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Funko will combine its collectible figures with NFTs
Funko has claimed a stake in a company, TokenHead, that will let it offer digital NFTs alongside its vinyl figures.
New York rolls out first digital COVID-19 vaccine passports in the US
New York state has launched the US' first vaccine passports in the form of the mostly digital Excelsior Pass, but it's bound to stir ethical debates.
Engadget Podcast: WTF are NFTs?
This week, we chat about NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, and how they're reshaping the world of digital art and collecting.
NFTs are both priceless and worthless
NFTs could become the next big thing for investment, or not.
Remastered 'nyan cat' art sells for the equivalent of $605k
Someone paid the equivalent of more than $600k to own a high-quality recreation of the 'Nyan Cat' art.
Christie's first digital art auction leans on blockchain and other buzzwords
NFT uses blockchain tech to verify ownership of digital collectibles, and Christie's will auction this one off next week. Beeple's 'Everydays' collection includes pictures drawn each day from 2007 through 2021.
South Koreans can now store their driving license on their smartphones
South Koreans can use their smartphone as official ID.
The teenager who's at CES to network
It's not that Alishba Imran isn't impressed by her tour of Zappos HQ, the Disneyland of corporate campuses, with its "zapponians" who earn "zollars" and play "zing zong" on breaks. But she might not see herself working at a big corporation like this. Her goal is to be "influential." She describes herself as a blockchain and machine learning developer and researcher and sees her future in health care and finance infrastructure. She chats about fractional ownership and the direction of 5G as well as stoicism and first principles. She is 16 years old.
Crypto expert arrested for allegedly helping North Korea evade sanctions
North Korea has long been accused of using cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions, but the US is now accusing a man of giving the country some help American law enforcement has arrested crypto expert and Ethereum project member Virgil Griffith for allegedly providing North Korea with information on how cryptocurrency and blockchain tech could help the isolated nation evade US sanctions. He presented at a crypto conference in Pyongyang despite being denied permission to travel to North Korea, and reportedly discussed how the country could "launder money" and otherwise skirt trade barriers. There were several North Korean officials in the audience who asked him questions, according to the Justice Department.
Volvo will use blockchain to prove its cobalt wasn’t mined by children
The dark side of electric vehicle production is that the lithium ion batteries most EVs run on require raw materials like cobalt, and cobalt mines have become notorious for using child labor. Now that Volvo has revealed its first fully-electric car, the XC40 Recharge, the automaker wants to ensure sure that the raw materials in its lithium ion batteries are sourced responsibly. For that, it's turning to blockchain.
HTC's Exodus 1s can run a full Bitcoin node for under $250
After first teasing the device earlier this year, HTC has detailed its new, more affordable Exodus 1s blockchain smartphone. The highlight feature of the device is that it can function as a full node. This means the phone is able to validate and transmit Bitcoin transactions independent of a centralized third-party. In this way, you don't need to go through an exchange to buy and sell Bitcoin. Likewise, the phone can also be used to trade, lend and borrow the cryptocurrency. The way HTC puts it, what separates the 1s from other smartphones is that you can operate your own decentralized bank out of your pocket.
SEC fines Block.one $24 million for unregistered ICO worth billions
Blockchain technology company Block.one has been fined $24 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for running an unregistered ICO (initial coin offering). According to the SEC, the company conducted the ICO between June 2017 and June 2018, raising several billion dollars' worth of digital assets, but did not register it as a securities offerings as stipulated by federal securities law. The SEC says this meant investors were not given the information they needed to make informed decisions.
New music platform Audius plans to capitalize on SoundCloud's faults
A new streaming service, Audius, wants to make up for SoundCloud's shortcomings. The free hosting service and music streaming platform launched today, and it's positioning itself as a blockchain-based SoundCloud alternative that lets artists upload songs at no cost. The founders claim it's built with artists in mind and will be free from things like takedowns, which plagued SoundCloud.
HTC will preload a Bitcoin Cash wallet on its blockchain phone
If a second blockchain phone didn't make things clear, HTC is still as serious as ever about its crypto-phones On Monday, the company announced a new partnership with Bitcoin.com that will see all new Exodus 1 phones come with the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) wallet app pre-installed. On existing devices, meanwhile, HTC will push an update that adds the app to the phone. As part of the partnership, the Bitcoin.com online store has also started selling Exodus 1 devices. In the future, if you don't plan on hoarding on your Bitcoin Cash, you'll be able to get a discount on select HTC smartphones when you pay for a device with Bitcoin Cash.
Libra Association opens Bug Bounty program to everyone
Facebook's Calibra digital wallet isn't expected to launch until 2020. But, as you might expect, the organization created to protect the Libra cryptocurrency that will be used with Calibra (and other Libra financial services) is already working to ensure it keeps people's data safe. We're talking about the Libra Association, the independent group in charge of governing Libra, which has announced it is now welcoming all researchers who want to help test the security of its blockchain technology -- in exchange for financial rewards, naturally. The Libra Bug Bounty program was announced at the time when the Libra Association became official in June, but now the nonprofit will be opening it to the public.
China's official digital currency is nearly ready
As much as China frowns on cryptocurrency, it's happy to introduce its own form of virtual cash. The People's Bank of China has revealed that its digital currency "can now said to be ready" after five years of work. Don't expect it to mimic crypto, however. According to payments Deputy Chief Mu Changchun, it'll use a more complex structure.
Senate panel schedules a hearing on Facebook's cryptocurrency
It didn't even take 48 hours after Facebook announced its cryptocurrency scheme for the government to raise an eyebrow. House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters called for Facebook to halt development, and now the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs has scheduled a hearing to cover both Libra/Calibra and privacy issues. The committee did not list the names of witnesses it plans to call, but Reuters reports that Facebook's blockchain exec David Marcus is expected to testify. Will it be a worthwhile exercise that reveals more information about the plan and digs up useful information about how Facebook will manage the information generated or will it be another embarassing episode of political grandstanding? We'll find out on July 16th at 10 AM ET.
House chairwoman wants Facebook to pause work on its cryptocurrency
You knew Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency would come under scrutiny as soon as it became official, and the US government isn't wasting any time. House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters has issued a statement calling on Facebook to pause development of Libra until Congress and regulatory bodies have had a chance to review it. The social network has "repeatedly shown a disregard" for safeguarding user data, Waters said, suggesting that privacy issues could come back to haunt this product.
Facebook’s Libra currency gets backing from MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and more
Today, Facebook finally announced its long-rumored cryptocurrency platform, Calibra. Some speculated that the company would rely on outside firms and existing cryptocurrency exchanges, like the Winklevoss twins' Gemini. Instead, Facebook's Calibra will use a brand new cryptocurrency, Libra. The cryptocurrency will be governed by the Libra Association -- a purpose-built, independent non-profit headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Facebook's Calibra cryptocurrency wallet launches in 2020
After months of rumors and speculation, Facebook is finally making its cryptocurrency efforts official. This is Calibra, a digital wallet that will use a new cryptocurrency called Libra. Calibra, which is now a subsidiary of Facebook, is designed to "provide financial services that will enable people to access and participate in the Libra network," a blockchain technology developed by Facebook that's getting support from MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, eBay, Uber, Lyft and Spotify, among others. Facebook says it plans to launch Calibra in 2020, and the service will be available in Messenger and WhatsApp, as well as in a standalone app.
