Proposed Bipartisan Legislation Recognizes Bitcoin As A Technology That Supports Democracy

On Wednesday, the office of Rep. Gabe Amo issued a press release stating that Rep. Amo and Rep. Kim (R-CA) reintroduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the use of distributive ledger technologies (DLT), including blockchain, to “support democratic governance, human rights, freedom of information, transparency, and innovation around the world.”

The resolution (the full text of which was not linked to in the press release) urges federal agencies to explore and support DLT and expresses Congress’ commitment to advancing responsible innovation on this technological front.

Rep. Kim commented on the importance of this technology in the press release.

“U.S. leadership in emerging…

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Hardware Wallets: Bitcoin’s Biggest Adoption Barrier

There are roughly half a billion crypto users around the world and, at the most generous estimate, only 2.5% are using hardware wallets. That’s a tiny number, but I’m relieved it’s not higher. 

Why? Because I want people to on-board to Bitcoin by the billion, and I want to see everyone self-custody securely. The consumer hardware wallet industry is one of the biggest obstacles to achieving this goal. And not just to Bitcoin adoption: the whole decentralization revolution is at risk if we don’t address the fatal flaw  at the heart of the world’s most popular wallets. 

Wallets are treading water 

Last year in these pages, Lucien Bourdon celebrated “10 years of the wallet…

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LATEST: South Korea’s Public Officials Disclose Massive $9.8 Million Crypto Portfolio

South Korea’s Ethics Commission has revealed that high-ranking public officials in the country collectively own an average of 35.1 million won or $24,000 in cryptocurrency. As of March 27, over 20% of officials surveyed hold a total of 14.4 billion won worth of crypto assets. This includes 411 out of 2,047 officials required to disclose their holdings.

The disclosed figures show a wide range of holdings, including Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP. The highest reported amount came from Seoul City Councilor Kim Hye-young, who possesses 1.76 billion won or $1.2 million in crypto. The disclosure follows calls for greater transparency in the public sector regarding cryptocurrency assets.

The new disclosure system was introduced in 2023 after Prime Minister Han Deok-soo called for crypto to be treated similarly to other assets. It is part of a broader push to increase transparency and accountability in government. By 2024, South Koreans will have access to the crypto holdings of over 5,800 public officials.

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How memecoins impacted crypto last quarter: Grayscale

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

So no one’s surprised that the first quarter of the year wasn’t exactly a stellar one, right? 

(If it makes you feel better, tech stocks also sank, according to Grayscale’s Research Insights.)

Overall, the crypto sector’s price index fell 18% during the quarter, which ended on March 21. 

Source: All charts from Grayscale

If you break it up by segments, “Consumer & Culture” had it bad. Some memecoins — like DOGE — were included in this segment, which helps explain the dramatic decline. 

A look at Solana active users

That’s also the case for smart contract…

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LATEST: Ripple Partners with Chipper Cash to Revolutionize Cross-Border Payments in Africa

Ripple has announced a strategic partnership with Chipper Cash to enhance cross-border payments into Africa. By leveraging Ripple’s crypto-enabled payments solution, Chipper Cash will provide faster and cheaper transfers to its five million customers across nine African countries. This partnership aims to reduce the time and cost involved in transferring funds into Africa.

The integration of Ripple’s technology will allow consumers to receive payments globally 24/7 and drive economic growth throughout the continent. With blockchain technology at the core of this collaboration, businesses and individuals will benefit from seamless transactions and financial inclusion.

Ripple’s global payments network continues to expand across Africa, providing simple and secure services that help financial institutions tokenize and move digital assets. As the market for cross-border payments grows Ripple’s presence in Africa reflects the increasing demand for efficient and innovative solutions in global finance.

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