Bitcoin’s popularity is on an upward trajectory, largely fueled by the introduction of spot bitcoin ETFs, revealed Tony Ashraf, Managing Director at BlackRock, at the Digital Asset Conference in London. These ETFs are quenching the long-standing thirst for bitcoin among investors, opening the door to a new wave of investment in the cryptocurrency sector.

Ashraf attributes this surge in demand to three pivotal factors. The evolving macroeconomic landscape and demographic shifts in wealth are reshaping how investors engage with cryptocurrencies. The industry’s maturity, highlighted by enhanced security measures and the entry of key financial players, is strengthening investor trust. Furthermore, a clearer regulatory environment is laying the groundwork for more stable growth.

This blend of factors signifies a significant moment for bitcoin, propelled further by the strategic introduction of ETFs. According to Ashraf, these developments are not just expanding access to bitcoin but are also indicative of a broader acceptance and integration of cryptocurrencies into mainstream finance.

Digital Asset Conference in London

For the past decade, the abbreviations AML and KYC have become an inextricable part of our lives. To help law enforcement track illegal funds, an increasingly constraining set of anti-money-laundering measures is being implemented across the globe. For the past two decades, it has involved extensive know-your-customer obligations for financial institutions, forced to check their clients’ identities, backgrounds, and the nature of their activities. This system, based on surveillance and the presumption of guilt, has helped the global financial system to efficiently fight criminals by cutting off their money flows.

Or has it really?

Real-life numbers tell a different story. Several…

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MicroStrategy, led by the visionary Michael Saylor, has achieved a monumental milestone by officially holding 1% of the entire Bitcoin supply. This accomplishment underscores the company’s unwavering belief in the potential of Bitcoin and its commitment to the cryptocurrency as a long-term investment. With a staggering 214,246 Bitcoins in their possession, valued at approximately $13.5 billion, MicroStrategy’s investment shines a spotlight on the growing acceptance and trust in Bitcoin’s value and stability. This strategic accumulation of Bitcoin at an average price of $63,020.20 per coin not only emphasizes the company’s confidence in the digital currency but also serves as a significant endorsement for Bitcoin’s future. MicroStrategy’s bold strategy in embracing Bitcoin has not only cemented its position as a leading player in the cryptocurrency space but also signals a promising horizon for Bitcoin’s acceptance and utilization worldwide.

Disclaimer: Market capitalizations can vary in real-time. The information provided here is intended purely for educational purposes and should not, under any circumstances, be construed as financial advice.

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LQWD Technologies Corp., an infrastructure and liquidity provider for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, has announced a new partnership with Amboss Technologies Inc. to become their premiere Lightning Network Liquidity Service Provider (LSP), according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine. As part of the partnership, LQWD will contribute an initial 10 Bitcoin in liquidity to Amboss, with plans to deploy more Bitcoin throughout the collaboration.

“Partnering with LQWD ensures that Amboss’s global customers have direct access to institutional-grade liquidity for Bitcoin payments, allowing LQWD to generate additional yield through their nodes on the Lightning Network,” said Amboss…

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If you want to hold a large amount of bitcoin securely, it makes sense to investigate how the wealthiest bitcoin holders handle this task. While wealth doesn’t cause infallibility, these entities have the most to lose from making a mistake. They should be highly motivated to put substantial thought and research into the security of their bitcoin.

Identifying the wealthiest bitcoin holders can be difficult, and asking them to reveal the full details of their security is unlikely to be successful. However, the bitcoin blockchain provides us with some valuable information. The transaction history and balances of all bitcoin addresses is publicly-available knowledge.

What information can we… Read more on BitcoinMagazine

Cardano (ADA) has emerged as the front-runner among layer-1 blockchain networks, according to recent data from IntoTheBlock. This proof-of-stake (PoS) protocol has demonstrated its leadership by outperforming Ethereum (ETH) and other major networks in terms of development activity. Between March 11 and 17, Cardano astonishingly registered 978,780 commits on GitHub, leaving Ethereum far behind with only 407,170 commits in the same timeframe.

Other notable blockchain protocols like Avalanche (AVAX), Litecoin (LTC), and Tron (TRX) also showed considerable development efforts but couldn’t match Cardano’s pace. Avalanche recorded 315,770 commits, whereas Litecoin and Tron posted 84,110 and 79,380 commits, respectively.

Market experts often view such active development as a positive indicator of a blockchain’s future prospects. High levels of commits suggest not only a potential increase in decentralized applications (dApps) but also frequent updates and upgrades to enhance the network’s stability and features, bolstering Cardano’s position as a leading blockchain technology.

IntoTheBlock

Today, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) announced its most recent round of Bitcoin Development Fund grants, according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine. 

$500,000 is being granted across 14 different projects around the world focusing on global education, Lightning Network development, decentralized communications, and providing nonprofits and human rights groups with an easier onramp to “financial freedom tools,” per the release. The main areas of focus for these grants center around Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

This announcement comes only a few months after their last round of grants in December, also donating $500,000 to worldwide Bitcoin projects. While the HRF did…

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Palladium and Botanix Labs have announced the launch of a new stablecoin, PUSD, on Bitcoin’s first EVM-equivalent Layer 2 network, according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine.

The PUSD stablecoin, developed by Palladium Labs, boasts a unique feature of being over-collateralized by 110%, a strategic measure aimed at enhancing its resilience against potential risks inherent in DeFi infrastructure. Importantly, the stablecoin’s algorithmic monetary policy attempts to remain immune to governance changes or manipulation by administrator keys, aiming to ensure its integrity and reliability.

“To realize the true value of decentralized finance, crypto needs to break free from…

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