Today in Crypto: Swiss Company Puts Excess Energy into Bitcoin Mining, Helix Reveals Pre-Launch Futures, TradFi Regulated Credit Union Unveils Crypto Portal, Wirex Introduces Dual-Mode Card

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.
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Adoption news

• Swiss, Lugano-based hospitality company Gabbani revealed a new project that combines sustainable energy practices with cryptocurrency mining and aims to harness the excess energy from Gabbani’s food production facilities for a state-of-the-art Bitcoin mining system. According to the press release, Gabbani is also unveiling “the Banettone,” a product designed to support Plan ₿, a joint initiative between the City of Lugano and Tether to accelerate the use of and leverage Bitcoin technology as the foundation to transform the city’s financial infrastructure. ACME, a Swiss company specializing in bitcoin mining and renewable energies, contributed to the initiative and has delivered a state-of-the-art, turnkey solution to Gabbani SA.

Investing news

• Helix, the decentralized orderbook exchange built on Injective, today launched Pre-Launch Futures, thus “democratizing access to highly anticipated assets,” said the press release. It will allow the decentralized trading of popular upcoming tokens prior to their official launch or listing on a public cryptocurrency exchange. The first Pre-Launch Futures market available on Helix will feature Celestia (TIA), which is speculated to launch its token on major exchanges within the coming weeks.
• Traditional, federally regulated credit union WeStreet Credit Union announced that its Crypto Portal for users to buy, sell, and hold their digital currency is now available to the public, after it was launched in August as an exclusive members-only feature. According to the press release, a variety of the most popular and highly circulated coins are available for purchase on the platform, including bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum, litecoin, and stellar, with avalanche and chainlink to be added in late October. WeStreet partnered with a Qualified Crypto Custodian, which is a Trust company, providing users with a way to manage crypto through their online banking app. It also undergoes financial and technology audits to ensure users’ digital assets are protected, the announcement said.

Exchange news

• Provider of crypto asset data and research Digital Asset Research (DAR) released its October 2023 Crypto Spot Exchange Vetting results, stating that over 500 centralized spot exchanges were evaluated to identify 19 Vetted Spot Exchanges. Luno was added as new Vetted Spot Exchange, while the following exchanges continue to be Vetted Spot Exchanges: Bit.com, Bitbank, Bitfinex, bitFlyer, BitMEX, Bitstamp, Bittrex, Bitvavo, Bybit, CEX.IO, Coinbase, Coincheck, Gemini, GMO Coin Co., itBit, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and One Trading. 

Payments news

• Crypto payments platform Wirex introduced the Wirex Dual-Mode Card, a solution that “merges the reliability of traditional financial systems with the transformative potential of decentralised finance (DeFi).” According to the press release, the Wirex Dual-Mode Card offers users flexibility and control over their financial assets, providing two distinct modes. In Debit Mode, the card operates like a traditional debit card, supporting transactions in both fiat currencies and stablecoins. In Credit Mode, the card utilizes crypto holdings as collateral through a Collateral Debt Position (CDP) and leverages DeFi protocols for decentralized lending and borrowing.

Blockchain news

• One of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms, Ernst & Young (EY), announced the fourth generation of EY Blockchain Analyzer: Reconciler, which supports organizations’ needs to derive wallet addresses and query on-chain data from an independent third party to augment internal risk management, the press release said. Fidelity Digital AssetsSM, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments dedicated to building products and services that help institutions adopt digital assets, is the first enterprise to use the web-based analytics tool, which is available through EY Blockchain’s SaaS platform. The tool also provides the ability to showcase analytical dashboards to identify matches and mismatches in transactions, wallet address balances, and digital signatures, the company said.