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BIS Releases Report On ‘Project Icebreaker’ — Develops Cross-Border Retail CBDC Payment Model

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The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has released a report summarizing the “Project Icebreaker” trial, which explored the potential advantages and difficulties of utilizing a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) in cross-border payments. The experiment was designed to test “the technical feasibility of conducting cross-border – cross-currency transactions between different [distrubuted ledger technology]-based CBDC … Read more

Apple’s Approval Process Delays Uniswap’s Mobile App Launch; Firm Launches Limited Trial Release

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On March 3, 2023, Uniswap Labs, the firm behind the decentralized exchange Uniswap, announced the launch of a limited early-release application through Apple’s Testflight program. The company stated that the limited release was due to Apple not granting approval for the application launch, and the team does not know why. Uniswap Labs Launches Limited Early-Release … Read more

Crypto Economy Swelled 80,466% Since 2013, Despite $1.5 Trillion Loss in 2022 Downturn

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Nine years and nine months ago, on May 9, 2013, coinmarketcap.com recorded 14 cryptocurrency assets, and bitcoin’s overall valuation was $1.24 billion, with 11.13 million bitcoins in circulation at the time. Today, the same website indicates that there are 22,709 crypto assets. Additionally, the market capitalization of the crypto economy has grown significantly, increasing by … Read more

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Reaches All-Time High as Miners Face Second-Largest Increase This Year

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Bitcoin’s mining difficulty reached an all-time high (ATH) on Feb. 24, 2023, at block height #778,176, reaching 43.05 trillion hashes and surpassing the 40 trillion mark for the first time ever. The network’s difficulty increased by 9.95%, which is the second-largest rise this year, as Bitcoin recorded a combined 24.89% increase during the last 60 … Read more

BIS General Manager Casts Doubt on Stablecoins, Claiming Tokens Do Not Benefit From Regulations or Central Planning

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According to Agustin Carstens, the head of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), cryptocurrencies have lost the “battle” against fiat currencies issued by the world’s central banks. While speaking at the Monetary Authority of Singapore on Wednesday, Carstens stressed that stablecoins are not reliable because they lack the “institutional arrangements and social conventions behind them.” … Read more

Bitcoin Continues to Record Blocks Above the 3.75 MB Range as Ordinal Inscriptions Near 150,000

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As Ordinal inscriptions approach the 150,000 mark, blocks larger than 3 MB have become commonplace, with many blocks near the 4 MB range. Meanwhile, after the average transaction fee on-chain rose 122% higher at the beginning of February 2023, the average fee has remained the same over the last few weeks and is currently coasting … Read more

Sony and Astar Network Launch Web3 Incubation Program for NFT and DAO-Focused Projects

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On Feb. 17, 2023, Tokyo-based Sony Network Communications announced that it is co-hosting a Web3 incubation program with the multichain smart contract platform Astar Network. The program has started accepting applications, and Sony and Astar will jointly mentor Web3 projects “focused on the utility” of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). Sony and … Read more

Napster Expands Into Web3 Music Space With Acquisition of Mint Songs

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On Wednesday, Napster, the music streaming service originally launched in 1999, announced that the company has finalized a deal to acquire the Web3 music startup Mint Songs. Napster’s CEO, Jon Vlassopulos, insists that “we are in an unprecedented era of innovation in the digital music space,” and he believes Web3 innovations can help musicians find … Read more

Stiffing the Staker: The SEC’s Latest Crackdown on Crypto Innovation

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The crypto world was jolted last week when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shut down Kraken’s staking program, much to the satisfaction of Chairman Gary Gensler and his team. But what does this mean for the future of cryptocurrency and, more specifically, staking? The following opinion editorial was written by Bitcoin.com’s Business Development Manager … Read more

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Expresses Concern Over Rumors of SEC Ban on Crypto Staking for Retail Customers

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Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, expressed concern about rumors that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may eliminate cryptocurrency staking for retail customers in the United States. Armstrong insisted that “staking is not a security” and that the trend allows users to “participate directly in running open crypto networks.” Coinbase CEO Vocalizes Worry Over … Read more