Blockchain
NetCents Declares Readiness for Expected US Federal Reserve “Digital Dollar”
New Currency Anticipated to be Part of Future COVID-19 Stimulus Package
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – April 6, 2020) – NetCents Technology Inc. (CSE: NC) (FSE: 26N) (OTCQB: NTTCF) (“NetCents” or the “Company“), a disruptive cryptocurrency payments technologies company, is pleased to announce that it has completed internally designated preparation for the expected US Government backed cryptocurrency, “Central Bank Digital Currency” (CBDC).
NetCents jumped into action as soon as it learned of the plans US Congress made to legislate for this US Federal Reserve Digital Currency as part of two different versions of the first COVID-19 Stimulus Bill (“Stimulus Bill” or the “Bill”). Ultimately this aspect of the legislation wasn’t included in the final version of the first Stimulus Bill, but the Board and Advisors of NetCents have agreed that this “Digital Dollar” will be included in subsequent legislation.
The Bill is expected to establish a “Digital Dollar”, defined as ‘a balance expressed as a dollar value consisting of digital ledger entries that are recorded as liabilities in the accounts of any Federal Reserve Bank or … an electronic unit of value, redeemable by an eligible financial institution.’ This will create a cryptocurrency backed and guaranteed by the US Federal Government. The Bill goes on to define a digital wallet, and a requirement that US chartered banks offer these wallets.
The establishment of these products is intended to simplify the cost and process of distributing the millions of stimulus payments contemplated by the Bill, but the effects of this move will be far reaching. While the complexity of this undertaking meant that Congress was unable to include it in the first Bill – NetCents Management believes the ultimate adoption is a foregone conclusion.
Daniel Gorfine, founder of fintech advisory firm Gattaca Horizons and former Chief Innovation Officer at Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), as well as a founding Director of the Digital Dollar Project, stated to Forbes, ‘It is worth exploring, testing, and piloting a true USD CBDC and broader digital infrastructure in order to improve our future capabilities and resiliency. While the crisis underscores the importance of upgrading our financial infrastructure, broadly implementing a CBDC will require time and thoughtful coordination between the government and private sector stakeholders.’ – Forbes, March 24, 2020 (link below)
NetCents has developed software to support these initiatives and stands ready to support the effort. Part of the Bill requires US chartered banks to offer these digital wallets to their clients – NetCents has built this platform as part of its current white-label offering for financial institutions.
The Forbes article goes on to quote Carmelle Cadet, Founder and CEO of EMTECH, a modern central bank technology and services company. She has recently started a new initiative called, ‘Project New Dawn’ to ensure the unbanked and underbanked receive economic stimulus payments. Citing a FDIC report in 2017 that identified 63 million unbanked and underbanked in the U.S., she notes, ‘If checks are the form of payment, the stimulus is not going to reach many of them. That would be approximately $100B underutilized of stimulus for lower income householders.’
“We fully support the US Government in its’ creation of the contemplated Digital Reserve Currency. The US dollar is already the reserve currency of the World – so moving it to a digital format makes total sense. The US might have 63 million unbanked, but the planet Earth has billions of unbanked – it only makes sense that the dollar take a digital form to enable remittance and micropayments for the unbanked globally – as well as ensure its status as the World’s dominant currency. The benefits to the Treasury would accrue into many billions of dollars in innumerable ways. Societal benefits would be created as well; a Digital Dollar would be difficult to use for crimes and funding terrorism for example. This milestone is the ultimate endorsement that Cryptocurrency and Blockchain are here to stay,” stated Clayton Moore, Chief Executive Officer, NetCents. “We look forward to offering our platform to US Banks and then to Global Banks so that they can meet the requirements for a digital USD wallet,” he summarized.
NetCents Technologies enables transactions that are both touchless and within social distancing guidelines – which is an added benefit in the current environment.
The NetCents Suite of software enables individuals and merchants to transact using Cryptocurrency both in a physical store environment as well as in an e-commerce setting – it is deploying Crypto-enabled financial products across numerous business verticals to become a complete Crypto ecosystem.
Welcome to the future!
About NetCents
NetCents Technology Inc, the transactional hub for all cryptocurrency payments, equips forward-thinking businesses with the technology to seamlessly integrate cryptocurrency processing into their payment model without taking on the risk or volatility of the crypto market. NetCents Technology is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC.
For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.net-cents.com or contact Sonja Bakgaard, Investor Relations: [email protected].
To keep up to date with the Company and talk directly with the Team and other Shareholders, make sure to join the Telegram. https://t.me/Netcents
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
NetCents Technology Inc.
“Clayton Moore”
Clayton Moore, CEO, Founder and Director
NetCents Technology Inc.
1000 – 1021 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC, V6E 0C3
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates, and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Blockchain
U.S. Factoring Services Market Analysis by Product, Technology, Grade, Application and End-user (2019-2032) – Next-Gen Technologies Drive Surge in Alternative Financing Access for SMEs
Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 12, 2025 | Rootstock, Zimbabwe Carbon Registry, Fastex, 21Shares, The Blockchain Group
Welcome to Blocks & Headlines, your daily op-ed style deep dive into the most pivotal blockchain and crypto stories shaping today’s market. In this edition—May 12, 2025—we cover:
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Bitcoin DeFi Security Strengthens as Rootstock garners 81% of Bitcoin’s hashrate
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Zimbabwe’s Blockchain Carbon Credit Registry aims to restore investor trust
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Token2049 Dubai Highlights spotlight Fastex’s Web3 innovations
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21Shares’ New ETP for Cronos (CRO) bridges traditional finance and DeFi
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The Blockchain Group’s €9.9 M Capital Raise fuels its Bitcoin treasury strategy
Below, each story is summarized with key takeaways and opinion-driven context.
Introduction
Today’s blockchain landscape is defined by two contrasting forces: institutional maturation—as legacy players and governments adopt tokenized assets and infrastructure—and startup-driven innovation—where Web3 pioneers push boundaries in DeFi, NFTs, and on-chain governance. Major trends include:
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Security & Scalability: Layer-2 solutions and cross-chain bridges are gaining traction to secure and scale Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems.
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Transparency & Trust: From carbon credits to capital markets, blockchain is repeatedly chosen to enhance auditability and investor confidence.
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Mainstream Access: Crypto ETPs and regulated token offerings are lowering barriers for retail and institutional investors.
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Treasury Management: Public companies are increasingly using Bitcoin and token holdings as strategic assets to hedge against macro volatility.
Let’s unpack today’s five developments and their broader implications.
1. Bitcoin DeFi Security Strengthens with Rootstock’s Hashrate Share
What happened: A new Messari report finds that Rootstock (RSK), Bitcoin’s oldest layer-2 smart-contract platform, now commands 81% of Bitcoin’s total hashrate, up from 56% before major mining pools Foundry and SpiderPool onboarded in February. Transactions on Rootstock are 95% cheaper than on-chain Bitcoin and 55% cheaper than Ethereum, positioning RSK for sustained DeFi growth in 2025.
Source: CoinDesk
Analysis & commentary:
Rootstock’s dominant hashrate share underscores two key shifts:
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Security by Convergence: By leveraging Bitcoin’s massive mining network, RSK mitigates the common 51% risk faced by smaller chains.
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Cost-Efficiency for DeFi: Lower fees make RSK an attractive alternative to Ethereum for yield protocols, lending markets, and decentralized exchanges.
However, challenges remain. Smart-contract developers must integrate robust cross-chain bridges—Rootstock’s partnership with LayerZero is a start—to attract liquidity. Moreover, regulatory scrutiny of DeFi is rising; RSK’s governance will need transparent on-chain dispute resolution and compliance tooling to win institutional adoption.
2. Zimbabwe’s Blockchain Carbon Credit Registry to Revive Investor Confidence
What happened: In Harare on May 9, the Zimbabwean government launched the world’s first blockchain-enabled carbon credit registry, developed by Dubai’s A6 Labs. The immutable ledger will record issuance, trading, and retirement of credits, addressing the fallout from 2023’s abrupt project cancellations and a 50% revenue levy that spooked developers. The new Zimbabwe Carbon Markets Authority (ZCMA) will oversee licensing via the zicma.org.zw portal.
Source: Bloomberg
Analysis & commentary:
Zimbabwe’s registry is an instructive case study in how blockchain can restore transparency and rebuild market trust:
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Immutable Audits: Every credit’s provenance is verifiable on-chain, deterring double-counting and fraud.
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Regulatory Framework: A dedicated authority streamlines approvals, balancing market access with environmental integrity.
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Investor Reassurance: By codifying rules in smart contracts, Zimbabwe signals that future policy shifts will be governed by code, not sudden ministerial edict.
Nonetheless, blockchain is not a panacea. Effective enforcement still depends on reliable on-the-ground measurement and reporting. The real test will be whether smaller African producers—Kenya, Zambia—adopt interoperable registries, creating a pan-continental carbon marketplace.
3. Web3 Innovation Takes Center Stage at Token2049 Dubai
What happened: Between April 30 and May 1, Token2049 Dubai convened industry leaders in the Emirates. Fastex, a platinum sponsor, showcased its Bahamut blockchain (PoSA consensus), the YoWallet custodial solution, and a wave of new apps—YoHealth, YoPhone/YoSIM, YoBlog—all designed to expand Web3 use cases beyond finance. Fastex also co-hosted regulatory forums with Solidus Labs and launched the Bahamut Grants program to seed developer innovation.
Source: Cointelegraph
Analysis & commentary:
Token2049’s Dubai edition highlights an ecosystem maturation where:
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Compliance & Growth Coexist: Legal breakfasts signaled that self-regulation and layered oversight can lower entry barriers without stifling ingenuity.
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Beyond Finance: By unveiling telecom and health apps, Fastex challenges the notion that blockchain is niche—real-world use cases can drive mainstream adoption.
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Brand Ambassadors: Football legend Patrice Evra’s presence at YoHealth’s booth illustrates how cultural icons can amplify blockchain’s reach.
Moving forward, projects must demonstrate measurable end-user utility and scalable infrastructure to avoid the “pilot-only” trap. Dubai’s supportive regulatory sandbox remains an ideal proving ground.
4. 21Shares Launches ETP for Cronos (CRO) – Bridging TradFi and DeFi
What happened: Swiss issuer 21Shares listed a new ETP (CRON) on May 12, offering direct exposure to CRO, the native token of Cronos—a Layer 1 chain built for DeFi, NFTs, and cross-chain interoperability with Ethereum and Cosmos. Investors can now trade CRO through regular brokerages without managing private keys or wallets.
Source: The Paypers
Analysis & commentary:
Tokenizing blockchain assets into regulated ETPs remains one of the most powerful drivers of institutional capital inflows:
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Familiar Interfaces: By packaging CRO as a ticker, 21Shares lowers the learning curve for asset managers and pension funds.
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Regulatory Alignment: ETPs fall under securities law, offering clear governance compared to unregulated spot tokens.
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Ecosystem Growth: Cronos stands to benefit from increased liquidity and brand recognition, which in turn fuels DeFi activity on its network.
ETPs also invite scrutiny: fees, redemption mechanics, and underlying custodial risks must be transparent to preserve investor trust. As competition heats up—with products for BTC, ETH, SOL, and more—issuers will vie on pricing, ease of access, and institutional credibility.
5. The Blockchain Group’s €9.9 M Capital Raise Advances Bitcoin Treasury Strategy
What happened: Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company, The Blockchain Group (ALTBG), completed a €9.888 million capital increase at €1.0932 per share on May 7, 2025. Proceeds will bolster its strategy to accumulate Bitcoin per fully diluted share while expanding consulting and AI-driven blockchain services.
Source: ActusNews via MarketScreener
Analysis & commentary:
The Blockchain Group’s financing round underscores a new corporate paradigm where holding BTC is core to the business model:
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Shareholder Alignment: By tethering equity value to Bitcoin accumulation, management and investors share upside in crypto markets.
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Operational Synergies: Subsidiaries in data intelligence and decentralized consulting can monetize both service fees and on-balance-sheet Bitcoin appreciation.
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Regulatory Compliance: As a publicly listed entity on Euronext Growth Paris, ALTBG navigates EU financial rules, offering a transparent vehicle for crypto exposure.
Yet this approach carries volatility risk: sudden BTC price swings can compress earnings per share and spur shareholder activism. Mitigation strategies—such as hedged derivatives and staggered BTC purchases—will be critical to sustain growth without alarming investors.
Conclusion
Today’s highlights reveal a blockchain industry at once foundational and frontier:
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Security & Scale: Rootstock’s hashrate gains fortify Bitcoin DeFi’s underpinnings.
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Transparent Markets: Zimbabwe’s carbon registry sets a template for blockchain-backed commodity markets.
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Web3 Diversification: Token2049 Dubai shows that true mass adoption demands real-world applications in health, telecom, and beyond.
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Institutional Access: ETPs like CRON democratize token ownership for mainstream investors.
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On-Balance-Sheet Crypto: The Blockchain Group exemplifies the rising class of publicly traded crypto-native firms.
As blockchain extends into supply chains, tokenized securities, and identity, the winners will be those who blend innovative protocol design with pragmatic regulatory alignment. Keep tuning into Blocks & Headlines for tomorrow’s top stories.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 12, 2025 | Rootstock, Zimbabwe Carbon Registry, Fastex, 21Shares, The Blockchain Group appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
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