Money Transfer Firms Join Ripple's Payment Network

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Two money transfer firms are to open a new payments corridor using RippleNet, while a Kuwaiti bank has also signed up to use the service.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/ripple-sees-new-group-of-clients-join-its-payment-network/

In the World of Cryptocurrency, Even Good Projects Can Go Bad

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Promoted: Blockchain-Based Architecture For Project Management

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Amid the meteoric rise of the global freelance economy, entrepreneurs, creative nomads and independent teams are becoming a large majority of today’s workforce. As this new model for work develops, establishing productive working systems between contractors, businesses and talent becomes a key component to success.

For many businesses, managing the dynamics of an already dynamic ecosystem can seem arduous. The first place to start when designing a working system within such a dynamic environment is to address data points that must be verified as true for a working system to successfully function. These data points include worker’s level of competence, trust and likelihood of completing a job.

The startup Alehub may have a solution. Launched in 2017, Alehub is a blockchain-based digital platform that assists businesses in identifying and approving contract partners.  

Alehub is the brainwork of a highly qualified team of project managers and entrepreneurs working in conjunction with the Russian research university  ITMO, one of the leading IT universities in the world. Alehub has also partnered with Serokell, the former developers of the cryptocurrency project Cardano, to develop the minimum viable product (MVP) version and begin their technical research development thesis, also referred to as a yellow paper.

Alehub envisions that their platform can bring a newer and brighter future to human resources. The platform assists organizations with managing talent, assessing skills and formalizing contract agreements. The platform will also help facilitate reservations, payments, compensation and profit-sharing transactions.

Each of these functions uses multilateral smart contracts on the Alehub network. By using smart contracts through Alehub, organizations can assure greater safety and reliability and reduce costs associated with outsourcing professionals. With the inherent ability within smart contracts to automatically execute contracts, the project structure now exists that allows for the adjustment of business arrangement across the workflow continuum in real time.

Leapfrogging Prevailing Models

While similar freelance marketplace hubs like Upwork, 99designs and TaskRabbit currently exist, none are equipped to effectively address the need for legally binding contracts and remote labor control for freelancers worldwide.

“We see our labor exchange as one that’s heavily involved in the relationship between customers and executors, providing them with all necessary tools for managing the details of work performed,” said Mikhail Gromyko, CEO of Alehub.

“At the same time, the rights and fulfillment of duties of all parties to the relationship are adhered to and guaranteed by the automatic execution of multilateral smart contracts.”

Alehub looks to attract demand from both the traditional and cryptocurrency economies through a new ecosystem that Alehub is calling the “composite economy.” The composite economy is designed to protect users from harmful actions by business partners during the execution of orders. As a result, AML and KYC protocols have been baked into the system as a due diligence measure.  

Tokenizing HR

Alehub’s featured security-token is ALE. ALE is the equivalent to a single share in the new economic system. The token will be used to pay interest as well as for casting a vote during strategic decision-making where the community is involved.

ALE’s liquidity is ensured in a manner similar to that of cryptocurrencies. As the currency for the platform, it allows for the payment of services of contracting participants without being tethered to a specific fiat currency. The fact that these transactions are situated on the blockchain makes tax authority oversights a relatively easy task. Additionally, participants are protected against currency fluctuations on any fiat currency exchange.

To assure liquidity, the ALE protocol is being mirrored on the platform, until stocks are ready to list tokens as their own protocols.

It should be noted that this system is compliant with the laws in myriad countries. Also, mining in Alehub is not anonymous, and miners are subject to mandatory verification procedures.

The Alehub team believes they are well on their way to revolutionizing the freelance industry. Their minimum viable product (MVP) is ready and can be downloaded from their website. Additionally, the release version is under development and soon will be added to GitHub.

“In order to make our platform more useful, we are now partnering with other business projects,” said Mikhail Gromyko. “By the beginning of 2020, we are planning to have our platform completely developed and published.”  

This promoted article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/alehubs-new-blockchain-based-architecture-project-manageme/#1527779159

$65 Million: Blockchain Assets Platform Paxos Raises Series B Funding

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Blockchain startup Paxos has closed a $65 million Series B funding round led by existing investors including Liberty City Ventures and RRE Ventures.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-startup-paxos-raises-65-million-in-series-b-funding/

PwC Australia, Port of Brisbane Unveil Blockchain Supply Chain Pilot

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PwC Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Port of Brisbane are trialling a new blockchain trade solution.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/pwc-australia-port-of-brisbane-unveil-blockchain-supply-chain-pilot/

IDG Backs Crypto Wallet imToken with $10 Million Investment

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China-based crypto wallet startup imToken announced on Thursday that it has closed a $10 million Series A round fully funded by IDG Capital.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/idg-backs-crypto-wallet-imtoken-with-10-million-investment/

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Startup Paxos Raises $65 Million

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Watch Out Crypto Exchanges, Decentralization Is Coming

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With regulatory uncertainty looming over the industry, incumbents should not feel too comfortable at the top.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/future-crypto-exchanges-decentralization-coming/

Forex Firm CLS Invests $5 Million in Enterprise Blockchain Startup R3

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U.S.-based FX settlement provider CLS has made a $5 million investment in blockchain software startup R3.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/forex-firm-cls-invests-5-million-in-enterprise-blockchain-startup-r3/

Crypto Exchange Huobi Confirms Move Into Brazilian Market

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Huobi, a major cryptocurrency exchange originally from China, has told CoinDesk that it's setting up shop in Brazil.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-exchange-huobi-confirms-move-brazilian-market/

Going Up? Bitcoin Price Sets Sights on New Resistance

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Bitcoin's corrective rally is gathering traction and may cross a key resistance hurdle soon, the technical charts indicate.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/7800-ahead-bitcoin-sets-sights-on-key-resistance-level/

Stock Trading App Removes Crypto Price Tracking After Debut

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A new service for tracking cryptocurrency prices on a popular stock trading app has become unavailable, possibly due to regulatory rumblings.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/chinese-stock-trading-app-removes-crypto-price-tracking-soon-after-debut/

Disillusioned Token Investors Demand Real Talk About Risk

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Investors who are passionate about blockchain technology are growing frustrated with a lack of tangible progress on risk management at token projects.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/ico-investors-talk-risk/

EOS Cryptocurrency Lacks Price Direction Ahead of Launch

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EOS' move to its own mainnet is just a couple of days away, yet its native cryptocurrency is looking indecisive on the price charts.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/eos-lacks-price-direction-ahead-of-mainnet-launch/

Asus' New Crypto Mining Motherboard Has Space for 20 GPUs

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Motherboard maker Asus has debuted a new product aimed specifically at cryptocurrency miners.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/asus-new-crypto-mining-motherboard-space-20-gpus/

Crypto On the Go: Prague Subway Gets 10 New Bitcoin ATMs

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GENERAL BYTES, a Prague-based bitcoin ATM manufacturer, has installed 10 new cryptocurrency ATMs throughout the Prague subway. With this latest move, commuters using the busy Prague Metro can buy and sell virtual currencies on the go. One of the busiest metros in Europe, over 1.2 million people pass through the Prague subway daily.

The company published an update on its website where it provides a detailed description of the location of each ATM. The new machines were installed in Můstek, Nádraží Veleslavín, Dejvická, Florenc, Černý Most, Zličín, Pankrác, Flora, Skalka and Hlavní Nádraží.

According to Coinatmradar.com, the Czech Republic now has 46 bitcoin ATMs, with 34 of these ATMs concentrated in Prague. Of the 3,138 bitcoin ATMs manufactured globally, GENERAL BYTES has now manufactured 27.63 percent, with their machines installed in every major city in the world. Their ATMs support the purchase and sale of bitcoin, litecoin, dash and monero.

In conversation with Bitcoin Magazine, Martijn Wismeijer, Marketing Manager of GENERAL BYTES, described his company as "veterans in the blockchain space who have been there from the very beginning.” He pointed out that the company was “the first to introduce sending cryptos via email” as well as the creator of the first BATMOne models.

Wismeijer said his company offers "seven different cryptocurrency ATM models as well as a point-of-sale (POS) called CortexPay.” These crypto ATM models are all based on a similar code base; however, he also explained that, even though the machines were similar in code base, there are some minor differences in the hardware design and a range of additional features. These features include the capacity of the acceptor, dispenser and recycler combinations as well as the acceptance of multi-currencies on a single machine.

The ATM models are called the BATM series ATM. BATM is the name of the platform created by GENERAL BYTES for producing the ATMs. These machines are further divided into the BATMTwo series (one-way and two-way options) and the BATMThree series ATMs.

According to Wismeijer, the one-way BATMTwo series ATMs were chosen for this project as there are already many two-way ATM locations in and around the city. “Installing the one-way BATMTwo models allows GENERAL BYTES to showcase the possibilities that abound for clients brand-wise with the optional BATMStand which transforms the machines into a free-standing unit.”

Wismeijer explained that clients can either run and maintain their servers or they can use the company’s cloud-hosted server, which allows operators to run their software on GENERAL BYTES’ server for a small fee.

Cryptocurrencies in Prague

Prague has been a growing hotspot for everything crypto for a while now.

There hasn't been much definition or regulation of virtual currencies in the Czech Republic, and the government is seen to be somewhat friendly to cryptos.

The subject matter is, however, being discussed in government circles as the Czech National Bank published a paper titled "Don't be Afraid of Bitcoin," where it declared that "Prague is home to a strong community of cryptocurrency users," while playing down the potential threats of cryptocurrency to the traditional monetary system.

Last year, Alza became the "first large European retailer" to add cryptocurrency payments to its website and install two bitcoin ATMs in its showroom locations in Prague and Bratislava.

The hip and trendy Holešovice district in Prague is also home to the famous Cryptoanarchy Institute, Paralelni Polis, an organization that educates the public on cryptocurrencies. Prague is also home to a couple of crypto startups like SatoshiLabs (makers of Trezor hardware wallets).

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/crypto-go-prague-subway-gets-10-new-bitcoin-atms/#1527694210

Hackers Demand $1 Million in XRP After Bank Data Theft

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Hackers who stole personal information on 90,000 Canadian bank users have demanded $1 million in Ripple's XRP to not release the data trove.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/hackers-demand-1-million-in-xrp-after-bank-data-theft/

Tradeshift Plans Blockchain Push After $250 Million Funding

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Supply chain management firm Tradeshift says it will further expand into blockchain following a $250 million Series E round led by Goldman Sachs.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/tradeshift-plans-blockchain-push-after-250-million-funding/

'Layer 2' Blockchain Tech Is an Even Bigger Deal Than You Think

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The rise of solutions like the lightning network suggests crypto can have its cake and eat it too. Transactional scaling may just be the icing.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/layer-2-blockchain-tech-even-bigger-deal-think/

Korea Seizes Bitcoin Worth $1.4 Million Following Supreme Court Ruling

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South Korea's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that cryptocurrencies can be forfeited in criminal cases, allowing the seizure.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/korea-seizes-bitcoin-worth-1-4-million-following-supreme-court-ruling/

$7,560: Bitcoin Bulls Fight Back, But Too Early to Call Reversal

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Bitcoin regained poised on Tuesday, climbing back to over $7,550, but the bulls still have work to do.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/7500-bitcoin-bulls-fight-back-but-too-early-to-call-reversal/

Indian Telecoms Watchdog to Combat Nuisance Calls with Blockchain

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India's telecoms regulator plans to leverage blockchain technology to combat unsolicited phone calls and SMS messages.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/indian-telecoms-watchdog-to-combat-nuisance-calls-with-blockchain/

EOS Is Coming, If Anyone Can Figure Out How to Vote

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After a roughly year-long initial coin offering (ICO), what has become perhaps the most hotly anticipated blockchain is scheduled to launch on June 2.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/eos-coming-anyone-can-figure-vote/

Zcoin’s Merkle Tree Proof Release Seeks to Bring Back Fairer Mining

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Zcoin, a privacy-focused asset, is launching a working version of MTP v1.2 (Merkle Tree Proof) — an ASIC-resistant proof-of-work (PoW) algorithm — on its testnet. Chinese mining conglomerate Bitmain had recently announced the release of an ASIC designed for mining the similar, privacy-based cryptocurrency Zcash, which ultimately led to some concerns in the cryptocurrency space, and Zcoin is looking to offer reassurance.

Founded in September of 2016, Zcoin was constructed to tackle decentralization and privacy issues on the blockchain. It was also the first currency to implement the Zerocoin protocol and provide financial privacy by using zero-knowledge proofs.

Created by Alex Biryukov and Dmitry Khovratovich in June 2016, MTP is designed to target miner centralization caused by ASICs and permit entry to the mining space for CPUs and GPUs. Speaking with Bitcoin Magazine, Zcoin’s Chief Operating Officer Reuben Yap explained how MTP works to demonopolize the cryptocurrency mining space.

“When you have specialized machines, X dollars will get you a hash rate 1000 times stronger than if I spend X dollars on a CPU or GPU, so if I spend $2,000 on a bitcoin ASIC miner, I’ll get a higher performance than if I spent $2,000 on a GPU rig,” he said.

“MTP’s aim is to make the price and performance as close to each other regardless of whether you use an ASIC, GPU or CPU, so no one can gain an unfair advantage through the use of specialized hardware. It is back to the idea of egalitarian mining where Satoshi was expressing one CPU per vote.”

Yap pointed out that ASIC manufacturers like Bitmain are not incentivized to sell miners at more affordable prices. But, by allowing people to use their existing hardware, without requiring something specialized to remain competitive, everyone can be kept “on fair footing as opposed to only the miner manufacturers having control.”

The system was first published in January 2018 and was used to strengthen algorithms against attacks found in both academic peer reviews and Zcoin-funded MTP bounty programs. MTP can handle large memory sizes from two to eight GBs, which pits it favorably against other leading PoW systems like Scrypt, Equihash and Cryptonight.

MTP also discourages the use of botnets — infected computers that are controlled to mine cryptocurrencies — as its high memory usage would likely alert users of infected systems due to heavy impacts on a system’s performance. Botnets have often taken advantage of ASIC-resistant algorithms in the past, though MTP requires considerably more memory for proof computation like mining than it does for proof verification.

Zcoin is now refining its MTP code to prepare the application for extended testing. It will also be launching bounties for open-sourced miners and pool software prior to its release on the main net.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/zcoins-merkle-tree-proof-release-seeks-bring-back-fairer-mining/#1527604873

British FX Firm Currencies Direct Pilots Ripple Tech

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Foreign exchange brokerage Currencies Direct successfully completed several international transfers using Ripple's xRapid product.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/fx-firm-tests-xrp-payments-in-ripple-xrapid-pilot-program/

Austrian Regulator Freezes Crypto Mining Firm Amid Investigation

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The Austrian Financial Market Authority has suspended the operations of cryptocurrency mining firm INVIA GmbH for offering illegal investments.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/austrian-financial-regulator-halts-crypto-mining-firms-operations/

Kakao: How Korea's Largest Mobile Giant Is Embracing Blockchain

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Jason Han, CEO of Kakao's blockchain subsidiary Ground X, tells CoinDesk his thoughts on how crypto could impact big business.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/kakao-how-koreas-largest-mobile-giant-is-embracing-blockchain/

Crypto Payroll Processor Bitwage Launches ICO Advisory Firm

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Bitcoin payroll firm Bitwage has launched an advisory company aimed to make it easier for companies to launch token sales.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-payroll-processor-launches-ico-advisory-firm/

Korean National Assembly Makes Official Proposal to Lift ICO Ban

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South Korea's legislative arm of government is pushing for the removal of the country's ban on domestic initial coin offerings.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/korean-national-assembly-makes-official-proposal-to-lift-ico-ban/

EOS Forced to Patch 'Epic' Security Loopholes Ahead of Launch

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Blockchain platform EOS says serious vulnerabilities reported by an internet security firm just days before its mainnet launch have been fixed.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/eos-forced-to-patch-epic-security-loopholes-ahead-of-launch/

German Authorities Sold $14 Million in Seized Cryptos Over Price Fears

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Prosecutors in Germany have made an emergency sale of cryptocurrencies seized in two investigations due to concerns over price volatility.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/german-authorities-sold-14-million-in-seized-cryptos-over-price-fears/

Bitcoin Now Faces Last Major Support Level Before $5K

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Bitcoin is down again and looks set to test another key support level at $6,900, the technical charts indicate.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-now-faces-last-major-support-level-before-5k/

Baidu's 'Wikipedia' Now Logs Revisions on a Blockchain

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Chinese search giant Baidu has turned to blockchain technology in order to make its online encyclopedia more traceable and transparent.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/baidus-wikipedia-now-logs-revisions-on-a-blockchain/

Japan Was the Wake-Up Call: Get Ready to Defend Privacy Coins

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To advocate for regulatory leniency, we must consider the advantages, not the disadvantages, that privacy coins will provide to the greater community.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/japan-wake-call-get-ready-defend-privacy-coins/

Chinese Universities to Build Blockchain DAO for Affordable Education

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A group of top-tier Chinese universities plans to build a distributed organization to make educational resources more accessible and affordable.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/china-universities-plan-blockchain-dao-for-affordable-education/

Blockchain Could 'Revolutionize' Retail and CPG Industries: Deloitte

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A Deloitte report suggests the retail and consumer packaged goods sectors could see benefits from blockchain integration across a number of use cases.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-could-revolutionize-retail-and-cpg-industries-deloitte/

Op Ed: How Atomic Swaps Could Work for Stock Market Trading

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Traditional stock market trades can leverage the concept of atomic swaps to facilitate direct stock-to-stock trades without requiring cash positions.

Atomic Stocks Overview

In traditional stock exchanges, retail investors in public markets are unable to switch from one position to another without first going into cash. For example, an investor looking to trade his or her Amazon shares for PayPal shares must first exchange these Amazon shares for U.S. dollars, before buying PayPal shares with these dollars.

This style of exchange creates unnecessary friction and expense because of a) transaction costs incurred on the sale of the asset, as well as on the purchase of the new asset; b) U.S. dollar purchasing power exchange-rate risk; and c) transaction fees paid to the broker that the purchaser is using, as well as the bid-ask spread that exists for each publicly traded stock (which occurs on both the sale of the previously held asset, as well as on the newly purchased asset).

Atomic Swaps

In the context of cryptocurrency, atomic swaps are a proposed feature that could allow direct conversion between two cryptocurrencies without having to use a third-party intermediary or exchange. By employing hash time-locked smart contracts, atomic swaps guarantee that parties will deliver the currency needed for the trade, or else the transaction is automatically canceled. These “all or nothing” trades preserve atomicity because they either take place or are canceled immediately. For example, customer A could directly trade his or her bitcoin for customer B’s ether with full confidence that the trade will either take place or terminate if either party doesn’t deliver their side of the bargain.

Atomic Stocks

Harnessing the principle of atomic swaps, direct stock-to-stock exchanges (Atomic Stock Exchanges) enable retail investors to avoid the forced conversion into cash that occurs when selling a stock to USD just to buy back another stock.

It is a commonplace occurrence to switch between stock positions for retail investors and financial firms, and the prevention of touching cash allows for the avoidance of transaction fees that would normally be incurred when making these trades, and the cost-saving consolidation of the bid-ask spreads on both of these stocks into one bid-ask spread. While the larger cost saving would occur on direct stock-stock swaps, there are incremental cost savings on the bid-ask spread as well.

Atomic Stock Exchanges could feasibly work with large-cap stocks that have deep pools of liquidity, such as stocks on the S&P 500, and the liquidity needed for making the trades would be provided by high-frequency traders (HFT) who could make up the gap that exists.

This would squeeze HFT margins, but as a commodity business that provides a middleman service, we imagine they would facilitate this as a way to make incremental revenues (if they have no other options).

By focusing on the needs of the average retail consumer, we realize that in many cases, the sale into cash is forced and doesn’t correspond to what the investor actually wants, which is to simply switch from one highly liquid position to another.

Atomic Stock Exchange: Practical Example

Let’s imagine for simplicity that only the S&P 500 is available and that we want to rotate out of Google stock into Facebook stock because we think that Facebook stock has been shifted off of its fundamental value due to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Therefore, we want to exchange our Google shares for Facebook shares; because they are both denominated in USD, there is a ratio of what one share is worth relative to the other share. On the market close of May 4, 2018, one share of Google is worth 5.95 shares of Facebook stock. In this hypothetical exchange, shares are fractional, and you are able to exchange one Google share for 5.95 Facebook shares and vice versa.

The “spread” in this case would be the amount of Google stock you receive when making this exchange. You would only receive 5.93 shares of Facebook when you are doing this exchange, and the market maker is getting 0.02 Facebook shares in exchange for facilitating this transaction. These shares add up over time in favor of the market maker and serve as their profit once they liquidate them.

This spread dynamic could potentially cause an issue since market makers are now being paid by stock instead of in cash, unlike with normal bid-ask spreads. However, this could allow market makers to profit via the appreciation of these shares during the trading day as well. However, nothing would prevent HFT from liquidating the shares they receive as cash immediately as well, provided someone takes this trade.

Exchange Dynamics

To start, Atomic Stock Exchanges would charge no exchange fees. Revenue can be made by selling order flow and the right to trade on this exchange to HFT. The way the buy and sell process would work from stock to stock could be: when a sell order is placed, it is specified which position the firm would like to exchange into, and provided that this trade is available, it is filled by simply swapping shares. This is where HFT could be invaluable as a market maker and be able to profit off the spread. This would serve as a way to make a profit, and many exchanges try to obfuscate the fact that they make money off retail investors doing so.

Questions Worth Considering

What is the main issue that would have to be overcome to create an Atomic Stock Exchange?

It’s critical to figure out how to enable the purchasing of decimalized amounts of shares and how to pair users that are actually looking to swap shares with each other. In private markets, counterparties have broad control over their trade arrangements, but in public markets this utility hasn’t yet been harnessed. In other words, for atomic stocks to work, an Atomic Stock Exchange would have to create decimalized shares. When we consider that for a retail user of E-Trade or Charles Schwab, the cost of going from Amazon to Facebook is selling one and buying the other, each of which carries a transaction fee, and we see that this could be a huge cost savings for the average retail investor, even if a service had to be paid on the back end to enable a decimalized share service to exist. However, for an Atomic Stock Exchange to be profitable, it would have to support massive volume.

Is decimalization of shares in public markets the equivalent of decimalization for stock prices?

Before 2001, all stock prices in the U.S. were quoted as 1/16 of a dollar, creating opportunities for arbitrage, but also creating massive inefficiencies within markets as well. Decimalization has led to tighter spreads because of the corresponding smaller price increments and movements. With decimalization, the minimum price movement is now one cent, allowing for tighter spreads between the bid and the ask levels. For example, shares could be decimalized out to five decimal places, allowing for the equivalent trading of shares.

Would the theoretical lack of (or less) cash be an issue for this exchange?

Many exchanges make money by putting cash that hasn’t been invested into money market accounts. An Atomic Stock Exchange could allow for these kinds of cash holdings as well.

What about liquidity?

Atomic Stock Exchanges can be built on top of existing exchanges, meaning that retail investors can still switch to cash positions if they wish to do so.

Do any kind of similar trades already happen?

Institutional investors can already execute paired trades that never expose them directly to fiat currency. But retail investors miss out on this opportunity.

This paper is part of a research project being developed by Erik Kuebler and Oscar Avatare at the University of Washington. If you have any feedback, suggestions or questions, please email ekuebler@uw.edu or oavatare@uw.edu.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/op-ed-how-atomic-swaps-could-work-stock-market-trading/#1527521461

Looking for New Way to Donate During Ramadan? London Mosque Now Accepts Bitcoin

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Chinese Ride-Hailing App Founder Wants to Build a Blockchain 'Uber'

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Chen Weixing, founder of Chinese ride-hailing app Kuaidi Dache, is planning to build a blockchain-based application for ride-sharing.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/chinese-ride-hailing-app-founder-wants-to-build-a-blockchain-uber/

Bank of Russia Official: Still Too Early to Gauge Blockchain's Potential

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A senior official at Russia's central bank has said blockchain technology is immature but may have industrial-scale applications.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bank-of-russia-official-still-too-early-to-gauge-blockchains-potential/

Amid Chaos, Our Decentralized Future Is Being Built

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Blockchain can upend – not just the business models of recent decades – but a millennia-old societal practice of deep significance to civilization.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/amid-chaos-decentralized-future-built/

China Poised to Form Blockchain Standards Committee This Year

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China expects to form its national blockchain standards committee by the end of 2018, according to an IT ministry official.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/china-poised-to-form-blockchain-standards-committee-this-year/

Chairman Mao Stunt Backfires at Blockchain Conference in China

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Bitcoin Bears Still in Charge But Indecision Could Open Doors for Rally

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While the odds are still stacked in favor of bitcoin's bears, marketplace exhaustion may have provided a chance for a brief rally.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-bears-still-in-charge-but-indecision-could-open-doors-for-rally/

No Miners? Intel Seeks to Automate DLT Block Verification

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A newly released Intel patent application sets out a system for automatically creating and validating blocks on a distributed ledger.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/no-miners-intel-seeks-to-automate-dlt-block-verification/

Chinese Blockchain Event Draws Backlash Over Chairman Mao Stunt

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Chinese crypto media firms are boycotting a blockchain event after the organizer used a Chairman Mao imitator to fire up the audience.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/chinese-blockchain-event-draws-backlash-over-chairman-mao-stunt/

What to Expect When Ethereum Classic Diffuses Its 'Difficulty Bomb'

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The upcoming ethereum classic fork will disable a 'difficulty bomb,' committing the network to a proof-of-work consensus algorithm.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/expect-ethereum-classic-diffuses-difficulty-bomb/

Bitcoin Magazine’s Week in Review: Expanding Exchanges and Investors

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Cryptocurrencies and exchanges were the focus this week. Coinbase is getting into the decentralized exchange business with its acquisition of Paradex, potentially opening up thousands of ERC-20 tokens to traders, depending on what the SEC ends up doing with regulations. The parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, Intercontinental Exchange, continues work to implement a system to allow large investors to trade bitcoin directly. And Germany’s Deutsche Boerse is looking at getting into the cryptocurrency game. Finally, the city of Memphis had its first blockchain conference, which included keynotes from FedEx and a hackathon for various market segments that included some great prizes.

Featured stories by Amy Castor, David Hollerith and  Nick Marinoff

Stay on top of the best stories in the bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Coinbase Takes Another Step Toward Trading ICO Tokens by Acquiring

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase just made an enormous play by acquiring decentralized relayer Paradex this week. Paradex bills itself as a decentralized exchange (DEX), meaning no third party is involved in holding the funds. Instead, users can use the platform to trade ERC20 tokens directly wallet to wallet. Paradex is built on top of the 0x (pronounced “zero x”) protocol.  

Right now, Coinbase trades four coins: bitcoin (BTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), ether (ETH) and litecoin (LTC). Adding ERC20 tokens could significantly boost the number of digital assets it carries. Due to the ICO boom that has taken place over the last few years, thousands of different ICO tokens are now available.

German Stock Exchange Eyes Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

Frankfurt Stock Exchange parent company, Deutsche Boerse AG, appears to have begun work on technology that will allow them to offer their clients bitcoin and cryptocurrency-related products.

Speaking at an industry event in London on May 23, 2018, Jeffrey Tessler, head of clients, products and core markets for Deutsche Boerse, said they are considering offering cryptocurrency products: "We are deep at work with it."

The Old New Thing: ICE and the Future of Bitcoin Trading and Regulation

As reported earlier by The New York Times (NYT) and Bitcoin Magazine, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), is developing an online trading platform that would allow large investors to trade bitcoin directly. As news about the ICE platform continues to develop, Bitcoin Magazine spoke with lawyers Ben Sauter and Dave McGill of Kobre & Kim, a New York City law firm which specializes in disputes and investigations, to examine the regulatory issues surrounding the launch of such a platform, including swap contracts and the implications the ICE platform might have on cryptocurrency trading in the future.

What Happened At Graceland’s Ethereum Conference

In its first year, EthMemphis distinguished its place on the blockchain conference circuit for displaying an under-the-hood glimpse at what actually moves this young industry forward, specifically on the Ethereum network. The focus was on blockchain topics and projects applied to supply chain, healthcare, tourism/hospitality, education and law.

Verge Cryptocurrency Suffers Its Second Hack in Less Than Two Months

While Verge executives are claiming a DDoS attack is responsible for the recent serious delays on their blockchain, it appears that the problem may be more serious than the company is implying. The attack lasted more than a few hours and has resulted in over 35 million XVGs (worth approximately $1.7 million) being stolen. The theft occurred when hackers exploited a specific glitch in Verge’s technology by mining multiple blocks virtually one second apart using the same algorithm. This was the same tactic used in a hack just last month that saw over 250,000 XVGs disappear into thin air, forcing Verge to prepare a subsequent hard fork.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/bitcoin-magazines-week-review-expanding-exchanges-and-investors/#1527440327

Let's Talk Bitcoin! #367 Full Circle

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On Today's Episode of Let's Talk Bitcoin...

Stephanie and Adam sit down with Bill Barhydt, CEO of Abra. They discuss his path towards solving the hard problems of remittance in real life, and the stablecoin system you've probably never heard of.

New Stuff:

Tip LTB via the Lightning Network! (https://tipltb.tokenly.com/)

Tip LTB with good ol' fashioned Bitcoin - 1M7co3XSdJ1w7SibMQNXdH4QGjC2Jae7VX

---

Let's Talk Bitcoin! #367 was sponsored by EasyDNS.com and ProofOfShirts.com.

Content for today's show was provided by Stephanie, Bill and Adam. This episode was edited by Matthew Zipkin

This episode featured music by Jared Rubens and General Fuzz

Any questions or comments? email adam@letstalkbitcoin.com

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/lets-talk-bitcoin-367-full-circle

ZombieChain Comes Alive: Can Ethereum Sidechains Save the Dapps?

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Loom Network, which came up with the idea of dedicated "dappchains" for scalable decentralized apps, is embracing sharing.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/zombiechain-comes-alive-can-ethereum-sidechains-save-dapps/

Leadership Shifts to Usher in New Era for Monero Cryptocurrency

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New leaders with ambitious business strategies are on the rise within monero, seeking "usability for ordinary people."

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/startups-monero-community/

Blockchain Must Adapt to Build Trust in the Internet of Things

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While there is tremendous promise for the tech, blockchain must evolve substantially to meet the unique demands of the internet of things.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-must-adapt-build-trust-internet-things/

Startup Behind Zk-Starks Breakthrough to Seek Cryptocurrencies As Customers

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Lead scientists behind privacy tech zk-starks have started a business providing the solution to blockchains in exchange for tokens.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/starkware-6million-startup-funding-zkstarks/

BitGo Is Building Its Own Digital Asset Custodian

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Blockchain security startup BitGo has decided to build its own asset custodian, and will no longer proceed with its acquisition of Kingdom Trust.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitgo-is-building-its-own-digital-asset-custodian/

Distributed Dialogues With Tatiana Moroz

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In partnership with the Distributed Event Series and the Let's Talk Bitcoin Network, "Distributed Dialogues" gives listeners a cross section of the cryptocurrency and enterprise blockchain ecosystem by giving voice to the people, ideas and projects that make it possible.

The following interviews came from Tatiana Moroz during the Distributed: Markets event. During the event, Tatiana interviewed a wide variety of the people who work in the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology space. Hearing from these people illuminates what is happening within the space whether recruiting internationally for a cryptocurrency exchange, building a peer-to-peer decentralized platform, disrupting supply chains or simply trying to create a more open world for financial transactions.

Proof of ProofCrypto Companies Raising FundsRunning A Peer-To-Peer Financial EngineTreated With HeatRecruiting for A Bitcoin ExchangeStarting A Decentralized Exchange on Ethereum

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/distributed-dialogues-tatiana-moroz/#1527096558

CryptoKitties Charity Auction Raises $15K for Children's Hospital

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Bella's Kitty Den, a CryptoKitties marketplace, raised over $15,000 by auctioning donated collectible kitties for the Seattle Children's Hospital.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/cryptokitties-charity-auction-raises-15k-for-childrens-hospital/

Just One Crypto Bucked the Market Downtrend This Week

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Shadowing the losses in bitcoin, the top-25 cryptocurrencies have all fallen over the last seven days – all bar one, that is.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/just-one-cryptocurrency-bucked-the-market-downtrend-this-week/

Chinese Blockchain Complex Offers Startups Millions in Subsidies

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A new blockchain industrial park in China aims to attract talented individuals and startups by offering millions of dollars-worth of subsidies.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/chinese-blockchain-complex-offers-startups-millions-subsidies/

Distributed Dialogues About the Blockchain Industry with Tatiana Moroz

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In partnership with the Distributed Event Series and the Let's Talk Bitcoin Network, "Distributed Dialogues" gives listeners a cross section of the cryptocurrency and enterprise blockchain ecosystem by giving voice to the people, ideas and projects that make it possible.

The following interviews were conducted by Tatiana Moroz, host of The Tatiana Moroz Show, during a recent Distributed: Markets event. Moroz interviewed a wide variety of the people who work in the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology space. Whether they are recruiting internationally for a cryptocurrency exchange, building peer-to-peer decentralized trading platforms, disrupting supply chains or simply trying to create a more open world for financial transactions, hearing from these people illuminates what is happening within the space.

Proof of Proof

Maxwell Sanchez is co-founder and CTO of Veriblock, a blockchain software development company that created proof-of-proof (PoP). PoP is a consensus protocol that leverages the Bitcoin blockchain's proof-of-work (PoW) to provide higher quality data integrity for services in healthcare, law enforcement and more. 

Crypto Companies Raising Funds

Ayesha Kiani is managing director of Republic Crypto, a pre-sale token fundraising platform for individual and organizational investors. Before Republic Crypto, Kiani worked for SingularDTV and held numerous other roles in the venture capital space. She has a bachelor's degree in finance from New York University (NYU) as well as a J.D. from the NYU Law School.

Running A Peer-To-Peer Financial Engine

Adam Perlow is CEO of Zen Protocol, a consensus protocol which follows Bitcoin's style of transaction output while also allowing for Ethereum-like features such as smart contracts and support for multiple tokens.Treated With Heat

Rick Dudley is CEO of Vulcanize, a consultancy that helps companies formulate blockchain architectures that focus in particular on "federated systems" or "permissioned blockchains".

Recruiting for a Bitcoin Exchange

Ryan Andersen is an executive in recruiting and operations at the digital asset exchange Kraken. Like so many other companies in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, Kraken is seeking to massively grow its number of employees. Andersen explains the company's ever-present need for developers as well as accountants, customer service representatives, account management people and regulatory compliance experts.

Starting A Decentralized Exchange on Ethereum

Barath Rao is CEO of Leverj a decentralized exchange that is also "leveraged" in the sense that it can offer cryptocurrency futures contracts and risk management. Rao explains the perceived value of a decentralized exchange as well as what it has been like to launch one.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/distributed-dialogues-about-blockchain-industry-tatiana-moroz/#1527096558

German Stock Exchange Eyes Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

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Frankfurt Stock Exchange parent company, Deutsche Boerse AG, appears to have begun work on technology that will allow them to offer their clients bitcoin and cryptocurrency-related products.

In December 2017, regulators in the U.S. greenlit bitcoin futures trading for the CME Group and CBOE Futures Exchange, but since then, no major European exchange has jumped in. Speaking at an industry event in London on May 23, 2018, Jeffrey Tessler, head of clients, products and core markets for Deutsche Boerse, said they are considering offering cryptocurrency products: "We are deep at work with it."

Tessler is quoted in Bloomberg confirming that Deutsche Boerse is “not at the same stage” as CME and that they want to make sure that they understand the underlying transaction “which isn’t the easiest thing to do.”

Two months ago, Deutsche Boerse announced a plan to work with the financial management firm HQLAX and R3’s Corda blockchain platform to implement a system that can offer more efficient securities settlement via a blockchain. HQLAX and R3 already have a solution for securities lending with a number of large banks, such as ING and Credit Suisse.

Tessler added, “Before moving forwards with anything like bitcoin, we want to understand the volatility and make sure clients are in line and make sure regulators are in line.”

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/german-stock-exchange-eyes-bitcoin-and-cryptocurrencies/#1527257141

Porn Star Stormy Daniels Adds Crypto Rewards to Official Website

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Adult actress Stormy Daniels has partnered with Vice Industry Token to add cryptocurrency incentives for website users.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/porn-star-stormy-daniels-adds-crypto-rewards-to-official-website/

London Police Seize Bitcoin Worth $667,000 From Hacker

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS via NYT Europe https://ift.tt/2s7QDDv

A Blockchain Building in Bushwick

By STUART MILLER via NYT https://ift.tt/2IKrtFj

Bangkok Bank Joins R3's Trade Finance Blockchain Initiative

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Bangkok Bank has joined the Marco Polo trade finance initiative developed by blockchain startup R3 and trade finance technology firm TradeIX.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bangkok-bank-joins-r3s-trade-finance-blockchain-initiative/

Chinese City to Use Blockchain In Fight Against Tax Evasion

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Tencent is working with a local tax authority on fintech solutions to tax issues, and already has a blockchain product for invoicing.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/tencent-partners-with-city-authority-to-combat-tax-evasion-with-blockchain/

Bitcoin Faces First Close Below This Key Long-Term Support in 2.5 Years

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If bitcoin closes the week below the 50-week moving average it will increase the likelihood of a sell-off to $6,000

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-faces-first-close-below-this-key-long-term-support-in-2-5-years/

Alabama Securities Watchdog Hits 3 ICOs with Cease-and-Desists

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The U.S. state of Alabama has issued cease-and-desist orders to three ICOs that were allegedly soliciting residents with unregistered securities.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/alabama-securities-watchdog-hits-3-icos-with-cease-and-desists/

South Africa Investigates $80 Million Bitcoin Scam

By REUTERS via NYT https://ift.tt/2KS2EUf

Pink Taxis, Red Flags: A Deep Dive Into a Sketchy ICO

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No team, plagiarized white paper, McAfee pump, promises of bitcoin-like returns, brand hijacking, a fake blog. Welcome to ICO-land.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/pink-taxis-red-flags-deep-dive-sketchy-ico/

The Tatiana Show - Paige Peterson and JW

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Topics include:
-- The importance of encryption
-- ZCash
-- Homeschool with bots

About the Guests:
- Paige has been immersed within the peer-to-peer technology world since 2011. Prior roles with mesh networking and p2p storage startups in addition to organizing the San Francisco Bitcoin Meetup has provided Paige with an appreciation for the diverse applications of decentralized networks. She enjoys exploring ways to simplify explanations of complex topics, hosting crypto parties and is a proud participant in the Free State Project. She has a BFA in Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

- JW Weatherman is a software security expert that has been working with Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. He's the author of the Bitcoin Threat Model found at http://btcThreats.com . A successful entrepreneur in the software start-up space, JW is currently the lead contributor of the open-source project Mathbot, a game that teaches kids math and programming by giving a robot a series of graphical commands. It's an intuitive and fun way for kids to learn. Mathbot is free to play, but allows parents to reward kids in bitcoin for mastering a topic. If we succeed, the public schools will stop pretending to teach math.

More Info:
https://www.TatianaMoroz.com
https://www.CryptoMediaHub.com
https://www.Vaultoro.com/?a=100068|
https://z.cash
https://mathbot.com/#/

Friends and Sponsors of the Show:
https://www.TheBitcoinCPA.com/
https://www.CryptoCompare.com/
https://www.FreeRoss.org\
https://www.ThirdKey.Solutions/
http://www.SovrynTech.com
http://www.SexAndScienceHour.com

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/http-wwwthetatianashowcom-the-tatiana-show-paige-peterson-and-jw-

The Crypto Show: The Digital Cash Evolution 1100 Am KFNX

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This is our debut on 1100 Am KFNX in Phoenix AZ. We have taken the bold move of going on to a major conservative talk network during afternoon drive. Our goal is to talk crypto basics to the masses. We air live on wed. afternoon 4pm to 5pm pst.We would love audience participation so feel free to join in (602-277-KFNX) http://1100kfnx.comA little rough for our 1st episode, it is a new line up and our goal here is to get outside of the echo chamber to reach and create new users of crypto currency. Remember when adoption was everyone's goal?Well this is that!

‚Sponsored by: Dash, CryptoCompare and Defense Distributed

Links

LogosRadioNetwork

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119365597/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_IQPczbQHWJKP8

TheCryptoShow

FreeRoss

Social Media

The Crypto Show on Facebook

@TheCryptoShow

@The_Crypto_Show

@the_crypto_show instagram

The Crypto Show YouTube

Tip with Crypto

BTC: 139R6K7fxTYaFf2aXTid84Le1ayqMVvSCq

Dash: XoeHNrTMKcLWxZpKfUnDMpRbHFNgFmRrLF

LTC: LUTJtk4QqXLiDkK8pDKK3jM73VVwbp7oSr

BCH: qrf5qmpya8zetcefupdcaew9ch87egl6us7xvrfzh4

ETH: 0x10cfd6916832566e82b3ab38cc6741dfd7e6164fo

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/the-crypto-show-the-digital-cash-evolution-1100-am-kfnx

Bitfury-Backed Group Mined 800 Bitcoins in Q1

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Hut 8 Mining Group raised $70 million CAD to invest in mining machines, and mined 828 bitcoins in the first quarter of 2018.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitfury-backed-group-mined-800-bitcoins-in-q1/

Distributed Business Accelerator Launches to Cultivate Blockchain Startups

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As part of New York Blockchain Week, Distributed Business Accelerator (DBA) publicly launched their global blockchain accelerator community designed to cultivate an ecosystem of blockchain startups.

The CEO of the project is Tom Tao, formerly of IBM and Chainbase Accelerator. In opening remarks, Tao gave his outlook on the industry and extrapolated on where he saw DBA adding value to the blockchain ecosystem, noting that “for startups, obtaining resources and attention quickly is one of the critical factors to attain success.”

Tao laid out the goals of DBA which include equipping promising blockchain startups with all the tools necessary to accelerate their growth, giving them access to an incubator in which they can develop their product and helping them to plan out business strategies to deliver that product to the world.

He also touched on current issues which seem to be creating a general environment that leaves individual blockchain ecosystems too isolated. He considers the trend of short-term token trading and speculation, combined with early adopter incentive structures which stimulate that speculation, to be concerning. Both practices lead to early speculators earning more than real builders and entrepreneurs. He also finds airdrop methods to be inefficient, for the most part.

Offering an alternative and combating some of these entrenched difficulties are goals DBA hopes to achieve through its network and incentive structure. To that end, DBA will generate a token for incentivizing community participation. There will be no ICO.

Part of that community structure will also include blockchain-based voting. Community members (voters), vetted and hand-picked advisors (project consultants), investor teams and entrepreneurs who submit projects will make up its organic structural pieces.

The engaged community is meant to be collaborative with each piece adding its own value. Token rewards are delivered to members who participate in the creation of value through activities such as identity registration, referrals and voting on submitted projects. Community members are KYC’d to protect the integrity of the processes. Projects nominated by the community are screened by the accelerator, while the centralized investment team makes final decisions on investment. The system is then able to reward the community nominators and supporters through tokens based on the final investment decision for the project.

Projects currently in the ecosystem include decentralized storage product Genaro and risk-management platform DRC.

Initial advisors to the ecosystem include Qtum founder Patrick Dai, Factom founder David Johnston, and Singapore Management University professor David Lee.

Factom’s Johnston also spoke at the event from the perspective of Factom’s experience in the marketplace and where he saw DBA adding value, particularly the incentive structure that will encourage industry investors and community members to work collaboratively, publicly and transparently, in contrast to the system of secretive deals that exists currently.

The next month will see the launch of the DBA mobile app and the first community votes on projects.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/distributed-business-accelerator-launches-cultivate-blockchain-startups/#1527183952

U.S. Justice Department Probes Price Manipulation on Bitcoin Markets

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The U.S. Justice Department is looking into whether the price of bitcoin and other virtual currencies are being manipulated, according to a report in Bloomberg that referenced four unnamed sources for the information.

Still in its early phases, the criminal probe will bring in other agencies, like the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a regulator that oversees bitcoin derivatives, sources said.

On spot markets, like GDAX, Poloniex and Bitfinex, where cryptocurrencies change hands immediately, the price of bitcoin can vacillate wildly in a matter of hours. Starting in early 2017, the price of bitcoin ballooned from $1,000 to a record high of around $20,000 in mid-December. Currently, the price now sits in around $7,500.

Unlike in Japan, where virtual currency exchanges are subject the same rules and oversight as any other financial institutions and are required to register with the government, in the U.S. and other countries, cryptocurrency exchanges are still largely unregulated, opening up the doors to fraud and manipulation.  

As for the U.S. Justice Department, its probe will focus on practices like spoofing, where a trader puts in a large buy or sell order only to withdraw the order as soon as the price starts to go up or down; and wash trading, where an investor simultaneously buys and sells assets to increase the volume of trading. Painting the tape, where traders trade amongst themselves to make it look like there is a flurry of activity going on, is yet another method of market manipulation.  

All of these illegal trading practices are particularly effective in manipulating asset prices in relatively small markets. Cryptocurrency spot markets are said to handle only a small fraction of overall bitcoin trading, while bigger deals take place in over-the-counter (OTC) markets, like Gemini Global Trading, Circle and Cumberland Mining, where big investors, miners and hedge funds move hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies daily.

Earlier this year, Jordan Belfort, the original “Wolf of  Wall Street,” who served jail time in connection with stock-market manipulation, warned bitcoin traders of “corruption” and “improper trading practices” in the markets and looming government crackdowns. “If you think the governments of the world don’t have the power to shut this down, you are very wrong. They do,” Belfort said in a video.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/us-justice-department-probes-price-manipulation-bitcoin-markets/#1527181443

#236 Luis Cuende: Aragon - Decentralized Governance and the Fight for Freedom

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Aragon Founder Luis Cuende joined us to discuss their work on building tools for decentralized governance. We covered the origins of his deep drive, why this is a crucial fight for humanity and the tools that Aragon has built.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Luis became an advisor to the European Commissionas as a 16-year old
• Why freedom and technology became Luis' prime obsession
• The origin story and vision of Aragon
• The risk surveillance and authoritarianism pose to humanity
• Why decentralized governance is the key to freedom
• How to think about inequality and blockchain governance
• Why on-chain governance makes more sense on application than protocol level
• AragonOS and its different applications
• The Aragon Network Token and potential role in a decentralized court system
• The road to decentralizing Aragon organizationally

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Aragon Network
• The Aragon Manifesto
• Decentralized organizations can solve the world's worst problems
• Aragon - The fight for freedom Video
• Decentralizing Aragon's development '" Aragon
• Decentralizing Aragon's development II: Minimum Viable Foundation
• Decentralizing Aragon's development III: Onboarding new teams

Sponsors:

• Gnosis X: Build a revolutionary prediction market dApp on Gnosis & win up to '$100,000 in GNO tokens

Support the show, consider donating:

• BTC: 1CD83r9EzFinDNWwmRW4ssgCbhsM5bxXwg (https://epicenter.tv/tipbtc)
• BCC: 1M4dvWxjL5N9WniNtatKtxW7RcGV73TQTd (http://epicenter.tv/tipbch)
• ETH: 0x8cdb49ca5103Ce06717C4daBBFD4857183f50935 (https://epicenter.tv/tipeth)

This episode is also available on :

• Epicenter.tv
• YouTube
• Souncloud

Watch or listen, Epicenter is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sƒbastien Couture & Meher Roy.

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/epicenter-236-luis-cuende-aragon-decentralized-governance-and-the-fight-for-freedom

New Strain of Malware Hijacks Apple Macs to Mine Monero

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A monero cryptominer based on XMRig is hijacking Macs, causing high CPU and fan usage.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/new-strain-of-malware-hijacks-apple-macs-to-mine-monero/

Commerzbank Conducts €500k FX Transaction Using R3's Corda

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Thyssenkrupp successfully conducted a foreign exchange transaction using R3's Corda blockchain in partnership with Germany's Commerzebank.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/commerzbank-conducts-e500k-fx-transaction-using-r3s-corda/

Revolut App Adds XRP, Bitcoin Cash to Crypto Options

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Mobile banking app Revolut now lets users buy, sell and hold Ripple's XRP and bitcoin cash, in addition to bitcoin, litecoin and ether.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/revolut-app-adds-xrp-bitcoin-cash-to-crypto-options/

German Stock Exchange Wants to Launch Bitcoin Products

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Deutsche Boerse AG is assessing whether to offer cryptocurrency-related products, a company exec has said during an event.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/this-german-stock-exchange-wants-to-launch-bitcoin-products/

Elon Musk Declares War on the Media: DealBook Briefing

By Unknown Author via NYT DealBook https://ift.tt/2J3ASag

U.S. Launches Criminal Probe Into Bitcoin Price Manipulation: Bloomberg

By REUTERS via NYT https://ift.tt/2IJsngW

Singapore Warns 8 Exchanges Over Unregistered Securities Trading

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Singapore's central bank has warned eight digital token exchanges and an ICO issuer to stop trading tokens deemed unauthorized securities.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/singapore-warns-8-exchanges-over-unregistered-securities-trading/

Russian Institutions to Trial Central Bank ICO Platform

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Two financial institutions are set to test a regulatory platform set up by the Bank of Russia that aims to make ICOs more transparent and secure.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/russian-institutions-to-trial-central-banks-ico-platform/

Commerzbank Demonstrates First German Corporate FX Deal on Blockchain

By REUTERS via NYT https://ift.tt/2IMgUxn