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Showing posts from May 12, 2021

MLB Team Washington Nationals Partners With Terra Blockchain Community, Ballpark Plans to Accept UST

On February 9, the American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C., the Washington Nationals, announced the team has partnered with Terra, the open-source blockchain platform and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). The Washington Nationals detail that the team is a “leading innovator” and is “consistently introducing new technologies to enhance the fan experience.” Washington Nationals Ink Long-Term Deal With Terra Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Washington Nationals has partnered with the blockchain platform and DAO Terra, according to an announcement published by the team on Wednesday. The deal with Terra follows a slew of sports-related deals with crypto firms, but the MLB team will be the first to partner with an open-source blockchain project. In addition to the partnership, the algorithmic stablecoin UST that’s issued on the Terra blockchain will be “accepted as a payment method at Nationals Park as early as next season.” “The Nationals continue t...

Cybersecurity Firm Spots a Crypto Stealer Distributed Through a Massive Email Spam Campaign and Discord Channels

A crypto stealer seems to have spread through a massive spam campaign across several countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan, and Germany. The malware dubbed “Panda Stealer” has been spotted by a cybersecurity company. It is reportedly also distributed on Discord channels. Malware Can Also Steal Data From Telegram and Discord Apps According to the report published by Trend Micro, the stealer is a variant of another malware named “Collector Stealer,” which utilizes the same algorithms to bypass most detection tools. The malware is contained within a malicious Excel file in a .xlsm format. Once the victim executes a series of Powershell scripts in the infected document, Panda Stealer deploys its malicious processes. It collects sensitive crypto-related data, including private keys and records of past transactions performed with wallets from virtual currencies like dash ( DASH ), litecoin ( LTC ), ethereum ( ETH ). Researchers from Trend Micro provided further techn...

You can buy condos with DOGE in Portugal as crypto real estate listings soar

You can now use Dogecoin to buy luxury apartments in Portugal, with a penthouse currently on sale for around 5 million DOGE, worth roughly $2.2 million. Dogecoin has often been seen as a joke coin, or an asset for TikTok speculators to gamble on, but now you can buy entire luxury apartments in Lisbon, Portugal with the currency. #fntx #btc #doge #cardano #ada #dogecoin #355outubro #portugal #lisboa #portugalrealestate pic.twitter.com/uiPuTnOA55 — FNTX Suisse (@FNTX_Suisse) May 11, 2021 Zug-based crypto payments and OTC liquidity provider FNTX Capital Suisse has partnered with Portugal-based property developer, 355 Developments to offer condos for crypto in the capital. The partnership will enable buyers to purchase apartments with Doge, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Cardano via FNTX’s “Real Estate Exchange”, which updates the crypto pricing of each listing in real-time. There are currently three listings on the exchange, with the cheapest — a two bedroom apartment — priced ...

VulcanVerse’s Marketplace Volume Triples From $5m to $15m, $20M Giveaway to Follow

PRESS RELEASE. Newly-launched decentralized gaming platform, VulcanVerse, offers $20m giveaway as volume on its in-game marketplace triples. Cardiff, United Kingdom – Decentralized gaming platform, VulcanVerse is launching into the online gaming world, with record growth in users following a successful token sale. The gaming platform is positioning itself as a pioneer in NFT-based gaming, an area that has recently seen a huge surge in interest as a result of the wider NFT-mania that permeated the cryptocurrency market earlier this year. VulcanVerse expects to capitalize by converting this newly-found interest in online gaming into increased adoption for its own unique virtual world. With that aim, VulcanForged, the project behind VulcanVerse , has made several integrations with other blockchain-based platforms, including Polygon (formerly Matic), to broaden its reach. The team recently completed a sale for the platform’s native token, PYR, aimed at stimulating activity in its i...

Bank of Israel Drafts Model of a Digital Shekel

The central bank of Israel has offered a glance at what a digitalized version of the national fiat currency may look like. According to a released “draft model” of the coin, Israelis should be able to use the digital shekel in payments, even offline, and convert it to cash at any moment. The Israeli central bank digital currency (CBDC) will provide some privacy, but not anonymity. This Is What the Digital Shekel Should Look Like The Bank of Israel is getting ready to jump on the CBDC bandwagon with a plan to issue a digital currency of its own, after examining the issue for years. Dozens of central banks around the world are already working on similar projects in response to developments in the payments market, not least related to the growth and the spread of cryptocurrencies. The final decision is yet to be made, according to a report by the bank’s Steering Committee, but the project is already taking shape. The published draft opens the door for public discussions and suggestio...

Bitcoin Cash Argentina Runs Flipstarter to Boost Adoption in the Country

Bitcoin Cash Argentina, a nonprofit organization whose objective is to promote the use of Bitcoin Cash, has started a flipstarter campaign that seeks to raise funds to explain the use cases of this cryptocurrency in the country and boost its adoption. Argentina’s economy has been severely affected by inflation and devaluation, the reason why interest in cryptocurrencies and how these can be used is growing fast. Bitcoin Cash Argentina Raising Funds to Boost BCH Adoption in the Country Bitcoin Cash Argentina, an organization that deals with promoting the use and adoption of the said cryptocurrency in the country, is now raising funds to further increase their reach and boost adoption through a series of activities. The fundraising is being conducted through Flipstarter, a BCH-specific tool that allows anyone to collect funds for a determined objective. The funds won’t be released until a certain goal is reached. While Bitcoin Cash Argentina started just six months ago, it has manag...

Vitalik Buterin Donates $1B Worth of Shiba Inu Tokens to India’s Crypto Covid Relief Fund

On Wednesday, Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin took control of his stack of Shiba Inu, a dogecoin ERC20 token, and donated more than 1 billion dollars worth of the currency to India’s Crypto Covid Relief Fund. The fund is an initiative that seeks to help people suffering from the covid-19 outbreak that India is experiencing right now. Buterin also sold Akita and Dogelon, other similar currencies, causing a slide in market prices. Vitalik Buterin Donates $1 Billion Worth of Shiba Inu Tokens to India’s Crypto Covid Relief Fund Vitalik Buterin, the popular founder of Ethereum, started selling some of the meme coins that were sent to him by some projects, donating 10% of his Shiba Inu stack to India’s Crypto Covid Relief Fund. These dogecoin ERC20 tokens were given to him to “burn” them, under the assumption he wouldn’t touch them or sell them. However, against all popular belief, Buterin decided to put these funds to good use. The transaction of Shiba Inu tokens worth more than a billion d...

Uniqly Enters the NFT Market With a Remarkable Performance

It’s been a while since the crypto market has seen such a promising project, something that has a clear basis on a real market need and a long-term plan to stay relevant and bring value to customers, investors, and users alike. Uniqly.io aims to do exactly that, giving real-world value to digital items. Veterans of the space already know what non-fungible tokens are, and why they cost so much, but the mainstream market perception of them is poor at best. Without tangibility and actual “proof” it’s difficult to understand why that particular string of pixels may be worth so much, and as such, even with people like Beeple making millions out of their work, NFT has been already categorized as a fad by a lot of so-called “experts”. This can’t be further from the truth, as the expansion of the digital market is an unstoppable force, but to see a team recognize how to bridge that last connection between digital and physical goods, and act on it in less than 6 months is quite impressive....

Analyst Warns of Broad Correction in the Cryptocurrency Market

Vanda Research has warned of a broad correction in the cryptocurrency market. Ben Onatibia, the firm’s partner and senior strategist, said that the surge in cryptocurrency prices this year is reminiscent of bitcoin’s rally in 2017. A Correction in Crypto Market Appears to Be Brewing, Says Analyst Vanda Research published a report Monday warning of a broad correction in the cryptocurrency market. The firm’s partner and senior strategist, Ben Onatibia, explained that in 2017 the bitcoin price rise was followed by a correction and a jump in interest in then-lesser known cryptocurrencies. He added that “a broader correction” in crypto markets appears to be brewing. “The meteoric rise in cryptocurrencies has a whiff of deja vu,” Onatibia described, adding that in 2017 when the bitcoin rally started to wane down, “investors rotated to lesser-known altcoins like ripple and ethereum.” Noting that during that time XRP peaked on Jan. 8 while ETH held onto its gains for another week or two,...

Goldman Sachs exec reportedly quits job after making Dogecoin fortune

After working at Goldman Sachs for 14 years, a banker reportedly left the firm due to netting massive gains from his Dogecoin holdings. A senior manager at banking giant Goldman Sachs in London has reportedly left the company after making a fortune on a meme-based cryptocurrency, Dogecoin ( DOGE ). Aziz McMahon, a former managing director and head of emerging market sales at Goldman Sachs, had resigned from the investment bank, allegedly after netting major gains from his DOGE holdings, The Guardian reports Tuesday.  Though reports did not specify exactly how much money McMahon made from his Dogecoin holdings, sources claimed that it was a substantial sum, pointing out that DOGE rallied over 1,000% in value this year. According to sources, the finance veteran was investing in crypto using a personal account and was not involved in trading cryptocurrencies for Goldman Sachs. McMahon did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment. Dogecoin has been repeat...

How did Internet Computer (ICP) become a top-10 cryptocurrency overnight?

The difference in ICP rates across multiple crypto exchanges was as high as $2,500 at one point. Traders valued Internet Computer (ICP) at $630 in its debut on Coinbase on Monday. On Binance, however, the dollar bids for the token surged to as high as $3,093 as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, HitBTC reported ICP at the peak of roughly $407. The huge price differences across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges showed a berserk trading sentiment in the Internet Computer market, landing ICP in the list of top-ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, surpassing even veterans like XRP , Dogecoin ( DOGE ), and Cardano ( ADA ) and reaching as high as the fourth spot. ICP 1-hour candle close across multiple crypto exchanges. Source: Tradingview Major price corrections followed on profit-taking sentiment. Entering the Wednesday trading session, the ICP/USD exchange rate on Coinbase and Binance was about $338. On HitBTC, it was $14 higher. The downside move prompted ICP to slip in crypto rank...

Major Brazilian crypto asset manager secures $26M in funding

Coinbase and SoftBank have participated in a $26-million funding round for Latin America’s largest crypto asset management firm. Hashdex, the Rio de Janeiro-based crypto asset manager with over 4 billion Brazilian real ($765 million) in assets under management, has raised $26 million in a new funding round from investors. According to Bloomberg on Wednesday, venture capital firm Valor Capital Group led the funding round with participation from Coinbase Ventures — the VC arm of American exchange giant Coinbase — and SoftBank. The $26-million capital influx comes as Hashdex is set to pursue its expansion outside Brazil. Indeed, the company is reportedly planning to open as many as 75 new locations across the world before the end of the year. Hashdex also wants to increase its crypto offerings catalog with co-founder Marcelo Sampaio stating that investors are warming up to cryptocurrencies. “Investors are still getting to know crypto, and we see room to offer more products in Brazil...

From cypherpunk to state contracts: the changing face of blockchain

Three blockchain executives discuss their work with governments in fraught political contexts, and the questions it raises about blockchain’s claim to the libertarian banner. Blockchain continues to occupy an unusual space in the contemporary tech sphere, with concepts such as “decentralization,” “transparency” and “immutability” continuing to slide between a purely technical meaning and a more overtly politicized one.  Certain blockchain advocates — at least, those still steeped in the libertarian ethos that survives the technology's roots in the cypherpunk movement — continue to question the technology's implementation for projects like government defense contracts, as well as its wider absorption into the traditional financial banking systems it was originally designed to circumvent. Earlier this week, Cointelegraph reached out to several executives at the Fantom Foundation to reflect on the choices and approaches taken by blockchain companies who work in governmental an...

‘Bullish’ Cryptocurrency Exchange to Launch With Backing of Billionaire Investors, Investment Bank Nomura

A new cryptocurrency exchange called “Bullish” will be launched this year by Bullish Global, a subsidiary of Block.one. It is backed by a number of prominent investors, including Peter Thiel, Alan Howard, Louis Bacon, Richard Li, Mike Novogratz, Christian Angermayer, and investment bank Nomura. Bullish Global Launching Bullish Exchange Block.one, the software company behind the EOSIO open-source software, announced Tuesday the launch of a newly formed subsidiary, Bullish Global, which is capitalized with over $10 billion in cash and digital assets. Bullish Global operates as an independent entity and is focused on launching a new cryptocurrency exchange called Bullish. It is “designed to combine the performance, user privacy, and compliance offered by central order book technology with the vertically integrated user benefits of decentralized finance (Defi) market architecture,” the announcement notes, adding: The Bullish exchange will offer new automated market making, lending, a...

Free Bitcoin: Papa John’s Giving Away BTC With Pizza Purchases in UK

Papa John’s Pizza is giving away bitcoin with pizza purchases in the U.K. Customers who spend at least £30 will get £15 off their orders as well as £10 in free bitcoin. The bitcoin freebie is given through global cryptocurrency exchange Luno. Papa John’s Bitcoin Giveaway Pizza restaurant franchise Papa John’s is currently giving away free bitcoin in the U.K. According to the terms and conditions posted on the official Papa John’s website for the country, the offer is valid until May 16. The website explains: Offer entitles customer to £15 off when they spend £30 or more and £10 worth of bitcoin on Luno. An ad on the Papa John’s UK website for free bitcoin. Source: Papa John’s UK Luno is an established cryptocurrency exchange that is available in over 40 countries. Papa John’s detailed: “To claim the £10 worth of bitcoin, download the Luno app or sign up at www.luno.com. Create an account and verify your identity. Enter your promo code in the Rewards tab. You receive 10...

Crypto.com becomes first cryptocurrency platform to receive MFSA Class 3 license

Under the Class 3 VFA license, Crypto.com can provide custodial services and execute orders on behalf of other persons. Crypto.com, the popular mobile platform for buying and selling digital assets, has become the first cryptocurrency company to receive Malta’s Class 3 Virtual Financial Assets license. The license was granted by the Malta Financial Services Authority, or MFSA, paving the way for broader recognition of digital assets throughout the European Union. As a licensed Class 3 VFA Service Provider, Crypto.com is subject to more rigorous governance, compliance and security requirements. Prior to obtaining the VFA license, Crypto.com was operating under a transitory legal framework in Malta. The tiny Mediterranean nation is one of a small number of European Union jurisdictions to have developed clear regulatory guidelines for cryptocurrencies. Kris Marszalek , the co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com, said his company has “long believed that building a fully regulated business i...

Ether breaks $500 billion market cap for first time

Bitcoin broke a $500 billion market capitalization in late December 2020. Ether ( ETH ), the second most-valued cryptocurrency after Bitcoin ( BTC ), has hit a major milestone amid the ongoing price rally. On May 12, Ether price set another historic record, surging  to as high as $4,346, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Ether's market capitalization briefly surpassed $500 billion, reaching nearly $505 billion on Wednesday. The new milestone marks Ether’s ongoing massive surge after ETH surpassed a $4,000 price mark for the first time in history on May 10. At the time of writing, ETH is trading at $4,317, up more than 6.4% over the past 24 hours and seeing massive gains of about 30% over the past seven days. Ether market cap 24-hour chart. Source: CoinMarketCap Following the parabolic surge, Ether is now larger than payment giant Visa or major investment bank JPMorgan in terms of market capitalization. At publishing time, Visa’s market valuation amounts to $481 billio...

South Korean Banking Association Concerned Over Surge of the Altcoin Trading Frenzy

A banking association in South Korea recently added weight to regulatory discussions across the country, raising concerns about the high altcoin trading volume. The Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) requested its members to audit trading volumes through their crypto exchanges’ customers’ altcoin activity. Altcoins Trading Volume Outperformed Bitcoin Last Weekend in South Korea According to The Korea Herald , the KFB is concerned about potential risks that South Korean banks could be exposed in front of high altcoin trading volumes, as they offer their services to domestic virtual currency exchanges. The warning comes in the wake of a significant surge of the transaction volumes to around 95% in altcoins, said the media outlet. An official from the Korea Federation of Banks commented on the matter: One of the criteria that we recommend is the safety of digital assets, and that can be measured by the number of digital coins on an exchange. If an exchange deals with too many digital ...