Battle for a green month: Can Bitcoin hold its gains as ‘Uptober’ comes to a close?


Battle for a green month: Can Bitcoin hold its gains as 'Uptober' comes to a close?
  • Bitcoin is fighting to close October in positive territory, a key historical signal.
  • The month has been highly volatile, with a 13% correction at one point.
  • A series of technical indicators are now pointing to a bullish short-term structure.

It has been an up-and-down and often frustrating month for Bitcoin traders, a period of wild price swings that has put the seasonal promise of an “Uptober” rally to a severe test.

Now, with just a few days left in the month, a tense battle is underway as the bulls fight to keep the world’s leading cryptocurrency in positive territory, a goal that could have significant implications for the rest of the year.

Historically, October has been a powerful launchpad for Bitcoin, delivering average gains of more than 20%. But this year has been a different story.

After spiking above $123,000 early in the month, the market was hit by a brutal 13% correction that saw prices plummet to $107,000.

Since then, the bulls have been in a grinding, hard-fought recovery, with the price currently hovering around $115,000, a meager 1.14% gain for the month.

A powerful macro tailwind provides support

This fragile recovery is being supported by a powerful macroeconomic tailwind.

Traditional markets are firing on all cylinders, with the S&P 500 hitting fresh record highs as investors confidently price in a quarter-point interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve this week.

This dovish monetary policy, combined with an easing of US-China trade tensions, has propelled a “risk-on” sentiment that typically benefits assets like crypto.

Adding another layer of support is a renewed wave of institutional interest.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have now recorded their third consecutive day of inflows, a clear signal of conviction from the market’s larger and more influential players.

The view from the charts: a bullish structure takes shape

A deep dive into the technical charts reveals a bullish short-term structure that suggests the path of least resistance is now to the upside.

The Average Directional Index (ADX), a key measure of trend strength, is sitting at a strong 32.14, a reading that suggests the current upward momentum is likely to persist.

At the same time, the Squeeze Momentum Indicator is flashing a “bullish Impulse,” a high-probability signal that directional movement to the upside is just beginning.

The Ichimoku Cloud analysis also shows Bitcoin trading above the clouds, another classic indicator of trend continuation.

The final hurdle: a pivotal Fed decision

While the technical and macro pictures are aligning in favour of the bulls, a major and binary risk event looms on the horizon: the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement on Wednesday.

While the market is pricing in a 25-basis-point cut, any hawkish language about the future path of interest rates could easily trigger a wave of short-term volatility.

The key for the bulls will be whether Bitcoin can maintain its critical support above the $114,000 level through any Fed-related turbulence.

If it can, then this “Uptober,” while not as explosive as many had hoped, may still end in the green, setting the stage for a potentially powerful final two months of the year.



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Amazon CEO on Crypto and NFTs, EPNS to Expand Beyond Ethereum + More News

Amazon CEO on Crypto and NFTs, EPNS to Expand Beyond Ethereum + More News

Source: A video screenshot, Youtube/CNBC Television

 

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.

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Adoption newsEcommerce giant Amazon is “not probably close” to adding crypto as a payment mechanism to their retail business, CEO Andrew Jassy told CNBC. He didn’t rule out that it’s still possible and added that he expects NFTs to grow “very significantly.”

US football team The Dallas Cowboys announced a partnership with crypto platform Blockchain.com. The team will be adding a QR code on every seat of their stadium that will link to the Cowboys’ website and highlight Blockchain.com’s wallet so fans can learn more about crypto, they said.Australian market research company Roy Morgan said that 5% of surveyed Australians older than 18 now own at least one cryptoasset. 59% of investors are younger than 35, but Australians aged 50+, who make up only 13% of the investor base, have the largest average crypto investment at an average value of around AUD 56,200 (USD 41,580).Investments newsEthereum Push Notification Service (EPNS), a “decentralized” notification protocol, said it has raised a USD 10.1m Series A funding round, with an average valuation of USD 131m. Jump Crypto led the round. EPNS said they will use the funding from the Series A to expand the team, grow the user base, and develop beyond the Ethereum ecosystem “to stay true to the vision of a multi-chain, interoperable decentralized future.”Blockchain ecosystem Klaytn (KLAY) announced the launch of a USD 20m fund to create a Blockchain Research Center program, which would back research projects for the development of its blockchain technology over the next four years. The Request For Proposal, which is available for universities and research consortiums interested in blockchain-related research, will be open from April 14 to June 13.Skynet EGLD Capital, a fund that accepts in-kind subscriptions in Elrond (EGLD) native tokens, announced it raised more than USD 40m to support the development of the Elrond blockchain ecosystem. They added that “significant amounts” of capital have already been deployed into different existing solutions in the ecosystem.Digital currency investment platform Symphony Digital announced the closing of its inaugural fund, Symphony Digital Opportunities Fund, securing USD 40m from institutional and private investors.Exchanges newsGemini announced their Gemini Credit Card is now available in all 50 US states, enabling users to earn up to 3% crypto back on dining (some exclusions apply), 2% crypto back on groceries, and 1% crypto back on all other purchases.Bitfinex announced that it is enabling real-time Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payments for euro-denominated deposits and withdrawals in collaboration with fiat on-ramp services provider OpenPayd.Indian crypto exchanges CoinSwitch Kuber and WazirX have disabled INR deposits for the purchase of cryptoassets through a widely-used state-backed transfer network Unified Payments Interface (UPI), per Reuters.Taxes newsCrypto tax software and blockchain analytics company ZenLedger announced a partnership with the major, France-based manufacturer of crypto hardware wallets, Ledger, to allow users to keep track of their taxes when using crypto.DeFi newsDecentralized storage and computing network Aleph.im announced that it will integrate with Tezos (XTZ) blockchain. Tezos-based decentralized apps (dapps) and marketplaces will be able to utilize Aleph’s distributed compute and storage nodes, they said.


Bitcoin Fluctuates as European Central Bank Offers Cautious Tone on Monetary Policy Tightening

Bitcoin Fluctuates as European Central Bank Offers Cautious Tone on Monetary Policy Tightening

Source: Adobe/JFL Photography

 

The European Central Bank (ECB) said it will stick to its plan to end its stimulus program and tighten monetary policy, but kept options open in light of uncertainty over the economic impact of the war in Ukraine. Bitcoin (BTC) reacted by moving slightly higher on the news before correcting lower.

“We will maintain optionality, gradualism and flexibility in the conduct of our monetary policy,” ECB President Christine Lagarde said during a press conference on Thursday.

As widely expected, the central bank decided to keep interest rates in the euro area unchanged at 0%. It further said that any changes to the key ECB interest rates will take place “some time after” the bank’s asset purchase program has been ended, and stressed that such changes will be “gradual.”

The ECB’s asset purchase program is expected to be concluded in the third quarter of this year, a statement from the bank said.

Offering some more details during the press conference, Lagarde said that it could take anywhere from weeks to months after the stimulus has ended before the central bank raises rates.

“We’ll deal with interest rates when we get there,” she said.

The emphasis on words like “optionality” and “gradualism” was interpreted by the market to mean the ECB is now less committed to its schedule for cutting asset purchases than previously.

Traders reacted by selling the euro, which fell by 1.3% against the US dollar in the first two hours after the statement was released.

At 14:52 UTC, BTC traded at USD 40,514 and was down less than 1% in a day and 6% in a week.

In summary, the European Central Banks said the war in Ukraine is “severely affecting” the economy in the euro area. It added that inflation has “increased significantly,” and said it will remain high in the coming months, largely due to a sharp increase in energy costs.
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Learn more: 
– Bitcoin, Ethereum Fluctuate as US Inflation Hits 8.5%, Slightly Above Expectations
– Get ‘Mentally Ready’ for Lower Bitcoin Prices as Rates Rise, Bitcoin 2022 Panelists Warn

– ‘New Inflationary Era’ Upon Us, Central Bank Action Will be Unpopular – BIS’ Carstens Warns
– War in Ukraine to Make Countries Rethink Currency Dependencies – BlackRock CEO

– How War in Ukraine Is Increasing Inflationary Pressure Across World’s Regions
– The Ukraine War: How Russia’s Aggression Affected Bitcoin & Crypto and What Might Happen Next


Newly (Re)released Game Allows Players to Simulate Bitcoin Mining and Earn BTC

Newly (Re)released Game Allows Players to Simulate Bitcoin Mining and Earn BTC

Bitcoin Miner. Source: blog.zebedee.io

 

The innovative crypto space keeps producing novel ways to merge with different industries and engage more people with cryptoassets, this time crossing the boundaries between gaming, crypto, mining, and earning. 

Gaming fintech ZEBEDEE and UK mobile gaming studio Fumb Games have joined forces to release Bitcoin Miner, a game that provides players with real bitcoin (BTC) for running a simulated crypto mining operation. 

Paul West, Founder of Fumb Games, said that the latest development marks a second attempt by the developer to introduce players to the concept, but this time, the companies allow users to earn real cryptocurrency for their efforts.

According to ZEBEDEE’s blog post:

“The game represents a fusion of tapping to collect coins with methodical strategy as you find the most optimal way to build your mining farm. But the twist is that you get paid real Bitcoin while simulating an activity that would generate new Bitcoin in the real world.”

West said that Bitcoin Miner was originally released some four years ago, “when crypto started taking off,” but that there was “no real appetite for the game” since it was impossible to enable players to earn actual BTC. Now, the game includes this latest functionality. 

He added that, “with ZEBEDEE, we were able to put real Bitcoin into the game, which makes the premise of Bitcoin Miner much more fun, impactful and noteworthy for players.”

The blog post instructed that,

“When you see a green satoshi symbol over a coin, you’ll earn Bitcoin for tapping it.”

The game also pays out “a little bit of ” BTC when a user levels up their mining farm.

The fintech’s website explains how to withdraw funds from the ZEBEDEE Wallet.

One of the objectives behind the effort is to use the game to promote cryptoassets among gamers. ZEBEDEE’s self-declared mission is “making it easy for gaming studios to put bitcoin into games and revolutionize user-game interaction,” according to the company’s recent tweet.

Simon Cowell, CEO of ZEBEDEE, said that the company hoped that “fun and easily approachable games” like would “foster curiosity” about the world’s number one coin, and that they would get more people “of all ages and backgrounds learning about it and participating in the new digital economy powered by Bitcoin.”

The ‘miners’ will also need to make a choice if and when to sell their portfolios. When they sell, they get GPUs (graphics processing units) to help their machines get more coins, and if they HODL, they can continue collecting profits and “mining for new and improved coins.” 

To play Bitcoin Miner and other games for free, players will be required to download the ZEBEDEE app which comprises links to various games. The app is also available for download via Google’s Play platform and Apple’s App Store, according to the statement.

Fumb Games’s portfolio includes mobile games such as Merge Monsters, Blacksmith, Zombie Labs, and Mergecraft.

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Learn more:
– Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits ATH as ‘Tectonic Shifts’ Bring ‘New Opportunities’
– Small Argentine Town Turns to Crypto Mining to Pay for Improvements

– Sky Mavis Releases Early Access of Its Much-Anticipated Axie Infinity: Origin
– Zilliqa Token Rises Further as New NFT Gaming Partnership Announced

– How To Design Blockchain Games Ethically
– Blockchain Games in 2022: Play-to-Earn, Gamification, Interoperability and Major Publishers


Bitcoin and Ethereum Stuck in Range, DOGE and XRP Gain

Bitcoin and Ethereum Stuck in Range, DOGE and XRP Gain

 

Bitcoin price is stuck in a range below the USD 40,500 level.Ethereum is still below USD 3,050, XRP gained over 7%.DOGE is up 2% and there was a move above USD 0.145.

Bitcoin price is still struggling to clear the USD 40,800 resistance level as BTC is stuck in a range near USD 40,000. It is currently (04:48 UTC) showing bearish signs, with an important support at USD 39,500.

Similarly, most major altcoins are also near important support levels. ETH must stay above USD 2,980 and USD 2,950. XRP gained over 7% and there was a move above the USD 0.765 resistance. ADA is consolidating near USD 0.95.

Total market capitalization

Source: tradingview.com

Bitcoin price

After a bearish reaction, bitcoin price declined below the USD 40,000 support zone. BTC even tested the USD 39,500 support zone before recovering. It is now stuck in a range near the USD 40,000 level and is down 2% in a day. The first major support is near the USD 39,500 level. The next major support is near USD 39,200. A close below USD 39,200 could increase pressure on the bulls.

An immediate resistance on the upside is near the USD 40,800 level. The next key resistance is now forming near the USD 41,200 level, above which the price may perhaps accelerate higher.

Ethereum price

Ethereum price followed a bearish path and there was a spike below the USD 3,000 level. However, downsides were limited, and the price remained stable above USD 2,950. The next major support is near the USD 2,920 level, below which the price could decline further. ETH is now hovering just above USD 3,000 and is down almost 2% in a day.

On the upside, an initial resistance is near USD 3,080. The next key resistance might be near the USD 3,120 level, above which the price might climb above USD 3,150.

ADA, BNB, SOL, DOGE, and XRP price

Cardano (ADA) struggled to clear the USD 0.965 resistance zone. It is now consolidating near the USD 0.950 pivot level. The next major support is near USD 0.920, below which there could be a test of USD 0.90.

BNB is facing resistance near the USD 420 level. The key resistance is near USD 425, above which the price could gain bullish momentum. BNB is unchanged in a day.

Solana (SOL) spiked below the USD 100 level before recovering. It is now stuck in a range near USD 100. On the upside, the bears might remain active near the USD 105 level. The next key resistance is near the USD 112 level.

DOGE is up over 2% and is trading above the USD 0.148 level. The main resistance is near the USD 0.150 level, above which the price may perhaps rise towards the USD 0.155 level.

XRP price gained over 7% and there was a move above the USD 0.78 level. The key hurdle is near the USD 0.80 level. A close above USD 0.80 might set the pace for a stronger increase.

Other altcoins market today

Many altcoins are still in the red zone, including LUNA, AVAX, NEAR, ZIL, CRO, ATOM, ETC, APE, THETA, FTM, RUNE, and WAVES. Out of these, ZIL is the worts performer among the top 100 crypoassets by market capitalization today as it’s down 8%, dropping to USD 0.11. 

To sum up, bitcoin price is still trading below the USD 41,500 level. If BTC gains pace, there could be a steady increase in the nearest term.

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Ethereum Foundation’s Crypto Holding Made Up of 99% ETH

Ethereum Foundation’s Crypto Holding Made Up of 99% ETH

Source: AdobeStock / sdecoret

 

The Ethereum Foundation (EF), the organization responsible for allocating financial support within the Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem, had USD 1.3bn invested in crypto as of the end of last quarter, with the vast majority of that held in ETH, according to the foundation’s latest report.

The ETH held by the Ethereum Foundation made up 0.297% of the total supply of ETH as of the end of the quarter, the report said. It added that out of the foundation’s total crypto holdings, 99.1% was held in the form of ETH.

ETH’s total market capitalization currently stands at around USD 353.4bn, per CoinGecko.

In addition to crypto, the EF also held USD 300m worth of non-crypto investments in its treasury, in line with what it calls a “conservative treasury management policy.” The policy aims to enable the foundation to fund its core objectives “even in the case of a multi-year market downturn,” the report noted.

“This part of our budget is immune to changes in the price of ETH on a significant timeline,” the quarterly report further claimed. 

Led by Aya Miyaguchi, a former managing director for Japan at crypto exchange Kraken, the Ethereum Foundation said that it systemically increases its non-crypto investments when ETH prices rise, noting that this offers a greater safety margin for its core budget.

“The EF believes in Ethereum’s potential, and our ETH holdings represent that long-term perspective,” the foundation wrote.

At 12:23 UTC, ETH is trading at USD 2,940, down 3.7% in a day and nearly 9% in a week.

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Learn more:
– Bitcoin, Ethereum Fees Move in Opposite Directions as ETH Becomes Inflationary Again
– Liquidations Soar in Crypto Market while Some Traders Hope for ‘Upcoming Bounce’

– Ethereum Developer Says Merge Delayed Until a ‘Few Months After’ June
– Ethereum Devs Call Mainnet Shadow Fork a ‘Huge Success’, Propose Fixes for Bugs

– Vitalik Buterin Makes Low-key USD 5M ETH Donations in Support of Ukraine
– Five-year Jail Term: Has Virgil Griffith Become Ethereum’s Ross Ulbricht?


Bitcoin, Ethereum Fees Move in Opposite Directions as ETH Becomes Inflationary Again

Bitcoin, Ethereum Fees Move in Opposite Directions as ETH Becomes Inflationary Again

Source: AdobeStock / Cagkan

 

Bitcoin (BTC) transaction fees are on the rise for the first time since October as activity on the network has started to pick up. Meanwhile, fees on the Ethereum (ETH) network are moving in the opposite direction, decreasing the burning of ETH tokens as a result, according crypto analytics provider CryptoCompare.

The fees paid to make transactions on the Bitcoin network broke a four-month downtrend in March, increasing by 18.3% for the month to a total of USD 15.2m, CryptoCompare’s latest report said.

It added that for each transaction, the average fee stood at USD 1.91, marking an increase for the month of USD 1.84.

The rise in fees paid in March came along with an increase in the use of the network. According to the report, March saw 7.98m on-chain transactions processed on the bitcoin network, the largest monthly number of transactions so far in 2022.

Bitcoin daily transaction count and price:

Source: BitInfoCharts

Meanwhile, Ethereum saw a decline in both the fees and the number of transactions processed on its network.

“Ethereum fees have continued to fall, this time sharply declining 37.0% down to a total of USD 424mn,” the report said. It also described the reduction in average fees paid per transaction as “a steep decline,” noting that they have fallen from USD 21.25 in February to USD 12.13 in the last month.

Notably, the lower fees paid to make transactions on Ethereum also mean that fewer ETH are being burned through a mechanism that takes a portion of the ETH tokens paid for transactions out of circulation.

The mechanism, introduced with the EIP-1559 upgrade in August last year, has been credited with making the supply of ETH deflationary at times, thus theoretically boosting the value of each circulating token.

Now, however, CryptoCompare said that the lower fees have brought the average number of ETH tokens burned daily down 49.5% for the month to ETH 3,827. “The network was thus inflationary for the whole month of March with the average daily block rewards at 13.5k ETH,” the report said.

Source: WatchTheBurn.com

At 14:03 UTC on Thursday, BTC is trading at USD 40,600, unchanged in a day and down nearly 6% in a week. At the same time, ETH is changing hands at USD 3,052, down 1% in a day and nearly 4% in a week. 

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Learn more:
– Crypto Market Rises Amid ‘Altseason’ Hopes, Some Bitcoin Whales Selling
– Stablecoins See Growth With Crypto Market Stuck in ‘Bearish Lull’

– Analysts Keep Reduced Hashrate Estimate for Bitcoin Despite Growth Exceeding Model
– Bitcoin & Crypto Mining in 2022: New Locations, Technologies, and Bigger Players

– ETH Rises with Broader Market as Ethereum Fees Hit a 7-Month Low
– How to Use Layer-2 Solutions to Save on Ethereum Fees: StarkWar

 


Bitcoin and Ethereum Face Key Breakout Zone, DOGE Jumps on Musk News

Bitcoin and Ethereum Face Key Breakout Zone, DOGE Jumps on Musk News

 

Bitcoin price is facing a major hurdle near USD 41,500.Ethereum struggled near USD 3,150, XRP might face resistance near USD 0.75.DOGE accelerated following an announcement from Elon Musk.

Bitcoin price gained pace after it cleared the USD 40,500 resistance zone. BTC even surpassed the USD 41,200 resistance before correcting lower. It is currently (11:10 UTC) trading near USD 41,000 and is up 3% in a day.

Similarly, most major altcoins are facing important hurdles. ETH climbed above the USD 3,100 level but faced hurdles near USD 3,150. XRP may perhaps face a strong selling interest near USD 0.75. ADA is still trading below the key USD 1.0 resistance zone.

Total market capitalization

Source: tradingview.com

Bitcoin price

After a clear move above USD 40,500, bitcoin price extended increase. BTC was able to clear the USD 41,000 and USD 41,200 levels. It even spiked above USD 41,500, but there was no upside continuation. The price is now consolidating and might make another attempt to clear USD 41,500. The next key resistance is now forming near the USD 42,000 level, above which the price might gain bullish momentum.

On the downside, an initial support is near the USD 40,500 level. The next major support is near USD 40,000, below which the price might resume its decline. 

Ethereum price

Ethereum price gained pace above the USD 3,080 resistance zone. ETH extended its increase and failed to move above the USD 3,150 level, dropping below USD 3,100. ETH is still up almost 2% in a day. If the bulls return in the near term, the price could rise towards USD 3,200. The next key resistance might be near the USD 3,250 level.

If there is a downside correction, the price might find bids near USD 3,050. The next major support is near the USD 3,000 level, below which the price could resume decline.

ADA, BNB, SOL, DOGE, and XRP price

Cardano (ADA) gained pace above the USD 0.95 resistance zone. However, the price failed to test the USD 1.0 resistance. ADA is now consolidating gains above USD 0.95. A downside break below USD 0.95 may perhaps send the price to USD 0.90.

BNB extended its increase above the USD 420 resistance. However, the price failed to continue higher above the USD 425 resistance. It is now consolidating below USD 420, with a major support at USD 412.

Solana (SOL) is still struggling to clear the key USD 112 resistance zone. If there is a bearish reaction, the price might decline and test the USD 100 support zone.

DOGE is trading above the USD 0.142 resistance zone and is up more than 5%, as Elon Musk announced his offer to buy Twitter. The next major resistance is near the USD 0.150 level, above which the price may perhaps accelerate higher in the coming sessions. DOGE is now up almost 2% in a week.

XRP price is trading above the USD 0.70 level. The key breakout zone is near the USD 0.75 level. A close above USD 0.75 might start a steady increase towards the USD 0.80 level.

Other altcoins market today

Many altcoins are in the green zone, including LUNA, AVAX, DOT, NEAR, MATIC, LTC, ZIL, UNI, BCH, FTT, ALGO, XLM, and MANA. Out of these, ZIL gained 17% and broke the USD 0.124 level.

Overall, bitcoin price is trading in a positive zone above the USD 40,500 resistance zone. To continue higher, BTC must surpass USD 41,500 and USD 42,000 in the near term.

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Brazilian Parliament Heading for Key Vote on Crypto Regulation Bill

Brazilian Parliament Heading for Key Vote on Crypto Regulation Bill

Source: AdobeStock / IrynaV

 

An ambitious private member’s bill that seeks to regulate the Brazilian crypto market could be approved by the National Congress before the end of the first half of this year – with MPs set for a key vote on Tuesday next week.

The original bill was authored by Senator Flávio Arns of the Podemos Party and has already passed the Senate. It has also been merged with a second crypto bill that has previously been approved by the Senate Economic Affairs Committee. The second bill was authored by Senator Irajá Abreu.

Globo reported that Congress hopes the merged bill will be passed by June, and Abreu was quoted as stating:

“By uniting the [bills], we have accelerated the approval of this cryptocurrency milestone. There is a market demand for a more secure business environment and the need for criminal classifications that will seek to prevent fraud. [This] will also bring Brazil up to speed with international agreements [on crypto regulation].”

The bill proposes creating a “registry” of politicians and public servants to help fight crypto-powered money laundering.

Not everyone appears to be happy with the bill’s rapid progress through the legislative system, however. Some Senators have called for more time and wider consultation prior to a vote.

But its architects stated that there would be room for “improvement” at a later date. Instead, they claimed that both market participants and the Banco Central (the central bank) had joined calls for faster regulatory rollouts.

The terms of the bill seek to define cryptoassets as “a type of fully digital money that is issued by private agents, sold exclusively through the internet.”

The bill makes it clear that while coins would not be considered illegal, they clearly “operate outside the rules of business and the Brazilian financial sector” – with jail terms mandated for new crypto-related fraud offenses.

As such, crypto exchanges and brokerages will be regulated, but not to the point that free “enterprise and competition” are compromised, the authors claimed.

As has been the case in many other countries, crypto exchanges – as well as brokers and wallet providers – would be obliged to separate their own and their customers’ assets, manage risk, guarantee the security of sensitive customer data and answer to a regulatory body appointed by the government.

But, critically, the architects have spoken of creating a “simplified procedure for obtaining operating licenses” – a suggestion that they want to avoid situations, as has been the case in nations like Japan, whereby firms are forced to wait months for their license applications to be considered.

The bill also includes a number of incentives for crypto miners, including import tax breaks for mining hardware importers.

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– Rio’s Treasury Reserves to Be Made up of 1% Crypto, City May Enable BTC Tax Payments
– Coinbase Reportedly Nears Mercado Bitcoin Purchase as Binance Readies Rio Expansion

– Brazilian Banking Boss Says Venezuelans Use Bitcoin & Alts as a ‘Vehicle’
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US SEC’s Proposal On 'Exchange' Definition Could Be Unconstitutional – Think Tank

US SEC’s Proposal On 'Exchange' Definition Could Be Unconstitutional – Think Tank

Source: AdobeStock/Todd Taulman

 

A recent proposal by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) aims to amend the definition of ‘exchange’ and alternative trading systems (ATSs) in American regulation, but it could instead create  “an inappropriately broad standard for registration” that would place unconstitutional restraints on the protected speech of software developers and technologists, according to Washington DC-based crypto think tank Coin Center.

The SEC said it is proposing to amend Rule 3b-16 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to the statutory definition of ‘exchange’ to include systems that offer the use of non-firm trading interest and communication protocols to bring together securities’ buyers and sellers. 

The agency proposes to alter this definition from a person who “brings together orders” and “uses established, non-discretionary methods” to carry out a trade, to a person who “brings together buyers and sellers” and “makes available” a range of methods for such persons to engage in trade, including “communication protocols.”

“In addition, the Commission is re-proposing amendments to its regulations under the Exchange Act that were initially proposed in September 2020 for ATSs to take into consideration systems that may fall within the definition of exchange because of the proposed amendments and operate as an ATS,” according to the agency.

In its comments on the SEC’s proposal, Coin Center points to the potential dangers resulting from the fact that, in order to publish certain types of speech content, the speaker would be first required to pre-register as a securities exchange, or risk severe penalties.

The think tank argues that the chilling effect resulting from “imposing an overly broad standard for registration, matched with severe penalties for non-compliance, will lead many creative and inventive Americans to self-censor.” 

For this reason, the proposed standard “will be immediately eligible for a pre-enforcement challenge on First Amendment grounds,” they said,

Coin Center recognizes that the final word over the constitutionality of the SEC’s proposed definition of exchange will belong to US courts.

“However, we urge the Commission to follow the counsel of former Commissioner [Roberta] Karmel as well as current Commissioner [Hester] Peirce, and to narrow the scope of the definition and avoid chilling the speech rights of Americans,” according to the think tank.

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Learn more:
– United States Crypto Lobbyists Making Inroads at State Level – Report
– Janet Yellen on Crypto Regulation

– US Senator Suggests Banning Fed From Issuing a Direct-to-Consumer CBDC
– UK, US, India, Singapore See More Crypto Regulations

– US Proposed Unrealized Gains Tax May Become ‘Penalty for Being Successful’ in Crypto
– Ex-Regulator Tells US Senators That Crypto Can ‘Empower and Protect the Innocent’