The Realm of Historia project has announced plans to digitise historical artefacts and physical historical sites in Armenia through the use of Solana Blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The Realm of Historia: Carahunge X collection aims to digitise the tangible essence of the Carahunge site, known as the Stonehenge of Armenia, which dates back to 5,487 BC. All the NFTs in the collection combine art and digital versions of the stones from the physical site.
In addition to digitising these pieces of cultural heritage, the project also aims to support local artists in Armenia and has collaborations with entities like the Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation (YBAF), A1 Art Space and Latitude Art Space.
Ivan Grantovsky and Ivan Krylov, the two creators of Realm of Historia project told Cointelegraph how emerging technologies can preserve culture and connect new generations with history. Krylov said part of the inspiration for creating a platform is the lack of engaging platforms that digitally present cultural heritage and are transparent with how to participate philanthropically.
“This is the part for technology to solve this problem. The technology we’re talking about is the Blockchain because it provides a solution for the lack of transparency.”
US Senators Introduce Bill To Cripple Crypto Funding To Terror Groups
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have introduced a legislation in the US Senate aimed at countering cryptocurrency’s role in financing terrorism, explicitly citing the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.
In a December 7, 2023 announcement, Senators Mitt Romney, Mark Warner, Mike Rounds and Jack Reed said they had introduced the Terrorism Financing Prevention Act. The Bill would expand US sanctions to include parties funding terrorist organisations with cryptocurrency or fiat.
According to Senator Romney, the legislation would allow the US Treasury Department to go after “emerging threats involving digital assets” in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks as well as actions by the terrorist group Hezbollah.
“Hamas’ attacks on Israel have hastened the need for the US to counter the role crypto plays in financing terrorism. Our bipartisan bill expands sanctions to cover all terrorist organizations—including Hamas—and addresses threats involving digital assets,” Senator Romney said in a post on X (previously Twitter).
“It is critical that the Department of the Treasury has the necessary counter-terrorism tools to combat modern threats. The Terrorism Financing Prevention Act takes commonsense steps toward rooting out terrorism by sanctioning foreign financial institutions and foreign digital asset companies that assist them in committing these heinous acts,” said Senator Rounds.
Fidelity, SEC Meet To Discuss Spot Bitcoin ETF Application
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently met with Fidelity to seek additional clarity on its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application. According to a filing published on December 7, 2023 two Cboe BZX Exchange representatives along with six officials from the SEC and nine others from Fidelity, discussed the workings of the Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust in a meeting.
Fidelity had submitted an application for a spot Bitcoin ETF to the SEC on June 19, shortly after BlackRock and several other asset managers filed for the product just days prior. However, the SEC previously rejected Fidelity’s application for a spot Bitcoin ETF in 2022.
The recent development comes in the wake of SEC meeting with spot Bitcoin ETF applicants to discuss various aspects of their applications.
