Blockchain
Utrust & Lugano are Bringing Crypto Payments to an Entire City
Lugano, Switzerland–(Newsfile Corp. – October 27, 2022) – Utrust, in collaboration with the city of Lugano & Tether Operation Limited, are bringing crypto payments to an entire city with a new ‘Plan B’ initiative deal.
The city of Lugano is the largest city in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. They are also the economic capital of Southern Switzerland, strategically located between the metropolitan areas of Milan and Zurich.
Utrust & Lugano are Bringing Crypto Payments to an Entire City
On the 3rd of March 2022, the City of Lugano and Tether Operations Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on an initiative called Plan B, meant to make Lugano one of Europe’s and the world’s main hubs for digital innovation with a focus on blockchain technologies. A part of this plan would always be to bring crypto payments to the whole community, providing everyone with the opportunity to enjoy faster, safer, and less expensive payments.
Utrust will be providing crypto payments infrastructure both for government services and all e-commerce businesses. Utrust’s solution allows people to make seamless payments through cryptocurrencies such as Tether & Bitcoin (including Lightning Network).
Utrust has created the world’s first crypto payment solution to offer instant transactions, buyer protection, and crypto-to-cash settlements. Now, this ability to provide cheaper, faster, and safer payments for users worldwide and near-instant and secure global settlements at a trivial cost, accessible to merchants globally, will be put at the service of the entire City of Lugano.
Michele Foletti, Mayor of Lugano stated:
“In Lugano, we are making living on crypto a reality. We are very proud to be one of the first communities to move forward with adoption. Lugano is leading the way.”
The first part of this plan will happen at a municipal level. All services provided to the city’s government will be payable in crypto through the Utrust widget. This includes anything, from services and fees to citizens paying their taxes.
Sanja Kon, Utrust CEO stated:
“Payments are an integral part of almost all economic activity, and, consequently, human activity. Making them easier, faster, and safer, and removing intermediaries from the process, is maybe the optimal way of improving the way we lead our lives in general. Lugano’s decision to bring this technological advancement to the entire city is a tremendous move and Utrust is proud to be the chosen partner to make it happen.”
The second stage of the process will be to offer Utrust’s solution to all interested e-commerce merchants operating in the city. This will empower merchants not only in their local activities but also in their ability to engage in global trade. Depending on payment processors and geography, merchants can be charged up to 12% in fees. That amount, which can easily mean the difference between profitability and bankruptcy, can be lowered by 90% with Utrust’s gateway.
Paolo Ardoino, Tether CTO stated that:
“This technology is the future. Payments should happen near-instantly, globally, and at a trivial cost. Anything else is obsolete. Now, for the first time ever, an entire city will have the tools to make it a reality for tens of thousands of people. The implications are hard to overstate, and we are thrilled to be the ones to make it happen.”
Michelle Foletti, Mayor of Lugano, Sanja Kon, Utrust CEO, and Paolo Ardoino, Tether CTO, are all available for further comments and interviews.
About Utrust
Web3 payments technology. The radically better way to pay and get paid globally. Utrust is the leading cryptocurrency payment solution designed to modernize the financial and payments industry and solve the problems of traditional payment methods by enabling instant transactions, buyer protection, and instant crypto-to-cash settlements for merchants.
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Media Contact Details
Company – Utrust
Name – Sanja Kon (CEO)
Email – [email protected]
PR Contact Email: [email protected]
Utrust is the source of this content. This Press Release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142107
Blockchain
Web3 Startups Raise Nearly $1.9B in Q1 2024 Despite Overall Downtrend in Crypto VC Interest
Venture capital funding for cryptocurrency and blockchain projects has seen a notable resurgence in the first quarter of 2024, marking its first quarterly rise since 2021. Crunchbase data released today indicates that Web3 startups secured nearly $1.9 billion in funding across 346 deals during this period. This represents a substantial 58% increase from the previous quarter, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the ongoing downward trend in overall crypto VC interest.
The recent surge in funding can be attributed to investors adopting a more long-term perspective on Web3, as opposed to the hype-driven “tourist investors” predominant in recent years. Chris Metinko, the author of the report, notes that investors are shifting their focus to the AI sector, indicating a change in investment strategy. There is a growing interest in supporting the foundational infrastructure of the decentralized internet, rather than solely concentrating on crypto wallets and lending platforms, which attracted significant investments during the peak period of 2021 to 2022.
While large funding rounds were relatively uncommon in Q1, several notable investments stood out. Exohood Labs, a company integrating AI, quantum computing, and blockchain, secured a remarkable $112 million seed round at a valuation of $1.4 billion. EigenLabs, an Ether token “restaking” platform, raised $100 million in a Series B round led by a16z crypto. Additionally, Freechat, a decentralized social network leveraging blockchain technology, secured $80 million in a Series A round. These investments, among others, contributed to the increase in valuations and the emergence of four new Web3 unicorns in Q1.
Despite the recent progress, the future trajectory of Web3 remains uncertain. Metinko suggests that the next few quarters will be pivotal in determining the industry’s direction. While investors anticipate a rebound in investment as the decentralized internet evolves, it may take another year for venture capital activity to stabilize after the exuberance of 2021. Factors such as the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and the upcoming Bitcoin halving could also influence the market, given the rising prices of Bitcoin and Ether.
A noteworthy example of significant funding in the Web3 space is Monad Labs’ recent successful funding round, which secured $225 million led by Paradigm. Monad Labs is a layer-1 blockchain compatible with Ethereum, offering faster transaction processing. This funding round harkens back to the golden era of crypto funding in 2021-2022, when L1 solutions attracted substantial investments.
Earlier this year, Balance, a digital asset custodian based in Canada, announced that it had once again reached $2 billion in assets under custody (AUC) amidst the recent market recovery. Similarly, Korea Digital Asset (KODA), the largest institutional crypto custody service in South Korea, has experienced remarkable growth in crypto assets under its custody, expanding by nearly 248% in the second half of 2023.
Analysts at Bernstein Research project that crypto funds could reach an impressive $500 billion to $650 billion within the next five years, representing a significant leap from the current valuation of approximately $50 billion. This forecast underscores the growing optimism and potential for substantial growth within the crypto industry in the coming years.
Source: cryptonews.com
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Blockchain
ASIC cracks down on blockchain mining firms
Three blockchain mining companies – NGS Crypto, NGS Digital, and NGS Group – along with their directors, Brett Mendham, Ryan Brown, and Mark Ten Caten, are facing legal action from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for allegedly operating without a license, in violation of Australia’s Corporations Act. ASIC initiated legal proceedings against these entities on April 9, citing concerns about their non-compliance with financial regulations and their solicitation of Australian investors.
According to ASIC, the NGS companies promoted blockchain mining packages with fixed-rate returns to Australian investors, encouraging the transfer of funds from regulated superannuation funds to self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) for conversion into cryptocurrency. Approximately 450 Australians invested a total of around USD 41 million in these packages, raising concerns about potential financial losses.
The legal action filed by ASIC alleges that the companies violated section 911A of the Corporations Act, which prohibits companies from providing financial services without a valid Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). ASIC is seeking interim and final court orders to prohibit the NGS companies from offering financial services in Australia without an AFSL.
ASIC Chair Joe Longo emphasized the importance of investors carefully considering the risks before investing in crypto-related products through their SMSFs. Longo stated that ASIC’s actions send a message to the crypto industry about the regulator’s commitment to ensuring compliance with regulations and protecting consumers.
In a separate development, the Federal Court appointed receivers for the digital currency assets associated with the NGS companies and their directors to safeguard these assets amid concerns about the risk of dissipation. Mendham was also issued a travel restriction order, preventing him from leaving Australia.
While a court date for the proceedings has not been set, ASIC’s investigation is ongoing, with the regulator continuing to gather evidence and build its case. It is worth noting that the investigated companies share a similar name with NGS Super, a legitimate Australian pensions provider, leading to potential confusion among investors. NGS Super clarified that it is not involved in selling cryptocurrency or related products and has taken legal action to protect its trademark and members’ interests.
Source: iclg.com
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Blockchain
Crypto and Blockchain Weave Deeper Into the Biometrics Space – Identity News Digest
AuthID Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with the National Notarial Centralized Verification System (NNCVS) to integrate biometric identity verification into NNCVS’s online notary platform. NNCVS, a provider of nationwide online services for notaries, aims to transition from a local, in-person framework to a more secure, digital model. By leveraging AuthID’s platform, NNCVS will authenticate the identities of notarial agents and their clients using biometric checks that compare selfies with ID document photos. This enhancement ensures heightened security throughout users’ interactions with the service.
iVALT has introduced a mobile app called OnDemandID, designed to enable users to verify the identity of individuals during phone calls, video calls, or online interactions with a single click. The app employs multiple verification elements, including biometrics, device ID, and location-based parameters like geofencing and time windowing, to prevent deepfake attacks and identity fraud. OnDemandID prioritizes user privacy by storing biometric data locally on the device and refraining from tracking user movements. Additionally, iVALT offers integration into existing enterprise mobile apps, providing a solution to enhance caller verification processes within corporate environments.
Keyless, a company specializing in secure facial recognition, has partnered with EnQualify, an AI-powered Know Your Customer (KYC) verification provider, to enhance online identity verification. Keyless’s privacy-centric ZKB technology will integrate with EnQualify’s AI for initial user verification, enabling a seamless and secure authentication process. This collaboration eliminates the need for repetitive steps and data storage, offering a faster and more user-friendly verification experience while ensuring robust security measures.
Australian fintech Waave has launched its Wallet app to enhance security and convenience for online payments. Integrated with Waave’s Pay by Bank system, Wallet utilizes fingerprint or facial recognition for secure authentication, eliminating the need for passwords and card details. This approach addresses concerns about online fraud, providing a streamlined payment process for consumers and merchants alike. Additionally, Wallet will introduce expense tracking features later in 2024, further enhancing its utility for users.
BeatBit Wellness Lab has introduced the CUDIS ring, a wearable device focused on user-controlled health data management. Powered by Solana blockchain technology, CUDIS tracks biometric data and offers personalized health insights using AI algorithms. Users can contribute anonymized data to a research network and earn rewards, emphasizing data ownership and privacy. The CUDIS ring integrates securely with other Solana and Web3 products, offering users a comprehensive health monitoring solution within the decentralized ecosystem.
Worldcoin has unveiled World Chain, a new blockchain platform designed to prioritize verified human users over bots, aiming to reduce network congestion and transaction fees. Integrated with the Worldcoin protocol’s Proof of Personhood, World Chain provides verified users with priority blockspace and gas allowances. This Layer 2 solution, secured by Ethereum, offers developers access to a large pool of verified users for deploying utility applications. World Chain is set to be open source and permissionless, with plans for community-based governance in the future.
New South Wales (NSW) has launched an Australia-first trial to test digital birth certificates, involving over 18,000 children associated with specific educational institutions. Led by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in collaboration with the Department of Customer Service, the pilot explores the use of digital certificates with the same legal validity as traditional paper versions. Digital birth certificates aim to simplify administrative tasks and offer enhanced security and convenience, particularly in disaster-prone areas where paper documents could be compromised.
Source: findbiometrics.com
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