Block Network

January 14, 2021

South Korea’s tourist hotspot launches DLT-based app tracing COVID-19

Jeju Island and blockchain company Iconloop are proceeding with a full rollout of their COVID-19 contact tracing app following successful pilots.  Jeju Island, a major tourist destination in South Korea, is introducing a government-backed, system for tracking COVID-19 contacts based on blockchain technology. On Jan. 14, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and blockchain technology firm […]

Gemini exchange to launch credit card with 3% cashback rewards paid in Bitcoin

Gemini Credit Card will allow users to earn rewards paid in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Users of the Gemini exchange can now sign up for a cryptocurrency rewards credit card that lets them earn up to 3% back in Bitcoin (BTC). The Winklevoss-led exchange and custodian announced Thursday that the waitlist for the Gemini Credit […]

UK’s FCA crypto derivatives ban may push retail investors to riskier grounds

U.K.’s FCA banning retail investors from engaging with crypto derivatives takes away risk hedging opportunities. It has stated a variety of reasons for why the products cannot be “reliably valued” by retail consumers, such as financial crime, volatility and an inadequate understanding of crypto assets being the main ones. It was estimated that retail investors […]

Exchange-traded products abound, but crypto is still waiting for an ETF

Swiss SIX Exchange has listed BTCetc Bitcoin ETP, a new crypto ETP product backed by London investment firm ETC Group. Swiss SIX Exchange, Switzerland’s principal stock exchange, continues to expand its crypto products with a new Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded product, or ETP. On Jan. 13, SIX launched trading of the BTCetc Bitcoin ETP (BTCE), a […]

Winklevoss brothers reportedly eye public listing for Gemini crypto exchange

Gemini may soon become the latest United States-based crypto exchange to pursue a public listing. Renewed interest in the cryptocurrency market in recent months is seeing more United States-based cryptocurrency businesses consider going public. According to Bloomberg, Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss are mulling a public listing for the exchange, stating: “We are watching […]

Cream Finance leaps into DeFi ‘corporate debt’ with Iron Bank launch

The Iron Bank feature will allow protocols to borrow funds without posting collateral. The Cream Finance project, a lending protocol that recently merged into the Yearn ecosystem, announced the upcoming launch of its Iron Bank feature, a name inspired by the once-popular TV show Game Of Thrones. Cream’s Iron Bank is an attempt to create […]

Gnosis receives $2.3B Ethereum in a day, now 3rd largest ETH holder with 2.2% of supply

The Gnosis safe now contains the third-largest concentration of Ether, according to Etherscan, holding 2.2% of the coin supply — worth $2.9 billion. Decentralized finance platform Gnosis is now the third-largest holder of the Ether (ETH) coin supply. Gnosis’ multisignature storage safe received a deposit of 1,500,000 ETH on Thursday — worth over $1.7 billion at the […]

Treasury backs down: Crypto monitoring rule will wait until new administration

This is a big win for the crypto industry today, which was unanimous in opposition to a new anti-money laundering rule that many saw as rushed and draconian. In response to a deluge of comments, the United States Treasury Department’s Anti-Money Laundering office is slowing its roll on a rushed proposal to monitor a whole […]

Polkadot skyrockets nearly 30% to $10 billion market cap: What’s behind the rally?

The price of DOT, the native cryptocurrency of Polkadot, surged 24% on the day to achieve a $10 billion valuation. Polkadot (DOT), the second-largest smart contract protocol in the cryptocurrency market by valuation behind Ethereum, is up nearly 30% in the last 24 hours. Polkadot’s market capitalization has also surpassed $10 billion, solidifying its position […]

Man offers city $72M to dig up accidentally discarded Bitcoin fortune

An IT engineer accidentally discarded his Bitcoin fortune over seven years ago while cleaning his house. James Howells, the owner of a discarded hard drive with 7,500 Bitcoin (BTC), has made a fresh plea to excavate a landfill site and possibly recover the device. Back in 2013, Howells accidentally threw away a hard drive containing […]