🇷🇺 Russia's rise in Bitcoin mining: second in hash rate after the United States Russia is emerging as a key player in the global Bitcoin mining landscape. With 16% of the global hash rate, the Eurasian giant leverages its strengths: low-cost energy, ideal temperatures for mining, and a clear regulatory framework. Read more about Bitcoin mining in Russia in Davide Coltro's in-depth analysis. Link to the article. ⬇️

Atlas21

The growth of Bitcoin mining in Russia: an overview of the sector

Russia holds 16% of the global hash rate: natural resources, low costs, and clear regulations drive the industry. Russia is

🚨 Cryptocurrencies under fire: France proposes tax on unrealized gains The French Senate has included a new tax in the 2025 financial law targeting assets deemed unproductive, including cryptocurrencies. Under this rule, unrealized gains from digital assets will also be taxed, even if they haven’t been converted into fiat currency. The decision now moves to the Assemblée Nationale, where lawmakers will convene on January 30 to decide whether to give final approval to the measure. The Atlas21 article. ⬇️

Atlas21

Crackdown on cryptocurrencies in France: proposed tax on “improductive assets”

Paris introduces a fiscal measure targeting unrealized gains from digital assets. The French Senate has approved a new provision within

🇧🇷 Brazil: oil company considers Bitcoin mining using excess gas Brazilian oil giant Petrobras has announced a project to use excess natural gas, a byproduct of oil extraction, to power Bitcoin mining activities. The initiative involves collaboration with academic institutions, including Universidade Petrobras and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. By converting waste gas into energy for mining, the company aims to reduce both energy waste and carbon emissions. Atlas21 article. ⬇️

Atlas21

Petrobras set to enter mining using excess gas

The Brazilian oil giant launches a project to convert surplus natural gas into energy for Bitcoin mining. Brazilian oil giant

#Bitcoin #Mining #Brasil

🚨 Trump signs executive order: green light to evaluate a strategic reserve of digital assets President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at creating a task force to develop a federal regulatory framework for digital assets, assess the creation of a "national strategic reserve" based on seized cryptocurrencies, and block the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The order is part of Trump’s strategy to position the U.S. as the “global capital of cryptocurrencies,” sharply contrasting with the restrictive approach of the Biden era. The task force will have 180 days to present recommendations to Congress, including a plan for the potential strategic reserve. Atlas21’s article. ⬇️

Atlas21

Trump establishes a working group to evaluate a strategic reserve of digital assets

The executive order bans the issuance of a CBDC and aims to assess the creation of a national digital asset

🔥 Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, has been granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump and is officially free after 11 years in prison.

🇺🇸 Trump keeps his promise: Gensler out, Uyeda takes the helm of the SEC President Donald Trump has appointed Mark Uyeda as interim Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Uyeda, known for his pro-digital asset stance, will lead the authority until June 5, 2026, when Paul Atkins is set to take over as permanent chairman, should the Senate confirm his nomination. At the same time, the SEC announced the formal resignation of former Chairman Gary Gensler. Atlas21's article. ⬇️

Atlas21

Change at the top of the SEC: Mark Uyeda to lead the commission until 2026

The former commissioner, known for his pro-digital asset positions, will head the watchdog agency until Paul Atkins is installed. Gary

🇺🇸 Strategic Bitcoin Reserve proposed in Oklahoma Representative Cody Maynard has introduced House Bill HB1203, known as the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act,” to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Maynard stated: "Bitcoin cannot be manipulated or created by government entities. It is the ultimate store of value for those who believe in financial freedom and sound money principles." The proposal would allow state pension funds and savings accounts to allocate up to 10% of the total size of public funds to Bitcoin. The bill will be considered in the upcoming legislative session, starting on February 3. If approved, it will take effect on November 1. The Atlas21 article. ⬇️

Atlas21

Oklahoma considers adopting Bitcoin as a state strategic reserve

A new bill paves the way for Bitcoin investment in state pension funds and savings accounts. Oklahoma joins the growing

🔥 BlackRock: Bitcoin adoption is progressing faster than that of the internet and mobile phones According to a BlackRock analysis, since 2009, Bitcoin has rapidly evolved from a niche innovation to a globally recognized asset, driven by three main factors: demographic trends, economic changes, and the digital transformation of finance. The following image shows the time each technology took to reach 300 million users. For the asset manager, "digital natives" are more likely to adopt Bitcoin compared to previous generations. Inflation, geopolitical tensions, and banking challenges have highlighted Bitcoin's value as a decentralized asset, while the growth of infrastructure around digital assets has lowered entry barriers. The Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

Bitcoin on the rise: adoption surpasses that of the internet and mobile phones

According to BlackRock, Bitcoin is becoming a global asset faster than previous technologies. Bitcoin adoption is accelerating at a faster

#News #Bitcoin #Blackrock

👀 Washington Post: crypto sector at the top of Trump’s agenda on day one According to the newspaper, on his inauguration day, Trump will sign a series of executive orders aimed at protecting the crypto industry and changing current banking policies. First on the list is the desire to combat the so-called “de-banking” of the crypto sector, a practice that involved limiting or cutting off access to banking services for the cryptocurrency industry, a practice attributed to the Biden administration. The second measure aims to repeal the SEC’s SAB 121 accounting rule, which has required banks to record cryptocurrencies as liabilities since March 2022. The Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

Trump: crypto sector takes center stage on his first day in the White House

Executive orders expected to address crypto companies' banking access challenges and amend banking accounting rules. U.S. President-elect Dona...

🇸🇻 El Salvador becomes the new home of Tether Tether announced the relocation of its headquarters and subsidiaries to El Salvador after obtaining a license to operate as a digital asset service provider and stablecoin issuer in the Central American country. The company justified its strategic choice by citing the country's "forward-thinking policies, favorable regulatory environment, and growing Bitcoin-savvy community." Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated: "By rooting ourselves in El Salvador, we are not only aligning with a country that shares our vision in terms of financial freedom, innovation, and resilience, but we are also reinforcing our commitment to empowering people through decentralized technologies." Atlas21's article. ⬇️

Atlas21

Tether relocates headquarters to El Salvador after obtaining operational license

The stablecoin issuer leaves the British Virgin Islands for a new venture in the Central American nation. Tether has announced

👀 Will Meta be the first major company to buy Bitcoin? An initiative by the National Center for Public Policy Research is urging the social media giant to allocate part of its $72 billion in cash and short-term cash equivalents to Bitcoin as a treasury asset. This move is part of a broader strategy by the Washington advocacy group, which has recently promoted similar proposals to other tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon. The proposal states: "Meta has the opportunity to lead the corporate adoption of Bitcoin, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and financial resilience." Read the full article from Atlas21 ⬇️

Atlas21

Meta: shareholder proposal to consider investment in Bitcoin

A shareholder initiative is pushing the social media giant to invest part of its treasury in Bitcoin. Ethan Peck, an

🏃 New gold rush? Everyone's crazy about a strategic Bitcoin reserve New Hampshire and North Dakota have joined the movement to adopt Bitcoin as a state strategic reserve after receiving legislative proposals in this direction. The New Hampshire proposal was introduced by Republican Representative Keith Ammon, while the North Dakota bill is backed by Representatives Nathan Toman and Josh Christy, along with Senator Jeff Barta. With these two bills, the proponents of the two states aim to protect financial resources from inflation and other uncertainties by encouraging investments in digital assets. This initiative is part of a broader movement that saw Pennsylvania take a similar step last November. Read the full Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

Bill proposed for a strategic Bitcoin reserve in New Hampshire and North Dakota

The number of U.S. states supporting Bitcoin as a strategic reserve is growing: the North Dakota bill already has 11

🇺🇸 The U.S. steps up its fight against crypto mixers The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted three Russian citizens for operating Blender and Sinbad, two well-known custodial crypto mixing platforms. The three are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating unlicensed money transmitter services. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison. Read the full Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

Crypto mixers and money laundering: three Russians accused of ties to North Korean hackers

Operators of the Blender and Sinbad platforms face up to 25 years in prison. The mixing services allegedly facilitated the

👮‍♂️ Nearly 1,000 Bitcoin miners seized by Thai authorities According to the Bangkok Post, Thai police discovered that JIT Co., a company formally registered for digital asset trading, was illegally consuming large amounts of electricity to mine Bitcoin. The company allegedly tampered with electric meters during nighttime hours to disguise the actual energy consumption of its mining operations. Authorities are still calculating the exact economic damage caused by the energy theft as investigations continue to identify all those responsible for the illegal operation. The Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

Massive seizure in Thailand: nearly 1,000 Bitcoin miners confiscated

Thai authorities uncovered an illegal operation stealing significant amounts of electricity to mine Bitcoin. In Thailand, police seized 996 Bitcoin

💵 Western Union and MoneyGram struggling: stablecoins increase competition According to an analysis by Matthew Sigel of VanEck, Western Union and MoneyGram are experiencing a decline in the use of their apps, with reductions of 22% and 27%, respectively. An even more significant figure is the number of monthly active users, which has remained consistently below 3 million since 2021. In contrast, the stablecoin market has surpassed $200 billion in capitalization, positioning itself as a serious competitor. Atlas21 article⬇️

Atlas21

Use of stablecoins grows as money transfer services lose ground

Western Union and MoneyGram are losing users while stablecoins are reshaping the landscape of international payments. Stablecoins are rapidly gaining

🇺🇸 Over 69,000 bitcoins ready for sale by the United States The U.S. Department of Justice has received authorization to sell the 69,370 bitcoins confiscated from the Silk Road marketplace, currently valued at approximately $6.5 billion. The decision marks the end of a lengthy legal battle between the DoJ and Battle Born Investments, a company that claimed rights to the seized bitcoins through bankruptcy proceedings. Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

Silk Road: the U.S. Department of Justice prepares to sell over 69,000 bitcoins

One of the largest bitcoin liquidations in history will put nearly 70,000 confiscated bitcoins from the darknet marketplace on the

🇪🇹 Ethiopia reaches 1.5% of global hash rate Chinese company BIT Mining has successfully expanded into Africa, acquiring a 51 MW Bitcoin mining facility and 18,000 miners in Ethiopia for $14.28 million. As explained by Dr. Youwei Yang, the company's chief economist, Ethiopia's low electricity costs allow BIT Mining to optimize the use of its machines, including older-generation models that would be considered obsolete in the United States. According to Dr. Yang, this strategic move could extend the lifespan of older miners by at least two years. Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

BIT Mining expands to Ethiopia with a $14 million investment

The Chinese company acquires a 51 MW facility and 18,000 miners, elevating Ethiopia to the same level as Norway in

🏦 Fidelity: "For nations, the risk of not buying Bitcoin could outweigh the risk of buying it." According to Fidelity’s latest report, central banks, sovereign funds, and government treasuries may soon follow the example of countries like Bhutan and El Salvador. The report also discusses future developments like BitVM2, Ark protocol with shared UTXO system, and upcoming soft forks, particularly CTV/BIP-119 and OP_CAT/BIP-420. Additionally, it touches on mining with the creation of Ocean pool and the release of Datum protocol to decentralize mining, inspired by StratumV2. Atlas21 article ⬇️

Atlas21

“Bitcoin in national reserves”: Fidelity’s prediction for 2025

The lack of Bitcoin allocation could represent a greater risk for nations than the investment itself, according to Fidelity analyst

🏦 🇨🇿 The Governor of the Czech National Bank opens to Bitcoin. In an interview with CNN Prima News, Aleš Michl, Governor of the CNB, stated he is considering the purchase of “few bitcoins” as a strategy to diversify national foreign currency reserves. Michl said: “Sure, I consider Bitcoin, but there are seven of us on the board. Bitcoin is an interesting option for diversification against other assets.” The article by Atlas21:

Atlas21

The governor of the Czech central bank does not rule out buying Bitcoin

Governor Aleš Michl opens up to the idea of buying Bitcoin while the Czech central bank continues to accumulate gold.

"They wanted to amputate my limbs because they thought I had 2.5 million bitcoins." This is the story of a Canadian moderator of a crypto forum who, along with his family, was forced to move continuously from one Airbnb to another to escape criminals who wanted to kidnap him and seize his alleged Bitcoin holdings. The incident began on November 4, and now the attackers are under house arrest. This case adds to a long list of threats to the safety of cryptocurrency holders. According to monitoring by developer Jameson Lopp, at least 181 incidents of robberies, kidnappings, and murders related to the crypto world have been recorded since 2014. Atlas21's article ⬇️

Atlas21

Attempted Bitcoin kidnapping in Canada: crypto forum moderator forced into hiding

Forced to go into hiding with his family after threats of torture to extort Bitcoin. The kidnappers believed he owned