Bitcoin Daily: IDC Identifies Terror-Linked Hamas Bitcoin; Venezuela Opens Crypto Casino

The International Data Corp.’s Institute for Counter Terrorism (IDC-ICT) has discovered a bitcoin front linked to Hamas that is associated with Iran, and is used to move money for terrorist purposes, according to a report Sunday (Jan. 19) by The Jerusalem Post.

A website called “cash4ps” would let Hamas transfer money to and from Gaza to fund terrorism, while also letting both donors and receivers stay anonymous.

While ICT was monitoring, it noted “an irregular increase in the scope of activity,” as well as a “deeper review showed that the same address served a seemingly legitimate financial website by the name of cash4ps.”

In other news, crypto exchange Digix is returning ether to initial coin offering (ICO) investors from the project’s treasury. The initiative was a result of Project Ragnarok and a vote held separate of the company in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), according to a report Monday (Jan. 20) by Coindesk.

Digix will give back 0.19 ETH per DGD. The company held its ICO in 2016, and it raised about 466,648 ETH, which was worth about $7 million.

In Australia, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which has authority over bitcoin in the country, has allowed a bitcoin fund to operate, according to a report Monday.

It’s the first time this type of fund has existed in the country, and it’s being introduced by investment app provider Raiz Invest Australia.

The Raiz app is going to let investors invest the change left from general, everyday purchases into exchange-traded funds quoted on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The bitcoin option will see most of the funds go to ETFs, but about 5 percent are going to be assigned to cryptocurrency.

Finally, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has given the go-ahead for an international casino where all of the bets have to be placed in petros, the country’s cryptocurrency, which is backed by oil.

According to a report Monday, the casino will be at a luxury hotel in Caracas, and several cryptocurrencies, as well as fiat currencies, can be exchanged.

“I have authorized legal bets with petros,” he reportedly said. “For example, in the Hotel Humboldt, there will be an international casino and everyone who wants to bet will bet with petros, all those resources will enter the state for health and education.”