Bitcoin <\/span>volatility has fallen to a 16-month low<\/span><\/a>, indicating that a sharp move is on the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n Large fluctuations tend to follow prolonged periods of consolidation, <\/span>and according to a Bitazu Capital founding partner, Mohit Sorout, BTC could reach its previous all-time high if it was to break out today.<\/b><\/p>\n There are other factors at play. <\/b>The U.S. dollar has been weak recently<\/span><\/a>, and traditionally, this leads to strength across other \u201csafe haven\u201d assets.<\/span> Bitcoin exchange reserves have also <\/b>continued to plummet<\/b><\/a>, indicating there\u2019s a shortage of sellers\u2026 or a lack of trust in centralized platforms.<\/b><\/p>\n Cointelegraph analyst <\/span>Micha\u00ebl van de Poppe<\/span><\/a> says BTC must hold <\/span>$11,000 <\/b>for October\u2019s rally to continue \u2014 paving the way for a retest of <\/span>$12,000 <\/b>in the short term. Meanwhile, a report by Stack Funds suggests <\/span>BTC has support to climb all the way to <\/span>$15,000<\/b><\/a> if historic trends repeat themselves this year.<\/span><\/p>\n But this optimism isn\u2019t universal. <\/b>JPMorgan Chase experts believe Bitcoin is slightly overvalued<\/span><\/a> and think the asset could see selling pressure ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n OKEx, a major crypto exchange, spooked the markets this week by announcing that it had suspended withdrawals.<\/span><\/p>\n The company said one of its private key holders was \u201ccooperating with a public security bureau\u201d concerning ongoing \u201cinvestigations.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n In the immediate aftermath of Friday\u2019s statement, Bitcoin fell nearly 3%, while OKEx\u2019s native token, OKB, crashed 15%.<\/span><\/p>\n According to Caixin, OKEx founder Mingxing Xu \u2014 also known as Star Xu \u2014 was <\/b>the executive who was questioned by authorities<\/b><\/a>. <\/b>The Chinese news agency also reported that he was investigated \u201cat least a week ago\u201d and had been absent at work for some time.<\/span><\/p>\n Industry executives have expressed surprise at how events unfolded. The Bitcoin Association\u2019s president, Leo Weese, wrote: \u201cThat one person sits in China holding the keys to an entire offshore cryptocurrency exchange is probably the most surprising thing about this industry I learned this year. <\/span>That customers don\u2019t demand transparency about key management comes in at a close second, though.<\/b>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Staff at Coinbase fear that the exchange\u2019s leadership are watching their every move and monitoring their messages, it has been reported.<\/span><\/p>\n According to Motherboard, the exchange\u2019s newfound \u201capolitical\u201d stance has led to allegations of surveillance and censorship, but in a leaked recording of an ask me anything session, CEO Brian Armstrong said the \u201csilent majority\u201d supported the move.<\/b><\/p>\n Elsewhere, it was claimed that Coinbase\u2019s management had \u201cstunted internal discussion\u201d and forced employees to delete political Slack messages. <\/span>The exchange responded to Motherboard\u2019s claims by describing the accusations as \u201cquite extreme and absolutely false.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n During an AMA back in June, Armstrong had reportedly resisted the idea of making a public statement in support of Black Lives Matter following the killing of George Floyd by police. <\/span>However, he later backtracked and posted a series of tweets in support of BLM.<\/b><\/p>\n Coinbase has been <\/span>hemorrhaging employees<\/span><\/a> of late, with at least 5% of its workforce opting to take an exit package if they were unwilling to avoid political and social issues at work.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s been a wild ride for the FIL token following Filecoin\u2019s long-awaited launch.<\/span><\/p>\n FIL <\/b>initially rocketed by 118%<\/b><\/a> before plunging by 80% as the cryptocurrency was listed on major exchanges \u2014 three years after the project\u2019s ICO was held.<\/b><\/p>\n Now, the blockchain-based data storage platform is hoping to right the ship through a weeklong digital conference that begins on Oct. 19.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFilecoin Liftoff Week\u201d is going to be centered on education, infrastructure, interoperability, and future plans, with each day focusing on a different theme.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the recent plunge in FIL\u2019s value, the Filecoin team remains optimistic about the project\u2019s future prospects: \u201cThis is only the beginning for the Filecoin network.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And we end our news roundup with a painful story courtesy of Ripple\u2019s chief technology officer David Schwartz.<\/span><\/p>\n He revealed that he and his wife came up with a \u201cderisking plan\u201d for their crypto investments in 2012 \u2014 and missed out on millions of dollars in profit as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n Schwartz sold 40,000 ETH for $1 each at the time \u2014 a stash that would be worth more than $15.5 million at today\u2019s prices.<\/b><\/p>\n The Ripple executive also sold a significant sum of BTC for $750 apiece, and a large trove of XRP for $0.10.<\/span><\/p>\n He described himself as a \u201crisk averse person with people who depend on me financially and emotionally\u201d <\/span>but admitted that selling his crypto at this bargain basement prices \u201churt.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the end of the week, Bitcoin is at <\/span>$11,435.68<\/b>, Ether at <\/span>$375.90 <\/b>and XRP at <\/span>$0.24<\/b>. The total market cap is at <\/span>$359,603,174,619<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are <\/span>ABBC Coin (77.11%)<\/b>,<\/span> Filecoin (44.49%) <\/b>and <\/span>Waves (28.70%)<\/b>. The top three altcoin losers of the week are <\/span>Arweave (-32.22%)<\/b>, <\/span>OKB (-23.80%) <\/b>and <\/span>Crypto.com Coin (-21.98%)<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read <\/span>Cointelegraph\u2019s market analysis<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll your funds and assets are safe. The investigation concerns a certain private key holder\u2019s personal issue only.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jay Hao<\/b><\/a>, OKEx CEO<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat one person sits in China holding the keys to an entire offshore cryptocurrency exchange is probably the most surprising thing about this industry I learned this year. That customers don\u2019t demand transparency about key management comes in at a close second, though.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Leo Weese<\/b><\/a>, The Bitcoin Association president<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Chinese government is cracking down on money laundering using cryptocurrency for telecom fraud, and centralized exchanges are in a very dangerous state.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Colin Wu<\/b><\/a>, crypto reporter<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do believe we\u2019ll be seeing a relatively boring and corrective quarter on the cryptomarkets. In history; $ETH frequently bottoms out in December, to start running the quarter after. $BTC dominance to run up, to have an altseason in Q1 2021. Continuing the patience.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Micha\u00ebl van de Poppe<\/b><\/a>, Cointelegraph analyst<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou can only try to win the hand with the high hand: gold, silver and Bitcoin. You can\u2019t win playing the low hand unless you\u2019re a sovereign state or a major investment bank, and that\u2019s the game today.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Max Keiser<\/b><\/a>, broadcaster<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d like to keep tabs on what other central banks are doing and learn from them, not just from China but from other countries.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Kazushige Kamiyama<\/b><\/a>, Bank of Japan\u2019s CBDC head<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOur eyes are peeled on the $12,000 key resistance level, as we expect further consolidation around current levels going into the elections before breaking into the upside going forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Stack Funds<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo if I am to buy the dip, where would the perfect dip be? Well, the perfect dip would be… around $11,000.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Tone Vays<\/b><\/a>, trader<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely sending a message to the crypto world that when there are U.S. users of a product or a service, there\u2019s going to be enforcement of U.S. laws.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cCrypto Mom\u201d Hester Peirce<\/b><\/a>, SEC Commissioner<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rapid growth of institutional investments in crypto has prompted 10T Holdings co-founder Dan Tapiero to warn that shortages of Bitcoin could be on the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n He warned: \u201cSHORTAGES of Bitcoin possible. <\/span>Barry\u2019s Grayscale Trust is eating up BTC like there is no tomorrow. If 77% of all newly mined turns into 110%, it\u2019s lights out. <\/b>Non-miner supply will get held off market in squeeze. Shorts will be dead. Price can go to any number.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Institutional demand surged rapidly after March when Bitcoin suffered one of its steepest falls in recent history. <\/span>This indicates that big players see staying power in the world\u2019s biggest cryptocurrency.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n The speculation about a potential supply-side crisis around Bitcoin also coincides with the post-halving cycle. <\/span>Bitcoin went through its third halving on May 11, and historically, halvings lead to extended bull runs in the two years that follow.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The G7 has warned that it will initially oppose the launch of Facebook\u2019s Libra project.<\/span><\/p>\n In a statement that pulled few punches, the Group of Seven wrote: \u201cThe G7 continues to maintain that no global stablecoin project should begin operation until it adequately addresses relevant legal, regulatory, and oversight requirements through appropriate design and by adhering to applicable standards.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The statement was co-authored by central bankers and finance ministers from the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.<\/b><\/p>\n The G7 has previously raised concerns over how to ensure <\/b>digital assets comply with Anti-Money Laundering laws<\/b><\/a>, consumer protection rules and other regulatory matters.<\/b><\/p>\n Last October, one of its reports also warned that global stablecoins <\/span>pose a threat to the global financial system<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Europol has announced that 20 individuals suspected of working for the \u201cQQAAZZ\u201d criminal network have been arrested in an operation that spanned 16 countries.<\/span><\/p>\n The organization is accused of laundering tens of millions of euros for top cybercriminals since 2016. <\/b>About 40 homes were searched as part of \u201cOperation 2BaGoldMule,\u201d with arrests made in Australia, the U.S, the U.K, Portugal, Spain, Latvia and Poland.<\/span><\/p>\n On the same day, a 40-year-old man was arrested in New Zealand for using cryptocurrency to launder more than $2 million for criminals \u2014 as well as by purchasing luxury vehicles including a Lamborghini and Mercedes G63.<\/b><\/p>\n And in the U.S, six individuals have been charged for their participation in a conspiracy to \u201claunder millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of foreign cartels.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The trustee of the now-defunct Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox has obtained another approval to extend the deadline for submitting a rehabilitation plan \u2014 this time to Dec. 15.<\/b><\/p>\n As reported by Cointelegraph, Nobuaki Kobayashi received a number of similar deadline extensions in March 2020 and April 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n The Mt. Gox crypto exchange is known for encountering the largest cryptocurrency hack in history. <\/span>The exchange lost a total of 1.35 million Bitcoin in two hacks in 2011 and 2014.<\/b><\/p>\n Despite the hacks happening years ago, Mt. Gox customers have still not received compensation for their stolen funds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kobayashi, a Japanese lawyer who was appointed to oversee the civil reimbursement process, reportedly has 150,000 BTC to repay users, but the refund process has been delayed multiple times since 2019.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coinbase\u2019s new \u201capolitical\u201d culture has led to some employees taking severance packages, as the crypto community reacts with ambivalence.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/b>BTC and OKB plunge after OKEx suspends withdrawals<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n
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![\"OKEx](\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Digest_17-10_3-1-1024x767.jpg\")
<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n<\/h4>\n
Armstrong says \u201csilent majority\u201d supports Coinbase apolitical stance in leaked audio<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n
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Following whipsaw launch, Filecoin looks to weeklong conference for stability<\/b><\/a><\/h4>\n
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<\/b>Ripple\u2019s CTO sold 40,000 Ether for just $1 each<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n
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Winners and Losers<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Gainers](\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/WAL_12-18-10-01-1-1024x826.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMost Memorable Quotations<\/b><\/h2>\n
Prediction of the Week<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Could there be a massive Bitcoin shortage?<\/a> <\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Bitcoin](\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Digest_17-10_2-1-1024x767.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFUD of the Week<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/b>G7 will oppose Libra launch until regulations in place<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"G7](\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Digest_17-10_1-1-1024x767.jpg\")
<\/p>\n16 countries join forces to clamp down on money laundering crypto criminals<\/b><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/b>Deadline for Mt. Gox trustee rehabilitation plan extended again<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n
Best Cointelegraph Features<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/b>The curious case of Coinbase \u2014 Employees driven out by \u201capolitical\u201d stance<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n
<\/b>The next big treasure: Corporations buy up Bitcoin as a treasury reserve<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n