It started with a noisy desk. The desk was a wooden cubicle in a lab at Northumbria University, in northern England, where a young AI researcher began his PhD track. This was in 2015. The researcher was Ben Fielding, who had built a large machine stuffed with early GPUs to develop AI. The machine was … Read more
Galaxy Digital UK, the subsidiary of Mike Novogratz-led digital asset financial services firm’s application for a license to execute derivatives trading in the U.K. has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The firm’s Investment Banking arm will also use Galaxy Digital UK’s FCA authorization to provide capital raising and investment banking services, according … Read more
The spot bitcoin ETFs saw sizable inflows in the first quarter despite the lame price action and at least one analyst sees the next three months as even bigger even if the prices don’t recover. “Even if current market conditions persist in the second quarter, we are seeing strong traction from financial advisors and institutional … Read more
Once considered speculative investments, cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly mainstream. In Europe, WisdomTree is at the forefront of leading that charge. The global financial services firm offers a number of exchange-traded products (ETPs) that offer diversification and an incredibly easy way to buy and sell crypto assets. Here Dovile Silenskyte, WisdomTree’s Director of Digital Assets Research, … Read more
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) may be well off their frothy heights, but don’t tell that to Jupiter. Solana’s top DeFi exchange just brought digital collectibles platform DRiP Haus into its orbit. The acquisition is part of Jupiter’s push to become what Jupiter’s Kash Dhanda calls the “Solana super app:” a home not only for traders of … Read more
Avalanche’s AVAX token is poised for major gains in coming years that should outpace already bullish outlooks for both bitcoin and ether, according to Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick. “The unique thing about Avalanche is how it is attempting to achieve scale. Unlike Ethereum or Solana, Avalanche (AVAX) uses a set of subnets, or sidechains,” Kendrick … Read more
FDUSD, the stablecoin issued by Hong Kong-based First Digital, has wobbled from its $1 price peg as investor concerns mounted over its reserves, though the company said Wednesday that it was “completely solvent.” FDUSD has dropped to 0.87 against Tether’s USDT stablecoin and 0.76 against Circle’s USDC on Binance, the main exchange where FDUSD is … Read more
Crypto trading firm Backpack, which bought the European arm of bankrupt exchange FTX, has begun the process for customers to claim their funds. Backpack, which purchased FTX EU for $32.7 million in January, directed customers to complete the first step of know-your-customer (KYC) verification in a post on X on Tuesday. Step two of the … Read more
South Korea’s 7-Eleven stores are now accepting the Bank of Korea’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) as part of a limited-time test that runs through June. The company is participating in the “Hangang Project” pilot of the CBDC. Customers with accounts at one of seven partner banks — including Kookmin, Shinhan and Woori — can … Read more
Ripple, an enterprise-focused blockchain service closely tied to the XRP Ledger (XRP), said on Wednesday it has integrated its stablecoin to the company’s cross-border payments system to boost adoption for Ripple USD (RLUSD). Select Ripple Payments customers including cross-border payment providers BKK Forex and iSend are already using the stablecoin to improve their treasury operations, … Read more
