Ghana Will Require Local Refining of Artisanal Gold From September 1

Ghana’s GoldBod will require Self-Financing Aggregators and their approved offtakers to refine artisanal gold doré in the country before it can be exported, beginning September 1, 2026. The order puts domestic processing at the centre of a gold export stream that reached 104 metric tons in 2025, according to Reuters via Business Day.

Existing offtake agreements must be amended by August 31. GoldBod said noncompliance could result in sanctions, including the suspension or revocation of licences.

Local refining becomes an export condition

The directive covers Self-Financing Aggregators and their approved offtakers—the parties named in GoldBod’s order. From September 1, those parties must have their artisanal gold doré processed in Ghana before export, rather than shipping it in unrefined form.

The timing creates a short transition window for businesses operating under existing offtake arrangements. Agreements in force need to reflect the new local-refining requirement by the day before the mandate takes effect, Reuters reported.

The measure is more than a preference for domestic processing. By warning that licences may be suspended or revoked, GoldBod has tied compliance to continued participation under the applicable GoldBod framework.

Export clearance process

Refining locally is only one part of the export process described by GoldBod. Export applications will be considered after the board confirms that gold has been refined at an approved or designated local refinery, Onua Online reported.

Applicants must also have paid refining charges and completed assay and regulatory requirements. In effect, a refinery confirmation, fees, assays and the required regulatory steps are all prerequisites before GoldBod considers an export application.

The framework leaves GoldBod with a direct verification role at the point of export clearance. The reported rules do not identify how many refineries may be approved or designated, nor do they state that one facility must handle all eligible material. That distinction matters when assessing the capacity needed to support the mandate.

A 104-tonne artisanal-gold export stream

The affected trade is substantial. GoldBod exported 104 metric tons of artisanal gold during 2025 and was on track to match or exceed that volume in 2026, Reuters reported.

Spread evenly over a full year, 104 metric tons equates to an average of roughly two metric tons a week. Actual volumes may not arrive at refineries evenly, but that annual comparison illustrates the scale of material that could require domestic processing once the new export condition starts.

For aggregators and offtakers, the mandate therefore changes the sequence of a large-volume trade: domestic refining, associated payments and testing must now occur before an export request can move forward. The August 31 contract deadline comes immediately before that shift.

Gold Coast Refinery pilot and capacity

Before issuing the export rule, GoldBod agreed with Gold Coast Refinery on a domestic-refining programme. Under the January 20, 2026 agreement, the programme was set to process one metric ton of gold a week, according to the Ghana Gold Board.

Gold Coast Refinery reported capacity of up to two tons weekly. Against GoldBod’s 104 metric tons of artisanal-gold exports in 2025—an average of about two tons weekly—the initial one-tonne programme represents half that average.

The capacity figures are not a measure of the refinery’s actual throughput, and they do not show that Gold Coast Refinery will be the only approved or designated facility under the September rule.

GoldBod said the export flow could meet or surpass 104 metric tons in the relevant year, making the number and operating capacity of eligible local refineries central to implementation.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

THORChain 3.20 Unlocks Native Monero and Zcash Swaps With Bitcoin, Ethereum and Stablecoins

Privacy coins have become increasingly difficult to move into the wider crypto market without going through a centralized intermediary. THORChain is looking to change that with one of its most significant protocol upgrades yet.

The decentralized exchange announced the launch of THORChain 3.20, introducing native support for Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) swaps. Users can now swap the privacy-focused cryptocurrencies against assets including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and stablecoins directly through THORChain.

The important part is what users do not have to do. No wrapped versions of XMR or ZEC involved, no exchange account is required, and users do not have to deposit their assets with a centralized custodian before making a trade.

That gives privacy-coin holders a more direct route into some of the largest and most liquid parts of the crypto market.

A New Route Out of the Privacy-Coin Silo

The integration is particularly notable for Monero. Access to XMR through centralized exchanges has tightened considerably as trading platforms have removed or restricted the cryptocurrency in response to regulatory and compliance concerns.

That has created an awkward problem for an asset built around financial privacy and user control: holders can transact directly on the Monero network, but moving from XMR into assets such as BTC, ETH or dollar-denominated stablecoins has often required relying on the very centralized services that many crypto users are trying to avoid.

THORChain 3.20 provides another option. Instead of sending XMR or ZEC to an exchange, selling it, and then withdrawing another cryptocurrency, users can exchange the native assets directly through THORChain while maintaining self-custody.

It extends the same basic model THORChain already uses for assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum: connecting otherwise separate blockchain networks without relying on wrapped representations of those assets.

That model becomes particularly relevant with privacy coins because decentralized access to them has historically been much more limited than for assets operating on major smart-contract networks.

More Than a Privacy-Coin Upgrade

Monero and Zcash are the headline additions, but version 3.20 also introduces broader changes to THORChain’s liquidity infrastructure.

The upgrade adds a new Stable Reserve, which introduces stablecoin-to-stablecoin swaps without liquidity fees. For users moving between supported stable assets, the system is intended to provide a more efficient execution path within THORChain.

THORChain has also introduced Protocol-Owned Liquidity (POL), giving the protocol additional mechanisms for deploying its own capital across the network rather than relying entirely on external liquidity providers. Version 3.20 also brings renewed support for Solana, Base and BNB, expanding the range of networks available through the protocol alongside its existing cross-chain infrastructure.

Together, the changes point toward THORChain becoming a broader liquidity layer rather than simply a venue for swapping between a handful of major Layer 1 assets.

Privacy Coins Get a More Direct Connection to Crypto

The larger significance of the release is that two of crypto’s best-known privacy assets are gaining a more direct connection to the rest of the digital-asset market.

Decentralized exchanges are now a fundamental part of crypto trading, but most still operate primarily within individual blockchain ecosystems. Moving native assets between separate networks can require bridges, wrapped tokens or centralized platforms. THORChain was built around removing those steps.

Adding XMR and ZEC extends that model into a part of the market where decentralized access has remained comparatively limited. For privacy-coin holders, THORChain 3.20 therefore represents more than another place to trade. It provides a way to move directly between privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins without surrendering custody of the underlying assets along the way.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

Is Bitcoin Forming a Bull Flag? $90K Target Coming Into Play

What could be a bull flag is starting to form at the top of the amazing price surge that took place on Wednesday and into Friday of last week. Should this bull flag be confirmed and a breakout happens, $90K could be the eventual target. 

Bull flag forming?

Source: TradingView

Looking at the short-term time frame chart above, it can be seen that the $BTC price hit a local high of $79,500 before falling back quite sharply to $76,700. Since then the bulls have regrouped, and the pattern that is starting to emerge looks very much like a classic bull flag.

This type of pattern usually has the price going sideways and lower within the confines of a flag structure until there is a breakout, which would normally issue from the top of the pattern.

However, for a bull flag to be confirmed there would typically be at least three touches to the top of the flag, and three to the bottom. As can be noted, the price action is lacking in this requirement so far, although with some more sideways and downward chop the pattern can eventually be completed.

Something else to think about is that since the $BTC price hit that top, the retracement has only taken it back as far as the 0.236 Fibonacci level. This is the shallowest of all the Fibonacci levels, and if the price does bounce from here it would be very bullish indeed. That said, a correction to at least the 0.382 would probably be a more healthy one.

Confluence at $69K

Source: TradingView

Moving up into the daily time frame one can only gaze with awe at the size of the price increase once the $BTC price had arrived at the very end of the junction between the bear and bull market trendlines and had exploded upward.

So what happens now? Does a bull flag continue to take shape, or could the price fall all the way back to $69K, where horizontal support awaits, plus the 0.618 Fibonacci level, and also a potential confirmation of the 200-day simple moving average. This is a lot of confluence, and like a magnet, this could draw the price back down for what would be a very healthy correction.

At the bottom of the chart, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) displays its indicator high up in overbought territory. The height attained here is greater than anything seen since the $BTC price first entered into its 8-month long bull flag in February 2024. One excellent result of this climb, as far as the bulls are concerned, is that the huge downward trend stretching back to November 2024 has potentially now been nullified.

Continuation or healthier pullback?

Source: TradingView

The macro time frame of the weekly shows us how important the current resistance at $78,600 is, and also the next resistance after that at one of the bear market highs at $82,750. Can the $BTC price get through this, or is a longer corrective period needed?

One thing is pretty sure in trading - a price cannot go up at such a pace indefinitely. The time comes when the buyers are exhausted, and that’s when the sellers step in.

It may be that the bull flag does continue to play out and there is a renewal of the upward thrust from Bitcoin. However, that may not be a healthy outcome, and if this happens, the correction, when it does come, could be a lot more violent.

Back to the RSI - in this weekly time frame it can be seen that the indicator line has broken through the downtrend. We need to wait until the end of this week to see if it holds above. If it does, stand by for more upside price action.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

How To Trade Crypto Perpetual Futures in 6 MINUTES ($25 Bonus)

* This article was originally published here

BC Token Price Jumps 98% to New All-Time High as BC Engine Reaches Nearly 450,000 Participating Accounts

 

Key Takeaways

• BC Engine reached nearly 450,000 participating accounts four months after launch.

• BC Token ($BC) jumped 98% to a new all-time high following the milestone.

• The rally comes as traders watch whether platform-linked tokens can maintain momentum.

• BC Engine growth has become a key development around the BC ecosystem.

BC Engine Adoption

Earlier this week, BC Engine reached a major milestone, surpassing nearly 450,000 participating accounts four months after launch.

One of the biggest developments is the rapid growth of BC Engine participation, which allows users to engage with the BC ecosystem through staking and reward mechanisms.

The milestone comes as BC.GAME continues expanding its crypto gaming ecosystem.

However, the most important development is the growing role of BC Engine around the $BC token economy.

BC Engine provides additional utility through participation mechanisms connected to the BC ecosystem.

The platform has attracted nearly 450,000 participating accounts since launch.

Shortly after the milestone, BC Token price continued its upward move, reaching a new all-time high.

BC Token All-Time High

With the latest move, BC Token ($BC) jumped 98% from April levels.

The token has moved from around $0.01181 in April to above $0.02345.

The price increase comes alongside the rapid growth of BC Engine participation.

The move puts BC Token at a new all-time high as traders watch the relationship between platform activity and token performance.

The rally has been driven by ecosystem developments rather than broader market momentum.

BC’s price action will now depend on whether the token can establish support after the latest breakout.

Final Thoughts

BC Engine’s growth has added a new development point for the BC ecosystem as BC Token reaches new highs.

However, the rapid price movement also brings increased volatility as traders assess whether momentum can continue.

The next stage will show whether BC Token can consolidate at higher levels as BC Engine adoption continues.

 

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

Sportsbooks Compared on European Football Coverage

Most sportsbook comparisons test a platform on the Premier League, which almost every book covers well.

The more revealing question is how far down European football a platform goes: whether it prices the Conference League as seriously as the Champions League, and whether a Belgian or Portuguese fixture gets a full board or a token one.

This compares crypto sportsbooks on breadth across European football, from the big five leagues through the UEFA competitions to the secondary divisions.

Breadth Is a Different Test From Depth

Two measures get confused in platform comparisons, and separating them helps.

Depth is how many markets a book offers on a single fixture. Market breadth is how many competitions a book covers at all, and how evenly. A platform can be deep on the Premier League and absent on the Eredivisie, and for a bettor who follows more than one league, breadth is the constraint that actually bites.

The honest test is to open a fixture from a competition you follow that is not among the marquee names, and see what appears.

The Platforms Ranked on European Breadth

Ordered on coverage across European football as a whole, not on how they price any single league.

1. Dexsport

Dexsport carries football within a board of 30-plus sports, with depth that extends past the headline competitions into the fixtures where thinner books stop.

• More than 100 markets on major matches, covering the secondary lines across European club and league football, and not only the result and goals.

• Self-custody of funds: settled bets return to a wallet the player holds across 50-plus coins and 23 networks, on a cashier adding nothing above the network fee.

• Public on-chain desk: a settled market leaves a record independent of the account screen, while odds are priced off-chain by the operator.

• Cash Out on eligible bets, with two honest limits: an Anjouan licence, lighter than Curacao or Malta, and no live streaming.

2. Cloudbet

An established book operating since 2013 under a named Curacao entity, strongest on the competitions it prices tightly.

• Low margins on featured European fixtures.

• High limits suited to larger stakes.

• Named operating company, identified and not hidden behind a brand.

3. Stake

Wide sports coverage with European football priced across multiple competitions.

• 30-plus sports including broad football coverage.

• Streaming on selected fixtures, useful for midweek European nights.

• Custodial, so settled funds sit in an operator balance until withdrawn.

4. Vave

Deep football pricing that reaches into secondary competitions.

• 300-plus markets on major football matches.

• Player and goals markets past the headline result.

• Broad coin support for funding across chains.

5. Thunderpick

Included with a caveat, because it is a specialist and not an all-rounder.

• Esports coverage priced by a book that concentrates on it.

• Provably-fair casino alongside the sportsbook.

• Thinner traditional football pricing, which is where a competitor genuinely beats it for a European football bettor.

Where Coverage Usually Thins Out

Three parts of the European calendar separate broad books from narrow ones.

The Conference League is the clearest test, since its field spans dozens of associations and includes clubs most models have little data on.

Secondary divisions come next: the English Championship, the second tiers in Germany, Italy and Spain, and the smaller first divisions across the continent. And domestic cup competitions, particularly in early rounds, are frequently priced thinly or skipped altogether.

A platform that handles all three is genuinely broad. One that covers the big five leagues and the Champions League is adequate for most bettors and limiting for some, and the Championship is a useful benchmark precisely because it sits just outside the marquee tier.

Custody and Licensing Cut Across the Ranking

Breadth is not the only axis, and the platforms above differ on two structural questions that a coverage comparison can obscure.

Dexsport is non-custodial, so a settled balance sits in a wallet the player controls, while Cloudbet, Stake and Vave hold player funds between bets.

On licensing the comparison runs the other way: Cloudbet and Stake operate under Curacao licences, a regime with a public register and stronger formal recourse than Anjouan.

Neither factor is settled by coverage breadth, and comparing offshore licensing regimes is worth doing alongside the market comparison, not instead of it.

Choosing on the Competitions You Follow

The practical approach is to list the competitions you actually bet, including the unglamorous ones, and check each platform against that list before opening an account.

A book that covers your leagues thinly will frustrate you every week, however good it looks on a Premier League Saturday. Confirm what is legal where you live, keep stakes within a set budget, and play only if you are of legal age, since KYC or AML checks may apply.

Responsible gambling matters more as coverage widens, because a platform pricing forty competitions offers forty times the opportunities to bet past a plan.

 

 

Disclaimer: The information here is provided for general purposes only and is not legal, tax, investment, or financial advice, and nothing here is a betting tip or prediction. Coverage, licensing and platform features change over time, so confirm current details before depositing. Betting carries risk, and rules vary by country, so check the law where you live. Please gamble responsibly, within your means, and only if you are of legal age.

* This article was originally published here

Bits of Gold Says 200,000 Customers Exposed in Third-Party Data Breach

Bits of Gold said on Aug. 16 it detected and blocked unauthorized access to a third-party data-analysis support system used for support and analytics. In a security update, the Israeli crypto brokerage said certain personal information may have been accessed and that it has notified authorities.

Data potentially accessed versus data confirmed safe

Bits of Gold said the intrusion may have exposed categories of personal information stored in the affected system. It also listed data it says were not exposed.

Potentially accessed:

• Name
• Contact and identification details such as ID number
• Email address and phone number
• IP address
• Bank account details
• Public crypto wallet addresses

Confirmed not exposed:

• Digital assets and funds
• Customers’ private keys
• Full payment card numbers/CVV
• Account passwords
• ID-document photos

The company said the affected environment supported analytics and support functions rather than custody or trading systems.

Breach vector and containment steps

Bits of Gold described the access as part of a wider cyber incident impacting other companies. Upon detection, the firm blocked the connection, disconnected the affected system, and engaged a specialist cyber-incident investigation and response provider. It said it is continuing to monitor its systems while the investigation proceeds.

Who could be affected and scale context

The company has not said how many user records were accessed or the extent of exposure. Its help center states Bits of Gold has over 200,000 registered customers, a figure that indicates possible scale but does not equate to the number affected. The company did not provide a timeline for when its review will conclude.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here