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PayPal CEO Predicts Cryptocurrencies Will Revolutionize Global Financial System

The CEO of one of the world’s largest payment providers predicts that cryptocurrency technology will revolutionize financial systems globally.

Ahead of Axis Tel Aviv’s international investment conference, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman told interviewers that he has high hopes for cryptocurrencies in the future.

“I am very excited about what cryptography and digital accounting technology can do for the financial system in the future…”

Schulman’s high hopes for crypto go far beyond Bitcoin (BTC) trading and into the realm of real-world use cases such as crypto as payment options.

“I think the initial things that everyone thinks about cryptocurrencies, buying and selling, and what is the price of Bitcoin tomorrow, that’s the least interesting part of digital currencies for me. This is thinking of digital currencies as an asset class. To me, the really exciting thing about digital currencies is the kind of utility they can provide in payments.”

Specifically, the payments giant’s CEO believes that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and digital wallets have the power to redefine everyday financial interactions.

“Clearly, around the world, central banks are considering issuing digital currencies. The intersection of CBDC, stablecoins, digital wallets and the enhanced utility of cryptocurrency payments is not only fascinating, but I think it will redefine much of the financial world going forward.”

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Defi Blind Platform makes a lot of money

Cega Finance, a decentralized finance platform, has raised more than $4 million in seed capital from companies like Dragonfly Capital Partners, Coinbase Ventures, Alameda Research, and Solana Ventures.

Cega Finance completes a $4 million funding round

Cega seeks to bring exotic derivative features to cryptocurrency. To date, the Cega team consists of several forex experts, experienced developers, founders of Y Combinator, and a former options trader. The company’s main product is an application created on the Solana network that combines basic and advanced options so that investors can access exclusive package offers.

The first exotic option offered by the company is the so-called Fixed Coupon Note, which offers retail investors higher yields and compounded returns. It also provides discount coverage to market makers. Arisa Toyosaki, a former derivatives trader and CEO and co-founder of Cega, said in an interview:

Defi derivatives have seen explosive growth over the past year, and we find that the market is still in its infancy. Defi has experienced >300 percent CAGR in the last two years and currently has four million users. We believe that a product offering that generates high returns and better security for users during the volatile period of crypto expansion will be essential for the growth of the entire ecosystem.

The company plans to use the money received to further develop its technology and establish a strong community focused on statistical modeling, user education and product offerings. Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly Capital Partners, said in a statement:

Blind is changing space defi. Defi goes through a process where a team creates a groundbreaking financial innovation, which in turn spurs the creation of an entirely new product category and grows the overall market. We have seen this with Uniswap for AMM and Composite for FX markets, and I think the Cega team will do this for exotic derivatives and structured products, a much needed breakthrough in the defi industry. We are super excited to support them and move this entire market forward.

Joey Krug, Pantera’s joint venture officer, also added his two cents to the mix, explaining:

Cega is opening up a new layer of untapped potential in decentralized derivatives, where we see a multi-billion dollar opportunity to disrupt traditional finance. Exotic options have proven to be valuable tools for transforming and managing risk. Now, defi gives us the opportunity to redesign these tools with greater transparency and efficiency.

The next step in finance?

Brian Lee, partner at Alameda Research, mentioned:

Alameda is pleased to support Cega because we believe exotic derivatives are the next evolution in defi. In traditional finance, we have seen an innovation-driven market expansion in derivatives and we believe the Cega team can push these boundaries for cryptocurrencies. 
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US Treasury Launches Cryptocurrency Awareness Program

The US Treasury Department is launching a cryptocurrency awareness program. “We’re just trying to raise awareness without trying to weed out new technologies and innovations,” a Treasury official said.

Treasury Efforts to Raise Cryptocurrency Awareness

The US Treasury Department is launching an initiative to raise awareness of investing in cryptocurrencies, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing an interview with Nellie Liang, assistant secretary for internal finance at the Treasury.

“We are hearing more and more about investors and families buying crypto assets, and we recognize the complexity of how some of these assets operate,” Liang described, adding:

It seemed that this is also an area where more education (and) more awareness could be useful.

The Treasury Financial Literacy Education Commission will create educational materials and organize outreach activities on digital assets. Treasury’s education unit comprises 20 different government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

The government aims to educate the public on how cryptocurrencies work and how they differ from other forms of payment. The Treasury’s outreach will focus on investors with limited access to key financial services, Liang said.

The Undersecretary explained that while there are risks associated with cryptocurrencies, the Treasury is aware of its benefits, such as improving cross-border payments or improving financial inclusion.

Liang clarified:

We are just trying to create awareness without trying to eliminate new technologies and innovations.

President Joe Biden issued an executive order on the regulation of cryptocurrencies on Wednesday. The order directs Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to report within 180 days on the future of money and payment systems, “including the conditions driving the widespread adoption of digital assets,” the White House said.

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PayPal joins other payment and remittance providers in suspending services in Russia

Several payment and remittance platforms, now including PayPal, have restricted access to their services in Russia as Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continue to expand. Fintechs have been limiting operations in the Russian Federation as well in response to Kiev’s call for help.

Payments giant Paypal stops services in Russia and keeps withdrawals for now

Paypal, the global online payments provider, has joined a growing list of fintechs backing Western sanctions against Russia for its decision to invade neighboring Ukraine. The company, which offered Russians only international transactions, canceled its services in the Russian Federation on Saturday.

Cited by Reuters, President and CEO Dan Schulman explained the measure in “current circumstances”, noting that Paypal supports the international community and condemns Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. The platform stopped accepting new users based in Russia earlier this week.

Through a spokesperson, Paypal added, however, that withdrawals will be supported for an unspecified period of time. The payments giant aims to “ensure that account balances are dispersed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”

The announcement follows calls from Kiev authorities to suspend services in Russia and support Ukraine’s fundraising efforts. The US-based California-based company revealed ahead of the weekend that it “has helped raise more than $150 million for charities supporting response efforts.” The Ukrainian government and local NGOs have also received millions in cryptocurrency donations.

Paypal’s move comes after other payment and remittance platforms already suspended certain services in Russia in late February. This includes Wise, which processed international payments for Russian users, and Remitly, which made it easy to send funds.

UK-based fintech Wise initially imposed a daily cap of £200 ($265) on transfers to the Russian Federation, but later suspended all money transfers as the US and its European allies imposed further restrictions on the system. financial situation, including the expulsion of some Russian banks. of the SWIFT interbank payment system.

As a result of the tougher sanctions, Remitly has also suspended support for money transfers to Russian recipients. Other remittance service providers have also introduced similar measures, including Transfergo and Zepz.

According to crypto media reports, UK-based Revolut has suspended payments to Russia and its ally Belarus, while an advertisement on its websites indicates the fintech is doing everything it can to ensure its users can send money to Ukraine. In a blog post, the company’s CEO, Nik Storonsky, highlighted its Russian and Ukrainian roots and expressed its opposition to the war.

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G7 and European Union Officials Work to Prevent Russia from Using Crypto

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, government officials from Europe and North America are cooperating to further increase pressure on Vladimir Putin.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, members of the Group of Seven (G7) and the European Union (EU) are looking to take advantage of the sanctions that have been put in place against Russia in recent days, including restricting access to cryptocurrencies.

The report quotes German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who declined to provide specific details on what tools and methods are being worked on.

Linder told Welt TV in an interview that sanctioning digital assets is one option.

“It’s about isolating Russia as much as possible at all levels [and having] the maximum ability to sanction, and that includes crypto assets as well.”

The G7 is made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Germany currently holds the title of president of the G7.

Cryptocurrency control has been a topic of contention since February 24, when Russia launched a large-scale incursion into Ukraine as part of an ongoing conflict dating back to 2014. Governments supporting Ukraine seek to cut off access to people in Ukraine. circumvent international sanctions through anonymous cryptographic transactions.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently said that she expects government bodies, as well as cryptocurrency exchanges, to start denying access to Russian users, telling MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow:

“I think in the specific case of Ukraine, I think the Treasury Department, I think the Europeans should look carefully at how they can prevent the cryptocurrency markets from giving Russia an outlet, both for government and private transactions inside and outside the country. . . Russia.”

The US Treasury Department is also targeting digital assets as part of its broader sanctions against the Russian government.