#blockchain bites

Blockchain Bites: Canada Approves Bitcoin ETF, Options Markets Not Pricing for $100K BTC

Editor’s Note: Welcome to the year of the Ox. Blockchain Bites will not publish on President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 15. Three stories Bull market buzz The first bitcoin exchange-traded fund in North America has been approved by Canada’s securities regulator, a move some commenters see as opening the door for the U.S. to follow. The U.S. government has been hesitant to approve a bitcoin ETF…

Blockchain Bites: Mastercard, BNY Mellon Embrace Crypto; Amazon Floats ‘Digital Currency’ Project

Three trends 1. Crypto infrastructure is being laid down across the banking, tech and financial sectors. BNY Mellon, the world’s biggest custodian bank, will allow customers to custody crypto by the end of the year. It’s working with unnamed outside partners to build out the offering, according to CoinDesk’s Ian Allison. Mastercard plans to support digital currency transactions directly on its…

Blockchain Bites: The US vs. Bitcoin?

Three stories 1. Tesla caught a lucky break in announcing its $1.5 billion bitcoin purchase when it did. The auto giant is reportedly being investigated by Chinese authorities over safety and quality concerns, news that came to light the same day headlines were dominated by Tesla’s treasury, according to CoinDesk markets reporter Muyao Shen. Media gadflies, like NYU economics professor Nouriel…

Blockchain Bites: Will Bitcoin See ‘Reflexive’ Buys After Tesla?

Sound bites Nic Carter argued that comparing bitcoin’s energy consumption to Visa’s is missing the forest for the trees. Bitcoin isn’t just a payments network, but a self-contained monetary system that proposes its own unit of account, he argued live on CoinDesk TV. “First Mover” is a rundown of the top global market, business and regulatory news stories impacting digital assets. Catch it every…

Blockchain Bites: Tesla Drives $1.5B Into Bitcoin, Brian Brooks Comments on Monetary Debasement

Three stories 1. Tesla invested $1.5 billion of its cash reserves in bitcoin, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission annual report. The popular auto manufacturer said bitcoin offers “more flexibility to further diversify and maximize returns on our cash.” The company had more than $19 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2020. Both Tesla’s stock and bitcoin’s price…

Blockchain Bites: The Weird and Wonderful in Crypto This Week

Three stories The big news of today, in context. 1. The crypto-bank connection is strengthening. Seattle-based Protego Trust Bank has received conditional approval for a trust charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to custody digital assets. Protego is the second applicant to receive conditional approval from the OCC following Anchorage. It follows several other…