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Naira is in crisis, but it’s not cryptocurrency’s fault – Nigeria needs a consistent policy

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Naira is in crisis, but it’s not cryptocurrency’s fault – Nigeria needs a consistent policy

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission is considering tighter controls to combat illegal trading of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. Conversation Africa asked Iwa Salami, a researcher on regulatory frameworks for cryptoassets, to explain how Nigeria can better manage cryptocurrency.

What is cryptocurrency and how does it work?

Cryptocurrency is a digital representation of a value or a right. It can be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology. This is technology that allows multiple parties to share and update a common ledger (record) without relying on a central authority. Transaction records are called blocks and make up a blockchain.

The origin of cryptocurrency dates back to 1989, when DigiCash, a company in the Netherlands, launched a digital currency called “eCash”. Although eCash did not survive, it influenced the development of blockchain. The first and best-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was launched in 2009 by an anonymous person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Another is Ether, used in Ethereum Network. All other cryptocurrencies except Bitcoin are called Altcoins and each one has unique characteristics.

Cryptocurrencies exist outside the control of governments and central authorities. In theory, they are immune to government interference or manipulation. Cryptography guarantees secure online payments without intermediaries. Although intangible, cryptocurrencies maintain value based on market demand and adoption.

The rise of cryptocurrencies can be attributed to:

  • ease of access (compared to cash, foreign currency and traditional financial services through a bank)

  • weak currencies (due to economic stagnation, debt and political instability)

  • easy and quick mechanisms to transfer funds

  • privacy in transactions.

Is Nigeria Managing Cryptocurrency Operations Well?

Nigeria’s approach to regulating cryptocurrency transactions has been unclear and inconsistent. In February 2021, the Central Bank barred financial institutions of these transactions. But in May 2022, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission – the capital markets regulator – Published a framework for its regulation. This was a sign that it approved cryptocurrency trading. Then this went back in November 2022. In May 2024, the Central Bank banned person to person trading of cryptocurrencies in naira.

See more information:
Cryptocurrencies are gaining ground in Africa. This is good news and bad news

How can Nigeria best manage cryptocurrency?

Nigeria needs a balanced approach to regulation if the industry is to prosper without undermining financial and monetary stability. A stable financial system is able to allocate resources efficiently and manage financial risks. The approach must protect consumers and investors.

If Nigerians were prevented from trading the naira on cryptocurrency exchanges, they could turn to other US dollar-denominated assets. That would be worse for the naira.

Cryptocurrencies have had a long history from being used in illegal activities such as money laundering and drug trafficking. But they were not linked to the devaluation of national currencies, as the Nigerian government has alleged.

The first step would be to register those who trade digital instruments.

One of the main concerns raised by Nigerian authorities can be resolved by tracking the identities and activities of cryptocurrency exchange users. The regulatory framework approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission in May 2022 provides for this. Requires all regulated exchanges to comply Know Your Customer Requirements. Regulators may ask exchanges to disclose the identities of cryptocurrency account (wallet) holders linked to suspicious activity. Blockchain analytics companies like Chainanalysis It is Elliptic work closely with exchanges and can uncover sinister transactions.

International standards also allow regulators to obtain information from foreign exchanges that provide wallets to their citizens. Therefore, in an ideal world, if regulators adopt international standards for cryptoasset activities, these concerns should be addressed. For example, the Financial Stability Board recommended for regulatory authorities to share information about suspicious transactions on foreign cryptocurrency exchanges. If all regulators around the world adopted international regulation, the results would be consistent. This would address some of the key concerns raised by Nigerian regulators.

See more information:
Cryptocurrency, NFTs and the metaverse threaten an environmental nightmare – here’s how to avoid it

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We are the editorial team of TokenTrends, where seriousness meets clarity in cryptocurrency analysis. With a robust team of finance and blockchain technology experts, we are dedicated to meticulously exploring complex crypto markets with detailed assessments and an unbiased approach. Our mission is to democratize access to knowledge of emerging financial technologies, ensuring they are understandable and accessible to all. In every article on TokenTrends, we strive to provide content that not only educates, but also empowers our readers, facilitating their integration into the financial digital age.

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Bitcoin

RIOT, MARA and CLSK shares at risk

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Bitcoin price nears key support: RIOT, MARA, and CLSK stocks at risk

Bitcoin (BTC) Mining stocks like Riot Platforms (RIOT), Marathon Digital (MARA) and CleanSpark (CLSK) retreated in pre-market trading as BTC retreated.

RIOT, MARA and CLSK all fell more than 2%, while other crypto-related stocks such as MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Coinbase (COIN) fell 1.5%.

Bitcoin sell-off continues

Crypto-linked stocks retreated as Bitcoin resumed its downtrend on Wednesday. After rising to $63,750 on Monday, BTC is hovering at $60,0000 and it is unclear whether it will recover.

More importantly, Bitcoin is dangerously close to the crucial support at $58,273, which is the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA). The next support level for Bitcoin is $56,426, representing its lowest level in May.

Bitcoin Price Chart

If Bitcoin drops below this price, it will be a sign that the bears have prevailed, which could take it to the $50,000 level, if not below.

This decline happened after a whale deposited nearly 2,000 Bitcoins to Binance in two separate transactions. While this isn’t always the case, deposits to exchanges often happen when holders are exiting their positions.

The whales’ action coincided with a period in which the German government continues to sell off its Bitcoin holdings. It transferred $52 million worth of coins to exchanges on Tuesday.

As a result, data from CoinGlass shows that the volume of Bitcoin balances on exchanges has started to increase. The volume rose to 2.49 million on Tuesday, from last month’s low of 2.47 million.

Bitcoin Balances

Bitcoin balances on exchanges

Bitcoin Mining Companies at Risk

If the Bitcoin sell-off continues, it will put Bitcoin mining companies like Marathon, CleanSpark, and Riot Platforms at risk. These companies have tended to have a close correlation with Bitcoin in the past.

This drop is happening a few months after the halving event, reducing the amount of Bitcoins that miners receive.

To compensate for this drop, most of these companies have added their mining equipment. CleanSpark has reached a hash rate of 20 EH/swhich helped her mine 445 coins in June after mining 417 coins the previous month. She did this after purchasing 5 mining sites in Georgia.

Digital Marathon mined 590 coins in June, down 40% from the same month in 2023 and flat from May.

Riot Platforms, on the other hand, focused on acquiring Bitfarms, a company that mined 189 coins in June.

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Michael Saylor Issues Statement on Bitcoin Amid Crypto Market Sell-Off by U.Today

TokenTrends Staff

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Michael Saylor issues statement on Bitcoin amid crypto market sell-off

U.Today – Amid an ongoing sell-off in the cryptocurrency market, Michael Saylor, a prominent advocate and president of MicroStrategy, made a statement on X (Twitter) that reverberated across the crypto space: “Just Bitcoin.”

This two-word tweet comes as the cryptocurrency market faces significant sell-offs as the price of Bitcoin plummets.

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market value, began its decline in Tuesday’s trading session, hitting $63,223 at one point before falling further.

Losses deepened on Wednesday as investors considered remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with Bitcoin hitting intraday lows of $59,509. At the time of writing, BTC is down 2.85% over the past 24 hours to $60,274.

According to data from CoinGlass, the sell-off has resulted in a significant amount of cryptocurrencies being liquidated in the past 24 hours, totaling over $166 million. However, this has not deterred Saylor’s confidence in Bitcoin, as he reiterates his longing for the crypto asset in his tweet.

Cryptocurrency market crashes

Cryptocurrencies fell on Tuesday after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank needs to see more progress on inflation before cutting interest rates, which are now at 5.25%-5.50%. Powell revealed at a monetary symposium in Sintra, Portugal, that the United States is moving closer to a disinflationary path.

“We want to be more confident that inflation is moving sustainably downward toward 2% before we begin the process of tapering or easing policy,” Powell said.

Market losses deepened after Wednesday’s economic releases that indicated the labor market is cooling. Recent data showed weaker-than-expected private payroll growth in June, but weekly jobless claims were higher than economists had forecast. The latest figures come ahead of the highly anticipated June nonfarm payrolls report on Friday.

As the cryptocurrency market goes through a period of uncertainty, the coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining the direction of BTC’s price.

This article was originally published on U.Today



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Bitcoin and Ethereum in GTA 6? Still rumors — for now

TokenTrends Staff

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Bitcoin and Ethereum in GTA 6? Still rumors — for now

Rumors that the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 will use cryptocurrency that has been circulating for more than a year now—and they’re spinning again.

On Wednesday, a pseudonymous Crypto Twitter influencer named Gordon — apparently named after Gordon Gekko from the iconic 1987 film “Wall Street” —shared to his nearly 500,000 followers that “GTA 6 will allow cryptocurrency payments” and that “so far only Bitcoin, EthereumIt is USDT [are] confirmed.”

But in reality, no cryptocurrency has been confirmed for Grand Theft Auto 6, despite ongoing chatter about the rumors. Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two have made no such announcements this week on the subject, nor have they made any prior announcements, and official trailers and announcements have made no mention of cryptocurrency being included.

However, the tweet — which also included a fake trailer for the game — quickly went viral, with over 500,000 views as of this writing in a matter of hours. When Twitter users asked Gordon for his sources, he would jokingly respond that his “uncle works there” or say that previous reports on the matter were “old” at this point.

But really, nothing has changed since then. DecipherGG’s reported in previous rumors in May 2023, not even since the first official trailer — which initially leaked with “BUY BTC” stamped on itApparently by the leaker in question—premiered last December.

DecipherGG reached out to Rockstar Games for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Could Grand Theft Auto 6 implement a crypto element when it releases in 2025? It’s certainly possible, and if so, it would be a transformative moment for cryptocurrency adoption by the traditional gaming industry.

Take-Two Interactive has explored the space before, acquiring casual gaming giant Zynga in early 2022, when Take-Two founder and CEO Strauss Zelnick suggested there were “Web3 opportunities” that they could explore better as a team. Zynga has launched its first blockchain game on Ethereum, called Sugartownbut Take-Two has yet to get involved with other brands.

Rockstar Games, on the other hand, prohibited the use of cryptocurrency or NFTs on player-run Grand Theft Auto 5 servers in late 2022, following a rise in the use of NFTs to represent unique player-owned assets on modded game servers.

And given Grand Theft Auto’s satirical tone, the game may be more likely to criticize cryptocurrency and poke fun at caricatures of crypto fans and NFTs, for example, rather than trying to launch its own on-chain currency. But that’s all speculation at this point, as there are relatively few official details about GTA 6.

For now, at least, don’t believe the hype. While Rockstar Games hasn’t officially closed the door on cryptocurrency usage in Grand Theft Auto 6, it hasn’t confirmed anything about it either. However, it’s sure to remain a hot topic in the long run leading up to release, which is currently scheduled for fall 2025.

Edited by Ryan Ozawa.

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Crypto President Trump’s ‘Lesser’ Regulation Will Bless Coinbase’s Bitcoin Leverage, Expert Says – Coinbase Glb (NASDAQ:COIN)

TokenTrends Staff

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Crypto President Trump's 'Lesser' Regulation Will Bless Coinbase's Bitcoin Leverage, Expert Says - Coinbase Glb (NASDAQ:COIN)

Chris SenyekChief Investment Strategist at Wolfe Researchrecently expressed his opinion on the potential impact of a Donald Trump win the 2024 elections in the cryptocurrency market.

What happened: Senyek suggested that a Trump presidency could ease cryptocurrency regulations, benefiting companies like Coinbase Global Inc. COIN due to its importance Bitcoin BTC/USD Leverage.

“Trump would be less harsh on crypto regulation, and Coinbase would be a big beneficiary of that given its influence on bitcoin,” Senyek said during CNBC’s “Last Call” on Tuesday.

See too: Enhance Your Retirement Portfolio: The Benefits of Adding Cryptocurrency

Why does this matter?:Senyek’s comments come in the context of the former president Donald Trump‘s reported plans to participate at the Bitcoin 2024 convention, which could reinforce his image as a “Crypto President”.

Trump’s potential participation in the Bitcoin 2024 convention, a major event on the cryptocurrency calendar, could have significant implications for the industry.

Pratik KalaHead of Research in DigitalX Limitedhe has predicted a Trump victory in the upcoming elections, but warns that immediate cryptocurrency-friendly regulations may not be a priority.

A recent report by 10x Search explore the recent rise in Bitcoin price and its potential connection to Trump’s strong position in the 2024 election race. The report, titled “Is the Bitcoin Trump Pump Sustainable?”, highlights a 4% spike in Bitcoin’s price following the news that the president Joe Biden will remain in the race despite a poor performance in the presidential debate.

Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading 2.10% lower at $60,860.66, according to Benzinga Pro.

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Image created using photos from Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari

News and market data brought to you by Benzinga’s APIs

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