Bitcoin’s developers have made over 500 commits in April, a new high for the flagship cryptocurrency’s number one software implementation. It’s unclear why developer activity surged, but users suspect the halving and the lockdown have played a role.

Dutch’s central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank, has given cryptocurrency firms two weeks to register themselves or shut down their operations in the country, as it’s enforcing enhanced anti-money laundering laws.

Iran has issued a license to a cryptocurrency mining firm that will allow it to set up the country’s biggest mining operation to date.

Top stories in the Crypto Roundup today:

• Bitcoin Developer Activity Hits All-Time High Ahead of Halving
• Dutch Central Banks Gives Crypto Firms Two Weeks to Register or Shut Down
• Iran Issues License for Its Biggest Bitcoin Mining Operation

At the time of writing, bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $9,040.38 (0.23%) with a daily Top Tier volume of $3.39 bn. As for ether (ETH), it is trading at $207.82 (-0.42%) with a daily Top Tier volume of $892.44 million. The MVIS CryptoCompare Digital Assets 10 Index is currently tracking at 3,052.83 (0.08%).

Bitcoin Developer Activity Hits All-Time High Ahead of Halving

In the weeks leading up to the halving, Bitcoin’s developers have committed more code to it than ever before. In April alone Bitcoin Core had 510 commits, more than in any other month since the flagship cryptocurrency was launched.

A commit means that code is uploaded to the popular website for hosting open-source coding projects GitHub, where BTC’s code is hosted. Only a few other months in the cryptocurrency’s history, including October and November 2019, had over 400 commits.

Bitcoin Core itself is the most common software used to run the Bitcoin blockchain and the one published by the cryptocurrency’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Its developers are partly funded by the MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative and by some companies in the sector that fund full-time developers. These include BitMEX, Square crypto, OKCoin, Bitfinex, Chaincode Labs, and others.

It’s unclear why there were so many commits last month. Some on social media suggested it could be related to the coronavirus lockdown, as “programmers [are] lacking other distractions,” while others suggest developers are rushing to get as much done ahead of the halving as possible.

Dutch Central Banks Gives Crypto Firms Two Weeks to Register or Shut Down

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) is moving to enforce the enhanced Dutch anti-money laundering (AML) laws the country’s Parliament passed last month to comply with the European Union’s AML directives and the standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.

The move threatens organizations that convert crypto and fiat or offer cryptocurrency custody services with an immediate cease-and-desist order if they don’t register by a set deadline, on May 18. Crypto-to-crypto firms don’t need to register.

The deadline comes as crypto firms in the country criticize the law calling it burdensome for the industry, adding the DNB and the Ministry of Finance are harming small operations and have even forced some to shut down.

In a press release, the DNB wrote that crypto firms that fail to register “must therefore cease” their existing activities on May 18 and face fines and “enforcement action.” To fulfill their registration needs by the deadline, organizations just have to submit a draft application.

Iran Issues License for Its Biggest Bitcoin Mining Operation

Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has given a Turkey-based company the green light to operate up to 6,000 cryptocurrency mining rigs in the city of Semnan. The company, iMiner, has so far spent around 311 billion rials ($7.3 million) to set up the country’s biggest mining operation to date.

The Iranian ministry is also allowing the firm to offer cryptocurrency trading and custody services within the country. iMiner’s website says it is the "first and largest bitcoin mining and extraction system in Iran” with over 2,000 mining machines already mining crypto in the country. It also has operations in Russia, Turkey, and the United States.

The license comes at a time in which low subsidized Iranian power rates have been attracting investments from different countries, and as the price of bitcoin climbs above the $9,000 mark.

Iran, it’s worth noting, was set to crack down on cryptocurrency mining operations in mid-2019 out of fear cryptos could undermine its national currency. Last July it had a change of heart and introduced legislation to make crypto mining an official industrial activity.

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