NFT music on Winamp Old school classic PC-friendly media player Winamp has rolled out support for Ethereum and Polygon-based music nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in the latest update of its desktop player. Winamp has been around since 1997 and was one of the most popular media players for PC users but has since been overtaken by Windows Media Player and Apple’s dominant iTunes. It has a reputation for supporting a wide range of media files, and in the latest update announcement on Dec. 7 the Winamp team noted that NFT support is officially live and ready to go. @winamp I have fond memories of Winamp from back in my youth. Are we ever going to see a official integration with @Spotify? I’d love some sweet early 2000’s visualizations with my beats — Sjoerd Stottelaar (@sjoerds) Decembe...
The crypto industry has had its share of issues with marketing, from projects many authorities labeled scams to high-profile branding with sports franchises, but one ad that has stood out came from crypto exchange Crypto.com featuring Hollywood star Matt Damon. Many have ridiculed the “fortune favors the brave” ad starring Damon since its release in October 2021, using the TV spot as a creative springboard to criticize the crypto space and celebrities supporting it. The creators of South Park aired two episodes and one two-part special poking fun at crypto users and the Crypto.com ad specifically. Late-night TV hosts including Stephen Colbert also targeted the ad spot with parodies and jokes following the market downturn in May. Still shot of Matt Damon in the Crypto.com TV spot, sinc...
$4.5 trillion asset management firm Fidelity Investments is reportedly set to hire another 100 people to bolster the firm’s growing digital assets division — a stark contrast to the recent squeezing out of crypto-talent. A Fidelity representative told Bloomberg on Oct. 22 that the firm has begun a new round of hiring which will bring the Fidelity Digital Asset’s headcount to around 500 by the end of the first quarter of 2023. A search on Fidelity’s job board currently shows 74 live results for digital asset-related positions, which cover areas relating to blockchain technology, business analysis, customer service, finance and accounting, product development, and corporate services including compliance. Almost all of the current listings are based in the United States — wi...
As crypto traders debate whether Bitcoin (BTC) is going to $25,000 or $15,000 first, the world’s largest financial institutions are laying the groundwork for mass adoption. The proverbial floodgates are unlikely to open before the United States provides a clear regulatory framework for crypto, but regulators and industry insiders are confident that guidance could come in 2023 at the earliest. In the meantime, megabanks like BNY Mellon, whose roots date back to 1784, are entering the space. This week’s Crypto Biz chronicles BNY Mellon’s foray into digital assets, JPMorgan’s ongoing experimentation with blockchain technology and Crypto.com’s new European headquarters. BNY Mellon, America’s oldest bank, launches crypto services Arguably the biggest story of the week was news of another ...
Convenience store and petrol station brand On The Run (OTR) has launched crypto payment support across all 175 of its petrol stations and convenience stores across Victoria, South Australia (SA), and Western Australia (WA) as of Thursday. As previously reported, the move is part of a collaboration between OTR, Singapore-based exchange Crypto.com and DataMesh, a Sydney-based payment systems provider. The exchange has provided its Pay Merchant service as a payment settlement layer, while Datamesh has provided the point of sale terminals. Speaking with Cointelegraph, Crypto.com’s Asia & Pacific general manager Karl Mohan noted that it only took “eight weeks to from the time of proof of concept to the point of actually getting a full scalable production-ready environment.” Mohan noted that...
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com continues to aggressively expand its reach, becoming the latest crypto firm officially authorized to operate in Cyprus. Crypto.com has received regulatory approval from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the firm announced to Cointelegraph on July 22. The approval enables Crypto.com to offer a number of products and services to customers in Cyprus in compliance with local regulations. The new regulatory milestone comes in line with Crypto.com’s growing global presence as the firm has been actively expanding its operations, receiving approvals to operate in countries like Italy, Greece and Singapore. According to Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek, the exchange currently prioritizes Europe as the main region fo...
Two out of the top 10 largest cryptocurrency exchanges by volume will expand into new markets, with Crypto.com obtaining a provisional crypto license in Dubai and FTX launching in Japan. Crypto.com announced on June 2 that the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) provided the exchange with provisional approval of its Virtual Asset License giving the company the go-ahead based on initial compliance checks. The exchange said that VARA will carry out further due diligence and other mandated requirements before its full operating license is issued which it expects to happen in the “near term” Crypto.com said in March it would create a regional office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) largest city after it enacted new laws for crypto and created VARA with the goal of making Dubai a ...
Convenience store and gas station giant On The Run (OTR) will soon accept crypto payments at its 170 outlets across South Australia and Victoria. The move will allow customers to pay for gas, snacks, and even a Subway foot long in over 30 cryptocurrencies. OTR’s parent company the Peregrine Corporation, one of the largest privately-owned companies in South Australia, will also be accepting crypto at its Subway, Oporto, and Smokemart stores. Once the system is finalized in July, it will become the largest business in the country to accept in-store crypto payments. The company is working with Singapore-based exchange Crypto.com to implement its Pay Merchant service as its payment settlement layer. Datamesh, a Sydney-based payment systems provider, will roll out point of sale terminals allowi...
Following its immense marketing efforts, Crypto.com finally begins the initial rollout of its services to users in the United States. In an announcement, Crypto.com mentioned that its exchange platform is already available to users who are waitlisted and will be available to more users soon. Currently, the trading platform can only be used by selected institutional investors. However, in the next few months, the exchange will be offering its services to more investors who want to trade using Crypto.com. The exchange is also inviting institutional investors based in the U.S. to join their waitlist and use the platform. Apart from the standard services of the exchange, Crypto.com also mentioned in the announcement that its VIP users will have access to various events, rewar...
More than three months after its release, the ad from crypto exchange Crypto.com featuring Hollywood star Matt Damon was the subject of ridicule in the latest episode of the animated series South Park. In the first episode of its 25th season titled “Pajama Day”, the creators of South Park took on people in the United States refusing to wear a mask and once again associated crypto investments with scams. Characters in the show attacked Damon’s appearance in an TV spot titled “fortune favors the brave”, showing the actor speaking about Crypto.com amid a digital landscape of historic figures. “My dad said he listened to Matt Damon and lost all his money…” “Yes, everyone did! But they were brave in doing so!” The criticism is likely related to cryptocurrencies losing more than $500 billion in ...
Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has inked another deal to expand its brand recognition in the United States with the professional women’s sports team Angel City Football Club. In a Tuesday announcement, Crypto.com said it had partnered with the Los Angeles soccer team in an effort to increase the awareness of and access to crypto, blockchain and Web 3.0 among Angelenos, soccer fans and the athletes themselves. The exchange said it plans to continue looking for “unique and impactful ways” to invest in L.A., with the partnership aimed at encouraging “financial education, independence and financial empowerment” for women. “Given the speed with which Web 3.0 and cryptocurrency is changing our world, we want to ensure that women are being brought along on the journey as investors and creator...