Bitcoin
Trump wants Bitcoin monopoly | Billions of CZ double in prison
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Binance Co-Founder Changpeng Zhao (Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)
Sports archive for Web Summit via Getty Images
CZ’s Net Worth Doubles While He Serves Prison Time
It was clear at the time of his verdict in April that Changpeng Zhao’s four-month prison sentence was a slap in the face and that he would walk away with most of his fortune intact. But the silver lining for the founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance and admitted criminal is that when he hits the streets in September, what appeared to be a net worth of $33 billion will likely be about double that amount.
Much of the additional profit is the result of Forbes research that uncovered Zhao’s stake in BNB
BNB
the cryptocurrency owned by Binance amounts to 94 million tokens, or 64% of the 147.5 million in circulation. BNB is on the rise this year, nearly doubling to $596. The BNB credited to Zhao – widely known by his initials CZ – due to his 90% ownership of Binance comes in two parts: nearly 42 million that were part of the 80 million awarded to the founding team in 2017 and over 52 million that were left with the exchange as a result of a 100 million token initial coin offering which attracted purchases of less than 11 million tokens.
On paper, CZ’s stake in BNB is worth $56 billion, but if that supply were dumped onto the market all at once, it would almost certainly depress the price. Valuing the tokens at half the market price makes them worth US$28 billion and added to the US$33 billion valuation of CZ’s equity stake in the Binance exchange itself puts his estimated wealth at around US$61 billion. This would take him to 24th place on Forbes list of billionaires from the 50th.
It can go even higher. In the six months since Zhao pleaded guilty to a violation of US anti-money laundering law and agreed to pay a $50 million fine, Binance has gained market share among cryptocurrency exchanges. The valuation of CZ’s 90% stake remains unchanged and will likely increase if the company’s results improve.
Full story: How Crypto’s Richest Billionaire Doubled His Net Worth Behind Bars
Trump calls for US monopoly on Bitcoin
Bitcoin
Mining
Mining
“We want all remaining Bitcoin to be MADE IN THE USA!!!”, Donald Trump he said on a publish on his social media platform Truth Social. The former president and presumptive Republican nominee, who embraced cryptocurrency after years of skepticism, is using digital assets to score points with voters. Incumbent Joe Biden has been less enthusiastic about the sector, although the Bloc has reported that his re-election campaign could accept crypto donations.
Trump said bitcoin “could be our last line of defense against” a central bank digital currency (CBDC), reiterating opposition to the so-called digital dollar issued by the Federal Reserve. The Fed has explored the concept but has not expressed an opinion on whether it is a good idea. Trump classified the CBDC as a “dangerous threat to freedom” and promised to block its creation if he is re-elected.
Mining remaining bitcoins in the US will also help the country be “ENERGY DOMINANT,” Trump wrote. Bitcoin mining consumes significant amounts of energy, but can be shut down during periods of peak demand and restricted at other times, rewarding electricity generators that add capacity with stable use.
Meanwhile, bitcoin mining company Core Scientific is on the rise as it redirects some of its power-hungry hardware to the high-performance computing (HPC) that underpins artificial intelligence operations. Core has revealed new details about the 300 megawatts of available HPC infrastructure that will be in addition to the 200 megawatts committed in a recent deal with AI hyperscaler CoreWeave. CoreWeave liked the company so much that it tried to buy it, offering $5.75 per share or $1 billion on June 3. Three days later, Core Scientific’s board rejected the offer for undervaluing its company, and shares ended Friday at $10.33a 33% increase over the week.
Sources: Forbes Digital Assets, CoinGecko. Prices from 4pm on June 14, 2024.
Some creditors refuse FTX’s generous bankruptcy payout
Lawyers overseeing FTX’s bankruptcy have come up with a reorganization plan that would not only fully reimburse nearly all of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange’s customers but also give them 18% interest for the period their investments were tied up. By typical bankruptcy standards, this is a great deal. But not all lenders are jumping for joy.
One important issue is that the exchange’s former customers are receiving full compensation for the dollar value of their cryptocurrency holdings at the time FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2021. Unfortunately, this was close to the nadir of digital asset values because of an industry crisis that was exacerbated by the company’s failure. Bankruptcy cases typically work this way, but a chorus of creditors, commentators and academics claim that clients have been unfairly deprived of their properties, and that’s not the only thing that concerns them.
They also claim that FTX’s current management is failing to maximize the company’s value, neglecting the best interests of former clients and other creditors. Recurrent complaints have been made against Sullivan & Cromwell, the main law firm representing the current FTX and also its counsel for various pre-bankruptcy matters.
In another place
Ether ETFs Likely Approved in September, SEC Chairman Gensler Tells Senators [Crypto News Flash]
The State of Crypto: The Fortune 500 Moving Up the Chain [Coinbase]
SEC reaches $4.47 billion settlement with now-bankrupt crypto firm Terraform Labs [Reuters]
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Bitcoin
‘This is huge’ — Billionaire Mark Cuban issues ‘incredible’ Bitcoin and crypto prediction amid price slump
Bitcoin has surged again this year under former President Donald Trump Cryptocurrency boosts US presidential election in November with ‘revolutionary’ plan.
The price of bitcoin has surged to more than its all-time high in recent months, surpassing $70,000 per bitcoin and triggering a wave of mega-optimistic predictions about the price of bitcoinalthough it fell again this week to below $65,000 after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady.
Now, as Elon Musk suddenly breaks his silence on bitcoin and cryptocurrenciesBillionaire investor Mark Cuban called a California plan to digitize 42 million car titles using blockchain an “incredible step forward” and “huge” for cryptocurrencies.
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Mark Cuban, famous Shark Tank investor and billionaire owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, has… [+] called a cryptocurrency update “amazing” amid bitcoin’s price slump.
Getty Images
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has digitized 42 million car titles using blockchain, it was reported by Reuters, through technology company Oxhead Alpha on the Avalanche blockchain and designed to detect fraud and facilitate the securities transfer process.
“This is an incredible development for crypto,” Cuban, best known as an investor on TV’s Shark Tank and owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, posted on X, joking that U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler could sue the state as part of his hostility toward cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
“The reason this is huge for crypto is because people who hold the tokens will have an app with an Avalanche wallet,” Cuban said. “Tens of millions of Californians having and using a crypto wallet in the next five years, or however long it takes, normalizes the use of wallets and crypto.”
John Wu, president of Avalanche developer Ava Labs, told Reuters that California’s DMV is “creating a wallet that you can download on your phone.”
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Bitcoin’s price has rallied this year, triggering a wave of bullish bitcoin price predictions from… [+] people like billionaire Mark Cuban.
Forbes Digital Assets
Last month, Cuban predicted that if the US dollar falls as the global reserve currency, bitcoin could become “a global ‘safe haven’” and a “global currency.” potentially sending the price of bitcoin to a much higher level.
According to Cuban, bitcoin could become what its most ardent supporters “envision” — a means “of protecting our economies… This is already happening in countries facing hyperinflation.”
The price of bitcoin has skyrocketed over the past year, largely due to the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, leading a bitcoin attack on Wall Street.
Bitcoin
Large Bitcoin (BTC) Holders Added $5.4 Billion Worth of BTC in July, Data Shows
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Bitcoin
Peter Schiff criticizes Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin hype by U.Today
U.Today – Renowned economist and cryptocurrency critic Peter Schiff has criticized Michael Saylor’s recent hype about the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies as a strategic treasury asset by corporations.
Michael Saylor, a well-known Bitcoin advocate and president of MicroStrategy, recently shared his enthusiasm on X about the growing adoption of Bitcoin as a strategic treasury asset.
Citing a comment made by Bitcoin investor Bill Miller in a recent interview with CNBC, Saylor tweeted: “We now have more companies coming forward and saying we will put Bitcoin on our balance sheet as a strategic treasury asset.”
However, not everyone shares Saylor’s enthusiasm. Schiff, a vocal Bitcoin critic and gold bull, was quick to respond with his usual skepticism. In a pointed tweet, Schiff argued: “Bitcoin is neither strategic nor appropriate as a treasury asset. Companies should not risk shareholder funds. They should pay dividends and let shareholders risk their own money.”
Bitcoin enthusiasts are not intimidated
However, Schiff’s criticism shouldn’t deter Bitcoin enthusiasts, who often take Schiff’s words with a pinch of salt. To put things in context, Michael Saylor began buying Bitcoin in 2020 as an inflation hedge and alternative to money. Saylor’s company, MicroStrategy, is among the largest public holders of Bitcoin in the world. As of June 20, it held 226,331 BTC, purchased for around $8.33 billion at an average price of $36,798.
Over the weekend, Schiff was surprised when 87% of the more than 11,000 Bitcoin holders who responded to his X survey said they would not sell any of their Bitcoin even if the price dropped more than 99% to $120. They said not only would they not sell, but that they would continue to buy even when prices dropped.
Schiff unexpectedly revealed that “the main selling point for investors to buy Bitcoin is its excellent past performance record.”
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $66,067, having reached all-time highs of nearly $74,000 in mid-March.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin Falls as ETF Flows Reverse, Mt. Gox Moves Billions
In a week of drastic fluctuations, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) has retreated from its highs and is currently trading at US$66,250, down 0.9% in European trading.
This volatility comes on the heels of a significant surge above $70,000 earlier in the week, fueled by former President Donald Trump’s ambitious cryptocurrency plans announced in a Bitcoin Conference in Nashville.
Trump’s announcement to fire Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler and establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve if elected president has temporarily sent the cryptocurrency market into a frenzy.
However, the excitement was short-lived as a series of events unfolded which caused investor sentiment to sour.
A significant sell-off of about 8% was triggered when the US Marshals Service moved $2 billion in Bitcoin for new wallets.
This move has reignited fears of a potential large-scale liquidation, compounded by lingering concerns over a possible Bitcoin liquidation from Mt. Gox. Early this morning, Mt. Gox administrator transferred US$2.2 billion value of your BTC assets in a new wallet.
Meanwhile, the US Bitcoin ETF spot market is showing signs of fluctuation, according to data from SoSo Value. On July 30, Bitcoin spot funds experienced their first net outflow in five days, totaling $18.3 million.
The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) saw outflows of $73.6 million, while the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) attracted $74.9 million in inflows. But outflows from other funds left the category in the red at the end of Tuesday’s trading session. The total net asset value of spot Bitcoin ETFs currently stands at a substantial $58.5 billion.
In other crypto news, Ripple (XRP) is up 8.6% in the past 24 hours, hitting over 64 cents – its highest point since March 25, according to CoinGecko. data.
This rally comes amid a scheduled token unlock and growing optimism around a potential deal in the long-running SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit.
The crypto community is closely watching the SEC’s actions, particularly its intention to amend its complaint against Binance regarding “Third-Party Cryptocurrency Securities,” which some interpret as a positive sign for Ripple.
On a market analysis noteSingapore-based cryptocurrency trading desk QCP Capital wrote that while election headlines continue to dominate, several crucial macroeconomic events loom on the horizon.
“Election headlines will continue to be a key focus, but several key macroeconomic events are also on the horizon. Key events starting with the FOMC meeting on Wednesday, megacap tech earnings (Apple, Amazon, Meta) throughout the week, and unemployment data on Friday,” QCP Capital wrote.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
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