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BRICS Advances Toward Independent Digital Payment Platform, Russian Official Says

BRICS Advances Toward Independent Digital Payment Platform, Russian Official SaysThe BRICS economic bloc is progressing towards a digital payment platform, Russia’s Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko has revealed. The initiative, named BRICS Bridge, aims to establish an independent financial system. This system could mitigate dependency on Western institutions, especially amid sanctions and Russia’s SWIFT disconnection. BRICS Moves Forward With Digital Payment Platform Initiative The […]

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Macquarie Bank to Go Cashless as the Banking Sector Shifts to Digital-Only in Australia

Macquarie Bank to Go Cashless as the Banking Sector Shifts to Digital-Only in AustraliaMacquarie Bank, one of the largest banks in Australia, will not allow its customers to deposit or withdraw cash or cheques from its office branches starting this month. The move comes as the bank goes cashless, and transitions to digital payments, stating these are “a safe, quick, and more convenient way to bank.” Macquarie Bank […]

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Thailand threatens Facebook over crypto scams and other fraudulent ads

Thailand’s digital minister said he would seek a court order to shut Facebook in the country unless it takes action on the alleged scams.

Thailand is planning to seek a court-issued shutdown order against Facebook unless it takes steps to deal with alleged investment and crypto scam ads on its platform.

On Aug. 21, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) stated over 200,000 people had been duped by Facebook ads that touted crypto scams, investing in fake businesses and faked government agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Popular tactics used by the scammers included crypto investment and trading scams, MDES claimed. Some ads also allegedly used images of celebrities and well-known financial figures along with promises of up to 30% daily returns to lure people into the schemes.

MDES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said the ministry had been in talks with and sent a letter to the Meta-owned platform over the issue but claimed it's failing to screen advertisers.

Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn at an Aug. 21 press conference regarding the ministry’s planned court action against Facebook. Source: MDES

The ministry is currently gathering evidence of the scam ads which it said numbered over 5,300 — at the end of the month, it’s ready to ask a court to shut down Facebook within seven days.

Related: Hong Kong’s crypto stance: Execs weigh in on Web3 in the region

The ministry warned on how such scams typically operate saying consumers should be wary of promises of high and guaranteed returns along with ads using images of well-known figures.

Investments that pressure or give incentives to quickly invest with limited offers should also be approached with caution as well as businesses or platforms with no verifiable information.

Cointelegraph contacted Meta but did not immediately receive a response.

Magazine: Web3 Gamer: GTA 6 crypto rumors, Dr Who/Sandbox, Thai tourist NFTs review

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OpenSea launches advanced NFT marketplace aggregator

The launch of OpenSea Pro is the result of OpenSea's acquisition of NFT aggregator Gem in April 2022.

NFT marketplace OpenSea has unveiled OpenSea Pro, its new non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace aggregator aimed at serving the needs of professional users. OpenSea's acquisition of NFT aggregator Gem in April 2022 enabled it to develop and refine Gem's platform to create the new OpenSea Pro.

According to the announcement, OpenSea Pro seeks to offer a new level of optionality, selection, and control for professional collectors. The platform plans to offer a suite of improved features that allows collectors to discover the best deals and insights across 170 marketplaces and access sophisticated tools that meet their need for automation.

In addition, OpenSea Pro has introduced an “advanced orders” feature that allows users to "sweep across the deepest liquidity of any NFT marketplace aggregator," giving users more control over their purchases. OpenSea Pro is also mobile-compatible and optimized for mobile devices, allowing users to browse, sweep, and list from their phones.

The platform shared that users can list on OpenSea with 0% fees through OpenSea Pro for a promotional period, which has no additional fees. To express gratitude to Gem's early adopters, the Gem team is providing a special "thank you" in the form of a Gemesis NFT drop to coincide with the launch of OpenSea Pro. Eligible users who purchased an NFT on Gem before March 31, 2023 can claim a free Gemesis NFT until May 4, 2023.

Related: Security team creates dashboard to detect potential NFT hacks in OpenSea

In 2022, OpenSea acquired Gem for an undisclosed amount to improve the experience of its more seasoned “pro” users. Gem enabled traders to purchase NFTs across various collections and multiple marketplaces in a single transaction, lowering gas fees.

In February, OpenSea implemented a strategy to win back its NFT user base, which had been lost to rival NFT marketplace Blur. Blur had surpassed OpenSea in daily Ether (ETH) trading volume as users sought a trading platform that favored their NFT investments. To counter this, OpenSea implemented a 0% fee policy to attract users back to its platform. 

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US Government Plans to Sell Over 41,000 Bitcoins Confiscated from Silk Road Hacker

US Government Plans to Sell Over 41,000 Bitcoins Confiscated from Silk Road HackerAccording to a court document filed on March 31, 2023, regarding the sentencing of James Zhong, who stole over 50,000 bitcoin from the Silk Road marketplace, the U.S. government plans to liquidate 41,490 bitcoin “over the course of this calendar year.” U.S. Government Discloses Strategy for Selling Confiscated Bitcoin The U.S. government, one of the […]

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Bitgo Launches Storage and Tracking Solution for Bitcoin-Based Ordinal Inscriptions

Bitgo Launches Storage and Tracking Solution for Bitcoin-Based Ordinal InscriptionsOn Thursday, digital asset custody provider, Bitgo, announced the launch of its storage and tracking solution for Bitcoin-based Ordinal inscriptions. Moreover, users can use Bitgo’s Ordinal inscription storage system to inscribe their own inscriptions onto the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitgo’s New Solution Allows for Safe Sending of Ordinal Inscriptions Bitgo has announced a new storage solution […]

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Noble Partners With Circle Financial to Integrate USDC on Cosmos Blockchain

Noble Partners With Circle Financial to Integrate USDC on Cosmos BlockchainAccording to the token protocol startup Noble, the second-largest stablecoin, USDC, will be integrated into the Cosmos blockchain, as the company has partnered with Circle Financial for the rollout. Noble details that the integration will give access to Circle’s USDC stablecoin to more than 50 Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) networks. USDC Native Support Is Coming to […]

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Arbitrum’s Governance Token ARB Ranks Within Top 40 Market Capitalizations Following Airdrop

Arbitrum’s Governance Token ARB Ranks Within Top 40 Market Capitalizations Following AirdropFollowing the Arbitrum token airdrop, ARB has become a top 40 cryptocurrency as it currently holds the 37th largest market valuation out of more than 23,000 listed digital currencies. Currently, there is a circulating supply of 1,275,000,000 ARB, and the Arbitrum Foundation’s DAO Treasury holds 3.52 million or 35.27% of the airdropped supply. Over the […]

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Bitcoin Difficulty Increases for Third Time in Six Weeks, Miners Remain Undeterred With High Hashrate

Bitcoin Difficulty Increases for Third Time in Six Weeks, Miners Remain Undeterred With High HashrateOn March 23, 2023, bitcoin experienced another difficulty increase, following two previous rises in the last month, jumping 7.56% higher. Currently, bitcoin miners have not been deterred by the increases, as the network hashrate has been coasting along at 346 exahash per second (EH/s). Bitcoin Hashrate Remains High Despite Recent 7.56% Difficulty Rise As of […]

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Lego Prepares a Metaverse Collaboration With Epic Games to Target Digital Markets

Lego Prepares a Metaverse Collaboration With Epic Games to Target Digital MarketsLego, the Danish toy company famous for its colorful plastic bricks, expects to diversify its entertainment offerings portfolio, targeting the metaverse. The company is preparing to present a virtual world in partnership with Epic Games, the gaming engine company, to continue increasing its market share and growth streak by entering new digital markets. Lego to […]

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