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Boracay, Palawan named among ‘Best Islands in Asia-Pacific’
Two island destinations in the Philippines were included in the 10 “Best Islands in Asia-Pacific” by a foreign travel magazine......»»
DFA launches e-Apostille service; first in Asean region
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs Office of Consular Affairs (DFA – OCA) announced that it launched an e-Apostille service for civil registry documents. DFA said the system will allow the public to apply online for e-documents and e-Apostilles from the Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) without having to appear in both offices. Foreign Affairs.....»»
Cryptocurrency Market Turns Red as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana Prices Dip Before Halving
The cryptocurrency market kicked off Friday on a bearish note, as major digital assets Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana experienced significant declines in morning trading. Bitcoin,.....»»
Addressing the Philippines’ 2024 Threat Landscape: Kaspersky Launches KUMA Platform
To help Filipino businesses and organizations stay safe in cyberspace while embracing digitalization, Kaspersky announces today the launch of Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform (KUMA), its integrated software solution that includes a set of functions for security information and event monitoring and management. The Philippines is expected to continue its double-digit growth towards $35B […].....»»
Annual Stockholders Meeting of UnionBank slated on April 26
The annual stockholders' meeting of Union Bank of the Philippines will be held virtually on April 26, 2024 at 1:00 p.m......»»
Bitcoin hits new all-time high
The leading cryptocurrency surged above the $72,000 mark on Monday Bitcoin, the world's highest-valued cryptocurrency, hit a new record on Monday as it surged above $72,000. The token soared to a fresh all-time high of $72,030, breaking the record set in November 2021 and bringing gains for the year so far to n.....»»
SEC Statement on the Hack of Our X Account and the Subsequent False Bitcoin ETF Approval Announcement
Title: SEC Collaborates with Law Enforcement to Combat Threats Promptly In a bid to ensure investor protection and maintain market integrity, the U.S. Securities and.....»»
Stocks move in step with Asia-wide rally
Local stocks recovered yesterday, moving in step with Asian peers, ahead of US inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s thinking on rate cuts, while the crypto world got a boost after exchange-traded funds to track Bitcoin were approved in the United States......»»
Breaking News: Bitcoin Soars Once More – The Daily Guardian
Title: Bitcoin Surpasses $35,000 Milestone, Market Anticipates Launch of Regulated Bitcoin Funds Date: [Date] Bitcoin, the world’s leading cryptocurrency, has reached a significant milestone by.....»»
Crypto crackdown intensifies on Hamas finance
Cryptocurrency has become the latest front in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, analysts say. Israeli and US authorities have intensified their financial hunt into Hamas in recent days as they track illicit funds via digital currencies. Ari Redbord, global policy head at crypto tracking specialist TRM Labs, said there is now less crypto transfer activity on pro-Hamas support networks as a result. "We are seeing a lot less activity in some respects since the war began," Redbord told AFP. This is "primarily because Israel has been very aggressive and successful in taking down these fundraising efforts", he added. Israel has bombed Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants who, while firing a massive rocket barrage, killed more than 1,400 people and took 222 hostages on 7 October, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli strikes have now killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Shadowy world Cryptocurrency is regarded as a speedy way to move cash that is unregulated by any central bank and is less traceable than a traditional bank transfer. The shadowy world of digital units, based on decentralized blockchain technology, has gained notoriety for illicit transactions due to its under-the-radar appeal. Two weeks ago, Israeli police revealed they had located and frozen accounts linked to Hamas that sought "to solicit donations on social networks" via Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange. A Binance spokeswoman said it "follows internationally recognized sanctions rules, blocking the small number of accounts linked to illicit funds". Redbord, formerly a senior US government adviser, said Hamas had adopted crypto from 2019 at the latest, to seek funding via the Telegram messaging network and even on its own website. Hamas decided in April that it would no longer accept cash via Bitcoin due to increased global surveillance of the world's biggest digital unit. Crypto fundraising is now operated via a network of Hamas-linked support groups. TRM Labs has closely monitored virtual crypto wallets linked to such support groups since the start of the war. And it has concluded that much smaller amounts of cash than usual are being moved. Two weeks after the attacks, support group Gaza Now received less than $6,000 in one of its crypto wallets, Redbord noted. That compared with $800,000 in total since the wallet's creation in August 2021. Meanwhile, authorities are well aware that digital assets are a minor part of a complex funding picture. The US State Department estimates that Iran funnels $100 million per year to Palestinian groups including Hamas. 'Small piece of puzzle' "Cryptocurrency is a very small piece of a larger financing puzzle for Hamas," said Redbord. "They are looking to Iran; they're... imposing taxes on the Palestinians; they have a network of charities and a diaspora of supporters who are sending donations not in cryptocurrencies." "But crypto does play a role," he said. Digital currencies still represent a significant revenue stream for Hamas and other allied groups. Crypto addresses identified by Israel as being linked to Hamas received about $41 million between August 2020 and July 2023, according to Israeli analytics and software firm BitOK. Other crypto addresses linked to Islamic Jihad received in excess of $154 million between October 2022 and September 2023, with some still active, it adds. Some players in the sector simply turn a blind eye. "Some cryptoasset businesses are intentionally or unwittingly allowing misuse of the crypto ecosystem," said Joby Carpenter, an expert on the industry. "This trend is magnified where exchanges are based in lightly or unregulated jurisdictions," he told AFP. The post Crypto crackdown intensifies on Hamas finance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bitcoin Slips to $27K amid Escalating Hamas-Israel Conflict and Diminished Investor Confidence
Bitcoin’s recent attempt to break the $28,000 level faced a wave of selling pressure, according to market analysts at FxPro. This surge in selling resulted.....»»
Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of one of cryptocurrency's biggest exchanges, began Tuesday with a jury set to determine if he committed massive fraud by stealing billions of dollars from clients. The 31-year-old -- once one of the most respected figures in crypto -- now faces decades in prison and could see his name stand alongside Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes as the era's most prominent fraudsters. The first day of the trial was devoted to jury selection for a case that is set to last about six weeks. Bankman-Fried faces seven counts including wire fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and money laundering. He risks more than 100 years behind bars if he is found guilty on all charges. Bankman-Fried entered the courtroom alone -- without being escorted by security guards -- uncuffed, and took his place alongside his lawyers, an AFP journalist observed. Dressed in a dark suit and striped tie, his usually long curly hair was cut short, reportedly by a fellow inmate at the Brooklyn jail where he is being detained. "You have the right to testify in your defense in this case. The decision is up to you," US District Judge Lewis Kaplan told Bankman Fried. In just a few years, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate turned his FTX platform into the world's second-biggest crypto exchange, making him a tech world billionaire wunderkind. FTX became a global name through a marketing campaign that included celebrity partnerships with stars such as supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball legend Stephen Curry, and buying the naming rights for the home arena of the Miami Heat basketball club. Bankman-Fried also stepped in as a kind of savior of the industry when other crypto companies faced difficulties, with FTX swooping in to offer a financial lifeline. At the height of his career, Bankman-Fried was thought to be worth $26 billion as he attracted droves of small investors to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. But his steep rise was matched by his ignominious downfall, which saw him escorted last year by police from his luxury apartment in the Bahamas and extradited to face charges in the United States. 'Gambling at own casino' His empire began to crumble last November when a news report pointed to unhealthy ties between the FTX platform and Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried's personally owned-trading company. The revelations kept growing and major investors pulled their money out of FTX, sinking it swiftly into bankruptcy. Once the dust had settled, some $8.7 billion in client funds was still unaccounted for and Bankman-Fried was accused of using FTX deposits to buy luxury real estate or donate more than $100 million to US politicians through Alameda. "He was gambling in his own casino and it created conflicts of interest," Michael Lewis, an author who followed Bankman-Fried closely during the period, told CBS. Everything "unravels because the depositors at FTX want their money back and it's not all there," the author of "Liar's Poker" and other titles added. The climax of the trial is expected to be when his former friends and colleagues take the stand, including Carlonie Ellison, his one-time romantic partner and Alameda executive, and Gary Wang, his closest associate. Ellison and Wang have also been indicted in the case and agreed to cooperate with US authorities, which may prove Bankman-Fried's undoing. After his spectacular arrest in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried was initially held under house arrest but was ordered behind bars in August over alleged attempts at witness intimidation. According to prosecutors, while holed up at his parents' home in California, Bankman-Fried spoke regularly to journalists and passed documents to The New York Times in an effort to influence the testimony of Ellison. The post Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
75 foreigners involved in online scams deported
The Bureau of Immigration confirmed the deportation of 75 foreign nationals on 22 September at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco shared that those foreigners departed on Friday afternoon via a Royal Air flight RW410 bound for Nanning, Guangxi. These deportees, according to Tansingco, are the first group of foreign nationals to be kicked out of the country for engaging in scams while posing as an online gaming customer care provider. They are part of the group arrested in an operation led by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) against SA Rivendell Global Gaming Corporation located in Pasay City. They were later charged by the BI for undesirability after being tagged as part of a scam syndicate. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which made the arrests, kept custody of the aforementioned foreigners throughout their deportation procedures. The deportees allegedly took part in bitcoin and love schemes that preyed on Westerners. The BI chief said that the initial count of deportees was 76, but the airline offloaded one of them—identified as He Zeng Ming—due to a medical issue after he purportedly complained about chest symptoms. All deportees have been added to the BI's blacklist; thereby, prohibiting them from returning to the country. “The strong partnership of the BI with PAOCC as well as IACAT member agencies led to this massive arrest and deportation of foreign nationals abusing their stay in the country,” said Tansingco. “This is in line with the President’s directive for government agencies to work closely together, in unity, to achieve greater results,” he added. -----anthony ching----- The post 75 foreigners involved in online scams deported appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gang-held prison yields rocket launchers, ammos
Venezuelan authorities on Thursday showed off heavy weapons such as rocket launchers and grenades that were seized in a prison recaptured from gang control. Seized sniper rifles, explosives, buckets of bullets, heaps of machine gun ammunition belts and machines used to mine for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin also were shown to journalists at the Tocoron prison. More than 11,000 police and soldiers, backed up by tanks and armored vehicles, stormed the prison controlled by the notorious Tren de Aragua gang on Wednesday. The facility had long served as the headquarters of the Tren de Aragua gang that operates in Venezuela and other Latin American countries. Interior and Justice Minister Remigio Ceballos told reporters four prison guards were arrested as suspected accomplices of gang members who had lived it up behind bars. “There will be no impunity. We will go against all the criminals and accomplices,” Ceballos said, hailing the successful raid. After declaring it had taken control of the prison, the government began evacuating its 1,600 inmates to other locations. The prison boasted gang-installed amenities such as a zoo, a pool, gambling rooms, a disco, a baseball field and a restaurant. Some inmates had lived there with their wives or girlfriends, who were kicked out during the raid. On Wednesday, the government said some inmates had managed to flee during the clampdown, without giving details. Ceballos said the gang leaders had mistreated other prisoners and kept them in “a kind of slavery.” Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s most powerful home-grown gang, is involved in crime countrywide and has spread its tentacles to neighboring nations. According to an investigation by Venezuelan journalist Ronna Risquez, it has some 5,000 members. The gang emerged a decade ago, and is involved in kidnappings, robberies, drug trafficking, prostitution, extortion and illegal gold mining. The InSight Crime think tank says the gang is also a major player in migrant smuggling. WITH AFP The post Gang-held prison yields rocket launchers, ammos appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bitcoin Surges as European Central Bank Signals No More Rate Hikes
Title: Bitcoin Surges by 2% as ECB Hints at Last Interest Rate Hike Date: [Insert Date] In a surprising turn of events, the announcement by.....»»
Hong Kong launches retail-friendly rules for crypto exchanges
Hong Kong opened its arms to the virtual asset world on Thursday, launching new retail-friendly rules for the city's crypto exchanges. The Chinese finance hub is pivoting to embrace crypto despite high-profile failures in recent months, including the meltdown of trading platform FTX, which wiped out more than $1.5 trillion in the market. China has had a strict crypto ban since 2021, but in Hong Kong -- which operates on a separate legal framework -- trading has been allowed through unregulated, meaning individual investors use unlicensed platforms. The regulatory regime launched Thursday means that after a one-year transition period, all crypto exchanges in Hong Kong must be licensed, and will be able to take on retail clients. "(The sector) fundamentally is going to stay despite all the risks... These activities have to be allowed in a regulated way," the city's financial services and treasury chief Christopher Hui told AFP. The new rules have an emphasis on investor protection measures, like requiring exchanges to vet their clients and limit their risk exposure, as well as restricting trade to "large-cap" tokens such as bitcoin. Crypto exchange OKX -- founded in China but now based in Seychelles -- told AFP it was "committed to the Hong Kong market" and will apply for a license. "Hong Kong is making concrete strides and is building confidence among industry players," said Lennix Lai, OKX's global chief commercial officer. Regulators said they hope to move quickly to issue the first licenses. But a prominent activist investor in Hong Kong said Thursday the new policy lends credibility to a risky sector and endorses speculation. "Hong Kong has a history of jumping onto financial bandwagons just as the wheels are falling off," David Webb, a former investment banker, told AFP. The government may say the new crypto regime is similar to that of traditional finance, but Webb said the "analogy breaks down" as most crypto -- unlike stocks or futures on companies and commodities -- have no intrinsic value. "There's no reason why (the government) should encourage people to bet on someone else paying more for something that has no fundamental value," Webb said. Last year, the city said HK$1.7 billion ($217 million) was lost to crypto-related scams, which police attributed to criminals taking advantage of the public's lack of sector knowledge. The new rules ask exchanges to conduct a "holistic assessment" of a client's understanding of digital currencies before taking them on, but give no specifics. One company licensed under Hong Kong's previous regime tells its prospective clients to take a screenshot showing they have finished watching 13 instructional videos in a free online course. But they "DO NOT need to complete any programme assignments or take any tests", it wrote on its website. The post Hong Kong launches retail-friendly rules for crypto exchanges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A new era for Bitcoin?
Bitcoin was the first decentralized cryptocurrency created and is now the most traded and well-known among crypto-enthusiasts and the general public. Without the creation of Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency space would not be what it is today, and this is why we have been researching the future and sustainability of Bitcoin. Despite other coins consistently taking the headlines, Bitcoin has retained its dominant position atop the crypto market capitalization charts. Nonetheless, Bitcoin’s sustainability is worth discussing. How will the falling block rewards (halved every four years) and relatively low transaction fees impact Bitcoin’s security model? While Bitcoin has held its lead till now, will this continue in the future without a Bitcoin-native smart contract market? Ordinals and Inscriptions Ordinals and Inscriptions, which emerged at the start of 2023, might bring some answers to that. The Ordinals protocol, which was launched in January 2023, allows users to inscribe data on satoshis — the smallest units of Bitcoin — with each such inscription called an Ordinal. The inscribed data can include smart contracts, which enable arbitrary data, such as images, videos, and texts, to be inscribed on the Bitcoin blockchain, creating digital artifacts or, effectively, NFTs. With this latest innovation, not only are we witnessing the start of “Bitcoin NFTs,” we are seeing a resurgence in excitement and attention across the entire Bitcoin ecosystem. Inscriptions have a noticeable impact on Bitcoin’s on-chain metrics and transaction fees are rising. Perhaps most importantly, innovation is increasing and developers are shipping updates everywhere. With increased activity and the opening up of many new use cases for Bitcoin, the very natural question of scalability follows. How will Bitcoin handle the increased traffic? Enter Bitcoin Layer-2s. Bitcoin smart-contract market For many years, Bitcoin has dealt with a need for developer tooling, stagnant infrastructure, and limited innovation relative to smart contract giants such as Ethereum, BNB Chain and Solana. However, things are changing. With names like Yuga Labs, DeGods and Magic Eden having entered the Bitcoin NFT space within weeks of Ordinals while Celestia builds Rollkit to scale Bitcoin, the wheels are turning. Builders finally have something to do with their Bitcoin. Developers are staying up late and shipping updates at a rate not seen in Bitcoin in a while — all of it driven by organic demand. This is the critical part. When an ecosystem goes through a period where organic, genuine user demand essentially forces innovation and product development, a virtuous cycle can ensue, and things can escalate quickly. Ordinals and Inscriptions have introduced a fresh vibrancy to developing Bitcoin, instilled a new set of stakeholders with differing voices and opinions, and ultimately, injected life and enthusiasm into an ecosystem that has been somewhat lagging in the age of monkey NFTs and perpetual swap-driven DeFi markets. In Binance Research’s latest Insights & Analysis report, we take a closer look into the world of Bitcoin and cover all there is to know and look forward to in Bitcoin’s new era. In this report, we provide a brief update on Bitcoin’s recent performance, deep dive into Ordinals & Inscriptions, discuss Bitcoin’s nascent layer-2 ecosystem, and provide a view of what we expect next for Bitcoin. A fully-fledged Bitcoin intelligent contract market, Bitcoin rollups, and the upcoming Bitcoin halving are also some key themes covered. The post A new era for Bitcoin? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
More than 100 people have been arrested in the UK’s largest scam
There are more than 100 suspects in custody and 200,000 victims. It was the traces in Bitcoin that made it easier to identify criminals More.....»»
Bitcoin Short Selling – What Are the Possible Ways You Can Try?
Before you get started with your short selling, let’s take some time to cover the basics of what Bitcoin is and how it works. Bitcoin is a digital currency that got invented in 2009 by an unknown individual or group of persons known as Satoshi Nakamoto. It works as a peer-to-peer payment network. Users can […] The post Bitcoin Short Selling – What Are the Possible Ways You Can Try? appeared first on Kagay An......»»
Bitcoin.org Bans UK Access to Bitcoin Core and White Paper
Not only White papers or a technical document, but Bitcoin Core is also blocked from bitcoin.org for UK residents. The event comes days after a.....»»