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: Didi, Others Collaborating With Banks and PBoC on DCEP, the Chinese CBDC
The Chinese ride-hailing megacorp, DiDi Chuxing, has agreed to collaborate with the Digital Currency Research Institute of the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) on the DCEP – the CBDC under development by China. According to another report, Meituan, the major eCommerce service platform with over 240 million consumers and five million local merchants, as well as video-sharing site Bilibilibili, has begun to cooperate with banks developing the digital yuan.
Digital Assets: Ceres Coin Files With SEC To Issue Tokens and Coins Worth $50M for Cannabis Network
Ceres Coin LLC, based in Chicago, filed with the SEC on June 30, 2020, requesting permission to issue digital securities comprising tokens of $30 million and Ceres coins worth $20 million. The tokens will capitalize the company for its proposed business to build an end to end transaction network for cannabis on the blockchain. The coins will be used as a mode of transactions in the cannabis payments network.
Digital Assets: Arca Launches A Treasury Fund that Will Issue Its Shares as Digital ArCoins
The Arca U.S. Treasury Fund is the first-ever financial product regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 allowed to offer digital securities. Digital asset investment firm Arca launched the closed-end fund on July 6. Though the Arca U.S. Treasury Fund will invest 80% of its portfolio assets in U.S. Treasury securities, shareholders investing in the fund will be issued digital securities called “ArCoin.”
Digital Assets: Now Book Any of 700,000 Expedia Hotels Through Crypto Friendly Travala.com
Travala.com is a blockchain-based, crypto friendly travel booking platform with access to over 2 million hotels in 230 countries. In a partnership with Expedia Partner Solutions announced Monday, more than 700,000 Expedia group accommodations can now be booked by travellers on Travala.com.
Digital Assets: Cubans Take to Cryptos Amidst Food Shortage; Over 2,500 Austrian Merchants to Accept Cryptos
Cuba is grappling with a national food crisis stemming from Venezuela’s decision to cut off its aid to the country. Problems have been compounded by the nonavailability, due to the virus, of cash couriers and “mules” that are a critical part of the financial and supply chain in the island nation. The socialist regime at the helm of Cuba’s affairs has instructed the people to grow food on every available patch of land. Hapless citizens are increasingly using cryptocurrencies in place of cash and as a hedge against inflation.
Digital Assets: Crypto Gathers Pace in India After Top Court Decision
The Supreme Court of India recently struck down a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India that barred banks from serving crypto businesses such as traders, exchanges, or others. The decision by the Indian top court has been a shot in the arm for the prospects of crypto businesses in India. Crypto-related apps, startups, and exchanges are blossoming in the country.
Digital Assets: Australian Digital Exchange Ties Up with Australia Post For Bitcoin
According to a report, Australian digital exchange bitcoin.com.au has made it easy for Australians to purchase bitcoin. They can now place an order on the exchange but then walk across to an Australia Post office and pay for the ordered bitcoins. Bitcoin.com.au CEO Holger Arians believes that the arrangement will enhance the legitimacy and adoption of bitcoin in Australia.
Digital Assets: New $190M Bitcoin Fund Subscribed by 24 Unnamed Investors
The NYDIG Institutional Bitcoin Fund LP filed documents with the SEC to disclose its closure of a $190 million bitcoin fund. It said it has 24 investors but did not disclose their identities.
Digital Assets: University of California San Francisco Pays $1.14M Ransom to Crypto Hackers
The University of California San Francisco said in a notice last Friday that it paid $1.14 million, a “portion” of a demanded ransom, to hackers who installed malware and encrypted its servers. The hacker attack, which the University describes as a “security incident,” took place in the UCSF School of Medicine’s IT environment on June 1.
Digital Assets: MineHub Processes The First Iron Ore Transaction on the Blockchain Between BHP and China Baowu
Privately held MineHub Technologies said BHP (ASX: BHP) and China Baowu had completed their first iron ore trade on MineHub’s blockchain-based platform. The transaction is said to be a precursor to many more commodity transactions in a supply chain that will be fully digital from end-to-end.
Digital Assets: Tokai Tokyo and Singapore’s iSTOX Buy Stakes in Blockchain Firm
Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings Inc (TYO: 8616), a Japanese financial institution with a market cap of ¥61.1 billion ($571 million), is buying a stake of 33% in blockchain firm Hash Dash Holdings. Hash Dash has developed the blockchain technology for issuance of digital securities and trading them on smartphones. iSTOX, the blockchain-based digital exchange, is also a shareholder in Hash Dash. Tokai and iSTOX plan to tokenize Japanese real estate and list the securities.
Digital Assets: KPMG Launches Chain Fusion to Bridge Analytics Across Blockchain and Traditional Assets
KPMG, the big four auditing firm announced the launch of KPMG Chain Fusion. It is a patent-pending suite of advanced analytical tools presented in a structured model that combines data from blockchain infrastructures, and traditional systems for managing business, risk, and compliance requirements.
Digital Assets: Paypal and Subsidiary Venmo May Allow Users To Transact Cryptos
According to a report by Coin Telegraph, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is looking to recruit digital experts such as a Crypto Engineer and a blockchain research engineer. Significantly, the first posting describes the role to include “designing, developing and maintaining key crypto products/features targeted towards availability, performance, and scalability of PayPal services.” These job ads have popped up simultaneously with rumors in the crypto world that payments giant PayPal and digital wallet subsidiary Venmo are about to make a splash in cryptocurrencies.
Digital Assets: Crypto Industry Agog With Anticipation on Jay Clayton’s Exit From the SEC
On Friday, June 19, Attorney General William P. Barr announced that President Trump intended to nominate Jay Clayton, currently the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to serve as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). The crypto industry is excited that the chances for approval of a bitcoin ETF may improve with Clayton’s exit.
FinTech: The Newly-Launched PayId Global Alliance Will Disrupt Cosy Payments ‘Silos’
Industry leaders across finance, technology and the non-profit sectors have come together to launch PayId, a simplified payment ID process for global remittances. The Open Payments Coalition, an alliance of leading companies such as GoPay, Ripple, Blockchain.com, BitPay, Brave, Flutterwave, Mercy Corps and others, will develop PayId.
Digital Assets: Aussie Beer Manufacturer Lion on the Hook for $800K in Ransomware Demand
In the second ransomware attack on Australian drinks manufacturer Lion in less than a week, the cyber villains have demanded a ransom amount of $800,000. The amount must be paid in the Monero cryptocurrency by June 19, failing which the amount doubles to $1,600,000.
Alternative Investments: A New WisdomTree Alternative ETF Will Invest in Bitcoin
A filing by WisdomTree for the proposed WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund shows it intends to invest up to 5% of its net assets in bitcoin futures contracts. The balance of the funds would be invested in four commodity sectors, namely, energy, agriculture, industrial metals, and precious metals primarily through investments in futures contracts. The fund will not invest directly in bitcoin or in physical commodities.
Digital Assets: Komainu, an Institutional Grade Custody Service for Digital Assets, Set To Go Live
Japan’s biggest brokerage and investment bank, Nomura, blockchain security firm Ledger, and digital asset investment house CoinShares have come together to launch Komainu, a custodial service for digital assets aimed at institutions.
Digital Assets: Bank of Canada Making Contingency Plans For its Own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
The Bank of Canada is putting in motion plans for a “contingent system for a central bank digital currency (CBDC).” This proposal came to the fore when the bank posted an opening for “Project Manager, CBDC,” on its website.
Digital Assets: Nasdaq-Listed Software Company Sapiens Paid $250K Ransom to Hackers Amidst COVID
Sapiens International Corp. N.V. (NASDAQ: SPNS), an Israeli software company listed both on the Nasdaq and in Tel Aviv, was allegedly forced to pay $250,000 in bitcoin to hackers amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
Digital Assets: Bank of Korea Sets Up Legal Think Tank To Review CBDC
The Bank of Korea has commissioned a legal task force to assess regulatory roadblocks for the issue of a South Korean central bank digital currency (CBDC). Last February, the Korean central bank had set up a research team to look into the possibility of a digital currency and assess moves in this regard by other central banks. That move was reportedly triggered by Chinese advances towards a digital yuan, including a pilot test. It may be recalled that the Bank of Korea said on December 1 that “we are considering issuing digital currency (CBDC).”
Digital Assets: Vanguard Successfully Tests ABS Issuance on the Blockchain
Vanguard, technology provider Symbiont, an unnamed ABS issuer, and bankers have worked together on the successful, first pilot of an ABS settlement by incorporating its entire transactions cycle on a distributed ledger technology (DLT) network
Digital Assets: Galaxy Digital and Bakkt Launch a Bitcoin ‘White Glove’ Service For Institutions
Galaxy Digital, owned by Mike Novogratz, and Bakkt, the bitcoin futures provider majority-owned by the Intercontinental Exchange, have teamed up to offer top-flight services to institutions and asset managers relating to bitcoin.
Digital Assets: Fidelity Report Says Institutional Adoption of Crypto Gaining Traction
Fidelity Digital Assets issued a report on digital assets on Tuesday based on a survey of nearly 800 institutions in the U.S. and Europe conducted from November 2019 through early March 2020.
A growing number of institutional investors believe that digital assets should be a part of their investment portfolios, the report found. In fact, 80% of institutional investors found something appealing about the asset class.