Find out how New York startup Blockparty is changing the art and collectibles world through a unique combination of blockchain technology, NFTs, and traditional art world expertise.

Simona talks with Blockparty CEO, Vladislav Ginzburg, about the platform’s recent launch, which saw digital art from Madsteez, Ryan Keeley, and Harif Guzman sell-out, and what we can expect in the future.

Check out Blockparty at https://blockparty.co/

Right now, people just like you and I, are risking everything to fight against a brutal totalitarian dictatorship right here in Europe. 

Of course, I’m talking about events in Belarus. 

Europe’s last dictatorship

The Republic of Belarus is home to almost 9.5 million people, and borders the EU nations of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia to the west, Ukraine to the south, and Russia to the east. For decades it has been under the leadership of dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who ensured it remained a close ally of Russia and its people lived in fear of the authorities. 

But, the Belarusian people have had enough. After an obviously rigged election earlier this month, in which Lukashenko claimed an ‘overwhelming victory’, and opposition leaders were forced to flee the country, hundreds of thousands of normal people took to the streets of Minsk and other cities to demand their dictator steps down. 

They have remained there since, and the crowds have only grown. Among them are many from the gaming and tech communities and industries – people we here at AYO.NEWS know and value as clients and friends.

In addition to the many mainstream media reports of a brutal crackdown by authorities, we have received first-hand accounts, from contacts in Belarus, of people being arbitrarily arrested and tortured in infamous jails like Okrestina in Minsk, and other facilities in Gomel. 

People just like you and I

One of the biggest strengths of the industries we cover here at AYO.NEWS is their international nature. Many of you reading this will be sitting in offices alongside people from all over the world, and will regularly be working with people scattered all over the planet. So, right now, it is important to remember that there are people just like us who are risking their lives on the streets of Belarus to fight for positive change – and there are people just like us who are being detained and tortured simply for demanding the freedoms we take for granted.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis distracting the west, it is clear the Belarusian uprising is not getting the press coverage it deserves, and we urge all of you to stand with our Belarusian friends to make sure Lukashenko and his cronies don’t get away with what they are doing.

The Belarusian people need to know the world is watching, and that they have not been forgotten. Please share this story and do what you can to highlight and expose what is happening in a European country in the year 2020.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

With Bitcoin (BTC) breaking the $12K barrier yesterday, and the world’s problems mounting by the hour, what can we expect from the “mothership” of cryptocurrencies?

2020 has been quite a year so far, to say the least, and its now clear the COVID-19 lockdown-induced global economic crisis is combining with social unrest in the US, growing geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, Middle East, and Eastern Europe, and a host of environmental calamities, to form something of a perfect storm. 

Indeed, many are predicting that the current mix of crises will create an unstoppable “death spiral” for the traditional economy, as the effects of one crisis compound the effects of another, and so on.

The social economic death spiral of the traditional system

For example, in major western cities, the lockdowns prompted anyone who could to work from home. Now that lockdowns have been lifted, at least partially, people simply aren’t willing to return to expensive, time consuming, and polluting commuting, and companies have learnt they can trust their staff to be more productive remotely. 

While this initially seems like great news for workers, it is triggering a collapse in the service, retail, transport, and commercial property sectors. This is then triggering mass unemployment, which will mean higher public spending, lower consumer spending, and very likely, mass homelessness, crime and unrest. 

The same kind of compounding or death cycle can be observed across a myriad of industries and sectors right now. 

Of course, what makes this different to any previous economic crisis in recorded history, is the fact that it is happening everywhere in the world at the same time, and there are so many global crises overlapping. Unsurprisingly, in this maelstrom, the future isn’t looking good for traditional investment vehicles! 

Digital assets offer hope for a better system

But, among all the chaos, digital assets like cryptocurrencies are presenting an increasingly attractive alternative, and we’re seeing major cryptos like Bitcoin start to show signs of a significant upwards move. 

As President of AVA Labs, John Wu, recently observed

“The boom of decentralized finance is making a tangible impact on the demand and use of crypto assets. As returns from traditional investment vehicles reach record lows, crypto-savvy investors are finding yield in DeFi protocols and willing to trade-off the systemic risks they see in traditional finance for the product risks of this maturing ecosystem.

“It’s also apparent that there is overwhelming demand for hard assets. Gold has topped record highs, and the digital gold narrative around Bitcoin appears to be growing outside the world of crypto as investors weigh historic fiscal policy actions from monetary authorities. 

“With the backdrop of prolonged economic uncertainty wrought by COVID-19, many investors are taking the initiative to seek out alternative assets that are less correlated to the traditional markets, including the crypto markets.”

And, that is an important point. The COVID-19 crisis itself is obviously far from over, with some experts saying it could even continue for years. As we’ve previously pointed out, at the start of the crisis many expected Bitcoin to instantly become a “safe haven” asset, like gold. However, those people were disappointed, when for months it remained closely correlated with traditional markets. 

But, this hesitation can be explained by the fact that it is now clear that the majority of business leaders, traders, investors, and even policy makers, didn’t expect the pandemic to be as serious or prolonged as it has turned out to be. And, there still no end in sight… 

Maybe now that the gravity of the situation is inescapable to even the most blinkered, digital assets like Bitcoin will finally find their place as “safe haven” assets?

CEO of crypto trading and research platform DXone, Luciano Nonnis, noted: 

“Bitcoin is the mothership of all cryptocurrencies and an irreplaceable investment alternative for people looking for stable deflationary assets. 

“People keep waking up and thinking about why a printed dollar, which can be printed endlessly, can still be worth something. The important thing is to understand that there is a difference between money and currency: currencies are inflationary, money should not be. 

“The ever-decreasing interest in fiat currencies in general, as well as the anxiety regarding our financial system and rising inflation are increasing buyer interest in markets that offer stable commodities, including Bitcoin.”

Just last week, major US-based crypto exchange Kraken published a volatility report that predicted BTC could rally between 50% and 200% within months, and Virginia-based business intelligence software company MicroStrategy bet big on BTC with a $250 million purchase. 

And, of course, lets not forget, Frankie MacDonald also said “BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCOOOOOOOOOOIN!”

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

What does the future hold for online slot games, and how do you market them to millennials? Plus, with Ukraine in the process of establishing a regulated online gaming market, what opportunities does the country offer?

Simona talks with Yanina Kaplya, Head of Marketing at Evoplay Entertainment, for an expert view from inside Ukraine.

You can find out more about Evoplay Entertainment at https://evoplay.games/

Simona catches up with Quentin Martin, CEO of esports betting operator Luckbox.

Esports betting exploded during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and specialist esports betting operator Luckbox found itself in the right place at the right time, growing faster than anyone predicted.

With the company set to list on the TSX Venture Exchange, Simona caught up with CEO Quentin Martin, to find out how the has company responded, what it has planned for the future, and what its like to do business on the Isle of Man.

You can find out more about Luckbox at https://luckbox.com/

With Latin American iGaming markets like Colombia booming, and nascent markets like Argentina coming online, Simona catches up with Vera Motto, Business Development Executive at Habanero, to talk about the exciting opportunities in the region, and the company’s recent partnership with US-based Rush Street Interactive.

You can find out more about Habanero at https://habanerosystems.com/