Norwegian Billionaire Purchased BTC After Calling For Its Ban A Week Ago

Norwegian billionaire Oystein Stray Spetalen invested in Bitcoin and the MiraiEx crypto exchange after calling for a ban on crypto-only seven days earlier so let’s read more in our latest Bitcoin news today.

The Norwegian Billionaire invested in both BTC and local crypto exchange MiraiEx according to the Finansavisen reports on Friday. According to the publication, Spetalen bought an undisclosed amount of BTC as well as investing in the exchange by his own admission where the platform didn’t even need more capital at the moment. However, he confessed that more funds will help it expand faster:

 “We did not really need money. We just wanted to grow faster.”

In the meantime, Spetalen’s opinion on BTC changed since he was demanding a ban on the cryptocurrency, saying that it is “hostile” to the environment and asserted that the regulators in the EU should ban it:

 “The only thing I have made an analysis of is that Bitcoin today consumes as much energy as all of Norway’s energy consumption. It is extremely environmentally hostile. If one really meant anything about Bitcoin, the authorities and the EU should ban it immediately. It’s just nonsense. We are doing well with the payment systems that are in place today.”

However, he changed his opinion after speaking to the MiraiEx founders and said:

 “When the facts change, I change. I met the MiraiEx founders the day after the podcast was recorded in early March and realized that I was wrong. And when I also read that Kjell Inge Røkke had gone into Bitcoin, it was quite obvious. Can’t bear to see that Røkke makes money and not me.”

Another Norwegian investor Kjell Inge Rokke announced that his company Aker ASA established Seetee which is a new unit that will focus on investing in projects and companies in the BTC ecosystem with an initial purchase of 1170 BTC:

 “We are very excited about the industrial opportunities that will be unlocked by Bitcoin and blockchain technology, and want to contribute forcefully to that effort.”

Speaking of Norway, Ida Wolden Bache who is the deputy governor at Norway’s central bank-Norges Bank, described a drop in cash payments while elaborating on Central Bank Digital Currencies or CBDCs. Bache said on the fact that 4% of Norway only uses cash. Norway uses the kroner as the currency issued by the Norges Bank which the country’s central bank.