Kategorie: Bitcoin News

Bitcoin news about the Bitcoin (BTC) blockchain and its crypto ecosystem.

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Bhutan plans to fund Gelephu Mindfulness City using national Bitcoin reserves

  • Bhutan plans to use up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its national reserves to fund Gelephu Mindfulness City.
  • Bhutan holds about 11,286 Bitcoin, making it the fifth-largest national holder globally.
  • The city will be developed in phases over 20 years with executive autonomy and legal independence.

Bhutan is preparing to deploy part of its national Bitcoin reserves to finance the development of the Gelephu Mindfulness City, a flagship urban project designed to reshape the country’s economic future, as per a Cointelegraph report.

The Himalayan kingdom has confirmed that it will tap up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its holdings to support the special administrative region, which was launched in 2024.

The move places Bhutan among a small group of governments actively integrating digital assets into long-term development planning, while also highlighting how Bitcoin mining and treasury management have become embedded in the country’s broader economic strategy.

Gelephu Mindfulness City vision

Gelephu Mindfulness City is located in southern Bhutan near the Indian border and has been positioned as a new economic hub aimed at reversing youth migration.

The project seeks to create high-value domestic jobs and expand opportunities beyond the country’s traditional sectors.

According to official plans, the city is designed to attract companies across finance, tourism, green energy, technology, healthcare, and agriculture.

The special administrative region covers around 1,544 square miles, equivalent to roughly 10% of Bhutan’s total land area.

Its regulatory structure allows greater flexibility, particularly for crypto and fintech firms, while also supporting the expansion of Bhutan’s Bitcoin mining activities.

Officials have described the city as a testing ground for new economic models that balance innovation with sustainability.

Bitcoin funding strategy

According to Cointelegraph, the government said on Wednesday that a range of approaches is being considered to manage the Bitcoin allocation, valued at about $875 million.

These include risk-managed yield strategies, treasury-style management, and long-term holding plans intended to protect and preserve the value of the assets.

Authorities have emphasised that development funding will proceed in a stable and sustainable manner, with governance frameworks focused on capital preservation, oversight, and transparency.

Bhutan ranks as the fifth-largest national holder of Bitcoin, with most of its reserves accumulated through mining operations.

Data from Bitbo estimates that the country holds about 11,286 Bitcoin, with a market value exceeding $986 million.

The Gelephu plan represents the most concrete use yet of this digital asset stockpile for public development.

National Bitcoin policy

The decision to use Bitcoin for Gelephu Mindfulness City forms part of Bhutan’s broader Bitcoin Development Pledge, a national policy aimed at supporting long-term economic growth through mining and asset management.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has stated that the objective is to ensure that the entire population of more than 796,682 people benefits from the project.

As part of this approach, Bhutan is developing a new land policy intended to protect landowners, prevent widening inequality, and ensure shared national prosperity.

The city has been framed as a collective national enterprise, with landowners treated as stakeholders.

Because most land is state-owned, citizens from all Dzongkhags are expected to share in the project’s success.

Governance and rollout

A masterplan and legal framework for Gelephu Mindfulness City have already been unveiled, alongside the appointment of a governor and a board of directors.

Construction work has begun to clear and prepare the site.

The region has also introduced crypto-based payments for merchants and tourism services and launched TER, a sovereign-backed digital token linked to physical gold.

The city has been envisioned as an economic corridor connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia, with executive autonomy and legal independence.

Development is planned in phases over the next 20 years, reflecting Bhutan’s long-term strategy to integrate digital assets, infrastructure, and governance reform.

The post Bhutan plans to fund Gelephu Mindfulness City using national Bitcoin reserves appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Crypto oversight in US tightens as CFTC and FDIC leadership near confirmation

  • Mike Selig is positioned to replace Acting Chair Caroline Pham at the CFTC if confirmed.
  • The CFTC has already expanded crypto oversight through collateral approvals and spot trading permissions.
  • Travis Hill’s confirmation would formalise his interim role at the FDIC and continue crypto-friendly banking policies.

Crypto regulation in the United States is entering a more defined phase as Senate procedures bring key financial watchdog appointments closer to completion.

Two agencies with direct influence over digital assets, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., are on the verge of formal leadership changes, as per a CoinDesk report.

President Donald Trump’s nominees to chair both regulators have advanced through the Senate confirmation process, signalling a potential shift in how crypto markets and crypto-linked banking are supervised.

While the final votes have not yet taken place, recent developments suggest that decisions are approaching, narrowing uncertainty around regulatory direction.

Senate clears path for final votes

The Senate moved the process forward on Thursday by approving a resolution that clears the way for final confirmation votes.

The measure passed by a 52–47 margin and applies to a large group of nominees being considered together, reports CoinDesk.

Mike Selig, nominated to lead the CFTC, and Travis Hill, nominated to become chairman of the FDIC, are among the names included.

A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said on X that the final vote is likely early next week, though the chamber remains days away from formally confirming the candidates.

Republicans in the Senate have adopted a strategy of voting on dozens of nominations in batches rather than individually. In this round, lawmakers are deciding on 97 confirmation questions at the same time.

Selig and Hill represent only two of those positions, but both roles carry outsized importance for the crypto sector.

The approach has helped accelerate confirmations but has also compressed scrutiny of individual nominees.

CFTC positions itself as crypto regulator

Selig currently serves as a senior official at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he has been working on crypto-related issues.

If confirmed, he would replace Acting Chair Caroline Pham, who has guided the CFTC through a series of initiatives seen as supportive of digital asset markets.

Under Pham’s leadership, the CFTC has positioned itself as an active player in crypto supervision, even as Congress continues to debate broader market structure legislation.

The agency is widely expected to take a leading role in crypto oversight if lawmakers eventually pass a bill that formally assigns authority.

Even without new legislation, the CFTC has already expanded its reach.

It has created a CEO council to advise on policy matters, approved the use of Bitcoin BTC $92,157.53, Ether ETH $3,237.28, and USDC, along with other payment stablecoins as collateral, and allowed registered firms to offer spot crypto trading services.

These steps have embedded crypto more deeply into regulated financial activity.

FDIC banking stance comes into focus

At the FDIC, Hill has already been serving as interim chief, meaning his confirmation would formalise an existing role rather than introduce new leadership, notes CoinDesk.

During his interim tenure, Hill has pursued policies that indicate a more accommodating stance toward crypto banking.

This includes engagement with banks that provide services to digital asset firms, an area that has previously faced uncertainty due to regulatory caution.

Oversight framework begins to align

Together, the pending confirmations point toward a more coordinated regulatory environment for crypto in the US.

With leadership at both the CFTC and FDIC close to being finalised, oversight of crypto markets and crypto-related banking may soon operate under clearer and more consistent supervision.

The post Crypto oversight in US tightens as CFTC and FDIC leadership near confirmation appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Crypto overview: Markets calm as $4.3B in BTC and ETH options expire

  • Over $4.3 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options will expire today, December 12.
  • BTC trades above $92,300, with a maximum pain level at around $90,000.
  • Data shows balanced calls and puts, signaling a cautious stance among traders.

Cryptocurrencies remained elevated on Friday as Bitcoin recovered from post-FOMC retracements.

While most tokens trade below their key resistance zones, today’s gains brightened the mood across majors as uncertainty dominates even after the highly anticipated December 10 rate cut.

Amidst the optimism, the primary story remained the over $4.3 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options expiring today, on December 12.

With BTC price pinned above $92,300, analysts believe the event could shape the broader market’s trajectory as we close 2025.

Markets steady amid balanced expiry

Deribit revealed a curiously balanced options board, with 18,974 call contracts and 20,852 put contracts, for a combined open interest of 39,826.

Most importantly, a 1.10 put-call ratio confirms balance, with neither side dominating the market.

Clearly, there are no aggressive actions or euphoric calls that generally herald parabolic moves.

Rather, traders have positioned themselves to keep price fluctuations predictable and tight.

And that seems to work, as Bitcoin and Ethereum traded calmly as billions in notional value near a deadline.

Deribit analysts stated:

BTC positioning is tightly centered around the $90K level. Call and put interest sit in near balance, suggesting traders expect a contained expiry after the recent range-bound tape.

$90,000 as the magnet

The crypto community’s attention remained on the max pain region of $90,000 – where options bulls stand to suffer.

Generally, whales or market movers drive prices toward max pain.

Meanwhile, Derbit’s chart shows puts stacked massively between $75,000 and $85,000, with call interest heavy at $95,000 – $100,000.

Thus, Bitcoin is hovering at the most balanced region of around $90,000 – $92,000.

That indicates a calm market with no dramatic moves.

On the other hand, Ethereum is trading at $3,250, above its $3,100 max pain level, with open interest of 237,879 comprising 130,579 put contracts and 107,282 call contracts.

That leads to a 1.22 put-call ratio and approximately $770 notional value.

Indeed, Bitcoin is displaying restraint despite the massive notion value (nearly $3.7 billion is linked to BTC options only).

There’s no such thing as sudden liquidations, panicked shakeouts, or forced price gains.

That level of calmness during high-stakes events like options expiry seems rare, leaving most market players alert.

A market that ignores imminent pressure often waits for the next catalyst.

What’s next?

Options expiry weighs on crypto prices, and digital tokens often set clear directions after the event.

The options will expire at 8 pm UTC, and traders will closely watch post-performance.

Clearing $93,000 – $94,000 can trigger near-term recovery, with fresh calls toward the $100,000 psychological mark.

However, losing $90,000 could mean a continued near-term struggle for Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, traders and investors will watch signs of thin liquidity amid holiday sessions, which often intensifies moves, and year-end institutional repositioning through key indicators like ETFs.

The post Crypto overview: Markets calm as $4.3B in BTC and ETH options expire appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Satoshi Nakamoto statue arrives at NYSE in major crypto culture shift

  • Satoshi Nakamoto statue arrives at NYSE, marking crypto’s growing Wall Street acceptance.
  • Artwork joins global series as Bitcoin’s history and mainstream adoption gain symbolic recognition.
  • Institutional embrace of Bitcoin accelerates as public entities hold over 3.7M BTC.

The New York Stock Exchange has become the latest home for Valentina Picozzi’s “disappearing” Satoshi Nakamoto statue, signalling how far digital assets have travelled since the time when crypto was treated as unwelcome on Wall Street.

The arrival of the piece was announced in an X post on Wednesday, positioning the NYSE as shared ground for traditional finance and emerging decentralised systems.

The installation also aligns with the anniversary of the Bitcoin mailing list, launched on 10 December 2008, adding symbolic weight to a moment that highlights Bitcoin’s shift from niche idea to mainstream fixture.

NYSE installation

The statue was brought to the NYSE by Bitcoin company Twenty One Capital, which began trading this week.

The artwork itself is by Picozzi, who has been developing her “disappearing” Satoshi series under her Satoshigallery handle.

The New York installation is the sixth piece in a global project she plans to expand to 21 locations.

Her post on X described the placement at such a prominent financial centre as a milestone for the ongoing series.

The display at the NYSE contrasts sharply with the period when crypto was considered taboo across Wall Street.

Bitcoin’s long path

The statue’s arrival coincides with a key date in Bitcoin’s history, falling close to the anniversary of the Bitcoin mailing list launched by Satoshi Nakamoto on 10 December 2008.

Nakamoto mined the genesis block on 3 January 2009, creating the first 50 Bitcoins and setting the foundation for the wider industry.

More than a year after that, on 22 May 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz made the first documented Bitcoin purchase, spending 10,000 Bitcoin to buy two Papa John’s pizzas.

In the years that followed, the asset faced significant resistance.

Institutions and banks kept their distance, and governments attempted to restrict crypto activity through actions widely described as part of Operation Chokepoint 2.0.

Even high-profile sceptics in global finance dismissed the technology before eventually revising their positions.

Institutional shift

The landscape began to change when major financial figures, such as BlackRock’s Larry Fink, shifted from doubt to active interest.

Wall Street institutions moved quickly, increasing participation through exchange-traded funds and direct Bitcoin purchases for corporate treasuries.

Public companies, private companies, countries, and ETFs now hold more than 3.7 million Bitcoin collectively, according to Bitbo.

The total value exceeds 336 billion dollars, showing how deeply Bitcoin has entered mainstream portfolios.

Against this backdrop, the installation at the NYSE serves as a visible marker of how crypto has become integrated into financial culture instead of remaining an outsider technology.

Global statue project

Picozzi’s work has taken the Nakamoto figure to five other locations: Switzerland, El Salvador, Japan, Vietnam, and Miami, Florida.

The collection is intended to reach 21 statues worldwide, a nod to Bitcoin’s capped supply of 21 million tokens.

Her design centres on the idea of disappearance, with the figure positioned as if fading into its surroundings.

The artwork depicts Nakamoto as a hacker in a familiar seated pose, laptop open, representing both the anonymity of Bitcoin’s creator and the programmers who built the broader ecosystem.

The NYSE installation marks the latest step in Picozzi’s effort to trace Bitcoin’s cultural footprint through public art, linking major global locations with the technology’s origins and evolution.

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Silk Road crypto activity resurfaces as dormant Bitcoin wallets move again

  • Silk Road-tagged wallets sent $3.14 million in Bitcoin across 176 transfers this week.
  • The transactions are the most significant Silk Road-linked activity in five years.
  • The wallets sent funds to a new address beginning with bc1qn.

Silk Road-linked cryptocurrency activity has resurfaced, drawing attention to long-quiet Bitcoin wallets connected to the darknet marketplace.

The movement comes less than a year after US President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

While the pardon focused global attention on Ulbricht’s legal case, blockchain analysts are now tracking renewed activity that marks the highest level of transfers in years.

The latest movement, recorded on Tuesday, is raising fresh questions about dormant coin reserves linked to the marketplace and how much Bitcoin remains undiscovered or untouched across older blockchain addresses.

Silk Road wallets show renewed Bitcoin flows

Silk Road-tagged wallets transferred about $3.14 million worth of Bitcoin BTC $92,626, according to Arkham. The activity involved 176 transactions, making it the most significant movement from these addresses in five years.

Earlier this year, the same wallets carried out only three small test transactions, suggesting that substantial activity had been paused.

The transfers this week were sent to an unknown cryptocurrency wallet with the address prefix bc1qn.

The primary Silk Road-associated wallets still hold about $38.4 million in Bitcoin.

The newly created address holds only the transferred $3.14 million.

Pardon puts focus back on historic Silk Road funds

Interest in the wallets has intensified since January, when Trump issued a full pardon to Ulbricht.

Before the pardon, Ulbricht had been serving a double life sentence without parole for creating and operating Silk Road, which allowed anonymous trading of illicit goods using Bitcoin.

The pardon also sparked new activity around the Free Ross campaign.

Supporters have contributed about $270,000 in Bitcoin donations since the announcement, based on on-chain data.

Unseized Bitcoin linked to Ulbricht gains attention

Alongside the renewed transfers, discussions have shifted to older cryptocurrency holdings believed to be connected to Ulbricht but never seized by authorities.

The US government previously confiscated at least $3.36 billion in Bitcoin from Silk Road, marking one of the largest recoveries in the history of digital asset enforcement.

Yet blockchain analysts tracking historical movements have identified additional reserves that remain untouched.

Coinbase exchange director Conor Grogan highlighted that 430 BTC, worth about $47 million, has not moved for more than 13 years.

These tokens are held in wallets thought to be linked to Ulbricht.

Dormant Bitcoin wallets remain a focal point

Another Silk Road-tagged wallet likely controlled by Ulbricht contains about $8.3 million in Bitcoin.

This wallet has seen only three small test transactions over the past 10 months and has otherwise remained inactive for 14 years, according to Arkham.

The transfers observed this week have therefore shifted attention back to dormant Bitcoin reserves that could hold substantial amounts.

Experts monitoring historical blockchain activity note that movements involving older darknet-linked wallets often prompt speculation about ownership, recovery efforts, or changes in operational control.

The recent activity does not clarify why these wallets began moving again or who controls the receiving address.

However, the timing, extended periods of inactivity, and historical significance of the addresses have made the transfers notable within the crypto community.

As blockchain analysis tools improve and more historical data becomes searchable, renewed activity from legacy darknet sources continues to shape conversations about unseized assets and the long-term movement patterns of early Bitcoin holdings.

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