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Stablecoin issuer Circle sent emails to customers stating that individual consumer accounts would be phased out. Stablecoin issuer Circle will close out consumer or individual accounts on November 30, according to emails received by Circle customers on October 31. In an email to Cointelegraph, the stablecoin issuer confirmed that it is closing the accounts but confirmed that business and institutional “Mint” accounts will remain available. On the morning of October 31, crypto user Evanss6 posted an image to X (formerly Twitter) of an email that Circle customers allegedly received. The email stated that individual accounts are being closed “as part of Circle’s strategic review.” The customer was told that “wiring and minting functionalities” would no longer be supported and that the account would be closed on November 30. In an email to Cointelegraph, a Circle representative confirmed that the accounts are being shut down but that business and institutional accounts will remain o...

Augmented reality provides new methods for accurate and accessible 3D mapping solutions for an immersive metaverse experience. The blockchain-powered platform OVER addresses the urgent need for accurate 3D mapping by democratizing map creation, incentivizing participation, and enabling real-time exploration of locations through augmented reality (AR). Spatial computing will play a key role in Web3 and especially in the metaverse, which will focus on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. AR devices like Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3 are only the start of the Web’s immersive experience that will become ubiquitous. Yet, despite these recent strides, the convergence of the metaverse and AR remains an emerging trend, with a pressing need for 3D mapping to serve as the foundational bedrock for immersive world exploration. Traditional mapping methods, once stalwarts in the field, are now falling by the wayside, producing antiquated and imprecise depictions o...

The non-custodial wallet will continue MoneyGram’s remittance focus allowing users to easily convert their digital assets to fiat. Payment processing giant MoneyGram is all set to launch its own non-custodial crypto wallets, the company’s chief executive officer, Alex Holmes, announced during the Stellar Development Foundation annual Meridian conference. The non-custodial crypto wallet will be built on the Stellar network and hit the market in the first quarter of 2024. The wallet was created in partnership with the Cheesecake Labs, and will make use of the Stellar network and MoneyGram's fiat on and off-ramp services to facilitate instant transactions. There will be no charge to use it until June 2024. The wallet will allow users to leverage stablecoin technology to move between fiat and digital currencies, and is intended to strengthen the company's focus on its core competence of cross-border remittance and payment settlements. Wallet users will be able to send digital ass...

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial. Ten years ago, blockchain was a novelty technology that appealed to few beyond Bitcoin’s small community of “magic internet money” users. That coterie of supporters grew after the creation of a distributed smart contract framework called Ethereum. But even then, most of the world dismissed it as a solution in search of a problem: slow, energy-hungry, and difficult to scale.  The story is very different today. Mainstream interest is burgeoning, with PayPal among the latest in a slew of household names adopting blockchain-powered solutions that are being seamlessly integrated into our everyday lives. The venerable London Stock Exchange Group jumped on the bandwagon in early September, announcing plans to launch a blockchain-powered digital asset trading platform.  You might also like: The rise of CBDCs is inevitabl...

According to an analysis from Moody's Investors Service, AI and distributed ledger technologies are set to disrupt companies, industries, and economies across the globe. Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies have reached a "tipping point" and are set to shrink established industries while creating new ones, forecasts a report from Moody's Investors Service published on Sep. 6.  According to the authors, the combined impact of AI and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), such as blockchain , has effects "far beyond corporate balance sheets," and "will likely reshape entire sector s, leading established industries "to shrink or disappear altogether while creating new market s from scratch ." The report notes: "History has shown that transformative technologies can shrink established sectors shrink or wipe them out entirely [...] AI will drive the emergence of new sectors, possibly in content generation, mobility, edu...

The new updates to the cryptocurrency ads policy allows for NFT gaming ads provided the games and ads don’t promote gambling. Google has updated its cryptocurrency advertising policy to allow for blockchain-based NFT gaming advertisements as long as they don’t promote gambling or gambling services.  According to a blog post from Google, the new changes will go into effect starting Sep. 15 and will be restricted only to games that meet certain criteria: “NFT games that allow players to purchase in-game items, like virtual apparel for a player’s characters, weaponry, or armor with better stats, consumed or used in a game to enhance a user’s experience or aid users in advancing the game.” Advertisements for games allowing players to wager or stake NFTs against other players or for rewards including cryptocurrencies and other NFTS would continue to be banned under the new policy. NFT casino games and any other social betting paradigm that allows players to wager or play for real-worl...

The CEO of Lightning Koffee launched the coffee startup in October with the aim of onboarding Medellín's businesses to Bitcoin. José Luis Garcia is a coffee -lover and entrepreneur trying to make his mark in the city of Medellín — the birthplace of Colombia’s modern coffee industry. Since the October launch of his start-up Lightning Koffee, Garcia has two goals in mind: Make a decent cup of joe and spread the word about Bitcoin (BTC). His coffee beans — which he's called “The Bitcoiners Coffee” — are sourced and processed locally and are known for having a sweet after-taste. Garcia believes his Colombian coffee can serve as a bridge for his fellow Paisas (Medellín locals) to lessen their reliance on the unpredictable Colombian peso and lean more toward adopting Bitcoin. “We have the best coffee in the world and I want my coffee brand to spread the word about Bitcoin so that other businesses will begin to receive it too,” Garcia said in an interview with Cointelegraph. He ...

Explore strong password creation, management and advanced protection techniques to secure crypto holdings. In the world of cryptocurrencies, security is paramount. As a crypto enthusiast, one of the foundational steps to ensuring the safety of your digital assets is effective password management.  With the potential for significant financial loss in the event of a security breach, mastering the art of password protection is a critical skill. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the importance of password security, best practices for creating strong password s and advanced techniques for managing your password s securely. Why password security matters The first line of defense against unwanted access to an individual’s cryptocurrency holdings is their passwords. Due to the irreversible nature of blockchain transactions, a compromised account may result in large losses. As a result, it’s important to ensure strong password security since hackers and cybercriminals are conti...

The Civil Aviation Administration and China Merchants Bank said passengers can utilize the central bank digital currency to access new services via this platform. As the pilot program for China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) — the digital yuan — takes off, Chinese business travel ers will reportedly be able to pay for flight tickets using the CBDC.  A collaboration between the China Merchants Bank and the Civil Aviation Administration of China led to the introduction of a digital yuan platform, which aims to facilitate transactions for travelers in the aviation network, according to a local media report. The newly introduced platform reportedly enables companies and entrepreneurs to utilize the digital yuan for convenient payment of business air tickets. Additionally, passengers will have the opportunity to use the CBDC to access new services via the platform. China Travel Service, a travel firm based in Suzhou, has already made use of the platform to purchase tickets on b...

On this week’s episode of The Market Report, Cointelegraph’s resident expert discusses if this is your last chance to buy Bitcoin on the cheap as the Bitcoin pre-halving rally may be right around the corner. In the latest episode of The Market Report , Cointelegraph analyst and writer Marcel Pechman discusses Standard Chartered bank’s $120,000 Bitcoin price expectation based on the halving impact. According to the report, increased miner profitability due to a pre- halving rally would “reduce the net BTC supply.” Pechman, on the other hand, doesn’t acknowledge the thesis, given that the mining difficulty will continue to increase and the news confirming Riot Platform’s investment in new ASIC equipment. In fact, the mining difficulty increased by 73% in the last 12 months, while the Bitcoin (BTC) price increased by 58%. Regarding the $50,000 Bitcoin year-end price prediction, Pechman believes the number is too optimistic, given the low odds of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ET...

A public-private partnership with blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has played a key role in helping the Internal Revenue Service solve cryptocurrency-related crimes. Block chain Analysis has been key in helping the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seize an estimated $10 billion worth of crypto currency since it began investigating a broad body of crimes involving digital assets. This was a key point raised by IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Chief Jim Lee in a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with Cointelegraph in Amsterdam. Lee was among a variety of delegates from public and private institutions sharing knowledge and insights at blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis’ Links conference held in the Netherlands. Lee, alongwith with a cohort from the IRS-CI, gave an inside look at how the enforcement agency has tackled the use of cryptocurrency and digital assets in a wide variety of financial crimes that fall under its purview. Hacks of prominent exchanges, De...

Scientists at the University of Melbourne and Tsinghua University published pre-print research comparing the cryptocurrency market to traditional equities. A pair of computer science researchers recently published pre-print research indicating that the nascent cryptocurrency market is beginning to show a level of maturity similar to the traditional equities market.  Dubbed “Collective dynamics, diversification and optimal portfolio construction for cryptocurrencies,” the paper was written by Dr. Nick James, a fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Data Science, and Max Menzies, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Tsinghua University. Related: What’s next for EU’s crypto industry as European Parliament passes MiCA? The pair set out to determine what role cryptocurrency plays in portfolio diveristy and how the cryptocurrency market compares to the traditional equities market. Their findings indicate that, while there remains some ...

CryptoHarlem founder Matt Mitchell says government and corporate surveillance and citizens’ inability to protect against it are great threats to personal security. Technology can be one’s best friend or, in some cases, their worst enemy . For example, Meta and TikTok seamlessly connect millions of people with loved ones and strangers, and while the platforms are a great resource for finding information and communicating with others, there are valid concerns about violations of users’ Privacy and the monetization and possible outright theft of users’ data.  The same can be said for surveillance and security. There is often a gift-and-a-curse style relationship, wherein the exact surveillance tools meant to keep people safe and deter crime are often used to oppress and control citizens or even ignore the criminal acts of those in power. To explore this contentious topic in greater depth, show hosts Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond invited renowned hacker and activist Matt Mitchell to ...

The firms were cited anonymously in the CFTC's complaint describing Binance’s alleged facilitation of U.S. clients. Trading firms Jane Street Group, Tower Research Capital and Radix Trading have been reportedly identified as Binance’s three “VIP” clients that were cited anonymously in the recent lawsuit filed against Binance by the United States commodities regulator. According to an April 5 Bloomberg report citing "people familiar with the matter,” Radix Trading is “Trading Firm A” as described in the Commodities Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) suit while Jane Street was “Trading Firm B” and Tower Research was “Trading Firm C.” The firms on the CFTC's list were examples of U.S. clients allegedly able to access Binance. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first reported on March 28 that Radix Trading was “Trading Firm A.” Radix co-founder Benjamin Blander told the WSJ in a March 30 report that he believed the firm acted legally even when trading with Binance's offs...

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz believes regulators have got it "completely upside-down" on crypto vs AI regulation. Mike Novogratz, the CEO of digital asset investment firm Galaxy Digital told investors he is shocked over the amount of regulatory attention for crypto rather than artificial intelligence (AI), a technology he believes will trigger a “deep fake” Identity crisis. The chief executive explained at the firm’s fourth-quarter conference call on March 28 that the U.S. government has it “completely upside-down” in choosing to focus so much on crypto regulation and yet turn a blind eye to AI: “When I think about AI, it shocks me that we’re talking so much about crypto regulation and nothing about AI regulation. I mean, I think the government’s got it completely upside-down.” This concern appeared to stem from Novogratz’s fear that AI will trigger a “deep fake” Identity crisis. “In lots of ways, one of the best use cases for crypto is going to be identity around AI,...

The entertainment industry needs to evolve barriers between creators and the community, and this studio is offering it. The entertainment industry is known for its daunting barriers to entry, with a tiny group of studios and networks dominating the greenlighting process for content. Even when a project does launch, the actual talent involved in its creation rarely gets to claim any ownership of its success. As for the audience, fans have few ways to participate other than consuming content and buying merchandise. All in all, centralized platforms of the Web2 era failed to offer creator s truly direct ways to connect with their target audience. Despite taking the lion’s share of a $100 billion creator industry, leading content creation platforms are often criticized for unfavorable monetization and ownership models for creator s. As a result, many talented creatives are ultimately employees of their own creations. With a user-centric approach that gives power back to the people who u...

Learn how to earn free cryptocurrency with these seven methods, including faucets, bug bounties and more. Due to the popularity of cryptocurrency, numerous individuals are searching for means to acquire free crypto. Here are seven methods one can use to earn cryptocurrency without having to invest your own money, including crypto faucets, airdrops, staking, bug bounties and more.  There are several common risks to be aware of when earning free crypto, including security risks, scams and fraud, limited earning potential, time-consuming activities, and potential legal or tax implications. It’s important to do your research and approach these methods with caution. Faucets Crypto faucets are websites or applications that provide users with small sums of cryptocurrency in exchange for doing things like completing CAPTCHA puzzles or watching advertisements. One example is Moon Litecoin, which offers free Litecoin (LTC) to users who complete tasks, such as streaming videos. The rewards from ...

The first two months of 2023 haven't seen a slowdown in trademark filings, with recent filings covering automotive, clothing and fast-moving consumer goods. Despite a broader downturn in related markets, multinational corporations don’t appear to have slowed down on their trademark applications covering Web3, crypto, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and the Metaverse. The month of February — now drawing to a close — saw the likes of General Motors and Lacoste, and Walmart making their territory with Web3-related trademark applications. January was an even busier month.  One of the latest NFT-related filings involved automotive giant General Motors, which filed for two new trademark applications on Feb. 16 covering its Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. According to the filing, the firm is interested in downloadable digital media files containing collectible artwork, text, audio, and video, authenticated as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). GM has filed a pair of new applications to trademark : ...