New Hampshire

Trends Study Says Dogecoin Is the Most Googled Cryptocurrency in the US

05/04/2022 by Idelto Editor

According to a recent study analyzing Google Trends data, the cryptocurrency dogecoin’s search volume in the United States was highest in the most states as compared to other cryptos. The research also details that the leading crypto asset in terms of market capitalization, bitcoin, was the second most popular crypto asset, with ten different states.

Dogecoin Scores 23 States, While Bitcoin Commands 10

A recent study authored by Coin Insider combed through Google Trends data to find out which crypto asset was searched for by the most states. The research indicates that the meme-based cryptocurrency dogecoin (DOGE) is the most popular in the United States, at least according to Google Trends data. DOGE scored 23 states as Coin Insider’s data explains.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is currently the 12th largest crypto asset in terms of valuation as the crypto asset’s market cap is $19.8 billion. DOGE also holds the title as the top meme-coin asset out of the $36.4 billion worth of meme-based cryptocurrencies. Coin Insider’s metrics show dogecoin captured states like North Dakota, Montana, Illinois, Florida, Hawaii, New Mexico, New Jersey, and Oregon.

Meanwhile, bitcoin (BTC) scored ten states which include Idaho, Arkansas, Mississippi, Connecticut, Alaska, and New Hampshire. According to Google Trends (GT) data, the search term “bitcoin” in the U.S. currently has a score of 29 out of a top score of 100. The last time the search query for “bitcoin” hit a score of 100 was during the week of May 16-22, 2021.

Ethereum, Shiba Inu, Cardano Trail Behind

Ethereum (ETH) captured eight states which include Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, Indiana, and Louisiana. Behind ethereum’s heels in the study is shiba inu (SHIB), as the meme-based crypto asset collected a total of seven states in the country. After hitting 100 during the week of October 24-30, 2021, the search term “SHIB” now has a zero rating.

The smart contract token cardano (ADA) captured Colorado, according to Coin Insider’s findings. While ADA is up 40% during the last 30 days, year-to-date stats show cardano has only gained 2.6%. The search term “cardano” in the U.S. tapped a high of 100 during the week of May 9-15, 2021, according to GT metrics. This week, the search query for “cardano” currently has a GT score of 18.

Coin Insider’s research claims dogecoin’s popularity is partly due to Elon Musk’s endorsement of the meme-coin in recent times. “The rise in interest can be partially attributed to the endorsement of Elon Musk who stated in 2021 that Tesla would accept Dogecoin as a form of payment,” Coin Insider’s study says.

What’s your opinion of Coin Insider’s recent study? Do you agree with the study’s findings? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Bitcoin Advocate Bruce Fenton Announces U.S. Senate Candidacy For New Hampshire

04/04/2022 by Idelto Editor

Bruce Fenton is a prominent Bitcoiner running for Senate in New Hampshire and he seeks to make it known that “government has no place in Bitcoin.”

Bruce Fenton, a Bitcoin-advocate, has announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in New Hampshire.
Fenton was a previous director of the Bitcoin Foundation and moved to New Hampshire in pursuit of the Free State Project, a political pro-freedom movement.
“Democracy is a poor and overhyped system that results in two wolves and a sheep deciding what is for dinner,” Fenton says.

Bruce Fenton, a Bitcoin-advocate, has announced his candidacy for the United States Senate to represent the state of New Hampshire. Bitcoin Magazine got an exclusive interview with Bruce to discuss his thoughts on Bitcoin and his objectives on running for the U.S. senate.

Bruce Fenton previously served as an executive director for the non-profit Bitcoin Foundation, originally founded in 2012 with the intention of setting the ship right with bitcoin as scandalous misrepresentation affected its reputation. His early bitcoin-roots allowed Fenton to amass a small fortune preparing him for his eventual self-funded campaign driven by his $5 million injection.

After his tenure with the Bitcoin Foundation, Fenton turned his eyes to New Hampshire and the Free State Project, which is a political pro-freedom movement that calls for smaller government and lax regulatory burdens. This particular group has been widely accepting of bitcoin and no-doubt has served as a muse for Fenton’s festering discontent with the status quo. A resistance for traditional systems seems staple to Bitcoiner ideology, which leads to cross feelings regarding the intersection of Bitcoin and politics as some want it to stay apolitical. This was one of the first points Fenton made.

“Bitcoin is not apolitical. Bitcoin is political and has been since its inception,” Fenton stated. “Satoshi understood liberty, freedom and the problems with the existing fiat system.”

Fenton continued to say “Some people say Bitcoin isn’t political out of fear of upsetting the other side. Fact is, separating money and state is just as political as separation of church and state was hundreds of years ago.”

Fenton went on to discuss how Bitcoin can completely change the way money works and the disruptive nature inherent to the protocol. In discussing the ways bitcoin represents the change of archaic systems, Fenton said:

“Bitcoin is voluntary and needs no central point of control to make it work. Bitcoin uses technology to create the next natural evolution in money and how we move value in the world. More broadly, Bitcoin is part of the massive change we are seeing in the world, a change from centralized power to decentralized power.”

Speaking of change, it is very important to pay attention to the changes being pursued by all candidates, not just Fenton. However, Bitcoin Magazine did ask what, specific to bitcoin, would Fenton push forward? He gave a succinct reply.

“I’d like to have the government entirely uninvolved with Bitcoin.”

That would seem an obvious answer to Bitcoiners, because it is. However, there are still other politicians for and against Bitcoin. This begs the question of what Bitcoiners should demand from politicians, but moreover, what should they demand from Fenton?

“Bitcoiners should demand the simple right to run, use and write code they want. The government has no place in Bitcoin,” he said. “I believe Bitcoin is one of the most important innovations in history for peace and human progress. Bitcoiners can demand and expect that I’ll be true to the core principles of this technology and movement.”

To close out the interview, Bitcoin Magazine asked Fenton a simple, yet complex question, and it’s one we have all certainly wrestled with at some point — is democracy necessary for freedom?

“Democracy is a poor and overhyped system that results in two wolves and a sheep deciding what is for dinner,” Fenton declared. We can’t achieve freedom with democracy and the founders knew this, which is why they chose a constitutional republic instead.”

Fenton went on to explain there becomes a larger issue at hand with the democratically elected officials of a constitutional republic opting not to follow their constitutional origins. He then offered his ideal solution for the system.

“The best way to achieve the maximum peace and freedom is to allow voluntary human choice and to avoid force and violence in every way possible.”

New Hampshire Establishes Bitcoin And Crypto Study Commission

14/02/2022 by Idelto Editor

The commission will have 180 days to submit a report detailing findings, determinations, and recommendations on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency legislation.

Chris Sununu, Governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire, last week signed an executive order establishing a commission to investigate current Bitcoin-related laws and propose new ones as the state seeks to encourage innovation and attract businesses in the financial services sector.

“New Hampshire is a hub of financial innovation, and this Executive Order will further our commitment to attracting high quality banking and financial businesses in a safe and responsible manner,” Governor Chris Sununu said in a statement.

The commission will research U.S. federal and state legislation governing Bitcoin and cryptocurrency to determine their effects on innovation and economic competitiveness of New Hampshire and the country and privacy and liberty rights of citizens, according to the order. Any recommendations to amend changes to such legislations or improve them will need to be justified by the commission.

“I am excited for the work this Commission will undertake and the recommendations they will provide so that New Hampshire can continue to advance necessary reforms that promote economic growth, foster innovation, and meet changing customer needs while ensuring safety, soundness, and consumer protection,” Sununu said in a statement.

The executive order grants the commission a maximum of 180 days to submit a report detailing its “findings, determinations and recommendations to the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate.” Additionally, the commission’s report will be made publicly available on the Governor’s office website.

According to the order, the commission will be composed of the State Attorney General, the Commissioner of the Bank Department, a state senator, a state representative, a representative of the New Hampshire Bankers Association, a representative of the Cooperative Credit Union Association, “three public members with recognized experience with cryptocurrencies, digital assets and the provision of services to institutions or consumers with respect to digital assets,” and three additional members appointed by Governor Sununu.

NH Governor Signs Executive Order to Bring ‘Regulatory Certainty’ to Cryptocurrency Industry

13/02/2022 by Idelto Editor

The governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire has signed an executive order establishing a commission on cryptocurrencies and digital assets. “Federal and state governments must work to bring legal and regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry because clear rules of the road foster technology and innovation,” said the governor.

NH Executive Order on Cryptocurrency

Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire announced last week that he has signed an executive order establishing “the governor’s Commission on cryptocurrencies and digital assets.”

The governor explained: “New Hampshire is a hub of financial innovation, and this executive order will further our commitment to attracting high-quality banking and financial businesses in a safe and responsible manner.” He stressed:

Federal and state governments must work to bring legal and regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry because clear rules of the road foster technology and innovation.

Members of the Commission shall include the Attorney General, the Commissioner of the Bank Department, one state senator, one state representative, and “three public members with recognized experience with cryptocurrencies,” the order details.

The Commission will focus on several key areas, including:

Reviewing and investigating the current status of United States federal and state laws and regulatory rules, and laws of other non-United States jurisdictions, applicable … to banks and other businesses that provide services with respect to cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

The Commission will hold public hearings to hear testimony regarding the development of cryptocurrency and digital asset economies.

In addition, it will make recommendations for specific modifications and improvements to laws and regulations applicable to cryptocurrency.

According to the executive order, “No later than 180 days from the date of this order, the Commission shall submit a report containing its findings, determinations, and recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the House, and the president of the senate.”

What do you think about this executive order by the New Hampshire governor? Let us know in the comments section below.

FBI Arrests 6 Free Keene Members Operating Cryptocurrency Exchange

21/03/2021 by Idelto Editor

Six people involved with the Free Keene movement have been arrested and charged for allegedly operating an illegal cryptocurrency exchange business. “They operated their virtual currency exchange business using websites, as well as operating virtual currency ATM machines in New Hampshire,” the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

FBI Raids Properties and Charges 6 People

The DOJ announced this week that it has charged six New Hampshire residents with crimes related to a cryptocurrency exchange business. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided several Keene properties associated with members of the liberty-minded Free Keene movement on Tuesday and arrested the six defendants.

The individuals charged are Ian Freeman (formerly Ian Bernard), 40, of Keene; Colleen Fordham, 60, of Alstead; Renee Spinella, 23, of Derry; Andrew Spinella, 35, of Derry; Nobody (formerly Richard Paul), 52, of Keene; and Aria DiMezzo (formerly James Baker), 34, of Keene. DiMezzo is the self-described “transsexual satanist anarchist” who ran as the Republican candidate for Cheshire County sheriff in 2020. Both Freeman and Nobody ran for Governor.

Freeman reportedly had accessed $1.66 million worth of bitcoins and had $178,000 in cash in his safe when his house was raided by the FBI, prosecutors said on Friday, adding that he also has access to gold, silver, and possibly other liquid assets and cryptocurrencies.

The indictment details that since 2016:

The defendants have operated a business that enabled customers to exchange over ten million dollars in fiat currency for virtual currency, charging a fee for their service. They operated their virtual currency exchange business using websites, as well as operating virtual currency ATM machines in New Hampshire.

The Free Keene Project describes itself as “New Hampshire’s liberty activism destination.” Long-time supporters of cryptocurrency, in 2018, the group launched a Bitcoin Embassy in Keene.

The indictment also “alleges that the defendants knowingly operated the crypto exchange business in violation of federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations,” noting that “Some defendants opened bank accounts in the names of purported religious entities.” They include Shire Free Church, the Crypto Church of NH, the Church of the Invisible Hand, and the Reformed Satanic Church.

According to the DOJ, “some defendants then engaged in substantial efforts to evade detection of their unlawful virtual currency exchange scheme by avoiding answering financial institutions’ questions about the nature of the business and misleading financial institutions into believing their unlawful virtual currency exchange business was instead a religious organization receiving charitable contributions.”

Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley explained that all six individuals were indicted “and charged with participating in a conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and other offenses.” Freeman and DiMezzo are additionally charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Moreover, Freeman, Fordham, Renee Spinella, Andrew Spinella, and Nobody are charged with wire fraud and participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Freeman is further charged with money laundering and operating a continuing financial crimes enterprise.

What do you think about this case? Let us know in the comments section below.