Today in Crypto: Blockchain Startup Aptos Nets $200M; Ukraine Legalizes Crypto as Donations Pour In

Crypto.com announced Tuesday (March 15) that it is launching the initial phase of its Exchange platform in the U.S., with waitlisted users gaining access ahead of a wider rollout in the coming months.

The exchange is powered by the industry’s fastest matching engine, and supports 2.7 million transactions per second. It also has a 50 microsecond core latency and offers seamless USD transfers.

In other news, Argentinian crypto exchange Lemon Cash has debuted operations in Brazil as the country experiences a “crypto boom,” CoinDesk reported Wednesday (March 16).

The company went live Monday with a beta version so 10,000 users could start buying and selling both bitcoin and ether on the platform. Crypto trading within Brazil has been on the rise, per CoinDesk, and Lemon Cash also has plans to debut a crypto card in 2022.

Meanwhile, FinTech platform Wirex is rolling out an upgraded rewards program, X-tras, which the company said will allow millions to access better interest rates and crypto rewards.

This will let users earn up to 20% on some crypto holdings, and up to 8% on the company’s Cryptoback rewards.

Additionally, Noyack Logistics Income announced Wednesday that it will begin accepting crypto payments through a partnership with BitPay.

The partnership makes it so Noyack is the first real estate investment trust (REIT) to take crypto. It will let investors fund their commitments with numerous cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, bitcoin cash, dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and more.

See also: When It Comes to Accepting Crypto in Payment, Taxes Are Very Taxing

Furthermore, Worldcoin, a startup angling to give cryptocurrency to every living person through scanning their eyes, is pausing its operations in around seven countries because of several logistical hurdles, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The company was founded by Sam Altman, an ex-Y Combinator chief. It wanted to photograph everyone’s irises to distribute digital money better. While it has been working for people, the process has been hindered by things like uneven smartphone access, confusion of how it works and attempts at fraud.

In other crypto news, Nuvei has partnered with hardware wallet provider Ledger, which will allow it to make direct on-ramps for over 125 cryptocurrencies, according to a Wednesday press release.

That will come with all the leading fiat funding options from the Simplex by Nuvei solution. By doing this, Ledger users will reportedly be able to buy crypto through Visa, Mastercard, SEPA, SWIFT and more.

Meanwhile, CoinDesk reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a bill to legalize crypto in the country.

This comes after Ukraine experienced a surge of digital asset donations to support the country in its ongoing fight against the invading Russian army.

Related: Donated Crypto Assets Distributed to Ukrainian Army, Volunteers

In more news, Aptos is another crypto effort spawning from Diem, the crumbled crypto project from Meta, Bloomberg wrote Tuesday.

Aptos’ founders left Diem after the coin failed to make progress, and the new effort has already raised $200 million since being founded around four months ago.

Finally, Portugal-based on-chain crypto payments firm Utrust has gotten its license to operate as a virtual asset provider from the Portuguese central bank, Coindesk reported Wednesday.

Utrust is currently licensed in Estonia, but the new development, according to Utrust co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Nuno Correia, will let it begin operating in the wider European Union with more reassurance because of the central bank’s endorsement.