El Salvador’s venture into Bitcoin has marked a significant milestone, with its holdings now valued over $150 million.
This comes after the country’s bold decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2022, a move that has seen its investments grow substantially.
According to BitcoinTreasuries, the value of El Salvador’s Bitcoin stash has surged by $50 million beyond the initial purchase cost, illustrating a remarkable turnaround from previous market downturns to achieving historic financial highs.
Under President Nayib Bukele‘s directive, El Salvador has accumulated around 2,380 BTC, worth approximately $158.5 million, with the value peaking at $164.7 million in March, demonstrating a 53% profit margin from its cost basis of $44,300 per Bitcoin.
President Bukele, freshly reelected in February, has openly critiqued the mainstream media’s portrayal of El Salvador’s Bitcoin strategy on social platforms like X.
He pointed out the stark contrast in media coverage, highlighting the lack of attention now that the nation stands to gain significantly from its Bitcoin investments.
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Bukele emphasized the enduring value of Bitcoin, irrespective of market fluctuations, while mentioning the success of their citizenship program as a major source of Bitcoin revenue, stating a firm stance against selling the digital currency.
El Salvador’s adoption of the Bitcoin standard sets it apart on the global stage, with no other nation-states yet to follow its lead despite speculation about potential adopters in South America and beyond.
Samson Mow, a prominent figure in the Bitcoin community and head of Jan3, remains optimistic about future nation-state adoption alongside corporate and institutional investments.
During his appearance on The Bitcoin Podcast, Mow identified nation-states, corporations, and institutional investors as crucial players in driving Bitcoin’s value upward, alongside retail investors contributing through smaller purchases, signaling a broad-based confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory.
Bayo Onanuga, a special adviser to the Nigerian president on information and strategy, has clarified reports surrounding the alleged imposition of a $10 billion fine on the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
Contrary to earlier reports by the BBC, Onanuga stressed that the claims were a result of misquotation and misunderstanding.
He emphasized that there has been no finalized decision to levy such a fine against Binance and that his previous statements had been misrepresented.
Specifically, Onanuga mentioned that he had only discussed the possibility of a fine, indicating that nothing is set in stone as of now.
This development comes amidst increasing regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrency exchanges in Nigeria, a move aimed at protecting the integrity of the Nigerian naira.
Binance, in response to the growing pressure, has discontinued the use of the naira in its peer-to-peer (P2P) trading services as of February 28.
The P2P platform, popular among Nigerian users since 2021, facilitates direct transactions between buyers and sellers without the need for an intermediary.
This service gained popularity following the Nigerian government’s ban on the crypto industry during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
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The situation is compounded by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) concerns over “suspicious flows” of funds through Binance’s Nigerian operations.
CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso reported that in 2023 alone, $26 billion had been transacted through Binance from unverified sources and users, raising alarms over potential financial risks and the need for stringent oversight.
Further actions by the Nigerian government include the detention of two senior Binance officials in Abuja by the National Security Adviser’s office, highlighting the government’s intent to closely monitor and possibly regulate cryptocurrency exchanges to prevent undue speculation on the naira.
Despite these challenges, the CBN made a significant policy shift in December 2023 by lifting a two-year ban on banks’ involvement in crypto transactions.
This was accompanied by the issuance of guidelines for regulating virtual asset service providers.
Nigeria, having launched a central bank digital currency in 2022 and the naira-pegged cNGN stablecoin through the Africa Stablecoin Consortium in a regulatory sandbox in February, demonstrates a complex and evolving stance towards digital currencies.
The introduction of euro-denominated Bitcoin and Ether futures by CME Group is poised to significantly influence institutional cryptocurrency adoption within the eurozone.
Giovanni Vicioso, executive director at CME Group, shared insights with Cointelegraph, emphasizing the potential for broadening participation in the cryptocurrency markets.
According to Vicioso, the existing U.S. dollar-denominated cryptocurrency products have attracted a diverse group of participants, including traditional proprietary trading firms.
He expects these firms to also engage with the new euro-based products.
Vicioso revealed that the forthcoming euro-denominated futures have already sparked interest among various investors, including macro hedge funds, small asset managers, and dedicated crypto investors.
This move by CME, the leading derivatives marketplace comprising four exchanges, to introduce Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether futures in euros, scheduled for March 18, marks a significant expansion in its cryptocurrency derivatives offerings.
The euro-denominated futures are anticipated to essentially function as a foreign exchange (FX) contract, attracting additional market participants.
Vicioso explained the mechanics, noting that investors could long the U.S. dollar contract while shorting the euro version, or vice versa, effectively creating an FX contract with Bitcoin and Ether.
The launch of Bitcoin-based exchange-traded products (ETPs) and the approval of the first spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. on January 11 have already generated significant interest.
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This interest was underscored by the over $2 billion in combined daily volume recorded by the new spot Bitcoin ETFs, excluding the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF conversion.
Vicioso pointed out that the anticipation and regulatory approval of U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETFs have fueled an uptick in institutional interest in Bitcoin.
He highlighted the increase in Euro-denominated Bitcoin and Ether volumes since September and mentioned the growing customer interest in euro-denominated cryptocurrency products.
Furthermore, CME has seen a substantial increase in its average daily Bitcoin trading volume, which has nearly doubled from $1.6 billion in 2023 to over $3 billion in 2024.
Despite these advancements, Bitcoin’s price saw a slight decline of 0.62% in the 24 hours leading up to 1:15 pm UTC, trading at $62,383.
However, it has shown a significant increase of 22.50% on the weekly chart, indicating the cryptocurrency’s enduring appeal and volatility.
Bitcoin has recently achieved a significant milestone, setting a new record high against the euro, with its value surging to an unprecedented $65,000.
This remarkable achievement marks a new multi-year high for the cryptocurrency, highlighting its growing strength in the financial market.
On March 4, Bitcoin surpassed the 60,000-euro mark, a historical event as it reached this level against the euro for the first time.
TradingView data shows that Bitcoin hit 60,393 euros at 8:30 am UTC, witnessing a roughly 5% increase from its intraday low of 57,521 EUR.
Currently, Bitcoin’s value stands at 59,981 euros, boasting a significant 56% increase since the beginning of the year.
Before this achievement, Bitcoin had already been setting records, breaking the 53,000-euro mark on February 28, a record previously set in late September 2021.
This year, Bitcoin has been on a record-breaking spree against various fiat currencies, including the Chinese yuan (CNY), which is the largest fiat currency by market capitalization globally.
Late February saw Bitcoin surpass its previous all-time high against the CNY, reaching 467,506 CNY from an earlier high of around 414,000 CNY, as per Xe.com.
Balaji Srinivasan, a prominent angel investor and former Coinbase CFO, noted that as of February 28, Bitcoin had surpassed all-time highs in over 30 countries, including major economies like China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Argentina.
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Despite these achievements, Bitcoin has yet to set new records against several major currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, British pound, Swiss franc, Brazilian real, and Mexican peso.
As it stands, Bitcoin is trading at $65,000, approximately 6% below its all-time high of $69,000 recorded on Coinbase in November 2021.
Sam Wouters, River Intelligence marketing head, identifies the Mexican peso as a particularly challenging target for Bitcoin, noting its current value at 1.1 million pesos, a 24% decrease from its peak of about 1.4 million pesos in November 2021.
The cryptocurrency’s recent success can be attributed to increased exposure following the launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. on January 11, 2024.
Since the launch, ETF issuers have acquired at least 340,000 BTC by March 1, not including significant sales by the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF, further cementing Bitcoin’s growing influence in the global financial landscape.
Bitcoin’s movement away from exchanges is accelerating at a notable pace, with the cryptocurrency’s price striving to reach unprecedented highs.
James Van Straten, a research and data analyst at CryptoSlate, highlighted significant Bitcoin withdrawals from exchanges in a recent post, marking a trend reminiscent of 2021.
Despite the lack of mainstream investor return to cryptocurrency, Bitcoin reserves on exchanges are diminishing.
Van Straten, utilizing data from Glassnode, pointed out that on March 1, approximately $2 billion in Bitcoin was withdrawn from exchanges.
This activity, he remarked, was unprecedented.
“I don’t think I’ve quite seen anything like this before,” he said, noting that the day saw one of the largest Bitcoin withdrawals in more than five years, totaling over $2.3 billion.
Glassnode’s data suggests that the daily Bitcoin outflows around this period were comparable to those observed on June 28–29, 2021, a time of record withdrawals.
The influence of United States spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) was notable, excluding around $200 million transferred to Coinbase Pro for custody.
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Binance experienced approximately $400 million in outflows, with Coinbase handling the remainder. Van Straten found Binance’s outflows particularly intriguing, as they were not related to ETF activities.
According to Glassnode, the total Bitcoin assets held on major trading platforms dropped to 2,286,347 BTC ($142.5 billion) by March 2, reaching its lowest since March 2018 when the price of Bitcoin was around $8,000.
Further analysis by Crypto Dan from CrryptoQuant in a Quicktake market update revealed shifts in Bitcoin’s market composition.
The analysis highlighted an increase in activity from “younger” coins, while “older” ones, dormant for six months or more, began to circulate again.
This trend signals the arrival of new investors and suggests an impending influx of individual investors.
“New investors are flowing in, and in the near future we can expect the influx of many new ‘individual’ investors,” he summarized, indicating a sharp decline in the ratio that could herald the onset of a true bull market.
In a recent decision by United States District Court Judge Analisa Torres, a motion by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to delay the deadline for a critical submission in its ongoing litigation against Ripple Labs has been approved.
The legal documents, filed on March 1, have allowed the SEC additional time to submit discovery materials related to remedies against Ripple.
This extension sets new deadlines, giving the SEC until March 22 to file its opening brief, Ripple until April 22 to submit its opposition brief, and the SEC a final deadline of May 6, 2024, for a reply.
The case between the SEC and Ripple Labs has been a focal point of regulatory discussion since December 2020.
It was then that the SEC charged Ripple and its leading executives, CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen, with orchestrating a $1.3 billion unregistered securities offering via the sale of the XRP token.
The SEC argues that XRP qualifies as a security, necessitating adherence to stringent regulatory guidelines, a classification Ripple disputes by maintaining that XRP is not a security and criticizing the SEC for not providing adequate notice of its status.
This lawsuit has traversed various legal avenues and arguments, particularly focusing on the Howey test, a criterion to assess if a transaction constitutes an “investment contract” and thus, a security under U.S. law.
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The SEC posits that XRP satisfies the Howey test conditions, a stance contested by Ripple.
A pivotal moment in the litigation came in July 2023 when Judge Torres delivered a mixed verdict.
She ruled that XRP did not qualify as a security in its sales on digital asset exchanges through programmatic sales, marking a partial victory for Ripple Labs.
However, she also determined that sales of XRP to institutional investors did classify the token as a security, highlighting the nuanced and complex nature of the legal and regulatory challenges facing cryptocurrency and digital assets.
This ongoing case continues to be a significant point of interest for the cryptocurrency industry, regulatory bodies, and legal observers, as it may set important precedents for the classification and regulation of digital assets.
FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings, has initiated a claim window for affected crypto asset holders, offering payouts at rates considerably lower than the prevailing market values.
According to Wu Blockchain, the valuations set by FTX for major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Binance Coin (BNB) are markedly below their current market rates.
Specifically, BTC is priced at $16,871, ETH at $1,258, SOL at $16.24, and BNB at $286, in stark contrast to their market prices of $62,144, $3,424.62, $129.96, and $411.32, respectively.
This significant disparity in pricing has sparked outrage and concern among cryptocurrency investors, leading many to question FTX’s transparency and fairness.
The discontent has been palpable on social media platforms, where users are vocally demanding accountability from the exchange.
In response to the mounting criticism, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released a statement explaining the ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings involving FTX Digital Markets and its associated debtors.
The objective is to consolidate assets for a more streamlined settlement process.
PwC has announced a deadline of May 15, 2024, for creditors to file their claims through a dedicated portal, with the first interim distribution anticipated for late 2024 or early 2025. All claims are to be calculated in U.S. dollars.
Adding to the complexities, FTX has issued warnings about unauthorized third parties making bids on behalf of certain FTX debtors.
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This has led to a clarification regarding the sale of digital assets, which, as per a bankruptcy court order, is to be managed exclusively by Galaxy Asset Management.
FTX emphasizes that only Galaxy is authorized to oversee any transactions related to the bankruptcy proceedings, urging institutional buyers and regulatory-compliant entities to adhere strictly to this directive.
Moreover, FTX has received court approval to liquidate its over $1 billion investment in Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, highlighting the extensive measures being taken to address the financial turmoil and fulfill creditor claims.
This development underscores the ongoing efforts to navigate the fallout from FTX’s bankruptcy and the intricate process of asset liquidation and creditor compensation.
FTX, the bankrupt exchange striving to settle its obligations to creditors following its 2022 collapse, has issued a cautionary note regarding its authorized investment manager as it proceeds with asset sales.
In a post dated March 1, FTX clarified that the sale of digital assets mandated by the bankruptcy court is exclusively overseen by Galaxy Asset Management, the authorized investment manager.
The exchange warned of unauthorized third parties attempting to solicit bids on behalf of FTX Debtors.
Moreover, FTX emphasized that any sale of locked digital assets would adhere to the existing terms and conditions governing the unlocking schedule.
The exchange has been actively engaged in restructuring efforts and repaying creditors, having recovered assets amounting to $7 billion for this purpose.
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Approval was granted by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware during a hearing on Feb. 22 for the sale of FTX’s stake in Anthropic, an artificial intelligence (AI) firm, valued at over $1 billion.
This decision followed a motion filed by FTX seeking authorization to sell its 7.84% stake in Anthropic, an investment made in April 2022 prior to its bankruptcy filing in November of the same year.
In December 2023, FTX proposed reimbursing claimants based on crypto asset prices at the time of bankruptcy.
While creditors advocated for “in kind” repayments for crypto holdings, Judge John Dorsey ruled in favor of the debtors in a Jan. 31 verdict, citing clarity in the law.
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven charges including wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in a criminal trial on Nov. 3, 2023.
His sentencing, scheduled for March 28, carries a maximum penalty of 110 years in prison.
Decentralised finance (DeFi) lending platform and stablecoin issuer Seneca Protocol has fallen victim to exploitation, as stated in a Feb. 28 announcement on the protocol’s official X account.
According to a report disclosed to Cointelegraph, blockchain analytics firm CertiK has estimated the losses at $6.4 million thus far.
The Seneca team has urged users to revoke approvals for the affected contracts and has asserted that its personnel are “presently collaborating with security specialists to investigate the bug”.
Seneca Protocol is a DeFi lending application enabling users to deposit various cryptocurrencies as collateral, which can then be utilised to mint and borrow the protocol’s native stablecoin, SenecaUSD.
Blockchain data reveals that an account ending in 42DC managed to transfer approximately 1,385.23 Pendleton Kelp restaked Ether (PT Kelp rsETH) from a Seneca collateral pool by invoking the “performOperations” function.
Subsequently, this account exchanged these tokens for approximately $4 million worth of Ether (ETH) through three transactions.
Following these swaps, the account proceeded to transfer an additional 717.04 ETH derivative tokens from various collateral pools and exchanged them for ETH.
According to CertiK’s report, these transfers were maliciously executed due to a flaw in the protocol’s “performOperations” function.
The bug permits any account to invoke the function while specifying OPERATION_CALL as the action to be executed.
Consequently, the attacker gains the ability to “perform external calls to any address as the callee and callData are fully controlled by the attacker”.
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Hence, CertiK contends, the attacker managed to drain funds from the collateral pool not under its ownership.
Blockchain investigator Spreek also alerted users about the exploit on X, describing it as a “critical vulnerability”.
Spreek recommended that users should revoke approvals for the addresses used in the exploit.
According to security researcher ddimitrov22, Seneca suffers from an additional vulnerability preventing developers from pausing the Seneca contracts, as the pause and unpause functions within them are labelled as “internal”, rendering them inaccessible.
In their acknowledgment of the attack, the development team stated that they are currently conducting an investigation and will provide an update “shortly”.
Hacks and exploits continue to pose threats to Web3 users in 2024.
On Feb. 23, Axie Infinity co-founder Jeff “Jihoz” Zirlin lost $9.7 million due to a hack of his personal wallets. Concurrently, on the same day, DeFi protocol Blueberry was exploited for 457 ETH.
Bitcoin is potentially poised for a meteoric rise, with projections suggesting it could reach $180,000, spurred by a bullish signal reminiscent of historical gains.
Caleb Franzen, founder of Cubic Analytics, disclosed on March 1 that BTC price returns may surge by 260% from current levels during this cycle, in a post on X.
Franzen highlighted the significance of an ultra-rare Williams%R Oscillator signal, which has appeared only four times in history.
This indicator, analyzed on three-year timeframes, recently surpassed the overbought level, signifying a bullish trend for Bitcoin.
“The 36-month Williams%R Oscillator just closed above the overbought level for the 4th time in history,” Franzen remarked, emphasizing the bullish sentiment.
This oscillator, instrumental in predicting Bitcoin’s recovery from the 2022 bear market lows, is now indicating a potential surge into “overbought” territory above -20, a phenomenon observed only thrice before in 2013, 2016, and 2020.
Franzen cautioned against dismissing overbought signals, emphasizing their bullish momentum implications.
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Despite diminishing returns in each cycle, with 2020 yielding 260%, matching this performance would propel Bitcoin to $180,000.
However, Franzen stressed the unpredictability of market behavior despite historical trends, urging caution in interpreting these signals as guarantees of future performance.
Another bullish indicator, the Relative Strength Index (RSI), has also surged into overbought territory on daily timeframes, reaching levels above 80/100 on Feb. 28.
This follows a reset in late December, preceding Bitcoin’s upward momentum fueled by the launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States.
Monthly RSI trends further reinforce the optimism, with the indicator just entering the overbought zone, suggesting potential further upside for Bitcoin.
While indicators point to a bullish trajectory for Bitcoin, Franzen’s cautionary stance underscores the need for prudent interpretation and consideration of market dynamics beyond historical patterns.