The Scenius Sync (Issue #15)
Apple Bites Into NFTS, CoinDesk Ranks Top Blockchain Universities, & Cal Governor Vetoes Crypto Bill
Scenius: The intelligence and the intuition of a whole cultural scene. The communal form of the concept of genius.
Welcome to The Scenius Sync.
Our mission with this concise publication is twofold:
Share the essential stories driving the crypto industry and markets.
Highlight innovative applications and mainstream adoption of crypto and blockchain technology.
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Essential News 🗞
Apple Allows NFT Sales On Its App Store
Tech giant Apple now allows NFTs to be bought and sold through applications listed on its App Store. This enables developers of current apps to sell non-fungible tokens in-app and new apps to install NFTs within them. Noteworthy is that: (1) Apple will apply its standard monetization policy and take 30% from NFTs sold as in-app purchases; and (2) Any transactions must be made in USD and not cryptocurrency.
California Governor Newsom Vetoes Crypto Bill
The governor said the bill would have cost California “tens of millions” of dollars and the state will wait for federal policymakers to reach their own conclusions on crypto.
House Stablecoin Bill Would Put Two-Year Ban on Terra-Like Coins
Legislation to regulate stablecoins that’s being drafted in the House would place a two-year ban on coins similar to TerraUSD, the algorithmic stablecoin that collapsed earlier this year.
Nasdaq is preparing to launch an institutional crypto custody service
Equity exchange operator Nasdaq is making its first major push into crypto, and has hired a new group dedicated to digital assets. The group will initially offer custody services for Bitcoin and Ether to institutional investors.
Crypto Exchange FTX Wins Bankrupt Firm Voyager’s Assets
FTX, the digital-asset exchange controlled by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, has won the auction for the assets of bankrupt crypto brokerage Voyager Digital Ltd. with a bid of about $50 million, a price that could climb if milestones such as assets under management are met. Bankman-Fried has been aggressively buying up distressed crypto companies this year, scooping up millions of customers and valuable technologies at a cheaper price than they traded at just half a year ago.
Innovation & Adoption 💡📈
CoinDesk's Best Universities for Blockchain 2022
CoinDesk announced their 2022 rankings of the 50 universities with the biggest impact on blockchain. They examined each of 240 schools based on metrics that include the number and influence of its research publications, the number of courses, degrees, conferences, clubs and industry partnerships, where graduates get jobs, reputation and many other measurements. In the U.S., UC Berkeley and Cornell made the top 5; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University took the top spot.
Crypto Exchange Binance Eyes Return to Japan 4 Years After Exit: Report
The world’s largest crypto exchange Binance will apply for a license this time, as Japan looks set to adopt Web3-friendly policies.
Crypto Analytics Firm Messari Raises $35M in Funding Round Led by Brevan Howard Digital
The round reportedly values the firm at $300 million. Messari, which just hosted its annual Mainnet conference in New York this past week, will use the capital to hire more people and develop two new products – Protocol Metrics and Data Apps.
For $5 A Month, Crypto Now Has Your Cell Plan Covered
Wireless company Helium inks a major deal with T-Mobile after months of ill fortune. The partnership allows Helium subscribers to use a combination of Helium and T-Mobile’s 5G networks while earning crypto rewards. Helium needs to increase its number of 5G hotspots from 5,000 to 50,000 to meet T-Mobile’s goals
Mastercard, Hi Launch NFT-customized Debit Cards as NFT Interest Dips
Mastercard leans more into crypto through its latest partnership with hi exchange to bring NFT avatars to debit cards.