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Deutsche WertpapierService Bank AG (dwpbank), a German securities processing giant that manages over 5.3 million securities accounts, has announced the launch of its new platform, wpNex, that enables over 1,200 affiliated banks to offer Bitcoin (BTC) trading to its retail customers.

According to the press release published on March 22, via the wpNex platform, crypto trading can be seamlessly integrated into the customers online banking experience. Customers can see their cryptocurrency holdings alongside their traditional securities, with no pre-funding necessary, Btc-echo.de reported.

Financial planning advisory corporation MLP Banking AG has taken advantage of the opportunity to become the first to offer crypto trading to its customers. Paul Utzat, MLP Bankings Head of Account and Securities Settlement, said that the service will be available to all retail customers in the second half of this year.

Furthermore, DZ Bank plans to offer a Bitcoin option for its customers by the end of the year, which can be seen as a solid step for Bitcoin establishment in Germany as this institution is the second largest bank in Germany by asset size with around 8,500 branch offices in the country.

In a tweet on March 24, Patrick Hansen, EU Strategy and Policy Director at Circle, a crypto-focused company behind the USDC stablecoin, noted that the move is great news for Bitcoins adoption.

As per the announcement, with the wpNex platform, dwpbank is setting the stage for Germany to become a major player in the world of crypto. The company has also clarified that other digital assets like tokenized securities will be added in the near future.

Dwpbanks move will potentially put pressure on other German banks and financial institutions to meet the growing demand for convenient access to crypto trading and investing.

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Over 1,200 German banks can now offer Bitcoin trading to their retail ... - Finbold - Finance in Bold

Last yearscrypto-market meltdowntriggered a series of bankruptcies that almost completely reshaped the digital-asset industry. This year, government watchdogs appear to be arriving on the scene to finish the job.

The past week saw the industry hit with another deluge of enforcement news, from theSECs threat to take legal action againstCoinbase Inc. and its suit against theTron blockchain networkto the apprehension ofcrypto fugitiveDo Kwon. Even celebrity crypto promoters like actress Lindsay Lohan and rapper Soulja Boy gotcaught upin the crackdown.

As the headlines piled up, the developments put a lidon a rallyin Bitcoin that had been pushing the oldest token back up toward the closely watched $30,000 level. Aglitch Friday morningat crypto exchange Binance took spot trading offline for more than two hours on a platform whose market dominance has only grown as other players have folded, adding to the sour mood. Bitcoin drifted around $27,500 on Saturday.

The collision course between the US government and crypto true believers vision of a system where money can be freely exchanged around the world without censorship by authorities was accelerated by thefailure of the Terra blockchainsstablecoin to maintain its $1 peg and thebankruptcy of FTXlast year, which combined to vaporize almost $2 trillion of digital wealth. This months implosion of crypto-friendly banks Silvergate Capital Corp. andSignature Bankhas added fuel.

At the center of much of the recent actions is the SECs decision to treat many cryptoassetsas securitiesthat must be registered with the agency and subject to all the regulations that go along with it. Needless to say, digital-asset aficionados were livid with much of the weeks news flow, especially when it comes to publicly listed Coinbase, which says it hasrepeatedly triedto engage with the regulator to no avail.

A reprehensible amount of resources and brainpower have been spent in the US trying to engage with this SEC and trying to create substance and a path out of the wraithlike comments issued by the agency, Sheila Warren, chief executive of the Crypto Council for Innovation trade group, said in an email. Meanwhile, most other major economies are actively in productive consultation with experts about how to land the regulatory plane.

The treatment of many crypto coins as securities means the SEC is testing its authority, leaving those caught up in its sights an option: capitulate and pay a settlement with the regulator, or fight it in court. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has made it clear that the company will fight the complaint, tweeting that the process will prove that the SEC simply has not been fair, reasonable, or even demonstrated a seriousness of purpose when it comes to its engagement on digital assets.

Six of the eight crypto-touting celebrities including Lohan and YouTubeprankster-turned-boxerJake Paul decided just to cut the SEC a check after the regulator accused them of touting coins traded on the Tron blockchain without disclosing they were being paid to do so.

DeAndre Cortez Way aka rapperSoulja Boy and singer Austin Mahone havent settled. The celebrities are keeping quiet about the whole issue. (For what its worth, the only thing Soulja Boy washawkingthis week on Twitter was a pink hoodie featuring a cartoon image of his smiling face. That is almost definitely not a security.)

Of course, some of the crimes being alleged went beyond just dealing in unregistered securities.The caseagainst Justin Sun and three of his companies connected to the Tron blockchain also involves accusations of fraud and market manipulation that artificially inflated the trading volume of tokens by encouraging employees to do more than 600,000 so-called wash trades. Sun wrote on Twitter that he believes the SECs complaint lacks merit.

Do Kwons indictment in the US, which came shortly after his arrest Thursday in Montenegro, also revealed that the government believes the collapse of his Terra blockchain project was more than just a$60 billion accident. According to prosecutors, Kwon also allegedly engaged in market manipulation and deceived investors about certain aspects of the project. His US lawyer did not respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg.

By the end of the week, it had all started to look like a drama that could be called Law & Order: Web3. So what will the next episode entail? Many industry watchers are bracing for more shoes to drop.

Overall, I expect we will see more enforcement news like this in the future given we are operating in an environment with little or no regulatory guidance, said Duke University finance professor Campbell Harvey.

For the crypto optimists searching for a silver lining, its all about looking at the future instead of the dwelling on the ugliness of the past week. The latest bout of drama in the market tells us nothing, according to Aaron Brown, a crypto investor who writes for Bloomberg Opinion

Useful attention should be directed to the new ships preparing for departure, the ones who will lead the next boom, he said. Many of the developments of the past week were just the flotsam and jetsam washing ashore long after the storm has passed.

Or maybe Soulja Boy put it best back in his MySpace days when herapped: On the internet, got em jumpin off the wall.

With assistance by Emily Nicolle

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Bitcoin rally stalls as crypto dragnet ensnares Coinbase, Do Kwon, and Lindsay Lohan: We will see more enforcement news like this - Fortune

How did Bitcoin NFTs start?

Bitcoin NFTs, or the concept of using Bitcoin to store digital assets, started years ago before Ethereum and Solana NFTs. The idea was first introduced in 2012 when Meni Rosefeld wrote a paper on Coloured Coins to store additional information on Bitcoin to represent assets. While it didnt work out due to the lack of sophistication of the research and Bitcoin at the time, it served as the foundation for NFTs.

In 2014, the creation of Counterparty made it one of the early pioneers of Bitcoin NFTs. Counterparty launched a collectible asset in September 2016 called The First Rare Pepes, which consisted of a collection of Pepe the Frog memes that could be bought and sold using Bitcoin or its protocol native token, XCP. However, due to the OP_RETURN function, which allowed users to store data in the blockchain up to a maximum of 80 bytes, the collection was unsustainable.

In 2023, Bitcoin is becoming a platform for storing NFTs using a numerical method called Ordinals. This means that the blockchain technology behind Bitcoin, famous for its decentralization and transparency, can be used to safely store and transfer NFTs.

How did Ordinals start, and who started it?

Ordinals are digital assets or inscriptions created by Casey Rodamor, who used to work for Bitcoin. These Ordinals, also known as Bitcoin NFTs, can be created on the Bitcoin blockchain with the help of Casey Rodamors Ord wallet. Each small part of Bitcoin is given a unique number in the wallet, and users can attach different media types, such as pictures or videos, to these numbers to create their digital assets.

What are Ordinals?

Ordinals are a way of assigning a unique number to each Satoshi, which is the smallest unit of Bitcoin. With ordinals, you can keep track of individual Satoshis and know precisely how many you have. Its like assigning a unique serial number to each coin, except in this case, its a digital currency unit. This numbering system can help track the movement of Bitcoin or Satoshi units.

What are Digital Artefacts?

Digital artefacts are a type of NFT that is unique and cannot be replicated or changed. To be considered an artefact, the NFT must meet certain requirements. It must be created using a standard protocol that ensures compatibility with other decentralised platforms and stored on a decentralised blockchain network. Once stored on the blockchain, the artefact becomes immutable, meaning it cannot be altered or deleted. Finally, artefacts must be unrestricted on-chain, meaning they can be transferred or sold freely without external restrictions.

What are Inscriptions?

Inscriptions are digital artefacts generated by adding content to your Bitcoin using a unique tool called the Ord client.

Inscriptions dont require any sidechain, separate token or changes to the Bitcoin blockchain. They are also public, so you can view them using the original explorer.

What is the value of Bitcoin NFTs?

The value of Bitcoin NFTs is determined by similar factors of other blockchain NFTs, such as their rarity and level of demand. Also, it can be determined by the value of Bitcoin itself, depending on whether the market condition is favourable or otherwise. Apart from these, the founders reputation and experience can significantly influence how much people would be willing to pay for the NFTs.

How to get started with Bitcoin NFTs

To start investing in Bitcoin NFTs, the first thing to do is to run a full node on Bitcoin to allow you to create, sell or transfer them.

Secondly, create a sparrow wallet here.

What are the pros and cons of Bitcoin NFTs?

Like other blockchain NFTs, Bitcoin NFTs have their upsides and downsides.

Pros of Bitcoin NFTs

They expand the Bitcoin ecosystem by attracting new creators and users.

Bitcoin NFTs help to enhance a community of like-minded individuals by bringing them together through digital collectibles to learn, educate and connect. Also, it lowers the barrier of entry for new users and creators by helping creators monetize their work, and the users access unique digital assets.

They create another excellent use case for Bitcoin.

By enabling digital assets through inscriptions and ordinals, Bitcoin NFTs create a new use case for Bitcoin rather than a means of exchange or a store of value for which Bitcoin is known. This will contribute to the scalability of the blockchain by solidifying its excellence through innovation.

Cons of Bitcoin NFTs

Slower Transactions

The transaction per second of Bitcoin could be faster compared to other blockchains. At the speed of 7 transactions per second, if NFTs become more popular on the Bitcoin network, they could increase the slow transaction issue. NFTs are unique digital assets that are often bought and sold on the blockchain, which means that each NFT transaction adds to the overall transaction load on the network. This could lead to even longer confirmation times and higher fees for NFT and other Bitcoin transactions.

You need to run a full node on Bitcoin before you can create, sell or transfer.

A node is a computer that runs the Bitcoin software and connects it with the network. Nodes are essential for the security of the Bitcoin network, as they monitor the blockchain and reject any transactions that break consensus rules.

To get access to Bitcoin NFTs, you need to start your journey into ordinals. However, you need to acquire a Bitcoin node and get Ord running; otherwise, you wont be able to create, sell, or transfer your NFTs. You can get started using the handbook here or get your node here or read through Caseys conversation here and join the community for Ordinals here to learn and contribute to the technology.

How to sell or transfer Bitcoin NFTs without using a full node

If you have the chance to mint but want to bypass running the whole node. You can use Peer-2-peer or OTC to sell or transfer your asset by following the following steps:

Make sure you are in the Discord community and have the mint opportunity.

Send crypto to the creator to help you keep the NFT in his wallet.

Use the Peer-2-Peer or OTC Trading channel to connect with your buyer.

Chat with your buyer and have a mutual agreement.

Reach out to the creator and request an escrow service.

The buyer sends the crypto to the escrow, and the escrow releases your NFT to their wallet.

The escrow releases the crypto to you.

How to Create your own Bitcoin NFTs

Using the Ordinal wallet, use the command ord wallet inscribe file.jpg to inscribe an NFT on the Bitcoin blockchain.

To set a custom fee rate and name your wallet, use the command ord wallet ord-dotta wallet inscribe file.jpg fee-rate 5.

Wait for the NFT to be confirmed, which may take some time.

Note that only one NFT can be inscribed at a time, so to create a collection, you need to have more UTXOs (Unspent Transaction Outputs) in your inscribing wallet.

Think of each UTXO as a crypto transaction change or unused transaction output. This means that if you send yourself two transactions of enough size, you can inscribe two Ordinals simultaneously.

Make sure you send enough Bitcoin to each UTXO, or else you wont be able to inscribe the NFT because you need enough sats to pay the mint fees.

Please dont use any other wallet software with this Ordinal wallet address, or it may interfere with the inscription process.

How to know the Bitcoin NFTs to invest in

Like other blockchains, you can check for various factors, including team, roadmap, influencers etc. However, the art can be tough to explain because its weird, unlike Ethereum or other blockchain NFTs.

In addition, you can check for derivative or historical projects because they mostly have a higher demand and are easy to liquidate in any market.

Lastly, you can target the top Bitcoin NFTs because theyre often more costly due to their rarity. The more theyre first inscribed, the higher the demand and the perceived value.

Bitcoin NFTs are still growing with room for more innovation, so you can expect a vast growth or decline in the future. Always DYOR before buying into the hype of any project. You can use ordinals.com to do some of your research.

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What are Bitcoin NFTs? A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started - Tekedia

The National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have developed a document as part of the Enduring Security Framework to provide system administrators with recommended best practices related to identity and access management.

Alan Laing, NSA lead for the IAM working group, said in a statement published Tuesday that rigorous IAM enables organizations to detect and prevent malicious cyber actors from gaining access to data of national importance and corrupting critical systems.

The document provides IAM-related threat mitigation techniques organizations should implement. These are identity governance, environmental hardening, identity federation and single sign-on, multifactor authentication and IAM monitoring and auditing.

The paper, for instance, defines identity governance as a process that allows an organization to gain better visibility into access privileges and identities and is comprised of policies that cover role management, access review, reporting, analytics, logging and segregation of duties.

According to the document, phishing, insider threats and creation of accounts to maintain persistence are some of the IAM threats that identity governance can help mitigate.

IAM is a critical part of every organizations security posture, and we must work collectively with the public and private sector to advance more secure by default and secure by design IAM solutions, said Grant Dasher, office of the technical director for cybersecurity at CISA.

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NSA, CISA Recommend Identity & Access Management Best ... - Executive Gov

Chandigarh, Mar 28 (UNI) Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Punjab government returnable on April 10 on the petition filed by kin of NSA detenu Gurinder Pal Singh Aujla @ Guri Aujla.

Guri Aujla was detained and transported to Dibrugarh central jail during police crackdown on Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh.

According to advocate Navkiran Singh, the petitioner Surinder Pal Singh Aujla, in his petition has prayed that the lawyer be allowed to meet his brother.

On March 18, Punjab police has launched a massive crackdown on 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal and his associates and though, Amritpal escaped the police net, more than 350 persons were detained during the last 10 days. According to police, 197 persons have been released since they were detained as a preventive measure, however cases have been filed against 40 persons, who were, police said, involved in criminal activities.

UNI MR/GS RKM

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NSA detenu's petition : HC notice to Punjab Govt - United News of India