DAILY NEWS RECAP - PAPAヽPANDA (28/04/2021)

 

Gemini Partners with Mastercard to Launch New Crypto Rewards Credit Card this Summer.

Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange and custodian founded by the Winklevoss brothers, has partnered with Mastercard to launch a crypto rewards credit card this summer. BlockFi promised users for every transaction made with its card 1.5% cashback will accrue and then automatically be converted to bitcoin and placed into the user's BlockFi account. Gemini cardholders will be given the option to transfer their crypto rewards into interest-earning program Gemini Earn said the firm. The card will be made available to American investors across all 50 states later this year.

Iran Authorizes Banks and Currency Exchangers to Use Cryptocurrencies to Pay for Imports

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has announced that banks and licensed currency exchangers can use cryptocurrency mined by licensed crypto miners in Iran to pay for imports, the Financial Tribune reported on Saturday. The publication described: “The central bank says that lenders and licensed currency exchange offices have been notified about the regulatory framework for crypto payment.”

Paypal CEO Says Demand for Cryptocurrencies Is 'Multiple-Fold' of Initial Expectations

The CEO of payments giant Paypal, Dan Schulman, has revealed that the demand for cryptocurrencies has been “multiple-fold” of his company’s initial expectations. Paypal’s Venmo recently began rolling out cryptocurrency features to enable Venmo users to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.

Paypal launched its crypto service for U.S. customers in November last year. The company then established a business unit dedicated to cryptocurrency in February and enabled crypto payments at millions of stores with the “checkout with crypto” launch in late March. Last week, Venmo started rolling out crypto trading for its 70 million users to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies.

Binance is launching its own NFT marketplace in June

Crypto exchange Binance is launching its own marketplace for creating and trading non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The launch is scheduled for June, Binance announced Tuesday. It added that the platform offer users low fees, high liquidity, and a better user experience.

The news comes at a time when the NFT activity is on the decline. Weekly NFT trading volumes have dropped significantly since their peak in February, according to data compiled by The Block. Weekly users and transactions of NFT platforms have also declined.

When asked why launching the NFT platform now, a Binance spokesperson told The Block that it is a "strategic move" by the exchange as it believes in the "fundamental value and potential of NFT application in the long run."

Ethereum jumps to record high on report of EIB digital bond issuance

Ethereum, the world's second largest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalization, touched a new peak on Wednesday (Apr 28), with participants citing media reports about the European Investment Bank's plans to launch a "digital bond" sale on the Ethereum blockchain network.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that the EIB plans to issue a two-year €100 million digital bond, with the sale to be led by Goldman Sachs, Banco Santander, and Societe Generale, according to analysts.

Ether hit a record high of US$2,713.95 on Wednesday, following a more than 5% rally the previous day. It was last up 1.4 percent at US$2,706.39.

Danny Kim, head of revenue at SFOX, a full-service crypto broker, said reports on an EIB digital bond issuance has "triggered a bullish institutional use case for Ethereum".

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.