While many nonfungible token (NFT) projects continue to suffer losses due to the bear market, a number of organizations have begun using NFTs to solve real-world problems. In particular, NFTs for subscription/membership-based models, or loyalty programs, are gaining traction. This point was highlighted in Forrester’s 2023 NFT and metaverse predications report, which notes: “Brands will pivot from ‘cool’ non-fungible tokens (NFTs) towards loyalty. In 2023, brands will shift their focus to NFTs linked to loyalty, brand experience, and deepening customer relationships.” Indeed, NFT use cases such as these are being implemented today. For example, Starbucks recently announced an NFT-based loyalty …

On Nov. 8, registered voters across the United States will cast ballots for political candidates to represent them at the local, state, and federal level — and for some people, crypto is the main issue. Voters took to social media amid early voting in certain U.S. states and ahead of Election Day to proclaim that despite many of the issues driving people to the polls — including ensuring free and fair elections, gun control, and abortion — digital assets were at the forefront of their decision-making process. President Joe Biden's term doesn't end until January 2025, but the future majority …

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has announced that an individual has pled guilty to wire fraud charges connected to “unlawfully obtained” Bitcoin from the Silk Road marketplace in 2012. In a Nov. 7 announcement, the U.S. Justice Department said James Zhong pled guilty to wire fraud charges related to executing a scheme to steal roughly 50,676 Bitcoin (BTC) from Silk Road. Authorities seized the Bitcoin from Zhong’s home in the state of Georgia in November 2021, at which time the total value of the crypto was roughly $3.36 billion. “James Zhong committed wire …

While proponents of traditional finance remain keen on dismissing Bitcoin (BTC) and the crypto ecosystem as financial risks, a survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — one of the 12 federal reserve banks of the United States — revealed 11 factors that overshadow crypto in terms of risk in 2022. Geopolitical tensions, foreign divestments, COVID-19 and high energy prices were found to be some of the most-cited potential risks for the US economy, according to a central bank survey published by the Federal Reserve System. Out of the 14 factors that pose a financial risk, crypto …

The trucking industry is one of the most important sectors in the world. According to recent statistics, the global freight trucking market was worth over $2.7 trillion in 2021. In addition, it’s been found that millions of commercial driver’s license holders are employed by trucking companies within the United States, a market that is responsible for delivering 70% of all freight. Given these statistics, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that technology has become a critical component for ensuring the advancement of the trucking industry. Yet while GPS tracking, autonomous driving and other mainstream technologies may be apparent, a couple …

The relevance of social media platforms in swaying global politics was first highlighted with the rise of Facebook (rebranded later to Meta), which was accused of manipulating information based on user demographics. Twitter, which was recently acquired by Elon Musk, got the short end of the stick as US President Joe Biden accused the website of spewing lies. Biden attended a fundraising event in Chicago for upcoming elections, wherein he called out Elon Musk for purchasing Twitter. He stated: “Now what are we all worried about? Elon Musk goes out and buys an outfit that sends and spews lies all …

The United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, has announced its representatives will be available on a one-to-one basis to discuss financial technology. In a Nov. 3 announcement, the OCC said entities considering fintech products and services, partnerships with banks, or concerns “related to responsible innovation in financial services” have the opportunity for one-hour meetings with its staff between Dec. 14-15. The government office said it will screen requests and proposed topics of discussions and announce virtual meeting times. The OCC announcement followed the department saying it planned to establish an Office of Financial Technology starting …

The 2022 midterm elections will be held in the United States on Nov. 8. Thirty-four senators and all 435 members of the House of Representatives will be running. According to media reports, cryptocurrency lobbyists and political action committees have poured millions of dollars into select campaigns, and extensive polling has shown crypto to be on voters’ minds. Fundraising and polling are normal parts of the American political system, but the numbers associated with crypto may have raised some eyebrows. Sam Bankman-Fried called $1 billion his “soft ceiling” for 2022 election contributions, for example. Even though he backpedaled on some of …

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) criminal investigation division is ramping up for tax season with its sights set on the crypto community. According to a report from Bloomberg Law, the division chief Jim Lee said they are preparing “hundreds” of crypto-involved cases, many of which will soon be available to the public. Lee said in the last three years, there has been a major shift in digital asset investigations conducted by the IRS. Previously these investigations were mostly money-laundering related, whereas now tax-related cases make up nearly half. This includes what is often called “off-ramping” transactions where digital …

Amid Twitter beginning mass layoffs, the company employees are launching a class-action lawsuit against the new Twitter CEO, Elon Musk. According to multiple sources, Musk started massive layoffs at Twitter on Nov. 4, reducing the company’s workforce of 7,500 people. The CEO was speculated to cut as much as 50% of Twitter’s staff, or about 3,500 people, just a few days after acquiring Twitter for $44 billion on Oct. 27. In response to the layoffs, Twitter employees filed a class-action lawsuit against Musk in San Francisco federal court, Bloomberg reported. The suit argues that Twitter is violating federal and California …

Crypto exchange Coinbase saw a huge fall in its transaction revenues in the third quarter after activity fell amid a broader market downturn, but managed to cut its losses in half compared to the prior quarter. In its shareholder letter released Nov. 3, the company shared that transaction reven had fallen from $655.2 million in the second quarter to $365.9 million, representing a decline of 44%. The company cited poor macro conditions with daily average crypto market capitalization falling 30% and trading volumes shifting away from the United States due to the lack of regulatory clarity as reasons for the …

United States Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler cited major enforcement actions against crypto firms as part of the “economic realities” of securities regulation. In written remarks for the Practising Law Institute’s Annual Institute on Securities Regulation on Nov. 2, Gensler used examples of SEC enforcement against crypto lending firm BlockFi and a former Coinbase employee in justifying the agency’s actions on violations of U.S. securities laws. Under Gensler, the SEC would take a “treat like cases alike” approach to enforcement actions regardless of the form of securities, funds, or investors. “When BlockFi failed to register the offers and …