Input Output Global (IOG) — the team behind the Cardano ecosystem — will release a software toolkit in late Jan. 2023 that will enable developers to deploy custom-built sidechains on Cardano aimed at improving the ecosystem. The news was announced by IOHK — a blockchain engineering company founded by Charles Hoskinson and now known as IOG — on Jan.12, which also attached the official technical documentation for the sidechain toolkit. ⛓️ The #Cardano sidechain toolkit was previewed at #IOScotFest, and we’re happy to share the first iteration is out now. Here’s the lowdown on this exciting new project! https://t.co/Ny9tQuJh5K — …

Crypto payment platform Wyre has lifted the 90% withdrawal limit it placed on its users earlier this week after securing additional funding. On Jan. 13, the San Francisco-based fintech firm announced that it had received financing from a “strategic partner” that allows it to continue the normal course of operations, including re-accepting deposits again. “As a regulated financial institution, we’re proud that we were able to continue delivering our services in a safe and sound manner without pausing withdrawals” it added. Hey Wyre community – we’re excited to share that today we received financing from a strategic partner that allows …

Crypto exchange WonderFi, which is backed by crypto investor and billionaire Kevin O’Leary, has confirmed it is in preliminary discussions with fellow Canadian crypto exchange Coinsquare for a possible merger. In a statement on Jan. 12, WonderFi responded to a Bloomberg report suggesting the two exchanges were in "advanced merger talks" to "create a Canadian crypto giant." WonderFi clarified that the discussions were "preliminary" at this stage, adding that it cannot guarantee that an agreement will be reached. "In response to the press speculation, the Company acknowledges that it has held preliminary discussions with various third parties with respect to …

Eight major media companies including Bloomberg, The Financial Times and Reuters have demanded public disclosure of the two individuals responsible for guaranteeing FTX former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's $250 million bond. In a Jan. 12 letter addressed to New York District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan, attorneys from Davis Wright Tremaine LLP — acting on behalf of the media giants — argued that “the public’s right to know Bankman-Fried's guarantors outweighed their privacy and safety rights.” Media organizations looking to persuade the judge to unseal the identities of Bankman-Fried's guarantors include the Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNBC, Dow Jones, The Financial Times, Insider …

The crypto community has voiced their opinions on Sam Bankman-Fried’s latest “pre-mortem overview” of the collapse of FTX, published on Jan. 12 as a letter on substack. https://t.co/XVd0BPHxEU — SBF (@SBF_FTX) January 12, 2023 As previously reported by Cointelegraph, the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried denied allegations made against him in his lengthy letter, dubbed as a "pre-mortem overview",. In the letter, SBF maintained that FTX US had been "fully solvent" at the time the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with approximately $350 million in cash available. Bankman-Fried further stated that FTX International had a substantial amount of assets, …

Nigerian crypto exchange Roqqu was granted a virtual currency license for the European Economic Area, after two years waiting for the permission from regulatory authorities. The move allows the firm to operate in 30 countries and broaden its services within one of the world's largest crypto markets. Speaking to Cointelegraph, the company said that seeks to attract early traders looking to gain an edge in the crypto space by offering a better experience for newcomers and competitive fees. With the expansion, Roqqu plans to reach over 5 million users in 2023, up from 1.4 million users in Nigeria, the only …

The crypto and blockchain space has had a turbulent past year, but that is not stopping users and enterprises from looking into the industry. A new survey from CasperLabs and Zogby Analytics revealed that the sentiment around blockchain adoption is especially positive among enterprises. The poll was conducted via 603 business enterprise “decision makers” in the United States, the United Kingdom and China. Nearly 90% of the businesses surveyed reported deploying blockchain technology in some capacity, with 87% saying they plan to invest in blockchain in the next year. This is particularly pronounced in China, where over half of the …

2022 was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs for the blockchain industry. While the year’s first quarter looked promising, the crypto industry has been on a downward trajectory ever since. While indications of a global macroeconomic slowdown increase, these headwinds hamper the blockchain industry’s potential recovery. There are some signs of stabilization in the crypto market and a potential upside at the start of the new year. For those serious about understanding the crypto space’s different sectors, including venture capital, derivatives, decentralized finance (DeFi), regulations and much more, Cointelegraph Research publishes a monthly Investors Insights report. Compiled by leading …

Actress and model Alejandra Guajardo represented El Salvador in the preliminary competition of the Miss Universe 2022 pageant by wearing a costume featuring Bitcoin during her walk across the stage. In a Jan. 12 post on her Instagram account tagging El Salvador president Nayib Bukele, Guajardo showed herself walking gracefully with a giant colón — one of the country’s accepted currencies until 2001 — strapped to her back adorned with cocoa beans. In her right hand, the pageant contestant carried a staff topped with a large physical Bitcoin (BTC). “This look represents El Salvador’s history of currency,” said the Miss …

On this week’s episode of Market Talks, Cointelegraph welcomes Justin Kramer, CEO of Badgerland Home Crypto Mining — a home-based crypto mining equipment business. This week, to kick things off, we get to know a little bit about Kramer and his mining business. What are his expertise and experience with crypto mining, and how did he gravitate toward it? We also get his take on the current market conditions and the price of Bitcoin (BTC). Doing anything from your house, whether it’s working from home or mining cryptocurrencies, comes with its own set of challenges, especially when you’re first starting …

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has largely denied the allegations against him in a ‘pre-mortem overview’ of the crypto exchange’s insolvency. In a Jan. 12 post on Substack, Bankman-Fried — differentiating between companies under the FTX umbrella — claimed FTX US had been “fully solvent” at the time the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with roughly $350 million in cash on hand. He pointed to Sullivan & Crowell and the FTX US general counsel as parties who pressured him into naming John Ray as the CEO of FTX prior to the firm’s bankruptcy, seemingly disrupting a path toward making …

Cryptocurrency broker Genesis Global allegedly owes its creditors more than $3 billion, according to a new report published by the Financial Times on Jan. 12. Its parent, Digital Currency Group (DCG), which also owns Grayscale Investments and its series of digital asset trusts, seeks to sell part of its venture capital holdings to offset the shortfall. According to people familiar with the matter, DCG's venture arm has more than 200 crypto-related projects "such as exchanges, banks, and custodians in at least 35 countries" with a total valuation of around $500 million. Cointelegraph previously reported on Nov.16, 2022, that Genesis Global …