Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Everyone would agree that the metaverse is a novel concept that is only going to become more popular as time goes on. Even now, many international companies from a variety of backgrounds such as Samsung, Emirates Airlines, and even JPMorgan have all gotten involved with the metaverse, so it is safe to say that this idea is not going away anytime soon. As such, the Olive Corporation’s metaverse platform may best be understood as an effective communication environment which develops and shares anything players can conceive via 3D Avatar and Playground services, allowing everyone to enjoy a variety of experiences, services and features. By providing point integration services inside the ecosystem, Olive Corporation hopes to enhance its business model and produce a reliable source of income as well as a steady stream of clients. Moreover, Olive is developing a metaverse that will begin with colleges, which are significant clients for the MZ generation. The objective is to boost the us

The CEO of the Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, says Apple has not played nice with crypto, noting that the tech giant has banned a bunch of crypto features in its App Store. Apple’s anti-crypto policy raises “potential antitrust issues,” said the Coinbase executive. Potential Antitrust Issues Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong talked about Apple’s crypto policy in an episode of the Superteam podcast, which aired last week. Superteam is a podcast that explores the web3 ecosystem in India. Commenting on Apple’s anti-crypto policy, he detailed: “You try to get your app in the App Store and Apple ejected it and then they had this competing one that got approved … it’s a black box.” The Coinbase boss elaborated: Apple so far has not really played nice with crypto. They’ve actually banned a bunch of features that we would like to have in the app, but they just won’t allow it — so there’s potential antitrust issues there. Armstrong added: “There’s going to h

Skybridge Capital, a $3.5 billion asset management firm, is “extremely bullish” on the crypto sector, says an executive of the firm. “For us, we think the cryptocurrency markets represent tremendous growth.” ‘The Cryptocurrency Markets Represent Tremendous Growth’ Two executives of Skybridge Capital — founder Anthony Scaramucci and director John Darsie — talked about the firm’s crypto outlook in an interview with Bloomberg ahead of SALT, a global thought leadership forum, this week. Scaramucci explained that almost half of Skybridge’s asset under management is linked to crypto assets, including bitcoin, the Algorand protocol, Ethereum, and publicly traded, crypto-related stocks. Noting that his firm expects the crypto focus to triple its assets under management from $3.5 billion to $10 billion, he said: We feel so strongly about this opportunity that we’ve adapted and repositioned the firm to eventually be a leading cryptocurrency asset manager and adviser. “For us, we think t

Exmo, a U.K.-based crypto exchange with extensive presence in Eastern Europe, is pulling out of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The trading platform, Exmo.com, says it’s making the move to avoid jeopardizing its expansion in other regions by operating in high-risk markets like these. The business has been sold to a Russian vendor, alongside rights to the Exmo.me domain and branding. Crypto Exchange Exmo Transfers Russia Operations to Local Entity Major Eastern European exchange Exmo announced earlier this week it’s selling its digital asset business in Russia and Belarus. The company explained the “tough decision” with efforts to avoid risking its global expansion plans by working in these countries. Both nations have been targeted by Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “In addition, our Russian UBO, Eduard Bark, is leaving the company, transferring his stake as a part of a response to one of our directors, Serhii Zhdanov,” Exmo pointed out. “Kazakhstan clients wer

PRESS RELEASE. SeatlabNFT has announced the date for their IDO, with full details available via their website . The 24th of May 2022 is the first opportunity people around the globe will have to invest in the innovative NFT ticketing platform’s native token $SEAT. SeatlabNFT is a revolutionary event ticketing platform built on the climate-neutral NEAR Protocol blockchain, designed to create an immersive, more connected experience for everyone involved in live events. Minting tickets as NFTs and leveraging the transparent, irrefutable ledger provided by the blockchain will eliminate fraud and drastically reduce the impact of ticket scalping (the process of reselling tickets for popular events at a price much higher than the box office listing). Current solutions for event ticketing do not serve artists, fans or event creators. The ticketing industry has been plagued by touts and dehumanised by bots in the pursuit of profit at the expense of fans and those who make live events possi

The U.S.-based company Compass Mining plans to sell $30 million worth of bitcoin mining equipment that’s currently located in Siberia. The decision to sell the mining rigs follows the U.S. government sanctioning the bitcoin mining operation Bitriver and ten subsidiaries. Compass is hoping to offload 12 megawatts of capacity, according to a company executive. Compass Hopes to Sell 12 MW of Bitcoin Mining Capacity in Russia to Pay Clients According to Compass Mining’s CEO Whit Gibbs, the firm is selling $30 million in mining equipment that is currently located in Siberia. Speaking with Bloomberg on Friday, Gibbs explained the company is hopeful it will be able to obtain funds from the sale to pay off roughly 2,000 customers. Compass offers hosting services and the mining equipment in Siberia was owned by customers renting hosting space. During the last year before the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Russia became a preferred “hotspot” for bitcoin miners as electricity in the country is mu

Two Japanese carmakers, Nissan and Toyota, have launched operations in the metaverse. Nissan’s virtual showroom can host vehicle launches and other events, while Toyota’s workspaces are being used to hold employee meetings. ‘Limitless Possibilities’ Japanese carmakers Nissan and Toyota have become the latest global corporations to join the metaverse after a report said the former had launched a virtual showroom while the latter had created virtual workspaces. By establishing a presence in the metaverse, the two carmakers join their European counterparts Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz in making use of the technology. As per a Nikkei Asia report, Nissan has created a digital reality version of its Tokyo gallery Nissan Crossing which can be used for vehicle launches and other events. On its website, Nissan Motor Corporation stated that through its Invisible-to-Visible — an augmented reality interface that connects to the metaverse — it has created “limitless possibilities for services a

A16z, also known as Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital (VC) company that has invested millions in crypto-related projects, has announced the launch of its own crypto research lab. This new initiative seeks to marry academic research with producing ideas and putting them into practice in startups and organizations in which the company is heavily invested. A16z Announces It Will Conduct Blockchain Related Academic Research Andreessen Horowitz, an organization with heavy investments in crypto and Web3 startups, has announced the launch of the a16z crypto research lab, an initiative that will let the company tackle the challenges the sector presents. The company considers that the crypto and Web3 sector has “emerged as a new frontier in technology, and it has matured into an independent field of knowledge that brings together elements of computer science, economics, finance, and the humanities” This potential the VC firm sees in the blockchain environment is what is fueling its

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says India is “a country that is on the frontline of digital currencies,” especially “how it handles a reduction of risk from crypto assets for the Indian people and businesses.” She met with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss crypto regulation. IMF’s Chief Comments on Indian Crypto Policy IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva commended the Indian government’s approach to cryptocurrency at an IMF press conference Wednesday. Responding to a question about “what role India can play in improving the global economic situation so as to safeguard the interests of the most vulnerable,” the IMF chief said, “India already plays a very important international role.” She elaborated: And it is a country that is on the frontline of digital currencies, especially central bank digital currency and how it handles a reduction of risk from crypto assets for the Indian people and businesses. The IMF b

Twenty-three U.S. lawmakers have called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase oversight of cryptocurrency’s environmental impacts. “We request that the EPA evaluate ‘Proof-of-Work’ mining facilities’ compliance with environmental statutes,” they said. Lawmakers Want More Oversight of Bitcoin Mining Industry U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) and 22 other Congress members jointly sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan regarding cryptocurrency mining operations Wednesday. The congressman from California is the chair of the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife. He is also a member of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. The letter calls for “increased oversight of cryptocurrency’s environmental impacts,” Rep. Huffman’s office announced Thursday. In their letter, the lawmakers described: We have serious concerns regarding reports that cryptocurrency faci

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been accused in a media report of agreeing to provide user data to Russia’s financial watchdog. The trading platform has refuted the allegations. It also insists it’s complying with Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Binance Consented to Russian Request for Customer Info, Reuters Claims in ‘Special Report’ Binance, the world’s leading digital asset exchange, has agreed to hand over customer data to Russia’s financial intelligence agency, a report by Reuters suggests. The article refers to messages allegedly sent by Binance’s regional head Gleb Kostarev to a business associate revealing that the Russian officials asked for such information, including names and addresses, during a meeting last April. The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation (Rosfinmonitoring) saw its request supposedly motivated by the need for help in the fight against crime. Quoting an anonymous source familiar with

Forty-six European crypto businesses and organizations have asked finance ministers in 27 European countries to loosen some regulatory requirements for the crypto industry. For example, they asked for decentralized finance (defi) projects to be excluded from the requirements to register as legal entities. Crypto Industry’s Letter to EU Policymakers Forty-six European crypto businesses and organizations have sent a letter to 27 EU finance ministers regarding disclosure requirements for crypto transactions, Reuters reported this week, noting that it has seen the letter. In the letter, dated April 13, the businesses and organizations asked EU policymakers to ensure their regulations do not extend beyond the existing rules that are in line with the standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). They raised concerns about the rules requiring crypto firms to obtain information on parties involved in digital currency transfers. Specifically, they asked that the EU excludes dec

Kadena, a proof-of-work-based cryptocurrency that also has the possibility of supporting smart contracts, has announced a new set of grants directed to incentivize the creation of Web3 experiences. This $100 million grant fund is part of the Kadena Eco initiative, whose objective is to offer builders a complete suite to deploy their solutions on top of the chain. Kadena Grants Seek to Attract People to Ecosystem Kadena, a top-100 cryptocurrency project that is based on proof-of-work (PoW) consensus but also offers the possibility of executing smart contracts, has revealed a new set of developer grants seeking to attract builders to its chain. The grant program, which will have $100 million available for interested teams, is part of the Kadena Eco program, which presents a set of other initiatives directed to help teams, companies, and startups to produce Web3 experiences. The Kadena Eco program includes several other aspects that are to be developed in the near future. Among them

PRESS RELEASE. On 22 April, Tori Zero announced the strategic partnership with Wirex. The first collaboration will focus on a new product developed by Wirex – the Wirex Wallet. Tori Zero will be the first group of NFT projects integrated into this new wallet. Tori Zero is the first virtual idol project in the blockchain industry and the first NFT project that utilises motion capture and facial motion capture technologies. The character has a great background story and comes with a unique virtual idol economic model, which empowers its long-term potential. The collaboration with Wirex is a cross-industry partnership and the first presentation of Tori in Web 2. Wirex is a digital payment platform headquartered in London. It operates globally with teams and offices in different countries and has over 5 million users in more than 130 countries. The new product – Wirex Wallet, will be a cross-chain wallet used for DeFi and NFTs. The initiation of this partnership between Tori and Wirex

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking into the possibility of implementing blockchain technology across its government as well as allowing the use of cryptocurrencies. However, an official said the kingdom can only successfully build blockchain-based solutions if it hires people that are proficient in this technology. Government Needs to Hire Talented Individuals Saudi Arabia is considering putting into action the use of cryptocurrencies in the kingdom as well as the adoption of blockchain, a report quoting a government official has said. In addition, the report says the kingdom has also been discussing Web3 technologies and how these can be utilized. The official, Prince Bandar Bin Abdullah Al Mishari, an assistant to the Minister of Interior for technology, is nonetheless quoted in an Unlock Media report suggesting that more needs to be done before Saudi Arabia can successfully build blockchain-based solutions. He said: There have been several meetings, webinars that have dis

Fidelity Investments, a major financial services firm with $11.3 trillion in assets under administration, has entered the metaverse with the opening of an eight-story learning center and the launch of a metaverse exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fidelity Stack features “a multi-level design complete with a lobby, dance floor, and rooftop sky garden for users to explore on foot – or even through teleport.” Fidelity Enters the Metaverse Fidelity Investments announced Thursday the grand opening of “The Fidelity Stack,” which the brokerage firm described as its “first immersive metaverse experience aimed at offering a new way to learn investing basics.” Fidelity is one of the largest financial services firms; it currently has $11.3 trillion in assets under administration. The Fidelity Stack is an eight-story building in the metaverse where visitors can learn about different ways of investing. One whole floor is dedicated to providing information about Fidelity Metaverse ETF (FMET), the

Tesla and Spacex CEO Elon Musk has revealed his priorities for improving Twitter if he successfully takes over the social media platform. Among his promises are to eliminate crypto spam bots, ensure free speech, implement edit functionality, and simplify the account verification process. Elon Musk’s Twitter Improvement Priorities Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Spacex, has shared how he plans to improve Twitter if his bid to buy the social media giant succeeds. Musk agreed to a tweet Friday stating that he will focus on solving “real problems.” The tweet specifically mentions making Twitter’s algorithm open source, eliminating scam bots, adhering to free speech, and simplifying the account verification process. The Tesla boss has previously addressed each of these improvements in greater detail. Crypto Spam Bots Problem A major problem on Twitter concerns spam bots. Earlier this month, the Tesla boss said that in his opinion, crypto spam bots are the “single most annoying proble

On April 22nd Michael Cameron the CEO and Co-founder of Game Space announced that it has released one of the first GaaS “GameFi as a Service” Platform. Game Space also announced that it had received more than US $7 million in financing. This round of financing is jointly led by top-tier VCs, Listed Gaming companies and top-tier Exchanges. Game Space provides a one-stop GameFi as a Service for large gaming companies and AAA titles, one line of code SDK integration, as well as an NFT exchange engine that can be embedded in games, helping the GameFi project shorten the launch time by up to half a year and greatly reducing the threshold for game companies to enter into Web3. Game Space focuses on being a one-stand solution for AAA gaming studios, making sure there are no limitations for the Gaming companies Game Space works with. Game Space ensures this by having a flexible Tech Stack and compatibility with both EVM and non-EVM Public chains. Also, the Game Space system allows SDK inte

A new study has found that 25% of U.S. cryptocurrency investors own or rent land in the metaverse, or plan to acquire the same. Out of four generations, the Baby Boomer generation has the highest (18%) proportion of crypto investors interested in owning or renting land in the metaverse. Gen Z Less Likely to Own/Rent Property in Metaverse About 25% of cryptocurrency investors in the United States are either owners or rent land in the metaverse, or have plans to, the findings of a study have shown. The findings also show the Baby Boomer generation has the highest proportion of respondents (18%) that are interested in renting or owning space in the metaverse. Millennials, according to the study results, are the generation with the next highest proportion of respondents (12%) that already own or are planning to acquire land or rent in the metaverse. And not far behind are generations X and Z which are tied at 11% each. While it is identified as the digitally native generation in the s

Following the latest round of EU restrictions against Russia, digital asset exchange Binance is limiting services to Russian clients. The company pledged to lead the industry in implementing the sanctions and urged all major trading platforms to follow. Crypto Exchange Binance Cuts Services to Russian Accounts in Accordance With EU Penalties Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, is restricting services for Russian nationals or natural persons residing in Russia and legal entities established in the Russian Federation that have crypto assets exceeding €10,000 ($10,800) in value. The move is in compliance with the European Union’s fifth package of sanctions on Russia, the company said in an announcement on Thursday. Earlier in April, the EU member states agreed to ban the provision of “high-value” crypto asset services to Russian businesses and citizens in response to Moscow’s ongoing military invasion of Ukraine. Binance now requires customers to complete their add

PRESS RELEASE. Blockbank announced plans to join Coach K’s Conference Experience in donating to charities focusing on social impact. The conference will be held at Le Meridien Beach Resort, Phuket, Thailand, from May 9th to May 13th, 2022. Blockbank, an all-in-one mobile banking solution with crypto integration, will partner with Coach K, a thought leader in cryptocurrency investment. Blockbank has helped its users generate managed assets worth more than $100 million while promising a 30% APY in the future. In addition, Coach K insightful advice and coaching produced 100 millionaires in the crypto space in 2021. Blockbank is on a mission to streamline access to financial technology necessary to invest in cryptocurrency. It combines the best of centralized and decentralized finance with traditional banking to deliver a holistic overview of the crypto industry. Participation in the Coach K Conference is part of the platform’s concerted efforts to build partnerships in the industr

A director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that crypto regulation is “certainly high on the agenda” for India. “We are trying to come up with global standards for #crypto asset regulations. I think that’s important for India to also adopt,” said the IMF official. IMF on Crypto Regulation in India Tobias Adrian, Financial Counselor and Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, discussed India’s crypto regulation in an interview with PTI Tuesday at the annual spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank. Adrian said that for India: Regulating crypto assets is certainly high on the agenda. “That is something that is done globally,” he stressed. “Within the Financial Stability Board, we are trying to come up with global standards for crypto asset regulations. I think that’s important for India to also adopt.” Officials of India’s Ministry of Finance have reportedly been consulting with the IMF and the World Bank on

Everscale is the most scalable network in DeFi. With the capacity to process over a million transactions per second, Everscale is able to offer users some of the fastest transaction speeds paired with fractional fees. The Everscale ecosystem includes a cross-chain bridge platform with a unique Universal Bridge mechanism that facilitates liquidity transfers to and from virtually any network, a native DEX with some of the highest APY rates in DeFi on its staking and farming pools, and native wallets. Vlad Ponomarev is the CEO of Broxus. He recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the technology they are developing: Vlad Ponomarev is the CEO of Broxus – one of the core developer teams of the Everscale network and architects of a cross-chain bridge platform, network-native DEX and much more. Commercial strategy, B2B sales and marketing professional with over 10 years of industry experience. To learn more about the technology visit Broxus.com and join the commun

A non-fungible token (NFT) collection called Moonbirds has been a topical conversation within the NFT community as the compilation’s sales have been enormous. The Moonbirds NFT project started selling five days ago on April 16, and since then statistics show the collection has seen $364.83 million in sales. Moonbirds NFT Collection Takes the Top Spot This Week This week a new NFT collection called Moonbirds has surpassed the likes of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), and Cryptopunks sales. Traders only started swapping the 10,000 Moonbirds NFTs five days ago and since then it has captured $364.83 million in sales volume. Moonbirds is currently the top NFT collection this week in terms of overall sales above dozens of unique collections. In fact, Moonbirds sales represent approximately 37.85% of the $963.8 million in total NFT sales recorded during the last week. Moonbirds have been popular because the collection is backed by Proof Collective , a group of