Amazon’s brush with Bitcoin. Robinhood IPO looms. Huobi backs out of Beijing.
Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Amazon taking up BTC? Robinhood’s share sale deserves scrutiny. Did Huobi jump or was it pushed?
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Disguised crypto exchange bank accounts exposed by South Korean regulator
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission revealed today that it had discovered 14 bank accounts used by virtual asset exchanges that had been registered in names that were not those of the exchanges themselves. Fast facts It is not legal for crypto exchange bank accounts held under other names to accept customers’ funds on behalf of…
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Bank of Thailand promotes blockchain in new guidelines
Thailand’s central bank yesterday published guidelines to regulate and promote the use of blockchain technology in the financial sector. Fast facts Released by Siritida Panomwon Na Ayudhya, assistant governor of the payment systems policy and financial technology group at the Bank of Thailand, the guidelines provides principles for blockchain technology adoption by financial services providers. …
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Ripple partners with SBI Remit, Coins.ph to use XRP for Japan-Philippines remittances
San Francisco-based payments technology company Ripple has partnered with SBI Remit, Japan’s largest money transfer provider, mobile payments service Coins.ph and digital asset exchange platform SBI VC Trade to use XRP for remittances between Japan and the Philippines, according to a company statement. Fast facts The partnership — Ripple’s first on-demand liquidity service implementation in…
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Binance CEO reiterates willingness to replace self, beefs up KYC
Binance also tightens withdrawal limits and unveils new tax reporting tool, to counter recent flurry of government investigations and bad publicity.
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Big Indian banks take stakes in trade finance blockchain firm
Fifteen of India’s largest banks have invested in a fintech firm that aims to use blockchain to speed up domestic letters of credit, a first in domestic trade finance, regulatory filings to the National Stock Exchange of India show. Fast facts Named the Indian Banks’ Blockchain Infrastructure Co., the firm uses blockchain technology to verify…
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Dogecoin for dog food at Brazil’s Burger Kings
In the latest effort of crypto cross-promotion, Burger King Brazil is now accepting the memecoin Dogecoin as payment for a “Dogpper” — a special edible doggie treat for customer’s pets and a play on words of the fast-food chain’s famous burger, the Whopper. Fast facts The doggie treat is not new to Latin America. Burger…
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Mastercard launches new crypto startup accelerator program
In an effort to “expand and accelerate innovation around digital asset technology”, Mastercard is launching a new global program to support cryptocurrency startups by giving them access to Mastercard’s business network and technology. Fast facts Announced yesterday, Mastercard’s Start Path program already has signed up seven crypto-related startup companies: GK8, Mintable, Stacs, Supraoracles, Taurus, Uphold…
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Robinhood seeks to protect traders from crypto price volatility
Zero-fee trading app Robinhood is looking to introduce features to better protect users against the price volatility of crypto trading, according to a report by Bloomberg based on an analysis of the platform’s code by iOS developer Steve Moser. Fast facts According to a message in the code, a new feature called “price volatility protection”…
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Digital asset custody platform Fireblocks completes $310 million fundraise
Capital increase takes company’s valuation to US$2 billion as it looks to grow customer base, partnerships.