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  • BitPrime Partners with Simplex to Provide a Solution to Buy Crypto with Credit Cards

    BitPrime Partners with Simplex to Provide a Solution to Buy Crypto with Credit Cards

    First-to-market crypto offering in New Zealand enables a safe and convenient way to purchase crypto using debit and credit cards by joining forces with Simplex.

    Christchurch, New Zealand – 26 November 2020 – BitPrime, New Zealand’s leading cryptocurrency retailer, today announced it has partnered with Simplex, the market-leading fiat/crypto infrastructure provider. The partnership provides a safe solution for those wishing to buy cryptocurrency using a credit card or debit card (Visa or Mastercard).

    Available for the first time in New Zealand, the partnership takes advantage of Simplex’s fully protected, fraud-free platform for digital asset purchases and offers BitPrime customers yet another practical payment option to onramp to the crypto ecosystem.

    The option to purchase crypto with a credit card has been one of the most highly requested features by current BitPrime customers over the company’s three-year history. The partnership with Simplex enables BitPrime users to easily onramp with a trusted partner that has an industry reputation for transparency and security.

    The launch of this new payment solution comes as the price of Bitcoin reaches its highest since the all-time high of nearly NZD30,000 in February 2017.

    BitPrime has partnered with Simplex to utilise the company’s state-of-the-art AI technology that analyses the risk of every payment and actively blocks fraudulent users. Simplex also provides all users with award-winning customer support, available 24/7, should they need help to complete their purchases.

    Ross Carter-Brown, CEO of BitPrime, said “We’re taking cryptocurrency to the world. Our new credit card payment gateway allows us to service customers from 178 different countries. We know that New Zealand is a desirable jurisdiction to do business for many people, especially for financial services. That’s due to our strong personal property protections, political stability, and low corruption. Our partnership with Simplex is a crucial piece of infrastructure that will help meet that demand”.

    ”Simplex gives anyone, anywhere the ability to buy any digital assets easily and securely”, said Simplex founder and CEO, Nimrod Lehavi. “Our partnership with BitPrime empowers millions to onramp conveniently, using their bank cards.”

    BitPrime allows customers to purchase as little as $100 worth of cryptocurrencies and the newly launched payment solution also supports international customers.

    To learn more about this service, or to try it out, visit

    About BitPrime

    New Zealand owned and operated, BitPrime is at the forefront of full-service cryptocurrency trading solutions in the country. We’re passionate about our professional service and have a strong focus on providing free education and tech support for beginner’s through to professional investors. BitPrime is here to make it easy and secure to trade digital assets. BITPRIME LIMITED (FSP595609) Registered.

    About Simplex

    Simplex has been changing the status quo of crypto on/off ramps since 2014. As the market leader, Simplex pioneered the first riskless global fiat onramp using credit and debit cards, promising a zero-chargeback guarantee. Working alongside the biggest names in the crypto ecosystem, Simplex provides the complete fiat infrastructure for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. As a licensed EU financial institution, Simplex was selected as one of the 10 most impactful companies in blockchain in 2020.

  • Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust Is Growing while Gold ETFs Record Modest Outflows – JPMorgan

    Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust Is Growing while Gold ETFs Record Modest Outflows – JPMorgan

    Key highlights:

    • Crypto asset manager Grayscale saw more than $1 billion inflows to its crypto funds in Q3
    • JPMorgan analysts contrasted Grayscale’s growth with modest outflows from gold ETFs
    • Some analysts are predicting a bear market for gold, and the COVID-19 vaccine progress is looking like a bearish factor for the precious metal

    Leading crypto asset manager Grayscale’s »Drop Gold« advertising campaign was design to convince investors that Bitcoin is a superior investment to gold. Grayscale ran the »Drop Gold« campaign last year, but it seems that its main message is resonating better right now. Michael Sonnenshein, the managing director of Grayscale, described 2020 as an unprecedented year regarding wealth inflows for the firm.

    He added that Grayscale had raised more than $1 billion in Q3 of 2020. It seems that this trend is continuing in Q4, too. According to analysts at JPMorgan, it’s interesting to note that inflows to the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust are growing while there has been an outflow of funds from Gold ETFs (exchange-traded funds). According to the JPMorgan report, gold ETFs have experienced mild outflows since the middle of October. It looks that people who were investing in gold are now considering alternatives like BTC. Bitcoin has many advantages compared to gold, and it seems that more investors are gradually coming to this conclusion.

    The investment preferences of generations are different, and it seems that Bitcoin is a more popular choice for the new generation. There was a big rally for gold this year, and it lasted until midsummer. After August’s peak, gold price declined, and now it has decreased by around 10%.

    The impending COVID-19 vaccine was a factor that impacted gold’s positive trend. At the same time, Goldman Sachs believes a sharp rise in inflation is not probable for the next couple of years, making gold less appealing. Many analysts now predict a bear market for gold, and sentiment surrounding this precious metal is quite negative.

    The Grayscale ad campaign revolved around generational investment choices, and now it looks like the millennials are choosing Bitcoin. Everything is becoming digital in today’s world, and investments are no exception. The outflows from gold funds have clear messages regarding a change in preferences.

    People can store Bitcoin in digital wallets, and they can transfer BTC around the world very quickly. Unlike gold, Bitcoin is also easily divisible, and can be quickly sent across the globe. These advantages are serious, and people are considering them. Bitcoin is can be described as digital gold, and it will shape the future of money.

  • FCA Warns About Blockchain.com Impostors

    FCA Warns About Blockchain.com Impostors

    The crypto industry has had to contend with a number of issues over the years. These include a lack of a proper regulatory framework and distrust from the public. Another one of these issues is the occurrence of scams within the industry. Malicious parties have been known to trick their victims into handing over their crypto or private keys and have also impersonated popular people and institutions to gains public trust.

    One of the latest of these has been reported by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom. As per a new public statement, they have issued warnings about criminals who are impersonating blockchain.com to scam their victims.

    Impostors on the Loose

    As per the announcement, the scammers have claimed association with blockchain.com by using  Blockchain Ltd, a copycat company created to deceive the public. The real blockchain.com, a trading and crypto wallet company, operates under the agent Blockchain Access UK Ltd and principal entity Modulr FS Limited. Additionally, the company holds certification from the FCA, unlike the impostors.

    Thus, the Authority has warned the public to steer clear of them.

    “Fraudsters are using the details of firms we authorize to try to convince people that they work for a genuine, authorized firm. This firm is not authorized or registered by us but has been targeting people in the U.K., claiming to be an authorized firm,”

    the announcement says.

    The announcement also revealed the phone numbers and email addresses of some of the known criminals for the public’s awareness. The public was advised to confirm the authenticity of any company claiming to be affiliated with blockchain.com or any other crypto entity to avoid being swindled out of their money. In the cases of most crypto scams, it is very difficult for governmental bodies to prosecute the offenders or recover the lost funds.

    There are a number of reasons why governmental agencies are trying to crack down on the prevalence of crypto-related crimes and fraud. Firstly, it is estimated that millions of dollars are lost annually to these scams. For many criminals, cryptocurrency represents a way to commit a crime that is less likely to be found out.

    Within the industry, there is concern that the prevalence of fraud will soil cryptocurrency’s public image. Some members of the public already have a negative perception of cryptocurrency and having it repeatedly linked to crime only further soils its image.

  • Ripple in Q3 2020, XRP Price Prediction 2021

    Ripple in Q3 2020, XRP Price Prediction 2021

    Ripple (XRP) has a pretty eventful year. A lot of developments have been done by the company in terms of bringing the project into the limelight. As a result, XRP price prediction may just hit bullish by 2021.

    Ripple in Q3 2020

    As an XRP holder, it is important to know the crypto’s progress. Significantly, among Ripple’s milestones for Q3 2020 are the following:

    • Ripple launched Line of Credit. This is a new beta service on RippleNet that allows customers to use On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) in sourcing their capitals.
    • Total XRP sales. There were a total of $35.84 million (USD) in XRP’s sales last quarter.
    • Average daily volume. Ripple’s trading volume significantly increased from Q2’s $196.28 million. In Q3, the volume reached $403.58 million.
    • Ripple unlocks billion-worth from escrow. Three billion XRP were released out of escrow accounts (one billion each month).
    • Overall liquidity and volume. XRP ended the quarter as the 4th most traded digital asset.
    • Most relevant crypto in CBDC space. World Economic Forum (WEF) named XRP as the most relevant cryptocurrency for the rising central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) space. This is mainly due to the project’s focus on interoperability.

    Ripple Price Prediction

    Having a productive quarter, the XRP price chart shows a less volatile movement at this time. Yet, as we can see, XRP reached its year-high value in February at $0.33. It, later on, experienced a massive dip of $0.13 during the Crypto Black Thursday phenomenon.

    Favorably, XRP’s chart also displays the +136.04% growth rate of the crypto from its bearish price last March to $0.25 this November. If this bullish position remains, we can keep our Ripple price prediction at a price of $0.5 before the year ends.

    More so, we are stretching our XRP price prediction to $1 – $1.5 in 2021, if the market continues to favor the crypto.

  • Daim creates company-sponsored retirement plan that allocates up to 10% to Bitcoin

    Daim creates company-sponsored retirement plan that allocates up to 10% to Bitcoin

    Key highlights:

    • Inflation is a serious issue affecting long-term investment and retirement plans, which is why an increasing number of people are considering Bitcoin
    • When companies like Daim involve Bitcoin in their retirement plan, it’s a serious matter, and it may show that mass adoption is on the horizon
    • Daim is not alone in this space, and other companies like Bitira, Coinira, and others also offer similar products

    Daim (Digital Asset Investment Management) has introduced a company-sponsored retirement plan that allocates up to 10% of its holdings to Bitcoin. The program is compliant with ERISA, and Gemini Trust will hold the BTC assets for Daim. The Bitcoin assets will be held in cold storage, which is the safest way to store Bitcoin

    A few years ago, an IRA account was the only form for investors who wanted crypto for their retirement plans. For example, a company like Bitcoinira has its retirement funds, and it helps people invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin. In recent years, demands for crypto investment have significantly increased, and some companies are using the opportunity with their innovative plans.

    Daim is a company operating from California, and its name is short for Digital Asset Investment Management. On November 19, the company announced its Bitcoin 401(k) plan. The plan comes from a massive demand regarding investment in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The existence of Bitcoin in this plan helps investors protect themselves against inflation.

    Daim believes that Bitcoin has proved itself in recent years and it should be added to modern portfolios. Bitcoin is the best investment asset of the previous decade, and institutions are considering it more seriously. The plan includes traditional assets alongside Bitcoin, and Daim is ready to assist the other companies in launching these kinds of programs.

    When employees leave the company, they can transfer their BTC. If a person wants to invest more in Bitcoin, he/she can arrange a consultation with the company. Daim is considering this plan for 12 months, and now people can access Bitcoin via this exciting plan.

    Other companies offer similar services, including Bitira, Coinira, and Regal assets. The Crypto ecosystem is growing, and more people are thinking about including crypto in their portfolios.

    Cryptocurrencies experienced huge gains recently, and a BTC-based 401(k) is indeed very interesting for people who see the potential of the crypto market. 401(k) plans also assist employees regarding tax.

  • 24th November: BTC/USD Break above 19,000, ETH/USD Takes Respite above 600

    24th November: BTC/USD Break above 19,000, ETH/USD Takes Respite above 600

    Konstantin Anissimov, Executive Director at CEX.IO

    BTC/USD

    BTC/USD opened on Tuesday, 24th November, at 18,370. After the open, the pair was trending sideways mainly between 18,305 and 18,520. But the hammer candlestick on the hourly timeframe between 6:00 and 7:00 UTC gave the pair enough rising stimulus to break above 19,000 later in the day.

    Starting from 8:00 UTC, the pair began rising from 18,415 and reached 19,445 at the day’s peak between 15:00 and 16:00 UTC. The candlestick finished as a hanging man and was followed by another hanging man candlestick between 16:00 and 17:00 UTC, providing intraday selling opportunities. From 17:00 to 18:00 UTC the pair edged lower to 19,225.

    The day’s dynamics in BTC/USD on 24th November allow to assume that the pair would continue edging higher and we may even see it reach 20,000 before the end of November. However, as Bitcoin’s price nears its historical high the buyers should be wary of the risks of potential corrective downswing.

    ETH/USD

    On 24th November, the smart-contract market leader took a break in its ongoing massive bullish wave. Having opened at 608.8, ETH/USD was trading within the corridor between 620 and 590 throughout the day. The volatility increased between 6:00 and 11:00 UTC when the price made three subsequent fluctuations from the lower to the upper boundary of the sideways channel, but closer to the day’s end the pair steadied between 600 and 610.

    Ethereum’s recent price actions has finally revitalised the Ethereum community that has long been waiting for the token to close in on Bitcoin’s strong gains. The Ether locked in the Ethereum 2.0 deposit contract is nearing 400,000 ETH, with 524,288 ETH needed for the genesis phase of Etherum 2.0 to start. Apparently, the nearing protocol update on the Ethereum network increases bullish sentiment for the token, driving ETH/USD higher.

    The closest upside target for ETH/USD is the 1.618 Fibonacci level at 648. The one after that will be 792.5 weekly resistance level. Considering the ongoing price action in ETH/USD and on the cryptocurrency market in general, we are eligible to expect the ETH/UTC reach 648 by the end of the week of 23rd November.

  • Top Bitcoin Price Predictions from November 2020

    Top Bitcoin Price Predictions from November 2020

    As it usually happens in times of bullish market also Bitcoin’s latest rally spurred many speculations regarding the asset’s future price. Due to the currently prevailing positive market sentiment the majority of the price predictions are very optimistic. In this article we have gathered a few Bitcoin price predictions made by prominent investors, fund managers and bank executives.

    Mike Novogratz believes we are in for a new ATH and then all the way up to $60,000 per BTC

    The CEO of Galaxy Digital and a ferocious Bitcoin bull Mike Novogratz revealed that he recently bought even more Bitcoin at the price of $15,800 in a reply to a Twitter poll of an English actress Maisie Williams, who asked her followers whether she should buy Bitcoin or not. Novogratz, whose previous prediction included Bitcoin finishing the year 2020 above $12,000 is almost certainly going to materialize, now believes that we are going to see a new ATH price soon, followed by a price climb towards the $60,000 line:

    Nevertheless, Williams’ poll reveals that there are still many crypto sceptics roaming the world, as out of over 900,000 responses, more than 53% of users discouraged acquiring Bitcoin. Most of the sceptics wrote that buying Bitcoin is wither too risky or quoted environmental concerns as the reason why not to buy in.

    DecenTrader Co-Founder Predicts a Price of $22,000 Within a Few Weeks

    Philip Swift, co-founder of DecenTrader, identified that the short-term target for Bitcoin is roughly around $22,000 and that it should be reached within a few weeks. Swift’s prediction bases on technical analysis using the Golden Ratio multiplications of the 350DMA, which have proven to be “very effective over time at picking out intracycle highs for Bitcoin price and also the major market cycle highs”. Swift predicted that the next local high is going to be when Bitcoin price touches the 2x 250 DMA line, which he estimated will happen in a few weeks and at a price of around $22,000.

    Nevertheless, this prediction was made already on November 16 and the valuation of Bitcoin has been climbing up even faster that Swift forecasted, which might lead to a crossover with 2x 350DMA even sooner. You can check the live graph here.

    As we look at the bitcoin price predictions for the longer term, the forecasted valuations soar high up into the sky, or as we like to say in crypto slang ‘to the moon’. Swift, for example, is even more bullish in the long run, as he believes we are going to see prices in the high $100,000 levels in Q3/Q4 2021. Several other investors are of a similar opinion.

    CIO of Off the Chain Capital Hedge Fund Puts the price of Bitcoin at the end of 2021 between $100,000 and $288,000

    Brian Estes, chief investment officer (CIO) at hedge fund Off the Chain Capital believes that by the end of 2021, Bitcoin could reach a price somewhere in between $100,000 and $288,000. Estes stated:

    “I have seen bitcoin go up 10X, 20X, 30X in a year. So going up 5X (from just shy of $20K to $100K) is not a big deal.”

    Estes claims his price prediction is based on a model that relies on the stock-to-flow ratio measuring the scarcity of commodities like gold. While up until now, the model scored a 94% correlation with the real price of Bitcoin, it was discredited by several sceptics. Among them is Kevin Muir, a Toronto-based independent proprietary trader, who claims that Bitcoin market is in the state of mania and no model applies to it. He said:

    “Any hedge fund model on bitcoin is rubbish. You can’t model a mania. Is it plausible? For sure. It’s a mania. But does anyone actually have a clue? Not a chance.”

    Thomas Fitzpatrick of Citibank projects the current rally to last till December 2021 and bring the price up to $318,000

    Nevertheless, Thomas Fitzpatrick, managing director of Citibank and Global head of CitiFXTechnicals product, who signed under the bank’s report on Bitcoin, is also among the ones who believe to have a clue where Bitcoin is headed. Based on the historical Bitcoin price performance and the fact that the rallies are getting longer each cycle, he predicted that the currently ongoing climb will peak in December 2021 at a price of $318,000. Fitzpatrick cited Bitcoin’s limited supply, ease of movement across borders, and opaque ownership as key reasons backing the bullish price prediction. He also compared the Bitcoin market to the gold market in 1970s when the bullion’s price finally took off. The leaked report also writes: “Bitcoin is the new gold.” Alex Kruger, who first posted the leaked Citibank report, wrote that while such analysis is of little technical value, the exposure and an overwhelmingly bullish sentiment of a large banking multinational could, in fact, affect the market and bring the seemingly outrageous price prediction to realization.

  • Baanx $12.6M Raise Continues on BnkToTheFuture

    Baanx $12.6M Raise Continues on BnkToTheFuture

    Qualifying investors from across the world can participate in Baanx with as little as $1,000.

    London, Nov. 25th 2020: BnkToTheFuture, has announced today the addition of a new offering: $500k available to BnkToTheFuture investors in the global Fintech infrastructure provider, Baanx Group Ltd. BnkToTheFuture is the largest digital investment platform for individuals to invest in FinTech & crypto companies alongside top VCs. Baanx joins a growing list of elite global Fintech players who have raised on their platform – Kraken, BitFinex, BitStamp, Coinbase, Blockchain.com and Circle among many others.

    With the digital asset financial services world estimated at $60B, and growing rapidly, over 580 million people, or 7% of the world population will be using digital assets by 2022 (Deloitte, 2019). Traditional banks and infrastructure providers aren’t yet fully supporting digital assets. This presents a once in a generation opportunity for Baanx to establish themselves as a leading financial infrastructure provider. Launched in 2018, Baanx, is one of the first digital asset friendly B2B2C Fintech platforms built on DLT (Digital Ledger Technology) and blockchain. They offer key FinTech services including payments acquiring, card issuing, remittance, white label mobile apps and a growing number of API’s via just a few lines of code embedded into a client’s own app. Baanx clients can get to market fast, via rapidly integrating Baanx APIs into their own apps, or taking advantage of Baanx 100% managed services to launch custom branded white label mobile apps.

    We launch in weeks, not months, and our platform takes all the staffing, compliance, KYC/AML, and operational headaches from launching payment, exchange, FX, and card services.” says Garth Howat, Baanx CEO. “And we are in good company on the BnkToTheFuture platform.”

    Baanx have concluded two successful rounds of funding previously. They received $12.1m in Sep.2020 and are extending this to an additional $500k via BnkToTheFuture, as business has been growing fast.  Investors include the leading decentralised finance blockchain Tezos and a leading FX Provider.  Baanx will use the note funding to rapidly grow its staff and product offerings and to continue roll out to the current 20 signed corporate customers who have combined opportunities to reach well over 3m platform users worldwide.

    To enable their community and supporters to be part of the highly successful Baanx Group journey, qualified investors are now able to invest from 1,000 USD upwards through BnkToTheFuture on the same terms as the initial $12.1m investment. Details of this $12.6m fundraising round of Baanx Group can be found at: BnkToTheFuture-Application.

    For more information, contact press@baanx.com or call +44(0)207 129 7484 and ask for the Press Office.

    About Baanx group

    The Baanx group is a leading crypto-financial services & payment network in a potential market of over $10 trillion. Baanx, by sharing financial licenses creates a platform where it’s easy to start a digital asset or crypto payment brand and receive services. Baanx is bridging the traditional fiat and digital worlds.

    For additional information please visit https://baanx.com/

    About BnkToTheFuture

    BnkToTheFuture is a global Online Investment Platform allowing qualifying investors to build their investment portfolio in the equity of Crypto & FinTech companies, security tokens and other new alternative financial products. BnkToTheFuture is the very first securities business in the crypto market launching shortly after Bitcoin in 2010 and now has a community of 85,000+ qualified investors from all over the world who have invested almost $850m in funding rounds listed on its online investment platform. BnkToTheFuture portfolio companies include Coinbase, Circle, Blockchain.com, Kraken, BitStamp, BitFinex, ShapeShift, BitPay, Ripple Labs and over 100 others.

    For more info visit https://BnkToTheFuture.com

  • Axie Infinity’s token sale raises $860,000

    Axie Infinity’s token sale raises $860,000

    Key highlights:

    • The Axie Infinity project has raised $860,000 with a token sale for the AXS governance tokens
    • Axie Infinity is a game on the Ethereum blockchain where users can collect and battle with creatures called Axies
    • Non-fungible token technology ensures that users can truly own their Axies and verify their uniqueness

    Axie Infinity raises $860,000 with AXS governance token sale

    Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game which can best be described as a combination of Pokemon and CryptoKitties. The game leverages Ethereum’s non-fungible token standard so that players can collect unique Axies, and has more than 10,000 monthly active users.

    Recently, Axie Infinity raised $860,000 in a token sale for its governance token AXS. The governance token is useful for everyone in this platform, from payers to developers. However, the token is not just used in governance, as it can also be leveraged for staking and making payments.

    Sky Mavis is the company behind Axie Infinity, and it is based in Vietnam. Axie Infinity is going to launch its mainnet in early 2021. In the upcoming ecosystem, users can play and earn governance tokens. This gaming platform has huge partnerships, including partnerships with Samsung and Kyber Network.

    How is Axie Infinity played?

    If you want to start the game, you need a minimum of three Axies. Axies are the pets or creatures you use to play against the environment or other players. You can start the game with around $20 in Ethereum. If you want to get a better situation in the game, you need to spend more.

    Maybe you think it’s a lot of money and no one pays it to play a game, but this is not the case. Some players are actually earning money through Axie Infinity. The money that can be earned through Axie Infinity is not a huge amount for people in the US and European countries, but represents a significant amount for many people in developing countries. The game is easily accessible, as players only need a smartphone and some Ethereum.

    The game is a kind of cryptocurrency investment. People buy tickets to this new world, and they can utilize their time and skills to make a living. Earning and playing a game is a dream for many people worldwide that Axie Infinity wants to realize .

    Axie Infinity will use the funds raised through token sales to fund further development. After releasing the mainnet in 2021, users will be able to play in free mode, too.

    Axies can fight against each other in this game, and they can produce children. The game also has a decentralized market, and users can trade Axies globally there. All the items for this game are in the testnet right now, and migration to the mainnet is on the horizon.

    Axie Infinity is a genuinely new model in gaming, and will become even more appealing when more original elements like land ownership are introduced. Right now, the game is a little challenging for newbies, but it will become much more accessible after the mainnet is released.