Category: cryptocurrency exchange

Categories
Bitcoin Investment cryptocurrency exchange Cryptocurrency news NFT Investment

Nike-RTFKT NFT universe rises to $1.4 billion in transactions

The collaboration between Nike and digital art studio RTFKT has opened a new chapter in NFT trading, with its collections approaching a volume of US$1.4 billion. With revenues reaching $170 million, this partnership highlights the growing intersection of digital assets and physical goods. The recent frenzy was catalyzed by a counterfeiting event that allowed NFT holders to pre-order limited edition Nike-RTFKT sneakers, triggering a 600% increase in trading.

NFTs unlock exclusive physical sneakers

Consumers have shown great enthusiasm for Nike-RTFKT offerings, with special events granting NFT holders exclusive access to tangible products. This step not only improved consumer engagement but also strengthened the authentication process. Sneaker fans, including LeBron James, have embraced this innovative approach, bridging the gap between physical collectibles and their digital counterparts. Furthermore, these initiatives have supported the digital authentication process, guaranteeing the legitimacy of the coveted sneakers.

Market resonance and forging success

The recent Dunk Genesis Cryptokicks parody has caused a spike in trading activity. In October alone, transactions for the necessary NFTs increased to more than half a million dollars. Furthermore, the market response to physical sneakers was equally strong, with after-sales on platforms like eBay reaching prices four times higher than the initial cost.

This strong market resonance signifies the powerful appeal of integrating NFTs with exclusive physical products, a trend that is becoming increasingly common in the sneaker industry.

Significantly, Nike and RTFKT’s digital venture is a testament to the effective fusion of NFT technology with traditional consumer goods, increasing not only the value but also the authenticity of sneakers for collectors around the world. As this blending of the physical and digital worlds takes firmer root, it is clear that the collectible footwear landscape is undergoing a significant transformation.

Categories
Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange Cryptocurrency news

Thailand’s Bank Kasikorn Acquires Majority Stake in Satang Crypto Exchange

Kasikorn Bank, Thailand’s second-largest bank, has reportedly acquired a 97% stake in cryptocurrency exchange Satang. The deal was completed through Unita Capital, a subsidiary of Kasikorn Bank, and involved 3.705 million Thai baht ($102.8 million) worth of shares in Satang’s parent company.

Wu Blockchain highlighted cryptocurrency news in a post on X on Monday, citing CoinDesk.

   Thailand's second-largest bank, Kasikorn Bank, has acquired a 97% stake in the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Satang. The deal is valued at 3.705 million Thai baht ($102.8 million). K-Bank recently obtained a crypto exchange license and launched a $100 million fund targeted...

Satang Corporation, founded in 2017 and one of Thailand’s leading digital asset exchanges, offers trading in over 45 cryptocurrencies. Details show that the platform’s customer base exceeds one million.

According to a local media report published on Monday, the completion of the deal will see Satang renamed as Orbix, with three subsidiaries, namely: Orbix Custodian, Orbix and Orbix Technology.

Kasikorn, also known as K-Bank, recently received a cryptocurrency exchange operator license and launched a $100 million fund for Web3, fintech and artificial intelligence (AI).

K-Bank’s move sees it join other leading financial giants in Thailand in foraying into the crypto ecosystem. These include Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) and Gulf, a local energy giant that recently partnered with Binance to expand global crypto exchange services in the country.

Categories
Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange Cryptocurrency news

Kraken will share data from 42,000 users with the IRS

US-based exchange Kraken says it will share the data of 42,000 users with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in compliance with a court order. The information will be sent to the IRS in early November.

On its support page, Kraken specifies that the subpoena to produce “a broad range of records and data” about its US customers and pass them to the IRS came from a court order from the Northern District of California in May 2021. The company opposed this. IRS demands and fought the subpoena in court, convincing it to “substantially reduce” the number of affected customers and the amount of customer data.

The court ordered Kraken to submit profile and transaction data of customers who exceeded $20,000 in transactions during any year between 2016 and 2020. This also includes those who made no transactions but deposits and withdrawals.

Kraken will share data such as name, date of birth, tax identification, address, contact information and transaction history of these customers. There will be about 42,000 accounts whose information will be sent to the IRS.

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is reviewing another case in which the IRS subpoenaed user data from a crypto exchange. In 2018, Coinbase told the 13,000 affected customers that it would provide the IRS with their taxpayer ID, name, date of birth, address, and historical transaction records from 2013-2015.

One such user, James Harper, appealed against the IRS to prevent the US government from having unlimited access to a user’s transaction history. In October 2023, cryptocurrency advocacy group DeFi Education Fund (DEF) filed an amicus brief supporting Harper’s appeal.

Categories
Bitcoin Bitcoin Investment cryptocurrency exchange Cryptocurrency news

Report Exposes Unsecured Cash Searches at Atlanta Airport

In a shocking investigative report, Atlanta News First uncovered the disturbing practices of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force agents. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, undercover DEA agents were found searching passengers’ carry-on luggage without a warrant and confiscating large sums of money without making any arrests. The report and lawyers say the practice raises constitutional and privacy concerns among American citizens.

Secret money searches at airports

Atlanta News First recently followed DEA task force officers in Hartsfield-Jackson, watching them as they moved discreetly from door to door. Passengers were searched immediately after their boarding passes were read, often without any clear indication of the officers’ identity or true purpose.

Film director Tabari Sturdivant recounted his disturbing experience. Mistaking a DEA agent for a Delta representative because of the airport credentials displayed, he said, “He just came up to me and asked for my ID. He didn’t say who he was. He just asked me for ID and I thought he was a Delta agent. “I had airport credentials and gave them to him immediately.”

Warrantless searches and seizures directly violate the Fourth Amendment, which is intended to protect American citizens from such unreasonable intrusions. The report notes that these actions by DEA agents not only infringe on personal freedoms, but also undermine public trust in law enforcement agencies.

This is not the first episode in which the DEA and law enforcement authorities have illegally seized people’s assets. Take, for example, the DEA’s extensive history of orchestrating “cold consent meetings” at Amtrak stations, mirroring its tactics at airports. In 2021, FBI agents seized $86 million from safes in Beverly Hills, a move that lawyers denounced as lacking adequate justification.

A report from Reason reveals that over the past decade, law enforcement authorities, led by the DEA, have seized a staggering $4 billion in cash. Data from the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) indicates that approximately 65,000 cash seizures, representing 81%, were subject to administrative forfeiture by the DEA, valued at $3.2 billion.

Atlanta News First notes that film director Sturdivant represents only a fraction of the people sought for money by undercover agents at the airport. The investigative article also points the finger at Clayton County drug enforcement agents. The news team found “several similar cases in which DEA task force or Clayton County police agents searched innocent people or seized money without making any arrests.”

In 2023, carrying significant amounts of cash is increasingly viewed with suspicion, even if it is earned legitimately with proven receipts. Constitutionalists and lawyers insist that the propensity of law enforcement authorities to openly confiscate these life savings without just cause is a worrying trend.

Categories
Bitcoin Bitcoin Wallet cryptocurrency exchange Cryptocurrency news

Top cryptocurrency exchange Binance to end Visa debit card program in Europe

The world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume says Binance Card services will stop working in the European Economic Area (EEA) in December.

Binance notes that customer accounts will not be affected. The exchange encourages European customers to transition to Binance Pay, the company’s crypto payments technology.

Binance first launched the card in Europe in September 2020, allowing its customers to use the crypto assets in their exchange accounts to spend and transact at over 60 million locations worldwide.

The exchange did not provide a reason for the card’s closure, although the company has faced a number of regulatory issues in jurisdictions around the world this year.

Binance announced its exit from the Canadian market in May, citing new stablecoin regulations and limits on investors that the exchange said made doing business in the country “unsustainable.”

In June, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Binance, the company’s CEO Changpeng Zhao, and Binance.US, alleging that the companies were violating securities laws.

In August, a Mastercard spokesperson told Reuters that the payments giant was ending its partnership with Binance.

In September, Binance said it would sell its entire Russian business to local cryptocurrency exchange CommEX, claiming that operating in the country no longer seemed compatible with the company’s business model. No specific details were provided.