Author: dfmines

As gold prices break new highs, many Bitcoiners are seeking ways to obtain exposure to the precious metal, but have been met with hurdles along the way.Although physical gold is accessible in the form of jewelry, gold bars and coins, many industry executives are concerned about aspects like its quality, liquidity when selling, and buying at a premium above spot prices.Still, gold advocates are confident that the precious metal is much easier to buy than Bitcoin (BTC), given the complexities of storing private keys and a steep learning curve for new crypto investors.Both Bitcoin and gold are available in the form of tokenized assets, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other equity instruments, but the question of owning these assets in their original form reveals some differences.Community: Buying Bitcoin is easier and faster“Buying Bitcoin is significantly easier and faster than buying physical gold,” Ross Shemeliak, co-founder of the tokenization platform Stobox, told Cointelegraph.He referred to Bitcoin’s instant and 24/7 availability and no need for vaults, while gold is associated with additional costs like transportation, storage, verification and resale.Adam Lowe, chief of product at the self-custodial wallet Arculus, agreed that buying physical gold is subject to many challenges and additional costs.“The first is maintaining quality, assuring the purity is accurate,” Lowe said, adding that investors have to rely on the reputation of dealers and the supply chain when buying physical gold.Related: Bitcoin may rival gold as inflation hedge over next decade — Adam Back“Selling liquidity is also an issue as you have to find a buyer and will most likely pay a discount relative to the market price per ounce,” he continued, adding that self-custodied Bitcoin has none of these issues.As well as limited liquidity, retail investors in physical gold face widened spreads, Shemeliak said, as they often have to buy at a premium above the market price of gold.Gold advocate: Bitcoin self-custody is not easyUnlike crypto investors, traditional finance (TradFi) investors and analysts are not so excited about self-custody opportunities offered by Bitcoin.“Bitcoin could be very easy to buy if you have everything set up already, but if you don’t, it’s very difficult,” Rafi Farber, publisher of the gold-focused marketplace service End Game Investor, told Cointelegraph.Farber, who has emerged as one of the biggest Bitcoin critics, referred to investor challenges for Bitcoin self-custody, which requires holders to safely store their private key or risk losing access to the coins.While dealing with a self-custodial wallet, users have to “remember a string of random words or copy it down and put it in a safe, then copy and paste a gibberish code,” Farber said. “And if you lose any of the codes or the power goes out for whatever reason you’re screwed.”Self-custody wallet providers offer onboarding sessions for $99 per hour. Source: TrezorFarber’s concerns over the challenges of self-custody are not without merit. Trezor, one of the most prominent self-custody wallet providers, admits that usability remains one of the key issues faced by self-custodial wallets.While some have tried to offer simplified self-custody options, others insist that holding a private key is the only way to actually own a cryptocurrency, which requires onboarding and a learning curve — but doesn’t come without its own costs.Is Bitcoin a direct competitor to gold?On the other hand, physical gold is “very easy to buy,” Farber said, suggesting options like coins or jewelry shops.“Yes, buying a gold coin at a jewelry or coin shop is easy — but that doesn’t mean you’ve made a sound investment,” Stobox’s Shemeliak countered:“Without verified origin, proper assay, secure storage, and a liquid resale market, you’ve likely bought a souvenir, not a serious store of value.”“In contrast, digital assets like Bitcoin or tokenized gold offer transparency, liquidity and verifiability,” he added.Shemeliak doesn’t see Bitcoin and gold as direct competitors.“Gold will always have historical value, but Bitcoin is building financial infrastructure for the next 100 years,” he said.At the time of publication, the price of spot gold stood at $3,327, up nearly 27% year-to-date (YTD) as it continues breaking new highs, according to TradingView.The picture is less appealing for Bitcoin, which reached new highs around $110,000 in December 2024. Bitcoin is down 10% YTD, trading at $84,525 at publication, according to CoinGecko.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

As gold prices break new highs, many Bitcoiners are seeking ways to get exposure to the precious metal, but have been met with some hurdles along the way.Although physical gold is accessible in the form of jewelry, gold bars and coins, many industry executives are concerned about aspects like its quality, liquidity when selling, and buying at a premium above spot prices.On the other hand, gold advocates are confident that the precious metal is much easier to buy than Bitcoin (BTC), given the complexities of storing private keys and a steep learning curve for new crypto investors.Both Bitcoin and gold are available in the form of tokenized assets, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other equity instruments, but the question of owning these assets in the physical form exposes some differences.Community: Buying Bitcoin is easier and faster“Buying Bitcoin is significantly easier and faster than buying physical gold,” Ross Shemeliak, co-founder of the tokenization platform Stobox, told Cointelegraph.He referred to Bitcoin’s instant and 24/7 availability, no need for vaults, while gold is associated with additional costs like transportation, storage, verification and resale.Adam Lowe, chief of product at the self-custody firm CompoSecure, agreed that buying physical gold is subject to many challenges and additional costs.“The first is maintaining quality, assuring the purity is accurate,” Lowe said, adding that investors have to rely on the reputation of dealers and the supply chain when buying physical gold.Related: Bitcoin may rival gold as inflation hedge over next decade — Adam Back“Selling liquidity is also an issue as you have to find a buyer and will most likely pay a discount relative to the market price per ounce,” he continued, adding that self-custodied Bitcoin has none of these issues.As well as limited liquidity, retail investors in physical gold face widened spreads, Shemeliak said, as they often have to buy at a premium above the market price of gold.Gold advocate: Bitcoin self-custody is not easyUnlike crypto investors, traditional finance (TradFi) investors and analysts are not so excited about self-custody opportunities offered by Bitcoin.“Bitcoin could be very easy to buy if you have everything set up already, but if you don’t, it’s very difficult,” Rafi Farber, publisher of the gold-focused marketplace service End Game Investor, told Cointelegraph.Farber, who has emerged as one of the biggest Bitcoin critics, referred to challenges for investors around Bitcoin self-custody, which requires holders to safely store the private key or risk losing access to the coins entirely.While dealing with a self-custodial wallet, users have to “remember a string of random words or copy it down and put it in a safe, then copy and paste a gibberish code,” Farber said. “And if you lose any of the codes or the power goes out for whatever reason you’re screwed,” he added.Self-custody wallet providers offer onboarding sessions for $99 per hour. Source: TrezorFarber’s concerns over the challenges of self-custody are not without reason. Trezor, one of the most prominent self-custody wallet providers, admits that usability remains one of the key issues faced by self-custodial wallets.While some have tried to offer simplified self-custody options, others insist that holding a private key is the only way to actually own a cryptocurrency, which requires onboarding and a learning curve — but doesn’t come without its own costs, too.Is Bitcoin a direct competitor to gold?On the other hand, physical gold is “very easy to buy,” Farber said, suggesting options like coins or jewelry shops.“Yes, buying a gold coin at a jewelry or coin shop is easy — but that doesn’t mean you’ve made a sound investment,” Stobox’s Shemeliak countered:“Without verified origin, proper assay, secure storage, and a liquid resale market, you’ve likely bought a souvenir, not a serious store of value.”“In contrast, digital assets like Bitcoin or tokenized gold offer transparency, liquidity and verifiability,” he added.Shemeliak doesn’t see Bitcoin and gold as direct competitors either.“Gold will always have historical value — but Bitcoin is building financial infrastructure for the next 100 years,” he stated.At the time of publication, the price of spot gold stood at $3,327, up nearly 27% year-to-date (YTD) as it continues breaking new highs, according to TradingView.The picture is less appealing for Bitcoin, which reached new highs around $110,000 in December 2024. Bitcoin is down 10% YTD, trading at $84,525 at publication, according to CoinGecko.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

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The crypto presale surge has heated up, with many new coins fighting for attention. However, most new tokens never even make it onto the radar. Their features or revenue potential are not enough for investors.  Solaxy, however, is another story. The project has raised over $30.5 million in presale. This crypto isn’t some hype-focused project…
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The cryptocurrency market continues to experience a period of high volatility. It still hasn’t settled down, as the impact of politics is still too strong. Bitcoin has taken the greatest hit, with its price dropping by $24,500 in three months.  It remains the most desired cryptocurrency, but its high price is out of reach for…
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The Brazilian justice system sentenced Joel Ferreira de Souza to 128 years, 5 months, and 28 days in prison. Souza was identified as the main operator of Braiscompany, a Brazilian crypto scheme that raised over $100 million from nearly 20,000 investors. Brazilian Crypto Ponzi Scheme Operators Receive Combined Sentences of Over 170 Years in Prison […]

As Bitcoin (BTC) attempts to stabilize above the crucial $80,000 support level, a new warning from market analyst Leviathan has raised concerns about an alleged strategy by China that could significantly impact the leading cryptocurrency.  China’s ‘Secret’ Bitcoin Strategy In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Leviathan claimed that China plans to sell off its Bitcoin holdings, potentially driving the price down to $40,000. According to the analyst, this move is just the beginning of a broader scheme. Despite the Chinese government’s public stance against cryptocurrency trading, local authorities have found a workaround, he alleges. The expert asserts that they have been quietly cashing in on confiscated Bitcoin, which has led to an “underground fiscal strategy” that operates in “legal ambiguity.” Related Reading: TRUMP Memecoin Unlock Set To Release 40 Million Coins This Thursday Currently, Chinese authorities are reported to hold approximately 194,000 BTC, making them the second-largest government holder of Bitcoin, just behind the United States.  Leviathan highlights that while the Chinese government publicly denounces cryptocurrency, it simultaneously benefits financially from its underground sales.  Local governments are reportedly improvising their strategies, with some engaging private tech firms to liquidate the confiscated Bitcoin on offshore exchanges. Others, allegedly maintain a more “clandestine approach.”  The expert provides an example of a relatively unknown company in Shenzhen, Jiafenxiang, that has allegedly facilitated over $400 million in crypto sales on behalf of various city governments, converting the proceeds into yuan and transferring the funds back to local finance departments. Hong Kong Emerges As Potential Haven For China’s Confiscated BTC In 2023, China witnessed a record surge in crypto-related crimes, with over $59 billion tied to illegal activities and more than 3,000 money laundering cases prosecuted.  Amidst this backdrop, local governments are increasingly reliant on the revenue generated from fines and confiscations — a significant portion of which comes from liquidated cryptocurrencies.  However, the need for funds is at odds with the government’s public anti-crypto stance, forcing officials to offload coins abroad through intermediaries while hoping for minimal interference from Beijing. There have been discussions among judges, lawyers, and police about the need for a consistent national policy regarding seized cryptocurrencies. Some have proposed that the central bank take control over these assets, while others have suggested establishing a sovereign crypto fund.  Related Reading: Trump’s World Liberty Financial Teams Up With DWF Labs For $25M WLFI Token Investment Leviathan has pointed to Hong Kong, which, with its more favorable legal framework for cryptocurrencies, has emerged as a potential destination for China’s Bitcoin stockpile. This situation presents a unique challenge for China, as the contradiction between its public denouncement of cryptocurrencies and its private profit from them becomes increasingly apparent.  As the US moves toward legitimizing cryptocurrencies at the federal level, including discussions on strategic reserves under President Donald Trump and his ongoing support for crypto, China may find itself compelled to respond, the expert asserts. Ultimately, Leviathan said that the fate of China’s 194,000 Bitcoin holdings will not only shape national policies but could also send ripples across the global financial landscape.  At the time of writing, BTC trades at $84,800, registering a 5% surge in the weekly time frame.  Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Blockchain firm Astar Network implemented changes to its tokenomics to reduce inflationary pressures in its ecosystem. On April 18, Astar Network announced that it reduced the blockchain’s base staking rewards to 10% from 25% to curb token inflation. The company said the change promotes a more stable annual percentage rate (APR) for users as staking inches closer to a more ideal ratio. The firm said this ensures that rewards “remain meaningful” without causing excessive inflation. “This change lowers automatic token issuance, reducing overall inflationary pressure while maintaining strong incentives for users to stake their ASTR,” Astar Network wrote. Astar Network highlights key changes to its tokenomics. Source: Astar NetworkAstar Network implements inflation-control mechanismsUnlike Bitcoin, which has a fixed total supply, the ASTR token operates under a dynamic inflation model without a cap on its maximum token supply. As the blockchain operates, it emits more tokens, increasing the supply. Having no fixed supply can often create downward pressure on the token’s value over time. This is especially true if the demand for the token does not keep up. To address this, Astar is introducing several new inflation-control mechanisms.Apart from lowering staking rewards, Astar also started routing token emissions into a parameter that governs total value locked (TVL)-based rewards like decentralized application staking. This means that DApp staking APRs will become “more predictable” over time, offering stability to stakers. Astar also introduced a new minimum token emission threshold of 2.5% to ensure it doesn’t exceed a sustainable baseline. With continued transaction fee burning, Astar said it would also contribute to reward predictability. According to Astar, the changes have already lowered its annual inflation rate from 4.86% to 4.32%. It also lowered its total ASTR token emitted per block from 153.95 to 136.67 tokens. This reduces the token’s estimated annual emissions by 11%, going from 405 million to 360 million. Related: Sony’s Soneium taps EigenLayer to cut finality to under 10 secondsAstar token hits all-time low on April 7Astar Network’s efforts to curb token inflation come as its native token recently hit an all-time low. CoinGecko data shows that on April 7, the ASTR token declined to a new low of $0.02. The price is 93.8% lower than its peak three years ago, when it reached $0.42 on Jan. 17, 2022. In December 2024, the token rallied along with the rest of the market, hitting a high of $0.09. Since then, the crypto asset had continuously dropped in value before hitting the new all-time low. Astar Network’s 1-year price chart. Source: CoinGeckoMagazine: Uni students crypto ‘grooming’ scandal, 67K scammed by fake women: Asia Express

Blockchain firm Astar Network implemented changes to its tokenomics to reduce inflationary pressures in its ecosystem. On April 18, Astar Network announced that it reduced the blockchain’s base staking rewards to 10% from 25% to curb token inflation. The company said the change promotes a more stable annual percentage rate (APR) for users as staking inches closer to a more ideal ratio. The firm said this ensures that rewards “remain meaningful” without causing excessive inflation. “This change lowers automatic token issuance, reducing overall inflationary pressure while maintaining strong incentives for users to stake their ASTR,” Astar Network wrote. Astar Network highlights key changes to its tokenomics. Source: Astar NetworkAstar Network implements inflation-control mechanismsUnlike Bitcoin, which has a fixed total supply, the ASTR token operates under a dynamic inflation model without a cap on its maximum token supply. As the blockchain operates, it emits more tokens, increasing the supply. Having no fixed supply can often create downward pressure on the token’s value over time. This is especially true if the demand for the token does not keep up. To address this, Astar is introducing several new inflation-control mechanisms.Apart from lowering staking rewards, Astar also started routing token emissions into a parameter that governs total value locked (TVL)-based rewards like decentralized application staking. This means that DApp staking APRs will become “more predictable” over time, offering stability to stakers. Astar also introduced a new minimum token emission threshold of 2.5% to ensure it doesn’t exceed a sustainable baseline. With continued transaction fee burning, Astar said it would also contribute to reward predictability. According to Astar, the changes have already lowered its annual inflation rate from 4.86% to 4.32%. It also lowered its total ASTR token emitted per block from 153.95 to 136.67 tokens. This reduces the token’s estimated annual emissions by 11%, going from 405 million to 360 million. Related: Sony’s Soneium taps EigenLayer to cut finality to under 10 secondsAstar token hits all-time low on April 7Astar Network’s efforts to curb token inflation come as its native token recently hit an all-time low. CoinGecko data shows that on April 7, the ASTR token declined to a new low of $0.02. The price is 93.8% lower than its peak three years ago, when it reached $0.42 on Jan. 17, 2022. In December 2024, the token rallied along with the rest of the market, hitting a high of $0.09. Since then, the crypto asset had continuously dropped in value before hitting the new all-time low. Astar Network’s 1-year price chart. Source: CoinGeckoMagazine: Uni students crypto ‘grooming’ scandal, 67K scammed by fake women: Asia Express

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