Today in Crypto: Blockchain Australia gets new CEO
The board of Blockchain Australia has announced Laura Mercurio as its new CEO, a press release states.
The change will take place from and including 12 September this year. Blockchain Australia is the Australian body, representing Australian businesses and business professionals working in the digital economy with blockchain.
Blockchain Australia says it is entering “a period of significant regulatory and policy consultation that will shape the regulatory future of digital assets in Australia,” which Mercurio will help them through.
“With the rapid adoption of Blockchain and cryptoassets, there are opportunities ahead for this technology to fundamentally transform how the industry solves everyday problems,” said Mercurio. “I look forward to advancing the innovation ecosystem and working closely with members, industry, government and regulatory bodies to deliver digital solutions.”
Her previous experience includes working with a number of global investment banks such as BlackRock, Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank, alongside FinTechs and regulatory bodies.
In other news, bankrupt lender Celsius Network may have hidden its financial problems from investors, engaging in “wrongful manipulation” of the price of its platform’s tokens to boost its own balance sheet, a court archiving so.
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation filed the application in support of a motion by the US Trustee to appoint an independent examiner. Bloomberg wrote that the trustee handling the bankruptcy case has said it is looking to bring in an examiner to help clear up “confusion and anxiety” with additional information.
The new filing shows that Celsius posted “massive losses” in the first seven months of 2021, which included “two significant adverse events” in June and July of that year. The company allegedly kept those losses from investors despite federal laws to disclose its financial statements.
The company may also have allegedly manipulated the price of the CEL token, which could have “artificially inflated” the CEL holdings on the balance sheet. The filing says the company did not earn enough revenue to support the returns paid to investors.
Celsius did not respond to a request for comment from PYMNTS.
Meanwhile, Palazzo Versace Dubai, a hotel and resort completed in the Culture Village at Dubai Creek in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is now accepting cryptocurrency payments for dining, lodging and spa experiences, according to a press release on Wednesday (September 7). release.
Guests now have the option to pay in crypto for room stays, restaurants, meetings and events. Palazzo Versace Dubai will also accept cryptocurrency payments on its e-commerce platforms, including gift cards and flower shops.
The luxury property is teaming up with the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance to offer people the ability to pay with cryptocurrencies such as BNB, bitcoin and ethereum.
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