Blockchain

Some of DeFi's biggest names have backed a new play-to-earn (P2E) blockchain game that aims to replicate the addictive success of 2013 mobile phenomenon Flappy Bird.&nbsp;
This week, Synthetix's Kain Warwick, Aave's Stani Kulechov, Barnbridge's Tyler Ward, angel investor Santiago Santos (ex-ParaFi Capital), and Sushi's 0xmaki joined a pre-seed round for the upcoming Fancy Birds, which is set to launch in about a month. &nbsp;
Fancy Birds is a single-player mobile game with 8,888 completely random NFT characters that start out with customization options and fight their way through levels to become "the fanciest bird in the nest."&nbsp;
Prolific players receive 40% of the Fancy (FNC) token supply, and upgrades will allow the game to release multiplayer mode, with breeding, staking, and tournaments planned. The team is working on launching it on the Ethereum NFT scaling layer 2 project Immutable X.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
Fancy Birds, like a number of other potentially big meme projects, appeared out of nowhere on Twitter a few weeks ago after Illuvium founder Kieran Warwick wondered on Twitter: "How hasn't someone created a play to earn Flappy Bird?" He stated to Cointelegraph:&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's not complex, just super addictive and a lot of fun and at its peak it had 100 million users daily. Turns out someone is actually building it and it&rsquo;s in beta now."&nbsp;

Some of DeFi's biggest names have backed a new play-to-earn (P2E) blockchain game that aims to replicate the addictive success of 2013 mobile phenomenon Flappy Bird.This week, Synthetix's Kain Warwick, Aave's Stani Kulechov, Barnbridge's Tyler Ward, angel investor Santiago Santos (ex-ParaFi Capital), and Sushi's 0xmaki joined a pre-seed round for the upcoming Fancy Birds, which is set to launch in about a month.

Major DeFi founders support a play-to-earn game that aspires to be the next Flappy Bird.

The French central bank is still actively investigating a central bank digital currency (CBDC), having completed a significant trial of a blockchain-based CBDC in the country's debt market.&nbsp;
According to The Financial Times, over 500 institutions in France took part in a 10-month experiment testing a CBDC issued by the Banque de France for government bond deals.&nbsp;
Euroclear, a Belgian financial services firm, led the CBDC trial, which used a system developed by American technology giant IBM. The CBDC test also included the French public debt office, the central bank, and a consortium of major French financial institutions.&nbsp;
Participants in the trial traded government bonds and security tokens, settling them with a CBDC provided by the central bank. The project tested CBDC use cases in a variety of everyday activities, including issuing new bonds, using them in repurchase agreements, and paying coupons and redeeming deals.&nbsp;
"We have successfully measured the inherent benefits of this technology, concluding that central bank digital currencies can settle central bank money safely and securely," said Euroclear executive Isabelle Delorme.&nbsp;
According to Soren Mortensen, IBM's global director of financial markets, the project "went far beyond previous blockchain initiatives" because it successfully trialed "most central securities depository and central bank processes" while eliminating existing intermediary steps such as reconciliation.&nbsp;
Following the launch of an experimental CBDC program in March 2020, the French central bank has been experimenting with various CBDC use cases on a regular basis. In collaboration with Swiss cryptocurrency bank SEBA, Banque de France tested a CBDC in June to simulate the settlement and delivery of listed securities.&nbsp;

The French central bank is still actively investigating a central bank digital currency (CBDC), having completed a significant trial of a blockchain-based CBDC in the country's debt market.

The French central bank is testing a blockchain-based CBDC for the debt market.

Bitkraft VC, an e-sports investment platform, has launched a $75 million token fund to invest in blockchain gaming and digital entertainment.&nbsp;
The fund employs a "stage-agnostic" strategy, which means it will invest in businesses and startups at any stage of growth. Aside from equity, the token fund will invest in cryptocurrencies and nonfungible tokens (NFTs).&nbsp;
Bitkraft received an investment advisor registration from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in June 2021 in order to provide regulated investment opportunities.&nbsp;
Piers Kicks, a founding partner in Delphi Digital's investment arm, is in charge of the new token fund. Kicks joined Bitkraft earlier this year to lead the company's crypto and NFT investment efforts&nbsp;
According to Bitkraft, the fund has already closed six investments, including Yield Guild Games (YGG), Immutable, Alethea AI, and Horizon Games. Kicks told Cointelegraph that YGG and Alethea are both direct token investments. "We were only able to announce the funding after the final closing," he added, "but we have been actively deploying from it.&nbsp;
While the fund has primarily invested in startups based on the Ethereum blockchain, Kicks stated that "we take a chain-agnostic approach and evaluate each project on a case-by-case basis." We're starting to see some exciting activity on Solana, and we'll be keeping a close eye on the early gaming projects in that ecosystem."&nbsp;
According to Jens Hilgers, Bitkraft Ventures' founding general partner, the fund plans to invest in approximately 25 more companies by the end of 2022. As of Oct. 1, 2021, the venture capital firm had more than $540 million in assets under management, with a portfolio that included more than 60 companies from North America, Europe, and Asia.&nbsp;
With many new use cases for DeFi and NFTs, the gaming industry has proven to be prime territory for digital currencies adoption. Axie Infinity, a blockchain game, has become one of the most prominent Ethereum-based NFT games this year, with its native token AXS reaching a new all-time peak above $155 on Monday. DeFi Land, a blockchain gamification platform, raised $4.1 million in September to launch a new DeFi game on Solana.&nbsp;

Bitkraft VC, an e-sports investment platform, has launched a $75 million token fund to invest in blockchain gaming and digital entertainment.

Bitkraft, a gaming venture capital firm, has launched a $75 million investment fund for blockchain gaming.

National authorities in Japan are cracking down on cryptocurrency investors who have been evading taxes. According to local reports, a large-scale tax audit on individuals discovered tax evasion to the tune of 1.4 billion yen, or nearly $12 million.&nbsp;
It was reported that several people profited from trading ADA during its rise. In this case, the tax issues reportedly totaled 670 million yen ($6 million). Cardano reached an all-time high of around $3 this year and returned nearly 150 percent on a monthly basis.&nbsp;
The &ldquo;Ethereum killer&rdquo; is well-known in Japan following its initial coin offering (ICO) in the country. Furthermore, authorities will focus on &ldquo;tax-saving measures&rdquo; that are legally ambiguous and have reportedly become popular among businesses and individuals.&nbsp;
The news comes on the heels of reports that Japan, unlike other countries, is unable to track personal cryptocurrency transfers. It was stated that &ldquo;personal transactions bypass formal exchanges,&rdquo; and Japan is attempting to solve the problem. A Chainalysis analyst also discovered several payments that used channels to conceal the destination of transfers.&nbsp;

National authorities in Japan are cracking down on cryptocurrency investors who have been evading taxes. According to local reports, a large-scale tax audit on individuals discovered tax evasion to the tune of 1.4 billion yen, or nearly $12 million.

Cardano traders in Japan are being investigated for possible tax evasion.

According to a recent local report, Vault Digital Funds has introduced a new fund for New Zealand investors called the Vault International Bitcoin Fund.&nbsp;
&nbsp;They would be able to add the asset class to their portfolio without having to own it directly through it. Vault Digital Funds Co-Founder Janine Grainger commented:&nbsp;
&ldquo;We see this as a great way for people to get that exposure without having to do all the more complicated and technical parts of it themselves.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp; She mentioned that the initiative would be a little distinct than most conventional investment funds. It would be suitable for users with a ten-year investment plan.&nbsp;
Nonetheless, Vinnie Gardiner, CEO and Co-Founder of Vault Digital Funds, advised people associated with cryptocurrencies about the risks:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Bitcoin isn&rsquo;t appropriate for everyone. This is something that people should not be taking lightly.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp; Darcy Ungaro, host of the NZ Everyday Investor and a licensed financial advisor, also weighed in on the move. He noted that, despite widespread belief that bitcoin is a "scam or fad," locals have recently demonstrated a growing appetite for cryptocurrencies:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Over the past three years, I have been having conversations where people say bitcoin is a scam, or a fad, something to be avoided. But recently I have been helping more and more people allocate a portion of their portfolio towards it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In fact, the most serious risk is not if bitcoin is a scam, but rather how people hold and store their cryptocurrency holdings. Ungaro expressed optimism that the Vault International Bitcoin Fund would provide investors with the necessary level of security &ldquo;because it handles all custody issues.&rdquo;&nbsp;

According to a recent local report, Vault Digital Funds has introduced a new fund for New Zealand investors called the Vault International Bitcoin Fund.

New Zealand Has Introduced First Ever Bitcoin-Only Investment Fund

RealX, a native financial technology firm, started up in 2020 but then was forced to halt operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak has launched a Blockchain-based property ownership system in India. &nbsp;
The company recently teamed up with Tripvillas, a vacation property rental service, to combine the stake of vacation properties based on usage and yield. Tripvillas will also be in charge of managing the portfolio of vacation properties intended for co-investment on the RealX platform. The RealX blockchain-based platform allows Indian investors to trade holiday homes with &ldquo;direct deeded co-ownership.&rdquo; Using a smart contracts registry, investors can invest in high-yield, high-return rental homes digitally.&nbsp;
Manish Kumar, co-founder and CEO of RealX, stated that while the pandemic was devastating, it also provided an opportunity for RealX to revitalize its strategic plan.&nbsp;
Neera Inamdar, co-founder and COO, stated:&nbsp;
<h5>&ldquo;During the pandemic, we got a lot of insights from our customers as well as developers. We realized that while developers were in distress, customers still did not have a way to participate in the property market as an investor. We set out to cover this gap and in turn create a win-win solution for both.&rdquo;&nbsp;</h5>
She also mentioned that their investment procedure is simpler and distinct from that of other players in the space. &ldquo;We offer &lsquo;direct deeded property co-ownership,' and it is in the best interests of investors to become direct co-owners of the property,&rdquo; Inamdar clarified.&nbsp;

RealX, a native financial technology firm, started up in 2020 but then was forced to halt operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak has launched a Blockchain-based property ownership system in India.

RealX, a financial technology firm, has launched a Blockchain-based property ownership system in India.

Texas has reaped the benefits of China's decision to halt bitcoin mining, which triggered the &lsquo;Great Mining Migration' to Austin, Texas. The Texas Blockchain Council now has 70 members and has been led by Lee Brachter, the organization's President. And, on Friday, 8th October he will conduct the Texas Blockchain Summit, which could be the biggest state blockchain one-day conference ever.&nbsp;
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has already met twice with the Texas Blockchain Council. Abbott recently stated on Twitter, "Texas will be the crypto leader." Cryptocurrency is now coming to Texas grocery stores.&rdquo; Abbott was relating to H-E-decision B's to install cryptocurrency kiosks in chosen Texas supermarkets.&nbsp;
Lee Brachter, President of the Texas Blockchain Association, mentioned &nbsp;
<h3>"Texas is poised to become the jurisdiction of choice for blockchain innovation for several reasons including; the business-friendly climate that has been cultivated in Texas for many years, the efforts of our Texas Blockchain Council working alongside lawmakers like Representative Tan Parker and Senator Angela Paxton to create legal and regulatory frameworks that allow for entrepreneurs to innovate."&nbsp;</h3>
Texas House Bills 1576 and 4474 went into effect on September 1, 2021, after being enacted by Governor Greg Abbott in June of that year. Texas House Bill 1576 creates a blockchain-based working group. HR 4474 was a bill that updated the Uniform Commercial Code to understand cryptocurrency, making New York, along with Rhode Island and Wyoming, the third state to do so. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Banking Commissioner released a notice permitting all Texas state-chartered banks to hold bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.&nbsp;

Texas has reaped the benefits of China's decision to halt bitcoin mining, which triggered the ‘Great Mining Migration' to Austin, Texas. The Texas Blockchain Council now has 70 members and has been led by Lee Brachter, the organization's President. And, on Friday, 8th October he will conduct the Texas Blockchain Summit, which could be the biggest state blockchain one-day conference ever.

Texas  looks set to become a global leader in bitcoin and blockchain technology.

DC Comics is the latest to join the NFT craze, announcing on September 29 that it would collaborate with Palm NFT Studio to release its first set of NFTs. The NFTs will be available on October 5th as a thank you to those who have signed up for the DC&nbsp;FanDome&nbsp;2021.&nbsp;
DC publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee will curate the NFT series. They will be created with Palm NFT Studio's proprietary system, which is described in the press release as an environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient technology. Many NFT projects are taking this issue seriously.&nbsp;
The assets will highlight the company's history, as well as its various characters and "diversity of storytelling."&nbsp;
If they enroll in the year's global virtual event, all registrants will be able to collect an NFT for free. They can get a second one if they share it on social media.&nbsp;
Among the many characters in DC's legendary roster are Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Harley Quinn, as well as many well-known villains and anti-heroes. Fans will be able to collect three covers for each character at three different levels of rarity as part of the NFT drop. These rarities are divided into three categories: common, rare, and legendary.&nbsp;

DC Comics is the latest to join the NFT craze, announcing on September 29 that it would collaborate with Palm NFT Studio to release its first set of NFTs. The NFTs will be available on October 5th as a thank you to those who have signed up for the DC FanDome 2021.

DC Comics will release its first NFT collection.

EMURGO, a blockchain technology firm, has made a significant investment in the Cardano (ADA) ecosystem.&nbsp;
In a tweet, EMURGO announces a $100 million c into the Cardano ecosystem through an investment vehicle to accelerate development in several key areas, including decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible token (NFT) technology.&nbsp;
&ldquo;EMURGO will invest $100 million in the Cardano ecosystem to speed up DeFi, NFT solutions, and blockchain education!&rdquo;&nbsp;
The Cardano ecosystem's investment vehicle will be divided into two entities, EMURGO Africa and EMURGO Ventures, each with a distinct focus area.&nbsp;
&ldquo;EMURGO Africa aims to support over 300 regional startups with seed funding and incubation, with the goal of eventually having Cardano's blockchain adopted as the technological platform standard in Africa for socially impactful solutions.&nbsp;
EMURGO Ventures will focus on other developed markets to facilitate the development of Cardano-based solutions and services, with capital allocated for seed investments in a variety of Cardano-focused startups and middleware solutions companies, including those developing decentralized financial services (DeFi), non-fungible token (NFT) projects, blockchain developer education tools, and other decentro-based solutions.&nbsp;
According to Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson,&ldquo;EMURGO's investments will help to shape the future of the Cardano ecosystem by expanding smart contract capabilities and global partnerships.&rdquo;&nbsp;
To expand the Cardano ecosystem on the African continent, EMURGO Africa has partnered with Africa-focused firms Adanian Labs and Adaverse. Adanian Labs operates a venture development studio, and Adaverse is a Cardano-focused accelerator program.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Emurgo Ventures has made a seed investment in Milkomeda, a Cardano sidechain project.&nbsp;

EMURGO, a blockchain technology firm, has made a significant investment in the Cardano (ADA) ecosystem. In a tweet, EMURGO announces a $100 million investment into the Cardano ecosystem through an investment vehicle to accelerate development in several key areas, including decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible token (NFT) technology.

Cardano Secures $100 Million Investment to Accelerate the Expansion of DeFi and NFT Solutions

COTI, a blockchain-powered crypto payment ecosystem, has today announced the launch of its COTI bank account and VISA debit cards.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We have been working with our close partner, Simplex, to provide our users with COTI bank accounts and debit cards, and we are happy to have successfully achieved this important milestone.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ndash; The COTI Team&nbsp;
Debit cards and bank accounts are critical components of COTI's all-encompassing financial ecosystem, allowing for a smooth transition between the fiat and crypto worlds. COTI is the first to list on this program as a Simplex design partner, and the COTI community will be the first to own a branded COTI Pay debit card.&nbsp;
COTI customers will be able to open a new account in their name with an IBAN, store fiat natively in their COTI Pay wallet, and invest their balance globally at any trader that wants to accept VISA cards, both online and in-store, by using the crypto-friendly bank account.&nbsp;
Because Simplex is a founding member of VISA, these debit cards are far more long-lasting than other crypto cards. You will be able to use the card indefinitely once you receive it.&nbsp;
In the future, this banking program will be part of the COTI Pay Business suite offered to merchants, significantly increasing their usage volume and thus increasing the rewards for COTI's stakeholders.&nbsp;
The initial COTI account version rollout includes the following features:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li data-leveltext="%1." data-font="Calibri" data-listid="2" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Opening and using an IBAN COTI's VISA debit card to open a bank account&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li data-leveltext="%1." data-font="Calibri" data-listid="2" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Converting cryptocurrency to fiat and spending it anywhere in the world with the COTI debit card, online or in-store&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li data-leveltext="%1." data-font="Calibri" data-listid="2" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">The card must be activated. Receiving a secure PIN, checking your balance, and viewing your transactions&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li data-leveltext="%1." data-font="Calibri" data-listid="2" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Make withdrawals from an ATM, SWIFT, or SEPA system.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li data-leveltext="%1." data-font="Calibri" data-listid="2" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Loading the account by selling cryptocurrency, swift, SEPA, and credit cards&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
There are 3,000 cards in the first round. They will be sent first to those who have previously registered. The second round will begin in a month and will include 5,000 more cards.&nbsp;

COTI, a blockchain-powered crypto payment ecosystem, has today announced the launch of its COTI bank account and VISA debit cards.

COTI bank accounts are now available, and crypto debit cards are being shipped.

Crypto

Raul Jordan, an Ethereum core developer, announced on October 27 that the Altair upgrade on the Beacon Chain had been successfully deployed.&nbsp;
Because the improvements were made in the background, Ethereum stakeholders did not need to take any action, but validators did need to pay attention. The Altair upgrade brings us one step closer to the full release of ETH 2.0, Phase 0, and the much-anticipated "merge."&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The first network upgrade on the Ethereum proof-of-stake chain, Altair, was successful! Really proud of the rockstar devs I get to learn from at <a href="https://twitter.com/prylabs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@prylabs</a> and everyone involved in Ethereum that made this happen. You can follow the block explorer here <a href="https://t.co/AvgfGaQ2tp">https://t.co/AvgfGaQ2tp</a>
&mdash; Raul Jordan (@rauljordaneth) <a href="https://twitter.com/rauljordaneth/status/1453321268862799878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
The upgrade comes nearly a year after the Beacon Chain was activated and staking began. Preston Van Loon, an Ethereum client developer, commented:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Finality was uninterrupted and participation dropped as low as 93.3% in the first Altair epoch (exact number to be confirmed). Participation is now above 95%,&rdquo;&nbsp;
According to a previous this year Ethereum Foundation (EF) release, Altair is an upgrade that adds light client support, minor changes to incentives, and per-validator inactivity leak accounting. It also increases the severity of slashing and cleans up validator rewards to account for simplified state management. &nbsp;
The majority of its features are behind-the-scenes improvements that can now be implemented following 11 months of successful Beacon Chain operations. The EF has described it as a "warm-up upgrade" for the chain and clients.&nbsp;
Ethereum&rsquo;s proof-of-stake system has run quite smoothly since genesis, but before performing the high-stakes merge, client teams want to go through the process of a live upgrade to further test and ready their codebases and the live system.&rdquo;&nbsp;
There will be no major changes to the blockchain after Altair until "the merge," which is expected in Q1 or Q2 2022. The existing Ethereum 1.0 blockchain is docked with the ETH 2.0 chain at this point.&nbsp;
At the time of writing, the Beacon Chain had just over eight million ETH staked. This is worth around $32 billion at current prices.&nbsp;

Raul Jordan, an Ethereum core developer, announced on October 27 that the Altair upgrade on the Beacon Chain had been successfully deployed.

The Ethereum 2.0 Altair upgrade was a success.

Andreessen Horowitz crypto General Counsel Miles Jennings suggested in a series of Tweets that DAOs register as Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations (UNA). He explained the benefits of registering as UNAs for DAOs in a summary of the study conducted with fellow crypto legal expert David Kerr.&nbsp;
In exercise, DAOs govern blockchain-based societies such as decentralized exchanges (DEX). Despite their "potential to revolutionize how people organize, collaborate, and coordinate," Jennings laments that most DAOs are incongruent with US legal frameworks.&nbsp;
Traditional structures, such as corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and trusts, are ineffective for most DAOs due to their distinct attributes. These are primarily at odds with DAOs' emphasis on privacy, the lack of proper legal consent from members, and their overall emphasis on decentralization. As a result, they are exposed to liability and are unable to file tax returns, pay revenue taxes, or enter into legally binding contracts.&nbsp;
The crypto legal experts did, however, discover a potential solution in the form of UNAs. The Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act (UUNAA) defines an unincorporated nonprofit association as "consisting of [two] or more members joined under an oral, written, or imputed agreement."&nbsp;
The Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act (UUNAA) defines a DAO as "consisting of [two] or more members joined under an agreement that is oral, in a record, or implied from conduct, for one or more common, nonprofit purposes," according to Jennings.&nbsp;
UNAs have a simple formation process and flexible governance requirements, making them ideal for DAOs. In many states, UNAs are legal entities distinct from their members, capable of "determining and enforcing rights, duties, and liabilities in contract and tort," as well as opening bank accounts and owning property. Although many DAOs do not meet the definition of "non-profit," many do have the potential to do so.&nbsp;
In relation to real estate appreciation, ennings uses the example of a Homeowners Association. The fact that their actions may increase the value of members' real estate holdings does not imply that they are for-profit enterprises. Jennings contends that the same could be said of DAO governance tokens.&nbsp;
DAOs that register as UNAs may be able to provide their members with limited liability protections as well as the ability to pay taxes and enter into contracts with third parties. Furthermore, Jennings suggests that the US could enhance the benefits of DAOs by enacting "more flexible and permissive UNA statutes." This, he claims, has the potential to "establish the United States as the world's DAO capital."&nbsp;

Andreessen Horowitz crypto General Counsel Miles Jennings suggested in a series of Tweets that DAOs register as Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations (UNA). He explained the benefits of registering as UNAs for DAOs in a summary of the study conducted with fellow crypto legal expert David Kerr.

Legal Experts in Cryptocurrency Suggest Entity That Could Legalize DAOs

Bitpanda, a $4.1 billion Austrian fintech company, has confirmed the introduction of JPMorgan executive Joshua Barraclough as CEO of&nbsp;Bitpanda&nbsp;Pro, a platform aimed at professional traders and institutional investors.&nbsp;
Barraclough was most lately co-head of digital innovation at the investment bank, where he was in charge of developing new businesses. Previously, Barraclough served as the bank's global head of fintech.&nbsp;
He will now be in charge of&nbsp;Bitpanda&nbsp;Pro's division that caters to experienced traders, professionals, and institutional investors. According to a press release, the platform's average daily trading volume quadrupled in the first half of 2021.&nbsp;
The standard&nbsp;Bitpanda&nbsp;product enables retail firms to buy in a variety of products, including crypto, stocks, and rare metals.&nbsp;&nbsp;
"As cryptocurrency investments become more widely accepted in mainstream financial markets, retail and institutional investors are demanding tools that allow them to pursue traditional investing strategies while navigating trading nuances unique to digital assets," said Barraclough. "This is a complex space, and while there are a lot of companies out there trying to win, very few have the right technology, expertise, and culture to do so."&nbsp;
Barraclough is the leading high hire for the rapidly expanding fintech firm. It also recently hired former regulator Matthias Bauer-Langgartner&nbsp;as managing director for the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as former&nbsp;Revolut&nbsp;executive Irina Scarlat as chief growth officer.&nbsp;
In August, the company raised $263 million in a Series C round led by Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures.&nbsp;

Bitpanda, a $4.1 billion Austrian fintech company, has confirmed the introduction of JPMorgan executive Joshua Barraclough as CEO of Bitpanda Pro, a platform aimed at professional traders and institutional investors.

JPMorgan fintech executive hired by Bitpanda to lead Pro product

Adobe now appears to be getting in on the non-fungible token (NFT) craze, announcing that its Photoshop product will include a "prepare as NFT" option. The announcement was made at the company's annual MAX conference on October 26, along with several other updates that will cater to what appears to be a new era for digital artists.&nbsp;
Among the most important crypto-related updates is the addition of the ability for artists to connect crypto wallets to Adobe's Behance website. Furthermore, it is committed to supporting a variety of blockchains, including Polygon, Solana, Tezos, and Flow.&nbsp;
In terms of NFTs, where Adobe stands to benefit greatly from being the creator of such widely used software, the company will collaborate with some of the market's most popular NFT marketplaces. On the list are OpenSea, Rarible, SuperRare, and KnowOrigin, which will display metadata from the "Content Authenticity Initiative." This initiative has been integrated into several Adobe Creative Cloud tools.&nbsp;
The goal of the Content Authenticity Initiative is to "address misinformation through digital content provenance." Its members include media and technology companies, non-governmental organizations, academics, and others.&nbsp;
In addition, the company released a new feature called Content Credentials, which provides additional proof of ownership of an asset as you add social media and cryptocurrency wallet addresses. These will also be available to view on Behance.&nbsp;

Adobe now appears to be getting in on the non-fungible token (NFT) craze, announcing that its Photoshop product will include a "prepare as NFT" option. The announcement was made at the company's annual MAX conference on October 26, along with several other updates that will cater to what appears to be a new era for digital artists.

Photoshop will add a 'Prepare As NFT' option as well as support for crypto wallet addresses.

The CoinList platform, which provides users with access to the most recent crypto offerings on the market, has achieved unicorn status following its most recent funding round. CoinList raised $100 million from its "closest partners and most active users," according to the company.&nbsp;
Investors such as Fenbushi Capital, GoldenTree Asset Management, and Alphemy Capital are among them. The round was also co-led by Accomplice VC and Agman Partners.&nbsp;
This round, according to CoinList CEO Graham Jenkin, was focused on strengthening existing community relationships. Furthermore, Jenkin alluded to the company's rapid international expansion, saying, "While we have some great U.S. investors, our new investors are mostly VIPs and partners in the regions where we are growing the fastest &mdash; Asia, Europe, and the Middle East."&nbsp;
According to a recent Chainalysis report, Europe has the world's largest crypto market. Over the last year, the company's user base has grown to 4.5 million users from over 170 countries.&nbsp;
Massive user growth appears to be a trend for some of the crypto industry's most prominent companies. MetaMask passed the 10 million monthly user mark early last month.&nbsp;
Per the corporation, the massive growth is due to a strong market for new tokens and an expansion of service offerings. Companies like CoinList felt the impact of the cryptocurrency boom over the last year and, more recently, in the last few weeks.&nbsp;
This year, CoinList reported an increase in monthly trade volume to $1 billion. Uniswap, one of the industry's leading decentralized exchanges (DEX), surpassed $500 billion in cumulative trade volume on October 26.&nbsp;

The CoinList platform, which provides users with access to the most recent crypto offerings on the market, has achieved unicorn status following its most recent funding round. CoinList raised $100 million from its "closest partners and most active users," according to the company.

CoinList is valued at $1.5 billion due to the rapid increase in trading.

According to a company statement, the San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple has partnered with Pyypl, a blockchain-based financial services technology company in the Middle East and Africa, to use XRP for cross-border payments in the Middle East.&nbsp;
The partnership with Pyypl is RippleNet's first-ever On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) deployment in the Middle East, and it comes as Ripple expands its RippleNet ODL service globally despite legal issues in the United States.&nbsp;
Ripple collaborated with SBI Remit, Japan's largest money transfer provider, mobile payments service Coins.ph, and digital asset exchange platform SBI VC Trade in July to establish an ODL corridor for XRP remittances between Japan and the Philippines. Ripple also purchased a 40% stake in Tranglo in March as part of its plans to expand RippleNet in Southeast Asia.&nbsp;
As per consulting firm McKinsey &amp; Company, the Middle East has two of the world's three largest remittance corridors, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia handling a combined US$78 billion in payments in 2020.&nbsp;
And per the company statement, XRP will not be held in the UAE, and transactions will not include the currency AED as part of the payment flow.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

According to a company statement, the San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple has partnered with Pyypl, a blockchain-based financial services technology company in the Middle East and Africa, to use XRP for cross-border payments in the Middle East.

Ripple has partnered with Pyypl, a blockchain-based financial services technology company

For several weeks, a number of Colombians have claimed that the Binance exchange has blocked their accounts and frozen the funds they have deposited.&nbsp;
According to Criptonoticias, this led to attorney Camilo Su&aacute;rez Venegas providing an overview of the case and expressing his optimism that the individuals affected would reach a favorable settlement.&nbsp;
It is thought that a cryptocurrency exchange may only limit an individual user if a court orders it through an interim solution, which is defined as "a measure to ensure future damages are paid prior to the judgment of a trial."&nbsp;
Given that many of those affected owned multiple Bitcoins (BTC), the situation caused significant anxiety among those who have yet to receive clear explanations from the company's customer service department.&nbsp;
In terms of a solution, Venegas stated that "if they do it correctly, they can easily recover the funds," but those affected "must sue Binance Colombia."&nbsp;
Although the procedure may be delayed, the funds may still be recovered in their entirety, according to the legal expert and head of AsoBlockchain Colombia, reasoning that if the firm did not return access, its reputation would suffer globally.&nbsp;

For several weeks, a number of Colombians have claimed that the Binance exchange has blocked their accounts and frozen the funds they have deposited.

According to a lawyer, Binance Colombia's blocking of accounts without a court order is illegal.

Ripple, a blockchain cross-border payment platform, has announced RippleNet's first-ever On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) system for the Middle East and North Africa region in collaboration with Pyypl.&nbsp;
Ripple stated in a press release that the collaboration aims to bring instant, low-cost remittances to the region, with the pilot project slated for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).&nbsp;
Ripple hopes that the collaboration will alleviate the pain points associated with traditional remittances, which are notoriously slow and expensive. Notably, the company intends to capitalize on the market's massive remittance size, which is expected to reach $78 billion in 2020 for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates combined.&nbsp;
&ldquo;MENA continues to be a critical region for Ripple thanks to our outstanding roster of customers, a welcoming regulatory environment, and a regional focus on the needed improvements in the current financial system,&rdquo; said Brooks Entwistle, Managing Director of RippleNet in APAC and MENA.&nbsp;
Ripple is also expanding on the Pyypl ODL system, which was first introduced in the Philippines, with the goal of discovering new use cases.&nbsp;
SEC officials are being investigated for possible conflicts of interest in the Ripple lawsuit.&nbsp;
Financial institutions and small and medium-sized businesses, according to the companies, can use ODL to access previously trapped, pre-funded capital to expand their businesses.&nbsp;
Notably, Ripple's native token XRP will not be held in the UAE, and transactions will not include the local AED currency in the payment flow.&nbsp;

Ripple, a blockchain cross-border payment platform, has announced RippleNet's first-ever On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) system for the Middle East and North Africa region in collaboration with Pyypl.

Ripple launches a low-cost instant payment system for the MENA region.

Following China's crackdown on the industry earlier this year, Kazakhstan has become the world's second-largest contributor to the Bitcoin network in terms of hashrate. However, the Central Asian country is experiencing power shortages and is rationing electricity consumption, posing an existential threat to the lucrative but energy-intensive business of digital gold mining.&nbsp;
Kazakhstani authorities are proposing to significantly limit the power consumption of newly authorized cryptocurrency miners.&nbsp;
On October 1, the country's energy minister proposed a draft bill to limit nationwide total electricity consumption to 100 megawatts for new crypto miners seeking technical permissions to connect to the power grid. To put that in context, Enegix, a major crypto mining firm in the country, opened a 180 megawatt mining data center last year, and that's just the power consumption &mdash; at full capacity &mdash; for one mining center for a major player.&nbsp;
"The order has not yet been approved," Didar Bekbauov, co-founder of Xive, a cryptocurrency mining company in Kazakhstan, told Forkast.News, citing internal sources familiar with the situation.&nbsp;
Bekbauov also stated on Twitter that existing legal mining farms will be exempt from the newly proposed power restrictions.&nbsp;
Enegix's co-founder and CEO, Yerbolsyn Sarsenov, told Forkast.News in a written statement that the new restrictions, if enacted, will have no effect on the company's existing mining facilities.&nbsp;
"Our data centers have technical permissions and power purchase agreements [with quotas for more power than what's stated in the newly proposed restriction]," Sarsenov said, adding that the company will continue to receive power legally based on its existing electricity purchase agreements.&nbsp;
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Following China's crackdown on the industry earlier this year, Kazakhstan has become the world's second-largest contributor to the Bitcoin network in terms of hashrate. However, the Central Asian country is experiencing power shortages and is rationing electricity consumption, posing an existential threat to the lucrative but energy-intensive business of digital gold mining.

Kazakhstan proposes limiting new crypto miners' power consumption as the country's power deficit bites.

Tether Operations Limited, the company behind the Tether (USDT)-centric platform tether.to, announced today that it will use Notabene, an end-to-end cryptocurrency Travel Rule compliance solution.&nbsp;
To combat financial crimes such as money laundering, Tether will begin testing Notabene's cross-border transaction monitoring system for virtual asset service providers (VASPs).&nbsp;
Notabene is a new real-time monitoring technology for cryptocurrency transactions, making the blockchain more transparent and allowing regulators to better track cash flow.&nbsp;
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The firm's Know Your Customer infrastructure stack is designed to span jurisdictions with little or no financial services regulation.&nbsp;
Notabene claims to provide a low-risk environment for testing complex crypto use cases. Tether will test Notabene's technology to see if it can securely transmit identifying information for clients in other VASPs. Notabene's solution, in particular, will assist Tether in protecting its consumers in transactions conducted by VASPs.&nbsp;
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The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global organization that establishes anti-money laundering standards, has determined that VASPS must follow the same rules as regulated financial institutions. The "Travel Rule" instructs VASPs to exchange specific client information between counterparties for transactions exceeding a certain value.&nbsp;
These procedures are intended to help nations and service providers prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and compliance with sanctions laws. Tether's CCO Leonardo Real commented on the new development, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with other VASPs, saying:&nbsp;
Tether is putting Notabene's new travel rule technology to the test in order to combat financial crime.&nbsp;

Tether Operations Limited, the company behind the Tether (USDT)-centric platform tether.to, announced today that it will use Notabene, an end-to-end cryptocurrency Travel Rule compliance solution.