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5/30/24: Two Worlds Collide 💳💸🇺🇸

5/30/24: Two Worlds Collide 💳💸🇺🇸

Valko
May 30, 2024

Specs’ Breakdown

1. Mastercard launches p2p crypto payments platform

⌐◪-◪ → Mastercard, one of the largest payment processors in the world, just launched “Crypto Credentials”.

The feature lets users send crypto to simplified aliases (Mastercard Credential names) instead of complex blockchain addresses.

The features is live for Bit2Me, Lirium, and Mercado Bitcoin exchanges.

Projects like this really blur the lines between centralized and decentralized finance — two worlds colliding.

2. PayPal USD to go live on Solana blockchain

⌐◪-◪ → PayPal’s USD (PYUSD) is now live on Solana — the second blockchain to support PYUSD after Ethereum.

The stablecoin, issued by Paxos, will leverage Solana and token extensions/plugins to provide over 30M merchants with fast and secure stablecoin transactions.

Check out a demo of the product here.

3. Biden’s campaign reaches out to crypto industry for advice

⌐◪-◪ → Biden’s campaign has begun reaching out to crypto industry players over the past two weeks for guidance on “crypto policy”.

Sources noted a “significant shift” in tone from the Biden administration towards crypto.

The change in tone follows the Trump campaign’s decision to accept crypto donations and double down on pro-crypto messaging.

The first Bitcoin election is here.

Everything Else

⛓️ Crypto & DeFi

Vitalik donates 30 ETH to Tornado Cash defense fund
Galxe to launch its own Layer 1 blockchain, Gravity
Coinbase, Circle, Kraken join crypto’s new neighborhood watch
$PEPE is now worth more than all major NFT collections combined

🏦 Wallstreet

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF officially breaks $20B in holdings
NYSE to launch options contracts tracking Bitcoin prices
Ether options trading volume on CME hits new peak in May
Bitfarms rejects Riot’s acquisition proposal, wants higher offer
Hidden Road brokerage stops allowing trading access to Bybit
Fidelity’s spot ETH ETF appears on DTCC under FETH ticker

🚀 Venture Capital

Fortunafi raises $9.5M for RWA tokenization platform
PlayAI raises $4.3M in seed funding for gaming rewards platform
Coinflow raises $2.25M for web3 payments platform
Marketnode raises Series A for market infrastructure firm

🏛️ Legal & Regulatory

NYSE will consider crypto trading once regulations are clearer
Gemini announces full $2.18B recovery of users’ digital assets
Convicted FTX exec says he’ll soon share what 'really happened'
85-year-old disbarred attorney admits role in $9.5M crypto ponzi
Rep. Patrick McHenry predicts digital assets law by next year
BlackRock files amended S-1 registration for upcoming ETH ETF
Sen. Lummis says crypto will play an important role post-election

🌎 Rest of the World

Israel to hold a challenge to explore digital shekel use cases
Jack Dorsey’s OCEAN opens new hub in El Salvador
Singapore’s largest bank holds nearly $650M in ETH
Sam Altman and Javier Milei discuss worldcoin investment
Circle increases Brazil footprint, partners with BTC Pactual
US Diplomats silent on detained Binance executive in Nigeria
Fordefi expands in Indonesia, partners with Pintu trading platform
EU elections could hint at future direction for crypto regs

🖼️ NFTs & Metaverse

Iggy Azalea says ‘crypto is sexy’ after dropping memecoin
Com2us brings 'Walking Dead' and 'Summoner's War' to Oasys
PolitiFi memecoins outperform the wider market
CryptoPunks hold top-secret cabal meeting in underground bar

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