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Payment technology provider Shift4 announced its recent acquisition of crypto donation marketplace The Giving Block, paying $54 million upfront with a potential future payment of up to $246 million. “The Hash” discusses the intersection of crypto and charity and how third-party platforms like The Giving Block can streamline crypto donations for users, as well as the utility of decentralized philanthropy as seen in the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

Mar 1, 2022

Owned and operated by fans, Spanish soccer club FC Barcelona has rejected offers from crypto enterprises with the ambition to create its own cryptocurrency and metaverse.

Mar 1, 2022

Global accounting firm KPMG’s Canada branch recently marked its entry into digital collectibles by purchasing an NFT from the World of Women collection for 25 ETH. “The Hash” discusses this installment in the ongoing narrative of major institutions in the crypto space, comparing it to Visa’s purchase of a CryptoPunk NFT while also looking closely at the World of Women project and the cross-section between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and digital assets. 

Feb 28, 2022

As financial institutions are weaponized while conflict escalates between Russia and Ukraine, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov has called for all major crypto exchanges to block Russian and Belarusian accounts.

Feb 28, 2022

U.S. tech giants like Apple and Twitter are facing pressure to respond to the Russia-Ukraine war, specifically regarding censorship and the spread of disinformation. “The Hash” discusses the increasingly prevalent role of big tech in geopolitics.

Feb 28, 2022

A new study published in Joule claims that bitcoin’s environmental impact has worsened since China’s 2021 ban on cryptocurrency mining because miners moved their operations to countries with less renewable energy. “The Hash” dissects this report, comparing its findings with statistics from the Bitcoin Mining Council while also considering the human rights value of uncensorable money as seen in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Feb 28, 2022

El Salvador will inaugurate a new public pet hospital, funded by a $4 million surplus in a government trust fund caused by bitcoin's rising value, according to President Nayib Bukele. "The Hash" crew questions whether this is the best-use case for the surplus bitcoin. "We're talking about $4 million, in a really poor country ... If you're trying to be an advertisement for bitcoin, go out there and help the people who badly need it," says co-host David Morris.

Feb 25, 2022

A bitcoin wallet listed by a charity organization has received more than 19 bitcoins worth around $700,000 to support the Ukraine military against Russian invasion. "Market speculation is a tiny fraction of the promise of bitcoin which ultimately is the ability to have uncensorable money," Naomi Brockwell says, adding that people are starting to see the real value of BTC. "The Hash" hosts dive into the uncertainty around where this money is going, how off-ramping these bitcoin would work and more.

Feb 25, 2022

Another NFT fail. Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox botched an NFT project titled “SwipaTheFox” and left fans holding the $1.5 million bag. The website used to launch and mint the NFT is now offline.

Feb 25, 2022

Ethereum mining pool Flexpool has cut services to Russian users, in a move to show solidarity with Ukraine. The pool says they did not want to profit from the crisis or fund it directly.

Feb 25, 2022