Decentralized finance (DeFi) wallet and browser extension MetaMask has partnered with three crypto-focused custodians as part of a broader effort to attract more institutional capital to the digital asset market. On Tuesday, the company announced new partnerships with BitGo, Qredo and Cactus Custody centered around MetaMask Institutional — a new product offering that gives institutional investors access to the large sums of collateral in the DeFi market. ConsenSys, the Ethereum developer behind MetaMask, introduced MetaMask Institutional in May. When asked about how MetaMask Institutional works alongside existing product functionalities, a spokesperson told Cointelegraph: “MetaMask Institutional provides the same functionality and …

Ethereum wallet and browser extension MetaMask achieved another major milestone in August, as its monthly active userbase topped 10 million for the first time, further highlighting the growing demand for DeFi assets. MetaMask credited a confluence of factors for its exponential growth, including the rapid adoption of Ethereum smart contract technology, the continued expansion of DeFi protocols and the successful launch of its token swap solution. The company also credited the nonfungible token boom for attracting more users to its technology. As Cointelegraph reported, MetaMask registered its one-millionth monthly active user in October 2020, up from 545,000 in July of …

The Ethereum (ETH) network continues to be a major driving force behind decentralized finance, or DeFi, signaling the continuation of a trend that began around mid-2020, according to a new quarterly DeFi report by ConsenSys. Toward the end of June 2021, 2.91 million unique Ethereum addresses interacted with at least one DeFi protocol, representing 65% growth from the previous quarter. “As community driven education, simple user interfaces, appealing yields and general awareness around DeFi best practices increased throughout the quarter, so too did the number of new addresses,” the report read. ConsenSys cautioned that non-custodial wallets like MetaMask make it …

Nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, are known by the mainstream as digital assets that represent real-world objects such as art, music and fashion, among others. Yet, while most of the world may be enamored by the high selling prices of NFTs launched by celebrities, athletes and other famous individuals, nonfungible tokens are starting to pique the interest of corporations for business use cases. Enterprises embracing NFTs was a point discussed during the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, or EEA, anniversary event that took place virtually on July 29, 2021. During a keynote session, entitled “The future of Ethereum and Web3,” Joe Lubin, CEO …

Canadian blockchain startup BlockCrushr has agreed to drop an intellectual property (IP) lawsuit against early backer, Ethereum-focused software engineering firm ConsenSys. The two firms filed a joint agreement to dismiss the case on Tuesday, with the deal’s terms prohibiting BlockCrushr from attempting to pursue the matter in the future. ConsenSys has characterized the agreement as a victory for its position, stating: “BlockCrushr has dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice after review of the evidence provided in discovery established that BlockCrushr's claims were entirely without merit.” ConsenSys’ lead counsel, Tibor Nagy, added: “This is an important and complete victory for ConsenSys and …

The central bank of South Korea has chosen a blockchain subsidiary of local internet giant Kakao as a technology provider for its digital currency pilots. Kakao’s Ground X won the Bank of Korea’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) tender, becoming the principal technology supplier for blockchain-based digital won simulations, local news agency Korea JoongAng Daily reported Tuesday. The central bank announced that Ground X will participate in the South Korean CBDC project in cooperation with United States-based blockchain company ConsenSys as well as other Kakao affiliates like KakaoBank and Kakao Pay. Focused on infrastructure and decentralized applications for the Ethereum …

The Chinese University of Hong Kong has partnered with Ethereum developer ConsenSys to launch the Medoxie COVID-19 Digital Health Passport. Blockchain-based, this new product could help healthcare workers combat the pandemic. The passport utilizes blockchain technology to record a patient’s COVID-19-related events — including test results, temperature checks and vaccinations — to provide a safe pathway to full economic reopening post-pandemic. Information held on the passport is said to be stored securely and privately. Initially, the digital passport will be accessed by medical professionals and academics within Hong Kong’s healthcare industry, paving the way for a new mobile app that …

Ethereum solutions provider ConsenSys has pledged support for a Uniswap governance proposal to set aside tokens for a new decentralized finance (DeFi) fund for political lobbying. The proposal was made on May 27 by the Harvard Law School Blockchain and FinTech Initiative for the creation of a fund that would finance existing and new political groups engaged in crypto policy-making and lobbying to defend DeFi against regulation. The Harvard Law BFI proposal cited concerns that governments around the world may try to regulate DeFi without proper education and suggested a fund of 1-1.5 million UNI. It ledged more than 10 …

Just as the cryptocurrency sector is constantly changing and evolving, the enterprise blockchain industry has been undergoing its fair share of developments lately. Most recently, enterprise blockchain solutions are shifting from private, closed networks to public, open systems. This has largely been made possible due to advances from the Ethereum network, which are ensuring better privacy, scalability, throughput and more for enterprise clients. A new industry analysis report demonstrates this shift, noting that the global blockchain technology market size is expected to reach $72 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 51.8% CAGR during the forecast period. Interestingly …

Microsoft is turning off its corporate Azure Blockchain Service on September 10 and will not accept any new deployments effective immediately, with no official explanation provided. Large corporate customers who use Azure Blockchain include J.P. Morgan, GE Aviation, Singapore Airlines, Starbucks, and Xbox according to its website. The announcement was made in a low key post on the Microsoft documentation site on Monday, informing all current customers to migrate to alternate services. ConsenSys Quorum Blockchain Service was the only suggestion and ConsenSys founder and CEO Joseph Lubin welcomed the Azure refugees: “Expanding our relationship with Microsoft helps organizations take advantage …

Vanessa Grellet, a five-year veteran of Ethereum software company ConsenSys, will be joining crypto investment group CoinFund as its new head of portfolio growth. In an announcement from CoinFund on Thursday, the investment group said Grellet would be responsible for guiding its portfolio of more than 50 companies and projects. The new head of portfolio growth will be aiming to “bridge the gap between the worlds of traditional companies and decentralized networks” by forming alliances between blockchain projects and protocols. “My team will serve as partners who support and guide founders and their teams during their journeys from early-stage to …

The European Central Bank will put itself in jeopardy if it waits around o a digital euro for too long, according to an executive at major cryptocurrency firm ConsenSys. ConsenSys South Africa lead Monica Singer joined the European Blockchain Convention to discuss the role of the private sector in shaping global central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs. She spoke of CBDC-powered benefits and opportunities in a Monday panel with BNP Paribas CIB digital transformation leader Dean Demellweek and Philipp Sandner, a professor at the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center. Singer — who served more than 18 years as CEO of South …