Cryptocurrency Under Fire!

Bitcoin Tops $40K for the First Time in 19 Months, Rallies to 44k

Bitcoin ($BTC) has surged above the $40,000 level, reaching its highest point since late April 2022. In the past week, Bitcoin has climbed approximately 12%, going from under $39,500 to above $44,000.
This represents a 19-month high and sets a new year-to-date high for Bitcoin, which has seen a remarkable gain of over 140% since the beginning of the year.

El Salvador Unveils BTC ‘Freedom Visa’

El Salvador’s new citizenship-by-investment program: Invest $1 million in Bitcoin or Tether for residency and citizenship.
El Salvador, in partnership with Tether, launched the “Adopting El Salvador Freedom Visa Program” on Dec. 7. Their citizenship price is higher than neighboring Caribbean countries, starting above $100,000.

Tether Powers El Salvador's Visionary Freedom Visa Program Through Technology Support

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tether.to

Elon Musk Unveils ‘Grok’: The Snarky AI Chatbot for Premium X Users

Elon Musk’s new chatbot Grok, known for its anti-woke tone, began its rollout to X Premium Plus users on Thursday.
X users who subscribed for $16 a month, or $22 through the app, for a blue checkmark, now have access to roasts from the xAI’s leading generative AI chatbot, as announced by X CEO Linda Yaccarino.

Binance Founder CZ Must Stay in US Until February Sentencing, Judge Orders

Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao must remain in the United States until his sentencing in February, as a federal judge has ruled that he is unlikely to return to the country if allowed to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The judge cited Zhao’s substantial wealth and property abroad, as well as his family residing in the UAE, as factors that could increase the risk of flight.

Presidential Candidate Ramaswamy Slams SEC Chair Gensler Over Crypto Regulation

During the Nov. 6 Republican Party presidential debate, U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy criticized SEC Chair Gary Gensler and other regulatory agencies for their lag in crypto regulation.
He highlighted the embarrassment of Gensler’s inability to acknowledge before Congress that Ethereum’s Ether should be classified as a commodity.

Lugano Goes Crypto: Bitcoin Now Accepted for Taxes and Services

Lugano, a city in Switzerland, is boosting Bitcoin adoption by integrating it into local payment systems.
Residents and businesses will now be able to pay for municipal services and taxes using cryptocurrency.

ChatGPT Tops Wikipedia’s Most-Viewed Articles of 2023 List

OpenAI’s ChatGPT became the most-viewed Wikipedia article in English in 2023, with 49.5 million views, highlighting the growing public interest in AI.
In 2023, English Wikipedia pages got over 84 billion views. ChatGPT was more popular than pages on “Deaths in 2023”, the “2023 Cricket World Cup”, and the “Indian Premier League”.

JPMorgan CEO Comes Hard for Bitcoin, Calls it Tool for Criminals

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, criticized Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in Washington D.C., suggesting they should be banned.
“I’ve always been deeply opposed to crypto, bitcoin, etc.,” the head of the largest U.S. bank by assets said under questioning from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. “The only true use case for it is criminals, drug traffickers … money laundering, tax avoidance.”