It’s counterintuitive for a CEO to defend a competitor, particularly when that competitor is rolling out a feature similar to one we pioneered years ago. But given the debacle around Ledger’s new “Ledger Recover” feature, it’s time to provide a balanced perspective. The company is under fire for releasing an update to its wallet firmware that allows it to send…
Nigeria’s eNaira central bank digital currency (CBDC) is over a year old, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a late birthday present for it, in the form of a working paper assessing its first year of performance. “Laudable,” said IMF researchers, but there were a few suggestions too. The eNaira was the world’s second CBDC, premiering in October 2021, after…
Jessica Jonas, chief legal officer of the nonprofit Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund, discussed the potential legal ramifications of a high profile lawsuit against Bitcoin core developers during the Bitcoin 2023 event in Miami on May 18. The case in question is a UK legal action filed by Craig Wright, the owner/operator of Tulip Trading. Wright’s perhaps most well-known for his…
On May 18, crypto hardware wallet provider Ledger clarified how its firmware works after a controversial May 17 tweet was deleted by the company. The deleted tweet, which Ledger said was written by a customer support agent, had stated that it was “possible” for Ledger to write firmware that could extract users’ private keys. [1/3] You may have seen a…
Block co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey—also co-founder and former CEO of Twitter—led a $6 million seed funding round for Bitcoin payments firm Azteco, the startup announced today. Azteco offers a unique way to buy Bitcoin worldwide with a focus on making it easier for unbanked populations to use the digital money. Users either buy an Azteco voucher online or at…
The Whampoa Group, a family office based in Singapore, will open a digital bank in Bahrain, the kingdom’s Economic Development Board said on May 18. The Group expects to open the bank by the end of the year and is aiming for a global client base. The bank will offer digital asset trading, custody and management among digital banking services. According…
Crypto exchanges that want to do business in Texas will need to maintain enough reserves to fulfill all obligations to their customers, according to a newly-approved piece of legislation. The Texas legislature today approved House Bill 1666 (HB1666) to establish “proof of reserves” rules requiring crypto exchanges to provide an audited or on-chain proof of assets at all times. Last…
Mass crypto adoption is already taking place around the world, but not in the United States or Europe, nor does it have Bitcoin as a flagship asset for mainstream acceptance. According to Daniel Fogg of smart contract platform Rootstock, the increase in adoption is instead ongoing in emerging markets, where cryptocurrencies are offering solutions to people’s everyday problems. In an…
Thousands of people flocked to Miami Beach this week to partake in Bitcoin 2023 and talk shop about crypto’s top coin, but some attendees said the iconic conference feels different on its first day than in years past—with less hype and more empty chairs. The conference devoted to crypto’s most dominant coin attracted around 35,000 people last year, according to…
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is set to launch its subscription service called “Coinbase One” across 35 countries. Initially, only customers in the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland will have access to Coinbase One. According to the May 18 announcement, Coinbase One aims to provide features such as zero-fee trading, amplified staking rewards and exclusive benefits through partnerships with industry players such…
