Alipay Adds Cooldown Feature on NFTs to Curb Speculation

Chinese payments app Alipay is now requiring users to hold onto non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for at least 180 days before they can transfer them, Chinese media reported.

• Alipay updated the terms for use of its NFT marketplace "mini-program," an app within the super-app, AI Caijing reported today.
• Alipay, which is China's second-most popular payments app, says the mini-program shouldn't be used for speculation.
• Users can send NFTs only to accounts that have passed real-name verification, the terms said.
• The terms also state that the copyright of digital works belongs to the creator or issuer and that buyers can't use them for commercial purposes without consent.
• The mini-program caters primarily to fans who want to buy NFTs of celebrity memorabilia.
• The NFT market globally has been picking up, with marketplaces hitting all-time records in transaction volumes.
• Chinese financial regulators are vehemently opposed to market speculation, a stance they have often reiterated with regards to the highly volatile crypto markets.
• Ant Group, Alipay's parent company, has been trying to "rectify" its standing with regulators for almost a year, after its initial public offering was abruptly halted last year.

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