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: Binance Smart Chain Launches $1B Growth Fund For Blockchain Development And Adoption
The fund will invest in the development of an ecosystem for the Binance Smart Chain. Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange and creator of the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), has announced a $1 billion growth fund to boost adoption of BSC for decentralized applications, or dApps. Describing it as one of the best blockchains for…
Digital Assets: Bakkt’s Virtual Visa Debit Card To Work With Google Pay
Bakkt announced today a tie-up with Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) to allow Bakkt users to add their virtual Bakkt Visa Debit Card into Google Pay to purchase everyday goods and services online, in-store, or wherever Google Pay is accepted. A user’s Bakkt crypto balance, such as bitcoin, would be converted into a fiat currency, such as dollars, to facilitate the payment.
Digital Assets: Public.com Launches Crypto Trading
Public.com, the stock trading app, social network, and rival to Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), has added functionality to trade bitcoin, ether, cardano, dogecoin, litecoin, bitcoin cash, stellar, ethereum classic, dash, and zcash on its app.
Alternative Investments/Digital: The Volt ETF, Focused On Bitcoin Companies, Gets SEC Nod
The SEC approved on October 5 a new ETF that provides investors exposure to companies that hold a majority of their net assets in bitcoin or derive a majority of their profit or revenue from bitcoin-related activities.
Digital Assets: Crypto Miner Riot Held 3,534 Bitcoins Valued $191.5M On September 30
Riot Blockchain (NASDAQ: RIOT), the listed bitcoin mining company, said it produced 2,457 bitcoin during the year to date through September 2021. Compared to its production of 731 bitcoins in the same period in 2020, the company has boosted production by 236%.
Digital Assets: Is Adoption Of Bitcoin And Other Cryptos Breaking Out?
A round-up of news from across the world that shows that the adoption of crypto assets may be catching speed. From events at Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) to BNY Mellon (NYSE: BK), and Uruguay to India, it’s clear one can’t ignore this new asset class.
Digital Assets: Brazil May Soon Vote For Bitcoin As Legal Tender
Brazilians may soon be allowed to buy houses, cars, and fries at McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) using bitcoin, according to Federal Deputy Aureo Ribeiro (pictured above). That’s if Bill 2.303/15, which calls for the regulation of virtual currencies, is approved by the country’s Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies this week.
Digital Assets: In El Salvador, Pay For Gas With Bitcoin To Get A Discount
El Salvador residents get another reason to use their Chivo bitcoin wallet. Buying gas with it will earn them a discount of $0.20 per gallon, according to an announcement by President Nayib Bukele. Taking to Twitter, Bukele said on September 30: “The state company Chivo negotiated with the largest gas station companies in our country so that starting tomorrow, their stations will sell each gallon of fuel $ 0.20 cheaper, with Chivo wallet.” (Translated)
Alternative Investments/Digital: Evolve Launches Canada’s First Multi-Crypto ETF
It’s Canada’s, and perhaps North America’s first multi-crypto ETF, but maybe not the world. “We thought we were the world’s first, but I got a message from a Brazilian issuer saying it’s actually not the first in the world,” said Raj Lala, Evolve’s President and CEO, to Wealth Professional. Nevertheless, the Evolve Cryptocurrencies ETF provides investors with exposure to both bitcoin and ether.
Digital Assets: “Short Squeeze” Attributed As Bitcoin Jumps Over 10%
The leading crypto suddenly spiked above $47,000 today, putting on over $5,000 in just an hour. The sharp rally in bitcoin today by over 10% had traders scratching their heads for a plausible reason. The near vertical move melted technical resistance lines, and in what appears to have been a perfect short squeeze, had bears…
Digital Assets: Gary Gensler Reaffirms Preference For Futures-Based Bitcoin ETFs
In prepared remarks for the Financial Times’ “Future of Asset Management North America Conference,” SEC chair Gary Gensler reiterated his preference for a futures-backed bitcoin ETF, and pointed to a number of open-ended mutual funds that took exposure to bitcoin futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Digital Assets: Swiss Regulator FINMA Approves First Swiss Crypto Asset Fund
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA has approved the first crypto fund according to Swiss law. The “Crypto Market Index Fund” by Crypto Finance (Asset Management) AG is restricted to qualified investors and will invest primarily in cryptoassets, or assets based on the blockchain or distributed ledger technology, the FINMA said in a statement.
Digital Assets: Facebook Announces Two-Year, $50M Investment To Responsibly Develop The Metaverse
Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) has announced XR Programs and Research Fund, a two-year $50 million investment in programs and external research to develop metaverse products responsibly. “The metaverse won’t be built overnight by a single company,” Facebook said in its announcement. “We’ll collaborate with policymakers, experts and industry partners to bring this to life.”
Digital Assets: President Bukele Says More Than Two Million Salvadorans Using Chivo Crypto Wallet
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced that over two million of his countrymen were using Chivo, the government-backed cryptocurrency wallet introduced when the bitcoin became legal tender in the central American nation.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Invesco And Galaxy Digital To Partner On Crypto ETFs
Global asset management firm Invesco (NYSE: IVZ) and Galaxy Digital, (TSE: GLXY), the crypto and digital asset-focused company led by Mike Novogratz, have announced a collaboration for the development of U.S.-listed, physically-backed, digital asset exchange-traded funds.
Digital Assets: China Bans Cryptocurrency Transactions
China’s regulators came together to impose a blanket ban on all crypto transactions including mining. The leading crypto, bitcoin, fell sharply following the action, and is currently trading at $42,183, down nearly 6%, after touching a low of $40,750.
Digital Assets: UAE Greenlights Crypto Trading In Dubai World Trade Centre Free Zone
On Wednesday, the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) announced it had signed an agreement with the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) for the regulation, offering, issuance, listing and trading of crypto assets and related financial activities within DWTCA’s free zone. While the SCA is a regulatory body with oversight of the UAE’s financial markets, the DWTCA is an economic free zone.
Digital Assets: Bitcoin Miner Genesis Digital Lands $431M To Expand Operations
Genesis Digital Assets, which runs 2.4% of the bitcoin mining network, has announced a $431 million raise led by Paradigm. Claimed to be the largest ever achieved by a bitcoin mining company, the round also won participation from NYDIG, Stoneridge, FTX, Ribbit, Electric Capital, Skybridge, and Kingsway Capital.
Digital Assets: Robinhood Testing Crypto Wallet Feature In Its App
Robinhood users will soon get a long-awaited wallet to store their cryptos. Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) users will soon get a wallet feature in their app allowing them to send and receive digital currencies, including bitcoin, into a wallet. They can, therefore, directly transact the cryptocurrencies without having to convert them into fiat. (Bloomberg) Developer Stever…
Digital Assets: Global Digital Bank Revolut Signs Up WeWork Space In Dallas Using Bitcoin
In an innovative move, UK-based neobank Revolut is offering most of its 2,000 employees “permanent flexible working,” allowing them to choose when and how often they would like to work from home or visit the workplace. The company has paid with bitcoin to take space from WeWork for more than 300 employees in Dallas, the base for its US expansion.
Alternative Investments/Digital/ESG: Accelerate’s Carbon-Negative Bitcoin ETF
Accelerate Financial Technologies’ world-first Carbon Negative Bitcoin ETF (TSE: ABTC), now trading on the TSE, offsets more than 100% (“negative”) of the estimated carbon emissions from associated bitcoin mining and transaction activities.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Scaramucci’s Skybridge Mulls $250M Fund Based On The Algorand Blockchain
Skybridge Capital, Anthony Scaramucci’s New York-based investment firm and hedge fund, plans to make a foray into blockchain in partnership with the NAX trading platform to raise up to $250 million for a fund based on the Algorand blockchain.
Digital Assets: The ECB’s Christine Lagarde Attacks Cryptos
Speaking on a wide-ranging interview with David Rubenstein published on Thursday, ECB President and crypto-skeptic Christine Lagarde made it clear that her negative views on cryptocurrencies had not changed.
Digital Assets: SFOX Launches Crypto Trading Platform For Hedge Funds And Asset Managers
SFOX, a crypto prime broker, has launched a trading product that will allow hedge funds to execute highly sophisticated trading strategies at scale. The new crypto product offers features that were previously only available to the market’s largest firms.