Lithuania to offer crypto collectible / Brazilian police shut down crypto scam / HBUS to cease operations

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Presented by Subscribe | View in browser Market Watch: The price of Bitcoin is still within the $7,000 mark zone but according to new analysis could receive a seasonal boost over the coming weeks. ,Bitcoin: $7,608 (⬆️ 0.09%) // $137.6 billion market cap. Ethereum: $150 (⬇️ 0.12%) // $16.4 billion market cap. XRP: $0.230 (⬇️ 0.89%) // $9.9 billion market cap. Tether: $1.00 (⬇️ 0.53%) // $4.1 billion market cap. Top 100 Winner: Energi: $2.70 (⬆️ 13.18%) // $63 million market cap. Top 100 Loser: Enjin Coin: $0.087 (⬇️ 8.26%) // $68 million market cap. Prices are as of 1:54 p.m. ET.       1. Lithuania's central bank will reportedly offer the world's first collectible crypto coin in 2020, which will be dedicated to the nation's 1918 declaration of independence and its 20 signatories. According to a Bank of Lithuania's press release, the bank is planning on releasing 24,000 tokens, which will feature one of the 20 signatories. The tokens will be divided into six categories based on the signatories' area of activity, with 4,000 tokens allocated to them. Giedrius Paulauskis, designer of the digital collector coin, said that he is trying to "attempt a modern take on the historic photograph of the Council of Lithuania that many remember from history books." –BLOOMBERG       2. Police in Brazil have shut down an alleged Bitcoin investment scheme that reportedly stole around $359 million. According to a report, an unnamed organization in Sao Paulo, Curitiba, and other regional cities last Thursday were raided, which claimed that as many as 5,000 people could receive high returns on their Bitcoin investments. Victims were targeted through social media and were told to wait as their investments grew three to four percent each day. However, according to police, victims were not allowed to withdraw their money, which subsequently disappeared. Following a four-month investigation, police arrested nine individuals and filed charges of fraud, money laundering, criminal association, and forgery against the group. –COIN DESK       A MESSAGE FROM IBM WATSON Watch AI & the Future of Work Virtual Summit Learn how AI is helping to re-envision work. Register Now 3. HBUS, the operator of U.S.-based crypto exchange Huobi.com, is to cease its operations. In a message posted on Twitter today, the platform noted that it was taking this direction "so that it can return in a more integrated and impactful fashion as part of its ongoing strategic layout." The move follows after a decision by Huobi Global, which saw it freezing all U.S. accounts by mid-November. According to Huobi, it was down to the regulatory environment in America, which forced it to prohibit U.S. users from its platform. –@HUOBI_US/TWITTER       4. The South Korean government is planning to tax capital gains on cryptocurrency transactions. The Ministry of Economy and Finance confirmed that it is pushing for a revised bill that will introduce the measure in the second half of 2020. At the same time, the Korean National Assembly is in the process of advancing a related bill that aims to increase transparency in crypto trading. If passed, the new regulations will come into effect a year after the Assembly's plenary session. –THE KOREA TIMES       A MESSAGE FROM IBM WATSON Watch AI & the Future of Work Virtual Summit Learn how AI is helping to re-envision work. Register Now 5. Deutsche Bank has said that crypto could replace fiat money by 2030, stating that the current monetary system looks "fragile." A new report by the financial company, Imagine 2030, notes that if Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon or their Chinese counterparts Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi are able to overcome regulatory hurdles, it could hasten the adoption of crypto, giving them the potential to replace cash. –THE BLOCK       6. Thai immigration officials have arrested 24 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in a crypto scam call center. According to the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, they arrested 24 people, seized 61 laptops, 424 mobile phones, and several routers. The head of the operation is reported to have hired employees on a three-month basis; however, they were required to hand over their passports. The scammers then lured Chinese investors to purchase Bitcoin but fudged rates to make a profit. –COINTELEGRAPH       7. Li Lihui, leader of the blockchain research group at the National Internet Finance Association (NIFA) of China, is of the opinion that China is relying too much on foreign blockchain technology, which is a problem. In a speech, he said that there is a "technical dependence on foreign countries," which "will cause a larger problem in the future." –LEDGER INSIGHTS       8. Coinbase-backed Securitize has purchased Japanese company BUIDL, a blockchain consulting firm. According to Securitize, the acquisition will help to boost its presence in Asia. It's hoped that this will bring about an industry that institutional investors feel comfortable to participate in. Jun Hasegawa, CEO of BUIDL, said that the two will "realize the vision of modernizing capital markets with blockchain technology." –DECRYPT       9. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will test its blockchain-based digital currency payments system in the cities of Shenzhen and Suzhou. According to the report, seven state-owned companies - four commercial banks and three telecom companies - will assist the PBoC to conduct the test. The pilot program will focus on commerce, education, medical care, and transportation. –CAIJING       10. Crypto platform OKEx will launch crypto options trading on December 27. According to a press release, the addition of the options makes the exchange the "first crypto exchange to offer C2C, spot, futures, perpetual swap, and options trading under the same roof." Real trading will begin on Dec. 27; however, simulated trading is scheduled for December 12. –COINTELEGRAPH       This newsletter was written and curated by Rebecca Campbell. She has been writing and reporting on various industries for the past 10 years, more specifically tech in the last three. Connect with her on Twitter.         Ad Learn how AI is helping to re-envision work. Register Now Learn how AI is helping to re-envision work. Register Now

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