The Fed chairman’s recent letter illuminates how monetary policy bigwigs view crypto and if it might greenlight a USD stablecoin. Where just a handful of years ago, the idea would have been immediately dismissed or even met with ridicule, the United States Federal Reserve is now taking the concept of an official dollar stablecoin seriously. Markets have heard more frequent guidance from the Fed on cryptocurrencies in recent years, and thanks to two curious U.S. representatives — French Hill and Bill Foster — this guidance now includes […]

Big Four consulting firm KPMG officially launched its blockchain-based track and trace platform in Australia, China and Japan. Big Four audit firm KPMG has officially launched a blockchain-based track and trace platform in Australia, China and Japan. Dubbed KPMG Origins, the tool is designed to increase transparency and traceability of processes in multiple industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and financial services, the firm announced on Nov. 28. The official launch of KPMG Origins in Australia, China and Japan comes after successful pilot implementations with clients in those […]

Stock and cryptocurrency trading platform Robinhood has withdrawn its bank charter application with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Stock and cryptocurrency trading platform Robinhood has withdrawn its bank charter application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. As CNBC reported on Nov. 27, Robinhood voluntarily decided to withdraw its application with the regulator due to the challenges the company could face in receiving a charter. A spokesperson said that “Robinhood will continue to focus on increasing participation in the financial system […]

Major American cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been awarded a patent for a system that identifies and flags non-compliant accounts. Major American cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been awarded a patent for a system that identifies and flags non-compliant accounts. A filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 19 details a system containing a scoring model that “determines a compliance score for each one of the accounts based on the respective factors associated with the respective account.” The system then compares the compliance score for […]

Major United States-based crypto exchange Kraken joined the Silvergate Exchange Network, following Winklevoss’ Gemini. Kraken, one of the largest and oldest Bitcoin (BTC) exchanges in the world, has joined the Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN). By joining SEN, the United States-based cryptocurrency exchange enables its clients to deposit and withdraw U.S. dollars from Silvergate accounts with no fees, the firm announced Nov. 27. According to the announcement, the depositing process will be different based on whether Kraken users have a Silvergate account. If they have an account at […]

Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced that it will launch a rewards card facilitating crypto payments on major travel websites with startup TravelByBit. Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced in a blog post on Nov. 28 that it partnered with crypto travel startup TravelByBit to launch a rewards card that facilitates crypto payments on major travel websites. Per the announcement, the card will function like a traditional prepaid card with access to additional discounts and rewards that users will be able to load with Bitcoin (BTC), Binance USD (BUSD), […]

Blockchain researchers at online brokerage eToro have argued that Facebook should look to support third-party stablecoins, not Libra. Blockchain researchers at online brokerage eToro have argued that Facebook should look to support third-party stablecoins, not Libra. According to a Nov. 28 report from Finextra, eToro’s blockchain research unit eToroX Labs believes that while Facebook’s crypto project offers a “trailblazing opportunity” to disrupt financial services worldwide, the social media giant needs to change its strategy to assure success. Facebook should focus on wallet infrastructure Distrust and forceful opposition […]