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Showing posts from November 22, 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...

You shall not pass: Tolkien estate blocks ‘The Lord of the Rings’ JRR Token

The time of the JRR Token has come, but it wasn’t able to defeat the Tolkien Estate in a ruling that has forced the project to shut down and cease trading. The Lord of the Rings-themed ‘JRR Token’ has met a “bag end” after being forced to shut shop following legal action from the family and estate of the famed series’ author. J.R.R. Tolkien who died in 1973. On Nov. 23, Law360 reported that the Tolkien Estate had reached a settlement with Florida-based developer Matthew Jensen over his JRR Token, which was launched in August this year. According to BSCScan , the BEP-20 token is only held by 510 addresses, with a market supply of 19 trillion. According to the settlement, Jensen promised to shut down the token and delete any content which infringes the estate’s trademark rights to the J.R.R. Tolkien name and intellectual property relating to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit.” He also agreed to pay the estate’s legal costs, which weren’t disclosed. The JRR Token’s Twitter ac...

Chimeras Announces NFT Sales for in-Game Assets

PRESS RELEASE. Chimeras is announcing a brand new collection of NFT-based characters for sale on INO platforms and its marketplace . November 23rd, 2021, Kyiv, Ukraine – Play-to-Earn gaming metaverse Chimeras is launching a brand new collection of NFTs based on in-game characters. There are two types of characters in Chimeras’ in-game world – Chimeras and the Chosen ones. The new NFTs feature 20 of The Chosen characters, with a further 268 variations and different levels of stardom, resulting in 5360 new NFT characters in total who will be used and can be upgraded in the game. The Chosen are unique creatures that a Player can use for battles. A Player can get a Chosen by performing a ritual with a Magical Stone. There is no limit on the looks and skills of the Chosen: they look like people, demons, dragons. Every Chosen can be turned into NFT and sold so that a Player can earn with it too. A Player can upgrade the level of the Chosen by experience and unique sources earned in the...

Central Bank’s Targeting of P2P Crypto Transactions Forces Startup to Quit Nigeria

The Nigerian startup behind the social payment app for cryptocurrency and fiat, Kurepay, says the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s current crackdown on crypto entities has forced it to suspend operations in Nigeria. ‘Horrible’ Year for Crypto Adoption According to a report by the Cryptoassetbuyer, this suspension of operations is set to commence at the start of the first quarter of 2022. At that time, Kurepay, whose app harnesses blockchain technology, will begin to restrict its business to over-the-counter (OTC) and crypto consulting services. Commenting on the startup’s plan to quit the West African country, Kurepay CEO Abikure Tega is quoted lamenting what he calls a horrible year for cryptocurrency adoption and expansion in Nigeria. He said: This year has been quite horrible for cryptocurrency adoption and expansion in Nigeria as CBN continues to take drastic measures to slow down and frustrate Nigeria’s growing ability to participate in what has been the fastest-growing emer...

Commonwealth Bank of Australia recognizes risks in missing out on crypto

“We see risks in participating, but we see bigger risks in not participating,” said CBA CEO Matt Comyn on the bank’s recent crypto adoption play. Matt Comyn, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), said that the bank is more concerned about the risks of missing out on crypto than those associated with its adoption. The CBA is set to become the first of the “big four” banks in Australia to offer crypto-based services , after the company announced on Nov. 3 that it will support the trading of 10 digital assets directly via its banking app. Speaking with Bloomberg TV on Friday, Nov. 19, Comyn was questioned on the CBA’s take on the crypto sector, with the CEO noting that: “We see risks in participating, but we see bigger risks in not participating. It's important to say that we don’t have a view on the asset price itself, we see it as a very volatile and speculative asset, but we also don’t think that the sector and the technology is going away anytime soon.” Comyn...

Australian Senator: We Need to Acknowledge Crypto Is Not a Fad, Defi Presents Huge Opportunities

Australian Senator Jane Hume says we need to acknowledge that cryptocurrency is not a fad, adding that there are huge opportunities in decentralized finance (defi). “We should tread cautiously, but not fearfully,” she said, emphasizing that “Australia mustn’t be left behind by fear of the unknown.” Australian Senator Says Crypto Is Not Going Away, Sees ‘Incredible’ Opportunities in Defi Australian Senator Jane Hume talked about cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (defi) Monday during her speech at the Australian Financial Review Super & Wealth Summit in Sydney. Hume is Australia’s minister for superannuation, financial services, and the digital economy. She is also the country’s minister for women’s economic security. Referencing a recent Australian Senate Committee report that claims 17% of Australians are investing in cryptocurrency, Hume stressed: “This is an asset class that has captured hearts and minds, but beyond that — whatever you might personally think — it’s a ...

Texan Bitcoin mining power demands could jump 5 times by 2023

While the state is eager to become the global hub for Bitcoin mining operations, residents are concerned that the power grid will not be able to handle the load. As the state of Texas faces a rapid influx of Bitcoin mining operations, its electrical infrastructure will have to support the industry’s expected 5,000 megawatts (MW) of additional power demands by 2023. The Bitcoin mining industry in Texas currently consumes around 500 to 1,000 MW of power. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) anticipates that demand could increase as much as fivefold by 2023 and has planned an additional 3,000 to 5,000 MW according to reports . This expansion comes as the Lone star state plans to become the home to 20% of the world’s Bitcoin mining operations . Texas emerged as the go-to destination for Bitcoin miners  ever since the Chinese government officially banned Bitcoin mining earlier this year. The state government has capitalized on China’s clampdown by making Texas a h...

Long-term Bitcoin holders at multi-year high: Glassnode

The analytics provider reported that long-term BTC holders are reducing their spending, and adding to positions. Glassnode’s latest weekly on-chain report indicated that long-term holders of Bitcoin ( BTC ) are at a multi-year high and markets are not yet saturated with profit-taking. These long-term holders (LTH) appear to be reducing their spending while continuing to add to their positions, according to the Nov. 22 report by analytics provider Glassnode. The analysis delved into Spent Volume Age Bands (SVAB), which are used to identify the age of coins dominating the on-chain flows on any given day. The metric can be used to identify when the process of profit-taking or accumulation begins, according to Glassnode. Consistent spending of coins older than one month began in November 2020 and ended between April and May in 2021. The SVAB metric has now fallen back to 2.5% of the daily volume since concurrently spiking with the BTC all-time high in October . Glassnode noted: “Thi...

Citigroup to Hire 100 People for Its Crypto Division: Report

Citigroup is reportedly looking to hire 100 people for its new crypto team. “We believe in the potential of blockchain and digital assets including the benefits of efficiency, instant processing, fractionalization, programmability, and transparency.” Citigroup Growing Its Crypto Team Citigroup is reportedly looking to hire 100 people to grow its digital asset team within its institutional business, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter. Puneet Singhvi will be the firm’s new head of digital assets within Citi’s institutional client group, according to a memo to staff seen by Bloomberg News. Singhvi was previously head of blockchain and digital assets within Citi’s trading business. In his new role, he will report to Emily Turner, who oversees business development for the broader group. Turner explained in the memo to staff: We believe in the potential of blockchain and digital assets including the benefits of efficiency, instant processing, fracti...

Proposed tightening of Australian crypto regulations could stifle competition: Kraken

Kraken Australia’s Managing Director is concerned that a proposed new licensing regime for crypto exchanges could collapse the vibrancy of the industry down under. With crypto regulation reportedly set to ramp up in Australia over the next 12 months, Kraken Australia’s Managing Director Jonathon Miller thinks that a strict crypto regime could stifle local competition. The Senate Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Center, led by crypto-friendly Senator Andrew Bragg tabled 12 extensive recommendations for regulation of the digital asset and Fintech industry last month. The proposals included a new licensing regime for crypto exchanges, new laws to govern decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and an overhaul of capital gains tax in decentralized finance (DeFi) to name a few. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Miller said it was “yet to be seen” if the proposed regulations would have a positive or negative effect on the local sector moving forwar...

NFT music marketplace Royal raises $55M in Series A round

Main investors include VC giant Andreessen Horowitz, in addition to musical artists The Chainsmokers, Nas, and Disclosure. On-chain music platform Royal has announced a Series A funding round led by venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz. Royal allows fans to buy music rights via nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Its co-founders, entrepreneur JD Ross and DJ Justin Blau who goes by the stage name 3LAU, announced on Nov. 23 they had closed a $55 million Series A funding, following a $16 million seed round in August. Prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, led the round. Kathryn Huan, General Partner at a16z tweeted about the firm’s investment in Royal’s possibility of transforming the music industry. 1/ Today we’re announcing an investment in @join_royal , a web3 platform I think has the promise to transform the music industry in a way that hasn't been possible until now. DJ @3LAU and @Opendoor cofounder @justindross are the perfect pair to do it. https://...

Citi Group appoints head of digital assets in crypto hiring spree

The new head of digital assets at Citi’s institutional branch will focus on pursuing connections and investments with clients, startups, and regulators. American multinational investment bank Citi announced it had appointed Puneet Singhvi to lead the digital assets division of its Institutional Clients Group (ICG) starting on Dec. 1. In addition to appointing Singhvi on Nov. 22, Citi is hiring 100 additional personnel to for its digital assets division. The move indicates a concerted effort to beef up the financial group’s understanding of digital assets. Singhvi was previously the head of blockchain and digital assets in Citi’s trading business Citi Group is the world’s largest issuer of credit cards, and its ICG serves corporations, financial institutions, and governments around the world. An emailed statement from Emily Turner, head of business development at the ICG, hinted that the bank is exploring its options in providing digital assets services to its clients. “Prior to ...

Ethereum vs. Avax Social Media Battles Rage as L1 Fees Keep Rising

The Ethereum scaling wars are raging on social media due to the problems that this chain is facing, with fees on layer one (L1) at very high levels. Zhu Su, CEO of Three Arrows Capital, a notable crypto VC company, announced he withdrew his support from the project, criticizing the state in which the chain is now. Emin Gun Sirer, Founder and CEO of Ava Labs, the company behind Avalanche, stated that Avalanche will be able to scale regardless of its growth. Ethereum Facing Heat in Social Media The high fees that users have to pay to transact on Ethereum L1 are prompting supporters of the chain to be very vocal in social media about the problems these cause. Zhu Su, CEO of Three Arrows Capital, voiced his discomfort with the state of the Ethereum chain right now, and how its proponents have failed to scale its operation. On Twitter, Su stated : Yes I have abandoned Ethereum despite supporting it in the past. Yes Ethereum has abandoned its users despite supporting them in the past. E...

After Overseeing the Largest Monetary Expansion in US History Biden Renominates Powell to Lead the Fed

U.S. president Joe Biden revealed his intent on Monday to re-nominate Jerome Powell as the Federal Reserve chairperson. Major indices and stocks gained on the news that Powell will get a second term as the head of the central bank. Biden Chooses to Renominate Fed Chair Jerome Powell On Monday, president Joe Biden revealed that he has chosen Jerome Powell to lead the U.S. Federal Reserve for another term. Powell will serve as the chairperson during his second term, while Lael Brainard will serve as the Fed’s vice chair. Powell’s renomination follows the uncertainty surrounding who would take his seat. At the end of August, three Democrat representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley had urged Biden to choose a chairperson that would address social change and the so-called climate crisis. However, two weeks later sources with ties to Washington told the press that Biden would renominate Powell. Jerome Powell selected for a second term! Stonks...

Analysts pinpoint bull and bear scenarios as Bitcoin price dips below $56K

BTC price dropped below $56,000 again, leading analysts to discuss various bull and bear scenarios for Bitcoin’s short term price action. Cooler heads are calling for a collective deep breath and a step back to see the long-term outlook for the future of Bitcoin ( BTC ) price and the wider crypto market, but today's drop back under $56,000 is raising eyebrows among traders. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that after starting the week near $60,000, several days of bears hammering the price of Bitcoin resulted in a revisit to $55,600. BTC/USDT 1-day chart. Source: TradingView Here’s what analysts have to say about the latest price action from Bitcoin and what to look out for in the days ahead. Keep an eye on the monthly close A closer look at the monthly price action for Bitcoin was discussed by independent market analyst ‘Rekt Capital’, who posted the following chart showing that BTC is close to reclaiming an important monthly close level near $...

Sotheby’s Metaverse announces latest and largest NFT charity auction

Proceeds will go towards Sostento, a nonprofit that supports frontline public health workers. Sotheby’s, the world’s oldest art and luxury auction house, announced its collaboration with the public health care advocate and nonprofit organization Sostento to auction off its latest NFT collection via the Sotheby’s Metaverse. The auction titled Gifted: The 140 Collection is considered to be Sotheby’s “biggest NFT charity auction ever,” with all of its proceeds going towards Sostento.  The NFTs were originally gifted by Twitter as part of a giveaway of 140 NFTs to 140 random followers in June of this year. Its recipients became known as “The Besties.” Now, 7 of these Besties have elected to sell the full set of 7 NFTs and support Sostento frontline health care workers in their efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic and the opioid overdose crisis. The NFT giveaway followed Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s $2.9 million sale of the first tweet ever on the platform as an NFT in March 2021....

This Singapore tech company says its recycling 90% of waste heat from Bitcoin mining

The green Bitcoin mining operator is also en-route to list on the NASDAQ exchange via a SPAC merger. It takes a lot of energy for miners to verify transactions and mint new blocks on the Bitcoin ( BTC ) blockchain. According to Statistica, one Bitcoin transaction consumes as much electricity as over 1 million VISA transactions. Moreover, the cryptocurrency's environmental burden increases even more if the energy used for mining stems from fossil fuels. But SAITech, a Eurasia-based Bitcoin mining operator with headquarters in Singapore, seeks to recycle the waste energy from mining for use in residential, agricultural, and industrial applications. The company is also undergoing a $228 million special purpose acquisition company , or SPAC, merger with TradeUP Global Corp for its stock to list on the NASDAQ exchange. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, SAITech's CEO Arthur Lee discussed the company's heat capture technology, its efficiency, energy use of mining r...

Rams player Odell Beckham Jr. will accept NFL salary in Bitcoin

Reports suggest the Los Angeles Rams player’s total salary for the 2021 season would be worth roughly 75.66 BTC at an average price of $56,103. Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams football team, has said he will be taking all of his $4.25 million National Football League salary in Bitcoin. In a Nov. 22 post to his Twitter account, Beckham said he would be partnering with Cash App to take his next NFL salary in Bitcoin ( BTC ). National Insider reporter Ian Rapoport said earlier this month that Beckham would be earning a $750,000 base salary on top of a $500,000 signing bonus in addition to $3 million in other incentives, totaling $4.25 million for the 2021 season. It's a NEW ERA & to kick that off I'm hyped to announce that I'm taking my new salary in bitcoin thanks to @CashApp . To ALL MY FANS out there, no matter where u r: THANK YOU! I’m giving back a total of $1M in BTC rn too. Drop your $cashtag w. #OBJBTC & follow @CashApp NOW pi...

Total crypto market cap drops by 6.7%, but futures data finds a silver lining

Metaverse, gaming and incentive-offering DeFi tokens pumped last week even as Bitcoin and the total crypto market capitalization dropped. Here’s why. Looking at the past 7-days of winners and losers might give one the impression that cryptocurrency markets are net positive. Still, total market capitalization actually fell by 6.7% to $2.72 trillion as Bitcoin's ( BTC ) price retraced 8.3% to $58,425. Top winners and losers from the sector's top 80 coins. Source: Nomics The only connection between this week's top gainers seems to be the Metaverse and gaming sector, which has been on a bull run since Facebook rebranded to Meta on Oct. 28, signaling its new focus on that segment. Further bullish news backing the current surge in Metaverse-related tokens is Gemini exchange raising $400 million on Nov. 19 to build a decentralized Metaverse. Top performers had specific reasons for the pumping Gala (GALA) pumped after its Coinbase and Huobi listing on Nov. 16. The utility...

Meme Coin Market Cap Loses 3.5%, Top 2 Leaders Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Shed Billions

While crypto-asset markets have shed billions during the last week, the top meme tokens coins by market capitalization have seen deeper losses than most coins. The top two meme digital assets dogecoin and shiba inu have seen double-digit losses during the last seven days. The top meme tokens coins by market capitalization today are worth $60.7 billion losing 3.5% in value over the last 24 hours. Dogecoin and Shiba Inu Lose Double-Digits Last Week During the course of the year, meme-based crypto assets were all the rage and many of them have gained significant value in 2021. The top two meme-based cryptocurrencies dogecoin (DOGE) and shiba inu (SHIB) were once top ten contenders in terms of market capitalization. However, today, after suffering some losses both dogecoin and shiba inu have dropped out of the top ten standings. Dogecoin (DOGE) is the largest meme-based crypto asset in terms of overall valuation. DOGE is also the 11th largest market cap out of 10,975 coins in existenc...

WEF releases resource suite for CBDCs and stablecoins aimed at regulators and businesses leaders

The publication contains 8 separate white papers exploring topics including the impact of lawmakers regulating stablecoins and central bank digital currencies as well as informing them about the risks, benefits, and alternatives. The World Economic Forum, or WEF, has published a resource suite aimed at informing lawmakers and individuals in the private sector about digital assets including central bank digital currencies and stablecoins. On Nov. 19, the WEF announced its Digital Currency Governance Consortium White Paper Series, a resource suite created by 85 organizations from 40 countries around the world. The publication contains 8 separate white papers exploring topics including the impact of lawmakers regulating stablecoins and central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, as well as informing them about the risks, benefits, and alternatives. In addition, the suite addresses regulatory gaps for digital assets and their potential uses in further financial inclusion and cross-borde...

Price analysis 11/22: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, ADA, XRP, DOT, AVAX, DOGE, SHIB

Bitcoin and most major altcoins have turned down from their respective overhead resistance levels, indicating that the short-term sentiment has turned negative. Bitcoin ( BTC ) continues to be pinned down below $60,000, indicating that higher levels are attracting selling from traders. The S&P 500 made a new all-time high on Nov. 22 due to reports that United States President Joe Biden had  renominated Jerome Powell to serve a second term as the Federal Reserve chair. This news also boosted the U.S. dollar currency index (DXY) to its highest level since July 2020. Usually, sharp gains in the DXY are inversely correlated with Bitcoin and the same can be seen in November of this year as well. While the DXY is up about 2.3% in November , Bitcoin is down roughly 5.5% during the same period. Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360 Independent market analyst, TechDev, said Bitcoin’s performance in 2021 is following the price action of 2017 but with a lag of...