Features News Daily TheBitTimes.com

Former stockbroker Jordan Belfort, famously known as the ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ has shared insights into how individuals can make money on Wall Street without resorting to high-risk maneuvers.  Contrary to common beliefs, Belfort advocates for a patient and disciplined approach rather than pursuing quick riches, he said during an interview with Tucker Carlson on December 30.  To begin with, Belfort addressed a common misconception among aspiring investors regarding the notion that a small initial investment necessitates a grand slam to turn into substantial wealth. “The mistake that the average person makes is that when you don’t have that much money to start, let’s just choose a number, let’s say just $10,000. <…> You say to yourself, if I’m going to really get anywhere as an investor, I need to make a big hit, like to turn that into a million bucks. I’ve got to find the next Apple computer, the next crazy cry...

A crypto analyst says deep-pocketed investors are gobbling up the decentralized oracle network Chainlink (LINK) as the project reveals its focus for next year. Citing a chart from the analytics firm Santiment, crypto trader Ali Martinez tells his 38,200 followers on the social media platform X that the whale purchases could prime LINK for a price jump. According to Martinez, crypto whales holding between 100,000 and one million Chainlink bought seven million LINK worth more than $105 million in just one week. “This substantial buying spree suggests a growing confidence among major players in LINK.” Source: Ali Martinez/X The crypto analyst also notes that his short-term price target for LINK is $20. The 15th-ranked crypto asset by market cap is trading at $15.87 at time of writing. LINK is already up more than 194% since the start of 2023. The project’s gains materialized this year amid both a wider crypto uptrend and new technical milestones...

Bitcoin (BTC) recently experienced a price retracement, trading as low as $42,100, which moved the whole cryptocurrency market. Under a bearish sentiment, some cryptocurrencies have been heavily shorted, threatening short- squeeze events on December 29. Notably, Bitcoin’s dominance suffered the most as altcoins were able to guarantee lower losses than the market leader. Amid signs of an altseason, an increased volume of short positions could ignite massive liquidations — driving the price upwards. In particular, Finbold spotted two cryptocurrencies on CoinGlass ’s dashboard that triggered our short squeeze alert . Cardano (ADA) and Radix (XRD) have a significantly higher volume, favoring shorts over long positions.  Short squeeze alert for Cardano (ADA) on December 29 The first short squeeze alert is for Cardano, one of the market’s oldest and most solid Ethereum (ETH) competitors. With a $22.07 billion capitalization, its native token trades at $0.623 by press time...

Binance report s welcoming over 40 million new users in 2023, a 30% increase from the previous year. The report delves into specific figures, such as Binance reaching 170 million registered users by the end of 2023, offering 431 assets for trading across 1,785 pairs. The use of digital assets for payments surged, supported by an expanding network of merchants. Binance Gift Card usage for crypto gifting saw a 3.5-fold increase. Binance extended fiat support to 69 currencies and 30 channels globally. P2P trading, with 970 payment methods and 112 fiat currencies, recorded an 18% increase in trades, serving 39% more users than in 2022. Security and compliance, crucial aspects of the crypto industry, detail its investments in compliance technology, processes, and talent, totaling $213 million in 2023. The company claims to hold licenses, registrations, and authorizations in 18 jurisdictions worldwide. You might also like: BNB overtakes Solana, traders betting against the surge...

With the world in the midst of escalating geopolitical tensions and other strong influences, it is no surprise that commodities are feeling this effect as well, with the price of gold recently soaring to its all-time high (ATH), Bitcoin (BTC) growing 160% this year, while other commodities are dropping, suggesting a ‘ great reset .’ Indeed, according to the senior Bloomberg commodities expert Mike McGlone, commodities are tilting toward a great reset in which gold is rising, and most of its competitors are falling, with the “risk of that trajectory accelerating in 2024,” as he explained in an X post shared on December 27. Bloomberg Intelligence asset price data for 2023. Source: Mike McGlone Conditions for rebound Furthermore, as he added, there are certain factors that need to fall into place for a possible rebound of the commodities that have been trending downwards in 2023, unlike the price of gold and that of the flagship decentralized finance (DeFi) asset, Bitc...

Polygon (MATIC) has rallied 23% in the last 24 hours, breaching the $1 mark for the first time since February 2023. Moreover, the token is up by over 37% in the weekly charts and 43% in the previous month. Source: CoinGecko Also Read: Polygon New Year Price Prediction: How High Can MATIC Go? However, the asset’s growth since January 2023 has been lackluster. Since the beginning of this year, Polygon ’s ( MATIC ) price has rallied by only 42.6%. MATIC ’s rival Solana (SOL), on the other hand, has rallied by over 1000% in the same time frame. Bitcoin (BTC) has also outperformed MATIC , rising more than 150% since January. Moreover, while other tokens have reached yearly highs, MATIC ’s price remains below its February high of $1.53. Polygon’s (MATIC) recent rally could be due to increasing whale movements. Since mid-December, wallets holding between 1 million and 10 million tokens saw an increase of 55 million MATIC, worth around $44.5 million. T...

As 2024 looms, it brings forth a crucial inquiry for Shiba Inu (SHIB) enthusiasts: Is it plausible for this meme coin to exceed its current accomplishments and attain success.  Within the optimistic anticipation of its community, there is increasing excitement surrounding the potential emergence of Shiba Inu as a vital factor in the decentralized finance (DeFi) realm. Amidst the prevailing uncertainty, skepticism arises, prompting investors to seek expert guidance for insights and prediction s. There is a collective curiosity about whether SHIB will successfully retrace its all-time highs or if it is poised for another devaluation phase. Technicals provide an optimistic overview One key factor for a specific cryptocurrency’s continued success is its versatility and the trust Shibarium receives from investors.  Cryptocurrency Ethereum Rainbow chart predicts ETH price for Jan 1, 2024 Cryptocurrency ChatGPT picks 5 cryptocurrencies to...

Granted partners with SKALE Network to provide opportunities for applications across web3 to find funding and a blockchain home to thrive on. The Mission of Granted: Providing Strategic Grant Funding for the Web3 Ecosystem Granted was founded to provide strategic grant funding to support the growth of the Web3 ecosystem. Their team offers expedited and preferred application processing services to businesses at any stage of development, ensuring they receive the funding they require. Beyond application processing, Granted also provides application optimization, blockchain tech-integration, and access to their innovative Granted Fundraising Nexus platform. This platform streamlines milestone management, centralized communication, application analytics, and application status updates. The partners hip with SKALE reveals a shared vision of supporting Web3/blockchain projects with strategic funding and technological excellence. SKALE offers exceptional blockchain solutions, making it a grea...

If you decided to invest $100 in each BTC and ETH last Christmas, how much would they be worth today? As the market is seemingly out of a prolonged crypto winter that began in early 2022, on Christmas day, we’re witnessing a significant contrast in the value of major cryptocurrencies, notably Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), compared to the previous year’s values. If an investor had the foresight to invest or gift someone $100 worth in Bitcoin and Ethereum last Christmas, they would be reaping some handsome profits. Let’s delve into the numbers. On Christmas Day in 2022, Bitcoin was valued at approximately $16,900. Fast forward to today, it stands at around $43,500. This substantial growth means that a $100 investment in Bitcoin a year ago would now be worth approximately $257.4, representing a 157.4% increase. You might also like: SEC met multiple spot Bitcoin ETF applicants on Dec. 21 Ethereum has shown a similar performance. It has soared from around...

The family investment firm of rock band Metallica is participated in a Series A funding round for Medallion, an artist-to-fan platform that aims to help artists build relationships with fans.  Black Squirrel Partners, a firm founded in 2020 by band members of Metallica, was one of several backers in the Dragonfly and Lightspeed Faction-led effort. Other investors include Coinbase Ventures, Infinite Capital, J17, The Chernin Group, Third Prime, and Zeal Capital. Medallion, a direct-to-consumer platform led by former Songkick CEO Matt Jones, is focused on strengthening artist-fan connections. The startup secured $13.7 million, according to Billboard.  In addition to Metallica, the venture round included other music industry veterans: Bill Silva Entertainment, Disclosure’s Guy Lawrence, Foundations Artist Management, Jungle, Mt. Joy, Method, Tiga James Sontag, and TAG Music. This investment is Metallica’s third notable venture in 2023 through Black Squirrel, following ac...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lifted its previous prohibition on cryptocurrency transactions. This move, unveiled in a circular dated Dec. 22, 2023, signifies a significant shift in Nigeria’s stance on the burgeoning crypto market in the country. The relaxation of the ban was signed into effect by Haruna Mustafa, the director of the financial policy and Regulation Department at CBN. CBN Circular on lifting the banking ban on VASPs (crypto companies). pic.twitter.com/tkkiQzEZkw — Uyoyo (@Uyoyo_O) December 22, 2023 CBN issues crypto guidelines The circular outlines the procedural guidelines for banks and financial institutions to facilitate crypto transactions, focusing on account openings, foreign exchange (forex) inflows and trade for firms dealing with crypto assets. This action follows the country’s Financial Action Task Force’s 2018 update to Recommendation 15, which called for regulating Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to counter potential ...

SEC enforcement director Gurbir Grewal wrote that federal attorneys “fell short” of standards in suing crypto start-up Digital Licensing following a Utah court’s reprimand.  The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) admittedly made incorrect statements during enforcement action targeted at DEBT Box, alleging that the blockchain firm defrauded thousands of investors of almost $50 million.  Commission counsel made a representation during the July 28, 2023 hearing that, unbeknownst to him at the time, was inaccurate. Commission attorneys failed to correct that statement when they learned of the inaccuracy. SEC filing The 27-page SEC filing responded to Judge Robert J. Shelby’s court order demanding that the commission explain its materially false and misleading representations supporting its request for a restraining order on DEBT Box.  DEBT Box offered node licenses, allowing customers to receive mining revenue. Users did not have to run an actual ...

XRP’s daily trade volume on December 21, 2023, was lower than that recorded in the past six years.  The 1.9 billion trade volume recorded on Thursday is lower than last year’s 2.4 billion and significantly less than the 19 billion recorded in 2020.  Crypto sleuth said the trade volume slump trend is affecting not only XRP but other tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Following a recent but short-lived uptick in XRP’s value, notable community members have pointed out a drop in the token’s trade volume despite increased investors’ confidence in the market.  In a recent tweet shared on X (formerly Twitter), reputed lawyer Bill Morgan made an observation concerning XRP’s trade volume over previous years. Per the post, Morgan highlighted that the present XRP’s trade volume on December 21, 2023, is lower than that recorded on any day in the last six years.  XRP’s Trade Volume The lawyer made this comment following an Analysis posted by Ripple Enthusi...

Hong Kong’s HashKey Exchange says crypto deposits greater than $1,024 will only be allowed from Binance. In a blog announcement on Dec. 21, HashKey Exchange said it wants to meet regulatory requirements introduced by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), which is why the exchange will not accept crypto deposits from third-party exchanges except Binance. Those users who send more than 8,000HKD (around $1,024) would have to adhere to regulatory Travel Rule guidelines. “Currently, HashKey Exchange only accepts a single digital asset deposit of equal amounts greater than 8,000HKD from binance.com. Deposit from other third party exchanges are not able to accepted.” HashKey Exchange You might also like: Hong Kong’s HashKey unveils plans to launch ERC-20 utility token However, deposit s below 8,000HKD will be permitted from 24 designated crypto exchanges. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, deposit s of less than 8,000HKD will be accepted from the follow...

Amid its pending application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bitwise has released its second Spot Bitcoin ETF commercial. Once again, the advertisement Features actor Jonathan Goldsmith, known for his recurring “The Most Interesting Man in the World” character. In the latest ad, Goldsmith says “I thought you would like to know, Satoshi sends his regards.” He ends the ad signaling Bitcoin investors to go with Bitwise for their future Spot Bitcoin ETF. JUST IN: Bitwise releases second Spot #Bitcoin ETF commercial. pic.twitter.com/jeUjqQfY8x — Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) December 20, 2023 Within the commercial, Bitwise shares a link to its website, while referencing “ETFs backed by crypto specialists.” The San Francisco-based asset manager is currently one of a dozen applications seeking to bring forth the first approved spot Bitcoin ETF in the United States. The SEC has long pushed back its dec...

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. The initial coin offering for MOLLARS, a store of value token on Ethereum (ETH), is now live.    Designed to serve as the new “Bitcoin (BTC)” of the ERC-20 and Ethereum community, crypto traders have already purchased 0.07% of the total supply of MOLLARS allocated.   What This New ERC-20 Token Is About Molars is a fully decentralized , community-driven project , designed as a store of value token for the Ethereum ecosystem . It aims to become the “Bitcoin of Ethereum’s blockchain” with no owner and no tokens being held by developers, just as Satoshi is believed to have done with Bitcoin. You might also like: Elastos’ token ELA jumps 100% following Bitcoin layer-2 announcement The ongoing token presale is to raise funds from the community to build technology, market, and launch a single web3 product that will be a...

NEAR Protocol’s native token, NEAR, gained bullish momentum over the past week and just reached its 10-month-high. NEAR is up 17.6% in the past 24 hours and is trading at $2.74 at the time of writing — a level last seen in mid-February. The asset’s market cap currently stands at $2.74 billion, making it the 31st-largest cryptocurrency. NEAR price, open interest , Binance funding rate and RSI – Dec. 20 | Source: Santiment NEAR Protocol’s daily trading volume recorded a 144% rally, surpassing the $400 million mark. You might also like: Elastos eyes $700b Bitcoin staking market with Layer 2 network According to data provided by the market intelligence platform Santiment, NEAR’s total open interest (OI) increased by 17.2% — rising from $77.5 million to $90.8 million. While the current OI shows high investor interest , the exact amounts of short and long position holders are not clear. It’s important to note that NEAR’s OI has surpassed the $90 million mark for the ...

Learn about places that accept cryptocurrency for purchasing a variety of gifts, from electronics to cars. As we gear up for the holiday season, it’s hard not to notice a new shopping trend gaining momentum. The use of cryptocurrency in retail is no longer just a niche for tech enthusiasts; it’s becoming a mainstream phenomenon. This comes at a time when more and more stores that accept cryptocurrency as payment are popping up. From your favorite gadget to a luxurious car to just picking up Christmas gifts for your friends and family, these places are making these big acts of purchase feel like a leap into the future. So, let’s dive into how crypto is changing not just the way we invest, but also the way we shop. Newegg The first brand in our list of marketplaces where cryptocurrency is accepted is Newegg.com.  Newegg is a popular online store specializing in electronics and computer parts. It’s known for its appeal to tech enthusiasts and h...