Crypto Today: Bitcoin set to retest critically breached range block

Here's what you need to know on Wednesday

Markets: 

• BTC/USD is currently trading at $8,114 (+2.25%) in the afternoon in U.S. hours, following a wave of upside momentum as price smashes through $8000 barrier. 
• ETH/USD is currently trading at $140.15 (-1.90%), losing ground on the key $140 mark.
• XRP/USD is currently trading at $0.2085 (-1.85%), much profit-taking coming into play following the big bull run on Monday.
• Among the 100 most important cryptocurrencies, the best of the day are BCD $0.407484 (+25.60%), NEX $1.03 (10.49%) and ZEN $8.84 (+10.30%) and The day's losers are SNX $0.000247 (-12.90%), KNC $0.0.079452 (-10.70%) and CENNZ $0.95382 (-8.70%).
• Chart of the day: BTC/USD daily chart. (BTC/USD retesting 29-30 November top area)

Chart of the day: BTC/USD daily chart

Market:

• Bitcoin is perhaps Bitcoin, perhaps debatably finding its place as a so-called safe-haven asset, has moved sharply higher after Iran retaliated for the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Additionally, it had rallied upon the initial assassination by the U.S. 
• Kraken announced that it will list USD Coin (USDC) starting tomorrow. USDC is a stablecoin backed by the CENTRE Consortium an organization founded by Coinbase and Circle.
• Attackers demanded a payment of $6 million worth of bitcoin after hacking Travelex, a foreign currency exchange company. It is the latest victim in an explosion of ransomware attacks seeking crypto payouts. 

Regulation:

• Capital Markets Board of Turkey has plans to regulate crypto transactions, according to local sources. Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB), the regulatory body overseeing securities markets in the country, is developing a guideline to observe, audit, and regulate the crypto markets in the country, according to major Turkish media outlet Hurriyet.
• Cryptocurrency exchange, Kraken, has recently sent out its 2019 Transparency report. The report had detailed the amount of law enforcement inquiries. It states that the Kraken exchange has received 710 requests, or about two requests a day, in the year 2019. These requests impacted around 1222 different accounts. The report shows evidence that global governments are putting their gaze on the crypto industry, scrutinizing even more intensely than before.

Industry:

• A South Korean committee directly under the president is recommending several measures to the government that will make cryptocurrency mainstream. They did emphasize that “it is no longer possible to stop crypto asset trade,” the committee recommends integrating crypto into the country’s financial system, allowing financial institutions to directly offer a range of crypto products, including derivatives, listing bitcoin on the country’s stock exchange, and more.
• Binance announced its partnership with Satang Corporation, a regulated crypto exchange in Thailand, to enable Thai baht deposit and withdrawal channels on its primary platform.

Quote of the day:

Well, it's all about the money and the money's threatened.

So you go for broke. You think it's your last stand. And it is.

Because between Bitcoin, bank wire transfers, and digital propaganda, you handed global law enforcement the most evidence in history.

Eric Garland