regime uncertainty

Bankers Balking at Bitcoin in U.S. as Real-World Obstacles Mount

"'Banks are scared to deal with Bitcoin companies, even if they really want to,' said Stephen Pair, co-founder and chief technical officer of BitPay Inc., an Atlanta-based company that processes payments for merchants in Bitcoin. Pair said BitPay has relationships with banks in the U.S., Canada and Europe; he declined to name them at the banks’ request. Because of regulatory pressure in the U.S., much of the exchange business has moved to Britain, Japan and China, Jered Kenna, founder of Tradehill, the Bitcoin exchange that lost its bank, said in an interview. LightSpeed Venture Partners announced on Nov. 18 that it would invest $5 million in BTC China." Continue reading →

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Bitcoin: China’s New Special Economic Zone

"With the People’s Bank of China’s announcement, the establishment of Bitcoin as yet another one of these areas – the first ever that only exists in cyberspace, has essentially become official. The announcement specifically forbade the existing Chinese banking system from interacting with the Bitcoin economy, but otherwise created an environment for the Bitcoin economy that some have described as even more free than that of Europe. Although exchanges are required to follow know-your-customer guidelines and register with telecommunications authorities, aside from this they do not need any kind of financial license in order to operate. The Bitcoin economy will be allowed to grow." Continue reading →

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Bank of Korea Relaxes Negative Stance on Bitcoins

"The BOK said on December 3 that it made a report on bitcoins and is pondering a measure to open the virtual money to the public. The report however includes a negative opinion on the possibility of its use as a future currency. There are no stores in Korea that accept bitcoins except Korbit, which was established in April this year, specifically to facilitate trading in bitcoins. Bitcoins are only used for investment purposes, not for the trade of goods. Under such circumstances, a Paris Baguette in Incheon City started to accept bitcoins and developed a tablet application for bitcoin settlement." Continue reading →

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China central bank warns banks against use of bitcoin

"China's central bank warned on Thursday that financial institutions should not trade the digital currency bitcoin, saying that while it does not yet pose a threat to China's financial system, it carries risks. The central bank also said in a statement on its website that it would act to prevent money laundering risks from bitcoin, a prominent digital currency that is not backed by a government or central bank. The PBOC will require trading platforms that deal in virtual currencies such as bitcoin to register with telecommunications authorities, it said. The central bank did allow that ordinary individuals were free to use bitcoin, so long as they take on the risk themselves." Continue reading →

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Argentina Raises Tax on Foreign Credit Card Purchases to 35%

"President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s government is raising taxes on credit card purchases abroad in a bid to stem the drop in Argentina’s international reserves to their lowest levels since December 2006. The government raised the the tax charged on credit card purchases in foreign currency to 35 percent from 20 percent, according to the Official Gazette. Argentina’s dollar reserves have plunged 29 percent this year to $30.9 billion as the government uses the funds to pay international debt and import energy, while Argentines take advantage of a strong official rate for the peso to spend abroad. The official rate is 6.2 pesos, while the black market rate is 9.2." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingArgentina Raises Tax on Foreign Credit Card Purchases to 35%

China’s Largest Bitcoin Exchange Seeks Recognition for Currency

"BTC China, the nation’s largest Bitcoin exchange, has had low-level discussions with regulators seeking recognition of the digital currency that would allow it to be used to buy goods and services in the country. The company has sought to discuss Bitcoin regulations with officials from agencies including the People’s Bank of China, the China Banking Regulatory Commission and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, BTC China Chief Executive Officer Bobby Lee said in a Nov. 29 interview in Shanghai. It’s not yet been able to arrange any high-level meetings, he said." Continue reading →

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Gold suffers worst November since 1978

"A price fall of such magnitude hasn't been seen in November since 1978, according to data from the World Gold Council, when prices plunged 20 percent. Spot gold rested at $1,252 an ounce on Friday and was headed for its biggest monthly drop since June. It has lost over a quarter of its value year-to-date, putting it on track to post its first annual loss in 13 years. Citi said this month that gold was about to enter 'phase two' of its bear market and its downside target for the metal is now $1,111 per ounce. Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, predicts a 'significant decline' in gold in 2014, with a fall of at least 15 percent." Continue reading →

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US Regulators: the World’s Bitcoin Police?

"It’s clear that some of the top cops in the United States aspire to regulate virtual currencies on a global scale. A series of meetings took place last week in response to the criminal activities lawmakers have witnessed using distributed money such as bitcoin. What does this mean for those starting bitcoin-based businesses in the US? And what impact will this have on virtual currencies in the global economy?" Continue reading →

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Australian central bank’s talk of intervention sends Aussie dollar down

"The overnight fall in the Australian dollar shows once again that just a few carefully targeted words from Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens have the power to move markets. While Mr Stevens did not say the Reserve Bank was about to intervene to pull the dollar down, his comment that the option was in the monetary policy 'toolkit' proves that words from the central bank governor can be timely bullets. The impact-laden comments show the RBA's frustration in its attempts to lower the dollar, despite 2.25 percentage points of cuts to the official cash rate since late 2011." Continue reading →

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If Senators Really Like Bitcoin They Should Encourage Banks To Cooperate

"With many of their fears assuaged, the senators seemed ready to ask what they could do to foster Bitcoin and other digital currencies during these early stages of innovation. And the message was clear: give banks the assurances they need to accept Bitcoin companies as clients. In the last year, this has been a huge problem for U.S.-based companies. The senators expressed an admirable concern about falling behind in this arena. And if they really want the country to catch up, they will find a way to help Bitcoin integrate with the U.S. banking system." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIf Senators Really Like Bitcoin They Should Encourage Banks To Cooperate