BITCOIN

Worldcoin, a startup that aims to build the “world’s largest identity and financial network as a public utility,” has reached two million sign-ups. The company, which uses its biometric World ID system to differentiate human beings, stated it has more than doubled the number of sign-ups since January when it reported having passed its first million. Worldcoin Passes 2 Million Sign-Ups The Worldcoin project, a startup building an identity database of users as a public utility, has reached two million sign-ups using its World ID protocol. The company — which is backed by Openai co-founder Sam Altman — reported that these sign-ups came via people registering from cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Buenos Aires, New York, Seoul, and Tokyo, as part of the “ world tour ” announced in May. Overall, Worldcoin is registering more than 40,000 sign-ups each week. The World ID protocol requires using special hardware devices for users to register to prove their “uniqueness and humanness in a

Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, says crypto is so international that it will transcend any one currency. Regarding Blackrock’s bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the executive stressed: “We are working with our regulators because, as in any new market, if Blackrock’s name is going to be on it, we’re going to make sure that it’s safe and sound and protected.” Blackrock CEO Larry Fink Highlights Crypto’s ‘Differentiating Value’ Larry Fink, the CEO and chairman of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, discussed cryptocurrency in an interview with CNBC on Friday. Blackrock filed to launch a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 15. While the SEC has rejected all bitcoin ETF applications so far, many are hopeful that the securities regulator will approve Blackrock’s filing. “Over the last five years, more and more global

Europe’s first bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) is set to launch in July after a 12-month delay caused by the crypto winter. The fund has been authorized in Guernsey, a more flexible jurisdiction, which will ostensibly help to avoid some of the regulatory challenges associated with the European Union. Europe to Have Its First Bitcoin ETF Listed After Year-Long Delay The first bitcoin exchange-traded fund in Europe is expected to be publicly listed by the end of this month, a full year after its initially planned launch, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The ETF was first announced by Jacobi Asset Management in July 2022. The asset manager wanted to list it on the Euronext exchange last year but decided that “the time wasn’t right” after a string of negative events in the crypto space like the crash of the terra-luna project and the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX . The issuer now says “demand has shifted since last summer” and the ETF is “on track.” All exchang