Oct 4, 2019

Coinbase is in acquisition talks with rental startup Omni

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios

Coinbase is in early acquisition talks with peer-to peer rental startup Omni, Axios has learned. The discussions appear to be focused on acquiring engineers, according to a source. Coinbase declined to comment.

Why it matters: Coinbase, which provides a variety of digital token services, previously said that 12% of its product and engineering employees came through acquisitions. Omni's engineering employees already have experience with digital tokens: After cryptocurrency company Ripple invested in the company, Omni later began allowing customers to earn its cryptocurrency, XRP, for renting out their possessions.

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Kia Kokalitcheva

SEC halts high-profile Telegram digital tokens

Photo Illustration: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has obtained a court order to temporarily halt the distribution of digital tokens sold by messaging app Telegram for failing to register as a sale of securities.

Why it matters: This is the most high-profile "initial coin offering" (ICO) in which the SEC has intervened. The ICO attracted buyers that included top Silicon Valley VCs and cryptocurrency investors (the commission found that it sold 1 billion tokens to 39 U.S. purchasers).

Keep ReadingOct 11, 2019

Dion Rabouin

Central banks could be left behind on digital currencies

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Government leaders and central bankers are spending more time studying digital currencies, but don't look any closer to launching one than they were 6 months or a year ago.

Why it matters: Facebook, by contrast, appears to have a prime-time ready product — its Libra digital currency — and shows every intention of pushing forward, despite the recent abandonment by a quarter of the members of the currency's governing body.

Go deeperOct 17, 2019

Sara Fischer

Scoop: NBC News adding digital jobs, but laying off some staffers

Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

NBC News Digital is expanding its staff by 20% over the next year, an addition of roughly 70 jobs across multiple departments — focused on growing its digital streaming service, Axios has learned.

The big picture: The changes are meant to refocus NBC News' video and reporting teams around daily news and custom content.

Go deeperOct 29, 2019