WAO ART

Argentina has approved its first legally binding smart contract on the Cardano blockchain, marking a significant milestone for digital assets. The contract involves a 10,000 ADA loan (approximately $3,430) with a 10% interest rate, between two Cardano ambassadors, Mauro Andreoli and Lucas Macchia.

Binance has integrated mobile money payments for cryptocurrency purchases in six new countries: Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, and Senegal. This move aims to enhance financial inclusion and accessibility to digital assets, empowering millions across the continent.

The SEC has approved the NYSE and CBOE to list options for Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), marking a significant regulatory milestone. Options trading will be available for 11 approved ETF providers, including Fidelity, ARK, Invesco, and BlackRock.

Australian Strategic Materials secures a AU$5 million grant from the Australian government’s IPCM Program for its Dubbo Rare Earths Project. This funding aims to identify lower-capital and shorter-implementation pathways for rare earths production in New South Wales.

On October 18, 2024, the SEC approved 11 Bitcoin ETFs for trading on the NYSE and CBOE, marking a major step for crypto in traditional finance. The new ETFs, including those from major firms like BlackRock and Fidelity, are expected to enhance market liquidity and could stabilize Bitcoin's volatility.

The viral tap-to-earn game is set to launch its second season at the end of October, transitioning players into the role of a game development studio CEO. Launched in September, the HMSTR token has a market cap of $247M, down from $560M at its launch, with 60% of its 100 billion supply allocated to players.

A cryptocurrency scam involving fake Coinbase websites has resulted in over $20 million stolen from victims worldwide, including in the U.S. Indian national Chirag Tomar was sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating the fraud, which began in June 2021.