Cryptocurrency exchange Bitnomial has received approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to offer bitcoin futures and options contracts to its users.

A popular EOS wallet app has reportedly shut down with over $48 million in user funds locked in it. The wallet app removed users’ balances from the platform even though the funds are on its account, and has in the past been accused of being a Ponzi scheme.

China’s digital currency could be used in the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to a state-owned television network. This could mean the digital currency itself is set to launch next year.

Top stories in the Crypto Roundup today:

• Crypto Exchange Bitnomial Receives CFTC Approval to Offer Bitcoin Derivatives
• EOS Wallet App Reportedly Shuts Down With $48 Million of User Funds
• China’s Digital Currency Could be Used in 2022 Winter Olympics

At the time of writing, bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $6,889.20 (-3.83%) with a daily Top Tier volume of $2.91 bn. As for ether (ETH), it is trading at $172.75 (-5.29%) with a daily Top Tier volume of $1.46 bn. The MVIS CryptoCompare Digital Assets 10 Index is currently tracking at 2,525.75 (-2.94%).

Crypto Exchange Bitnomial Receives CFTC Approval to Offer Bitcoin Derivatives

Bitnomial, a cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2015, has revealed it received approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to offer bitcoin futures and options contracts.

The exchange can now compete with the likes of the CME, Cboe, Bakkt, ErisX, and LedgerX. Its contracts will be list-margined and physically delivered, meaning they’re settled in real BTC. Bitnomial CEO Luke Hoersten was quoted as saying:

"We are building the Bitcoin Product Complex, a suite of interrelated financial products, starting with quarterly Bitcoin futures, micro futures, and options.”

Hoersten added Bitnomial’s products will initially trade on 37% margin and be settled on-chain.

EOS Wallet App Reportedly Shuts Down With $48 Million of User Funds

EOS Ecosystem, a prominent EOS wallet app that offered its users high returns on deposits, has reportedly shut down, taking with it around $48 million worth of EOS that belonged to its users.

According to Chinese news outlet ChainNews, the amount users lost could be of around 3 billion yuan, worth $424 million, although only one account with users’ funds has been found. The account, named “huobidevice3,” has 19.36 million EOS in it and is believed to have no affiliation with crypto exchange Huobi.

EOS Ecosystem has in the past been accused of running a Ponzi scheme, even being taken to a local court in China over the issue. It allegedly claimed to be affiliated with block producers and other EOS organizations, although these organizations disavowed the association on multiple occasions.

The wallet app promised users daily return ranging from 0.342% to 3.42%, which raised some red flags on social media. According to ChainNews, the wallet app removed users’ balances from its platform, even though the EOS is still in its account. If it did decide to take users’ funds, it may have a hard time laundering the tokens.

China’s Digital Currency Could be Used in 2022 Winter Olympics

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), has said its digital currency could be used in the 2022 Winter Olympics. The state-owned television network CCTV reported, citing a “relevant person in charge,” which also confirmed some state-owned banks are conducting internal tests of the digital currency in the cities of Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiong’an, and Chengdu.

Last week, reports surfaced revealing the Agricultural Bank of China was releasing mobile test apps supporting the digital currency. The source also noted that current research and development of the PBoC’s digital yuan equivalent is steadily advancing and that the internal tests won’t affect the commercial operations of banks, the issuance of new yuan, and financial markets.

The mention of the 2022 Winter Olympics hints the PBoC may be looking to launch the digital currency by next year, although no official timetable on its rollout has been released.

Decentraland (MANA) is the Daily Mover

This week’s Daily Mover featured asset is Decentraland and its MANA token, which has seen its FCAS score go up 2.12% over the past 10 days, powered by a 3.75% rise in user Activity and a 1.65% rise in Developer Behaviour. Its Markey Maturity has remained stable.

MANA’s User Activity and Developer Behaviour went up after Decentraland and crypto exchange Binance partnered to raise funds for medical supplies and healthcare organizations battling the COVID-19 outbreak.

Users were able to donate ETH tokens to the joint initiative, tagged #CryptoAgainstCOVID, from April 10 to April 20, and Decentraland matched 100% of all donations during the first two days up to $5,000, after donating $10,000 itself.

The initiative showed users are proud to be a part of Decentraland, and are willing to support a good cause on top of showcasing their association with the project. Decentraland itself is a virtual reality platform powered by the Ethereum blockchain, where users can build and explore the virtual world they create.

It includes non-fungible LAND tokens, which are equivalent to a parcel of digital space on Decentraland’s world. It also includes a fully decentralized, open marketplace where users can buy and sell LAND, accessories, clothes and names for their avatars, and more.

As people throughout the world now face shelter-in-place measures, Decentraland’s users are hosting virtual parties and gathering. On March 31 there was the Coinfest conference, and the team is now launching a crypto valley art gallery to showcase winning artworks.

Timing Crypto Trades

Two years ago, Weiss Ratings released the world’s first formal cryptocurrency ratings.

Their ratings are built on a ground-breaking model that analyzed thousands of data points on each coin’s technology, adoption, and market performance. And they took the crypto community by storm.

Many people were livid that their favorite cryptos were given a failing grade.

However, the Weiss Crypto Ratings were quickly vindicated after they helped thousands of investors avoid the crypto crash of 2018. And since their release, they have established themselves as an unbiased source of transparent research, garnering praise from Forbes, CNBC, Fortune, The Motley Fool, and many crypto blogs.

Now, the Weiss Ratings team is back.

They’ve built a powerful new system that helps investors time their crypto trades. “Our ratings tell you WHAT to buy or sell; Our new timing model tells you WHEN to buy and sell,” founder Dr. Martin Weiss explains.

Until now, their new timing model has only been shared with a small group of beta-testers. Now you can see the system in action on Tuesday, April 21 at 2pm Eastern (7pm GMT).

To secure your seat for this special broadcast, click here now. You will discover …

• The eight cryptocurrencies you should avoid 
• The top two cryptocurrencies right now
• How to time your entry and exit in the market

But the registration deadline is fast approaching. So, to make sure you can attend this free landmark event, go here.

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