World-renowned credit card company Mastercard and the crypto exchange platform Coinbase recently announced their partnership. The announcement reveals that Coinbase is developing and launching a non-fungible (NFT) marketplace, and users who purchase from there will be able to use their cards.
Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s executive vice president of digital asset and blockchain products, said in a blog post last Tuesday that under this new agreement they’ve formed with Coinbase, NFTs will be considered as “digital goods.” As a result, crypto enthusiasts can easily purchase NFTs using their credit cards. The partnership aims to provide non-crypto natives a chance to purchase NFTs even without a crypto wallet or having coins prior.
Coinbase initially announced its NFT marketplace, Coinbase NFT, back in October. Since then, over 1 million people have already listed their names on the waiting list. The upcoming NFT marketplace will be available to users from the United States first before opening its doors to other countries.
According to DappRadar’s recent report, 2022 may bring about even more demand for NFTs after last year’s surge. The platform found that NFT trades from Q3 to Q4 in 2021 generated $10.7 billion to $11.9 billion, respectively. Now that we’re more than halfway through January 2022, NFTs are still “looking strong.”
The current largest NFT marketplace, OpenSea, recently acquired Dharma Labs, according to the official announcement published on OpenSea’s website. With this new development, OpenSea can greatly benefit from Dharma’s team, which developed an Ethereum wallet that allows users to buy crypto directly from their bank accounts.
At this time, OpenSea has yet to reveal what the Dharma team will be contributing to the popular platform. However, it mentioned that through this acquisition, OpenSea would be able to “[build] across…core priorities” like improving safety and trust among users, product development, and even investing in the Web3 and NFTs.
Undoubtedly, this new acquisition will allow OpenSea to expand its team. Currently, Dharma co-founder and CEO Nadav Hollander will be OpenSea’s Chief Technology Officer (CFO). Meanwhile, Dharma co-founder and COO will be OpenSea’s Head of Strategy.
As for the terms of the deal, OpenSea also didn’t disclose this information. Nevertheless, there are some early speculations from Axios regarding the acquisition, which suggested that the cost of acquiring Dharma was between $110 million and $130 million.
No More Dharma Wallet
According to Dharma, it will no longer be continuing its wallet, and it will officially come to an end by February 18. The company instructed Dharma Wallet users to ensure that they withdraw their funds before that date.
That said, users can still access their funds even after February 18 through a dApp, but the Dharma team urges users not to wait. To encourage users to withdraw their funds as soon as possible, Dharma is offering free withdrawals for the next 30 days. However, it’s worth noting that this only applies to Ethereum-based withdrawals worth more than $100 and Polygon-based withdrawals worth any amount.
According to Dharma, they’re discontinuing the smart wallet because they don’t want to force it into OpenSea’s operations. However, the company did note that “mobile wallets may very well play a key role in OpenSea’s future.” At this time, OpenSea buyers can use most Ethereum wallets available, including TrustWallet, MetaMask, and Coinbase Wallet.
Bithumb, a South Korean-based cryptocurrency exchange platform, is currently working with a “large company” to develop an NFT marketplace. Many believe this mystery company to be LG CNS, a subsidiary of the world-renowned LG Corporation.
Bithumb CEO Heo Baek-young verified during an interview back on January 13 that they were in the middle of developing a non-fungible token (NFT) exchange because they want to remain competitive with two other South Korean exchanges known as Korbit and Upbit.
Bithumb has yet to confirm who the content creators or artists involved will be in this upcoming new platform. According to various South Korean media outlets, the NFT marketplace currently in development is in partnership with LG CNS. However, Bithumb’s official statement on January 17 says that “it is impossible to confirm whether it is LG CNS and whether it is just them or a group of companies.”
Developing and launching an NFT marketplace would undoubtedly help Bithum compete with the other up-and-coming networks in South Korea. At this time, Bithumb ranks second place among other Korean crypto exchanges according to trading volume. However, it’s way behind Upbit, which has a 24-hour trading volume of $1.7 billion, while Bithumb only has $730 million.
In November 2021, Upbit launched its NFT marketplace. It undoubtedly came with some hype because it secured a deal with various popular K-pop groups, including the incredibly popular BTS. On the other hand, the Korbit crypto exchange launched its NFT marketplace in June 2021. Owned by gaming giant Nexon, Korbit was the first exchange in South Korea to launch such a marketplace.
Although global NFT traders prefer minting and trading their NFTs on OpenSea, Korean traders prefer centralized platforms. Even though the Klaytn blockchain is a South Korean development and one of the three platforms with OpenSea native support, trading volume on that blockchain falls behind other marketplaces under Polygon and Ethereum.
The Trading Bot product of leading crypto exchange KuCoin Crypto Exchange is celebrating its first anniversary. This well-loved feature was initially launched in January 2021, and more than 5.5 million bots have since been created. Not only that, but KuCoin users approximately gained $150 million in profit.
The KuCoin Trading Bot is a trading tool that lets users earn a passive income through automated trading strategies. The best thing about this bot is that it’s supposedly a zero-cost, time-saving, and user-friendly trading tool that’s ideal for all types of investors. It’s also ideal no matter the market conditions, whether bullish, bearish, or volatile.
A month after its launch, the KuCoin Trading Bot served over 300,000 global users using the Spot Grid strategy. Now, the tool supports five strategies: the Spot Grid, DCA, Futures Grid, Smart Rebalance, and Infinity Grid. KuCoin users today also have access to 665 trading pairs for spot trading and 79 trading pairs for futures trading.
KuCoin Global CEO Johnny Lyu said the following regarding the tool’s major milestone:
mohamed_hassan (CC0), Pixabay
In celebration of the Trading Bot’s first year, KuCoin will be launching a carnival on January 18, 2022. Users can expect tons of surprises and rewards, including a giveaway worth $100,000 of bonuses and airdrops. Not only that, but there will also be limited-edition NFTs, newcomer benefits, rebate coupons, and many other incentives.
The limited NFTs mentioned above, known as Lomens, consist of up to 10,000 bots with various features, looks, and more.
Cryptocurrencies as an investment have grown to be one of the most well-known in the financial world. It is no longer reserved for small, individual investors that invest only a few hundred dollars at a time in cryptocurrencies. Given the opportunities available, high net worth individuals such as billionaires and institutional investors are flocking into the industry.
Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a huge proponent of cryptocurrencies, has revealed that he has a sizable investment in the space. Any investments that are not linked to those featured on the show are highly biased towards the crypto business for the Shark Tank investor.
Billionaire Mark Cuban appeared on an episode of “The Problem With Jon Stewart” to discuss investments and where his biggest moves are being made. The Shark Tank investor told host Jon Stewart that, while he has invested extensively in ideas that have arisen from the show, his investments outside of the show have been focused on cryptocurrency.
The decentralization of these digital assets is the most important push for Cuban. This is why, according to the millionaire, 80 percent of investments that are not made on Shark Tank are done in or around cryptocurrency.
Cuban’s advocacy for cryptocurrency acceptance has been visible in his activities. Under his guidance, the Dallas Mavericks began to accept crypto payments, and this option has since been expanded to include even more crypto-assets such as Dogecoin.
Cuban talked up to Stewart about the areas of the crypto industry in which he is interested. One that has the billionaire’s entire attention is decentralized autonomous groups (DAOs). This relatively new space has made significant progress as a totally decentralized system. Essentially, no single person or entity may change them without the permission of all of its members.
The billionaire revealed that when it comes to investing in cryptocurrencies and related items, he is particularly interested in DAOs. It is becoming more popular as more businesses adopt this strategy.
“There are no centralized systems on which to rely,” Cuban stated. “Every token holder in that application has the opportunity to influence the network’s direction, not necessarily equally, but usually equally.” “This is where I’d like to invest,” he continued.
Cuban also has a stake in NFTs. According to his Lazy portfolio, he has NFTs from the well-known Bored Ape Yacht Club, as well as a CryptoPunk. He also has stakes in bitcoin and ethereum, as well as Dogecoin. However, his holding in the latter is very small, considering that the billionaire believes the meme coin is an excellent payment method and entry point into the broader crypto market.
Sotheby’s has launched an auction of a rare black diamond known as “the enigma,” with purchasers able to bid using Bitcoin, Ethereum, or USDC.
According to Forbes, the British auction house has announced that it will sell a rare black diamond next month in February, and bidders would be able to purchase it using cryptocurrencies.
The diamond, called “the enigma,” weighs 555.55 carats and is the largest of its kind ever sold at auction. Buyers who are interested in it will be able to pay for it with one of three cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), or USD Coin (USDC).
Sotheby’s has also announced that if the winning offer is in cryptocurrency, the transaction would be handled by Coinbase Commerce. The auction has no reserve, which means that the diamond will go to the highest bidder regardless of price. According to the article, the corporation expects to receive between $4 and $6 million USD for it.
This isn’t the auction house’s first time taking cryptocurrency payments in their sales. In July of last year, the business ran a similar auction for a 101-carat diamond, accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum bids. An unidentified bidder won the auction, who spent around $12 million in cryptocurrencies.
This time, the black diamond on offer, dubbed “the enigma,” has never been seen by the general public. It will be displayed in Dubai, London, and Los Angeles before going up for auction online on February 3rd.
At the time of writing, the price of Bitcoin is hovering around $42.7k, up 3% in the last seven days. The cryptocurrency has lost 10% of its value in the last month. The chart below depicts the price trend of the cryptocurrency over the previous five days.
At the same time, the price of Ethereum is around $3.2k, up 5% in the last week. The coin’s value has declined by 17% in the last month.
Here’s a graphic that shows the price of ETH over the previous five days:
Bitcoin and Ethereum have been struggling for a few months now, as their prices have continued to fall. At present, it’s unclear when the crypto market will find its feet again.
Walmart has finally made an official entry into the cryptocurrency world. Late last year, the retail behemoth was at the center of a widespread rumor that it had begun accepting Litecoin crypto payments. However, Walmart has come out to deny the notion, stating that it does not accept bitcoin for payment.
However, this did not imply that the grocery chain was wholly opposed to the crypt space. According to patent documents made public over the weekend, the company plans to introduce its cryptocurrency and NFTs, confirming its entry into the metaverse and the broader crypto sector.
Given the metaverse’s recent growth, both individuals and businesses have pushed to have virtual copies of their businesses in the metaverse. Essentially, this is what Walmart is doing. The retailer submitted seven patents, one of which was for an online retail store where the company would offer virtual products. These would be virtual copies of items previously offered by the company, including electronics, furniture, toys, and household goods.
It is critical for the organization to test these new concepts and investigate these new spaces’ prospects. “We are constantly putting fresh ideas to the test.” Some ideas evolve into products or services that are sold to clients. “We test, iterate, and learn from some of them,” Walmart stated in a statement.
In addition, the company intends to trademark its name and logo in both virtual and augmented reality. These patents, which were submitted less than a month ago, clearly indicate Walmart’s goal of becoming a well-known brand in the metaverse.
Walmart’s crypto strategy extends beyond the metaverse. It also intends to launch its cryptocurrency, which customers use to make online purchases.
“Financial services, specifically supplying a digital currency and a digital token of value for usage by members of an online community via a global computer network,” according to the patent filing.
According to the application, Walmart will also provide e-wallet services through which users will be able to store and manage their digital assets.
Since August of last year, Walmart’s crypto strategy has been clear when it posted an ad seeking a crypto expert to drive its crypto campaign. Furthermore, Walmart had collaborated with Coinstar and Coinme to put 200 Bitcoin ATMs at Walmart physical shops around the United States.
With this new initiative, the grocery chain will be able to offer its consumers crypto payments and NFTs.
‘Era7: Game of Truth’ is an advanced TCG game that uses an economic concept similar to Hearthstone and promises to provide users with a more inventive fighting model than Gods Unchained. The BSC’s Era7 security will make its impact in the fast-paced, quickly increasing bitcoin gaming arena. This feature is intended to make the blockchain game interesting to all types of players.
Era7’s foray into the blockchain gaming field is supported by some of the industry’s top stars, who have rallied behind its vision and objective. Era7 has completed its seed round and an initial private round of financing, lead by Hashkey and MOBOX, as well as a dozen other notable VCs and organizations like as Huobi Ventures, OKEx Blockdream Ventures, Good Games Guild (GGG), AU21 Capital, AlphaCoin Fund, Waterdrip Capital, and others.
Core team members lead the development team from worldwide recognized game developers with over 15 years of important expertise, such as Com2uS, NCsoft, Nexon, and Netmarble.
Traditional TCG players will appreciate the superb design and high quality of all Era7 cards. Card combination methods are unusual, and the game has maintained a market-oriented approach since its inception. Its current highlights are tactical games and play2earn, all while having fun.
The game has 1,000 different cards, each with its values and traits, providing players with a wide range of card combination techniques. Because of the numerous modifications in strategy, a mildly competitive 3-minute game can provide gamers with endless ingenuity and fun.
IGO Mystery Box Binance Launch
This round’s Binance IGO: 13,000
Mystery Era7 Fantasy Box is the name of the box.
Sale Date: January 27, 2022, 12:00 p.m. (UTC)
The Era7 Fantasy Box contains one Master Card from each of the game’s seven races, chosen at random. The Master Card is an extremely valuable NFT in the game that can summon Battle Cards on a daily basis.
The Battle Card is required for participation in the game. Players gain rewards by combining different Battle Card strategy combinations to play to earn, and Era7 will continue to provide benefits to holders. After the game is launched, the Master Card obtained in the Fantasy Box can summon Battle Cards an additional ten times.
Users can review the purchasing restrictions and conditions on Binance’s official website ahead of time. The pioneer of EsportFi blockchain gaming, ‘Era7: Game of Truth,’ has successfully combined the worlds of Esports and games.
The merger is one of the blockchain gaming industry’s inventions, and it gives a completely new gaming experience. Furthermore, Era7’s team is developing a scalable platform that will include live streaming, an esports community, animated series, and GameFi IP, among other things. In the future, a UE (Unreal Engine) will be employed to usher in Era7’s metaverse.
In this round of Binance IGO, Era7 and Binance collaborated to promote and popularise NFT Mystery Boxes of excellent quality and rich value to users. At the same time, it offered high-quality TCG and EsportFi products to the blockchain industry, attracting a large number of users and creating ecosystem incentives.
It appears that the Spanish government has set up new rules regarding crypto-related promotions done by influencers, their sponsors, and others. In this new regulation, influencers and other similar advertisers must first inform the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) at least ten days prior before promoting the digital asset. However, it’s worth noting that this only applies to those who have 100,000 followers or more.
If they breach these rules, the influencer in question could be charged up to €300,000 (around $342,000 when converted to USD). The Spanish government will officially put these new rules into effect on February 17, 2022. Not only that but influencers and advertisers must also divulge if they’re receiving payment for promoting the crypto asset.
If so, they must provide clear and unbiased warnings about the possible risks of cryptocurrencies, including the disclaimer that no regulation is done for crypto-related investments. This isn’t restricted to only influencers, though, as companies and PR companies that promote crypto must also abide by these new rules.
According to CNMV chief Rodrigo Buenaventura (via The Financial Times), not including influencers in the coverage could be “a backdoor to avoid regulation.”
It seems that this is the first time a European Union country has set up such rules. At this time, members of the EU are still trying to figure out how to regulate crypto. But for now, member states are trying to tackle crypto-related matters on their own, crypto promotions included.
These days, more and more influencers have promoted crypto assets and other similar products on their social media pages, and many of them found themselves in deep trouble. For instance, French authorities charged a hefty fine of €20,000 ($22,800) to a reality TV star for “misleading commercial practices” regarding a BTC trading site over Snapchat.
Even Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather have found themselves in crypto-related legal trouble, as they were both accused of participating in a “pump and dump” strategy.
Last Friday, the Polynesian Kingdom of Tonga was the unfortunate victim of a shockwave due to a catastrophic volcanic eruption of the volcano known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai. Sadly, several eruptions took place that day, leaving the Tongatapu citizens to deal with a massive tsunami.
As a result of this heartwrenching crisis, crypto holders showed their support and sympathy by showing intent to donate Bitcoin (BTC) to help with the ongoing relief operations. To try and get the ball rolling, Twitter user Onair Blair encouraged former Tongan lawmaker Lord Fusitu’a to create a wallet address so that people can easily send their Bitcoin donations.
Seeing that the tsunami’s waves went as high as 1.2 meters (or about 4 feet), citizens were fortunately quick enough to flee to higher ground, especially since that height would cover not only roads but properties as well. At this time, there are no reports of any casualties from the tragic event.
However, the Tongatapu citizens are experiencing air and water contamination due to the eruption, and aid organizations prioritize these concerns.
Fortunately, Lord Fusitu’a quickly responded by setting up a BTC wallet address. He also provided a link for fiat donations to allow non-crypto holders to help with the relief operations. At this time, the BTC wallet address received 0.10794983 BTC ($4,625.29). Last Friday, Lord Fusitu’a told Cointelegraph that they had plans to use volcanoes’ geothermal energy to power BTC mining in the area, which they hope would help with the country’s finances.
According to the former Tongan lawmaker, the country has a total of 21 volcanoes, and each one apparently products about 95,000 megawatts, according to the former Tongan lawmaker. He notes that one volcano alone can already generate $2000 worth of BTC every day, which they plan to give to the region’s families.
