Bitcoin

eToro to buy Gatsby, a trading startup, amid US expansion plans

eToro will acquire the US-based startup for $50 million in a cash and common stock deal. The deal is part of eToro’s plans to expand into the US market, where Robinhood remains one of the main competitors. Gatsby launched in 2018. eToro, a leading online brokerage platform, is set to complete the acquisition of fintech…

eToro will acquire the US-based startup for $50 million in a cash and common stock deal.
The deal is part of eToro’s plans to expand into the US market, where Robinhood remains one of the main competitors.
Gatsby launched in 2018.

eToro, a leading online brokerage platform, is set to complete the acquisition of fintech startup Gatsby following approval by US regulator The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), TechCrunch reported on Wednesday.

According to the publication, the social investing giant will acquire the US-based platform for $50 million in a deal that will be settled in cash and common stock.

eToro’s brand continues to grow

The eToro-Gatsby deal was first mooted in December 2021, with eToro eyeing the FINRA approval as part of a larger goal of expanding into the US market.

The acquisition adds to eToro’s other major deals since 2019, with Gatsby now joining the growing brand that counts deals for investment tracker Delta, blockchain platform eToro Labs (formerly Firmo), and UK-based e-money firm Marq Millions Ltd.

Gatsby, founded in 2018, is key to eToro’s expansion efforts with its commission-free trading for options and stocks.

The takeover is crucial to attracting younger investors. Robinhood, a leading platform for trading in the zero-commission market, is also one eToro’s major competitors with a presence in the US.

Bitcoin

BitcoinOS Launches Charms: Metaprotocol for Programmable Tokens on Bitcoin and UTXO Blockchains

BitcoinOS (BOS) has announced the launch of Charms, a groundbreaking metaprotocol designed to enable native, programmable tokens on Bitcoin and other UTXO blockchains without the need for bridges or custodians. This new protocol allows developers to create decentralized applications and smart assets directly on Bitcoin, facilitating seamless token transfers across UTXO-based chains such as Cardano…
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Bitcoin

qBTC to Release Open-Source Quantum-Safe PoW Bitcoin Side Chain, Adds Jameson Lopp as Advisor

This content is provided by a sponsor. LAS VEGAS, May 23, 2025 – Quantum Safe Technologies Corp, the research collective building qBTC, the world’s first quantum-safe sidechain for Bitcoin, today announced it will publish the full source code of its proof-of work- side chain protocol during the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas…
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Bitcoin

Report: Trump administration wants USAID to adopt blockchain technology

USAID will change its name to the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) By using blockchain technology, it will “radically increase security, transparency, and traceability” The revamp comes after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut USAID numbers from 10,000 to just under 300 in early February The Trump administration reportedly wants its…

Mavryk Dynamics raises $5M to build its RWA L1 blockchain network

USAID will change its name to the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA)
By using blockchain technology, it will “radically increase security, transparency, and traceability”
The revamp comes after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut USAID numbers from 10,000 to just under 300 in early February

The Trump administration reportedly wants its United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to “leverage blockchain technology” as it works on renaming the organization.

According to a report from WIRED, a government memo has been circulating among State Department officials detailing plans for USAID. In the 13-page document – first reported on by Politico – it states that as part of the revamp, USAID will change its name to US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA).

The memo also suggests “leveraging blockchain technology” which will “radically increase security, transparency, and traceability.”

It adds: “This approach would encourage innovation and efficiency among implementing partners and allow for more flexible and responsive programming focused on tangible impact rather than simply completing activities and inputs.”

USAID staffers on leave

Since US President Donald Trump re-entered the White House, significant changes have been made to organizations in the US. One of which is USAID.

In early February, USAID staff were put on administrative leave “with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions,” according to a government notice.

Following the implementation of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), staff numbers at USAID have been cut from 10,000 to just under 300.

In a post on X in February, Musk wrote: “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.”

USAID is a criminal organization.

Time for it to die. https://t.co/sWYy6fyt1k

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025

Blockchain in humanitarian efforts

The use of blockchain in humanitarian efforts has been used before with many seeing the potential is can bring. In 2020, UNICEF invested around 135 Ethereum – about $30,000 at the time – into eight companies from seven developing countries to assist in developing prototypes and to scale their projects.

Financial services company AID:Tech turned to the payment rails of stablecoin issuer Circle to provide fraud-resistant disaster relief delivery in USDC in 2021. By doing so, they wanted to reduce inequality and increase opportunities by bringing accountability and transparency to the distribution of federal relief.

Realizing the benefits of blockchain technology, AID:Tech was the first company to use the technology to deliver international aid in 2015.