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A regional court has sentenced a man accused of illegally connecting his crypto farm to the grid to two years in prison. The decision comes as authorities in Moscow prepare to address the lack of proper regulations for cryptocurrency mining, which has become a popular source of income in Russia. Illegal Crypto Farm Burns 1.3 Million kWh in Komi, Russia The city court in Syktyvkar, capital of the Russian Komi Republic, has found a 39-year-old local resident who was operating an underground crypto farm guilty of electricity theft. The hardware was installed in a building rented from an industrial enterprise and illegally connected to the nearby transformer station. The man ran the mining facility for at least five years, using 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of unpaid electricity to mint digital currencies, the region’s Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release published on Tuesday. The stolen electricity is worth an estimated 5.7 million Russian rubles (close to $75,000 at the time of writing). According to the announcement, the man whose identity was not immediately revealed has received a two-year suspended sentence with a probation period of two years for his mining activities between 2015 and 2020 to which he admitted in court. In the absence of government-adopted rules, crypto mining has been spreading across energy-rich Russia, not only as a profitable business but also as an additional income source for many ordinary people. In some regions, local authorities have complained that the rise of mining in basements and garages has caused damage to the electrical network which is struggling to meet the growing loads. In Irkutsk Oblast, which maintains some of the lowest electricity rates in Russia, at $0.01 per kWh for households, a power utility has filed 85 lawsuits this year against home miners. A recent report revealed the company had already won nine cases from which it expects to receive 18.7 million rubles ($250,000) in compensation. Calls have been mounting among officials in Moscow and certain regions to recognize crypto mining as an economic activity and tax it. This would also give authorities an opportunity to charge miners more for the energy they consume. A working group at the State Duma is now preparing regulations for a number of crypto-related activities including mining. In December, the federal government allowed Russian regions to determine local electricity tariffs in residential areas. The move is expected to affect amateur miners who will pay more after a certain consumption threshold is reached. Home mining has become so popular largely due to the cheaper electricity offered to the population. Do you think Russia will soon regulate cryptocurrency mining? Share your expectations in the comments section below. View the full article

Anatoly Aksakov, head of the Financial Market Committee at the Russian parliament, has reiterated a warning for cryptocurrency investors and insisted that Russians owning coins should declare their digital assets. The parliamentarian also urged for the comprehensive regulation of crypto mining and taxation. Aksakov Warns Russian Crypto Investors They Can Lose Everything Russians have put 5 trillion rubles (around $67 billion) into crypto and some of them may lose everything as cryptocurrencies are not backed by anything, Anatoly Aksakov, a deputy with a key role in the regulation of Russia’s crypto space, has recently stated. Many of these people are non-qualified investors and as such, pyramid schemes are likely to occur, added Aksakov who heads the Financial Market Committee at the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. Repeating previously issued warnings in an interview with the parliamentary Duma TV channel, the Russian lawmaker emphasized that there is no stability in the digital currency market. Crypto prices can quickly move by 20 – 30% in one direction or another, Aksakov noted and elaborated: Therefore, it is important to regulate the market, to protect, first of all, our citizens, to establish taxation and certain rights for cryptocurrency owners. However, they must be identified. The statement comes after a similar call was recently issued by the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin. Last week, Bastrykin, who answers directly to President Putin, said cryptocurrency should not remain anonymous, adding that mandatory identification of all crypto users should be introduced in Russia. Anatoly Aksakov is convinced that crypto holdings must be reported to the state in order to prevent their use to finance terrorism, drug trafficking, and the acquisition of weapons in the first place. Among other reasons, he mentioned taxation — Russians are obliged to pay taxes on their crypto profits even under the current legislation but a dedicated law on crypto taxation is yet to be adopted by the Duma. The high-ranking member of the house also talked about the need to regulate cryptocurrency mining, which has been spreading in Russia both as a profitable business and as an alternative source of income for private citizens. Aksakov remarked that if Russian authorities decide to legalize mining, it should be registered as an economic activity and taxed. He further insisted that differentiated tariffs for the energy consumed by mining companies should be introduced in accordance with the cross-subsidization scheme applied in Russia. This would lead to higher electricity rates for miners. Last month, the leader of Aksakov’s ‘A Just Russia — For Truth’ social-democratic party, Sergei Mironov, urged Bank of Russia to legalize the cryptocurrency market and accelerate the introduction of the digital ruble. In his view, the regulator’s tough stance on the matter hinders the development of crypto technology and makes it dependent on Western payment systems. Various aspects related to cryptocurrencies, including mining, trading and taxation, remain unregulated in Russia even after the law “On Digital Financial Assets” went into force in January 2021. A working group set up at the Duma is now preparing regulatory proposals to deal with these issues. Do you expect Russia to introduce a legal requirement for identification of cryptocurrency users? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

In our view, blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) present a perfect tool to revolutionize the traditional Fine Art industry, to the benefit of both artists and collectors. With this in mind, the Invictus NFT Lab’s inaugural Out of Africa collection aims to blaze the trail by facilitating, via the Ethereum blockchain, the sale of a professionally-curated collection of 118 unique physical artworks from Southern Africa’s top artistic talent. Throughout history, major socioeconomic change has largely only taken place as new generations displace older generations that are more set in their ways. Often these changes are necessitated or enabled by technological development. For Millenials and Gen Z, growing up in a period that has seen computers, the internet and smartphones revolutionize our way of life has left these generations to look with skepticism at many traditional institutions that have failed to adapt. The world of Fine Art is a sphere that is dangerously at risk of falling behind. A static business model unchanged in decades passes on significant middleman costs — hampering the market’s ability to attract new demand, ultimately resulting in unfulfilled artistic potential. A generational divide Around the world, younger generations currently control a tiny share of global wealth — with the Baby Boomer generation controlling over half of all wealth in the US. This is set to change over the coming decades wealth is passed on to the younger generations via inheritance. When we consider that: The younger generations are familiar with ascribing value to assets for collectible value and exclusivity — as evidenced by crazes around collectibles such as rare Pokemon cards and purely cosmetic items in online games that fetch astronomic prices. These generations are far more comfortable with new online technology, including cryptocurrencies and NFTs, than their parents. It becomes clear to see that much of this wealth will find its way into this new class of digital assets. Blockchain brings benefits Up until now, the NFT industry has tapped into a relatively niche sphere of demand for digital art and collections of generative NFT avatars, such as CryptoPunks or Bored Apes. However, adopting NFTs to serve as transferable certificates of ownership for physical Fine Art can provide key benefits for both artists and collectors. This is the approach we are taking with the Out of Africa collection. The first improvement relates to driving down costs and improving industry efficiency. Galleries and auction houses provide valuable services to industry participants, however, these premium businesses come with high overheads — necessitating large middlemen costs on art transactions. These are often charged to both the purchaser and seller. Delivery costs can also add to a buyers’ final price — even if the artwork is purchased as an investment, with no desire to display the art. Blockchain provides an opportunity to aggressively drive down these costs, while preserving sufficient margins for traditional galleries and auction houses to continue operating. For secondary market sales of NFTs in the Out of Africa collection, a total of 10% of the sales price is taken by the protocol, however, instead of finding its way into the sales platforms’ hands, the distribution is far more equitable — with the community and artists sharing in these spoils. Taking delivery is also not required if you’re holding the NFT purely as a speculative investment, and the NFT can be sold on to a new owner who can then elect to take delivery (or not). The second addressable issue is opacity and concerns around provenance. With over half of all art sales private transactions, it becomes difficult to get a sense of what a fair market valuation for an artwork may be, as it’s not possible to see the sales history in many cases. Furthermore, even in public sales such as auctions, bidders’ identities are often not revealed — leaving onlookers to question the veracity of sales that can drive exploding valuations for artists. Another area that NFT technology can improve upon concerns authenticity and provenance. Adopting the blockchain to track art transactions helps solve these issues. Aside from these issues, other benefits include allowing for a royalty-driven revenue model for physical fine art, as well as unlocking truly global demand and helping eliminate unnecessary transport costs. This translates into greater demand and improved outcomes for artists. In the case of the Out of Africa collection, these artworks are stored securely on behalf of the NFT holder and delivery costs do not need to be incurred by the owner if they are holding for speculative purposes and do not have a need to take custody. “The Out of Africa Collection is made up of 118 unique NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain and is the first time many of the artists have worked in the NFT space. This collection is a triumph for these artists and represents some of the finest new, upcoming and established talent.” – Marelize van Zyl, curator for the Out of Africa collection While it’s clear that the art world is ripe for disruption, legal frameworks are still playing catch up. The Out of Africa collection is hoping to blaze a trail towards widespread acceptance of the utility that NFT technology can provide outside of digital art — and hopes to kickstart an industry revolt against unfair and inefficient practices. If you would like to stay up to date with ongoing developments, sign up to our newsletter and follow us on our social media channels. If you’d like to learn more about how the project works, including the sales process and innovative community features (including a series of 1770 deflationary poster NFTs that you can own for free!) check out our previous Medium article or the LitePaper. This is a sponsored post. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

Crypto.com, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, experienced an incident on January 17 when some of its users reported strange activity in their accounts. The exchange acknowledged the event, and conducted an investigation immediately after, declaring that all funds were safe. However, reports from security and blockchain auditing firms Certik and Peckshield indicate that some funds were removed from exchange wallets. Crypto.com Suspends Withdrawals After Suspicious Activity Reported Crypto.com, a cryptocurrency exchange, suspended normal withdrawal operations after customers reported having experienced suspicious activity regarding their accounts. In its first statements, the exchange told customers that all funds were safe. The reports led to an enhancement in the security measures applied to access the accounts, with all customers having to sign back into their accounts. Also, the two-factor authentication (2FA) for all accounts had to be reset. Some customers complained about not being able to reset their two-factor authentication keys, and others declared they were unable to access the exchange as a consequence. After the exchange resumed withdrawals, Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com, offered a report regarding what happened, stating that the total downtime of the withdrawal infrastructure was about 14 hours. The exchange introduced a new security measure: customers won’t be able to withdraw from whitelisted addresses in the first 24 hours after registration with the platform. Marszalek reiterated that no user funds were lost and that the company would offer a full post-mortem after its investigation. Blockchain Auditing Firms Report Otherwise While Crypto.com repeatedly declared that no user funds were affected, there are conflicting statements on the issue. Certik and Peckshield, two security and blockchain auditing firms reported otherwise. Peckshield stated the exchange had lost $15 million, or 4.6K ETH during the event, and that half of these funds were being laundered using Tornado.cash, an anonymity-based protocol that allows users to conduct private transactions. Certik, another auditing firm, corroborated Peckshield’s report, reporting that the funds were being sent to Tornado.cash. More importantly, Certik informed followers it had compiled a list of user addresses that supposedly were affected in the event, and the number of ether subtracted from each one of these accounts. The company stated that 282 accounts were affected. The cause of the event is still unknown. Neither Peckshield nor Certik has declared conclusively what happened, and Crypto.com is still conducting an internal investigation on the matter at time of writing. What do you think about the suspicious activity that customers of Crypto.com experienced? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

The U.K. government has announced plans to impose new rules on cryptocurrency ads to ensure they are fair, clear, and not misleading to consumers. The rules will be enforced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). UK to Impose New Rules on Crypto Ads The U.K. government announced Tuesday plans to impose new rules on cryptocurrency advertisements to “protect consumers from misleading claims.” The announcement states: New rules will increase consumer protection while encouraging innovation. The U.K. chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, commented: “Crypto assets can provide exciting new opportunities, offering people new ways to transact and invest – but it’s important that consumers are not being sold products with misleading claims.” The new rules will bring the promotion of crypto assets within the scope of financial promotions legislation to ensure they are “fair, clear, and not misleading,” the government explained, elaborating: This means the promotion of qualifying crypto assets will be subject to FCA rules in line with the same high standards that other financial promotions such as stocks, shares, and insurance products are held to. While emphasizing that it is eager to support innovation, the U.K. government noted that “research undertaken by the FCA highlighted the potential for misleading advertising of crypto products to cause consumer harm.” Under the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, a business cannot promote a financial product unless they are authorized by the FCA or the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), or the content of the promotion is approved by a firm which is, the government noted, adding: This will provide the Financial Conduct Authority with the appropriate powers to regulate the market more effectively. Recently, the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has been cracking down on misleading crypto ads. In December, the British advertising watchdog banned seven crypto ads for Papa John’s Pizza, Coinbase, Kraken, Etoro, Luno, Coinburp, and Exmo. In November, it cracked down on ads for cryptocurrency floki inu (FLOKI). What do you think about the U.K. government bringing crypto ads under the jurisdiction of the FCA? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Crypto exchange Binance is launching a new exchange in Thailand after the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint against the company for operating without a license. Binance has now signed an agreement with Gulf Energy Development, a Thai public company, to establish a crypto exchange in Thailand. Binance and Gulf Energy to Establish a Crypto Exchange in Thailand Gulf Energy Development, a Thai public company, notified the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Monday that its wholly owned subsidiary Gulf Innova has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Binance Group “to jointly study avenues for the development of digital asset exchange and related business in Thailand.” The company added that it “foresees rapid growth in digital infrastructure in Thailand as the economy increasingly becomes driven by innovation and technology, with digital assets and related technology playing a prominent role in improving efficiency of financial infrastructure in the country to meet the increasing demand of Thai people.” Gulf Energy detailed: As such, the company’s partnership with Binance will help Thailand advance its development of digital assets and blockchain infrastructure. Binance recently got into trouble with the Thai SEC. The securities watchdog announced in July last year that it “has filed a criminal complaint against Binance” with the Economic Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police (ECD). According to the SEC, Binance operated a crypto exchange business without a license, therefore the company is “liable to criminal sanction.” What do you think about Binance launching a crypto exchange in Thailand with the help of a regulated company? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Animoca Brands has announced the blockchain and cryptocurrency-focused firm has raised $358.8 million to bolster the non-fungible token (NFT) industry and “build the open metaverse.” The capital raise follows the firm’s previous $65 million and $138.88 million raises last year and today, Animoca Brands has an overall valuation of $5 billion. Animoca Brands Raises $358 Million in Financing Led by Liberty City Ventures, Blockchain Company Has Pre-Money Valuation of $5 Billion The firm Animoca Brands is a global developer utilizing popular brands, gamification, A.I., blockchain, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and mobile technology. On Tuesday, the company announced that the firm has secured $358.8 million in a financing round led by Liberty City Ventures. In a statement sent to Bitcoin.com News, Animoca Brands further detailed that other investors included Smile Group, Stable Asset Management, Soros Fund Management, Wildcat Capital Management, Winklevoss Capital, 10T Holdings, C Ventures, Delta Fund, Gemini Frontier Fund, Gobi Partners Greater Bay Area, Kingsway, L2 Capital, Mirae Asset, Pacific Century Group, and Parafi Capital. In addition to using the financing to increase NFT and metaverse adoption, Animoca Brands said that the “new capital will be used to continue funding strategic acquisitions and investments, product development, and licenses for popular intellectual properties.” Animoca Brands has a strong focus on building the metaverse by leveraging blockchain solutions and NFT technology. The company’s $358.8 million financing announcement adds: Animoca Brands is working to build the open metaverse by bringing digital property rights to online users through the use of blockchain and NFTs; these technologies enable the true digital ownership of users’ virtual assets and data, and make possible various [decentralized finance] and gamefi opportunities (including play-to-earn), asset interoperability, and an open framework that can lead to greater equitability for all participants. The company’s blockchain projects include The Sandbox metaverse and its SAND token, a blockchain third-person shooter called Phantom Galaxies, REVV Racing, the Arc8 platform and its GAMEE utility token, and more. The managing partner at Liberty City Ventures, Murtaza Akbar, detailed during the financing announcement that Animoca Brands “is demonstrating to the world the game-changing characteristics of Web3 and the open metaverse.” What do you think about Animoca Brands raising $358.8 million in financing from strategic investors? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

While the crypto economy has shed more than 3% in fiat value during the last 24 hours dropping to $2.09 trillion, the top rebase tokens by market capitalization have seen significant losses this week. At the time of writing, the rebase token economy is valued at over $3.2 billion but has lost more than 10% in value during the last 24 hours. The largest rebase token economies such as Wonderland, Olympus, and Redacted Cartel have shed between 36% to 55% over the last week. Top 3 Rebase Token Protocols Shed Billions in Value Over the Last Week, Wonderland Down 87% Since High On the first day of November 2021, Bitcoin.com News took a deep dive into the Olympus DAO and the reserve-backed asset called OHM. Olympus is a decentralized finance (defi) project that is described as a rebase token and since Olympus started, a myriad of Olympus forks have been born. Essentially, rebase token protocols adjust the token supply in a periodic fashion or when the price fluctuates. Olympus was once the largest rebase token project, but the project Wonderland is now the largest market cap with $1.1 billion. The market valuation of all the OHM in circulation today is $945 million. This past week was not a good time for rebase token investors, and discussions of losses and liquidations can be seen littered all over social media. Moreover, on January 17, 2022, reports show that Wonderland’s token TIME was trading below the treasury limit. One user claims he lost over 2,000 TIME or roughly $9.5 million in a liquidation. “This is what happens when people fall for the ‘it cannot fall below backing’ metanarrative,” one user responded to the person who lost 2,000 TIME. “I lost 38 wmemo (roughly $2.5M) well below the backing price. Feel your pain brother,” another Wonderland trader replied. During the last two weeks, wonderland (TIME) has lost 57.9% and the crypto asset is down 87.1% from the asset’s all-time high on November 07, 2021. Furthermore, the project’s other native asset wonderland memories (WMEMO) is down 25.6% over the last seven days. According to Wonderland developers, the team did leverage a token buyback. The Wonderland CFO 0xsifu insisted: Several million has once again been used to buy below our backing price, returning the price to our intrinsic value. As a reminder: Unlike most others: Wonderland buys at the backing price. Olympus Down 92% Since ATH, Ampleforth Jumps 63% Wonderland lost 36.2% this past week, olympus (OHM) dropped by 43.2%, and redacted cartel (BTRFLY) lost 55.3% in USD value. OHM is down more than 92% since the crypto asset’s all-time high nine months ago on April 25, 2021, at $1,415 per OHM. Despite the top three rebase tokens losing considerable value, the rebase coin ampleforth (AMPL) gained 63.5% in value over the last seven days. Klima dao (KLIMA), however, shed 30.8%, hector dao (HEC) lost 42.9%, and the rebase token rome (ROME) decreased by 54.4% this week. While the rebase token ampleforth did well this week, the rebase coins spartacus (SPA) and templedao (TEMPLE) saw double-digit gains between 11% to 25%. The rebase coins gravitoken (GRV), 8ight finance (EIGHT), and greenmoon (GRM) managed to stave off losses this past week as well. This weeks biggest rebase token losers include invictus (IN), redacted cartel (BTRFLY), rome (ROME), vesq (VSQ), and papa dao (PAPA). What do you think about the massive losses rebase token project saw this past week? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Blossom Capital, the London-based venture capital firm founded by Candice Lo, Imran Ghory, Mike Hudack, and Ophelia Brown plans to dedicate more funds to the growing cryptocurrency ecosystem. On January 18, Blossom announced a new fund worth $432 million, and a third of the capital will be distributed to early-stage crypto firms. A Third of Blossom’s New $432 Million Fund to Bolster Crypto Companies On Tuesday, Blossom Capital announced the creation of a new venture fund worth $432 million and according to the company, a third of the funds will be dedicated to digital currency startups. Blossom is a venture capital firm that was launched in 2017 and it invests in European companies leveraging Series A financing. The newly created $432 million fund will also be distributed to early-stage startups seeking Series A capital. Blossom has previously backed firms like checkout.com, the digital currency firm Moonpay, and the online travel platform Duffel. The company contributed to Moonpay’s $555 million funding round in November 2021 with the round’s lead, Tiger Global Management, and other strategic investors. Managing partner Ophelia Brown explained during the announcement on Tuesday that she secured the funds from well-known U.S. universities and endowments. “They share our conviction that early-stage capital can have an outsized impact on the trajectory of a company,” Brown said in a statement. “With this new fund, we are continuing with our high-conviction strategy of providing foundational capital to entrepreneurs.” Venture Funds Dedicated to Crypto Continue to Grow Blossom’s new fund announcement — that explains a third of the fund will go to early-stage crypto firms — follows a large number of venture capital funds, which have been initiated to bolster crypto, blockchain, and Web3 adoption. On January 14, FTX launched a venture fund called FTX Ventures with $2 billion for Web3, blockchain, and crypto firms. Polygon and Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six venture capital initiated a $200 million social media Web3 fund in mid-December 2021. In June 2021, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm founded by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), launched a $2.2 billion crypto venture fund. At the time the fund’s founding partners wrote that “crypto is not only the future of finance but, as with the internet in the early days, is poised to transform all aspects of our lives.” In addition to revealing the new fund, Blossom Capital also recruited Alex Lim as the investment firm’s new managing partner. “Founders need more than just capital from an investor at the early stage; they need partners who go above and beyond to make them successful,” Lim detailed. “We have built a diverse partnership and tailored services offering, and are constantly pushing ourselves to provide ever-higher levels of service to European founders.” What do you think about Blossom Capital initiating a $432 million venture capital fund and dedicating a third of it toward crypto firms? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Curtis Sword, a 3D NFT ARPG mobile game on the blockchain, is excited to announce that it has fully launched on both Android and iOS. The project is the first GameFi-built game designed by the original “The Rise of Dragon” mobile game team. The game is the first large-scale 3D ARPG on the blockchain. Players can now explore fun blockchain games, interactive social networks, and a wide range of products and services with complete autonomy. Curtis Sword also offers union members a brand new opportunity to discover their self-worth and dedicate themselves to this new “Meta Universe.” Curtis Sword Assets Economy You will find three types of assets on the blockchain: Curtis Sword Coin (CSC), GOL (Gold), and NFT props. CSC is mainly used for on-chain activities, including NFT equipment purchase, upgrades, transactions, and character items. Pledge mining, etc. GOL (Gold) is the game’s token. On the map, it is accessible to all players. It can take many different forms. The main goal is to invest in the treasure mine by trading with NPCs like blacksmiths and merchants. GOL is primarily used for in-game activities such as the majority of gold output income, the purchase of copy tickets, and so on. NFT is the game’s third-largest economy. You can directly exchange CSC tokens from ordinary blind boxes and mysterious blind boxes for unknown NFT items. Simultaneously, you can sell your NFT items or buy other items in the NFT market. NFT items, which means that you can get calculable income during the battle and unexpected NFT item income. These items will yield high returns because of their rarity and combat power value. Tokenomics In the world of Curtis Sword, there are two digital currencies: Curtis Sword Coin (CSC) and Gold (GOL). As a result, to ensure the scalability of the Curtis Sword game, the platform requires some physical token group allocation. The total number of CSC tokens available is 210,000,000. The maximum daily output is 120,000. The production reduction mechanism will be activated when the output reaches 105,000,000, and Sword Coin will reduce the daily production to 60,000. The platform will trigger the production reduction mechanism again if the output reaches 157,500,000, and the daily output will drop to 30,000, and so on. GOL tokens have a maximum supply of 100,000,000,000. GOL is an online currency that can be explored, bought, traded, and exchanged in the Curtis Sword universe. It also entails more significant risks and economic fluctuations, necessitating an ample supply to ensure that each player has enough to use in the Curtis Sword universe. The total maximum supply of GOL tokens in the game is capped at 100,000,000,000 GOL, making them easier to obtain and more practical than CSC. Join to Play Curtis Sword! Everyone has the same opportunity, and by starting with the same fundamentals, you can develop your own game style by selecting the props you equip to increase game fun and revenue efficiency. Each section of the off-chain game terminal is based on the role played: battle through levels, copy drawing, tower of ash (survival mode), ladder competition (ranking mode), and treasure mine (pledge mining). The rank and combat power calculation formula can yield the corresponding gold profit. The initial investment cost’s payback period is currently 10 to 15 days. About Curtis Swords Curtis Sword is the first 3D NFT ARPG game on the blockchain, seeking to redefine metaverse gaming. The game is available on mobile phones, in both the IOS and Android versions. It is a P2E gaming ecosystem, where players battle tough bosses and earn NFTs that are worth lucrative profits. The collection of NFTs yields rewards that are backed by digital currency-asset returns. You can get more information on the game at their; Website: https://www.curtisswords.xyz/ Telegram: https://t.me/curtissword Twitter: http://twitter.com/curtissword_nft Medium: https://medium.com/@curtissword1 Discord: https://t.co/pbpp1eVNAY Youtube: https://youtu.be/QYsMzxl15yk Contact: Jony J Alexander official@curtisswords.xyz 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

As part of regulations that are set to become effective in mid-February, crypto-asset investment promoters will be required to inform the Spanish securities watchdog of the contents of any ad that targets over 100,000 people. 10-Day Advance Notice Rule The Spanish government has tasked the country’s securities watchdog with authorizing advertisements that promote cryptocurrencies, a report has said. Also, as part of the new measures, crypto-asset investment promoters will be required to notify the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) of any promotional campaign that targets more than 100,000 people some ten days before such a campaign commences. According to a report, these regulations, which are set to become effective in mid-February, will enable the CNMV to monitor all types of crypto-related advertisements. The regulations will also enable the watchdog to include warnings of risks associated with investing in certain crypto assets. Meanwhile, the report stated that influencers with more than 100,000 followers will similarly be required to inform the watchdog of any crypto-related investments they intend to promote. This particular requirement further compels influencers to inform their followers of the risks that are associated with the investments they promote. CNMV Targets Influencers Explaining the government’s decision to start reining in influential individuals that promote crypto assets, the report cites the CNMV’s public rebuke of Spanish footballer Andres Iniesta back in November. The rebuke followed a tweet from Iniesta that appeared to promote cryptocurrency trading platform Binance. In scolding the footballer, the CNMV said Iniesta needed to gather enough information about cryptocurrencies before making any investment or recommending this to his 25 million followers on Twitter and 38 million on Instagram. In the meantime, the CNMV’s decision to target influencers that are being paid to promote crypto-asset investments follows reports that U.S. reality television star, Kim Kardashian, and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr., are being sued for their role in promoting Ethereummax and the EMAX cryptocurrency token. In this lawsuit, the plaintiff accuses both Kardashian — who reportedly routinely gets paid for promotional posts — and Mayweather of helping to create sufficient trading volumes allowing Ethereummax token creators to dump EMAX tokens on unsuspecting investors. What are your thoughts on Spain’s decision to regulate crypto ads? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

French Connection Finance (FCF) is a dividend generating cryptocurrency that runs on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) network. FCF is building an ecosystem that benefits investors whilst developing products that have strong real-world value. This story will cover four exciting aspects of FCF’s project: 1) The innovative and rewarding ecosystem 2) FCF Pay – a premier crypto and fiat payment gateway 3) New partnership (500+ e-commerce and brick & mortar stores) 4) Upcoming exchange listings The Rewarding Ecosystem Get paid to do nothing. Okay, not nothing – but almost nothing. Simply buy and hold onto some $FCF tokens and watch your dividends accumulate! Thanks to the innovative ecosystem that FCF is developing, you can establish a strong source of passive income when you invest in FCF. Dividends are generated through a tax placed on each sale, purchase, and transfer of FCF tokens. The tax is sent to a dividend pool which then automatically distributes BNB rewards to all FCF holders every 24 hours. Over $1.3 million dollars in BNB rewards have been distributed to holders so far! Dividends will be further increased through FCF Pay – a crypto and fiat payment gateway that makes crypto payments easy. FCF Pay – Making Crypto Payments Easy Want to make purchases with your crypto while avoiding the hassle of converting your crypto to fiat, depositing that into your bank, and then waiting days for it to process? FCF Pay has you covered! FCF Pay is a multifaceted crypto and fiat payment gateway which enables crypto holders to make anonymous online purchases with their cryptocurrency. Simply decide which of your cryptocurrencies you would like to use to make your purchase, scan the appropriate QR code or enter the wallet ID of an FCF Pay affiliated merchant, and complete your transaction! It really is that simple. The FCF Pay plugin is available to all WooCommerce merchants, and a Shopify plugin is in development. FCF is also creating the necessary technology so that you can make in-store purchases with your crypto, too! In addition to the real-world use case of FCF Pay, it contributes to the FCF ecosystem through three fundamental features: 1) Dividend Generation 2) Buy Back 3) Burn Every purchase made through FCF Pay incurs a small processing fee of 1.5% or less (depending on merchant volume). A portion of each processing fee is sent to the dividend pool, and a portion is used to purchase FCF tokens which are immediately sent to a burn wallet. These features increase dividend rewards, buy pressure, and FCF token value! FCF Pay is currently in beta testing and is set for public launch next month (February 2022). 500+ E-Commerce and Brick & Mortar Stores Partner with FCF Pay FCF has recently signed a deal with a company that partners with more than 500 e-commerce and brick & mortar stores around the world. This means that when FCF Pay launches publicly in February, there will already be 500+ stores using it to accept crypto payments! Upcoming Exchange Listings – Gate.io & KuCoin With the launch of FCF Pay and the ever-growing community of FCF holders (now more than 13,000), FCF is preparing for bigger and better exchange listings. While it is not known exactly when or where FCF will be listed next, it can be expected to be listed on Gate.io and KuCoin in the coming months. This will expose FCF to millions of new investors! Conclusion With an innovative and rewarding ecosystem, a real-world product in FCF Pay, the new e-commerce and in-store partnership, and upcoming exchange listings, it is difficult to conclude anything other than a bullish outlook for FCF. As always, this is not financial advice, and we encourage you to do your own research. You can learn more about FCF by visiting their official website, Blog, and Twitter, and you can join the FCF community by their Telegram channel. This is a sponsored post. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

An Australian regulator has warned residents seeking to self-manage their retirement funds to be wary of investing in crypto-asset investments that promise high returns in a short space of time. The regulator reiterates in the warning that crypto-assets are a high-risk and speculative investment. Scammer Tactics The Australian financial services regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has warned residents that self-manage their superannuation funds to be wary of scammers that are using the lure of quick and high returns offered by crypto assets to defraud unsuspecting victims. The watchdog added that superannuation fund members that wish to “transfer superannuation [retirement savings] out of a regulated fund into a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF)” should seek advice from a licensed adviser before making the switch. In a public warning issued on January 17, 2022, the ASIC also details some of the tactics used by scammers that Australians need to be on the lookout for. The warning states: Do not rely on social media ads or online contact from someone promoting an ‘investment opportunity.’ Be wary of people ‘cold calling’, text messaging, or emailing you with a recommendation to transfer your super to an SMSF, or invest in crypto-assets via your SMSF. For Australians that decide to personally manage their retirement funds, the watchdog reminds them of their responsibilities as well as the tax consequences that arise if they decide to invest in cryptocurrencies. The warning also emphasizes that only licensed financial advisors are better placed to assist Australians seeking to set up an SMSF. Unlawful Transfer of Funds Meanwhile, the warning revealed that the ASIC had made the decision to shut down an unlicensed services business. One shutdown example is A One Multi-Services, back in November, after it accused the latter of unlawfully transferring $2.4 million to buy crypto-assets. The warning explained: “ASIC obtained interim orders and injunctions from the Federal Court in Queensland against A One Multi and its directors Aryn Hala and Heidi Walters to protect investors.” In the meantime, the warning says Australians that have been scammed can contact ASIC on its hotline or via the internet. What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

The use of bitcoin as a digital currency for payments has gone down significantly, according to the numbers stemming from Bitpay, one of the leading cryptocurrency payments processors. While most of the purchases were made with bitcoin back in 2020, this dominance has dwindled, opening the space for other tokens and currencies, such as ethereum and stablecoins, to enter the crypto payments arena. Bitcoin Use for Payments Diminished in 2021, Bitpay States Bitcoin’s use as digital payments currency has dwindled since 2020. This was the conclusion that Bitpay, one of the leading cryptocurrency-based payment processors, had when reviewing the numbers the market left them last year. Bitpay told Bloomberg that the dominance of bitcoin for purchases in its platform went down from 93% during 2020, to 65% in 2021. This loss of almost a third of its dominance has to do with the entrance of other currencies into the payment arena. The rise of stablecoins and the popularity that some meme coins enjoyed last year also reached the payments arena, albeit in a small way. Bitpay explained that users of the platform paid with ether 15% of the purchases, while stablecoins accounted for 13% of the payments last year. Other newcomers like shiba inu, dogecoin, and litecoin accounted for 3% of the payments. Crypto Payments, in General, Are Rising While the use of bitcoin (BTC) for making payments certainly decreased during 2021, the use of cryptocurrencies for payments, in general, has managed to increase. The total volume of payments that Bitpay did in 2021 presented an increase of 51% year on year. This is a result of the popularization of cryptocurrencies and also of the rise in prices that the market experienced last year. On this, Bitpay’s CEO Stephen Pair stated: Our business ebbs and flows to some degree with the price, when the price goes down, people tend to spend less. We have not experienced as much of a decline in volume with this recent pullback. Bitpay, being one of the most recognized crypto payments companies and managing big volumes in sales, is still dwarfed by traditional payments companies like Visa and Paypal. But to Pair, the field is young and the company is in a very good position for the future. He declared: We really like where we are strategically. This space is still very young. A lot of it has to do with what we think about timing. In the next couple of years we are likely to see very substantial growth. Other traditional companies shave also entered the crypto payments area. Paypal announced it would start processing cryptocurrency-based payments In March. What do you think about the dwindling use of Bitcoin for payments? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

According to new data from Linkedin, a professional work-based social network, the number of cryptocurrency-related job postings soared in 2021. The increase was even higher than the general increase in tech-related job postings. The nature of these posts is also diversifying, with various industries requiring people with crypto know-how. Linkedin Says Crypto Jobs Are on the Rise An analysis of the cryptocurrency jobs sector made by the work-based social network Linkedin found that cryptocurrency job postings soared in 2021 even when compared to other growing fields. The company stated that job postings including the words “ethereum,” bitcoin,” and “cryptocurrency” grew almost 400% in 2021 when compared to the year before. The field outgrew even tech, which only managed to grow 98% in its job listings during the same period. The analysis concluded this demand had to do with the influx of funding that flooded the crypto environment last year: $30 billion were poured into the crypto ecosystem last year, and this gave rise to many companies needing people to develop crypto-related projects. The public exposure of crypto and the new bull market that took off last year also had to do with this growth. Crypto Expansion While most postings had to do with finance and software development, other industries such as accounting and consulting are now also seeking out crypto-savvy talent. Staffing and computer hardware services were also mentioned. Crypto companies are also poaching executives and workers from other companies in finance and tech, as the field becomes increasingly sought after. This phenomenon is happening not only in the U.S., but also in other countries where crypto has gained popularity, such as Korea. An exodus of financial officials in the country happened last year, when government officials and former regulators left their jobs to work for cryptocurrency exchanges. The crypto boom has also caused some companies foreign to the field to jump on the crypto bandwagon, creating cryptocurrency jobs in traditional companies such as Accenture, KPMG, PayPal Holdings Inc., and JPMorgan Chase & Co, which now have divisions dedicated to cryptocurrency. What do you think about the surge cryptocurrency-related job postings experienced last year? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

The number of ether locked in the Ethereum 2.0 contract has exceeded 9 million ethereum or more than $28 billion using today’s exchange rates. The amount of ethereum locked into the contract has increased 22.29% since the first week of September 2021, when the contract held 7.4 million ether. Ethereum 2.0 Contract Exceeds 9 Million Ether While the proof-of-work (PoW) side of the Ethereum network has seen its hashrate tap all-time highs above 1 petahash per second (PH/s) this year, the transition to Ethereum 2.0 continues with ether being locked into the ETH 2.0 contract. Essentially, to become a validator and stake ethereum, 32 ETH is required to join the pool of ETH 2.0 validators. When the ETH 2.0 contract first launched, Bitcoin.com News reported on Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin contributing funds to the contract on November 6, 2020. On January 17, 2022, etherscan.io data indicates that there’s approximately 9,057,890 ethereum worth over $28 billion (at the time of writing) in the ETH 2.0 contract. Data shows that the contract exceeded 9 million ether on January 16, 2022. Year-to-date, ethereum’s price is up over 150% but during the last 30 days, ether has shed 18.5% and two-week stats indicate ether has lost 17.5% in value against the U.S. dollar. While Ethereum’s market cap dominance was 18-20% during the course of 2021, today ETH dominance is around 17.9%. When Bitcoin.com News reported on the contract exceeding 7.4 million, ether was a bit more valuable as the stash was valued at $29.3 billion at the time. In addition to the 9 million ether locked into the ETH 2.0 contract, since the implementation of EIP-1559, 1,541,113 ethereum worth $5.8 billion (at the time of writing) has been burned. Between the ETH 2.0 contract and the burned ethereum since the introduction of EIP-1559, the value equates to $33.8 billion in value at the time of writing. What do you think about the 9 million ether locked into the Ethereum 2.0 contract? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

A U.S. consumer survey shows that 25% of respondents who currently do not own cryptocurrency plan to start investing in crypto. “2021 was a good year for crypto. Of the respondents that own crypto, more than half reported that they had just started investing in the space within the last year.” ‘2021 Was a Good Year for Crypto’ Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi released a report titled “Crypto Perception Report 2022” Thursday. The report includes “an in-depth survey to learn how the average person views cryptocurrencies, their thoughts on emerging trends, and if they plan on investing in the space in the future,” the company detailed. A total of 3,144 U.S. adults aged 18 and over participated in the survey, 47% of whom were men. “The crypto industry has seen mainstream growth in 2021, but it’s still a niche topic among most people,” the report describes, elaborating: 2021 was a good year for crypto. Of the respondents that own crypto, more than half reported that they had just started investing in the space within the last year. According to the results, “47% of respondents say that they don’t own crypto and don’t plan to” and “about 28% of respondents indicate that they currently do own crypto.” The report adds: 25% say that while they don’t own crypto at the moment, they plan to in the future, indicating that they remain curious about the emerging field. When asked how they feel about the future of the crypto industry, 42% said they are ambivalent and do not know much about it, while 23% said they’re not confident and think “it’s all a scam/bubble and going to collapse.” Meanwhile, 19% think the crypto industry will transform the definition of money and 16% think it will grow, but not by much. As for the reasons for investing in cryptocurrency, 40% chose “longer investment potential” as the answer, 27% picked “general interest,” and 18% said “short-term investment potential.” Meanwhile, the sectors that crypto investors believe to be the most promising are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (defi) — both were chosen by 37% of respondents. The third most promising area is the metaverse, chosen by 36% of respondents. What do you think about this survey? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

A scalable, trustless, and decentralized lending protocol called ADALend is being developed to allow users to operate in a self-governed environment. They made a commitment from the beginning to build natively on the Cardano blockchain, which will allow the lending platform to aggregate protocols that support business models that provide economic support to billions of customers. According to a recent interview with Kaspars Koskins, CEO at ADALend, The company will be an innovative platform to lend digital assets backed by the technology of smart contracts. The platform will allow its users to extend loans to those who are in need of them. Forget the middleman and the bureaucracy of traditional lending; leverage the decentralization offered by blockchain to control your assets while making a profit. The platform will serve as a store of value, so users’ assets will grow in value as the demand increases while you are earning a return on your money. Kaspar’s Perspective on Decentralized Cardano Kaspar went on to explain how Ethereum has been plagued with problems. The first issue is the cost of transaction fees it takes to send a payment. Because of these fees, Ethereum is currently being displaced by other more efficient and cost-effective networks to users from around the world and to other regions around the world that are even more sensitive to the high transaction cost in comparison to the transaction value. Kaspar is a firm believer that Cardano is currently more decentralized and reliable than any other network in the market, including Solana, which is heavily centralized. He explained that Cardano is the only genuinely decentralized blockchain that has the security, speed, and low transaction fees needed to provide a truly democratic financial solution that every person on the planet can use. Towards a Cardano-Native Platform In terms of technology, ADALend will be able to take advantage of the enormous digital currency management market by utilizing the Cardano blockchain. ADALend enables blockchain-powered liquidity by allowing anyone to delegate their digital assets and make them accessible for a loan. The platform is geared toward becoming Cardano-native, which is being developed with Haskell and Plutus while working within the constraints of Smart Contracts on the Cardano Blockchain. Kaspar went on to note that ADALend has been included in Input-Output Hong Kong (IOHK”Essential )’s Cardano List” of projects that support and provide Cardano users with products and services. They are also on CardanoCube.io, with the Business Development team hard at work on some exciting partnerships that they will announce soon. More about ADALend: https://adalend.finance Join Our Discord: https://discord.gg/afTpq4mQRG Join Private Round: privatesale@adalend.finance This is a sponsored post. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

Despite the fact that regulations have tightened and bureaucrats worldwide are scrutinizing cryptocurrency usage, a few privacy coins have jumped considerably higher in value over the last week. Monero jumped 13% during the last seven days, while the token secret increased 50%, and dusk spiked by 47% this past week. Monero, Secret, Dusk Network Values Spike This week a few privacy-centric crypto assets have seen double-digit percentage gains over the last seven days. According to metrics stemming from coingecko.com’s list of privacy coin market capitalizations, there’s $12.2 billion worth of these types of assets. Monero (XMR) has the largest market valuation on January 17, 2022, with $3.9 billion. The past 24-hour range of trading shows that XMR has been exchanging hands for $212.45 to $229.66 per unit. Over the last seven days, monero (XMR) has increased 13% against the U.S. dollar. Year-to-date, XMR is up more than 38% since this time last year. Zcash (ZEC) holds the second-largest privacy coin market valuation with $1.6 billion. However, ZEC has shed 3.6% during the last seven days of trading. Since this time last year, zcash has gained 24% in value against the U.S. dollar. The crypto asset secret (SCRT) spiked 50% during the last week and SCRT currently has a market valuation of around $1.4 billion. Decred (DCR) managed to increase in value over 14% during the last week as well. Dusk network (DUSK) jumped over 47% in value over the last seven days and has a market valuation of around $390 million. 30 Privacy-Centric Coins Made Gains This Week, 8 Privacy Tokens Outpaced Monero’s Gains Other notable privacy coin spikes in value this week stemmed from coins like bitcoinz (BTCZ), apollo (APL), veil (VEIL), masari (MSR), and bitcoin private (BTCP) respectively. All of these aforementioned privacy tokens saw double-digit gains against the USD this past week. A total of eight privacy tokens outpaced monero’s (XMR) 13% weekly gain. However, XMR’s market valuation represents 32.25% of the aggregate value of all the privacy coins while ZEC’s market cap dominates by ​​12.90% this week. A total of 15 privacy-centric cryptocurrencies saw double-digit gains this week, while 30 privacy coins in total have seen weekly gains in general above the 1% range. Secret (SCRT), the third-largest privacy coin market cap, represents 11.29% of the $12.2 billion worth privacy tokens today. Decred (DCR) represents 7.14% of today’s $12.2 billion privacy coin-centric crypto economy. What do you think about the privacy coin markets this past week and the double-digit gains coins like monero, secret, and dusk network saw? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

During the first month of 2022, both Bitcoin and Ethereum’s hashrates have climbed to all-time highs (ATHs). While Bitcoin’s hashpower surged to over 200 exahash per second (EH/s), Ethereum’s hashpower jumped to over 1 petahash per second (PH/s). A few mineable digital asset networks, however, saw their hashrates decline since their ATHs and the processing power behind these protocols hasn’t returned back to the highs captured long ago. While Some Hashrates Skyrocket, Processing Power From Other Crypto Networks Remains Lackluster At the time of writing, Bitcoin’s processing power is coasting along above the 200 exahash per second (EH/s) zone, after touching the ATH it captured on January 15. Six-month hashrate statistics indicate that on Sunday, January 16, 2022, BTC’s hashrate tapped a daily high of 216.50 EH/s. The top three mining pools on Monday, January 17, include F2pool, Foundry USA, and Antpool, respectively. All three pools have more than 15% of the global hashrate or 29 EH/s of hashpower. Six-month and all-time metrics also show that Monero’s network hashrate is coasting along at all-time high records as well, with about 3.49 gigahash per second (GH/s) at press time. In close to four days’ time, Bitcoin’s network difficulty is expected to increase 6.24% which will bring the network difficulty to an all-time high. The estimated difficulty after the next epoch change will be around 25.89 trillion, according to data at the time of writing. Ethereum’s network hashrate is also managing to hold the 1 PH/s range after first tapping this goal in December 2021. The top mining pool on the Ethereum network is ethermine.org with 295 terahash per second of hashrate, and the percentage of ETH hashrate on Nicehash is 3.66%. While networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero have seen all-time highs, networks like Litecoin have not seen new hashrate ATHs in recent times. LTC’s network hashrate on Sunday is 368.96 TH/s, but during the first week of July 2019, LTC’s hashrate tapped an ATH at 468.50 TH/s. Today, Dash has a hashrate of around 5.24 PH/s, but in September 2020 it hit 7.14 PH/s. In total, that’s a 26.61% decrease in the network’s hashpower in 16 months. The Ethereum Classic network has an overall hashrate of 20.37 TH/s on January 17, which is lower than the network’s ATH in June 2021 at over 23 TH/s. What do you think about Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero’s recent hashrate highs? What do you think about the networks that have not returned to ATHs reached months ago? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PlaceWar is a decentralized strategic play-to-earn game universe deployed on a multi-chain with highly engaging artillery gameplay that allows players to create and define the outlook of the in-game world through building, battles, and alliances. Myrtle Anne Ramos is the Co-Founder and CEO of PlaceWar. She recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the game: Myrtle Anne Ramos is the founder of the Award Winning PR Firm of 2020 by PitchDeck Asia (Marketing, Growth Hacking, Sales, Social Media Management, Giving opportunities to people, Media Distribution Services, Investor Relations, Public Relations) Official Influencer of CoinMarketCap. A scholar graduate of Draper University for Blockchain & Entrepreneurship powered by Tezos. She is currently the VP of Growth & Partnerships of GokuMarket. Follow the project on: Twitter Telegram Telegram ANN Facebook LinkedIn Discord Youtube TikTok Reddit LinkTree 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

According to a recent report, the American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of department stores, Walmart Inc., is seemingly prepping to enter the industry of non-fungible token (NFT) technology and metaverse concepts. Walmart USPTO Trademark Filings Are Littered With Descriptions of NFTs, Blockchain Tech, Digital Collectibles, Metaverse, and Virtual Department Store Games On January 16, CNBC contributor Lauren Thomas published a report that says “Walmart is quietly preparing to enter the metaverse.” That’s according to seven filings stemming from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The trademark filings discuss cryptocurrency solutions, blockchain technology, and non-fungible token (NFT) assets. One specific filing describes downloadable software that can leverage digital currencies and concepts like augmented reality. In a statement sent to Thomas, Walmart told the reporter that the multinational retail corporation is “continuously exploring how emerging technologies may shape future shopping experiences.” However, Walmart declined to tell Thomas about the seven specific trademarks. “We are testing new ideas all the time,” a Walmart spokesperson said to the reporter. “Some ideas become products or services that make it to customers. And some we test, iterate, and learn from.” Another Walmart USPTO filing talks about a virtual reality (VR) game that features a virtual version of a Walmart store and a great number of goods the retail chain sells. The virtual items or NFTs could represent healthcare items, personal care products, patio furniture, electronics, appliances, apparel, and sporting goods. The filing follows Walmart looking to hire a “digital currency and cryptocurrency product lead” in mid-August 2021. “As digital currency/ cryptocurrency lead at Walmart you will be responsible for developing the digital currency strategy and product roadmap,” the Walmart job listing said at the time. Walmart follows a myriad of retailers and well known brands trying to capitalize on metaverse concepts, NFT tech, and Web3. Companies that have jumped headfirst into the growing blockchain industry include Samsung, Gap, Adidas, Nike, Hennessy, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi-Cola. The companies Crocs, Urban Outfitters, Ralph Lauren, and Abercrombie & Fitch have also filed USPTO trademarks tied to digital collectibles and blockchain technology. The seven trademarks are not the only trademarks and patents Walmart has filed that discuss blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. In August 2019, it was discovered that Walmart filed a patent that talks about the creation of a stablecoin concept. “The digital currency may be pegged to the U.S. dollar and available for use only at selected retailers or partners. In other embodiments, the digital currency is available for use anywhere. The digital currency can provide a fee-free, or fee-minimal place to store wealth that can be spent, for example, at retailers and, if needed, easily converted to cash,” Walmart’s 2019 filing explains. What do you think about Walmart’s seven trademarks that discuss blockchain tech, NFTs, and crypto assets? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

The smart contract token cardano has surged in value during the last 24 hours after a metaverse project called Pavia launched. Seven-day statistics indicate that cardano’s price has spiked 30.9% over the week and took over the fifth-largest crypto market cap position on Sunday evening (EST). NFT and Metaverse Project Pavia Pushes Cardano’s Price Higher Cardano (ADA) has seen a price increase during the last seven days and 24-hour stats show ADA has jumped 9.5% against the U.S. dollar. Cardano is a smart contract network, similar to Ethereum, and during the last 12 months the crypto asset has risen in value by 336.5%. However, Cardano has been criticized in recent months over the project’s smart contract capability and the fact that ADA-based decentralized finance (defi) and non-fungible token (NFT) assets were nearly non-existent. In recent times, that has changed and today, defillama.com metrics indicate that there is close to $3 million total value locked in Cardano-based defi protocols. Furthermore, Cardano-based NFTs are now entering the NFT space with projects like Clay Mates, Yummi Universe, Spacebudz, Pavia, and Cardano Kidz. On January 15, 2022, the NFT and metaverse project called Pavia.io officially launched and ADA supporters believe it will be a competitor to blockchain metaverse protocols like The Sandbox and Decentraland. Pavia’s website says: Create, explore and trade in the first-ever Cardano virtual world owned by its users. Pavia’s Map Has a Total of 100,000 Virtual Parcels, Cardano’s Price Still 50% Lower Than All-Time High The Pavia announcement notes that 100,000 plots have been minted as non-fungible token (NFT) assets. According to the website, citizens of the U.S. and U.K. were banned from the land sales that took place at the end of 2021. Land sale 1 saw 29,000 parcels sold, while the second land sale saw 31,000 parcels sold. Additionally, the project took a wallet snapshot in December to airdrop 25% of the project’s PAVIA utility tokens to the Cardano-crafted metaverse patrons. Pavia’s name stems from the Italian birthplace of the renowned mathematician Gerolamo Cardano. “In total Pavia.io has some 100,000 Land parcels, each being minted as a unique NFT with coordinates. At the time of writing the project has sold some 60% of these Land parcels from October thru November 2021. A final is scheduled for Q1 2022,” the project’s launch announcement details. While the global cryptocurrency market economy today has dropped 1.3% in the last 24 hours to $2.17 trillion, ADA has managed to stave off the losses. ADA has $3.3 billion in global trade volume today and a market valuation of around $48.9 billion. While ADA has seen an increase in recent times, it is still more than 50% lower than its all-time high (ATH) five months ago on September 2, 2021, at $3.09 per unit. What do you think about Cardano’s metaverse push and the rise in price after Pavia’s metaverse project launched? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. On a mission to increase brand awareness, grow the community, and promote their upcoming projects, Dock has launched an Ambassador program. In return for executing various tasks including creating extra content to promote an update or launch, translating a blog post, or sharing social media posts, Ambassadors will earn rewards in DOCK tokens. Dock is seeking ambassadors from a wide variety of skills backgrounds to join the program, they will play an important role in growing and maintaining Dock’s community, set up local language groups, translate blog posts, and could even start a Hackathon on behalf of Dock. Sign up Fill in this application form and submit it to Dock. They’ll review the application and get back to any submissions. Successful applicants will be required to go through an automated KYC process, proving their identity and capabilities before becoming an official Ambassador. Dock Ambassadors will be paid quarterly based on their output of work and content in that quarter. Dock is looking for a number of individuals capable of helping promote Dock’s own content, someone who can manage and maintain, as well as grow the community. Rewards will vary depending on the quantity and quality of output, and Dock will provide a rewards guideline upon application. CEO of Dock, Nick Lambert commented “The Dock team is growing rapidly and as the project begins to scale, we’d like to grow increasingly stronger ties with our community. I think the Ambassador Program represents a great chance for those active community members to share in the rewards and help promote Dock’s products and projects.” To help the successful applicants get started, Dock has worked on various images and digital assets. Ambassadors are encouraged to create their own content and graphics, as long as it adheres to Dock’s brand guidelines. On top of this, Ambassador’s will be able to network with other Ambassadors from all over the world. All Ambassadors will share a private Discord chat with members of the Dock team where they can share and collaborate on new ideas. For those interested in joining the program, complete this form and submit it to the Dock team. Successful applicants will be required to go through an automated KYC process, after which they will become a Dock Ambassador. For more information, check out their blog here. About Dock Dock is a platform designed to provide a simple solution for businesses and developers to build, manage and present digital credentials that are instantly verifiable using blockchain technology. The Dock utility token (DOCK) plays a key role in aligning incentives across all of the Dock network’s participants including issuers, validators, token holders, and the Dock Association, and ensures collaboration and growth. Find out more here. For more information, contact the Dock team at marketing@dock.io. 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

Gartner, an advisory firm, has predicted that criminal cryptocurrency transactions or transfers will fall by 30% by 2024. The firm says factors such as the transparency of the blockchain, as well as the democratization of fraud prevention tools, will contribute to this decline in such transactions. Blockchain Transparency Despite the surge in the value of crypto-related crimes recorded in the past year, Gartner, a business advisory firm, predicts that “successful cryptocurrency thefts and ransomware payments will drop by 30%” in two years’ time. According to Gartner, such a drop will stem from “criminals’ inability to move and spend funds off-blockchain networks.” In an article published on the firm’s blog, Gartner explains that this prediction is predicated on four main factors and one of such factors is the transparency of blockchains which renders them less than ideal for bad actors. In explaining why such transparency is key, the blog post states: Contrary to popular lore, cryptocurrencies are not a haven for anonymous criminals. In fact, armed with smart analytics, it’s easier to follow money trails on blockchains than it is on legacy payment networks, however a circuitous route they may take. To illustrate this point, the article refers to the 23 blockchains which it says “make up approximately 99% of all blockchains’ market cap.” According to Gartner, it is easier to integrate the so-called anti-blockchain-fraud systems with the 23 blockchains than with thousands of enterprise systems and payment networks. Although the turning of blockchain metadata into useful information might prove challenging, the advisory firm’s article concludes that when this is done properly it gives those going after criminals the ability to flag suspect payments and addresses. Democratization of Fraud Prevention Tools Another factor, which according to the Gartner blog article will contribute to the decline in crypto crimes, is the democratization of fraud prevention tools that are currently being used by blockchain intelligence firms. Increasing anti-ransomware measures imposed by governments, as well as the fact that most blockchain-related transactions go through regulated virtual asset service providers (VASPs), means criminals will increasingly favor moving ill-gotten funds through opaque legacy payment networks than via the blockchain. What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article