One of the leaders in the augmented reality industry, Magic Leap, announced on May 30 that it had partnered with Google to enhance the potential of augmented reality technologies. This new collaboration aims to release unique product offerings while further expanding the longstanding relationship between the two companies. Magic Leap’s Optics Expertise Combined With Google’s […]
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On the Halving, Bitcoin is Getting New Technologies: Rollups and Tokens. Sovryn’s New Initiative is How to Get In Early
Sovryn’s and BOB are offering early users a piece of the new Bitcoin economy. With the Bitcoin Halving less than a month from now, Bitcoin will get two significant technological additions: Rollups, which will allow an increase in user adoption, lower fees, and smart contract capabilities, and native Bitcoin tokens called Runes. These two additions […]
Bitcoin News
Study: Africa Likely to Leapfrog Leading Fintech Regions if It Adopts New Technologies
Africa will likely leapfrog the top fintech regions if startups on the continent adopt new technologies, the Global Fintech 2023 report by the Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors has said. The report points to the African continent’s young population as well as the projected population growth of 1.2 billion more inhabitants by 2050.
Overcoming Africa’s Financial Exclusion Woes
According to the Global Fintech 2023 report by the Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors, Africa and the Middle East are likely to leapfrog established fintech centers if they adopt new technologies. The report also noted that while cash is “still king” in Africa, fintech startups are ideally positioned to solve the continent’s financial exclusion woes. By overcoming this, the fintechs will help make Africa one of the fastest-growing regions globally.
On how Africa is likely to achieve this feat, the report pointed to the continent’s projected population growth of 1.2 billion more inhabitants by 2050. The report also cited Africa’s position as the continent with the youngest population globally. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is identified in the report as one example of the countries on the continent whose demographic profile makes it an ideal candidate to propel the fintech market in Africa.
Smartphones Present Major Fintech Opportunities in Lending and Payments
In terms of the technology that is likely to anchor the continent’s expected growth, the report said smartphones — which are already the primary way African residents access financial services — bring significant fintech opportunities.
“Accordingly, most Africans’ first interaction with the financial services sector may be through their smartphones—presenting major fintech opportunities in payments and lending for regional champions with full-stack attacker models,” the report explained.
The report, however, acknowledged that telco fintech players have dominated the African fintech market. It added that these will likely retain their dominance even as more fintech startups switch to new technologies.
As shown by the report’s data, revenue earned by African fintech startups is expected to grow 13 times and top billion by 2030, the fastest rate by any region. Latin America has the second-highest projected growth with 12.5x, while Asia-Pacific is projected to become the largest fintech market by 2030.
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Introducing Worker or Sheikh: A Revolutionary Play-to-Earn Game Powered by Cutting-Edge AI Technologies
PRESS RELEASE. The team behind Worker or Sheikh is excited to announce the launch of their groundbreaking Play-to-Earn game, designed to provide players with an immersive and sustainable gaming experience. With its unique economic model, easy-to-learn gameplay, and AI-driven optimization, Worker or Sheikh is set to redefine the Play-to-Earn landscape.
Worker or Sheikh offers players two distinct roles within the game: Workers, who extract oil barrels from the wells, and Sheikhs, who act as investors and receive a passive income from the Workers’ efforts. This dual-role system promotes an inclusive gaming environment that caters to players with different investment capacities and gameplay preferences.
One of the standout features of Worker or Sheikh is its sustainable economics, designed by experts and optimized using artificial intelligence. The game employs systems for deflation, dividends, staking, burning, and more, ensuring a stable and sustainable gaming ecosystem over time.
Additionally, the game’s simplicity and user-friendly design make it accessible to players of all ages. Worker or Sheikh features a comprehensive Marketplace, where players can purchase in-game improvements such as potions, avatars, and extraction towers, while still offering the opportunity to play for free.
The game’s content, level design, and challenges are partially driven by AI technologies. Four AI-powered characters, named OLIVIA, DEXTER, CHARLES, and LILY, work together to optimize the game’s economy, create engaging content, design challenging levels, and analyze data to provide useful insights and feedback to the developers.
Worker or Sheikh is also proud to be the only game with a Virtual Assets Provider License and regulation through its creator, Blackbeargo, In addition, it already has a Certik audit. This sets a new standard for transparency and trustworthiness in the Play-to-Earn gaming world.
To learn more about Worker or Sheikh and join the gaming revolution, visit the official website at https://www.wosplaytoearn.com/ and follow the game on social media for the latest updates.
About Worker or Sheikh:
Worker or Sheikh is a next-generation Play-to-Earn game that combines innovative AI technologies, sustainable economics, and engaging gameplay to create a unique gaming experience. With a strong focus on inclusivity and sustainability, Worker or Sheikh aims to redefine the Play-to-Earn gaming landscape for the better.
Media Contact:
Web: https://www.wosplaytoearn.com/
Telegram Contact: @wosgame
Telegram Channel: @wosplaytoearn
Discord: https://discord.gg/wosp2e
Twitter: @wosplaytoearn
Instagram: @wosplaytoearn
Email: info@wosplaytoearn.com
This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.
Mastercard Launches NFTs to Support Emerging Musicians Through Web3 Technologies
According to Mastercard, the payments giant has launched non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that grant access to the Mastercard Artist Accelerator program, designed to support emerging musicians. Developed in collaboration with Polygon, the NFT project highlights Mastercard’s intent to embrace Web3 technologies.
Mastercard Launches Second NFT Offering
In January, Mastercard announced its partnership with Polygon to support up-and-coming artists through the Mastercard Artist Accelerator program. During the NFT.NYC conference, the company unveiled NFTs that provide entry to this program. “Until the end of the month, music and Web3 enthusiasts can redeem Mastercard Music Pass NFT,” the company stated on Wednesday.
When unveiling the music artist program, Mastercard did not reveal the participating musicians, as they had not been chosen yet. The selected artists are R&B soul singer Young Athena, Venezuelan vocalist Manu Manzu, Nigerian-based artist LeriQ, pop sensation Emily Vu, and West Indian hip-hop/pop-soul artist Cocoa Sarai. Mastercard notes that these artists will receive guidance from five experts and access to an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered music studio by Warpsound.
“[The artists can] kickstart their content creation, obtain mentorship, and acquire tips for using blockchain to monetize their work and build a fan community within the Web3 environment,” elaborated Mastercard’s announcement. Fans can redeem the Mastercard Music Pass NFT until the end of this month. This marks the company’s second NFT offering since June 2022 when it collaborated with Moonpay, Nifty Gateway, Candy Digital, The Sandbox, Immutable X, Spring, and Mintable to provide NFTs for cardholders.
Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer and president, stated that the company’s goal is to help people and partners worldwide understand blockchain and digital assets better while also demonstrating how Mastercard technology can support this ecosystem. “We also believe that Web3 has the potential to powerfully connect people and build communities around shared passions,” added the Mastercard executive.
What are your thoughts on the use of NFTs to support emerging artists and musicians? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
Bitcoin Miner Bitdeer Technologies to List on Nasdaq via SPAC Deal
According to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bitdeer Technologies Holdings, a digital mining firm founded by crypto-billionaire Jihan Wu in 2018, plans to be listed on Nasdaq this Friday. The bitcoin mining firm is scheduled to go public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal with Blue Safari Group, as noted in the business combination filing.
Bitdeer to Be Publicly Listed on Nasdaq Under the Ticker Symbol BTDR
A Singaporean company, Bitdeer Technologies Holdings, founded in 2018 by former Bitmain CEO Jihan Wu, plans to go public and be listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange on April 14, 2023, according to a recently published filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm will use the ticker symbol “BTDR.” Bitdeer operates mining farms in Europe and North America and has strategic partnerships with mining pools including Btc.com, Viabtc, Foundry USA, Antpool, F2pool, and Btc.top.
In September of last year, Bitdeer established a 0 million fund to purchase assets from distressed bitcoin miners. Also in September, the company acquired Singapore’s Le Freeport storage facility, also known as “Singapore’s Fort Knox.” According to the latest filing with the SEC, the company has reached a SPAC deal with Blue Safari Group. Shareholders of Blue Safari approved the deal at an extraordinary general meeting on April 11, 2023.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Bitdeer, leaving us poised to list on the Nasdaq and equipped to seize the growth opportunities ahead of us,” Linghui Kong, the CEO of Bitdeer said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far, and look forward to embarking on the next chapter of our journey. We are already a leading hash rate supplier, and our public listing will allow us to make even greater contributions to the crypto economy.”
Since 2021, publicly listed bitcoin mining companies have become a fixture on traditional stock exchanges. However, many of these firms experienced significant declines in their shares during 2022. In contrast, 2023 has been a better year for bitcoin mining companies, as the price of bitcoin (BTC) has risen 80% since the last day of December and 36.3% over the last 30 days. Over the past week, shares of publicly listed bitcoin mining firms such as Riot Blockchain, Bitfarms, Marathon Digital, and Cleanspark have increased in value against the U.S. dollar.
What do you think about the recent surge in bitcoin prices and its impact on the publicly listed bitcoin mining firms? Do you think Bitdeer Technologies Holdings’ decision to go public via SPAC deal with Blue Safari Group is a wise move? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Federated Learning Consortium (FLC) for Decentralized AI to Launch in Hong Kong, Led by Phoenix and APEX Technologies
PRESS RELEASE. After over a year of preparation and restructuring, decentralized and privacy-enabled AI organization Federated Learning Consortium (FLC) is set to launch as a for-profit research consortium in Hong Kong, China, shifting from a previously non-profit approach. FLC is set to be led by founding keystone members – blockchain technology platform Phoenix and leading China-based consumer data and AI company APEX Technologies.
FLC’s vision is centered on researching, developing, and promoting cutting-edge technologies surrounding federated AI, including federated learning, blockchain-enabled AI, multi-party computation (MPC), and TEE (trusted execution environment). The organization will be particularly interested in combining large-dataset deep learning technologies, such as reinforcement learning, with highly performant infrastructures using GPU computing using a decentralized/federated approach.
Organizational membership will be open to AI related technology firms, blockchain firms, and system integrators – the goal is to be able to provide holistic, implementable, and highly performant solutions for the broader market, focused initially on China and Asia. Through internal partnerships and joint research projects, organizations will be able to deliver new technology solutions that were not possible on a standalone basis,
Individual membership is also available for academics and industry experts. Currently FLC already has an initial roster of machine learning and federated learning experts from leading China-based firms such as HuaAT (华院数据), FuData (富数科技) , and Tencent.
FLC will be focused on developing technology solutions for various different verticals, including but not limited to retail, financial services, automotive, asset management, IoT, and government.
For more information:
FLC: https://flc.ai/
Phoenix: https://phoenix.global/
APEX Technologies: https://www.apextechnologies.com/
This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.
Luxor Technologies Acquires Ordinalhub to Provide Tools for Bitcoin-Based NFTs
With Bitcoin-based digital collectibles becoming a popular trend, the full-stack bitcoin mining services company Luxor Technologies has acquired the platform Ordinalhub, a project that provides tools to buy, sell, and track Bitcoin-issued non-fungible token (NFT) assets.
Luxor Plans to Address Challenges in the Market for Ordinal Inscription Trades
At the time of writing, there are more than 160,000 Ordinal inscriptions on the Bitcoin blockchain, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. Luxor, a bitcoin mining venture, played a role in the rising demand for Ordinal inscriptions after mining the largest bitcoin block ever (#774,628) to mint an inscription. Block #774,628 was approximately 3.96 MB in size, and the inscription advertised the group that supports Ordinal inscriptions, called Taproot Wizards.
After the number of Ordinal inscriptions rose to 150,000, Luxor announced its acquisition of Ordinalhub, a platform aimed at providing tools to buy, sell, and track Bitcoin-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Luxor noted that in the early stages of Ordinal inscriptions, the process of buying, selling, or tracking had been cumbersome. The company described how over-the-counter (OTC) transactions had taken place on Discord. However, these trades relied on “makeshift escrow” and provided a “trading environment that made onboarding difficult and also led to high middleman fees.”
We have some exciting news..
You may notice a cleaner look to our site today. That is because the team at Luxor just re-built it over the weekend. @LuxorTechTeam has entered the chat officially and acquired @ordinalhub. pic.twitter.com/EeHUkp8RdJ
— OrdinalHub ◉ (@ordinalhub) February 21, 2023
These trades are not small, Luxor says, as it points out several collections of Ordinal inscriptions that have seen digital collectibles sell for over 10 BTC. Luxor plans to address these issues by providing a central hub for the Ordinal community through its acquisition of Ordinalhub. The Bitcoin mining services company believes there is a need for tools that index collections, help with price discovery, and provide escrow services for Ordinal inscription trades. Ordinalhub aims to be a one-stop-shop for the growing Ordinal inscription trend on the Bitcoin blockchain.
“Ordinals provide a new and unique method to mint NFTs on the Bitcoin blockchain, and Luxor is proud to be a central player in this burgeoning movement,” Nick Hansen, the CEO of Luxor Technologies said in a statement. “Ordinals have opened the door for exciting new monetization strategies for Bitcoin miners. There are natural synergies between Luxor’s mining pool and OrdinalHub, synergies that will uniquely position Luxor to build critical infrastructure for the industry to foster growth.”
Presently, there are approximately 161,831 Ordinal inscriptions on the BTC chain at 11:00 a.m. (ET) on Feb. 22, 2023. Recently, the technology was also ported over to Litecoin. The trend of minting Ordinals on the Litecoin chain has also become popular since its introduction, and currently, there are 15,899 Litecoin-based inscriptions on the LTC network.
What do you think about Luxor acquiring Ordinalhub amid the growing trend of Ordinal inscriptions? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.
Privacy Startup Nym Technologies Launches “Nym Sandbox” Testnet for Community Participation
Ahead of its highly anticipated mainnet release, Switzerland-based privacy startup launched the Nym Sandbox testnet to serve as the permanent testnet alongside the recently launched Nova testnet.
The Nym Sandbox is open to developers, node runners, and researchers who want to try out the Nym mixnet architecture before joining or deploying on the mainnet. The launch of the Sandbox testnet is a critical milestone in Nym’s development cycle of the three-step mainnet release.
As part of the Nym Sandbox launch, the Nym development team has also released a critical “CosmWasm 1.0” upgrade to enhance further the capabilities of its smart contract platform that powers the NYM tokenomics.
With each new release bringing the team closer to its mainnet launch, Nym CTO and Co-Founder Dave Hrycyszyn notes, “The permanent testnet is an important step in the development of the entire Nym architecture. It will contain most major components and smart contracts, but in a secure test environment for us to tweak any issues before we begin the launch.”
Unlike Nym’s previously launched testnets, the Nym Sandbox won’t be incentivized. Developers can use the Sandbox testnet to build and integrate wallets and other apps, send messages, process transactions, and run nodes and gateways. However, the testnet will include “test” tokens and reputation design that replicates the mainnet tokenomics such as reward sharing, active, standby, and inactive nodes, among others. In addition to this, the Nym development team will also move all of the nodes, delegations, and reputation scores from the current testnet, Milhon, to the Nym Sandbox testnet.
The Nym Sandbox release will also greatly benefit the research community. By employing the Sandbox testnet, researchers can run simulations on the privacy and security aspects of Nym’s Mixnet Explorer, wallets, blockchains, and dApps that are running on them.
According to Professor Ania Piotrowska, Nym Head of Research, “Early on we concluded that the benefits of our Nym Sandbox testnet Nym Sandbox environment would be a boon for research purposes. We believe it will be instrumental in helping familiarize both the crypto and non-crypto communities with our technologies, all while granting them the chance to engage with our novel privacy services in a riskless environment.”
Ensuring End-To-End Privacy From Data Surveillance
Nym is a Swiss-based privacy software project that integrates several privacy technologies to build an infrastructure of cooperating networked nodes. It is one of the first privacy-focused projects that simultaneously provides integrated protection against metadata surveillance on both the network and transaction levels.
While most existing solutions can only cover one layer at a time, Nym ensures full-fledged end-to-end privacy for personal data. Founded in 2018, Nym serves as an open-source, decentralized, and incentivized system that consists of a decentralized mixnet explorer (a network of mix nodes) alongside an anonymous credential cryptosystem.
Protecting communications metadata and privately proving “right-to-use” services are two key aspects of Nym’s privacy-enhancing design. Operational costs are covered using NYM tokens, which are used to pay nodes contributing to the protocol. Nym is backed by some of the leading names from the industry, including Binance, Huobi Capital, Polychain Capital, European Commission, Fenbushi Capital, Digital Currency Group, and several others.
Crypto Adoption Begins With Fan Power. Corite’s CEO Discusses NFTs, Blockchain, and Democratizing the Music Industry Through Technologies.
By now, after almost a year since the start of the NFT hype, non-fungible tokens have proven to be one of the turning points in crypto’s history. The utility and use cases for these assets have been disrupting arts, sports, movies, and music. On the other hand, we humans have always been willing to go the extra mile to acquire a unique piece of history, an exclusive work of art, or something that allows us to connect with our idols and passions.
Corite, a Stockholm-based fan funding music platform, taps into these two trends, preparing to launch a blockchain platform and leverage NFTs to transform the billion-dollar industry. We sat down with Mattias Tengblad, Corite CEO, to discuss the irruption of NFTs in financial markets, the hype around non-fungible tokens, and their potential to help bring crypto into the mainstream.
Q: Could you tell us a little about your background? How is Corite embracing digital assets and blockchain technology, and why did you decide to bet on NFTs?
A: Well, my co-founding partner Emil and I are true music lovers, and we’ve been working together for many years. We’ve spent five exciting years at Universal Music when Spotify launched and rocked the industry to its foundation. We have successfully run corite.com since late 2019, which provided valuable insights on how to incorporate blockchain technology to open up even more opportunities for both artists and fans. Corite decentralizes the traditional record deal model, giving independent artists financial and creative freedom while engaging their fans in novel ways. When admirers and musicians share in the success of a project, their bond grows stronger. We believe that fan power will drive the music industry’s future. We are also convinced that by monetizing digital art and music, NFTs enable artists to gain control of their work and generate new revenue streams.
Q: Could you tell us about your latest accomplishments and how they are driving the platform to its ultimate goal, i.e. to democratize the music industry?
A: Corite is already used by tens of thousands of fans. We are currently launching the blockchain platform CO, which provides new ways for artists to enjoy and live off of digital art and music. Fans will get song shares by backing the music and earn fan power by making the music a hit. We’re bringing Play to Earn to the music industry, and we just completed a .2 million pre-sale of the platform’s native $CO token last month. Our first NFT campaign in collaboration with actor and artist Emery Kelly has been a great hit.
Q: In any trend, there are supporters and detractors. What would you say to those that don’t understand the power of blockchain? How NFTs in general, and Corite in particular, are going to provide them with a better experience?
A: NFTs are unique digital assets that can represent anything and enable new ways for fans and artists to interact in meaningful ways. They allow fans to show their dedication and ensure artists can offer one-of-a-kind experiences, VIP access, exclusive discounts, and merch. That is why I believe NFTs have the potential to become as important to generation Z as music videos once were during the hay days of MTV in the 90s.
Q: What do you think has fueled the NFTs craze we saw in recent months? Do you share Beeple’s view that the entire sector is a bubble?
A: I don’t know anyone who would say ‘no’ to an autograph from their idol, and NFTs are the next evolutionary step here. You can invest in a distinctive piece of art created by an artist that will never fade, and it’s something you can pass along without the need for external validators. Of course, the sector is still to reach maturity – for example, there are quite a few badly-designed NFTs that are selling for millions of dollars out there, but we’re getting there. As more professional content creators, producers and artists enter the scene, the quality will go up.
Q: Recent surveys have shown that younger generations have a positive disposition to adopt digital assets. Which role platforms such as Corite will play in the next decade as Millennials benefit from a massive wealth transfer?
A: Without a doubt, NFTs are here to stay, and they are much more than collectibles. Basically, NFT is a music investment that has been made available to the public. Consider supporting your favorite artist through a Kickstarter campaign in exchange for a percentage of the profits rather than merchandise or concert tickets only. It works wonders for prominent artists with millions of followers, allowing them to fund songs and albums with a single social media post, but also for the talented unestablished artist taking the first steps with the support of friends and family. In return, fans earn a share of artists’ success, while actively helping them with the promotion using our play to earn model. Corite and our CO platform will help artists understand and explore the NFT space offering turnkey solutions from creation and mechanics to distribution and marketing.