Monat: Februar 2025

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Binance Pay partners xMoney to expand crypto payments across Europe

  • Binance Pay and web3 payments provider xMoney have partnered to advance crypto payments in Europe.
  • The strategic partnership will leverage blockchain technology to bring pay with crypto to over 20,000 businesses in the EU.
  • Users will have access to crypto payments across luxury goods, real estate, e-commerce, travel and gaming among other merchant offerings.

Binance Pay, a payments solution by leading crypto exchange Binance, is teaming up with web3 payments platform xMoney to expand use of crypto in payments across Europe.

The Binance Pay team revealed the strategic partnership with xMoney on February 3, 2025.

In this agreement, Binance Pay will leverage xMoney’s regulatory approval as a Makets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) licensed platform to bring crypto payments to over 20,000 businesses in the region.

xMoney integration brings Binance Pay’s network of supported merchants to more than 32,000. Binance Pay’s merchant count stood at 12,000 in Dec. 2024, a figure that represented a 36% year over year increase from 9,800 in Dec. 2023.

Harnessing benefits of blockchain technology

Users will be able to pay with crypto via Binance Pay for things like e-commerce, luxury goods, travel, real estate and gaming.These merchant services and more are part of xMoney’s growing merchant network. Other clients include the the City of Lugano and the National Administration of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Compliance with the EU’s MiCA adds to the potential for this base to grow further.

Jonathan Lim, global head of Binance Pay, commented on the partnership:

“This collaboration between Binance Pay and xMoney comes at a pivotal moment when cryptocurrency is being embraced in mainstream commerce and public services. The ability to pay for luxury goods, travel, and even government services with crypto demonstrates how digital currencies are becoming a practical tool for everyday transactions.”

According to Lim, this collaboration taps into the benefits of blockchain technology to enable real-world value for merchants and customers. Security, efficiency and accessibility are some of the key benefits available to users and businesses.

“Partnering with Binance Pay is a significant step in building the bridge between blockchain and traditional finance. By integrating Binance Pay, we’re expanding our ecosystem and offering our users even more flexibility and choice in how they transact,” said Greg Siourounis, chief executive officer, xMoney Global.

The post Binance Pay partners xMoney to expand crypto payments across Europe appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Bitcoin Tumbles to $92k as Geopolitical Headwinds Roil Markets

  • Bitcoin fell 4.72% over the weekend and another 3.50% during Monday’s Asian session as tensions driven by Trump’s tariffs have investors derisking their positions.
  • Over the weekend, China responded to Trump’s tariffs by indicating interest in imposing tariffs on US goods, while Canada imposed a 25% tariff on CA$155 billion worth of US goods.

Bitcoin tumbled below $100,000 over the weekend, extending losses into today as threats of a possible trade war rock markets worldwide.

While most of Bitcoin’s price decline came this weekend, weakness began when its price failed to swing higher than the $108,000 level two weeks ago (Jan. 20).

A failure to swing higher can signify insufficient buy pressure to push prices higher. If that is the case, prices will seek the next major liquidity level, which could mean lower prices in the interim, as seen over the last two weeks.

Scaling down to a lower time frame, price continued to break lower below $99,000 before retracing to an internal supply zone between the 50.00% and 61.80% Fibonacci levels (the golden zone for retracements) on Thursday, Jan. 30.

After being rejected by internal supply, the price broke down further on Friday, Jan. 31, and over the weekend to settle at the next major demand level, between $92,000 and $96,000.

Bitcoin’s price has found some support at $92,000 and is currently up 4.92% from Asian lows of $91,176.

Wider trade wars stifle markets

Meanwhile, the wider economic landscape faces uncertainty as a brewing trade war between the US and several of its trade partners, including Canada, Mexico, and China rocks various markets.

The US tariffs on its largest trade partners, which include a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tariff on Chinese imports have sparked tensions between nations.

In response, Canada imposed a 25% tariff on CA$155 billion worth of US goods, Mexico has announced tariffs on US goods but has not provided details, while China also announced plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods.

The result is uncertainty around the expansion of global trade and a derisking of portfolios, with cryptos being one of the first on the chopping block.

The post Bitcoin Tumbles to $92k as Geopolitical Headwinds Roil Markets appeared first on CoinJournal.

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The Runes marketplace and launchpad Odin.fun will replicate Pump.Fun

  • fun is set to replicate Pump.fun on Bitcoin.
  • fun aims to offer a 20-second finality for Rune trades.
  • The platform will be decentralized with no central control.

The highly anticipated Runes marketplace and launchpad dubbed Odin.fun is set to revolutionize the Bitcoin ecosystem by emulating the success of Solana’s Pump.fun.

Developed by the team behind the Bitcoin ordinals marketplace Bioniq, Odin.fun aims to provide a seamless experience for Bitcoin users interested in Runes, a new token standard on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Direct integration with Bitcoin Runes

Odin.fun stands out by directly working with the existing Runes meta-protocol, ensuring there’s no need for additional upgrades or programmability. This approach not only simplifies the user experience but also maintains the integrity of the Bitcoin network.

Users can engage in buying, selling, creating, and swapping Runes with transactions finalized in just 20 seconds, offering the speed of Solana with the robustness of Bitcoin.

Moreover, all bonded tokens can be withdrawn directly back to a user’s Bitcoin wallet at any time, with plans to expand support to BRC-20 tokens in the near future.

The platform’s commitment to decentralization is evident through its use of a threshold signing setup (TSS) for securing Bitcoin and Runes deposits, mirroring the strategies used by other decentralized systems.

By employing multisig smart contract control, Odin.fun eliminates the need for centralized custodians or control, thus providing a trustless environment for users to trade and interact with Runes.

Redefining Layer 2 on Bitcoin

Bob Bodily, co-founder and CEO of Bioniq, describes Odin.fun not as a traditional Layer 2 solution but as an appchain or an L2 in the broader sense of building seamless Bitcoin products.

This innovative perspective allows Odin.fun to offer functionalities akin to Layer 2 solutions without the complexities often associated with them on Bitcoin. The underlying technology stack, named Valhalla, operates invisibly, supporting all current and future features of Odin.fun.

Odin.fun’s capabilities are further enhanced through its integration with BLIFE, a platform designed to enrich user experiences across various blockchain applications. This integration means that BLIFE users receive exclusive benefits on Odin.fun, can complete Odin-related quests on the BLIFE platform, and their achievements on Odin.fun contribute to their BLIFE reputation.

This synergy promises to not only boost user engagement but also foster a more interconnected blockchain ecosystem.

When is Odin.fun launching?

Currently, Odin.fun is in an early access beta, requiring an invite code for participation. However, this exclusivity will soon end as the platform prepares for a public launch on Monday, February 3, 2025, making it accessible to everyone interested in exploring the potential of Bitcoin Runes.

The launch is anticipated to democratize access to the burgeoning Runes market, potentially replicating the meme coin frenzy seen with Pump.fun on the Solana network.

The post The Runes marketplace and launchpad Odin.fun will replicate Pump.Fun appeared first on CoinJournal.