Only days after the launch of the Bitcoin (BTC)-based Ordinals protocol, its creators have had to deal with its first shock pornographic image which has been inscribed into the blockchain. On Feb. 2 at around 12:15 AM UTC, an unsavory image known as “goatse” was inscribed onto the Bitcoin blockchain via the Ordinals protocol. It featured on inscription 668 and was live on the Ordinals' front page for roughly half an hour before the image was removed. It still exists on the blockchain but is not able to be viewed using the Ordinals website. Ordinals creator, Casey Rodarmor, told Cointelegraph …

Nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace Magic Eden had to assure users their NFTs “are safe” after a spate of pornographic images littered its platform on Jan. 3. In a Jan. 3 Twitter post the Solana-based NFT marketplace told its users it “has not been hacked” and the “unsavory images” were the result of its third-party image hosting provider being “compromised.” According to Jan. 3 reports on Twitter from Magic Eden users, loading into a collection’s page would sometimes temporarily flash a pornographic image in place of the NFT thumbnail. Yo @MagicEden wtf is this pic.twitter.com/Xums9EZtm6 — Fede (@fedeonekenoby) January 3, 2023 …

What do the cryptocurrency and porn industries have in common? As it turns out, both are frequent targets of the traditional financial system, which has been known to ban the accounts of both crypto traders and sex workers. On this week’s episode of the newly launched podcast The Agenda, Cointelegraph senior copy editor Jonathan DeYoung and head of markets Ray Salmond speak to Allie Rae, an adult content creator and CEO of WetSpace — a crypto-focused alternative to OnlyFans. Rae first exploded into the mainstream when she lost her job as an ICU nurse after her colleagues discovered her hobby …

OnlyFans has made a sharp U-turn on its decision to ban sexually explicit content after it had received a backlash from creators and some new assurances from at least one bank suffering bad PR. The platform became wildly popular by connecting online sex workers to subscribers, but this has not gone down well with a number of major banks. The firm was forced to change its policy on Aug. 19 to prohibit “sexually explicit conduct” following pressure from the Bank of New York Mellon, Metro Bank and JPMorgan Chase, which refused to provide services to users of the platform. In …

Tim Stokely, the founder and CEO of OnlyFans has explained how banks had forced it to drop adult content from the subscription-based content platform. OnlyFans is a popular platform connecting online sex workers to subscribers, but the firm recently changed its policy to prohibit “sexually explicit conduct,” starting Oct. 1 — which has caused backlash from both creators and content connoisseurs alike. Speaking about the change of policy with the Financial Times on Aug. 24, Stokely noted that “we had no choice — the short answer is banks,” as he listed three banking giants who refused to provide services to …

Live streaming webcam platform Stripchat is among several adult websites experiencing a boom in crypto payments over the past year. The adult social streaming and entertainment platform revealed in a blog that cryptocurrency is rapidly becoming a preferred payment method for many users and performers on the webcam-based website. It is estimated that the platform has over 300,000 models and averages around 60 million visitors a month according to Stripchat stats for 2020. Using digital assets for adult entertainment is nothing new as they offer an additional layer of anonymity. However, Stripchat and other webcam sites saw significant growth in …

Verge (XVG), the cryptocurrency now infamous for its links to the porn industry, is on the up again — thanks to a classic fiat money scandal. As adult entertainment giant Pornhub confirmed this week, payment providers Visa and MasterCard are no longer servicing its payments, leaving only cryptocurrency for its roughly 120 million daily visitors. "Crushing news" for Pornhub The reason, the companies say, is questions which remain over Pornhub’s handling of illegal content. For MasterCard, the block is permanent, while Visa will continue to monitor its decision. Responding, Pornhub told the Associated Press that the allegations were “irresponsible and …

Pornhub now accepts Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC) as payment for its premium services. The company has been accepting Verge since 2018, later adding several other cryptocurrencies, but this is its first foray into the major leagues. Pornhub’s vice president Corey Price said in the press release: “As a leader in adult content with over 130 million visitors per day, Pornhub is excited to now offer two widely-used and leading digital currencies for our users. Our team continues to pave the way for tech development, testing and implementing new technology for everyday consumers far ahead of the mainstream market.” Pornhub …

Cryptocurrency pornography startup PornVisory is moving to a decentralized governance structure based on the (decentralized flexible organization) DFO standard. According to PornVisory, DFO governance will enable token holders to propose changes and vote on governance aspects that will be subject to community voting. Platform users will need to stack the platform’s PVY Ethereum-based tokens to access the governance system. The announcement comes shortly before the first airdrop of the firm’s PVY token scheduled for the end of the month. DFOs are on-chain organizations that closely resemble decentralized autonomous organizations that further emphasize the community’s ability to shape the services. PornVisory's …

A novel cryptocurrency project called PornVisory plans to reward its users with tokens for watching porn on its platform. PornVisory's founder, Veronica Noschese, explained to Cointelegraph that there’s a natural synergy between the cryptocurrency and pornography industry, which desperately needs anonymous financial systems. As examples, Noschese pointed to PayPal banning Pornhub from its system in 2019 and the porn giant's subsequent decision to support the Verge (XVG) cryptocurrency in 2018. In January, Pornhub also started accepting the Tether (USDT) stablecoin as a payment option. She said: “In the porn industry there are a lot of issues regarding privacy and reputation. …

According to a BBC report on May 8, a group of international campaigners and campaign groups has written to ten major credit card companies calling for the immediate suspension of payments to pornographic websites. If successful, this campaign may result in a new wave of people flocking to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the search for alternative payment methods. All porn bad? Not according to PornHub The letter, whose signatories represent campaigners from every continent except Antarctica, alleges that porn sites "eroticize sexual violence, incest, and racism" and that it is impossible to "judge or verify consent in any videos …

Although cryptocurrency payments still only account for a tiny fraction of revenue on adult entertainment sites, a new integration on the Pornhub platform is looking to finally deliver against expectations that have been running high for years. PumaPay’s new crypto payment solution went live on Pornhub this week — more than 18 months after the partnership was first announced. After an extensive development process, the company believes its more user friendly solution will overcome the barriers to adoption that has seen PornHub’s existing crypto options, including Verge and Tether, barely used. Pornographic websites and cryptocurrency seemed to be natural bedfellows: …