Digital asset custodian Anchorage raises $40M Series B led by Blockchain Capital with participation from Visa and Andreessen Horowitz; the company raised a $17M Series A six months ago; targets businesses with a no-password system that requires multiple employees verify withdrawals; also uses AI and biometrics for authentication - Link
Blockchain building firm NEAR has closed a $12.1M Series A funding round led by Metastable and Accomplice; the public proof of stake blockchain network is taking aim at Ethereum hoping to supplant its developer base through its 'theoretically limitless' sharding solution - Link
📚 Ethereum is the most popular DeFi platform but the flippening could be near with Bitcoin-based DeFi according to Mohamed Fouda. Bitcoin DeFi lending is broken into four areas: current Bitcoin features, federated sidechains, interoperable platforms, and Layer 2 systems. Current Bitcoin features include typical P2P lending and the development of DEX lending. Federated sidechains and interoperable platforms like Blockstream's Liquid and Cosmos respectively are bridges purposed DeFi systems with Bitcoin often used as the native currency. Layer 2 options like Lightning or Omni Layer are newer non-custodial DeFi options still being explored. With the possible addition of the MAST BIP, Bitcoin's DeFi dreams could be right around the corner - Link
Nebulous' Sia Network has raised $3.5M in a Series A joined by Bain Capital and DragonFly Capital to expand its decentralized data storage operation including video streaming; the network currently holds some 450 terabytes of data with 500-1,000 active users; Nebulous plans on doubling its staff with the funds - Link
Canadian crypto exchanges must register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FinTRAC) by June 1, 2020, under new anti-money laundering rules per CoinTelegraph; exchanges will also have to keep transaction records and hire a compliance officer; the FinTRAC regulations are part of an effort to bring banks and crypto onto the same plain - Link
Korean tech giant Samsung has released its DApp software development kit, the Samsung Blockchain SDK; the tool kit allows for account management, digital signature facilitation, supports Samsung Keystore, and other cold wallet features; Samsung released its Galaxy S10 in March with native crypto key management and announced the development of Samsung Coin in April - Link
📚 Bitcoin Average Dormancy measures Bitcoin days destroyed over the on-chain volume giving a clearer indication of general market sentiment, according to Adaptive Capital. By measuring how often and how much old BTC HODLers are releasing coins into the ecosystem, a picture of market bullishness versus bearishness appears. Multiple metrics jump off from Average Dormancy as well including Supply Adjusted Dormancy, Dormancy-to-UTXO-Age Ratio, and Dormancy Flow. When dealing with on-chain value transfers, the rise of off-chain systems like Lightning must be taken into consideration - Link
Decentralized internet project Blockstack has received the green light from the SEC to conduct a token sale in the U.S under Regulation A+; according to an SEC filing the offering will allow Blockstack to raise up to $28M from both accredited and non-accredited investors while a concurrent Reg S could raise an additional $10M from non-U.S. investors; Blockstack originally filed for a Reg A offering in April 2019 and had previously been in a "testing the waters" phase that allowed them to market the offering prior to qualification - Link
Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell answered questions before the House Financial Committee head by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) on Libra saying the central bank has been in contact with Facebook; Powell says the bank is in favor of "responsible innovation" but still harbored fears over money laundering and privacy concerns; Powell says both the Financial Stability Oversight Committee (FSOC) and the Federal Reserve have established working groups on the private crypto - Link
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