Monday, September 27th, 2021
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Your Weekly Update On All Things Crypto |
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China Bans Bitcoin... Again |
Last Friday, China's central bank declared that all cryptocurrency transactions are now officially banned, essentially outlawing decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). Digital currency-related commercial operations are unlawful financial activities, according to the People's Bank of China. The bank's representatives added that cryptocurrencies must be treated as a serious and credible threat regarding the protection of people's assets.
China has one of the biggest cryptocurrency marketplaces in the world. Disturbances, disruptions, and political orders have often had a significant impact on the overall price of cryptocurrencies in the past, as this is not the first time that the Chinese government has done something like this and it will most likely also not be the last.
Bitcoin's price dropped by a significant margin as a result of the Chinese declaration. It is the latest in China's nationwide assault on what it regards as a risky, speculative asset at best, and a means of money laundering at worst.
Another Day, Another Ban
As alluded to earlier, this is not the first time that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, in general, have been prohibited by China, as similar efforts had been made back in 2013, 2017, and 2018 for instance. In fact, the cryptocurrency market had suffered a huge crash earlier on in 2021 thanks to a similar announcement made by the Chinese government not too long ago which had ordered multiple provinces such as Xinjiang and Sichuan to cease all crypto-mining activities. This had also resulted in numerous members of the Chinese cryptocurrency community fleeing to other countries such as Kazakhstan and the United States.
Most recently, however, multiple Chinese agencies and organizations, which also included the central bank as well as the active involvement of the regulators, have all come together in a collaborative effort to completely eliminate cryptocurrency-oriented operations and activities in the country. These include cryptocurrency transactions, trading, buying, selling, and anything else that the government may deem to be linked to the cryptocurrency industry and market.
An Opportunity to Buy?
While it is true that the most recent efforts by the Chinese government may just be the most aggressive to date, it has nonetheless provided an opportunity. There is the age-old saying of ‘buy the dip, sell at the tip’, and countless individuals in the cryptocurrency community have hence taken the recent Chinese announcement with relative gusto as they believe that now is the time to purchase more BTC. This makes sense too as once again, this isn’t the first time that China has adopted an anti-cryptocurrency sentiment and it probably won’t be the last either. Many cryptocurrency enthusiasts, experts, and analysts alike thus believe that no matter what happens from here on out, the cryptocurrency industry can never be truly stopped and so the best thing to do right now would be to buy more cryptocurrency assets. Historical data showing the long-term resilience of Bitcoin strengthens this argument, however, time will be the ultimate deciding factor as to what will actually happen to cryptocurrencies in the future.
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Massari Mainnet Conference Rocked By SEC Subpoenas |
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An attendee tweeted this past Monday morning that during the recent Mainnet 2021 cryptocurrency conference held in New York, he had witnessed an event speaker getting ‘charged by the United States SEC’ prior to getting on stage.
The tweet sparked heated debate and rigorous discourse regarding the authenticity of the allegation, the recipient of the alleged subpoena, as well as the overall concept that the Securities and Exchange Commission was exploiting a cryptocurrency event to launch investigations and was reportedly overstepping its boundaries.
What just happened?
Attempts to independently verify the allegation were futile, and the attendee in question, namely investor Slava Rubin, has yet to reply to a follow-up request for clarification. Numerous attendees claimed, however, that multiple individuals were indeed served by the regulatory agency during the event.
Nevertheless, reports of the event were quickly corroborated by Ryan Selkis, the founder of Messari which was also sponsoring the conference. Ryan claimed in a tweet that the idea that these individuals could waltz into the event unannounced and uninvited without paying for a ticket and serving one of the speakers a subpoena has now in fact motivated him to compete for Kirsten Gillibrand's Senate position in 2024.
What does this mean going forward?
We can expect similar developments in the future if the SEC develops a habit of utilizing cryptocurrency meetings, events, gatherings, and conferences to serve subpoenas to potential targets. This tendency could have an impact on foreign nationals in particular, who may evade the authorities more easily if they just stay out of the United States' jurisdiction.
Furthermore, there are regulations that govern how individuals in corporations abroad must be served with subpoenas, according to blockchain attorney Daniel Payne. It would hence be a lot simpler as well as easier to issue these subpoenas when these foreign nationals enter the United States, and so this is definitely a technique that government officials have used before and in all likelihood will continue to do so going forward, he added.
Risk of getting left behind
It is becoming abundantly clear that the SEC is hell-bent on regulating the cryptocurrency sector as much as possible, as was made increasingly evident by federal and state regulators in the United States who have steadily increased their public-facing engagement in the industry. The still ongoing case against Ripple is a prime example of this.
Moreover, as the campaign against the stablecoins also rages on, one cannot help but wonder as to whether it would be more beneficial to simply avoid becoming involved with the U.S altogether as far as the cryptocurrency community, market, and industry may be concerned. American crypto enthusiasts are therefore worried that the country risks being left behind as the world continues to usher in a new age of decentralization.
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Nakamoto Games offers gamers worldwide the opportunity to participate in countless blockchain-based games and generate a sustainable and sizable income.
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Dapper Labs Raises Another 250M at $7.6B Valuation |
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Dapper Labs, creator of NFT fantasy basketball platform NBA Top Shot, raises another $250M in a funding round that closed September 21, 2021. This Vancouver-based company continues to impress and attract investors with innovation and vision. The lead investor for this round was Coatue, but existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, GV, and Version One Ventures have all increased their exposure. New investors like BOND and GIC have also joined the group. Dapper Lab's development of popular application-level NFT products like Top Shot; and work on groundbreaking blockchain projects like Crypto Kitties have broken ground for the NFT industry and lay the tracks for future winning products.
Best known for their creations CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot, Dapper Labs looks to expand the collectible lineup. Top Shot allows users to buy and trade blockchain-certified NFT digital representations of NBA players, and great video sports moments associated with players. Dapper Labs has just signed a new partnership with LaLiga, the Spanish football association. The circulation of these digital NFT collectibles can be controlled through minting, and as a result similar to their paper counterparts, their value is expected to increase over time.
NFT offerings like this require a blockchain to exist, and Dapper Labs proves to have the required known how to provide that as well. Building popular application-level NFTs and supplying the infrastructure to power them, amazing accomplishments indeed. Dapper Labs has developed blockchain FLOW, providing scalability, and built for practical use cases, such as NBA Top Shot. Dapper Labs expects to launch its LaLiga experience in June 2022, which no doubt will be hosted on their blockchain FLOW.
Dapper Labs has a bright future and is worthy of the confidence these investment rounds demonstrate. They lead the way in popularizing NFT as a user-friendly means to digital collecting, which to an extent replicates, and is not too far removed from hard copy trading card collecting. This statement is somewhat misleading as it could be easily said that NBA Top Shot is the superior, more engaging, and most permanent form for collecting sports "cards" and memorabilia.
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Mike Grantis Interviews Leemon Baird | Hedera Hashgraph | CryptoWeekly Podcast |
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What to Expect in Q4, 2021 - Eric Kasanowski | Decentral Capital | CryptoWeekly |
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Bitcoin Takes Another Blow: Dropping Nearly 10% On News of China Ban |
Altcoin Dominance Reverts to the 50-Day Moving Average Amidst Bitcoin Fall |
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Solana Breakpoint is a groundbreaking celebration of everything the Solana community has accomplished, what they've inspired, and for what comes next. Breakpoint is the first conference organized by the Solana Foundation. The Lisbon-based conference will bring together industry leaders, builders, and innovators from around the globe. This year, the conference will be held in beautiful Lisbon, Portugal, from November 7th - 10th, and will be broken down into 3 separate tracks.
THE ECOSYSTEM STAGE - LxFactory
Amazing use-cases and applications.
A 175-year-old textile factory has been converted into a dynamic hub for artists, architects, and creative professionals. LxFactory can host up to 1,900 guests surrounded by restaurants, bars, shops, and street art. This is the home of Breakpoint’s Ecosystem stage.
THE GROWTH STAGE - Estufa Fria
Agenda setting discussions and announcements on the future of Solana.
Lisbon’s historic botanical gardens span 1.5 hectares, housing hundreds of species of plants. It’s also the setting for Breakpoint’s Growth stage, where we’ll get hands-on with the DeFi, NFT, and other use-cases driving the Solana world.
DEVELOPER TRACK - SUD Lisboa
Hands-on workshops and tutorials with the best devs in the ecosystem.
Sun’s out, the laptop’s out. With stunning rooftop views over the Tagus river, SUD Lisboa will host Breakpoint’s Developer track. Apply to speak on the Developer track below.
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We at CryptoWeekly are not Financial Advisors. None of the content or opinions expressed in this newsletter should be considered financial advice. We highly recommend that you do your own research before investing in any project within or outside the cryptocurrency space. |
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