies of its members. While the plan is to abandon the U.S. dollar in mutual payments, participating nations are yet to consider a…

Binance Reportedly Removes Restrictions on Russian Users

The world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, has lifted certain restrictions on Russian users, local crypto media unveiled. According to multiple reports, Russians can once again use their bank cards to make deposits and the trading platform has canceled a limit on…