Day: July 12, 2023

Google Play Store officially allows NFT games, but not gambling ones

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The Google Play store now allows video game publishers to sell nonfungible token (NFT) games in its store, according to a July 12 blog post from the store’s group product manager, Joseph Mills. In the post, Mills states that Google Play is “pleased to share that we’re updating our policy to open new ways to transact blockchain-based digital content within apps and games on Google Play,” including “boosting user loyalty through unique NFT rewards.” 1) A new blockchain-based content policy that states that devs must complete a declaration for apps…

PwC hedge fund survey finds crypto remains viable despite recent market turmoil

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PwC released its fifth annual global crypto hedge fund report on July 12 based on surveys of crypto-native and traditional hedge funds conducted in the first quarter of 2023. Against the backdrop of the recent crypto winter and continuing regulatory uncertainty in the United States and elsewhere, the report found a rather positive outlook among the funds. Crypto-native hedge funds are “working towards achieving a new industry dynamic which centres around rebuilding confidence and making their needs heard,” and nearly all of them (93%) expect the market cap to rise…

Bored Ape floor price falls below 30 ETH: Nifty Newsletter, July 5–11

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In this week’s newsletter, read about Ethereum nonfungible token (NFT) royalties hitting their lowest point in two years. Check out Bitcoin Ordinals trading volume, which hit $210 million in the second quarter of 2023, and how a decentralized finance (DeFi) borrower used an NFT representing a physical luxury watch to take out a loan. In other news, find out why Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu is still bullish on blockchain games, and don’t forget this week’s Nifty News, featuring a Sega executive’s opinion on play-to-earn gaming.  Ethereum NFT royalties hit…

CFTC case against Digitex futures exchange and CEO results in $16M court order

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A United States federal court has ordered Digitex CEO Adam Todd to pay roughly $16 million in disgorgement and penalties related to a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) case. In a June 12 announcement, the CFTC said a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a default judgment against Todd and Digitex LLC, Digitex Limited, Digitex Software Limited and Blockster Holdings Limited Corporation for failure to register with the CFTC and manipulating the price of the DGTX token. As part of the judgment, the…

Price analysis 7/12: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, DOGE, SOL, LTC, MATIC, DOT

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Bitcoin continues to face strong resistance at $31,000, but supportive macroeconomic factors could tilt the advantage in favor of the bulls. Bitcoin bulls are again having a go at the overhead resistance of $31,000. The bullish sentiment may get a boost from the United States inflation report, which showed signs of slowing inflation. Economists were expecting the year-on-year Consumer Price Index to rise 3.1%, but the June print came in at 3%. The month-on-month increase of 0.2% was also less than forecast. This suggests that the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are…

Cosmos-based Osmosis launches concentrated liquidity, lets LPs choose price

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The Cosmos-based decentralized exchange Osmosis (OSMO) has launched a new “concentrated liquidity” feature, according to a July 12 announcement from the app’s developer, Osmosis Labs. The new feature allows liquidity providers (LPs) to choose a minimum and maximum price to offer to buy or sell crypto. Osmosis user interface. Source: Osmosis The Cosmos ecosystem is a web of blockchain networks that use the Cosmos software development kit and are connected through the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. Osmosis is one of the largest decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in the ecosystem, doing approximately…

European regulator releases consultative paper on MiCA standards for crypto asset service providers

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Union’s markets regulator, released a consultative paper on Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) mandates on July 12. It was the first of three consultative packages the agency expects to publish and concerns technical specifications for crypto asset service providers (CASPs). Entities that are already licensed are presumed under MiCA to be “generally capable of providing crypto-asset services,” but they will be required to provide additional information in the form of notifications to the national competent authorities (NCAs) of the country they are registered…

Stablecoin Issuer Circle Cuts Workers, Ends Certain ‘Non-Core’ Activities; Will Continue Hiring Globally

“To maintain our strong balance sheet, Circle is redoubling its focus on core business activities and execution,” a spokesperson for Circle told CoinDesk in an email. “As a result, we have reduced or ended investments in non-core activities and reduced operational expenses which includes a marginal reduction in headcount. At the same time, we have identified new areas for investment and are continuing to hire in key areas of focus on a global basis.” Source

Elon Musk kickstarts new AI company to ‘understand the universe’

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American business magnate Elon Musk has launched a novel company dubbed “xAI” with the goal of understanding “the true nature of the universe.” According to the July 12 announcement, xAI will work closely with Twitter, Tesla and other companies owned by Musk to “make progress toward our mission.” The firm said it is actively recruiting experienced engineers and researchers in the San Francisco Bay area to join its technical staff. The company also lists Dan Hendrycks, director of the Center for AI Safety, as its adviser. Developers wrote: “We have…