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Mastercard Plans Major Staff Overhaul, 1,000 Jobs Affected

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Mastercard Inc will be laying off 3% of its employees which is about 1000 employees as stated by a company representative. This decision is part of a wider re-organization of the company in order to cut costs and divert the focus on certain areas for development.

Most of the job losses are expected to be completed by September 30, 2024, with the view of improving strategic direction of the company.

Mastercard Plans Major Staff Overhaul

The New York-based company, which had about 33,400 employees worldwide at the end of last year, is cutting its workforce in this case as part of a wider restructuring plan. The restructuring is to reposition the business with its growth strategies to enable Mastercard Inc. to invest more on the long-term opportunities. 

As clarified by the company’s representative, the restructuring will also help to shift resources to the more profitable activities.

Nevertheless, Mastercard recently posted stronger than expected financial results for the second quarter before the planned job cuts. However, the company’s operating costs increased by 11.9% to $2.93 billion within the same period. In connection with the restructuring, Mastercard expects to record a pre-tax restructuring charge of $190 million in the third quarter.

MetaMask Launches Crypto Debit Card with Mastercard

Similarly, MetaMask, a self-custodial crypto wallet developed by ConsenSys, has joined forces with Mastercard to release a new crypto debit card. This card will seek to close the gap that is between the digital assets and the normal financial transactions.

Customers will be able to pay for goods and services by transferring funds from their cryptocurrency wallets to their Mastercard accounts.

Currently, the card is being introduced in the U.K and Europe on a trial basis with an innovative way of incorporating digital assets into the operational financial system. The partnership is in line with Mastercard’s strategy of increasing its focus on the digital assets ecosystem.

Furthermore, Binance has reinstated the possibility of buying cryptocurrencies with Mastercard after banning it for 10 months. This follows the review of internal controls and structure of the exchange by Mastercard which had earlier suspended its relations with Binance over regulatory concerns in the U. S.

Immersve to Bring Self-Custodial On-Chain Mastercard

Subsequently, Immersve, an issuing-as-a-service platform, is collaborating with Mastercard to introduce a self-custodial on-chain card. This new product will allow users of self-custody wallets to make transactions while maintaining control of their funds until the moment of purchase.

The card aims to offer a more secure and user-friendly experience by combining the advantages of decentralized finance with the extensive reach of Mastercard’s global payment network.

The introduction of this on-chain card is part of Mastercard’s ongoing efforts to innovate in the digital finance sector, providing users with more flexibility and security in managing their assets.

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Kelvin Munene Murithi

Kelvin is a distinguished writer specializing in crypto and finance, backed by a Bachelor’s in Actuarial Science. Recognized for incisive analysis and insightful content, he has an adept command of English and excels at thorough research and timely delivery.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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Texas Court Dismisses Consensys Suit Against SEC on Procedural Basis

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The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas dismissed Consensys Software Inc.‘s case against the Securities and Exchange Commission. This was after a long legal battle to determine the status of Ethereum and other similar software products.

Texas Court Ends Consensys Suit Against SEC

The U.S. District Court in Fort Worth has thrown out the allegations made by Consensys against the Securities and Exchange Commission in a recent legal move. The court, presided over by Judge Reed O’Connor, ruled on procedural grounds. The judge determined the claims concerning Ethereum classification and the regulatory approach to MetaMask were not ripe for judicial review. This decision effectively puts an end to the current litigation initiated by Consensys in April of this year.

The dismissal focused particularly on the lack of final agency action from the SEC, which the court noted was a requisite for a substantial legal challenge. This procedural dismissal indicates that despite the issues raised, the court decided not to proceed with evaluating the merits of the case.

Initially, Consensys challenged the SEC’s classification of Ethereum and its derivatives as securities. The complaint highlighted concerns over the SEC’s focus on MetaMask, a software service provided by Consensys that facilitates crypto transactions and staking. 

Despite an earlier notification in June about the SEC dropping its investigation into Ethereum, the broader implications of this regulatory scrutiny remained a contentious issue.

Subsequent to the initial lawsuit, the SEC initiated a separate enforcement action in June, accusing Consensys of operating its MetaMask swaps service without proper registration. 

In addition, according to Judge O’Connor, this case lacked the necessary finality from the Securities and Exchange Commission side to be considered ready for court adjudication.

Reactions and Future Regulatory Steps

The court’s decision to dismiss on procedural grounds does not conclude the legal issues surrounding the regulation of Ethereum and other blockchain technologies. 

More so, Consensys has expressed its intention to continue advocating for blockchain developers and to challenge the SEC’s actions in other jurisdictions, indicating that the struggle over crypto regulation in the U.S. is far from over. The case’s dismissal in Texas does not preclude the blockchain company from pursuing other legal avenues to address their grievances.

In addition, most recently, a US Bankruptcy judge Brendan Shannon approved Terraform Labs plan to liquidate its assets following an ongoing SEC lawsuit.

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Ronny Mugendi

Ronny Mugendi is a seasoned crypto journalist with four years of professional experience, having contributed significantly to various media outlets on cryptocurrency trends and technologies. His work includes notable contributions to Cryptopolitan and Coingape News Media, where he shares his insights on the latest developments in the cryptocurrency market. Outside of his journalism career, Ronny enjoys the thrill of bike riding, exploring new trails and landscapes.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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Whale Dumps Entire PEPE, FLOKI, and WLD Holdings, What’s Next For These Assets?

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A crypto whale has sold his entire Pepe coin, FLOKI, and Worldcoin holdings amid the recent price surge in the market. The digital asset market notched increased sentiments following interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. However, some users point to profit taking which can reduce the projected uphill movement.

PEPE Whale Dumps Assets 

A digital asset whale has sold his holdings in three assets raking in profit. On-chain data shows the trader has sold  $3.2 million in PEPE, FLOKI, and WLD making a $200,000 profit. The whale raked in $110,000 from Pepe coin holdings while netting $45,000 and $44,000 from FLOKI and WLD respectively. 

According to crypto analysts, the trader suffered losses at some point to due price swings after Bitcoin traded below $55K. The drop in Bitcoin price sparked a decline in altcoins and meme coins as the wider market faced a slight correction. Following the Federal Reserve’s decision to slash policy rates by 50 BPS on Sept 18, prices of crypto assets surged leading to traders looking to make a profit. 

Generally, whale movements send a bearish signal to the market due to their total number of holdings with smaller traders moving in the same direction. Recently, the market has seen similar movements from traders to reposition assets amid price swings. This week, an Ethereum whale dumped $38 million worth of ETH sparking negative pressure. 

What’s Next For The Assets? 

The crypto market is soaring off the Fed’s decision to cut interest rates. Several traditional investors projected growth in the market after the September rate cuts as funds flow to risky assets. At press time, the total market cap is up 6% with the market cap hitting $2.1 trillion. In the last 24 hours, PEPE surged 13%, alongside other meme coins.

FLOKI price is up 10% in the same time frame while Worldcoin moved up 8%. Most commentators point to increased gains in the price of crypto assets as macro factors flip positive.

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David Pokima

David is a finance news contributor with 4 years of experience in Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies. He is interested in learning about emerging technologies and has an eye for breaking news. Staying updated with trends, David reported in several niches including regulation, partnerships, crypto assets, stocks, NFTs, etc. Away from the financial markets, David goes cycling and horse riding.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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Binance CEO Says Institutional Investors Grew 40% This Year

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Binance CEO Richard Teng has revealed that the crypto exchange’s institutional and corporate investors grew by 40% this year. This development again highlights how much institutions have continued to gain exposure to crypto assets, especially since the spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs launched.  However, Richard Teng is confident that institutional crypto adoption is just getting started.

Binance CEO Says Exchange Recorded 40% Growth

Teng revealed during an interview at the Token2049 conference in Singapore that the crypto exchange has recorded a 40% increase in institutional and corporate investors this year. However, he added that institutional allocation to crypto is just the tip of the iceberg and is only getting started.

The Binance CEO expects that more institutions will crypto to invest in crypto assets as time goes on. He added that many of them are still doing their due diligence, which is holding them back from gaining exposure to these digital assets.

Richard Teng believes that regulatory clarity will provide certainty to these institutions and other mainstream users, increasing liquidity in the crypto space. Meanwhile, he highlighted the effect of institutions investing in crypto assets as one of the reasons why Bitcoin hit a new all-time high (ATH) of $73,000 earlier in March.

Indeed, these institutions played a major role in Bitcoin hitting a new ATH before the halving event. The approval of the Spot Bitcoin ETFs in January this year caused new money from these institutions to flow into the BTC ecosystem. These inflows ultimately led to a parabolic price rally for the flagship crypto, reaching $73,000.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Are Far From Their Peak

Nate Geraci, the President of the ETF Store, shared a sentiment similar to the Binance CEO when he recently suggested that the Spot Bitcoin ETFs have yet to reach their peak. SoSoValue data shows that the Bitcoin ETFs have recorded net inflows of $17.44 billion since they launched. BlackRock and Fidelity, the most successful ETF issuers, already have over $21 billion and $10 billion in assets under management (AUM).

However, Geraci is confident they can still achieve much more success, noting that most wirehouses have yet to approve these Bitcoin ETFs. These wirehouses refer to major brokerage firms that have a global reach. Therefore, just like the Binance CEO predicts, more institutional investors will continue to allocate to crypto as time passes.

It is worth mentioning that other crypto ETFs besides Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs could launch soon enough. Asset managers VanEck and 21 Shares already filed to offer a Spot Solana ETF. Meanwhile, Grayscale has launched its Grayscale XRP Trust, which the asset manager could eventually convert to a Spot XRP ETF.

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Boluwatife Adeyemi

Boluwatife Adeyemi is a well-experienced crypto news writer and editor who has covered topics that cut across DeFi, NFTs, smart contracts, and blockchain interoperability, among others. Boluwatife has a knack for simplifying the most technical concepts and making it easy for crypto newbies to understand. Away from writing, He is an avid basketball lover and a part-time degen.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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