For all the doom and gloom surrounding crypto markets these days, there’s plenty to be excited about. Institutional investors are still actively buying Bitcoin (BTC), venture capital is still investing heavily into blockchain startups and forthcoming regulatory clarity is likely to pave the way for wider adoption, perhaps as early as next year. This week’s Crypto Biz newsletter features some exciting stories about adoption, not to mention Elon Musk’s deal to buy Twitter (finally). Sidebar: I had the opportunity to attend Circle Internet Financial’s Converge22 conference in San Francisco last week. In a media session on the sidelines of the …

MetaMask is arguably one of the most well-known self-custodial Ethereum software wallets in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, with its signature Orange Fox avatar plug-in acting as a portal to the world of Ether (ETH)-based tokens, decentralized applications (DApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi). The retail browser plug-in wallet surpassed 30 million users worldwide in 2022 and has slowly turned its attention to serving a growing number of institutional users that have looked to gain exposure and manage assets in the growing DeFi space. Cointelegraph caught up with Elizabeth Mathew, head of growth and partnerships at MetaMask Institutional (MMI), at the firm’s stand …

Bitcoin (BTC), along with other cryptocurrencies, has provided people with a venue to earn passive income, making money without any active involvement. One doesn't need to take unnecessary trading risks or spend time reading and analyzing reams of information. While the concept of passive earning isn't new, cryptocurrency has undoubtedly added new dimensions to it. Concepts like compounding interest or reinvesting dividends are also applied in the cryptocurrency market, creating an ecosystem where one can earn passively. Let us discuss various ways to earn passive income with Bitcoin. This article includes interest accounts, lending, mining, trading and liquidity pool. Bitcoin …

Crypto-focused investment firm M31 Capital has launched a new investment fund dedicated to Web3 companies, further underscoring the industry’s shift toward decentralized internet projects. The M31 Capital Web3 Opportunity Fund will invest up to $100 million in token projects and private equity opportunities within Web3, the company announced Tuesday. Initially, the fund will invest in projects building decentralized internet infrastructure and applications. Presumably, the new investment vehicle will be a “liquid venture fund,” a structure that gives investors liquidity after only a 12-month lock-up period. M31 clarified that it has already secured $50 million in commitments from investors and will …

The bear market has not deterred one of the biggest Bitcoin (BTC) bulls. The balances of the New York Digital Investment Group, or NYDIG, hit record highs in Q3 of this year. Plus, a United States Securities and Exchange (SEC) filing could reveal the group’s intent to add more Bitcoin to its balance sheet. According to a press release, NYDIG's Bitcoin balances are “up almost 100% year-over-year, and revenue is up 130% through Q2, with another increase when the firm closes its books on Q3.” The company HODLs more Bitcoin than ever despite Bitcoin continuing to tread lower and lower …

American socialite Kim Kardashian will pay $1.26 million in penalties for her involvement in the promotion of a cryptocurrency scheme called EthereumMax (EMAX). The United States Securities and Exchange Commission announced the charges against Kardashian on October 3 for ‘touting on social media a crypto asset security offered and sold by EthereumMax’ without disclosing the payment received for her promotional involvement. Kardashian has agreed to settle the charges and pay $1.26 million in penalties, disgorgement and interest and is set to cooperate with further investigations by the SEC into the EthereumMax project. The announcement noted that Kardashian had failed to …

Tennis legend Maria Sharapova appeared at the Binance Blockchain Week Paris 2022 to share her interest in nonfungible tokens (NFTs). During an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Sharapova mentioned that “she is exposing herself to this new world of crypto and Web3,” noting that the sector will help her better engage with her fans. Sharapova was also one of the strategic investors behind MoonPay’s Series A financing round, yet she mentioned that she aims to bridge her personal experiences to the digital world moving forward. Cointelegraph: What are you doing here today at Binance Blockchain Week Paris? Maria Sharapova: I’m crypto …

How do cryptocurrency investments impact the broader crypto-economy? Although the cryptocurrency market appears to grow in a positive feedback loop, that does not mean that (un)expected events may not impact the trajectory of the ecosystem as a whole. Although blockchain and cryptocurrencies are fundamentally meant as ‘trustless’ technologies, trust remains key there where humans interact with one another. The cryptocurrency market is not only impacted by the broader economy, but it may also generate profound effects by itself. Indeed, the Terra case shows that any entity — were it a single company, a venture capital firm or a project issuing …

Major decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap is in the early stages of raising significant funds to further expand its decentralized finance (DeFi) offerings, according to a new report. Uniswap Labs, a DeFi startup contributing to the Uniswap Protocol, is engaging with a number of investors to raise an equity round of $100 million to $200 million, TechCrunch reported on Sept. 30. The startup is working with investors like Polychain and one of Singapore’s sovereign funds as part of the upcoming funding round, the report notes, citing two anonymous people familiar with the matter. According to the report, Uniswap would be valued …

Bitcoin's (BTC) long-term profitability has declined to levels last seen during the previous bear market in December 2018. According to data shared by crypto analytic firm Glassnode, BTC holders are selling their tokens at an average loss of 42%. The Glassnode data indicate that long-term holders of the top cryptocurrency selling their tokens have a cost basis of $32,000, meaning the average buying price for these holders selling their stack is above $30,000. The current market downturn added to the declining profitability can be attributed to several macroeconomic factors. The BTC market still has a heavy correlation with the stock …

APR vs. APY: Which is better? The APY provides a clear idea of an account’s earning potential. The APR shows what will be owed. Both are calculated over a single year, which provides a more accurate picture than calculating the interest rate alone. Because the APR is calculated at an annual rate, it can be more advantageous for borrowers seeking the best rates, instead of investing in crypto assets and hoping for a return. However, because the APY is based on an annualized rate that includes compounding earnings, it's more beneficial for investing crypto assets—it provides a more accurate representation …

Institutional investment is pouring into the crypto world, notably the nonfungible token (NFT) scene. In a reaction to the influx, MetaMask Institutional announced another addition to its custodial services offerings for institutional-level clients. MetaMask’s partnership with NFT management and storage service Cobo aims to create a “one-stop platform” for large corporations dealing with digital assets. Although MetaMask is a non-custodial wallet at its average user level, the institutional branch of the wallet has been adopting custodial partnerships in various countries around the world. Tavia Wong, the director of marketing and business development for Cobo, told Cointelegraph that not only does …