Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Reaches All-Time High as Miners Face Second-Largest Increase This Year

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty reached an all-time high (ATH) on Feb. 24, 2023, at block height #778,176, reaching 43.05 trillion hashes and surpassing the 40 trillion mark for the first time ever. The network’s difficulty increased by 9.95%, which is the second-largest…

Starkware Plans to Open Source Key Tech Linked to Starknet Prover

At the Starkware Sessions 2023 event, held at the Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv, Israel, Starkware co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson informed the audience that the company intends to open source “key tech” linked to the Starknet Prover. During the event, the co-founder…

Romania Carries Out Raids as Part of Crypto Tax Evasion Probe

Authorities in Romania have conducted more than a dozen raids against people suspected of hiding income from cryptocurrency operations. The searches took place in late 2022 following an earlier investigation which established that crypto traders had failed to report digital assets…

US Government Delays Tax Reporting Rules for Cryptocurrency Brokers

The enforcement of a requirement for brokers to report gains made by crypto investors has been postponed by the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS. The new tax rules, incorporated into the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the U.S. Congress…

Israel Prohibits Cash Deals for Amounts Starting as Low as $1,700

New legislation introducing tighter restrictions on payments with large sums of cash will enter into force in Israel on Monday. The goal, as stated by the country’s tax authority, is to improve the fight against organized crime, money laundering, and tax…

Thailand Exempts Crypto Transfers From VAT Until End of 2023

Authorities in Thailand have formally introduced a value-added tax (VAT) exemption for transfers of cryptocurrencies through government-approved exchanges. The tax break, in force until the end of next year, will also apply to digital currency issued by the Bank of Thailand….

Binance Suspends Transactions With Russian Mastercard and Visa Cards

Crypto exchange Binance has blocked transactions with Mastercard and Visa cards issued in the Russian Federation. The trading platform announced the move after the American payment giants decided to halt operations in Russia over its military invasion of Ukraine. Russians Unable…

Bank of Russia Reports First Successful Digital Ruble Transfers Between Users

Testing of the digital ruble has started in Russia with the country’s central bank announcing the first complete transactions between individual wallets. The monetary authority, a staunch opponent of cryptocurrencies, says its digital currency will create new opportunities for citizens, businesses,…

Bank of Russia Has Tools to Restrict Crypto Investments, Governor Hints

The Central Bank of Russia has reaffirmed its opposition to cryptocurrency investments citing the volatility of the digital assets as a key motive for its conservative stance. Governor Elvira Nabiullina has recently indicated that the regulator has the means to restrict…

Russian Government to Track Crypto Transactions With Help From Anti-Drug Organization

Russian institutions have responded to a call from а public movement for joint efforts to identify cryptocurrency transfers related to drug trade. The anti-drug organization, Stopnarkotik, recently asked the interior ministry and the central bank to investigate alleged connections between U.S.-sanctioned…