Crypto Tidbits: BitGo Launches Bitcoin Trading, Ethereum’s Lubin Joins ErisX, Cryptopia Hacked 1673

Although Bitcoin (BTC) and its crypto asset brethren have effectively stabilized, seeing little-to-zero movement, this industry’s startups have continued to make strides in an array of directions. Some preeminent companies made monumental steps forward, while others took devastating steps back. Regardless, the bottom line is that the crypto sector hasn’t slowed, contrary to sentiment touted by cynics.

Crypto Tidbits

  • Bitcoin Giant BitGo, Genesis Trading Launch Cold Storage-Secured OTC Desk: Palo Alto-headquartered BitGo, a long-time industry powerhouse that has served Pantera Captial, Ripple Labs, Bitstamp, among others, recently joined hands with Genesis Trading, a subsidiary of the crypto conglomerate in Digital Currency Group. BitGo and Genesis’ collaborative effort is taking the form of a newfangled over-the-counter (OTC) trading service,  which will allow clients to “buy and sell digital assets directly from the security of their BitGo Trust cold storage account.” Genesis, headed by Michael Moro, will provide its expertise in facilitating large-sum, institutionally-sourced transactions, while BitGo will leverage its veteran status in the Bitcoin custody subsector to provide security for the offering. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple’s XRP, ZCash, and three other leading digital assets will be available through this innovative exchange channel.
  • Cryptopia Hacked, New Zealand Police Commence Investigation: The broader crypto market suffered its first notable hack of 2019 last week. On Tuesday, the New Zealand-headquartered Cryptopia, a former major exchange, revealed that it suffered a “security breach.” In a company statement, signed by the Cryptopia team, it was revealed that the breach incurred “significant losses” for the startup. After further digging, the organization decided to contact local authorities, who have since pledged to keep the public updated on this imbroglio. Rumor has it that over $3 million in varied crypto assets, including Ethereum. This figure has been corroborated by so-called “whale watching” Twitter accounts, which revealed that thousands of Ether, along with an array of lesser-known (but valuable) tokens, were shipped out of Cryptopia’s cold wallets on the day of the supposed attack.
  • Bakkt Makes First Acquisition After $182.5 Capital Injection: On New Year’s Eve, Bakkt, a crypto platform backed by NYSE owner Intercontinental Exchange, revealed that it secured a $182.5 million cheque from 12 financiers, including Galaxy Digital, Pantera, and Microsoft’s venture arm. And just days later, the company revealed that it had already begun to put its hefty capital injection to good use. More specifically, the company, headquartered in the Big Apple, revealed that it had purchased “certain assets” of Rosenthal Collins Group (RCG), a Chicago-based independent futures commission merchant. The nitty-gritty details of the deal weren’t divulged, but Bakkt chief Kelly Loeffler told Fortune Bakkt saw an opportunity to “purchase a portion of the back office operations,” especially certain facets of RCG’s compliance, risk management, treasury service departments. As put by Fortune’s Shawn Tully, “Bakkt is essentially buying part of Rosenthal’s back office.”
  • Ethereum Co-Founder Joe Lubin Joins ErisX’s Board: Speaking of Wall Street-backed platforms trying to make a splash in the nascent crypto realm, ErisX, a seeming Bakkt competitor supported by TD Ameritrade, recently made a surprising announcement. ErisX revealed that it would be bringing on Joseph Lubin, a co-founder of Ethereum and the founder of blockchain development upstart ConsenSys, to its board of directors. His exact role wasn’t divulged, but some have speculated that Lubin will help ErisX in its push for Ether-backed derivatives vehicles.
  • South Africa Looking To De-anonymize Bitcoin Transactions: Per Business Insider, South Africa’s Reserve Bank, the Sarb, is currently advising local crypto startups, namely wallet providers and exchanges, about how to best operate their services. The Sarb claims that its up-and-coming registration system, which startups will be mandated to utilize, will aid in the crusade to protect investors from crypto’s shortcomings. But the registration system isn’t all that innocuous. In fact, Sarb’s plan will deanonymize crypto accounts within the country, as it would mandate firms to actively track transactional data, including the identity of senders and receivers, transaction amounts, and other pieces of pertinent data. As put by Business Insider, this system will be much like how “banks are required to know their customers.”
  • E.U. Financial Regulator Wary Of Crypto: In the same vein of news, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the E.U.’s in-house financial agency based in Paris, recently issued an in-depth report regarding “crypto-assets.” While the report was lengthy, it became apparent that the ESMA is somewhat skeptical with digital assets, which it was hesitant to call bonafide currencies. Via the report, the ESMA remarked that it currently sees an array of pertinent issues.  Most notably, the organization drew attention to market volatility, fraud, money laundering, market manipulation, and multi-million dollar cyber-attacks.
  • Ethereum Constantinople Hard Fork Delayed: Earlier this week, Ethereum’s long-awaited Constantinople upgrade fell upon a number of complications. A pertinent security issue in one of the to-be-activated protocols made Ethereum’s core team members spring into action, with Vitalik Buterin and others convening via an emergency call. After deliberation, the group of developers agreed that Constantinople, deemed a “decidedly bullish” upgrade for the project, would be delayed until February 27th, or block 7,280,000 to be more specific.
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Galileo Protocol launches LEOX airdrop with 250,000 token reward pool 2120

In a significant move towards integrating blockchain technology with real-world assets, Galileo Protocol is thrilled to announce its LEOX token airdrop, designed to engage and expand its community. The airdrop features a generous pool of 250,000 LEOX tokens and offers participants a firsthand experience in a leading-edge RWA tokenisation ecosystem.

Exploring the Reward Pool

  • Fairdrop Pool: 150,000 LEOX dedicated to holders of Nebula and NFT communities who embody the web3 experience (CommuNFTy Pool).
  • Farmooor Pool: 100,000 LEOX allocated to active Galileo Marketplace participants.

Fairdrop Pool access

  1. Eligibility: Hold an unlisted Nebula or partner NFT (to be announced in early May) during the snapshot period (April 3rd – June 1st).
  2. Snapshot verification: Ensure NFTs are in your wallet during the June 1st snapshot.
  3. Receive LEOX Tokens: Tokens will be automatically distributed on June 15th to eligible wallets.

Farmooor Pool Access

  1. Marketplace registration: Sign up at the Galileo Marketplace and complete KYC verification.
  2. Social engagement: Share your sign up on your socials. Galileo will be adding a link input feature for participation.
  3. Active participation: Make purchases on the marketplace from April 3rd to September 30th.
  4. Final verification: Maintain active participation through the September 30th snapshot.
  5. Token distribution: Eligible participants will receive their tokens on October 31st.

Participation Benefits

This airdrop is more than a reward; it’s an invitation to explore the transformative potential of RWAs on the blockchain. Participants will gain early access to a platform that blends the physical and digital worlds, creating secure, transparent, and liquid markets for assets previously constrained by traditional boundaries.

Why Galileo Protocol?

Galileo Protocol stands at the forefront of the RWA blockchain movement, focusing on the tokenisation of tangible assets to enhance their usability, liquidity, and security in the digital age. Galileo Protocol not only supports the tokenisation of assets but also ensures their real-world applicability and integration.

Safety notice

Please interact only through official Galileo channels and verify all links before engaging. Remember, the Galileo team will never reach out via direct messaging first.

About Galileo Protocol

Dedicated to revolutionising asset management, Galileo Protocol uses blockchain technology to authenticate, tokenise, and mobilise real-world assets. This approach aims to unlock the value of physical assets and make them accessible in the crypto space, enhancing transparency and trust.

Join this forward looking journey with the Galileo Protocol’s LEOX airdrop. Step into the future of asset management and discover the full capabilities of Galileo Protocol’s RWA tokenisation platform.

Follow Galileo Protocol’s official channels

Telegram Group: @galileoprotocolcommunity
Discord Group: https://discord.gg/vQQPXXcKsv
Own a Nebula here: https://nebula.galileoprotocol.io/
Visit the Galileo Marketplace: https://app.galileoprotocol.io/

MetaComp Announces Strategic Partnership with Harvest Global Investments to Explore Bringing HK-Listed ETFs to Investors in Singapore and Beyond 2549

MetaComp Pte Ltd, a leading Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) licensed Singapore fintech company that specializes in blockchain technology and digital assets, and its affiliates (collectively referred as MetaComp), is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Harvest Global Investments Limited (HGI), a leading asset management company licensed with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. HGI is among the pioneering Chinese asset management firms to establish subsidiaries abroad. The Memorandum of Understanding executed between MetaComp and HGI marks a significant step towards potentially broadening the accessibility of innovative financial products globally with special emphasis on the recently announced cryptocurrency spot ETFs which will be expected to start trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange from 30 April 2024 onwards. This follows the announcement by HGI that they have received authorization from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission to launch the highly anticipated cryptocurrency ETFs.

The core of the partnership revolves around MetaComp and its affiliates’ commitment to make HGI’s cryptocurrency spot ETFs available, through MetaComp’s proprietary Client Assets Management Platform, also known as CAMP by MetaComp, utilizing its technological and market expertise to introduce these products under the appropriate regulatory framework to Singapore investors and beyond. This initiative not only aims to expand the global footprint of HGI’s ETFs but also allows MetaComp and its affiliate to enrich its wealth solution portfolio with highly sought-after financial products.

In addition to the crypto-ETF distribution, the collaboration will also explore opportunities for the integration of HGI’s various asset management solutions into MetaComp’s service offerings. MetaComp will also provide HGI access to its Digital Payment Token suite of services. Through the strategic collaborative efforts by both companies, they are hoping to forge a symbiotic relationship that will allow both companies to leverage on their strengths.

The alignment with HGI allows MetaComp to tap into the scale and expertise of a leading global financial player, significantly enhancing its service capabilities and market reach. This partnership is designed to serve not just the existing clientele of both entities but also to capture new segments eager for advanced financial solutions across traditional finance and crypto finance.

Dr Bo Bai, Chairman and Co-Founder of MetaComp shared: “This strategic alliance with Harvest Global Investments Limited reaffirms MetaComp’s commitment to being the bridge that links traditional finance with crypto finance. We are confident that our partnership with Harvest Global Investments Limited will prove to be mutually beneficial. With Harvest’s expertise in asset management and MetaComp’s robust capabilities in providing a comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions, we are poised to deliver unparalleled value to our clients and the market.”

For more detailed information on this partnership and to stay updated on future developments, please visit www.mce.sg.

About MetaComp Pte Ltd (www.mce.sg)

MetaComp is a leading Singapore-based digital asset platform that is licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Payment Services Act 2019. Operating under a P2B2C (platform-to-business, partners-to-clients) model, MetaComp provides an integrated end-to-end suite of services to its clients, empowering them to confidently enter the digital asset market with the much-needed safety, security, and compliance. Together with its parent company, Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd. (a MAS-licensed CMS holder permitted to carry out, inter alia, brokerage and custody services), MetaComp introduces its suite of services through CAMP by MetaComp, a regulated Client Assets Management Platform, allowing businesses to develop and scale their digital asset offerings through OTC and exchange trading services, fiat payment, digital asset custody and prime brokerage.

Hinkal Closes Strategic Funding Round to Advance Discreet Trading and Position Liquidation 3372

Hinkal, a multi-chain privacy layer for confidential decentralized finance (DeFi) transactions, today announced a $1.4 million strategic funding round led by SALT Fund, with participation from Draper Associates, SNZ and Peer VC. Additionally, Tal Cohen, CEO of Kraken US, joined the company advisory board.

The raise follows the close of Hinkal’s $4.1M seed funding round in November of 2023. With surging demand from institutional clientele, this strategic funding will be used to bring liquid funds, VCs, family offices and founders of projects to Hinkal’s confidential infrastructure.

As institutional investors expand their presence in crypto markets they are increasingly looking to decentralized exchanges to take advantage of price discovery and asset control these platforms provide. However, DeFi does not provide privacy these traders are accustomed to in traditional financial markets. As crypto analytics platforms have become more complex, the pseudonymous nature of DeFi presents risks of copy trading and front running for liquid funds, VCs, and protocol founders willing to liquidate their token positions.

“The influx of institutional capital into crypto markets is a landmark event for the maturity of the industry,” said Georgi Koreli, CEO of Hinkal. “Hinkal is solving a critical need in the crypto space by providing institutional investors with the additional layer of anonymity they require to participate in DeFi markets. This strategic funding round will allow us to accelerate the development and adoption of our groundbreaking privacy solution.”

Hinkal is a zero knowledge (ZK)-protocol that addresses these issues by enabling end-to-end and secure confidentiality for DeFi transactions. Leveraging a combination of self-custodial private addresses and relayers, Hinkal transforms the way on-chain trading operates as the only transaction that can be seen on block explorers or analytics platforms is the execution of a relayer – no wallet addresses attached. This allows liquid funds, VCs and retail investors to make confidential transactions within the protocol without experiencing price slippage or market impacts.

Additionally, Hinkal provides a best-in-class solution for venture capital and founding teams looking to liquidate vested tokens in a private and secure environment. As the industry has grown and matured, these stakeholders have traditionally struggled with token vesting and liquidations, as this process often results in adverse price impacts that dilute net settlement and sends mixed messages to the community. With Hinkal, VCs and teams can receive any vested token directly into a private Hinkal address and liquidate privately without these impacts to the market.

AJ Scaramucci, Founder and Managing Partner of the SALT Fund, commented on the news, “The SALT Fund is dedicated to supporting projects that drive innovation for institutional investors. Hinkal is a breakthrough protocol addressing crucial pain points for institutional funds, founders, and VCs alike by enabling them to execute private DeFi trading strategies and liquidate vested tokens in a way that doesn’t disrupt the broader market. This is a game-changer for the industry and will unlock significant value for these stakeholders.”

Underpinning Hikal is a full suite of compliance and security solutions to further support institutional users of DeFi protocols. Hinkal requires KYC(B) (Know Your Customer/Business) verification for users to prevent illicit parties from using the protocol while simultaneously providing a frictionless experience via reusable attestations at exchanges like Coinbase and Binance. Audited by major firms including Quanstamp and Zokyo, Hinkal provides a secure trading experience and real-time threat mitigation with Hexagate.

About Hinkal

Founded by Stanford grad Giorgi Koreli and his Ph.D. brother, Nika Koreli, Hinkal enables privacy of transactions and assets across core DeFi apps and functions, including trading, farming, staking, and lending through the use of stealth addresses and with high degree of compliance.

Hinkal is a ZK-based solution that provides a private smart contract wallet experience, allowing users to participate in their favorite dApps directly from their private addresses without the need to withdraw assets for obfuscation.

SKALE and Virtualness global partnership reimagines fan engagement for sports, creators, and enterprises using the power of blockchain 3687

Fans of Liga 1 & other organizations will have access to a superior experience on Virtualness with SKALE’s zero gas fees and instant finality.

SKALE Network, a gas-less EVM-compatible blockchain designed for secure Ethereum scaling, and Virtualness, a pioneering mobile-first platform powered by generative AI and blockchain, today announced a strategic partnership aimed at redefining digital engagement and empowering global sports fans, enterprises and creators alike.

With international athletic partnerships that include Liga 1, Asia’s largest and most prestigious football league, sports fans will have access to exclusive NFT moments, player cards, rewards, loyalty programs, real-world experiences, and exciting gamification on the Virtualness platform, all powered by the SKALE network. Fans who interact with clubs, players, and fellow supporters will foster a deeper connection with their favorite teams while experiencing the world’s fastest blockchain.

“Through our partnership with SKALE, we’re revolutionizing the NFT landscape by eliminating barriers to entry and making Web3 accessible to Web2 users paving the way for mass adoption,” said Kirthiga Reddy and Saurabh Doshi, Co-founders of Virtualness. “We are thrilled to partner with SKALE to provide our community with unparalleled access to NFTs, immersive digital experiences, and exclusive rewards.”

As part of the partnership, Virtualness’ hundreds of thousands of users will leverage SKALE’s high-throughput, zero gas fee transactions, and instant finality capabilities to enhance its platform’s performance and scalability. Additionally with SKALE, sports fans, enterprises, organizations and all Virtualness users alike can now mint for free, further democratizing the access to digital asset ownership.

“We look forward to supporting this new era of accessibility and empowerment for creators and organizations,” said Jack O’Holleran, Co-Founder of SKALE. “This partnership signifies our commitment to making blockchain more accessible and easy to use, enabling Virtualness users to more seamlessly interact with NFTs, ultimately revolutionizing how we engage with digital assets.”

The Virtualness platform, built on generative AI and blockchain technology, provides sports, enterprises, and creators, with a user-friendly interface for creating, minting, and showcasing digital goods and interacting directly with their communities. With SKALE, Virtualness will soon offer more on-chain assets such as player cards in the form of NFTs, prizes via SKALE tokens, and the transparent storage and sharing of game data such as leadership board scores and prize information.

With SKALE’s advanced blockchain architecture, Virtualness users can expect improved performance, faster transactions, and enhanced security, enabling them to unleash their creativity and reach new heights in the digital world.

The partnership between SKALE Network and Virtualness represents an evolution in digital engagement, offering creators and brands innovative blockchain opportunities to thrive in the digital economy while democratizing access to blockchain and welcoming newcomers into Web3.

The experience for web2 users is user-friendly and easy, with no crypto or blockchain knowledge required or needed. Together, SKALE and Virtualness are poised to revolutionize the way people create, share, and interact with digital content, unleashing new channels for creativity.

For more information, please check out SKALE.space.

About SKALE

SKALE, a gas-less EVM-compatible blockchain designed for secure Ethereum scaling is designed for a World-Class experience for games, NFT platforms, and Web3 applications. As of 2024, SKALE serves over 10 million monthly active users and saves billions in monthly gas fees with its innovative AppChain model. SKALE AppChains feature high performance, zero gas fees, enhanced security, and instant finality, making them ideal for a wide range of decentralized applications. With a commitment to driving the mass adoption of Web3 technologies, SKALE empowers developers and businesses to build scalable, efficient, and user-centric blockchain applications. On the SKALE network, developers can deploy their own EVM-compatible blockchain by unlocking advanced features such as AI/ML smart contracts, on-chain file storage, interchain messaging, and zero-cost minting. Harmonizing speed, security, and decentralization, SKALE was founded in 2018 by Jack O’Holleran and Stan Kladko, PhD.

For more information, users can visit SKALE.space or follow on Twitter.com/SKALENetwork.

About Virtualness

Virtualness is a mobile-first platform, powered by generative AI and blockchain, for users to create, mint, gift, share, and sell digital goods all in one place. Founded in 2022 by industry leaders Kirthiga Reddy and Saurabh Doshi, Virtualness serves as a platform for authenticated sports, brands, and media organizations to design and showcase branded blockchain goods, fostering direct community engagement and unlocking new monetization avenues. Virtualness has exclusive wins like being the authentication partner for Guinness World Record Women in Cloud milestone, and the Asian Academy Creative Award while also delighting fans with exclusive access to icons such as Jim Louderback, Taylor Lorenz. Education, personalization, discovery, integration with Web2 and Web3 platforms, and a mobile-first experience are all core to the platform. Funding led by Blockchange Ventures with participation from VCs f7 Ventures, Micron Ventures, Better Ventures, FalconX, Shorooq Partners, Impact Venture Capital, Oceans Ventures and angels like Carolyn Everson, Randi Zuckerberg, Nuseir Yassin (Nas Daily), Marina Mogilko, Nikki Farb, Shayamal Vallabhjee, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and other thought-leaders.

For more information,users can visit about.virtualness.io

BLAZE Investment Round Complete With Aim To Become Web3 Market Leader 4113

StoryFire stands at the forefront of innovation, spearheading a revolutionary amalgamation of SocialFi, GameFi, and DeFi, culminating in an unprecedented all-encompassing experience. Recently, the company successfully concluded the BLAZE token investment round, securing backing from prominent entities including GDA Capital, Genesis Capital, Octavia Ventures, and TGE Ventures.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Sam Hilder, CEO of StoryFire, emphasized in a recent press release, “Closing a successful funding round amidst the prevailing macroeconomic conditions, with such esteemed partners, is indeed exhilarating. We are deeply grateful for the trust our investors have placed in us.” Hilder further elucidated on the company’s strategic vision, affirming their commitment to crafting the ultimate Web3 platform through the StoryFire offering, eagerly anticipating the unveiling of their latest developments.

Leading the investment consortium, Genesis Capital, a private equity powerhouse, orchestrated the funding round. The company delineated its intentions to leverage the capital infusion to propel both developmental initiatives and marketing endeavors leading up to the imminent BLAZE token launch.

In a strategic move underscoring StoryFire’s steadfast commitment to the Web3 landscape, the company announced its purchase of assets from Tokens.com in February 2024, with it being that it has successfully closed the sale of Metaverse Group and Hulk Labs to StoryFire. The purchase entailed a disposition comprising a 15.3% equity stake in StoryFire, appraised at US$3.5 million, alongside an allocation of US$500,000 in BLAZE tokens. This strategic maneuver underscores StoryFire’s enduring presence within the Web3 domain, as it endeavors to fortify and expand its footprint across the entire Web3 ecosystem.

About StoryFire

The StoryFire platform, powered by the BLAZE token, will revolutionising the metaverse paradigm by combining SocialFi, GameFi, and DeFi into one unified experience.

Metis’ Sequencer Mining Goes Live 4426

Last month’s launch of Phase 1 of the Metis Decentralized Sequencer upgrade established Metis as the first-ever rollup platform with a decentralized sequencer. Metis has now launched Phase 2, which introduces several enhancements aimed at improving network incentives and participation.

Among other positive changes, Phase 2 of the Decentralized Sequencer upgrade introduced the most awaited feature up to date for the Layer 2 network: Sequencer Mining.

Sequencer Mining will allow users to lock their tokens via LST providers, contributing to the network’s security. Essentially, these LST providers will interact with the Sequencer, and users will interact with the Liquid Staking providers, receiving a Liquid Staking Token that they can reuse in other DeFi dApps or just hold. Through Metis’ Community Ecosystem Governance (CEG), the community chose Artemis Finance and Enki Protocol as the two LST protocols for the Alpha Phase.

In the first year, sequencer nodes will benefit from a 20% Mining Rewards Rate (MRR), the same rate at which smart contracts compensate participants for producing blocks. Additionally, Metis Liquid Staking Blitz (LSB), supported by the Metis EDF, will provide grants to verified projects to accelerate growth. More than 220,000 METIS are committed in grants for 2024 alone to support MetisLSB and catalyze growth of LST products on Metis. Prior to the official launch of Sequencer Mining, there has been notable activity with LST-related products, including deployments by Shoebill Finance, Stablis Protocol, and participation pools on Hercules Finance.

Metis has secured important partnerships with recognized crypto institutions that will help the network achieve proper decentralization and high participation rates on the Decentralized Sequencer.

Users can deposit and start mining immediately through Artemis. ENKI will be fully launching on Mainnet soon, but users can already participate in their “Pre-Staking” program.

About Artemis

Artemis Finance is a liquid staking protocol designed exclusively for Metis’ Decentralized Sequencer. Users can stake METIS tokens on Artemis Finance and receive the liquid staking token artMETIS.

About Enki

Enki Protocol is a Metis-native liquid staking protocol leveraging dual-token architecture from protocols like Frax and Lido to implement the most battle-tested LST design to the Metis Decentralized Sequencer. Users can stake METIS via Enki and receive seMETIS, while the protocol utilizes ENKI for its governance.

About Metis

Metis is an EVM-Equivalent Ethereum Layer-2 protocol focused on bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3. Metis provides users with a decentralized and scalable easy-to-use network secured by Ethereum. Metis became the first Ethereum rollup to decentralize its sequencer with the launch of Decentralized Sequencer, which enhances network security and provides more potentially revenue-earning opportunities for users.