U.S. senators question Meta’s intentions to expand its influence in crypto space

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan, expressing concern about Meta’s ongoing efforts to expand its influence in the cryptocurrency industry, as the company has now filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Five trademark applications related to digital asset services and blockchain technology were filed. "Meta first submitted its application on March 18, 2022, and the applications submitted as of January 22 appear to represent the company's continued intention to expand participation in the digital asset ecosystem," the letter stated. The letter identifies five of Meta’s patents, which include several applications related to the digital asset field, including social media networks, dating services, transactions and cryptocurrency verification, among others. Although the five applications remain active, Meta told the Financial Services Commission on October 12 that the company had no ongoing digital asset-related work. (CoinDesk)