Welcome to the NiceHash crypto news digest. Let's see what happened these last few days.

Sam Bankman-Fried faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried is accused of stealing billions of dollars of customer funds from FTX through his trading firm Alameda Research and lying to Alameda’s lenders and FTX’s investors and customers.

According to courtroom reporter Matthew Russell of Inner City Press a jury found FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of seven fraud and conspiracy charges on Thursday, and reached a unanimous decision in the former crypto mogul’s high-profile criminal case. Even though Bankman-Fried faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison, it could be some time before the U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan determines Bankman-Fried’s final sentence.

Switzerland's Central Bank is launching a pioneering pilot program for its digital currency (CBDC).

The Swiss National Bank (SNB)  is about to make a significant milestone in the evolution of digital currencies. 

This landmark development, set to launch on December 1, involves the testing of a digital franc for large-scale transactions in collaboration with six prominent financial institutions from Switzerland, Germany, and the Swiss digital exchange SIX. 

The program has the potential to facilitate swift and reliable transactions in the evolving digital financial ecosystem and shows the SNB's commitment to exploring innovative financial technologies and leveraging blockchain's potential. 

Switzerland's progressive stance and well-structured legal framework for cryptocurrencies have positioned the nation as a global exemplar in the crypto industry and as Switzerland's reputation as a crypto-friendly nation continues to strengthen hopes that this attitude will be adopted by the rest of the world grows with it. 

NiceHash team was recently in Switzerland to check out the innovation taking place at Plan B in Lugano.

Bitcoin Mining Stocks Soar 10% as BTC reaches $35K

Bitcoin mining stocks soared Thursday as bitcoin (BTC) itself traded around its 17-month high.

U.S.-listed mining companies such as Marathon Digital (MARA), Riot Platforms (RIOT) and CleanSpark (CLSK) rallied 10%-12% during the day amid a wider surge in equities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average notched its best day since June.

Crypto-related stocks were benefiting from increased positive sentiment on Wall Street following a poor October, as traders bet on the Federal Reserve finishing its historic interest rate hiking cycle.

Recent deliveries of newer model ASICs arriving at mining farms in North America and around the world also contributed to improved efficiency and profits for Bitcoin miners. 

"If you're a crypto trader who believes that a crypto and equity bull market is around the corner, I'd implore you to focus on bitcoin mining stocks to generate the most alpha," Caleb Franzen, founder of Cube Analytics, said in an X/Twitter post.

If you want even more efficient mining operations and increased profits make sure to look into how NiceHash can benefit your operations on our Earn More With NiceHash page.

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