Uniswap acquires NFT marketplace aggregator Genie to further ‘universal ownership’ goals

Decentralized exchange Uniswap announced the acquisition of the NFT marketplace aggregator Genie. Uniswap said this move is part of its mission to unlock universal ownership and exchange on its platform.

Bank of Israel experiments with central bank digital currency smart contracts and privacy

The Bank of Israel released the results of a lab experiment that examined user privacy and the use of smart contracts in payments. This was the central bank’s first technological experiment with a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The bank said that the service provider completed Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks and provided the necessary blockchain addresses.

FTX US acquires Embed Financial subsidiary for stock trading platform

FTX US said it will purchase Embed Financial Technologies and its subsidiary, clearing firm Embed Clearing, for an undisclosed amount “pending satisfaction of customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.” The deal followed the crypto firm’s announcement in May that it would be launching a stock trading platform, with FTX Stocks partnering with Embed Clearing to “execute, clear and custody” user accounts and trades.

Solana NFT marketplace Magic Eden closes $130M Series B round at $1.6B valuation

Magic Eden, a popular nonfungible tokens (NFTs) platform on the Solana (SOL) blockchain with 112,927 SOL ($4 million) in 24-hour trading volume, announced that it had closed a Series B round for $130 million. The funding round was led by investors such as Electric Capital, Greylock, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Paradigm and Sequoia Capital valued the firm at $1.6 billion.

BIS: 90% of Central Banks are researching the utility of CBDCs

In a new annual economic report published by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), the financial institution revealed that approximately 90% of central banks worldwide are investigating the feasibility of adopting central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs. The BIS report highlighted the ability of current sovereign fiat money to provide (relative) price stability and public oversight.