<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11876004" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bitpanda">Bitpanda</keyword> is worth $4.1 billion after its latest funding round led by billionaire investor <keyword id="380555" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Peter-Thiel">Peter Thiel</keyword>.</li><li>Bitpanda, a stock and <keyword id="2721952" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="crypto">crypto</keyword> trading service, tripled its valuation from just five months ago.</li><li>The company, which is Austria's first unicorn, announced the new funding on Tuesday.</li></ul>Bitpanda, a <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> investment platform, is now worth $4.1 billion after its latest $263 million Series C funding led by billionaire investor Peter Thiel.This means Bitpanda has since tripled its valuation from the $1.2 billion it was valued at just five months ago. Austria's first unicorn made the <a href="https://blog.bitpanda.com/hypergrowth-mode-on/">announcement</a> on Tuesday. The funding was led by Thiel's venture capital firm <keyword id="1673278" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Valar-Ventures">Valar Ventures</keyword>, which has backed Bitpanda since it had its first major funding round in September 2020. Other investors included billionaire hedge fund manager Alan Howard and REDO Ventures, as well as existing investors. Founded in 2014, Bitpanda began as a cryptocurrency trading company but has since broadened into an investment platform that allows its three million users to trade in fractional stocks or precious metals, according to Eric Demuth, company cofounder and CEO."Looking back, it's been an incredible journey," Demuth said in a statement. "We're proud to now be one of the fastest-growing fintechs in Europe."The company's rivals include Revolut, Trade Republic, and <keyword id="2382887" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="eToro">eToro</keyword>, among others. For now, Bitpanda only operates in Europe, though it is eyeing an international expansion soon, Demuth said.Bitpanda was founded by Demuth, Paul Klanschek, and Christian Trummer who all still have a majority stake in the Vienna-based firm. Calculations by Bloomberg estimate the trio having a combined net worth of more than $2 billion on paper.Bitpanda's latest funding announcement comes as the cryptocurrency market is trading sideways on regulatory and environmental concerns after scaling to record highs earlier this year.

Peter Thiel-backed investment platform Bitpanda is now worth $4.1 billion after tripling its valuation in 5 months

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tech billionaire <keyword id="12142474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="peter-thiel" source="Orion">Peter Thiel</keyword> said bitcoin's record-high price is a sign of investors' fears about inflation.</li><li>"What it is telling us is that we are having a crisis moment," he said, according to Bloomberg.</li></ul>Tech billionaire Peter Thiel has said <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd">bitcoin's</a> sky-high price is a sign that the economy is facing a "crisis moment" over inflation, which has surged to a 13-year high in the US."You know, $60,000 bitcoin, I'm not sure that one should aggressively buy," he said at the National Conservatism Conference on Sunday, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-31/thiel-says-high-cryptocurrency-prices-show-inflation-is-real">Bloomberg</a>. "But surely what it is telling us is that we are having a crisis moment."Thiel said the US Federal Reserve thought it could launch huge stimulus without pushing up inflation, and it isn't taking the issue seriously enough. He said he wished he had bought more bitcoin, adding he thinks inflation is here to stay.<keyword id="11893898" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="crypto" source="Orion">Crypto</keyword> enthusiasts have long argued that bitcoin is "digital gold" - a scarce asset that will hold its value even in times of high inflation.Bitcoin rose to a record high <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-etf-price-prediction-btc-65000-100000-new-high-proshares-2021-10">above $66,000</a> in October, in part because of investors' concerns about sharp increases in the rate of price rises across the global economy.US consumer price index inflation hovered at a 13-year high of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/economic-report--inflation-rises-at-5-4percent-yearly-pace-in-september--cpi-shows--and-stays-at-30-year-high-10620278">5.4% year-on-year</a> in September, as the economic rebound from coronavirus pushed up food and energy prices.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-crash-expert-warns-bubble-now-crypto-richard-bernstein-2021-10">A 'hall of fame' 39-year market vet breaks down why his criteria for a bubble 'have now been met' in both stocks and crypto - and shares the best way investors can protect themselves from carnage ahead</a>JPMorgan <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-price-crypto-record-etf-inflation-jpmorgan-high-concern-hedge-2021-10">said in late October</a> it seemed as though investors were buying into the digital gold argument. "We believe the perception of bitcoin as a better inflation hedge than gold is the main reason for the current upswing," the bank's analysts said in a note.However, many institutional investors are highly skeptical of the inflation hedge argument. They say bitcoin's wild volatility means it's far too dangerous to add to portfolios.Thiel said the Fed, which has long said it expects price rises to fade, is being close-minded about inflation and is failing to properly acknowledge the problem, Bloomberg reported.The billionaire was one of the first investors in Facebook and is a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir.He is a supporter of cryptocurrencies, and has backed companies including Bitpanda, a European digital asset exchange.

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel says bitcoin's record-high price shows inflation is at a crisis point

<ul><li><keyword id="11297844" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-crypto-exchange">Indian crypto exchange</keyword> <keyword id="6416838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx">CoinDCX</keyword> has joined the <keyword id="11825349" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="crypto-unicorn">crypto unicorn</keyword> club after completing its latest round of funding.</li><li>The billion dollar startup is now in the same tier as its global counterparts <keyword id="6359140" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="binance">Binance</keyword>, <keyword id="602453" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ripple">Ripple</keyword>, Robinhood and others.</li><li>The exchange plans on using its new funds to hire new talent and roll out fresh products for its wealthy investors.</li></ul><keyword id="11328690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-crypto">Indian crypto</keyword> exchange CoinDCX is India’s first <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> exchange to be valued at over $1 billion. The startup has raised <a href="https://blog.coindcx.com/crypto-news-india/coindcx-becomes-indias-first-crypto-unicorn-raising-90-million/">$90 million</a> during its Series C round of funding, led by <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> co-founder Eduardo Saverin. In the world of cryptocurrencies, the company's valuation is ‘going to the moon’ — that is to say, it’s off the charts. With its new billion dollar tag, CoinDCX has joined the league of Binance, which backs the crypto exchange WazirX in India, as well as Bitpanda, BlockFi, Chainalysis, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/ripple-ceo-says-us-regulators-claim-that-there-is-clarity-in-crypto-is-like-that-of-an-addict-in-denial/articleshow/85070701.cms">Ripple</a> — behind the hotly debated XRP cryptocurrency — and the controversial <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/is-robinhood-safe-experts-weigh-in-on-using-the-commission-free-investing-app/articleshow/83063851.cms">Robinhood</a>. In addition to Saverin, existing investors Coinbase Ventures, Polychain Capital, Block.one and Jump Capital also participated in the round. The development comes amid regulatory uncertainty in India over the status of cryptocurrencies. While the country’s apex bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), still seems to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/rbi-finally-explains-its-problem-with-cryptocurrencies-and-why-cbdcs-are-safer/articleshow/84666785.cms">on the fence</a> about private cryptocurrencies, the Indian government is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indias-crypto-bill-is-unlikely-to-be-up-for-discussion-this-month-and-it-may-be-a-while-before-we-see-it-in-parliament/articleshow/84401863.cms">reportedly</a> softening its stance on the issue. “I am pretty sure the industry will be regulated at the right time,” co-founder and chief executive (CEO), Sumit Gupta, told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-10/saverin-backed-exchange-becomes-india-s-first-crypto-unicorn">Bloomberg</a>. “We have chosen to put at stake our money and career as we feel this is going to be a very good wealth generation opportunity for people.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is CoinDCX going to do with the fresh influx of capital?" comment="subhead" text="What is CoinDCX going to do with the fresh influx of capital?">What is CoinDCX going to do with the fresh influx of capital?</cmsannotation> The company plans on using the money to double their manpower over the next six months. It currently has a workforce of around 200 with the goal of hitting 400 by December. CoinDCX also plans on launching new products in the coming months targeting wealthy individuals. The company, founded by an Indian entrepreneur and focused on Indian investors, is registered as Primestack Pte. in Singapore. It hopes to expand its existing user base to 50 million from 3.5 million over the next few years with the underlying aim of educating users about crypto and blockchain. “We [India] have a very tech savvy population, good mobile penetration, a big base of engineers and developers who can leverage blockchain technology,” said Gupta, the 30-year old engineer who graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India’s regulatory FUD" comment="subhead" text="India’s regulatory FUD">India’s regulatory FUD</cmsannotation> Fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) around regulation of crypto in the Indian context has not yet been addressed. The country’s crypto bill — Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019 — was set to be tabled for government approval in February, earlier this year. However, due to the rapid onset of COVID-19’s second wave, the bill was never tabled in Parliament. According to Finance Minister, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indias-new-crypto-regulations-are-ready-for-the-monsoon-session-of-parliament-according-to-sitharaman/articleshow/84168068.cms">Nirmala Sitharaman</a>, the crypto bill was just waiting for the cabinet’s green light. But, contrary to expectations, it has not been put up for discussion during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament either. IndiaTech CEO, Rameesh Kailasam, told Business Insider that the Indian government is most likely looking to form a new committee to reframe the law as it looks to take a softer stance on the crypto industry. "Considering the Supreme Court had lifted the ban on cryptocurrencies and subsequently the onus was on RBI and the government of India to bring in necessary regulations. Therefore a ban route may not be ideally plausible," he said during an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indias-crypto-bill-is-unlikely-to-be-up-for-discussion-this-month-and-it-may-be-a-while-before-we-see-it-in-parliament/articleshow/84401863.cms">earlier interview.</a> The new funds will, in part, also go towards setting up a research and development facility, strengthening policy conversations through public discourse, and introducing favourable regulations. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/polygons-new-meme-market-is-a-crypto-platform-exclusively-for-memes-and-online-trends/articleshow/85102624.cms">Polygon’s new Meme Market is a crypto platform exclusively for memes and online trends</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/these-are-the-top-ten-most-popular-cryptocurrencies-in-the-world/slidelist/85174407.cms">Top 10 cryptocurrencies in the world — the story behind Bitcoin and other altcoins</a>

CoinDCX becomes India’s first crypto unicorn as it joins the leagues of Binance, Robinhood, Ripple, and others

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a98031eaae60519008b4635-2000/ap17270422406366.jpg" alt="Europol headquarters AP stock image" data-mce-source="AP" data-mce-caption="The headquarters of Europol, the agency which coordinates much cryptocurrency policing on the continent." />APThe headquarters of Europol, the agency which coordinates much cryptocurrency policing on the continent.</div></div></div><ul><li>Crime involving cryptocurrency has risen in line with the technology's prominence.</li><li>Police forces were initially confounded by assets which defied conventional investigative techniques.</li><li>Business Insider spoke to a police analyst at Europol helping to coordinate a fightback.</li><li>It involves bringing different police forces together, negotiating with the crypto community, and expanding fledgling investigative techniques.</li></ul><hr /> Where crime goes, the law follows - eventually.Cryptocurrency was born in dark corners of the internet, and has a long association with illicit activity, and the sort of ultra-privacy-sensitive communities which make law enforcement nervous even if they're doing nothing wrong.As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have become mainstream, with soaring valuations per coin, they have also been adopted by a much broader array of criminals than the Silk Road users of the past - down to <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/drug-dealers-laundering-their-money-at-bitcoin-atms-london-police-say-2017-12">unsophisticated drug dealers on the streets of London</a>.In a briefing attended by Business Insider, London's Metropolitan Police said it is now not unusual for police to check smartphones for crypto wallets when they seize them as evidence.Numerous police commanders have told Business Insider that their forces are making their first steps towards seizing cryptocurrencies from criminals after arrest, with an eventual view to distributing them for the public good under the Proceeds of Crime Act.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a216f65f914c357018b7414-2000/rtx1ivx5.jpg" alt="Bitcoin ATM" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="A file photograph of a bitcoin ATM in Athens, Greece." />ReutersA file photograph of a bitcoin ATM in Athens, Greece.</div></div></div>More criminals taking up crypto means that police forces have to come up with new ways to respond, especially as it its privacy features frustrate their traditional tactic for investigating crime: follow the money.But while tracing cryptocurrency is hard, it isn't impossible. Several years down the line, detectives are starting to catch on.<h2>Europe's crypto fightback</h2>In Europe, much of the crypto-tracing activity and strategising takes place at a continent-wide level, orchestrated by Europol.The pan-European police agency helps connect the many hundreds of law enforcement organisations across the continent, and provides a centralised system by which officers can access information and pool tactics.Business Insider spoke with Jarek Jacubchek, a cybercrime analyst at Europol's HQ in the Netherlands, who gave an impression of the system as a whole.Jacubchek works in Europol's cybercrime centre, a kind of nexus for high-tech crime which is available to help other forces do things that are not within their own capabilities.This part of Europol has ended up handling cryptocurrencies as well. Jacubchek declined to tell Business Insider exactly how many staff now deal with crypto policing, but said it had risen sharply in the past year.These things can include consulting a large database of IP addresses and digital wallet identifiers linked to persons of interest, or running new searches.The results of these can open up new leads for detectives, or give officers the evidence they need to make a crucial arrest. They also produce how-to guides for agencies getting to grips with crypto for the first time.<h2>Getting inside the infrastructure</h2>One advantage Europol has is that they form relationships with the cryptocurrency infrastructure itself: Exchanges, brokers and other assets you have to use to deal in bitcoin and the like.Every year Europol arranges the Virtual Currencies Conference, a closed-to-the-public meeting where crypto experts and police can meet and talk frankly.The fifth one is due to be held in June this year. In <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/europol-hosted-4th-conference-virtual-currencies">a press release following the 2017 conference</a>, Europol said that some 150 investigators turned up, along with representatives of parts of the crypto world.Europol named participants including Bitcoin.de, Bitfinex, BitPanda, Bitonic, Bitstamp, BitPay, Coinbase, Cubits, LocalBitcoins, SpectroCoin, and Xapo.Each year has seen a huge stride forward in the capabilities on offer, Jacubchek told Business Insider. He said: "Basically the first conference was 'what is bitcoin and how does it work?'"<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a7c38294ec4541d008b4656-2000/rtx4rxz8.jpg" alt="Bitcoin, crypto miners" data-mce-source="Reuters/Christinne Muschi" data-mce-caption="A worker checks the fans on miners, at the cryptocurrency farming operation, Bitfarms, in Farnham, Quebec, Canada." />Reuters/Christinne MuschiA bitcoin mining factory in Quebec, Canada.</div></div></div>"We never touch these basic topics any more, we already assume people are familiar and we can start talking about tracing technologies and about topics that are much more practical for the investigators."The conferences have practical results, too. With encouragement from law enforcement, crypto services have developed and strengthened KYC ("Know Your Customer") procedures, bringing themselves in line with traditional finance by asking for proofs of identity, address and the like before people can access services. Some even ask people to submit selfies.With these in place, even if the asset you're dealing in is essentially untraceable, you very much are not.Jacubchek characterises the crypto companies he's had dealings with as "very cooperative" - not least because they want the police to help them in return. Their aim, he said, is to identify the types of data most valuable to law enforcement, and make sure that getting hold of it is "as frictionless as possible."Exchanges and the like are obvious targets for hacks, theft and other illicit activity, and by keeping good records and maintaining good relationships with the police, they maximise the likelihood that criminals can be caught and dealt with.The approach is the opposite taken by some cryptocurrencies, which have developed a reputation for criminality far beyond that of other coins. Jacubchek named monero, zcash and dash as especial markers of wrongdoing, an impression backed up by London's Metropolitan Police. (<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/law-enforcement-problems-with-monero-zcash-dash-cryptocurrencies-2018-2">You can read a full story about problem cryptocurrencies here.</a>)But for the most part, police and the crypto community appear to be moving closer together, at the same time as virtual currencies take up a more permanent place in financial system.<div id="categorypromo" style="border:1px solid silver; min-height:90px; padding:10px;vertical-align:top;"><a href="http://read.bi/bitcoin-101-free"><img src="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/image/5a3054550b0f272e008b4d63-480" style="margin-right:15px;width:75px;float:left !important;" /></a>EXCLUSIVE FREE REPORT: The Bitcoin 101 Report by the BI Intelligence Research Team. <a href="http://read.bi/bitcoin-101-free">Get the Report Now »</a></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/do-compression-pants-gear-really-work-exercise-workout-running-2018-2">How compression pants work and why they are so popular</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/QpNBOaEq-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

You Searched For "Bitpanda" and got 4 results

Peter Thiel-backed investment platform Bitpanda is now worth $4.1 billion after tripling its valuation in 5 months

Isabelle Lee

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel says bitcoin's record-high price shows inflation is at a crisis point

Harry Robertson

CoinDCX becomes India’s first crypto unicorn as it joins the leagues of Binance, Robinhood, Ripple, and others

Prabhjote Gill

Here's how police in Europe work together against cryptocurrency crime

Kieran Corcoran