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- Get your daily, bite-sized roundup of cryptoasset- and blockchain-related news – examine the stories that fly under the radar of today’s crypto news.*
Investment News
- Evolve Funds Group Inc. Said it has launched “Canada’s first multi-cryptocurrency ETF.” The Evolve Cryptocurrencies ETF (ETC) has closed its initial offering of units traded today on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols: ETC (CAD Unhedged Units) and ETC.U (USD Unhedged Units), the company said, adding that ETC intends to invest in Bitcoin ETF (EBIT) and Ether ETF (ETHR) initially.
- BlockFi has announced that it will increase its interest rates on stablecoins in their BlockFi interest accounts from October 1, while cryptocurrency rates will remain the same. For accounts with less than coins, the rates increase from 8% to 8.25%, While for accounts with more, they increase from 5% to 7%.
- Banking giant Morgan Stanley bought over 58,000 shares of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust in July, according to a recent filing. They cost USD 2.4M at the time, with a reported value of just over USD 2m in the filing.
Adoption News
- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is considering the introduction of its own utility token called TAT Coin, but it must first consider the relevant regulations and profitability before getting started, according to the Bangkok Post. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the authority is currently in talks with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the possibility of introducing the TAT coin, which would involve transferring vouchers into digital tokens that could help operators gain more liquidity, but could not be speculated on for the purpose of trading.
- Installment lender Affirm plans to introduce a debit card and allow customers to buy and sell crypto directly from savings accounts they have with the company, Bloomberg reported. With the new crypto offering, customers could buy and sell digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) directly through the Affirm app.
- Bakkt has announced a partnership with Choice Hotels International to extend the benefits of the company’s Choice Privileges rewards program through the Bakkt app. Choice Privileges members can now convert their unused reward points into cash in the Bakkt app and then convert that money into Bitcoin, transfer to friends using the Send feature, or use it to buy everyday goods and services online or in-store wherever Apple Pay or Google Pay is accepted.
- Blockchain network XYO Network has announced that it has achieved a net profit of USD 3.8M in the first half of 2021, compared to a loss of USD 1.9M in the first half of 2020. XYO said that the number of nodes for the XYO network has doubled in the last three months.