1. Living on Bitcoin Just Got Even Easier, AT&T Accept Crypto Payments With BitPay
Earlier today, US telecom giant AT&T proudly announced that it had become the first major American mobile carrier to accept crypto assets for the payment of bills. Customers will be able to settle their accounts using Bitcoin thanks to a deal with BitPay.
Although such developments are great for those earning in Bitcoin, for most people interested in the number one digital currency, the appeal will likely be limited. They therefore do not quite represent the holy grail’s of crypto adoption many portray them to be.
[Source: NewsBTC] ✩✩✩✩✩
2. E-Commerce Giant Alibaba to Integrate Blockchain Into Intellectual Property System
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will integrate blockchain technology into its intellectual property system of global enterprises and brands, local news outlet Sohu reported on May 23.
Ali Xizhi, the company’s director of intellectual property protection, reportedly said that Alibaba is in the process of upgrading the filing of intellectual property rights by utilizing blockchain. Alibaba is planning to fully implement the technology in September, after which it will be expanded to digital copyright protection, including visual content.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩✩✩
3. Sources: Telegram Messenger investor note reveals TON to launch in Q3
Telegram is planning to launch its Telegram Open Network (TON) in Q3, according to an internal note sent to the company’s investors.
Despite initial doubts over whether Telegram could execute the crypto project, the messaging firm reported a successful testing process that confirmed its blockchain and consensus algorithm met the goal of its original TON white paper.
[Source: TheBlock] ✩✩✩✩✩
4. Bank of Russia: We are Opposed to Crypto, But May Consider Gold-Backed Digi-Asset
According to local news publication TASS, the Bank of Russia will consider a gold-backed digital currency for use in international settlements. However, the institution remains opposed to truly decentralised crypto assets.
The world power has reportedly mulled the idea of creating a digital currency before and it is also believed by some that the Venezuelan experiment into crypto with the Petro was a Russian-backed way to study the tech in action.
[Source: NewsBTC] ✩✩✩✩
5. Toyota Joins Forces With University Of Tokyo And Trende For Blockchain-Based Electricity Trading
Toyota, a leading Japanese car manufacturer, has allied with the University of Tokyo and Trende, a Japanese renewable energy retailer, to pilot a blockchain-based electricity trading solution, according to reports on May 23, 2019.
[Source: Bitcoinexchangeguide] ✩✩✩✩
6. Coinbase lists MakerDAO stablecoin Dai on its retail platform
Coinbase listed Maker’s stablecoin Dai on its retail trading platform. The move comes is part of a larger strategy to list more trading pairs to keep up with the leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
[Source: Cryptoslate] ✩✩✩
7. Grayscale to Open Ethereum Trust to Individual Investors
Grayscale Investments LLC said its investment vehicle that holds the cryptocurrency Ether will open soon to mom-and-pop buyers after receiving secondary-market trading approval.
Launched in December 2017 during the height of the crypto bubble, the Grayscale Ethereum Trust was initially only available to accredited and institutional investors at a minimum of $25,000 through private purchases. Small investors will be able to buy shares in the trust in over-the-counter markets after gaining approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a self-regulatory organization.
[Source: Bloomberg] ✩✩✩
8. Vitalik Proposes Mixer to Anonymize ‘One-Off’ Ethereum Transactions
“We need a first step toward more privacy,” Vitalik Buterin, founder of the ethereum blockchain network, said Wendesday.
In a new HackMD post, Buterin detailed a design to help obscure ethereum user activity on the blockchain. More specifically, Buterin proposed a “minimal mixer design” aimed at obfuscating user addresses when sending fixed quantities of ether (ETH).
[Source: Coindesk] ✩✩✩
9. SIX is Developing a Swiss Franc-Pegged Stablecoin
Another fiat-pegged digital currency is in line to hit the market, but this time will be issued by Switzerland’s largest stock exchange SIX.
According to a Coindesk report, the Zurich-based exchange is developing a stablecoin pegged to the Swiss franc.
[Source: FinanceMagnates] ✩✩✩
10. Rabobank announces plans to drop its crypto-project
Rabobank, a bank based out of The Netherlands, has decided to drop their idea of creating their own native cryptocurrency called Rabobit. The bank had announced their cryptocurrency plans in February 2018. Rabobank was looking at closing the gap between banks and cryptocurrency wallets. However, they have taken this decision after exploring the field for more than a year.
[Source: AMBCrypto] ✩✩✩
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