March 2023 - CryptoCurrencyWire

FridayMar 31, 2023 11:15 am

UNHCR Gains Accolades for Using Blockchain to Help Displaced Ukrainians

Last week, the UNHCR received an award at the Paris Blockchain Week for its pilot project that uses blockchain to distribute money to those affected or displaced by the Ukrainian war. This award honors blockchain-based initiatives that have had a significant positive social impact and recognizes UNHCR's dedication to finding revolutionary ways to help refugees and internally displaced people. Last year, the UNHCR successfully piloted the distribution of cash aid to persons displaced by the Ukrainian war using the stablecoin USD Coin, with money delivered into the recipient's smartphone-accessible digital wallet. This was done in collaboration with the UNICC, SDF…

WednesdayMar 29, 2023 9:00 am

NASDAQ Prepares to Launch Cryptocurrency Custody Business

NASDAQ Inc., a global exchange, intends to begin offering custody services for Ether and Bitcoin within the next three months. Ira Auerbach, who formally worked at Gemini as its global head, will be in charge of the new business. In September, NASDAQ announced that it would enter the market for digital assets, joining other well-known financial companies such as BNP Paribas and Fidelity in providing custody services for cryptocurrency. The company has prior knowledge of the cryptocurrency market, with several cryptocurrency exchanges having received market surveillance technologies from the group. It announced the Hashdex NASDAQ Crypto Index ETFs in Q1…

MondayMar 27, 2023 12:00 pm

TerraUSD Founder Do Kwon Arrested in Montenegro

The International Police (Interpol) has confirmed that Kwon Do-hyeong, commonly called Do Kwon, has been arrested in Montenegro. Do kwon founded a platform that brought stablecoins Luna and TerraUSD to the crypto market. Both coins collapsed in May 2022, resulting in the loss of at least $40 billion from the cryptocurrency market. The resultant panic birthed what came to be referred to as the “crypto winter.” Interpol’s office in Seoul, South Korea, confirmed that the man being held was Do Kwon after the detainee’s fingerprints were taken and matched to the wanted fugitive’s prints. The announcement was made late last…

FridayMar 24, 2023 11:15 am

FTX YouTube Influencers Sued for Up to $1B

The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX last year continues to cause reverberations, with the most recent being the filing of a class-action lawsuit against YouTube influencers who were vocal in promoting FTX to their followers. The plaintiffs want the court to award them damages worth $1 billion dollars. Edwin Garrison is the leader of the plaintiffs, who filed their suit in Miami Division in Southern Florida on March 15, 2023. The suit alleges that the influencers actively promoted the cryptocurrency fraud executed by FTX, and that those influencers didn’t disclose that they were being compensated for their services. The respondents…

WednesdayMar 22, 2023 11:15 am

Blockchain Association Asks Government Agencies to Release Info on Debanking Cryptocurrency Companies

The Blockchain Association, a U.S.-based group advocating for the cryptocurrency industry, has revealed that it has made Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to a number of federal regulatory agencies as the association investigates what it calls improper attempts to keep crypto businesses from accessing banking services. The improper acts, the association asserts, could have played a role in the recent collapse of three major banks. In its March 16 notice, the Blockchain Association reveals that its FOIA requests were sent to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Bank system board and the Office of the Controller…

MondayMar 20, 2023 12:45 pm

Paris Blockchain Week to Leverage the Growing Significance of Blockchain Technology

Experienced professionals, policy leaders, blockchain enthusiasts, professionals, and investors in the blockchain industry, are attending the 4th edition of Paris Blockchain Week (“PBW”) being held from March 20-24, 2023 at the Carrousel du LOUVRE in the heart of Paris’ famous palace and largest museum in the world. Paris Blockchain Week is the top international conference devoted to professionals in the Web3 and blockchain space. This 4th edition of the Paris Blockchain Week is Europe’s leading blockchain event, covering: Web3, NFTs, decentralized finance, and metaverse, with 10,000+ attendees from across the world. It’s a great opportunity for blockchain fans to learn,…

MondayMar 20, 2023 9:00 am

Key Democrats Feud Over Recent Banking Sector Turmoil

Two masterminds of the post- 2008 Wall Street regulation system, Rep. Barney Frank and Senator Elizabeth Warren, yet again differ about what is causing banks to fold. While in office, Frank chaired the Committee for House Financial Services just as the global financial crisis hit and he wrote sweeping new rules for the financial sector. He also served as a member on the Board of the New York Signature Bank which was shut down recently. Frank blames Signature’s fall on the crypto panic that started last year. His bank was one of the privileged few that served the industry. A…

FridayMar 17, 2023 1:35 pm

Paris Blockchain Week and Google Cloud Launch Web3 Startup Competition, Reaching 100-Plus Innovative Founders

Competition will connect startups to cloud technology, investors, acceleration programs and more. The start-up competition at Paris Blockchain Week, will kick-off today in partnership with Google Cloud. Start-ups with a focus on blockchain and Web3 will have up to the 15 Feb to apply to participate in this unique opportunity to engage with investors that have a dedicated focus on the industry and convince them to back their projects. Participants in this inspiring competition will include promising projects in the Web3 and blockchain space. The start-up competition will put the spotlight on start-ups with high potential, providing more than 100…

FridayMar 17, 2023 1:28 pm

Why Paris is a Hub for Talents and Development in the Blockchain Industry

Blockchain and other new generations of information technology innovation continue to make significant progress, while the metaverse and Web3 concepts are developing at a high speed. Research shows that France is one of the top countries attracting blockchain talent and French tech startups set a new record with 13.5 billion euros raised last year, an overall increase of 17%. According to a survey on organizational and talent development in the global blockchain industry by LinkedIn and OKX, France is one of the world's top three countries in demand for blockchain talent. France attracts many industry talents due to a rapidly…

FridayMar 17, 2023 10:30 am

How SVB, Silvergate’s Collapse Could Impact the Crypto Industry

Two banks that had warmed up to crypto and supported tech startups have buckled in under a week. In a welcome move, crypto prices rallied over the weekend when the federal government came in to guarantee depositors’ funds in the two banks. Silvergate Capital, which is a cryptocurrency central lender, announced on Wednesday that it is closing its operations and liquidating. The Silicon Valley Bank, a lender to most technology startups, crashed on Friday after depositors panicked and cashed out more than $42 billion after the bank announced its need to raise $2.25 billion to balance its books. Signature, a…