roadrunner

PRESS RELEASE. London, England, Feb 21st, 2022 – Earn Guild, a next-gen guild system for play-to-earn gaming, will be conducting its public sale tomorrow, February 22, at 2:00 pm UTC on the PancakeSwap exchange. Shortly after the Initial Decentralized Offering (IDO), the $EARN token will be listed on three major exchanges. The project has successfully closed its early sales rounds, with a total investment of $8.1 million, and is firmly backed by a long list of renowned partners and venture capital (VC) firms. However, the token sale still presents an excellent opportunity for Earn Guild to expand and further its exposure, as PancakeSwap is the leading decentralized exchange (DEX) of the popular Binance Smart Chain (BSC) ecosystem. What is Earn Guild? Designed for the play-to-earn market, Earn Guild offers all the tools needed to transform gaming into more than just a hobby. Through Earn Guild, players will have a fair chance to participate in most play-to-earn games and efficiently maximize their income potential. Earn Guild has its own non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, where players can acquire or rent NFTs from multiple different play-to-earn games. Not only does renting provide returns for NFT owners, but it breaks down the barriers of entry for play-to-earn games. Through NFT renting, players can gain access to games despite not having the required initial capital to join by themselves. The platform also offers a community-oriented coaching system. The most experienced gamers within Earn Guild will leverage their knowledge and skills, coaching other players for a fee. This provides the most rapid ascension for newcomers and intermediate players looking to take their skills to the next level. Other tools include the Earn Guild exchange, where a great variety of play-to-earn tokens will be listed and available for trading and staking. A simple yet innovative mechanism will allow anyone to convert these gaming tokens into $EARN. $EARN token – liquidity and use cases All transactions within Earn Guild, together with every facet of the generous reward system, are powered by the $EARN token. This means that access to the NFT marketplace, coaching, and other services is exclusive to $EARN token holders. Beyond its utility, $EARN is also the governance token of the Earn Guild protocol. Holders will gain the right to vote on proposals and effectively decide the platform’s future. Investors can also expect $EARN to have substantial liquidity from the get-go. Thanks to its built-in fiat gateway and MasterCard, $EARN token holders will be able to easily convert their tokens into traditional currencies, such as the Euro, US Dollar, and several others. It will also be possible to convert $EARN into other cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, or simply spend it through the Mastercard-powered Guild Earn payment card. Additional features like the credit score will allow players to borrow and finance real-life expenses or in-game investments. Based on the players’ earnings and the fulfillment of previous payment obligations, the credit score system is provided by the acclaimed LedgerScore. About Earn Guild Earn Guild is a play-to-earn guild. Play-to-earn games are skill-based blockchain games where players earn crypto tokens when they win. Earn Guild supports players of play-to-earn games so that they can earn more. Earn Guild provides: marketplace for the sale and rental of play-to-earn NFTs; coaching for new players; exchange for games tokens; fiat gateways, with an Earn Guild Mastercard; and credit scores for players. Join the enthusiastic Earn Guild community and follow them on Discord, Medium, Telegram, and Twitter. This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

The American streaming television service Sling TV has announced the company is now accepting cryptocurrency payments from customers paying their monthly subscriptions. Sling TV detailed the company is leveraging the crypto payment provider Bitpay and will accept seven different cryptocurrencies and five stablecoins. Sling TV to Accept Crypto Assets for Monthly subscription Services Sling TV LLC, has revealed that it has partnered with the Atlanta-based cryptocurrency payments provider Bitpay and will accept a variety of crypto assets for monthly subscription payments. Sling is a streaming television service provider that offers a selection of channels competing cable providers do not. The company is a subsidiary of Dish Network, the direct-broadcast satellite provider that also accepts crypto payments for subscription services. Data from cordcuttersnews.com indicates that Sling surpassed 2.55 million subscribers in September 2021. By offering over-the-top (OTT)-originated services via web browsers, smart TVs, digital media players, Sling says it offers different benefits. Accepting crypto exemplifies the company’s desire to bring “choice and convenience to its check-out process,” Sling’s announcement notes. Sling television monthly subscribers can pay for their subscription with bitcoin (BTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), ethereum (ETH), wrapped bitcoin (WBTC), dogecoin (DOGE), and litecoin (LTC). Additionally, Sling clients can opt to pay with the stablecoins GUSD, USDC, USDP, DAI, and BUSD. Sling TV’s announcement says: Beginning this week, Sling TV subscribers can use cryptocurrency to pay for their monthly subscription. Through the payment provider Bitpay, users can now select and pay for their favorite digital streaming service with their preferred digital currency – whether it’s bitcoin, ethereum or dogecoin. The streaming television service Sling follows a slew of companies adding crypto payment support during the last 12 months. Over the last year, well known brands such as Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP), Sheetz convenience stores, Phillips Auction House, Verifone, Sotheby’s, RM Sotheby’s, American Residential Warranty (ARW), and Tifon gas stations have added crypto payment support. In mid-January this year, a survey conducted by Visa indicates that one in four businesses polled planned to accept crypto payments this year. Currently, Sling TV customers with an existing monthly subscription can pay with digital currencies. New users have to pay with a traditional payment method one time and then the next month the crypto payment option will be made available to the monthly subscriber. “Sling customers can only make one monthly, manual payment with Bitpay, but will have the choice to prepay for one to six months at a time,” Sling’s summary of the new payment system concludes. What do you think about Sling TV accepting crypto assets for monthly subscription payments? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Celebrity NFTs have proven to be an important collectible class that continues to rise in popularity, including traditional auction sites. Beetlejuice, the pop-culture icon with millions of Howard Stern Show fans and social media followers, is now conquering the NFT world. His NFT continues to receive more views on Goldin‘s February Elite Auction than some of the most established collectibles of all-time, including Superman Comic #1, Tom Brady Autographed Rookie Card and Michael Jackson’s Stage-Worn Glove. Beetlejuice’s manager of 20 years, Bobby Rooney said, “Beetle’s fans always wanted him to have the highest level collectible. That’s why it made sense for Beetle to have a digital NFT on the Blockchain and also a Physical Autographed Rookie Card, that together will be the Ultimate Beetlejuice Collectible. Beetlejuice’s 1-of-1 NFT is original digital art based on the historic T206 baseball card design and highlights some of the greatest milestones in his life. Included with the Beetlejuice 1-of-1 NFT is his 1-of-1 Autographed 206er Rookie Card and the Exclusive 4K Video Life Story of Beetlejuice, as told by Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice’s One-and-Only NFT is named “As Bad AS Can” and available now for bidding on Goldin Auctions. Final Bids Are Due Feb 23rd Goldin.com: https://goldin.co/item/beetle-nft-the-first-and-only-official-nft-for-beetle-as-seen-on-the-hvvomb Opensea: https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/37432232658240906640467004245235320197934939729821144686640862964921460064257 This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

Last week the California-based technology company Intel explained its intentions to develop crypto mining semiconductors that would showcase “1000x better performance per watt.” Now Intel has revealed more details about the “Bonanza Mine” (BMZ1) blockchain accelerator chip at this year’s International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). Intel’s Bonanza Mine Crypto Chip Products Introduced at ISSCC Information concerning Intel’s new crypto mining accelerator chip has been revealed to the public, according to various reports covering 2022’s ISSCC event. On February 12, Bitcoin.com News reported on Intel’s intentions to craft blockchain accelerator chips as Intel executive Raja M. Koduri described Intel’s goals. Intel’s presentations at ISSCC revealed the “Bonanza Mine” (BMZ1) accelerator, but Tom’s Hardware author Paul Alcorn explained that Intel is already working on a second-generation “Bonanza Mine ASIC, known as the BMZ2.” Alcorn’s research notes that Intel described how it combined 300 chips into a “powerful 3,600W miner that delivers up to 40 [terahash per second (TH/s)] of performance.” The BMZ1 leverages a 7 nanometer (nm) process and the size is an approximate “7 x 7.5mm exposed-die FCLGA package.” Alcorn says that while the BMZ1 is a 7nm process, it doesn’t give many details on the process node. “Each chip die measures 4.14 x 3.42mm, for a total of 14.16mm^2 of silicon, so these are comparatively small slivers of silicon,” the report published by Tom’s Hardware explains. “The smaller die size improves yield and maximizes wafer area usage (up to 4,000 die per wafer), thus helping maximize production capacity (though it does require more wafer dicing/packaging capacity).” Alcorn’s BMZ1 summary adds: Each Bonanza Mine ASIC has 258 mining engines, and each engine computes parallel SHA256 double hashes. These engines comprise 90% of the die area and operate at what Intel characterizes as an ‘ultra-low’ voltage of 355mV. Each ASIC operates at 1.35 to 1.6 GHz at 75C, consuming an average of 7.5W apiece while hitting up to 137 Ghash/s. That works out to 55 J/THash/s at 355mV. Intel’s specifications are not as profound as Bitmain’s recent mining rig launch announcements. For instance, in mid-November 2021, Bitmain revealed the Antminer S19 XP that boasts 140 TH/s. At the end of January this year, Bitmain announced the launch of an even stronger bitcoin mining unit called the Antminer S19 Pro+ Hyd. and the firm claims that each unit produces 198 TH/s. Intel already has orders from firms looking to leverage the new BMZ1 and BMZ2 accelerators stemming from company’s like Griid, Argo Blockchain, and Jack Dorsey’s Block (formerly Square). An S-4 filing stemming from Griid does not mention the BMZ1 but the filing does discuss the integrated circuit product named BZM2 What do you think about Intel’s Bonanza Mine BMZ1 and BMZ2 mining chips? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) wants to purchase the National Football League (NFL) team the Denver Broncos. The DAO called “Buy the Broncos DAO” (BBD) wants to obtain the NFL team as a community and “put ownership in the hands of the fans.” A Newly Formed DAO Wants to Buy the Denver Broncos Franchise A newly formed DAO called “Buy the Broncos DAO” (BBD) is following in the footsteps of various DAOs created in the past year. Last year, there was one DAO that tried to purchase a rare copy of the U.S. constitution, but the Constitutiondao didn’t win the auction. In October, an NFT art collective DAO acquired Wu-Tang Clan’s mysterious unreleased album, and another DAO revealed this year the attempt to purchase the infamous One Bel Air 105,000-square-foot megamansion. On Saturday, the BBD project explained to CNBC reporter MacKenzie Sigalos that the DAO hopes to acquire the Denver Broncos football franchise. CNBC’s Sigalos spoke with Sean O’Brien, who is one of the organizers behind the BBD effort. “We know it sounds a bit crazy, but it’s also a bit badass,” O’Brien remarked to the reporter. “The purpose essentially is to establish an infrastructure so that fans from all walks of life can be owners of the Denver Broncos.” BBD is attempting to raise $4 billion in order to accomplish the mission of purchasing the NFL team. The group has a Twitter account dubbed @buythebroncos and at the time of writing, the social media account has a touch over 800 followers. BBD also has a website that explains its purpose and it details that anyone can participate in the DAO. The DAO’s website highlights that if the DAO fails its mission, investors will be able to get their funds back. “If we are not able to buy all or part of the Broncos, you will have options to be reimbursed,” the BBD web portal’s FAQ discloses. Colorado Governor Jared Polis Says He’d Be Excited to Help the DAO’s Effort Interestingly, MacKenzie Sigalos’ report also mentions that at the ETH Denver conference, Colorado governor Jared Polis explained to attendees that he liked the idea. “I would be excited to be part of it myself,” Polis said at the ETH Denver event. “The challenge will be it’ll take a lot of money… but you know what, if your imagination is big enough, then it can happen. And anything I can do to make it happen, I’d be happy to,” the Colorado governor added. While BBD is attempting to raise $4 billion to purchase the Denver Broncos, a report from ESPN notes that the “price will likely set [a] record for any North American sports franchise.” What do you think about the DAO that’s attempting to purchase the Denver Broncos? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Following a bearish start to the week, the crypto market rallied throughout the afternoon, with quant (QNT) and terra (LUNA) leading the gainers. Earlier losses in bitcoin and ethereum were also lessened, as the overall market was up 1.35% as of writing. Biggest gainers Cryptocurrency markets have been under considerable pressure from bears in the last week, however, this somewhat eased as some bulls returned on Monday. Terra (LUNA) was one of these, and was up over 7% as of writing, hitting a high of $53.61 in the process. Despite this, it was quant (QNT) that was today’s biggest gainer (thus far), climbing by as much as 13% on the day. QNT/USD rose to an intraday high of $128.98 to start the week, after closing out yesterday’s session with a low of $105.45. Today’s move saw QNT form an engulfing pattern, which wiped out the last four days of quant bears, as markets looked to move to resistance. However, as QNT/USD moved closer to this resistance level of $138.30, some traders seemed to have liquidated their positions. Irrespective of this, we may still see those remaining pushing for this price ceiling. Biggest losers Despite last week’s selloff somewhat consolidating, there was certainly still a red wave present in the crypto top 100. Whilst most of the list remained red, losses were somewhat muted, with the biggest to fall (as of writing) being avalanche (AVAX). AVAX/USD fell to an intraday low of $75.00 during today’s session, and is down close to 4%, pushing prices to their lowest level in three weeks. This drop in price comes as the support level of $79.00 was finally broken, after several failed attempts to move below this point. Price strength has also been dented, with the 14-day RSI moving to its weakest point since February 3, and now tracks at 44, which is marginally in oversold territory. Could AVAX be heading towards $70.00? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. View the full article

A recent court filing stemming from the Southern District of New York shows that a U.S. district judge has ordered the crypto startup Terraform Labs to comply with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) subpoenas. During the second week of November 2021, the U.S. regulator filed a subpoena enforcement action against Terraform Labs and the startup’s CEO, Do Kwon. U.S. Regulator Gets New York Judge to Side With Investigative Subpoenas Plea On February 17, 2022, a court order signed by the United States district judge J. Paul Oetken details that the startup Terraform Labs must comply with the SEC’s investigative subpoenas. In mid-November last year, the SEC filed subpoenas that attempted to compel Terraform Labs and its CEO Do Kwon to comply with the “fact-finding investigation.” The investigation is due to Terraform Lab’s Mirror Protocol, an application that was launched in 2020, allowing users to trade mirrored assets tied to the price of U.S. securities. The SEC wants Terraform Labs and Kwon to explain why the court “should not compel them to produce documents as required by the subpoenas and compel Kwon to appear for testimony.” A month prior to the enforcement action by the SEC, in October, Terraform Labs and Kwon revealed they were suing the U.S. regulator over serving the CEO the subpoena at a conference in New York. Terraform Labs (TFL) and Kwon insisted that the SEC lacks jurisdiction over the companies and the subpoenas were not served through the proper channels. The lawsuit against the SEC states: The SEC attorneys were well aware that TFL and Mr. Kwon had consistently maintained that the SEC lacked jurisdiction over TFL and Mr. Kwon, and at no time asked Dentons lawyers whether it was authorized to accept service of subpoenas. New York Judge: ‘Terraform and Kwon Are Hereby Ordered to Comply With the Referenced Subpoenas’ Despite the lawsuit against the SEC, last Thursday the Southern District of New York judge J. Paul Oetken ordered TFL and Kwon to comply with the regulator’s subpoenas. After the court had reviewed all the filings between both parties and listened to an oral argument by telephone conference, Oetken granted the SEC its wishes. “For the reasons stated on the record at the February 17, 2022 conference, the SEC’s application is granted, and Terraform and Kwon are hereby ordered to comply with the above-referenced subpoenas,” Oetken’s order explains. The court filing adds: This order is stayed for 14 days to permit further briefing regarding a potential stay pending any appeal of this order. Mirror Protocol is still operational today and is the fifth-largest decentralized finance (defi) protocol on the Terra blockchain today. At the time of writing, the synthetics protocol for on-chain price exposure to real-world assets has $587.34 million total value locked (TVL). The SEC accuses TFL and Kwon of participating in “the creation, promotion and offer to sell assets and MIR tokens to U.S. investors.” What do you think about the New York judge’s court order to TFL and Do Kwon ordering them to comply with the SEC’s investigative subpoenas? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Bitcoin was trading lower to start the week, as markets were anticipating the release of U.S. president Biden’s executive order on cryptocurrencies. Ethereum also remained in the red, and continues to track at multi-week lows. Bitcoin Bitcoin prices were almost 12% lower from the same point last week, as prices fell for a sixth straight day on Monday. Following a high of $39,394.44 on Sunday, BTC/USD dropped to a low of $37,358.00 to start the trading week. The move saw BTC near its long-term support against the dollar of $37,200, hitting its lowest level since February 4 in the process. Price strength in bitcoin is now firmly oversold, with the 14-day RSI tracking at 39, which is its lowest point in over three weeks. This recent downward trend has pushed the 10-day (red) moving average on the cusp of crossing over the 25-day (blue) MA. Should this happen, we may see yet even more declines in the price of the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Ethereum Like bitcoin, prices of ethereum were also down to start the week, with the world’s second largest cryptocurrency trading almost 9% lower from its position last Monday. Monday saw ETH/USD fall to an intraday low of $2,585.95, which is its weakest level since February 3. This three-week low came as ETH headed to what seems to be a new floor of $2,560, as can be seen from the chart below. However, shortly after hitting this point, the price of ETH rallied, as historical bulls who bought at this point once again re-entered. This slight rebound has somewhat prolonged the inevitable downside cross of the 10-day and 25-day moving averages, which only recently showed markets signs of further upwards momentum. What are the main factors behind this selloff? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. View the full article

With the memory of The Sandbox Alpha release still fresh and the funky music from the Snoop Dogg concert still lingering in their minds, fans must be thrilled to know that Season II is already on the way! Prior to the new season, The Sandbox is going to launch a grand collection of unique Snoop Dogg NFT avatars that are fully playable in the game! Minting will be on 2/22/22 at 10PM UTC at Sandbox.game/en/snoopdogg/ and will cost 150 SAND (plus gas fees). Learn how to buy SAND here. Get a Doggie for Season II The Sandbox, one of the most popular blockchain-based metaverse game experiences, is about to launch 10,000 Snoop Dogg avatar NFTs on February 22, 2022, prior to the opening of the Alpha Season II. It’s a great news for both Snoop Dogg fans and The Sandbox lovers. The 10,000 Snoop Dogg avatars are programmatically generated, voxelated NFTs which contains over 150 traits. Each uniquely cool Doggie avatar can be playable in the second season of the game to attend events and concerts, complete quests, hang out with friends and explore the metaverse like a celebrity. Imagine going to a Snoop Dogg concert in a funky Doggie avatar or appearing in a music video filmed entirely inside The Sandbox! Tha Doggies. On Tha Sandbox. My 1st ever 10,000 avatars droppin 2/22/22. Be ready. 👊🏿🔥🔥👊🏿👊🏿💪🏿🎤 checc it @TheSnoopAvatars #twotwotwentytwo pic.twitter.com/zbad8YDrKZ — Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) February 16, 2022 The 10,000 Snoop Dogg avatar NFTs are divided into seven rarity tiers – Human, Blue, Alien, Zombie, Dogg, Robot and Golden. While two-thirds of the Doggies will be common, there will be three types of uniquely designed Doggies with special traits and features to make them stand out of the Doggie crowd. The “dope avatars” is a set of dope, fresh and funky Doggies designed by the teams at The Sandbox and Snoop Dogg himself. Each one is unique and one of its kind. The “classic avatars” is a set of Doggies created based on the history of Snoop Dogg. From these exclusive Doggies, you can easily identify some of Snoop’s greatest tracks throughout the years. One of them is the velvety elegant look of Snoop’s 2007 anthem, with sensual seduction, in the intoxicating soulful retro 80’s vibe. The “signature edition” is a set of Doggies that are completely out of the box. Teamed up with some of the greatest creators in the metaverse, the signature Doggies look like Snoop has been returning from an interstellar, multi-dimensional journey. What does that mean? You need to visit the official site to get an idea. Follow The Doggies on Twitter to check out more swagging Doggies in the collection. How You Can Get a Doggie Avatar The release of the Snoop Dogg avatar collection is scheduled on February 22, 2022. That is 22-02-2022, a very memorable date for the drop. For those who already purchased and hold the exclusive Snoop NFTs such as the Snoopverse Early Access Pass, Snoop Party Pass, JADU Jetpack, JADU Hoverboard, SupDucks, and FLUF Burrow, they will get a chance to mint the Doggies 24 hours before the public release. Every Doggie will be minted and sold for 150 SAND per NFT. For those who have completed the Alpha Release in December and received any of the generous 5,000 SAND as a reward from the game, it’s going to be a no-brainer to spend the SAND in the most cool way possible. More status update on the Doggies collection can be found on Twitter and Discord. This is a sponsored post. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

Horizon Worlds, one of the flagship metaverse apps that Meta has released, has reached a monthly userbase of 300K users on its platform. Meta’s executives announced this milestone in a virtual all-hands update last week. The company also announced recently that more than 10,000 worlds had been created on its platform, a sign of the growth that the tool has experienced since its launch in December. Horizon Worlds Grows Amidst Metaverse Push Meta’s focus seems to be picking up steam among the VR crowd. The company announced that Horizon Worlds, one of its flagship metaverse apps allowing users to build and inhabit their own spaces, has reached a monthly active user base of 300,000 users for the first time. The information was shared by Chris Cox, the company’s CPO, during a virtual meeting last week. The executive also stated this constituted a tenfold increase in this metric in just three months, according to The Verge. The app was recently featured in Meta’s Quest 2 Super Bowl ad, something that might have contributed to its newfound popularity alongside the rise of the metaverse as a new technology. While the company celebrates this achievement, the growth of the tool is closely linked to the number of VR headsets available for users. This is because the app is only available for users of these headsets, able to experience the worlds in an immersive way. However, there seems to be a growing interest in the metaverse app, as it announced recently that users had created over 10,000 worlds. Horizon Worlds’ Expansion Plans The company plans to keep expanding its userbase by allowing more users to enter the world despite the lack of VR tools to experience it fully. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta and the man behind the metaverse pivot of the company (formerly Facebook), announced the intention to bring a mobile version of the app to “bring early metaverse experiences to more surfaces beyond VR.” This is consistent with what Zuckerberg has expressed about the reach and the scope of VR apps earlier. In the most recent earnings call, Zuckerberg stated: While the deepest and most immersive experiences are going to be in virtual reality, you’re also going to be able to access the worlds from your Facebook or Instagram apps as well, and probably more over time. Meta is not monetizing Horizon Worlds’ services as of writing, though some expect monetization may accompany future expansion and growth. What do you think about the userbase growth of Horizon Worlds? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

KeychainX AG is a Swiss based crypto recovery company helping people access lost crypto since 2017. The company also has a patent pending keyless crypto wallet based on geographical and bio metrics using social recovery. Robert Rhodin is the CEO of KeychainX. He recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the possibilities of recovering $100 billion in lost crypto wallets, as well as best security practices, dangerous hacks, bugs and much more. KeychainX, it is a cryptocurrency wallet recovery service operating since 2017. The company recovered wallet keys for many clients from all over the world and you can see some of their raving reviews on Trustpilot where KeychainX has an almost perfect 4.9 ‘Excellent’ score. To learn more about the company visit KeychainX.io or just send an email to KeychainX@protonmail.com if you need to talk about password recovery. The Bitcoin.com News podcast features interviews with the most interesting leaders, founders and investors in the world of Cryptocurrency, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), NFTs and the Metaverse. Follow us on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play. This is a sponsored podcast. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

Russia’s largest social media network, Vkontakte, has announced it’s going to introduce support for blockchain and NFTs. The crypto technologies will be incorporated into the platform’s scheme for monetization of user content and copyright protection. Vkontakte to Facilitate Use of Non-Fungible Tokens The leading Russian social media platform, Vkontakte, intends to utilize blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the company’s Technical Director Alexander Tobol unveiled in a recent interview with Vesti. Both will become part of a set of tools for monetizing user-generated content and protecting copyrights, the executive explained. An NFT, Tobol elaborated, is a digital certificate of uniqueness, ensuring it’s impossible to forge the content which is guaranteed by an entry into a distributed ledger. Tobol further emphasized that Vkontakte is not preparing to develop its own blockchain. The popular social media network intends to act as an intermediary and assist in its implementation. He further elaborated: It is easy to create an NFT, then list it on an exchange. And here, our task as the largest service in Russia for interaction with [an] audience, with an incredible amount of user-generated content, is to provide this opportunity. The global market for non-fungible tokens has been estimated to be between $20 billion and $35 billion a year, and the forecast for 2025 stands at around $80 billion, Vesti points out. The report notes, however, that the main problem associated with NFTs is fraud. Opensea, the largest digital art marketplace, has acknowledged that over 80% of all NFTs created using its free tool are either fake or constitute plagiarism. Citing similar reasons, another NFT marketplace, Cent, has altogether suspended the trading of photo and audio NFTs. To address the issue, Vkontakte will also use its existing Content ID system for verification of authorship of all downloaded music and video content, both within the social network and in the databases of the world’s largest labels. Vkontakte’s move comes after, in January, reports revealed that Facebook’s owner Meta is preparing to allow users of the world’s leading social media network to create and sell NFTs. The plan is part of efforts to tap into the growing market of digital collectibles. What do you think about Vkontakte’s decision to introduce support for NFTs? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Julio Velarde, the president of the Central Bank of Peru, attacked the value of cryptocurrencies and referred to negative effects they are said to have on the environment. In a recent interview with local media, Velarde said the Bank did not consider bitcoin a payment method. Instead, Velarde referred to it as a “highly volatile financial asset,” that people purchase for this volatility risk. President of Bank of Peru Blasts Crypto Julio Velarde, the president of the Central Bank of Peru, recently shared his opinion and the considerations that the bank has about cryptocurrencies. The official stated that these new elements in the economy had some defects compared to their fiat counterparts. Velarde first referred to the volatility of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, stating that they are “highly volatile financial assets.” Velarde also explained that this is the attractive part of cryptocurrency because people and traders purchase them because of this risk. One of the reasons for this volatility is the lack of intrinsic value of these assets, according to Velarde. He explained that due to this, “people may lose interest in having it, and then the price can drop to anything.” Velarde also explained that there were environmental concerns regarding the use of cryptocurrencies, stating these pose a problem due to their energy consumption. Velarde declared: The problem with cryptocurrency now is climate change. It is the least friendly for the environment. Continuing to mine bitcoins consumes the energy of a medium-sized country. These are impressive amounts. Velarde’s Report on Peru’s Central Bank Digital Currency Velarde also gave a report on the advancements the institution has achieved when it comes to the design of its own digital currency. He stated that the bank is working on a document to be presented in a month and a half, after meeting with the Central Bank of India and the International Monetary Fund in coming days. The central bank president was quick to compare these digital fiat counterparts with cryptocurrencies, clarifying that they will have the support of central banks. On the development of Peru’s CBDC, the executive stated: I believe that the path we must take is one in which we accompany growth by giving guidelines and setting certain parameters in the regulations. We do not know how the new geography of payments will end up being in Peru. Velarde announced last November that the bank was working on a Peruvian digital currency focused on payments. Also, a law to regulate cryptocurrency transactions and the actions of VASPs (virtual asset service providers) on Peruvian soil was introduced in December. What do you think about the opinion of the president of the Bank of Peru on cryptocurrencies? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a new medium of artistic expression that gives artists the freedom and the ability to reach a diverse audience, Saudi Princess Reem Al Faisal has said. Decentralized Art According to the Saudi Arabian princess, Reem Al Faisal, NFTs are a natural evolution of art that gives artists the freedom to reach different races, cultures and places. Al Faisal also asserts that NFTs have done what decentralized finance (defi) has done to finance — they have “decentralized art.” The Saudi princess’ comments about artists’ adoption or growing use of NFTs follow recent reports that she had launched her first NFT as well as the first virtual exposition of Saudi NFTs. Also, prior to launching the NFTs, Al Faisal, a photographer for more than 30 years, had sold her works on the NFT marketplace, Opensea. Remarking on the reaction to her own NFT launch, the Saudi princess said she is surprised that people still fail to see NFTs as a new way of exhibiting art. She said: People make a lot of fuss about it [NFTs] but I don’t understand why they are so shocked that people go into NFTs, specifically artists and specifically photographers. It’s the next medium of artistic expression. Yet, in spite of their role in empowering artists, NFTs have been targeted by critics who insist the tokens are being used to launder money. A British security and defence think tank, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), appeared to be back the claims when it warned that NFTs could be used to bolster money laundering schemes. However, in her comments during an exclusive interview with Bitcoin.com News, an unfazed Al Faisal said she will continue to keep abreast with the changing trends. “It’s that world of the blockchain, the metaverse and I want my work to be exhibited on that world,” Al Faisal explained. An Important Evolution in Finance Besides endorsing NFTs, the 56-year-old princess Al Faisal also told Bitcoin.com News that she has “always been fascinated by the blockchain” which she says is now part of everyday life in Saudi Arabia. She said her IT company, Dar Al Saaed already deals with blockchain. Besides the blockchain, Al Faisal said she is also fascinated by cryptocurrencies and bitcoin which she called “the most amazing technology.” Turning to the use of cryptocurrencies in Saudi Arabia, Al Faisal acknowledges that the kingdom, unlike some of its fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, has not formally adopted these just yet. However, she predicts that the Saudi government “will probably regulate cryptocurrency and allow free use of that tech because it has shown itself to be an important evolution in finance.” Al Faisal also shared another reason why some in Saudi Arabia are confident that the kingdom, which previously said cryptocurrencies are illegal, will eventually allow the free use of cryptos. She said: “Saudi Arabia has always adopted the most advanced thing it can find. It has adopted anything new and since cryptocurrencies are still new there is an expectation that these too will be adopted.” What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. On February 17th, 2022, Hoo announced the completion of the first-stage token-repurchase plan on HOO Token with a cumulative total of 423,982.18 HOO repurchased from the secondary market. From January 2022, Hoo had imposed the strategic plan on generating 30% of the income revenue from spot trading (Spot Zone + Innovation Zone) of Hoo Exchange for enhancing the liquidity of the AMM pool. 15% of the income revenue would be used to repurchase HOO from the secondary market, and all the repurchased HOO would be placed into AMM liquidity pool. The remaining 15% income revenue would also be transferred to the AMM liquidity pool for optimizing the depth and activation of the secondary market continuously. According to the announcement, Hoo’s accumulated spot transaction income is 3,385,520 USDT in January 2022. Thus, 1,015,656 USDT will be imposed into token-repurchase agreement, and half of which will be used to repurchase HOO from the secondary market and the remaining half of the USDT from income revenue will be added to the Hoo AMM liquidity pool together with the repurchased HOO. In addition, contributing to the support of a strong user base of Hoo Exchange, Hoo’s market share has further increased with steady growth in the past few months. According to Coingecko, HOO’s market capitalisation reached $92,427,436 on 31st January 2022, which has reached a 22.73% year-on-year growth on the total market capitalisation. HOO is an important element for the development of Hoo’s global ecology. During the past periods, the Hoo team has visualized plenty of enriched application scenarios for HOO based on the users’ needs. Acting as GAS fee on HSC. Participating in HooPool mining: HOO holders can use their HOO to participate in the initial mining event of a new project. The token holders can pledge the HOO or other crypto assets to participate in the HooPool event in a privileged position where they could preempt into the pool earlier than other users who do not hold HOO. Doubled income from liquidity mining and fee share by pledging HOO on HSC. Discounted handling fees with VIP benefits: e.g., users who hold 10,000 HOO can enjoy VIP1 level benefits, and holding 500,000 HOO can enjoy VIP4 level benefits. Receiving a commission rebate by referring new users. Participating in the Right to Gain program: the opportunity to enjoy benefits such as an increase in the maximum amount of participation and an increase in base earnings. To borrow over 20 kinds of mainstream cryptocurrencies by pledging HOO to meet users’ daily capital needs. Participating in the Hoo exchange’s new crypto launch for investing in other projects with high potential. Entitled to special benefits for Hoo marketing campaigns, including AMA, gift cards, blind boxes, prize draws, etc. Redeeming HOO for small amounts of currencies: some users who hold small amounts of currencies that cannot be traded directly can enjoy the benefit of redeeming HOO once within 6 hours. About Hoo Hoo was founded in 2018. After 3 years of development, in addition to operating the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Hoo’s business covers the entire blockchain ecosystem with over 2.4 million total users covering more than 120 countries and regions worldwide. So far, Hoo has established a complete product business matrix with better ecological services. The core businesses include OTC, Spot, Futures, HOO, Collateral Loan, Hoo Earn, HooPool, HooSwap, Hoo Custody, Hoo Cub Fund, Hoo Mining, etc. Contact us Follow Hoo on social media to stay up to speed with the latest news: Weibo, Twitter, Telegram, Medium, Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

Following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charging the crypto lending platform Blockfi with failing to register its retail crypto lending product and fining the firm $100 million, the crypto lender Nexo has announced it will no longer allow U.S. citizens to earn interest on new savings wallet top-ups. However, Nexo customers from the U.S. will continue to earn interest on their current savings wallet balances held prior to the announcement. Nexo ‘Reveals Big Savings News for US Customers’ Last week, the SEC cracked down on the crypto lending platform Blockfi and the company was fined $100 million in penalties. The news followed several regulators from a myriad of states like New Jersey, Kentucky, Texas, Alabama, and Vermont giving warnings to Blockfi about the firm’s interest-bearing accounts. Some states issued cease and desist orders and the company had to stop offering Blockfi Interest Accounts (BIAs) by a certain date. After Blockfi’s penalties were handed down by the U.S. securities regulator, the crypto lending firm Nexo has announced: “big savings news for U.S. customers.” According to the Reddit moderator of the subreddit r/nexo, Nexo Josh, U.S.-based Nexo customers will be seeing some new changes in regard to the Nexo savings program that bears interest. Nexo Josh explained that the company has “voluntarily implemented changes” to its earn interest product in the United States in order to “comply with newly-announced guidance.” Nexo’s representative noted that non-U.S. clients are “not subject to the SEC’s guidance and remain unaffected.” Existing U.S. clients will keep earning on the balances they hold, however, Americans cannot earn interest on newly added balances. “New top-ups to your [Nexo] savings wallet, as of today, will not earn interest until the restructuring of the earn interest product,” the message from Nexo Josh said. Furthermore, the representative stressed that “any assets withdrawn from your savings wallet, even if returned later, will be treated as new top-ups and will not earn you interest.” Crypto Lender Nexo Hopes to Launch Earn Interest Product 2.0 As far as new U.S.-based Nexo clients are concerned, the earn interest product will not exist in its current form. Nexo plans to restructure the product and it will be introduced as the earn interest product 2.0 version. “Our team and legal advisers are working around the clock to develop solutions for our U.S. clients that will make the earn interest product 2.0 as widely accessible as possible and compliant with the new regulatory realities,” Nexo Josh concluded. Meanwhile, Blockfi wasn’t the only crypto firm targeted by securities regulators in the U.S., as Kentucky and Alabama sent warnings to the crypto lending company Celsius over interest-bearing accounts. According to the SEC’s current opinion, the U.S. regulator says crypto savings products that offer interest “are not as safe as bank or credit union deposits.” What do you think about Nexo voluntarily implementing changes toward its interest-bearing account products in order to comply with U.S. regulators? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Global Investment bank JPMorgan says, “The metaverse will likely infiltrate every sector in some way in the coming years, with the market opportunity estimated at over $1 trillion in yearly revenues.” The firm has set up a lounge in Decentraland. JPMorgan on the Metaverse Global Investment bank JPMorgan recently published a report titled “Opportunities in the metaverse.” The report is authored by Christine Moy and Adit Gadgil. Moy is the global head of Liink, Crypto & the Metaverse at Onyx by J.P. Morgan. Gadgil is the head of e-commerce solutions at J.P. Morgan Payments. The JPMorgan report details: The metaverse will likely infiltrate every sector in some way in the coming years, with the market opportunity estimated at over $1 trillion in yearly revenues. The report cites research by Grayscale Investments which states: “The metaverse is estimated to be a trillion-dollar revenue opportunity across advertising, social commerce, digital events, hardware, and developer/creator monetization.” “As a result, we see companies of all shapes and sizes entering the metaverse in different ways, including household names like Walmart, Nike, Gap, Verizon, Hulu, PWC, Adidas, Atari, and others,” the authors wrote. JPMorgan proceeded to outline its approach to the metaverse. “The success of building and scaling in the metaverse is dependent on having a robust and flexible financial ecosystem that will allow users to seamlessly connect between the physical and virtual worlds,” the authors explained, adding: Our approach to payments and financial infrastructure will allow that interoperability to grow. The investment bank has set up an “Onyx by J.P. Morgan” lounge in Decentraland. The ground floor is an open space with a tiger walking around and a portrait of JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon. The lounge is upstairs where there is a big table with documents on it and large monitor screens. You can explore the lounge here. The JPMorgan report cautions that “The components of the metaverse continue to evolve very quickly,” making it “difficult to base a business strategy on such a dynamic space.” However, the authors emphasized: “The costs and risks of engaging early and consistently in order to build internal intellectual property, develop hypotheses about future business models, and identify ecosystem partners and collaborators are relatively low.” They elaborated: The asymmetrical risk of being left behind is worth the incremental investment needed to get started and to explore this new digital landscape for yourself. Do you agree with JPMorgan about the metaverse? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

The third-richest billionaire in Mexico, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, advises to buy bitcoin, keep buying while the price is still low, and hold the crypto without thinking of selling. “Trust me, you’re going to thank me later,” he affirmed. Billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s Bitcoin Advice Mexico’s third-richest billionaire, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, gave some advice Saturday about investing in bitcoin. Salinas is the founder and chairman of Grupo Salinas, a group of companies with interests in telecommunications, media, financial services, and retail stores. According to Forbes’ list of billionaires, his net worth is currently more than $13 billion. The billionaire tweeted Saturday urging his Twitter followers to buy bitcoin and keep buying while the price of BTC is still low. His tweet reads: You have to buy bitcoin (keep buying when the price is low), then just hold your BTC, forget about selling … Trust me you’re going to thank me later. Bitcoin has fallen more than 40% since its all-time high in November last year. A number of people and corporations have bought the dip, including the Nasdaq-listed Microstrategy, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, and the government of El Salvador. This is not the first time Salinas has strongly recommended buying bitcoin. He explained in June last year: “Bitcoin is an asset that has extraordinary properties … All the advantages that bitcoin has, for me, make it gold for the modern world.” In comparison, Salinas often attacked fiat currency, calling it a fraud. “Governments don’t like bitcoin … it burns them that people can get out of their fiat trap because that is what fiat money is, a fraud,” he opined. In November, he referenced “the scale of fake money creation” in the U.S., stating: “Good old USA is looking more and more like any other irresponsible third world country.” He then advised, “Buy bitcoin right now.” He reiterated in December last year: “Stay away from fiat money. The dollar, the euro, the yen, or the peso — they are all the same story. It’s fake money made of paper and lies. The central banks are printing more money than ever before. Invest in bitcoin.” What do you think about the Mexican billionaire’s bitcoin advice? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly expected to issue an executive order on cryptocurrency this week. It will direct a wide range of government agencies to come up with a government-wide strategy to regulate crypto assets. Executive Order on Crypto Expected This Week U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to issue an executive order on cryptocurrency this week, an administration official familiar with the matter reportedly told Yahoo Finance. The news of the Biden administration preparing an executive order on crypto was first reported in January. The executive order will direct a wide range of government agencies to study cryptocurrency and central bank digital currency (CBDC), and come up with a government-wide strategy to regulate crypto assets, the publication conveyed. Various government agencies will be asked to produce a report on the future of money and payment systems, including the Departments of the Treasury, State, Justice, and Homeland Security. The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) will examine financial stability issues stemming from digital assets. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), crypto could soon pose risks to countries’ financial stability. The Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will study how the growth of the crypto sector could impact market competition. The FTC recently issued several warnings about crypto investment schemes. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) will consider market protection measures within their jurisdictions. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said last week that the SEC will work with the CFTC on regulating the crypto sector. The Treasury Department will be in charge of compiling a report to the president on how to protect against risks from cryptocurrencies after consultation with the SEC, CFTC, and federal banking agencies. The executive order will also examine consumer, business, and investor protection measures. Other issues it will address include stablecoins, privacy, and distributed ledger technology (DLT). Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched a new unit to tackle crypto exploitation and the Department of Justice (DOJ) appointed the first director for its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. The U.S. government will also look at coordinating with other countries to standardize crypto rules. Robert Ophèle, a member of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), recently said global regulators are “going full steam” on crypto regulation. “The current structure is no longer fit for the purpose with the development of cross-border digital market activities,” he stressed. What do you think about President Biden issuing an executive order on crypto? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

This week, Axie Infinity, the blockchain-based online video game crafted by the Vietnamese software studio Sky Mavis, surpassed $4 billion in all-time non-fungible token (NFT) sales. Currently, the play-to-earn (P2E) game launched in 2018 is the third-largest NFT platform in terms of all-time sales. The Sky Mavis Crafted Blockchain Game Axie Infinity Records More Than $4 Billion in Lifetime NFT Sales The Ethereum-based video game Axie Infinity has been very popular during the last 12 months as the P2E pet training world has seen significant demand. The game’s native digital currency axie infinity (AXS) has increased by 2,544% against the U.S. dollar over the last year. On the other hand, smooth love potion (SLP), hasn’t been so lucky and is down 70% in value year-to-date. Metrics indicate that there’s 53,502 AXS token holders today and out of 166,870 Axies there are 45,276 Axie owners. This week, NFT metrics show, the project developed by Sky Mavis captured more than $4 billion worth of all-time NFT sales. Today, the average Axie Infinity sale price is $198.77 and the project has seen 1,905,222 traders, according to lifetime statistics. With approximately $4.14 billion in all-time sales recorded at the time of writing, Axie Infinity is the third-largest NFT project in terms of all-time sales. The game’s NFT sales are below Opensea’s $21.85 billion and Looksrare’s reported $16.85 billion. Despite the All-Time Sales Milestone, Axie Nft sales Are Down 40.58% During the Last Seven Days While Axie Infinity is an Ethereum-based project, the game leverages the Ronin network so the network can scale without high fees and congestion issues. At the time of writing, the cross-chain Ronin Bridge has $3.3 billion total-vale locked, and it is down 15% since last week. Statistics indicate that the Ronin-based decentralized exchange (dex) Katana is the fourth largest decentralized finance (defi) exchange in terms of volume. Katana has seen $30.8 million in 24-hour trade volume and has a balance of $475 million. Even though all-time Axie Infinity NFT sales have crossed the $4 billion mark, sales are down 40.58% during the last seven days. Weekly statistics indicate Axie Infinity has processed $19,815,670 in sales via the Ronin blockchain. Axie NFTs last week saw 91,940 buyers across 267,906 transactions. 24-hour Axie NFT sales metrics show the project has seen $2.2 million in sales from 17,731 buyers. While Axie is the third-largest in all-time sales, it’s the fourth in 24-hour terms and the fifth over the last seven days. Over the last month, Axie placed eighth out of the top ten projects in terms of 30-day NFT sales. What do you think about the blockchain gaming project Axie Infinity surpassing $4 billion in all-time sales? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Opensea co-founder and CEO, Devin Finzer, has denied rumors that the non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace’s codebase was breached and that attackers had stolen $200 million. According to Finzer, an investigation had shown that the attacker had $1.7 million worth of ethereum in his wallet by leveraging a phishing scheme. Attacker Reportedly Returns Some Stolen NFTs Devin Finzer, the co-founder and CEO of Opensea has denied reports that the NFT marketplace has been breached. Instead, Finzer has characterized the alleged hacking incident as a “phishing attack,” which he insists is not connected to Opensea’s website. He did, however, admit that some of the more than 30 users that “signed a malicious payload from an attacker” had their NFTs stolen. While Finzer did not give the estimated value of the stolen NFTs, a Twitter user named Mr. Whale suggested in a tweet, posted a few hours after the breach, that “over $200M [was] lost already.” Another user named Jacob King rejected Finzer and Opensea’s phishing attack claim. The user claims that a “flaw in their code led to one of the largest NFTs exploits in history.” #OpenSea is now lying and claiming the exploit was actually just phishing emails people were receiving. This is 100% not true, but rather a flaw in their code which led to one of the largest #NFT exploits in history. pic.twitter.com/qGRq0MaFT1 — Jacob King (@JacobOracle) February 20, 2022 However, in a Twitter thread posted on February 20, Finzer rebuts these claims. He said an investigation had, in fact, shown that the attackers had returned some of the NFTs. He explained: The attack doesn’t appear to be active at this point — we haven’t seen any malicious activity from the attacker’s account in 2 hours. Some of the NFTs have been returned. Finzer also claimed that the Opensea team was not aware of any recent phishing emails that have been sent to users. The CEO said at the time when he posted the thread, the team was yet to determine the website that had been “tricking users into maliciously signing messages.” Attackers’ Wallet Has $1.7 Million Worth of ETH Also to back the findings of Opensea’s investigation, the CEO pointed to a more technical context of what transpired which was shared by another Twitter user Neso. Finzer ends his thread by dismissing rumors that suggested that this was a $200 million hack. According to him, the Opensea team had determined that “the attacker has $1.7 million of ETH in his wallet from selling some of the stolen NFTs.” We are actively investigating rumors of an exploit associated with OpenSea related smart contracts. This appears to be a phishing attack originating outside of OpenSea's website. Do not click links outside of https://t.co/3qvMZjxmDB. — OpenSea (@opensea) February 20, 2022 Meanwhile, in another thread, Finzer said after his team got in touch with “dozens” of people and teams across the NFT space, and he is confident this was a phishing attack. He added that Opensea was now actively “working with users whose items were stolen to narrow down a set of common websites that they interacted with that might have been responsible for the malicious signatures.” What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

While blockchain virtual worlds have seen significant demand during the last few months, an “interoperable pixel metaverse” project called Webbland has seen weekly NFT sales spike by 126.24%. The project recorded over $3.6 million in sales over the last seven days, and two Webbland penthouses made it into the top 15 most expensive NFT sales this week. Worldwide Webbland NFT Sales Capture $3.6 Million in Volume Over the Last Week During the last 12 months, metaverse properties have climbed in value as blockchain-based virtual world projects like Decentraland, The Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and Illuvium have seen significant demand. Metaverse land, apartments, penthouses, and mansions have been selling for anywhere between four to seven figures. This week, Webbland, a project that calls itself an “interoperable pixel metaverse,” has seen $3.6 million in sales this week, up 126.24% since the week prior. Webbland has made it into the 33rd position in terms of seven-day sales during the last week, above Farmers World and just below Sheet Fighter. The project Worldwide Webbland or Webbland is similar to The Sandbox and Decentraland, as it allows players to own land, equip with NFTs, complete quests, and explore. Webbland is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) and players have in-game avatars and they can acquire land in the virtual world. “Lands are in-game spaces owned and controlled by the respective NFT token holder and function as an integral part of the Worldwide Webb ecosystem,” the project’s website explains. During the last seven days out of the top 50 NFT projects, and besides the NFT projects Psychedelics Anonymous Genesis and 420 Game Green Pass, Webbland captured the third-highest percentage gains in terms of sales this week. 2 Webbland Penthouses Sell for Over $130K in Ethereum According to statistics, 24 hours ago, Webbland’s Penthouse #9051 was the 14th most expensive NFT parcel sold. The Webbland virtual penthouse sold for 50 ethereum (ETH) or $139,848 at the time of settlement. 16 hours ago, Webbland’s Penthouse #9056 was the 15th most expensive NFT property sold this week. That particular penthouse in the Webbland metaverse sold for 48 ether or $131,830 at the time of settlement. Metrics show that presently, there are 1,067 active Webbland wallets and on Opensea the project’s floor price is 1.7 ether or $4,464 and on Looksrare the lowest Webbland floor price is 1.1625 ether or roughly $3,052. In terms of property, the lowest sale this week was a medium-sized apartment #5586 for 2.89 ether or $7,989. Meanwhile, the leading blockchain metaverse projects like The Sandbox and Decentraland have recorded higher sales this past week. The Sandbox saw $7.8 million in sales volume across 606 sales during the last seven days and the average sale was $13K. Decentraland recorded $4.3 million in sales last week across 284 transactions. It seems like the trend of expensive virtual property sales will continue this year, as a myriad of metaverse properties are becoming more valuable than even physical real estate. What do you think about Webbland’s penthouse sales this week and metaverse property sales in general? Would you pay thousands of dollars in crypto for virtual property? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Bulgarians can now invest in crypto assets through their country’s stock market. The Bulgarian Stock Exchange has recently launched eight ETNs based on two digital currencies, bitcoin and ethereum, following the example set by leading European platforms that support such products. Crypto-Based ETNs Offered to Bulgarian Investors Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) has started trading crypto instruments tracking the price rates of bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH). “Investors looking for suitable innovative crypto products may now freely trade in eight crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs),” according to an announcement published this past Thursday. With their launch, the Bulgarian stock market follows in the footsteps of major European exchanges such as Deutsche Börse and Euronext, which introduced these instruments two years ago, the BSE noted in the press release. Commenting on the development, BSE Executive Director Prof. Dr. Manyu Moravenov stated: With the new products of BSE International, we meet the increased market interest in crypto instruments. We are pleased to be able today to offer an alternative asset for trading in cryptocurrencies, making the process easier and simpler for all interested investors. The ETNs will allow investors to put money into digital assets without the need to create and own crypto wallets and cryptographic keys, Moravenov elaborated. At the same time, they will have access to regulation-compliant crypto instruments, the executive emphasized. The trading of crypto-based ETNs is in continuation of BSE’s long-term partnership with Deutsche Börse and the market maker Tradegate AG, the Bulgarian stock market body explained. This will ensure the liquidity of the crypto instruments, the announcement noted. The products are traded in euros and during the regular trading session, BSE detailed. The offering of the ETNs comes after Bulgaria’s Finance Minister Asen Vasilev unveiled in a recent interview with Bloomberg that the Southeast European nation, a member state of the European Union, is exploring options to facilitate cryptocurrency payments. A crypto payment mechanism may be introduced “in the short to medium term,” said Vasilev who is also deputy prime minister. He added that the executive power in Sofia is discussing the matter with the Bulgarian National Bank and representatives of the country’s crypto industry. Do you think investors will take advantage of the new crypto instruments offered by the Bulgarian Stock Exchange? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. The world of audit has always had an inherent problem, the conflict of interest that comes from paying for audit services. Auditors are meant to be independent of their clients, but how can you be independent when you are auditing your employer? With countless instances of paid auditors issuing fraudulent attestations to keep their clients happy – say, Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco, to name just a few – the world is finally waking up to the need for alternative decentralized and independent solutions. That’s why we’re enormously excited to be hosting SCATDAO’s public sale on the KICK.IO launchpad. Funded by Project Catalyst, Smart Contract Audit Token Decentralized Autonomous Organization (SCATDAO) is a new audit paradigm that performs decentralized, truly independent smart contract audits on Cardano, redefining the way audits are selected, performed, and financed. It has been clear from the beginning that to ensure DeFi mass adoption the ecosystem requires independent audits using a consistent set of standards for certification of the code, as well as rigorous assessment of the project’s development team and its legitimacy. Nevertheless, the current system leaves the door open for Dev teams to influence their audit results. Not only does the current fee model cast the independence of many auditors into doubt, it also creates a system of inequality, where only well-funded dev teams can afford an audit. That’s why SCATDAO was designed to avoid this inherent conflict of interest by creating a unique funding mechanism that self-finances their operations so that independence is always maintained. The token holders will be the ones who choose the projects they care for and want to be audited through a streamlined, standardized, and automated process. This method also provides critical infrastructure to Cardano by offering a free resource where dev teams can obtain a comprehensive audit, receive feedback on any bugs or potential exploits they were unaware of, and demonstrate to the general public that their protocols are safe to use. Website | Twitter | Medium Public sale on KICK.IO SCATDAO’s public sale will kick off on February 21, 13:00 UTC and will run until February 24, 13:00 UTC. Mark the date to avoid the risk of missing out. Ticker: Audit Price: $0.02 USD KYC: Yes IEO Start date: 2021-02-21 13:00 UTC IEO End date: 2021-02-24 13:00 UTC Total token supply: 1 Billion Available for sale: 15,000,000. (1.5%) Hard cap: 300,000 Payment option: ADA, USDT, USDC About KICK.IO KICK.IO is a Cardano-based fundraising platform and project accelerator, designed to provide transparent, efficient, and fully decentralized crowdfunding services. KICK.IO is set to mature into a cornerstone of the new Cardano-dominated DeFi landscape, becoming the place where Cardano’s extensive community can come together to fund projects characterized by the immense potential for future success. Our next-generation decentralized launchpad will be built according to the best DeFi industry practices, ensuring real-time settlement, top-notch security, interoperability, true decentralization, zero counterparty risk, while also being fully scalable to meet the needs of institutional investors. Unlike our competitors, we offer full support of Cardano native tokens and a suite of advanced DeFi tools that upcoming projects need to thrive and prosper. Twitter | Telegram | Medium | Website This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

Digital asset custody service provider Fireblocks has announced it will acquire First Digital, a fellow Israeli company, for $100 million. The acquisition, which is said to be Fireblocks’ first, comes less than three weeks after the company revealed it raised $550 million in Series E funding. Fireblocks’ $8 Billion Valuation Fireblocks, a digital asset custody firm, is set to acquire the stablecoin payment platform First Digital for $100 million, a report has said. The acquisition, when consummated, will enable Fireblocks to bolster the capabilities of its current payment platform. According to a report by Calcalist, Fireblocks will be able to do this by enabling payment service providers (PSPs) and acquirers to accept crypto payments and to make payouts in digital currencies as well. The custody firm’s purchase of the Israeli fintech startup comes a few weeks after Fireblocks was reported to have raised $550 million in Series E funding. Following this funding series, which brought the total value of funds raised to $1 billion, Fireblocks saw its valuation rise to a reported $8 billion. Fireblocks Not Focused on Further Acquisitions Meanwhile, the report quotes Fireblocks’ CEO, Michael Shaulov, who lists some of the reasons for this acquisition. He said: They built one of the strongest teams when it comes to crypto, payments, and product and they will complement our capabilities. First’s significant advantage is that like Fireblocks, they built a technological platform that easily connects to the different payment providers and allows them to easily receive payments in cryptocurrencies. While the acquisition is set to become Fireblocks’ first, Shaulov is quoted insisting that his firm’s objective now is not to go out and make more acquisitions. Rather, the focus is “to integrate First [Digital]’s team who have capabilities in many sectors.” First Digital CEO Ran Goldstein is quoted in the Calcalist report explaining the difficulties that eventually forced the company to dismiss 90% of its staff in 2018. It would be in the latter half of 2021 when First Digital’s gambit finally paid off. “I think our gamble paid off as at the end of 2021 we attracted a lot of interest from many payments companies who wanted to add crypto payments to their offering and from crypto companies who wanted to branch out beyond trading,” Goldstein is quoted explaining. What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article