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Showing posts from August, 2022

Ticket Marketplace Giant Ticketmaster Chooses Flow Blockchain for NFT Push

This week, Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. revealed the company will give event organizers the ability to mint non-fungible token (NFT) tickets via the Flow blockchain. Last November, Ticketmaster said it was working with Polygon but since Super Bowl LVI, the ticket sales and distribution behemoth started working with the Dapper Labs-managed Flow. Ticketmaster Has Minted More Than 5 Million NFTs Using Flow’s Technology On August 31, 2022, a sportsbusinessjournal.com report detailed that Ticketmaster will allow event organizers to issue NFTs using the Flow blockchain. Organizers will be able to mint NFTs before, during, or after an event and they can represent tickets or memorabilia, VIP access and rewards as well. The report notes that the ticketing agency has already minted 5 million NFTs via the Flow network. Clients that have issued NFTs include The Black Crowes, the Apollo Theater, and Gavin DeGraw. Ticketmaster originally said it would use Polygon but in February the world’s

Eurozone Inflation Taps Highest Rate Ever Recorded Reaching 9.1%, as Nord Stream, Gazprom Halt Gas Supplies

The Eurozone’s inflation rate reached a record high in August of 9.1%, the highest ever recorded in history, according to Europe’s statistics office Eurostat. The rate was higher than economists suspected and most of the rise was fueled by Europe’s rising energy prices. Europe’s Torrid Inflation Continues to Rise, While the Region Faces an Energy Crisis Currently, Europe is suffering from the highest inflation rate the euro area has seen in almost 50 years, and each one of the members of the monetary union has seen red-hot consumer prices. Just recently, Reuters polled a number of economists, and the data published by Eurostat is larger than the economists predicted. Eurozone #inflation hits record: Consumer prices surged 9.1% YoY in August outpacing est. of 9%. Core inflation jumped 4.3%, a fresh ATH as well. Above all, the rise in core inflation is also putting the #ECB under pressure. pic.twitter.com/DI9ruavNUT — Holger Zschaepitz (@Schuldensuehner) August 31, 2022 Stat

Bitcoin’s Mining Difficulty Change Prints 2022’s Second Largest Increase — Metric Nears All-Time High

On Wednesday, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty jumped 9.26% higher, recording the second highest difficulty rise in 2022. The latest rise is Bitcoin’s third difficulty increase since August 4, 2022, and it’s now 11.63% harder to find bitcoin block reward. Bitcoin Difficulty Jumps 9.26% — Metric Prints the Second Largest Rise This Year Bitcoin ( BTC ) has experienced the third difficulty increase this month as the difficulty increased by 9.26% on August 31. The difficulty change took place at block height 751,968, and the 9.26% jump is the second biggest this year. The largest rise in 2022 took place 223 days ago on January 20, 2022, at block height 719,712. Currently, the difficulty is 30.98 trillion , which is only 0.27 below the network difficulty’s all-time high (ATH) at 31.25 trillion on May 10, 2022. With bitcoin’s lower USD value and a 9.26% difficulty increase, miners have been dealt a blow. In fact, the last three difficulty increases have made it 11.63% harder to find a bitco

Biggest Movers: LEO Hits 6-Week High, as NEAR Jumps Higher for Third Straight Session

LEO rose to a six-week high on Wednesday, as prices rallied for a fifth consecutive session. The move came as the token raced past a key resistance level, on its way to today’s peak. Near protocol was another notable gainer, climbing for a third straight day. UNUS SED LEO (LEO) Unus Sed Leo (LEO) was one of the big movers in today’s session, as the token rose for a fifth consecutive day. Following a low of $5.33 on Tuesday, the token raced to an intraday peak of $5.68 earlier in the day. The move saw LEO/USD climb past its resistance point at $5.40, on its way to its highest point since July 10. As seen from the chart, today’s surge took LEO close to another price ceiling at the $5.70 level, however, bullish momentum faded as the session matured. Currently, the LEO is trading at $5.64, which is marginally below earlier highs, and comes as the relative strength index (RSI) approaches its own obstacle. The index is tracking at 65.10 as of writing, which is close to a ceiling of 6

Russian PM Says Digital Assets Are ‘Safe Alternative’ in Foreign Trade, Urges for Ruble Payments

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has praised digital assets as a payment instrument that could strengthen Russia’s financial independence. The top government official also called for increasing the use of the ruble for international settlements. Head of Russian Government Sees Digital Assets as Tool Ensuring ‘Uninterrupted Payments’ Digital assets can become an alternative to traditional settlements and facilitate payments for imports and exports, the prime minister of Russia has recently remarked. Quoted by RBC Crypto news outlet, Mikhail Mishustin made the comment during a “strategic session on the development of the domestic financial system.” In his statement, which was streamed online, the head of the executive power in Moscow insisted that the Russian Federation needs to intensively develop innovative areas, including the introduction of digital assets. He elaborated: This is a safe alternative for all parties, which is able to guarantee uninterrupted payments for t

Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: ETH Hovers Near $1,600, as Crypto Markets Consolidate

Ethereum was hovering close to $1,600 during Wednesday’s session, as market volatility eased today. Following a turbulent week of trading, crypto markets mostly consolidated on hump-day, with the global market capitalization down 0.23% as of writing. Bitcoin’s price was mostly unchanged, as it remained above $20,000. Bitcoin Cryptocurrency markets consolidated on Wednesday, with bitcoin ( BTC ) largely unchanged from yesterday’s session. Following a high of $20,542.64 on Tuesday, BTC /USD was marginally lower, with today’s peak standing at $20,425.97. The token is now trading in between a support point at $19,500 and a resistance level of $20,600, with sentiment slightly shifting towards bullish territory. This comes as the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) broke out of a resistance point of 37.90, and is now tracking at 38.60. Looking at the chart, it appears as if the index is headed towards the 42.00 mark, which has historically acted as a ceiling. Should this target be h

New Study Says Number of Cryptocurrencies Now at 10,000 — Five Coins Account for 75% of Total Market Cap

The number of known cryptocurrencies surged from 6,000 in July 2021 to 10,400 in February 2022 before dropping to around 10,000 by August. Only five cryptocurrencies currently account for over 75% of the entire crypto industry market capitalization. A Thousand Cryptocurrencies Added Every Month According to the data from Augusta Free Press, the number of known cryptocurrencies went up from 6,000 in July 2021 to around 10,400 by February 2022. However, this number had dropped to around 10,000 by August 2022, the data revealed. Before surging past the 10,000 mark, the number of cryptocurrencies — according to a study by Statista and Investing.com — had grown from 60 in 2013 to over 4,500 by 2020. As shown by the data, in the period between 2021 and 2022, the number of cryptocurrencies has doubled. Remarking on this phenomenal growth in the number of cryptocurrencies added, the Augusta Free Press report said: In the first half of 2021 only, 1,500 new digital coins entered the mark

FBI Warns About Decentralized Finance Exploits and the Losses Associated With Them

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a public service announcement about exploits attackers have recently used to steal cryptocurrency from investors that put money on decentralized finance (defi) platforms. The organization also advised crypto investors to do their own research and verify that the decentralized finance platforms chosen were audited by independent parties. Defi Platforms Under the Eye of the FBI The FBI has begun to notice the attention scammers are giving to decentralized finance (defi) platforms in order to exploit their operations. The bureau has issued a public service announcement warning investors and defi platforms about this development, and issuing recommendations to try and prevent these exploits from happening. The FBI has observed three recent hacks, by which attackers have managed to compromise these decentralized finance protocols: initiating flash loans, exploiting signature verifications to empty cross-platform bridges

Biggest Movers: FLOW up 12% on Tuesday, Hitting 5-Day High

Flow rose for a second consecutive session on Tuesday, as the token climbed by 12% earlier in the day. The rebound comes after prices fell to a one-month low over the weekend. Cosmos was also in the green, as it, too, hit a five-day high. Overall, the global crypto market cap is up 0.68% as of writing. Flow (FLOW) Flow (FLOW) was one of the notable movers during Tuesday’s session, as the token rose by as much as 12% today. On Sunday, FLOW fell to its lowest level in over one month, as cryptocurrency markets fell victim to an influx of bearish pressure. Since then prices have rebounded, moving away from yesterday’s low of $1.77, hitting a peak of $2.08 earlier in the day. Today’s surge saw FLOW/USD almost collide with a key resistance point at $2.10, which caused some uncertainty in price movement. Following its earlier peak, FLOW is now trading at $1.94, as previous bulls moved to liquidate their positions, sending prices lower. As seen on the chart, this may also be due to the

Whale Spends 10,000 BTC Worth $203M, Bitcoins Stem From the Infamous 2011 Mt Gox Hack

In two days’ time, bitcoin’s price dropped to fresh August lows as it dipped below the $20K per unit region for the first time since mid-July. During that time, two addresses created on December 19, 2013 sent 10,000 bitcoin worth $203 million to unknown wallets after sitting idle for close to nine years. Onchain data shows the 10,000 coins moved this week originally came from the Mt Gox breach that occurred on June 19, 2011. Whale That Once Held 134,000 Bitcoin From the 2011 Mt Gox Hack Spends the Last 10,000 This Week A 2013 whale moved approximately 10,001.514 BTC on Sunday, August 28, and on Monday, August 29, 2022. The funds stemmed from two addresses ( 1 ,& 2 ) created eight years and eight months ago on December 19, 2013. The 10,001 bitcoin transaction was caught by the blockchain parser btcparser.com , a tool that often catches so-called ‘sleeping bitcoins’ moving after sitting idle in addresses for years. Some of the sleeping bitcoins caught by blockchain parsers are B

Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Back Above $20,000 as Markets Rebound

Bitcoin was back above $20,000 on Tuesday, as bulls seemingly moved in to buy following the recent dip in price. The token dropped to a multi-week low over the weekend, however prices have now risen in back-to-back sessions. Ethereum was also in the green, as prices briefly recaptured $1,600. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) was trading higher for a second consecutive session, as the token rallied back above $20,000 following recent declines. BTC /USD dropped to a low of $19,600.79 on Sunday, however after two days of gains, prices reached a peak of $20,542.64 earlier today. This move sees bitcoin attempt to move back towards a key support/resistance point at $20,800, five days after falling below the mark. Looking at the chart, Tuesday’s rally has come as the relative strength index (RSI) rebounded from its own floor to start the week. The RSI climbed from a support point at 29.00, and is now tracking at a reading of 38.20, which is marginally above its 38.00 ceiling. Should this week’

More Than a Third of Africa’s 53 Million Crypto Owners Are From Nigeria, Study Shows

With an estimated 53 million cryptocurrency owners, the African continent now accounts for 16.5% of the global total, a study has found. The study findings suggest that Nigeria, which has more than 22 million crypto owners, currently accounts for more than a third of the continent’s total number of holders. Nigeria Accounts for Over a Third of Africa’s Crypto Owners According to Triple A’s latest crypto ownership data , the African continent now has an estimated 53 million cryptocurrency owners. This constitutes about 16.5% of the estimated global total of 320 million. Out of all the crypto holders in Africa, Nigeria accounts for over a third of the total, or just over 22 million. Globally, Nigeria has the fourth-highest number of crypto owners, while the United States is the top-ranked country, with 46 million cryptocurrency holders. According to the data, India and Pakistan are the next top-ranked countries with 27.4 million and 26.4 million crypto owners respectively. Nigerian

Mergers and Acquisitions Innovation for DeFi and Web3 Pushed Forward, Crypto Collapse Phoenix

In 2021, the global cryptocurrency market was valued at US$ 1,782 Billion . Sectors like DeFi and NFTs allowed individuals to earn high yields on their investments and create unique collectables as web3 introduces decentralized and permissionless ownership of assets to individuals. Acquire.Fi is creating the first-of-its-kind Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) marketplace for web3, crypto, blockchain, and NFT companies or IPs. The platform is equipped with crowdfunding and fractionalized ownership through NFTization. The project is steadfast in enabling all investors to participate in wealth-building M&A opportunities using cryptocurrency. A Platform to Access Exclusive M&A Deal Flows Web3 M&A deals originate only in the back channels among trusted parties, the crypto founders, promoters, advisors, or influencers. M&A alpha is highly sensitive, intricate, and confidential. For most investors, there isn’t a platform to view or shop the full spectrum of Web3 inno

Nigerian Central Bank Slashes CBDC Transaction Fees by 50%

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it is slashing transaction fees for the e-naira platform by 50% — a move which the bank claims will increase the volume of transactions on the central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform. The central bank also believes that wider adoption of the CBDC will bolster Nigeria’s cross-border trade volumes. Boosting E-Commerce Transaction Volumes In yet another move aimed at boosting the embrace and adoption of the e-naira central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) reportedly said it will slash the service fees incurred by individuals and merchants using the digital currency platform by 50%. In addition, Nigerian businesses signing on to become e-naira merchants have an opportunity to increase the volumes of their respective e-commerce transactions by 50%, a report has said. Quoting Kingsley Obiora, the central bank’s deputy governor, a Daily Trust report suggests that Nigerian businesses adopting the CBDC could improv

Gala Games Announces Launch Date for Spider Tanks

PRESS RELEASE. Jackson, Wyoming (August 29, 2022) – Gala Games , the leading pioneer in web3 entertainment and blockchain gaming, today announced that Spider Tanks , the first Web3 PvP esports brawler, will launch on October 31, 2022 as the debut game on Project GYRI, Gala Games’ proprietary games-first blockchain. In anticipation of the launch, starting today Gala is kicking off a limited time sale for its Spider Tanks Planetary Nodes. Planetary Nodes will be operated by community members who have purchased licenses in this sale. In return for using their computing resources to power the decentralized Spider Tanks ecosystem, Node operator-owners will earn regular rewards. More information about Planetary Nodes can be found at Gala.Games . Developed by award-winning Netherlands-based GAMEDIA, this futuristic esports tank game is free to play, but also incorporates a variety of play-to-earn mechanics that center around skill-based competition, resource collection, and a player-dri

Singapore Considers Stricter Rules for Retail Crypto Investors — Regulator Says Cryptocurrencies Are ‘Highly Hazardous’

Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), is contemplating imposing stricter rules on retail crypto investors. “MAS regards cryptocurrencies as unsuitable for use as money and as highly hazardous for retail investors,” said the central bank chief. New Rules May Be Coming to Retail Crypto Investors in Singapore Ravi Menon, the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Singaporean central bank, talked about cryptocurrency regulation at the Green Shoots seminar Monday. He outlined five areas of risk in digital assets that the central bank’s regulatory approach is focused on. They are combating money laundering and terrorist financing risks; managing technology and cyber-related risks; safeguarding against harm to retail investors; upholding the promise of stability in stablecoins; and mitigating potential financial stability risks. The central bank chief noted: MAS regards cryptocurrencies as unsuitable for use as money and as hi

Veve Partners With Marvel to Drop Limited Edition NFT Covers Featuring Spider-Man, Black Panther

On August 29, the digital collectibles company Veve announced that the platform has launched digital variant non-fungible token (NFT) covers from three Marvel comic book artists. Veve and Marvel detailed that the NFT drops called the Marvel Artworks collection will be limited edition, 1-of-1 releases of three Marvel comic covers featuring Spider-Man, and the Black Panther. Veve Reveals Marvel Artworks Collection Marvel Entertainment continues to release products for the NFT industry with the company Veve Digital Collectibles. The two firms recently revealed plans to drop three limited edition NFTs from the Marvel Artworks collection. Veve has worked with Marvel in the past dropping Spider-Man and Captain America digital collectibles in 2021. Further, Veve has collaborated with Marvel’s competitor DC Comics and the entertainment giant Walt Disney . The latest Veve and Marvel NFT auction started today, and it runs through Friday, September 2, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. (PT). Bids start

Itau Unibanco Selected by Central Bank of Brazil to Build Real-Pegged Stablecoin Solution

Itau Unibanco, one of the biggest bank conglomerates in Brazil, has been selected by the country’s central bank to develop a system with a stablecoin pegged to the value of the Brazilian real. Itau’s system was one of the eight proposals selected by the Central Bank of Brazil as part of LIFT Lab, an annual initiative focused on financial innovation. Itau Unibanco to Develop Digital Real Stablecoin The Central Bank of Brazil is advancing in its pilot program for the launch of its central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital real. The bank has selected Itau Unibanco, one of the biggest banks in the country, to build a decentralized finance solution that includes the construction of a stablecoin pegged to the real. The application will include functions commonly present in liquidity pools, but linking the real with other stablecoins representing fiat currencies from all over the world. While not much has been disclosed regarding the project at this point, the application might s

UN Human Rights Chief Voices Concern Over Assange Extradition Case, Wikileaks Continues to Raise Large Sums of Crypto

On Saturday, the human rights chief at the United Nations (UN), Michelle Bachelet, said that the potential extradition of whistleblower Julian Assange raises concerns for the rights of future whistleblowers and investigative journalists. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency supporters have continued to donate to Assange and his legal battle as Wikileaks has amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in crypto assets since Assange has been held captive in London from 2019. UN Human Rights Chief Says the United States Attempt to Extradite Assange ‘Raises Concerns Relating to Media Freedom’ The United States would like to see Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, extradited to the U.S. for leaking classified information provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. When Wikileaks published the video “Collateral Murder,” the Afghanistan war logs, the Iraq war logs, and Cablegate, the U.S. government launched a full-scale criminal investigation against Assange. When the federal auth

The Top Privacy Coins Saw Fewer Percentage Losses Than Most Tokens This Week

The privacy coins monero and zcash managed to see fewer percentage losses against the U.S. dollar this week, in contrast to crypto assets like bitcoin, ethereum, and solana. Seven-day statistics indicate zcash has lost 5.6% against the USD, while monero dropped by 6.1%. Privacy Coins Manage to Stave off Some of This Week’s Market Carnage, but Are Still Down 62% Lower Than 9 Months Ago At the time of writing, the entire market capitalization of all the privacy coins in existence is roughly $5.55 billion . Monero (XMR) leads the pack with a market valuation of around $2.64 billion or 47.5% of the entire privacy coin economy. Zcash (ZEC) is the second largest privacy coin in terms of market capitalization as ZEC’s overall market valuation today is $789 million. Behind XMR and ZEC, are privacy tokens such as decred (DCR), nucypher (NU), secret (SCRT), horizen (ZEN), ergo (ERG), digibyte (DGB), and beldex (BDX), respectively. Top privacy coin double-digit gainers this week include d