Welcome to the latest issue of the Cryptie. As the markets show promising trends, we've seen considerable activity in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies this month.This issue is packed with the latest updates from the cryptocurrency industry, merchant deals, giveaways, and the latest updates from BitPay.
Let's dive into this month's highlights.
In This Issue:
Industry News
Read news from across the blockchain industry:
- Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years for FTX Fraud: In a significant development in the cryptocurrency industry, Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding FTX customers of $8 billion, marking a pivotal moment in legal accountability for the sector.
- U.S. Authorities Handle $2 Billion in Seized Bitcoin: U.S. authorities have recently transferred $2 billion worth of seized Bitcoin, highlighting ongoing government involvement in cryptocurrency regulation.
- Ethereum Layer 2s Report Increase in Active Addresses: Recent data indicates a rise in active addresses on Ethereum Layer 2 networks, which suggests enhancements in network usage and scalability.
- BlackRock Allocates $100 Million to Bitcoin Mining: BlackRock has allocated $100 million to Bitcoin mining, indicating a significant investment in the cryptocurrency mining sector by the asset management firm.
- Vitalik Buterin Outlines Ethereum's Direction Post-DenCuN: Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin discusses the strategic direction of Ethereum following the DenCuN update, with a focus on enhancing scalability and security.
- Austin's Growth as a Cryptocurrency Hub: Austin, Texas, is emerging as a key player in the cryptocurrency and ETF markets, demonstrating significant growth in these financial sectors.
- Hong Kong Authorizes Spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs: Hong Kong's financial regulators have approved the first spot ETFs for Bitcoin and Ether, expanding investment options in the cryptocurrency market.
- Argentina Mandates Registry for Crypto Platforms: Argentina has introduced a mandatory registration policy for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency platforms, aiming to enhance regulatory oversight in the sector.
Mother's Day Giveaway: Enter to win $250 worth of crypto-powered gift cards
To help celebrate, we're giving away $250 in electronic gift cards to ten (10) lucky winners!
You can use this prize windfall to buy her flowers, shoes, clothing, dinner or whatever else her heart desires. Act fast! This giveaway ends 5/12.
This sweepstakes is open to the United States only. Don't forget to complete every action to unlock bonus entries.
→ Enter the gift card giveaway sweepstakes
Featured Crypto-powered Gift Cards for Teacher Appreciation Month
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Month, why not show your gratitude for the educators in your life with a thoughtful gift? Our selection of crypto-enabled gift cards makes it easy and meaningful to thank teachers for their dedication and hard work.
Merchant Deal: espresso Displays
There’s never been a more exciting time for investors in crypto. espresso Displays, the world’s best interactive display for a more productive workflow, wants to celebrate the halving this 4/20 by offering crypto spenders with something special. Select "Pay with BitPay" at checkout and use “BitPay420” to receive 10% off your espresso Displays order. Yes, they accept BitPay on all orders in the US!
Product Focus: Pay Bills with No Fees
Leave traditional bill payments in the past. Now through June 30th, use Bill Pay with zero fees. Pay off practically any bill with 100+ cryptocurrencies, including BTC, LTC, ETH, DOGE, and hundreds more.
- Credit cards
- Student loans
- Mortgages
- Utilities
- Car Payments
→ Get the app or sign up at BitPay.com to get started
Questions to Ask Your Payment Processor
Don’t risk partnering with the wrong crypto payments provider. Arm yourself with the right questions to ask when vetting potential partners.
Question #49: Do they offer you marketing support and collaboration?
Read the overview here or download our expanded guide of questions to help spot a reliable and trustworthy crypto partner.
Bitcoin Halving Countdown: Less than 1 Day Away
The Bitcoin halving is slated to take place sometime between April 19th and April 20th 2024. With the upcoming Bitcoin halving event, merchants have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the increased interest in Bitcoin spending. By accepting Bitcoin payments through BitPay, merchants can tap into a growing customer base and benefit from the potential surge in Bitcoin transactions. Don't miss out on this chance to stay ahead of the curve and sign up with BitPay today.
→ Learn what the halving means for investors and merchants
Word of the Month: Multi-chain Wallet
The crypto ecosystem, now featuring tens of thousands of cryptocurrencies and over 1,000 blockchains, presents a challenge in asset management due to the lack of cross-compatibility among different blockchain networks.
Multi-chain wallets offer a solution by allowing users to manage their cryptocurrency assets across multiple blockchains through a single interface, enhancing convenience, security, and access to a wider range of DeFi applications.
BitPay's multi-chain wallet simplifies the process of buying, storing, swapping, and spending cryptocurrencies across various blockchains, providing an all-in-one solution for users looking to streamline their crypto management.
→ Learn more about multi-chain wallets
Developer News
Major Releases
We have new major releases available with new language feature support, examples added to the codebase, exception alignment with the SDK, support for better custom loggers, and other general improvements to align with the API.
- PHP SDK v9.0.0 (link)
Magento 2.4.7 Support
We have released a new minor version of our PHP SDK v7.5.0 that adds support for PHP 8.2 and 8.3, and allows for symfony/yaml version 7 to be used. This is necessary to support Magento 2.4.7 which released on April 8, 2024. This version of the SDK no longer receives new features, and future versions of the Magento plugin will be updated to use a newer SDK version without support for PHP 7.4.
Upcoming
- Major Releases
- Node.js SDK v6.0.0
- C# SDK v6.0.0
- Patches with Dependency Updates
- Python SDK v6.0.2
- PHP SDK v9.0.1
- Plugins
- BitPay Checkout for WooCommerce Plugin v5.4.0
Merchant Shoutouts
Check out this month's merchant shoutouts:
- Shop APMEX’s silver and gold popular categories, including pop culture collectibles. Shop now!
- OneGold gives you direct ownership of vaulted gold, silver, and platinum at an ultra-low cost. Start your free account today.
- Buy a domain name with Namecheap today!
- Ready to start accepting crypto with your Shopify business? Get started today with the BitPay app!
- Instantly deploy high-performance cloud servers, cloud GPUs, bare metal, and cloud storage worldwide with Vultr. New users receive $100 to test their platform.
- Use BrandBucket to name your business.
- Shop US stores and have your items reliably shipped back home with Qwintry
