INDIA TIMES - Twitter has become the first social network to endorse cryptocurrency as a valid method of transaction. Twitter has tested its tipping mechanism, and IOS users have received the update. For the bitcoin tips, a wallet application called Strike will be used. It runs on the "Lightning Network" protocol which is designed to allow faster transactions using bitcoin.
Twitter Allows Bitcoin Tipping, Becomes 1st Social Platform to Embrace Crypto
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Indian-origin Pixstory Ties up With French Club PSG for Social Media Ethics
BUSINESS STANDARD - Amid controversies over the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code in France, an Indian-origin social media platform Pixstory joined hands with French football club PSG's women's team to promote online ethical behavior. The startup, backed by NBA 8-time all-star and Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard, is also in talks with two major European clubs too for a tie-up to promote their venture.
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Discord Raised $500M in Funding
CNBC - Discord has raised $500M in a new funding round led by Dragoneer Investment Group. Discord is now valued at $15B. Earlier this year, Discord ended deal talks with Microsoft. It said it plans to expand the business as a standalone company focused on building the chat platform and making money from its user base that has grown quickly during the pandemic.
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Messaging Platform Gupshup Acquires New Jersey-based Startup Dotgo
VCCIRCLE - US-based and India-born conversational messaging platform Gupshup acquired Dotgo, a New Jersey-based RCS startup. The acquisition comes when Gupshup plans an initial public offering (IPO) in the US next July. In July this year, it secured $240M in its Series F round of funding.
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Clubhouse Introduces a New Feature to Increase Small and Closed Chats
FORBES - Clubhouse is introducing a new feature, Wave, an invite mechanism meant to make starting these small, closed chats easier. Clubhouse has raised ~$300M in funding, most recently at a $4B valuation. It has slipped from the top ranks of Apple, and Google's download charts with roughly 500K installs last month.
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Twitter Accelerates Again With Some New Initiatives
TECH CRUNCH - Twitter introduced several new initiatives to serve the conversations and community better using its platform, including tipping with crypto, NFT authentication, and plans for other experiments designed to provide more context about a conversation to those just joining in. The company also said it's preparing to launch its creator fund in a few weeks to provide audio creators with access to financial, technical, and marketing support.
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Facebook's CTO to Step Down After 13 Years at the Company
TECH CRUNCH - Facebook's CTO Mike Schroepfer just announced that he would step down from the role next year and transition to a part-time position as a "Senior Fellow." He will be replaced by long-time executive Andrew Bosworth who has most recently led the company's Facebook Reality Labs. Bosworth will continue to lead the AR/VR organization in his new role.
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YouTube Is Testing a Feature to Download Videos on Browser
TECH CRUNCH - From now through Oct 19, YouTube Premium users can test a feature that lets them download videos from their browser. This test, which brings an existing mobile feature to the web, is part of an ongoing program that allows Premium users to test what the platform is working on.
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Meerkat, New App Connecting Parents With Other Parents
PR NEWSWIRE - Meerkat launches a new app designed to help parents make new friends using a matching system similar to dating apps. Meerkat app aims to connect parents by helping them form a sense of community, camaraderie, bond, and friendship to avoid "parenthood isolation" in today's digital world.
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Russia's Federal Censor Launches Registry of Social Media Platforms
MEDUZA - Roskomnadzor has started to maintain a registry of major social networks. Russia adopted a federal law stipulating creating a social network registry in late 2020, where the owners of sites included in the registry are obliged to moderate and block content prohibited in Russia.
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