The Volatility of the Crypto Market in 2022

If we consider that equity investors had a good 2021, we can say the crypto investors had a terrific year. Some coins went up by 5,000-7,000%, returning mind-blowing profits for investors. Even cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and BTC surged 34-40% in 2021. However, the path to the top wasn’t a straight line, as with Bitcoin. The coin went up to one of its highest points right before crashing, losing more than 50% of its value, proving the volatility of the crypto market.

The fall happened in May-June after Elon Musk stated his concerns about the environmental impact of mining. Plus, around the same time, China, the most significant mining country at the time, started implementing new restrictions on crypto mining. These two factors combined created panic among investors, who rushed to sell. Some cryptocurrencies went down 30-40% in a matter of hours.

In September, buyers returned once the dust had settled down, and the price skyrocketed once more. By November, the cost of BTC hit a new historic high when it went up to $69,000, around 32% higher than the numbers from the beginning of 2021.

What to Expect from the Volatility of the Crypto Market in 2022?

The reality is that a lot of it will depend on new policies that governments are trying to implement worldwide. This year, with the banning of all crypto-related activities in China, we got to see the impact that such restrictions can have on the crypto space. If governments keep approving legislation to regulate the usage of crypto, for sure, the volatility of the crypto market will be affected. 

On the bright side, governments claim to be doing this to protect users from fraud or scamming. Therefore, governments are not trying to implement burdensome restrictions or ban the industry in most cases. 

Analysts say that as blockchain tech keeps evolving and getting a broader usage, countries like China that banned crypto activities will become isolated from the rest of the world. In other countries, like India, the governments are working on legislation to regulate only trading and the use of crypto.

Tips to Deal with the Volatility of the Crypto Market

We know that the crypto space can seem a bit scary and overwhelming, but it can be exciting just as much. After all, who wouldn’t like to learn a new way to make money? And we’ve all heard success stories about it. But with the industry growing faster than ever, where should you start? Considering fundamental factors such as legislation and the volatility of the crypto market, Cryptodigest put together a shortlist of basic things to consider before entering this high-risk arena.

Small amounts of investments.

Don’t get carried away by the significant percentages that reflect the growth of many coins. Although some have shown an increase of 5,000-6,000% only in the past few months, you should be careful with your investments. Keep in mind that as in any other industry, one should invest what one’s willing to lose. We strongly recommend you keep your cryptocurrency investments between the 10-15% range of your overall portfolio.

Learn to stomach the volatility of the crypto market.

This game involves high-reward high-risk, and whoever decides to invest in it must be able to digest that. As demonstrated in May, a fall of 70-80% is always a possibility. Bear in mind that even a more stable blue chip like BTC is currently 25% down from its peak in November. Only invest in this market if you can deal with extreme variations.

Choose the Right Platform.

The crypto industry is not regulated in many countries, and many platforms pop up every day. It would be better to invest through a trustworthy and established platform; that way, the risk of your money getting stuck if there’s a regulatory setback is lower.

Keep Your Focus on Blue Chips.

The crypto market also has mid-caps, blue chips, and penny cryptocurrency like the stock market. Avoid falling into the temptation of buying what could be obscure crypto only because their price is meager. More relevant coins may be more expensive, but they are also more stable. Gladly, there’s the chance of buying fractions of coins, so the price shouldn’t be the primary concern. The two main blue chips of the crypto market are Ethereum and Bitcoin, and together they drive the market sentiment.

Conclusion

The crypto space is changing fast, and the capacity of adaptation will be the main factor for success. The volatility of the crypto market will depend significantly on the decisions governments worldwide make. The new legislation will mark the path to follow, and only the protocols capable of adaptation will keep thriving in the industry. As usual, we recommend you read and learn more about the industry before making any investment decisions. You can learn more about crypto and how it works here.

NFTs: Non Fungible Tokens Explained

We know that the crypto world is growing fast, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with every new thing that comes out. The crypto space doesn’t have to be something scary; on the contrary, it can be fascinating. After all, if you’re reading about it, you must be curious, so let Cryptodigest be your guide through the ever-changing and exciting crypto space. Today we’ll be exploring NFTs.

NFTs or non-fungible tokens are digital goods that can represent intangible and tangible items, and that’s what makes them unique. These cryptographically individual assets can be linked to digital content to prove ownership of such. The array of goods they can be linked to include digital collectibles, artwork, music, and even some items in video games. 

The number of digital goods and their classification keep multiplying by the day as blockchain and cryptographic technology evolves. Currently, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are one of the sectors in the industry that is overgrowing. In the article bellow we’ll explain what NFTs are, their use, and how they work in simple terms.

What are NFTs Exactly?

Non-fungible tokens are digital goods containing information stored in smart contracts. That information makes NFTs so special, and each of them unique. Their features make them directly irreplaceable by another token. As two non-fungible tokens are not the same, you can’t swap them like for like. On the other hand, you can exchange banknotes one for another; as long as they possess the same value, there is no difference for the holder.

Another example of fungible tokens is Bitcoin. Someone can send you one Bitcoin, and you can send one back. As a result, you will still have one BTC. Of course, there’s always the risk of change in value while executing the transaction, but the principle remains. Another characteristic of fungible tokens is their divisibility; for example, you can receive or send smaller amounts of BTC.

Usually, NFTs cannot be divisible. Just like it’s not possible to send someone only a part of a concert ticket since only a part of it wouldn’t have worth by itself. However, recently there have been some attempts to experiment with fractionating NFTs, although it’s still at an early stage.

What Is so Special about Non-Fungible Tokens?

The trading volume for non-fungible tokens escalated to $10.67 billion in the third quarter of 2021 alone, representing a growth of 700% from the second quarter. The tokens can be linked to an asset to prove ownership of digital goods. 

Unlike fungible tokens, each of them is unique, which is their main appeal. They don’t have the exact attributes, so their value can’t be the same. Last March, a digital artist sold an NFT collage of his work for no less than $69 million. 

How to Use NFTs?

Non-fungible tokens can be used to differentiate digital assets from each other to prove their scarcity or value. NFTs can represent artwork, virtual land parcels, and even ownership licenses. 

You can sell and buy them NFTs marketplaces like Rarible or OpenSea, and recently even in crypto exchanges like Binance. 

Non-fungible tokens and their contracts enable more detailed attributes, such as rich metadata, the owner’s identity, or secure file links. That is a huge step towards progress in the digital space. Although to create a standard, a unification of protocols and interoperability must exist.

DeFi and NFTs

One of the latest examples of how to use these tokens in DeFi is Aavegotchi, a startup funded with DeFi money. Aavegotchis are crypto-collectibles created to be used in a game universe. As collateral, each Aavegotchi has Aave’s aTokens inside, which means that each one can generate yield on Aave. As soon as the owner liquidates the Aavegotchi, it disappears.

Latest News

In 2021 we witnessed an explosion of the NFT universe, especially in the growth of trading volume. Compared to last year we can see that it increased over 38,000%. In August 2021, OpenSea, an NFT marketplace, reported a trading volume of more than $75 million just in a day, which is more than their whole trading volume in 2020.

Big money came with big names, as celebrities and artists worldwide joined the enthusiasm that follows NFTs. Some of them are rapper Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher, to mention a few.

What the Future Holds

It comes as no surprise that token has such a broad potential with the many applications it supports. NFTs can be proof of copyright, ticketing, intellectual property, and video games trading, movies, and music. They also can create security tokens and the tokenization of tangible and digital world assets. 

On top of this, NFTs could also be the certification for qualifications, like warranties, software licensing, and even birth certificates. At this rate, maybe one day, our digital wallets may store proof of every license, certification, and asset that we own; and like we said before, doesn’t the future sound exciting?

Quantum Computing vs. Crypto

When we mention quantum computing you may feel your head start spinning thinking this is rocket science, but it’s not. In reality, this is easier to understand than you think, we’ll explain it in simple terms. 

The concept refers to computers that use properties of quantum physics for storing data and performing math calculations. These characteristics are particularly advantageous when performing tasks that are faster than any supercomputers. 

A typical computer (which includes laptops and smartphones) encodes data in bits that are either 0 or 1. When talking about the memory of a quantum computer, the most basic unit is a qubit or a quantum bit. 

A quantum bit is created utilizing physical systems like the orientation of a photon or the spin of an electron. The systems can be in different arrangements simultaneously. That is quantum superposition. In simple terms, the series of quantum bits can represent various things at the same time.

Quantum physics and computing may sound like science fiction; particles and waves make everything. Mind-blowing, right? It’s not science fiction anymore, but could this be a threat to the crypto space?

The Problem 

As researchers and scientists worldwide are starting to understand the real power of quantum physics, they realize the threat it could potentially represent for the financial system as we know it. Not only could the cryptosystem be at stake, but this is also beyond blockchains.

Powerful computers are designed with the capability to crack the encryption of the world’s algorithms. That could potentially be a menace to the security of top-secret intelligence agencies and the global financial system. Your phone could also be at risk; remember that whoever owns more data has the power of leverage.

The technology relying on blockchain that is the core of cryptocurrencies could be exposed to more sophisticated attacks. Not only that but if quantum computing develops faster than researchers could secure digital money, there’s a big potential for forging transactions.

The Predictions for Quantum Computing

The system protecting your purchases online is ubiquitous. This tech works in a simple way; it combines the use of a key that’s only yours and a public one. If technology keeps progressing this way, quantum computers will be able to crack the cryptography of the public key. Therefore, hackers could impersonate the real owners of NFTs, crypto, or digital assets.

In more simple words, when quantum computing gets powerful enough, basically all the security guarantees will disappear. What happens is that users can lose their funds when the cryptography of the public key is hacked.

Other Problems with Crypto

The wallets that people use to store their digital assets are also vulnerable. These wallets keep keys that users need to validate access to their assets. An empty wallet could be the result of a successful attack.

Good News

Although it all sounds like a catastrophe, and it can be, the truth is that the solution relies on the problem itself. The good news is that by adopting the same technology of quantum computing, the problem can be solved. The crypto industry is already developing a solution for this potential problem. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US is trying to get ahead of this issue. Several researchers around the world participated in the project for years now. The team is working on developing quantum-resistant software. Some other groups involved in the project are:

• The Ethereum project
• Cambridge Quantum Computing
• The Hyperledger Foundation

What the Future Holds

The organic development of crypto suggests that users will upgrade their digital assets to quantum computing tech. There will be new tools that will help overcome these challenges. Furthermore, the current cryptography protecting significant assets like Bitcoin is also strong enough to resist quantum computers. This translates to not all cryptography being vulnerable. 

If quantum tech can break cryptography, it can help build encryption even stronger. But rest assured, just like there will be people trying to take advantage of it, there will be a team of experts on the other side making sure the crypto space stays as safe as possible.

The U.S. Department of Justice Establishes a Crypto Enforcement Division

What Is the Purpose of the Crypto Enforcement Division?

The main goal of a Crypto Enforcement Division is to reinforce the ability of the Department of Justice to fight crimes related to crypto. On October 6th, the DOJ made the announcement about the new unit. The unit  will only focus on financial crime strictly involving crypto. 

The US Deputy Attorney General made the statement at the beginning of October at the Aspen Cyber Summit. Lisa Monaco said that the team would reinforce the DOJ’s ability to hinder financial markets that permit the flourishing of cybercriminals.

What Are the Targets?

It was also stated that the Department of Justice would set an initiative in motion to center on civil cyber fraud. On the same day, she announced that they were launching the national team of crypto enforcement. They have already started fighting the misuse of platforms dedicated to crypto, and they have shown excellent results. It was also stated that the Crypto Enforcement Division wouldn’t hesitate to hold  the platforms that help criminals to launder money in any way accountable. Another point they made clear: they’ll go after platforms assisting criminals to hide criminal proceeds. Crypto has become a crowded space, and new threats appear every day. 

Who Will Be Part of the Crypto Enforcement Division?

At the same summit, Monaco also stated that the team would include as many experts on cybersecurity as experts on anti-money laundering. That particular mix of expertise is made to ensure the protection of consumers for online related crime to finances. 

Since crypto exchanges are set to become the banks of the future, there’s a need to make sure that users can trust these platforms when using their services. Companies that receive federal funds will also be pursued if they don’t follow the recommended cybersecurity standards . 

A Case of Success for the DOJ

The US Department of Justice is chasing cybercriminals, particularly those dealing with cryptocurrency. The latest success story is the case of Larry Harmon, a man from Ohio who got convicted. He was running a Bitcoin mixer for years. Harmon was in charge of a tool that helped “blurring” the source of Bitcoin funds. He pleaded guilty to the charges of money laundering through the service he was in charge of. However, law enforcement wasn’t able to trace them.

Conclusion 

We’re currently experiencing new challenges when it comes to the crypto space, especially when we talk about cybersecurity and its regulations. Although there are still many aspects of it to be defined, one thing is for sure; when dealing with crypto, just like when dealing with fiat money, you should always be careful; scams are gradually becoming an everyday reality even in the virtual space.

Is China’s Bitcoin Ban Bullish for DeFi?

Although the ban in China is not entirely new to crypto users, it had a few updates that made it bullish for DeFi. The newly implemented rules make it all suitable for decentralized projects. Therefore it creates a tendency that we could call bullish for DeFi in general. Just a few weeks ago, China banned BTC altogether, or at least that’s the approach that many news outlets reported. In simple terms, the Chinese government declared  all transactions involving crypto illegal. It’s understandable that it’s not easy for the general public to grasp the whole concept of what China has done. Every time the country announces new guidelines, it wreaks havoc in the crypto space, thus wildly shaking the price of Bitcoin, among others.

Consequences For Other Sectors 

The other bans that China has implemented this year have brought consequences for various industries. Not only has the Chinese crypto industry suffered. Besides the miners who had to leave the country this year, retail traders and investors got blocked in China. Some DeFi projects such as Debank and Loopring have stopped IP addresses in China from accessing them. Also, crypto groups on WeChat in the country are now moving to Discord or Telegram. 

The Analysis About This Ban Being Bullish for DeFi

In theory, this last ban imposed by the Red Dragon is not so different from the previous ones announced. The main difference is that they’re making it very clear that it will be enforced more rigidly this time. This approach is due to the amount of government departments involved in the matter, it will all become more strict. The crypto community in China, including protocols of Decentralized Finance, is trying to approach the subject safely. They have already started blocking Chinese users due to the risk of getting investigated. There has been a minimal impact in the crypto community in a broader range since the ban back in May had already shaken the market. 

At the moment, crypto builders that are still in China have to remain entirely in anonymity. It is a challenging task to accomplish, full of risks and unfortunately not entirely possible every time. They must adjust the structure of their organization, the marketing strategy, and the way the expectations of their projects are met. 

In confidence, some DeFi founders said they are gradually closing business in China since most of their users are international. Now, it’s become clear that the old golden days when the empires were built by feeding the massive demand of crypto in China are over. The last ban is definitely a catalyst to the decentralization of crypto. It can be considered bullish for DeFi and also for the mindset that many in the crypto community are used to having. It will be interesting to witness how all of this will unfold, afterall, there are no boring days in crypto space.

Sorare 101: A Beginner’s Guide

Fantasy Sports is a flourishing worldwide business. In 2019 its market size was around $19 billion, and it is expected to grow to $49 billion in six years. Usually, soccer or fantasy football experience allows users to select professional players of their choice, define lineups, and get points for the chosen players’ performance. 

With Sorare the situation is different. While being a fantasy success game at its core, it allows its users to select player names from a list at the time of the draft; users buy digital trading cards that can be tokenized on the blockchain of Ethereum. Users own non-fungible token cards that can be sold as collectibles, and they are the essence of Sorare’s fantasy process. In addition, there are prizes in the form of tokens and valuable cards. 

There is a crypto twist in addition to this web-based fantasy soccer game. Similar to other fantasy soccer, this game is about creating your lineup using pro soccer stars. The on-the-pitch stats of these players are translated into game points. The essence of the game is to beat other users by gathering more points. 

Sorare includes licensed players across hundreds of international teams from different leagues. Users can add to their team by means of obtaining digital trading cards. Among these teams are Liverpool FC, AC Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid and more. 

As we have already mentioned, this game offers numerous leagues you can sign up for. The moment you join a league, you can define a new lineup every play week using the previously purchased cards. When the play week is over, you can see all your game points based on the performance of real-world players. As a user of Sorare, these game points can be translated into ETH and valuable cards as rewards. 

There are a few things Sorare brings together that people are obsessed about – fantasy sports games, soccer, collectibles, and crypto NFTs. There is a real competition with a pronounced pay-to-win element.

The European Block Becomes the Strongest Crypto Economy

The central part of Europe, the West and the North, also known as the European block have reached the highest volume of digital trading currencies. That makes it the block with the most activity in crypto. A company specialized in blockchain analytics shared the news a few days ago through one of its reports. The report stated that the block received over $1 trillion in crypto only last year. That amount means that the region by itself represents 25% of the total activity in the crypto market. 

The Analysis Results Predict a Bright Future for the European Block

According to the report mentioned before, said block accomplished this due to a variety of factors. East Asia, the biggest longtime competitor , would always take the crown.Nonetheless, the main reason for the European block’s climb to the first place is the implementation of several new crypto regulations, especially those in China. Since July 2020, the activity in the crypto market has plummeted in the East Asian sector. Therefore, the region went down to third place on the list of most significant economies in the crypto space. North America, which holds second place, has a slower but more steady pace of growth.

The same analysis also revealed that the volume of transactions in the European block went up in a dramatic way. The block went up not only on digital assets but in services related to the industry as well. This finished the consolidation of the region in the world economy of cryptocurrencies. Additionally, them adopting crypto and starting implementing them into their day-to-day life makes a big statement. It means crypto is here to stay. Statistics show that Europe sent 25% of its crypto to other blocks around the world. As much as 34% of North America’s last year’s crypto acquisition came from Europe alone.

Investment Flow

There was a flow of institutions willing to invest, which provoked the excess of transactions. According to Chainalysis, $10 million was the total amount worth of said transactions. The crypto transactions made by institutions went from $1.4 billion to $46.3 billion in 12 months. Furthermore, institutional investors activity was responsible for over 50% of the crypto activity alone in the European block.

Most of those funds went to protocols in decentralized finance. Wrapped Ethereum and Ethereum are clear evidence of the info stated in the report. Bitcoin, stablecoins and altcoins went down 20%.

During those 12 months, DeFi protocols represent some of the five top services. Some protocols like Instadapp, UniSwapp, and dYdX are constantly on the Chainalysis list of the top services that got crypto-related transactions from the European block. The most searched centralized exchanges are Binance and Coinbase.

New Restrictions In China Caused Increase In DeFi

In the last few days, since China banned all transactions in crypto, there has been an increase in DeFi. Many protocols have been surpassing their average volume of trading; some even exceed centralized exchanges. For example, the price of DYDX, a decentralized exchange token, has increased by 35.9%. It got its highest price ever, $22.17, according to reports. Coinbase, the largest centralized exchange in the US, was also surpassed by the volumes of trading of the protocol.

Different from centralized exchanges, smart contracts are what DEXes mainly rely on. These are parts of code that execute automatically under pre-established circumstances . By doing this, DEXes enables users to trade crypto without a middle man. 

Antonio Juliano’s Statement

Last Sunday, the founder of dYdX, who was also an employee at Coinbase, made a statement on Twitter. In his post, he said that he was humbled and blown away by the growth that recently took place. He also pointed out that this is the first time that Coinbase was outperformed by dYdX.

After Juliano posted the tweet, there was an increase in DeFi, the volumes of trading at dYdX got even higher. It overpassed the $3 billion mark on spot markets and $6.3 billion in derivatives. At Coinbase, the trading volumes were at $3 billion in the last 24 hours. Present times look promising for other primary DEX tokens. Such is the case of SushiSwap (SUSHI) and Uniswap (UNI), which have recorded rising gains of 29% and 36%, respectively.

Chinese Investors Looking For New Alternatives

The increase in DeFi, particularly in the price of DEX tokens can be explained by the news China gave just a few days ago. The government of said country implemented new restrictions that had a significant impact on the crypto industry. Last Sunday, there was evidence on Twitter that Chinese traders are looking for new ways to make money. The most logical option for most of them is the DeFi space. There are also predictions that a significant amount of Chinese users will move into the decentralized finance world. Therefore, dYdX and MetaMask are expected to increase their number of users exponentially.

The New Restrictions

It was only last Friday when the PBoC (People’s Bank of China) released a list of newly forbidden activities related to crypto. Issuing tokens and trading were among said activities, therefore the increase in DeFi. They also banned exchanges outside of China to provide services to the local investors. Because of this, a couple of leading crypto exchanges (when it comes to the volume of transactions) already stopped registrations for new customers in China. These companies are already implementing their plans of cleaning up the accounts that already exist. The plan is  to get all this done by the end of 2021.

Facebook Metaverse

The prominent social media pioneer, Facebook, is investing a significant amount of $50 million in creating the Facebook Metaverse. But let’s start at the beginning; what exactly is a Metaverse? “Metaverse” is the word used to describe an online space within the digital environments. A space with social media, virtual reality, and online games. It’s a mix of “meta,” which means “after” or “beyond” and the word “universe”. The Facebook Metaverse developers are trying to get ahead of the critics by making conscious investments and having meaningful partnerships. The budget planned for the next couple of years is $50 million. The budget will be directed towards initiatives related to the project and collaborations. The Facebook Metaverse goal is to create a space for work, social interactions, and games, among other things.

Who’s in Charge of Facebook Metaverse?

CEO of Facebook, declared that the social network pioneer was on the way to transforming into a metaverse firm. Now, the company is actively investing money into that statement. For instance, the team revealed plans to invest 50 million over the following two years to give life to the Facebook Metaverse. 

The concept of the metaverse is already known in the crypto industry. Decentralized projects try to create future worlds and experiences online out of the control and supervision of centralized entities. Facebook is an excellent example of that. In simple terms, the Facebook metaverse will be about shared virtual spaces where users can interact together and coexist. 

What Will Be the Benefits of It?

Developers declared that by opening the door to gaming and social experiences, the metaverse has excellent potential to improve the way we work. Also, they believe that it will create new economic opportunities for users all over the globe. Therefore, it will be somehow similar to the way decentralized autonomous organizations operate. DAOs are built so that their goal is to disrupt the traditional model of companies as we know it.

What Can We Expect From It?

This is a very ambitious and revolutionary project. That’s why the thought does not convince some metaverse developers of Facebook being the one leading its development. There’s a lot of criticism of its record regarding the user’s privacy, and it’s one of the primary sources of misinformation. The company said in previous days that the Facebook metaverse would be built responsibly. They plan to work with expert advisors in the government and industry. For instance, the goal is to work through potential issues and new opportunities in the Facebook metaverse.

Involving communities of civil and human rights has been a must in this project since the very beginning. Most importantly, there’s a need to guarantee that these technologies will be built in a way that is empowering and inclusive.

Is It Possible For Countries To Ban Bitcoin?

Since the big boom of crypto over a decade ago, there have been concerns that a country could potentially ban Bitcoin. Rumors have been around for over a decade, but the chances of it actually happening seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as time went by. At least that was the general consensus until last week when China declared all the crypto transactions illegal. However, to ban Bitcoin or any other crypto for that matter is quite a challenge. Some technologies can enable users, even in repressive countries, to access Bitcoin. 

The Background

There have been many concerns over the years since the beginning of Bitcoin. The main one is that it might be only a matter of time before governments worldwide start banning cryptocurrencies. Banks say that crypto like Bitcoin is a significant threat to the monetary systems as we know them. They are not far from the truth; they have the power to potentially erode banks’ control over the supply of money. The central institutions argue that money laundering, drug trafficking, and ransomware are also significant risks implied. In the end, it depends on each region to make the call, whether they want to ban Bitcoin, crypto in general or not.

China Among Others

The question is whether it’s actually possible for nations to ban Bitcoin? The answer has already been given. Crypto has already been officially banned in various countries around the world. To the day of writing this article, a few countries have banned Bitcoin by forbidding owning, interacting with, or using the crypto in any form. Examples of these countries are Algeria, Egypt, Ecuador, Pakistan, and Nepal. Some others like Taiwan and Saudi Arabia have placed partial bans on the crypto by blocking some financial institutions from handling Bitcoin transactions.

The Red Dragon

Out of the countries that have made their position against Bitcoin very clear, China has the most confrontational approach. This year, the red dragon nation has made pretty aggressive moves against the token and cryptos in general. Committed to carbon neutrality, China has hit firmly on the pockets of mining companies as well as in those of independent miners. The country has held a ban on trading crypto for a long time now, but this year, the government actually forced crypto miners to close their operations. Miners were forced to relocate to other countries. Meanwhile, the PBoC made it official through a mandate that payment platforms and banks had to stop all crypto activities. 

Is the USA Next?

BTC is currently legal in the US. In 2015, it was declared a commodity by the Commodity Futures and Trading Commission. Since then, Bitcoin has been treated like other commodities such as gold. As a commodity, it’s subjected to its regulations. Although keep in mind that there’s always the risk of a blanket ban, chances are low, but in today’s fast-paced world, things can change in a brief period.