The network of gaming stores GameStop is preparing to launch an NFT trading platform

The largest American retail network for the sale of video games GameStop has resumed the development of its own platform for trading in collectible tokens. GameStop began development on the platform back in mid-2021, but progress has stalled since then. In January 2022, the company launched a dedicated NFT and Web3 development division. At the same time, a partnership was announced with Immutable X, a developer of a solution for scaling the Ethereum network. It…

Police of Rio de Janeiro arrested suspects of involvement with GAS Consultoria

The Brazilian police have detained the likely creators of the fraudulent scheme for investing in cryptocurrencies GAS Consultoria. The operation, called “Operação Betka”, took place in Rio de Janeiro and was the fourth stage of Operation Cryptos, during which the head of GAS Consultoria, Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, was arrested last August. GAS Consultoria, headquartered in the popular resort of Cabo Frio, was founded by a former waiter and promised clients 10% or more per…

Brazilian Government Creates Rede Brasil de Blockchain Network

The Brazilian government blockchain network is designed to help the country’s authorities increase the transparency of the movement of budget funds. The Rede Brasil de Blockchain (RBB) network project has been in development since 2018. At the Ethereum.Rio event, Gladstone Arantes, Head of Blockchain Initiatives at the Country Development Bank (BNDES), shared the technical details of the project. Arantes said that the developers have chosen a Hyperledger Besu 2.0 consensus protocol system as the base…

The President of Ukraine signed the law “On virtual assets”

The Ukrainian authorities have adopted a law that should regulate the circulation and use of cryptocurrencies. In February, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the law “On Virtual Assets”, and on Wednesday, March 16, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine announced that President Volodymyr Zelensky had signed it. The law is intended to create conditions for the legal use of cryptocurrencies on the territory of Ukraine. The National Securities and Stock Market Commission of…

American Express Registers Trademarks for NFTs and the Metaverse

The largest US payment system has filed an application for registration of seven new trademarks related to non-fungible tokens and Web3. Metaverse Trademark Attorney Michael Kondoudis tweeted today that one of the largest credit card companies, American Express, has filed seven new trademark applications. The corporation has registered several names and logos, including AMEX, MEMBERSHIP REWARDS and SHOP SMALL. Kondoudis said that everything indicates that the company plans to take its place in the metaverse…

Developers Diem raised $200 million to launch a new Aptos project

Former Meta employees working on the now-defunct Diem stablecoin project have raised $200 million to attract developers to Aptos, a new cryptocurrency project. Aptos was founded by Novi’s former Head of Strategic Partnerships, Mo Shaikh, and the same company’s CTO, Avery Ching. At Aptos, they hold the positions of CEO and CTO, respectively. Bloomberg reports that the Aptos development team is working on a first-level blockchain using the Move programming language created for Diem. The…

Bank Santander will offer customers loans backed by commodity tokens

A Spanish multinational bank is developing the possibility of providing loans secured by tokens of agricultural products. Banco Santander announced the creation of a system for providing loans secured by commodity tokens. The project is being developed jointly with the Argentine startup Agrotoken, which previously launched grain-backed tokens. Tokens allow manufacturers to make full-fledged transactions with goods. The bank has already carried out a test run of the system. Santander claims that this is the…

Princeton University Launches Blockchain Research Project

Princeton University, one of the oldest universities in the US, is launching an initiative to study blockchain in depth and its impact on social institutions, as well as to find new applications of the technology. According to Bloomberg, former students at Princeton University donated about $20 million to the project, including Peter Bridger of Fortress Investment, ConsenSys CEO Joseph Lubin, Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead, and Galaxy Digital founder Michael Novogratz. The project aims to…

Neobank Lunar raised €70 million to create a cryptocurrency trading platform

The Danish banking project Lunar has attracted additional investments and plans to open its own platform for the sale of cryptocurrencies and b2b payments. Lunar’s new funding round was a continuation of last year’s investment series D. Last summer, neobank Lunar attracted investments in the amount of €210 million for the development of cryptocurrency projects. A total of €345 million was raised, which allowed Lunar’s capitalization to approach €2 billion. The Danish neobank has a…

US Regulators Charge Four Creators of JetCoin Crypto Pyramid

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the US Department of Justice have charged four suspects with creating the JetCoin cryptocurrency pyramid and defrauding investors for a total of $44 million. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) accused three US citizens: Dwayne Golden, Gregory Aggesen and Marquis Egerton, as well as Indian citizen Jatin Patel of fraud and extortion. The agency claims that they organized cryptocurrency schemes called Empowercoin and Ecoinplus, with the help of which…