A defiant President Joe Biden called the Afghanistan evacuation effort a “success” on Tuesday, in a speech that marked the end of the United States’ 20-year engagement in the country. “As we close 20 years of war and strife and pain and sacrifice, it’s time to look at the future, not the past,” Biden said. “I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision, and the best decision for America.” His speech came almost exactly 24 hours after Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, announced that…
Read MoreMonth: August 2021
Central Bank of Nigeria Selects Barbados-Based Fintech Firm as Technical Partner for CBDC Project
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has named the fintech firm Bitt Inc. as a technical partner for its digital currency project, the e-naira. As a technical partner, Bitt is expected to use its “technological competence and implementation experience” to help the CBN successfully launch the central bank digital currency (CBDC). E-Naira Draft Guidelines The CBN’s unveiling of the Barbados-based firm as its partner comes shortly after reports suggested that the central bank had released draft guidelines for the e-naira. In justifying the selection of Bitt, Osita Nwanisobi, the CBN’s…
Read MoreTradeStars Launches Mainnet of Fantasy Sports Stock Trading Game based on Fractional NFTs
PRESS RELEASE. TradeStars has launched “Olympic Torch”, the Mainnet of their Fantasy Sports Stock Trading Game, on 31st August, 2021. TradeStars’ new Fantasy Sports Game allows users to trade Fantasy Stocks of world-class athletes, whose value is directly influenced by the real life performance statistics of the respective player. The Fantasy Stocks can be purchased using USDT for now; fiat payment gateways (for INR and USD) are on their way. Fantasy Sports Gaming Today Fantasy Sports Gaming has seen a steady rise in both popularity and valuation over the last…
Read MoreMetamask Surpasses 10 Million Monthly Active Users, Climbing 1,800% in 12 Months
On Tuesday, the noncustodial digital currency wallet Metamask announced that the platform has surpassed 10 million monthly active users (MAUs). Year-to-date, Metamask has seen 19x growth since July 2020 as MAUs climbed 1,800% in 12 months. Metamask Hits Over 10 Million Monthly Active Users There’s no doubt that Metamask has been a popular Ethereum blockchain wallet that is also compatible with technologies like Polygon, Optimism, and Arbitrum. The wallet was created by the blockchain software company Consensys in 2016 and a great number of decentralized finance (defi) applications support Metamask.…
Read MoreNaomi Osaka Reveals New NFT, Dogecoin Sparks Tennis Star’s Interest in Cryptocurrencies
The popular professional tennis player Naomi Osaka has been discussing non-fungible token (NFT) assets and the meme crypto asset dogecoin in recent times. In a recent interview, Osaka said that she’s been talking to her agent about dogecoin and that she sees the crypto ecosystem “is getting bigger.” Naomi Osaka Drops ‘Finding What Was Lost’ NFT Naomi Osaka is a very popular tennis player and was ranked No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). The tennis legend has approximately 1.1 million Twitter followers, 2.8 million Instagram followers, and she’s…
Read MoreWhite House says pulling troops ‘best way’ to help Americans still in Afghanistan
The White House is arguing that removing troops from Afghanistan will help them bring home the remaining Americans stranded in the country, according to talking points circulated to Democratic allies last night. “Ending the military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops — and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead,” the talking points, obtained by POLITICO, read (emphasis theirs). President Joe Biden plans to give remarks at the White House later today…
Read MorePlayer Bedazzled as Jewel-Themed Slot Gem Splitter Unlocks a $95,000 Jackpot With a $95 Bet
Sparklingly hot casino slot game Gem Splitter unlocks a treasure worth 2 BTC for this lucky player! A ludicrously big multiplier was applied to one of the bets that a lucky player placed on the dazzlingly beautiful slot game ‘Gem Splitter’ at Bitcoin.com Games. This big win marks a second for the month of August as another player bagged a jackpot of $75,000 previously on the game ‘Book of Aztec’. The fortunate player had the casino gods on their side as a 1000x multiplier was triggered on a bet of…
Read MoreGenesis Digital Assets Acquires 20,000 Bitcoin Mining Rigs From Canaan, Company Has Option to Buy 180K More
The China-based bitcoin ASIC mining machine manufacturer Canaan has announced the company has forged a partnership with Genesis Digital Assets, and the two firms have now signed a deal for a large purchase order. Genesis will buy 20,000 bitcoin miners from Canaan and the mining operation also has the option to purchase an additional 180,000 mining rigs from the Chinese ASIC manufacturer. Canaan Sells Genesis 20K Miners, Genesis Can Buy 180K More Bitcoin mining rig manufacturers have made very large sales during the second half of 2020 and into 2021.…
Read MoreTopps Unveils New MLB Inception NFTs — Firm’s NFT Series Now Minted on the Avalanche Blockchain
The American firm that manufactures chewing gum, candy, and collectibles, The Topps Company Inc., has announced the launch of the 2021 Topps MLB Inception NFT collection. Furthermore, Topps is now leveraging the Avalanche blockchain for NFTs after the company was using the Wax blockchain for projects like the Garbage Pail Kids and Godzilla series. Topps Launches MLB Inception NFT Series via the Avalanche Network On Tuesday, Topps revealed the firm’s 2021 Topps MLB Inception NFT Collection, a non-fungible token collection of cards released in conjunction with Major League Baseball and…
Read MoreTrump acolytes poised to push out Senate dealmakers
If Senate Republicans seem conservative now, just wait until next year. The 2022 midterms could usher in a wave of full-spectrum MAGA supporters who would turn the GOP conference an even deeper shade of red — and make the Senate a lot more like the fractious House. In the five states where Republican senators are retiring, the primary election fields to succeed them are crowded with Donald Trump supporters who have made loyalty to the former president a cornerstone of their campaigns. The three top candidates to succeed Sen. Richard…
Read MoreBitcoin Legal Tender in 7 Days: El Salvador Publishes Video Explaining What to Expect
Bitcoin will become legal tender in El Salvador alongside the U.S. dollar in seven days. The Salvadoran government has released a video explaining what to expect when the Bitcoin Law enters into force. The video features the government’s fee-free crypto wallet, Chivo. Government’s Video Explaining What to Expect When Bitcoin Becomes Legal Tender The Bitcoin Law in El Salvador will come into effect on Sept. 7 when BTC will become legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele tweeted a video explaining what to expect, including the benefits…
Read MoreSlovenia Prepares to Impose 10% Tax on Spending and Selling Cryptocurrency
The tax authority of Slovenia has put forward a proposal to change the crypto taxation rules in the country, local media reported. The amendments aim to introduce a 10% tax rate for transactions involving the spending or converting of cryptocurrencies into fiat money. Tax Office Wants to Simplify Crypto Taxation in Slovenia The Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS) has proposed changes to the taxation regime applicable to cryptocurrencies. The authority wants to impose a 10% tax for the crypto amounts spent on goods and services or converted…
Read MoreAnnual US Dollar Remittances to Nigeria Surge to $34 Billion but Forex Woes Persist
According to a report, the value of annual dollar remittances by Nigerians working abroad has surged to $34 billion, a figure that easily surpasses the previous record-high of $25 billion. Still, a large portion of the funds doesn’t seem to be entering domestic forex markets. Target Attained Two Years Ahead of Schedule The increase, which has been attributed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s “naira for dollar” incentive scheme, once again highlights the growing importance of diaspora remittances to Africa’s most populated country. As Biodun Adedipe, an economist with…
Read MoreThe I-word looms: McCarthy faces internal pressure to go harder at Biden on Afghanistan
As hard as Kevin McCarthy has hammered the White House over the chaotic and deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, he’s under rising pressure from his right to go further. The House minority leader has repeatedly pushed back on rank-and-file Republicans who want to make a high-stakes call for impeaching Biden over his handling of Afghanistan — a vow that would come due should the GOP take back the chamber next November. But multiple House Republican sources said that even before Tuesday’s fraught end to the U.S. military mission, their offices…
Read MoreBiden tries to move past Afghanistan fiasco
The United States officially ended its 20-year war in Afghanistan. Now, President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats are racing to put the conflict’s tumultuous exit behind them. Consumed with combating the most intensive crisis of Biden’s presidency over the last few weeks, White House officials are plotting a way forward that hinges tactically on Biden’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and passage of his sweeping economic agenda on Capitol Hill. The cold political calculation is based on a belief inside the White House that Americans by and large will ultimately…
Read MoreU.S. ends 20-year mission in Afghanistan
After 20 years the longest war in U.S. history has come to an end. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the chief of U.S. Central Command, announced Monday that the last C-17s took off from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport around 3:29 p.m. Washington, D.C., time, leaving that facility and the country in the Taliban’s possession. “I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens, third-country nationals, and vulnerable Afghans,” McKenzie told reporters in a surprise Pentagon news briefing. “Tonight’s…
Read MoreOpinion | Why Trump’s Election Interference Is Outrageous but Hard to Prosecute
The drumbeat of damning revelations about Donald Trump’s attempts to pressure the Department of Justice to help him overturn the lawful results of the November election has led to a growing outcry for the DOJ to open a criminal investigation of the former president. Trump’s behavior is as outrageous as it is unprecedented in presidential election history. He allegedly instructed his own acting attorney general to state publicly the DOJ was investigating the results in Georgia when there was no evidence of fraud. “Just say the election was corrupt, [and]…
Read MoreTrump ‘Kraken’ lawyer Sidney Powell lands in Washington
Sidney Powell, the embattled lawyer who launched a flurry of unsuccessful lawsuits last fall advancing President Donald Trump’s election fraud claims, has established a beachhead in the Washington area by purchasing a century-old building in Alexandria’s historic Old Town neighborhood — in a cash deal. In April, a Texas-based limited-liability corporation paid $1.2 million to purchase a former antique shop on North Washington Street, land records show. The sellers said their real estate broker told them that Powell was the buyer and that she planned to use the building, on…
Read MoreDefi Platform Cream Finance Hacked, $29 Million Lost
Cream finance, a defi borrowing and lending protocol, has been the victim of a hack that erased more than $29 million from its vaults. The attacker took advantage of a loophole in the implementation for adding the amp token to the protocol. This is the second time the platform has been involved in a hack. The first breach happened in February, when Cream lost $37.5 million. Cream Protocol Suffers Hack Cream protocol, a defi lending-borrowing platform present on four different chains (Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, and Fantom), suffered a hack Monday…
Read MoreBritish Auction House Christie’s to Present Full Set of NFT Curio Cards on October 1
The British auction house Christie’s has been immersed in the non-fungible token (NFT) art and collectibles industry for quite some time. Christie’s has auctioned blockchain-backed items like Block 21 of “Portraits of a Mind,” Cryptopunks, and Beeple’s NFT that sold for more than $69 million. On October 1, Christie’s plans to sell a set of old 2017-issued Curio Cards and the set will also include a secret rare card. Leading Auction House Christie’s Is Auctioning a Set of NFT Curio Cards The non-fungible token (NFT) space has swelled quite a…
Read MoreCDC vaccine panel: Let regulators lead on Covid-19 booster shots
Members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent vaccine advisory panel voiced frustration Monday with the Biden administration’s plan to begin doling out Covid-19 boosters next month, arguing the announcement got ahead of federal regulators and could exacerbate vaccine hesitancy. The White House strategy, which it announced earlier this month, is contingent upon FDA deeming boosters safe and effective and CDC recommending their use. Still, some CDC committee members made clear they were irked that the announcement came before federal regulators and scientists formally endorsed booster doses. “That…
Read MoreFlorida defies judge and punishes 2 school districts over masks
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Department of Education on Monday defied a recent ruling from a state judge and leveled its first sanctions against school board members who rejected the DeSantis administration’s orders on local mask mandates. State officials withheld monthly salaries from board members in Alachua and Broward counties who supported the mask requirements, marking a major turning point in the weekslong fight over face coverings in schools. “We’re going to fight to protect parents’ rights to make health care decisions for their children,” Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said…
Read MoreMarvel to Drop Captain America NFT Statues, Fully-Readable Amazing Spider-Man #1 NFTs
81 years ago on August 31, 1939, the company Marvel Comics was introduced to the world for the first time and people were presented with a whole universe of superheroes. In celebration of Marvel’s birthday and the firm’s collaboration with Veve Digital Collectibles, “Marvel Month” will conclude with special edition Captain America non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles. A Lineup of Captain America Statue NFTs At the end of June, the wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Entertainment, announced the company was dipping its toes into the world of non-fungible…
Read MoreVenture Capitalist Bill Gurley Prefers Ethereum to Bitcoin, Takes Personal Position in ETH
Venture capitalist Bill Gurley has taken a personal position in ether because he “was swayed by the arguments of the ethereum crowd.” He explained that it is “the smarter way to play if you’re going to have crypto exposure.” Bill Gurley Prefers Ethereum to Bitcoin Bill Gurley, a general partner at Benchmark, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm in San Francisco, California, shared his view on cryptocurrency in an interview with Bloomberg last week. He began by admitting that he is late getting into crypto because he was focusing on…
Read MoreBillionaire John Paulson Warns Cryptocurrencies Will Be Worthless, Bitcoin Too Volatile to Short
Billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson, famed for making a fortune betting against the U.S. housing market, says that cryptocurrencies are a bubble that will prove to be “worthless.” While he sees unlimited downside to crypto, he will not short bitcoin, however. “Even though I could be right over the long term, in the short term, I’d be wiped out,” he explained. Famous Investor John Paulson Predicts Crypto Will Be Worthless John Paulson, the president and portfolio manager of U.S. investment firm Paulson & Co., is an American billionaire hedge…
Read MoreU.S. announces end of 20-year mission in Afghanistan
After 20 years the longest war in U.S. history has come to an end. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the chief of U.S. Central Command, announced Monday that the last C-17s took off from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport around 3:29 p.m. Washington, D.C., time, leaving that facility and the country in the Taliban’s possession. “I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens, third-country nationals, and vulnerable Afghans,” McKenzie told reporters in a surprise Pentagon news briefing. “Tonight’s…
Read MoreAs Biden ends mission in Afghanistan, a refugee backlash looms at home
President Joe Biden has faced a torrent of criticism for abandoning Afghan partners as their country fell to the Taliban. Now, there is also a looming political controversy over the thousands of Afghans Biden will end up resettling over here. An increasingly vocal group of Republicans — led by Donald Trump, who made immigration restrictions a hallmark of his presidency — oppose the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S., claiming that they could be dangerous, or will change the make-up of the country. And they plan to make it…
Read MoreU.N. text urges Taliban to let Afghans leave, doesn’t mention airport ‘safe zone’
Draft resolution falls short of plan announced by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Read MoreBlockchain.com CFO Says Company Could IPO in ’18-Months,’ Firm’s Balance Sheet Holds BTC, ETH
This week Blockchain.com CFO Macrina Kgil discussed how the company has surpassed $1 trillion in cryptocurrency transactions and the company may go public with an initial public offering (IPO) in 2023. The cryptocurrency firm is one of the oldest in the industry and Kgil explained that 76 million Blockchain.com wallets have been created since the company’s inception. $1 Trillion in Crypto Transactions Processed, 76 Million Wallets Created In March 2021, Bitcoin.com News reported on Blockchain.com raising $300 million and receiving a post-money valuation of around $5.2 billion. The company has…
Read MoreKava Swap Lists on AscendEX
PRESS RELEASE. AscendEX, a global digital asset trading platform with a comprehensive product suite, is thrilled to announce the listing of the Kava Swap token (SWP) under the pair USDT/SWP on Aug 31 at 1 p.m. UTC. In celebration of the SWP listing, AscendEX will work with the team at Kava Swap to launch two limited-time promotional events, taking place from Aug. 31, 1:00 a.m. UTC to Sept. 7, 12:00 a.m. UTC. By completing tasks and executing trades, users will be given the chance to share pooled rewards worth up…
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