South Africa’s Central Bank Debuts Interbank Settlement System on JPMorgan’s Quorum 1081

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has released its report on Project Khokha, a Proof-of-Concept designed to simulate a real-world trial of a distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based wholesale payment and settlement system.

Project Khokha: South Africa’s Blockchain-Based Settlement System

The Proof-of-Concept (PoC) is for interbank transfers using Quorum, JPMorgan’s Ethereum-based blockchain. An official statement detailing the results of the pilot state that Project Khokha’s main goal is “to build a proof-of-concept wholesale payment system for inter-bank settlement using a tokenized South African rand on distributed ledger technology.”

Earlier this year, the central bank said the initiative was put in place to help develop a practical understanding of DLTs in relation to the banking industry. The objective of the PoC, the SARB said, is to replicate inter-bank clearing and settlement using DLT, which will allow the bank as well as industry fellows to jointly assess the benefits distributed ledgers can provide. 

While the bank does not intend to replace its existing settlement systems yet, SARB’s Deputy Governor Francois E. Groepe said that Khokha will, for now, act as a backup layer.

The project focused on providing participants practical experience on aspects of DLT in a realistic test environment where different deployment models were utilized. The results show that the typical daily volume of the South African payments system could be processed in less than two hours with full confidentiality of transactions and settlement finality. According to the SARB’s statement, “transactions were processed within two seconds.”

The SARB’s Tweet detailing the initiative read as follows: 

“Our goal with Project Khokha is to contribute to the global initiatives which assess the application and use cases of distributed ledger technologies through this collaborative effort piloted by the South African Reserve Bank together with the national banking community.”

South African Polices on Cryptocurrency

As NewsBTC reported earlier this year, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) released guidelines related to how the country’s tax system will handle cryptocurrencies in April. In the guidelines, the revenue service defined cryptocurrencies as “intangible assets,” as opposed to “currency,” for income tax or capital gains tax purposes. This means that all cryptocurrency-related income in the country must be declared — and the onus is on taxpayer, as failure to comply will likely result in and penalties and associated interest.

“Whilst not constituting cash, cryptocurrencies can be valued to ascertain an amount received or accrued as envisaged in the definition of ‘gross income’ in the Act,” the SARS said. According to the revenue service, taxes are applicable to cryptocurrency mining, trades on cryptocurrency exchanges, and the purchase of goods and services using digital money.

Fortunately, taxpayers can claim expenses associated with cryptocurrency accruals and/or receipts as long as they are related to income generation and for the purposes of trade. Furthermore, the agency offers guidance to taxpayers who are uncertain about specific transactions involving cryptocurrencies.

In recent years, increasing numbers of Africans have been using cryptocurrencies due to problems with inflation and corruption on the continent. In relation, many populations are under-banked and digital coins help fill the void.

This surge in the popularity of cryptocurrencies has contributed to the opening of at least 15 new trading venues in South Africa within the past year alone. According to Luno, a global wallet and cryptocurrency exchange that boasts 1.5 million users spread across 40 countries, South Africa accounted for an astonishing 37% of Bitcoin transactions that occurred in November 2017.

 

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PropyKeys Officially Launches, Introducing Onchain Home Addresses as a New Asset Class 2770

Now on Coinbase’s Layer-2 Base, PropyKeys aims to democratize real estate investing by enabling users to mint addresses and deeds onchain

PropyKeys, a standout project within the Propy ecosystem known for its blockchain-powered real estate solutions, today announced the public launch of their innovative decentralized application (dApp) that enables users to mint a digital address corresponding to a tangible property. Deployed on Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 network, and powered by the PRO token, users can mint digital versions of any home addresses or global landmarks. Furthering Propy’s mission to democratize real estate ownership, PropyKeys is creating a home addresses platform and property deed storage on the blockchain.

Within just two months of invite-only beta testing, PropyKeys saw widespread adoption with over 1,600 addresses minted, including 300 global landmarks. By bridging the physical realm with the digital landscape, PropyKeys is empowering users to create digital representations of real-world property addresses, similar to possessing a domain name for a segment of the internet. After an address is acquired, the buyer can later transfer ownership to the owner of the corresponding property in exchange for additional staking power.

PropyKeys is setting a new standard for property deed security by shifting from paper-based to digital, algorithm-secured systems. This transition to an onchain, open-source, and community-managed registry enhances protection against deed theft, ensuring a trustworthy environment for property transactions.

“The enthusiasm we’ve seen even during our closed beta has been astounding. Transitioning from beta to public launch with such positive user adoption highlights the demand for innovative real estate solutions onchain. It’s been incredibly exciting to witness the community’s eagerness to engage with PropyKeys, signaling a bright future for blockchain in real estate,” said Andrew Zapo, Co-Founder and COO of PropyKeys.

New Developments & Features

In coordination with the public launch, PropyKeys is releasing a series of new features that provide an engaging and accessible introduction to real world asset (RWA) tokenization. As of today, PropyKeys is launching a staking mechanism, enriching the platform with new incentives. This feature rewards users with PRO tokens—available on Coinbase—for their contribution in minting and safeguarding onchain addresses and onchain title deeds.

Additionally, PropyKeys provides users the ability to mint a personalized AI-generated global landmark NFT such as the White House or Big Ben. Utilizing artificial intelligence, users can create detailed digital renditions of renowned global landmarks. These AI-generated landmarks offer minters a wide array of iconic structures, enhanced by the ability to customize their NFTs such as favorite cryptocurrency logos and styling. This distinctive customization capability transforms each NFT into a unique digital collectible, setting PropyKeys apart in the realm of digital art.

Digital Solutions for Real World Challenges

Addressing the challenges within the real estate sector, Propykeys and Propy’s ecosystem are dedicated to dismantling traditional barriers to entry, such as high title fees and operational inefficiencies. By integrating solutions to make digital ownership more accessible, secure, and user-friendly, PropyKeys aims to revolutionize the $280 trillion real estate market, combating deed fraud and making homeownership more secure and accessible.

“The process of buying or selling a home is overdue for a transformation,” says Natalia Karayaneva, CEO of Propy. “We are proud of the talented team behind Propykeys and happy that they chose Propy ecosystem to build. It amazes me to see how much they achieved to increase the adoption of onchain real estate in such a short period. Paving the way for a future where real estate transactions are as easy as sending an email.”

By offering a dynamic entry point to the Propy ecosystem and facilitating onchain title management, PropyKeys empowers anyone to begin their blockchain-based real estate journey. From minting home addresses to verifying ownership and enabling instant property sales, access to RWA or micro-mortgages, PropyKeys stands at the forefront of the industry’s digital transformation.

For more information, please visit please visit PropyKeys.com

About PropyKeys:

PropyKeys, a gamified platform within the Propy ecosystem, is redefining real estate ownership through blockchain technology. Officially launched in March 2024 on Coinbase’s Base, a layer-2 network, PropyKeys allows users to mint digital addresses and deeds for real-world properties. By enabling the digital representation of property addresses and offering a secure, blockchain-based platform for property deed storage, PropyKeys aims to make real estate ownership more accessible, secure, and engaging. With features like AI-generated landmark NFT minting and a novel staking mechanism, PropyKeys is setting new standards in how properties are owned, traded, and verified in the digital age.

M2 launches MMX Loyalty Rewards: Hold MMX Tokens for a chance to win share of 300,000 USDT! 3343

M2, ‘The New Home of Crypto’, is thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting new campaign aimed at rewarding all MMX token holders on its native M2 exchange. The campaign, which runs from 08th of March to the 19th of April, offers participants the chance to win their share of a whopping 300,000 USDT simply by holding MMX tokens in their M2 Wallet.

Campaign mechanics:

Hold a minimum of 200 MMX tokens in your M2 wallet to qualify for entry into the draws. The more MMX tokens you hold, the greater your chances of winning. Existing MMX holders are automatically eligible for the draw from the campaign’s launch date. New customers can join the campaign by purchasing 200 MMX tokens during the campaign period.

Weekly draws schedule:

  • 15th March: 20,000 USDT draw – top prize 2,000 USDT
  • 22nd March: 30,000 USDT draw – top prize 3,000 USDT
  • 29th March: 40,000 USDT draw – top prize 4,000 USDT
  • 5th April: 50,000 USDT draw – top prize 5,000 USDT
  • 12th April: 60,000 USDT draw – top prize 6,000 USDT
  • 19th April: 100,000 USDT draw – top prize 10,000 USDT

The campaign will conclude with a final draw on April 19th at the Token2049 event in Dubai, featuring a top prize of 10,000 USDT from a guaranteed prize pool of 100,000 USDT.

Eligibility:

To qualify for the MMX Loyalty Rewards, participants are required to hold their MMX tokens within an M2 wallet. All M2, MMX holders, whether existing or new, are eligible to participate in the campaign from the day of its launch subject to the exclusions specified in the Terms and Conditions. This inclusive approach ensures that all members of the MMX community have the opportunity to take part and potentially win big.

Campaign duration:

Spanning from March 8th to April 19th, this campaign celebrates the commitment of the MMX community by offering guaranteed winnings from a substantial prize pool of 300,000 USDT. Participants are encouraged to act swiftly to maximize their chances of winning.

Quotes:

“Our MMX token promotion campaign underscores our commitment to rewarding our loyal community members and driving engagement within the MMX ecosystem,” said Stefan Kimmel, CEO of M2. “We’re excited to offer this exclusive opportunity to our valued MMX holders and look forward to seeing the positive impact it has on our community.”

How to participate:

To participate in the campaign, MMX holders simply need to ensure they hold a minimum of 200 MMX tokens in their M2 wallet. Existing holders are automatically entered into the draw, while new customers can join by purchasing 200 MMX tokens during the campaign period.

Conclusion:

With a total prize pool of 300,000 USDT up for grabs, distributed through escalating weekly draws, M2’s MMX token promotion promises to be an exhilarating opportunity for MMX holders to win big while reinforcing the token’s value within the crypto market. This campaign not only underscores the value of holding MMX tokens but also solidifies the bond between M2 and its community.

This offer is from M2 Global Wealth Limited, a registered Digital Asset Business regulated and authorized by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas. It is not a product offered by M2 Limited; M2 Custody Limited, which is regulated and licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market.

About M2

M2 is a leading crypto exchange platform committed to providing a secure and transparent trading environment for crypto enthusiasts worldwide. With a focus on regulation, security, and transparency, M2 aims to redefine the crypto investment experience and empower users to explore the vast potential of digital assets.

All-in-One Web3 Gaming Ecosystem Blockus Raises $4M Pre-Seed After Completing a16z Incubator Program 3597

Blockus, an emerging, innovative force at the intersection of blockchain technology and gaming, today announced a significant milestone, securing $4M in pre-seed funding. This successful raise follows Blockus’s participation in the prestigious a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator, which not only provided access to mentors and advisors but also allowed the startup to connect with potential investors.

The pre-seed round was led by Maple VC and included Altos Ventures as well as known angel investors such as Zhuoxun Yin from Magic Eden, Michael Ma from CreatorDAO, and Bryan Pelligrino from LayerZero.

Blockus is dedicated to transforming the gaming experience by enabling studios to onboard their players and build on-chain gaming features with ease. The company has already gained traction in the market, with over 30 partners already signed, including Ambrus Studio, the team behind E4C: Final Salvation. The funding will allow Blockus to accelerate its growth, expand its team, strengthen sales operations, and invest heavily in product development.

“This pre-seed raise marks a pivotal moment in our journey,” said Jess Zhang, Co-founder & CEO at Blockus. “The trust our investors, like Maple VC, have placed in us is both humbling and inspiring. We’re ready to unlock the next level of innovation in the gaming industry, and we’re excited to bring our blockchain solutions to even more studios and developers.”

With a rapidly expanding market – approximately 62% of all dApp activity comes from gaming projects, and Web3 gaming is expected to reach $600B by 2030 – Blockus is in a prime position to capitalize on this growth.

“We’re thrilled to witness Blockus’s latest achievement,” said Johnson Yeh, Founder & CEO at Ambrus Studio. “As innovators in the gaming space, we’re proud to partner with a company that’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The potential for Web3 in gaming is immense, and we’re confident that Blockus will play a major role in shaping its future.”

The announcement is made in the lead-up week to Game Developers Conference (GDC) taking place in San Francisco. There, the company will host a dedicated event on March 21 at 7 p.m. at the iconic SPIN bar to engage with the Web3 gaming community, and current and potential partners.

“Blockus has the potential to be the catalyst for a new era of gaming, built on the principles of decentralization and player ownership,” said Andre Charoo, General Partner at Maple VC. “The founders’ deep understanding of both gaming and Web3 technologies, combined with their track record, makes them an exceptionally compelling team to back. We believe Blockus is poised to lead the way in the Web3 gaming revolution.”

To celebrate its funding milestone, Blockus is extending a special offer of $20,000 in credits to potential clients for the two weeks following the announcement period. This offer presents a unique opportunity for game developers interested in exploring how Blockus can elevate their game experiences.

You can learn more about the event at GDC and apply for the credits here: https://lu.ma/blockusgdc

About Blockus

Blockus is a complete Web3 gaming economy ecosystem. Beautifully built, fully compliant, and seamlessly integrated into games, the company’s mission is to create a future where players have true ownership of their in-game assets and where gaming experiences are more immersive, engaging, and rewarding. Learn more about Blockus at https://www.blockus.gg/

unagi(x) by Wemade Integrates Chainlink CCIP on WEMIX3.0 Mainnet as Exclusive Cross-Chain Infrastructure for Omnichain Gaming Ecosystem 3793

Wemade, one of South Korea’s largest game developers and the founder of unagi(x), and Chainlink, the industry-standard decentralized computing platform, announced today that Chainlink CCIP—the industry standard for cross-chain interoperability—has been integrated by unagi(x) on WEMIX. As the network’s official cross-chain infrastructure, CCIP underpins WEMIX’s gaming mega-ecosystem and unagi(x)—the interoperability engine for unagi, the omnichain initiative to enable fast on-off chain trading.

The AAA MMORPG NIGHT CROWS —which launches globally in 170 countries on March 12th—will integrate unagi(x) powered by CCIP across six chains: WEMIX, Kroma, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Ethereum, and Polygon. Interoperability between this diverse selection of networks allows users to fully immerse themselves in the game, while tokenizing in-game assets on their preferred chain.

“We selected Chainlink CCIP as it offers a proven solution for cross-chain token transfers and multi-chain abstraction to enhance user experiences across Web3 gaming and beyond,” said Henry Chang, CEO of Wemade. “By seamlessly connecting WEMIX to the multi-chain ecosystem and enabling cross-chain transfers of in-game NIGHT CROWS tokens and NFTs with CCIP, we’re unlocking a novel omnichain gaming experience and interchain economy that will help drive the growth of all of Web3.”.

unagi(x) being powered by CCIP enables Web3 gamers to play NIGHT CROWS across the multi-chain ecosystem, while facilitating seamless transfers of in-game tokens and NFTs between chains. Users can freely choose their gaming chain, connecting and exchanging game tokens and NFTs with the ‘una Wallet,’ which enables users to intuitively manage assets and transfers across supported networks via the omnichain infrastructure.

“I am very impressed by how Wemade is on the cutting edge of blockchain gaming, a growing part of the entire blockchain economy, which I believe will eventually intersect with DeFi in new and interesting ways,” said Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink. “We are excited to support them in their plans to lead the blockchain gaming community into the future with a secure connectivity solution.”

CCIP was selected as Wemade’s official interoperability solution because of its proven track record as the provider of oracle services used by hundreds of dApps and its dominant position as the leading provider of oracle services in the DeFi space. Advanced features including programmable token transfers and a single standardized interface for omnichain application development were also key factors leading to the decision to choose CCIP.

As a result, the integration of CCIP within unagi(x) creates a secure environment for NIGHT CROWS gamers to effortlessly navigate across chains, and positions NIGHT CROWS to redefine the possibilities of omnichain gaming.

About Chainlink

Chainlink is the industry-standard decentralized computing platform powering the verifiable web. Chainlink has enabled over $9 trillion in transaction value by providing financial institutions, startups, and developers worldwide with access to real-world data, offchain computation, and secure cross-chain interoperability across any blockchain. Chainlink powers verifiable applications and high-integrity markets for banking, DeFi, global trade, gaming, and other major sectors.

Learn more about Chainlink by visiting chain.link or reading the developer documentation at docs.chain.link.

Wemade

With over two decades of gaming industry expertise, Wemade is at the forefront of the next global wave of Web3 game developers innovating with blockchain technology. Aiming to accelerate the mass adoption of blockchain technology, Wemade is building a one-of-its-kind, experience-based, platform-driven, and service-oriented mega-ecosystem that offers a wide spectrum of intuitive, convenient, and easy-to-use Web3 services. Visit www.wemix.com/communication for more information.

Introducing BounceBit testnet: BounceClub East-to-West Event 4660

BounceBit introduced early access with The Water Margin Event on January 30, 2024, inviting early contributors to boost Total Value Locked (TVL) and earn BounceBit points in return. Achieving remarkable milestones, BounceBit’s TVL soared to over $600 million within a month, complemented by securing $6 million in seed funding from leading investors Blockchain Capital and Breyer Capital. Today, we are thrilled to unveil our latest achievement: the BounceBit Testnet is officially live! Users are invited to enjoy an early experience of BounceClub and engage in staking on the BounceBit Testnet. Let’s dive into the features and opportunities BounceBit Testnet brings.

The underlying philosophy: The concept of BounceClub

The guiding philosophy of BounceBit is deeply motivated by Apple Inc.’s spirit of innovation and commitment to user-centric design. Apple’s success is attributed not only to the functionality of their products but also to their elegant design and user-friendly interface.

Inspired by Apple’s business model, BounceBit aims to revolutionize traditional onchain development methods by introducing the concept of BounceClub and BounceBit App Store. As an integral part of the BounceBit ecosystem, BounceClub is designed to simplify smart contract deployment for everyone and minimize dApp redundancy.

BounceClub serves as a Web3 hub enabling everyone to craft their own onchain space without any coding requirements. A BounceClub owner can customize their BounceClub by simply selecting protocols that are listed on the BounceBit App Store, just like downloading apps from the App Store on your iPhone. The BounceBit App Store functions as a library of Web3 plugins where developers are welcome to apply for listing their smart contracts, just like publishing apps on iOS’s App Store. Users who do not own a BounceClub can browse existing BounceClubs and engage in various Web3 activities to earn yield.

Testnet BounceClub Event: Build on Bitcoin from East to West

The BounceBit Testnet launch introduces multiple features: The BounceClub event, offering early access to BounceClub; BBScan, the explorer that tracks all activities on the BounceBit network; Dual-token staking, allowing users to stake BounceBit’s native token $BB and BounceBit’s uniformly mapped BTC $BBTC.

The BounceClub Event is centered around the theme “Building on Bitcoin: From East to West,” emphasizing a global effort to expand and innovate within the Bitcoin ecosystem. This theme underlines the initiative to unite developers, enthusiasts, and contributors from diverse regions in shaping the future of Bitcoin-centric development and applications.

To explore any of the Testnet features, you’ll need to get $BB tokens first from BounceBit’s discord channel. Everyone is welcome to participate in the BounceClub event as either a BounceClub owner or a BounceClub user. Here’s how it works:

  1. If you’ve registered for an account and deposited at least $10 at https://bouncebit.io/, you’re qualified to claim a Testnet BounceClub at https://testnet-club.bouncebit.io/claimClub. Then you can set it up by filling in the descriptions and selecting the protocols that you want to add to your club.
  2. If you haven’t deposited yet, you can simply browse the BounceClubs created by others at testnet.club.bouncebit.io and engage in the DeFi activities offered.

There will be two sets of Testnet leaderboard tracking the level of engagement. One leaderboard ranks BounceClub Owners based on the total amount of transactions made in their Clubs, while the other one ranks BounceClub Users based on the amount of transactions made by each user.

Advancing on the Testnet leaderboards brings numerous rewards upon the BounceBit Mainnet Launch in April. Notably, the top 6000 BounceClub Owners on the Testnet leaderboard will be eligible to claim the exclusive 6000 Mainnet BounceClubs when BounceBit Mainnet launches.

Testnet supported assets: Mirrored tokens

The Testnet BounceClub Event supports a variety of tokens that are mirrored from multiple platforms for users to engage in the DeFi activities within BounceClubs. The list of mirrored tokens includes:

  1. From BounceBit’s early access: $BTC, $WBTC, $AUCTION, $USDT, $MUBI, $FDUSD, $DAII
  2. From MultiBit Bridge: $MUBI, $BSSB, $DAII, $SATS, $ORDI, $LFG, $SAVM, $OOFP, $COM, $MOGB, $AMMX, $ZOOA, $RAIT, $RATS, $TURT, $OXBT, $WHEE, $CHAX, $FOOX, $AUCTION

More smart contracts and assets will be added to this list soon!

About BounceBit

BounceBit is building a BTC restaking infrastructure that provides a foundational layer for different restaking products, secured by the regulated custody of Mainnet Digital and Ceffu. The BounceBit chain, designed as a showcase of a restaking product within the BounceBit ecosystem, is a PoS Layer 1 secured by validators staking both BTC and BounceBit’s native token — A dual-token system leveraging native Bitcoin’s security with full EVM compatibility. Critical ecosystem infrastructure like bridges and oracles are secured by restaked BTC. Through an innovative CeFi + DeFi framework, BounceBit empowers BTC holders to earn yield across multiple networks.

Most anticipated AI trading tool by Kelp.org (KELP) announces presale 5123

Decentralized finance (DeFi) is abuzz with anticipation as Kelp (KELP), a project with the potential to reshape the trading industry, gears up for its presale. With a comprehensive ecosystem of groundbreaking products and services, Kelp.org is set to redefine the way individuals and institutions interact with the digital economy.

Kelp’s transformative vision lies in Kelp’s Autonomous Trading Engine (K.A.T.E.), seamlessly redefining the way users trade utilizing an unique approach to AI. K.A.T.E. empower users to trade cryptocurrency automatically building each user a winning portfolio, Averaging 88% APR yearly with over 7,000 assets tracked in equities and cryptocurrency, so each user will be able to spend more time with the ones they love. This paradigm shift has the potential to fundamentally alter the way people trade because they don’t need to trade, deeming KATE the title of the “Aladdin of crypto.”

Complementing KATE, Kelp’s whitepaper plans to transform cryptocurrency as we know it creating “Stable money for all.” Leveraging cutting-edge technology, this offers an experimental cryptocurrency catering to the evolving needs of merchants and customers alike. Its innovative features and seamless integration with Kelp’s DeFi ecosystem set it apart from traditional cryptocurrency, paving the way for a more streamlined and secure adoption solving the difficulties between integrating fiat and cryptocurrency in a decentralized manner.

Beyond its flagship products, Kelp’s comprehensive DeFi ecosystem encompasses a decentralized exchange (DEX), staking platform, Kelp’s Autonomous Trading Engine (K.A.T.E) and over 7 other protocol features. This approach caters to the diverse needs of DeFi users, providing them with a one-stop platform for managing their digital assets and exploring the full potential of decentralized finance.

Kelp.org Presale

The upcoming Kelp presale marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of DeFi, offering early adopters an exclusive opportunity to become a part of this transformative project. With a total supply of 80 billion tokens, the presale will allocate 31.25% of $KELP tokens, providing participants with a chance to secure a stake in the future of AI.

To participate in the presale, individuals can visit the Kelp.org and participants can contribute to the presale using various cryptocurrencies, including USDT, BNB, BTC, and ETH. #KelpersUnite

Conclusion: Embracing the future of DeFi with kelp

The Kelp.org presale is a call to action, inviting individuals worldwide to join the DeFi and AI revolution. With its innovative products, unwavering commitment to security, and transparent approach to DeFi services, Kelp is poised to reshape cryptocurrency, empowering individuals and businesses alike to embrace the future of finance. As the presale approaches, anticipation rises high, signaling a new era of AI driven inclusivity, accessibility, and innovation.

For more information about Kelp.org, visit:

Website: https://kelp.org

Founder: Ed Bishop