Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Nigerian crypto and Web3 startup Lazerpay announced on April 13 that it will cease operations. Co-founder and CEO Njoku Emmanuel said the decision to cease operations was made after Lazerpay failed to successfully close a funding round. The CEO also said he is ready to listen to offers from companies that may want to acquire the startup’s intellectual property (IP). Stablecoin Payments Lazerpay, a Nigerian crypto and Web3 startup, announced on April 13 that it will cease operations and has asked merchants to withdraw their funds before the end of the month. According to a statement shared by the startup’s co-founder and CEO Njoku Emmanuel on Twitter, Lazerpay’s failure to close a successful funding round proved to be the last straw. Launched in 2021 with the objective of helping merchants convert their crypto to fiat and vice versa, Lazerpay is reported to have helped over 3,000 businesses accept payments in stablecoins. In addition, the startup claimed to have established a ne...

ZA Bank, Hong Kong’s biggest virtual-only lender, intends to expand its business into the region’s growing digital assets sector. The banking platform will offer crypto-to-fiat conversions and account services as the Chinese financial center is seeking to embrace the industry. ZA Bank to Provide Services to Crypto Exchanges Licensed in Hong Kong Hong Kong’s first and largest virtual bank, co-founded by Chinese billionaire Ou Yaping, is looking to facilitate transfers of digital and fiat currencies for participants in the city’s developing crypto sector, Bloomberg reported quoting the lender’s top executive. According to CEO Ronald Iu, ZA Bank will offer crypto-to-fiat currency conversions through licensed exchanges, acting as a settlement bank for clients who deposit digital coins to the trading platforms and want to withdraw Hong Kong and U.S. dollars or Chinese yuan. Iu pointed out: For the dozen of interested firms, big or small, from abroad and local, top of their concern is ...

French president Emmanuel Macron has decided to double down on his strategic autonomy policy thesis, declaring that Europe should not be forced to side with Beijing or Washington on Taiwan. Macron declared that being a U.S. ally ‘does not mean being a vassal’ in a state visit to Amsterdam, propping criticism and praise alike for his position. Macron Doubles Down on Strategic Autonomy Policy for Europe on Taiwan Issue French president Emmanuel Macron has reinforced his stance when it comes to the allegiance of France and Europe in the case of a potential conflict in Taiwan. In a recent state visit to Amsterdam, Macron doubled down on his earlier remarks, stating that Europe should remain neutral, rejecting to be grouped with any sides in a war conflict. In a press conference given alongside Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on April 12, Macron stated : Being an ally does not mean being a vassal… doesn’t mean that we don’t have the right to think for ourselves. The statements come ...

Solana’s cryptocurrency and Web3 smartphone, Saga, will be available for purchase on Monday, May 8, 2023. Crafted by OSOM, the Android smartphone is designed specifically for Web3 applications and enables users to self-custody crypto assets using its Seed Vault feature. Solana Smartphone Saga Ready for the Masses Solana Labs, Inc., the company behind the Solana blockchain ecosystem, announced that the Saga smartphone will be available for purchase on May 8, with pre-orders shipping on April 20. As stated by Solana Mobile’s Twitter account, the team aims to “modernize how people interact with their digital assets for enhanced usability and increased security.” The smartphone comes with several pre-installed decentralized applications (dapps) and runs on the Android 13 operating system. The phone includes a Seed Vault for securely storing crypto assets and offers 512 GB of storage. Its 6.67-inch OLED display pairs with a fingerprint scanner for extra security. The device charges u...

Social trading company Etoro has partnered with Twitter to will allow users of the microblogging platform to invest in cryptocurrencies and other assets. The move is viewed as a step towards turning the social media into a “super app,” a mission under Musk, providing financial and a range of other services. Musk’s Twitter Cashtags to Cover Crypto Assets Israel-headquartered investment firm Etoro took to Twitter on Thursday to announce its new deal with the social media platform that will offer market charts on various assets and give you the option to buy and sell stocks and cryptocurrencies. Very excited to be launching a new $Cashtags partnership with @Twitter which will enable Twitter users to see real-time prices for a much wider range of stocks, crypto & other assets as well as having the option to invest through eToro. @elonmusk https://t.co/Iv2q9iNxbf — eToro (@eToro) April 13, 2023 Twitter’s ‘$Cashtags’ feature, which was launched December 2022, already provides...