Egypt to Join BRICS Development Bank to Cut Dollar Reliance

Egypt's joining of the BRICS New Development Bank will relieve the state budget of the pressure of finding US dollars to meet the country's imports as members of the bank can use their national currencies in exchange for trade.

Egypt is the first Arab country to join the bank

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/03/egypt-to-join-brics-development-bank/

Last day!

There's a whole #Bitcoin up for grabs with #YellowCard this month!

You stand a chance to win 1 Bitcoin when you buy, sell, or send at least $10 on Yellow Card!

Sign up here: http://bit.ly/YCBTCKE

#AWholeinYourWallet

Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, a Pan-African VC Fund for Emerging Growth Stage Companies, Raises $43 Million

Launched in 2022, VKAV invests in scalable, tech-enabled, post-revenue businesses that address difficult challenges across various industries on the African continent.

Its portfolio companies are serving, not only African, but also global customers with a total impact of 800,000+ individuals and small businesses in 9 markets, six of which are in Africa.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/03/verod-kepple-africa-ventures-raises-funding/

London Stock Exchange to Start Clearing Crypto Trades in Q4 2023

The London Stock Exchange Group has teamed up with Global Futures and Options (GFO-X) to offer the first regulated trading and clearing in bitcoin index futures and options derivatives in Britain. The service is expected to go live in Q4 2023.

LCH, the clearing house arm of the London Stock Exchange Group, will offer clearing services for cash-settled bitcoin index futures and options.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/04/london-stock-exchange-to-start-clearing-crypto-trades/

MILESTONE: The Shapella Upgrade Completes Ethereum Transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake

The upgrade marks a major milestone for Ethereum since it began the transition almost 2 years ago and 7 months since 'The Merge' was activated drastically reducing the energy consumption of the network.

The price of ETH is expected to benefit from the upgrade as:

* More ETH is taken out of supply and into staking contracts
* The ETH supply continues to deflate due to token burns

NB: As of April 13 2023, slightly more than 18.2 million (~15% of total supply) ETH tokens are currently locked up in staking.

Learn more below:

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/04/the-shapella-upgrade-completes-ethereum-transition-to-pos/

Did you know?

Overall, illicit addresses sent nearly $23.8 billion worth of cryptocurrency in 2022 - a 68.0% increase over 2021.

As is usually the case, mainstream centralized exchanges were the biggest recipient of illicit cryptocurrency taking in just under half of all funds sent from illicit addresses.

https://bit.ly/CryptoCrimeReport2023

Here is a recap of the Bitcoin Pizza Day event by BitKE:

https://twitter.com/BitcoinKE/status/1660959122404122629

1 in 5 Nigerians (20%) Hold Cryptocurrencies, Says Chapter 54 Survey 🇳🇬

* 1/3 of the population (64%) stated that they know someone who has been a victim of a crypto fraud.

* 70% of Nigerians have invested less than 50k naira (~$108.34)

* Social media, family and friends, and blogs were found to main ways to gather information on crypto

* The main motivation for cryptocurrency use in Nigeria is to generate income while the second motive is to hedge against Naira’s volatility

See full synopsis below:

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/06/chapter-54-survey/

WhimsicalWisdom: In a world before #FathersDay, thanks to a mining mishap and two ladies with gratitude galore, the idea sparked: "Let's party for the patriarchs who master dad jokes and serve as kiddie climbing frames!" So here's to all the dapper dads, papas, and padres! Happy #FathersDay to our heroes - capes optional, puns essential! 🎩✨ #CheersToDads

5 Ways to Attract Web3 Businesses

In this article, we will discuss some detailed ways that communities can attract Web3 businesses locally with video examples of how this happens on a local level.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/06/how-to-attract-web3-businesses/

🇲🇦🇪🇬🇩🇿🇹🇳 *REPORT | MENA Region Responsible for 7.2% of Global Crypto Transaction Volume vs 2.3% for Sub-Saharan Africa, Says 2023 Chainalysis Report*

According to Chainalysis, The Middle East & *North Africa (MENA) has the sixth largest crypto economy of any region* they studied in 2023. In comparison, Sub-Saharan Africa received 2.3% of crypto value over the same period.

The North African countries seeing massive crypto adoption include:

* Morocco
* Algeria
* Egypt
* Tunisia

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/09/2023-chainalysis-report-on-mena-region/

🇰🇪🇿🇦 *LAUNCH | Telegram Wallet Bot Launches Pilot in Kenya, South Africa, with More Countries to Follow in 2024*

While Wallet has been accessible to global users for several months, users were required to find the bot by clicking “@Wallet” on Telegram. *With the latest update, users can see Wallet directly in the settings menu without needing to find the bot or even know much about crypto to start using it*.

*The strategy involves launching the wallet initially in smaller countries*, intending to refine both the operational and technical aspects of the product before scaling its integration and operations.

After the initial launch in Latin America and Africa, *the Wallet crypto bot is anticipated to be introduced in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Turkey in the Q1 2024 and the global rollout to be completed in Q2 2024*.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/11/telegram-wallet-bot-launches-pilot/

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: GITCOIN GRANTS 19 | Gitcoin Issues Call for African Software and Community Builders to Apply to its Public Goods Africa Fund

Gitcoin is introducing a Public Goods Africa Quadratic Funding (QF) round to run alongside Gitcoin Grants 19, intended to catalyze high-impact projects of this nature from Across Africa.

You can APPLY BELOW if you are working on open-source software, building a web3 community, building Ethereum infrastructure, and more.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/11/gitcoin-grant-19/

Celebrating Success!

BitKE Clinches the ACGAWARDS I Africa Crypto Giants Award for Best Crypto News Platform 2023!

Hurray!

BitKE takes the crown as the Best Crypto News Platform in Africa for 2023!

It’s not just an award; it's a testament to our team's unwavering commitment to delivering accurate, timely, and engaging news in the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency and blockchain. This recognition speaks volumes about our passion for informing and educating the community.

BitKE isn't just a news platform; it's a catalyst for change.

This achievement is a testament to the relentless effort and dedication of our team - the passionate researchers, creative storytellers, and dedicated professionals who make BitKE what it is today.

This win is not just an accolade; it's a reaffirmation that we are on the right track, fueling our commitment to continue delivering top-notch content and insights for our audience's benefit.

Congratulations, Team BitKE! Let's continue to shine and lead the way!

Last week, founder and majority owner of Bitzlato, Russian national Anatoly Legkodymov, pled guilty to operating a money transmitting business that processed over $700 million worth of illicit crypto.

His plea agreement included the dissolution of Bitzlato and releasing of claim to over $23 million in seized assets. Bitzlato was an exchange mostly operating in Russia, which the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) identified as a primary money laundering concern in January due to illicit Russian financing.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/01/bitzlato-founder-arrested-for-facilitating-cryptocrimes/

BULL MARKET | Solana’s BONK Becomes 3rd Largest MemeCoin after Gaining Over 650% in Last 30 Days

$BONK's recent price surge, amounting to a remarkable 668.6% in the last 30 days (as of this writing), has propelled its market capitalization to over $888.5 million. This surpasses the current market capitalization of PEPE, which stands at $608.3 million, according to CoinGecko data.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/12/bonk-becomes-3rd-largest-memecoin/

🇿🇦 USE CASE | Binance Users in South Africa Can Now Pay for Goods at Over 1,500 Pick n Pay Stores

According to Binance Southern Africa General Manager, Hannes Wessels, nearly 75% of retailers have intentions to accept cryptocurrency payments within the upcoming two years.

Already, CryptoConvert is in partnership with South African exchanges, Luno and VALR. This collaboration enables customers of Luno and VALR to use cryptocurrencies for payments at Pick n Pay.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/12/binance-users-can-now-pay-at-all-pick-n-pay-stores/

🌍 LIST | Circle Highlights 7 African Fintechs Leveraging the USDC Stablecoin to Provide Better Financial Services to African Users

Jointly maintained by Circle and Coinbase, USDC's primary applications include serving as a stable means for:

* Cross-border payments
* Enabling cost-effective and swift transactions
* A reliable bridge between traditional finance and the emerging digital asset landscape

Circle envisions a future where stablecoins are used by innovators to increase interoperability between the diverse financial systems across Africa.

As listed by Circle, below is a list of African fintechs spearheading the usage of USDC across the African continent:

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/12/list-of-african-fintechs-leveraging-usdc/

REPORT | AI Deepfake Incidents Across Africa 🌍 Increased by 450% in 2023, Crypto Took the Lead

ID cards remain the most frequently exploited for identity fraud, accounting for nearly 75% of all fraudulent activities involving identity documents.

The Ethiopian driver’s license has had the world’s fastest growth
in forgery cases.

The crypto sector stands out as the absolute leader in deepfake cases, followed by fintech. The sector’s digitized nature, potential for significant financial gain, and ongoing regulatory challenges create vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit.

https://bitcoinke.io/2023/12/ai-deepfake-2023-report/