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Ripple CTO David Schwartz recently joined a conversation sparked by longtime Bitcoin advocate Bruce Fenton about why Bitcoin isn’t really used for day-to-day transactions anymore. Fenton, CEO of Chainstone Lab, pointed out that about ten years ago, you could actually use BTC for regular purchases. He mentioned that back in 2015, over 130 restaurants in Portsmouth, NH, were accepting Bitcoin. Even at the Satoshi Roundtable , a major crypto conference, more than 70% of ticket sales were paid in Bitcoin back then. But now, those numbers are close to zero. Fenton sees this decline as a failure. He argues that money must be used for transactions, not just held as an investment. “Using Bitcoin for purchases is a great way to grow the network,” he said. Many believe Bitcoin’s high fees and slow transaction speeds have made it impractical for payments. Mandrik, a Bitcoin user, suggests that people now view it as a long-term asset. “They don’t want to look back in five years and regret spending $5,000 on a cheeseburger,” he said. Ripple CTO David Schwartz argued that Bitcoin worked for payments when people didn’t consider it real money. He added that Bitcoin was mostly used for payments when the early adopters got it super cheap. Once its value went up, fewer people wanted to spend it. “Once the supply of early miners who got Bitcoin nearly for free dried up, there was no longer any reason to pay with Bitcoin,” Schwartz said. Meanwhile, Jack Mehof, an early Bitcoin supporter, echoes Schwartz’s perspective. He stated that while he once paid for beer, tacos, and coffee with BTC. But eventually, the rising costs and slow speeds made it too much of a hassle. Schwartz also pointed out that there are many other cryptocurrencies out there with lower transaction costs and faster speeds. But, as he pointed out, “You don’t see much retail payment use of those either. At least not yet.“ Related: Donald Trump Makes History by Embracing Bitcoin Payments for Campaign Some experts believe Bitcoin’s decline as a payment method is more about regulations than technical limitations. Wayne Vaughan argues that tax laws and banking restrictions have made Bitcoin payments difficult. “The tax treatment of Bitcoin is a major barrier. Companies accepting Bitcoin faced significant accounting burdens, and banks have been incredibly hostile,” he said. Dave Weisberger agrees , saying that capital gains taxes make spending Bitcoin too expensive. “Every purchase effectively costs 24% more due to capital gains taxes,” he explained. Sam Jones added that a tax exemption for small Bitcoin transactions—similar to foreign currency rules—could encourage more spending. Some blame the Lightning Network for failing to deliver on its promise of cheap and fast transactions. Meanwhile, some argue Bitcoin’s primary role has shifted to being a store of value, similar to gold. Related: Veteran investor Breaks Down Bitcoin’s Bull Run: Miners, Investors, and What to Expect Next for the Price Even with regulatory fixes, some question whether Bitcoin payments will ever compete with traditional methods. Anders, a financial advisor, believes fiat remains the more convenient option. “People aren’t going to use Bitcoin if it creates a worse payment experience,” he said. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

Digital asset trading platform STARDEER has announced a $10 million fund to support projects in the Solana ecosystem. The fund will support new businesses, offer liquidity, and encourage developers to build innovative applications on Solana ( SOL ), according to STARDEER’s press release dated Mar.18. Due to its reputation for fast transactions and low costs, Solana has attracted developers and users from all over the world. However, many projects struggle with early funding and market exposure. By providing both financial and technical support, STARDEER’s fund seeks to address these issues. The fund will focus on four key areas. First, it will offer early-stage funding to support the development of new Solana projects. Second, to boost market activity and attract users, it will provide liquidity incentives. Third, it will incentivize developers to build high-quality decentralized applications and financial tools. Finally, STARDEER will provide zero-fee listing on its platform to support new projects. Solana has a lot of potential for innovation, according to a STARDEER’s chief executive officer, who stressed the significance of this initiative. “The innovative potential of the Solana ecosystem is immense. We hope to support the growth of outstanding projects through this special fund and help global investors discover and invest in quality assets within the Solana ecosystem.” — STARDEER CEO In addition to the fund, STARDEER has introduced a dedicated Solana trading section with a temporary 50% fee reduction. This initiative covers the trades of several Solana ecosystem tokens such as Jupiter ( JUP ), Bonk ( BONK ), and Raydium ( RAY ), among other tokens. The goal is to improve liquidity and make trading more accessible. On Mar. 17, Solana celebrated its fifth birthday, which was a significant milestone in its development. Over the years, the network has processed over 400 billion transactions, resulting in a nearly $1 trillion trading volume. Despite the market downturn, Solana remains one of the busiest blockchains. It registered a 30-day trading volume of $105 billion in February, according to DefiLlama data . STARDEER’s new fund is expected to further support this momentum.

Metaplanet Inc. has further increased its Bitcoin reserves, acquiring an additional 150 BTC at an average price of 12,526,226 yen per Bitcoin. The total transaction amounted to 1.879 billion yen. With this latest purchase, the Tokyo-based firm now holds a total of 3,200 Bitcoin, valued at 40.331 billion yen in aggregate. According to the notice shared on X, the company has been actively expanding its Bitcoin treasury. It officially made Bitcoin accumulation a core business strategy in December 2024. These purchases are funded through capital market activities, including the issuance of bonds and stock acquisition rights. Metaplanet continues raising capital to support its Bitcoin strategy. The firm has issued multiple stock acquisition rights and zero-coupon bonds to secure funds for purchases. On March 18, 2025, the company’s board approved the issuance of the 9th Series of Ordinary Bonds, raising an additional 2 billion yen. These bonds, issued to EVO FUND, will mature on September 17, 2025, and are slated for redemption using proceeds from stock acquisition rights. The funds will be allocated for further Bitcoin accumulation. Related: Tokyo-listed Metaplanet adds $13.5 million in Bitcoin, plans further bond-funded purchases This follows previous bond issuances, including the 6th, 7th, and 8th Series of Bonds, which also funded Bitcoin purchases. The company also employs financial metrics such as BTC Yield, BTC Gain, and BTC ¥ Gain to assess its acquisition strategy. These indicators help measure Bitcoin growth relative to share dilution and market conditions. Stock acquisition rights have been a crucial element of Metaplanet’s funding strategy. Since January 2025, the company has issued several tranches, resulting in millions of new shares being created through their exercise. The most recent 13th and 14th Series of Stock Acquisition Rights generated 20.263 billion yen, significantly contributing to the firm’s Bitcoin holdings. Metaplanet’s Bitcoin holdings have grown significantly over the past year. From January 1 to March 18, 2025, the company achieved a BTC Yield of 60.8%, following a 309.8% increase in the previous quarter. Related: Metaplanet’s Stock is Up 3,600% Thanks to Bitcoin As of July 2024, the company held just 161 BTC. By March 2025, that number had surged to 3,200 BTC. The firm’s aggressive Bitcoin acquisition strategy aligns with a broader trend of corporate adoption of the cryptocurrency. Despite growing institutional interest in Bitcoin in recent months, its price has experienced volatility due to broader economic factors. Bitcoin is currently trading around $83,154, showing a modest 0.2% loss in the past day and a 15% decline over the past month. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

Privacy & Data Control ✅ Pros: Web3 uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) to verify identity without exposing personal details. Example: Zcash allows you to make fully private crypto transactions, unlike Bitcoin, which is publicly traceable. ⚠️ Con: Privacy friendly tools can…

Daniel Wang was not born a successful blockchain entrepreneur, but his journey has been marked by significant leaps from one technology field to the next. Born in Pudongxin, Shanghai, he developed a strong passion in technology from early years. His foundation for leading him to several well-known technology companies came from his additional study at Arizona State University and the University of Science and Technology of China. Following graduation, Wang began his career at Google as a senior software engineer in Mountain View, where he gained knowledge on large-scale technology systems. He then progressed to JD.com, a senior director of engineering overseeing one of China’s biggest e-commerce systems. This encounter helped him to grasp technological efficiency and decentralized systems even more. Still lacking, though, something felt inadequate. Though Wang had a strategic role in a big company, he felt that outside there were more challenges waiting for him. 2014 saw Wang choose to venture outside his comfort zone into the world of cryptocurrency . He started the crypto exchange platform Coinport. The project did not turn out as planned, sadly. Different technical difficulties and the young market compelled him to close the platform. Still, this event was not the end of the earth. Actually, the collapse taught him a lot. One of his main realizations was that users of centralized exchanges lack actual control over their own assets, hence there is a basic flaw in them This turned into the motivation behind Loopring later on. Wang started Loopring in 2017, a system enabling decentralized crypto exchanges atop the Ethereum network. Loopring uses zkRollup technology to enable direct trading from user wallets with reduced costs and faster speeds, unlike traditional crypto exchanges that hold user funds. The concept at the time made many people dubious. Decentralized exchanges were not yet popular, and many doubted whether this fix was truly required. Wang, though, was not discouraged. He thought this approach would affect future crypto asset trading among people. And Loopring has expanded quickly indeed. As adoption of the protocol rises, it has become among the DeFi pioneers. Many traders choose it first since its benefits in lowering gas fees and accelerating transaction speeds appeal to them. Wang announced his leaving from Loopring’s CEO post and shifted to an advisory role early in 2022. Many were taken aback by this choice, but it was quickly clear why. Wang wanted to concentrate on a new project called Taiko Labs . Taiko Labs relies on zero-knowledge proof technology yet seeks to create a more flexible layer 2 for Ethereum. This action reveals Wang’s discontent with a single innovation. He aspires to continue expanding the potential of blockchain technology. On the other hand, the Loopring community has been monitoring Wang’s actions. His personal Ethereum wallet abruptly sent 100 million LRC tokens to Loopring Exchange v2 in August 2023 following more than three months of inactivity. This move has sparked rumors—is this component of a new liquidity plan or is another project under development?