Author: Steven Sahiounie

The price of Bitcoin has been a topic of much discussion among investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts alike. With the support level at $28,500 holding strong, many are wondering about the future direction of the world’s largest cryptocurrency.  In this update, we will examine various factors that could impact Bitcoin’s price movement and make a prediction about where BTC could be headed next. US Government to Auction Over 41,000 Bitcoins Seized from Silk Road Hacker The US government, a major bitcoin holder, intends to sell 41,490 BTC in 2023, as revealed in a court document related to James Zhong’s sentencing. In November 2022, the government seized a…

By: Javad Masoumi, Iranian researcher and analyst The relations between Iran and India have had significant international relations and interactions throughout history, which brought about a new phase of interaction between India and Iran after the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979.  Iran and India have improved the level of economic and trade relations in 2018 with the lease agreement of a part of Chabahar port, and these relations are expanding in other fields, including investment in oil exploration.  India can achieve great achievements by developing its trade relations with Iran in securing energy resources.  Therefore, the progress of strategic partnerships,…

The finance ministry will set up a panel of experts as early as April to discuss the feasibility of issuing a digital currency, but authorities say the pilot programme could take years to launch. Japan is stepping up efforts toward issuing a digital yen with the creation of a government advisory panel and the launch of a pilot programme, joining a growing number of countries exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The finance ministry will set up a panel of experts as early as April to discuss the feasibility of issuing a digital yen, Reuters reported on Friday citing…

Swiss prosecutors have opened an investigation into the sudden takeover of the country’s second-largest bank, Credit Suisse, by its rival, UBS. The deal was rushed through last month, when fears rose about Credit Suisse’s financial position. Switzerland’s Federal Prosecutor said on Sunday that it would investigate if any possible “criminal offences” had been committed. Credit Suisse declined to comment. UBS has been approached for comment. The deal for UBS to buy Credit Suisse was backed by the Swiss government, and was put together rapidly after a weekend of emergency talks between the two banks and the country’s financial regulators. At…

When was the last time you purchased something and you weren’t asked for a tip? Not only are requests to tip on purchased goods and services increasingly common, but the amount of the traditional tip also has been on the rise for decades. During the 1950s, people commonly tipped 10% of the bill. By the 1970s and 1980s, that percentage had jumped to 15%. In 2023, people typically tip anywhere from 15% to 25%. Consumers on average said they tipped more than 21%, according to a Creditcards.com survey in May 2022. “What we’re seeing now nationwide is something that is known as ‘tipflation’ … at every…

Russia sends sovereign debt payments to the NSD using the ruble-transaction mechanism. Russia’s Finance Ministry announced on Friday that it has settled two issues related to dollar-denominated Eurobonds by sending 17 billion rubles ($221.1 million) in coupon payments to the National Settlement Depository (NSD). The payments were on Eurobonds maturing in 2030, according to the ministry. “Thus, obligations on servicing the state securities of the Russian Federation were fulfilled by the Finance Ministry in full,” the statement said. The payments were made through the ruble-transaction mechanism, which was implemented last June in reaction to Western sanctions and US efforts to prevent…

Pakistan’s government continues to struggle as it hopes to fulfill requirements and meet conditions for an alleged IMF bailout. As the government in Islamabad struggled to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions to unlock an alleged bailout, the year-on-year inflation in Pakistan hit 35.37% in March. With month-on-month inflation at 3.72%, according to government data released Saturday, the average inflation rate for 2022 was 27.26%. The Pakistani economy has been exacerbated by political instability, the global energy crisis, earthquakes, and the devastating floods that submerged large portions of the country in 2022. As a result, the country requires billions of dollars of financing to…

According to French media, gas stations in France continue to witness fuel shortages with 30% of stations in the Ile-de-France region, commonly known as the Paris Region, having at least one type of fuel unavailable. The BFMTV broadcaster reported fuel shortages in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region and in the country’s east, adding that 30% of filling stations in Paris and the Paris Region are either completely out of fuel or lack one or more types of it. In particular, over 40% of pumps in the Val-de-Marne department of Ile-de-France (Paris Region) suffered fuel supply shortages. Just last week, French sources reported that…

Alibaba announced plans to split its business into six separate units on Tuesday, a move that promises to radically reshape the sprawling Chinese e-commerce firm founded by Jack Ma nearly 25 years ago. The company revealed that each new business unit will be led by its own CEO and board of directors. According to a company statement issued on Tuesday, five of the new business groups “will also have the flexibility to raise outside capital and potentially seek its own IPO.” One day after Ma made a rare public appearance in China, one of the country’s most recognizable companies underwent…

Swiss news agency SonntagsZeitung weekly reported on Sunday that the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse could result in layoffs of up to 30 percent of the total workforce across the world, amounting to approximately 36,000 positions. This comes after UBS announced the rushed acquisition of Credit Suisse, which was arranged under the auspices of Swiss authorities on March 19. Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest bank, collapsed in March 2023 following years of facilitating tax evasion for America’s wealthiest. It was also caught in a bribery scandal and a money laundering case linked to a Bulgarian cocaine network. Credit Suisse has paid over $11…