Today in Crypto: Polygon Launches Phase 0 Towards Polygon 2.0, Ripple Opens Up Liquidity Hub to Brazil & Australia

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.
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Blockchain news

• Polygon Labs announced the launch of Phase 0 of its road to Polygon 2.0, which focuses on four main updates to the protocol: initiation of MATIC to POL upgrade; POL becoming the native (gas) token for PoS; POL becoming the staking token for PoS; and launch of the Staking Layer, enabling validators to secure numerous chains in the Polygon 2.0 ecosystem. Polygon 2.0 aims to scale the Ethereum blockspace to create the Value Layer of the Internet, providing unlimited scalability and unified liquidity, the team said.

Investment news

• Ripple Labs is opening up its Liquidity Hub, a platform that enables businesses to buy, sell, and hold digital assets, in Brazil and Australia, in addition to the availability in certain US states, said the announcement. The team added new features to streamline operations, including additional trading UI features and improved SLAs for crypto deposit processing, which improves the customer experience for various segments, including NFT marketplaces, crypto ATMs, and brokers. “We’re excited about a number of new features coming soon, including a sandbox environment,” it said. 

Legal news

• Crypto miners Celsius and Core Scientific resolved their legal issues with a tentative deal worth $45 million. According to court filings, “after months of negotiations, Celsius and Core have now consensually resolved their long-running disputes and agreed to a global settlement that will fully resolve this litigation.” Celsius agreed to purchase Core Scientific’s Cedarvale mining site, which will be a key component of Celsius’ reorganized mining business under its plan, said the document. Celsius will use its now-settled claims against Core Scientific to provide a large portion of the $45 million purchase price for the sale. $14 million will be paid in cash, it said.
• John Deaton, popular crypto lawyer and founder of legal and regulatory digital asset news company Crypto Law, submitted his Notice of Appearance on behalf of Amicus Curiae Naomi Brockwell in the LBRY lawsuit. “Win, lose or draw, we will be in the fight,” Deaton tweeted. Amicus Curiae is a person or group who is not a party to an action but has a strong interest in the matter. 

Wallet news

• Pharma and Healthcare platform XRP Healthcare announced the launch of its XRPH Mobile Wallet, which is available to download on the App Store and Google Play. Per the press release, the XRPH Wallet is a non-custodial wallet backed by Ripple’s XRP Ledger. The wallet integrated the XRPH Prescription Savings Card, enabling users to save through discounts of up to 80% on their prescriptions and medications. The feature comes with unlimited use, and customers receive XRPH rewards every time their card is used. 

Mining news

• The Bitcoin (BTC) miner who received the BTC 19.8 in fees decided to return the funds to blockchain infrastructure firm Paxos, following the company’s claims that it had made the mistake of paying over $500,000 in fees. “I was annoyed and regretted agreeing to refund that 20 BTC,” the miner said on Thursday. 

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.
__________

Blockchain news

• Polygon Labs announced the launch of Phase 0 of its road to Polygon 2.0, which focuses on four main updates to the protocol: initiation of MATIC to POL upgrade; POL becoming the native (gas) token for PoS; POL becoming the staking token for PoS; and launch of the Staking Layer, enabling validators to secure numerous chains in the Polygon 2.0 ecosystem. Polygon 2.0 aims to scale the Ethereum blockspace to create the Value Layer of the Internet, providing unlimited scalability and unified liquidity, the team said.

Investment news

• Ripple Labs is opening up its Liquidity Hub, a platform that enables businesses to buy, sell, and hold digital assets, in Brazil and Australia, in addition to the availability in certain US states, said the announcement. The team added new features to streamline operations, including additional trading UI features and improved SLAs for crypto deposit processing, which improves the customer experience for various segments, including NFT marketplaces, crypto ATMs, and brokers. “We’re excited about a number of new features coming soon, including a sandbox environment,” it said. 

Legal news

• Crypto miners Celsius and Core Scientific resolved their legal issues with a tentative deal worth $45 million. According to court filings, “after months of negotiations, Celsius and Core have now consensually resolved their long-running disputes and agreed to a global settlement that will fully resolve this litigation.” Celsius agreed to purchase Core Scientific’s Cedarvale mining site, which will be a key component of Celsius’ reorganized mining business under its plan, said the document. Celsius will use its now-settled claims against Core Scientific to provide a large portion of the $45 million purchase price for the sale. $14 million will be paid in cash, it said.
• John Deaton, popular crypto lawyer and founder of legal and regulatory digital asset news company Crypto Law, submitted his Notice of Appearance on behalf of Amicus Curiae Naomi Brockwell in the LBRY lawsuit. “Win, lose or draw, we will be in the fight,” Deaton tweeted. Amicus Curiae is a person or group who is not a party to an action but has a strong interest in the matter. 

Wallet news

• Pharma and Healthcare platform XRP Healthcare announced the launch of its XRPH Mobile Wallet, which is available to download on the App Store and Google Play. Per the press release, the XRPH Wallet is a non-custodial wallet backed by Ripple’s XRP Ledger. The wallet integrated the XRPH Prescription Savings Card, enabling users to save through discounts of up to 80% on their prescriptions and medications. The feature comes with unlimited use, and customers receive XRPH rewards every time their card is used. 

Mining news

• The Bitcoin (BTC) miner who received the BTC 19.8 in fees decided to return the funds to blockchain infrastructure firm Paxos, following the company’s claims that it had made the mistake of paying over $500,000 in fees. “I was annoyed and regretted agreeing to refund that 20 BTC,” the miner said on Thursday.