U.S.
Trouble brewing for the US: Two-thirds of TradFi expects a 2023 recession
The United States economy could be in for an upset. Data from a Wall Street Journal survey revealed financial experts expect the country to face an economic downturn this year. Over two-thirds of economists at 23 major financial institutions that do business with the Federal Reserve believe the U.S. will have a “shallow” or “mild” recession in 2023. Two of the surveyed institutions predict a recession for the following year. The research included big names in the financial services sector, such as Barclays, Bank of America, TD Securities and UBS. Collectively, the Federal Reserve was named as the primary reason for the recession due to it raising interest rates to fight inflation. At the time of writing, the inflation rate in the U.S. is 7%, compared with the Fed’s target desired rate...
Nigeria Flood victims get $1 million as a gift from U.S
Tweet Tweet Share Whatsapp reddit United State of America has pledge $1 millions donation to Nigeria flood victims. The development was announced by Ambassador Leonard via United States embassy in Nigeria social media handle Today October 20 2022. Part of the announcement read: .u9e5c1e2e6a62bff37856b6f283f1c8f3 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:inherit; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #16A085!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u9e5c1e2e6a62bff37856b6f283f1c8f3:active, .u9e5c1e2e6a62b...
White House publishes ‘first-ever’ comprehensive framework for crypto
Following President Joe Biden’s executive order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets, federal agencies came up with a joint fact sheet on 6 principal directions for crypto regulation in the United States. It sums up the content of 9 separate reports, which have been submitted to the president to “articulate a clear framework for responsible digital asset development and pave the way for further action at home and abroad.” The fact sheet was published on the White House official website on Sept. 16, and consists of 7 sections: (1) Protecting Consumers, Investors, and Businesses; (2) Promoting Access to Safe, Affordable Financial Services; (3) Fostering Financial Stability; (4) Advancing Responsible Innovation; (5) Reinforcing Our Global Financial Leadership and Competitiven...
Alexander Vinnik reportedly en route to the US after extradition
Accused BTC-e operator Alexander Vinnik has reportedly been extradited to America to face up to multiple charges relating to money laundering while working at the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange. Vinnik has been embroiled in legal battles over the past five years for his alleged role as the mastermind of BTC-e. The cryptocurrency exchange is said to have profited from various illicit activities that used the platform to launder some $4 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC). Vinnik’s lawyer Frédéric Bélot told American news network CNN on Aug. 5 that Vinnik was in transit from Greece to the United States, where he’s set to face a raft of charges in the Northern District Court of California. The Russian national is accused of money laundering and operating an unlicensed money service in America...
Semantics? Analysts unpack ‘technical recession’ as crypto markets recover
Data from the United States commerce department suggests America has entered a technical recession, but market analysts have highlighted key metrics that suggest investors are optimistic. The American economy shrunk for the second consecutive quarter, according to government data released on July 28, fitting the criteria for a technical recession. The Biden Administration maintains that the U.S. is not in a recession, highlighting low unemployment rates and other metrics that counter the argument. Mati Greenspan, founder & CEO of Quantum Economics, addressed the topic in his latest QE newsletter, noting a paradoxical effect between the GDP drop and a surge in stocks and other risk assets. He attributed this move to the US Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates by 0.75%, whi...
Law Decoded, June 7–13: Lummis-Gillibrand bill is finally here
One can hardly name a document more long-hoped-for as the crypto bill, co-sponsored by United States Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, was for the crypto community. And, it’s finally here. Last week, Lummis and Gillibrand introduced a 69-page bill in the U.S. Senate. What’s inside? The projects of study on the environmental impact of digital assets and advisory committee on innovation, a tax structure, a mandate for analysis of the use of digital assets in retirement savings and much more. Should it become law, the bill would undoubtedly implement major changes to the current regulatory landscape. Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis have confirmed that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) will be classified as commodities and regulated by the Commodity ...
Self-Regulatory Organizations Growing Alongside New U.S. Crypto Regulation
As the adoption of crypto takes off, the industry is exerting increasing influence on American society. This can be seen in its lobbying efforts and political action committees, for example, and in its own organizational efforts, such as business associations that promote it at the state, regional and national levels. Another way crypto is influencing society is through self-regulation. The broader impact of self-regulation may be less apparent than when a PAC finances a political campaign or a startup is nurtured in a crypto industry-sponsored accelerator, and that limited visibility probably reflects the extent of self-regulatory organizations’ (SROs) influence at present. But SROs are helping shape the crypto industry itself, and they may eventually have a role in the crypto regul...
Russian crypto volume across major exchanges plunges by 50%
Data from blockchain-analysis firms show that Russian denominated crypto purchasing and trading on major exchanges have faltered, debunking theories that the country will pivot to digital assets to circumvent sanctions. When Bitcoin rallied over 15% last week, some industry experts attributed the surge to Russians buying cryptocurrency in the face of increasing economic sanctions. This theory seems to be proved false, however, as data from Chainalysis showed that ruble-denominated crypto trading volume was just $34.1 million on March 3, around half of a recent peak of $70.7 million a week ago on Feb. 24. Speaking on the matter of sanctions-fueled crypto purchasing to Bloomberg, Citigroup analyst Alexander Saunders said, “Russian volumes have been relatively small so far, suggesting t...
Bank of America says stablecoin adoption and CBDC is ‘inevitable’
It appears that the U.S. will finally be moving forward to create its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) according to the Bank of America. Bank of America crypto strategists Andrew Moss and Alkesh Shah wrote in a Jan. 24 note that CBDCs “are an inevitable evolution of today’s electronic currencies,” according to a Bloomberg report. The analysts wrote: “We expect stablecoin adoption and use for payments to increase significantly over the next several years as financial institutions explore digital asset custody and trading solutions and as payments companies incorporate blockchain technology into their platforms.” Meanwhile, a Jan. 20 report titled “Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation” from the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) weighed up the benefits and...
Donald Trump allies in Congress to challenge his loss to Joe Biden
A band of President Donald Trump’s Republican allies planned a last-ditch effort on Wednesday to undo his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, a bid almost certain to fail that comes on the same day their party is poised to lose its majority in the Senate. The Republican-led Senate and Democratic-controlled House of Representatives were due to meet to formally certify Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election in proceedings that could stretch past midnight. In a joint session of Congress, Trump’s allies plan to challenge the results from a handful of states won by Biden. Thousands of pro-Trump protesters converged on Washington ahead of the session at his urging. Some clashed with police overnight. Biden won the election by a 306-232 count in the state-by-state Electoral College and by a marg...
Nigerian doctor named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in the world
TIME named Nigerian physician Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Mr Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here. The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Mr Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honour for the organisation’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020. “I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabl...
PTF: Nigeria set to end evacuation of nationals August 25
The Federal Government announced that evacuation of Nigerians in the diaspora as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will end on Aug. 25, 2020. This was revealed by the chairman of the Presidential Task Force and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha at the PTF daily briefing on Monday in Abuja. The U.S. and Egypt have indicated interest to repatriate Nigerians convicted, pardoned, and paroled in those countries. Speaking during the briefing, Mustapha said:” a number of countries have signified intention to repatriate Nigerians convicted and pardoned and paroled in those countries. “These include the UAE, Egypt, and the U.S. Coming in the midst of our National Response to COVID-19, all relevant agencies of government are taking multi-sectoral steps to ensure that th...
