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The largest digital bank in Latin America will allocate 1% to BTC and offer cryptocurrency investment services

In addition to buying Bitcoin, Nubank will offer BTC and ETH investment services to its more than 50 million customers.

Nubank, the largest digital bank in Brazil and Latin America, announced that it has partnered with Paxos to allow the bank’s customers to buy, sell and store cryptocurrencies directly through Nubank.

Along with the launch of the new cryptocurrency transaction services, Nubank announced that it will allocate approximately 1% of its equity in Bitcoin (BTC) through the ATM of Nu Holdings, the company that controls the Nubank Group.

“This move reinforces the company’s belief in Bitcoin’s current and future potential to disrupt financial services in the region,” Nubank said, as translated by Cointelegraph.

According to a Nubank statement sent to Cointelegraph, the purchase of Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) can be made from $0.2 (or 1 BRL) and will be available in May. The cryptocurrency investment service will be fully implemented at the end of June.

“There is no doubt that cryptocurrencies are a growing trend in Latin America,” explained Nubank founder and CEO David Vélez. “We have closely followed the market and we believe that there is potential for transformation in the region.”

Nubank also reported that the integration with cryptocurrencies aims to expand and improve access to this growing market, eliminating the complexity and friction for customers to buy, hold and sell digital currencies through the app without the need to open new accounts or transfer money.

The company confirmed plans to expand beyond BTC and ETH offerings in the future, but did not detail which assets will be included.

Through a set of APIs, Paxos will allow Nubank to offer cryptocurrency-enabled services to customers, as Mercado Livre and PayPal also do in partnership with Paxos.

It is said that Nubank has more than 50 million customers in Brazil alone. According to Paxos, its partnership with the digital bank represents an important strategic move as Latin America continues to transform into a cryptocurrency hub.

Brazil is firmly committed to digital money!

Nubank and Bitcoin

While this is the first time that Nubank has offered customers the ability to buy BTC and ETH directly, the bank is not new to digital assets. Through Nulinvest, a platform that Nubank acquired in 2020 when it was called Easynvest, the bank already allows clients to buy investment funds with exposure to the digital asset market.

With the acquisition, Nubank also started offering QBTC11, an exchange-traded fund allocated 100% in Bitcoin, managed by QR Asset Management and belonging to the QR Capital group.

Meanwhile, a securities filing earlier this year revealed that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought $1 billion worth of Nubank stock in the fourth quarter of 2021. The move is said to have given Oracle of Omaha indirect exposure. to the digital asset market.

Related: Coinbase Will Supposedly Buy $2.2 Billion Brazilian Unicorn Behind Bitcoin Market

Nubank is not the only local financial institution looking to offer cryptocurrency investment services. Another Brazilian bank that will also offer Bitcoin investment services to its clients is BTG Practual. The bank’s president, Roberto Sallouti, recently announced that the bank will launch its own cryptocurrency exchange in about two months.

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More than 100,000 Cubans turn to cryptocurrencies to avoid sanctions

Strict US sanctions restricting Cuba’s ability to conduct international trade have led more than 100,000 Cubans to turn to cryptocurrencies as an alternative path to financial freedom.

Companies chose cryptocurrency

US sanctions imposed on the communist country of Cuba prevent the use of internationally accepted credit and debit cards. Online payment channels like Paypal, Revolut and Zelle are also banned in the country. Therefore, a significant part of the population, feeling the restrictions imposed by sanctions, chose cryptocurrency as an alternative means of transaction. These Cubans, who include many small business owners, have benefited from the advent of mobile Internet that arrived in the country just three years ago. The spread of smartphones and mobile internet in this island nation was quite expansive as it opened other payment channels and financial freedom to a largely unbanked population. Local entrepreneurs believe that thanks to digital currencies, their operations are no longer dependent on payment service providers, which ends up rendering all bans inconsequential.

Dr. Emily Morris, an economist at University College London, believes that the fact that Cuban citizens are turning to cryptocurrencies is not surprising. she said,

“If you can transact directly between two parties that don’t have to go through a bank, that would be interesting.”

Cryptographic Regulations in Cuba

The previous lack of regulation in the country has resulted in an increase in cryptocurrency activity, especially during the initial months of the pandemic. Local cryptocurrency exchanges have seen an influx of customers, nearly doubling on a monthly basis. In 2021 there was talk of the Cuban government investing in cryptocurrencies. Shortly after, it was announced that the central bank of Cuba would fulfill the mission of exploring the regulation of cryptocurrencies. The bank would also establish an action plan to register and license crypto service providers in the country. It was also revealed that cryptocurrency payment authorizations would only be granted in matters of “socio-economic interest” in order to monitor all cryptocurrency operations and prevent illegal and fraudulent activities.

Earlier this month, the Cuban central bank announced its intentions to implement a regulatory framework for digital assets, starting with a compulsory license for virtual asset service providers. The country’s central bank has already issued a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has also expressed his favorable views on the sector and is reportedly studying the legalization of cryptocurrency payments. This has led to speculation that Cuba could be following in the footsteps of El Salvador, the Latin American country that adopted Bitcoin as legal tender.

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Trading App Giant Robinhood Lists Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) Stocks in Grayscale

US trading giant Robinhood is adding two crypto-related products to its lineup for retail investors.

Investment asset manager Greyscale has announced that the company’s traditional investment vehicles for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are launching on the Robinhood trading app.

There are two new ways to access crypto on @RobinhoodApp. You can start trading $GBTC and $ETHE today. https://t.co/n09aiEVhqEhttps://t.co/6tFrYCsmzx pic.twitter.com/AxKH7xZ0nS

— Shades of Gray (@Grayscale) May 6, 2022

The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) digital currency investment product was originally called the Bitcoin Investment Trust, created in September 2013, and offers institutional investors exposure to Bitcoin without the need to purchase or store it in person. Grayscale BTC Trust currently has $23.2 billion in assets under management (AUM).

Meanwhile, the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) was founded in December 2017 and now has $8.4 billion in AUM.

Last October, Grayscale announced its intention to convert its Bitcoin fund into an exchange-traded fund (ETF), with the company’s global head of ETFs Dave LaValle saying:

“GBTC demonstrates that there is strong investor demand for physically backed Bitcoin investment vehicles.”

In November, filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed that banking giant Morgan Stanley significantly increased its holdings in GBTC.

In January, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev mentioned the platform’s goal of adding crypto-related products to its platform.

At the time of writing, Robinhood quotes GBTC price down 1.08% and trading at $24.75, while ETHE is in the red down 1.6% with a value of 19.76 $.

Bitcoin itself continues the sell-off that began earlier Thursday when it was priced above $39,000, down 2.22% on the day and changing hands at $36,189 at the time of writing.

Ethereum is also struggling, falling sharply from Thursday’s high of $2,937 and currently priced at $2,711.

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Gucci to Accept Crypto Payments in Retail Stores

High-end fashion house Gucci will begin accepting cryptocurrencies at some of its stores this month, including bitcoin, ether, dogecoin, and shiba inu. The company plans for all of its directly operated stores in North America to accept crypto by this summer.
Gucci to Start Accepting Crypto Payments

Italian high-end luxury fashion house Gucci will start accepting cryptocurrency payments in five stores later this month, Vogue Business reported Wednesday.

The five stores are located in New York City (Wooster Street), Los Angeles (Rodeo Drive), Miami (Design District), Atlanta (Phipps Plaza), and Las Vegas (The Shops at Crystals).

Gucci will accept bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum, wrapped bitcoin, litecoin, dogecoin, shiba inu, and five stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar, the publication conveyed.

These coins are the ones supported by popular crypto payment service provider Bitpay, which also supports GUSD, USDC, USDP, DAI, and BUSD stablecoins.

Marco Bizzarri, the president and CEO of Gucci, commented: “Gucci is always looking to embrace new technologies when they can provide an enhanced experience for our customers.” He added:

Now that we are able to integrate cryptocurrencies within our payment system, it is a natural evolution for those customers who would like to have this option available to them.

The publication added that the fashion house plans for all of its directly operated North American stores to accept crypto payments by this summer.

Gucci has been ramping up its non-fungible token (NFT) and Web3 efforts. The company recently established a Web3-focused team and released a few NFTs.

The fashion house is also establishing a presence in the metaverse. It is developing digital real estate in The Sandbox. The two companies “will collaborate to create an interactive fashion experience based on Vault, Gucci’s conceptual space and meeting place inspired by childhood memories of the search for beauty,” they previously announced.

This Article Copy from https://news.bitcoin.com/gucci-to-accept-crypto-payments-in-retail-stores/

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California Governor Signs Executive Order Encouraging Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency Business

The governor of California signed an executive order to drive innovation for bitcoin and other cryptocurrency-based businesses with transparent regulation.

California Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order creating a regulatory framework for companies operating in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

The EO combines a multitude of established regulatory agencies to define regulatory practices through a public process based on stakeholder feedback.

The order also initiates the creation of a career path and educational opportunities for those looking to enter the cryptocurrency space.

California Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order (EO) creating the legal framework for companies working in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The EO states that one of its top priorities is “GovOps will explore opportunities to implement blockchain technologies to meet emerging and public service needs.”

If the state is looking to determine whether a company is a good fit for a particular vendor’s needs, the state will look at each company’s specific use cases and determine whether or not to accept vendors based on factors such as environmental impact and relevance.

Members of the Governor’s Council for Postsecondary Education are expected to create a research and work environment to strengthen cryptocurrency innovation designed to expose students to new opportunities in the space. The aim is to develop a pathway for the workforce and generate pathways for continuing education “to ensure a flow of talent”.

The EO sets several state priorities in creating this regulatory framework, but one in particular is creating a consistent and transparent business environment for any company operating in bitcoin or the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem.

The order signifies the creation of a stakeholder feedback system run by the Governor’s Office of Economic and Business Development (GO-Biz) and the Agency for Business, Consumer Services and Housing (BCSH) and the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. (DFPI). The purpose of this coalition is to harmonize state and federal authorities for regulatory action.

These regulatory agencies will work together gathering feedback on how to properly operate in the space, gathering data from a wide range of stakeholders, including companies inside and outside California, lower economic communities unaffected by technological growth, experts, venture capital firms and many others. .

DFPI is ready to engage in a public development process towards comprehensive regulation under the direction of federal guidelines. The DFPI is expected to solicit public comment on regulation under the California Consumer Financial Protection Act (CCFPL), while making a voluntary request from companies already working in the space about their financial products. The Governor seeks open and transparent regulatory practices that lead to innovative practices that promote a healthy economy.

“California is a global hub of innovation and we are setting the state up for success with this emerging technology by spurring responsible innovation, protecting consumers and leveraging this technology for the public good,” said Governor Newsom.