Police Freeze Bank Accounts, Seize Luxury Cars in Probe of $22 Million ICO Promoter Vanbex

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Canadian police have frozen assets of the founders of Vanbex, as part of a fraud probe into the firm's $22 million ICO.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/police-freeze-bank-accounts-seize-luxury-cars-in-probe-of-22-million-ico-promoter-vanbex

Up 100%: Litecoin Price Sets Q1 Performance Record

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Litecoin's price doubled in the first three months of 2019 to register its best first-quarter performance on record.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/up-100-litecoin-price-sets-q1-performance-record

Let's Talk Bitcoin! #393 Open, Neutral, Decentralized & Borderless

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

Join Adam B. Levine, Andreas Antonopoulos, Stephanie Murphy and Jonathan Mohan for a full episode of listener questions.

LTB Episode T-shirts now available at http://LTBSHOW.COM

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Other ways to support the show:

Tip LTB:1FZGD64BA7B9GdwDhGGGF92amt9X6VH38K

or Via the Lightning Network at tipltb.tokenly.com/

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Thanks for listening to this episode of Let's Talk Bitcoin, content for today's show was provided by Stephanie Murphy, Jonathan Mohan, Adam B. Levine, and Andreas Antonopoulos.

This episode was edited by Adam B. Levine and featured music by Jared Rubens and General Fuzz.

Send questions or comments to adam@letstalkbitcoin.com

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/lets-talk-bitcoin-393-open-neutral-decentralized-borderless

Iran’s Crypto Regulations: What’s Happening Behind Closed Doors

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The Central Bank of Iran's draft crypto framework has the local community worried, and getting it changed will not be easy.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/irans-crypto-regulations-whats-happening-behind-closed-doors

What Happens When Women Stop Leading Like Men

By Tina Brown via NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2JPizXS

The Tatiana Show Ep. 186 Anthem Blanchard of Anthem Vault

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Anthem Blanchard and I have known each other for a very long time through the libertarian roots we share. He has been an early adopter of blockchain tech and it was interesting to hear about the latest developments from his team, especially in relation to stable money and gold. Tune into this interview from the Tone Vays' Unconfiscatable conference in Las Vegas early this year and get the latest on Herc and Anthem's other ventures.

About the Guests:

Anthem Hayek Blanchard is the son of James ('Jim') Ulysses Blanchard III. Anthem is the eldest son of the family and both runs the family office and is CEO of precious metals platform company he co-founded with his wife Cynthia Blanchard, called Anthem Vault Inc. They also founded a gold blockchain payment company AnthemGold, Inc. and supply chain blockchain software platform company, Hercules SEZC. Anthem has been in the e-payments/fintech industry since 2002 and worked for six years at fintech company GoldMoneyfrom startup to profitability (public liquidity TSE 2015). He also served as an independent BoardMember of former NYSE MKT NASDAQ Russell 2000 company Pernix Therapeutics for four years. Anthem holds a B.B.A. from Emory University Goizueta Business School with a concentration in Finance and Accounting.

In his spare time, and as a charitable endeavor, Anthem teaches Bitcoin classes to novices thathave not held their own Bitcoin and wish to learn the mechanics of downloading wallets andpurchasing and selling cryptocurrencies. He has also lead groups of students on field trips tolocal crypto ATMS and established a help line for first time crypto owners. His passion isempowering people to manage their own crypto portfolios and understand the joys and pitfallsinvolved in the space.

If you like this content, please send a tip with BTC to: 1444meJi7YjgQGNg3U8Z6qYZFA5cgz4Gmj

More Info:

TatianaMoroz.com

CryptoMediaHub.com

Anthemvault.com

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/the-tatiana-show-ep-186-anthem-blanchard-of-anthem-vault

WATCH: The Joy of Blockchain

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Bob Ross takes you on a magical tour through one of CoinDesk's favorite Consensus topics: education.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/watch-the-joy-of-blockchain

The Ultimate Irony of Crypto Trading

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Dave Weisberger, CEO of CoinRoutes, looks at some of the main inefficiencies of crypto markets, and how investors can navigate them.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/the-ultimate-irony-of-crypto-trading

Crypto Exchange Bithumb Hacked for $13 Million in Suspected Insider Job

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South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb has had over $13 million in EOS stolen in a hack, but says customer funds are safe.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-exchange-bithumb-hacked-for-13-million-in-suspected-insider-job

Canadian Municipality Set to Accept Bitcoin for Property Tax Payments

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The Town of Innisfil, Ontario, will accept bitcoin for property tax payments from next month in a one-year trial project.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/canadian-municipality-set-to-accept-bitcoin-for-property-tax-payments

Justin Sun Draws Heat From Tron Fans for Waffling on Promised Prizes

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There's an unclear line between Tron Foundation accounts and CEO Justin Sun's personal expenditures on the community, as a recent Tesla giveaway shows.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/justin-sun-draws-heat-from-tron-fans-for-waffling-on-promised-prizes

Bitmain Announces Antminer s17 Date: Can It Turn the Company’s Fortunes Around?

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Cryptomining manufacturer Bitmain has revealed the release date for its next-generation Antminer S17 series. The S17 set of miners includes the Antminer S17 Pro, Antminer S17 and the Antminer T17.

The Antminer S17 is the latest in the company’s line of fabless mining chips. According to the post, the chips, which are expected to go on sale from April 9, 2019, will provide an energy-efficient means of mining popular cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and bitcoin cash.

The miners will be fitted with the 2nd generation 7nm ASIC BM1397 mining chips which Bitmain claims would provide a 28.6 percent improvement in power efficiency.

According to Yanxin, Bitmain’s product manager, the improved energy efficiency of the S17 miners will lead to "improved performance compared to the previous generation chip" and the increase in the "hashrate density per unit space," which reduces costs for mining farms.

A Fortuitous Launch Date?

The timing of the S17 series launch appears to be following a strategic pattern. The Bitcoin halving is projected to hit in May 2020, just over a year after the new miners become available. The ASIC hardware producer used a similar strategy in introducing the Antminer S9 model in 2016.

The halving sees to it that the reward given to a miner for mining a block is halved after the discovery of every 210,000 blocks (which takes about four years on average). It is expected that there will be a renewed bull run leading to the third halving, which will see the block rewards reduced from 12.5 BTC to 6.25 BTC.

Bitmain’s planned launch of its next-generation S17 series miners wil allow it to capitalize on this expected bull run, which could be fueled by an increased desire to mine bitcoin (before the rewards are cut in half).

Bitmain’s Challenges

The Chinese crypto mining giant has been widely reported to be struggling in the last few months. The latest blow to the company was the expiration of its Initial Public Offering (IPO) filing, which was triggered by the lack of a hearing from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx).

As Bitcoin Magazine reported, the listing rules from the Chinese financial regulator provide for a six-month consideration window and a closed-door committee hearing before approval is given to an IPO application.

If an applicant doesn’t get a response from the regulator after this period, then the application automatically lapses.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/bitmain-announces-antminer-s17-can-it-turn-the-companys-fortunes-around/#1553891319

Bakkt Taps Former IBM and Cisco Exec Tom Noonan to Chair Its Board

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Bakkt has tapped Tom Noonan, a founder of multiple cybersecurity startups, to chair its new board.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bakkt-taps-former-ibm-and-cisco-exec-tom-noonan-to-chair-its-board

SEC Postpones Decision on Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF Proposal

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The SEC has extended its review period of the Bitwise bitcoin ETF proposal, filed in conjunction with NYSE Arca.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/sec-postpones-decision-on-bitwises-bitcoin-etf-proposal

Fidelity Poaches Coinbase Institutional Sales Head Christine Sandler

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Coinbase's director of institutional sales, Christine Sandler, has left the crypto exchange for Fidelity Investments, sources said.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/fidelity-poaches-coinbase-institutional-sales-head-christine-sandler

Zebpay Integrates Bitcoin Lightning Payments on Its Mobile App

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Malta-based cryptocurrency exchange Zebpay now supports Lightning payments. The exchange announced the news via a blog post, where it claims to be the "first major exchange" to enable Lightning payments for its users.

Per the report, Zebpay users can now login into their wallet and use their bitcoin balances to make micro-purchases for free.

“Making Bitcoin technology widely accessible is a key component of our roadmap. Today, with the integration of the Lightning Network, we have taken yet another step in this direction,” Zebpay's CEO Ajeet Khurana explained in the release.

Wider Adoption of Crypto

Zebpay believes Lightning payments can drive widespread adoption of bitcoin across the globe by making it easier to make payments for goods and services without fees.

The post reads:

"Zebpay would bear the transaction cost for all lightning transactions done from its wallet and continue to evangelize this technology."

To start using Lightning, Zebpay users have to sign into their wallets and enable the Lightning tab. Lightning payments on Zebpay will work in quick, easy steps that involve either scanning or pasting the product's invoice into the wallet to effect payment.

Lightning payments through Zebpay are currently limited to 10 transactions a day for a total value of 0.002 Bitcoin (roughly $8 at current price). Khurana, however, believes the amount gets the job done for most purchases. In an email interview with Bitcoin Magazine, he said the exchange "found that most Lightning stores can be served with this limit. There is no reason why Zebpay won't keep revising and improving this based on how the ecosystem/tech grows. In fact, right after the first day of going live, we (Zebpay) doubled their limits."

Lightning payments are available for users on both the Android and iOs app. Earlier this year, Zebpay expanded its presence in Europe, opening offices in Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania and Liechtenstein.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/zebpay-integrates-lightning-payments-mobile-app/#1553879581

‘Big Four’ Consulting Firms Dominate Blockchain Jobs Market, Says Indeed

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Deloitte, KPMG and EY are all in the top five when it comes to posting blockchain and crypto job ads in the U.S., according to Indeed.com data.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/big-four-consulting-firms-dominate-blockchain-jobs-market-says-indeed

Op Ed: Answering 10 Common Questions About Cryptocurrency and Taxes

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Depending on what country you live in, your cryptocurrency will be subject to different tax rules. The questions below address implications within the United States, specifically, but similar issues arise around the world. As always, check with a local tax professional to assess your own particular tax situation.

Are My Cryptocurrency Trades Taxable?

Yes. Cryptocurrency is treated as property by the IRS in the United States. This means that it is subject to capital gains and losses rules similar to other forms of property like stocks, bonds, real estate and gold.

You need to file taxes for your trades when you trade one coin for another or whenever you sell your crypto. Simply buying and holding cryptocurrency is not taxable; you only realize your gain or loss when you sell it.

How Do I Calculate My Gains and Losses From My Crypto Trades?

To calculate your capital gains and losses on your crypto trades, apply this formula:

Fair Market Value – Cost Basis = Capital Gain / Loss

Fair market value is simply how much an asset would sell for on the open market. Again, with cryptocurrency, this fair market value is how much the coin was worth in terms of U.S. dollars at the time of the sale.

Cost basis is the original value of an asset for tax purposes. In the world of crypto, your cost basis is essentially how much it cost you to acquire the coin.

For example:

Let’s say you bought 5 ETH on Coinbase in January of 2018. You paid $2,000 for these ETH ($400 for each coin). After the market took a turn for the worse, you sold 3 of these ETH in July for $150 each.

In this example, your cost basis for the 3 ETH that you sold is $1,200 (3 * $400). You sold the coins for $450 total. This is your fair market value.

Doing the math: $450 – $1,200 = -$750.

You incurred a $750 capital loss. You would file this loss on your taxes and it would reduce your tax bill. You would not owe taxes on the 2 ETH that you are still holding because you haven't traded or sold them yet.

Keep in mind, coin-to-coin trades are considered both a “buy” and a “sell” for tax purposes.

A Coin-to-Coin Trade Example:

So, let’s say instead of selling your 3 ETH for U.S. dollars, you traded your 3 ETH for X amount of bitcoin. In this case, you have still triggered a taxable event, but now your fair market value is a little bit harder to calculate. You need to know what the value of the 3 ETH was in USD at the time of trading to calculate your loss on the transaction.

Using bitcoin tax software to crunch all of these historical numbers can be a huge time saver.

What Do I Do With My 1099-K from Coinbase, Gemini or Another Exchange?

A 1099-K is a form that reports credit card transactions and third-party network payments that you have received during the year. It is not an "entry" document, meaning you don't need to attach or "include" it with your tax return.

1099-Ks from exchanges like Coinbase report the total dollar amount of transactions that occurred from your account. This number can, therefore, be very large and not at all representative of how much money you put into Coinbase or how much money you owe or do not owe in Coinbase taxes. The IRS is aware of this. Tax documents from exchanges like Coinbase will also be completely inaccurate if you ever moved crypto into other wallets, exchanges or other platforms differing from the one that sent you the 1099-K.

In order to properly report your crypto taxes, you need to capture your holistic crypto activity across all exchanges and platforms and complete a 8949 form.

Can I Save Money on My Taxes if I Lost Money Trading?

Yes. If you realized losses throughout the year from trading crypto, these losses can and should be used to offset other capital gains as well as up to $3,000 in ordinary income. Keep in mind, you need to “realize” these gains to be able to write them off on your taxes.

What does this look like in real life?

Let's say you gained $20,000 in the stock market this year (this is a capital gain) and you lost $20,000 trading cryptocurrency. Your loss in crypto would completely offset your $20,000 stock market gain. Therefore, you would pay no taxes on your stock market activity. If you are at a 25 percent tax bracket, this form of tax loss harvesting would save you $5,000 in taxes ($20,000 * 0.25).

Note, there are many other forms of capital gains that your crypto can offset.

What if I have no other forms of capital gains?

In the scenario, where you have no other capital gains, your losses simply offset your income up to $3,000.

As an example, let’s say you started 2018 doing really well as a crypto trader. You made $5,000 trading BTC and ETH. Once August rolled around and the markets took a turn for the worse, you got hit hard and the value of your portfolio dropped significantly. You ended up selling out of all of your positions and took a $7,000 loss. From here, you would be able to harvest a $2,000 loss for the year. This loss would be deducted from your taxable income for the year. If you made $50,000 on the year in income, only $48,000 of that income would be taxable.

Crypto Is so Complex. Will the Government Really be Able to Prove I Am Not Accurately Reporting My Taxes?

It is actually not on the IRS to “prove” that you accurately reported. If audited, the IRS will require you to prove to them that you handled your money and cryptocurrency in the way you claimed on your tax return. The concept of “innocent until proven guilty” does not apply to the world of IRS audits.

The IRS has also made it clear that it is taking cryptocurrency very seriously after it announced on July 2, 2018, that one of its core campaigns and focuses for the year is the taxation of virtual currencies.

When Do I Owe Taxes on My Cryptocurrency?

The following examples have been taken from the official IRS guidance from 2014 as to what is considered a “taxable event” for cryptocurrency. A taxable event is simply a fancy term describing the circumstances in which you incur a tax liability that you must report.

• Trading cryptocurrency to fiat currency like the U.S. dollar is a taxable event.
• Trading cryptocurrency to cryptocurrency is a taxable event (you have to calculate the fair market value in USD at the time of the trade).
• Using cryptocurrency for goods and services is a taxable event (again, you have to calculate the fair market value in USD at the time of the trade; you may also end up owing sales tax).
• Giving cryptocurrency as a gift is not a taxable event (the recipient inherits the cost basis; the gift tax still applies if you exceed the gift tax exemption amount).
• A wallet-to-wallet transfer is not a taxable event (you can transfer between exchanges or wallets without realizing capital gains and losses, so make sure to check your records against the records of your exchanges as they may count transfers as taxable events as a safe harbor).
• Buying cryptocurrency with USD is not a taxable event. You don’t realize gains until you trade, use or sell your crypto. If you hold for longer than a year, you can realize long-term capital gains (which are about half the rate of short-term gains.) If you hold for less than a year, you realize short-term capital gains and losses.

Cryptocurrencies Change in Value All of the Time. How Do I Know What Value to Report to the IRS?

Virtual currency wages, self-employment income or cryptocurrency trades should be reported using the full fair market value of the cryptocurrency at the time the payment was made. If you don’t have a record of what the fair market value of your crypto was when you received it, you can look up previous USD values manually or upload your trades into specific crypto tax calculators to automate the process.

Will I Be Audited if I Don’t Report my Cryptocurrency Gains and Losses?

Obviously, no one can answer this question for certain. Audits do not happen very often for average citizens; however, as noted above, the IRS has explicitly stated that the taxation of virtual currencies is one of its core campaigns and focuses for the year. Staying on the right side of the law and avoiding tax fraud is a safe way to go.

Rest assured, it really is not that difficult of a process to report your crypto trades. If you have questions regarding IRS audits or your specific situation, it can be helpful to connect with a specialized crypto accountant.

I Didn’t Report My Cryptocurrency Transactions During Previous Years. What Should I Do?

If you did not report your cryptocurrency trades in previous years, you should amend your previous tax returns to accurately report these numbers. The IRS is retroactively going back as far as 2013 in audits against cryptocurrency non-compliance.

My Employer Pays My Wages in Virtual Currency. Do I Need to Report This On My Taxes?

Yes. Wages paid via cryptocurrency are treated as income for tax purposes. You will need to report this income by using the fair value of the cryptocurrency at the time you earned it. You can identify historical values automatically by importing your crypto income into crypto tax software.

This is a guest post by David Kemmerer, co-founder of CryptoTrader.Tax. Views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Bitcoin Magazine or BTC Inc. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered tax or accounting advice. Always seek guidance from a tax accounting professional when assessing your individual tax situation.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/op-ed-answering-10-common-questions-about-cryptocurrency-and-taxes/#1553872856

What Bitcoin Did #90 The Ethics of Investing in Tokens with Chris Burniske

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'œIf we are trying to take Bitcoin mainstream, that means the vast majority of users will not be educated about the merits of Bitcoin, they just won't care, they will actually be turned away if they feel like they have this screaming mob asking why the hell they are using this other asset.''" Chris Burniske

Interview location: New York

Interview date: Monday 25th March, 2019

Company: Placeholder

Role: Partner

One of the most interesting debates in the cryptocurrency industry is whether there is a valid use for a blockchain outside of Bitcoin and whether there is a market for a broad range of crypto assets. Despite the many scams, there are projects with honest intentions of building new business models and economies.

Are the maximalists right? Should all focus and attention be on Bitcoin, or in a free market should we embrace entrepreneurs who wish to innovate? It is indeed a topic which splits people.

While I sympathise with the views of maximalists who time and time again have seen projects come and go, attempting to use blockchain like some magical component for a new industry. I also maintain a healthy curiosity.

Will any of these projects exist with meaningful use in ten years? Will Bitcoin be the only successful use of a blockchain? I struggle to find a binary answer, but I do not support the berating of anyone open to new ideas.

In this interview I discuss these issues with Chris Burniske, the author of Cryptoassets - An Innovate Investors Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond. Chris is a Bitcoiner, but he is also an investor in, and his view is that we are at the start of a new industry for programmable money and crypto assets. We discuss why Chris is bullish on Bitcoin, why he believes in a market for tokens, the ethics of value extraction and dealing with the pressure of maximalists.

This episode is also on:

• iTunes
• Youtube
• Stitcher
• Google Play
• TuneIn

Listen to more What Bitcoin Did episodes

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/what-bitcoin-did-90-the-ethics-of-investing-in-tokens-with-chris-burniske

4 Minute Crypto - Tim Draper Urges Argentina's President to Legalize Bitcoin

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Crypto bull Tim Draper has given advice to the president of Argentina to legalize Bitcoin in order to improve the economic situation in the country.

Hosted by hall of fame podcaster, Gary Leland, the 4 Minute Crypto show is a daily crypto news show in 4 minutes or less and will be published on letstalkbitcoin.com every Monday and Friday to start and end your busy week.

You can find all episodes of the show by visiting 4minutecrypto.com.

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• Email Gary at TheCryptoCousins@gmail.com
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Gary is available to keynote or emcee your Bitcoin/Crypto event. Please email GaryLeland@gmail.com for additional info.

DISCLAIMER: This article should not be taken as is, and is not intended to provide, investment advice.

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/4-minute-crypto-tim-draper-urges-argentinas-president-to-legalize-bitcoin

Bittrex-Backed Euro Stablecoin Can Be Staked for 8% Interest

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A group of blockchain firms called Universal Protocol Alliance is launching a euro-pegged stablecoin that can be staked to earn annual returns.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bittrex-backed-euro-stablecoin-can-be-staked-for-8-interest

What Is DeFi and Where Does It Leave Bitcoin?

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The Bitcoin bull and bear market cycles are a pattern that produces significant developments — when the market is cold, people tend to focus on building the next wave of groundbreaking technology. One of the most interesting things emerging from this particular bear market has been a concept known as “decentralized finance,” manifested primarily by services that allow you to earn interest or borrow against your cryptocurrency holdings.

What Is DeFi?

Decentralized finance, or “DeFi” for short, is an umbrella concept describing any financial services that are built on top of public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It also encompasses all ICO activity, which, at present, mostly takes place on Ethereum.

Stablecoins like Tether and Gemini dollar, which are essentially just IOUs for fiat sitting in reserves, do not qualify as DeFi projects by their inherent nature. Maker, on the other hand, includes both a collateralized lending system and stablecoin (DAI) that are both decentralized — making it more of a fit under the DeFi umbrella.

Several systems have emerged that also offer DeFi lending services like Dharma Lever, Compound and Celsius Network. Other services, like dYdX and Nuo, allow you to short, hedge or margin trade. Prediction markets are also an emerging decentralized financial service, with Augur being the most relevant example. Consistent among all of these services, and all that decentralized finance has to offer, is that it requires no third party, bank or clearing house, and often is entirely permissionless.

DeFi and Bitcoin

Bitcoin itself, at the most basic level, may be considered the original decentralized finance project. People who use Bitcoin are already acting as their own banks (as long as they control their own private keys) and can permissionlessly exchange value with whomever they want, anywhere. While this the simplest form of decentralized finance, it may also be the most powerful. Bitcoin users are able to open up “bank accounts,” or new wallets, in seconds. They can securely store their wealth in a value that is protected by mathematics from random inflation and can spend this value however they want.

The question of whether or not more sophisticated, decentralized financial services will migrate to Bitcoin is not a matter of if, but when. Over time, Bitcoin sidechains may be able to provide services similar to what we are seeing on Ethereum. Today, however, Ethereum is much better designed to handle DeFi services due to its complex smart contract capabilities.

Nonetheless, new projects are already being envisioned on Bitcoin, like Bitcoin Hivemind. According to the website, Hivemind is a “Peer-to-Peer Oracle Protocol which absorbs accurate data into a blockchain so that Bitcoin users can speculate in Prediction Markets.”

Why Is DeFi Growing?

Decentralized finance is becoming popular for several key reasons, which are all parallel to the ethos of Bitcoin itself. There are no banks on which people need to rely, no trust is needed to interact with the other party, access is available 24/7 and settlements are relatively fast.

And the numbers speak for themselves. As of March 2019, the amount of value locked in DeFi projects stands at $338 million, according to Delphi Digital’s thematic overview of DeFi. The research firm’s overview showcases the popular DeFi services, which they categorize by “DEXs,” “Lending and Borrowing” protocols and “Derivatives, Margin Trading, & Prediction Markets.”

Delphi also cited potential benefits of DeFi as being permissionless, censorship resistant, immutable, programmable and offering minimal counterparty risk. An important note, however, is that the report did not address the potential systematic risks of decentralized finance. Rather, it cited only near-term concerns, which touch on the notion that decentralized finance results in “non-existent links to physical/traditional assets” as well as “limited on-chain throughput” and “limited product/market fit.”

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/what-defi-and-where-does-it-leave-bitcoin/#1553865968

Coinbase Custody launches staking support for Tezos, MakerDAO governance to follow

Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles to Appeal Data Conviction

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Mark Karpeles, former CEO of the collapsed bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, is reportedly to appeal his conviction on data manipulation charges.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/former-mt-gox-ceo-mark-karpeles-to-appeal-data-conviction

Bitcoin Price Hits 5-Week High With Chart Echoing 2015 Pre-Rally Pattern

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Bitcoin is slowly gaining altitude with a long-term lagging indicator flashing signs similar to those seen before the 2015 bull breakout.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-price-hits-5-week-high-with-chart-echoing-2015-pre-rally-pattern

Facebook’s Blockchain Hiring Spree Continues With 5 New Postings

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Social media behemoth Facebook is advertising for five more blockchain-related positions – adding to the 20 posted by the company in recent weeks.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/facebooks-blockchain-hiring-spree-continues-with-5-new-postings

Bitmain’s Jihan Wu: ASICs Are Making Ethereum Mining More Decentralized

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The Bitmain co-founder says ASIC miners are making blockchains more decentralized and ethereum's ProgPow proposal could still be "ASICable."

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitmains-jihan-wu-asics-are-making-ethereum-mining-more-decentralized

Mt. Gox Bitcoin Exchanges' Karpeles Appeals Conviction

By The Associated Press via NYT World https://ift.tt/2uzVPRj

Coinbase Leads Wall Street to Brave New World of Crypto Staking

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Coinbase Custody has launched staking services for institutional clients, starting with Tezos and touting 6.6 percent yields.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/coinbase-leads-wall-street-to-brave-new-world-of-crypto-staking

Craig Wright’s nChain Is Hiring a Lawyer to ‘Prosecute’ Its Crypto Patents

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nChain, founded by self-styled bitcoin inventor Craig S. Wright, is looking for a patent counsel to manage its portfolio of blockchain-related IP.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/craig-wrights-nchain-is-hiring-a-lawyer-to-prosecute-its-crypto-patents

Bitcoin Price Analysis: Upward Drift Continues Following Established Macro Support

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By Bitcoin Schmitcoin

Copyedit by Ashley Lachance

Since mid-February, the bitcoin market has continued to drift upward toward a band of strong, macro resistance (shown below as a red band). This slow, drift upward marks our fourth test of the resistance zone and, unlike the three prior tests, our rejection of the level has shown a weakness on the side of the bears:

Figure 1: BTC-USD, Daily Candles, Fourth Rejection

If we compare the three prior rejections (labeled 1, 2 and 3), we see that the move into this resistance level was violent — and had equally violent rejections. Our fourth attempt, however, was brought into the level on low volatility and saw a weak rejection.

In addition, we are displaying our first sign of support above a crucial level in our market structure (outlined below in black):

Figure 2: BTC-USD, Daily Candles, Current Rejection Finally Finding Support

This black, outlined level is significant level as it represents the first macro support/resistance flip at this level. This represents our first time withstanding a rejection of the red zone while maintaining the support of the black level. If we look a bit closer, we can see the formation of what appears to be a reaccumulation trading range that is currently finding support in the upper boundary of the range:

Figure 3: BTC-USD, Hourly Candles, Low Time Frame Trading Range

One identifying characteristic of this trading range is the shakeout to the bottom side of the range, followed by a strong, impulsive move to the upside. This impulsive move to the upside represents, once again, a support/resistance flip (outlined in blue). This level previously supplied resistance as the market found itself unable to maintain support every time the market made its way to the top half of the range.

This shakeout into a support/resistance flip is often symptomatic of reaccumulation in the market. Failure to maintain this support would obviously change the market structure, but so long as the hourly time frame maintains its support on this level, the market structure remains bullish. And, considering it’s consolidating right below the red resistance outlined in Figure 1, it puts the bears in an uneasy position.

The fact that we haven’t been completely rejected at this level yet, after our fourth attempt to crack the resistance, is a good sign that supply is exhausting and bears are running out of ammo for the time being. Also, it should be noted that this red level we are testing is a level that could soon put shorters underwater on their positions. If we see a strong test to the upside and manage to push a new high, it is very likely we will see a strong continuation in the upward direction.

For months, the market has stacked short position after short position in a very tight band of prices. If we shove above that band of prices we can expect to see a strong surge of stop losses hit the market in what’s known as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze is essentially just a cascade of stop losses that close out short positions via a market buy order. As the price pushes further up, the stop losses continue to stop out the next person in line, then the next person in line, and so on, until the bears are finally cleared out of their positions.

This short squeeze idea is all speculation at this point as we have yet to manage to find support on the red band of resistance described in this article — it’s just something to consider as the shorters begin to pile up, yet again, for the fourth time.

Summary:

1. Creeping upward, the market finally finds itself testing long-held overhead resistance. So far, we have seen three unsuccessful tests that were swiftly rejected. And now, for the fourth time, the market finds itself testing the level without a strong rejection.
2. The market has managed to find support on macro levels that were previously resistant for the first time as we creep up once again for a test of the macro resistance.
3. On lower time frames, we can see signs of reaccumulation as bitcoin grinds against the macro resistance and tests the strength of the supply in the market.

Trading and investing in digital assets like bitcoin is highly speculative and comes with many risks. This analysis is for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Statements and financial information on Bitcoin Magazine and BTC Inc sites do not necessarily reflect the opinion of BTC Inc and should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation to buy, sell or hold. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/bitcoin-price-analysis-upward-drift-continues-following-established-macro-support/#1553815287

$5 Million in MakerDAO Loans Have Been Liquidated, But Help Is on the Way

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A new tool called CDP Saver is being tested that could soon make MakerDAO loans less risky.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/5-million-in-makerdao-loans-have-been-liquidated-but-help-is-on-the-way

Road to Consensus: Painless Payments and the Limits of Blockchain

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via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/road-to-consensus-painless-payments-and-the-limits-of-blockchain

Fake Volume on Crypto Exchanges Isn’t the Half of It

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Daniel Cawrey is CEO of Pactum Capital, a cryptocurrency investment firm focused on market making and liquidity. Formerly a CoinDesk Contributing Editor, he is author of the upcoming “Mastering Blockchain” book to be published by O’Reilly Media. Recently, a report was produced by Bitwise Asset Management showing the existence of faked volumes in the bitcoin […]

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/fake-volume-on-crypto-exchanges-isnt-the-half-of-it

The Tatiana Show Ep. 185 Emily Coleman of ShapeShift

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Josh and I spoke to Emily about the evolution of ShapeShift over the past few years, to include their vision going forward.

We also talked about a docuseries called "Down the Rabbit Hole," which I was featured in. It is an interesting look at the people in bitcoin and not just technical talk. Emily was most excited about how the series has attracted talented people from outside the crypto industry. Her insights into the marketing landscape sparked conversation about the emergence of bitcoin into the mainstream at the end of 2017. We looked at how ShapeShift had to adjust to dealing with a new group of interested parties.

Something for everyone here, and thank you to our sponsor Token Talks!

About the Guests:

Emily Coleman is the VP of Brand & Creative of ShapeShift, one of the world's leading

non-custodial digital asset platforms. With over a decade in marketing and public relations, she has worked within various verticals including hospitality and tourism, food and beverage, and most prominently, startup fintech and blockchain technologies. She has also managed and led many award-winning communication teams across multiple sectors.

Emily first began working in the blockchain space in 2014, when she joined Bitcoin Entrepreneur Erik Voorhees to lead marketing and public relations efforts for ShapeShift. As it was her first foray into the blockchain and fintech space, she dove headfirst into learning and devouring all things crypto, and has been enamored with the industry ever since.

Emily speaks at blockchain tech events around the world, educating crypto-companies on the importance of marketing, brand storytelling, industry thought leadership, as well as user experience best practices. She was a finalist at the 2019 SXSW Valiente Awards, where she placed for her direction of ShapeShift's "Down the Rabbit Hole" docuseries, placing with some of the top marketers in the United States.

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via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/the-tatiana-show-ep-185-emily-coleman-of-shapeshift

Europol Launches Global Campaign Against Dark Web Vendors, Buyers

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The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, better known as Europol, announced on March 26, 2019, that it has made an ongoing partnership with law enforcement from Canada, the United States and the member states of the European Union to target buyers and sellers of illegal items on the dark web.

This announcement was made on Europol’s website, describing the progress of the crackdown to date, including 61 arrests made and over €6.2 million ($6.9 million USD) worth of crypto assets, fiat currency and gold seized. Europol began gathering international teams of experts to the organization’s headquarters in the Netherlands in July of 2018 and began work in late 2018 and early 2019 to prosecute dark web traffickers of illegal narcotics, counterfeit currency and other such contraband in several nations.

The history of the dark web is deeply entangled with Bitcoin’s initial rise to prominence as a household name. In 2012 and 2013, up to 7 percent of all transacted bitcoin value was connected to darknet markets, particularly the Silk Road. While this percentage has dropped considerably, darknet market activity nearly doubled last year, according to Chainalysis.

Since the Silk Road was famously shut down in 2013, several successor sites have attempted to fill this gap. Hansa Market, for example, was shut down in 2017 following a joint law enforcement operation of agencies including Europol. Dream Market, possibly the most popular dark web site today, has announced it will shut down in April 2019 after being targeted by law enforcement. This decision may be connected to Europol’s announced crackdown.

It is not clear how long Europol will continue this operation, which had been ongoing for several months before the public announcement. The announcement included several strongly worded warnings about using the dark web for illegal purchases, noting that the risks for doing so are “actually higher than those on the surface web.” In conjunction with the enforcement action, Europol has signaled a concerted and long-lasting campaign to deter dark web users and purveyors.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/europol-launches-global-campaign-against-dark-web-vendors-buyers/#1553793888

Exploring serverless technology by benchmarking AWS Lambda

Innisfil Becomes First City in Canada to Accept Bitcoin for Municipal Taxes

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Ohio might have made history as the first city to accept cryptocurrency for corporate taxes, but one Canadian town is adding its name to the books by becoming the first in North America to permit its citizens to pay their personal taxes in bitcoin.

The tiny town of Innisfil (with a population of 36,500), situated about 45 minutes north of Toronto, just approved an initiative that will allow its residents to satisfy their municipal taxes (income taxes and property taxes) in bitcoin, beginning in April 2019.

Andrei Poliakov, the founder and CEO of Coinberry, told Bitcoin Magazine that the exchange has been in talks with officials for some months, after Kyle Kemper of the Blockchain Association of Canada connected the private and public entities. A live hearing was held on March 27, 2019, to pass the initiative and it went off without a hitch, Poliakov said.

“The staff, councils and mayor of the town of Innisfil are extremely forward thinking and innovative,” Poliakov enthused. "Coinberry approached the town with a proposal to start accepting property taxes in cryptocurrency and, after several months of discussions, we were able to make Bitcoin history in Canada yesterday!”

Coinberry is poised to play an integral role for Innisfil residents who utilize the new option.

“Payments will be processed through Coinberry Pay, a cryptocurrency payment processing solution developed by Coinberry for use by municipalities, charities, merchants and individuals looking to accept payments, donations or tips in cryptocurrency,” Poliakov said.

The payment solution is hosted by Coinberry but taxpayers will have to go through a government website to pay their taxes. Once a payment is processed through Coinberry, the exchange will convert it to Canadian dollars and then pass it on to Innisfil's municipal government.

Poliakov told Bitcoin Magazine that the trend has a chance to catch on with neighboring towns as well, and his hopes are to eventually encourage the city council of Toronto to adopt the option. But he and other proponents won't truly be satisfied until the Bitcoin bug bites every layer of Canada's political system — all the way up to the federal level.

“The goal with Coinberry Pay in general, and with the current initiative specifically, is to bring about the mass adoption of cryptocurrency as a method of payment in Canada,” said Poliakov. “We are in discussion with a number of parties both within government and the private sector to utilize our solution. Our goal at Coinberry is to make crypto simple — we will continue to expand our cryptocurrency payment processing service to municipalities and other government agencies in the near future. We truly believe in the benefits of mass adoption of cryptocurrency and are working very hard to make that a reality.”

To start, bitcoin will be the only available cryptocurrency option for citizens to break the fiat tax barrier, but Poliakov said that Coinberry Pay will be adding ether, litecoin, ripple and bitcoin cash soon, as well.

The initiative is a significant win for both Canadian citizens and the cryptocurrency industry and, given that an exchange spearheaded the initiative, it’s likely restored some community trust in the industry following the ongoing QuadrigaCX debacle. With a municipal government choosing to place its trust in both Coinberry and bitcoin, the industry and its flagship asset is one step closer to achieving greater understanding and de-stigmatization with the populace at large.

“Once again, we are proud to be first in taking this bold step by offering this new, exciting payment option to our residents,” Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin said in a press release. “There’s no doubt that cryptocurrency is growing in usage and popularity. By getting into this now, we are making sure our municipality is ahead of the game, and signalling to the world that we truly are a future-ready and innovative community.”

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/innisfil-becomes-first-city-canada-accept-bitcoin-municipal-taxes/#1553789069

Bitrefill Now Lets You Pay for Airbnb Rentals With 5 Cryptocurrencies

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Cryptocurrency gift card provider Bitrefill has added a service allowing users to book Airbnb rentals with bitcoin, ether and more.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitrefill-now-lets-you-pay-for-airbnb-rentals-with-5-cryptocurrencies

LocalBitcoins, Once a Go-To for Anonymous Bitcoin Transactions, Adds KYC

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The Finland-based, peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading platform LocalBitcoins released a statement on March 25, 2019, responding to a new act approved by the Finnish Parliament that will require users to verify their identities. This marks a major change for the service, which had been a primary way for users wishing to protect their anonymity to meet others willing to buy or sell bitcoin in person without sharing details about their identities.

The Act on Virtual Currency Service Providers was passed alongside an amendment to the country’s existing Act on Detecting and Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, also known as its anti-money laundering (AML) law. Together, these regulations will bring cryptocurrency services like LocalBitcoins under the AML law and the supervision of the country’s Financial Supervisory Authority.

LocalBitcoins Introduces Changes

The changes will come into effect in November, and per the post, LocalBitcoins has framed the new regulations as an advantage for the long-term viability and acceptance of Bitcoin.

“The Virtual Currency Service Providers Act will come into full effect in the beginning of November 2019 creating a legal status for crypto assets, which should improve significantly Bitcoin’s standing as a viable and legit financial network,” according to the statement. “We have launched a new account registration process where users can verify basic information already during sign-up, making it easier for the newcomer to find trading partners … and increasing the number of suitable customers to advertisers as well as inhibiting the creation of illegitimate accounts.”

The company also said that it was improving its verification systems at users’ requests. This will include four individual account levels per trade and BTC volume, as well as a separate verification process for corporate accounts.

“In certain situations we may require enhanced identity verification,” the company’s updated terms of service states. “This may include requirements to verify details or sources of funds regarding payments you have made or received during trades on LocalBitcoins as well as bitcoin transactions that you’ve sent or received from your LocalBitcoins account.”

Prior to the inclusion of know-your-customer (KYC) measures on LocalBitcoins, new users could register an account and start trading in less than 10 seconds. Now, they apparently have to enter their personal information as it appears on their bank account, along with their country of residence and phone number, which LocalBitcoins will verify. Once all of this personal information is provided, users are granted access to the site and can find people in their area interested in buying or selling bitcoin.

Finland’s Finance Ministry Cracks Down on Cryptocurrencies

The discussion around cryptocurrency regulation has been underway in Finland for quite some time, with Yle reporting in January 2018 that the country wanted to introduce “rules that seek to prevent money laundering and organised crime activities.”

The Ministry’s legislative advisor, Armi Taipale, said that meeting this goal would require banks and insurance companies to declare all of their cryptocurrency handlings.

“In other words, virtual currencies such as bitcoin now allow customers to remain anonymous, so the idea is to bring things out into the open,” she said, per the report.

With the new regulations and the result at LocalBitcoins, it appears the country has made a major dent in the anonymous use of cryptocurrency.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/localbitcoins-once-go-anonymous-bitcoin-transactions-adds-kyc/#1553785241

Swiss Watchdog Rules Crypto Miner’s ICO ‘Seriously Violated’ Laws

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Switzerland's finance regulator has found that crypto mining firm Envion's $90 million ICO took deposits from investors unlawfully.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/swiss-watchdog-rules-crypto-miners-ico-seriously-violated-laws

Ledger, Legacy Trust to Offer Institutional Custody of ERC-20 Tokens

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Hardware wallet maker Ledger and Hong Kong-licensed Legacy Trust now provide custody for crypto assets including ethereum-based tokens.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/ledger-legacy-trust-to-offer-institutional-custody-of-erc-20-tokens

AlphaPoint Appeals to Institutions With Security Token Tech Upgrade

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Blockchain services firm AlphaPoint has upgraded its tech solution for security token offerings in bid to attract institutional clients.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/alphapoint-appeals-to-institutions-with-security-token-tech-upgrade

Crypto Startup TokenPay Buys Equity Stake in Heidi Klum Lingerie Maker

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TokenPay is turning ICO proceeds into equity investments, this time with a stake in lingerie company Naked Brand Group.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-startup-tokenpay-buys-equity-stake-in-heidi-klum-lingerie-maker

Bitcoin Still Needs $190 Price Gain for Bull Reversal This Month

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A bull reversal would be confirmed if bitcoin closes March at levels above $4,190, price charts suggest.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-still-needs-190-price-gain-for-bull-reversal-this-month

DealBook Briefing: Saudi Arabia Wanted Cash. Aramco Just Obliged.

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Blockchain Exchange Secures $50 Million in Diamonds for ETF Launch

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Blockchain-based trading platform CEDEX says it now has a trader inventory of 6,000 diamonds as it moves towards launching a diamond ETF.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-exchange-secures-50-million-in-diamonds-for-etf-launch

Marco Polo Blockchain Built on R3’s Corda Sees First Live Trades

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The first real transactions have been conducted on Marco Polo, a trade finance blockchain built on R3's Corda platform.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/marco-polo-blockchain-built-on-r3s-corda-sees-first-live-trades

Kraken Ramps Up Security With Enforced 2FA and Dedicated Lab

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Kraken has introduced enforced two-factor authentication (2FA) and a dedicated security lab, aimed at enhancing client security experience.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/kraken-ramps-up-security-with-enforced-2fa-and-dedicated-lab

Top Cap and Delta Cap: New Metrics for Spotting Bitcoin Price Trend Reversals

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Cryptocurrency researchers Willy Woo and David Puell released several new valuation metrics for bitcoin's price in February. Here's an overview.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/top-cap-and-delta-cap-new-metrics-for-spotting-bitcoin-price-trend-reversals

HSBC Exec Urges CFTC to Make More ‘Positive Noise’ About Blockchain

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HSBC's Jesse Drennan asked the CFTC to make more "positive noise" about distributed ledger tech to spur business adoption.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/cftc-tac-meeting-jesse-drennan-hsbc

Why Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey Are Warming to Blockchain

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The winds of change are coming to the centralized systems of the Internet, according to author Michael Casey.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/why-mark-zuckerberg-and-jack-dorsey-are-warming-to-blockchain

New York Grants Its 18th BitLicense to Crypto ‘Prime Broker’ Tagomi

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NYDFS has awarded its 18th BitLicense to prime broker startup Tagomi Trading, allowing it to offer bitcoin, ether, litecoin and bitcoin cash trading services.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/nydfs-grants-crypto-prime-broker-tagomi-latest-bitlicense

Proof of Love Ep. 8 Non Violent Communication with Pamela Morgan

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Non Violent Communication is a loaded term, and evokes strong feelings sometimes. This week's show with Tatiana and Stephanie features special guest Pamela Morgan.

She is a leading attorney in the space, and has been a beloved member of the community since 2014. On a more personal level, she has been a wonderful friend to Tatiana and has been kind enough to offer guidance on how to grow emotional intelligence. At first the ladies review a bit about attachment theory, but then Pam shares with us what she's learned after delving into Marshall Rosenburg's book "Non Violent Communication". Pam also talks a bit about her book Crypto Inheritance Planning. We discuss how to protect your loved ones when you pass away, and the best way to store your cryptos to pass on the information while keeping your keys secure.

About the Guests:

Pamela Morgan is an educator, entrepreneur, author, and attorney. Licensed to practice law in Michigan and Illinois, she has extensive legal experience in business organization, risk analysis, contract negotiation and drafting, and dispute resolution through consensus building. She began focusing her law practice exclusively on bitcoin and open blockchains in early 2014. Today, much of her work with Empowered Law involves training lawyers how to use bitcoin and open blockchain technology to reduce risk and uncertainty in business and legal settings. Her workshops have been lauded as providing "clarity amidst all the hype." She is a widely respected authority on multi-signature governance, inheritance planning and legal innovation using digital currencies. Her book, Cryptoasset Inheritance Planning: A Simple Guide for Owners, provides a clear blueprint to inheritance planning for those holding cryptocurrency, tokens, crypto-collectibles, and other cryptoassets.

She is also the founder of Third Key Solutions, LLC, a boutique cryptographic key consulting firm that works with individuals and organizations to improve the security of their cryptoassets and ensure these assets are accessible in the event of a crisis or disaster. In 2017, she joined the American Arbitration Association Commercial Panel as the first arbitrator with extensive bitcoin and open blockchain experience.

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via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/proof-of-love-ep-8-non-violent-communication-with-pamela-morgan

TechCrunch Founder’s Crypto Fund Tops $100 Million, Completes First Acquisition

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One of Arrington XRP Capital's largest limited partners has injected a fresh $30 million into the digital asset firm, according to Michael Arrington.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/techcrunch-founders-crypto-fund-tops-100-million-completes-first-acquisition

Lightning Offers Growth Path for Emerging-Market Crypto Exchanges

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Booted from India in a crypto banking crackdown, Zebpay is the latest exchange to use the lightning network to attract users.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/lightning-wallets-offer-growth-path-for-emerging-market-crypto-exchanges

Binance Partners With IdentityMind for Enhanced Compliance and Security

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Binance has partnered with Medici Ventures’ portfolio company IdentityMind, a risk management and regulatory-technology compliance platform, in a bid to enhance its fraud protection and compliance protocols.

The companies announced the deal on March 26, 2019, calling it “a joint mission to help raise the industry’s standard.”

Founded in 2014, IdentityMind provides anti-money laundering services, fraud protection and due diligence solutions for banks and other financial institutions. The company’s platform works by monitoring financial transactions and assessing the electronic identities of users to identify behaviors or attributes that could signal a financial compliance or fraud issue. It also helps clients evaluate the financial reputations and reliability of organizations they seek to work with.

It is one of several firms within the portfolio of Medici Ventures, a subsidiary of Overstock.com that invests in blockchain-focused companies.

So, naturally, IdentityMind is not new to the crypto industry. In 2015, the company introduced a service to help businesses remain in compliance with New York State’s BitLicense framework. Only a handful of companies ever received approval from New York State to operate under the terms of BitLicense, but the framework, which remains in place today, was nonetheless important as an early effort by government authorities to regulate Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

The Binance partnership extends IdentityMind’s operations into a sector of the crypto industry where it stands to make a larger impact: cryptocurrency exchanges. Binance, which supports more than 100 cryptocurrencies, is currently the largest exchange in the world in terms of volume traded.

By partnering with IdentityMind to provide better security and compliance solutions, Binance appears eager to set itself apart from other exchanges and provide assurance to users worried about fraud or theft.

“The partnership between Binance and IdentityMind further strengthens our compliance capabilities and our commitment to re-invest in the blockchain ecosystem and grow it,” Samuel Lim, chief compliance officer of Binance, said in the release.

So far, the companies have revealed few details about how, exactly, IdentityMind’s services are being integrated with Binance. It’s also unclear whether the primary goal of the partnership is to help Binance meet its own security and compliance obligations, or to help Binance customers with that goal.

Nonetheless, given the frequency of reports about fraud in the crypto industry, as well as the lingering association of crypto with illicit activities like money laundering in many peoples’ minds, any move to bolster security and compliance by Binance will likely give it a leg up in the highly competitive world of crypto exchanges.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/binance-partners-identitymind-enhanced-compliance-and-security/#1553699284

Avalon Bitcoin Miner Maker Canaan Is Plotting Another IPO Attempt

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Canaan Creative, manufacturer of the Avalon bitcoin miner, is considering another attempt to go public, sources say. 

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/avalon-bitcoin-miner-maker-canaan-is-plotting-another-ipo-attempt

What Bitcoin Did #89 Critiquing Bitcoin with Angela Walch

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'œI'm worried that policy makers are getting a single perspective on the technology, its capabilities, its risk, I think they need to be getting a more critical perspective as well.' '" Angela Walch

Interview location: San Antonio

Interview date: Thursday 21st March, 2019

University: St. Mary's

Role: Professor of Law

Bitcoin is defined as decentralised, a critical feature which stops any individual or group control or destroy it, but a closer look at decentralisation opens many questions of how decentralised it is. Do pockets of power exist in Bitcoin? Are lead maintainers a centralised pocket of power? Is this dangerous?

As people push to build products that integrate Bitcoin with the legacy financial system, Angela Walch has raised key concerns as to the implications for this, believing that The SEC is not paying attention to the aspects of Bitcoin where it could be argued as centralised.

In this interview we discuss her paper, Deconstructing 'Decentralization', pockets of power within Bitcoin, the risks of integrating Bitcoin with the legacy financial system and conflicts of interest.

This episode is also on:

• iTunes
• Youtube
• Stitcher
• Google Play
• TuneIn

Listen to more What Bitcoin Did episodes

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/what-bitcoin-did-89-critiquing-bitcoin-with-angela-walch

Most Crypto Exchanges Still Don’t Have Clear KYC Policies: Report

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Regtech startup Coinfirm has found that only 26 percent of crypto exchanges have a "high" level of anti-money laundering procedures.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/most-crypto-exchanges-still-dont-have-clear-kyc-policies-report

Huobi’s US Arm Launches Institutional Group for OTC Crypto Trading

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The U.S. branch of the Huobi Global crypto exchange is courting big-money investors with a new institutional team.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/huobi-taps-blackrock-schwab-vets-for-new-us-institutional-business

New iPhone-Controlled Crypto Vault Promises ‘Bank-Grade’ Security

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ConsenSys-backed Trustology has launched an iPhone-controlled crypto vault service it says is secure enough for financial institutions.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/new-iphone-controlled-crypto-vault-promises-bank-grade-security

Bull Return? Bitcoin Again Rebounds From Strong Price Support

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Bitcoin has once more bounced from the 30-day moving average, thwarting a bearish move that saw prices drop below $3,920 on Monday. 

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/bull-return-bitcoin-again-rebounds-from-strong-price-support

London Metal Exchange Backs Plan to Track Physical Metals With Blockchain

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The London Metal Exchange is said to be supporting an initiative to track physical metals using blockchain.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/london-metal-exchange-backs-effort-to-track-physical-metals-using-blockchain

CabbageTech CEO Indicted in New York for Defrauding Crypto Investors

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The owner of a firm called CabbageTech has been arrested and charged with duping investors out of over $200,000 in cryptocurrency and cash.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/cabbagetech-ceo-indicted-in-new-york-for-defrauding-crypto-investors

#280 Jackson Palmer: Dogecoin - wow! so meme. such community. very charity. much story.

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Dogecoin was born from the association of two browser tabs: one was an article about the popularity of the doge meme, and the other, CoinMarketCap. The idea quickly gained traction on Twitter, and before long, a new cryptocurrency was born. Dogecoin gained adoption as a tipping currency, the community took part fundraising for charities and other causes, perhaps most notably sending the Jamaican bobsled team to the Sochi Winter Olympics.

We're joined by Jackson Palmer, co-creator of Dogecoin. Though he has left the project, Jackson shares the story of how he created the most popular meme cryptocurrency as a joke.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Jackson's background and early interest in cryptocurrency
• The Dogecoin origin story
• The uniquely charitable nature of the community and The Dogecoin Foundation
• How the currency became widely used for tipping
• The NASCAR sponsorship and Moolah exchange scam
• The technological choices which went into early versions of Dogecoin
• Dogecoin's unique monetary policy and economics
• Jackson's thoughts on Doge Ethereum and the state of the project
• Why Jackson stepped away from the project and his thoughts on the crypto space
• Jackson's other projects and YouTube channel

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Jackson Palmer's website
• Dogecoin Github
• 'œNot actually capped at 100 billion?' GitHub issue
• Moolah, The Divisive Startup Heavily Involved In The Dogecoin Community, Is Closing Down '" TechCrunch
• Excerpts from the Moolah Scam - YouTube
• Complete conversation with Mintpal/Moolah's ""Alex Green"" AKA Ryan Gentle AKA Ryan Kennedy - YouTube
• Epicenter episode 5
• Jackson Palmer - Twitter
• Jackson Palmer - YouTube

Sponsors:

• Azure: Deploy enterprise-ready consortium blockchain networks that scale in just a few clicks
• Cosmos: Join the most interoperable ecosystem of connected blockchains

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
• Soundcloud

Watch or listen, Epicenter is available wherever podcasts are distributed.

Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sƒbastien Couture, Meher Roy, Sunny Aggarwal & Friederike Ernst.

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/epicenter-280-jackson-palmer-dogecoin-wow-so-meme-such-community-very-charity-much-story

Grin Cryptocurrency to Vote on Change to Hard Fork Roadmap

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Grin developers are discussing potential changes to the privacy-oriented cryptocurrency's hard fork roadmap.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/grin-cryptocurrency-to-vote-on-change-to-hard-fork-roadmap

From Law to Lawlessness: Bits of the Untold QuadrigaCX Story

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QuadrigaCX was once a well-run exchange but changed course overnight, writes a lawyer who represented the firm early on.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/from-law-to-lawlessness-bits-of-the-untold-quadrigacx-story

Singapore’s DragonEx Reports Hack, Releases Suspected Wallet Addresses

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The Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange DragonEx has announced a security breach to its users via its official Telegram channel. In the message, a company administrator revealed that the hackers stole assets belonging to both the exchange and its users.

Per the message from the admin, the attack occurred on March 24, 2019, and the exchange then decided to take its servers offline under the pretense of “system maintenance/upgrade.” A day after, users were notified on Telegram that the exchange had been hacked.

“Part of the assets were retrieved back, and we will do our best to retrieve back the rest of stolen assets,” the message read. “Several Judicial administrations were informed about this cybercrime case including Estonia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc., and we’re assisting policemen to do investigation. All platform services will be closed and the accurate assets loss recovery situation will be announced in a week.”

Earlier today, the company shared the wallet addresses suspected to contain the stolen funds.

The total amount of funds stolen is still unknown. However, an analysis of the Ethereum (ETH) and Bitcoin (BTC) wallet addresses provided by the company shows balances of 1,522 ETH (worth about $202,730 USD) and 135 BTC (worth about $528,855 USD), respectively.

The full list of suspected wallet addresses provided by DragonEx includes those of popular exchanges including Bittrex, Huobi and Binance.

DragonEx has asked for assistance from other trading platforms and wallet providers within the industry as it works to recover from the hack.

“We earnestly request help from all our fellow exchanges and other industry strength, please help us to investigate and traced the assets, freeze them and stop the assets flows,” per the Telegram message listing the suspected wallet addresses.

At press time, DragonEx is the 32nd largest exchange in the world by 24-hour trade volumes, trading over $180 million in the last 24 hours.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/singapores-dragonex-reports-hack-releases-suspected-wallet-addresses/#1553630335

The Blockcrunch - What the Cosmos Launch Means for Crypto - Sunny Aggarwal (Tendermint)

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Jason sits down with Sunny Aggarwal to discuss one of the most awaited project launches recently and tackle every question about Cosmos and blockchain interoperability.

Topics Discussed:

• How does Cosmos work?
• Does Cosmos compete with Ethereum?
• Does Cosmos need the ATOM token?
• Cosmos vs. Polkadot - which one is better?
• and much more!

Rate and subscribe!

Host: Jason Choi (@MrJasonChoi).

Not finance advice. Spartan Capital and/or Jason may or may not have positions in assets discussed on the show.

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Resources.

• Relay Node Newsletter
• Libsyn
• Apple Podcast
• Stitcher
• Spotify

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Disclaimer: Jason Choi is an investor at Spartan Capital, the hedge fund arm of The Spartan Group. All opinions expressed by Jason and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of The Spartan Group and any of its subsidiaries and personnel. This podcast is for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. The Spartan Group and its clients may hold positions in assets described in the episode. Detailed‚disclaimers available at jasonchoi.me and‚spartangroup.io/disclaimer

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/the-blockcrunch-what-the-cosmos-launch-means-for-crypto

Samourai Wallet Adds Tor Integration in Privacy Push

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Samourai Wallet announced this month that its latest update supports Tor integration, offering additional privacy for users.

What Does Tor Integration Enable?

In a conversation with Bitcoin Magazine, Samourai’s lead developer, who is known simply as “TD,” gave a rundown of the Tor integration. He explained that using the Tor integration before creating a new wallet can shield a user’s identity beyond the fact that they are not required to provide any personal information. With Tor, Samourai’s servers will not be able to see a user’s IP address when they connect to the API, only their Bitcoin addresses, thus protecting the one piece of information that could tie their wallet to their real-world identity.

He also noted that Tor-enabled connectivity paved the way for Samourai’s forthcoming Whirlpool mixing services and full-node Dojo offering, two more privacy-enhancing features.

“Our users have been requesting tighter Tor integration for some time,” TD explained. “It was a prerequisite for rolling out Whirlpool and Dojo.”

Whirlpool is Samourai’s implementation of ZeroLink, a coin-mixing protocol that has been anticipated since 2017. ZeroLink’s protocol demands the use of Tor, enabling Whirlpool to break chain analysis between incoming and outgoing coins. This shuffling helps to ensure privacy and further secure anonymity of the origin source of an outgoing transaction.

Samourai’s wallet-specific full node, Dojo, has been tailor-made to run over a Tor-only connection. This further establishes privacy, as the personal Dojo will include backend APIs that allow the Samourai Wallet to connect to the Dojo directly, bypassing the company’s own servers. The intent is to provide greater security and verification measures for users. The Samourai website claims that the full-node Dojo will sport an easy-to-use interface.

Samourai has also planned for a directory of PayNyms, a feature that provides users with stealth addresses to send transactions anonymously between other Samourai Wallet users.

Tor Has Its Issues

TD acknowledged that Tor integration could make for a slower network than others under certain conditions. Though he pointed out that “Tor users [would] readily accept that tradeoff.”

Other concerns relating to the Tor network might include the fact that it is blocked in certain locations and/or by certain internet service providers.

Regardless of its limitations, the privacy potential makes Tor essential to Samourai Wallet’s near future.

“Connectivity over Tor is now an integral part of Samourai Wallet and will be maintained in an important position within our code base as we move forward,” TD said.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/samourai-wallet-adds-tor-integration-privacy-push/#1553621926