Fast Fact #1:
The Department of Defense engages in wargames based on rebellions relying on bitcoin. (Forbes)
Fast Fact #2:
The U.S. Marine Corps has prohibited Marines from using their mobile devices to mine for bitcoin. (Marine Corps Times)
Fast Fact #3:
The Red Cross accepts charitable donations in bitcoin. (CoinDesk)
Fast Fact #4:
The Federal Election Commission allows political contributions in Bitcoin. (FEC)
Fast Fact #5:
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency says national savings banks and federal savings associations can provide bitcoin custody services for bank customers. (OCC.GOV)
Fast Fact #6:
Ohio lets businesses pay taxes in bitcoin. (WSJ)
Fast Fact #7:
Congressman Tom Emmer of Minnesota said, “Bitcoin isn’t going away. It will continue to become more and more important. You just watch, it has value, when something has value, people are going to take risks and it’s going to advance. I think we’re just moving into that next phase, which is why crypto, the area, excites me.” (Forbes)
Fast Fact #8:
Wyoming gave crypto exchange company Kraken a bank charter that’s recognized under federal and state law, making it the first regulated U.S. bank to provide comprehensive deposit-taking, custody and fiduciary services for digital assets. Customers can bank seamlessly between digital assets and national currencies. They can pay bills and receive salaries in bitcoin, and incorporate bitcoin into their investment and trading portfolios. (Kraken)
Fast Fact #9:
Former Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney joined the board of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. Visa and Goldman Sachs are joining its Executive Committee. Other board members include Chris Giancarlo, former chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Blythe Masters, former head of global commodities at J.P. Morgan. (Chamber of Digital Commerce)
Fast Fact #10:
The European Union unveiled an initiative to establish the most world’s most comprehensive rules for bitcoin, allowing its use while offering consumer protections. (Cointelegraph)
Fast Fact #11:
The IRS has revised Form 1040; the first question is now: “At any time during 2020, did you receive, sell, send, exchange, or otherwise acquire any financial interest in any virtual currency?” (IRS.GOV)
Fast Fact #12:
Bitcoin’s use as a payment system ($1.3 trillion annual transaction volume) exceeds that of Discover ($200 billion) and PayPal ($600 billion). (Ark Invest)
Fast Fact #13:
Visa says: “Digital currencies have the potential to extend the value of digital payments to a greater number of people and places. As such, we want to help shape and support the role they play in the future of money. We want to provide a bridge between digital currencies and our existing global network of 61 million merchants.” (CNBC)
Fast Fact #14:
Mastercard says digital asset companies can use its network to issue credit cards based on bitcoin, saying, “The currency market continues to mature, and Mastercard is driving it forward, creating safe and secure experiences for consumers and businesses in today’s digital economy.” (Mastercard)
Fast Fact #15:
PayPal now allows its 325 million users make purchases via bitcoin and use it with the 24 million merchants on its platform. (PayPal)
Fast Fact #16:
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges says bitcoin may produce the world’s first trillionaires in the next decade. ( AGB)
Fast Fact #17:
The university endowments of Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Dartmouth, UNC and others all own digital assets. (CoinDesk)
Fast Fact #18:
Renaissance Technologies, one of the largest hedge funds in the world, revised its Form ADV so it can engage in bitcoin futures transactions. (The Block Crypto)
Fast Fact #19:
Hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones says has placed almost 2% of his assets in bitcoin, saying bitcoin might “end up being the best performer” in his portfolio. (CNBC)
Fast Fact #20:
A report by JPMorgan Chase says the performance of bitcoin during the Covid-19 crisis suggests it has “longevity as an asset class.” (Yahoo! Finance)
Fast Fact #21:
MicroStrategy has invested $425 million in bitcoin as a “capital allocation strategy.” (MicroStrategy)
Fast Fact #22:
94% of asset managers hold digital assets. (State Street Global)
Fast Fact #23:
Former Prudential Securities Chairman George Ball says bitcoin or other digital assets are “very attractive” and predicted that many people will soon invest in this asset class. (CryptoGlobe)
Fast Fact #24:
Coinbase has more account holders than Schwab: 35 million vs. 14 million. (Investopedia)
Fast Fact #25:
The top 5 stock holdings of Millennials are (in order) Amazon, Apple, Tesla, Facebook and the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust. Millennials own more bitcoin than they own stock in Berkshire Hathaway, Disney, Netflix, Microsoft or Alibaba. (Schwab)
Fast Fact #26:
In Q2 2020, Signature Bank received $1 billion in deposits of bitcoin. (CoinDesk)
Fast Fact #27:
5% of Americans own bitcoin. (Global Blockchain Council)
Fast Fact #28:
Fidelity has launched the Wise Origin Bitcoin Index Fund, a bitcoin index fund for wealthy investors. Fidelity CEO Abby Johnson says, “Our goal is to make digitally-native assets, such as bitcoin, more accessible to investors.” (Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #29:
Bitcoin’s global market cap is a fraction of other asset classes–only $180 billion, compared to $230 trillion for real estate, $86 trillion for bonds, $68 trillion for stocks, $17 trillion for art and $9 trillion for gold. (Fundstrat)
Fast Fact #30:
Bitcoin is the best-performing asset since its inception, and for the past 1-year, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year periods as of October 2020. (Off the Chain Capital)
Fast Fact #31:
J.P. Morgan says “the potential long-term upside for bitcoin is considerable if it competes more intensely with gold as an “alternative currency” noting that bitcoin’s market cap would rise 10x to match private sector investment in gold ETFs, bars and coins. “Even a modest crowding out of gold as an alternative currency would imply doubling or tripling of the bitcoin price.” (MSN)
Fast Fact #32:
Square bought $50 million of bitcoin, 1% of its assets. (CNN)
Fast Fact #33:
Fidelity released a 40-page Bitcoin Investment Thesis: Bitcoin’s Role as an Alternative Investment. “Bitcoin is a unique investable asset with compelling differences relative to traditional asset classes.” (Fidelity Digital Assets)
Fast Fact #34:
Ark Investments says Bitcoin’s market cap is currently $200 billion and will be between $1 trillion and $5 trillion within the next five to ten years. That’s as much as a 2500% gain, or 250% per year. (Ark Invest)
Fast Fact #35:
Coinbase offers “instant” withdrawals via Visa debit card or Mastercard credit card. You can convert your bitcoin into dollars everywhere Visa is accepted, for a 1.5% fee. (Coinbase)
Fast Fact #36:
AICPA has released a 40-page set of guidelines for accountants: Accounting for and Auditing of Digital Assets. (AICPA)
Fast Fact #37:
JP Morgan released a report saying bitcoin demand is rising among institutional investors, asset managers and family offices, noting they appear to be the biggest investors in GBTC. The report says the potential long-term upside for bitcoin is considerable: bitcoin would have to rise 10x to match the total investment in gold. (bitcoin.com)
Fast Fact #38:
Billionaire hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller announced in November 2020 that he owns bitcoin and predicted it will outperform gold. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #39:
Bill Miller, famed member of the Legg Mason Value Trust who beat the S&P 500 15 years in a row–a record, said in November 2020 that bitcoin’s staying power gets, “better every day and its risks of going to zero are lower than ever. The story is very easy. It’s supply and demand. Bitcoin’s supply is growing around 2.5% a year and the demand is growing faster than that. Everybody is going to want to own some bitcoin.” (Business Insider)
Fast Fact #40:
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was a top contributor ($5.2 million) to Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. Many believe Biden will be receptive to policies supportive of digital assets. (New York Magazine)
Fast Fact #41:
Square generated $1.6 billion of bitcoin revenue in Q3 2020–11x more than the prior year. (SEC)
Fast Fact #42:
Brazil says it will launch its own CBDC by 2022. Consumers in that country have opened more than 100 million digital savings accounts. (R3)
Fast Fact #43:
SEC chair Jay Clayton, who opposed approval of a bitcoin ETF, is left the SEC 6 months sooner than his term ended. Gary Gensler, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is leading Joe Biden’s financial policy transition team. He’s crypto-friendly: Last year, he wrote that bitcoin’s underlying blockchain technology is a “catalyst” for change, arguing, “we already live in an age of digital money.” Wyoming voters elected Cynthia Lummis to the Senate. She’s an early adopter of Bitcoin–she first bought it in 2013, according to her financial disclosure statement. Wyoming is a leading proponent of crypto: The University of Wyoming announced in November that it’s launching the Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation to help students study cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, and the state recently awarded a bank charter to a cryptocurrency business – a first. And Sam Blankman-Fried, who contributed more than $5 million to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, is sure to have Biden’s ear – and he’s the founder of a cryptocurrency exchange. All this points to federal advancement of blockchain and digital assets. (CoinDesk, University of Wyoming and NY Magazine)
Fast Fact #44:
Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University and one of crypto’s fiercest critics, now says bitcoin is “maybe a partial store of value.” (Forbes)
Fast Fact #45:
Bloomberg launched in November 2020, an index tracking the performance of bitcoin: The Galaxy Bitcoin Index. (Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #46:
The China Construction Bank sold $3 billion in bonds in November 2020. Foreign investors buy the digital bond for as little as $100–with bitcoin. The bonds mature every 90 days and pay 0.75%. (yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #47:
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said in November 2020 the ECB is “very seriously” looking at the creation of a digital euro. Lagarde said the pandemic has caused many structural changes including the way “we work, we trade, and we pay,” noting that e-commerce rose by almost 20% since the pandemic started. (311 Institute)
Fast Fact #48:
Thomas Fitzpatrick, global head of Technicals at Citibank, says bitcoin will hit $318,000 by December 2021. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #49:
Top three Japanese banks and more than 30 major Japanese companies announced that they will jointly test a digital currency in 2021. (Japan Times)
Fast Fact #50:
Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Mexico’s third-richest person who’s worth $12 billion, has revealed that he has 10% of his liquid assets in bitcoin. He says he first invested in 2016. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #51:
ARTCELS, the world’s first art investments digital platform, released in November 2020, a digital coin called ARTEM. It lets you buy fractions of artworks that are each valued at more than $1 million. It operates on an iPhone app. (ARTCELS)
Fast Fact #52:
Square’s app is buying the equivalent of 40% of all newly issued bitcoin. PayPal, which recently began letting users buy, sell and pay for purchases with bitcoin, is already buying 70% of the new supply of bitcoin. There are 100 million bitcoin owners; PayPal has 300 million active users. Big demand. Limited supply. (CNBC)
Fast Fact #53:
SEC Chair Jay Clayton, said in November 2020, that inefficiencies in the global payment’s infrastructure are boosting bitcoin’s rise. (Pymnts)
Fast Fact #54:
ARK Investments, CEO Catherine Wood, said in November 2020 that involvement of institutional investors could drive Bitcoin to $500,000. (Barron’s)
Fast Fact #55:
In 2020, 30% of the stocks in the S&P 500 were more volatile than bitcoin, according to FactSet. (VanEck)
Fast Fact #56:
Coinbase is now on list of Apple Store’s top 100 free apps. (Apple)
Fast Fact #57:
Visa CEO Alfred Kelly says the company is working with 25 crypto firms. In the future, he says, “We could see digital currencies running on the Visa network on a more regular basis. We are certainly open to any vehicle that helps facilitate the movement of money around the world. We want to be in the middle of it.” (CryptoGlobe)
Fast Fact #58:
Rick Rieder, Fixed Income CIO at BlackRock, told CNBC in November 2020 that bitcoin is “here to stay” and could rival gold as a primary “store of value.” (CNBC)
Fast Fact #59:
Bitcoin’s market cap is now bigger than JP Morgan, MasterCard, PayPal, United Health, Home Depot, Disney and Nvidia. (AssetDash)
Fast Fact #60:
Students at Oxford and Cambridge, famed for crew and their annual boat race, are now engaging in algorithm trading competition to see who can make the most money trading bitcoin. Fifteen teams are. Competing with seed capital by organizers. The winning team gets to keep its profits. (CoinDesk)
Fast Fact #61:
Niall Ferguson, Senior Fellow at Stanford University, told Barron’s in December 2002 that the best investment opportunity coming out of the pandemic will be bitcoin. (Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #62:
S&P Dow Jones will launch cryptocurrency indices in 2021, saying reliable pricing data will make it easier for investors to evaluate and access the new asset class and reduce risks. (Reuters)
Fast Fact #63:
In November 2020, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, said bitcoin is “here to stay.” A month later he added that growing popularity of digital assets is having a “real impact” on the U.S. dollar, making it “less relevant” for foreign holders of dollar-based assets. At an industry event, he asked, “Does digital currency change the need for the dollar as a reserve currency?” (Business Quick)
Fast Fact #64:
A 17-year-old artist from Nevada created a digital painting of the NYC skyline. IT sold for more than $21,000 in an online auction held on Nifty Gateway, a blockchain art platform. Artists can submit their work as tokens on the blockchain; each token is one of a kind and cannot be deleted or copied. (Gemini)
Fast Fact #65:
MicroStrategy, which earlier invested $425 million into Bitcoin, bought another $50 million of bitcoin in November 2020, and says it plans to sell $400 million in convertible bonds–and will use the proceeds to buy more bitcoin. (Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #66:
Institutional investors put $429 million into cryptocurrency funds in the first week of December 2020, the second highest inflow on record. The record of $468 million was set 3 weeks earlier. (Blockchain News)
Fast Fact #67:
Airbnb is going public and told the SEC in its filing that, “our future success will also depend on our ability to adapt to…tokenization…cryptocurrencies…and blockchain technologies….” (Bitcoin.com)
Fast Fact #68:
Rumors abound that universities plan to launch their own tokens. Instead of a parent saving money in a 529 plan, they could buy the tokens to lock in current tuition rates. In the future, the tokens could be traded on the open market if the child doesn’t attend college. (Libertas)
Fast Fact #69:
MassMutual bought 100mm in Bitcoin in December 2020, and invested $5 million into NYDIG, the digital asset subsidiary of Stone Ridge, which manages $10 billion in alternative assets. (MassMutual)
Fast Fact #70:
In December 2020, Bridgewater Associates Founder Ray Dalio changed his mind about bitcoin. The founder of the world’s largest hedge fund now says bitcoin and other digital assets have “established themselves” and are interesting “gold-like asset alternatives,” adding that, “the main thing is to have some of these type of assets in one’s portfolio and to diversify among them.” (Forbes)
Fast Fact #71:
Fidelity Digital Assets will let institutional customers borrow against their Bitcoin, up to 60% of its value. To get a loan, a Fidelity customer must have an account with BlockFi. (Fidelity Digital Assets)
Fast Fact #72:
JPMorgan in December 2020 said gold will suffer for years because of bitcoin. It notes that bitcoin is 0.18% of family office assets, compared to 3/3% for Gold ETFs. Tilting from gold would transfer billions of dollars to bitcoin. (The Economic Times)
Fast Fact #73:
Bank of America warned in December 2020 that digital euro would cut into commercial bank deposits and harm the banks. Although a digital euro would cut costs and complexity for individuals, but it would also reduce the need for third parties like banks. “A [digital euro] could prove a convenient substitute.” (yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #74:
State Street, which manages 10% of the world’s assets, has invested in Lukka, a cryptocurrency data provider. (yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #75:
Sweden announced in December 2020 it is exploring a move to a digital currency. The review will be completed by November 2022. Its central bank is already running a pilot project with Accenture on electronic krona using the same blockchain technology of Bitcoin. In Sweden, less than 10% of all payments are made with cash, making it the world’s most cashless society according to the Bank for International Settlements. (Investopedia)
Fast Fact #76:
MicroStrategy says it raised in December 2020 $650 million, up from $400 million, in a convertible senior note. It will place the entire proceeds will into bitcoin. (MicroStrategy)
Fast Fact #77:
A Canadian mutual fund company launched a bitcoin fund in December 2020. U.S. investors cannot buy it. (BNN Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #78:
CBOE announced plans in December 2020 to launch cryptocurrency indexes in Q2 2021. (CBOE)
Fast Fact #79:
Ruffer, a big London investment firm, invested $744 million in December 2020 – 3% of the firm’s assets under management. Ruffer called the investment “primarily a protective move for portfolios to act as a hedge against risk.” (yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #80:
Germany said in December 2020 that will allow securities to be issued on the blockchain, bypassing traditional investment banks. (BTC Manager)
Fast Fact #81:
Kashmir Hill, a New York Times reporter, says that as part of research she was doing on bitcoin in 2013, she bought dinner for 60 people at a sushi restaurant in San Francisco. She paid 10 bitcoin for the meal. As of December 2020, that amounts to a $230,000 dinner.( Business Insider)
Fast Fact #82:
Guggenheim Investments says bitcoin will hit $400,000 due to its scarcity and relative valuation as a percentage of GDP. The firm, which manages $5.3 billion, told the SEC in December 2020 it will invest up to 10% of its fund into the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust. (Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #83:
Coinbase, biggest crypto exchange announced in December 2020 that it plans to go public. (CNBC)
Fast Fact #84:
Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, cut his exposure to gold in December 2020 for the first time in years in favor of bitcoin and said he’s initiating a 5% holding of bitcoin. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #85:
Square said in December 2020 that its Cash App generated $1.6 billion of bitcoin revenue, up 11x from year-ago. Square now offers bitcoin-back rewards in its loyalty program. (yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #86:
MicroStrategy in December 2020 says it now has $1.6 billion invested in bitcoin. (MicroStrategy)
Fast Fact #87:
BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager with $8 trillion in assets, announced in December 2020 that it’s hiring a Vice President for blockchain. The role will make investments in digital assets and blockchain firms. (BlackRock)
Fast Fact #88:
Proving that he knows nothing about digital assets and hasn’t bothered to try gaining any knowledge about them,) Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at NYU, said in December 2020 that bitcoin has no place in portfolios. He said it offers “no utility” and the “bubble is going to go bust.” (UK yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #89:
Anthony Scaramucci’s hedge fund, SkyBridge Capital, filed documents with SEC to launch a bitcoin fund. It will be available only to accredited investors. Minimum investment: $50,000. (InvestmentNews)
Fast Fact #90:
Elon Musk in December 2020 said the Mars economy will be based in digital assets. (The Independent)
Fast Fact #91:
Residents of the Chinese city of Shenzhen were invited by the government to play the lottery for free in December 2020 – and 100,000 won. Each received $31 in digital currency and were told they could spend the coins at any of 10,000 local merchants. To do so, the lottery winners download an app and create a digital wallet. The lottery was a program of China’s central bank, to help consumers grow comfortable using the bank’s CBDC, known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment or digital yuan. (The Wall Street Journal)
Fast Fact #92:
VC firm Greenpro Capital announced the launch of a bitcoin fund in January 2021. (Greenpro Capital)
Fast Fact #93:
Russell Okung, a Pro Bowl tackle for the Carolina Panthers, became the first NFL player to be paid in bitcoin. Starting in 2021, the team is paying him in dollars and Okung converts his pay to bitcoin using Zap. (CBS Sports)
Fast Fact #94:
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced in January 2021 that federal banks can make payments using the blockchain and stablecoins. OCC says blockhain “may be more resilient than other payment networks.” (OCC)
Fast Fact #95:
Joe Biden appointed Gary Gensler as chair of SEC. Gensler taught courses on digital assets and blockchain at MIT. (MIT)
Fast Fact #96:
Mark Cuban announced in January 2021 that he’s owned bitcoin for years and has never sold any of it. (Business Insider)
Fast Fact #97:
Anthony Scaramucci’s hedge fund, SkyBridge Capital, crashed the internet when it staged a webinar launching the firm’s new bitcoin fund. More than 6,000 people tried to sign join the call. (Reuters)
Fast Fact #98:
On Oct. 29, 10 days before his death, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek recorded one of his final shows, and he featured the answer, “A Satoshi is the smallest unit in this currency system.” The show aired January 8, 2021. (Jeopardy)
Fast Fact #99:
The state-owned Agricultural Bank of China now has ATMs that let citizens deposit and withdraw China’s digital currency. (Ledger Insights)
Fast Fact #100:
Pakistan announced in January 2021 that it is building two bitcoin mining plants. (Dawn)
Fast Fact #101:
The IMF, which has 174 member countries, said in January 2021 that only 40 have laws allowing their central banks to issue digital currency. The IMF says to expect substantial legislation broadening government authority worldwide. (IMF)
Fast Fact #102:
The Osprey Bitcoin Trust (OBTC) launched in January 2021 with a 0.49% fee – the first salvo in a coming trade war that will lower prices for investors. (Osprey Funds)
Fast Fact #103:
In January 2021, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency gave a national trust charter to Anchorage – a custodian for bitcoin. Anchorage is thus the first national “digital asset bank” in the U.S. Anchorage can now serve as a Qualified Custodian, meaning it can maintain client funds and hold securities. (Inclusion Times)
Fast Fact #104:
Goldman Sachs said in January 2021 that it is preparing to seek permission to serve as a custodian for digital assets. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #105:
Italian soccer giant AC Milan, a 7-time Champions League winner, announced in January 2021 that it is launching a digital token. Fans will get voting rights, VIP rewards, “super-fan” recognition, promotions, games and chat forums. (Blockchain Council)
Fast Fact #106:
Iran, which operates a bitcoin mining operation with China, said in January 2021 that it is suffering huge blackouts because of the energy usage of the project. (Washington Post)
Fast Fact #107:
The former prime minister of Canada said in January 2021 that bitcoin could be used as a reserve currency. Stephen Harper, who is also an economist, said, “If you have a digital currency and the purpose of the central bank is to control inflation, then digital currency is just an evolution of the marketplace.” (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #108:
Figure, which offers mortgages using blockchain technology, closed $100 million a financing facility from JPMorgan in January 2021. The facility will allow Figure to provide conforming and jumbo mortgages. Its use of blockchain tech lets it issue mortgages and loans at greater speed and reduced cost. (Business Wire)
Fast Fact #109:
BlackRock announced in January 2021 that it’s adding bitcoin futures to two of its funds – the first time the world’s largest ($8.7 trillion) asset manager is offering clients exposure to digital assets.
Fast Fact #110:
Sequoia, which provides software to the Defense Department, is letting employees receive a portion of their salary in bitcoin. (Bloomberg)
Fast Fact #111:
Asset management firm Valkyrie in January 2021 applied to the SEC for a bitcoin ETF, to be called the Valkyrie Bitcoin Trust. (SEC)
Fast Fact #112:
The number of financial advisors placing digital assets in client portfolios rose 49% last year, from 6.3% to 9.4%. Another 17% say they are starting to add digital assets to client portfolios this year. (Bitwise)
Fast Fact #113:
More than 100 million people worldwide now own digital assets. (Markets Insider)
Fast Fact #114:
The Bank for International Settlements said in January 2021 that a fifth of world’s population will be using central bank digital currencies within three years. (Reuters)
Fast Fact #115:
Billionaire Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, wrote in February 2021, “Bitcoin is one hell of an invention.” (Bridgewater)
Fast Fact #116:
Visa CEO Alfred Kelly said in February 2021 the company plans to let its customers buy digital assets and use them to make purchases via its credit cards. (Visa)
Fast Fact #117:
BlockFi registered a Bitcoin Trust with the SEC in February 2021. (Blockworks)
Fast Fact #118:
Elon Musk tweeted in February 2021, “I am a supporter of bitcoin,” he wrote, adding, “I was a little slow on the uptake. I think bitcoin is on the verge of getting broad acceptance by conventional finance people.” (CNBC)
Fast Fact #119:
January 2021 trading volume on digital asset exchanges was $900 billion, beating all previous records. (yahoo! finance)
Fast Fact #120:
Switzerland’s new blockchain law allows for tokenized assets. The first product came to market in January 2021: investable wines. People can hold, trade or request physical settlement. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #121:
Glenn Hutchins launched a VC crypto fund in February 2021 with investors billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, former Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, LL Cool J, Apollo Group co-founder and billionaire Josh Harris, venture capitalist Geoff Yang, former Twitter COO Anthony Noto, Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola, and Joe Moglia, former CEO of TD Ameritrade. (yahoo! money)
Fast Fact #122:
Arcane Crypto, which develops projects focused digital assets, is now listed on Sweden’s stock market. (Arcane Crypto)
Fast Fact #123:
NYDIG, which manages $6 billion in bitcoin for institutional investors, says it will hold $25 billion for such clients by year-end. (Blockchain.News)
Fast Fact #124:
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), a strong supporter of digital assets, has been appointed to the Senate Banking Committee. (Lumis Senate)
Fast Fact #125:
CalPERS increased its stake in bitcoin miner Riot Blockchain (RIOT), to $2 million, up from $50,000 in Q4 2020. (Nasdaq)
Fast Fact #126:
Visa announced a partnership with Anchorage Bank to help customers trade digital assets. Visa invested $40 million in the bank. (TechCrunch)
Fast Fact #127:
MicroStrategy, which has $1.6 billion of its reserves in bitcoin, pitched its strategy to executives of 1,400 public companies in February 2021. (MicroStrategy)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #128:
Elon Musk invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and says Tesla will soon accept bitcoin as payment. (CNBC)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #129:
Bitcoin is 2x the value of JPMorgan, America’s most valuable bank, 8x Goldman Sachs and a third of the entire FTSE 100. (Financial Times)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #130:
Morgan Stanley is considering buying bitcoin; the potential investment amount is reportedly $150 million. (Nasdaq)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #131:
Deutsche Bank announced it plans to offer cryptocurrency custody for institutional investors. (Finance Magnates)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #132:
Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings says one of the “key earners” for the company will be a cryptocurrency joint venture it intends to set up. (Invezz)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #133:
Amazon plans to launch a digital currency payments project in Mexico, named “Digital and Emerging Payments.” It will allow for conversion of cash into digital currency. (Omnes Media)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #134:
Canada approved the world’s first bitcoin ETF on February 11, 202. Ticker BTCC has a 1% management fee. (Reuters)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #135:
Goldman Sachs held a private virtual forum with Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz for employees and clients. (CNBC
Bitcoin Fast Fact #136:
Cboe, which stopped listing bitcoin futures in March 2019, plans to re-enter the digital assets market with a bitcoin ETF proposed by asset manager VanEck. (Markets Media)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #137:
344 million people visited crypto exchange websites in January 2021, up from 196 million in the prior month.
(CNBC)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #138:
The City of Miami passed a resolution to research investing government funds into Bitcoin. The idea was spearheaded by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. (Decrypt)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #139:
State Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg), who serves on the Innovation, Industry & Technology Committee, cited a Madison Institute study when he said, “Florida has a great deal to gain by embracing this innovation.” (The Center Square)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #140:
NBA Top Shot sold 2,500 collectible packs as non-fungible tokens in 30 minutes on a blockchain, raising $2.6 Million. More than 25,000 people tried to buy the packets. The NBA Top Shot website is the only place you can buy, sell or trade the tokens. (CNBC)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #141:
A third of small and midsize American businesses accept payment in bitcoin. Major companies include Wikipedia, Microsoft, AT&T, KFC, Overstock, Subway, Miami Dolphins and Norwegian Air. (99 Bitcoins)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #142:
Jim Cramer says it’s “almost irresponsible” for companies not to own bitcoin. He said on CNBC that he owns bitcoin and advises investors to own cash, gold, and bitcoin – and added that, “Every treasurer should be going to boards of directors and saying should we put a small portion of our cash in bitcoin.”
(Insider)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #143:
Former hedge fund manager Michael Novogratz says bitcoin will rise to $100,000 by Dec 31, 2021. (yahoo! finance)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #144:
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the company is open to accepting bitcoin as payment for rides. (Insider)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #145:
BNY Mellon, the country’s oldest bank (founded by Alexander Hamilton) will hold, transfer and issue digital assets. “Growing client demand, maturity of advanced solutions, and improving regulatory clarity present a tremendous opportunity for us,” says a bank executive. (Reuters)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #146:
Mastercard is preparing to support cryptocurrencies on its network this year. “The trend is unmistakable,” says Raj Dhamodharan, EVP of digital asset and blockchain products. (Mastercard)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #147:
Sotheby’s and Christie’s are auctioning NFTs with Digital artist Beeple. His real name is Mike Winkelman, and he makes video content and concert visuals for Eminem and others. A collage of his sold for $69.3 million in March 2021. (Art News)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #148:
Twitter CFO Ned Segal says the company might add bitcoin to its balance sheet.
(Insider)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #149:
JPMorgan COO Daniel Pinto says JPMorgan will support bitcoin trading if there is client demand.
(The Block Crypto)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #150:
The number of Bitcoin ATMs worldwide more than doubled in past 12 months; 16,267 Bitcoin ATMs are now available in the US, Canada, Europe and UK. (PR Newswire)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #151:
Bitwise Asset Management launched the DeFi Crypto Index Fund in February 2021. Ethereum-based tokens comprise all 10 positions. (Bitwise)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #152:
NYDIG filed with SEC for a Bitcoin ETF on February 16, 2021. (SEC)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #153:
The NFT market is worth $338 million, up from $42 million in 2017. (Forbes)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #154:
A bill in Congress would have the SEC and CFTC improve regulation of digital assets. The Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act of 2021 aims to improve the fairness, orderliness, integrity, efficiency, transparency, availability and efficacy in the market for digital assets. It is sponsored by U.S. Reps Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). (Dailyhodl)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #155:
Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the first pro athlete to launch his own digital trading cards. He expects the rarest one to fetch “millions.” The winning bidder will meet Gronkowski in person and attend a game as his guest. (Investing)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #156:
Kevin O’Leary said in March 2021 that he’s investing 3% of his portfolio into digital assets. Just three months earlier he called bitcoin a “giant-nothing burger” but now says, “When facts change, I change.” (Business Insider)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #157:
JPMorgan Chase filed documents in March 2021 for a Cryptocurrency Exposure Basket with 11 U.S. stocks related to digital assets, including MicroStrategy, Square, PayPal, CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange, Overstock and Silvergate Capital. (Blockworks)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #158:
In March 2021, California wealth management firm Gerber Kawasaki, with $1.8 billion AUM for 7,500 clients, began investing in digital assets on behalf of clients, through Gemini. (Blockworks)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #159:
Goldman Sachs President and COO John Waldron said in March 2021 that “client demand for bitcoin is rising.” The bank restarted its crypto trading desk and is dealing in bitcoin futures. Waldron believes there will be an “explosion” in the use of digital currency. (yahoo! finance)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #160:
Kings of Leon became the music industry’s first rock band to release an album in the form of NFT, when it released “When You See Yourself” on March 5, 2021. (Newsweek)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #161:
Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Twitter, sold his first tweet as an NFT for $2.9 million in March 2021. The 15-year-old tweet read, “just setting up my twttr.” (CNET)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #162:
CryptoPunks, a set of 10,000 individual characters created by Larva Labs, were given away in 2017. In March 2021, CryptoPunk #7804 sold for $7.5 million, setting a record for the most expensive NFT ever sold – until the next day when “CryptoPunk #3100 sold for $7.6 million. (Zephyrnet)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #163:
Theodore Mathas, CEO of New York Life and chair of American Council of Life Insurers, joined the board of New York Digital Investment Group in March 2021. Square CEO Jack Dorsey had joined the board in January. (Trade Moneta)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #164:
Sotheby’s will host its first-ever NFT in April 2021 with work presented by anonymous artist, Pak. (Be In Crypto)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #165:
Manor, Switzerland’s largest department store chain, began selling Bitcoin gift cards in March 2021. (Inside Bitcoins)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #166:
Virtual sneaker brand RTFKT Studios sold 600 pairs of its NFT products in seven minutes for $3.1 million in March 2021. The digital designer is an 18-year-old known as FEWOCiOUS. (NSS Magazine)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #167:
DC Comics announced in March 2021 it is working with Veve Collectibles to launch NFTs representing Batman. (Genesis Block)
Bitcoin Fast Fact #168:
The 2021 Forbes Blockchain 50 of leading companies in distributed ledger technology include Boeing, Cargill, Credit Suisse, Fidelity, Honeywell, IBM, ING, JP Morgan, Mercedes Benz, Microsoft, MicroStrategy, NBA, Northern Trust, Novartis, Oracle, PayPal, Samsung, Signature Bank, Square, State Farm, Vanguard and VISA. (Forbes)