Ethereum Watch

OKCoin Launches U.S. Dollar-to-Crypto Deposits and Withdrawals in California

Following a similar launch by Huobi last month, OKCoin today enabled U.S. dollar deposits and withdrawals on their website. According to an article at Coindesk, the option is currently limited to investors in California, unlike Huobi’s service, which is available in all 50 states. However, OKCoin has plans to moves past this limitation when possible. OKCoin has opened USD pairs with BTC, BCH, LTC, ETH, and ETC.

U.S. House of Representatives Committee Set to Hear about Digital Currency, the “Future of Money”

A hearing in the House Financial Services committee has been announced for next Wednesday (July 18, 2018) at 2:00 PM (14:00) EST.

The session will live-streamed on the committee’s website.

The title, “The Future of Money: Digital Currency,” stands in contrast to sessions in the past, which have focused on money laundering and various kinds of fraud.

Binance Backs Decentralized Bank in Malta

Legally binding equity tokens will be issued by Founders Bank in Malta, making the bank quite possibly the first decentralized blockchain bank in the world. According to Bloomberg, Binance has acquired a 5% stake. Other investors have also participated, in a deal giving the bank a 133 million-euro ($155 million) valuation. The bank is partnering with Neufund for fundraising and hopes to receive a license from Malta to officially operate.

Malta is quickly becoming well known as a haven for cryptocurrency companies. Just two weeks ago, Malta passed several pro-cryptocurrency bills, and the MSX Fintech Accelerator, also backed by Binance, is setting up shop in the country — which itself recently began moving into Malta.