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According to a recent survey, half of Canadian institutional investors and financial services organizations have actively offered at least one type of cryptocurrency asset product or service to clients in the past year.

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Cryptocurrency markets operate continuously, trading every day of the week, around the clock. In a similar vein, reports indicate that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is exploring the possibility of shifting to 24/7 operations. The data team at NYSE has conducted a survey among its investors, revealing a strong interest in the availability of overnight trading options.

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Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, has revealed that cryptocurrencies now represent about 11% of his portfolio. He stressed that he owns crypto coins directly and would never buy spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). “I would never do that. Why would I pay the fees?” he emphasized, adding that he owns bitcoin and a few other cryptocurrencies.

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According to Nick Yushkevich, standardization of blockchain data formats is crucial as it enhances the interoperability of distinct protocols and fosters broader adoption of the technology. Yushkevich, the director of product at blockchain infrastructure provider Quicknode, added that such standardization helps to improve communication between systems.

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Families with a net worth of up to $100 million exhibit a strong preference for algorithmic cryptocurrencies over tokens (4.32% versus 0.92%), a new study has found. The study cites statistics indicating that ownership continuity is disrupted in 91% of cases involving a transition from crypto to fiat and vice versa.

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According to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Securities and Exchange Commission is responsible for regulating cryptocurrencies. However, the governor said the central bank will collaborate with law enforcement agencies and regulators overseeing the Nigerian crypto sector.

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According to Kevin Lu, social finance, or “socialfi” — a combination of social media and decentralized finance — is an innovation that extends Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision of a decentralized financial system to social media.

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Four months ago, a total of 179 decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) boasted treasuries exceeding $1 million or more each. As of today, this figure has climbed to 211 distinct DAOs meeting the same criteria. Furthermore, since Nov. 1, 2023, the collective value of DAO treasuries has expanded by more than $20 billion across a period of 145 days.

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Per the most recent data, we are a month away, or precisely 30 days, from the fourth Bitcoin halving event. This significant milestone will cut the mining rewards from 6.25 bitcoins per block to 3.125 bitcoins per block after the halving.

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This week, the popular American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member, Ghostface Killah, declared his intention to release exclusive tracks on the Bitcoin blockchain. The influential hip-hop artist mentioned that this issuance will encompass a 10,000-piece collection, granting owners the rights to the music.

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The Nigerian Securities Regulator has proposed a rule requiring virtual asset service providers to be incorporated and maintain an office within Nigeria. The regulator has also suggested a fivefold increase in the registration fee, which must be submitted alongside license applications from prospective crypto exchanges.

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Some of London’s wealthy residents are reportedly using cryptocurrency to pay for luxury home rentals. High interest rates and a dampened real estate market have led the city’s affluent residents to opt against buying properties. The acceptance of payment in cryptocurrency demonstrates the real estate agency’s openness and its eagerness to become “a leader within the real estate sector.”

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In an unprecedented surge, global crypto investment products experienced a historic influx of $2.7 billion last week, signaling strong confidence among investors and propelling assets under management (AUM) back to December 2021 levels.

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Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic news during the last week. In this issue: $400 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme founders were arrested in Argentina, the Central Bank of Brazil established cryptocurrency regulation as a priority, and the Argentine Fintech Chamber proposed crypto tax exemptions in Argentina.

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Marathon Digital Holdings, one of the world’s largest public Bitcoin mining companies, has announced its work on Anduro, a multichain, layer two platform on top of Bitcoin. With Anduro, Marathon proposes the creation of several sidechains designed to expand Bitcoin’s standard functionality and attract activity previously directed to other chains.

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The Avalanche blockchain has encountered a disruption due to a “stall in block finalization.” AVA Labs’ co-founder, Kevin Sekniqi, suggested that the problem might stem from a recent surge in inscriptions.

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The volume of daily transactions on the Bitcoin network has seen a significant decline since Jan. 28, 2024, with numbers falling from peaks above 600,000 to below 300,000 transactions per day. This downturn is in sync with a decrease in the daily creation of Ordinal inscriptions, overall easing congestion and reducing onchain fees.

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PRESS RELEASE. February 15, 2024, London, UK — In a remarkable story one Bitcasino.io player has won a huge jackpot and another big win in the space of a few weeks, earning a massive $4.5 million dollars.

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Quicknode, a leading blockchain infrastructure provider, has officially expanded its offerings to include support for Zksync hyperchains, enhancing its custom chains solution portfolio.

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Disney, one of the biggest entertainment companies, has decided to acquire a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games, makers of the known persistent metaverse platform Fortnite. The companies will collaborate to develop a metaverse featuring Disney-owned intellectual properties (IPs) which will benefit from interaction and coexistence with Fortnite.

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Global investment bank JPMorgan conducted a survey of over 4,000 institutional traders and found that 78% of them have no plans to trade crypto or digital coins, while 12% do. In addition, 61% of traders “predict artificial intelligence/machine learning as the most influential in shaping the future of trading over the next three years.”

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Okx, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced the launch of its operations in Argentina. The exchange announced that it is launching its trading platform and peer-to-peer (P2P) markets in the country, offering native language technical support and a localized experience for local traders, in addition to its self-custody Web3 wallet.

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The Thailand Finance Ministry has announced the removal of the previously applicable value-added tax on digital asset trading. This exemption, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2024, extends to regulated brokers, dealers, and authorized cryptocurrency exchanges.

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Data gathered over the last 36 days reveals that the Bitcoin network’s average transfer fee has consistently exceeded the $3.68 mark, while costs for median-sized transactions have not dipped below the $1.67 threshold. As of Feb. 6, 2024, insights from Bitcoin’s transaction queue highlight a significant backlog of 221,799 transactions awaiting confirmation.

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In the latest reports, a number of the nine spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that were launched on Jan. 11, 2024, have increased their bitcoin holdings following the last day of trading activity recorded on Feb. 2, 2024.

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Bitfinex has launched Bitfinex Securities El Salvador S.A. de C.V., its securities tokenization services company in the country. The exchange, one of the first regulated digital asset service providers in El Salvador, expects its proposal to be well-received among potential customers and has planned for several token issuances this year.

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On Feb. 1, 2024, the independent, nonprofit stablecoin assessment entity Bluechip made a noteworthy declaration. They officially bestowed an F grade upon Synthetix’s fiat tokens SUSD and SEUR, alongside Beanstalk’s dollar-pegged asset BEAN.

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Hong Kong will now focus on regulating over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency trading, according to local sources. Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Joseph Chan Ho-lim stated that the government will aim to mitigate the risks of virtual assets amidst the rising interest of mainland investors using the city as a bridge to invest in crypto assets.

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The data from the latest Coinover study suggests that 17% of the participants own cryptocurrency and 30% plan to do so in the coming year. About 50% of those interviewed said they were positive about their financial earnings, while 20% expressed dissatisfaction with the returns.

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Morgan Stanley has raised concerns about the potential decline of the U.S. dollar’s dominance due to the increasing interest in digital currencies. Meanwhile, JPMorgan has warned of a potential bitcoin selloff, anticipating a $3 billion outflow from Grayscale’s Bitcoin fund.

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