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(Bloomberg) -- The promised end of the pandemic draws closer with every shot in the arm. So in the first three months of 2021, traders raced to position themselves for a post-Covid world by girding for super-charged growth and higher inflation.This reflation trade put Treasuries on course for their worst quarter since 1980, with the global bond plunge sending yields surging to pre-pandemic levels. These sharp moves spooked investors, who were already turning away from pandemic favorites, like tech companies, into value stocks poised to benefit from economic reopening. Market fever dreams played out in cryptocurrencies and newfangled ways to take companies public. And even as the U.S. dollar proved its resilience, traditional haven currencies were battered.At the same time, recovery measures of new U.S. President Joe Biden helped to flood money markets and, if he has his way, this will soon be followed by trillions of dollars in additional infrastructure spending. All the while, the Federal Reserve shows little inclination to rein in long-end yields.Generally reflation has been the dominant driver of global price action, said Simon Harvey, senior market analyst at Monex Europe, who revised his dollar outlook this week. What wrong-footed most people coming into 2021 is just how aggressive the U.S. outperformance was going to be.Here are some of this quarters most notable moves:Treasuries RoutWith the size of U.S. stimulus putting the nation on course for a swift economic rebound from the pandemic, its no surprise that U.S. Treasuries led the global rates selloff. Theyre on track to record their worst quarter since 1980, according to Bloomberg Barclays indexes. By comparison, the retreat seen in Europe and Asia was in line with quarterly declines seen in 2019 and 2020, respectively.Treasuries extended losses this week, fueled by Bidens plans to accelerate the vaccine campaign and rebuild infrastructure. The divergence between U.S. and European markets was borne out in the spread between benchmark Treasuries and bunds, which widened more than 50 basis points. That about matched the move seen in the final quarter of 2016, and a bigger jump hasnt been seen since 1993.Read More: Bond Rout Reignites as U.S. Stimulus Bets Overshadow Quarter-EndDominant DollarThe climb in U.S. yields relative to major peers helped to drive a surge in the dollar that ran counter to many expectations for 2021 as the currency turned from a prime haven at the height of market turmoil in March 2020 into a bet on U.S. economic supremacy.Traditional havens of the currency world -- the Japanese yen and Swiss franc -- bore the brunt of the selling, with each suffering their worst quarter in years.The importance of pandemic recovery was evident across currency markets. In a change from last years Brexit wrangling, the outlook for the British pound was all about the U.K.s vaccine drive, which far outpaced the European Unions effort, setting the euro up for its worst quarter since 2015.Brazils currency, which fell more than 7%, was among the poorest performers over the period as the country struggled to contain its mounting Covid crisis. Turkey was one of the few emerging markets whose currency did even worse. While much of that is the result of a shock decision to fire the central bank chief, that move came after the monetary authority raised its benchmark in response to global rate and foreign-exchange pressures.Read More: Dollar Reigns Supreme With Rate Gaps Too Big to Be IgnoredStock RotationsBillions are on the move as investors rotate away from previously high-flying areas and toward pockets of the market that stand to benefit from a brightening economic outlook. In that environment, tech stocks -- 2020s undisputed winners -- have lagged, while smaller companies have outperformed. The Russell 2000 index of smaller firms outperformed the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 for the second-straight quarter, beating it by about 10 percentage points. Value stocks, too, stepped into the limelight, with the Russell 1000 value index beating its growth counterpart by roughly the same amount.We would expect that rotation to continue, said Adam Phillips, managing director of portfolio strategy at EP Wealth Advisors. Moving forward, its going to be more about the recovery plays, and thats not a story thats going away.But the rise in rates rattled more speculative corners of the market as investors started to question lofty valuations. Sentiment soured, for instance, on special purpose acquisition companies, a group that came to symbolize risky behavior in equities. An index tracking SPACs is down roughly 21% since its mid-February peak. Meme-stock mania also cooled: An index tracking companies including GameStop Corp. and Naked Brand Group Ltd. is down about 28% since its recent January high, data compiled by Bloomberg show.Youre seeing corrective phases in those previously hot areas, but its happening through a process of rotation, so the money is just going to other parts of the market, Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, said by phone. There was so much hype and so much appreciation that, yes, I think its natural and healthy to see rollovers in those areas.Volatility EverywhereBut while benchmark stock indexes glide along, the subsurface churn has been extremely violent. A model from Bank of America that plots how much value is being created and destroyed each day in individual stocks shows that 2021 has generated more turbulence than virtually any other year. The volatility -- which is prevalent among small-cap stocks as well -- is just being masked because up-and-down moves in different companies over days and weeks have tended to offset each other.Read more: Blowups and Rotations Making This Market Just as Brutal as 2020Meanwhile, turbulence in the $21 trillion Treasury market has been on the rise. The ICE BofA MOVE Index, a gauge of U.S. bond volatility, has been grinding higher. The measure currently clocks in at 67, higher than its one-year average of 52 and well above Septembers low of 37.Commodities SupercycleRaw materials from copper to oil have started the year off strong, with investors flocking to commodities as a popular pandemic recovery trade and to hedge against inflation.The 23-member Bloomberg Commodity Spot Index in February reached the highest in almost eight years before easing this month, and still remains on track to notch a gain this quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. even went as far as to flag the start of a new commodities supercycle. An upcoming energy transition could constrain oil supplies, while at the same time boosting demand for metals required in renewables infrastructure, JPMorgan analysts said in a report last month.Bond SalesInvestors in credit benefited from a narrowing in spreads to pre-pandemic levels, but that did little to offset the negative impact from the broader rise in rates -- the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate Bond Indexs 5% drop has it on course for its worst quarterly return since 2008.Emerging-market bond spreads drifted wider, but the shift wasnt enough to throw bond sales off track. The gap between emerging-market hard currency debt and Treasuries rose seven basis points in the quarter, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co. index, compared with a 335-basis point jump the same period last year.That said, cracks have recently started to show on issuance front. Indonesia shrank the size of a debt offering, Russia canceled a bond sale and South African debt saw lower demand than usual.Read More: The Sweet Spot Is Behind Us: Bond Rout Hits Deals Around WorldBitcoin BoomCryptocurrencies have had a marvelous 2021 so far. Bitcoin, the worlds largest digital asset, has doubled since the start of the year, gaining 104% in its second-best quarterly performance since June 2019. Much of its momentum has been driven by wider institutional acceptance, with more mainstream firms taking a greater interest in crypto assets. At the same time, applications for Bitcoin exchange-traded funds also trickled in, with Fidelity Investments the latest firm to join the list of crypto-ETF hopefuls.Meanwhile, fans, including Tesla Inc.s Elon Musk, have argued the coin can be a great store of value -- Bitcoin gained after the electric-vehicle maker said that it put more than $1 billion into the coin.Still, others worry its run up too far, too fast and could be losing its shine as speculation grows that retail investors are becoming less involved in the market. Bitcoin hit a record of $61,742 in mid-March and is roughly 4% off its highs.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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Bitcoin Cash (BCH): Hows It Differ From Bitcoin and Whats It Worth? - Yahoo Finance

The popular safe-haven asset gold recently posted the lowest settlement in three weeks, as a firm dollar and bond market yields have weakened support for the precious metal. The financial goliath BNY Mellon also published a report about the differences between gold and bitcoin and the study said that the crypto asset fits the description of a nascent currency.

The U.S. dollar has gained some strength in the last two weeks, and crypto-assets like bitcoin (BTC) have increased in value as well. However, the precious metal (PM) gold has seen better days, as gold prices have retreated during the last few weeks. The price of gold dropped under the $1,700 per ounce range last week but today, the PM has managed to climb back above the psychological price zone. At the time of publication, an ounce of .999 fine gold is trading for $1,716.30 after jumping 1.7% in the last 24 hours.

Gold bugs and economists have been discussing Joe Bidens proposed $3 trillion stimulus package, and it could kickstart gold, silver, and other types of assets that are considered a hedge against inflation. Kitco Metals Jim Wyckoff said the dollars recent rise and the crazy Treasury yields are limiting buying interest.

The gold and silver market bulls need a fundamental spark, Kitco Metals senior analyst stressed. Wyckoff also noted that the top two PMs, gold and silver, saw technically-related selling pressure from the shorter-term futures traders amid still-bearish near-term charts. Meanwhile as gold has been in a slump, cryptocurrency markets have seen some fresh fervor after prices dropped from highs settled on March 13, 2021.

Moreover, the financial institution BNY Mellon has also published a comprehensive study on the attributes of the crypto asset bitcoin (BTC) and the PM gold. BNY Mellons report zeroes in on the controversial stock-to-flow ratio (S2F) and the creator Plan Bs alternative model called the stock-to-flow cross-asset model (S2FX).

The implication from this model is that as bitcoin gains more mainstream momentum and is viewed more like gold, the BNY Mellon report says. The scarcity value (as measured by S2F) and the subsequent halving will ultimately drive prices to the gold dot cluster and implied total market value.

The researchers at BNY Mellon are not buying the digital gold theory and highlighted that BTC fits the description of a nascent currency. Although the financial institutions report does say bitcoin can gold have similarities and that BTC could look up to the popular PM.

Bitcoin is also frequently compared to gold, BNY Mellons study notes. Indeed, there are many similarities and gold is a worthy role model for bitcoin. After all, gold has been accepted as a store of value and medium of exchange for centuries (nowadays, mostly as a store of value, almost none is used as a medium of exchange). We believe gold is also the only globally accepted currency that has circumvented the issue of sanctioning entities.

However, in mid-February 2021, BNY Mellon set up a digital currency unit that plans to hold, transfer, and issue bitcoin.

What do you think about golds recent performance and BNY Mellons bitcoin and gold comparisons? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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BNY Mellon Report Compares Bitcoin and Gold, Study Says 'Gold Is the Only Globally Accepted Currency' Economics Bitcoin News - Bitcoin News

On episode 8 of the CoinGeek Weekly Livestream, host Kurt Wuckert Jr. is joined by Bitcoins Got Talent main judgesIsaac Morehouse, Jack Liu, and River.

Bitcoins Got Talent (BGT) is the very first game show that revolves around Bitcoin and Bitcoin businesses. On each episode, individuals pitch their ideas and businesses to the main judges as well as one guest judge, and get business advice as well as critiqued before they are either approved to advance to the next round of the show or kicked off of the show.

Kurt begins the show by asking his guests how BGT got started, who had the idea for it, and the steps they took to get the show created.

According to Liu, [One of the ideas behind BGT is that] were all in this together, we would all like to see Bitcoin grow faster, so this is a way to give people some feedback and some ideas to think about early on in their project, and maybe that helps them take a better path.

River adds, Its also some limelight for the projects that are not well known. I think that was the reason I was so excited about it. To get people that arent recognized in the space and get their ideas out there and get them incentivized to build.

Morehouse, Liu, and River went on to talk about the most memorable pitches they have seen on BGT before expanding into questions regarding other Bitcoin apps and services that the trio plays a role in, such as Streamanity, Relayx, and Dimely.

Morehouse also made a soon announcement before giving the audience more insight into the economics of the Numpty Coin, which was recently listed on the RelayX decentralized exchange (REX), as well as the utility you can expect NPC to have in the future and how it could set a precedent for Streamanity content creators.

To find out more about Bitcoins Got Talent, the economics behind the Streamanity of the future, Jack Lius plans for Dimely, as well as Isaac Morehouses soon announcement, you are going to want to head over to the CoinGeek YouTube channel to watch CoinGeek Weekly Livestream episode 8.

You can check out the previous episodes of the CoinGeek Weekly Livestream on YouTube as well.

New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeeksBitcoin for Beginnerssection, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoinas originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamotoand blockchain.

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Bitcoin's Got Talent crew talks Bitcoin culture and development on CoinGeek Weekly Livestream episode 8 - CoinGeek

On Thursday, Bitcoin Cash proponents were introduced to a new website that features a project called Smart Bitcoin Cash or Smartbch for short. Essentially, the project is a sidechain for Bitcoin Cash that is compatible with Ethereums EVM and Web3 API, which means people will soon be able to leverage decentralized applications (dapps) without paying lots of money for transaction fees.

At the time of writing, Ethereum is the dominant chain when it comes to Web3 applications and decentralized finance. However, ethereum (ETH) fees to interact with a Web3 compatible dapp or some type of smart contract can be very expensive these days. The Smartbch project aims to change all that and the creators plan to make throughput as large as one billion gas every 15 seconds.

The new website called smartbch.org says the sidechain will essentially maximize throughput of EVM and Web3 tools. The website gives a person a comprehensive look at what Smart Bitcoin Cash aims to accomplish with a FAQ, documentation, community resources, and even jobs and bounties.

Smart Bitcoin Cashs innovation lies in libraries, the core components mentioned in the projects white paper notes. Instead of inventing fancy consensus and cryptographic algorithms, we decided to adopt another methodology: to develop low-level libraries with an aim to fully uncover the hardwares potential, especially its inherent parallelism. Ordinary users and developers are provided with a compatibility layer supporting EVM and Web3, so the optimized low-level close to the metal libraries themselves remain concealed by this layer of abstraction. During the implementation, we used the codename Moeing, which is added to the libraries names as prefix.

Smartbch leveraged five tools that will be greatly beneficial to the sidechains ecosystem. MoeingADS single-layer architecture, the MoeingEVM parallelized execution engine, the MoeingDB application-specific database, MoeingKV storage, and the MoeingAOT compiler for the EVM. The projects website notes that programmers can build a new playground for Bitcoin Cashs ecosystem and enlarge the user base.

Smartbch will also offer:

Bitcoin.coms newsdesk was the first to report on the Ethereum and Web3-compatible sidechain coming to Bitcoin Cash during the first week of March. Of course, the BCH community on Reddit loved the idea and many supporters wrote a comment about the project on r/btc.

We are working with the Smartbch team and have a test node running. Should have the Uniswap contract working this weekend, one programmer wrote on the forum. The first release of version 0.1.0 of Smartbch is now available and developers can help test a dapp on Smartbch. Programmers can also download the source code and start a single node testnet. At the time of publication, bitcoin cash (BCH) is exchanging hands for $560 per unit, up 2.3% during the last 24 hours.

What do you think about the Smartbch project and the Ethereum and Web3-compatible sidechain coming to Bitcoin Cash? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Smartbch

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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The Power of ETH and BCH: Smart Bitcoin Cash Project Highlights Innovative Sidechain Technology Bitcoin News - Bitcoin News

As bitcoin surges to unprecedented value, the sprawling matrix of computers around the world that run its software is now consuming as much energy a year as Sweden, the latest calculations suggest.

The higher the price, the more electricity this network uses. Iran was recently rocked by power outages that were partly blamed on bitcoin. Bill Gates recently warned bitcoin was "not a great climate thing." U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellan has called its energy use "staggering."

Conceived to defy central banks in the fallout of the financial crisis, bitcoin started life so counter-cultural that no one really knows who created it.

It has soared from around $10,000 through most of last year to around $58,000 now, thanks to investors who fear traditional currencies are set to lose value, an influx of traders who speculate on the future price, and Elon Musk who tweets that you can use it to buy Teslas. It is now seriously talked of as a potential new global reserve currency.

But as Wall Street banks roll out bitcoin services, they may find its environmental costs hard to balance with shareholders and customers who are increasingly conscious. Experts tell Insider that bitcoin faces a Catch-22.

Like the cryptocurrency itself, bitcoin's community is decentralized, defiant, and nebulous. No one can simply tell it to heed growing calls to reduce its carbon footprint.

Alex de Vries, a Dutch economist who created the Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index, estimates the electricity used has doubled since 2017 to between 78 terawatt hours (TWh) and 101 TWh a year. More than half of bitcoin miners in China, where most use coal.

Bitcoin has no physical form. "Mining" refers to its network of computers finding new tokens by having them solve complex calculations.

Hardware at the SberBit cryptocurrency mining equipment facility in Moscow, Russia, in 2017. Vyacheslav ProkofyevTASS via Getty Images

New tokens these calculations uncover are a reward to the miners for using their computing power and electricity to secure the network against hacks and record transactions on bitcoin's decentralized ledger, known as the blockchain.

As the price climbs, those running the vast networks of computers dedicated to solving these calculations can sell them and direct more computing power toward the network, creating a cyclical effect as they compete with other miners to find new bitcoin first.

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin mining can be a 'bridge' to a renewable energy future by supporting green projects, a leading North American miner says

De Vries thinks bitcoin's energy use will continue to climb as the prices rises and miners buy more hardware.

He forecasts the network could soon consume a staggering 200 TWh, as much energy as all data centers globally and equivalent roughly to London.

He said potential investors may be put off by bitcoin's eye-watering energy use, adding, "I think this will be a major problem for bitcoin."

But for bitcoin advocates, the fact it allows people to make transactions semi-anonymously and without third-party approval, outweigh the environmental costs.

Nic Carter, a bitcoin investor and partner at crypto-focused venture capital firm Castle Island Ventures, told Insider its energy use was "not a new debate."

"The costs of the dollar system are harder to comprehend but they are extremely real," he added.

The more bitcoin surges, the worse the problem becomes. Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images

He said that if investors conscious of environmental impact refused to buy bitcoin "because it consumes energy like every other utility on the planet they are just doing themselves and their investors a disservice."

Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey said late last year that cryptocurrencies "will eventually be powered completely by clean power, eliminating its carbon footprint and driving adoption of renewables globally ... Published estimates indicate bitcoin already consumes a significant amount of clean energy."

Bitcoin miners, incentivized to use renewable energy by government subsidies, have sought sustainable ways of fueling their computers.

One German company set up a mining facility under the fjords of Norway, using hydroelectricity to power its machines and the freezing water to cool them.

But estimates of how much bitcoin's overall energy use is green vary hugely.

In a 2019 study, cryptocurrency asset management firm CoinShares' analysis concluded the bitcoin network gets up to 74% of its electricity from renewables. But in a survey by Cambridge University's Judge Business School the same year, only 39% of miners said that their power came from renewables.

Renewables aren't the only way to use less energy.

Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency after bitcoin, has a total value of $200 billion compared to bitcoin's $1 trillion market capitalization and soared over the last year. Its energy demands spiked to 30 TWh per year, up from 7 TWh 12 months ago, according to de Vries' calculations.

It sought to cut its energy use by moving to a "proof-of-stake" algorithm, where, instead of miners who create new tokens as a reward for securing the blockchain, "stalkers" hold existing tokens and can commit or stake them to the network, generating new tokens and helping to validate transactions.

But De Vries said fixing bitcoin's energy dilemma this way would be impossible without fundamental changes to bitcoin.

Its miners and developers could vote for such a change but fundamental alterations to bitcoin's core software are broadly unpopular.

One proposal to make bitcoin better suited to small payments in 2017 caused such a schism that a group of miners decided to "fork" the blockchain and create a rival cryptocurrency called bitcoin cash.

Frances Coppola, an author on banking, finance, and economics, told Insider bitcoin needed to evolve if it is to solve the problem.

"I don't think the bitcoin industry is doing itself any favors by refusing even to accept that bitcoin's energy use is a problem, let alone do anything about it," she added.

De Vries added that, if traders, miners and advocates cannot address its environmental impact, government action "seems like an inevitable outcome."

Bitcoin may be set up to be distanced from authorities but, as hundreds of thousands dream of following its early investors into the ranks of the world's richest, it is attracting the type of attention governments cannot ignore.

India has proposed fining anyone who trades or owns bitcoin, As U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellan condemned its energy use, she also warned investors it was "extremely inefficient" and "often for illicit finance."

But De Vries added that, whatever happened, bitcoin would likely survive in some form.

He said it would "continue to exist as long as some people think it has value ... It may just not be the same market value as it has today."

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Bitcoin uses as much energy as Sweden and is on course to use even more - Business Insider

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Now that cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global has filed to go public, all eyes are on which competitor will be next to the public equity markets. Put Kraken at the top of that list.

Kraken, a much smaller rival to Coinbase, is weighing a public listing, but a spokesman said any IPO probably wouldnt come until 2022.If the company does choose to go public, it may use a direct listing.

At this point no decision has been made and were fully focused on scaling our business, filling key roles and making sure were giving clients the best experience and products in a time of unprecedented growth, the spokesman said in an emailed response to questions.

The comments squash reports that Kraken was considering merging with a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Earlier this month, Kraken CEO Jesse Powell told Bloomberg that SPACs were beating down our door looking to do something with us. Powell said it was unlikely the company would merge with a blank- check company given Krakens size relative to the SPACs.

Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, is also said to be considering going public. A spokesman declined to comment.

Founded in 2011, Kraken is a cryptocurrency exchange and one of the oldest Bitcoin exchanges in the world. Its customers can trade more than 50 digital assets and seven fiat currencies, including EUR, USD, CAD, GBP, JPY, CHF and AUD. More than 6 million traders, institutions and authorities use Kraken. The San Francisco company employs about 1,700 people.

Kraken, which refers to the mythical sea creature that terrorizes sailors, processed more than $116.4 billion in trading volume during January and February, 15% more than its entire volume in 2020, the spokesman said.

News of a possible Kraken IPO comes as Coinbase is going public. Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange with more than 43 million verified users last year, has filed to go public using a direct listing. It is expected to launch the offering in April. Coinbase stockholders have registered 114.85 million shares, according to a prospectus. No price has been set for the stock, although Coinbase shares have sold privately for between $200 and $375.01 during the first quarter, the filing said.

Interest in Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini rocketed after Bitcoins valuation jumped this year. Bitcoin traded above $60,000, a record high, earlier this month. In February, Tesla disclosed a $1.5 billion in Bitcoin in its annual report. Coinbases valuation hit nearly $68 billion in first quarter based on its weighted average share price of $343.58, the prospectus said. Thats up from $28.83 in third quarter, implying a $5.3 billion valuation during that period.

Kraken is also out fundraising in a round that values the exchange at $10 billion or possibly double that amount, Bloomberg said. CEO Powell has said the $10 billion was a low valuation and he wouldnt be interested in selling shares at that price.

Kraken has raised $118.5 million, according to data from Crunchbase. Investors include Blockchain Capital, Digital Currency Group, Hummingbird Ventures and Tribe Capital. Kraken last collected $13.6 million in 2019 from more than 2,200 individual investors through a crowdfunding campaign. The 2019 round valued Kraken at more than $4 billion.

Kraken has received much inbound interest, said the spokesman, who didnt comment specifically on the reported fundraising. [Kraken] is well capitalized but we havent ruled out bringing in additional strategic partners, he said.

Write to Luisa Beltran at luisa.beltran@dowjones.com

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A Crypto Exchange Weighs Going Public. Bitcoin Is Just That Hot. - Barron's

Benzinga

Cathie Woods Ark Investment Management sends out an email every night listing the stocks that were bought or sold by the firm's ETFs that day. In recent months, the emails have known to cause certain stocks to see a spike in the after-hours session. Heres a list of 32 stocks that the hedge fund bought and sold on Tuesday. Trades For Ark Fintech Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKF): Zhongan Online P&C Insurance (OTC: ZZHGF): Bought 106,812 Hong Kong shares of the Chinese online-only insurance company, representing about 0.017% of the ETF. Zhongan stock closed flat at $6.69 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $6.70 and low of $2.25. Bill.com Holdings Inc (NYSE: BILL): Bought 29,400 shares of the cloud-based payments company, representing about 0.104% of the ETF. Bill.com shares closed 0.49% lower at $137.62 on Tuesday and were up 0.14% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $195.95 and low of $27.53. Sea Ltd (NYSE: SE): Bought 22,530 shares of the internet and mobile platform company, representing about 0.121% of the ETF. Sea shares closed 5% higher at $214.35 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $285 and low of $40.41. Tencent Holdings (OTC: TCEHY): Sold 122,699 shares of the Chinese multinational company, representing about 0.2475% of the ETF. Tencent stock closed 0.18% higher at $78.83 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $99.4 and low of $46.98. Trades For Ark Genomic Revolution ETF (NYSE: ARKG): Lending Tree Inc (NASDAQ: TREE): Sold 6,319 shares of the online lending marketplace company, representing about 0.033% of the ETF. Lending stock closed 0.64% higher at $206.10 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $372.64 and low of $135.7. Signify Health Inc (NYSE: SGFY): Bought 8,938 shares of the health-tech company, representing about 0.0027% of the ETF. Signify stock closed 2.85% higher at $27.39 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $40.79 and low of $22.13. Seer Inc (NASDAQ: SEER): Bought 20,721 shares of the life sciences company, representing about 0.098% of the ETF. Seer shares closed 5.33% higher at $43.24 on Tuesday and were up 0.21% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $86.55 and low of $38.37. 908 Devices Inc (NASDAQ: MASS): Bought 100,453 shares of the purpose-built handheld and devices for chemical and biomolecular analysis maker, representing about 0.048% of the ETF. 908 Devices stock closed 0.29% lower at $44.86 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $79.60 and low of $38.88. Berkeley Lights Inc (NASDAQ: BLI): Bought 56,670 shares of the company, representing about 0.0276% of the ETF. Berkeley stock closed 0.36% lower at $44.33 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $113.53 and low of $42.5. Butterfly Network Inc (NYSE: BFLY): Bought 487,344 shares of the medical imaging devices company, representing about 0.089% of the ETF. Butterfly shares closed 4% lower at $17.37 on Tuesday and were down 0.69% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $29.13 and low of $9.34. Adaptive Biotechnology Corp (NASDAQ: ADPT): Bought 70,147 shares of the life sciences company, representing about 0.0289% of the ETF. Adaptive shares closed 0.86% higher at $37.58 on Tuesday and were up 0.21% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $71.25 and low of $23.68. Accolade Inc (NASDAQ: ACCD): Bought 26,636 shares of the healthcare tech company, representing about 0.0131% of the ETF. Accolade stock closed 2.3% higher at $44.47 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $65.25 and low of $28.68. Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS): Sold 100,127 shares of the Swiss pharmaceutical company, representing about 0.0967% of the ETF. Novartis shares closed 0.38% lower at $87.02 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $98.5 and low of $77.04. Phreesia Inc (NYSE: PHR): Sold 379,931 shares of the healthcare software services company, representing about 0.22% of the ETF. Phreesia shares closed 2.58% higher at $52.16 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $81.59 and low of $17.27. Pluristem Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: PSTI): Sold 11,082 shares of the Israel-based stemcell company, representing about 0.0006% of the ETF. Pluristem stock closed 0.22% higher at $4.49 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $13.3 and low of $2.90. Syros Pharmaceuticals Co (NASDAQ: SYRS): Sold 49,951 shares of the biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development of treatments for cancer and monogenic diseases, representing about 0.0042% of the ETF. Syros stock closed 2.62% lower at $7.24 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $15.65 and low of $4.88. See Also: Ark Funds Changes Weighting Caps: Could This Mean A Higher Tesla Allocation? Trades For Ark Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKK): Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR): Bought 114,774 shares of the social media company, representing about 0.0338% of the ETF. Twitter shares closed 0.08% higher at $62.99 on Tuesday and were up 0.16% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $80.75 and low of $22.36. Twilio Inc (NYSE: TWLO): Bought 73,342 shares of the cloud technology company, representing about 0.11% of the ETF. Twilio shares closed 1.9% higher at $321.20 on Tuesday and were up 0.09% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $457.30 and low of $79.25. Fate Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: FATE): Bought 35,468 shares of the cancer treatment development company, representing about 0.012% of the ETF. Fate shares closed 1.81% higher at $74.09 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $121.16 and low of $19.80. Beam Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BEAM): Bought 173,007 shares of the advanced genetic medicines innovator company, representing about 0.0598% of the ETF. Beam shares closed 1.57% higher at $75.76 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $126.90 and low of $14.80. Intercontinental Exchange Inc (NYSE: ICE): Sold 16,016 shares of the exchange operator, representing about 0.0085% of the ETF. Intercontinental shares closed 1.81% lower at $111.23 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $119.02 and low of $77.17. LendingTree Inc (NASDAQ: TREE): Sold 20 shares of the online lending marketplace company. Lending stock closed 0.6% higher at $206.11 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $372.64 and low of $135.7. Spotify Technology SA (NYSE: SPOT): Sold 12,652 shares of the digital music streaming company, representing about 0.015% of the ETF. Spotify shares closed 2% higher at $257.69 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $387.4 and low of $116. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Co (NASDAQ: REGEN): Sold 26,549 shares of the biotechnology company, representing about 0.594% of the ETF. Regeneron stock closed 2.25% lower at $470.67 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $664.64 and low of $441. PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL): Sold 160,665 shares of the online payment company, representing about 0.18% of the ETF. PayPal shares closed 0.4% higher at $236.54 on Tuesday and were up 0.19% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $309.14 and low of $89.8. Pure Storage Inc (NYSE: PSTG): Sold 76,700 shares of the flash data storage company, representing about 0.0075% of the ETF. Pure shares closed 0.29% higher at $20.90 on Tuesday and were down 1.91% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $29.53 and low of $10.54. Paccar Inc (NASDAQ: PCAR): Sold 28,641 shares of the medium and heavy-duty truck maker, representing about 0.05% of the ETF. Paccar stock closed 0.14% higher at $93.32 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $103.19 and low of $57.75. Trades for ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (NYSE: ARKQ): Unity Software Inc (NYSE: U): Bought 134,100 shares of the video game software development company, representing about 0.39% of the ETF. Unity shares closed 2.63% higher at $96.90 on Monday and were up 0.41% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $174.94 and low of $65.11. Intuitive Surgical Inc (NASDAQ: ISRG): Sold 17,751 shares of the C company, representing about 0.39% of the ETF. A shares closed 0.35% higher at $726.49 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $826.81 and low of $450. Trades For ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSE: ARKW): Trade Desk Inc (NASDAQ: TTD): Bought 26,965 shares of the digital advertising company, representing about 0.25% of the ETF. Trade Desk shares closed 2.17% higher at $625.88 on Tuesday and were down 0.42% in the after-hours. It has a 52-week high of $972.80 and low of $153.50. Agora Inc (NASDAQ: API): Sold 185,350 shares of the software company, representing about 0.14% of the ETF. Agora shares closed 9.38% higher at $50.61 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $114.96 and low of $33.60. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB): Sold 1,800 shares of the social media company, representing about 0.0078% of the ETF. Facebook shares closed 0.97% lower at $288 on Tuesday. It has a 52-week high of $304.67 and low of $150.83. See Also: Apple, Netflix, Peloton, Square, Roku, DraftKings - What Cathie Wood's Ark Bought And Sold On Monday See more from BenzingaClick here for options trades from BenzingaiPhone Maker Foxconn Q4 Earnings Drop YoY, Miss Street EstimatesNike, Unimpressed With 'Satan Shoes' Featuring Drops Of Actual Human Blood, Sues Designer 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Cathie Wood On Bitcoin: '$1 Trillion Is Nothing Compared To Where This Will Ultimately Be' - Yahoo Finance

Marathon to Produce Bitcoin that is Fully AML and OFAC Compliant by Exclusively Processing Transactions that Meet U.S. Regulatory Standards

LAS VEGAS, March 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA) (Marathon" or "Company"), one of the largest enterprise Bitcoin self-mining companies in North America, today announced that the Company will be launching the first Bitcoin mining pool based in North America that is fully compliant with U.S. regulations, including anti-money laundering (AML) and the Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFACs) standards.

The geopolitical value of moving mining pools to North America cannot be understated. Bitcoin is now no different than any other strategic or rare earth commodity. In fact, given the number of businesses now leveraging the potential and promise of Bitcoin both for distributed ledger benefits and as a reserve and hedge against inflation points to Bitcoin being with few peers in how important it is for long-term U.S. interest. With the work of the Future of Digital Currency Initiative at Stanford, the team here believes this infrastructure will help further decentralize Bitcoin and secure the fidelity of the network in both the short and long-term, stated Atticus Francken - Co-Founder and Senior Fellow, Future of Digital Currency Initiative at Stanford University.

To set up its pool, Marathon has exclusively licensed technology from DMG Blockchain that allows the Company to filter transactions. Marathon intends to leverage this technology to ensure that its mining pool adheres to AML regulations and that all transactions are compliant with OFACs standards. As such, the pool will refrain from processing transactions from those listed on the U.S. Department of Treasurys Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN). By excluding these transactions, all bitcoin Marathon mines will be compliant with U.S. regulatory standards.

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While institutional interest in Bitcoin is accelerating, many large funds and corporations have expressed concerns over purchasing Bitcoin that may have been tainted by nefarious actors, said Merrick Okamoto, Marathons chairman and CEO. Our pools initiatives are grounded on decentralization, transparency, legal compliance with U.S. rules and regulations, and independent auditability under U.S. auditing standards. While we appreciate some miners appetite for processing transactions indiscriminately, it is our belief that as a publicly listed company based in the United States, and as one focused on enabling more institutional adoption of Bitcoin, it is our responsibility to follow U.S. regulations. We believe that such regulatory compliant mining will allow us to produce clean Bitcoin, which will enable a greater number of institutions to gain exposure to this new asset class, ultimately benefiting our organization, our shareholders, and the broader network.

On May 1, 2020, Marathon will begin directing 100% of its hashrate to the new mining pool. Marathon expects all 103,120 of its miners to be deployed by the first quarter of 2022, at which point, the Company will be directing 10.37 EH/s to the mining pool. On June 1, 2020, the pool will begin accepting other U.S.-based Bitcoin mining companies.

Okamoto continued, Currently, more than two thirds of Bitcoins global hashrate is concentrated in pools with little transparency and most reside in one country. It is our belief that this concentration of hashrate outside the United States, where central authorities could interfere with mining operations without due process, poses a risk to the network. We believe shifting more mining power to the U.S. could reduce these risks, potentially strengthening the network and benefitting all who participate in it. If all 10.37 EH/s of our potential hashrate were pointed towards this pool today, our mining pool would be the seventh largest bitcoin mining pool in the world, putting North America on the map as a digital-asset mining hub.

Dan Reitzik, DMG Blockchains CEO, added, "Merrick Okamoto's vision for this mining pool is exactly what is needed in the crypto mining industry today. We are excited to provide Marathon with our proprietary software tools and ongoing technological support to help realize this vision."

Investor NoticeInvesting in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements described under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. If any of these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. In addition, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results in the future. Future changes in the network-wide mining difficulty rate or Bitcoin hashrate may also materially affect the future performance of Marathon's production of Bitcoin. Additionally, all discussions of financial metrics assume mining difficulty rates as of March 2021. See "Safe Harbor" below.

Forward-Looking StatementsStatements made in this press release include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as may, will, plan, should, expect, anticipate, estimate, continue, or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise.

About DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc.DMG is a vertically integrated blockchain and cryptocurrency company that manages, operates, and develops end-to-end digital solutions to monetize the blockchain ecosystem. DMGs businesses are segmented into three main divisions: data centre operations, data analytics and forensics and developing enterprise blockchains. DMGs data centre operations focus on earning revenues from block rewards and transaction fees by mining primarily bitcoin as well as providing hosting services for industrial mining clients entirely powered by renewable energy. DMGs data analytics and forensic services provide technical expertise software products such as Blockseer Pool, Mine Manager and Walletscore, as well as working with auditors, law firms, and law enforcement organizations. DMGs permissioned blockchain technology is focused on developing enterprise software for the supply chain management of controlled products. DMGs strategy is to become the domain experts across the business verticals it focuses on. DMGs environmentally committed management team includes seasoned crypto experts, forensic & financial professionals and blockchain developers with deep relationships throughout the industry.

Future changes in the Bitcoin network-wide mining difficulty rate or Bitcoin hashrate may materially affect the future performance of DMGs production of Bitcoin, and future operational results could also be materially affected by the price of Bitcoin and an increase in hashrate mining difficulty.For more information on DMG Blockchain Solutions visit: http://www.dmgblockchain.com.

About Marathon Digital HoldingsMarathon is a digital asset technology company that mines cryptocurrencies with a focus on the blockchain ecosystem and the generation of digital assets.

Marathon Digital Holdings Company Contact:Jason AssadTelephone: 678-570-6791Email: Jason@marathondh.com

Marathon Digital Holdings Investor Contact:Gateway Investor RelationsMatt Glover and Charlie SchumacherTelephone: 949-574-3860Email: MARA@gatewayir.com

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Marathon Digital Holdings to Launch the First North American-Based Bitcoin Mining Pool, Fully Compliant with U.S. Regulations - Yahoo Finance

Goldin Auctions announced it will accept Bitcoin and Ether in its sports memorabilia auctions, becoming one of the first physical auction houses to embrace cryptocurrencies.

On Tuesday, the sports memorabilia auction houseGoldin Auctionsannounced that it would accept cryptocurrency, making it one of the first brick-and-mortar auction houses to follow the runaway success of auction houseChristies, which accepted Ether for aonetime,$69 million saleearlier this month.

Goldin, which isknown for high-value items, including a Lebron Jamesrookie card that sold for $1.8 millionlast year, decided to accept Bitcoin and Ether based on demand from consumers, says Ross Hoffman, Goldins chief executive officer.

Look, we think a big macro theme that were seeing is folks that are hedging, he continues.One, against inflation, and two, theres interest in alternative investing. Crypto currency and sports collectibles, Hoffman concludes, have a pretty large overlap.

The auction house has already accepted two payments in crypto, most notablyfora Jay-Z cardthatsold for $103,200 on March 20. Its pretty amazing how easy the tech is to integrate, Hoffman says. We had the idea [to accept crypto] two weeks ago, did the integration, and accepted our first payment in Bitcoin last week.

This isnt Goldins first foray into blockchain-based technologies.

Earlier this year, the auction house partnered with Youtube star Logan Paul toauction off a box of Pokemon cards; winning bidders also received holographic trading cards paired to digital certificates of authenticityknown asNFTs. It feels like a long time ago, but I think it was January or February, says Hoffman. Weve been experimenting in the space pretty early on.

While Goldin might be among the first brick-and-mortar sports memorabilia auction houses to accept crypto, its following in the well-trodden footsteps of the digital-only platform NBA Top Shot.

Goldin Auctions sells memorabilia like this 1932 Babe Ruth baseball, which was auctioned off in 2014 to mark the 100th anniversary of Ruths major league debut [File: Patrick Semansky/AP Photo]NBA Top Shots main commodityshort licensed video clips (moments) that are also tied to NFTsis often described asa kind of digital baseball card. The popularity of these clipshas soared over the last few months, with pricestopping more than $200,000for a single moment.

When asked if (perceived) cryptoriches were a motivation, Hoffman says that Goldins decision to acceptBitcoin and Ether wont lead to lower prices, but I dont know if it will lead to higher prices either.

The key, he says, is that it will be merchandise specific, meaning he imagines that a crypto-paying audiencemight be more interested in one category of collectible than another.

I dont think we have enough data points yet to give a clear answer, but we should over time, he says. You can imagine that certain sports with a more global audience, like soccer, might attract crypto collectors from around the world.

The decision to accept cryptocurrency isnt without potential pitfalls.

Auction houses are intermediaries, meaning that they receive payment from a buyerand then pass that payment on to the consignor. (Goldin has partnered withGemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, to facilitate crypto payments.)

But given crypto currencysrapid fluctuations, theres a chance Goldin could lose money on the exchange.

Theres some volatility there, Hoffman acknowledges.

But this is going to make us the easiest and most trusted marketplace to work with. And whatever risk there is [will] be offset by the benefit of bringing in more members.

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Bitcoin for Babe Ruth? Sports auction house will accept crypto - Aljazeera.com

Last week, Fidelity Investments made headlines by announcing plans to provide financial backing for a new Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) ETF, the Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust. The fund will track the Fidelity Bitcoin Index and could potentially be the first cryptocurrency ETF listed on a major U.S. exchange.

Unfortunately, there is a long history of proposed Bitcoin ETFs that have been rejected by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC has cited concerns over extreme volatility in Bitcoin prices and potential risks for investors. Yet Bitcoin investors are hopeful that new SEC Chairman Gary Gensler will be more open to cryptocurrency funds than his predecessorJay Clayton.

Heres a look back at the history of the major Bitcoin ETF proposals.

Related Link: How To Invest In The Market Responsibly When Everyone Else Is Gambling

July 2013: The first ever attempt at a Bitcoin ETF came from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who proposed the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust. The SEC officially rejected the proposal in March 2017.

July 2013: Shortly after the Winklevoss brothers proposed their ETF, SolidX filed a proposal for itsown Bitcoin fund. Even after SolidX teamed up with popular fund manager VanEck, the proposal for the VanEck SolidX Bitcoin Trust was officially withdrawn in January 2019.

July 2017: Grayscale officially filed an application for its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTCQX:GBTC) in July 2017. Three months later, Grayscale withdrew its application to the SEC and chose to list its fund on the OTC market.

To this day, the GBTC fund is the largest and most popular Bitcoin fund, but it's still not listed on a major U.S. exchange.

September 2017: ETF specialist ProShares apple for two Bitcoin ETFs in September 2017 the ProShares Bitcoin ETF and the ProShares Short Bitcoin ETF. Both proposals were rejected by the SEC along with seven other proposed Bitcoin ETFs in August 2018.

December 2017: Both Direxion and GraniteShares filed applications with the SEC for respective Bitcoin ETFs. Both were rejected in August 2018.

January 2019: Bitwise proposed the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust in January 2019. The SEC rejected its proposal about nine months later.

January 2019: Wilshire Phoenix proposed a unique approach to a Bitcoin fund with the United States Bitcoin and Treasury Investment Trust. The company was hoping the funds investment in both Bitcoin and U.S. Treasury securities would win over the SEC, but the proposal was rejected in February 2020.

February 2019: Realty Shares ETF Trusts proposed a Bitcoin fund that would invest up to 25% of its total assets in Bitcoin futures contracts. The SEC forced the company to withdraw its proposal just two days later.

June 2020: WisdomTree submitted an application for a commodity fund that would invest up to 5% of its assets in Bitcoin futures. WisdomTree followed up by proposing a separate Bitcoin ETF just this month.

December 2020: SEC Chair Jay Clayton stepped down from his position. In January 2021, President Joe Biden nominated former chairman of the Commodity Future Trading CommissionGary Gensler as Claytons replacement.

December 2020: VanEck re-filed its application for a Bitcoin ETF. The new proposal marked the first filing following Claytons resignation. The SEC officially acknowledged the filing on March 15, giving the regulator 45 days to rule on the proposal or extend the 45-day review window.

January 2021: Valkyrie filed a new application for the Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund to be listed on the NYSE.

February 2021: NYDIG filed for approval of its own Bitcoin ETF on the same day the price of the cryptocurrency hit $50,000 for the first time.

March 2021: Fidelity filed for approval of the Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust.

2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Bitcoin ETF Proposals: The SEC's Long History Of Rejections - Benzinga