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Mayowa Adebajo



Articles by Mayowa Adebajo

Animoca Brands Records Huge Success with Season 2 of Publisher NFTs Sale

2 days ago

When TinyTap introduced the concept of Publisher NFTs, it aimed to use it to support content creators in the line of education and publishing.

Animoca Brands announced that Season 2 of its Publisher NFTs surpassed all expectations, having already sold out. It shared this in a recent announcement, revealing that the sale of all 720 Publisher NFTs brought in 538,560 EDU tokens in total. That is approximately $315,517, at the time of sale.
The sale follows a November 2022 announcement when Animoca revealed that it had sold out of the first batch of six TinyTap Publisher NFTs. In total, the batch generated 138.926 ETH (approximately $228,000 at the time of sale) in revenue. This means that the six teachers who authored the content linked to the Publisher NFTs saw 67.7 ETH. That is

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Reddit Prepares to Go for IPO in Q1 2024 at $15B Valuation

2 days ago

Reddit initially filed for an IPO in December 2021 and was expected to make its public debut the following March.

For the umpteenth time, the popular social media platform Reddit is reportedly getting set to make its public debut. This follows after a recent Bloomberg report confirmed that the firm has made reasonable progress in that regard.
Per Bloomberg, Reddit is currently in talks with potential investors and its Initial Public Offering (IPO) could happen as early as the first quarter (Q1) of 2024. And when it does go public, Reddit is reportedly looking to start at a valuation of around $15 billion.

However, the social media giant would be looking to take a cue from Chinese fashion company Shein, which also has a  pending IPO that was filed on Monday.
Reddit’s On and Off IPO

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USTC Sees Over 285% Gains in 24 Hours, Here’s Why Stablecoin Is Surging

4 days ago

The recent price surges seen in both the USTC and LUNC, once again highlight the undying resolve and commitment of the Terra Classic community to bring value to both assets.

Algorithmic stablecoin TerraClassicUSD (USTC) has received a massive boost in the last 24 hours, posting over 283% gains within the period. As of publication, CoinMarketCap data showed the USTC price standing at $0.6279, as it continues to make an impressive effort toward reclaiming its peg to the US dollar.
Recall that the USTC stablecoin lost its dollar peg back in May 2022. Since then, Terra Classic Labs (TCL) has put in place a recovery model that may now just be proving successful.

Why Is USTC Stablecoin Surge?
A surge as high as seen in USTC’s ongoing rally certainly begs some questions. And an X user

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Court Issues Verdict on Do Kwon’s Extradition

7 days ago

Do Kwon faces multiple fraud-related and civil allegations from US federal prosecutors.

Eight months after his arrest, a court in Montenegro has finally ordered the extradition of Terra founder Do Kwon. Kwon was arrested in Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro in March, after he was caught trying to flee to Dubai via private jet, and with falsified documents. At the time, Kwon had a fake Costa Rican passport on him.
Although a final decision is yet to be made on his final destination, information on the court’s website suggests that Kwon will be extradited to either South Korea or the United States. That is after he must have served an ongoing four-month prison sentence in the country.

Kwon did attempt to appeal previous decisions, but the Montenegro High Court upheld his

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Bank of Korea to Involve 100K Citizens in CBDC Testing

8 days ago

The Bank of Korea will be looking to use the pilot stage of its CBDC to determine things such as acceptability and ease of use.

South Korea, through its apex bank – The Bank of Korea (BOK) – has revealed its plans to begin testing its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in 2024. A local news outlet Korea Times confirmed the report, saying that the testing will begin either by September or October, running for three months.
The report also claimed that South Korea will allow 100,000 citizens to participate in the pilot process. However, they may not store, exchange, or send the CBDC during this period. That is, participants may only use the CBDC to settle payments.

BOK Aims to Gather Information from Testing
The Bank of Korea will be looking to use the pilot stage of its CBDC to

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United Kingdom Seeks to Strengthen Its Digital Asset Sector

8 days ago

The UK government appears to be intent on expanding digital assets throughout the nation. To this effect, it now looks forward to passing legislation to implement the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS).

Recent efforts by the United Kingdom (UK) suggest that the nation may be looking to expand its digital assets sector. This follows the news that British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt recently announced new legislation to that effect. This statement came alongside a mini-budget of 110 measures that the UK has highlighted for the improvement of its economy.
United Kingdom to Open Wider Access to Digital Assets
Per the announcement, the UK government appears to be intent on expanding digital assets throughout the nation. To this effect, it now looks forward to passing legislation to implement

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Crypto Traders Unmoved by Binance’s Guilty Plea, Remain Bullish on Bitcoin

9 days ago

A high-profile situation that eventually led to CZ leaving his role as CEO of Binance has not distracted traders from their interest in Bitcoin.

Crypto traders appear to be unbothered about the industry-shaping events of the last 24 hours. On Tuesday, November 21, reports circulated that both Binance exchange and its chief Changpeng “CZ” Zhao had agreed to a criminal settlement that would see the exchange pay $4.3 billion in fines.  However, such a high-profile situation that eventually led to CZ leaving his role as CEO of Binance has not distracted traders from their interest in Bitcoin.
For what it’s worth, the Binance case may be the biggest one that the crypto market has seen since the collapse of the FTX exchange last November. But while it was expected to bring about some panic

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AI Firm Anthropic Reportedly Rejects Merger Offer from OpenAI

10 days ago

OpenAI’s offer also included making Anthropic’s CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei a replacement for Altman.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Anthropic may have just refused to enter into a merger deal with OpenAI. According to a report by The Information and another report by Reuters, OpenAI’s board of directors put forward the offer following last week’s decision to sack its immediate past CEO Sam Altman.
Anthropic CEO Rejects OpenAI’s Offers
Citing sources with inside knowledge, The Information claims that OpenAI’s offer also included making Anthropic’s CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei a replacement for Altman. However, Amodei also rejected the offer.

Other details about the merger offer were not disclosed so it is not exactly clear whether or not it led to any serious

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Solana Fires Back at CertiK, Says Saga Phone Flaw Claims Are ‘Inaccurate’

15 days ago

Solana argues that an attacker would still need the permission of the phone owner to gain entry.

Solana has responded to claims by blockchain security firm CertiK that there is a security threat to its Saga phone. In a Wednesday video post on X, CertiK alleged that the holders of the smartphone may be exposed to what is called a “bootloader vulnerability”. According to the firm, this loophole could allow bad actors to create some sort of backdoor access to the phone.
In a bid to highlight its discovery, CertiK showcased, via a screenshot, what Saga’s screen would look like after a backdoor install has been completed. The 1-minute video then concluded on the note that hackers will have full access to the holder’s phones and any data that they might have stored therein. This includes

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Infura Network Partners with Microsoft and Other Top Tech Firms to Create Decentralized Web3 Infrastructure

15 days ago

Andrew Breslin clarified that the idea was more about the numbers than the big-name firms that it appears Infura had targetted.

Infura, the Web3 infrastructure firm from Consensys, has just entered into multiple partnerships with Microsoft and Tencent. The move, which appears to be in line with its vision of achieving progressive decentralization, also saw it tap 16 other Web2 giants alongside the leading technology giants.
Infura to Launch a DIN
Infura announced the partnership during a Decentralized RPC Summit in Istanbul on Wednesday. According to the announcement, it will use the partnership to launch a Decentralized Infrastructure Network (DIN).

🥳 Exciting news from the 2023 Decentralized RPC Summit, Istanbul 🇹🇷@EFDevconnect
For the first time, Infura is revealing the partners

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Uniswap Rolls Out Android Version of Crypto Wallet

16 days ago

Uniswap wallet first launched on the Apple’ App store in April.

Uniswap has responded to the high demand for its crypto wallet from Android users by rolling out a version tailored to their devices. This follows shortly after its beta launch last month.
Now, all Uniswap users, including those who use Android, may carry out cross-chain token swaps at will. But there is a little restriction.

So far, Uniswap has only integrated a few networks including Arbitrum, Polygon, Base, Optimism, and BNB Chain. However, there are plans to add more in the future.
Uniswap to Use New Wallet to Widen Its Global Reach
About the Android rollout, Callil Capuozzo, the vice president of design at Uniswap Labs, has some things to say. While he admits that there was indeed a great demand for Uniswap’s

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Cardano Founder Wants to Partner with Kraken, Here’s Why

18 days ago

For many crypto firms that are currently exploring layer-2, they have found that it opens up potential new revenue streams. 

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano blockchain may be eyeing a potential partnership with top US crypto exchange Kraken. This follows after Kraken announced that it plans to improve its technological capabilities, admitting that it would need the help of a blockchain developer to do so.
Although many notable contenders have also signalled their interest in partnering with Kraken, Hoskinson may be the latest in line. He expressed his interest in a recent X post saying:

“I’m game if you are.”
What Kraken Expects and How Cardano Can Help
Kraken’s search for a blockchain partner has everything to do with its keen interest in launching its own Layer 2

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Chainlink Announces v0.2 LINK Staking

21 days ago

By deploying the LINK staking v0.2, Chainlink shows its commitment to blockchain initiatives that drive user engagement.

Chainlink has announced a new version of its LINK token staking, whose pool it claims is made up of 45 million LINK tokens. As of publication, the pool is worth approximately $650 million.
According to the X announcement, Chainlink intends to roll out 40.875 million LINK tokens to its community while its node operators take up the remaining tokens in the pool.

Presently, LINK staking has known restrictions that only allow community members to stake between 1 to 15,000 LINK. The same restrictions also extend to node operators, but they may only stake 1,000 to 75,000 LINK.
v0.1 Stakers Will Get Priority Access to v0.2, Chainlink Says
Meanwhile, Chainlink has assured

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Ark Invest Partners with 21Shares to Launch New Crypto ETFs Suite

22 days ago

The entire world of finance (both traditional and crypto) is eagerly waiting for the US SEC to approve spot Bitcoin ETF.

Preparations are in top gear as Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest is moments away from launching a new “suite” of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In line with this ambition, the asset management company has partnered with the world’s largest crypto ETP issuer 21Shares.
According to Ark Invest, the suite will open up an array of options to investors who are looking to diversify their portfolios. 21Shares also shares similar sentiments with Ark Invest about the upcoming suite, which it says will enable clients to carry out strategic investments. The firm’s statement reads:

“The suite aims to deliver long-term capital appreciation through strategic investments in Bitcoin and

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Stablecoin Issuer Circle Considers Going for IPO in 2024

23 days ago

A Circle spokesperson confirmed that a public listing is not exactly far from the firm’s aspirations.

Circle, the issuer of the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, is reportedly in talks with its advisers over an initial public offering (IPO) for early 2024. According to Bloomberg, which cited sources with inside knowledge about Circle, the deliberations may or may not end up in a public listing.
If it does go public, however, sources did not share what valuation Circle is expected to hit. But the valuation likely remains around the $9 billion mark that Circle was valued at back in February. That is despite USDC market capitalization suffering a steep decline of about 56% from its June high of $55.9 billion to $24.6 billion.

In email comments to Bloomberg, a Circle spokesperson confirmed

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Traders Earn 165% Yields from Staking FLOKI

24 days ago

Floki’s team of developers have their eyes set on capturing a significant percentage of the global asset tokenization market.

Popular meme coin FLOKI was first introduced in 2021 after being originally inspired by Elon Musk’s pet Shiba Inu. Since then, it has gone on to establish itself as a major decentralized finance (DeFi) project. For context, the coin is currently seeing tremendous activity with over $55 million worth of FLOKI held up on the blockchain’s staking platform within a week after launching the program.
While this was a bright start and a milestone for the weekly staking Total Value Locked (TVL), it also means that a total of 1.8 trillion FLOKI tokens have now been staked on the program. That is nearly 18% of the token’s circulating supply, which currently stands at 9.5

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Matrixport Sued by Roger Ver over $8M in Frozen Crypto

25 days ago

Roger Ver took legal action after the company’s derivatives-based arm, bit.com failed to release his $8 million withdrawal request to him in June 2022.

Popular crypto businessman Roger Ver has sued Smart Vega Holding Limited, a subsidiary of Matrixport. Although the case has been on since 2022, the report just came to light after Ver recently spoke about what transpired.
Roger Ver Believes Wu Has Personal Vendetta against Him
According to Ver, he took legal action against Matrixport in August 2022. This was after the company’s derivatives-based arm, bit.com failed to release his $8 million withdrawal request to him in June. Ver claims that his request at the time was specifically blocked by Jihan Wu – co-founder at Matrixport.

Wu may have linked Ver to his losses at CoinFLEX and had

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Web 3.0 Company Treehouse Acquires Origins, Targets Its NFT-Related Tools

28 days ago

With this acquisition, Treehouse would be hoping to integrate Origins’ technology into its product portfolio.

Treehouse, a Singapore-based Web 3.0 data firm, has announced its acquisition of non-fungible token (NFT) analytics platform Origins. According to the announcement, the deal is part of Treehouse’s efforts toward bolstering its NFT product offering.
Treehouse to Tap Origins’ Tech
Origins, originally, offers NFT-based data analysis using both on-chain and off-chain data. Its software helps professional NFT traders, protocols, and game studios alike to make informed decisions about trading and collection.

Therefore, with this acquisition, Treehouse would be hoping to integrate Origins’ technology into its product portfolio. This means, its clients may now have access to some

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BitGo Bags Crypto Custody License in Germany

November 1, 2023

BitGo confirms that it is delighted that its efforts to secure the new license have finally paid off.

Crypto custody firm BitGo is now fully licensed to carry out its custody business in Germany, according to a recent CoinDesk report. This follows after the United States-regulated firm recently secured the appropriate license from the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
The new license may make it official, however, BitGo confirms, in a press release, that it already custodies crypto assets in Germany since 2019, albeit under the keen regulatory eye of BaFin.

BitGo MD Europe Praises German Regulator BaFin
It might be worth noting that Germany is fast establishing itself as a worthy example of a European country that welcomes crypto custody and related services

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Andreessen Horowitz to Raise $3.4B Fund for Crypto Startups

October 31, 2023

Andreessen Horowitz, to date, is arguably one of the most prolific investors in the blockchain space.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is reportedly planning to raise a $3.4 billion fund that will be designated for early-stage and seed-stage crypto businesses. The development was shared by Axios, which also cited other sources.
According to Axios, a16z, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm “plans to raise new growth, crypto and bio vehicles in 2025.” And, for what it’s worth, the intended raise is slightly above what the firm has done in similar efforts in the past.

Per Axios, Andreessen Horowitz is set to involve “limited partners to invest” in the new fund via a master vehicle. This vehicle will then feed into sub-funds, the report added. As of publication, the firm has yet to issue

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Animoca Brands Acquires Web 3.0 Streaming Platform Azarus

October 30, 2023

Although the monetary terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, this is not the first time Animoca Brands would be investing in Web 3.0 game companies.

Popular gaming giant Animoca Brands has announced its acquisition of Web 3.0 streaming platform Azarus as part of its metaverse gaming revolution. Animoca would be seeking to leverage Azarus’ cutting-edge technology in a bid to improve its Web 3.0 games streaming capabilities.
Although the monetary terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, this is not the first time Animoca Brands would be investing in Web3 game companies. So far, it has financed hundreds of such companies as it looks to establish its place as a frontrunner in the fast-growing Web3 space.

Animoca Brands Eyes More Interactive, Player-Owned Gaming Economy
With

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Changpeng Zhao Loses Another $12B of His Fortune amid Regulatory Scrutiny

October 27, 2023

Zhao’s woes and those that are related to his exchange have been largely a result of the ongoing lawsuits against them.

Binance co-founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao continues to see his fortune slashed after he reportedly lost another $11.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This brings his total fortune loss from the January 2022 peak of $97 billion to around $80 billion.
Zhao Is Losing His Wealth, Here’s Why
As of publication, Zhao’s crypto empire is now worth a measly $17.3 billion, a far cry from what it used to be just over a year ago.

Meanwhile, his losses may be attributed to the trading volumes at Binance. According to Bloomberg’s Index, the plummeting of the trading volumes means that the exchange’s revenue estimates are now down by 38%, effectively

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Mercedes-Benz Reports Reduced Earnings in Q3 2023, Here’s Why

October 26, 2023

Mercedes-Benz cited higher inflation, supply chain-related costs, and a 329-million-euro foreign exchange setback, among the factors that shrank its Q3 2023 earnings.

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz Group AG (ETR: MBG) has revealed that its earnings took a hit in the third quarter (Q3). According to a Thursday announcement by the firm, this reflects the current state of the market, which it described as “subdued”.
Although its forecast for the full year is 12%-14%, the latest report means that Mercedes-Benz now expects the adjusted return on sales of its cars to lean toward the lower end.

Mercedes-Benz Performance in Q3 2023
According to the luxury car maker, many factors contributed to the drop. But one major reason is that it saw reduced deliveries in the last quarter. And it

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Crypto Lender BlockFi Begins Shutdown, Asks Clients to Submit Withdrawal Request

October 25, 2023

BlockFi revealed that it has emerged from bankruptcy court, having received approval for its reorganization plan from all relevant stakeholders.

Nearly 11 months after it first declared bankruptcy, the crypto lender BlockFi has now officially begun the process of winding down its operations. In line with this, the company has asked its wallet users to tender their withdrawal requests on its website to claim their funds. However, there is a December 31 deadline for the requests.
In the October 24 announcement, BlockFi revealed that it has emerged from bankruptcy court, having received approval for its reorganization plan from all relevant stakeholders.

However, part of its plans may also involve getting additional payments from companies that reportedly owe it too. Recall that

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Matrixport Makes New Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction for 2023 amid Widespread FOMO

October 24, 2023

Matrixport says BTC price may even hit the $56,000 mark by the end of the year.

Earlier in the year, crypto financial services company Matrixport had predicted that the $45,000 mark would be the maximum limit to BTC price surge in 2023. However, the firm is now revisiting the old prediction as a lot has changed since that time.
Citing what the Bitcoin market calls the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) among other factors, Matrixport says BTC price may even hit the $56,000 mark by the end of the year.

The latest forecast comes as Bitcoin recently saw its market share jump to 52.1%, even as its trading volume added significantly enough to hit $29 billion in the past 24 hours.
Matrixport Names Reasons for New BTC 2023 Forecast
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Matrixport has explained

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Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Deal Tipped to Pioneer Era of New-Generation Gaming Companies

October 20, 2023

Cloud gaming as a key aspect of what Microsoft is bringing to the world of gaming.

A recent deal saw tech giant Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) paying $69 billion to acquire US game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI). However, according to venture capital (VC) firm Konvoy, that Microsoft’s deal might just be the start of many more similar ones to come to gaming.
In a report that Konvoy partner Josh Chapman recently shared with CNBC, the world’s biggest tech firms still hold a combined $229.4 billion of cash on their balance sheets. He named Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Sony, Netflix, and China’s Tencent in the report, claiming that they have more than enough cash to close potential mergers & acquisition deals. About Microsoft’s recent deal, Chapman wrote:

“As active

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Tesla Earnings Report Show Firm Holding onto Bitcoin in Q3 2023

October 19, 2023

Tesla continues to hold on to its BTC holding having last sold about 75% of it in the second quarter of 2022.

It has now been five consecutive quarters that electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) has left its sizable Bitcoin (BTC) holdings untouched. That is despite recently spending greatly towards improving its artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions and projects.
According to Tesla’s Q3 2023 report that was released on Wednesday, the company still has $184 million worth of digital assets in its possession. That is as of September 30.

The third quarterly report shows that Tesla continues to hold on to its BTC holding having last sold about 75% of it in the second quarter of 2022.
Tesla Commits Strongly to AI and R&D
Meanwhile, Tesla continues to invest heavily in its AI

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ESMA Warns National Regulators Ahead of MiCA

October 17, 2023

Though the anticipation for MiCA has gone into full throttle, ESMA has warned national regulators against allowing what it calls ‘letterbox’ entities.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is wary of global crypto firms who might try to exploit loopholes currently present in its Markets in Crypto Assets regulation (MiCA).
MiCA, whose rules are set to take effect by December 2024, would allow companies that have been registered under an existing regime to continue doing their business up until July 2026. That is even without a full MiCA license.

Per ESMA, however, this grace period opens up a window of opportunity for “complex and opaque” foreign companies to try to operate from overseas via EU-based branches.
Admitting that some companies have a history of

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Google Moves to Shield Customers from AI-Related Copyright Issues

October 13, 2023

Google’s announcement comes amid rising concerns over the copyright issues that have been linked with using generative AI.

Google is making it its business to legally protect users of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems within its Google Cloud and Workspace platforms. That is if they are ever faced with copyright infringement allegations. The announcement reads in part:
“If you are challenged on copyright grounds, we will assume responsibility for the potential legal risks involved.”

With the move, the tech giant joins other top firms like Adobe, Microsoft, and many more who have recently made similar commitments.
Google Addresses Customer Concerns over Copyright Issues
Google’s announcement comes amid rising concerns over the copyright issues that have been linked with

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Trezor Marks 10th Anniversary with New Products Launch

October 12, 2023

As part of its celebration, the Czech-based firm has launched three new self-custody products.

Hardware crypto wallet provider Trezor is in the mood for celebration after reaching the milestone of being in business for ten years. As part of its celebration, the Czech-based firm has launched three new self-custody products. The new Trezor products are a new wallet, a proprietary private key backup solution, and a Bitcoin BTC-only wallet.
Trezor Unveils 3 New Products
In its official announcement dated October 12, Trezor disclosed that the new wallet, dubbed  Trezor Safe 3, would support over 7,000 cryptocurrencies. According to the firm, the new product is an indicator of how far it has come with its ambition of providing entry-level hardware wallets. Trezor Safe 3 comes nearly five

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