In a not-so-subtle nod to crypto and blockchain, payments company Square, which is led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, changed its corporate name to Block this week.

Payments executive David Marcus, a co-creator of Meta’s yet-to-be-launched Diem cryptocurrency, announced he is leaving the company at the end of the year.

Bitcoin’s value appears to be following the trajectory of the broader market in response to news of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

Amid an inflation report that showed the consumer price index jumping 6.2% compared to one year ago – the fastest year-over-year jump since 1990 – the value of Bitcoin hit $68,950 on Wednesday before falling back. Meanwhile, Etherum soared past $4,800.

Ethereum, the world’s second-largest digital coin, grew in value more than 4% to more than $4,700 Monday, an all-time high.

Digital banking fintech Revolut is looking for a tech lead to build a crypto exchange, according to a recent job posting on LinkedIn.

A new report from JPMorgan and consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that a “multiple central bank digital currency” network could save global corporations $100M a year in cross-border transaction costs.

Patreon, a subscription platform that allows fans to pay content creators, is considering adding non-fiat payments – including crypto payments – to grow revenue.

Valkyrie Investments, a company that describes itself as a specialized alternative asset management firm “at the intersection of traditional finance and the emerging cryptocurrency sector” has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a leveraged bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Payments giant Mastercard is partnering with crypto technology firm Bakkt to allow partner merchants, fintechs, and banks to accept cryptocurrencies at the point of sale.

Worldcoin, a new startup that’s attracted $25M in funding from big-name investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Coinbase and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is offering users free crypto if they confirm their identities by taking an iris scan.

In a significant milestone for the crypto industry, the first bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (ETF) launched this week as the “second most heavily traded fund,” a move that sent the value of the digital currency to an all-time high at about $65,000.

James Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley, said on a third-quarter earnings call that crypto is “not a fad,” but stopped short of saying it will become an integral part of financial services.