Kategorie: Bitcoin News

Bitcoin news about the Bitcoin (BTC) blockchain and its crypto ecosystem.

Veröffentlicht am

Fundraising platform JustGiving accepts over 60 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum

  • JustGiving now accepts over 60 cryptocurrencies for people to donate with
  • 94% of crypto users are Millennials and Generation Z
  • More than $2 billion has been donated to charitable causes over the past five years

UK-based fundraising platform JustGiving is teaming up with The Giving Block, a digital asset company, to start accepting crypto donations.

JustGiving now allows users to donate in more than 60 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Doge, according to a report from UK Fundraising. The move comes as the crypto market is experiencing a surge in value, with Bitcoin recording a new all-time high of over $94,000 yesterday on CoinMarketCap.

According to JustGiving’s website, over the past 24 years, the fundraising platform has raised $7.2 billion (£6 billion) and is trusted by thousands of charities worldwide, including the Alzheimer’s Society, the British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Mind.

Pascale Harvie, President and General Manager of JustGiving, said:

“In recent years there has been a surge in the use of cryptocurrencies and our decision to enable cryptocurrency donations is the latest demonstration of our commitment to forward-thinking innovation.”

Tapping into a tech-savvy demographic is also key. According to JustGiving, 94% of crypto users are Millennials and Gen Z.

Alex Wilson, co-founder of The Giving Block, said that “charities need to tap into this new donor demographic,” adding:

“580 million people now use cryptocurrency around the world and the market is worth nearly $3 trillion. Our goal is to make accepting cryptocurrency donations just as easy as taking any other online donations.”

In a 2024 Annual Report from The Giving Block, it noted that more than $2 billion has been donated to charitable causes over the past five years.

The post Fundraising platform JustGiving accepts over 60 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

Hoth Therapeutics to buy up to $1 million worth of Bitcoin

Hoth Therapeutics, a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company, has adopted Bitcoin (BTC) as a treasury asset.

The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced on Nov. 20 that its board of directors had approved adding BTC to its balance sheet. In the first step of this significant move, Hoth Therapeutics will buy up to $1 million in Bitcoin, according to details in a press release.

Big move as Hoth buys Bitcoin

Hoth points to Bitcoin’s traction as an investment asset, global adoption and rising institutional purchase as key to its decision. Bitcoin ETFs and options approval, increased ETF inflows and assets as well as plans for strategic BTC reserves has also buoyed several platforms.

The Hoth management team also looked at BTC as a hedge against inflation and store of value as crucial features.

“As Bitcoin continues to grow, gaining investor attention and acceptance as a major and primary asset class, we believe that Bitcoin will serve as a strong treasury reserve asset,” Robb Knie, chief executive officer of Hoth said.

“With recent approval of Bitcoin ETFs and increasing activity from institutional investors, it is a strong addition to our treasury strategy. We believe its inflation-resistant characteristics may make it a reliable asset as a functional store of value,” Knie added.

Hoth’s move comes as MicroStrategy, the company that has acquired a massive BTC haul since its first purchase in 2020, added to its holdings with a $4.6 billion purchase. Other companies, including ‘Asia’s MicroStrategy’ Metaplanet are looking to follow suit.

Endowments, pension funds and family offices are among those to also take a serious look at Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, the price of Bitcoin has surged to new all-time highs above $94,000 amid positive sentiment since Donald Trump’s re-election. Analysts say the benchmark crypto asset will surpass $100k, going parabolic in the next months.

The post Hoth Therapeutics to buy up to $1 million worth of Bitcoin appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF options brings in nearly $2b in trade on day one

  • Bitcoin hit a record of more than $94,000 following the launch of options contracts on BlackRock’s IBIT
  • 289,000 contracts were Calls and 65,000 were Puts, meaning investors were bullish on a Bitcoin price rise
  • Joe Constori said the market is bullish that Bitcoin’s price will reach $100,000 by the end of 2024

Options contracts on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) saw “unheard-of” notional exposure levels, helping push Bitcoin to a record of over $94,000.

Taking to X, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, said:

“Final tally of $IBIT’s 1st day of options is just shy of $1.9 billion in notional exposure traded via 354k contracts. 289k were Calls & 65k were Puts. That’s a ratio of 4.4:1. These options were almost certainly part of the move to the new #Bitcoin all time highs today.”

Buying calls is bullish as investors only profit if the price of Bitcoin goes up. With the new options contract, investors can speculate on price movements by trading shares at predetermined prices.

Joe Constori, head of growth at Theya and institutional lead at the Bitcoin Layer, said on X that “TLDR; the market is bullish that Bitcoin’s price ends the year well over $100k.”

Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas added:

“$1.9b is unheard of for Day One. For context, $BITO did $363m and that’s been around for four years. And also this is with 25,000 contract position limits.”

Increasing institutional interest

The launch of BlackRock’s options contracts comes as institutional interest in Bitcoin rises. With the IBIT options, investors can gain exposure to new avenues of investment while managing their risk through the call and put options without owning the underlying asset.

In January, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first 11 spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETFs). Since then, the market has grown with BlackRock leading the way.

At the end of October, BlackRock’s IBIT reached $30 billion in net assets in a record 293 days. Two weeks later, it reached $40 billion in net assets in 211 days, showcasing rising interest in crypto investments.

The post BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF options brings in nearly $2b in trade on day one appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

Bitfinex Securities launches first tokenized US Treasury bill in El Salvador

  • Bitfinex Securities is teaming up with NexBridge to bring a tokenized US Treasury bill to El Salvador.
  • USTBL leverages Bitcoin’s technology of Liquid Network and Blockstream AMP.
  • Proceeds of the $30 million initial raise are to be allocated in iShares Treasury Bond 0-1yr UCITS ETF, per the announcement.

Bitfinex Securities and NexBridge, a digital asset issuer focused on tokenization of financial assets, have teamed up to launch the first tokenized US Treasury bill in El Salvador.

The tokenized T-bill, USTBL, leverages Bitcoin technology. Specifically, the issuers are leveraging the flagship digital asset’s Liquid Network and Blockstream AMP, an asset management platform that allows users to issue and manage crypto assets on the Liquid Network.

Subscriptions for the USTBL open on Nov. 19

According to a press release, the product will have an initial offering soft capped at $30 million, and will offer investors access to US Treasury returns in USD. USTBL is backed by iShares Treasury Bond 0-1yr UCITS ETF, the short-term Treasury bond ETF of asset management giant BlackRock.

Initial subscriptions open on November 19, 2024, and closes on November 29. However, investors will also get access via further subscription windows. Subscriptions are initially available in the stablecoin Tether (USDT), while the issuers have plans to add support for Bitcoin (BTC).

“The inclusion of USTBL tokens in investment portfolios will enable investors to balance digital asset exposure with the stability of traditional finance, offering a new level of diversification that can help reduce overall portfolio risk,” Jesse Knutson, head of operations at Bitfinex Securities, said in a statement.

Michele Crivelli, founder of NexBridge, added:

“By leveraging Bitcoin’s technology and infrastructure, we’re laying the foundation for a globally accessible financial ecosystem, bringing tokenized U.S. Treasuries to investors worldwide while maintaining full regulatory compliance.”

This launch comes amid massive traction across real-world assets tokenization. The RWA on-chain market has grown rapidly with products such as funds, bonds and credit.

According to rwa.xyz, the global RWA market is currently over $13 billion, with tokenized US treasuries, bonds and cash equivalents at $2.4 billion.

The post Bitfinex Securities launches first tokenized US Treasury bill in El Salvador appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

Thumzup to add Bitcoin payments for gig economy workers

  • Thumzup will soon pay its gig workers via Bitcoin.
  • The Nasdaq-listed media and marketing firm recently added BTC as a treasury asset.

Thumzup, the media marketing company that recently adopted a Bitcoin (BTC) strategy with a $1 million purchase, has announced plans to add crypto payments for gig economy workers.

In a Nov. 19 announcement, Thumzup Media Corporation said it planned to soon add Bitcoin to its gig economy workers. The publicly-traded company will offer this option via its Account Specialist Program (ASP). It’s a move that expands on the marketing solutions provider’s businesses that allows its clients to pay cash to fans via Venmo and PayPal.

This latest move also adds to the growing adoption of cryptocurrency payments, particularly in the gig economy.

For its feature, Thumzup will leverage top crypto platforms like Coinbase to integrate BTC into its payout system.

“We’re thrilled to empower the gig economy with the option of Bitcoin payments, especially in tech-forward areas like Los Angeles and South Florida,” Robert Steele, chief executive officer of Thumzup, said in a statement.

“This initiative offers them faster transactions, lower fees, and more financial privacy. Plus, with Bitcoin’s growing acceptance, they can easily use their earnings for daily expenses or as a potential investment,” Steele added.

Thumzup plans to roll out the ASP feature with crypto payments from January 2025. While the new model is expected to see greater traction, Thumzup will continue to support traditional bank payments for those that prefer the existing options.

The post Thumzup to add Bitcoin payments for gig economy workers appeared first on CoinJournal.