Bank of America, JP Morgan Ban Credit Crypto Purchases
Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase will reportedly no longer enable customers to purchase Bitcoin with credit cards starting in February, reports say. Revealed in the 2nd of February, in a Bloomberg report, JPMorgan is expected to start this ban due to concerns about the credit risk of those who make purchases through their cards. The Bank of America ban is limited to credit cards, and will not impact customers who wish to purchase cryptocurrencies using debit or ATM cards, according to the news source.
Bloomberg further reported that the Bank of America cited anti-money laundering regulations for the move, as well as the potential for thieves to convert stolen credit cards into cryptocurrency stashes. Like JPMorgan, Bank of America is also concerned with the idea customers can purchase more cryptocurrency than they can afford. Other banks have purportedly moved to increase charges for crypto transactions in recent weeks.
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Vitalik Buterin Donates $2.4 Million In Ether To Anti-Aging Research
The SENS Research Foundation, a charity funding research for treating-age related diseases, has received a $2.4 million Ether donation from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, according to a press release on the charity’s website Friday, Feb. 1. The foundation was co-founded in 2009 by Aubrey de Grey, a gerontologist who is researching rejuvenation therapies to extend people’s biological ages, hoping to permit humans to live much longer than ever before. Buterin, who is quoted in the press release as a “fan of Aubrey’s work since [he] first read Ending Aging [Grey’s book] as a teenager”. Buterin stated:
“I am happy to have been blessed with the opportunity to personally support SENS's efforts. Their focus on creating solutions to the diseases of ageing, one of the greatest problems facing humanity, is very much in line with my goal to positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world.”
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UNICEF Asks Gamers to Mine Cryptocurrency for Syrian Children
On February 2nd, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched a new fundraising program meant to help finance the needs of protecting Syrian kids. Called Gamer Chaingers, it uses cryptocurrency mining as a method to raise funds without asking for monitory donations. People who wish to participate in the innovative UNICEF program can visit its website, download the mining software and receive simple instructions on how to operate it. The website explains:
“Today, humanitarian collections often solicit the same people with the same methods, but cryptocurrencies and their revolutionary approach are an opportunity to raise funds differently. Have you heard of Bitcoin? Ethereum is the same, except that you can more easily ‘mine’ the Ethereum coins via your computer and that money will go directly into the UNICEF wallet.”
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