Focusing Ampera

Based on consistent partner and community feedback we have embarked on the development of two distinct projects: Anvil and Ampera. Anvil is the new collateral protocol for issuing onchain secured credit, while the Ampera project now represents a grassroots payments initiative to support the inevitability of mainstream digital payments. This shift marks a significant milestone in our mutual journey towards creating a more inclusive and accessible financial ecosystem.

With this refined focus, we are eager to support the payments ecosystem like never before. Expect a new website, products, tooling, and community grant program rolling out throughout the summer. Learn more about Anvil and the evolving mission of Ampera in our recent blog post.

ETHDenver Highlights

Ampera made an appearance at ETHDenver, showcasing our vision for the digital payment movement to the Web3 community.  We hosted a booth where we engaged with developers, the greater Ethereum community, and industry peers. Our conversations centered around various aspects of integrating digital payments into applications, and we even got some folks spending crypto IRL through SPEDN!

Zachary Kilgore delivered a presentation where he delved into the intricacies of integrating cryptocurrency payments into real-world scenarios. As the Technical Lead at the Ampera Foundation, he shared insights from his extensive experience in digital payments. He discussed the significance of adopting standards like CAIP-2 and CAIP-19 for clear asset identification and highlighted the adoption of initiatives such as EIP-6963 for improving wallet and app interactions. These steps are crucial for crypto payments to gain widespread acceptance through simplified, secure, and universal methods.

We also had the pleasure of having community ambassador Big Al at the conference, who is a great collaborator who continues to foster mainstream involvement. A big thank you to the amazing Ampera community for your continued support! Your enthusiasm and commitment to our mission are the driving forces behind our efforts to pioneer the new era of payments.

VanEck Southern California Blockchain Conference

Ampera attended the VanEck Southern California Blockchain Conference, engaging in discussions about blockchain community and ecosystem growth, current trends in the industry, and networking with key players. The conference provided a valuable platform for exploring the latest additions in blockchain technology and forging meaningful connections within the industry.

Social Media Highlights

• Zooko, a true crypto OG and former CEO of Electric Coin, demonstrated the use of Zcash for payments at Chipotle using the SPEDN app. Watch the demonstration here.

• Long time payments enthusiast and UFC Fighter Jared Gordon showcases his Ampswagg.

• The Ampera Community X account is organizing weekly spending challenges where users are encouraged to use SPEDN and spend crypto at Flexa merchants. You can view past winners here.

• Gabriel Haines seized an opportunity to buy Chipotle with ETH. 

• Enter the $AMP Community SPEDN contest by purchasing a pudgypenguins from GameStop using crypto via FlexaHQ SPEDN app, for a chance to win $100 in a crypto of your choice.

Ecosystem  News

• 🇸🇬 Grab’s Singapore embraces Crypto payments and users can now seamlessly use crypto for their transactions.

• 💳 In collaboration with Mastercard, MetaMask is testing its first blockchain-powered payment card. This card aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the flourishing world of DeFi, offering users a new way to interact with their digital assets.

• ☕️ Coinbase is pioneering on-chain payments at a coffee shop in Washington, DC, showcasing cryptocurrency transactions in the retail sector.

• 🌎 PayPal's Xoom service now enables customers to send funds internationally using US dollars converted from the PayPal USD stablecoin, reflecting the increasing integration of cryptocurrency into cross-border remittances, despite regulatory scrutiny and legal battles.

• 🏦 The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub introduces Project Agorá, aiming to tokenize cross-border payments through a unified ledger involving seven central banks and commercial banks, representing a significant advancement in digitalization despite regulatory and political complexities.

• 🏆 Litecoin, representing over 41% of all payments on Bitpay, solidifies its position as a leading cryptocurrency for real-world transactions by setting a new record on Bitpay.

• 💸 Ethena's USDe synthetic dollar, backed by Bitcoin collateral exceeded $500 million within a week of its launch. This showcases its significant adoption alongside its substantial reserves in Ethereum and Tether's USDT, prompting DeFi projects like MakerDAO and Frax Finance to integrate it into their operations. 

• ☀️ Stripe demoed that they will start accepting stablecoins this summer. Transactions instantly settle on-chain and automatically convert to fiat. 

• 💳 Leading DEX aggregator 1inch launched a crypto debit card. Shoppers will be able to use the card for online and in-person purchases as well as ATM withdrawals. 

• 🤝 Flexa announced a collaboration with Nighthawk Wallet, an open-source wallet app for Zcash, known for enabling "private money in your pocket" and for its auto-shielding features. This integration, leveraging Flexa's SDK, marks a critical step towards broader adoption and highlights Flexa's commitment to facilitating secure and private transactions. The collateral pool for Nighthawk is now live, further solidifying this partnership.

  🔈 Flexa Co-Founder, Trevor Filter, appeared on CNBC Crypto World, discussing the evolving landscape of digital payments and Flexa's role in facilitating secure and efficient crypto transactions. Filter also joined the Crypto 101 podcast, delving into the challenges and opportunities in the crypto payments space and Flexa's solutions to address them.

• 🗣️ Flexa Co-founder and CEO, Daniel McCabe, appeared on Nasdaq Trade Talks, discussing the potential for blockchain-based use cases to outperform traditional alternatives and Flexa's contributions to this evolving landscape. McCabe participated in an X Spaces session with Lightspark, where he explored the future of digital payments and the integration of blockchain technology into mainstream financial systems. 

Upcoming Events

• LA Ampera Meetup - May 23, 2024 

• Consensus 2024 May 29-31, 2023

• Litecoin Summit July 24-25, 2024

• Futurist Conference August 13-14, 2024