The Crypto Council for Innovation Announces First-Ever Leadership Team

On Thursday, the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), a global alliance of crypto industry organizations, announced its first executive team to strengthen its leadership role and guide its work in policy advocacy and raising awareness of the benefits of digital currency.  The council made five appointments who are set to join the existing executive director Sheila Warren.  The association hired Former Senator Cory Gardner to serve as CCI‘s chief strategist of political affairs; Amanda Russo, a global communications expert who formerly worked with the World Economic Forum, to serve as the council’s new director of communications; and Annie Dizon, formerly of the nonprofit TechSoup, as CCIs director of operations.  The council appointed three executives to join the current CEO, Sheila Warren, in executing CCIs efforts toward educating regulators, policymakers, and people around the globe about the transformational promise of cryptocurrency.  Meanwhile, the association also hired former Algorand Foundation CEO Sean Lee to advise the council on its Asia-Pacific expansion. The council also appointed Katherine Wu, a venture partner at Archetype, as its first research fellow.  In a statement, Sheila Warren, the group‘s CEO, talked about the development and said: “The combined leadership and global experience of our new team members will fortify CCI’s expertise in

2022-04-08Malalim na Pagsisid

Meta Plans to Introduce Virtual Tokens: FT

Meta is planning to introduce virtual tokens and cryptocurrencies, the Financial Times reported.  The social media giant is aiming to use these digital assets for rewarding creators and lending and other financial services, according to the report.  Metas plan is currently in its early stages. The move comes at a time when the company is focusing its services centred around the metaverse - a virtual platform where people can interact, work and play.  According to Reuters, the tokens could be a new source of revenue channel for Meta and it could also gain control over transactions in its apps and services; which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and the Meta Quest virtual reality platform.  The Financial Times reported that Metas cryptocurrencies - internally dubbed as “Zuck Bucks” - may not be based on blockchain-based technology and are intended for the metaverse.  It also reported that an in-app token centrally controlled by Meta could also be introduced. The report added that those tokens could be used to pay favourite creators or reward people.  A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that the company is focused on building for the metaverse “and that includes what payments and financial services might look like.”  Meanwhile, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are also part of the plan

2022-04-08Malalim na Pagsisid

Banks are Still Far Away from Trading Crypto: Genesis CEO

Bitcoin will not receive the same amount of significance from banks any time soon as it has from individual investors, the head of the prime crypto brokerage Genesis Global Trading said.  The continued bearish sentiment has brought this point of view from regulators on digital assets.  Banks have so far only shown limited interest in the digital asset sector by investing in crypto startups or derivatives products, Genesis Chief Executive Michael Moro said.  “It is their best attempt at a proxy for participation in Bitcoin: For one, to make it look like theyre actually doing something,” Moro said on a panel at the Bitcoin 2022 conference on Wednesday:   “But two, more importantly, their regulators at the bank-regulator level are looking over their shoulder at everything that theyre doing. They are very, very far away from being able to trade actual Bitcoin.”  There has been a steady growth in institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies since late 2020. Recently, banks, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc, have revealed crypto options trading for their clients. In October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved Bitcoin-linked futures products for the first time. However, the U.S. SEC has continuously rejected requests by banks and hedge funds to offer similar products

2022-04-07Malalim na Pagsisid

Solana NFTs Go Live on OpenSea

Top non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace OpenSeas long-anticipated integration with Solana has finally gone live.  However, the news did not stimulate or support its business. According to recent reports, sales have dropped by over 21% in the past 24 hours.  OpenSea data shows that collections under Solana were listed and denominated in SOL, such as Solana Monkey Business and Solana Monke Rejects. Currently, the cheapest Solana Monke Rejects is being sold for 6 SOL or $683.52.  According to The Block, OpenSeas integration of Solana allows a wide variety of NFTs on the platform. Prior to the integration, the NFT marketplace prioritised Ethereum-based NFTs along with Polygon and Klatyn blockchain integrations.  The integration signifies an important expansion for OpenSea and the firm raised $300 million at a $13 billion valuation in January.  Although Ethereum holds the largest number of NFTs, proponents of Solana believe that it is a cheaper, faster and more energy-efficient alternative product.  CryptoSlams report showed that Ethereum-based NFT sales were also down by over 27% in the past 24 hours.  CryptoSlams data also stated that Solana saw $173 million in NFT trade volume during March.  While, OpenSea posted around $3.4 billion worth of trade volumes in March, according to The Blocks Data Dashboard.  The official information about the

2022-04-07Malalim na Pagsisid

Blockchain Holds the Future of Hollywood, Outgoing WarnerMedia CEO Says

Jason Kilar, the CEO of Warner Media, believes that the future of Hollywood, a name synonymous with the American film industry, lies in the hands of blockchain technology, according to Reuters.  Kilar plans to leave the media company following its acquisition by Discovery, expected to be finalized on April 11.   Based on the penetration of unique digital collectables like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Kilar believes blockchain will play an instrumental role in transforming the entertainment business.   He added:  “I think thats going to be a potential wave thats going to be coming to Hollywood, in the same way that the DVD wave came to Hollywood in the 90s. Obviously, that changed the economic fortunes of a lot of these companies.”  Hollywood will open new finance streams and intertwin storytelling with technology by leveraging blockchain.  Under Kilars helm, Warner Media was able to usher in the streaming era and other innovations like hybrid films and HBO Max.  With a career spanning from Silicon Valley to Hollywood, Kilar has advocated the integration of new technologies when it comes to opening new opportunities. He noted:  “Looking around a digital corner, blockchain will have a tangible impact on Hollywood and its possible collaborators.”  Therefore, Kilar trusts that blockchain technology will change the

2022-04-07Malalim na Pagsisid

Nearly 70% of Merchants Believe Crypto Payments will Revolutionize Business Models, Study Shows

The appetite for cryptocurrencies in e-commerce continues to gain steam as they offer more convenient and safer payment methods, according to a report by global payments solution provider Checkout.com.  Based on a study entitled “Demystifying Crypto: Shedding light on the adoption of digital currencies for payments in 2022 report,” Checkout.com invited 3,000 merchants and 30,000 consumers spread across 11 countries for this survey.  The study scrutinized sentiments and behaviours pertaining to commercial activities using cryptocurrencies.   More merchants have an inclination towards cryptocurrencies based on ease of use and the speeds rendered. Per the report:  “Almost 70% of the merchants surveyed believe that the speed with which crypto payments can be made and settled has the potential to revolutionize their business models—with over 80% of merchants with existing crypto-payment options saying it was easier to settle than using fiat currencies.”  Merchants are already feeling the impact of cryptocurrencies based on Visa findings released earlier this year. The payment giant noted that payments associated with its crypto-linked cards skyrocketed to $2.5 billion during its fiscal first quarter of 2022. This represented 70% of the firms crypto volume for the entire 2021 fiscal year.   The growing crypto appeal among younger users  According to Checkout.com findings, crypto was appealing

2022-04-07Malalim na Pagsisid

Ethereum Layer-2 Protocol Boba Network Values at $1.5B following $45m Funding

Boba Network, an Ethereum-based Layer-2 protocol Optimistic Rollup scaling solution, has successfully completed its Series A funding round in which it pulled as much as $45 million from investors covering every aspect of the Web3.0 world.   The Series A funding brings the platforms valuation to $1.5 billion and the capital is projected to be used in addressing Ethereums computational limitations and foster greater functionality for decentralized applications (dApps) through Bobas Hybrid Compute platform.  “This fundraising is about building a broad-based alliance to build the Boba ecosystem. Having so many amazing investors demonstrate their confidence in our vision and technology reinforces our belief that what were building is important and necessary. Hybrid Compute will scale Web3 development, enabling builders to deliver innovative products with greater functionality,” said Alan Chiu, Boba Network Founder.  Participants in the funding round include DeFi Technologies Inc, Hypersphere Infinite Capital, Hack VC, GBV, Sanctor Capital, Shima Capital, Kinetic Capital, Ghaf Capital, LD Capital, Old Fashion Research, Alphanonce, IOST, and ROK Capital. Other notable investors include the Dreamers VC (Will Smith and Keisuke Honda), M13 (Paris Hilton and Carter Reum), Tony Robbins, Joe Montana, and KSHMR amongst others.  While Boba Networks solutions are somewhat complicated to the layman, they have established

2022-04-06Malalim na Pagsisid

Starbucks to Introduce NFTs This Year

Starbucks interim CEO Howard Schultz announced that the American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves is entering the non-fungible token (NFT) market this year.  The NFT initiative is part of the need to reshape the experience for customers and employees alike with the company, Schultz said.  The company added that they are working on “digital innovation through NFTs,” among other initiatives, and expects to unveil details in the weeks ahead.  “Sometime before the end of this calendar year, we are going to be in the NFT business,” Schultz said at the companys Open Forum held Monday.  “If you look at the companies, the brands, the celebrities, the influencers that are trying to create a digital NFT platform and business, I cant find one of them that has the treasure trove of assets that Starbucks has – from collectables to entire heritage of the company,” he said.  Further details about the companys plan are yet to be released.  According to a previous report by Blockchain.News, Starbucks said that it intends to boost its customers satisfaction by enabling them to trace the entire supply chain of their coffee.   The company has deployed a blockchain tool powered by Microsoft Corp to propel the tracking of coffee from bean

2022-04-06Malalim na Pagsisid

BAYC Owner Scammed for NFTs Worth $567K with Fake PNGs

A Bored Yacht Club (BAYC) non-fungible token (NFT) owner was scammed for at least $570,000 after the victim was tricked into exchanging their NFTs for worthless PNGs.  The victim - s27 - lost BAYC #1584 and two Mutant Ape derivatives (#13168 and #13169) to the scammer, The Block reported quoting the pseudonymous 0xQuit.  According to Rarity Tools, BAYC #1584 has a rarity score of 111.99 out of 10,000. It is one of the 119 bubble gum apes.  The Block reported that the scammer used swapkiwi, a third-party service, to conduct the direct swap with the victim.   Unlike regular marketplaces like OpenSea, platforms like swapkiwi allow direct NFT swaps between collectors, reducing gas fees- the administration fees for transactions.  Swapkiwi and other similar platforms allow direct NFT swaps between collectors, reducing transaction fees which are unlike marketplaces like OpenSea.  The scammer put up fake knock-off NFTs in exchange for s27s legitimate Bored Ape and Mutant Ape. The scammer used images of actual Bored Apes to create fake replicas and uploaded the same ones to OpenSea, The Block reported.  The attacker took advantage of the way swapkiwi displays verified NFTs. The appearance of the checkmark within the image makes it easier for scammers to take an image of

2022-04-06Malalim na Pagsisid

U.S.-German Joint Operation Seizes $25m Worth of Bitcoin, Shuting Down Russian Darkened Marketplace

In collaboration with the U.S. Justice Department, German authorities announced Tuesday that they managed to shut down the Hydra market, the most prominent Russian darknet market, and consequently seized $25 million in Bitcoin from the marketplace.  The Frankfurt Main Public Prosecutors Office, Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), and Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT) managed the seizure after they secured the server infrastructure of the site. However, no one is under arrest, according to the official.  The authorities described the Hydra market, a Russian-language site, as the worlds longest-running and largest illegal dark web marketplace.  “Today, the German Federal Criminal Police, in coordination with U.S. federal law enforcement, seized the servers of Hydra Market,” the Justice Department mentioned in a statement.  Hydra darknet marketplace specialized in drug dealing. The market has been dealing with the trades of illegal narcotics, intercepted data, as well as forged documents, and digital services.  The Federal Police found 17 million customers and 19,000 seller accounts registered on the marketplace at the time of seizure.  The authorities said that Hydra Market probably had the highest turnover among illegal marketplaces globally. According to the police statement, the Hydra site made sales worth more than €1.23 billion ($1.35 billion) in revenue in 2020.  The authorities

2022-04-06Malalim na Pagsisid
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