Why Did Visa Buy a $150K NFT? Why Does Anyone?

Why Did Visa Buy a $150K NFT? Why Does Anyone?
There are some very good reasons, it turns out, rooted in our deep, totally irrational animal brains.

US Stablecoin Regulation Could Lead to Geopolitical Competition

US Stablecoin Regulation Could Lead to Geopolitical Competition
Recent regulatory developments could push stablecoins closer to the existing fiat system, unleashing competition for control over a lifeblood of the crypto industry, says our columnist.

Parsing 3 Types of Risk in Digital Assets

Parsing 3 Types of Risk in Digital Assets
In digital assets, high yields are ubiquitous, but it’s not always clear what risks are actually taken to generate these yields, says our columnist.

Crypto Volatility Index 2.0 Rolled Out With USDC Support

Crypto Volatility Index 2.0 Rolled Out With USDC Support
Users can now open USDC positions and stake CVI USDC through the index.

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Expected to Pause Before Next Rally

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Expected to Pause Before Next Rally
Analysts expect bitcoin to pause at around $40K before its next leg up.

Traders, Unswayed by Axie Infinity Hype, Are Aggressively Shorting AXS

Traders, Unswayed by Axie Infinity Hype, Are Aggressively Shorting AXS
Data underscores that It’s not that easy to win over a crypto trader’s heart.

How Decentralized Is DeFi?

How Decentralized Is DeFi?
Uniswap’s removal of a set of assets from its interface has the community asking just how decentralized is the platform.

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Stalls After Short-Squeeze Rally

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Stalls After Short-Squeeze Rally
Technical data suggests lower support around $34,000 could stabilize the current pullback.

Why Stablecoins Are Suddenly in the News

Why Stablecoins Are Suddenly in the News
From questions surrounding Tether's USDT to Circle's plan to go public, here is your guide to why everyone is suddenly talking about stablecoins.

Crypto News Roundup for July 27, 2021

Crypto News Roundup for July 27, 2021
With the crypto markets stabilizing after a recent short squeeze and a look at how crypto developers are spending more time optimizing than innovating, CoinDesk’s Markets Daily is back with the latest news roundup.

Bitcoin, Ether Options Markets Pare Bearish Bias

Bitcoin, Ether Options Markets Pare Bearish Bias
The short-term put-call skews have pulled back due to a flurry of call buying.

State of Crypto: Congress Is Holding 3 Hearings Today, Here’s What to Expect

State of Crypto: Congress Is Holding 3 Hearings Today, Here’s What to Expect
Congress is holding three simultaneous hearings around cryptocurrencies today – and they're all on different types of use cases.

Crypto Fintech Eco Raises $60M for High-Yield USDC Savings App

Crypto Fintech Eco Raises $60M for High-Yield USDC Savings App
The a16z-backed Eco, where users’ deposits are loaned out in USDC, says it’s keeping an eye on the BlockFi case.

Solana’s Saber Labs Raises $7.7M in Seed Funding Round Led by Race Capital

Solana’s Saber Labs Raises $7.7M in Seed Funding Round Led by Race Capital
Funding will go toward three main areas including hiring, marketing as well as business and product development.

Bitcoin Takes a Breather as Stocks Drop, Inflation-Adjusted Bond Yields Hit Record Low

Bitcoin Takes a Breather as Stocks Drop, Inflation-Adjusted Bond Yields Hit Record Low
Deep negative real returns on bonds tend to boost the attractiveness of other assets.

The Tether Put: Crypto Equivalent of Credit Default Swap?

The Tether Put: Crypto Equivalent of Credit Default Swap?
Cryptocurrency market makers say they're fielding inquiries about how to bet on a falling price for the dollar-pegged stablecoin USDT.

Market Wrap: Possible Trend Reversal as Bitcoin Spikes Past $40K

Market Wrap: Possible Trend Reversal as Bitcoin Spikes Past $40K
The strong bounce in bitcoin over the weekend occurred as shorts covered positions.

Tether’s Collapse Would Be Chaotic, Not Cataclysmic

Tether’s Collapse Would Be Chaotic, Not Cataclysmic
Possible criminal charges against Tether executives will put even more pressure on a product that the market is already cooling on.

Bitcoin Climbs Past $40K for First Time Since Mid-June

Bitcoin Climbs Past $40K for First Time Since Mid-June
Market analysts say Monday's price gains accelerated amid a short squeeze.

Bitcoin Spike Fueled by Short Squeeze as Market Shrugs Off Tether News

Bitcoin Spike Fueled by Short Squeeze as Market Shrugs Off Tether News
According to one analyst, some $1 billion in trading positions were liquidated as prices surged.

USDT Maintains Dollar Peg as Traders Shrug Off DOJ Tether Probe Report

USDT Maintains Dollar Peg as Traders Shrug Off DOJ Tether Probe Report
Unlike past scares, Monday’s report of a Department of Justice investigation hasn’t shaken traders’ faith in the stablecoin.

State of Crypto: Inside the NRCC’s Plan to Accept Crypto Donations

State of Crypto: Inside the NRCC’s Plan to Accept Crypto Donations
The NRCC will soon accept crypto donations because Republican donors requested the payment method, the campaign committee's chair said.

6 Insurers Initiate New Cryptocurrency Investment Positions: Report

6 Insurers Initiate New Cryptocurrency Investment Positions: Report
Insurance firms have increased their interest in crypto investments in recent months.

DeFi Projects Continue Flocking to Layer 2 Solution Polygon

DeFi Projects Continue Flocking to Layer 2 Solution Polygon
Polygon’s cheaper transaction costs and faster block time have driven increased adoption by a number of major projects.

Human Protocol Expands hCaptcha Tool, Launches Wallet to Make AI Smarter

Human Protocol Expands hCaptcha Tool, Launches Wallet to Make AI Smarter
“Proof-of-HUMANity” could also thwart front-running DeFi bots.

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Sustains ‘Musk Jump’ as Crypto Sentiment Improves

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Sustains ‘Musk Jump’ as Crypto Sentiment Improves
Bitcoin tests $40K following positive comments from Tesla's CEO Elon Musk and hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones.

Bitcoin and Ether Price Indicators Support Near-Term ‘Relief Rally’

Bitcoin and Ether Price Indicators Support Near-Term ‘Relief Rally’
Bitcoin's weekly stochastic oscillator has turned up from oversold or below -20 levels, a positive sign for the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Fund Outflows Slow but Investors Start Exiting Ether Funds

Bitcoin Fund Outflows Slow but Investors Start Exiting Ether Funds
The amount of money leaving was significantly less than the previous, record week of $141 million.

Goldman Sachs Plans to Offer Ether Options: Report

Goldman Sachs Plans to Offer Ether Options: Report
In March, the investment bank relaunched its cryptocurrency trading desk after a three-year hiatus.

China’s Xiong’an New Area Begins Using Digital Yuan for Salary Payments

China’s Xiong’an New Area Begins Using Digital Yuan for Salary Payments
The country is testing the currency in different pilots.

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Flat at $37K as Investors Tangle With Bulls and Bears

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Flat at $37K as Investors Tangle With Bulls and Bears
Positive news from El Salvador couldn't completely overcome negative news out of China.

Next-Gen Game Developer Mythical Raises $75M for Playable NFTs

Next-Gen Game Developer Mythical Raises $75M for Playable NFTs
The funding round will offer external game developers a way to bring NFTs into their fictional worlds.

DAOs, DeFi and Dollars: the Bold New World of Decentralized Entities

DAOs, DeFi and Dollars: the Bold New World of Decentralized Entities
In this week’s episode, we explore how developers and investors are working through the complex process of bridging the human and legal needs of the outside world with these complex, decentralized systems run by blockchains, automated smart contracts, “multisig” tokenized collateral agreements.

Stake Technologies Raises $10M Ahead of Polkadot and Kusama Auctions

Stake Technologies Raises $10M Ahead of Polkadot and Kusama Auctions
With auctions to win a place building on the Polkadot blockchain ecosystem beginning soon, projects are coming out with strategies to secure one of the coveted slots.

Market Wrap: Bullish Basel News Causes BTC Jump to Week-High $38K Level; ETH Slips

Market Wrap: Bullish Basel News Causes BTC Jump to Week-High $38K Level; ETH Slips
Bitcoin busted out a quick 5% gain early Thursday on positive news from that continent before losing some steam.

Gold Tokens Take Off as Inflation Accelerates, Bitcoin Retreats

Gold Tokens Take Off as Inflation Accelerates, Bitcoin Retreats
The market cap of gold-backed tokens has surged 30-fold since the start of 2020, according to one research firm.

A Big Carbon Footprint Compared to What?

A Big Carbon Footprint Compared to What?
When blockchain systems reduce human involvement in transactions, the carbon benefits can be substantial, says our columnist.

Arrington Capital Launches $100M Algorand Ecosystem Fund

Arrington Capital Launches $100M Algorand Ecosystem Fund
The TechCrunch founder’s second crypto fund will bet on Algorand projects and coins. But don’t think the firm is abandoning XRP.

Hut 8 Mining’s Shares to Be Listed on Nasdaq

Hut 8 Mining’s Shares to Be Listed on Nasdaq
Hut 8 will also retain its listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Ethereum Wallet MEW Enables Eth 2.0 Staking Through Your Phone

Ethereum Wallet MEW Enables Eth 2.0 Staking Through Your Phone
MEW is one of several crypto wallet services actively helping onboard new users to the Ethereum blockchain, which has now amassed a market capitalization of over $272 billion. Kosala Hemachandra, the co-founder and CEO of My Ether Wallet (MEW), talks about MEW’s two-step solution to staking on Ethereum 2.0.

Dapper Labs Unveils Flow-Native Stablecoin, FUSD, With Other ERC-20-Like Tokens to Follow

Dapper Labs Unveils Flow-Native Stablecoin, FUSD, With Other ERC-20-Like Tokens to Follow
The maker of NBA Top Shot is deploying new tools for developers to launch tokens on the Flow blockchain.

Bitcoin Peeps Above $38K on Basel News

Bitcoin Peeps Above $38K on Basel News
The top cryptocurrency hit a high of $38,461 during the European hours, extending Wednesday's double-digit rally.

Bitcoin Brokerage River Financial Raises $17M: SEC Filings

Bitcoin Brokerage River Financial Raises $17M: SEC Filings
River Financial's equity sale comes as the high-end brokerage embarks on a major hiring push.

Bitcoin Is Now a Trillion-Dollar Asset: Where Do We Go From Here?

Bitcoin Is Now a Trillion-Dollar Asset: Where Do We Go From Here?
The milestone isn’t just psychological, and potentially opens entire new groups of investors who couldn’t participate previously.

Money Reimagined: Tucker Carlson Is Right About Financial Privacy

Money Reimagined: Tucker Carlson Is Right About Financial Privacy
Say what you will about the Fox News host, but he deserves credit for highlighting Bank of America’s transaction snooping, writes Marc Hochstein.

The Business of Art and How NFTs Will Change It, With Nanne Dekking

The Business of Art and How NFTs Will Change It, With Nanne Dekking
With big brands like Christie’s auction house and the National Basketball Association getting involved and some tokens already selling for six-figure sums, the question isn't if NFTs will force a very old industry to adopt some very new practices, it's when.

Why Everyone Wants an Invite to Clubhouse Crypto

Why Everyone Wants an Invite to Clubhouse Crypto
The 11-month old audio app is the latest vector for crypto adoption – memes and all. Here's why everyone wants in.

Bitcoin Is Worth $1T and OKCoin Delists BCH and BSV

Bitcoin Is Worth $1T and OKCoin Delists BCH and BSV
Bitcoin, now worth more than most U.S. corporations, first reached "dollar parity" 10 years ago.

Austrian Regulator Reports Rise in Crypto Fraud

Austrian Regulator Reports Rise in Crypto Fraud
The FMA reports two-thirds of the investment fraud reports filed in 2020 were related to cryptocurrency and digital currency trading products.

Bitcoin’s Price Surge Accelerates After Passing Milestone of $1T Market Value

Bitcoin’s Price Surge Accelerates After Passing Milestone of $1T Market Value
The price could go higher, unless traders start taking profits.