1. US Congress Requests Moratorium on Facebook’s Libra Stablecoin
The United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services requested Facebook and its partners to stop the development of the Libra stablecoin.
In a July 2 letter addressed to Facebook CEOs Mark Zuckerberg and David Marcus, and COO Sheryl Sandberg, the lawmakers request that Facebook and its partners immediately agree to a moratorium on the development of Libra and its dedicated Calibra wallet.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩✩
2. World’s First Zero-Fiat ‘Bitcoin Bond’ Now Available on Bloomberg Terminal
Two European companies have launched what they describe as the world’s first genuine bitcoin (BTC) bond, they confirmed in a joint press release on July 3.
Luxembourg-based Argento, a securitization firm, joined forces with London Block Exchange (LBX) to issue the bitcoin-denominated bond, which is regulated under the United Kingdom’s regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩✩
3. Telegram Messenger Cryptocurrency Offered for Sale at Triple ICO Price
Even before Gram is released to the public, Telegram Messenger’s cryptocurrency may have appreciated by 200% from last year, when it began one of history’s biggest ever initial coin offerings.
South Korea’s Gram Asia has offered to sell rights to the Grams it holds at $4 apiece in a sale beginning July 10, according to Japanese crypto-exchange Liquid. This compares with $1.33 paid by private investors in the second ICO round in March 2018.
[Source: Bloomberg] ✩✩✩✩
4. IBM Launches Blockchain Pilot for Bank Guarantee Processes
Tech giant IBM has launched a pilot for a blockchain-powered platform designed to streamline bank guarantee process.
In a press release shared with Cointelegraph on July 3, IBM stated that the pilot was launched in partnership with four Australian financial services companies.
The pilot — dubbed Lygon — is backed by IBM, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Commonwealth Bank, real estate operator Scentre Group, and Australia’s first bank Westpac. The pilot is set to run for eight weeks for a test group of retail property leasing customers starting yesterday.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩✩
5. Communist Cuba Hops Aboard the Crypto Hype Train
Cuba is reportedly considering developing its own cryptocurrency, potentially following in the footsteps of Venezuela. Between enforced sanctions under Donald Trump and decreased aid from allies, Cuba is in trouble.
A new Cuban economic package calls on the country to consider the use of cryptocurrency to facilitate trade and tourism, as well as moderately increase pensions and wages for public sector employees and retirees.
[Source: CCN] ✩✩✩✩
6. Coinsquare wants to upgrade ATMs to cash out cryptos
A Canadian crypto exchange company by the name of Coinsquare has just implemented software that will allow it to upgrade local ATMs to a point where they can allow crypto cashouts.
[Source: Cryptopolitan] ✩✩✩✩
7. Libra overseer acknowledges possibility of ‘systemic risks’ in open letter
The man behind Facebook’s planned digital currency, Libra, has said that while the project could indeed be problematic, the company is, and always has been, keen to work with regulators and local governments. And besides, he said today, “you won’t have to trust Facebook” to enjoy the benefits of its proposed, international cryptocurrency.
[Source: DecryptMedia] ✩✩✩✩
8. Now Japanese Regulators Are Getting Anxious About Facebook’s Cryptocurrency
Japan’s central bank has joined the regulators worldwide expressing concerns over the potential risks posed by Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project.
A report from Nikkei Asian Review on Wednesday indicates that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) has concerns that Libra — a planned cryptocurrency backed by a basket of fiat currencies and government securities — will be tough to regulate and could bring risk to the financial system.
[Source: Coindesk] ✩✩✩✩
9. Tezos scores billion dollar STO deal with investment bank
BTG Pactual, the third biggest investment bank in Latin America, and the Dubai-based asset manager Dalma Capital announced plans today to use the Tezos blockchain to launch security token offerings. In so doing, the banks hope to “address a deal pipeline in excess of $1bn for existing and prospective token issuances,” the companies said in a press release.
[Source: DecryptMedia] ✩✩✩✩
10. French Regulators Notice Uptick in Crypto-Related Complaints
French financial regulators have observed an increase in complaints regarding cryptocurrencies this year.
Investors in the country are increasingly filing complaints about digital currencies with France’s Financial Markets Authority (AMF) since January 2019, according to the AMF’s 2019 Risk Map report published on July 2.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩
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