crypto
Bitcoin set to help communities — Latinx nonprofit now accepts crypto donations
An organization that supports communities in times of need employs the helping hands of crypto to open the doors for a “broader swath of philanthropists.” Powered by charity provider The Giving Block, Corazón Latino is set to accept Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), and many other cryptocurrencies to help its goals of reconnecting communities with the environment and providing quick responses to places affected by disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit consistently runs initiatives focused on eco-tourism, conservation and climate resilience. Apart from these, Felipe Benitez, the founder and executive director of Corazón Latino, says that the organization has “provided rapid response mobilizations to support communities” during emergencies. Arizo...
‘China’s crypto ban had little impact on Neo,’ says organization’s developers
Once hailed as the “Ethereum of China,” Neo’s token price has fallen on hard times ever since the world’s most populous nation introduced a series of acute bans on cryptocurrency operations last year. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Neo’s developers — who wished to remain anonymous — explained that partners run most projects sponsored by Neo Global Development, or NGD, from a wide range of countries outside China t serve users all over the world. In addition, Neo continues to expand inside China. It is currently one of seven open permission blockchains servicing the nation’s Blockchain-based Service Network, or BSN. One of the group’s goals is to expand the adoption of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in the country. There’s also ...
Aussie billionaire sues Facebook over crypto scams with AG’s consent
Australian billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is taking Facebook to court over scammy cryptocurrency ads that he alleges used his name to defraud victims. The Fortescue Metals chairman is accusing Facebook of breaching Australia’s money-laundering laws, claiming that it “knowingly profits from this cycle of illegal ads” that it failed to remove. An initial court hearing in the Western Australian Magistrates court is scheduled for Mar. 28, with a committal hearing expected later in 2022. Forrest is bringing forward the charges under Part 10 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code, with the consent of the Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. According to the filings, one Australian victim lost $952,000 AUD after falling for the scam. The court documents stated that the scam “defrauded victims out of ...
Hodlers beware! New malware targets MetaMask and 40 other crypto wallets
Security was never the strong suit of browser-based crypto wallets to store Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and other cryptocurrencies. However, new malware makes the safety of online wallets even more complicated by directly targeting crypto wallets that work as browser extensions such as MetaMask, Binance Chain Wallet or Coinbase Wallet. Named Mars Stealer by its developers, the new malware is a powerful upgrade on the information-stealing Oski trojan of 2019, according to security researcher 3xp0rt. It targets more than 40 browser-based crypto wallets, along with popular two-factor authentication (2FA) extensions, with a grabber function that steals users’ private keys. MetaMask, Nifty Wallet, Coinbase Wallet, MEW CX, Ronin Wallet, Binance Chain Wallet and TronLink are listed as some of the ...
Community of Remixers: How Audius’ Platform Is Driving Remix Culture In Dance Music
This feature was co-authored by Lev Kotia, Nakul Sharma and Bayleigh Bogan. As the streaming landscape competition continues to get more competitive between the likes of Spotify, Apple, Amazon and others, finding competitive advantages to drive paid subscribers has never been more complex. Despite a crowded landscape, some platforms have carved out a unique place for themselves in the world of music streaming that creates a focused and unique value proposition for creators and fans. One such platform is Audius, which uses blockchain technology to offer clarity and transparency for artists. Through Audius’ disruptive platform, artists can upload their music and have an immutable record of owning that content. If the content is misused, musicians can easily prove ownership of the intell...
Exclusive: The Chainsmokers to Headline First-Ever NFT-Gated Art and Music Festival, Afterparty
An innovative new music festival is primed for Sin City—and NFTs are the ticket in. Afterparty, a renowned creator tools platform operating at the forefront of the Web3 epoch, have announced the first-ever NFT-gated music and art festival. Complete with unique digital art gallery activations, the inaugural Afterparty NFT Art and Music Festival will immerse attendees in NFTs in the company’s goal to democratize them for the creator economy. The festival’s pièce de résistance, however, is its entry point. Afterparty’s generative “Utopian” NFT collection, which lives on the Ethereum blockchain, will moonlight as “all-access” passes and offer their owners tangible rewards both in real-time and in the metaverse. For example, they unlock ac...
Fitch says proposed Russia crypto ban eases risks but curbs innovation
On Friday, credit rating agency Fitch published a research piece about Russia’s proposed ban on cryptocurrencies. Although the report agreed with the Central Bank of Russia’s (CBR) position that the ban would limit its financial system’s exposure to risks, it also cautioned that such a proposal could “hold back the diffusion of technologies that could improve productivity.” In addition, Fitch warned: “Suppose this slows the spread of crypto-driven innovations that, for example, improve the speed and security of payments or asset liquidity via tokenization. In that case, it could over time weaken this aspect of the Russian banking sector’s operational environment relative to peers.” Additionally, Fitch commented on the adoption of a central ba...
IRS special agent: Crypto’s the future but there are ‘mountains of fraud’
A top special agent from the Internal Revenue Service has told a conference that NFTs and crypto are the “future” but highlighted that fraud and manipulation is still rampant in the space. Ryan Korner from the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles field office made the comments virtual event held on Tuesday by the USC Gould School of Law, Korner. Bloomberg reports Korner said: “We’re just seeing mountains and mountains of fraud in this area.” He told the event the IRS CI division acknowledges the significant growth of the crypto sector, but noted that the usage of digital assets has not been limited to payments and trading. He outlined various illicit behaviors such as fraud, including money laundering, market manipulation and tax evasion. Korner highlighted market manipulation in parti...
Zuckerberg’s Diem reportedly weighing sale after stablecoin plans falter
Meta-backed crypto initiative “Diem” is reportedly trying to sell its assets, seemingly calling time on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s grand ambitions for a stablecoin to act as the internet’s currency. Diem — which was previously known as Libra — is Meta Platform’s cryptocurrency initiative. According to insider sources speaking with Bloomberg, it is considering selling assets to return capital to its investors. The sources said that Diem is in discussions with investment bankers to determine the best way to sell its intellectual property and cash out on whatever value the project has maintained. It’s unclear how the company will be valued, and there is no guarantee that they will be able to find a buyer. According to the source, about a third of the venture is owned by Meta. The rema...
Steve Angello Bets On Blockchain Marketplace to Revolutionize Music Rights Ownership
Steve Angello is placing a bet on the future of music rights and throwing his weight behind anotherblock, a Swedish startup dedicated to expanding public access to royalty investing by way of NFTs. Founders Sebastian Knutsson and Mattias Miksche both boast impressive pedigrees from different sectors of the technology industry. Knutsson is the founder of King, the publishing and development company behind Candy Crush, while Miksche’s company Stardoll has operated as an angel investor in AI-learning platform Sana Labs, among other successful early stage companies. According to a press release shared with EDM.com, the Swedish House Mafia star threw his hat in the ring during anotherblock’s latest pre-seed funding round, which raised $1.2 million. The platform will seek to tokenize...
Crypto YouTubers fall victim to hacking and scamming attempt
Hackers attacked a number of popular crypto YouTuber accounts at some point during the afternoon of Jan. 23. The accounts posted unauthorized videos with text directing viewers to send money to the hacker’s wallet. Accounts who appear to have been targeted by the attack include: ‘BitBoy Crypto’, ‘Altcoin Buzz’, ‘Box Mining’, ‘Floyd Mayweather’, ‘Ivan on Tech’, and ‘The Moon’ among others. BREAKING: Dozens of Crypto YouTubers have had their accounts hijacked by hackers promoting a fake crypto giveaway scam. Hacked accounts include:@IvanOnTech@boxmining@aantonop@themooncarl@Bitboy_Crypto@mmcrypto@Altcoinbuzzio@FloydMayweather@crypto_banter@CoinMarketCap pic.twitter.com/ykXkZUh9cO — Mr. Whale (@CryptoWhale) January 23, 2022 The Binance Smart Chain wallet address that was listed on the f...
Russian tech and political executives denounce crypto ban proposal
Russia’s recent ban on crypto has drawn criticism from a number of big names, including Alexei Navalny’s chief of staff Leonid Volkov, and Telegram founder Pavel Durov. On Jan. 20, Russia’s Central Bank published a report proposing a blanket ban on domestic crypto trading and mining. The report stated that the risks of crypto are “much higher for emerging markets, including Russia.” However, it appears that this proposed ban isn’t universally accepted in the country. A Jan. 22 post by the Telegram founder, Pavel Durov stated that the proposed ban on crypto would “destroy a number of sectors of the high-tech economy.” He added: “Such a ban will inevitably slow down the development of blockchain technologies in general. These technologies improve the efficiency and safety of many human ...
