Tag: Crypto

Crypto Betting in the Current Crypto Crash

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As a result of the global political and economic turmoil, the cryptocurrency market has deteriorated sharply in recent months. This is the lowest price for bitcoin in the last couple of years. Of course, this has had significant ramifications across a wide range of industries, and the gaming sector is no exception. The bulk of gamblers have converted entirely to bitcoin gaming; thus they are suffering large losses as a result of the collapse of the cryptocurrency market.

There is no way to know for certain whether the value of a bitcoin will increase or fall further in the months to come. The professional perspectives on this topic are all over the place, and there has been no agreement on any definitive conclusions yet.

On the other hand, crypto gaming has emerged as one of the most popular methods used in most casinos over the last few years. Consequently, players who possess significant amounts of Bitcoin have been subjected to rather disastrous outcomes.

Accordingly, by looking at current data, we can see that many gamblers have decided to abstain from betting with bitcoin, at least for now. Instead, they plan to wait to see how the possibility presents itself in the future.

Critical Learning Opportunity

When it comes to crypto gaming, insiders say that there is no cause for excessive panic even though the market collapse has been devastating. A growing number of crypto-friendly casinos have been established during this time. This is because these casino operators have remained confident that the cryptocurrency sector would play a vital role in their futures.

All parties affected by the market crisis will get valuable insight on how to better protect themselves from such events in the future. To protect clients who incurred large financial losses, several consumer protection regulatory laws will also be put into place. For obvious reasons, Bitcoin is in the spotlight, since the value of this one cryptocurrency almost always dictates all others.

Whether or not the economy will recover hinges on how investors respond to these developments. Many people feel that despite the present economic climate, the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will continue to grow. Despite the evidence in favor of this assertion, we nonetheless advise bettors to proceed cautiously and avoid making hasty decisions.

Gambling platforms have now devised a strategy for dealing with the situation at hand. People are encouraged to retain their money in cryptocurrencies since the industry is projected to increase soon. This might take weeks or even months since it is difficult to narrow down specific timelines for those improvements.

Crypto Casino Project FoggyStar Receives $5 Million Investment

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Fast-rising crypto casino FoggyStar.com has recently received a whopping $5 million investment. Aimed at pushing the operator’s ambitious crypto plans forward, this investment from Canadian and Japanese investors will certainly shake things up not just for FoggyStar but for the online gambling industry as a whole.

For many people, this might come as a surprise especially considering the fact that the operator is just a few months old. It officially kicked off operations at the beginning of the year and its core product is just now in its alpha version. However, it has a lot going for it hence the confidence that the investors have in its operations.

As it stands, FoggyStar offers a solid range of games from reputable software developers including Play’n GO, NetEnt and Pragmatic Play. In addition to the crypto-powered casino games, the gaming site also features an outstanding bonus program that is specifically designed to appeal to the growing community of crypto gamblers.

More To Come

Clearly, there is a lot of optimism about the operator’s potential for success. With the investment secured, FoggyStar will be able to pursue even more growth. There are already plans for the development of additional features. The goal with most of these products is to create an open platform that can be scaled and used elsewhere. In addition to that, FoggyStar is working on ensuring that the products that are in development all use crypto at their core.

The approach has very clearly-defined targets too. Not only will the company be able to scale the audience but it will also be able to increase engagement and the trustworthiness of crypto products.

Speaking on the development plans, the FoggyStar team states that the goal is to ensure that the interests of their target market are met. The product will leverage industry trends while at the same time leveraging some of its unique selling points.

“The project is focused on the users and the security and transparency of the infrastructure that surrounds them. Our team aims to improve the project using innovative technologies and methods that will lead to a completely new game experience.”

All these are very important aspects and it is great to see that FoggyStar is paying close attention.

Plans for the Metaverse

FoggyStar, as it turns out, also has huge plans for the Metaverse. It is working towards becoming the very first online gambling venue in the metaverse. This move will not only push the industry forward but also redefine how we think of the casino of the future.

Some Crypto Trends to Watch Out For in 2022

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2021 was quite the year for the crypto sector. Many of the popular digital currencies as well as emerging tokens saw a surge in adoption. The industry’s market capitalization reached an all-time high thus further proving its potential. Now, as we embark on a new year, stakeholders and enthusiasts are also starting to think about what to expect.

If the previous year is anything to go by, 2022 is also set to be an action-packed year for crypto. With all the trends that have taken already taken off, there is a lot of optimism about what the future holds. A few of the things that will be worth paying attention to include:

More Mainstream Institutional Interest

Crypto and blockchain have certainly come a long way. The skepticism about the technology and its potential to revolutionize global finance has been fading away. This was largely accelerated by institutional involvement. That is, financial and corporate institutions have also gotten in on crypto.

Decentralized Finance, or DeFi, was one of the many revolutionary developments as financial service providers noticed how beneficial blockchain can be to transaction processing. Cross-border payments especially in developing regions began leveraging the technology and that should only get better in 2022.

More Regulation on the Way

It is not just corporates and the financial sector that are paying attention to crypto. Even government and various state authorities are baying for a seat at the table. One of the ways they will be contributing is through regulatory intervention. This not only intends to bring some sort of stability to the rather volatile market but also seal some loopholes that most skeptics have had concerns about.

We, of course, need to fully assess the impact of crypto and blockchain on the economy before any law comes into effect. 2022 seems to be the best year for that as we have had plenty of time over the past couple of years to see how impactful the sector can be.

NFTs and Web 3.0

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were all the buzz in 2021. While this was mostly because of the mind-boggling price tags that accompanied them, they carry more significance, especially for artists. It is a great way for them to finance their art and get compensated for the same. 2021 was a great year for NFTs. 2022 is likely to be an even better year.

One other thing that is growing just as fast as NFTs is Web 3.0, that is, the third version of the internet. It comes with a ton of amazing capabilities that will supercharge what we already have. For the crypto industry, Web 3.0 will have a positive impact as the two concepts are closely tied to each other.

MasterCard Warms Up to Crypto Credit and Debit Cards

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The world of crypto is inching closer and closer to mainstream adoption as more of the world’s largest institutions continue to ramp up efforts to be part of the revolution. Mastercard, one of the world’s leading payment services providers, is the most recent organization that is making a big play for crypto.

Recently, the company has revealed its plans to make it easier for its users to use digital currencies. Both customers and merchants with Mastercards will have the opportunity to use debit and credit cards with crypto capabilities. In addition to that, the customers will also have the chance to buy, sell and hold some of the digital currencies. For this group of users, Mastercard is also preparing to launch branded crypto cards.

Partnership With Bakkt

Crypto markets around the globe have grown immensely over the years. While it is certainly not too later for new players to enter the market, success usually depends on having the right partners. Mastercard’s venture into the crypto market is happening via a recently-announced partnership with Bakkt, a digital asset platform popular among crypto users.

As per the terms of the agreement, Bakkt will be working behind the scenes as a provider of custodial service for those who sign for Mastercard’s crypto offering. The crypto firm’s custodial wallets are what will make it possible for users to trade and hold crypto.

“Together with Bakkt and grounded by our principled approach to innovation, we’ll not only empower our partners to offer a dynamic mix of digital assets options but also deliver differentiated and relevant consumer experiences.”

Sherri Haymond, executive vice president of digital partnerships at Mastercard.

In a sense, this is a major extension of a previous announcement Mastercard made regarding allowing crypto transactions via its network. That promise is shaping up quite nicely.

The Implications

Mastercard’s announcement represents a unique opportunity for cryptocurrency expansion in the United States as well as other parts of the world. To begin with, sectors such as online casinos and gaming that rely on crypto will likely have more ways of using digital currencies. Increased interest in crypto is also impacting the interested companies in rather unexpected ways.

For instance, MasterCard stock went up just 0.4% following the announcement. That is modest but it proves that there is interest in the crypto sector. Shares of Bakkt, on the other hand, skyrocketed more than 86% after the announcement. That lifted the company’s market capitalization to about a whopping $850 million.

BC.GAME Receives Gaming License from Curacao

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As the world of crypto and gambling continues to come together, several companies are beginning to reap the fruits of it. This is one of the fastest-growing sectors making it a key target for several businesses. Lots are succeeding. Recently, BC.GAME which is one of the fast-rising operators in the world of crypto-powered gaming has been all the buzz.

The company’s ambitious plans to extend its footprint are well on the course thanks to a recent development. It officially received a gaming license from the Curacao Interactive Licensing N.V. That makes it an officially regulated online casino and is a huge milestone for the company as it pursues full compliance.

This is a very big deal. The company has even gone as far as publishing its new license to the Interplanetary File System (IFPS). This platform allows for the storage of files securely in a blockchain in a manner that allows ownership to be easily proven through a private key. It also means that the file cannot be tampered with or even used for unintended purposes.

Speaking on the new development, BG.GAME COO Chris Butler noted the company’s new status as a regulated iGaming operator opens doors for opportunities. For instance, the operator will now be able to offer thousands of third-party games from leading game developers across the globe. In addition to that, the license also creates room for further ventures.  A sportsbook and a live dealer casino offering seem to top the list.

Huge Win for Crypto Gambling

As much as crypto-powered online gambling has grown over the years, it still has a long way to go. The BG.GAME development acts as a beacon of sorts that will likely kick off more growth. It is very difficult for crypto-only casinos to obtain gambling licenses but this is changing. Now that the company has proven that it can be done, many more will probably follow.

BG.GAME currently supports deposits and withdrawals using over 50 different cryptocurrencies which is very impressive. Even the casino businesses that have been around for decades have not been able to pull that off. Understandably, the crypto gambling scene is still picking up pace. We just must appreciate the small wins and acknowledge their role in pushing the whole industry forward.

It is also worth noting that this goes well beyond gambling. A license essentially affirms the legitimacy of crypto use. This should also be a decent way of showing more people that many existing digital currencies are viable and ready for mainstream use.

Are NFTs Headed to Gaming?

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Cryptocurrencies are perhaps one of the most notable developments of the past decade or so and they continue to spawn even more innovations. Now, one of the most talked-about aspects of the crypto landscape is non-fungible tokens otherwise known as NFTs.

What Are NFTs?

As it is with several aspects of the crypto industry, NFTs are still not understood by everyone which is totally understandable. They are simply collectible digital assets that hold value as a form of cryptocurrency and as a form of art or culture. The reason why they are such a big deal is that they are a way to create both scarcity and uniqueness to digital art. You can also think of it as a new vessel of distribution and ownership for an already rather experimental medium.

How This Relates to Online Casinos

Well, if history is anything to go by, the casino industry is likely to pick up on this new buzz much like did with other emerging technologies. Today, bettors can leverage some of the latest technologies on their gambling platforms of choice. These include things like digital currencies, live betting, and even other arguably niche technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

Now, if we consider the massive popularity of NFT, it is almost guaranteed that a massive push for its adoption in the online gaming world will be a reality soon. The rise of such activities like eSports also serves to prove the potential of the new technology as a way to take online gambling and gaming to the next level.

In many ways, the NFT blockchain network, online gaming, and the online casino industry seem to be built in such a way that they complement each other. Some companies have already begun investing in that future and they are already projecting some pretty impressive returns from that.

Should You Jump In?

People are already trading NFTs which sort of gives it a start that is much like the launch of digital currencies in the early 2010s. However, the phenomenon is still marred in quite a bit of skepticism just in the same way that digital currencies were in the beginning. All things considered, jumping in at this very moment is mainly a question of how much faith you have in what is arguably the future of gambling, art, and entertainment.

There is still a long way to go and a lot to learn before everything falls to place as projected but there are lots of people who are more than happy to be a part of that journey. Are you one of them?

More Institutional Support Coming to Bitcoin

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Bitcoin continues to be the headliner of the crypto industry something that is not too surprising if its recent price surges are anything to go by. The resilience of the sector is perhaps one of its most notable features and it seems more people are finally taking note. That said, it would seem that the dream of mainstream adoption is about to get a major boost going forward.

For a long time, institutional support for crypto seemed to be nothing more than a far-fetched idea. The digital currency’s proponents, however, did not lose hope in that idea.

Governments Soften Their Stance

For the most part, several governments and dozens of central banks have not been very friendly to Bitcoin and other digital currencies. This is no longer the case in some places, especially in the United States. For instance, dozens of local municipalities across the country are already mulling over putting their city treasury into bitcoin.

Admittedly, this can be attributed to the younger generation of leaders who are way more crypto-friendly compared to their older counterparts. Their stance when it comes to Bitcoin and crypto, in general, is a great launchpad for wider adoption and serves as a pretty neat policy experimentation. It all boils down to time – all is needed is for more crypto-friendly and forward-thinking politicians and regulators to climb up the leadership ranks.

The idea of decentralization which is part of bitcoin’s identity has long been debated but experimentation has shown the potential of such a move. More localities could soon start adopting Bitcoin and legislators could also start accepting bitcoin contributions.

More Corporate Backing

Publicly traded companies have also joined the bandwagon. Several corporate treasuries are buying lots of bitcoin and this is expected to nudge even more publicly traded companies to do the same even if their lines of business do not directly relate to bitcoin.

Back in 2017, the retail investors were at the helm of the bitcoin revolution and now that they have done their part, it is time to pass on the baton. The current surge in bitcoin’s growth is now likely to be driven by family offices as well as high net-worth individuals many of whom have had to sideline their ideological convictions of bitcoin.

All things considered, the inevitability of the rise of crypto is becoming clearer by the day. Even central banks are likely not to have much of a say when it comes to the direction that the industry heads to – it will grow bigger with or without their approval.

Visa Doubles Down on Its Plans for Crypto

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The crypto market has certainly come a long way since the first digital currency was launched and it is now more mature than ever before. Lots of things have changed and perhaps the most exciting development is the widespread interest that major financial and payment institutions have shown.

Global financial and payment service provide Visa is one of the most notable companies that are making a huge play for the crypto market. Already the company has ties with some popular crypto platforms such as Fold, BlockFi, and Crypto.com. However, according to Visa CEO Alfred Kelly, there is so much more in the pipeline.

Crypto Could Be Coming to Visa’s Payment Network

Last Thursday during the company’s Q1 earnings call, the chairman ad CEO reaffirmed Visa’s commitment to crypto which is likely to culminate in digital currencies directly on the Visa network. Kelly firmly believes that the company is well-positioned to add “differentiated value to the ecosystem.” This will essentially involve making crypto safe, useful, and more applicable for global payments.

“..it goes without saying, to the extent a specific digital currency becomes a recognized means of exchange, there’s no reason why we cannot add it to our network, which already supports over 160 currencies today.”

Visa chairman and CEO Alfred Kelly

The strategy is firmly anchored on working with wallets and exchanges to allow users to purchase crypto using their Visa credentials. Similarly, it will also mean that users can cash out their crypto onto Visa credentials.

The Favorites

Well, even though Visa has previously claimed that it does not want to play favorites when it comes to the digital currencies that it will allow on its network, the recent announcement seems to be pointing at something quite different. The company seems to be handling the cryptocurrencies differently based on which category they fall on.

The two categories that the company is using to group blockchain assets are based on whether they are a store of value or are stable coins. Visa intends to angle crypto assets that serve as a store-of-value such as Bitcoin to serve as fiat on-ramp.

However, when it comes to stable coins, the company has been rather bullish. These sentiments may be quite disappointing since they seem to overlook all of the amazing milestones that Decentralized Finance (DeFi) made in 2020. Even JP Morgan Chase which has been showing interest in digital assets has shared the same sentiments.

Crypto Market Booms as World Ushers in A New Year

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2020 was, without a doubt, one of the worst years of the past decade. The coronavirus pandemic dealt a huge blow to societies, businesses, and industries all around the world – most of these are, in fact, yet to recover.

Even so, thanks to all of the efforts that were meant to help the world return to normal, things began to get better as the end of 2020 drew nearer. The stock market, for instance, was slowly approaching record highs and the same applied to crypto which is considered to be an alternative to the existing financial system.

Bitcoin Breaks Records

This digital currency is widely considered to be the mother of all crypto and has been known to break several records throughout the time that it has existed. As of December 31, Bitcoin was trading for a little over $29,000 per coin. The previous record for the digital currency was $20,000 and experts believe that the cryptocurrency will probably hit the $30,000 mark pretty soon.

Over the last six months, interest in Bitcoin and crypto, in general, has increased significantly. So, while Bitcoin might be well ahead of the pack, it is not the only one that has been breaking records. Alt-coins like Litecoin and Ether have also seen their prices go up significantly, something that has boosted the overall crypto markets. Several other digital currencies have also been on the rise.

What Does 2021 Hold?

Needless to say, the latest price surges for digital currencies have continued to fuel discussions about the readiness of crypto to go to even greater heights in terms of mainstream adoption. In the case of Bitcoin which is now being likened to gold, there are lots of people who already see it as a great hedge against dollar weakness and inflation risk. At that same time, some people are still questioning its validity as an asset class especially considering its rather volatile nature.

Still, if the past few months are anything to go by, 2021 could turn out to be an even more memorable year for crypto and related technologies as well as their applications. Most notably, the rapidly growing acceptance of these alternative currencies will pave way for even more developments such as a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund.

This will not only open the doors for new investors but also create new opportunities or uncover untapped spaces that disruptive companies can exploit. As always, we will be keeping you updated every step of the way. Happy New Year!

DAOGroup Sets Sights on The Growing Sports Betting Sector

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The growth of the mainstream sports betting industry has caught the attention of renowned online gambling digital currency and blockchain solutions provider, DAOGroup. Now, the company is doubling down on its efforts in the hopes of getting even more out of the growing sector.

The first move that DAOGroup is pursuing in its quest to capitalize on sports betting is strengthening its business development team. This came in the form of two new hires – Yelena Kensborn is the group’s new Sales and Marketing Director, while Adam Lee will be taking up the role of the Business Development Manager.

According to the DAOGroup CCO Glen Bullen, the decision to strengthen the company’s commercial team further could not have come at a better time. With such a robust team, they will now be able to effectively tailor their decisions to boost brand presence and cater to the needs of their customers. Many gaming operators are ramping up efforts to integrate crypto-gaming products in anticipation of the return of sports-related gambling activities.

“We’re here to help the industry benefit without the compliance headache, and I’m thrilled to be welcoming Yelena and Lee aboard. Both are strong individuals with proven credentials who will no doubt be key in helping our partners appeal to an even broader player base as mainstream betting returns,” Glen Bullen commented.

DAOGroup already has quite a neat portfolio of crypto-based products. Earlier this year, it launched DAOWallet, its flagship product. Gaming operators have shown a great deal of interest in the product owing to the fact that it does not require them to conform to addition AML and compliance procedures. The solutions provider has integrated all necessary features to ensure it is safe to use for both gamblers and operators.

Crypto and The Rise in Online Gambling

Needless to say, the rise of online gambling was inevitable. However, it is safe to say that the coronavirus pandemic may have catalyzed the process and now some crypto betting sites are experiencing an unprecedented surge in player traffic.

Many of these new-age and futuristic online gambling platforms now have to deal with issues related to transaction processing while at the same time tailoring newer and more competitive products. This is, of course, a good thing especially because it will hasten the growth of the crypto betting sector as well as the mainstream adoption of digital currencies.

Thankfully, a lot of improvements are already being put in place. Moreover, even traditional iGaming businesses are beginning to take crypto very seriously.