Altcoin News by Thebittimes.Com

On Monday, December 4, Brazil’s largest lender, Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA), introduced a cryptocurrency trading service for clients on its investment platform , joining other local players in the digital asset exchange market. Initially, Itau’s latest offering will facilitate the trading of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), the two most prominent cryptocurrencies. However, according to Guto Antunes, the Head of Digital Assets, the bank plans to incorporate additional cryptocurrencies in the future, per an interview given to Reuters on December 4. “It starts with Bitcoin, but our overarching strategic plan is to expand to other crypto assets in the future,” he said, stating that future expansions depend on the judicial regulations in Brazil. This step positions Itau to enter the competitive landscape in Brazil, pitting it against local players such as crypto exchange MB, investment bank BTG Pactual’s digital assets unit Mynt, and global giants like Bina...

Animoca Brands invests in Telegram’s TON blockchain protocol and becomes its largest validator as it eyes GameFi development on the platform. Web3 investment firm Animoca Brands is set to become the largest validator of Telegram’s TON (The Open Network) blockchain and plans to deliver blockchain -based games to the messaging app’s 800 million strong user base. An announcement shared with Cointelegraph outlined how the partnership will involve the provision of funding, research, and an analytics platform for third-party TON ecosystem applications.  The value of Animoca’s investment was not disclosed at the time of publishing, but part of the investment is understood to have been made directly into Toncoin, which has been staked as part of the validator agreement. Related: Animoca still bullish on blockchain games, awaits license for metaverse fund Animoca has carried out extensive market research on TON’s wider ecosystem focused on the platform’s ability to drive cryptocurrency and...