Cryptocurrency: June 2020

June 2020 cryptocurrency news round-up from Startup News Asia

The links below represent a broad at-a-glance overview of cryptocurrency and digital currency news from June 2020.

Items featured cover China’s central bank digital currency moves, Facebook Libra, and the Indian government’s responses to cryptocurrency trading, for instance.

Each headline below links to the article it was originally drawn from; each article was also delivered to Startup News Asia’s daily news feeds on social media and via the Startup News Asia app.

• ICYMI: Human Rights Foundation now funding Bitcoin-focused privacy development, with CoinSwap protocol the recipient of first $50K grant
• Cryptocurrency: Digital Dollar Project releases whitepaper, ‘Exploring a US CBDC’, looking at the value case for a tokenized digital US currency
• A look at the tax problems at the heart of Facebook Libra 1.0, and the moves taken to address these in April’s Libra 2.0 White Paper
• ICYMI: National Science Foundation, an independent agency of US Gov’t, awarded KRNC blockchain startup $225K grant to design cryptocurrency features for US dollar
• ICYMI: $6BN Akon City, named for music star founder, set to begin construction in Senegal, with plan for city to use akoin cryptocurrency only upon completion
• ICYMI: PayPal reportedly considering direct sales of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to over 300M users globally via Venmo mobile payments subsidiary
• ICYMI: US Federal Reserve recognises stablecoins like Facebook Libra could improve consumer welfare in certain economic scenarios
• ICYMI: EY launches CryptoPrep app to aid with cryptocurrency aspects of tax filings, allowing US users to aggregate crypto transactions and calculate capital gains or losses
• Digital currency: “Many cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York have recently passed legislation banning merchants from accepting only card and contactless payments.”
• ICYMI: Superhero Project non-profit launched by Aeternity blockchain to provide content creators with e-wallet and decentralized social media monetization

• ICYMI: Ja Rule signs deal with Roll, Ethereum-based protocol providing artists with birth-to-death control over their content using tokenization
• ICYMI: Italian Banking Association of over 700 institutions keen to explore implementation of digital currency backed by European Central Bank
• ICYMI: EY launches CryptoPrep app to aid with cryptocurrency aspects of tax filings, allowing US users to aggregate crypto transactions and calculate capital gains or losses
• Digital currency: “Many cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York have recently passed legislation banning merchants from accepting only card and contactless payments.”
• Hong Kong: MINY blockchain startup launches platform to facilitate cryptocurrency mining, including Cloud Mining Pool allowing users to combine resources
• India: Gov’t may move to introduce law banning private cryptocurrencies
• Japan: SynchroLife raises $2.6M Series A with restaurant review platform rewarding users in SynchroCoin crypto token, claiming 2120K reviews across 100K restaurants
• South Korea: Central bank forms legal advisory team to research digital currency
• Thailand: Ministry of Finance to sell $6.42M in savings bonds using state-owned Krung Thai Bank’s blockchain-based e-wallet
• Australia: Kraken, US cryptocurrency exchange, launches in Australia, allowing users to trade in crypto, following January acquisition of Australia’s Bit Trade exchange
• Australia: Customers of BitcoinComAu crypto exchange will be able to pay for Bitcoin at over 3500 Australia Post offices
• Singapore-based blockchain startup Ontology to collaborate with Bitcoin Suisse cryptocurrency financial services platform, with ONTO wallet supporting CryptoFranc stablecoin
• 8 startups selected for UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund backing, including 2 from India and 1 from Cambodia
• ICYMI: Hacker group targeting crypto-exchanges, mainly US and Japan, believed to have stolen over $200M in two years
• India: Hapramp Studio social network provider gains $1M seed with 3 creator-focused areas – online community, crypto-based reward system, and security and privacy standard
• Australia & NZ: 1200 Coca-Cola vending machines now accept payments using cryptocurrency via Centrapay digital payments tech