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The Celo Foundation has partnered with Circle to bring USDC, a leading stablecoin, into its network. This integration not only diversifies Celo’s stablecoin offerings but also positions USDC to become an official gas currency on the blockchain.

Celo Embraces USDC for Enhanced Digital Currency Functionality and Gas Payments

The Celo Foundation has announced that Circle will make its US Dollar Coin (USDC) native to the Celo ecosystem. This integration positions USDC to potentially become an official gas currency for Celo, subject to a future governance proposal.
USDC, a leading stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, joins Celo’s diverse stablecoin offerings, including Mento’s Creal and Exof, which are pegged to the Brazilian real and West African franc, respectively.
Celo, a mobile-first and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchain, is designed to cater to real-world applications. The adoption of USDC is a stride towards enhancing digital currency use in everyday transactions.

With a market cap of around $135 billion, stablecoins have become increasingly crucial as real-world assets (RWAs), offering widespread financial access and inclusivity through uncomplicated, permissionless, and borderless asset transfers.
Celo’s stablecoin applications, spanning remittances, savings, lending, aid distribution, and peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, will be augmented by USDC’s integration.
In a notable feature of the Celo network, network gas fees (transaction costs) can be paid with stablecoins, enhancing the payment experience. Clabs, the leading contributor to the Celo technology stack, will propose enabling USDC as a gas payment option for the Celo community’s consideration.
Isha Varshney, Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Celo Foundation, expressed enthusiasm about bringing more RWAs onchain through the partnership with Circle, saying that stablecoins have “proven to be among the industry’s prevailing use cases.”
Shamus Noonan, Senior Manager of Business Development at Circle, echoed these sentiments: “This partnership will help broaden access for USDC and leverage Celo’s mobile-first user-base in regions where blockchain adoption is highest.”
Do you think it’s a good idea to be able to pay for gas with stablecoins? Share your thoughts and opinions about this subject in the comments section below.

South Korean Prosecutor in Court for Passing Information to a Virtual Asset Investment Fraudster

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On Jan. 30, a South Korean court continued with the trial of a prosecutor who is accused of passing sensitive information on the progress of an investigation to an alleged virtual asset investment fraudster. According to the Gwangju District Prosecutor’s Office, the acts by the prosecutor constitute a violation of the Attorney General Act.

Prosecutor Accused of Tipping Off Fraudster

On Jan. 30, a South Korean court held its third trial of a prosecutor who is accused of passing on sensitive information to an alleged virtual asset investment fraudster. The unnamed prosecutor, who allegedly received financial favors from the fraudster known only as Tak, faces bribery and violation of the Attorney General Act charges.
According to the Gwangju District Prosecutor’s Office, the prosecutor is believed to have informed the fraudster’s broker named Seong of the existence of a search and seizure against his client. For supplying this information, the prosecutor allegedly received cash and goods worth $9,700.
The prosecutor is also accused of providing legal advice as well as writing and editing statements related to Tak’s criminal case. During his appearance as the court’s witness, Tak explained how Seong initiated the meeting between himself and the prosecutor. According to Tak, it was during one of their meetings in December 2020 when the prosecutor initially talked about altering his statement.
“I met with Mr. A at the office of a church one day with Mr. Seong, and he told me that I needed to revise my statement to sort out the details of the case,” the alleged fraudster reportedly told the court.

In his testimony, Tak said he only agreed to pay the bribe money after his broker warned him of an impending change in the fraud case. The broker allegedly told the fraudster that by making the payment would prevent his arrest. However, the prosecutor, through his lawyers, has disputed Tak’s claims and insisted that there is no way to prove that he indeed received the bribery money.
As per the report, as many as eight prosecutors and police officials linked to Seong’s investigation suppression tactics have been arrested.

Robert Kiyosaki: Bitcoin Protects Against Theft by the Fed, Government, and Wall Street Bankers

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has shared the reason why he owns bitcoin, stating that the cryptocurrency protects against “the theft of our wealth via our money.” The famous author warned that the Federal Reserve, the government, and Wall Street bankers steal our wealth, specifically via inflation, taxation, and stock price manipulation.

Robert Kiyosaki Explains Why He Owns Bitcoin

The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has explained why he owns bitcoin. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries.
Kiyosaki explained in a post on social media platform X Tuesday:

Why I own bitcoin. Bitcoin is protection against the theft of our wealth via our money.

“Fed Chairman Powell, Treasury Secretary Yellen, and Wall Street bankers steal our wealth via our money, specifically via inflation, taxation, and stock price manipulation. That is why I save and invest in bitcoin, not stocks, bonds, and fake dollars,” Kiyosaki added.
The acclaimed author consistently cautioned against the negative impact of the Federal Reserve, the Biden administration, and Wall Street bankers on the U.S. economy, the U.S. dollar, and the American populace. He calls fiat money “fake money” and has repeatedly warned about the demise of the U.S. dollar. In contrast, he calls bitcoin “people’s money,” while gold and silver are “God’s money.”

Last week, Kiyosaki slammed the U.S. court system, specifically taking issue with the judge presiding over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s trial. He expressed concern about the judge’s dual role as both a prosecutor and a judge. “If the judge is prosecuting attorney and the presiding judge, then the judge presides over a Kangaroo Court. America is finished if our courts are for Kangaroos,” Kiyosaki opined. In a follow-up post, after the judge awarded $83.3 million against Trump, the Rich Dad Poor Dad author reiterated:

America is finished.

While the renowned author has consistently recommended bitcoin alongside gold and silver, he admitted during his Rich Dad podcast last week: “I know nothing about Bitcoin. I just know some very smart people are in it, and thank God I bought early.” Earlier this month, he predicted that the price of bitcoin will soon hit $150,000.