Blockchain comes to life, authenticating luxury goods with blockchain and paying with BTC

"We will soon see a deeper relationship between the luxury industry and cryptocurrencies," said Romain Carrere, CEO of The Aura Blockchain Consortium, a blockchain consortium that includes global fashion companies such as LVMH, Prada and Cartier. "The number of luxury brand Web3 customers is growing rapidly. As a result, we are expanding our Web3 features and utilities. Our management team is now preparing for 2026, when new regulations for Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are expected to come into effect. Aura is working to create the industry standard DPPs for luxury brands using on-chain technology." "Customers are demanding additional experiences through DPPs. DPPs are directly linked to customer loyalty, product warranty and insurance."

Meanwhile, bitcoin payment app Strike announced that it has launched on the African continent. "We are expanding our services to Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia," Strike CEO Jack Mallers wrote on the company's official blog. "The people of these countries are struggling with high inflation and currency devaluation," he said on his official blog. Last year, Strike announced plans to enter 65 markets in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean.