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State-owned Russian energy giant Inter RAO is now discussing electricity supplies for Kazakhstan where crypto miners have allegedly caused a spike in consumption this year. The country is expecting the power deficit to reach 600 megawatts as demand during the winter increases even further. Kazakhstan Likely to Buy Electricity From Russian Federation to Deal With Shortages Inter RAO, a major electricity producer in Russia, is holding talks on the possible supply of electricity for Kazakhstan starting from November, a high-ranking representative told reporters. Alexandra Panina, a member of the company’s management, explained that consumption growth in Kazakhstan is around 7%, noting that for the first time the country is facing a deficit in the cold winter months. Quoted by the Interfax news agency, she stated: I am now discussing the possibility of commercial supply of Russian electricity to Kazakhstan in November. Shortages in Kazakhstan are expected to amount to 600 megawatts (MW) when demand peaks during the upcoming winter season, and estimates suggest the deficit could exceed 1 gigawatt (GW) in the future, Panina added. She also revealed that Inter RAO is reviewing a request from Kyrgyzstan for additional supplies through Kazakhstan’s grid. Crypto mining companies have been moving to the Central Asian nation attracted by its low energy rates amid an ongoing crackdown on the industry in China. Authorities in Nur-Sultan announced last week that electricity consumption has increased to almost 83 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the first nine months of the year, stating that miners are mainly responsible for the surge. Russia Blames Kazakhstan’s Booming Crypto Mining Sector for Supply Issues Alexandra Panina singled out two main reasons for Kazakhstan’s current problems. She believes that its cap on electricity prices has led to insufficient investments in modernizing and upgrading the country’s exciting infrastructure and generation capacity. Then, the cheap electricity has brought many cryptocurrency miners into the country which was not prepared for the influx. Miners have become a big problem for Kazakhstan, the Russian energy executive stressed. Electricity imports are banned by law in Kazakhstan unless the national grid operator KEGOC signals that there is a risk of power deficit, which is exactly the case right now. That makes it possible to source electrical power from the neighboring Russian Federation. Earlier this month, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said that his department is worried about Kazakhstan’s electricity deficit, caused by the energy-intensive extraction of digital currencies, among other factors, which had not been planned for. “This affects the operation of our power plants, because they are used, firstly – in inefficient modes, secondly – we are often forced to quickly turn them on,” Shulginov complained at the Kremlin. Alexandra Panina confirmed that the issue has reached a “serious political level” and called for bringing it back to the commercial sphere while hinting that Russia may raise export rates for Kazakhstan. Do you think Kazakhstan will be forced to purchase electricity from Russia to satisfy the growing demand from cryptocurrency miners? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Today, Liquid Craft has announced the launch date for their first NFT series that is set to go live on Oct 29th at 12 PM PST for presale and Oct 31st 12 PM PST for public sale. The first Liquid Craft NFT series in the roadmap is called Dragons and Bourbon, with each NFT tied to a physical bottle of handcrafted bourbon that can be traded like any other NFT, or redeemed for the physical product. Liquid Craft are planning to release a full marketplace in the coming months to provide a platform for breweries, distilleries, and wineries to showcase their craft to an international audience. This NFT release is an introductory step in the roadmap to this eventual marketplace. Buyers of the Dragons and Bourbon NFT series, will also be eligible for airdrops of the native $CRAFT token as well as exclusive discounts and offers from Liquid Crafts future releases. The Dragons and Bourbon NFT Series The first initial mint from Liquid Craft – Dragons & Bourbon (D&B), is only available through this limited collection, as part of this launch. Liquid Craft has taken the most delicate, handcrafted, one-of-a-kind bourbons available and tied these bottles of liquid art to limited edition NFTs. This small-batch, fine bourbon is crafted by The Heart Distillery, a team of international, award-winning distillers from the beautiful Colorado Rockies. The Heart Distillery have used homegrown and locally sourced ingredients to create a one-of-a-kind premium batch that cannot be replicated. Airdrops for Buyers of the First Release The series is released in two separate tiers, with 750 NFTs on each. One on the Binance Smart Chain and another for the Ethereum Network. Initial buyers who obtain a Dragons and Bourbon NFT will be eligible to receive airdrops of the native $CRAFT token, amounts are varied depending on the tier purchased, as well as exclusive offers, events, and automatic entry to all future giveaways. Fine Liquor and NFTs – Providing Solutions The world of fine wines, rare spirits, and liquors is an ever-growing market that has seen values increase over 500% in the last decade, while the number of would-be collectors and investors trying to capitalize on this appreciation has skyrocketed over the same time. Typically, the procedures involved when investing in rare spirits and fine wines include intermediary processes like brokers and auction houses. Shipping and storage of delicate bottles are also concerns that leave would-be investors seeking alternative investment choices. Liquid Craft can use the technology in the NFTs smart contracts to remove these barriers and bring in new investment opportunities for collectors of both industries. NFT collectors are now able to trade and collect NFTs with real value attached to them. Traditional investors of these spirits and wines can use the NFTs to easily trade and purchase collectible liquors, whilst the bottles are kept safely with the crafter. For the crafters, using the upcoming NFT marketplace that Liquid Craft is soon to release, they can showcase their product to a new international audience. During a time when international tourism is at record lows, the ability to provide an additional revenue stream as well as market their product to a new customer base, the marketplace could provide a potential life line to a struggling industry. Liquid Craft Partnering With Leading SEO Agency Coinpresso The team at Liquid Craft has a long-term vision for the future of the project, with this release being a sample of what is coming in the next few months. A large marketing drive is underway to prepare for the launch dates of Oct 29th and Oct 31st. The team is conducting numerous AMA’s with influential crypto groups and channels, with plenty of opportunities on the Liquid Craft official social media pages to win D&B NFTs and whitelist entries. To assist with the launch and for future marketing efforts, Liquid Craft has enlisted new partners to the project Coinpresso, a specialized SEO and crypto marketing agency, to assist with the launch as well as all future marketing efforts. Oct 29th Presale – Oct 31st Public Sale Liquid Crafts Dragon and Bourbon NFT series is a first step in making a significant impact on two separate investment industries in one moveBy combining the fine liquor investment space, with blockchain and NFTs, Liquid Craft can make noteworthy improvements to both at the same time, benefiting investors, collectors and a struggling craft liquor industry. For whitelist participants the launch date is confirmed for Oct 29th at 12 PM PST, with public sale officially released on Oct 31st at 12 PM PST. Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraftLiquid Telegram: https://t.me/Liquid_craft Media Contact: Curtis Ramsay Curtis@Coinpresso.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

Mining operators and holders keep accumulating Bitcoin, according to the latest Kraken intelligence report, titled “Shocktober.” In the report, several metrics allude to a bullish view for the months to come. In contrast, mining pool contributors and small miners have taken profits, these being more prone to sell due to market movements. ‘Shocktober’ Report Paints a Bullish Panorama A new report issued by the intelligence division of the U.S.-based exchange Kraken suggests that mining operators and long-time holders are actively contributing to bitcoin’s rally this month. The report, called Shocktober, states that mining companies and behemoth holders are creating a supply shock in the market that has fueled the short-term rally during this month. According to a metric called the 1-year revived supply, which reflects the movements of coins from long-term bitcoin holders, these investors are not taking profits from this rally. The metric fell to 2,293.5 bitcoin, the lowest level since August. Also, another metric, BTC Hodl Waves, which divides bitcoin sales by type of holder, found out that early investors of “old coins” (bitcoin with more than 6 months of no movement) rose by 10.9%. This implies that long-term investors didn’t sell their bitcoins during September’s selloff. Big Miners Accumulating BTC The mining situation is also relevant for Kraken. According to their investigations, there are two distinct patterns occurring. Big miners like Riot, Marathon, Bitfarms, Argo, and Hut8, have continued to stack bitcoin even in unfavorable market moments. This is evidenced by another metric, the 0-hop supply, that makes reference to the addresses that receive the mining subsidy directly from coinbase transactions. This metric has risen almost 50% since September, with the big mining firms, now located mostly in America, holding more than 20.4K bitcoin that are unlikely to be sold into the market anytime soon. This contributes to the mentioned supply shock. However, small participants in the market have taken profits. The 1-hop supply, an indicator that attempts to track the movements of small miners and contributors that get paid as part of a mining pool, shows these miners have unloaded some of their profits. But, if this trend suffers a reversal, it could cause an even bigger supply shock that would lead the market to even higher prices towards the end of this year. What do you think about Kraken’s “Shocktober” report? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

The crypto-friendly travel company Travala published its third-quarter 2021 report showing the firm has grown significantly alongside the growth of crypto adoption. In fact, cryptocurrency adoption has “more than offset the negative impact of the pandemic,” the company said as Travala posted a record-setting quarter in Q3 2021. Crypto Adoption Bolstered Travel Company Travala’s Third Quarter According to a third-quarter 2021 report published by Travala, the company has seen “explosive growth” in the firm’s three core services: hotels, flights, and activities. In Q3, Travala introduced its “Community Pool” and “Community Vote” concepts alongside its “proof-of-travel” NFTs. Thanks to services like hotels, flights, activities, concierge, and integration fees, Travala’s Q3 revenue was $9.8 million which represents 651% growth compared to Q3 2020. Travala noted that hotel bookings and flights grew 50% from Q2 2021 and activities increased by 70%. However, the firm’s concierge service saw a decline of 55% which offset the aforementioned increases. The strongest performing service was hotel bookings, but flights had their strongest quarter to date. “Our activities vertical showed strong growth in its second full quarter,” Travala added. “The number of activities booked almost tripled over the previous quarter.” 8% of Travala Clients Paid in Bitcoin, 41% Used Alternative Crypto Assets In Q3, to pay for hotels, 12% of Travala customers used traditional payments, and 13% used travel credits. 14% of clients leveraged the crypto asset AVA, 12% used the Binance Pay service, 8% paid with bitcoin (BTC), and 41% leveraged alternative crypto assets. While booking services with Travala 8% of users leveraged the Binance Mini-App, 47.4% used a desktop, and 34.4% used a mobile application. Juan Otero, Travala’s CEO, noted in the 2021 Q3 report that one of the biggest challenges this year was dealing with Covid-19. “It is hard to overstate how big a challenge Covid-19 has been for our industry. With signs of recovery increasingly starting to take hold, we are witnessing a staggering amount of transformative innovation rising out of the ashes of the pandemic,” Otero said. “Even with the last years being the most challenging on record for the travel industry, Travala.com has grown exponentially as the rise in cryptocurrency adoption has more than offset the negative impact of the pandemic,” the CEO concluded. What do you think about Travala’s 2021 Q3 report? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

British police have seized bitcoin worth almost $3 million from a teenager who set up a fake website to scam consumers. “At the time they were worth £200,000. They are now worth a little over £2 million.” UK Police Seize $2.8 Million in Bitcoin British police have arrested a 17-year-old boy from South Lincolnshire and seized bitcoin worth almost $3 million from him, BBC News reported Tuesday. The authorities cannot name the boy for legal reasons. Prosecutor Sam Skinner said the teen set up a fake website that was almost identical to the official site of Love2shop, which sells gift vouchers. He then paid to advertise on Google, resulting in his bogus site appearing above the genuine site in search results. The scam site duped Love2shop users into entering their personal details. The prosecutor said: People were duped into clicking on his website thinking they were accessing the official site. The teen took the site down after a week when Love2shop began investigating him following a complaint from a customer. He stole £6,500 ($8,954) worth of vouchers and used the proceeds to buy bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies, Lincoln Crown Court was told. When he was arrested in August last year, police found 48 bitcoins and smaller numbers of other cryptocurrencies. At the time of writing, this amount of BTC is worth almost $3 million based on data from Bitcoin.com Markets. Skinner said: At the time they were worth £200,000. They are now worth a little over £2 million. Upon further investigation, police additionally found over 12,000 credit card numbers stored on the teen’s computer and details of 197 Paypal accounts. The teenager admitted to charges of money laundering between April 9 and 16, 2020, and fraud totaling £6,539 by false representation. Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight ruled that he benefited from his crimes by £2,141,720 and ordered that amount to be confiscated from his assets. The teenager was also handed a 12-month rehabilitation order. “If he was an adult he would be going inside,” the judge said. What do you think about this case? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Shiba inu supporters are petitioning on Change.org for the trading platform Robinhood to list the shiba inu token for trading. Robinhood currently lists the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin which made up 62% of the company’s crypto trading volume in Q2. Petition to Get Robinhood to List Shiba Inu A petition on Change.org for the trading platform Robinhood to list the shiba inu crypto has garnered almost 400,000 signatures. At the time of writing, almost 397K people have signed the petition. If the petition gathers 500K signatures, it would become one of the top signed petitions on Change.org. The petition, started by SHIB supporter Tristan Luke, explains that it “is designed to kindly request of Robinhood to please list shiba inu coin to trade,” adding: Dogecoin has been a huge success for Robinhood, and its investors. We have all enjoyed the ride. Shiba Inu is a similar meme coin with genuine potential, up 2,000% in the last weeks. The petition further describes that the cryptocurrency’s “momentum grows by the hour,” noting that “Half the questions when we log into trading forums ask ‘How can I buy Shiba?’” Robinhood currently offers trading in dogecoin. In its Q2 earnings call, Jason Warnick, the company’s chief financial officer, said: “62% of crypto trading volume was in dogecoin in Q2, which compares to 34% in Q1.” The shiba inu coin has gained tremendous momentum this week, briefly flipping dogecoin Wednesday. However, DOGE has gained back its place as the ninth biggest cryptocurrency. At the time of writing, SHIB is up 8.2% in the last 24 hours, 150% over the past seven days, and 953% over the past 30 days. Last week, a smaller platform competing with Robinhood, Public.com, began supporting shiba inu on its platform. Public began offering cryptocurrency trading earlier this month. SHIB is also available for trading on Coinbase. It was listed on Coinbase Pro in June. In September, the Nasdaq-listed crypto exchange announced that SHIB was available on Coinbase.com and in the Coinbase Android and iOS apps. Not everyone is impressed with the shiba inu coin, however. The “Big Short” investor, Michael Burry, recently said that SHIB was “pointless.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said this week that he does not own any SHIB. Do you think Robinhood should list shiba inu (SHIB)? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Famous actor Matt Damon is starring in an ad for cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com. The ad, called “Fortune Favours the Brave,” is directed by Oscar-winner Wally Pfister and will be aired in more than 20 countries. The crypto platform “shares my commitment to empowering people around the globe with the tools needed to take control of their futures,” said Damon. Matt Damon Featured in Crypto.com Ad Campaign Cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com announced a global ad campaign Thursday starring Hollywood actor Matt Damon. CEO Kris Marszalek tweeted: Today we unveiled Fortune Favours the Brave. The “Fortune Favours the Brave” ad is directed by Oscar-winner Wally Pfister and produced by David Fincher. It “highlights the company’s own ethos, while inspiring those who want to change the course of history with a timeless phrase first uttered thousands of years ago,” the announcement details. The company said that the ad starring Matt Damon will be aired in more than 20 countries and will build on “recent sponsorships including Formula 1, UFC, the 76ers and more.” Marszalek explained in a series of tweets that the ad is “A tribute to those who got us this far” and is also “an invitation to those who will take us further.” He added: “We are a community building the future of the internet, Web3. Powered by cryptocurrency, Web3 will be more fair and equitable, owned by the builders, creators and users. You.” Noting that this is the company’s “first branding campaign,” the executive told the Insider: “We wanted to create a very powerful connection … cryptocurrencies are less and less about just trading and more about building the future of the internet.” Crypto.com recently partnered with Water.org, the global nonprofit organization co-founded by Damon that brings safe water and sanitation to people in need. The company made a $1 million direct donation to the nonprofit and is launching initiatives to encourage more than 10 million users around the world to support the cause. Damon commented: Much like what we’re doing with Water.org, Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform that shares my commitment to empowering people around the globe with the tools needed to take control of their futures. They have built a crypto platform that is accessible and puts people first. What do you think about Matt Damon’s ad? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Singapore: HeliconNFT, the brand-new, global, gaming-focused NFT ecosystem, which recently unveiled a partnership with Battlefy, has announced that it will launch an NFT mystery box event on Sunday, 24th October. Ahead of the event, users will be given the opportunity to access an exclusive pre-launch sale and have the chance to be among the first to purchase mystery boxes containing rare NFT game items, artworks and collectibles, after completing their whitelist registration. HeliconNFT x Battlefy The announcement comes just weeks after the unveiling of HeliconNFT’s ground-breaking partnership with esports giant Battlefy – a collaboration that is set to change the way gamers see their favourite games forever. With over 70,000 tournaments under its belt, Battlefy has hosted some of the world’s largest and most prestigious tournaments, providing support for about 40,000 games. Through the collaboration, people can expect to see NFT-enabled games join the ranks of iconic titles such as Hearthstone, FIFA, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Fortnite, and Super Smash Bros. As a bonus, games that plug into the HeliconNFT ecosystem will allow users to trade NFTs or create their own and earn real rewards just for playing. A Literal Game-Changer The decentralised HeliconNFT platform combines the worlds of NFTs, blockchain gaming and esports – enabling content creators, collectors, investors, gamers, NFT enthusiasts, and anyone in between to come together as one community and make money while gaming. Claire Cawthorn, Chief Marketing Officer of HeliconNFT, says, ‘HeliconNFT is the first all-encompassing ecosystem of its kind. We not only let gamers monetize in-game assets, buy and sell NFTs, and integrate these NFT’s into blockchain games, we are also the first platform to aggregate other games for a true inter-gaming experience. Our game-add-on system facilitates third party developers to tokenize their games on the blockchain, giving them a whole new revenue stream. Think Netflix for blockchain & metaverse games. When you couple this with our online esports tournaments with Battlefy, we have a truly exciting platform for today’s gamer which takes their experience to a whole new level.’ NFT Mystery Box Launch HeliconNFT will launch its first NFT mystery box event on Sunday 24th October at 8am PDT. Users who register via the whitelist HERE, which opens on 24th October, will have the opportunity to access an exclusive pre-launch sale, giving them the chance to be among the first to purchase mystery boxes containing rare NFT game items, artworks and collectible cards. After acquiring NFTs, registered members can choose to hold onto them, use them in supported games, or sell them. Registering for the whitelist is easy: Simply CLICK HERE and complete the necessary steps to qualify. Visit HeliconNFT.com to find out more For enquiries, email marketing@heliconnft.com Join the HeliconNFT community on Discord for updates, giveaways and more Media Enquiries Please contact ben.kershaw@heliconnft.com About HeliconNFT HeliconNFT is a global platform, focused on esports, NFTs, and blockchain, that will bring communities together by staying green and sustainable. HeliconNFT will be an ETH layer 2 solution for the self-custody and security for NFT developers, creators, and traders. On top of that, HeliconNFT will be able to offer minting, trading, earning ,and collecting for its marketplace and game. For more information, visit: Twitter | Instagram | Telegram | Website | Discord | Facebook 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

On November 12, the Walt Disney Company will be celebrating the first annual Disney+ Day and will be launching non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles to celebrate the experience. Disney fans will be able to obtain official NFTs from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more via the digital collectibles app Veve. Entertainment Giant Disney to Drop NFT Series Disney has plans to launch official non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles in celebration of the first annual Disney+ Day. The well known multinational entertainment and media conglomerate headquartered in California has revealed a series of NFTs featuring iconic Disney characters and items. The first series collection is called “Golden Moments,” and fans will be able to obtain the NFTs by utilizing the digital collectibles app Veve. The Veve application has dropped NFTs stemming from Marvel, DC Comics, and special promotions based on beloved superheroes like Spider-Man and Captain America. The “Golden Moments” Disney NFT series will feature “digital golden statues inspired by beloved stories and moments from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, [and] Star Wars.” According to Veve, the new Disney NFTs will soon be available via the app and will “culminate on Disney+ Day on November 12.” On that day, a “special Ultra Rare digital collectible” will be introduced as well. Veve says the drop dates will be revealed ahead of time and if a customer purchases an NFT from the “Golden Moments” collection, they will get three months of Disney+ TV from Veve. Veve Technology Claims to Offer ‘Gasless Transactions’ The Disney+ promo is available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, and Singapore. However, the Disney+ TV subscription offer doesn’t apply to secondary NFT sales. Information regarding the Disney “Golden Moments” NFT collectibles series can be found on Veve’s web portal. Veve says the application they offer leverages “an augmented reality (AR) photo mode” which allows collectors to interact with the NFT. According to Veve, the technology used to mint the non-fungible token collectibles it offers utilizes “gasless transactions providing a 99.9% reduction in environmental footprint.” What do you think about the upcoming Disney NFT series called “Golden Moments?” Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Nearly every industry under the sun has started to notice non-fungible token (NFT) technology and on Wednesday, the media and entertainment company World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., otherwise known as WWE, announced the launch of an exclusive NFT marketplace. According to the announcement, the market will produce licensed digital WWE tokens and collectibles that showcase WWE superstars and iconic moments. WWE Plans to Lay the Smackdown With NFT Collectibles On October 27, Fox Entertainment and Bento Box Entertainment revealed the companies have inked an exclusive agreement with the publicly-listed media and entertainment company WWE (NYSE: WWE). The professional wrestling company was founded in 1953 and is currently the largest wrestling promotion on a global scale with more than 450 events held annually. For years the company owned by Vince McMahon was known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) but changed its name in 2002 to WWE. The three entertainment firms plan to launch a marketplace dedicated to licensed WWE non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and NFT collectibles. The collaborative effort will see the creation of “authentic NFTs that celebrate the company’s entire catalog of digital assets.” NFTs Will Feature Summerslam, Wrestlemania, Iconic Moments, and WWE Superstars WWE superstars will be showcased alongside premier events, such as Summerslam and Wrestlemania. According to the announcement, WWE NFTs will be powered by Eluvio’s blockchain technology in a similar fashion as the “The Masked Singer” NFT marketplace. WWE’s NFT market will be launched in the near future and a release date and marketplace name will be disclosed to the public in “the coming weeks.” The announcement also says that Eluvio will authenticate the WWE NFTs and they will be “interoperable across Ethereum and other blockchains.” Scott Zanghellini, WWE’s senior vice president of revenue strategy and development, explained the partnership helps bolster WWE’s relationship with Fox Entertainment. “This new partnership allows us to deepen our relationship with Fox, as we continue to explore new and creative ways to engage our passionate fanbase,” Zanghellini said in a statement. The deal with Fox and WWE is the two firms’ second partnership, as the two formed a prior bond in 2019 when Fox Sports started to broadcast the WWE show “Friday Night Smackdown,” which airs every week. The Smackdown shows will “play an important role in promoting the marketplace to WWE fans,” the announcement details. Users will need to leverage a digital wallet provided by Eluvio in order to participate in WWE NFT promotions. What do you think about the WWE media and entertainment company teaming up with Fox and Bento Box to deliver official WWE NFTs? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

The meme-based digital asset shiba inu has entered the top ten largest crypto assets by market capitalization, knocking dogecoin down a notch. In the last 30 days, the shiba inu token climbed 976% capturing a market cap of over $40 billion. Meanwhile, the concentration of shiba inu whales is still quite large these days alongside the massive circulating supply of 549 trillion tokens. Shiba Inu Taps All-Time Price Highs Knocking Down the Dogefather This week the crypto asset shiba inu (SHIB) reached an all-time high (ATH) on a few occasions, including today, during the early morning trading sessions. SHIB’s ATH was around $0.00008616 and then the value subsequently dipped 11% below the high. SHIB’s market valuation has soared to $40 billion and it has allowed the shiba inu token market to enter the top ten crypto assets. Shiba inu managed to knock dogecoin (DOGE) down a notch as well from the ninth position to the tenth. SHIB is mostly traded with tether (USDT) these days as USDT commands over 76% of all SHIB’s trades during the last 24 hours. SHIB/USDT pairs are followed by BUSD (13.13%), TRY (4.96%), EUR (3.10%), and USD (0.84%). The top SHIB exchange today is Binance followed by Huobi Pro, Okex, Coinbase, and Poloniex. While BTC’s trade volume is around $45 billion on Thursday, SHIB’s is just a hair lower with $41 billion in 24-hour swaps across the globe. Shiba Inu Whale Concentration 75% for 20 Unique Addresses Meanwhile, there’s a whole lot of SHIB in circulation, even after Vitalik Buterin gave away 1 trillion tokens and the network’s deflationary features. Today there are 549 trillion SHIB tokens in existence, which is far from being scarce like other crypto assets such as bitcoin. Bitcoin’s whale concentration is far lower as the rich list is around 14.65% while SHIB’s rich list is shockingly different. BTC’s concentration by large holders, according to Into the Block stats, is only 11%. According to coincarp.com’s data, 10 holders are hoarding 71.90% of the circulating supply. Some of these wallets are operated by crypto exchanges like Binance and Crypto.com. Out of 838,305 unique addresses (holders), 20 holders command 75.95% of the supply. As the circulating supply of BTC on Wednesday is 18,856,937, it is much smaller than the 549,153,115,436,361 SHIB in existence today. The top 100 SHIB holders out of the 838,305 own 80.48% of the SHIB supply. What do you think about SHIB making it into the top ten digital currencies by market cap and knocking dogecoin down a notch? What do you think about SHIB’s concentration with large holders? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

El Salvador, the country that made bitcoin legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar, has bought the dip again. The Salvadoran government has purchased a total of 1,120 bitcoins, currently worth more than $68 million. El Salvador’s Bitcoin Holdings Grow El Salvador has bought the dip again, taking advantage of the falling price of bitcoin on Wednesday. President Nayib Bukele tweeted: “It was a long wait, but worth it. We just bought the dip.” At the time of writing, the price of bitcoin is $61,129, down from an all-time high of almost $67,000 on Oct. 19 based on data from Bitcoin.com Markets. The country made bitcoin legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar on Sept. 7. At the time, the price of BTC was around $46,000. The day before its Bitcoin law went into effect, El Salvador purchased two sets of 200 bitcoins. On Sept. 7, the price fell slightly, allowing the country to buy the dip (150 BTC). On Sept. 20, Bukeke said his country bought the dip again (150 more BTC), adding, “El Salvador now holds 700 coins.” With 420 new coins, El Salvador has purchased a total of 1,120 BTC, worth more than $68.5 million at the time of writing. What do you think about El Salvador repeatedly buying the dip? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

A provincial branch of one the largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia has declared cryptocurrency “haram,” or forbidden under religious law. The decision came after a “heated discussion” joined by a crypto expert who was invited to explain in detail the practice of using digital coins. Cryptocurrency Deemed ‘Haram’ in Indonesia The local branch of the Indonesian religious organization Nahdlatul Ulama in East Java has recently issued a fatwa on the status of cryptocurrencies under Islamic law. According to the nonbinding opinion, digital currencies secured by cryptography and used as a transaction instrument are to be considered “haram,” which means forbidden. The decision came as a result of “bahtsul masail,” a discussion held by the organization on Sunday, Oct. 24, the Indonesian news portal Tempo reported. Members involved in the debate, which the article describes as “dynamic” and “heated,” concluded that the use of cryptocurrency could undermine the legality of financial transactions. Another point that was raised during the meeting is that crypto could serve as a tool for committing fraud. An announcement published on the website of the East Java Nahdlatul Ulama branch quotes Kiai Azizi Chasbullah, the “discussion’s certifier,” as saying: Participants of the bahtsul masail formed a view, despite crypto already being acknowledged by the government as a commodity, that it cannot be legalized under the [Islamic sharia]. During the meeting, they also decided that “cryptocurrency lacks any benefit from the sharia point of view, as mentioned in fiqh,” or the Islamic jurisprudence. According to the Indonesian publication, this position has been confirmed by a “cryptocurrency expert” who took part in the religious debate to explain “the proper practice in the digital currency’s use.” The Islamic organization’s fatwa comes after the government in Jakarta recently indicated that Indonesia is not planning to impose a wide ban on cryptocurrencies. Speaking to local media, the country’s Minister of Trade Muhammad Luthfi stated that the executive power will not follow in the footsteps of China which this year reiterated a ban on all crypto transactions and launched a crackdown on bitcoin mining and trading. The popularity of cryptocurrencies has been growing in Indonesia, which is the nation with the largest Muslim population in the world. Crypto trade has been soaring this year and data from the 13 domestic exchanges authorized by the country’s Futures Exchange Supervisory Board shows a 40% increase in transactions during the first five months of 2021. Last year, the total volume reached 65 trillion rupiah ($4.5 billion). Opinions regarding decentralized digital money have varied among Islamic scholars, experts, and ordinary Muslims through the years. In May, the decision by a prominent religious body in the Russian republic of Ingushetia to prohibit dealings with cryptocurrency provoked negative reactions on social media. Last October, a leading sharia compliance expert in Malaysia said that crypto assets are a legit commodity. Do you think Nahdlatul Ulama’s fatwa on cryptocurrencies will be supported by other Islamic organizations in Indonesia? Share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Guild Of Guardians is a multiplayer RPG where players earn epic rewards. The project has top tier partners such as Ubisoft and one of the largest and most well-funded, VC-backed teams building NFT games. The developers have big ambitions for disrupting the $100 billion mobile gaming industry by creating a quality experience that is both fun to play and allows everyone to earn real money. With over 240,000 followers, the project also has one of the largest communities in the space despite still being in the prelaunch stage. Meet the Future of Gaming: Guild of Guardians Guild Of Guardians is an upcoming multiplayer, fantasy, action RPG developed by Stepico Games and published by Immutable. Stepico is a mobile games development studio that released multiple titles with over 5 million downloads, and Immutable are one of the largest VC-funded blockchain start-ups and the team behind Gods Unchained and Immutable X. The development team currently has over 20 full-time employees and there are plans to grow this number in the following year. In Guild of Guardians, the world is full of magic, orcs, elves, and other popular fantasy elements, where players take their team of heroes through challenging dungeons to collect resources and earn experience. They can use these resources to craft items or summon heroes which can be traded for real money. Players will also be able to build their dream team and will work with their Guild to earn leaderboard-based and seasonal prizes. The graphics in the game are stunningly charming (see cinematic and gameplay footage below) and can compete with any current leader in the genre. Guild Of Guardians is undoubtedly poised to disrupt the $100 billion mobile gaming industry, and specifically the $6 billion mobile squad RPG market. Current mobile RPGs are notoriously built to drain players of all their money by utilizing pay-to-win mechanics or just take out all the fun in the game completely by forcing you to grind endlessly to unlock new heroes and items. Guild of Guardians turns this model on its head by offering play-and-earn mechanics where players are actually rewarded for having the fun RPG gameplay experience that they love. Players can choose to buy NFTs for the heroes, pets or energy boosters they want on the marketplace directly, instead of paying for mystery “loot boxes” that never have what you want and are specifically designed to make you addicted like a gambler on current mobile RPGs. In total, more than $7M NFTs have been sold up to date, and some heroes have already been sold for more than $250k while the game has not even launched yet. Since starting development in mid 2020, Guild of Guardians has attracted a passionate community of over 240,000 followers across email and the social networks. The game has already gone viral multiple times – getting 100,000 emails from a referral program and 30,000 new members from an airdrop. As part of their mission to give back to the community, the developers have also already rewarded members with over $150,000 worth of NFTs and more than $260,000 in referral rewards. In total, 20% of the revenue from primary and secondary sales will be invested back to the community. To keep up with the latest developments and make sure you don’t miss out on future opportunities like these, join the community now on Twitter, Discord and Facebook. $GOG Token Sale Beyond earning rewards and trading NFTs this amazing project offers an additional way for you to benefit from the upcoming revolution in gaming. Guild of Guardians Tokens will soon be available for purchase and here is how you can join in. 60 million in-game currency tokens are to be sold in an exclusive sale on the coveted CoinList platform. The sale begins on November 10, 18:00 UTC and has two public options. The registration deadline for the Guild of Guardians sale is November 7, 23:59 UTC. The token sale can be expected to be a great success based on the team’s recent track record. Guild of Guardians has successfully sold out its first NFT Founder sale which generated $4.6 million to grow the game. The team have also developed partnerships with leading brands such as Ubisoft, NRG Esports, Sandbox and Yield Guild. This communication is not for distribution to U.S. newswire or similar services or for any dissemination in the United States. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, GOG Tokens to any U.S. person (including, without limitation, any citizen or resident of the United States) or in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of any such jurisdiction. This is a sponsored post. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, suggested in a recent speech that the new e-naira central bank digital currency (CBDC) could lead to an increase in the value of his country’s GDP by $29 billion in ten years. Africa’s First CBDC President Buhari made bold remarks in his speech at Monday’s launch of the e-naira CBDC, stating: “Indeed, some estimates indicate that the adoption of CBDC and its underlying technology, called blockchain, can increase Nigeria’s GDP by US$29 billion over the next 10 years.” In addition to boosting Nigeria’s GDP, President Buhari suggested that such a digital currency might help move more people and businesses from the informal sector to the formal sector. Although he acknowledges that many countries are still in the research and experimental stages, the Nigerian leader insists that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — which he says has been investigating CBDCs since 2017 — is well-positioned to launch the digital currency. In his speech, published by Premium Times, Buhari gives his reasons for approving the CBN’s request to explore the possibility of issuing what is now Africa’s first CBDC. He explained: This move was underpinned by the fact that the CBN has been a leading innovator in the form of money they produce, and in the payment services they deploy for efficient transactions. They have invested heavily in creating a payment system that is ranked in the top ten in the world and certainly the best in Africa. E-Naira to Boost Monetary Policy Effectiveness According to the president, it is on the basis of this payment system — as well as the central bank’s support of several private‐sector initiatives to improve the existing payments landscape — that CBN is qualified to issue the e-naira. However, despite his high praise of Nigeria’s financial system, President Buhari said the pilot phase of the CBDC rollout will need to be closely monitored and supervised. Finally, when successfully tested, the e-naira is expected to help increase remittances, foster cross-border trade, improve financial inclusion, and make monetary policy more effective. What do you think of President Buhari’s comments about the e-naira? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

Authorities in Slovenia have prepared new legislation tailored to determine how crypto holdings and transactions are taxed in the country. The proposal, aimed at clarifying the matter, has been submitted for public consultations this week, local media reports revealed. Slovenia to Amend Tax Rules for Cryptocurrencies The Finance Ministry in Ljubljana has opened public consultations on a draft law regulating cryptocurrency taxation, Slovenian media reported. The legislation is based on proposals made by the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS), which were announced in August of this year. The amendments are expected to simplify the tax scheme pertaining to crypto assets. Under current rules, the taxable income from virtual currency operations depends on the circumstances in each case, and the tax office has to check numerous transactions made by taxpayers between purchases, sales, and conversions. Under the upcoming regulations, the state will adopt a 10% flat tax for individuals exchanging cryptocurrency for fiat money. The same rate will be applicable to purchases made with digital coins. According to the Slovenian press, the yearly threshold for tax liability has been set at €15,000 (approx. $17,500). If approved, the new tax regime would affect only private individuals and not those who hold cryptocurrency as an asset of their businesses. The Finance Ministry has estimated that the tax could accumulate between €100,000 ($116,000) and €500,000 ($580,000) annually in the first few years after its introduction. Other changes concerning tax regulations in the EU member state are coming in the form of amendments to the income tax law due to enter into force on Jan. 1, 2022. Lawmakers have decided that these can be discussed further by the Finance Committee before they are approved or rejected by the legislature. One of the key proposals is to reduce tax on capital and increase the general income tax allowance, media reports unveiled. The government’s intentions were criticized by the center-left opposition parties which boycotted the vote as 43 members of the Slovenian parliament supported the plan and three voted against it. Slovenia, a small, bitcoin-friendly nation in Southeast Europe, has established itself as a leader in crypto adoption on the Old Continent. According to a report from last year, cafés, restaurants, hotels, hair salons, and sports facilities are among over 1,000 locations across the country that accept various cryptocurrencies for their services and offerings. Do you think Slovenia’s new tax legislation will benefit cryptocurrency users? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

The Indian government is reportedly planning to introduce cryptocurrency regulation by the time of the next general Budget, which is in February next year. Instead of banning cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, the government is likely to regulate crypto assets as commodities, according to reports. Indian Crypto Law Could Comes as Early as February The Indian government is planning to introduce cryptocurrency regulation in February next year, local news outlet Business Today reported, elaborating: Finance Ministry officials have told Business Today Television that a law for cryptocurrencies would most likely come around by the time of the next general Budget. The Budget 2022-23 is expected to be presented on Feb. 1 during the first half of the parliament’s Budget session, which usually begins in the last week of January. Furthermore, the government is likely to regulate cryptocurrencies as an asset class, similar to how commodities are regulated, with appropriate taxation on transactions and gains, the news outlet conveyed. In June, the government reportedly said that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will oversee regulations for the cryptocurrency sector after crypto is classified as an asset class. Another official told the publication that officials from the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are fine-tuning the regulatory framework for crypto. However, the central bank recently said it still has “serious concerns” about cryptocurrency. India does not currently regulate the crypto sector directly. The government has been considering a bill titled “Banning of Cryptocurrency & Regulation of Official Digital Currency” that seeks to ban all cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, except state-issued ones. The bill was drafted by an inter-ministerial committee headed by former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. It was published in July 2019. However, recent reports suggest that the government may have moved away from the idea of banning cryptocurrencies. In July, the finance minister said that the crypto bill was ready for Cabinet. The chairman of India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance explained in September that cryptocurrency legislation in India will be “distinct and unique.” The CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Wazirx, Nischal Shetty, commented on the upcoming Indian crypto regulation: Great to hear that India plans to bring in crypto regulation bill next year. Crypto has reached a stage where countries no longer talk about a ban. It’s now about ‘How to regulate.’ Do you think India will introduce crypto regulation in February next year? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Operation Dark Huntor, a coordinated international effort on three continents to disrupt opioid trafficking on the darknet, has led to the arrests of 150 people. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the operation has also resulted in the seizure of over $31.6 million in cash and cryptocurrencies. Operation Dark Huntor: 150 Arrests, Crypto and Cash Seized The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday that “Operation Dark Huntor” has resulted in 150 arrests worldwide. In addition, over $31.6 million in cash and cryptocurrencies were seized. The DOJ described Operation Dark Huntor as “a coordinated international effort on three continents to disrupt opioid trafficking on the darknet.” It was conducted across the U.S., Australia, and Europe in partnership between the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) and foreign law enforcement “against the illegal sale of drugs and other illicit goods and services.” Coordination efforts were led by Europol and Eurojust. The DOJ noted: Operation Dark Huntor resulted in the seizure of over $31.6 million in both cash and virtual currencies. The announcement details that the operation has “resulted in the arrest of 150 alleged darknet drug traffickers and other criminals who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods and services across Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.” The Justice Department further noted: Prior to, but in support of Operation Dark Huntor, Italian authorities also shut down the Deepsea and Berlusconi dark web marketplaces which boasted over 40,000 advertisements of illegal products. Four alleged administrators were arrested, and €3.6 million in cryptocurrencies were seized in coordinated U.S.-Italian operations. Acting Director Tae Johnson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) commented: “Illicit darkweb marketplaces represent a significant threat to public health, economic, and national security. By working collaboratively and sharing intelligence across local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and its partners are disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations responsible for introducing dangerous narcotics and other contraband into our communities.” What do you think about this operation? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

A group of U.S. banking regulators is working on how banks can be allowed to offer crypto services and hold cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets. The chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said, “If we don’t bring this activity inside the banks, it is going to develop outside of the banks … The federal regulators won’t be able to regulate it.” US Regulators to Set Clear Rules for Banks to Deal With Crypto Jelena McWilliams, the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), told Reuters in an interview at a fintech conference Monday that a team of U.S. bank regulators is working on providing a roadmap for banks to engage with crypto assets. The team comprises the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Federal Reserve Vice Chair of Supervision Randal Quarles revealed the collaboration between the three U.S. regulators in May. McWilliams said on a conference panel: My goal in this interagency group is to basically provide a path for banks to be able to act as a custodian of these assets, use crypto assets, digital assets as some form of collateral … At some point in time, we’re going to tackle how and under what circumstances banks can hold them on their balance sheet. While establishing clear rules for banks to provide custody services is easy, the FDIC boss explained that it is difficult to figure out how to allow a volatile asset to be used as collateral and include it on bank balance sheets. She was quoted as saying: “Valuation of these assets and the fluctuation in their value that can be almost on a daily basis … You have to decide what kind of capital and liquidity treatment to allocate to such balance sheet holdings.” The OCC, under the leadership of Brian Brooks, clarified in June 2020 that national banks and federal savings associations can provide cryptocurrency custody services for customers. However, Brooks has resigned and the new Acting Comptroller of the Currency, Michael Hsu, has requested a review of the cryptocurrency standards established by the OCC prior to him taking office. “I think that we need to allow banks in this space, while appropriately managing and mitigating risk,” McWilliams opined, elaborating: If we don’t bring this activity inside the banks, it is going to develop outside of the banks … The federal regulators won’t be able to regulate it. What do you think about banks holding cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Adobe Inc., the American multinational computer software company that’s well known for its platforms like Photoshop and Illustrator, has jumped into the non-fungible token (NFT) universe. According to Adobe chief product officer Scott Belsky in a recent interview with The Verge, “NFTs will change creativity.” New Adobe Photoshop Tool Will Assist NFT Creators in ‘Packaging and Preparing, Along With the Attribution Capabilities’ The software company Adobe has launched a Photoshop tool that allows creators to pre-construct the images for non-fungible token (NFT) applications. On October 26, Scott Belsky, Adobe’s chief product officer, spoke in an interview with The Verge’s Nilay Patel about the firm’s deep dive into the world of NFTs. The new Adobe Photoshop tool will allow users to add specific credentials so popular markets such as Opensea can read the metadata. During the interview with Patel, Belsky said he was bullish about the NFT industry. Belsky disclosed that the ‘prepare as NFT’ option would be available by “the end of this month.” However, the new feature has been added to the latest Photoshop release and users can add their NFT credentials. “It will be able to take whatever you’re working on and it will assist you in packaging it and preparing it along with the attribution capabilities… for some of the popular minting platforms and blockchains out there,” the Adobe executive said. Adobe Chief Product Officer: ‘No Changes to Photoshop Format — Open-Source Framework’ The Verge’s Patel asked Belsky if there would be any changes to the current Photoshop format and the chief product officer said no. “Yeah, no changes to the format, and the cryptographic signature points to an IPFS (Inter-Planetary File System)-powered system that shows you the attribution data,” Belsky stressed during the interview. “But again, it’s a decentralized storage source and it’s an open-source framework. So that, again, anyone can cryptographically sign anything from within the tool that’s used to create something and then you leverage the same system,” the Adobe executive further remarked. The Adobe chief product officer added: And that’s great, because we don’t want this to be anything that is proprietary to Adobe or part of one of our formats, that would negate the purpose. The news that Adobe has added an NFT tool to the Photoshop platform follows Deviantart’s collaboration with Opensea, as well. The world’s largest online art gallery and Opensea crafted tech in order to detect potential NFT infringement. “We’ve expanded the scope of our system to identify near matches of minted non-fungible token (NFTs) submitted across the Internet,” Deviantart’s announcement said on July 1. What do you think about Adobe adding an NFT feature to the popular Photoshop platform? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. PlanetWatch, a French start-up which decentralizes and incentivizes environmental monitoring, announced that its utility token, PLANETS, will be listed on Oct. 22 on Bitmart. Claudio Parrinello, PlanetWatch’s CEO said: “PlanetWatch is experiencing explosive growth. With over 6,000 sensors already deployed worldwide, we are happy to see PLANETS becoming available worldwide via multiple exchanges.” PlanetWatch is revolutionizing the way people measure air quality and other environmental parameters by leveraging the Algorand Blockchain, IoT-enabled sensors and AI-based data analysis. Dense sensor networks can be activated in any city quickly and cost-effectively by incentivizing local residents to deploy and operate approved sensors and earn token rewards for data streams. PlanetWatch is gaining traction amongst consumers as well as in the corporate world. Following the successful completion of a seed funding round of about 1 million euros back in July, the company is attaining important commercial and scientific milestones. In the context of indoor air quality monitoring, PlanetWatch has recently enabled an Italian hotel to become the second hotel in the world to achieve the prestigious RESET air quality certification. The results of this work are described in a scientific paper written in collaboration with an Italian university. 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 video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer, Gamestop, is seeking a non-fungible token (NFT)-focused senior software engineer, according to a new job listing. Similar to the recent job listing stemming from the social media services company Reddit, the retail giant Gamestop seems to be building an NFT marketplace. Gamestop Looks to Hire Engineer to Join Company’s NFT/Blockchain Team On October 25, the corporate entity Gamestop, a retail chain of video game merchandise and consumer electronics, published a job listing seeking a senior software engineer for a possible NFT platform. The candidate, if hired, will join Gamestop’s “NFT/Blockchain team.” “Gamestop is looking for a Sr. Software Engineer to join our NFT/Blockchain team,” the company’s job listing notes. “This role will be remote and will collaborate with a team of engineers, product managers, designers, and business partners distributed across the U.S. In this role, you will help design, build, and maintain highly scalable services and core API components, powering products and features that delight millions of Gamestop customers.” Gamestop is not only well known for the video game stores the firm operates, but the recent Wallstreetbets fiasco propelled the corporate entity into the limelight. Wall Street hedge funds allegedly tried to short the company’s shares, and Reddit users from the Wallstreetbets subreddit tried to reverse the trend with a “short squeeze.” Gamestop and numerous other companies like AMC made headlines this year and saw their stocks rise significantly from the Wallstreetbets fiasco. Gamestop’s recent NFT/Blockchain team member job listing was a popular subject on the Reddit forum r/cryptocurrency during the last two days. “That’s one of the best job listings I’ve seen in a while,” one individual wrote on Reddit. “Very clear on expectations and the requirements make sense (and [are not] artificially inflated) with wiggle room. Don’t have a degree but know your sh** professionally? Get in there,” the Redditor added. The Gamestop job listing follows a similar NFT job listing from the company Reddit, published last week. The American social news aggregation and discussion website Reddit is seeking a senior software engineer for a platform that features “NFT-backed digital goods.” The Gamestop job requirements are similar to the Reddit listing, but Gamestop would like the potential employee to know about crypto and NFTs. “NFT marketplace experience and knowledge of crypto, Ethereum, and Ethereum Layer 2 products,” is a prerequisite in the Gamestop listing. What do you think about Gamestop hiring a senior software engineer for a possible NFT platform? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

After fighting in court since 2015, the former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiring to commit securities fraud and he was forced to pay $7.4 million in fines. One of Shkreli’s prized possessions, an unreleased Wu-Tang Clan album, was seized by the U.S. Marshals and sold for $4 million. Just recently, the public was told that the unreleased record called “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” was sold to the non-fungible token (NFT) collectors syndicate called “Pleasrdao.” The New Owners of ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ Long ago, the hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli used to live stream and brag about his unreleased Wu-Tang Clan album he purchased at an auction for $2 million in 2015. However, a few years later, Shkreli was sentenced by the U.S. court system for conspiring to commit securities fraud and he was sentenced to seven years. While spending his prison sentence at the low-security Federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, Shkreli was also forced to forfeit a lot of his wealth and pay fines of up to $7.4 million. The coveted Wu-Tang album he bragged about was seized by U.S. Marshals. The new owner of “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” is a group called Pleasrdao, a collective of defi leaders, early NFT collectors, and digital artists. According to an in-depth report published on October 20, 2021, the Pleasrdao collective purchased the Wu-Tang album for $4 million and the organization aims to bring the unreleased record back to the people. Jamis Johnson, Pleasrdao’s “chief pleasing officer,” explains that the purchase was a great accomplishment. “This beautiful piece of art, this ultimate protest against middlemen and rent-seekers of musicians and artists, went south by going into the hands of Martin Shkreli, the ultimate internet villain,” Johnson explained. “We want this to be us bringing this back to the people. We want fans to participate in this album at some level.” Community Ownership and Private Exhibition Concepts The group’s website says that the DAO is experimenting with digital and community ownership. “Its members are exploring ideas such as fractionalizing iconic pieces to be distributed to, and owned by, the community.” When speaking about acquiring the unreleased Wu-Tang Clan record, Cyrus Bozorgmehr, an individual who worked closely with the album, explained that the album could be played for people paying for exhibition tickets. “You couldn’t play [the album] onstage at Coachella, but you could take out six really cool spaces across the world and do exhibitions with it where 200 people come at a time,” Bozorgmehr said. Currently, the Pleasrdao collective has not disclosed what they plan to do with the coveted Wu-Tang Clan album called “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.” What do you think about the unreleased Wu-Tang album being sold to a defi and NFT collective? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

On January 3, 2022, the Bitcoin network will be celebrating its 13th year of life after its creator Satoshi Nakamoto kick-started the protocol. The creator of Bitcoin has always been the community’s most famous and mysterious character. Roughly ten years ago, Satoshi logged off, never to return and it’s very likely the inventor won’t ever come back. Communication Breakdown Satoshi Nakamoto invented the Bitcoin network and released the technology’s white paper on Halloween (October 31) 2008. The paper was authored by “Satoshi Nakamoto” using the email “satoshin@gmx.com” and the creator also attached the web domain name “bitcoin.org” to the paper. The name “Satoshi Nakamoto” is of Japanese descent and it’s widely considered a pseudonym or a falsified name. It is assumed that Nakamoto’s birthday is April 5, 1975, as the date is displayed on the inventor’s P2P Foundation profile. If the birth date is correct, Nakamoto would be 46 years old today. Over the years a great number of sleuths have made it their mission to discover the inventor’s identity. Although, Satoshi Nakamoto is likely deceased and there are many reasons why people would believe Bitcoin’s inventor is no longer with us. In the past, Bitcoin.com News has published many articles about the possible suspects that people have claimed are Satoshi, and the many that claim to be the famous inventor, as well. The first thing we know, however, is that Satoshi Nakamoto left two messages before leaving for good. The first was on December 12, 2010, when the creator left the community a message about “venturing into more complex ideas.” The post on December 12 was Satoshi discussing things in a very serious and direct way, stressing that the “software is not at all resistant to DoS attack.” Nakamoto never returned to discuss anything else on the Bitcointalk.org forum ever again. Years later, emails from Nakamoto to Mike Hearn and Gavin Andresen surfaced from April 2011, when Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator said “I’ve moved on to other things.” From here, most everything else about Satoshi’s further communications has been unproven and there have been a lot of wild claims and speculation that still exist to this day. Bitcoin Riches Remain Unclaimed The fact is though, after these messages Satoshi Nakamoto decided not to come back and it’s very possible that the inventor could not return due to health reasons. In fact, some people are quite certain that Hal Finney was the most likely Satoshi Nakamoto candidate. Finney had severe issues with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and passed away in August, 2014. Interestingly, Finney also retired from the PGP Corporation in 2011, the same year Nakamoto sent his final correspondence emails to Hearn and Andresen. Lastly, one of the biggest clues Nakamoto is no longer with us — besides the complete lack of communication after ten years — is the fact that the inventor’s riches remain unspent to this day. It is widely assumed that Nakamoto owns a hoard of 1 million bitcoin (BTC) if the creator is still alive. But the stash of more than $60 billion worth of BTC has never seen the light of day, and there’s a good chance these coins are gone forever if Satoshi Nakamoto is deceased. However, at the end of the day, there are not enough facts that can prove Satoshi is dead, just as there are not enough facts that can prove Satoshi is alive. Zero communications over the years don’t necessarily mean Nakamoto is no longer with us on this earth. Moreover, the fact that Satoshi has never moved or spent the $60 billion worth of bitcoin mined in the early days doesn’t necessarily mean Nakamoto is dead either. One thing is certain, Nakamoto’s shroud of mystery was good enough to make sure we are not. What do you think about the possibility that Satoshi Nakamoto is dead? Or do you think Bitcoin’s inventor is alive and well? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Locations providing crypto ATM services have increased exponentially this year, according to data compiled by a major tracking site. Bitcoin ATMs have doubled in number since January and close to 80 countries now host teller machines exchanging cryptocurrencies with fiat money. Over 30,000 Bitcoin ATMs Operate Around the World In a year when cryptocurrency markets broke all-time highs, the availability of digital coins has increased and bitcoin ATMs have contributed greatly. Their number has recently exceeded 30,000 — more than double the count at the beginning of 2021. Data collected by Coin ATM Radar shows that on Jan. 1, there were 14,016 registered locations supporting automated teller services for leading cryptocurrencies. And, as of Oct. 27, their number has reached a staggering 30,011. These Bitcoin ATMs and other crypto teller services are spread across 76 countries and run by 628 operators, according to the tracking website. The United States is the pronounced leader with more than 26,000 locations while neighboring Canada has a little less than 2,000, and the whole European Union hosts only 1,353. Crypto teller devices have increased in Spain (155) and bitcoin-friendly Switzerland (130) but not all trends have been positive. Their numbers have declined in some other major markets such as Austria, from this year’s high of 156 in June to 140 now, and the U.K. which saw a dramatic fall from 229 on Jan. 1 to 98 as of Wednesday. Supported cryptocurrencies vary between ATMs but most of them provide an opportunity to purchase bitcoin (BTC) and many sell one or more of the other major coins such as bitcoin cash (BCH), ether (ETH), and litecoin (LTC). Some offer stablecoins like tether (USDT), or popular altcoins like dogecoin (DOGE). Two-way teller machines, those that can also buy your cryptocurrency, are increasing in number, too. The top 10 operators maintain almost 68% of all crypto ATMs, or more than 20,300. Bitcoin Depot, which has been expanding its network in the U.S., is still the largest among them with 5,314 units (17.7%), while Coincloud is second with 4,028 (13.4%). Coinflip comes in third with 2,953 devices, or a little less than 10% of the world’s total. Genesis Coin remains the leading BATM manufacturer, accounting for over 40% of the market, followed by General Bytes with more than 22%. Bitaccess is a close third with 14% of the currently operational devices. Other producers include Coinsource (6.1%), Bitstop (4.2%), Bytefederal (3.5%), and Lamassu (2.3%). Smaller companies have installed 7.2% of all registered crypto teller machines. Do you think the number of bitcoin ATMs will continue to grow at the current pace in the coming months? Share your expectations in the comments section below. View the full article