Non-custodial crypto platform ShapeShift refuted United States Senator Elizabeth Warren’s claims of "illicit financing,” suggesting that she used the platform as a scapegoat to “push” her latest crypto bill, according to a recent statement. ShapeShift stated in a tweet on Feb. 19 that Warren made “mistakes” in her “analysis” of the platform, which were made at a recent senate banking committee hearing entitled “Crypto Crash: Why Financial System Safeguards are Needed for Digital Assets,” on Feb. 14. On Valentine's Day, @SenWarren attempted to use ShapeShift as an example to push her latest crypto bill. Unfortunately, there were mistakes in the …

The World Economic Forum (WEF) convenes in Davos annually, taking over the Swiss skiing town. The main promenade is flush with events and companies renting out properties, with an increasing presence from companies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. The entrance to the WEF compound is restricted by cement barriers and security personnel, drawing an invisible line between the conference and the rest of Davos. Curiously, the last building on the fringe of the conference was branded with familiar logos, that of Polygon and the ever-recognizable Bitcoin (BTC) symbol. Cointelegraph stumbled upon Pietro Poretti while shooting footage of the Bitcoin …

Switzerland is a “pivot point” for crypto adoption in Europe and continues to be the “center point of the next stage of institutionalization," said Dr. Dirk Klee, CEO of Bitcoin Suisse. The CEO divulged why Switzerland is still the top spot for crypto in Europe and will continue to attract institutional investors in an exclusive Cointelegraph interview streetside in Davos, Switzerland. We have boots on the ground in Davos! Our reporter @gazza_jenks speaks to Dr. Dirk Klee, CEO of @BitcoinSuisseAG about Switzerland and the adoption of cryptocurrency at the @wef. #CTWEF23 pic.twitter.com/ka00dvWpVz — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) January 18, 2023 In discussion …

The metaverse and digital reality experiences are barreling toward consumers, whether they are ready or not. However, there are certain places in the world that are more ready to embrace a digital future from a technological standpoint. A new study by Uswitch, an internet and telephone service researcher, looked at a combination of fixed broadband speeds, broadband package prices, the number of blockchain financial start-ups and the price of high technology exports to determine which countries have the capacity to embrace the metaverse. At the top of the list is the Netherlands, with the most hospitable conditions to cater to …

With the crypto winter slowing down developments within the space, two digital asset-focused firms will work together to speed up digital asset adoption for institutions. In an announcement sent to Cointelegraph, crypto-focused company SEBA Bank said that it formed a partnership with the financial services firm HashKey Group to accelerate the institutional adoption of digital assets in Hong Kong and Switzerland. The two firms will aim to create various solutions for institutional investors seeking to dive into the crypto ecosystem. Both companies said that they are dedicated to compliance and embracing various regulatory frameworks within their jurisdictions. SEBA Bank CEO …

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, or FINMA, has announced it will be extending an anti-money laundering ordinance which requires identity checks for reporting certain crypto transactions. In a Nov. 2 notice, the Switzerland financial regulator said it would enforce a threshold of 1,000 Swiss francs — roughly $997 at the time of publication — for transactions of virtual currencies to cash or “other anonymous means of payment.” According to FINMA, the regulator made the adjustment in accordance with the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Act and its government’s Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance. “FINMA received numerous responses concerning the specification of the threshold …

Bitcoin and Lightning Network service provider Synonym has launched a new BTC-focused mobile wallet it says could enhance the user experience for holders of the flagship digital currency — and broaden Web3 adoption without relying on convoluted blockchain applications. Synonym unveiled its mobile Bitcoin (BTC) wallet, dubbed Bitkit, at the PlanB Forum in Lugano, Switzerland on Oct. 29. The wallet supports BTC and Lightning Network payments with a self-custodial node and encrypted backup service, which users can utilize free of charge. Bitkit is being launched as a limited public beta app for both Apple and Android devices. The Bitkit app …

Switzerland’s southern city of Lugano and El Salvador have signed an economic cooperation agreement based on crypto and blockchain. According to an Oct. 28 announcement from Lugano, the two pro-crypto jurisdictions signed a memorandum of understanding on economic cooperation at the city’s Plan B event. Lugano Mayor Michele Foletti cited El Salvador adopting Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender as part of the city’s interest in the agreement, which will allow the pro-crypto country to establish a physical government presence in an effort to “foster cooperation with educational and research institutions.” “The use of Bitcoin and Blockchain technology creates new opportunities …

The decline of the nonfungible tokens (NFT) market doesn’t seem to be a problem for the Swiss cryptocurrency-focused bank Seba as the firm now allows its customers to store NFTs. Seba Bank has launched a regulated custody platform allowing its clients to store NFTs, the firm officially announced on Oct. 26. The NFT custody solution enables Seba Bank’s retail and institutional clients to store any Ethereum-based NFTs, including tokens from world-famous NFT collections like Bored Apes and CryptoPunks, the firm said. "There is no marketplace integration with Seba Bank at this time," a spokesperson for the firm told Cointelegraph. The …

Multinational fast food chain McDonald’s started to accept Bitcoin (BTC) as a payment method in the 63,000-populated city of Lugano in Italian Switzerland, which is becoming a hotspot for crypto adoption in Western Europe. A one-minute video of ordering food on McDonald’s digital kiosk and then paying for it at the regular register with the help of a mobile app was uploaded on Twitter by Bitcoin Magazine on Monday, Oct. 3. The Tether (USDT) logo could be spotted next to the Bitcoin symbol on the credit cash machine, which is not surprising, as in March 2022 the city of Lugano …

21.co, the new parent firm of exchange-traded products (ETP) provider 21Shares, has become “Switzerland's largest crypto unicorn,“ the firm announced on Tuesday. It raised $25 million in a funding round led by London-based hedge fund Marshall Wace. The new funding brings the firm's valuation to $2 billion. 21.co is designed to unite 21Shares with third-party token provider Amun and other upcoming crypto projects aiming to build bridges into the crypto world, 21.co founder Hany Rashwan told Cointelegraph. All crypto ETP products launched by 21Shares will maintain the same nomenclature, Rashwan said. He also said that the new name won’t change …

The Ethereum network’s transition from a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus is likely to flood the crypto industry with out-of-work ETH miners, causing severe disruption to all PoW tokens. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Andy Long, CEO of Bitcoin miner White Rock believes the upcoming Ethereum Merge will force PoW miners to look for greener pastures, such as other PoW blockchains, and thus "swamp” other coins — increasing mining difficulty and reducing profitability, stating: "As GPU miners point their hardware at other chains their difficulty will increase causing lower returns and splitting the reward amongst more miners." Long added that the migration will likely …