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: Sony And Lego Back Epic’s Metaverse Vision With $1B Each
Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, announced it had raised $1 billion each from existing investor Sony Group Corporation as well as KIRKBI, the family-owned holding and investment company behind The LEGO Group. The funding, intended to advance Epic’s vision to build the metaverse and fuel its growth, valued Epic at $31.5 billion.
Digital Assets: Peter Thiel Targets Wall Street Head Honchos In Blistering Tirade
Speaking at the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami on Thursday, billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel questioned why bitcoin could not achieve the market capitalizations of gold ($12 trillion) and the equities market ($115 trillion).
Digital Assets: Online Checkout Company Bolt Acquires Blockchain Software Provider Wyre For $1.5B
Bolt Financial Inc will acquire Wyre Payments Inc in a transaction valued about $1.5 billion, according to Bloomberg, which quoted the WSJ for the deal amount. Both firms announced the takeover today citing the growing adoption of crypto for purchases of goods and services, as well as Web3.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Blockchain.com And Altis Partners Launch Crypto Asset Management Platform
BCAM is targeted at institutions, family offices and high net worth individuals. Blockchain.com announced the launch of Blockchain.com Asset Management (BCAM), a crypto asset management platform offered in partnership with Altis Partners. The collaboration marries Blockchain.com’s expertise in digital asset trading, security, data, research and market access with Altis’ expertise in systematic trading, risk management,…
Alternative Investments/Digital: ProShares Proposes Inverse Bitcoin ETF
An inverse ETF works opposite to the index it tracks. An investor in a short bitcoin ETF would make money if bitcoin, and the tracking index, declines. In Canada, the BetaPro Inverse Bitcoin ETF (TSE: BITI) has been trading since April 2021. In the US there is no similar product, but that could change, because ProShares has applied for one.
Alternative Investments/Digital: DeFi Launches Cardano, Polkadot, And Solana ETPs on Euronext
DeFi Technologies’ subsidiary Valour Inc commenced trading of Valour Cardano (ADA), Valour Polkadot (DOT), and Valour Solana (SOL) ETPs on the Euronext exchanges in Paris and Amsterdam with effect from today. The ETPs offer a simple and secure route, through a bank or broker, to gain exposure to the ADA, DOT, and SOL tokens without the need to set up a crypto wallet.
Alternative Investments/Real Estate: First Trust Launches Disruptive Technology Real Estate ETF In Europe
The First Trust Alerian Disruptive Technology Real Estate UCITS ETF, a new launch from First Trust, offers investors exposure to unconventional, digital-related real estate plays around themes including cloud computing (through exposure to data centers), 5G connectivity (telecommunication tower sites), and e-commerce logistics (specialized buildings and warehouses).
Digital Assets: Crypto Mining – PrimeBlock To Merge With SPAC; Riot To Sell $500M Of Stock
Crypto mining company Prime Blockchain, which has over 110 megawatts of installed data center capacity across 12 facilities in North America, has been valued at $1.25 billion for its merger with 10X Capital Venture Acquisition Corp. II (Nasdaq: VCXA), announced Friday. 10X Capital Venture is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by 10X Capital, focused on identifying high growth technology and tech-enabled businesses domestically and abroad.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Another One Bites The Dust – SEC Rejects Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, jointly created by ARK Investments and 21Shares, has been rejected by the SEC, the latest in a long line of spot bitcoin ETF hopefuls that have been shown the door by the regulator.
Digital Assets: Bitcoin Could Hit $4.8M, Gold $31K, If Central Banks Diversify Reserves Out of Hard Currencies (VanEck)
The US/Eurozone/Japan have gone “nuclear” in their economic war against Russia for its Ukraine aggression. Concerted and global sanctions on the Russian central bank have essentially wiped Russia’s dollar, euro, and yen reserves, and that’s the new money paradigm, according to an analysis by VanEck.
Venture Capital: Blockchain.com Raises Unspecified Amount, Clocks Massive $14B Valuation
A Bloomberg report Thursday said Blockchain.com, a cryptocurrency exchange and financial services firm, had raised new finance at a valuation north of $14 billion, more than double its previous worth, in a round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with major participation from Baillie Gifford & Co.
Digital Assets: Bengal Energy Will Mine Crypto From Stranded Gas Using Rigs Installed In Portable ‘Dongas’
“Stranded” gas, or gas that cannot reach a distribution pipeline, must necessarily be flared off by energy companies. This is a huge waste of energy that is extremely harmful for the environment. Bengal Energy (TSX: BNG) plans to use the gas to generate energy that will drive crypto mining rigs housed inside makeshift, portable housing located close to the gas source. A win-win situation, because it generates revenue from the sale of the crypto, and avoids wastage of gas and pollution.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Mirae Launches Three New Global X ETFs In Hong Kong
Seoul-headquartered Mirae Asset Global Investments has launched three new ETFs in Hong Kong under its Global X banner. The Global X Hang Seng ESG ETF (HKG: 3029), Global X Metaverse Theme Active ETF (HKG: 3006), and Global X Electric Vehicle and Battery Active ETF (HKG: 3139) are listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Alternative Investments/Digital Assets: VanEck’s Digital Assets Mining ETF (DAM) Offers Exposure To Crypto Miners
VanEck launched earlier this month the VanEck Digital Assets Mining ETF (NASDAQ: DAM). It offers targeted exposure to digital assets mining companies, which validate and process blockchain transactions to create new units of cryptocurrency. The new ETF expanded VanEck’s crypto and blockchain-focused investment offerings and providing investors access to companies essential to driving digital transformation.
Digital Assets: Deep-Pocketed Buyers Including Terra And MicroStrategy Circle Bitcoin
A wallet said to belong to Do Kwon-led Terraform Labs received 2943.00002511 bitcoin ($139 million) on Wednesday, says a report in CoinTelegraph. With the latest purchase, the Terra wallet now has, hold your breath, about 31,000 bitcoin valued approximately $1.417 billion. Meanwhile, MicroStrategy has raised $205 million for buying bitcoin.
Alternative Investments/Digital Assets: Huobi Tech To Launch Crypto ETFs In Hong Kong
Huobi Tech has proposed to launch a crypto-based financial product aimed at retail investors. The ETF plan, placed before Hong Kong regulator Securities and Futures Commission, would be Hong Kong regulated and open to retail investors with less than HK$8 million (US$1 million) in assets.
Digital Assets: Grayscale’s Sonnenshein Prepared To Take Legal Recourse If SEC Nixes GBTC’s ETF Conversion
Grayscale Investments CEO Michael Sonnenshein could escalate his ongoing struggle to get SEC approval for converting the firm’s flagship Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into an ETF by taking recourse to the courts. In a Bloomberg interview the reporter asked whether Grayscale would consider an APA lawsuit if the SEC rejected its October 2021 application. “I think all options are on the table come July,” Sonnenshein replied.
Digital Assets: Bitcoin Takes Out $48K, Now In Green For 2022
Bitcoin has shaken off its bearish blues and surged higher since Friday. On Monday, it touched a 24-hour high of $48,080.62, building on a sharp rally late on Sunday evening. The bullish trend in bitcoin is in the face of the continuing war in Ukraine, as well as hawkish pronouncements by Fed chair Jerome Powell meant to counter inflation.
Digital Assets: Cowen Launches Digital Asset Services For Institutions
Cowen Inc (NASDAQ: COWN), the New York-headquartered investment banking firm has launched Cowen Digital LLC, its digital asset division focussed on institutional clients. The new division offers full-service trade execution and custody solutions on a platform that provides these clients with secure and compliant access to the digital asset ecosystem.
Venture Capital: Katie Haun Raises $1.5B, Sets New Record For Initial Fund By Female Founder
Haun Ventures, a venture firm established by Katie Haun, who previously was at Andreessen Horowitz, has raised a $1.5 billion war chest to deploy in web3-facing startups. Haun announced the fund will invest through two platforms: a $500 million early stage fund and a $1 billion acceleration fund.
Venture Capital: Yuga Labs, Which Created The Bored Ape Yacht Club, Reels In $450M Seed Funding
Yuga Labs raised $450 million in a monster seed round led by led by a16z crypto, with participation from Animoca Brands and its subsidiary The Sandbox, LionTree, Sound Ventures, Thrive Capital, and crypto leaders like FTX and MoonPay, and other partners and collaborators. Yuga is the owner of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, a collection of NFTs that has grabbed the internet’s attention and could well become a big brand.
Digital Assets: Stronghold Digital Uses Energy From Coal Waste To Mine Bitcoin
Millions of tons of coal waste litter across Pennsylvania at coal mining sites that were abandoned after their useful coal was mined and sold to steel mills and power plants. Stronghold Digital Mining (NASDAQ: SDIG) has devised a method to turn these waste mountains into energy that can be used to mine bitcoin.
Digital Assets/Alternative Investments: Grayscale Launches Smart Contract Platform Fund
Grayscale Investments has launched the Grayscale Smart Contract Platform Ex-Ethereum Fund in response to a perceived demand for diversified exposure to crypto protocols leveraging decentralized smart contract technology.
FinTech: RippleNet Noted In Arab Monetary Fund’s Guide On CBDCs
The Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) recently issued an exhaustive guide to Central Bank Digital currencies (CBDCs) with a view to inform Arab central banks on various aspects relating to CBDCs. Interestingly, a page of the publication analyzes payment modernization methods that could serve as an alternative to CBDCs, with Ripplenet and Ripple’s XRP listed as an example.