Digital Assets
Digital assets are about more than just Bitcoin. The global adoption of blockchain, expansion of cross-border payments, new investment vehicles tied to intellectual property, and more, could one day establish a global market of digitized assets worth $50 trillion. This channel provides access to the latest developments, opportunities, risks, and thought leaders in the growing Digital Assets space.
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Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) has launched its Crypto app in the European Union (EU), allowing eligible customers to engage in crypto trading with the added incentive of earning Bitcoin rewards. Customers stand to receive up to 1 BTC as a reward when signing up and can earn an additional 1 BTC for each successful referral. The platform claims to be the sole custodial crypto platform in the EU offering customers a percentage of their trading volume back every month, paid in Bitcoin.
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More Stories on Digital Assets
Digital Assets: VanEck Offers The First Ever NFTs From A Global Asset Manager
VanEck, a global asset manager with about $85.5 billion of assets under management, has launched the VanEck Community NFT via the release of 1,000 VanEck NFTs. The VanEck Community NFTs are being designed in partnership with NUMOMO, a premier global creative NFT agency, and reside on the Ethereum ecosystem, an open source blockchain with smart contract functionality.
Alternative Investments/ESG: RBC iShares Launches Four Megatrend ETFs
RBC iShares has expanded its ETFs suite with the launch of four new Megatrend ETFs focused on the transformational themes of exponential technologies, clean energy, immunology and healthcare, and cybersecurity.
Venture Capital: Precision Farming Startup Solinftec Raises $60M
Founded in 2007 by a group of automation engineers from Cuba, Solinftec is an agtech focused startup with headquarters in both São Paulo, Brazil and West Lafayette, Indiana. The company raised $60 million in a growth investment round led by Lightsmith Group and joined by existing investors Unbox Capital and Circularis Partners and several undisclosed investors.
Digital Assets: Buffett Wouldn’t Buy All The Bitcoin In The World For $25
Buffett, who once called bitcoin “rat poison squared,” again had the cryptocurrency in his sights at the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) Annual Shareholder meeting on Saturday. He panned bitcoin for not producing anything tangible and therefore called it a “non-productive asset.”
Digital Assets: Goldman Sachs Makes Its First Loan Against Collateral of Bitcoin
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) has extended its first ever loan backed by a customer’s bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency. According to a spokeswoman of the Wall Street giant, the secured lending facility lent cash collateralized by bitcoin owned by the borrower.
Digital Assets: Dubai’s Damac Properties To Accept Payments In Crypto, Build Metaverse Cities
Leading Dubai developer Damac Properties has announced it will accept the bitcoin and ethereum cryptocurrencies in payment for its properties. The objective, the builder said Wednesday, was to provide cryptos’ convenience and optionality to real estate investors globally. The move would also help revolutionize the future of real estate, specifically, in Dubai.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Global X Launches Metaverse Themed ETF
The metaverse opportunity could exceed $1 trillion according to Global X. Morevoer, the ETF provider categorizes the metaverse as a “long term, paradigm-shifting theme” suitable for inclusion in its Thematic Growth family of funds. Hence its launch of the Global X Metaverse ETF (VR), which will seek opportunities in the metaverse including virtual reality, augmented reality, semiconductors, and creator platforms and economies.
Alternative Investments/Digital: BlackRock Launches Thematic ETFs On FoodTech And Blockchain
BlackRock has launched the iShares Emergent Food and AgTech Multisector ETF (IVEG) and the iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF (IBLC) as a part of its Megatrends range of products.
“The expansion of our megatrends line-up today reflects the power of the millennial and rise of the self-directed investor, whose buying habits have reshaped mainstream consumer behaviors, and in turn, the companies in which they invest,” said Rachel Aguirre, Head of U.S. iShares Product at BlackRock. “We believe the moment is now to embrace these forward-looking investment themes before the market recognizes their full potential.”
Digital Assets: USDC.homes Offers DeFi (Crypto) Home Mortgages
A new decentralized finance project, USDC.homes, is inviting holders of digital assets in Texas to buy homes with their crypto wealth. The so-called “crypto mortgage” allows users to leverage their crypto holdings in the home buying process up to 80% of the purchase price, and even earn interest on their down payment.
Alternative Investments/Digital: An ETP That Combines Gold And Bitcoin Now Trades On A Swiss Exchange
The new ETP from ByteTree Asset Management and 21Shares is based on the principle that in inflationary times such as these, “BOLD is the 60/40.” That’s because it balances a risk-on asset (bitcoin) with a risk-off asset (gold). The 21Shares ByteTree Bold Index ETP (BOLD) is the first exchange traded product (ETP) to combine gold and bitcoin in a single fund.
Digital Assets: Fidelity To Allow 401 (k) Investors Access To Bitcoin
Fidelity Investments today announced the launch of its workplace Digital Assets Account, a product designed to help workers to allocate a part of their savings to bitcoin through the core 401(k) plan investment lineup. The move follows a rising demand from employers to offer the bitcoin as an option to 401(k) investors, with MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) planning to be the first employer to use the product.
Digital Assets: Grayscale’s New Missive To The SEC
Grayscale Investment’s lawyers have shot off another letter to the SEC making their case for approval to convert GBTC to a spot bitcoin ETF. Grayscale Investments, the world’s largest manager of digital assets, has made yet another effort to get the SEC to approve its application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a…
Digital Assets: Algorand Launches Self-Sustaining Smart Contract To Automate Carbon Offsets
Algorand, the blockchain network that was designed from the ground up to be energy-efficient, will implement the first smart contract to automate the offsetting of carbon emissions. The smart contract automatically allocates a portion of every transaction fee to offset its carbon emissions.
FinTech: Stripe And Twitter To Test Crypto Payouts
Stripe said in a blog post today that it had been exploring crypto-currency based platforms to facilitate payouts to creators, freelancers, sellers, and solopreneurs across the world. The “open-access global financial rails” offered by cryptocurrencies was highly attractive to Stripe given that the Connect service could not still reach many countries due to hetereogenous local payment systems. In a pilot, Stripe is testing crypto payouts for Connect via a select group of creators on Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), its first partner.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Fractional Investment In $500M Hedge Fund Through NFTs
Blockchain startup IO Investment Academy is giving investors the opportunity to invest small amounts in a $500 million, blockchain-focused hedge fund that delivered a 300% return rate in 2021 and had an investment minimium starting at $100,000. This first DeFi NFT project is introducing fractional investment into the blockchain world to completely rewrite the traditional investing process.
Digital Assets: In Maryland, You Can Now Pay For Your Porsche With Crypto
Bitpay, the US provider of bitcoin payment services, tweeted its announcement that Porsche Towson, a Porsche dealer serving the Baltimore area in Maryland, US, has started accepting payments for their cars using cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Digital Assets: Bitcoin Mining And ‘Cryptoization’ Pose Risks To Sanctions And Global Finance (IMF)
In its Global Financial Stability Report for April 2022 the IMF has warned of the threats that ‘cryptoization’ could pose to the global financial system if crypto trading surged in emerging markets and countries such as Russia and Iran used their trapped energy to mine cryptos and undermine sanctions.
Digital Assets/Alternative Investments: Australia’s First Bitcoin ETF May Debut Next Week
A bitcoin ETF could debut Down Under following its approval by ASX Clear, the country’s primary clearing house for capital markets. Four market participants (one retail, four institutional) agreed to stump up the hefty 42% margin required for settlement risks. A seven-day notice period now kicks in, and at the end of that, the bitcoin ETF from Cosmos Asset Management could begin trading as early as April 27 on Cboe’s Australian trading venue.
FinTech: Robinhood Acquires UK-Based Crypto Assets Firm Ziglu
Ziglu, a U.K.-based electronic money institution and cryptoasset firm, allows customers to buy and sell eleven cryptocurrencies, pay using a debit card, and remit money abroad without fees. Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), itself a major cryptocurrency-friendly stock trading app, has acquired Ziglu for an undisclosed sum with the objective of expanding its crypto business internationally, particularly UK and Europe.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Allianz’ El-Erian Says Fed Waited Too Long To Recognize Inflation
Speaking to CNBC on Monday, Allianz Chief Economic Advisor Mohamed El-Erian said bitcoin is likely to move higher when the Fed responds to inflation. He commented: “That’s what you get when you’ve waited too long to recognize what inflation is and to take action.”
Digital Assets: Spot Bitcoin ETF – Grayscale Warns SEC Is On Thin Ice
CEO Sonnenshein claims the SEC could potentially violate the Administrative Procedure Act by blocking a spot bitcoin ETF. The SEC may have put itself into an untenable position by approving a bitcoin ETF both under the the Investment Company Act of 1940 (40 Act) as well as the Securities Act of 1933 (33 Act). Grayscale…
Digital Assets: Gemini Introduces Instant Crypto Rewards Credit Card
Crypto platform Gemini, which was founded by the Winklevoss twins, has launched the Gemini Credit Card. It’s the first instant crypto rewards credit card that provides a seamless way for consumers to acquire up to 3%+ back from 60+ cryptocurrencies supported on Gemini’s platform. Issued by WebBank, the new card features Mastercard as the exclusive card network.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Fidelity Launches Crypto And Metaverse Themed ETFs
Fidelity Investments launched today two new thematic ETFs that provide equity exposure to emerging industry ecosystems such as the crypto and metaverse industries. The Fidelity Crypto Industry and Digital Payments ETF (FDIG) and Fidelity Metaverse ETF (FMET) would be available on or about April 21, 2022, for individual investors and financial advisors to purchase commission-free through Fidelity’s online brokerage platforms.