November 29, 2024
French department store Printemps is to accept cryptocurrency payments in its 20 stores in France. The retailer says it is the first European department store to accept cryptocurrency payments after partnering with fintech company Lyzi and Binance Pay, the payment solution from cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance.
There are 6.5 million French crypto-currency users.
During a media event at a high-end hotel in Hong Kong, Crypto entrepreneur Sun indulged in a banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian”, a piece of conceptual art he recently acquired at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. After consuming the banana, Sun remarked on its quality and discussed the parallels he sees between conceptual art and the world of cryptocurrency, suggesting that both realms largely exist in the intellectual and digital domain rather than the physical one.
The artwork, which debuted at the 2019 Art Basel show in Miami Beach, has sparked debate over its classification as art. Sun’s act of eating the banana at a press conference was intended to add to the artwork’s history. He also mentioned his recent advisory role with World Liberty Financial, a crypto initiative supported by US President-elect Donald Trump, after making a $30 million investment. Despite this political connection, Sun emphasized his apolitical stance and his aim to bridge traditional finance with decentralized finance. His involvement in the crypto sector has not been without controversy, facing charges from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which he has denied. The artwork “Comedian” comes with a certificate of authenticity and instructions for replacing the banana. Sun speculated that the value of the artwork might increase similarly to Bitcoin, driven by speculative interest.
Source: France24
World Network WLD/USD emerged as one of the biggest cryptocurrency market gainers Thursday after the identity verification project unveiled a pilot feature that would allow users to claim additional tokens.
What happened: WLD, the native cryptocurrency of the newly-branded network, previously called Worldcoin, spiked over 13% to become the second-best-performing cryptocurrency in the last 24 hours.
The coin’s trading volume jumped 145% to around $1.35 billion, boosting the volume-to-market cap ratio to 67%.
The surge in buying pressure came following the launch of a new feature, called “World ID Credentials,” aimed at making the network more accessible.
See Also: Ethereum Rally Gets Overshadowed By Searing Gains In Cheaper Plays: Why Are ENS And ETC Soaring Today?
“The new feature can be added to a person’s World ID whether or not they have verified their humanness at an Orb,” World Network announced.
Furthermore, using Credentials, World ID holders may claim additional WLD tokens, regardless of whether their World ID was validated at an Orb location.
The project would be rolled out in select countries including Chile, Colombia, Malaysia and South Korea
Why It Matters: Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, launched the Worldcoin project last year amid significant media attention.
The project collects people’s irises to authenticate their humanness and creates a digital ID, thereby making them eligible to receive free WLD tokens.
However, the initiative has encountered challenges related to personal data protection. The project has been prohibited in Hong Kong, Kenya, and Spain.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Worldcoin was trading at $2.86, up 13.51% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Image by CryptoFX on Shutterstock
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© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Coinbase Inc. COIN CEO Brian Armstrong has criticized Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), calling her a “liability” to the Democratic Party and accusing her of being complicit in attempts to undermine the cryptocurrency industry.
What Happened: Armstrong’s comments came in response to a tweet from Elon Musk, referring to venture capitalist Marc Andreessen alleging that 30 tech founders were secretly debanked in an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast.
Armstrong supported Musk’s claim, describing the situation as “one of the most unethical and un-American things that happened in the Biden administration.”
He speculated that Senator Warren played a key role, stating, “My guess is we’ll find Elizabeth Warren’s fingerprints all over it.”
He also alleged that Warren and SEC Chair Gary Gensler attempted to “unlawfully kill our entire industry,” suggesting that their actions contributed to the Democratic Party’s poor performance in the recent elections.
Armstrong also revealed that Coinbase is pursuing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to gather documents to uncover the full extent of the issue and determine if any laws were broken.
“We’re still collecting documents via FOIA requests, so hopefully the full story emerges of who was involved,” Armstrong added.
Also Read: Dogecoin To Hit 69 Cents By Inauguration Day? Polymarket Traders Are Not Convinced
Why It Matters: The Coinbase CEO’s criticism reflects growing tensions between the cryptocurrency industry and certain Democratic leaders, particularly Warren, who has long been a vocal critic of crypto.
Warren’s stance on cryptocurrency has been a polarizing issue, with proponents accusing her of stifling innovation through excessive regulation, while her supporters argue that tighter controls are necessary to curb fraud and environmental harm.
Armstrong’s remarks come amid increasing scrutiny of regulatory policies under the Biden administration, with crypto advocates pointing to what they see as overreach by agencies like the SEC.
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Image: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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