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.
Top Story
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.
Get Daily Updates
Subscribe to DailyAlts Today to get Alternative Investment news, insight, and commentary delivered straight to your inbox every day.
More Stories on Digital Assets
Digital Assets: DOJ Busts NetWalker Ransomware Actors
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday its successful strike against the notorious NetWalker ransomware and its perpetrators. The coordinated international action, led by the FBI’s Tampa Field office indicted a Canadian Canadian national, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, who allegedly obtained $27.6 million as a “Netwalker affiliate.” Additionally, the law enforcement agents seized $454,530.19 in cryptocurrency from ransom payments. They also disabled a dark web hidden tool that the bad actors used to communicate with NetWalker ransomware victims.
Digital Assets: The Gamestop Fiasco Proves BTC Is Going To Work (Scaramucci)
In an interview on Bloomberg this week, Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of Skybridge Capital, spoke about the Gamestop (NYSE: GME) fracas and its implications for bitcoin (BTC), the leading cryptocurrency.
Alternative Investments: BMO Launches 11 New ‘Megatrend’ ETFs
BMO announced Tuesday the launch of 11 new Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Five of these ETFs form part of an Innovation suite, while the other six focus on clean energy, covered calls, fixed income, and ESG.
Alternative Investments/Digital: The Wave BTC Income & Growth Fund Clocks 146% Return
The numbers are out for the Wave BTC Income & Growth Digital Fund’s first full year of trading, and they’re impressive. The fund scored a 145.8% annual gain for its investors which include institutions, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.
FinTech: Infinity Maritime Names Four Shipbrokers For Its Alternative Ship Finance Platform
Infinity Maritime aims to provide a sustainable solution for maritime finance by digitizing ship portfolios on its platform. This enables fractional ownership, secondary trading in ships, and the financing of environmentally sustainable fleets. The London-based platform announced Wednesday a collaboration with four major shipbrokers to source ships for the creation of a sustainable fleet.
Digital Assets: Central Bank Of Bahrain Licenses Shariah Compliant Crypto Exchange CoinMENA
Investors in select Gulf countries, looking to invest in the burgeoning world of cryptocurrencies, may soon get that opportunity. CoinMENA, a digital assets exchange certified as Shariah-compliant by the Shariyah Review Board, announced Sunday that it had received the all-important license to operate from Bahrain’s central bank.
Digital Assets: WhatsApp Alternative Signal Said To Be Developing Crypto Payments
An investigation report by Platformer’s Casey Newton says messaging app Signal, which promotes privacy through end-to-end encryption, without any commercial motive, is in turmoil. Downloads of the app after Facebook’s proposed privacy changes have gone through the roof. An employee told Newton that the app boasts of 40 million users globally. But proposed new features in the app have raised concerns amongst employees and some have left.
Digital Assets: Corporates Dip-Buy Bitcoin; Marathon Invests $150M
In one stroke, Marathon Patent Group (NASDAQ: MARA), a crypto mining company, has pivoted to become a listed, pure-play option for investors seeking a proxy investment for bitcoin. The company announced today that it had bought 4,812.66 BTC at an aggregate purchase price of $150 million through NYDIG, the bitcoin-dedicated, financial and technology services company.
Alternative Investments/Digital Assets: Valkyrie Joins The Race To Launch A Bitcoin ETF
Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valkyrie Investments Inc., has thrown its hat in the ring to obtain SEC approval for the launch of a bitcoin ETF. On Friday, Valkyrie submitted its application to the regulator for the “Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund,” to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Digital Assets: BlackRock Dips Its Toes In Bitcoin Waters
Filings out Wednesday show that the BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio and BlackRock Global Allocation Fund may invest in cash-settled bitcoin futures, among other assets. BlackRock (NYSE: BLK), the world’s largest asset manager with $7.8 trillion in assets, said in the filings that certain of its funds “may engage in futures contracts based on bitcoin.”
Digital Assets: Celsius Network’s Assets Under Management Up 10X In 2020
Celsius Network announced Wednesday that it holds over $5.3 billion of cryptocurrency assets on a platform that allows consumers to earn crypto rewards and access or lend loans. It said 2020 had been somewhat of a watershed year for growth on many parameters, aided by the substantial growth of the crypto industry itself. It is now the second-largest digital asset manager in the world.
Alternative Investments/Digital Assets: “An Anti-Asset Like Bitcoin Can Be a True Diversifier” (Ruffer)
In its six-month review for the period ended December 31, 2020, British investment management firm Ruffer threw light on its investments in bitcoin. Interestingly, it has positioned the cryptocurrency as an “anti-asset” within its portfolio, calling it a diversifier.
Digital Assets: Joker’s Stash, The Infamous Site For Stolen Cards, To Shut Down
Joker’s Stash, one of the oldest dark web marketplaces, operated its shop for stolen card data with impunity since 2014. After a highly profitable run, during which the site allegedly chalked up a profit of over $1 billion in bitcoin, the site has decided to call its quits. It announced Friday that on February 15, 2021, “we will wipe all our servers and backups and Joker will fade to dark, forever.”
Digital Assets: Iran Cracks Down On Illegal Crypto Miners
Iran, which is facing severe energy shortages during the cold months, has been forced to implement rolling power cuts across the nation. In these circumstances, in a sudden action, police seized 45,000 bitcoin mining rigs on the charge of illegally drawing and consuming subsidized power.
Alternative Investments/Digital: The Coinshares Physical Bitcoin (BITC) ETP To Trade On SIX Swiss Exchange
European digital asset manager Coinshares is launching a new ETP product, the physically backed CoinShares Physical Bitcoin (Ticker: BITC) on the SIX Swiss Exchange today. The ETP enables investors to gain exposure to the price of bitcoin on a regulated European stock exchange.
Digital Assets: Grayscale Nabs $700M Of Inflows In A Day
On Friday, January 15, $700 million flowed into the asset manager’s various crypto products. “Yesterday, raised north of $700 million into its family of products…momentum from Q4 seems to be picking up speed into the new year,” tweeted Michael Sonnenshein, CEO of Grayscale, on Saturday.
Digital Assets: Grayscale’s Blockbuster Q4 (And 2020) Stats Reflect Rising Adoption of Cryptos
Grayscale Investments’ Q4 report provides valuable insight into the rising adoption of digital assets.
Digital Assets: Grayscale To Liquidate XRP Trust
Grayscale Investments announced Wednesday its decision to liquidate its Grayscale XRP Trust. The asset manager said it was now proceeding to take steps to dissolve the Trust. On December 22, 2020, the SEC decided to file a federal court action against certain third parties asserting that XRP is a “security” under federal securities law.
Alternative Investments/Digital: The Highly Successful BTCetc Bitcoin ETP Lists On SIX Switzerland
The SIX Swiss Exchange announced Wednesday the listing of the BTCetc Bitcoin ETP (Primary Ticker: BTCE) by ETC Group. This is the ETP’s second listing in Europe after its launch on Deutsche Börse’s Xetra platform in June 2020.
Artificial Intelligence: Crypto Traders Can Now Deploy Tickeron’s AI Trading Robot Tool
Tickeron has launched an AI-powered trading robot that can help traders navigate the volatile and highly risky waters of cryptocurrency trading. Dubbed the Crypto AI Robot, the tool is claimed to have made some very profitable predictions in the recent past.
Digital Assets: ECB’s Lagarde Lashes Out At Bitcoin
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Wednesday that a co-ordinated, global action was needed to regulate bitcoin. She drew attention to the roller-coaster moves in the leading cryptocurrency’s price and accused it of “funny business” and money-laundering.
Digital Assets: Crypto Volume On PayPal Scales Record High
Data revealed by crypto market aggregator Nomics showed that crypto-assets trading volume of $242 million on PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) on January 11 overshadowed its previous daily record of $129 million on January 6, 2021. The key question that arises is whether retail investors sold into bitcoin’s uptrend and booked profits.
Digital Assets: Bitcoin Nuggets
A student found the long-forgotten private keys to a 2011 stash of 127 bitcoin on December 22 when the crypto was trading in the $23,000s range. The lucky HODLer (“BitcoinHolderThankU”) them cashed them out for a net haul of $4.24 million at a price of $33,439.02 per coin minus a 0.15% fee.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Biden’s $3T Stimulus More Rocket Fuel For Bitcoin?
Crypto aficionados are eagerly looking forward to a new stimulus plan worth $3 trillion from U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. Though meant to be a rescue package for millions of Americans reeling from the economic damage inflicted by the virus, it may undercut the value of the dollar. However, that does not appear to be a concern for Biden, given his recent statement: “Economic research confirms that with conditions like the crisis today, especially with such low interest rates, taking immediate action – even with deficit financing – is going to help the economy.”