Bitcoin Core developers have just announced the new version of their v22.0 client, which integrates Taproot, the most anticipated update on the Bitcoin network. This and more news in this handy daily digest so that you are always informed with the latest events that occur within the crypto world.
Cryptocurrencies and altcoins
📍Bitcoin Core introduces version 22.0 of the Bitcoin client, which now supports Taproot. The developers of Bitcoin Core, the main implementation of the Bitcoin protocol, announced on Twitter the release of the new v22.0 version of the BTC client. This new version supports Taproot, the most important update to Bitcoin that will make the network and cryptocurrency more scalable, secure, and private.
In June, miners locked the required number of blocks to signal the upgrade, so with the new version of the Bitcoin Core client, when Taproot is activated, the new protocol rules will come into effect.
At the time of this edition, the value of Bitcoin (BTC) has recovered 5%, trading above $47.000 per unit.
Bitcoin and Blockchain Adoption
📍Google partners with Dapper Labs to boost Flow scaling. Google is increasingly interested in the crypto and blockchain industry. Recently, the American multinational announced that it has integrated with Dapper Labs, developer of the NFT projects CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot, to boost scalability on the Flow network.
The objective of the association, as they explained executives from both companies, is to offer a secure and scalable infrastructure for Flow developers. Google will be the network operator for Dapper Labs for several years, helping the company develop and grow its blockchain ecosystem.
📍El Salvador's Chivo wallet surpassed 500.000 downloads in its first week. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced that the state-developed bitcoin wallet, called Chivo, has already been downloaded more than half a million times in its first week on the market.
However, as several analysts and researchers reported, Bukele acknowledged that the digital wallet has been presenting several failures and errors. For example, Chivo does not allow new registrations or card recharges. Among other things, researchers also detected that the wallet presents privacy problems, by requesting access to contacts and images of the phones; something that is not necessary for its operation. However, Bukele assures that 95% of Chivo's errors have already been corrected. He also reported that he has added new businesses that accept Bitcoin payments in the country and that he has enabled Chivo ATMs in 10 cities U.S..
📍Magnum Real Estate Group is now accepting Bitcoin payments for its real estate listings. The prestigious American real estate company is offering 3 properties in the Manhattan district of New York City that can be paid for with Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency. South China Morning Post reported that the properties are being offered for sale for a value of 29 million dollars.
Magnum Real Estate Group Managing Partner Ben Shaoul said the real estate firm is a pioneer in accepting bitcoin transactions. He also noted that Magnum is seeing a path where many more transactions can be made using the technology. blockchainThe firm has a portfolio of real estate assets valued at $4.000 billion.
NFT and DeFi Markets
📍A new collection of Art Blocks is selling for up to 69 ethers on Opensea. The Fragments of an Infinite Field, designed by artist Monica Rizzolli, is selling on the NFT marketplace for up to 69 ether, worth around $230.000 today. The art sold out in less than an hour and the artist managed to generate around 1.620 ethers with her collection, worth over $5 million.
Fragments of an Infinite Field is a collection 1.024-piece generative art block featuring potentially infinite fields of flowers and foliage. In Art Blocks, artists generate their work from code, so the outcome of the art is virtually impossible to predict. Art Blocks generated 6.340 ether in sales volume on Monday.
Miners
📍Iran closes 5.300 cryptocurrency mining farms in 2021. Iran's Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company (Tavanir) has shut down a total of 5.300 bitcoin and other cryptocurrency mining farms in the country. According to the report According to the Financial Tribune, the company has also seized more than 216.000 crypto mining hardware rigs to date and continues to shut down unauthorized crypto mining farms.
Tavanir said that a ban on crypto miners operating in the country, which was imposed in order to minimize energy expenditure, would be lifted later this month. According to a spokesperson for the power company in August, energy demand in the country had decreased, making it possible for legally registered cryptocurrency miners in Iran to come back online.
📍Argo Blockchain launches an Initial Public Offering on the Nasdaq in the United States. The cryptocurrency mining company that is building a new 200 MW data center in Texas (United States) wants to be listed on the Nasdaq, so it has launched an IPO in the North American country with 7,5 million ADS (American Depositary Share) shares.
The shares were launched on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol ARBK, and represent 75 million common shares of the company. Argo Blockchain is currently listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Development and Technology
📍The auditing firm Ernst & Young (EY) will integrate Polygon to guarantee higher transaction volumes at low costs. EY announced EY is integrating the Polygon scalability solution to deploy its blockchain solutions on the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem. EY’s goal is to ensure greater speed and agility for transactions to offer business users higher transaction volumes at affordable costs. The company reported that Polygon is directly accessible from the EY blockchain ecosystem, so its clients will be able to connect their business operations to Polygon from EY easily.
Rules and Regulations
📍Hebei Province (China) joins the bans on cryptocurrency trading and mining in the country. Hebei is the latest of China's provinces to announce it will crack down on cryptocurrency activities. China now has nearly a dozen provinces where mining and trading of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies is banned. The news was reported by Reuters, citing to the Hebei authorities, who reported on new measures to minimize energy expenditure in their jurisdiction.
Continue reading: Visa is preparing for a future where cryptocurrencies will be extremely popular
