Oct 28, 2021
Wisly Wednesday Crypto-Industry News
Another tantalising crypto week has bitten its way through October with some tasty tit-bits for crypto enthusiasts to digest. Mastercard partners with Bakkt to offer crypto; Tom Brady offers fan 1 Bitcoin for returning 600th TD ball; PayPal-owned Venmo expands crypto services; and momentum builds for a world-first crypto island.
Mastercard partners with Bakkt to offer crypto
Crypto users in the US have been given a boost as Mastercard has announced a partnership with a popular fintech company — Bakkt. The move will enable thousands of merchants and banks onto its extensive payments network in the US and will now offer cryptocurrency services and solutions.
Bakkt hopes to expand the company’s ecosystem of crypto partners that will allow for crypto-as-a-service and provide its customers with quick and easy access to digital asset capabilities. Customers, in turn, will have the ability to spend their cryptocurrency rewards at retailers on Mastercard’s network.
Moreover, customers will now be able to buy, sell and hold digital assets through custodial wallets that operate on Bakkt’s digital asset platform. Soon after the announcement, Mastercard’s stock gained 1% and sat on $361.2 per share, while Bakkt shares shot up by 40% to $12.80 per share.
Mastercard’s executive vice president — Sherri Haymond — was ecstatic as she said, “MasterCard is committed to offering a wide range of payment solutions that deliver more choice, value and impact every day. Together with Bakkt and grounded by our principled approach to innovation, we will not only empower our partners to offer a dynamic mix of digital assets options but also deliver differentiated and relevant consumer experiences.”
Wisly will keep you updated on the very latest.
Tom Brady offers fan 1 Bitcoin for returning 600th TD ball
Things couldn’t get any better for avid Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan — Byron Kennedy — when Tampa Bay receiver, Mike Evans, handed him the ball that was used for Tom Brady’s 600th career touchdown pass. While Kennedy was tempted to keep the ball that would have guaranteed him a six-figure fortune at an auction, he selflessly chose to return the ball to Brady.
In an act of gratitude for Kennedy’s gesture, the NFL superstar gifted him with a personalised package that included three signed jerseys and 2022 season tickets. If that wasn’t enough, Brady revealed Kennedy’s biggest reward live on ESPN as he said that the die-hard fan would be given 1 Bitcoin as well — valued at over $62,000 at the time.
Brady became the first player in NFL history to go over 600 passing touchdowns and will cherish his historic touchdown ball, while Kennedy will undoubtedly enjoy his handsome crypto reward together with all the adulation that comes his way from across the globe — incredible!
Wisly will keep you in the loop with up-to-the-minute action.
PayPal-owned Venmo expands crypto services
Venom wallet — owned by PayPal — has recently announced exciting plans to expand crypto services to its customers. Venmo’s app is commonly used to pay and request money from people without cash. Hot off the heels of PayPal’s crypto adoption, Venmo has now decided to broaden its horizon by offering cryptocurrency services.
One notable feature is the introduction of a cashback to crypto option that enables users to convert their cashback into crypto automatically and efficiently. The roll-out of these extended crypto services only supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash for now — although more options are being explored.
Customers typically earn cashback rewards when they purchase at selected Venmo merchants with their Venmo Mastercard Debit or Credit cards. Users must enable this feature on their app before qualifying to use the feature. Users must navigate to the Credit Card section of the app and select Rewards before choosing the crypto option of their choice. This is certainly a step in the right direction as more companies warm up to crypto adoption.
Keep an eye on Wisly’s blog for the latest on this story.
Momentum builds for world-first Crypto Island
Crypto Island — a historic project to buy and decentralise a private island — has gathered momentum as its incorporation has finally become official. This blockchain-based project was initiated by its community and plans to offer crypto enthusiasts and investors an opportunity to co-own the world’s first decentralised private island — amazing!
Crypto Island will now form a legally independent entity that will fall under the name of Crypto Island Group Incorporated. Essentially, the incorporation will operate as the token user in a highly complex company structure that is created to make tokenising the ownership of the island a reality.
CEO of Crypto Island — Dan Bouwer — couldn’t contain his excitement as he said, “Extremely proud to announce we’ve succeeded in finding a way of making decentralized living possible! With this, we will be globally recognized as an official company and the first ever to make tokenizing ownership of land and properties legally possible.”
Wisly will keep you informed every step of the way.
