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UFC Fighter Ben ‘Funky’ Askren Shills Litecoin as Price Pumps to $100

Ufc fighter ben ‘funky’ askren shills litecoin as price pumps to $100

UFC Fighter Ben ‘Funky’ Askren Shills Litecoin as Price Pumps to $100

By CCN: The Litecoin price has surpassed $100 once again and nobody is more pumped about it than undefeated MMA Fighter Ben Askren. The LTC price hasn’t been trading in the triple digits since June 2018, according to CoinMarketCap data. It’s up more than 13% today and Litecoin disciple Askren is shouting it from the Twitter rooftops.

Ben askren

Ben Askren has been sponsored by the Litecoin Foundation. | Source: ESPN

Earlier this year, the Litecoin Foundation sponsored Askren, whose nickname is “Funky”, for UFC 235, his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut match in which he faced Robbie Lawler. Askren was named the winner of the match after three minutes and 20 seconds, but Litecoin won, too. The fifth-biggest cryptocurrency’s logo was plastered on the UFC’s famous Octagon during the UFC 232 match in January. Ever since then, the Litecoin price has been on fire.

Litecoin’s Run

Litecoin Creator Charlie Lee has a knack for marketing, and Askren couldn’t have picked a more high-profile cryptocurrency with the exception of bitcoin. Litecoin has been the coin to watch ever since year-end 2018 really when Lee announced his intentions to transform LTC into a privacy coin. But it wasn’t until February 2019 that the Litecoin price rallied some 30% in one day, which according to industry leaders is when the tide began to turn for the crypto market.

While it’s still a far cry from its peak of more than $300 per coin, LTC is on fire in 2019 and could be headed to peak levels once again, which is where some say that the bitcoin price is headed, too.

Pro Athletes and Cryptocurrencies

Professional athletes have begun to catch crypto fever, and it’s not just the UFC. Litecoin is also sponsoring the popular kickboxing league for GLORY 65. The event is scheduled to take place on May 17 in Utrecht, Netherlands. GLORY considers LTC its flagship cryptocurrency and earlier this year began accepting LTC as a form of payment for its merchandise.

The Litecoin Foundation is clearly looking to capitalize on the tech-savvy young fan base of the combat leagues it supports.

The NFL Has Caught bitcoin Fever

Just yesterday, NFL players Matt Barkley and Russell Okung were tweeting about bitcoin. Both would like to be paid in BTC, something that their respective teams have thus far denied. Considering the way that Litecoin is resonating with the UFC and kickboxing leagues, however, Charlie Lee could be the one to convince the football players to be paid with LTC instead.


Published at Wed, 15 May 2019 19:06:52 +0000

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Japan: Bitcoin Payments Could See 260,000 Stores by Summer

bitcoin payments may be accepted at over 260,000 stores in Japan by this summer following partnerships between the country’s bitcoin exchanges and major retailers.


Bic Camera to Trial bitcoin Payments

Japanese electronics chain Bic Camera has partnered with Tokyo-based bitFlyer, which runs the country’s largest bitcoin exchange that currently comprises about 10% of the bitcoin market.

This Friday, Bic Camera’s flagship shop in Tokyo’s Yurakucho district along with Bicqlo Bic Camera, a hybrid outlet with Uniqlo, will begin a trial run using bitFlyer’s bitcoin payment system, according to the official release.

Customers will be able to pay up to 100,000 yen (~$900 USD) with bitcoin, which will also include reward points at the same rate as for cash payments. The trial will determine if Bic Camera will expand bitcoin payments to its other 39 nationwide locations.

260,000 Merchants Can Now Accept bitcoin

Meanwhile, another Tokyo bitcoin exchange, Coincheck, has partnered with Recruit Lifestyle, the retail support arm of human resources conglomerate Recruit Holdings.

Coincheck, which currently holds 99% of the bitcoin payment market share in Japan, will bring bitcoin payments to shops that use AirRegi, a point-of-sale app developed by Recruit Lifestyle, by this summer.

To pay with bitcoin, customers can simply scan the barcode displayed on the app. Coincheck will process the transaction, converting the bitcoin into yen for the merchant.

Additionally, the app also supports Alipay, China’s leading third-party payment solution. However, Chinese tourists visiting Japan will be able to finally spend their bitcoin, something they cannot do in their home country.

Today, the most popular electronic payment options in Japan include Suica and Rakuten’s Edy, which are accepted at 380,000 and 470,000 locations, respectively. But with these recent moves, virtual currency could soon enter their ranks as AirRegi terminals are already used at 260,000 eateries and other retail locations nationwide.

Japan: Land of the Rising Bits

bitcoin transaction volume in Japan began to increase significantly since 2016, and in January 2017 its volume exceeded 541.1 billion yen (about 20 times compared to the same period last year).

Just recently, on April 1, 2017, Japan’s Payment Services Act for virtual currencies went into effect, recognizing bitcoin as a legal payment option while forcing cryptocurrency exchanges to register with the government. Starting in July, purchases of virtual currency will be exempt from the consumption tax.

Overall, the new regulations and tax incentives are expected to boost consumer confidence and growth of the domestic virtual currency market, which already had over 4,000 locations accepting bitcoin.

Will these new partnership make bitcoin a mainstream payment method in the country? Share your thoughts below! 


Images courtesy of Shutterstock, air-regi.com, 

The post Japan: Bitcoin Payments Could See 260,000 Stores by Summer appeared first on Bitcoinist.com.