WAO ART #336

The World Economic Forum's Davos conference is underway, focusing on the theme of "Rebuilding Trust." The crypto industry has been increasingly present at the event in recent years, seeking validation and recognition.

Victoria's premier has defended bailing out Tennis Australia with a $43m loan forgiveness and potentially providing an additional $63m to ensure the successful hosting of the Australian Open. The move was made to support the organization's solvency and cashflow during the pandemic.

South Korea's digital currency trading market has experienced significant growth in the last six months. This trend is seen as a positive sign for crypto adoption in the country, as traders diversify their portfolios beyond the usual leading pairs found on international platforms.

A hacker attempted to steal over $15 billion in XRP from Bitfinex, but the attempt failed. The hacker tried to exploit a feature of the XRP Ledger network, but their transaction was only a few cents of XRP because they didn't have enough money.

Venezuela has announced that it will phase out its government-backed cryptocurrency, Petro, just five years after its launch. The Petro was created to support the nation's fiat currency, the bolívar, which has faced rapid devaluation due to an economic crisis and US sanctions.

In 2024, Nigeria is expected to see continued adoption of blockchain and digital assets, with stablecoins and digital asset payments being key trends. The launch of Nigeria's first regulated local stablecoin, cNGN, is anticipated to fuel stablecoin adoption.

Google Cloud has partnered with Flare Network, a blockchain platform, as a validator and infrastructure provider. This move highlights the increasing convergence of tech giants and blockchain technology. Flare Network offers developers access to decentralized data through its Oracle system.