Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

PRESS RELEASE. SEOUL – Iskra took the stage at Korea Blockchain Week, outlining their vision of game publishing in the era of Web3. “The technology is now available for us to provide an ecosystem that enables better outcomes for everyone: players, game developers and the platform itself. There is now an opportunity for every stakeholder (especially players) to share in the overall value created by the game experience: from digital asset ownership, fandom development, to overall community participation.”, explains Ben Colayco, Iskra’s Global Managing Director. Iskra plans on distributing up to 100% of all platform fees to every stakeholder, based on their participation. Participation is determined through Iskra’s Community Ranking System that measures everything from running an Iskra network node (Pioneer NFT), staking Iskra’s native token (ISK), to simply using platform services. This form of Game Publishing for Web3 includes the players as stakeholders from the very beginning, cre

Two of the biggest soccer clubs in Spain, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, have applied to receive trademarks for some elements in the metaverse. The clubs have introduced an application that encompasses different activities and services that they can conduct in the metaverse, including a cryptocurrency wallet and the possibility of selling virtual merchandise. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona Interested in the Metaverse Sports teams are now moving their activities to the metaverse, in order to create new profit sources and also to improve feedback and their relationship with fans. Recently, two of the biggest soccer clubs in Spain, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, have filed a joint trademark application to offer several services in the metaverse. Trademark Attorney Michael Kondoudis first reported about the trademark application on social media, reporting that it was filed on August 5. The trademark filing indicates that the two clubs may be interested in offering their own cryptocurrency

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen crypto exchange Vauld’s crypto and bank assets worth about INR 370 crore ($46,439,181). Vauld halted deposits and withdrawals last month. The Indian law enforcement agency is reportedly investigating more than 10 cryptocurrency exchanges. Indian Authority Freezes Another Cryptocurrency Exchange’s Assets The Enforcement Directorate (ED), a law enforcement and economic intelligence agency of the government of India, has frozen the assets of another cryptocurrency exchange. The agency announced Friday that it has conducted searches at various premises of Yellow Tune Technologies in Bangalore and has issued an order to freeze its bank balances, payment gateway balances, and crypto balances of Flipvolt Technologies’ crypto exchange totaling 370 crore rupees ($46,439,181) worth of assets. Flipvolt Technologies is the India-registered entity of Singapore-headquartered Vauld, a cryptocurrency trading, borrowing, and lending platform. ED ex

The central bank of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, has announced that it will stop accepting crypto license applications for three years, starting next month. The central bank is the primary regulator of the crypto sector in the Philippines. Philippines Halts Accepting Crypto License Applications The Philippine central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, announced Wednesday that it will stop accepting new Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license applications for three years. In a memorandum dated Aug. 10, the central bank explained that it “aims to strike a balance between promoting innovation in the financial sector and ensuring that associated risks remain within manageable levels.” The central bank added, “The Bangko Sentral recognizes that as VAs [virtual assets] offer opportunities to promote greater access to financial services at reduced costs, they also pose varied risks that may undermine financial stability,” elaborating: In this regard, the regular

PRESS RELEASE. Zug, Switzerland, 12th August 2022: GAIMIN announces the opening of its gaming and monetization platform to the gaming community. Following recently completed initial testing of its monetisation and gaming platform, GAIMIN.io ltd is opening up its gaming and monetization platform to 10,000 gamers during August and September. GAIMIN’s monetization application enables a user to utilize the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) installed in a PC to participate in GAIMIN’s distributed data processing network, returning up to 90% of rewards generated back to the user. With a specific focus on PC-based gamers as users, GAIMIN’s app allows gamers to utilize their passively generated rewards to purchase in-game assets such as NFTs and native gaming tokens (including V-Bucks and Apex Legends coins) and as well as purchasing accessories and merchandise from GAIMIN Gladiators, GAIMIN’s esports division all of which is designed to deliver true utility for GAIMIN’s GMRX token. Andrew

The U.S. government banning the ethereum mixing service Tornado Cash and the enforcement that has followed has the crypto community in an uproar about the event. A large number of crypto and privacy advocates have spoken out against the actions the government has taken so far, and the nonprofit advocacy group Fight for the Future calls the ban “a threat to the future of financial privacy.” Advocacy Group Fight for the Future Says US Government Threatens Financial Privacy — ‘There Are Many Legitimate Reasons to Seek Anonymity in Financial Transactions’ On August 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash. The U.S. government claims that the application was used to allegedly “launder more than $7 billion worth of virtual currency since its creation in 2019.” Following the ban, Github contributors were suspended from the software repository platform and on August 12, the Tornado Cash Discord s

Mercado Libre, one of the biggest retailers in Latam, has announced that it plans to expand its cryptocurrency trading services to more countries in the region. The company, whose cryptocurrency services are now just available for customers in Brazil through Mercado Pago, its payments and digital wallet, already has more than 1 million customers using these services. Mercado Libre to Expand Crypto Offering in Latam More companies are extending their services to include cryptocurrency in Latam. Mercado Libre, one of the biggest Latam region retailers, has plans to expand its cryptocurrency services to include more countries in the zone. Osvaldo Gimenez, head of Mercado Pago, Mercado Libre’s digital payments and wallet service, informed El Pais about these plans. He declared: We are going to be expanding in the region the possibility of buying, selling and having cryptocurrencies in your account. It works with bitcoin, with ethereum and with the stable currency that reflects the va

Picpay, a payments and wallet app, is now providing cryptocurrency services to more than 30 million users in Brazil. The company, that had announced this rollout last month, now allows its customers to purchase, hold, and sell digital assets from its platform. The organization partnered with Paxos, the issuer of the pax dollars stablecoin, in order to provide these services. Picpay Launches Crypto Trading Services in Brazil Fintech companies are introducing crypto as a way of getting their customers acquainted with cryptocurrency as an alternative investment opportunity. Picpay, one of the biggest payment and wallet apps in Brazil, has announced the rollout of its cryptocurrency trading services program in the country. The company, which has now more than 30 million active users, will allow them to purchase, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies directly through its app. The exchange and settlement services will be provided by Paxos, a New York-based blockchain services platform. In the

This week the bitcoin mining company Genesis Digital Assets announced that the firm has secured 708 megawatts (MW) in capacity and revealed plans to create 130 full-time jobs in the United States. The chief operating officer at Genesis, Andrey Kim, said the firm has been pleased with “the pace” of the bitcoin mining company’s U.S. expansion. Genesis Digital Assets U.S. Expansion Gathers 708 MW of Power On Wednesday, Genesis Digital Assets revealed it has acquired 708 MW of capacity as the firm’s U.S. expansion continues. Presently, Genesis mines bitcoin in four locations in Texas, three locations in South Carolina, and one location in North Carolina. During the first half of 2022, Genesis secured the 708 MW from the Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina regions. The company said the expansion will create 130 full-time jobs and roughly 495 construction jobs for the local communities. “Every day, we are given a chance to create meaningful and lasting relationships by creating j

Crypto exchange Hotbit has announced the suspension of trading, deposits, withdrawals, and funding on its platform. The exchange said law enforcement has frozen some of its funds and subpoenaed some senior managers as they investigate a criminal case involving the exchange’s former employee. Hotbit Suspends Trading, Deposits, Withdrawals Cryptocurrency exchange Hotbit announced the suspension of its services on Wednesday. The company wrote: We regret to inform you that Hotbit will have to suspend trading, deposit, withdrawal and funding functions. The exact time of resumption cannot be determined at the moment. The exchange detailed that the reason for the suspension is because a former management employee is suspected of violating criminal laws. The employee left Hotbit in April. Unbeknownst to the exchange, he was involved in a project last year that was in violation of the company’s internal practice, the announcement details. Law enforcement has subpoenaed a number of Hotb

The world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, has launched a spot bitcoin private trust. “Despite the steep downturn in the digital asset market, we are still seeing substantial interest from some institutional clients,” said Blackrock. Blackrock Launches Bitcoin Trust Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, has launched “Blackrock bitcoin private trust.” According to a Thursday blog post, the spot bitcoin private trust, available to U.S. institutional clients, seeks to track the performance of BTC , less expenses and liabilities of the trust. The asset management firm detailed: Despite the steep downturn in the digital asset market, we are still seeing substantial interest from some institutional clients in how to efficiently and cost-effectively access these assets using our technology and product capabilities. “Bitcoin is the oldest, largest, and most liquid cryptoasset, and is currently the primary subject of interest from our clients within the cryptoasset space,” th

Authorities in Uzbekistan are restricting access to online crypto trading platforms based outside the country and not registered under its laws. A presidential decree obliges citizens and local companies to only use digital asset exchanges licensed by the government of the Central Asian nation. Uzbekistan Takes Steps to Prevent Crypto Trading and Custody on Foreign Platforms Uzbekistan’s National Agency of Perspective Projects ( NAPP ) has registered a spike in activities of online platforms providing crypto-related services to Uzbekistanis without the necessary license. The regulatory body says these facilitate trading of cryptocurrencies and request personal information without complying with a requirement to have their servers installed in the country. In a recent statement , the agency pointed out that such platforms “do not bear any legal responsibility for carrying out operations with crypto assets, cannot guarantee the legitimacy of transactions, as well as the proper storag

Bank of England’s analysts say crypto assets could have important roles within the metaverse. “Widespread adoption of crypto in the metaverse … would require compliance with robust consumer protection and financial stability regulatory frameworks,” they added. Bank of England’s Analysts on the Metaverse, Crypto, and Regulation Bank of England’s economist Owen Lock and policy analyst Teresa Cascino published a blog post titled “Cryptoassets, the metaverse and systemic risk” Tuesday. “Cryptoassets could have important roles within the metaverse,” they began, cautioning: If an open and decentralized metaverse grows, existing risks from cryptoassets may scale to have systemic financial stability consequences. “Widespread adoption of crypto in the metaverse, or any other setting would require compliance with robust consumer protection and financial stability regulatory frameworks,” they stressed. Lock and Cascino explained that “The open metaverse will require a means with which to

PRESS RELEASE. ReadON ( readon.me ), a company that aims to provide users with a brand-new content consumption experience by utilizing blockchain, completed its seed investment round of $2M led by SevenX Ventures. Other investors included HashKey Capital, Foresight Ventures, Sky9 Capital, ArkStream Capital, Puzzle Ventures, CyberConnect, M23 Fund, Smrti Lab and individual investors. The seed funding will be used to develop a ReadON mobile application and a decentralized recommendation system. Neo Y., Cofounder and CEO of ReadON, is a serial entrepreneur who founded a games and applications company that made over 500K DAU, $10 million in revenue in 2020. Neo previously worked as the Director of Product at Qutoutiao (NASDAQ: QTT) , responsible for designing the best Play2Earn product in China with 30M daily active users. Troy H., Co-founder and CTO of ReadON, was formerly the senior technology manager at ByteDance. Prior to that, Troy was a senior tech lead at Pinterest (NYSE: PI

On August 9, a firm that uses landfill methane to fuel bitcoin miners, Vespene Energy, announced the company has raised $4.3 million in a funding round led by Polychain Capital. Vespene aims to use the funds for its pilot in California by using landfill methane to mine bitcoin and “mitigate a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.” Vespene Energy Raises $4.3M in Funding Round Led by Polychain Capital, Firm Aims to Give Landfill Owners the Ability to Monetize Landfill Methane Vespene Energy announced that the company has raised $4.3 million from a financing round led by Polychain Capital. According to the company’s website , the startup converts landfill methane into bitcoin value with no grid connections or pipeline buildout. Vespene essentially installs onsite data centers powered by micro-turbines, getting energy from municipal landfills’ methane. It gives landfill owners the ability to monetize their landfill methane, “reducing routine flaring and maintenance costs,” Vespe

President Joe Biden stated Wednesday that the U.S. economy had zero percent inflation in July following the latest CPI report. “Biden is claiming that we saw zero percent inflation last month. But there’s a zero percent chance that’s the case. Inflation in July was 8.5%, which is still a 40-year high,” said a lawmaker. Biden’s Zero Inflation Comment and Responses On Wednesday, President Joe Biden publicly stated that the U.S. economy had 0% inflation in July after the latest consumer price index (CPI) report was released. “Before I begin today, I want to say a word about the news that came out today relative to the economy,” Biden began. “Actually, I just want to say a number: zero.” The president added: Today, we received news that our economy had zero percent inflation in the month of July. Zero percent. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, similarly stated on Twitter: “We just received news that our economy had 0% inflation in July. While the price of some t

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says “the more regulation there is for crypto, the better it is for Coinbase.” He revealed an inquiry from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), noting: “We do not yet know if this inquiry will become a formal investigation.” Coinbase’s CEO on Crypto Regulation The CEO of Coinbase Global (Nasdaq: COIN), Brian Armstrong, discussed his company’s performance and cryptocurrency regulation during Coinbase’s Q2 earnings call Tuesday. Coinbase’s revenue declined almost 64% in the second quarter. The company reported a $1.1 billion net loss, compared with $1.59 billion in net income in the same quarter last year. “Q2 was a test of durability for crypto companies and a complex quarter overall,” Coinbase said in its latest letter to shareholders. Regarding cryptocurrency regulation, Armstrong detailed: “We’ve been pleased to see the progress recently both in the U.S. and in countries around the world toward more clear legislation for crypto. In the

When non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles became popular, the fractionalized NFT market grew past the $200 million range seven months ago in December 2021. Since then, the fractionalized NFT market has lost more than 76% in value, dropping to an overall market capitalization of around $50 million. Fractional NFT Market Value Slides From $212 Million to $50 Million The fractionalized NFT market followed alongside the sizable growth the entire NFT industry saw last year. At its height in December 2021, the overall fractionalized NFT market valuation was approximately $212.6 million , according to metrics recorded by dappradar.com. Today, the value has evaporated by 76.41% , as the current fractionalized NFT market capitalization is roughly $50,401,068. Over seven months ago on Sunday, December 12, 2021, the largest fractionalized NFT project market valuation belonged to the Doge NFT (DOG) with a $130.14 million market cap. Today, the Doge fractionalized NFT project is still the top