The World of Cryptocurrencies at a Glance in the Last Week

A survey conducted by me Prism found that 64% of consumers believe that their data is more valuable than Bitcoin. The FATF recently released a new update that aimed at decentralized virtual assets and virtual asset service providers.

A firm that helps consumers control their data conducted a consultation to know people’s perception of the value of Bitcoin (BTC). The respondents had to compare the pioneering cryptocurrency to their personal data.

Bitcoin is trading at around USD 62,247 and has accumulated a 0.6% profit in the last week. Its daily trading volume is above USD 32.25 billion, and its market capitalization is approximately USD 1.15 trillion, according to CoinGeko.

The survey, conducted last September, found that 64% of consumers believe that their data is more valuable than Bitcoin. However, they underestimate its value in thousands of dollars by not knowing the scope of the use of their personal information.

The firm, called mePrism, stated that their empirical data suggests that the average user data is worth USD 7,500 or much more. Approximately 2,200 people can buy personal data, which the people surveyed did not consider.

Intelligence firm against cyberthreats IntSights conducted another study suggesting that the price of personal data on the dark web varies greatly. Some respondents said it could go from USD 0 to USD 5, from USD 20 to USD 100, and even above USD 1,000. However, some data and services can be worth up to six figures.

The Government of El Salvador Announces the Purchase of 420 Bitcoins

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, recently said that his government bought Bitcoin during the market crash. He confirmed the purchase of 420 more bitcoins, adding them to the holdings of the Central American country. In September, once the Bitcoin Law entered into force, BTC became legal tender in the nation.

The Salvadoran head of state noted it had been a long wait but was worth it as they could buy the dip. Soon after, he informed that they were already making a profit on the coins they had just bought. Meanwhile, the value of the country’s Bitcoin grew by around 0.4%, or USD 100,000.

Ether Reaches a New All-Time High after a Burning of Tokens

The price of Ether (ETH) hit another all-time high after the Ethereum smart contract blockchain burned more tokens than it issued in 24 hours. That was due in part thanks to the vigorous action on the Shiba INU (SHIB) network.

The value of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization rose to USD 4,402, thus exceeding the all-time high of USD 4,379 it reached in May. ETH is trading at around USD 4,364 and accumulated a 7.7% profit in the last week, according to CoinGecko.

The FATF Includes DeFi in its Guidance to Cryptocurrency Service Providers

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recently released a new update to its 2019 guidance on a risk-based approach. It aimed at virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, especially in the decentralized finance sector.

The new guidance addresses issues identified in the FATF 12-month review of the revised standards on virtual assets and VASPs requiring further clarification. It also reflects input from a public consultation conducted between March and April this year.

Pelle Brændgaard, CEO of cryptocurrency compliance startup Notabene, talked about the new guidance. He said that it seeks to determine VASPs in the DeFi ecosystem based on the income of its participants.

By Willmen Blanco

Michael Saylor’s Firm MicroStrategy Increases Its Bitcoin Holdings Again

MicroStrategy wants to continue buying Bitcoin and has no intention to sell it since its shareholders see it as a long-term investment. They added 8,957 BTC to their holdings and said they would evaluate other opportunities to raise additional capital.

Michael Saylor recently reported that MicroStrategy acquired nearly 9,000 BTC in the third quarter. He said that the purchase raised its holdings to 114,042 BTC, equivalent to more than USD 7 billion.

The CEO of MicroStrategy stated that the business intelligence firm is a corporate owner of Bitcoin and will continue to evaluate opportunities.

Saylor stated that MicroStrategy commits itself to buy Bitcoin and has no intention to sell it. He considers that the pioneering cryptocurrency is an excellent long-term investment for the shareholders of the firm.

In that regard, Saylor expressed that he is open to partnerships allowing MicroStrategy to acquire more Bitcoin. That proves how much he supports the cryptocurrency, which he keeps as a store of value.

MicroStrategy Increases Its Investment in Bitcoin Again

MicroStrategy revealed that it added 8,957 BTC to its holdings in the third quarter. Besides, they said they would evaluate other opportunities to raise additional capital and execute their Bitcoin strategy.

Bitcoin is trading at around USD 61,400 and has accumulated a profit of 0.6% in the last week, according to CoinGecko. Meanwhile, the value of the BTC holdings of MicroStrategy is equivalent to about USD 6.9 billion.

Of course, the billionaire entrepreneur is not a lucky person but a 21st century CEO who has made one of the best financial decisions. Those wanting to invest their money in this cryptocurrency only need to review how its price has evolved.

The Financial Report of MicroStrategy for the Third Quarter

MicroStrategy recently announced its financial results for the third quarter of its 2021 fiscal year, which ended on September 30th. Saylor said that MicroStrategy delivered strong results in the third quarter, thus proving the successful execution of its digital asset strategies.

The firm acquired Bitcoin with excess cash flows and debt and equity transactions. The company plans to keep the cryptocurrency in its treasury in the long term. Since the third quarter of 2018, when they bought 38,250 BTC, the worth of their BTC holdings rose to 114,042 BTC in the third quarter of 2021.

A Report from the Securities and Exchange Commission

Two weeks ago, the US Securities and Exchange Commission gave information about the purchase of almost 9,000 BTC. The agency reported that MicroStrategy spent around USD 419.9 million cash on Bitcoin between July 1st and September 12th.

Then they stated that the company had acquired about 114,042 BTC at a total price of approximately USD 3.16 billion. They added that the average purchase price was about USD 27,713 per Bitcoin, including fees and expenses.

That purchase of Bitcoin by MicroStrategy seemed to have taken place a week after two of its executives sold part of their shares. All the speculations went down with the information by Saylor about the new acquisition of Bitcoin.

Saylor sees the great potential of Bitcoin, for which he wants to keep it for the next decade. He considers its primary functions are to be a store-of-value asset and a means to transfer money across borders. However, he prefers to buy products and pay for services with fiat money and other traditional solutions.

By Willmen Blanco

Dogecoin Rises Thanks to the Capital in Circulation While Shiba Inu Looks for Other Opportunities

The speculation raised by comments from Elon Musk has contributed to gaining both meme cryptocurrencies their position in the market. After pulling back for six months, the price of Dogecoin could resume its bullish trend while the rally of Shiba cooling down.

The price of meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin (DOGE) recently jumped by 40% thanks to the profits of Shiba Inu (SHIB) rotating to other markets. An analysis of that situation will allow knowing where the value of the former will be heading.

DOGE is trading at around USD 0.27 and has accumulated a 15.7% profit in the last week. Its daily trading volume is above USD 4 billion, and its market capitalization is approximately USD 37.62, according to CoinGecko.

A comparison between the DOGE and SHIB charts reveals a clear inverse correlation in their prices. That proves that the rotation of profits from Shiba Inu has driven the value of Dogecoin higher.

Those two meme currencies are closely correlated since it is primarily speculation that has gained them their position in the crypto market. For example, the profits recently achieved by DOGE seem to be due to a comment from Elon Musk.

The creator of Dogecoin had said there are no promises in the cryptocurrency ecosystem except for those from scammers. Humorously, the billionaire entrepreneur asked him whether he would send 1 DOGE to someone who gave him 2 DOGE.

Probably, several more tweets will contribute to the profits growing, since that is all this sector of the market segment seems to need. Those interested in investing in DOGE should review the behavior of its price and the signals it leaves.

The Price of DOGE May Regain Its Uptrend While the Rally of SHIBA Cools Down

The weekly DOGE/USDT chart showed that the price of the cryptocurrency meme has remained bullish in the long term. Dogecoin has enjoyed that advantage thanks to its impossibility to mark lower lows.

It is unlikely that the bears are exhausted since they may have already reached the pullback bottom.

After pulling back for almost half a year, the price of Dogecoin could resume its uptrend. At the moment, the rally of Shiba seems to be cooling down, which may help Dogecoin take off.

The price of DOGE should break through the immediate resistance at USD 0.31 to confirm that the bulls have regained control. If that happens, which is very likely, it could even reach a new all-time high.

A market capitalization of USD 37.39 billion suggests that it is hard to think about too large profits. There is not a fundamental base to defend that capitalization, so its sustainability will depend on investors.

The price of Bitcoin has always influenced the behavior of altcoins, of which Dogecoin and Shiba Inu are no exception. However, meme cryptocurrencies depend heavily on comments from well-known figures like Elon Musk and Michael Saylor.

Those interested in investing in DOGE or SHIB have to research before putting their money in them. The information provided in this article could be of great help to them.

By Willmen Blanco

While the Price of Bitcoin Falls below USD 60,000, Dubai Approves the Listing of a Bitcoin Fund

The price of Bitcoin at USD 58,000 stands as a zone of strong demand for the cryptocurrency. The high leverage that traders use in the market prevents the sustainable growth of its value.

For the first time in nearly two weeks, the value of the pioneering cryptocurrency fell below USD 60,000. Bitcoin holders had moments of joy when its price exceeded the all-time high of USD 67,200 it had hit in April. Traders anticipated a correction that would lead to support levels below USD 60,000.

After the price of Bitcoin exceeded its all-time high, several traders said that it should maintain support at USD 62,000. They explained that that would allow it not to fall back to USD 58,000. However, it seems that there were more sell orders than buy orders, with which the cryptocurrency tested the demand at the current price.

After touching USD 58,000, the value of Bitcoin took a rebound that positioned the cryptocurrency at around USD 60,800. That shows that the demand for the cryptocurrency is high within that price zone.

Some analysts attribute this drop to the considerable leverage that traders have used in the market. Charles Edwards, from Capriole Investments, believes that price growth would not be sustainable with such high leverage levels. Nonetheless, he thinks the rest of the metrics remain healthy.

Although the value of Bitcoin has fallen, the cryptocurrency remains in eighth place in the group of billionaire assets. Its market capitalization even exceeds that of companies like Tesla and Facebook. Its price would have to fall below USD 54,000 to lose that position.

The value of the cryptocurrency exceeded its all-time high following news about the approval of the first Bitcoin Futures NTFs in the United States. It was necessary to wait around eight years for public funds of that type in the country. The potential approval of a spot ETF could lead the price of Bitcoin to resume its bullish momentum.

A Bitcoin Fund Receives Approval to List in Dubai

Bitcoin Fund, an investment vehicle closed in Canada, received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). According to a report by Trade Arabia, that fund can now go public on the Nasdaq of that city in the United Arab Emirates.

That is the first cryptocurrency-based product from Dubai to list on a regulated platform. In that way, the UAE becomes closer to the use and trading of these assets.

There Could Be a New Law to Regulate Cryptocurrencies in India

The Indian Ministry of Finance could soon enact a new law to regulate the cryptocurrency sector. Officials of that agency have said that such regulation could enter into force at the annual budget time.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be in charge of provisionally presenting that annual budget on February 1st, 2022. She had been concerned about the anti-Bitcoin protests in El Salvador and even raised the possible creation of a CBDC.

The Indian authorities did not say that a ban on decentralized cryptocurrencies would be imminent. The report also mentioned that the government could treat those digital assets in a similar way to commodities.

By Alexander Salazar

Venezuelan Savers Chained themselves to the Headquarters of the BOD Bank to Demand their Funds

Many thousand families in various cities of Venezuela would be affected. The funds in dollars got raised by the bank between 2012 and 2015.

Users of the Venezuelan bank BOD chained themselves to the facilities of the entity’s headquarters to denounce and demand the return of their assets in dollars. The information appeared this Thursday in various social networks and some local media that collected the protesters’ claims.

The action took place in the city of Maracaibo, in the western region of Venezuela. However, the BOD bank has a national presence and according to reports, in 2020, it got positioned in the top 10 of the Venezuelan banking ranking.

In a video released by the National Thermometer portal, one of the protesters highlighted that the protest is a desperate measure since they have not received a response on the refund of the amount owed.

According to a declarant called Yaida Montero, users made the step and started to trust the financial group BOD and deposit savings there. Now users need their savings back,

According to the reports, the entity would have raised funds in dollars from clients who played a role in a foreign exchange auction mechanism between 2013 and 2015. This system got implemented by the Venezuelan government in 2013 when the Illegal Law was still in force. Exchange rates so that nationals could acquire foreign currency legally.

The number of affected users by this case got reported in 16 thousand families nationwide. However, social network Twitter also revealed multiple complaints about alleged failures in the bank’s platform, which prevents users from making transfers and payments in local currency.

There is no official statement on the matter on the official website or social networks of the Venezuelan bank.

Bitcoin Can Fix Everything

Assets withholding occur in financial systems worldwide. A provision approved by the Colombian government allows itself to take possession of accumulated balances in bank accounts that have not received use for more than a year. The government of that country alleged that the funds would get back into the national budget to finance the activities of the State.

The entity’s clients spent many days without being able to access their accounts. Of course, they could not send, receive, withdraw or deposit money or make use of any other banking service. According to the information provided by the company, the problem has already met an end by the technical team.

This situation affected many people, taking into account that this state bank is the largest in the country. According to a June 2020 publication from the Ministry of Public Power of Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade, Banco de Venezuela at that time had in possession more than 16 million clients.

Over a month ago, another Venezuelan bank left users without access to their savings for five consecutive days. On that occasion, the Banco de Venezuela was the most relevant state financial institution and an entity that can balance more than 65% of the Venezuelan market.

By: Jenson Nuñez

The Corporation behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Changes its Name to «Meta»

The social network Facebook will not change its current name. The businessman said he hopes his company could get described as a metaverse company.

It’s official. Facebook Inc. changed its name and is now “Meta,” a bid by the CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, to create an expansion in the emporium and set his sights on the “metaverse.”

The change in the corporation behind the social networks Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, got reported by the company’s director himself this Thursday during the Facebook Connect event.

With this change in the name, Zuckerberg confirms the information that appeared last week, thanks to an unofficial source who spoke of the company’s intention to change its name.

Zuckerberg said Facebook is a company that creates technology to connect people. The company can finally put people at the center of its technology and unlock a vast economy.

The chairman added that the Facebook name does not represent everything the company does right now and that, despite the change, it remains closely linked to the product, but he hopes it will get described as a meta-reverse company.

In a video where he exposed the formal presentation, Zuckerberg highlighted that the applications and brands would not change. It will keep being a company that designs “people-centered” technology.

A fundamental change, but the same ission

Zuckerberg’s announcement sets up a “fundamental change” for the company. He clarified that, although Facebook is one of the most popular products in history and an iconic brand of social networks, it covers less and less everything they do as a company.

The CEO indicated that the company will now get segmented into two parts: one for the family of already known applications and the other for future platforms. And as part of this event, it is time for us to embrace a new company brand for everything they do, and to reflect who they are as a company focused on people.

Meta, Zuckerberg details, has the same goal: “to bring people together with our applications,” which will not change.

Facebook continues to be the company that designs technology around people. But they are focusing on bringing the metaverse to life. The new name reflects the full breadth of what the company plans to build for the future.

The Technology Focuses More on Apps and not on People

The CEO of the company, now called Meta, seized the moment to criticize that, today, technological devices are based around applications and not people, something that the metaverse would end once it comes into force.

The CEO highlighted that in 2021, devices are still rotating around applications, not people. There are no new ideas, and the situation is suffocating creativity. This way is not the adequate manner for people to use technology. The metaverse gives people the opportunity to change that.

He asserted that, for that, creators, developers, and companies of all sizes, can, finally, put people at the center of our technology and bring an experience in which everybody is present together.

By: Jenson Nuñez