December 29, 2023 @ 11:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

This year has been a “true test” for crypto, according to an update from CoinList. Digital asset platform CoinList noted in a blog post that during 2022, the blockchain/DLT industry “faced macroeconomic challenges, scandals, criminal trials, enforcement actions, and a handful of notable collapses and… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 11:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Folks Finance has chosen LI.FI in order to power the swaps and DEX integrations for its upcoming cross-chain protocol. Set to launch in Q2 2024, the expansion from Folks Finance will aim to “introduce a unique hub-and-spoke model to DeFi lending, seamlessly unifying multiple blockchains… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 11:25 am By JD Alois  |  

Netcapital (NASDAQ: NCPL, NPCLW), a capital formation company that operates a Funding Portal, has raised $4 million in a share sale, according to a company statement. Netcapital has sold 16 million shares of common stock along with A-1 warrants to purchase an additional 16 million… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 10:44 am By JD Alois  |  

The Digital Asset Anti Money Laundering Act (S. 2669) is pending legislation that aims to stymie bad actors’ use of crypto to cover their tracks. The bill was introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren, a well-known digital asset skeptic. Warren sits on the Senate Banking Committee,… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 10:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

VC firm Andreessen Horowitz has shared a comprehensive crypto-assets and blockchain ecosystem update / recap as we all get ready to enter “a new era of decentralization.” According to a16z, we keep seeing over and over again that when control of a powerful system or… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 10:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The AMF is warning the public against several companies proposing atypical investments without being authorised to do so. The Autorité des Marchés Financiers regularly “updates its black lists of new websites and entities proposing atypical investments to investors in France without being authorized to do… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 10:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In an industry that moves like no other, crypto has had “a year like no other,” according to an update from BitMEX. BitMEX, which was once the leading crypto derivatives exchange but experienced major regulatory challenges and enforcement actions a few year back, noted in… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 9:58 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PeerBerry recently completed the repayments of the last Polish loans. Over €20 million of Polish loans (plus accrued interest) were “repaid to investors in November and December.” Previously, loans issued in Poland accounted “for about 25% of all loans” funded through the PeerBerry platform. PeerBerry… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 9:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

At Chime, they claim to firmly believe that their members’ experience with our products is at the core of their success. That’s why Chime claims it continuously goes the extra mile “by investing in simple, beautiful, easy experiences that allow their members to control their… Read More

December 29, 2023 @ 9:05 am By JD Alois  |  

Barry Silbert, the founder of Grayscale, which is part of the Digital Currency Group (DCG), has resigned from his position as a board member of Grayscale. Grayscale is the sponsor of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTC:GBTC), an OTC markets traded vehicle that allows investors to… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 9:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

OakNorth – a UK-based digital bank, has added Lord (Adair) Turner as its Chairman of the Board. Lord Turner reportedly has “an extensive track record in financial services, including as Vice-Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, a Board Director of Standard Chartered, Chair of the Financial… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 7:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Greylock claims it has a history of partnering with founders from idea to IPO. Recently, Greylock announced two important next steps in that mission: Greylock 17, their newest early-stage fund, and Greylock Edge, a program “to help founders initiate new companies from idea to early… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 7:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The most popular market among Zillow (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) surfers this year was West Chester, Pennsylvania. After the West Coast ruled in 2021 and the Midwest took the top spot last year, the Northeast dominated this year’s list. Smaller Northeast towns dominated Zillow’s “most… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 6:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

After the launch of World ID 2.0 and the open sourcing of the Worldcoin iris recognition pipeline in mid December, World ID verifications are now “available in Singapore via the Orb, the project’s custom hardware device.” A full list of verification locations is available on… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 3:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

Early-stage firms, especially startups, are very risky investments. In fact, in the real world, most of them fail. It is widely understood that between 80% to 90% of startups die, so only about 20% or so of early-stage firms survive. In venture capital investing, that’s… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 2:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockstream, the global firm focused on Bitcoin infrastructure technology, has  announced the upcoming Series 2 launch of its Bitcoin-denominated investment vehicle, the Blockstream ASIC (BASIC) Note. As stated in a blog post by Blockstream, here ar ethe Key Facts: Series 1 was oversubscribed, demonstrating strong… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 12:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Innovation Nation. Israel remains one of the hottest entrepreneurial hubs in the world. The country has punched above its weight class for years now and is well known for being the launch pad of many successful tech startups. But 2023 has hit the country… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 12:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

According to preliminary insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse, U.S. retail sales excluding automotive “increased +3.1% year over year this holiday season, running from November 1 through December 24.” Mastercard SpendingPulse from Mastercard (NYSE: MA) reportedly “measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 10:36 am By JD Alois  |  

  Revolut, a top digital bank based in the UK but operating around the world, has been approved to offer home loans. According to Fintech Lithuania, Revolut will start offering mortgages across the European Economic Area, first in Lithuania. The group describes the approval as… Read More

December 28, 2023 @ 9:53 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi has issued a statement on the agency’s key achievements in the past couple of years. The update is part of a three-year strategy by the FCA to support financial services development while providing ample protection…. Read More