Everyone’s getting in on the blockchain act, it seems. Oscar NFTs, ill-gotten Bitcoins, mining-by-dinosaur and cosmetic crypto payments are all muscling into the headlines.
Here’s our pick of the best recent crypto news stories from around the web.
-
And the winner is . . . NFTs!
This year’s Oscar nominees have been treated to special NFT gifts in their ceremonial showbags—all in the name of charity.
Celebrities nominated as best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress and best director were each due three non-fungible tokens, minted with nominee names.
Category winners were also gifted an extra NFT auctioned off on Rarible. Some or all proceeds can go to a charity they choose.
Late actor Chadwick Boseman—King T’Challa in 2018’s Black Panther, and nominated this year for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom—features in a special 3D animation created by Andre O’Shea, with proceeds earmarked for the Colon Cancer Foundation.
-
Hand over your Bitcoin—it’s a bust
Crime might not pay, but law enforcement authorities have cashed in bigtime on a recent drug bust.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey struck crypto gold when recovering the proceeds of a narcotics distribution raid. Surprised officers discovered 39-year-old Giddel Gonzalez-Estrada had stashed away US$57,000 in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, along with the usual vehicles and drugs.
That was back in 2018. Seized and frozen, the crypto stash is now worth a hefty US $198,000. The ill-gotten gains will probably be spent on training, community programs and equipment upgrades.
It’s also a warning for criminals. Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni dubs it “an effective template for the state law enforcement agencies in the cryptocurrency market—a place where we can expect proceeds from crimes to continue to be concealed.”
-
Mining crypto the old-fashioned way
It’s an oldie but a goodie. An earnest YouTuber called 8-Bit Show and Tell has proved it’s possible to mine Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies using a trusty old Commodore 64 home computer, circa 1980s.
Perhaps there’s hope for us all. While we’re definitely not advocating law breaking, it does shine a light for those of us struggling to keep up with the latest high-tech wizardry in the meta world.
While mining can be done, however, it won’t turn a profit. That’s because mining uses an enormous amount of electricity, even using the latest energy-efficient technology.
With a dinosaur system like the Commodore, GameRant calculates a likely monthly deficit of close to $3.50. Ah well, it was a nice idea!
-
Leading plastic surgeon offers crypto discretion
A top Canadian cosmetic surgeon is embracing cryptocurrency payments, to protect the privacy of his high-income clients.
Dr Martin Jugenburg specialises in acing it. As the first in Canada to use social media to increase patient engagement and education, he’s apparently now the first Canadian plastic surgeon to accept cryptocurrency for his entire range of products and services.
Many of Dr Jugenburg’s clients from the Middle East demand absolute secrecy for their procedures. Some of the sensitive surgery they require—labiaplasties and hymen reconstruction, for instance—are a no-no in their own cultures. Complete discretion is needed—and the blockchain delivers.
It just gets better all the time!
