“An estimated 20% of Americans have now owned bitcoin at some point. BlackRock’s proposed ETF potentially offers the other 80% an option that is altogether more familiar and accessible,” said Sui Chung, CEO of CF Benchmarks, in an email to CoinDesk. “BlackRock’s increasing engagement shows Bitcoin continues to be an asset of interest for some of the world’s largest financial institutions.” Original
In a recent move, the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government have issued the “Outline for Building Guangdong Province as a Strong Quality-driven Province,” outlining their vision to enhance the leading role of industrial clusters in terms of quality. With a focus on advanced technology applications, quality innovation, and upgrading quality infrastructure, the province aims to cultivate and develop a series of strategically significant industrial clusters. Additionally, the authorities aim to strengthen the industrial-technological advantages in areas such as 5G and ultra-high-definition displays while supporting frontier fields like artificial…
Crypto Twitter was witness to a fierce debate this wee, with billionaire investor Mark Cuban accusing SEC’s Gary Gensler of throwing crypto under the bus while a former SEC official was quick to come to the regulator’s defense. In a spirited, back-and-forth exchange on Twitter with former SEC officer John Reed Stark that started on June 14, Cuban took issue with Stark’s seeming defense of the SEC’s recent legal action against crypto exchange giant Binance. Cuban accused Stark of misinterpreting the impact of the case and blamed SEC Chair Gary…
Recently, a tweet from David Schwartz, the chief technology officer (CTO) at Ripple, sparked a debate about the decentralization of XRP and Ripple’s influence over it. Schwartz’s tweet was a response to a user’s comment about Ripple’s large holdings of XRP. The user suggested that Ripple’s significant ownership could potentially allow it to manipulate the price of XRP, thereby making the system less decentralized. Schwartz countered this argument by stating that Ripple’s ownership of XRP does not give it control over the ledger or its governance. He further challenged critics…
Apple has rejected the latest version of the Zeus app, a non-custodial Lightning Network-enabled Bitcoin wallet. This comes just a day after the tech giant warned another Bitcoin-related app, Damus, about removing certain features. The rejection of Zeus was communicated to the app’s founder, Evan Kaloudis, through an official message from Apple. According to Kaloudis’ tweet, Apple stated that the app “facilitates the transmission of a virtual currency but was not submitted by a corresponding exchange or recognized financial institution.” The company requested that Zeus provide documentary evidence proving that…
Luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is integrating artificial intelligence into more than 900,000 vehicles as part of a new trial of a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant system. The company announced on June 16 that the optional beta feature is now accessible to the owner of any vehicle equipped with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) interface, which currently accounts for more than 900,000 Mercedes-Benz cars in the United States. Mercedes drivers can sign up for the new AI-powered voice assistant by saying “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program,” while sitting…
Mark Cuban has recently aired his concerns over the complex and ambiguous nature of current SEC regulations concerning cryptocurrencies and related startups. Renowned billionaire investor, Mark Cuban, has voiced criticism over the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) handling of crypto regulations. In his perspective, the current approach leaves innovators and emerging businesses in the crypto space lacking clear guidance. According to Cuban, the existing rules for startups, particularly in the sphere of web3, are unnecessarily complex. The tech mogul is suggesting a reform where the SEC and Congress design a…
United States crypto lobby group Blockchain Association has filed a request with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, seeking information about the formerly little-known crypto company Prometheum. The company became the center of the crypto industry’s attention this week when its CEO Aaron Kaplan testified at a House hearing and gave its support of regulating crypto under securities laws and the SEC, a position that’s starkly opposite to other vocal proponents of the industry. On June 15, Blockchain Association counsel Marissa Coppel said the group filed a Freedom of Information…
BlackRock’s latest filing for a spot Bitcoin (BTC) trust will drive investors’ confidence in Bitcoin and may even be “the best thing that could happen” to BTC, according to some crypto industry observers — but others warn of a hidden cost. During an interview on June 16, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz said the approval of BlackRock’s ETF application would be “the best thing that could happen to $BTC.” “I say a Hail Mary every night that Larry Fink and @blackrock pull off a @bitcoin ETF,” Novogratz reportedly said on…
The platform will allow for users to set up fully regulated on-chain funds. Source