Happy Sunday!
Mike Novogratz, chief executive of Galaxy Digital, divulges the one man who has kept him bullish on Bitcoin, as bounties are offered for improvements in its user experience. Two UK crypto scammers are sent to the slammer for six years and a new report says blockchains may save financial institutions $10 billion in cross-border payment costs by 2030. Read on!
Here are some stories we’re looking at right now.
Novogratz reveals his Bitcoin influencer
Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz told Bloomberg about the one man who had inspired him to remain bullish on Bitcoin: “The most important thing that happened this year in Bitcoin is Larry Fink,” Novogratz said, referring to the chief executive of the world’s biggest investment manager, BlackRock.
BlackRock applied to the SEC for a spot Bitcoin ETF, and most importantly, Fink was converted from a crypto sceptic to a “believer in Bitcoin” who sees it as an “international asset,” according to Novogratz.
Bitcoin bug bounties on offer
The Human Rights Foundation is offering a total of 20 Bitcoins as bounties for the development of 10 improvements in their user experiences, with mobile wallets featured prominently.
“These bounties come from conversations with global activists,” Alex Gladstein of HRF told Decrypt. “They are features that many would like to see come to Bitcoin.”
UK crypto fraudsters get six years
A UK court sentenced two crypto scammers to six-year prison terms after finding them guilty of luring investors with promises of high returns and defrauding them in a £500,00 case.
Ross Jay, 33, and Michael Freckleton, 37, under the guise of a company called Digi Ex, cold-called and persuaded investors to buy a non-existent digital asset called Telecoin, the court determined.
Ducati logos featured in NFTs
Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati partnered with XRP Ledger to launch its first NFT, a video sequence of all Ducati logos that have appeared on the tanks of its motorbikes from 1946 to the present, CryptoPotato reported.
Ducati is planning more web3 activities through the creation of digital aggregation spaces, NFT collections, and other opportunities, the report said.
Blockchain report sees $10bn savings
Blockchains may save financial institutions $10 billion in cross-border payment costs by 2030, according to a report published by digital payment network Ripple and the US Faster Payments Council.
The report surveyed 300 finance professionals in 45 countries, of whom 97% said blockchain technology will contribute to faster payment systems within the next three years.
What we’re reading around the web
What’s at the center of the U.S.-China power struggle? Crypto — Fortune
SG Forge’s new crypto licence may ‘fast-track’ its way to EU market — DL News
Solana Wants to Lead the Crypto Gaming Charge — Here’s How — Decrypt