Circle Debuts Way to Trade BlackRock Tokenized Fund Shares for USDC

Hi NoRamp Community,

Daily News:

1) Coinbase UK Announces Apple Pay Integration

2) Space Combat Game Nova Frontier X Counts Down to NFT Launch

3) Circle Debuts Way to Trade BlackRock Tokenized Fund Shares for USDC

4) PayJoy’s $300M Biz Lets Users Use Smartphones as Loan Collateral

5) Pactio Raises $14M To Enhance Private Capital Workflows

Coinbase UK Announces Apple Pay Integration:

• Coinbase has integrated Apple Pay to make it easier for UK customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, enhancing accessibility to digital assets in the region.

• The UK, a key market for Coinbase, saw over $1.39 billion in cryptocurrency gains last year. The Apple Pay integration aims to further simplify transactions for UK residents.

• The launch comes amid a slowdown in crypto volumes, but Coinbase anticipates that the upcoming Bitcoin halving event on April 20 or 21 could boost the market. This event will halve the block reward for Bitcoin miners, potentially increasing Bitcoin's price.

Space Combat Game Nova Frontier X Counts Down to NFT Launch:

• Nova Frontier X, a new mobile game combining space combat and strategy, is set to launch with spaceship NFTs going on sale from April 16th. The game aims to deliver a cinematic experience with high-quality graphics for mobile gaming.

• Designed for both Web3 enthusiasts and newcomers, the game offers an easy entry with no mandatory crypto wallet setup. Players can enjoy the game with or without connecting their wallets.

• The game features a collection of 9,999 NFT spaceships, each with unique attributes, enhancing gameplay and providing a competitive edge. The NFTs will be available at a starting price of $200, with an early bird discount of 50%. With over 100,000 users on the waitlist, competition is expected to be fierce.

  

  Source: Blockworks

Circle Debuts Trading BlackRock Tokenized Fund Shares For USDC:

• BlackRock's tokenized fund holders can now transfer their shares to receive USDC stablecoin via new smart contract functionality on the secondary market, facilitated by stablecoin issuer Circle.

• BlackRock launched its BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) last month, allowing qualified investors to earn US dollar yields by subscribing to the fund through Securitize Markets, which specializes in tokenizing real-world assets.

• Tokenizing assets has gained popularity in traditional finance, with Circle's co-founder Jeremy Allaire highlighting that USDC enables investors to move out of tokenized assets quickly, reducing costs and friction. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sees tokenized securities as the future of markets, and the firm recently launched a successful spot bitcoin ETF, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).

PayJoy’s $300M Biz Lets Users Use Smartphones as Loan Collateral:

• Lerato Motloung, a supermarket worker in Johannesburg, South Africa, became the 10 millionth customer of San Francisco-based startup PayJoy, which offers lending to the underserved in emerging markets, enabling her to buy her first smartphone.

• PayJoy, a public benefit corporation since 2023, provides a fair and responsible entry point for individuals in emerging markets to enter the financial system by allowing them to purchase smartphones and pay in installments over 3 to 12 months, using the phones as collateral for the loan.

• The company, founded in 2015, has expanded to seven countries, providing over $2 billion of credit, and launched the PayJoy Card in Mexico in 2023 for customers who have successfully repaid their smartphone loans. Co-founder and CEO Doug Ricket was inspired by his experiences in the Peace Corps and the pay-as-you-go solar industry in West Africa.

Pactio Raises $14M To Enhance Private Capital Workflows:

• Pactio, a FinTech platform targeting the private capital market, has raised $14 million in a Series A funding round led by EQT Ventures, with participation from notable investors including former Stripe Europe CEO Matt Henderson and Volt founder Tom Greenwood.

• The platform aims to modernize the private capital market, projected to grow to $29 trillion in assets under management by 2040, by integrating advanced technology like AI to streamline the investment lifecycle from deal sourcing to exit.

• CEO Eric Heimark, with a background in both private equity and software engineering, emphasizes the need for digital transformation in the private markets industry to improve work quality, reduce risk, and expand ownership.

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