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☆ In Shopify's app store, 'people are fighting it out on the margins' as the market becomes oversaturated and merchants cut costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Its S-1 filing mentions the word "Shopify" 198 times, and it said that about 77.6% of its annual recurring revenue came from Shopify merchants. About a third of the deals FE International facilitates are for businesses within the Shopify ecosystem, Smale said. Smale said that lately, he has worked with a "wider variety of acquirers" quietly looking to scoop up Shopify apps. He said that Shopify apps make good acquisition targets because they tend to be profitable and not venture-backed. "I always say Shopify SaaS applications are so great to build because they're kind of like building a SaaS on training wheels," Gazdecki said.

Persons: Shopify, Rachael Jones, Brent Murri, They've, Murri, Andrew Bialecki, Klaviyo, Dennis Hegstad, there's, Hegstad, Andy Cloyd, it's, We're, Thomas Smale, Smale, Andrew Gazdecki, Acquire.com, Gazdecki, Tobi Lütke, Lucas Jackson, wouldn't Organizations: Shopify's, Business, Boston Globe, FE International, Reuters Locations: Shopify, Klaviyo

☆ Artist Jeff Koons makes history with a sculpture on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Called “Moon Phases,” they show 62 phases of the moon as seen from Earth, 62 phases visible from other viewpoints in space, and one lunar eclipse. Pace Verso, the NFT wing of Pace, is also offering NFTs of each sculpture, while Koons has produced larger, coinciding physical sculptures of his “Moon Phases” to remain on Earth. Koons' "Moon Phases" is visible on the lander's exterior. Intuitive Machines/APThough its arrival marks a milestone, “Moon Phases” is not the only art to touch down on the moon’s surface. But Odie has closed the chapter on a more niche space race — between Koons and the Dubai-based artist Sacha Jafri.

Persons: Odysseus, Jeff Koons, Odie, Koons, Aristotle, David Bowie, Leonardo da Vinci, Gandhi, Billie Holiday, Gabriel García Márquez, Andy Warhol, Virginia Woolf, Koons “, Pace Verso, Paul Van Hoeydonck, It’s, — Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, John Chamberlain, Claes Oldenburg, Forrest Myers, David Novros —, Sacha Jafri, Jafri, ”, Peregrine Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, Peregrine, Pace, Machines, Apollo Locations: American, Houston, Belgian, India, Japan, Dubai

The website says it has no connection to Trump's campaign, though Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts. Trump's appearance was met with clashing boos from his detractors and chants of “USA!” from supporters who arrived at the sneaker event decked out in Trump gear. The attendees skewed younger and more diverse than Trump's usual rally crowds and some black attendees were seen leaving as Trump spoke. Trump's campaign is hoping he will be able to win over more young and minority voters, particularly young Black men, in a likely rematch against President Joe Biden in November. The new sneaker website says it is run by CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure.

Persons: Donald Trump, hawking, ” Trump, Trump, Jean Carroll, photoshopped, LOVE, I’ve, Joe Biden, ”, Biden, Michael Tyler, “ Donald Trump, ___ Colvin Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Republican, Trump, Philadelphia Convention Center, ”, White House, LOVE TRUMP, D.C, CIC Ventures, CIC Digital LLC, Harris, Air Force Locations: Philadelphia, ” cologne, New York, Washington, Michigan, Detroit

☆ A lower-cost way to play the S&P 500's run to 5,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The S & P 500 once again closed at a new all-time high, achingly close to 5,000 for those enamored of nice round numbers. .SPX 1Y mountain S & P 500, 1-year Is there an option trade we can use if we're not sure? If S & P earnings grow closer to their historical average, then $240ish (let's stick to round numbers) might be a more accurate estimate. $240 a shares multiplied by 20 = $4,800 in the S & P. So in that context 5,000 is a little rich, but not much. The VIX Index , a measure of 30 day volatility in the S & P 500, is below 13, cheaper than usual.

Persons: we're, Jeremy Grantham, Paul Krugmans, aren't Organizations: Investors, Nvidia Locations: China, U.S

☆ Ether takes center stage as bitcoin heads into one of its strongest months
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ether is ready to take the limelight in the month ahead after bitcoin and newly-launched bitcoin ETFs dominated crypto investor attention in January. Both bitcoin and ether are on pace to finish the month higher by nearly 2%, according to Coin Metrics. As investors came to expect slow, steady flows into bitcoin through newly institutionalized ETFs in coming months, ether and altcoins have been ready for a breakout. February is a historically strong month for both bitcoin and ether. The SEC is due to give decisions on spot ETH ETF applications beginning in May.

Persons: Darius Tabatabai, Bitcoin, Jeff Dorman, Ethereum, Dorman, Jason Urban, bitcoin, they've, Polygon's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Metrics, ETH, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, BlackRock, Standard Chartered, Solana, Arca, Galaxy Locations: U.S, bitcoin, Invesco, Solana

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the field with the gleeful chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi!” ringing in his ears from delighted Al-Hilal fans who had just watched their Saudi Pro League team beat the Portugal superstar's Al-Nassr 3-0 in the Riyadh Derby on Friday. Saudi soccer has not been the same since the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward completed a move last December. Lots of people want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo but few want to work like Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo may have his work cut out to help his team win title No. 10 but, given his form so far this season, he may still have the last laugh with the Messi chants fading away.

Persons: — Cristiano Ronaldo, “ Messi, Messi, Al, Portugal superstar's, Ballon, — Aleksandar Mitrovic, Milinkovic, Savic, Hilal, Ronaldo, Cristiano, ”, Fahad, “ Al, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, “ Cristiano, ” Al, Luis Castro, Cristiano Ronaldo, ” Ronaldo, Mitrovic, Hilal’s, Germain, Neymar, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Salem, Saleh Al, Shehri, Lionel Messi's, ___ Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Riyadh Derby, Serbian, Al, King Fahd International, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Fahad Al, Associated Press, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Paris Saint, English Premier League, Saudi Arabian Locations: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Riyadh, Saudi Arabian, Saudi, Al, Hilal, Asia, Paris, Brazil, Lionel Messi's Argentina, cryptocurrency

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo faces $1 billion class-action lawsuit for endorsing worthless NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a $1 billion class action lawsuit for his promotion of Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange. Ronaldo and Binance didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. Notably, Ronaldo is still promoting the company, including posting a Binance ad as recently as November 28 on his X account, which has 110 million followers. Celebrities suedOther celebrities have also been the target of similar lawsuits. He also agreed to pay a $50 million criminal fine and a $150 million civil penalty.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo “, Ronaldo, Binance didn’t, Binance, “, Gary Gensler, Kim Kardashian, Celebrities, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Brady, Bundchen, Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, Jr, cryptocurrency, Charles Whitehead, ” Whitehead, ”, Changpeng Zhao, ” Zhao, – CNN’s Jennifer Korn, Allison Morrow Organizations: New, New York CNN — Soccer, ” Securities, Exchange, SEC, Cornell Law School, CNN Locations: New York, Florida

Signage is seen outside of a Metro Bank in London, Britain, May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - Metro Bank (MTRO.L) on Thursday announced sweeping cost-cutting plans aimed at bolstering its finances, which could see the embattled British lender lay off 20% of its staff and axe some of its biggest customer perks including seven-day opening hours. The lender expects to take a lower-than-expected one-off restructuring charge of between 10 million pounds and 15 million pounds in 2023. Metro Bank did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the precise number of roles at risk, but the lender employs around 4,000 people, according to its latest annual report. It is also reviewing its seven-day opening and extended store hours and will "selectively streamline lending" to focus on relationship banking to maximise risk-adjusted returns.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Jaime Gilinski, Daniel Frumkin, outflows, Yadarisa, Sinead Cruise, Elizabeth Howcroft, Rashmi Aich, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Metro, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Colombian, Bengaluru

NEW YORK (AP) — Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with class-action lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related “non-fungible tokens,” or NFTs, issued by the beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Representatives for Ronaldo and Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, did not immediately return The Associated Press' requests for comment. Ronaldo launched his inaugural NFT “CR7” collection with Binance back in November of last year, ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Most recently, on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) Ronaldo reposted a Binance video and wrote that he was “Cooking something up" with the crypto exchange on Tuesday. Over the summer, Binance was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo, ”, Binance, “, Ronaldo's, NFTs, Changpeng Zhao, Larry David, Tom Brady —, FTX’s, Al Nassr Organizations: Southern District of, Associated Press, Twitter, FTX, Spanish, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, Saudi Arabian Locations: Portuguese, cryptocurrency, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Portugal, Hollywood, England

SoFi will no longer be offering crypto trading services starting on December 19, 2023. Account Minimum $0 ($1 for fractional shares; $2,000 for margin trading) Fees 0% ($5/month for Robinhood Gold) Pros Check mark icon A check mark. Buy, sell, or store more than 170 cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and dogecoinCheck mark icon A check mark. Limited staking options Insider’s Take Coinbase is one of the best investment platforms for crypto trading, staking rewards, and crypto storage. The crypto trading app has 24/7 customer support, zero trading fees, learning rewards features, and an online storage wallet.

Persons: SoFi, eToro, Jeremy Zafiros, you'll Organizations: SoFi, Robinhood, Coinbase, Pro, USA, eToro USA, Smart, eToro Trading, eToro, Visa, Mastercard Locations: Blockchain.com, USA, New York , Minnesota , Nevada , Puerto Rico , Tennessee, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa , Northern Marianas, There's, New York , Nevada , Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, Abra

☆ Meet the founder of the Failure Museum, an exclusive collection of swag from companies that went bust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Norwest partner Sean Jacobsohn started collecting objects from failed businesses a year ago. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . To make it into the museum, the failure has to be a physical item — no NFTs allowed, Jacobsohn said. Some even offer to donate failed business swag as a way of getting in his rolodex. He's currently scheduled to lead a guest lecture on the subject for the class "Avoiding Startup Failure,' he mentioned.

Persons: Sean Jacobsohn, he's, it's, —, Jordan Poole, Jacobsohn, Sean Jacobsohn's, freebie, Jacobsohn's, Mattel, Allan, Ken's, Michael Cera's, Harley Davidson's, Elizabeth Holmes, He's, you've Organizations: Service, Bay Area, Norwest Venture Partners, Golden State Warriors, Business, Mattel, eBay, mater, Harvard Business School Locations: Bay, cologne

☆ Jim Harbaugh, Kelce-Swift, the ‘Tush Push’ and 25 New Rules for Thanksgiving Family Touch Football
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This is the 13th edition (!) of The Rules for Thanksgiving Family Touch Football, and yes: I’m as surprised as you that this party is still going. This annual column has outlasted most NFL coaching careers, a global pandemic, Quibi, CNN+, Mikes Bloomberg and Pence for President, and anyone caring about NFTs. It’s older than both of my children, and doesn’t groan when I ask it to stop playing Minecraft and unload the dishwasher, either. As always, I am thankful for you.

Persons: Mikes, Pence, doesn’t, Let’s Organizations: CNN, Mikes Bloomberg

☆ AI is already impacting influencer marketing, according to the CMO of Billion Dollar Boy. Here's how she thinks brands should approach the new tech.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Generative AI "has an immediate business implication" for the creator economy, according to Becky Owen, the global chief marketing and innovation officer at influencer-marketing firm Billion Dollar Boy. It has a focus on generative AI, but is also experimenting with virtual and augmented reality, as well as virtual influencers. Owen joined Billion Dollar Boy in early 2023 after almost five years at Meta, where she was most recently head of creator innovations and solutions for Europe. Becky Owen is the global chief marketing and innovation officer at Billion Dollar Boy. Billion Dollar Boy has already tested pilot partnerships with three retail brands, including two luxury fashion brands that have launched their first generative-AI-led creator content on Instagram.

Persons: Becky Owen, Owen, Elmo Mistiaen, Jo Ann, Shanikwa Dvorkin, Anastasia Rogozhina Organizations: Heineken, Pepsi, Business, Billion Dollar, Meta, Brands Locations: Amazon, Europe

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Crypto firm Tether said on Monday that it had frozen $225 million worth of its cryptocurrency which it said had been linked to a human trafficking group in Southeast Asia. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Tether and OKX collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on the investigation, Tether said without elaborating. The crypto tokens were "linked to an international human trafficking syndicate in Southeast Asia responsible for a global “pig butchering” romance scam," Tether said. There are $87.9 billion tether tokens in circulation, making it the third biggest cryptocurrency after bitcoin and ether, according to CoinGecko data.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OKX, Elizabeth Howcroft, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Secret Service, U.S . Department of Justice, DOJ, United Nations, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Southeast Asia, The

☆ NBA's Spencer Dinwiddie and Calaxy co-founder Solo Ceesay demo the app's new crypto payment feature
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Talia Kaplan | Kaan Oguz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNBA's Spencer Dinwiddie and Calaxy co-founder Solo Ceesay demo the app's new crypto payment featureSpencer Dinwiddie, NBA athlete and co-founder of Calaxy, and Solo Ceesay, co-founder and CEO of Calaxy, discuss the latest for the web3-focused app. In the wide-ranging interview, Dinwiddie and Ceesay explain the new feature for sending crypto or NFTs on the app, discuss digital asset markets and provide their 2024 outlook for web3.

Persons: NBA's Spencer Dinwiddie, Calaxy, Spencer Dinwiddie, Ceesay, Dinwiddie Organizations: NBA, Calaxy

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailARK launches new crypto-focused ETFs in 21Shares partnership: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Spencer Dinwiddie, NBA athlete and co-founder of Calaxy, and Solo Ceesay, co-founder and CEO of Calaxy, discuss the latest for the web3-focused app. In the exclusive interview, Dinwiddie and Ceesay explain the new feature for sending crypto or NFTs on the app, discuss digital asset markets and provide their 2024 outlook for web3.

Persons: explainers, Spencer Dinwiddie, Ceesay, Dinwiddie Organizations: CNBC Crypto, CNBC, NBA, Calaxy

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) plans to launch in 2024 a custody service for storing blockchain-based assets excluding cryptocurrency, the bank said on Wednesday. The service, which is a partnership with Swiss digital asset firm Metaco, will allow institutional clients to store blockchain-based tokens representing traditional financial assets, as opposed to crypto or stablecoins, HSBC said. The bank last year launched a digital asset platform, HSBC Orion, which allows financial institutions to issue blockchain-based versions of financial assets, also known as tokenised securities. HSBC did not give a figure for the size of the market for blockchain-based assets excluding cryptocurrencies. In 2019, HSBC announced a platform called Digital Vault, which allows investors to access digital records of securities bought on private markets.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Zhu Kuang Lee, Banks, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sinead Cruise, Mark Potter Organizations: HSBC Bank, REUTERS, HSBC, cryptocurrency, Swiss, HSBC Orion, Blockchain, blockchain, Thomson Locations: London

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried was just convicted. Where does crypto go from here?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In today's big story, we're looking at Sam Bankman-Fried's conviction and what it means for the future of crypto. Sam Bankman-Fried, the crypto industry's most recognizable face (and head of hair), was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy on Thursday night. Charges against Bankman-Fried included wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The conviction came, perhaps fittingly, on the first anniversary of the CoinDesk scoop that sent FTX, the crypto exchange Bankman-Fried co-founded and led, into a tailspin. The downfall was swift, with Bankman-Fried resigning as CEO and FTX collapsing just over a week after the initial report.

Persons: —, Katie Notopoulos —, Linda Yaccarino, Sam Bankman, Chelsea Jia Feng Down, Crypto, SBF, FTX, Fried, Katie Balevic, Jacob Shamsian, Katie, Chelsea Jia Feng, Miami —, That's, Brian Snyder Jamie Dimon, Jeff Gundlach, Gundlach, Mike Blake, Jack Dorsey, Samantha Lee, Janet Yallen, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, isn't, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Bankman, Alameda Research, Wall, BlackRock, PayPal, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Tech, Financial, Labor Statistics, Hall, Today Locations: FTX's, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Silicon Valley Shrugs Off Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Erin Griffith | More About Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the four weeks that Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was on trial on fraud charges, the tech industry:Reacted to the war in Israel and Gaza, including protesting a tech conference organizer’s social media posts about the conflict. Buzzed over a manifesto from a top venture capitalist outlining a list of enemies to technological progress. Scrambled to invest money in the hottest artificial intelligence company, OpenAI, at triple its valuation earlier this year. Hotly debated the new features on Threads, a social media site owned by Meta. But a simpler answer could be that the tech industry has again done what it does best: move on to the next thing.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman Organizations: Meta Locations: Israel, Gaza, FTX

☆ Mark Cuban says crypto lacks a killer app, NFTs will stage a comeback, and billionaires should pay more tax. Here are his 6 best quotes from a new Q&A.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The "Shark Tank" investor says crypto needs a killer app, and NFTs will stage a comeback. "I am really, really, really good at sales. I'm gonna find a sales job, and I'm gonna learn more about that industry than anybody on the planet. And I'm gonna set a commission as high as I possibly can. Someday you're gonna turn around and say to yourself, 'I should have bought those damn NFTs when they were next to nothing.'"

Persons: Mark Cuban, —, Cuban, I'm, I've, Rick Bowmer, Alexa, Crypto, That's, grandma, they're Organizations: Service, Dallas Mavericks, Yahoo, Facebook, Cuban, Amazon, Microsoft Locations: ChatGPT

Worldline's (WLN.PA) stock slide, which saw around $4 billion wiped off its market value, is the latest wake-up call. COMMISSIONS CUTRevenue growth has suffered at payments firms as inflation has force European consumers to spend less, while investors fret about the euro zone slipping into recession. Some analysts say payments firms have also been caught napping, after a period of growth during COVID lockdowns. In a further sign of investor wariness, venture capital investment flows into European payment firms have also dried up. Now, it may leave private equity investors to pick up the pieces for payment service firms, analysts said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Paul Charpentier, Bryan Garnier, napping, Jefferies, Hannes Leitner, Leitner, Charpentier, wariness, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo, Morgan Stanley, Worldline, Bryan Garnier's Charpentier, Elizabeth Howcroft, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, PayPal, Holdings, Companies, Barclays, Reuters, Spain's Banco Sabadell, Fidelity National Information Services, CVC Capital Partners, CVC, Thomson Locations: London, U.S, Nexi, Europe

☆ 5 Trump family members who are involved in his 2024 campaign — and 5 who aren't
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Melania Trump appeared at Trump's 2024 campaign announcement in November 2022, but she has otherwise been absent from the presidential race. Donald Trump, joined by Melania Trump, arrives to speak at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 15, 2022. The Times report also noted that Melania believes Trump can win the presidential election next year despite the legal issues he faces. Trump told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker in September that Melania would join him on the campaign trail "when it's appropriate, but pretty soon." "She's a private person, a great person, a very confident person, and she loves our country very much," Trump said.

Persons: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, ALON SKUY, Melania, Trump, Kristen Welker Organizations: Lago, Getty, New York Times, Times, White, The New York Times Locations: Palm Beach , Florida, AFP, New York, Florida, The

Oil prices rose last week as investors priced in the chance of escalation in the world's top oil-producing region, while U.S. Treasuries and gold prices rose as traders bought safe-haven assets. Traders are waiting to see if the conflict draws in other countries, which would drive up oil prices further and deal a fresh blow to the global economy. Oil prices eased but were still above $90 a barrel after surging last week. Before Hamas' attack, market sentiment had been driven by the global economy and the idea that the U.S. Federal Reserve was planning to keep rates higher for longer. European government bond yields rose after European Central Bank officials reiterated concerns about inflation.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Fiona Cincotta, Antony Blinken, Cincotta, Israel's shekel, Kyle Rodda, Rodda, Elizabeth Howcroft, Kevin Buckland, David Evans, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Israel's, U.S, Traders, Nasdaq, U.S . Federal Reserve, Treasury, European Central Bank, Capital.com, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Israel, Gaza, Iran, East, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, London, Tokyo

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency issuer Tether has frozen 32 crypto wallet addresses containing a combined $873,118 it said were linked to "terrorism and warfare" in Israel and Ukraine, the company said on Monday. Israeli police said last week they had frozen crypto accounts used to solicit donations for Hamas on social media. Tether said that it is committed to "working closely" with law enforcement agencies globally "to combat cryptocurrency-funded terrorism and warfare." Crypto has been widely used in Ukraine since Russia's invasion last year, with Kyiv raising over $100 million in crypto after appealing for donations. Pro-Russian groups have used crypto for funding in eastern Ukraine, blockchain researcher Chainalysis said last year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Crypto, Chainalysis, TRM, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, Mark Potter, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, TRM Labs, Israel's National Bureau for, Reuters, bitcoin, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Hamas, U.S

Last February, the State Department said that Hamas raises funds in other Gulf countries and gets donations from Palestinians, other expatriates and its own charities. Blockchain researchers TRM Labs said this week in a research note that crypto fundraising has previously increased following rounds of violence involving Hamas. However, since last weekend's violence, prominent Hamas-linked support groups had moved just a few thousands dollars through crypto, TRM noted. Between Dec. 2021 and April this year, Israel seized almost 190 crypto accounts it said were linked to Hamas. SHIPS AND SHELLSWhether through crypto or other means, Hamas' allies have found ways to get money to Gaza.

Persons: Matthew Levitt, Levitt, Tom Robinson, TRM, Israel, they've, Stephen Reimer, Saeed Azhar, Sinead Cruise, Tom Wilson, Tommy Wilkes, Andrew Mills, John O'Donnell, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: LONDON, Hamas, Barclays, Islamic Resistance Movement, State Department, Reuters, TRM Labs, The U.S . State Department, U.S . Treasury, UN, Qatari, Royal United Services Institute, Parisa, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Gaza, Israel, U.S, Iran, Qatar, United States, Britain, The, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Tehran, Islamic Republic, New York, London, Doha, Dubai

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