Blockchain Bylines

Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation, discusses how Bitcoin can strengthen civil liberties. They explore the mission of HRF and its impact on supporting human rights globally. The podcast also delves into the foundation's growth, funding, and notable backers. They highlight the use of blockchain technology in empowering individuals in authoritarian regimes to share their stories and provide resources for financial freedom.

Last week in crypto, Trump Digital Trading Card NFTs shot up 42% in floor price, and Trump Digital Cards Series 2 soared in trading volume. WorldCoin dropped nearly 10% in the last few days. The token experienced a 40% spike in it’s launch week, perhaps due to it’s controversial requirement to provide an eye-scan to claim but seems that initial popularity was short-lived. Bitcoin supply in exchanges is nearing 6-year lows, data shows that just 5.8% of the entire Bitcoin supply is currently held by exchanges. Several theories have emerged as to why, one driving element behind it being investors’ preference for long term holding strategies and a consistent input from affluent individuals and institutions, with an average of 57,000+ $100,000 transactions each week. Forbes has reported that Oman has invested $1.1 billion in Bitcoin mining infrastructure. Citing excitement to be part of the growing cryptocurrency market, and a desire to be known as the central hub of mining cryptocurrency worldwide. Global response has been positive, predicting this move to help Oman’s economy by providing new jobs, and raising their presence as a modern country open to new ideas and technologies. Follow us to get involved in the crypto community, or head to blockchain.com to buy, trade, and store crypto on a platform trusted by millions.

Last week in crypto, data from a Saint Petersburg Exchange and the Russian Trading System emerged showing that more than half of Russian citizens want to store their money in a central bank digital currency.  WorldCoin, which experienced a 40% spike in it’s launch week, perhaps due to it’s controversial requirement to provide an eye-scan to claim, has lost its initial popularity and dropped nearly 10% in the last few days.  With Donald Trump’s return to Twitter and posting of his mugshot, NFTs have seen a surge. Trump Digital Trading Card NFT shot up 42% in floor price, and Trump Digital Cards Series 2 soared 3617% in trading volume. Bitcoin supply in exchanges is nearing 6-year lows, data shows that just 5.8% of the entire Bitcoin supply is currently held by exchanges. Several theories have emerged as to why, one driving element behind it being investors’ preference for long term holding strategies and a consistent input from affluent individuals and institutions, with an average of 57,000+ $100,000 transactions each week. Forbes has reported that Oman has invested $1.1 billion in Bitcoin mining infrastructure. Citing excitement to be part of the growing cryptocurrency market, and a desire to be known for the central hub of mining cryptocurrency worldwide. Global response has been positive, predicting this move to help Oman’s economy by providing new jobs, and raising their presence as a modern country open to new ideas and technologies. Follow us to get involved in the crypto community, or head to blockchain.com to buy, trade, and store crypto on a platform trusted by millions.

Last week in crypto, Cardano's price remained in the red despite significant market activity by both large investors and aggressive traders. Binance announced multiple pair delisting, while reports have surfaced showing Donald Trump as an Ethereum whale. PayPal has suspended crypto purchases in the UK, affecting users' ability to buy and sell digital assets. This move temporarily halts a convenient crypto avenue for UK customers, with PayPal committing to the return of the service in 2024. A new lobbying group, the Crypto Mining Advocacy Coalition, has emerged in Washington to represent the interests of cryptocurrency miners. Focusing on regulatory policies, the group aims to influence discussions and decisions surrounding crypto mining, signaling an effort to shape favorable regulations for the industry within the U.S. capital. Cube3AI, a web3 security startup, has come out of stealth mode with $82 million in seed funding. The company aims to enhance security within the decentralized web space, leveraging advanced technologies to protect users and platforms. The substantial seed funding reflects growing investor interest in safeguarding the evolving web3 ecosystem. Follow us to get involved in the crypto community, or head to blockchain.com to buy, trade, and store crypto on a platform trusted by millions. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠

Last week in crypto, the Bank of England’s base rate hike impacted the bitcoin stirling pairing, which has risen above the 25-day and 50-day moving averages. NFT Platform Nifty has closed down, and Israel’s only public stock exchange, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has signed an agreement with the digital asset platform Fireblocks to jointly offer a range of new digital asset products and services.  The Litecoin halving event completed, with block rewards now halved to 6.25 litecoin per block. Litecoin is the 12th-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, and sometimes referred to as the silver to bitcoin’s gold. BitPay has reported that as of June, Litecoin surpassed Bitcoin as the crypto of choice for payments, accounting for 35% of transactions.  Ethereum passed it’s 8th anniversary and the crypto community joined together to celebrate. On July 30th 2015, one of Ethereum’s Founders published a blog post, officially announcing that the network had been rolled out sharing “The vision of a censorship-proof ‘world computer’ that anyone can program, paying exclusively for what they use and nothing more, is now a reality.’ Here at Blockchain.com we gave the equivalent to $5 bonus to all our ETH buyers.  CoinTelegraph has reported that the adoption of blockchain technology is gaining momentum among farmers in Africa as it offers various benefits to agricultural practices. Blockchain helps to increase transparency and traceability in the supply chain, ensuring fairer prices for farmers' produce and reducing food fraud. Additionally, it enables better access to financial services for small-scale farmers, who often face challenges in obtaining loans due to lack of credit history. By digitizing and recording farming data, blockchain also enhances productivity and efficiency, leading to improved yields. The technology's potential to transform agriculture is drawing interest and investment in the region, supporting sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠ For one year, friends of Blockchain.com can get:  15% off 1Password Families  15% off 1Password Individual  Simply follow the link in our bio to claim your discount now.

Last week in crypto, bitcoin price bounced around the $29k mark, crypto mining retailer Phoneix eyed up an IPO, and BlackRock vowed to democratize crypto through their spot Bitcoin ETF. Worldcoin is a cryptocurrency project aiming to distribute cryptocurrency to every person on the planet. To achieve this, it plans to use biometric identification technology for a fair and equal distribution. The project aims to provide universal basic income and promote financial inclusion globally.  Neobank platform Hi has secured $30M in funding and shared their vision for an NFT debit card offering. Their founder is predicting cards could bridge the gap between physical and digital assets, allowing users to own unique NFT-based debit cards representing their identity and assets. This innovation could revolutionize the financial landscape in the realm of blockchain and NFTs. Elon Musk is proposing to build his own stablecoin, Musk, but proposed legislation regulating stablecoins in the US may impact this. Follow us to get involved in the crypto community, or head to blockchain.com to buy, trade, and store crypto on a platform trusted by millions. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠ For one year, friends of Blockchain.com can get:  15% off 1Password Families  15% off 1Password Individual  Simply follow the link in our bio to claim your discount now.

In segment ‘Blockchain for good’ we’re unearthing real world examples of how blockchain technology is making a real world difference to people, communities and charities all around the world. We’ll learn more about organizations and projects using crypto and blockchain technology to promote social and economic inclusion, and sustainability efforts.  Today we’re joined by Tori Samples, Senior Product Manager the Stellar Foundation to discuss how , the first-of-its-kind blockchain payment solution for digital cash distribution to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other war-affected people in Ukraine. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠

Express Crypto News: 60-Second Recap shares the top stories in crypto every week.  Last week in crypto, Solana announced significant network performance increases, UniSwap’s founder had their twitter hacked, and Bitcoin’s price dipped back to $29k.  Tourists from Mainland China can now shop in Hong Kong with Chinese central bank digital currency. Hong Kong has been positioning itself as a global offshore trading center, and this is just the beginning. The digital currency’s expansion signals China’s ongoing push towards digitalization in its financial sector. Also in Hong Kong, McDonald’s has launched a McNuggets themed metaverse. Sandbox users can play mini-games in a McNuggets themed virtual space. Players can earn rewards including SAND tokens - the cryptocurrency of the Sandbox ecosystem, as well as in-game accessories. OpenEx closed its latest funding round on its journey to build a unique hybrid exchange model, bringing together centralization and decentralization. Raising 50 million USD, the round includes prominent names in the Web3 space. Unstoppable Domains have partnered with us, Blockchain.com, to release exclusive single-digit .blockchain domains. Making sending and receiving crypto easier. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠ For one year, friends of Blockchain.com can get:  15% off 1Password Families  15% off 1Password Individual  Simply follow the link in our bio to claim your discount now.

Express Crypto News: 60-Second Recap shares the top stories in crypto every week.  Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠ For one year, friends of Blockchain.com can get:  15% off 1Password Families  15% off 1Password Individual  Simply follow the link in our bio to claim your discount now. ⁠https://rb.gy/5mt6f

In our latest podcast segment, ‘Blockchain for good’ we’re unearthing real world examples of how blockchain technology is making a real world difference to people, communities and charities all around the world. We’ll learn more about organizations and projects using crypto and blockchain technology to promote social and economic inclusion, and sustainability efforts.  Today we’re joined by Fereshteh Forough, founder of “Code to Inspire”, which is the first coding school for women in Afghanistan to explore “Code to Inspire’s” approach to economic equality. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠