
                    
                    Bermuda's Edward Burt reportedly met with U.S. lawmakers and government officials this week in Washington, D.C. to discuss common standards for digital assets.
                    The dramatic collapse of crypto exchange FTX last November is not moving Bermuda away from receiving crypto companies, according to the head of the British island territory’s government during an interview with Bloomberg News. “The future of finance is digital,” said the premier and finance minister Edward David Burt, who believes there are still considerable benefits to be gained from digital assets and blockchain technology. Bermuda is a self-governing territory with a parliamentary government and was one of the first places to implement a regulatory framework for digital assets. The territory is just 915 miles away from The Bahamas, where the now-bankrupted FTX once operated.Burt reportedly faced intense political pressure before FTX's failure, as the exchange chose The Bahamas instead of Bermuda for its headquarters. According to him, the latest events in the crypto industry had a minimal impact on the territory thanks to its regulations. “I think that approach has been vindicated,” Burt said, adding that regulations in Bermuda are clear and won't change for any company.Today, GBBC had the pleasure of hosting @BermudaPremier in Washington, D.C. as he shared how government, private sector, and regulators are working together to create clear, smart regulation around #blockchain & #digitalassets pic.twitter.com/ABYEUMrRaJ— Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) (@GBBCouncil) March 31, 2023

According to Bloomberg, Burt met with U.S. lawmakers and government officials this week in Washington, D.C. to discuss common standards for digital assets, along with topics related to its finance and insurance sectors. He believes that regulators around the world "must work together" to provide clarity for emergent technologies. Since 2022, Bermuda's government has pushed forward its ambitious plans to become a cryptocurrency hub. The island, known for its natural beauty and attractive taxation policies, has been actively expanding its crypto sector since 2017, Cointelegraph reported. According to Burt, 17 licensed crypto firms are currently operating in Bermuda.Among the latest crypto developments in the territory, Jewel Bank released in December Bermuda's first stablecoin powered by the Polygon blockchain, focusing on enabling real-time settlements using a stablecoin with a one-to-one peg to the United States dollar.Magazine: Best and worst countries for crypto taxes — plus crypto tax tips

Bermuda still open to crypto firms, says premier: Report

FTX EU, the European arm of Sam Bankman-Fried's bankrupt crypto exchange, has initiated the process to return funds to its customers. A dedicated website will allow customers to view their balance ahead of withdrawals.

FTX EU Commences Process To Return Customer Funds


                    
                    Signs of easing inflation could push Bitcoin and select altcoins above their respective overhead resistance levels in the short-term. 
                    Data from the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index showed an uptick of 0.3% in February, which lower than the 0.5% increase seen in January. Economists had projected a rise of 0.4% and the PCE data suggests that inflation is gradually showing a decreasing trend. Risky assets rallied in response to the data and some analysts expect the Federal Reserve to start cutting rates by the end of the year, The FedWatch Tool shows a 33% probability of a 50 basis point cut by December 2023.The cryptocurrency space is trying to come out of a long bear phase. This has improved sentiment and analysts are focusing on the long-term prospects of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360Citi said in its “Money, Tokens and Games” March report that the blockchain-based tokenization of real-world assets could soar to between $4 to $5 trillion by 2030. Although the lack of legal and regulatory framework, and the skepticism of industry players may pose a challenge in the short term, the investment bank believes they will be overcome eventually. Could Bitcoin (BTC) and select altcoins extend their up-move or is it time for the rally to stall? Let’s study the charts of the top-10 cryptocurrencies to find out.Bitcoin price analysisThe bulls propelled Bitcoin above $29,000 on March 30 but the long wick on the candlestick shows that the bears have not yet given up and are selling on rallies. BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewWhen a level proves too difficult to cross, usually the price retraces back before making the next attempt. In this case, if the price again fails to cross $29,000, the BTC/USDT pair may pullback to the 20-day exponential moving average ($26,707). A strong bounce off this level will suggest that the sentiment remains positive and traders are buying on dips. That will increase the possibility of a break above $29,185. If buyers succeed in their endeavor, the pair may soar to the $30,000 to $32,500 resistance zone. The first sign of weakness will be a fall below the 20-day EMA. Such a move will suggest that the bulls may be booking profits. That may result in a rest of the breakout level of $25,250. Below this level, the pair could slide to the 200-day simple moving average ($20,342).Ether price analysisEther (ETH) is facing resistance near $1,857, indicating that bears are trying to protect this level with all their might. A positive sign in favor of the bulls is that they have not ceded ground to the bears.ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe rising 20-day EMA ($1,736) and the RSI in the positive territory enhance the prospects of a break above $1,857. If that happens, the ETH/USDT pair may resume its up-move and reach the overhead resistance zone between $2,000 and $2,200.Contrary to this assumption, if the price trips below the 20-day EMA, it will suggest that the bulls have given up. That could pull the price to the strong support at $1,680. A break below this level could indicate that bears have seized control. The pair may then descend to $1,600 and thereafter to $1,461.BNB price analysisBNB’s (BNB) relief rally is facing selling in the zone between the 20-day EMA ($316) and the downtrend line but the bulls are hanging on.BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe 20-day EMA has flattened out and the RSI is near the midpoint, indicating that the selling pressure may be reducing. The aggressive bears may get trapped if the price rises above the downtrend line. That may result in a short squeeze, which could propel the price to the overhead resistance zone between $338 and $346.Conversely, if the price turns down from the downtrend line and plummets below $305, it will suggest that bears are back in the driver’s seat. The BNB/USDT pair may then drop to the 200-day SMA ($290).XRP price analysisThe long wick on XRP’s (XRP) March 29 candlestick shows that the bears are aggressively defending the resistance at $0.56. XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe XRP/USDT pair formed an inside-day candlestick pattern on March 30, indicating uncertainty among the bulls and the bears. If the price slips below $0.52, the pair may retest the breakout level of $0.49. This is an important level to keep an eye on because a break below it could extend the correction to the 20-day EMA ($0.45).Another possibility is that the price turns up from the current level and breaks above the $0.56 to $0.59 resistance zone. If that happens, the pair may skyrocket to $0.65 and later to $0.80.Cardano price analysis After hesitating for two days, the bulls have pushed Cardano (ADA) above the minor resistance at $0.39. The price has reached the vital resistance at the neckline of the inverse head and shoulders (H&S) pattern.ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe rising 20-day EMA ($0.36) and the RSI in the positive territory indicate that the path of least resistance is to the upside. If buyers thrust the price above the neckline, it will complete the reversal setup. The ADA/USDT pair could then surge toward the pattern target of $0.60.On the other hand, if the price turns down from the neckline, the bears will try to sink the pair to the moving averages. This is an important level to keep an eye on because a slide below it could open the gates for a possible fall to $0.30.Dogecoin price analysisDogecoin (DOGE) has been trading near the 20-day EMA ($0.07) for the past few days, indicating indecision among the bulls and the bears.DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe flat 20-day EMA and the RSI near the midpoint do not give an advantage either to the bulls or the bears. This uncertainty will clear if the price breaks above the 200-day SMA or plummets below $0.07.If the price rises above the 200-day SMA, the DOGE/USDT pair could pick up momentum and rally toward the $0.10 to $0.11 resistance zone. The bears are likely to defend this zone with vigor. On the downside, a break below $0.07 could result in a retest of the support near $0.06.Polygon price analysisPolygon (MATIC) nudged above the 20-day EMA ($1.12) on March 29 and 30 but the bears held their ground. Sellers will now try to sink the price to the strong support at $1.05.MATIC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe 20-day EMA continues to slope down, indicating advantage to bears but the RSI just below the midpoint suggests that the bulls are attempting a comeback. This state of uncertainty may not continue for long.If the price breaks and sustains above the 20-day EMA, the MATIC/USDT pair may attempt a rally to the overhead resistance of $1.30. On the other hand, if the price tumbles below the 200-day SMA ($0.97), the selling could intensify and the pair may nosedive to $0.69. Related: Solana overcomes FTX fiasco — SOL price gains 100% in Q1Solana price analysisBuyers pushed Solana (SOL) above the 20-day EMA ($20.88) on March 29 but the bulls could not clear the overhead hurdle at the downtrend line.SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe 20-day EMA is flat and the RSI is just below the midpoint, indicating a state of equilibrium between the buyers and sellers. The SOL/USDT pair may continue to swing between the support at $18.70 and the downtrend line for a while longer.Usually, when the price gets squeezed between two levels, it is followed by a sharp breakout. If the price breaks below $18.70, the pair could slump to $15.28. Alternatively, a rally above the downtrend line will signal a potential trend change. The pair may then start its northward march toward $39.Polkadot price analysisPolkadot (DOT) broke above the 20-day EMA ($6.13) on March 29 and the bulls thwarted attempts by the bears to pull the price back below the level on March 30.DOT/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe 20-day EMA has flattened out and the RSI is just above the midpoint, indicating a balance between supply and demand. The DOT/USDT pair could oscillate between $5.70 and $6.70 for a few days.A break and close above the $6.70 resistance will open the doors for a potential rise to the neckline of the inverse H&S pattern. Contrarily, if the price turns down and slips below $5.70, the pair may decline to $5.15.Litecoin price analysisThe bulls once again defended the 20-day EMA ($87) on March 30, indicating strong demand for Litecoin (LTC) at lower levels.LTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingViewBuyers will have to propel the price above $96 to signal that the short-term corrective phase may be over. The LTC/USDT pair will then try to rally to $106 where the bulls are likely to encounter strong resistance from the bears.Alternatively, if the price turns down from the current level or the downtrend line, it will suggest that bears are not willing to give up. That will increase the prospects of a break below the 20-day EMA. The pair may then slump to $75.The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.




Price analysis 3/31: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, DOGE, MATIC, SOL, DOT, LTC

The European arm had only been in operation for about 8 months prior to the collapse of parent FTX.

FTX EU Sets Up Website to Repay Users

Sam Bankman-Fried is pleading not guilty to a new set of charges as the former crypto tycoon faces the possibility of spending decades in jail. Federal prosecutors alleged in a new indictment unsealed on Tuesday that the founder of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX paid out $40 million in cryptocurrency to induce Chinese government officials to […]
The post FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty to New Charges, Including Bribery of Chinese Officials: Report appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty to New Charges, Including Bribery of Chinese Officials: Report


                    
                    The Block reportedly laid off roughly 33% of its staff including interim CEO Bobby Moran in an effort to stabilize the platform following loans it received from Sam Bankman-Fried.
                    Larry Cermak, vice president of research at The Block, has announced that he will be taking the reins at the crypto and blockchain news website from interim chief executive officer Bobby Moran — the second change in leadership since reports surfaced that former CEO Mike McCaffrey financed the platform through loans from Alameda Research. In a March 31 tweet, Cermak said he would be stepping up as CEO after roughly five years at the crypto news site. Axios also reported that The Block laid off roughly 33% of its staff — including Moran — in an effort to stabilize the platform following the controversial loans it received from former FTX and Alameda Research founder Sam Bankman-Fried."We are not immune to the contraction of the crypto market, and the economy more broadly," the company reportedly said. "We grew too quickly to capitalize on a bull market in crypto. Now, we must shift our strategy and recalibrate our teams to align with the reality of the current market.""Now that the environment has drastically changed, The Block needs to adjust too."The crypto media company has laid off roughly one-third of its staff as part of a broader leadership shakeup, sources told Axios.https://t.co/MujKKTVsKF— Axios (@axios) March 31, 2023

In December 2022, Moran revealed that McCaffrey had used two loans totaling $27 million from Alameda in 2021 in his efforts to restructure the crypto news site. McCaffrey failed to disclose the loans to The Block’s leadership team, a move which led to his resignation as CEO. The Block’s editor-at-large Frank Chaparro, who previously referred to McCaffrey as “literal scum” who betrayed the platform’s staff, lauded Cermak’s advancement to CEO, saying the site was “returning to our crypto native roots”.Cermak reportedly said he had received no direction from McCaffrey to cover stories about FTX or Bankman-Fried “in any particular way,” despite the platform’s financial ties. All of the news stories on the website include a disclaimer with details about the loans from SBF.Related: FTX presentation shows ‘massive shortfall’ in firm’s assetsSince FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11, many news outlets, lawmakers, and organizations reported financials ties to the defunct crypto exchange or directly to Bankman-Fried. The firm’s leadership announced in February that it planned to recover all political donations, reporting in March a research team had determined there had been roughly $25 million as of November 2022.Magazine: Can you trust crypto exchanges after the collapse of FTX?

Crypto news site The Block gets new CEO and reported staff layoffs following admitted ties to SBF

Crypto hardware company Ledger has secured €100 million ($109 million) funding in its latest funding round at the $1.4 billion valuation for the company. 
Successful Closure Of Series C Extension
Hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger has conducted late-stage funding in its Series C round to raise over $100 million. The company had maintained its $1.4 billion valuation from its last funding round in June 2021, when it raised around $380 million. According to reports, the company will conduct two more rounds in 2023. 
On March 30th, the team announced the successful closure of its Series C extension fundraising, which will be used to optimize and expand its wallet production.
The team tweeted, 

“Ledger is proud to announce our Series C extension fundraising round. We continue our mission of bringing ease-of-use and uncompromised security to your digital value.”

Some of the leading institutional investors contributing to this funding are Morgan Creek, Cité Gestion SPV, Digital Finance Group, VaynerFund, True Global Ventures, and 10T.
Ledger Thriving Amidst Market Troubles
The company is behind the uber-popular hardware wallets like the Nano S and Nano X. Despite regulatory concerns plaguing the industry, the company’s continued success indicates that digital security is still a profitable niche in the market. The crypto-security firm had previously launched the Ledger Stax hardware wallet in the middle of the FTX controversy with much success. Today, Ledger hardware wallets protect 20% of all the cryptocurrency in the world. 
New Generation Of Hardware
In an accompanying blog post published by the company, CEO and Chairman Pascal Gauthier wrote about Ledger’s plan forward. 

“Within the next five to ten years, my conviction is that the rise of the Internet of Value will reshape how billions of people own and manage their assets, redefining how we interact with the Internet, the role of intermediaries, the global economy, and every industry.”

He talks about introducing a new generation of hardware that would encompass even smartphones and laptops. Gauthier indicated that the company would be using the funds from the latest round to enhance the Ledger software experience. He plans to integrate more cryptocurrencies, blockchains, services, and features into Ledger Live. 
CEO’s Plans For Ledger Enterprise 
Gauthier also addresses the business side of affairs. The company’s B2B division, Ledger Enterprise, will be working on empowering more corporations to use the proper governance and security frameworks in their digital initiatives. 
He writes, 

“As the Internet of Value gradually goes mainstream, our Ledger devices will allow you to manage an ever-expanding range of tokenized assets, including your value, identity, data, stocks, and much more, enabling you to connect with complete ownership.”

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. 

Ledger Raises $100M At $1.4B Valuation


                    
                    The cryptocurrency market may have overreacted to Solana's FTX links and its tainted boss Sam Bankman-Fried.
                    The price of Solana (SOL) fell nearly 95% in 2022, partly due to its association with tainted crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and his collapsed ventures FTX and Alameda Research. But so far in 2023, things have improved for the SOL price.Solana price doubles in Q1/2023Solana's price has risen 104% to around $20.60 per SOL in the first quarter of 2023, the highest gains compared to any cryptocurrency in the top-25, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).Solana beats top-ranking assets' Q1/2023 returns. Source: MessariIn fact, January was Solana's best month since August 2021 in terms of price performance. SOL price rallied by about 140% in it, without any major fundamentals that could have driven the rates up. Nonetheless, the SOL/USD pair became excessively oversold in December 2022, which may have influenced traders to buy the dip. The rally also coincided with Messari's analysis of the Solana ecosystem after the FTX collapse, showing its staking and decentralization was stable and actually improved its position after the FTX fiasco."Solana will continue to release a multitude of initiatives, including network upgrades, ecosystem developments, and community efforts, to name a few," wrote James Stautman, researcher at Messari, adding: "After a tumultuous year fraught with one challenge after another, light appears to be at the end of the tunnel heading into 2023."In other words, the market may have overreacted to Solana's ties with Sam Bankman-Fried in Q4 of last year, resulting in a sharp rebound.What's next for SOL price?Solana underperformed the broader crypto market in February and March, after SOL's January spike left it technically overbought. Related: Solana plans to improve its blockchain: Here’s howSolana price lost about 40% from the January peak. Its market dominance (SOL.D) also dropped from 0.98% in January to 0.69% in March, suggesting that traders rotated capital elsewhere. SOL.D monthly price chart. Source: TradingViewNevertheless, as of March 31, Solana trades above two technical support levels: a horizontal trendline that has capped SOL's downside attempts mostly throughout Q1/2023 and an ascending trendline that served as backup support in early March when the horizontal one failed.  These two support levels have converged. Therefore, SOL/USD now eyes a short term bounce from there toward a multi-month support/resistance flip level around $26.50, as shown below. SOL/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingViewThat leaves Solana with a 30% upside prospects in April. Conversely, a drop below the two support levels could have SOL price retest its March low of $16 as the next downside target.This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.



Solana overcomes FTX fiasco — SOL price gains 100% in Q1

The EU-based subsidiary of the FTX exchange has taken up the challenge to pay back users who lost their investments last year. The EU branch had only operated for seven months after its launch before the parent exchange collapsed. It recently launched a website approved by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission to accept customers’ […]

FTX EU Launches Withdrawal Website For European Users

Traditional finance (TradFi) is facing serious challenges, highlighted by recent scandals in the industry. On November 8th, 2022, the mismanagement of centralized finance collided with crypto, as the infamous centralized exchange FTX, owned by Bankman-Fried, unraveled to the tune of 8 billion dollars. The FTX administration used little to no accounting or accountability policies and […]

Orbeon Protocol: Introducing A Paradigm Shift in Finance

FTX EU, a subsidiary of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, has launched a new website that allows customers to withdraw their fiat balances from the platform.

FTX launches new fiat withdrawal website for EU customers

Assistant US Attorney Nicholas Roos stated in a recent hearing in Manhattan federal court that the laptop obtained from former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) contains so much data that the FBI is struggling to analyze it, according to reports from Business Insider on Thursday (March 30). Retrieving Bankman-Fried Slack’s messages reportedly take weeks for ... Read more

FBI struggles to analyze SBF’s laptop due to excess data


                    
                    FTX EU was only approved by the Cyprus regulator in March, 2022, about seven months before FTX collapsed in November.
                    The European arm of FTX, FTX EU has launched a website to allow European customers to submit withdrawal requests.It comes nearly five months after the global trading platform collapsed and went bankrupt in early November.The new website domain name — https://ftxeurope.eu/ — was reportedly approved by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission according to a report in Finance Magnates.A screenshot of the newly launched website to withdraw funds from FTX EU. Source: FTX EuropeThe new domain will not offer any products or services other than to pay back impacted customers, the report said, referencing an email received by FTX Europe."Please be informed that our new domain, www.ftxeurope.eu, has been approved by our regulator CySEC as you have well identified. The website  will only be used for all FTX EU LTD clients to be able to claim their FIAT balances. There will be no services or products offered via this website."While FTX EU was made available to users in the Europe Economic Area and Middle East, it is not clear how many users were impacted.FTX EU only became available in March 2022 and the global enterprise collapsed in November, so numbers are not expected to be large. FTX EU, a solvent entity, is now paying out its customers on https://t.co/MEw8Oz8vTk.Note: Almost none of FTX's EU citizens are FTX EU users, because for some reason, FTX EU only onboarded customers registered from March 2022. pic.twitter.com/gu56Vysvlc— FTX 2.0pium (FTX Creditor) (@AFTXcreditor) March 30, 2023

FTX Japan is another subsidiary that has already made amends to impacted customers. In late February, it allowed a total withdrawal of funds, which amounted to about $50 million.Related: FTX customers want more info on FTX’s plans to sell subsidiariesThe Cyprus regulator requested FTX EU to suspend its operations on Nov 9, shortly before FTX Group and its 130 affiliated companies (including FTX EU) officially filed for bankruptcy on Nov 11.FTX Europe was headquartered in Switzerland for the relatively short duration that it operated.Magazine: Can you trust crypto exchanges after the collapse of FTX?The FTX EU website has been approved by the Cyprus securities regulator: Source: Cyprus Securites and Exchange Commission

FTX EU launches withdrawal website to pay back European users

HBAR Crypto News: 2023 has turned out to be a productive year for the Hedera (HBAR) network as it has been making several technical advances in the crypto space. Although, the collapse of the FTX exchange left a gruesome aftermath in the broader crypto market, the HBAR ecosystem seems to be growing as it pushes 
The post Top Mastercard-Backed Blockhain App Migrates To Hedera; Is HBAR Price Gunning For $1? appeared first on CoinGape.

Top Mastercard-Backed Blockhain App Migrates To Hedera; Is HBAR Price Gunning For $1?

Court filings reveal that the FTX co-founder is seeking access to a $10 million insurance plan to cover his attorney fees. FTX debtors and unsecured creditors have opposed Sam Bankman-Fried’s request, arguing that every dollar spent on his defense is “one less dollar” available to cover the losses of the debtors. FTX Debtors and Unsecured […]

Former FTX CEO Seeks $10M Insurance Fund for Legal Defense, Request Opposed by FTX Debtors and Unsecured Creditors

The recent collapse of FTX has increased interest in Ledger's secure storage solutions and has led to recent funding success.

Ledger sees funding success in wake of FTX collapse

OKX, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, has revealed that it has found $157 million in digital assets belonging to FTX and Alameda Research and will give them over to the former businesses’ bankruptcy estates. The exchange did not disclose which digital assets it had discovered, but this step is anticipated to bring some comfort […]
The post OKX Says It’s Turning Over $157M in Frozen FTX and Alameda Assets appeared first on BitcoinWorld.

OKX Says It’s Turning Over $157M in Frozen FTX and Alameda Assets

Regardless of the market’s condition, Bitcoin (BTC) options contracts worth roughly $4 billion will expire by Friday. According to past option contracts expiration, this huge amount could impact the Bitcoin market significantly over the weekend.  Similar to cryptocurrency futures contracts, options are financial derivatives that allow traders to buy or sell an asset at a pre-established price on a future date.  Related Reading: Dormant Bitcoin Now 16% Higher Than BTC In Exchange Reserves $4 Billion Bitcoin Option Contract To Expire According to data from Amberdata, the quarterly option contracts on the biggest crypto options exchange, Deribit is set to expire by Friday. These contracts include call options (buy) of 81,052 worth $2.24 billion and 60,261 put options (sell) worth $1.73 billion. A put option allows an investor to sell assets at an agreed price on or before a particular date. In contrast, a call option is a contract that allows traders to buy assets at an agreed price on or before a given date.  On the Deribit exchange, an option contract is parallel to just one BTC. Deribit is one of the leading crypto-based derivative exchanges in the market. It offers futures, options, and perpetual swaps for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Having the highest volume and open interest among other options exchanges, Deribit accounts for over 60% of the global crypto options activity. Out of its double-digit owned option activity, the exchange will liquidate its quarterly options by 08:00 UTC on Friday. What This Means For BTC BTC price has fallen sharply below $28,000 after its quick spike to above $29,000 earlier today. Over the past 24 hours, more than $20 billion have been removed from its market cap following its sharp spike. BTC is currently down by 1.4% at the time of writing, with a trading price of $27,876 and a market cap of $538 billion. According to Deribit, the last major Bitcoin options expiry happened in late December when roughly 135,000 contracts expired. Though this volume is relatively lower than that set to expire tomorrow. It resulted in a slight fall for BTC given it was already at the bottom due to the FTX crash and the Binance FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).  However, since BTC has been in an upward rally since the beginning of the year, especially over the past weeks, there could be a notable movement from the asset after the BTC options for tomorrow get liquidated. Commenting on tomorrow’s options expiry, trading desk QCP Capital shared with its followers: Tomorrow’s large quarter-end option expiry is unlikely to provide the fireworks that other march quarter-ends have done in recent years. The speed of the recent spot move and lack of traders’ conviction have left the open interest map spread rather thinly across strikes. We are positioning ourselves short vol into tomorrow’s expiry, expecting sellers to come in ahead of the big expiry roll tomorrow, and before buyers step in again next week. Featured image from Unsplash, Chart from TradingView

$4 Billion Bitcoin Option Contract To Expire On Friday, What This Means For BTC

Quick Take During the FTX collapse, according to the accumulation trend score by cohort, whales (10,000 BTC or more) accumulated during this period (denoted by the blue) The entity supply distribution for the whale’s aggregates to 30% of the supply back in November. 
The post Big fish, small fish: How Bitcoin investors are taking different paths appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Big fish, small fish: How Bitcoin investors are taking different paths


                    
                    The funding is the first of three rounds for the hardware wallet provider, whose success has been fueled by growing awareness of crypto self-custody. 
                    Hardware wallet provider Ledger has raised 100 million euros ($109 million) in a Series C funding round extension, placing its valuation at 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion), in line with its previous funding in June 2021, Bloomberg reported on March 30. The funding is the first of three investment rounds. As per the report, a second closing is due in April, followed by a third funding to take place at a later date, given "high investor interest." The capital will be used to expand the company's distribution network, increase production, and develop new products.Ledger's new investors include VaynerFund, Cité Gestion SPV, True Global Ventures, and Digital Finance Group. Previous investors include Morgan Creek, Cathay Innovation, Draper Dragon, Cap Horn, among others. Ledger is proud to announce our Series C extension fundraising round.We continue our mission of bringing ease-of-use and uncompromised security to your digital value.Read what our CEO @_pgauthier has to say:https://t.co/JSHyi5jKIQ pic.twitter.com/aGi2FhOXCs— Ledger (@Ledger) March 30, 2023

In a recent interview with Cointelegraph at Paris Blockchain Week, Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier noted that the collapse of crypto exchanges and banks in recent months has raised the level of awareness about crypto self-custody. “Whenever the market gets stressed and whenever people fear for their savings, you know, they rush to crypto and to Ledger,” Gauthier noted. Related: How to keep your cryptocurrency safe after the FTX collapseLedger reportedly had its best month of sales in November following the dramatic collapse of crypto exchange FTX. According to the company, revenue from Ledger Live's buy-and-sell crypto app has grown 200% in the past 12 months. Hardware wallet provider Trezor also benefited from FTX failure, reporting a 300% surge in sales revenue as a result of investors rescuing their funds. Ledger claims to store more than 20% of crypto assets in circulation and 30% of the non-fungible tokens supply. Among recent moves, the company hired Tony Fadell, builder of the iPhone, to design a new version of its hardware wallet.Prominent figures in the industry have also encouraged crypto self-custody. “Self custody is a fundamental human right. You are free to do it anytime. Just make sure you do it right,” Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said in November, advising investors to start small and learn the technology. 

Crypto wallet Ledger raises $109M as demand for self-custody soars

On Thursday, the disgraced founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, Sam Bankman-Fried, entered a not-guilty plea to new accusations leveled against him, that include conspiracy to break campaign finance rules and bribe Chinese officials. At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in federal court in Manhattan, Bankman-Fried pleaded guilty to the new 13-count 
The post Just-In: FTX Founder SBF Denies China Bribery Charges; Can Face 15 Years In Prison If True appeared first on CoinGape.