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Dubai Market Attracts Major Exchanges – Crypto.com Secures License

Prominent cryptocurrency exchanges like Crypto.com and Binance have been looking to set up operations in the friendly Dubai cryptocurrency market.

Crypto.com Gets Provisional Approval

Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has set its sights on the lucrative Dubai market. After appealing to the Dubai regulator responsible for virtual asset licenses, the exchange was able to obtain a provisional approval, the Virtual Assets MVP License, to provide crypto services in the city. The exchange announced the news on Thursday, revealing that it would receive the full operating license once VARA conducts and completes due diligence and other mandatory compliance requirements.

Crypto.com Co-Founder and CEO Kris Marszalek said:

“We are excited to offer more of our products and services in a market that is critical to our business and equally committed to regulation and compliance. We look forward to working with regulators across the region to further expand Crypto.com’s offering and market presence.”

The regulatory body in question is the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), which was created earlier this year to oversee and facilitate the growth of the cryptocurrency industry in Dubai. VARA manages the operations of various crypto platforms for a secure investment environment, much needed for a thriving industry.

Crypto.com starts operations in Dubai

Approval means that the exchange has completed an initial level of compliance checks to the satisfaction of the regulatory body. Therefore, Crypto.com will now be able to offer all its products and services to those interested in Dubai. However, the supervisory body will be attentive to all procedures to guarantee maximum protection for investors.

Foreign Trade Minister Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi commented on the news and said:

“The United Arab Emirates is focused on developing a world-leading environment for innovative technology and collaboration, and we believe that cryptocurrencies, virtual assets and blockchain will revolutionize the financial services industry. Through our Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and other key initiatives, we are attracting businesses to the UAE to build on this vision and enable the technologies of the future to flourish here.”

Binance moves in Dubai

Crypto.com will face fierce competition in Dubai as another major cryptocurrency exchange has also applied for the VARA operating license. Binance Holdings Ltd., which operates the largest exchange in the cryptocurrency industry by trading volume, has already signed an agreement with the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) to work together on establishing the latter as a global hub for digital assets. Reports also stated that Binance is seeking accreditation to begin providing crypto services on the DWTC, which has been declared a “free zone” for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Meanwhile, another global cryptocurrency company, FTX, has been exploring a completely different market. It recently announced the launch of FTX Japan to tap into the growing Japanese market despite strict crypto regulations in the Asian country.

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Will Apple present NFT trading cards at next week’s developer event?

Judging by its history, Apple is known for having a knack for making a surprise. Thanks to an update shared by the tech giant, the NFT community believes there is a good chance of getting into web 3.0 with Apple NFT cards.

Speculation started after Apple revealed cool Memoji-like characters on its latest event page. The World Developers Conference 2022 annual marketing campaign features some cool NFT-like characters.

As a result, the cryptographic community on Twitter is hopeful with Apple’s entry into web 3.0. “Apple may release NFT business cards,” said one enthusiast.

Adding to this speculation was a claim by MacRumors that clicking on Memoji characters could reveal an augmented reality mode with three collectible card characters.

Apple well positioned for Ace Web 3.0

While the company has yet to officially confirm the claims, breaking into the NFT space is likely not going to be much of a challenge. Apple has already worked on developing a mixed reality headset with VR and AR capabilities. This makes things even easier for Apple, which has been hard at work in the Memoji segment for the past few years.

Furthermore, the Apple CEO revealed his interest in the cryptocurrency space last year. In fact, he said that he personally invested in cryptocurrencies. He also commented on Apple’s NFT plans.

"NFTs are interesting, but it will take time to develop in a way that is for the average person."

However, Cook did not comment on Apple’s cryptocurrency investment plans. He clarified that there are no immediate plans to launch cryptocurrency-related offerings. Additionally, Cook revealed at the time that there may be different things Apple is looking into in space.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will take place virtually from June 6-10. The event could lead to the revelation of new developments in a number of Apple products. New devices and software models like iPadOS 15, MacOS Monterey, watchOS 8 and iOS 15 may emerge.

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Caribbean Islands, Dubai, Mumbai: Bitcoin Cash Adoption Continues to Grow Worldwide

Bitcoin Cash supporters have been known to spread adoption over the years and 2022 is no different. This year, the peer-to-peer cryptocurrency bitcoin cash has seen significant adoption in the Caribbean islands, along with places like Dubai and Mumbai.

Bitcoin Cash Advocates Continue to Promote Peer-to-Peer Cryptocurrency Adoption

According to the map.bitcoin.com website, there are thousands of merchants around the world that accept bitcoin cash (BCH) for goods and services. Additionally, if one visits the r/btc Reddit forum, one will notice a plethora of posts highlighting adoption in places like Dubai, Mumbai, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Marten.

Bitcoin.com News previously reported on St. Maarten, Rolando Brison, revealing that he requested that his entire salary be converted into bitcoin cash. Map.bitcoin.com indicates that there are more than 160 merchants that accept BCH in the region.

Bitcoin Cash is now accepted by the Caribeeats platform (caribeeats.com) and BCH can be used to deliver food and groceries to more than 15 different countries. Caribeeats serves regions such as Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, USA, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Saint Kitts, St. Lucia and much more.

Starting today, https://t.co/jo5L9YGhz9 accepts #BitcoinCash! Try it today in #Antigua #BVI #Barbados #Bahamas #Caribbean #Grenada #GUYANA #London #Trinidad #USA https://t.co/K8GOsZM66j pic.twitter.com/SQxZRcVPAp

— Roger Ver (@rogerkver) May 28, 2022

Numerous Reddit and map.bitcoin.com posts reveal that BCH is beginning to make a presence in Dubai at establishments such as Masala Mantra, Tandoori Junction, Great Wok, Bermuda Diving Center, X Factor Restaurant, Franck Muller Middle East and India, Perfetto Pizzeria and Business Town.

Similarly, BCH adoption is also taking place in India’s de facto financial hub, Mumbai. In mid-April, Hosanna House Montessori School, an all-boys school located in Mumbai, announced that it had become the first Montessori school in India to accept BCH.

On June 2, the Nahar Medical Center revealed that it has become the first medical center in India to accept bitcoin cash. In Mumbai, BCH is also accepted at Jayant, Paramount Sports n Nutrition, Vig Refreshments, Super Waves, Copa, and Haute Dog Pet Salon & Boutique Store.

Bitcoin Cash has been gaining significant adoption in the twin-island Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, as the region has a total of 159 merchants accepting BCH, according to map.bitcoin.com. Last month, Club Dubai in St. Kitts revealed that it accepts bitcoin cash (BCH) payments, and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in St. Kitts adopted BCH.

Bitcoin cash is also accepted at Burger King St. Kitts and the Panda supermarket on the island accept BCH. in St. Kitts, the crypto is also accepted at Sun Island Clothes, Karma Asian Cuisine, Econo Retail Shop, and Oracle Martial Arts Academy.

Merchants that accept bitcoin cash are prominent in several other regions of the world, including Anguilla, Antigua, Japan, Venezuela, Slovenia, Australia, Philippines, Vietnam, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Argentina, and more. Additionally, a good portion of businesses that accept BCH for payments accept the digital currency directly, rather than using a third party or payment processor.

Businesses that accept cryptocurrencies can be found at map.bitcoin.com, but BCH users can also take advantage of the Green Pages and Acceptbitcoin.cash websites to view physical and online merchants that accept peer-to-peer cryptocurrency assets.

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Fidelity plans to hire Spree to expand crypto services to include Ethereum trading and custody

Fidelity is planning a hiring spree to add ether trading and custody services to its cryptocurrency business. “As the demand for digital assets continues to grow steadily and the market evolves, we will continue to expand our sourcing efforts,” a Fidelity executive explained.

Crypto Loyalty Expansion Services

Fidelity Investments‘ digital asset subsidiary, Fidelity Digital Assets, is expanding its services.

Founded in 2018, Fidelity Digital Assets currently employs around 200 people. The company is looking to fill 110 new positions to focus on assets beyond bitcoin, a Fidelity spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday.

Tom Jessop, President of Fidelity Digital Assets, commented:

As the demand for digital assets continues to grow steadily and the market evolves, we will continue to expand our sourcing efforts.

According to Fidelity product manager Terrence Dempsey, Fidelity Digital Assets has around 400 clients, including registered investment advisers, hedge funds and asset managers.

Until now, the company has only offered institutional investors the ability to store and trade bitcoins.

Jessop explained that the new hires will help build infrastructure to support ether trading and custody services.

Fidelity’s expansion announcement came as the cryptocurrency market lost nearly $500 billion last month. However, the executive noted that cryptocurrency price declines have not had a significant impact on the company’s business and that the company is focused on long-term indicators such as customer demand. He was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying:

We're trying not to focus on crises and focus on some of the longer-term indicators... We're trying to build infrastructure for the future because we measure success over years and decades, not weeks and months.

Last month, Fidelity Investments announced that it was adding bitcoin as an investment option to 401(k) retirement plans.

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India consults World Bank and IMF to comply with global cryptocurrency regulations

The Indian government is working on a consultation document on how to regulate cryptocurrencies. The World Bank, the IMF, stakeholders and other interested parties took part in the consultation.

The Indian government’s line on cryptocurrencies has been anything but clear so far. However, its own central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, has made it very clear that it believes cryptocurrencies are a threat to macroeconomic stability and appears to be interested in an outright ban.

As reported by the Times of India, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth expressed a desire to work globally to properly regulate cryptocurrencies. He said:

“We consulted not only national institutional actors, but also institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF. Therefore, we hope that we will soon be in a position to finalize our consultation document.”

He added that his country has started working on global regulations and stated that countries would not be able to succeed in their cryptocurrency regulation unless there was broad consensus across economies.

The fact that global financial institutions like the IMF are involved with Indian thinking on how to regulate cryptocurrencies may be a cause for concern in cryptocurrency circles.

The IMF has been highly critical of the cryptocurrency sector so far, warning El Salvador, for example, about the repercussions of adopting bitcoin as a legal tender in the country alongside the dollar.

The world’s elite banking and financial institutions have a lot to lose if Bitcoin becomes even more entrenched as a place for investors to gather, as the dollar and other fiat currencies around the world continue to devalue.

It remains to be seen to what extent any extremely negative regulation of the cryptocurrency sector will be respected as the world’s citizens try to cope with declining purchasing power on the one hand and runaway inflation on the other.

There is a lot of talk about how investors are being tricked by some of the Ponzi crypto schemes, but little is mentioned about why investors are there in the first place. Virtually zero returns and an outdated banking system that is not fit for purpose could be just some of the reasons.