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: Coinbase to Allow Loans Against Bitcoin Holdings
This should be another shot in the arm for bitcoin adoption. Liquidity of holding is a much-desired feature of any asset, and U.S. digital assets exchange Coinbase is pulling out the stops on that one. In a Thursday blog post, the exchange invited US customers to sign up to a waitlist for the option to borrow up to 30% of their bitcoin (BTC) holdings.
Digital Assets: NPP, A Blockchain Solution for Governments Considering a CBDC
Apollo Fintech announced Wednesday the completion of its National Payment Platform (NPP), the first of its kind, blockchain-based, cashless national currency platform. It enables a central bank to issue a sovereign, digital currency for national adoption.
Digital Assets: Nasdaq-listed Company Microstrategy Bets $250M on Bitcoin
MicroStrategy Inc (NASDAQ: MSTR), a business intelligence firm, announced Tuesday that it had made good on its two-pronged capital allocation strategy announced July 2020. Firstly, it launched a tender offer to buy up $250 million worth of its class A common stock. In the second leg, it bought bitcoin (BTC) worth $250 million as a part of its commitment to invest in one or more alternative investments or assets.
Digital Assets: Russian Railways Advisor In Favour Of Blockchain Technology
Sergey Vinogradov, the general director of the Scientific Research Institute of Railway Transport, has come out in support of blockchain technology and the possibility of its use in the running of the Russian Railways.
Digital Assets: JPMorgan on the Generational Divide in Alternative Assets Investing
According to a note from JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) analysts this week, an interesting trend is playing out in alternative investments such as precious metals and cryptocurrencies. Older, more conservative investors are buying up safe-haven assets such as gold and silver. However, millennials will have none of such stuffy, traditional investments. They are more attracted to the technology, the volatility, and the modern allure of digital assets such as bitcoin.
Digital Assets: Indian Government Mulling New Lockdown on Cryptocurrencies
Crypto aficionados in India were delighted with the Supreme Court of India’s March decision to overturn the Reserve Bank of India’s 2018 ban on providing services to any individual or business dealing in digital currencies. But their jubilation may be short-lived. According to Moneycontrol, the Indian government is seriously considering a law to outright ban trading in cryptocurrencies.
Digital Assets: Electric Capital Raises $110M For Its Second Crypto Fund
Venture capital firm Electric Capital invests in cryptocurrencies, blockchain-based businesses, fintech companies, and marketplaces. It announced Monday the close of its second fund, a $110M Seed and Series A fund, focused on crypto networks and blockchain-enabled businesses.
Digital Assets: Ransom Amounts Escalate Into Tens of Millions As Hacks Get Bolder
The Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) attack gathered a lot of notoriety, mainly because it affected the accounts of so many prominent personalities. The scam garnered roughly $120,000 for its perpetrators and was not a ransomware attack. That amount is peanuts compared to the scale of ransom attacks now being witnessed, with US-based travel management firm CWT paying $4.6 million to get back the use of its computers.
Digital Assets: Zebpay Launches OTC Crypto Desk in India to Meet Huge Demand
“There is a huge demand among traders and arbitrageurs in India for OTC desk services, and the recent Supreme Court decision reversing the ban has caught the attention of large investors and institutions eager to explore this new asset class,” says Nirmal Ranga, Vice President of Trade at Zebpay. Unsurprisingly, to cash in on this burgeoning interest in big-ticket crypto trading, Zebpay is launching an OTC Bitcoin (BTC) trading desk.
Digital Assets: Digital Assets Exchange Equos To Trade on Nasdaq
Digital assets exchange Equos is an institutional-grade exchange that caters to both individuals and institutions. It launched on July 30 and is currently live (screenshot above) for trading cryptos on a spot basis. It has plans to offer derivatives in due course of time. Meanwhile, it is likely to take the honors to be the first crypto exchange to list on a U.S. exchange.
Digital Assets: This Popular Korean Beach Will Accept Crypto Payments
Haeundae (pictured above) is South Korea’s most popular beach. Alongside is the rival Songjeong Beach, which is more popular with surfers. Both tourist spots will accept payments in cryptocurrencies, effective August 2020.
Alternative Investments/Digital Assets: World’s First Actively Managed Bitcoin ETP Launches
FiCAS AG, a Swiss crypto-asset investment firm founded by Ali Mizani Oskui, has received the approval from the SIX Swiss Exchange and other regulatory clearances to list the Bitcoin Capital Active ETP (BTCA) on the Exchange.
Digital Assets: Anybody Can Use Tokenizer To Issue Asset-Backed Tokens
The much-awaited democratization of blockchain-based tokenization is here. Now anybody, even a computer noob, can choose to tokenize one or more of their real-world assets using the Tokenizer platform.
Digital Assets: Now, A Secure XRP Wallet Running In Your Browser
Craig DeWitt is a director of product at Ripple, the blockchain payment infrastructure firm. Payburner is his project for an eCommerce platform that would enable buying, selling, paying, and donating on “both sides of the crypto commerce equation” using XRP.
Digital Assets: Quant-Crypto Fund Cambrian Lands $4.2M
Quant crypto fund manager Cambrian Asset Management has raised $4.2 million in a seed equity round, the firm said Thursday. The round’s target was initially $3 million but was increased following oversubscription. Cambrian will use the funds to enhance its technology infrastructure, operations, and research and development. The money will not form a part of its AUM.
Digital Assets: Banks and FSAs Cleared as Crypto Assets Custodians
On Wednesday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency wrote a letter to an unnamed bank clarifying that banks’ custody services can include cryptographic keys and other crypto-related assets. The interpretation is a huge shot in the arm for the crypto industry because custodianship is currently the preserve of digital specialist organizations operating as a state-licensed trust. With the latest opinion from the OCC, the market for crypto asset custody opens up to banks and other regulated financial entities.
Digital Assets: Grayscale’s Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin Trusts Move Closer To Trading
In an announcement Monday, Grayscale Investments, the world’s largest digital currency asset manager, said that FINRA had approved the shares in its Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust and Grayscale Litecoin Trust to quote under the symbols BCHG and LTCN respectively on the OTC Markets.
Digital Assets: Standard Chartered To Provide Crypto Custody for Institutions
Standard Chartered’s venture and innovation arm, SC Ventures, has been working on the development of “one of the most secure crypto custody solutions on the market.” According to Alex Manson, who heads SC Ventures, the UK-based custody service will be open to institutional clients internationally. It will serve cryptoassets such as digital currencies as well as security tokens.
Digital Assets: $7.5M Ransomware Attack on Telecom Argentina
Telecom Argentina has to pay up $7.5 million by 23:48 on July 21. Hackers are becoming more aggressive and demanding larger ransoms for freeing up hijacked computer resources. The latest entity to fall prey to these machinations is Telecom S.A., Argentina’s largest telecommunications company.
Digital Assets: Bank of Thailand Advances Its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to Third Phase
Bank of Thailand assistant governor Vachira Arromdee announced Wednesday, July 16 that the Thai central bank was moving to the third phase of development of its central bank digital currency (CBDC). In a significant revelation, she said the bank was already using the Thai CBDC in transactions with some large-sized businesses.
Digital Assets: The Biggest Hack in Twitter’s History Nets Scammers $120K
Bad actors used a domain named CryptoForHealth.com as bait to lure bitcoin as part of their hack of the Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) accounts of many luminaries on Wednesday. The attacks began at 19:00 UTC and were a “bitcoin giveaway” scam. Even Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Uber (NYSE: UBER) were not spared.
Digital Assets: Japanese Bank MUFG to Float Stablecoin Later This Year
Despite innumerable delays, a yen-backed stablecoin from the stable of Japanese banking giant Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE: MUFG) will likely see the light of day by late 2020. CEO Hironori Kamezawa broke the news at an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. The token, dubbed “MUFG coin,” for now, could be used by anyone in the country.
Digital Assets: Bank of England Mulling CBDC
Speaking to students on a webinar, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said the bank was considering whether a UK central bank digital currency (CBDC) was feasible.
Digital Assets: Clear Provides Blockchain Solution For Telcos’ Roaming Discount Agreements
Clear, a blockchain startup founded in 2018, specializes in removing complex frictions in B2B trade. One such pain point is the contractual settlement and reconciliation for roaming agreements between telecom operators. Clear came up with a blockchain solution for the settlement of roaming discount agreements for Spain’s Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, and British provider Vodafone.