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Insta-rally! FLOW token jumps 50% amid Instagram adoption euphoria
Flow (FLOW) logged its best daily performance on Aug.4 after becoming the latest blockchain to support Instagram’s nonfungible token (NFT) features. Insta-made FLOW rally Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Aug. 4 that Instagram had expanded its NFT support to 100 more countries in Africa, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas. As a result, more users can post digital collectibles minted on the Flow blockchain on Instagram. The high-profile integration helped FLOW surge 54% to reach an intraday high of $2.83 a token. Interestingly, the token’s massive upside move accompanied a spike in its daily trading volumes, confirming some weight behind the bullish trend. FLOW/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView Like any blockchain native asset, the ups and...
Binance and Mastercard will launch prepaid crypto cards in Argentina
Major crypto exchange Binance has partnered with Mastercard to launch a prepaid card for the residents of Argentina. In a Thursday announcement, Binance said the card will allow its clients in Argentina to use Bitcoin (BTC), BNB and other cryptocurrencies to make purchases as well as ATM withdrawals in fiat wherever Mastercard is accepted — roughly 90 million merchants globally and online. Argentine cardholders can also earn up to 8% back in cryptocurrency from certain purchases. According to Binance, the introduction of the card — expected to be “widely available in the coming weeks” — was part of the company’s efforts to further the global adoption of crypto. Residents of Argentina will be the first in the region to have access to the cards, but the crypto exchange announced a simil...
Crypto firms failed to deliver ‘promised benefits’ from lawmaker-backed incentives, says nonprofit
The Tech Transparency Project, or TTP, a research initiative of the United States-based nonprofit watchdog group Campaign for Accountability, has released a report claiming crypto firms “provided little in return” for state governments offering financial incentives. In a report released Thursday, the TTP said that many crypto firms based in certain U.S. states have “reaped special benefits” for setting up operations while not always delivering jobs, economic growth or tax benefits for residents. According to the group, crypto lobbyists worked on behalf of firms to gain tax breaks and discounted energy prices while state governments have “faced budget shortfalls, surging energy consumption and serious environmental damage.” A new TTP report outlines favorable laws and tax breaks given...
Iman Shumpert, Ex-NBA Star & Teyana Taylor’s Husband, Arrested at Texas Airport
Former NBA player Iman Shumpert was arrested at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport last weekend for allegedly trying to bring 6 ounces of cannabis through security. The police report from the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety shows police were called to a TSA checkpoint at about 3:40 p.m. on Saturday and told there was a “sizeable amount of marijuana” found. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The police report says Shumpert told officers that the bag contained marijuana and “asked if there was any way he could make his flight” to Los Angeles, where he was supposed to pick up his daughter. He has two daughters with entertainer Teyana Taylor. Shumpert was told no, arrested for felony possession of marijuana and taken to the airport ja...
Republican push to overturn Biden permitting rules passes Senate, with Manchin’s support
Nonetheless, the symbolic gesture by Manchin comes as the West Virginia Democrat has sought to advance legislation in the coming months that would ease permitting requirements to make it easier to build pipelines and clean energy infrastructure projects such as transmission lines that can take up to a decade to build due to cumbersome environmental rules. Manchin secured a commitment from Democrats leaders on that legislation as under a deal that revived the party-line climate reconciliation bill last week. Republicans had warned ahead of the vote that they were unlikely to work with Manchin on permitting unless he voted for their CRA resolution. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), the lead sponsor of the resolution, told POLITICO earlier this week that it “would be a lack of demonstration of se...
Building the blockchain industry despite market drops and regulation threats
“The cryptocurrency market is the only truly free market that exists in the financial universe,” said Dan Tapiero, CEO of 10T Holdings, during a recent video discussion with Cointelegraph Research. A major concern of venture capital (VC) and investment firms as of late has been centered around regulation from different countries around the globe. While the theme of the discussion was on regulation, the conversation also touched upon how these different members of the crypto space see the future of the industry. Investors undaunted by regulation Each of the panel members brought their own perspective: Dan Tapiero’s 10T Holdings is a mid-stage private equity investment firm and has decades of experience. Smiyet Belrhiti is the managing partner for Keychain Ventures, which provides inst...
Interview with Kevin O’Leary: $28K Bitcoin next or lower? | Market Talks with Crypto Jebb
With the price of Bitcoin (BTC) holding above $22,000, more and more market players are turning bullish again. Does this mean that we could see BTC go to $28,000 in the short term or will it fall below its current levels? Join us as we discuss this and other topics with Crypto Jebb and Mr. Wonderful, himself, Kevin O’Leary. In this week’s episode of Market Talks, we welcome businessman, entrepreneur, author, winemaker and television presenter, Mr. Kevin O’Leary. O’Leary, best known as the shark on the hit reality TV show Shark Tank, is the chairman of O’Shares Investments and a strategic investor in WonderFi. Mr. O’Leary’s success story starts where most entrepreneurs begin — with a big idea and zero cash. The main topic of discussion on the show is whether BTC will go as high as $28...
Worthless JPEGs: Redditor turns NFT criticism into NFTs
A Redditor made it his mission to turn the tides on nonfungible token (NFT) critics by minting a collection using the top anti-NFT comments they found on the internet. In a Reddit post, user busterrulezzz introduced the NFT collection titled Worthless JPEGs! in an attempt to bring entertainment to crypto enthusiasts while critics of the space are rejoicing during the crypto winter. The Redditor collected quotes from Redditors and famous critics like Warren Buffet, Peter Schiff and Dan Olson and minted them as NFTs. One of the NFTs from the collection. Source: stratosnft.io Additionally, the Redditor said that this is a move that documents the sheer hatred that the blockchain space is getting and mock the non-believers. They wrote: “With this collection, my objective is to summar...
Meta enables Instagram NFT integration in over 100 countries
According to a Meta newsroom post updated on Thursday, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company has begun its nonfungible token (NFT) expansion across 100 countries in Africa, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas. This includes adding support for wallet connections with Coinbase Wallet and Dapper as well as the ability to post digital collectibles minted on the Flow blockchain. The initial rollout targets the popular social media app Instagram. One needs to simply connect their digital wallet to Instagram to post an NFT, the company said in its updated post. Third-party wallet integrations with Rainbow, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Coinbase Wallet and Dapper Wallet are either complete as of Thursday or are coming soon. Supported blockchains at this time are Ethereum, Polygon and Flow. Ther...
Swiping left: Tinder pulls back on Metaverse dating plans
Match Group, the parent company of popular dating app Tinder, says it is cutting funding for Web3-related research and development amid disappointing Q2 earnings and the departure of Tinder’s current CEO. In a letter to shareholders on Tuesday, Match Group CEO Bernard Kim revealed that it will be scaling back its metaverse investments as well as scrapping plans to release an in-app digital currency called Tinder Coins. The move also comes alongside the resignation of Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg, the company’s first female CEO, that had initially set out plans to introduce the “Tinderverse” after acquiring a video-AI and augmented reality company called Hyperconnect in 2021. Nyborg had planned for Hyperconnect to further develop its avatar-based “Single Town” experience as a way for Tind...
Major hack on play-to-earn crypto games a ‘matter of time:’ Report
“Unsatisfactory” cybersecurity measures among play-to-earn (P2E) crypto games pose a great risk to GameFi projects and their gamers alike, warns blockchain cybersecurity auditor Hacken. In a Monday report shared with Cointelegraph, Hacken said that data indicates that GameFi projects, the category which P2E games would fall under, often “put profits above security” by releasing products without taking appropriate precautions against hackers: “GameFi projects […] do not follow even the most essential cybersecurity recommendations, leaving malicious actors numerous entry points for attacks.” P2E games often incorporate nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in their ecosystems in addition to crypto. The largest projects, such as Axie Infinity (AXS) and StepN (GMT), use a wide array of products...
Starbucks teases Web3 rewards program to attract new customers
Global coffee store franchise giant Starbucks is looking to launch a new Web3 rewards program to attract and retain customers, according to its interim CEO Howard Schultz. Speaking during the firm’s fiscal Q3 earnings call on Tuesday, Schultz noted that Starbucks will soon reveal a new Web3 “digital initiative” that will expand upon the company’s loyalty program: “This new digital Web 3-enabled initiative will allow us to build on the current Starbucks Rewards engagement model with its powerful spend-to-earn Stars approach while also introducing new methods of emotionally engaging customers.” The CEO kept his cards close to his chest, but briefly mentioned during the call that the firm is looking at “integrating our digital Starbucks Rewards ecosystem with Starbucks-branded digital collect...
