The total value of mergers and acquisitions in the cryptocurrency industry jumped nearly 5,000% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Companies struck M&A deals more than three times the size of those in 2020.

The Chief Product Officer of Google-owned video-sharing platform YouTube, Neal Mohan, has published a blog post on new products and features being worked on this year, citing an interest in blockchain technology, non-fungible tokens, and Web 3.0.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has invested  $200 million in 105-year-old media brand Forbes, which said the deal will help make it a leader in supplying information about digital assets and advance its plans to become a publicly listed company.

CryptoCompare's Digital Asset Summit is returning on 30th March at Old Billingsgate, London. As Europe's flagship institutional summit for digital assets, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with key industry decision-makers and leading names in finance who are adopting and embracing the digital asset revolution.

Top stories in the Crypto Roundup today:

• Crypto M&A Values Went up 5,000% in 2021
• YouTube Eyes ‘Incredible Potential’ of NFTs and Web 3.0
• Binance Invests $200 Million in Forbes
• Crypto Market Movers – KNC, CRO, PRO
• CCDAS Summit - Early Bird Tickets Ending Soon!

Crypto M&A Values Went up 5,000% in 2021

The total value of mergers and acquisitions in the cryptocurrency industry jumped nearly 5,000% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Companies struck M&A deals more than three times the size of those in 2020.

According to a report from one of the biggest accounting firms in the U.S., PwC, the average size of a merger or acquisition in the sector jumped to about $180 million last year, compared to an average of about $52 million in 2020.

The report details around 51% of those deals took place in the Americas, with one of the biggest deals of last year including crypto asset manager Galaxy Digital acquiring cryptoasset trust and security company BitGo for $1.2 billion.

Coinbase was a major buyer last year, buying up cryptocurrency wallet company BRD and Israel-based Unbound Security, among others.

YouTube Eyes ‘Incredible Potential’ of NFTs and Web 3.0

The Chief Product Officer of Google-owned video-sharing platform YouTube, Neal Mohan, has published a blog post on new products and features being worked on this year, citing an interest in blockchain technology, non-fungible tokens, and Web 3.0.

In the post, Mohan mentioned some of the new features YouTube is planning on rolling out for creators this year, including a version of TikToks called YouTube Shorts. Mohan hinted at future Web 3. Integrations, noting NFTs can “allow creators to build deeper relationships with their fans” and further monetize their content on the platform.

Mohan exemplified how NFTs could be used on the platform, by giving “a verifiable way for fans to own unique videos, photos, art, and even experiences from their favorite creators could be a compelling prospect.” Mohan added:

“There’s a lot to consider in making sure we approach these new technologies responsibly, but we think there’s incredible potential as well.”

YouTube CEO Susan Wojicki has last month also hinted that the platform is looking to expand to add Web 3.0 features.

Binance Invests $200 Million in Forbes

The total value of mergers and acquisitions in the cryptocurrency industry jumped nearly 5,000% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Companies struck M&A deals more than three times the size of those in 2020.

In a statement announcing the investment Binance founder Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao said he saw media as an “essential element to build widespread consumer understanding and education” of the cryptocurrency market.

On social media, CZ said Forbes’ editorial independence is “sacrosanct.” The CEO has also said his firm was eyeing investments in other traditional companies as it looks to advance blockchain adoption.

Forbes is looking to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange via a merger with Magnum Opus, a firm established to buy companies looking to do so. The deal valued Forbes at roughly $630 million, and is set to come with $400 million from other partners. Binance is now behind half that amount.

Notably, Binance sued Forbes in 2020 for defamation but dropped the case later.

Crypto Market Movers – KNC, CRO, PRO

Several tokens are leading the charge in the last 7-day period. Some of these are well-known cryptocurrencies with more liquid trading pairs, so we’ll be focusing on these over low-cap cryptos that may have higher percentage changes.

Kyber Network (KNC) - Kyber Network is an on-chain protocol which allows instant exchange and conversion of digital assets (e.g. crypto tokens) and cryptocurrencies (e.g. Ether, Bitcoin, ZCash) with high liquidity.

Crypto.com Coin (CRO) ­ Crypto.com Coin (CRO) is the native token of the Crypto.com Chain and the Cronos network. The Crypto.com Chain was created to build a network of cryptocurrency projects, and develop merchants’ ability to accept crypto as a form of payment. Cronos is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible chain.

Propy (PRO) – PRO is an ERC-2 tokens that powers Propy, a platform for international real estate transactions. PRO is used to pay for platform fees such as modifying and creating title and deed contracts.

CCDAS Summit - Early Bird Tickets Ending Soon!

CryptoCompare's Digital Asset Summit is returning on 30th March at Old Billingsgate, London. As Europe's flagship institutional summit for digital assets, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with key industry decision-makers and leading names in finance who are adopting and embracing the digital asset revolution.

There is now less than 1 week left to secure your Early Bird tickets for the summit! Check out the Summit website now to save over 20% with an Early Bird ticket. 

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