Moneyweb Crypto
Moneyweb Crypto explores all things crypto and blockchain: the good, the bad and the impossible. If you're looking to invest in cryptocurrencies, or understand this evolving universe, you're in the right place.
What if South Africa’s access to SWIFT is threatened?
The SA Reserve Bank says the threat of being excommunicated from SWIFT is likely to focus certain individuals rather than the country as a whole, but we should not take this lying down, says 80eight CEO Faadil Moti, as the experience with Russia and Iran shows that events can escalate quickly.
Are the banks warming to crypto?
Warren Deats, chief investment officer at Geddes Capital, explains that banks are likely far closer to entering the crypto space than many realise. Deats, himself a former banker and a crypto sceptic, says he understands the banks’ hesitancy when it comes to crypto, but argues they cannot delay their entry…
How to talk to a family member caught up in an online scam
If they’ve seen a video of Elon Musk or Cyril Ramaphosa or any other celebrity telling them how to turn R4 500 into R20 000 in a month, it’s a scam says Gerhard van Deventer, head of enforcement at the Financial Sector Conduct Authority.
Look out JSE, here come tokenised stocks
Both VALR and Luno have launched tokenised stocks in SA, allowing South Africans to purchase exposure to US equities like Tesla and Nvidia without having to use their foreign allowance. It’s part of an accelerating trend where cryptocurrencies are gatecrashing the traditional finance space, explains VALR chief operating officer Gianluca…
Altcoins are back in vogue
Best-selling author and bitcoin miner Giannis Andreou says it’s not just bitcoin that’s getting attention from serious investors. Ethereum, written off by some as dead just a year ago, is back with a bang, as are some of the minnows of the crypto world.
Masie’s message to Discovery and Naspers: Get with the bitcoin programme
JSE-listed companies should be adopting bitcoin strategic reserves if they pause for a minute and take a serious look at the state of SA and the prospects for the rand, says tech entrepreneur Stafford Masie.
Bitcoin miners are solving Africa’s huge power deficit
Kenya-based Gridless Compute is a bitcoin miner with six sites in four countries. Now it's going into power generation, bringing electricity to the most stranded parts of Africa.
Another global crypto giant gatecrashes the SA market
Bitget, one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, is making a noisy entrance into the SA market with products such as credit cards linked to your crypto wallet and tokensied shares, explains head of growth for Africa, Callan Richardson.
Why some SMEs are loading bitcoin onto their balance sheets
Stablecoins too – and not as a sign of risk tolerance, but to mitigate the risks of fiat debasement, as 80eight macro strategist Shiven Moodley explains.
Is this the future of investing?
Digital exchanges like Mesh.trade have cut trading costs to 0.2% while making it possible to buy fractions of an asset. All transactions are logged on the blockchain. Stock exchanges like the JSE are getting a run for their money, says Mesh.trade MD Connie Bloem.
How regulation opened the crypto arbitrage floodgates
Ben Jordaan of crypto arbitrage company Shiftly notes how regulation has been a blessing and a curse for crypto arbitrage, introducing thousands of new participants while also squeezing the profits as demand increases.
Banks are about to enter the crypto space
Frank Leonette, CEO of AfriDAX, delves into the imminent arrival of banks into the crypto space in SA, a surprising and ironic turnaround given their prior hostility to this new asset class. There are risks aplenty for customers, and not everyone will welcome the banks.
Could quantum computing crack Bitcoin?
Rob Price, CEO of Sound Money, takes us through some of the extraordinary leaps in quantum computing in recent months and what threat this poses to Bitcoin's cryptography – and how bitcoiners are responding.
How bitcoin went from cool to necessary
Jon Ovadia, CEO of OVEX, gives his predictions for bitcoin as a rush of companies concerned about financial uncertainty stack BTC on their balance sheets. He also explains how OVEX is building a world-first "neo bank" built on crypto rails.
Court ruling exposes crypto exchange-control loophole
This could lead to a free-for-all, with crypto transfers abroad not subject to SA Reserve Bank approval – at least until the loophole is closed. Wiehann Olivier of Forvis Mazars takes us through the likely implications.
Is Know Your Customer verification really that safe?
The recent hack of crypto exchange Coinbase, where criminals working with rogue insiders managed to get access to customer information and demanded $20m to keep it quiet, is an example of how KYC can go wrong, says Shiven Moodley, macro strategist at 80eight.
Why crypto arbitrage is more popular than ever
David Farelo, CEO of Currency Hub, explains how the buying and selling of cryptos between local and overseas exchanges has gone mainstream as wealth and fund managers are looking for relatively low-risk returns that outperform.
Tether, the world's richest crypto company, moves into AI
Tether made more than $13bn in profits in 2024 with just 150 employees, more than BlackRock and on par with Goldman Sachs. Now, it is moving into open-source AI. Omer Iqbal, CEO of FiveWest, explains.
How to dollarise your life with stablecoins
Craig Stoehr, general counsel for Yellow Card, talks about the incredible rise of US dollar-backed stablecoins like Tether and USDC and how they offer a lifeline for Africans trapped in countries with fatally weakened local currencies.
The AI war between scammers and the public is getting wild
Sam Mkhize, head of compliance at Binance SA, explains how AI is evolving at a blistering pace, allowing scammers to clone your voice and image, and how crypto exchanges are using AI to fight back.