China
Chinese agents used Bitcoin transactions through Wasabi to allegedly bribe US government employee
The United States Department of Justice has announced charges against two Chinese intelligence officers who allegedly bribed a double agent with Bitcoin. In an Oct. 24 announcement, the Justice Department said Guochun He and Zheng Wang attempted to obstruct the prosecution of an unnamed global telecommunications company based in China, which allegedly involved paying a U.S. government employee roughly $61,000 in bribes using Bitcoin (BTC). However, the individual was a double agent working on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and did not move against authorities in the Eastern District of New York in the case against the China-based company. According to an analysis by cryptocurrency risk management firm Elliptic, He and Wang used Wasabi Wallet to conceal the BTC transactions a...
Kazakhstan among top 3 Bitcoin mining destinations after US and China
For over a year, the oil-rich Central Asian country of Kazakhstan has maintained its position as the third-biggest contributor to Bitcoin (BTC) mining after surpassing Russia back in February 2021. As of January 2022, Kazakhstan contributed to 13.22% of the total Bitcoin hash rate, positioned right after the historical leaders the United States (37.84%) and China (21.11%), as shown below. Along similar timelines, Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance data estimated that Kazakhstan’s absolute hash rate contribution (monthly average) was 24.8 exahashes per second (Eh/s). Meanwhile, the US and China contributed 71 Eh/s and 39.6 Eh/s, respectively. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which is co-funded by the European Union, highlighted Kazakhstan’s heavy reliance on non-renewable ...
Not like China: Hong Kong reportedly wants to legalize crypto trading
Hong Kong is taking action to regain its status as a global cryptocurrency hub by launching several legal initiatives related to the crypto industry. A city and special administrative region of China, Hong Kong is willing to distinguish its crypto regulation approach from the blanket crypto ban in mainland China. The government of Hong Kong is considering introducing its own bill to regulate crypto in its own China-free way, according to Elizabeth Wong, head of the fintech unit at the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). One of the SFC’s initiatives is allowing retail investors to “directly invest into virtual assets,” Wong said during a panel held by InvestHK, the South China Morning Post reported on Oct. 17. Such an initiative would mark a significant shift from the SFC’s stance over...
China Opens Police Station In Nigeria
Tweet Tweet Share Whatsapp reddit The government of China have set up police stations in Nigeria and in over 20 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. This comes in order to tackle the increasing criminal activities of its citizens abroad. The one open in Nigeria is located in Benin City, Edo State. The development was contained in an investigative statement titled, ‘110 Overseas Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild.’ It was widely reported that the police stations are created to bring “down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities involving overseas Chinese.” Lesotho and Tanzania are the two other African countries apart from Nigeria that have Chinese police stations. The report by Safeguard Defender revealed, “Rather than cooperating with local authorities in the ...
BIS marks CBDC pilot as ‘successful’ with $22M transacted
A multi-jurisdictional central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot has been marked “successful” by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) after a month-long test phase that facilitated $22 million worth of real-value cross-border transactions. The central banks of Hong Kong, Thailand, China and the United Arab Emirates took part in the pilot program along with 20 commercial banks from those regions. More than $12 million worth of value was issued onto the test platform, which facilitated 164 foreign exchange transactions and cross-border payments between the participating firms totaling over $22 million worth of value, according to a Tuesday LinkedIn post from the BIS. Graphic from the BIS on the CBDC pilot. Source: LinkedIn Daniel Eidan, an adviser and solution architect at the BIS,&...
Don’t look down: the world’s most dangerous hikes
With bandits, molten lava and wild animals posing a threat, blisters are the least of your worries on the world’s most dangerous hikes From trekking across the treacherous windswept mountains of South Georgia to picking your way along the rickety walkways of Mount Hua Shan in China, these hikes are not for the fainthearted. 11 of the world’s most dangerous hikes Dizzying heights may be the least of your worries on the world’s most dangerous hikes. Instead, you have to prepare for extreme weather, erupting volcanoes and ferocious wildlife among other threats on these hair-raising trails. 1. Shackleton’s Route, South Georgia Island Biggest danger: Exposure, crevasses and a very remote location On 20th May 1916, Sir Ernest Shackleton and two others stumbled into the whaling station ...
Nuclear and gas fastest growing energy sources for Bitcoin mining: Data
The electricity mix of Bitcoin (BTC) has drastically changed over the past few years, with nuclear energy and natural gas becoming the fastest growing energy sources powering Bitcoin mining, according to new data. The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) on Tuesday released a major update to its Bitcoin mining-dedicated data source, the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI). According to the data from Cambridge, fossil fuels like coal and natural gas made up almost two-thirds of Bitcoin’s total electricity mix as of January 2022, accounting for more than 62%. As such, the share of sustainable energy sources in the BTC energy mix amounted to 38%. The new study suggests that coal alone accounted for nearly 37% of Bitcoin’s total electricity consumption as of earl...
Russia aims to use CBDC for international settlements with China: Report
Russia is in the pilot phase of its central bank digital currency development (CBDC), and new reports indicate that the country could use its national digital currency to settle international trade. According to a report published in Reuters, Russia is reportedly planning to use the digital rouble for mutual settlements with China by next year. The digital rouble is currently being tested for settling with the banks and is expected to be completed by early next year. The United States Treasury Department added 22 individuals and two Russia-based entities to the sanction list in the third week of September. With the growing sanctions against Russia from the West in the wake of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, the country has been actively looking for alternate financial routes and trade s...
SEVENTEEN’s Jun Drops His Latest & Sexiest Solo Single ‘Limbo’: Watch
After SEVENTEEN wrapped the U.S. leg of their Be the Sun world tour, member Jun took no time to release a new solo track that keeps fans hot even as temperatures are cooling down. “Limbo” is the new single from Jun, the Chinese-born K-pop star who is one of the standout performers and dancers in SEVENTEEN, released in both Korean and Chinese. While Jun has previously focused on ballads and acoustic tracks when it comes to solo tracks, “Limbo” delivers his seductive side. The star purrs, “Listen, I’ve been looking for the love/ I wanna hear your voice/ You know what I mean?” over grinding, electro-pop production. The accompanying music video is equally bewitching. From rocking latex gloves and a crop top to giving his best sexy vampire character, Jun’s looks throughout the visual are only o...
China accounts for 84% of all blockchain patent applications, but there’s a catch
China accounts for 84% of all blockchain applications filed worldwide, according to the latest data shared by the country’s government official. China has steered clear of the cryptocurrency market. However, the Beijing government has been supportive of the underlying blockchain technology. The country has actively promoted the use of blockchain tech over the years, and thus the high percentage of blockchain patents isn’t surprising. President Xi Jinping has also played a key role in promoting the nascent blockchain technology. In 2019, the President called upon citizens, tech companies and stakeholders of the ecosystem to actively participate and innovate with the nascent tech as it would play a key role in the future of the next industrial revolution. As Cointelegraph reported earlier, C...
Bitcoin is pinned below $20K as the macro climate stifles hope for a sustainable BTC bull run
Bitcoin (BTC) crashed below $19,000 on Sept. 6, driving the price to its lowest level in 80 days. The movement not only completely erased the entirety of the 32% gains accrued from July until Aug. 15, it also wiped out $246 million worth of leverage long (buy) futures contracts. Bitcoin price is down for the year but it’s important to compare its price action against other assets. Oil prices are currently down 23.5% since July, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has dropped 36.4% in 30 days and Moderna (MRNA), a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, is down 30.4% in the same period. Inflationary pressure and fear of a global recession have driven investors away from riskier assets. By seeking shelter in cash positions, mainly in the dollar itself, this protective movement has caused the U.S....
Blockchain incubator valued at $100M following NGC Ventures-led Series A
Blockchain-focused incubator and adviser PANONY has closed a Series A funding round backed by NGC Ventures, one of Asia’s largest crypto investment firms, putting the company on track to expand its portfolio and geographic presence. Although the funding terms weren’t disclosed, the Series A gave PANONY a valuation of $100 million, the company reported Monday. The Hong Kong-based PANONY said it would use the funds to expand into other jurisdictions, launch new service offerings and expand its networking capabilities. Founded in 2018 by Alyssa Tsai and Tongtong Bee, PANONY invests in blockchain- and Web3-focused startups and offers ongoing advisory and business support. The company maintains operations across Greater China, South Korea and the United States. While PANONY didn’t disclos...
