Plus, Goldman Sachs could partner with FTX
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 Coinbase has entered talks to acquire Turkey-based BtcTurk for $3.2B. The initial term sheet has been signed, and the deal has entered the due diligence process. More: - The deal could include a share swap.
- BtcTurk has over 4.5 million users with $200M in trading volume in the past 24 hours.
- The deal will help Coinbase expand its market presence internationally.
- Coinbase is hiring a country director in Turkey to lead "strategic partnerships" in the region.
- Last month, Brazilian media reported that Coinbase is to acquire 2TM, the region's largest crypto exchange.
- The details of the deal to buy 2TM, a company that is valued at $2.1B, could be announced by the end of April.
Coin Desk 
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 BitRiver, one of the largest crypto mining service providers to Russia, has been slapped with U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine war. The Swiss firm offers energy sources to miners across the world. More: - The ban is enforced because the International Monetary Fund warned that crypto mining could help countries like Russia and Iran bypass sanctions.
- As a result, the BitRiver mining facility, including its 10 Russia-based subsidiaries, will be hit with sanctions.
- These companies help Russia monetize its natural resources; however, the mining operators rely on fiat payments and imported hardware which will make them vulnerable to sanctions.
- According to IMF, 11% of the total $1.4B revenue from Bitcoin mining may have gone to Russian miners.
- With the effect on computing power, miners will have fewer options to mine crypto.
Bloomberg
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Claim your playbook
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 DeFi lending protocol MetaLend raised a $5M seed round led by Pantera Capital. The fresh funding will be used for product development, hiring, and marketing efforts. More: - The product is in beta expected to launch in Q2 2022. The company will provide financial services to the GameFi sector.
- The company aims to grow the play-to-earn gaming platform by offering NFT-backed loans.
- The protocol will allow users that own in-game NFTs to be used as collateral for loans.
- Pantera Capital Partner Paul Veradittakit said: "MetaLend allows NFTs to be utilized and leveraged in a new way that brings value to the entire play-to-earn ecosystem."
Decrypt
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Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives requested that the Environmental Protection Agency consider assessing the impacts of crypto mining operations. The statement read, "Cryptocurrency mining is poisoning our communities," and encouraged the agency to take action. More: - Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and other lawmakers wrote a letter to the EPA highlighting "serious concerns" on the environment as a result of mining operations.
- The lawmakers' concerns include efforts to reopen closed gas and coal power plants.
- Electronic waste from crypto mining is becoming a problem, as is "noise pollution" reported in communities in remote regions.
- The letter reads: “As cryptocurrency continues to gain popularity and demand more mining, we must ensure communities are not left with the toxic burdens associated with this technology.”
Coin Telegraph
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Afterparty raised $4M for the development of its NFT ticketing platform. Paris Hilton, Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff, Inside.com founder and CEO Jason Calacanis, and NBA star Andre Iguodala participated in the round. More: - Afterparty is an all-in-one event ticketer and previously hosted a music festival that was fully ticketed in NFTs.
- The tickets are called Utopians collection and are minted on Ethereum blockchain.
- The fresh funds will be used to launch a second NFT collection called the Guardians on the polygon blockchain and launch a NFT ticketing marketplace.
- The startup decided to create the second NFT collection using polygon in efforts to lower gas fees for users.
Decrypt
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Goldman Sachs is looking to partner with crypto exchange FTX. The executives met to discuss future funding rounds and IPO strategies. More: - Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of crypto exchange FTX, met Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon on a Caribbean island to discuss Goldman Sachs possibly taking a role in a potential FTX public offering. Solomon also offered advice on FTX's discussions with regulators.
- FTX has proposed to directly clear trades of its derivative customers. The proposal hearing with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission will take place on May 23.
- The partnership could potentially target crypto trades, setting market standards to buy and sell prices on assets.
Coindesk
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 |  | Gia Mattu is based in Calgary, Alberta. She is an entrepreneur with experience in climate technology, drones, AI, machine learning, and blockchain technology. When she's not working, she loves to hike the Canadian Rockies, try new cuisine, and travel. | | | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford. | |
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