Leaving Libra?

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October 2, 2019 UNIVERSAL TOOLS: Ripple’s Xpring is launching a platform allowing developers to integrate fiat and cryptocurrency payments into any application. The suite includes an Xpring software development kit (SDK) that enables programmers to integrate XRP apps in multiple programming languages. It also includes a variety of new tools for working on both XRP and Ripple’s Interledger Protocol (ILP). Xpring is targeting crypto and non-crypto developers alike with the platform, the firm’s senior vice president Ethan Beard told CoinDesk. Full story COLD FEET? Major Libra backers Visa and Mastercard are second-guessing their participation in the Facebook-led digital payments project, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Against a global regulatory blasting of the proposed cryptocurrency, the financial giants and unnamed other companies are balking at Facebook’s call for a unified front. The Journal says few companies want to boost the project publicly, leaving Facebook to defend Libra by itself. David Marcus, who co-created Libra, defended the crypto project on Twitter and said “commitment to the mission is more important than anything else.” Full story COIN WOES: In a little more two weeks, Hedera Hashgraph’s HBAR cryptocurrency has dipped from a high of $0.36 cents to around $0.03, as of press time. The blockchain-like network’s CEO now says he will re-evaluate the token’s economic model and potentially change HBAR’s distribution schedule to give the company time to reassess. “We are thrilled with the technical performance of our platform,” Hedera Hashgraph wrote in an amendment that was shared in the network’s Telegram channel on Monday. “We also believe that there may be an opportunity to make improvements to Hedera’s coin model.” Full story BANK BACKERS: Binance and Polychain Capital are among the backers of the crypto-friendly Founders Bank, scheduled to open in Malta next year. Co-founder Paula Pandolfino said the bank raised $10 million so far and is looking to raise $30 million more. “Crypto will take over the world, and we need full banking services,” she told CoinDesk. “We want to be that pillar of banking for the ecosystem to support how it gets done.” Full story TOKEN INVESTMENT: Pantera Capital led a $5 million seed round in a protocol built to put financial middlemen out of business. The Vega Protocol will enable people anywhere in the world to spin up markets for derivatives (futures, swaps, options, etc.) that can interact with each other and abide by relevant regulations. Other key investors included Ripple’s Xpring, Hashed and KR1. Participants purchased an as-yet-unnamed ERC-20 token that will power staking and governance services on the blockchain, according to Vega CEO Barney Mannerings. Full story POOR START: October hasn’t kicked off well for traders looking to capture the rebound to $8,511 on Tuesday, as prices were swiftly rejected back below $8,300 in the Asian trading hours this morning. The top crypto is currently changing hands at $8,240, representing a 1.5-percent decline over the last 24 hours. Further price drops are likely, should the bulls fail to push BTC back over previous resistance at $9,400. Full story SAXONY'S SURPRISE: A German state was surprised to learn that bitcoin it seized from criminals has increased nearly 58 percent in value, reports the German news site Heise Online. The State of Lower Saxony confiscated €410,000 in bitcoin from criminals accused of cyber blackmail and ransomware attacks, but instead of auctioning the stockpile, they decided to hold it. Now, the crypto is currently valued at about €650,000, according to the Ministry of Justice in Hanover. Attorney Frank Lange from the public prosecutor’s office said the state plans to use the cryptocurrency for public welfare purposes and that it may start holding periodic auctions of the stash.  WHO WON #CRYPTOTWITTER   Copyright © 2019 CoinDesk, All rights reserved.  Our mailing address is:  250 Park Avenue South New York, NY, 10003, US  Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list