Galaxy Digital Report Predicts Bitcoin NFT Market Could Reach $4.5 Billion by 2025

March 4, 2023 Bitcoin.com

9 crypto gifts for your Valentine’s Day date

February 13, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Artwork

Crypto gifts not only demonstrate love but also a shared interest in the exciting world of cryptocurrency and finance.

For readers looking for unique, meaningful gifts for their valentine this Valentine’s Day, consider giving a cryptocurrency-related gift. Here are nine options:

A cryptocurrency gift card

Give your significant other the gift of choice by giving them a cryptocurrency gift card. They can use it to buy food or any digital asset they want, whether that’s Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) or a stablecoin like USD Coin (USDC).

Virtual real estate

Readers can buy virtual real estate in the metaverse, such as in Decentraland or The Sandbox, as a unique, romantic gift. Their significant other can build and customize their own virtual world, and couples can explore new dimensions together.

NFT artwork

Surprise your loved one with a nonfungible token (NFT) artwork they can cherish forever. There are numerous talented artists creating digital art that can be purchased and collected as NFTs.

#artoftheday #artwork #art #AI #nft #NFTCommunity #NFTCollection #openseaartists #ETH #OpenSeaNFT #opensea #EthereumNFT #ValentinesDay2023
Again, no idea for valentines? Send NFT!https://t.co/DTxrTnPX6t pic.twitter.com/m6bqeR6zKe
— SnarvLeo (@WW_Leopold) February 13, 2023

A hardware wallet

A hardware wallet can be a useful, heartfelt present for the crypto-savvy valentine. Hardware wallets add an extra layer of security for digital assets, protecting users’ cryptocurrency investments from hackers and other cyberattacks.

A DeFi yield-generating token

By purchasing a loved one a yield-generating token in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, they can receive the gift of passive income. They can keep it in their wallet while keeping track of the investment’s growth.

Metaverse concerts

Virtual concerts and events are becoming more prevalent as the metaverse expands. Readers can get their valentine tickets to a virtual concert in a well-known metaverse space as a memorable, enjoyable date idea.

Crypto-themed products

Readers can express their love for both their valentine and cryptocurrencies by gifting crypto-themed products. For individuals who wish to flaunt their crypto pride, there are numerous options available, including bracelets, pillows, water bottles, mugs, sweatshirts and more.

Market keeps falling on our heads, so rest it here on this comfy pillow.https://t.co/ydkddJUHP3 pic.twitter.com/7OYFG7SlSb
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) June 17, 2022

A crypto book

A crypto book such as The Little Bitcoin Book can be a thoughtful, educational Valentine’s Day gift for a significant other if they’re interested in learning about cryptocurrency and the world of digital finance.

Just did my best explanation of #Bitcoin ever.

A 65 yo woman was 100% with me while I explained the relationship between Nodes and Miners.

She went home to buy Layered Money and The Little Bitcoin Book.
— Ben Justman (@BenJustman) August 20, 2022

A crypto book can be a terrific method to improve a partner’s awareness of the technology and its potential, whether they are new to the cryptocurrency space or seasoned enthusiasts.

Watch a crypto-themed movie

Rent or stream a movie that explores the world of cryptocurrency, such as The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin or Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains and the Future of the Internet.

Regardless of which gift is given, it is essential to remember that cryptocurrency investments can be highly volatile, and it‘s always critical to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions.

Founder of $7.5M ‘brazen fraud scheme’ gets 8 years behind bars

February 1, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Founder of .5M ‘brazen fraud scheme’ gets 8 years behind bars

Antiques

Randall Crater was ordered to pay back the millions lost by victims of his fraudulent crypto scheme and spend 100 months in jail followed by a three-year supervised release.

Founder of “My Big Coin” Randall Crater has been sentenced to 100 months in prison and ordered to pay over $7.6 million to the victims of his fraudulent scheme.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Jan. 31 that Crater was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Denise Casper in Massachusetts.

The sentence comes after Crater was convicted by a federal jury on July 21 on four counts of wire fraud, three counts of unlawful monetary transactions and one count of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

Randall Crater, the founder of "My Big Coin," a purported cryptocurrency company, was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison for a multi-million dollar fraud scheme uncovered by #FBI Boston and @USPIS_BOS. https://t.co/567NYPndRU pic.twitter.com/a3eKaogij4
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) January 31, 2023

My Big Coin was founded by Crater in 2013 and falsely marketed as a cryptocurrency payment service, luring victims between 2014 and 2017.

Crater claimed the coins on My Big Coin were fully functional cryptocurrencies backed by gold and that the platform had a partnership with Mastercard.

Crater also marketed the “My Big Coin Exchange,” advertised as a crypto exchange where the coins could be swapped for U.S. dollars and other fiat currencies.

*Randall Crater’s LinkedIn account photo. Image: LinkedIn*

A significant portion of the $7.6 million obtained by Crater and his marketing team went toward a house, several cars and over $1 million in antiques, artwork and jewelry.

U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement the damage done by Crater inflicted a serious amount of trauma and financial hardship on his victims:

“For nearly four years, Mr. Crater perpetrated a brazen fraud scheme that preyed on investors and customers who put their faith in him and his fake business, resulting in victim losses of over $7.5 million.”

“His lies and deception inflicted real trauma, pain and hardship on the lives of 55 individual victims and their families who funneled their money into bank accounts Mr. Crater controlled and used to finance his extravagant lifestyle,” she added.

Even after his conviction, Crater continued to protest his innocence, stating in an Oct. 21 YouTube video that a My Big Coin credit card did in fact exist and claiming that an investor testified under oath to having used the card multiple times.

Legal action against Crater dates back to Sept. 25, 2018, when now-former Judge Rya Zobel of the Massachusetts District Court ruled against a motion to dismiss a case launched by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The Department of Justice officially filed criminal charges against Crater on Feb. 19, 2019.

After Crater’s 100-month tenure behind bars, he will be subject to a supervised release for the following three years.

Martial Arts Icon and Philosopher Bruce Lee Commemorated in NFT Collection Endorsed by Family Company

January 5, 2022 Bitcoin.com

Beeple’s Latest NFT ‘Human One’ Sells for $29M, Artist Plans to ‘Enhance the Displayed Artwork’ During His Lifetime

December 9, 2021 Bitcoin.com

Rammstein Vocalist in Conflict With Russian Museum Over Unauthorized NFT Sale

August 15, 2021 Bitcoin.com

Breaking NFTs to Pieces: These 4 Projects Are Fractionalizing Grimes, Banksy, Cryptopunk NFTs

July 30, 2021 Bitcoin.com

Master-pieces: Swiss bank issuing NFT shares in Picasso painting for $6K each

July 16, 2021 Coin Telegraph

Master-pieces: Swiss bank issuing NFT shares in Picasso painting for K each

Artwork

Swiss digital asset bank Sygnum is issuing NFTs representing fractionalized ownership in a Picasso painting.

Digital asset-focused Swiss Bank, Sygnum, has teamed up with art investment firm Artemundi to offer fractionalized ownership shares in a Pablo Picasso painting for $6,000 each.

Shares representing ownership over $3.68 million Picasso painting, “Fillette au béret,” will be tokenized and issued via blockchain technology, allowing a wide variety of investors to gain exposure to the artwork.

The nonfungible tokens (NFTs) can be exclusively purchased by sophisticated and institutional investors through Sygnum Bank, with secondary trade set to take place on SygnEx — the bank’s digital asset trading platform.

Trades will be settled in Swiss Francs (CHF) using Sygnum’s native CHF stablecoin, DCHF. Fractionalized ownership over the painting will be recognized by Swiss law.

The 1964 painting depicts a beret-capped child in brightly coloured clothes, and was last sold for $2.48 million in 2016. The physical painting will not be sold, with the artwork slated to remain at a high-security facility when it is not being loaned to museums for exhibition.

Artemundi co-owner, Javier Lumbreras, emphasized the revolutionary utility offered by fractionalized ownership through NFTs stating:

“Artistic, cultural objects of universal appeal, once reserved for an elite group of collectors or the museums, can now be safely and directly owned without the burden of high entry barriers.”

“The art market is absurdly opaque and inefficient, but these traits will soon be relics of a bygone age," he added.

Picasso on the blockchain

Sygnum is not the first company looking to tokenize the work of Picasso.

In June, Soethby’s auction house announced it had teamed up with Mira Imaging with plans to auction Picasso’s work “Le peintre et son modèle” alongside an Ethereum-based non-fungible token created by scanning “every micron” of the painting’s surface to create a “unique encrypted signature” representing the work.

Using a Looking Glass scanner, the NFT could be scanned to confirm the authenticity of the work. However, the NFT offering was scrapped by Sotehby’s, with the painting selling for $3.12 million without an nonfungible counterpart.

Last month also saw the launch of “The Burned Picasso” project from artist collective, Unique.One Community.

After displaying a Picasso sketch at a gallery in Denver, an NFT representing the artwork was minted at the end of the June, with the picture’s physical form getting incinerated.

We burned a Picasso and turned it into an NFT...

Watch https://t.co/zyMZyjdVC8
— The Burned Picasso (@burnedpicasso) July 15, 2021

The NFT auction will be live for the next two weeks, with a starting price set at 0.25 ETH (roughly $500). The auction winner will also receive the framed burnt remnants of original artwork.

In 2018, John McAfee teamed up with DLT platform Maecenas and crypto exchange Ethershift to auction an ERC-721 token representing ownership over a Picasso artwork.