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More than half of the world’s countries have legalized cryptocurrency, according to a new report from the analytical platform CoinGecko. The analysis showed that digital assets were approved by 119 states and 4 UK overseas territories. Thus, over 60% of countries in the world have legalized cryptocurrencies. Source: CoinGecko At the forefront of the adoption process is the European region, where 39 out of 41 countries (95%) have legalized digital assets. The exceptions were North Macedonia, where the circulation of crypto-assets is prohibited, and Moldova, which has not yet determined its legal status. You might also like: Analyst claims bear, bull cycles do not affect crypto adoption In the Americas, 24 countries have legalized cryptocurrencies, accounting for 77.4% of all countries in the region. Bolivia has officially banned digital assets, while Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Guyana have not taken a position on this issue. Asia showed a ...

Only 34% of Canadians still believe that crypto “will play a key role in the future,” though the number of those able to give a basic definition of digital currencies has risen slightly. The number of crypto hodlers in Canada dropped slightly in 2023, but the average value of their holding s rose significantly. However, 77% of respondents regret investing in crypto assets, according to a survey published by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). The OSC published a “Crypto Assets Survey 2023,” on Nov. 29, conducted in partnership with Ipsos at the end of May. The survey interviewed 2360 Canadians, selected to reflect the accurate proportion of the country’s population by gender, age and region. Perhaps due to the period when the research was done, its results reflect a general pessimism toward crypto in the country’s population. While the number of Canadians able to give a basic definition of crypto rose from 51% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, only 34% of them now believe that crypto “wil...

Huddle01 CEO Ayush Ranjan tells The Agenda podcast why centralized communications technology is unreliable and requires a decentralized alternative. The means by which humans communicate and coordinate are ever-evolving. People went from sending smoke signals and messengers on horseback to sending letters and telegrams, and since the dawn of the digital era, the pace of innovation has exploded. Today, hundreds or even thousands of people from around the world can gather in a Twitter Space or Zoom call and communicate in practically real-time. But people still primarily communicate via central ized platforms that retain and monetize user data, suffer from outages, have the power to censor speech, and face problems such as severe lag. So, what would a de central ized Web3 version of a communications and meeting platform like Zoom or Google Meet look like? To find out, Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond sat down with Ayush Ranjan, co-founder and CEO of Huddle01 — a Web3 meetings and commu...

Raiffeisen Bank’s RLB NÖ-Wien is preparing to introduce cryptocurrency trading services to its retail clients in early 2024. The Austrian subsidiary of European lender Raiffeisen Bank is preparing to allow its clients to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) in the coming months. After initially announcing its crypto plans in April 2023, Raiffeisen Bank’s Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien (RLB NÖ-Wien) is moving forward with a crypto rollout in collaboration with the Austrian crypto firm Bitpanda. RLB NÖ-Wien expects to start rolling out crypto trading services in Vienna in the first quarter of 2024, a spokesperson for the bank told Cointelegraph. “Raiffeisenlandesbank NÖ-Wien has signed a cooperation agreement with Bitpanda. Via this cooperation, we plan to offer an attractive digital investment platform early in 2024,” the representative stated, adding: “We have seen the demand from customers for easy, intuitive, digital investment platforms. Our main intention to tak...

Blockchain games have historically battled to gain mainstream attention, but Illuvium’s listing on Epic Games store could change the narrative. Blockchain-based game Illuvium is set to tap into an audience of millions of PC and mobile gamers with its upcoming listing on Epic Games Store, which is home to massively popular titles like Fortnite. Illuvium, an interoperable blockchain game developed by Illuvium Labs, will feature on Epic’s store from Nov. 28, following several months of background work to get the title to meet Epic’s standards. Speaking exclusively to Cointelegraph ahead of the Epic launch, Illuvium co-founder Kieran Warwick outlined the evolution of the game in order to cater to a mainstream audience and comply with the platform’s legal and compatibility requirements: “The result of these efforts has not only earned Illuvium a place on a leading gaming platform but has also evolved our product.” The game was developed using Unreal Engine 5 on the Immutable X network. It...

Unfortunately for those watching closely for new spot Bitcoin ETF filings, ARK Invest and 21 Shares’ joint spot Bitcoin ETF has not been listed. Despite swirling rumors on social media, ARK Invest’s spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) does not appear to be listed on the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) website. On Oct. 25, numerous high-profile crypto accounts on X (Twitter) including Mike Alfred, Bitcoin News , Simply Bitcoin, Crypto News Alerts and others posted tweets and screenshots claiming ARK Invest and 21 Shares’ joint spot Bitcoin ETF had been listed on the DTCC’s site. BREAKING: CATHIE WOODS’ ARK SPOT BITCOIN ETF IS NOW LISTED ON THE DTCC WEBSITE WITH TICKER AND CUSIP — Mike Alfred (@mikealfred) October 25, 2023 However, none of the screenshots showed the correct ticker for the spot Bitcoin ETF, instead showing tickers related to futures products. The most recent amended filing for Ark’s spot Bitcoin ETF from Oct. 11 shows that the fund wi...

Ferrari’s decision to accept cryptocurrency payments was driven by market demand and dealer requests, with numerous clients investing in digital currencies. Ferrari will accept crypto currency payments for its luxury sports cars in the United States due to customer demand. The carmaker also plans to accept crypto payments in Europe. According to an Oct. 14 report from Reuters, Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer, Enrico Galliera, confirmed the intentions of the luxury car brand. Ferrari’s choice to accept crypto currency payments was driven by market demand and dealer requests, with numerous clients, including crypto -savvy young investors, having invested in digital currencies. Although Galliera didn’t specify the number of cars Ferrari expects to sell via crypto payments, he reportedly stated that the carmaker’s strong order portfolio is fully booked until 2025. Ferrari aims to test this expanding market to connect with potential buyers beyond its usual clientele...

Nomura, Japan’s largest investment bank, announced that its subsidiary Laser Digital Asset Management has introduced a Bitcoin Adoption Fund aimed at providing institutional investors with direct exposure to Bitcoin. Targeting institutional investors, this move is part of a larger plan by Nomura, which is positioning the fund as “the first in a range of digital adoption investment solutions that the firm plans to introduce.” The Bitcoin Adoption Fund offers “long-only exposure to Bitcoin (BTC)” and is a segment of Laser Digital Funds Segregated Portfolio Company. Remarkably, it has been registered as a mutual fund under the Cayman Islands Regulatory Authority. To ensure regulated custody, Nomura has selected Komainu as its partner. Sebastien Guglietta, head of Laser Digital Asset Management, voiced the bank’s long-term perspective, stating, “Bitcoin is one of the enablers of this long-lasting transformational change, and long-term exposure to Bitcoin ...

Croatian companies Agroporc, Beyondi, and Block Be have unveiled GoAgro, a platform offering investors an avenue to engage in swine farming by acquiring Pig NFTs. The companies introduced the GoAgro platform during a recent press event. This website allows citizens to participate in the so-called future of food production in Croatia. The flagship project on GoAgro is named “My Digital Pig.” The recent development is one of recent dabbles into NFTs by prominent entities, including Coca-Cola, Lufthansa Group and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). You might also like: Coca-Cola’s new ‘Masterpiece’ NFT collection boasts $543,660 in earnings over 3 days On GoAgro, investors can create and own digital pigs. These virtual livestock enable crypto proponents and aspiring farmers to enter the agricultural scene without the necessity of wearing traditional farm attire and engaging in physical farming activities. Every NFT requires a minimum investment of 25...

As the music industry continues to push into the Web3 space getting artists both mainstream and up-and-coming has its hurdles but also major rewards. Musicians and executives alike have seen the power of Web3 tools such as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to transform audiences into active communities with fewer barriers between artists and fans. Recently, the crypto-savvy Snoop Dogg partnered with country music stars Billy Ray Cyrus and the Avila Brothers to create an NFT experience that crossed genres and created new communities in the process. While Snoop may be a veteran in the space, many musicians find the Web3 world a whole new frontier. Cointelegraph spoke with Bernard Alexander, the head of IP at the company Animal Concerts, which facilitated the aforementioned NFT collection, to better understand what it takes to bring artists into Web3. Alexander affirmed that onboarding someone like Snoop is very different from “artists who don’t typically keep up with the Web3 ecosystem.” It als...

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is seeking a digital asset solution to facilitate the seizure and storage of cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is seeking a digital asset solution to facilitate the seizure and storage of crypto currency and nonfungible tokens (NFTs). According to an announcement, a tender was opened for applications on Aug. 10 for a solution to store seized digital assets: “The development of a centralized repository solution would allow police officers to seize these assets in a user friendly manner, while also offering significant security to prevent the theft of said assets during their storage.” The RCMP demands 17 requirements from the future repository . Among them is the ability to process transactions for the top 20 crypto currency blockchains by market capitalization and the scalability to support new blockchains in the future. The RCMP also intends to grant access to its data to users who need it. As for NFTs,...

After 16 consecutive months of decline, the stablecoin market dominance has fallen to 10.3% of the total crypto market capitalization. The market capitalization of stablecoins has hit the lowest level since August 2021 coming on the back of 16 consecutive months of decline, a new report says. Cryptocurrency analytics platform CCData released a report on July 20 saying the stablecoin market cap fell 0.82% from the start of the month until July 17, taking the sector's market cap to $127 billion. Stablecoin market dominance took a slight fall and is currently at 10.3%, dropping from 10.5% in June. Our latest Stablecoins & CBDCs Report is now live! Key Highlights: ️16-month fall in stablecoin market cap, now at $127bn ️ $USDT at $0.73, $USDC at $0.82 on #Binance.US ️ $USDP's largest cap drop since 2020, now at $593mn Full Report https://t.co/A9rFx6pbJx — CCData (@CCData_io) July 20, 2023 Of the top ten stablecoins, Pax Dollar (USDP) was hit hardest, falling 43.1% to $56...

Investing in authenticity: Here’s how Cointelegraph’s Historical Collection combats AI’s impact on information. In the rapidly evolving world of blockchain technology, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have emerged as an asset class offering a unique opportunity to own many kinds of digital items — both rare and valuable. Since the initial boom of NFTs manifested through the world of collectible digital art (such as Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks), the past year has seen digital collectibles utilized in various other interesting real-world use cases. Cointelegraph’s Historical Collection is a prime example of this. The Historical Collection is an initiative that allows individuals to own a piece of history by minting any article published on Cointelegraph as a digital collectible. It offers an opportunity to search for iconic art and headlines or hunt for hot, breaking news early to mint on the Polygon blockchain. CHECK OUT THE COINTELEGRAPH HISTORICAL COLLECTION Since its debut, the co...

Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu expects a number of its blockchain gaming investments to come to market by the end of 2023. Blockchain-based games have been a hot topic in the cryptocurrency space over the past two years, accounting for considerable growth and daily activity on a number of protocols despite prolonged bear market conditions. Market research estimates that Web3 gaming pulled in around $4.5 billion in funding in 2022 as asset managers, investment funds and venture capitalists look to cash in on the burgeoning sector. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu highlighted the firm’s renewed optimism in the blockchain gaming sector and gave an update on its anticipated metaverse fund which grabbed headlines in late 2022. Metaverse fund awaiting license Animoca Brands originally earmarked up to $2 billion for a proposed metaverse fund in November 2022 which intends to invest in a variety of mid to late-stage startups building metavers...

Seven institutional firms have filed for a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S., including the world’s largest asset manager BlackRock, driving optimism and higher Bitcoin prices. With the Bitcoin (BTC) halving event less than a year away, several financial giants have filed applications for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) — a scenario last seen before the 2020 to 2021 bull run.  Institutional interest in the sector dried up after major crypto giants such as FTX collapsed amid a prolonged crypto winter in 2022. Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies traded largely sideways as several crypto exchanges fell under regulatory scrutiny. However, on news that major financial institutions such as BlackRock, Fidelity, Valkyrie and others were filing applications to list a spot Bitcoin ETF, the price of BTC recovered to over $30,000, spurring investment into the crypto market again. Bitcoin one-month price chart. Source: CoinMarketCap While several institutional giants have filed spot Bitco...

Blockchain events are a catalyst for industry adoption, a factor that is only amplified by the global accessibility that only the metaverse can provide. In addition to sharing knowledge, networking and staying on top of industry trends, blockchain events also serve as the foundation for Web3 adoption. While these events can take a variety of forms, from a hackathon to a tradeshow and speaker format, the reality is that these events are often an important showcase for real-world use cases, success stories and practical implementations of blockchain technology. By seeing these tangible examples of how Web3 is impacting industries and solving complex problems, many industry professionals are given the foundation they need to build on and gain trust and confidence in the technology. Blockchain events also provide a platform for education and awareness. Again, while the exact format may vary, many events include a workshop, training session or expert-led discussion component that demystifi...

The upgrade is part of a series of reforms meant to increase modularity in the OP Stack, allowing developers to spin up their own networks using the software. The Optimism network has concluded its “Bedrock” upgrade on June 7, reducing deposit times , lowering layer -1 fees, and enacting additional security Features , according to an announcement from network developer OP Labs. The upgrade is part of a series of reforms the developer says will help create a “Superchain” of scaleable Web3 networks based on Optimism’s OP Stack software. OP Mainnet’s migration to Bedrock has concluded and the Bedrock sequencer has started up. Key external OP Mainnet infrastructure is starting to come back online. You can track infrastructure status here:https://t.co/XTtaArdI03 — Optimism (_) (@optimismFND) June 6, 2023 In a conversation with Cointelegraph, OP Labs CEO Karl Floersch stated that Bedrock implements multiple gas optimizations the team discovered, reducing the network’s data availabi...

Exploring the integration of real-world economics within the virtual realms of blockchain gaming through commercial NFTs. The world is on the precipice of an exciting new era in gaming, which will see the incorporation of blockchain technology as a revolution in the space. With enhanced player ownership and the possibility of real-world economics within virtual realms, blockchain gaming is shifting paradigms and redefining possibilities. A key player in this exciting evolution is Emilian Ciocanea, a veteran entrepreneur and early blockchain investor. With over two decades in business and product management, Ciocanea has effectively tapped into emerging industries and created value-generating business models. Now, as the CEO and founder of Gold Fever, a truly player-owned project, he’s blending the worlds of gaming and blockchain. In this conversation, he shares his insights on the current and future state of blockchain gaming, and delves into the innovative use of NFTs within Gold Fev...