Ujunwa Juliet Ihiasota
I am a dedicated crypto and blockchain content writer who is vision-oriented, diligent, smart, and self-motivated. I have over a decade of self-writing experience and five years of experience as a professional writer. I hope to inspire other women into this ever-evolving field.
Articles by Ujunwa Juliet Ihiasota
1 year ago
1 min read
Nepal’s Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block all websites related to cryptocurrency trading, warning of legal action against non-compliant ISPs. This follows a notice in September 2021 from Nepal Rastra Bank, the country’s central bank, declaring crypto trading and mining illegal and stating that encouraging others to use crypto is also a punishable activity. The NTA had issued a similar caution notice in April, asking the public to notify the regulator of any crypto-related activities, but did not call for a block on access to crypto services at that time. Despite the ban on crypto
1 year ago
1 min read
As of November 30, 2022, Circle had a total of 43.23 billion USDC in circulation, with $43.4 billion in reserves to back it up. On November 3, Circle established the Circle Reserve Fund, a money market fund administered by BlackRock and owned by Circle, to which they transferred 29.5% of the stablecoin reserves ($12.79 billion). This amount has since grown to $28.6 billion, or 65% of the total USDC reserves. The remaining $19.41 billion of USDC reserves was held in Treasury bills directly by Circle. Combined, the reserves stored in Treasury bills directly and through the Reserve Fund amounted to
1 year ago
1 min read
Due to the “prolonged crypto winter” and the “broader economic environment,” Digital Currency Group (DCG) has announced that it is shutting down its wealth management subsidiary, HQ Digital, which launched in June 2022. The DCG spokesperson stated that the company may eventually revive HQ Digital in the future. This news comes in the wake of issues at another DCG subsidiary, Genesis Global Capital, which suspended withdrawals and loan redemptions in November and is reportedly exploring a potential bankruptcy filing. DCG holds a variety of other crypto companies, such as CoinDesk, Grayscale, Foundry, Luno, and TradeBlock. So far, only Luno has
1 year ago
1 min read
Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, a blockchain gaming platform, is seeking to raise around $1 billion in the first quarter of 2023 to invest in Web3 and Metaverse startups. This comes despite the recent market decline and the crash of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which had a negative impact on some of Animoca’s portfolio companies. The company had previously announced plans to launch a $2 billion fund, called “Animoca Capital,” to invest in Metaverse businesses around the world in partnership with former Morgan Stanley executive Homer Sun by the end of 2022. Animoca Brands has completed several funding rounds in the past
1 year ago
1 min read
MoneyGram has asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to keep certain details of its summary judgment materials in the lawsuit between Ripple and the SEC confidential. The cross-border payments company stated that it wants to protect business information and employee identities. The SEC and Ripple requested a summary judgment in September. The SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple and its executives in December 2020, alleging that the sale of XRP constituted an offering of unregistered securities worth over $1.38 billion. In February 2021, MoneyGram suspended trading on Ripple’s platform due to litigation uncertainty, ending
1 year ago
1 min read
The ongoing lack of a Speaker for the House of Representatives may lead to indefinite delays in addressing fraud allegations at FTX or passing legislation related to cryptocurrencies. As of January 4, the United States House of Representatives has not yet elected a Speaker for the 118th Congress, leading to a standstill in the House’s process and the possibility of delays in committee hearings. This lack of leadership in the House, which is second in line of presidential succession, has led to the inability to swear in new lawmakers, adopt rules to govern the chamber, and move forward with committee
1 year ago
1 min read
The Bahamas Securities Commission has criticized FTX CEO John Ray over his remarks on the value of seized FTX assets, stating that such comments could impact the trustworthiness of institutions in the country. The commission said that it must “correct material misstatements” made by Ray and that the assumptions about the value of the seized assets were based on incomplete information. It also took issue with Ray’s claim that the commission had ordered the minting of “a substantial amount of new tokens.” The commission confirmed that it has $3.5 billion worth of FTX’s assets, according to prices on 12 November,
1 year ago
1 min read
Turkey plans to use blockchain technology to verify the identities of Turkish citizens accessing online public services through the government portal e-Devlet. The country’s vice president, Fuat Oktay, announced the plan at a digital government event, stating that the blockchain-based system would revolutionize the country’s e-government efforts, making online services more secure and accessible. Turkey has previously announced several blockchain-based projects, but few have come to fruition. The country has been planning a national blockchain infrastructure since 2019, but aside from some proof-of-concept projects and a central bank digital currency test, it has not yet seen the full benefits of
1 year ago
1 min read
NFT artist Lucréce has accused Manchester United football team of using designs and styles similar to his own in its new NFT collection. Lucréce has reportedly been in talks with Arthur Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, to get an explanation from the team. Lucréce’s collection is older and has higher prices than Manchester United’s collection, which sold out immediately after its release at a price of approximately $40 per NFT. The terms and conditions of Manchester United’s collection state that it was created by TRILITECH PLATFORM OÜ, “the for-profit arm of the Tezos foundation,” and is therefore authorized by the Tezos
1 year ago
1 min read
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed to seal documents in its lawsuit against San Francisco payments company Ripple that contain internal SEC deliberations about a speech given by former SEC official William Hinman in 2018 stating that both bitcoin and ether were not securities. The SEC argued that the documents, which reflect the views and positions of various SEC officials on “issues of programmatic significance”, would harm the agency’s ability to discuss issues “with openness and candor” if they were made public. Ripple claims the documents, which Judge Analisa Torres ordered the SEC to release in September,
1 year ago
1 min read
Gary Gensler, Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has warned that a crackdown on the crypto industry is imminent following the collapse of FTX. In an interview with Bloomberg, Gensler stated that the SEC is targeting crypto firms that do not comply with its regulations and compared them to casinos. He also stated that the practice of crypto exchanges providing proof of reserves to back up their customers’ funds is meaningless because it does not meet current regulatory disclosure standards. Gensler emphasized the need for crypto firms to separate their funds and their customers’ funds and to
1 year ago
1 min read
The collapse of FTX has prompted calls for more stringent regulation of cryptocurrency markets in the United Kingdom. Bank of England Deputy Governor Sir Jon Cunliffe argued that investors in the country need more protection and that a regulatory framework is needed to ensure that cryptocurrency markets offer the same level of consumer protection and integrity as traditional financial markets. Cunliffe pointed to increased interest in cryptocurrency markets from both financial institutions and retail investors as a reason for the need for greater regulatory oversight. He also cited the collapse of FTX as an example of a situation where existing
