Twitter pilots crypto payments, Coinbase’s NFT marketplace launches in beta, and an eco-friendly altcoin closes Times Square. These stories and more this week in crypto.
Bitcoin Rally loses steam
Stock and crypto markets reacted negatively to news from the Federal Reserve that it is keeping open the option to raise interest rates in May. So far this year, the Fed’s monetary policy tightening has been troublesome for speculative assets. Shares of publicly traded crypto-related companies have fallen 60% this year, which is worse than actual cryptos.
Twitter pilots crypto payments to creators
Twitter, in partnership with digital payments processor Stripe, will pilot cryptocurrency payments for certain users of the social media site. Eligible users of Twitter’s creator programs will be able to receive their earnings in USDC, with plans to add payments in other cryptocurrencies in the future.
Coinbase Launches NFT Marketplace
After months of waiting, Coinbase’s NFT marketplace has finally launched its testing phase. The new platform includes aspects familiar in social media by allowing users to have a personal profile and follow other accounts. Coinbase is also introducing decentralized Web3 features such as enabling non-custodial wallets like MetaMask and plans to add support for NFTs on blockchains other than Ethereum.
Robinhood expands to UK and Europe
US trading platform Robinhood has agreed to buy Ziglu, a London-based fintech app that allows users to trade cryptocurrencies. The acquisition will help Robinhood’s expansion plans in the UK and Europe. Although the deal is still subject to regulatory approval, Robinhood shares were up 5% on the day of the news.
Binance limits services to Russian users
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has limited its services to Russian residents following the European Union’s new round of sanctions amid the war in Ukraine. Those with open positions in futures or derivatives with balances above EUR 10,000 will be given 90 days to exit their holdings while deposits and transactions will be prohibited on these accounts.
Opera supports Crypto Browser on iOS mobile devices
Opera has launched the iOS version of its dedicated crypto browser with an integrated non-custodial crypto wallet, designed to access Web3 services. Opera says one of the browser’s goals is to make Web3 browsing as easy as more established web services. With the crypto browser, users can directly access NFTs and decentralized applications.
Crypto Spot ETFs are coming to Australia
The first two exchange-traded funds offering clients direct access to cryptocurrencies are launched in Australia. Products dubbed EBTC and EETH will track the price of BTC and ETH respectively in Australian dollars, while the funds will be fully backed by their underlying assets and held in cold storage by Coinbase.
Algorand, Eco-Friendly, Closes Times Square
As Earth Day celebrations around the world began, the Algorand Foundation demonstrated its green credentials by darkening billboards in Times Square. During the hour-long event, 6500 kilowatts of energy were saved. Algorand says their unique proof-of-stake blockchain was designed from the ground up to use a lightweight, energy-efficient footprint.
Sending Cardano just got easier. If you use Yoroi Wallet, you can send and receive ADA without long complicated addresses thanks to Unstoppable Domains. Your domain is yours forever with no renewal fees and can also serve as a login username for everyone in DeFi. Grab your domain with the link below.
That’s what happened this week in crypto, see you next week.
