Today in Crypto: 11 Former Revolut, Spotify, and Coinbase Leaders Unveil Zeal Wallet, Ondo Finance Launches Tokenized US Treasury Product on Injective

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Sead Fadilpašić

Journalist

Sead Fadilpašić

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Sead specializes in writing factual and informative articles to help the public navigate the ever-changing world of crypto. He has extensive experience in the blockchain industry, where he has served...

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Last updated:

January 5, 2024 11:40 EST

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Wallet news

• The team consisting of 11 former Product and Engineering leaders from Revolut, Spotify, and Coinbase aim to tackle major issues such as lack of security, poor user experience, and high transaction fees – which prevent wider crypto adoption – with their project Zeal, a digital wallet with advanced security checks and zero-fee bank transfers. Per the press release, the goal with Zeal is to set the new standard in wallet user experience when managing crypto or interacting with Web3 and decentralized finance applications (dapps). It solves the security problem with advanced security checks and previews for Web3 transactions that keep people safe from scams and hacks, the team said. It’s also bringing to market the “world-first” bank transfers that let users transfer the USDC stablecoin from Polygon to their bank account for free. “This is an important stepping stone for people to start thinking of their wallets as part of their finance stack,” it said. Zeal wallet is in development with invite-only access. The team is onboarding early “zealots” to try the product ahead of its wider release in Q1 2024.
• Web3 studio Cometh released its biometric smart wallet Cometh Connect. It said that, with Web2 users in mind, it created a Web3 onboarding tool to remove known barriers when interacting with blockchain technology “to push the next big wave of Web3 users.” Per the announcement, the Account Abstraction-as-a-Service (AAaS) allows users to seamlessly create and manage smart wallets using just their biometrics, whether FaceID or fingerprint, to mint an NFT. Furthermore, blockchain apps and games will be able to sponsor crypto gas fees for its users. The recent ETHCC event saw the deployment of 1,000 smart wallets through Cometh, it said, while the collaboration with cryptographers from the wallet maker Ledger helped Cometh Connect to be user-friendly and secure.

Investment news

• Tokenized secure note issuer Ondo Finance launched its tokenized US Treasury product on Injective, a blockchain for Web3 finance applications. The press release said that “not only is this the first tokenized treasury on Injective, but it is also the first interoperable tokenized treasury offering in crypto.” The implementation will also be the first time users across the Cosmos ecosystem can access tokenized treasuries. Previously, the USD Yield (USDY), a tokenized note secured by US Treasuries and bank deposits, was only available on Ethereum, but the token will now work across Ethereum and Injective, allowing users on Ethereum to onboard onto Injective and earn yield on tokenized treasuries. The use of treasuries is rapidly growing as their yields have surpassed the rates offered across popular DeFi lending markets today, the company added.
• Digital asset and fintech investment business Fineqia International announced its strategic investment in Criptonite Asset Management SA, a digital asset management firm regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). Terms of the investment are confidential. According to the press release, through this investment, Fineqia gains access to Criptonite’s suite of investment products tailored to meet the diverse needs of investors. The company’s decision to invest in Criptonite aligns with its mission to diversify its portfolio in the digital assets industry, it said. Fineqia’s investment sum represents less than 3% of its market capitalization. The company intends to include this investment in its formative Glass Ventures fund, as announced in May 2023.

Gaming news

• Crypto gaming platform READYgg and Aptos Labs announced a partnership, stating that up to 15 million Web2 gamers will migrate to Web3 and the Aptos blockchain. According to the press release, players can now be whitelisted for early access to the new releases launching on December 6. READYgg has signed over 20 major Web2 publishers, representing a library of 2,000 games played by over 200 million monthly active users, it said. Four of these publishers will operate on Aptos by the end of 2023, “with a minimum of a dozen more to follow next year.” Titles will include Runestone Keeper, Rescue Robots Sniper Survival, Minijuegos, and ToroFun. All these titles will feature Web3 elements, such as NFTs, while Minijuegos and ToroFun will also have a novel NFT-based loyalty system. Additionally, publishers joining the READYgg / Aptos ecosystem will gain access to potential funding or grants through the READYgg RDYX token (aka The Gamer’s Token), as well as predictable Aptos usage fees.

Exchange news

• African crypto exchange VALR launched perpetual futures trading, featuring bitcoin and tether perpetual futures paired against the South African Rand. Per the announcement, BTC/ZAR, USDT/ZAR, and BTC/USDT perpetual futures pairs will join VALR’s Pro Trading exchange, alongside several spot and spot margin trading pairs, which have seen a cumulative trading volume of over $12.1 billion to date. The exchange will initially allow up to 5x leverage across all perpetual markets, and for the initial phase, perpetual futures trading will be exclusively available on VALR.com, with mobile app support coming soon.

Security news

• Crypto payments infrastructure firm MoonPay announced that it is now ISO 27001 certified. This is one the most widely known and internationally recognized standards for information security management, often called the gold standard for information security, it said. As part of the ISO/IEC 27000 family of standards, ISO 27001 was designed to help organizations minimize information security risks. Per the announcement, “by adopting ISO’s security framework, MoonPay will continue to provide industry-leading payments solutions while upholding the highest standards in risk management, operational excellence, and the protection of customer data.”