Blockchain and high performance computing firm Northern Data has announced it will acquire Bitcoin miner Bitfield. According to a Monday press release, all major shareholders signed a binding purchase agreement for the entire Bitfield enterprise to be sold at a value of roughly $460 million. Northern Data will acquire an equity interest of between 86% and 100% in Bitfield as per the agreement. Northern Data claims it has become “a leading global Bitcoin mining company” through the acquisition, with the firm gaining immediate access to 6,600 operational ASIC miners. A further 26,000 brand-new miners are expected to be deployed primarily …

Facebook has announced it will allocate $50 million to a two-year fund tasked with beginning work on realizing the firm’s vision for a virtual metaverse. A Monday announcement articulates Facebook’s roadmap for building its metaverse, with the funding slated to back “global research and program partners” looking to build out the platform in addition to internal research. “The metaverse won’t be built overnight by a single company. We’ll collaborate with policymakers, experts and industry partners to bring this to life,” emphasized the announcement. The metaverse will allow people to interact with one another, digital objects and the physical world through …

The global Bitcoin mining sector has reached a 56% sustainable power mix in Q2, according to estimates from a Bitcoin Mining Council (BMC) report. “Bitcoin mining uses a negligible amount of energy, is rapidly becoming more efficient, and is powered by a higher mix of sustainable energy than any major country or industry,” a July 1 press release from the council stated. The estimate was based on a three question survey of just 32% of the miners on the network. It found respondents “are currently utilizing electricity with a 67% sustainable power mix” which it used as the basis for …

Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world’s leading mixed martial arts, or MMA, organization, has announced an exclusive partnership with Stake.com — a leading crypto-powered online casinos and sportsbook. The partnership announced on March 7, will see Stake become UFC’s “First Official Betting Partner” in Asia and Latin America. However, the deal will exclude UFC’s key market in Brazil. The two firms began working together on March 3 — with Stake's customers receiving access to unique digital content surrounding the promotional “fight week” for UFC’s March 6 pay-per-view. An announcement states the company's will also developer exclusive promotions, VIP experiences, and social …

Major cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex announced the removal of 87 crypto trading pairs due to low liquidity levels as of March 26 at 10:00 GMT. According to the company, the measure seeks to consolidate and improve liquidity, allowing them to move towards a more streamlined and optimized trading experience. Bitfinex provided to Cointelegraph additional details on the removal: “The decision was taken after monitoring [the pairs] for six weeks and finding a consistent low level of liquidity. We take this type of action to concentrate trading in fewer pairs.” List of crypto trading pairs removed The crypto exchange also told Cointelegraph …

StormX has announced the integration of StormShop for its iOS and Android users, allowing them to earn cryptocurrencies back when they shop online, as the company has announced. The platform aims to improve the eCommerce experience for consumers and merchants, who offer up to 40% cashback in five different digital assets, including BTC, ETH, LTC, DAI and STORM. StormShop is complemented with StormPlay’s mobile app, which has attracted more than 2.5 million users since its launch in January 2014. StormX’s CEO and co-founder, Simon Yu, gave his input on the new mobile integration: “We are now able to reward shoppers …