Bits N Dollars

Wednesday, 1 May 2019

CFTC Chair: ‘Explosion of Interest’ in Crypto May Spawn New Clearinghouses

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CFTC Chairman Giancarlo expects new firms to apply to become federally-regulated clearinghouses so they can offer crypto futures.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/cftcs-giancarlo-crypto-futures-will-drive-clearinghouse-growth

Crypto ATM Operator Postpones Tether Buying ‘Until the Smoke Clears’

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Crypto ATM firm CoinFlip has postponed adding the Tron version of USDT, citing the New York Attorney General's Tether probe.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-atm-operator-postpones-tether-buying-until-the-smoke-clears

Proof of Love Ep. 13 Talking Alcoholism with Chris Groshong

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I posted about friends of alcoholics, and how to cope a few weeks ago on my social media. I was amazed at the response and the amount of comments. Struggling with alcohol and substance abuse seems to be prevalent in many high-pressure communities, with blockchain technology being one of them. We were very grateful for the honesty of our guest in sharing his experience. Stephanie and I spoke with Chris Groshong about overcoming alcohol addiction. For many like Chris, who was unhappy with his career at that time and in danger of losing important people in his life, difficult decisions had to be made and some friends and lifestyles had to be left behind. Things like finding a hobby or passion and seeking out therapy were just some of the ways he took this disease head on. But that was another topic of our conversation, is it a disease? It is a sometimes difficult conversation and we would love to hear your take on this. Feel free to leave comments about your experiences and ways you have dealt with alcohol addiction either personally or with loved ones.

About the Guests:

Chris has assembled a nationwide team that is advancing the rate of bitcoin adoption. With a focus on clarity, he is leading CoinStructive to provide a painless transitioning platform for businesses and individuals who are interested in using bitcoin. Marking the first bitcoin transaction in Cuba as a milestone, Chris looks towards the development of Bitcoin as a global reserve currency. His strategy of adoption is based on trust, transparency and community engagement. Chris' vision involves bringing legitimacy through thoughtful conversation and legacy-commodity conversion in the bitcoin space.

Do you have a burning question, or a show idea for us? Please email us at tatiana@proofoflovecast.com!

Thank you to our sponsor Blocktap.io

Remember, this is a new show, so if you like it, please be sure to tell 3 friends! Leave a good review on Itunes, and be sure to follow us on our socials!

More Info:

via The Let's Talk Bitcoin Network https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/proof-of-love-ep-13-talking-alcoholism-with-chris-groshong

Ex-Ripple CTO Launches Blogging Platform to Pay Content Creators XRP

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The Coil blogging platform offers tipping via XRP and future plans to work with a variety of assets.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/ex-ripple-cto-launches-blogging-platform-to-pay-content-creators-xrp

A New Report Shows People Are Warming Up to Bitcoin

http://bit.ly/2WjpGd0

Bogart survey.jpg

A Medium post published by Spencer Bogart, a general partner at Blockchain Capital, compares data collected from a set of surveys from October 2017 and April 2019 containing identical questions (plus a few new ones). The results, compiled from an online survey taken by 2,029 American adults, reveal that Bitcoin has been growing in the eyes of the public, despite its shrinking price.

Overall, the results show that more people have heard about Bitcoin now than during the middle of the last hype cycle, when the October 2017 survey was administered. The more recent one from this April, Bogart points out, shows that not only are more people aware of the digital currency, but “familiarity, perception, conviction, propensity to purchase and ownership [of Bitcoin] all increased/improved significantly.”

A significant takeaway from the comparison of the two surveys shows that Bitcoin is a demographic-wide trend that has always been led by younger people. The survey data suggests this is true in all but one category: awareness. “Regardless of age, the vast majority of the American population has heard of Bitcoin,” writes Bogart.

This is not too surprising as Bitcoin has never left the scope of mainstream media since its historic rise to almost $20,000.

Despite the nearly 75 percent drop in price since the peak of the bull market, 27 percent of all people surveyed said that they are likely to purchase bitcoin soon, as opposed to only 19 percent back in 2017.

More notable, however, were the responses collected when asked what they would rather own $1,000 worth of today. Of the people surveyed, 21 percent said they would prefer bitcoin to government bonds, 17 percent said they would prefer it to stocks,14 percent said they would prefer it to real estate, and 12 percent said they would prefer bitcoin to gold.

Millennials Lead Bitcoin Adoption

Among the notable differences shown from the data comparison is the percentage of people between 18 and 34 who are “at least somewhat familiar” with Bitcoin in April 2019 compared to October 2017— almost 50 percent more people are familiar with it. In fact, this group of people is three times more likely to be familiar with Bitcoin as those who are over 65.

Younger people, as the data suggests, have the most positive view of Bitcoin as well. Specifically, 59 percent of people between 18 and 34 “strongly or somewhat agree that Bitcoin is a positive innovation in financial technology” in 2019, which is 11 percent more than in October 2017. This makes practical sense when considering that millennials are the demographic most familiar with the digital world, which includes peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent and Napster.

This trend could perhaps be attributed to millennials vividly experiencing the 2008 financial crisis and being exposed to the potential risks of central banking and poor financial management — which, coupled with their familiarity with the internet, could be why it is easier for this demographic to grasp the concept of Bitcoin before people who were around before the advent of the internet.

Of course, the numbers should support such a thesis, and it appears that they do. According to the April 2019 survey, while 9 percent of the overall population owns some bitcoin, 16 percent of those aged 18–34 are bitcoin owners.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

via Bitcoin Magazine https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/new-report-shows-people-are-warming-bitcoin/#1556726125

TechStars-Backed Alkemi Enters DeFi Race With $16 Million Liquidity Pool

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This new startup wants to plug exchanges, funds and other traditional players into the broader DeFi movement.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/techstars-backed-alkemi-enters-defi-race-with-16-million-liquidity-pool

Crypto Crime May Have Cost Sector $1.2 Billion in Q1, Says Report

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Losses arising from cryptocurrency hacks and fraud may have reached as high as $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2019, CipherTrace estimates.

via CoinDesk https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-crime-may-have-cost-sector-1-2-billion-in-q1-says-report