Regulatory Dynamics

1. The European Central Bank has a cautious attitude towards Bitcoin and plans to launch a digital euro.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde recently stated that Bitcoin is a speculative asset that, while fostering some interesting business activities, still requires regulation. She also revealed that the European Central Bank plans to launch a digital euro within five years. Previously, the ECB Governing Council had discussed whether to advance the digitalization of the euro but had not made a clear decision. However, the latest statement from the ECB Council suggests that the euro system is moving towards the potential creation of a digital euro.

2. IMF Report: Only 40 Countries Authorized to Issue Central Bank Digital Currencies

The latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that despite more and more central banks exploring the possibility of issuing digital currencies, nearly 80% of central banks globally are either legally prohibited from issuing digital currencies or lack a clear legal framework. The IMF reviewed the central bank laws of 174 member countries and found that only about 40 member countries are legally allowed to issue digital currencies. The IMF emphasizes that if a country issues a digital currency, all individuals in that country must have convenient access to that payment system, which may pose challenges to financial infrastructure.

3. Russia plans to authorize banks to freeze suspicious crypto accounts

Russia is considering new banking regulations that would allow financial institutions to freeze accounts of individuals or companies deemed to be involved in cryptocurrency activities. According to new rules drafted by the central bank, commercial banks will be able to block access to relevant accounts if signs of "digital currency circulation" are detected. The Russian central bank stated that cryptocurrency-related bank transactions typically exhibit "routine and one-way" characteristics, which may be flagged as "suspicious transactions" involving "money laundering or terrorist financing." Unless the government intervenes, these new regulations may be issued in October this year.

Industry News

1. The BSN Open Permissioned Blockchain is about to launch.

The Blockchain Service Network ( BSN ) officially announced that the BSN Open Permissioned Blockchain will be launched on January 31 on the official BSN China website. According to the latest 2021 roadmap released by BSN, over the next five years, BSN plans to collaborate with multiple international banks and technology companies to establish a universal digital payment network based on various central bank digital currencies. BSN will also create more public city nodes, integrate more blockchain frameworks, and introduce at least three new cross-chain protocols.

2. Bitcoin Core releases a new version, the next version will change the naming convention.

The Bitcoin Core client recently released the official version 0.21.0 source code on GitHub. An important change in this version is the implementation of Schnorr signatures and the related Taproot proposal. It is reported that the next major version will change its naming convention from "0.22.0" to "22.0" and is scheduled to be released on August 1.

3. Latest Developments in the Mentougou Bankruptcy Case

Reports indicate that creditors in the Mentougou bankruptcy case will be able to claim compensation of up to 90% of the remaining Bitcoin. CoinLab states that investors can choose to wait for a settlement in the lawsuit against Mentougou, rather than immediately accepting compensation. Industry insiders point out that if a large amount of Bitcoin obtained from claims flows into the market, it may trigger price volatility.

4. The first national digital asset bank in the United States has been approved.

Cryptocurrency custodian Anchorage announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved its application for a national trust charter, making it the first federally chartered digital asset bank in the United States. Anchorage applied for the charter from the OCC last November, aiming to become a digital asset bank similar to Kraken and Avanti.

5. The mayor of Miami is considering investing part of the treasury reserves in Bitcoin.

Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami, is considering investing part of the city’s treasury reserves in Bitcoin. He expressed a desire to make Miami one of the "most crypto-forward and tech-savvy cities in the U.S." and is seeking to establish a regulatory framework to make it the "easiest place to do crypto business in the U.S.".

6. Osprey Funds launches low-fee Bitcoin trust fund

Osprey Funds announced the launch of "Osprey Bitcoin Trust ( OBTC )" in the over-the-counter market, with a management fee of 0.49%, which is approximately a quarter of its main competitor Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ( GBTC ). Fidelity Digital Assets will provide custody services for OBTC. The minimum investment for qualified investors is $25,000, with a one-year lock-up period before selling on the secondary market.

7. Biden may appoint Gary Gensler as SEC chairman

According to reports, Biden may soon appoint former Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Gary Gensler to be the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Gensler is currently leading Biden's financial policy transition team and is said to have an in-depth understanding of cryptocurrency technology.

8. Restart partial subscriptions for grayscale cryptocurrency trust funds, dissolve XRP trust.

Grayscale Investments has announced the reopening of subscription for cryptocurrency trusts excluding Ethereum and XRP. The minimum subscription amount for the Bitcoin Trust is $50,000, while for most other cryptocurrency asset trusts it is $25,000. At the same time, Grayscale has decided to liquidate and dissolve its XRP Trust in response to the SEC's lawsuit against Ripple.

9. Grayscale's Q4 performance is impressive, with a significant proportion of institutional investors.

Grayscale Investments announced its Q4 2020 financial report, showing a total inflow of $3.3 billion across all products, a record high. Institutional investors accounted for 93%, reaching $3 billion. Over 87% of the institutional funds flowed into Bitcoin Trust. In 2020, Grayscale's total inflow exceeded $5.7 billion, more than four times the cumulative inflow from 2013 to 2019.

10. Forbes Releases Cryptocurrency Billionaires List

The latest cryptocurrency billionaire list released by Forbes shows that the founders of the Gemini exchange, the Winklevoss twins, top the list with a net worth of $1.4 billion each. Other notable individuals include Bloq co-founder Matthew Roszak, venture capitalist Tim Draper, and MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor. This list only accounts for individual cryptocurrency investment values and does not include company shares.

11. HitBTC permanently delists XRP trading pair

The cryptocurrency exchange HitBTC announced on Twitter that it will permanently delist all XRP trading pairs on its platform tomorrow (January 18). HitBTC stated that all other services will remain unchanged. Previously, the platform had indicated that it would suspend XRP trading on January 18 and would decide whether to resume based on the progress of the SEC lawsuit against Ripple. This delisting will be permanent. (Chain News)

12. Bitcoin "Daddy" Hal Finney was attacked by ransomware.

Recently, Bitcoin early developer Hal Finney was the victim of a ransomware attack, putting approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin at risk of theft. On January 11, Hal Finney's son Jason Finney stated on Twitter: "My father is a victim of ransomware. Two weeks ago, they hacked his hot wallet and stole his private keys. I am trying every possible way to protect his BTC." Jason Finney also mentioned that a Twitter user claimed to have the private keys to Hal Finney's wallet and demanded "to sell the assets at a 25% discount to market price." Hal Finney had previously publicly stated that he owned approximately 9,000 Bitcoins. (Decrypt)