CryptoCompare: Market Analysis Report

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Da quando mi sono interessato alle criptovalute, mi sono iscritto a questa newsletter che trovo interessante e manda un messaggio quotidiano con news sulle cripto.

Forse può interessare, pensavo di usare questo thread per postare con continuità le notizie: naturalmente sono in inglese.

Nel prossimo post il contenuto del messaggio odierno.

 

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CFTC to Establish Crypto and DLT Committees

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)'s Technology Advisory Committee hosted back-to-back panels on cryptocurrencies, blockchain and regulation during its meeting Wednesday. The event had one tangible outcome - the committee approved the creation of two subcommittees, with one devoted to cryptocurrencies and the other on broader application of distributed ledgers in the finance space. Dan Busca, deputy director of the CFTC's Division of Market Oversight, stated:

"The futuristic visions of regulatory oversight must incorporate DLT as it continues to improve and mature. Trying to adapt a system to meet regulations as an afterthought is often costly and inadequate. The evolution of DLT could allow regulators to access data seamlessly every time a trade is posted on a particular blockchain without the need for human intervention or intermediaries."
Read more here

Moody's: Bitcoin Volatility Won't Hurt CME's Risk Rating

Credit rating service Moody's said yesterday that it doesn't believe the launch of Bitcoin futures will hurt the creditworthiness of either CME or CBOE. Moody's published the report that comes nearly two months after the exchanges first moved to list the derivative products. The 11-page release argues that the combination of risk management controls at the two firms, as well as the nascent state of that market, reduces those risks. The service wrote:

"So far Bitcoin futures volumes have been low, but CME and Cboe hope to tap into the investment community’s interest in the underlying asset. Bitcoin prices have been highly volatile, but we don’t expect this market risk to materially affect CME's or Cboe’s creditworthiness given the small volumes involved and strong risk management at the central counterparty clearing houses (CCPs)."
Read more here

Western Union Picks Ripple for Blockchain Trial

Western Union, the world’s largest money transfer service, has revealed that it is conducting a blockchain-based payments trial with Ripple. Western Union CFO Raj Agrawal confirmed the long-rumored partnership during an interview with Bloomberg, stating that the company was testing the efficiency of blockchain transactions. Agrawal told the publication that its blockchain efforts are still in a “testing phase” and are not a key part of the 167-year-old firm’s business. He later added that, despite industry bullishness surrounding the promise of blockchain technology, the trial has yet to bear any fruit that would be a “big unlock” for Western Union. Western Union Chief Executive Officer Hikmet Ersek also stated:

“We are looking especially in the processing settlement and working capital optimization, also in the regulation part, on the compliance part on the blockchain capabilities. And we do test, we do have some tests with Ripple.”
Read more here

LiveTree: The world's first blockchain film and TV rights

LiveTree is the acclaimed crowdfunding platform for the film and TV industry which captured 5% of the UK market’s share of the global $1bn industry last year. They recently launched a public sale for their new Seed token, which underpins the value of the world’s first blockchain-powered, end-to-end production and distribution platform for TV & film — called LiveTree ADEPT. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity - token sale ends Feb 23!

LiveTree are happy to announce the addition of Evan Luthra to the team. CEO & Founder of the award-winning EL Group International, he and his team have engineered hundreds of IT applications for major Fortune 500 companies. His client list includes huge multinationals like Google, Unilever, CitiGroup, Audi, Dubai First Bank and Nielsen and tech startups like Floqker, ChillApp, RemedyForGlass, Zuntik, and Mission1364. He brings blockchain expertise from his experience in the crypto industry working with the likes of GazeCoin.io and Hashgraph.com, and is considered a global authority on the subject, having spoken for the likes of the UN, TEDx and Washington State University.

Read more here

Serenity ICO reaches Soft Cap, raising $2 million

Serenity token sale has raised US$2 million 2.5 weeks after the ICO started. It is the amount required to launch the project.

According to the project’s White Paper, the first project stage includes the development of:

— Settlement system: ensuring the security of funds via smart contracts.

— Arbitration system: integration of arbitration services (Verify My Trade).

Denis Kulagin, Serenity CEO:

“We are proud to announce that we’ve hit the soft cap. The next step for us would be to hit the $5M mark, which would allow us to develop our own exchange and KYC system. Thank you for all your support! We're doing our best to meet your expectations. Stay tuned for our news, we have a lot of great things coming.”
About Serenity

The project is a platform that includes several functional modules: escrow, blockchain transaction recording, quote verification and a trading exchange.

The company plans to raise $19 million to develop the platform. The project will be launched in separate stages, with the exchange’s launch being promised for May 2018. The prototype has already been published on the website.

Serenity ICO started on the 25th of January and will last until the 7th of March 2018.

 

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Coinbase Develops a New Service For Merchants

San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced the development of a new service, named Coinbase Commerce, that aims to simplify the adoption, for merchants, of multiple cryptocurrencies (BTC, BCH, ETH and LTC) as payments for goods and services. Coinbase Commerce facilitates the acceptance of cryptocurrencies by monitoring, validating and confirming client transactions on each blockchain. The company also says that payments made from its customers are performed on-chain. The announcement reads:

"We’re excited to announce Coinbase Commerce, available today for merchants around the world. Merchants everywhere can use Coinbase Commerce to accept Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin payments."

Read more here


CFTC Joins SEC In Warning Against Crypto Pump-and-Dump Schemes

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a warning about cryptocurrency pump-and-dump schemes. The release, published Thursday, marks the latest investor warning from the U.S. commodities and derivatives regulator. Earlier this month, the agency put out an advisory that urged caution around investing in cryptocurrency retirement accounts. Other regulators, namely the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have also sounded the alarm on pump-and-dump schemes, particularly around Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The CFTC wrote:

"Some pump and dumps use false news reports, typically about a famous high-tech business leader or investor who plans to pour millions of dollars into a small, lesser-known virtual currency or coin. Other fake news stories have featured major retailers, banks, or credit card companies, announcing plans to partner with one virtual currency or another. Links to the stories are also accompanied by posts that create false urgency and tell readers to buy now."

Read more here


Japanese Cryptocurrency Coincheck Faces Lawsuit over Withdrawals

This week, seven affected investors publicly voiced their concern by filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court, calling upon the exchange to reopen all withdrawals. They also demanded that Coincheck pay an annual 5 percent interest on the value of frozen funds (worth a reported $183,000 at the time) until it resumes withdrawals, according to Reuters.

The Tokyo based platform was the victim of a major hack last month, with a reported loss of $530 million worth of XEM. The platform quickly closed both fiat and cryptocurrency withdrawals following the breach, in an attempt to prevent further possible loss. Whilst Yen withdrawals reopened on Tuesday, cryptocurrency withdrawals are still closed, leaving users in the lurch.

Read more here


CareX, an ICO ahead of the rest.

Last week, the CareX Blockchain Platform conducted its first successful transaction for healthcare services using our ERC20 token, CARE.
What others plan to build, CareX has already built. Grow with us as we make the first moves to disintermediate the healthcare industry around the world.

How?

The CareX Blockchain Platform includes:
1) A Healthvault, store medical records using a blockchain and securely share them with the doctor of the patient’s choosing.
2) A Token-based marketplace, where providers post the price of their services. Based on these prices, patients again choose where they will go, wherever CARE is accepted, regardless of borders.
3) Medically trained AI, helping patients get a preliminary diagnosis of their ailment, showing them where to go for treatment and even making the appointment for them.
4) Provider software that tracks billing, patients and even doctor performance. By accepting CARE, providers get this software free.

Why?

Liberate patients by putting them in control of their medical records, and giving them affordable treatment options.
Help medical providers focus on patients, not paperwork, thereby adding business that is hassle-free.
Get involved now. 1 CARE = $10 USD. Over $10 Million USD raised.

Read more here


e-Chat - To Fork or not to Fork?

At the moment, a blockchain-based messenger e-Chat has launched a vote among investors in order to determine the further development path of the project, the team will change the concept in case if the majority of investors vote for the fork.

Aggressive marketing policy and a strong team are the two features that differ e-Chat startup from hundreds of others. Moreover, the project is actively supported by dozens of celeb.rities: ranging from American travel-bloggers (Jay Alvarrez) to the Russian presidency candidate (Xenia Sobchak). Their appreciation fuels confidence that the fork will be supported by numerous exchange platforms, crypto wallets, and other services. If this happens, the fork will obtain hordes of followers and the coin price will rise.

The team has also prepared a number of technical alterations that will be implemented due to the creation of their own network instead of using ERC20 token standard. Decentralized messaging platform e-Chat has the following features:

Increased transaction speed
Ability to create your own tokens based on e-Chat platform with only two clicks
Ability to create decentralized apps based on e-Chat ecosystem
Right now e-Chat is entering its 5th Stage of their 3rd Round of ICO that will last until February 15, 2018. The price for 1 ECHT during this time is $1.35.

Join the official chat to discuss pros and cons of the plausible fork.
Visit the official website of the project to get to know e-Chat latest news.

 

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White House Official: Crypto Regulation Not Anytime Soon

A White House official said last Friday that legislation around cryptocurrencies is unlikely to materialize anytime soon.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, White House cybersecurity coordinator and special assistant to the president, Rob Royce, offered the dour assessment amidst a recent flurry of discussion on cryptocurrency regulation, which is playing out between Senate hearings, enforcement actions and public op-eds, according to CNBC. The White House cybersecurity coordinator said:

"I think we're still absolutely studying and understanding what the good ideas and bad ideas in that space are. So I don't think [cryptocurrency regulation] it's close."
Read more here


Visa & Worldpay Take Blame For Duplicate Charges On Coinbase

Visa and payment processing company Worldpay issued a joint statement on the Coinbase blog, on Feb. 17, taking responsibility for charging Coinbase customers multiple times for the same transaction. Before admitting fault in the statement published by Coinbase, Visa had at first blamed Coinbase, telling the Financial Times on Feb. 16 that it had not made any systems changes that would result in the duplicate transactions cardholders are reporting. However, the latest statement from Visa and Worldpay reads:

“Worldpay and Coinbase have been working with Visa and Visa issuing banks to ensure that duplicate transactions have been reversed and appropriate credits have been posted to cardholder accounts”
Read more here


PC Giant Lenovo Seeks Blockchain Validation Patent

A new Lenovo patent filing suggests that the Chinese technology giant could be looking to use blockchain as part o a system for verifying the validity of physical documents.

In an application released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last Thursday, Lenovo describes a set-up that utilizes digital signatures encoded in physical documents, which can be processed by computers and other machines, to verify the legitimacy of a document. The application was first submitted in August 2016, public records show. Lenovo describes its product:

"Using the security blockchain, anyone can validate that they have the current authentic physical document even if multiple paper copies exist and multiple people have made entries in the chain of modification. To validate a paper copy, a user of the electronic device takes a picture of the printed code on the physical document."
Read more here


HELBIZ: The Decentralized AirBnB for Transportation - Closes $5,5m Presale and Launches ICO Backed by AlphaBit

Helbiz, the decentralized AirBnB for transportation, closed its $5.5m presale early and partnered with two of the largest crypto funds AlphaBit and Binary Financials within the first day of its ICO.

Helbiz, and its proprietary smartphone lock technology are bringing Uber convenience to the peer-to-peer car sharing market. It allows renters to book and unlock any private vehicle on the platform directly from their phone and drive within seconds of seeing a car, with full insurance. Helbiz further enables owners to rent out their vehicles without any need for communication or key exchanges. Through a combination of blockchain and proprietary hardware Helbiz is able to automate the entire rental process thereby solving the key issues of today’s services, essential for car sharing to become an integrated part of our daily lives. The car-sharing platform will launch Q2 of 2018 in Los Angeles.

The ICO token, HBZ, is an ERC20 utility token aimed at all transportation services. It will be the preferred payment method of the entire Helbiz network already including 2000 yachts and 5000 planes through strategic partners Royal Yachts and Encore Jets. Funds raised via ICO will mainly be used for product and business development; including the installation of smartphone locks in participating vehicles, on-boarding car owners, users, and strategic partners and other blockchain players to increase token usability.

The ICO will distribute 480m tokens and end March 4th. Learn more here


Betting on Blockchain With Dragon Inc.

(ASEAN – January 22, 2018) Dragon Inc. is now officially ready to launch its Casino & VIP rooms blockchain-based solution after successfully raising more than USD $6 million in Pre-Token Sale funding for their project in December 2017.

Together with the $265 million already raised from institutional investors, and the USD $48 million raised from the Pre-Token Sale stage, Dragon Inc has now raised USD $320 million in capital before the Public Token Sale opens – already making this the biggest crowdsale to-date.

“With the start of 2018 we must look back at 2017 and give heartfelt thanks to our supporters, both internally and externally. Dragon would not be where we are today without the on-going sharing of knowledge and amazing support they have received to create a truly remarkable Dragon community and allow Dragon to rise across the international stage,” says Paul Moynan, Co-Founder of Dragon Inc.

With the momentum growing across the Blockchain and gaming industry related sectors alike, the company finds the Dragon Blockchain ecosystem becoming the entertainment token of choice.

Read More here & Visit Dragon Inc. here

 

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US: Republican, Democrat Officials Calling For Crypto Regulation

US lawmakers are considering forming new legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies, a move prompted by the growing interest and risk associated with the cryptocurrency market worldwide. A bipartisan movement that is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike, lawmakers are pushing for cryptos to fall under SEC’s investor protection rules for securities, as opposed to the current grey area they are in now. Republican Senator Mike Rounds, a Senate Banking Committee member stated:

“There’s no question about the fact that there is a need for a regulatory framework”
Read more here

California Bill Would Legally Recognize Blockchain Data

A California lawmaker named Ian Calderon has introduced a bill that, if passed, would update the state's electronic records laws to account for blockchain signatures and smart contracts. Assembly Bill 2658 aims to expand on the definition of electronic records and signatures to include those on the blockchain, recognizing the potential for true immutability found in distributed ledgers which can be far superior to legacy methods in many ways. The bill reads:

"A record that is secured through blockchain technology is an electronic record."
Read more here

Polish Central Bank Allegedly Paid Youtubers for "Anti-Bitcoin" Campaign

According to a recent report by Business Insider Poland, the Narodowy Bank Polski (NFB), Poland’s central bank, has been accused of paying online influencers to run an anti-cryptocurrency campaign. The central bank reportedly spent around 91,000 zloty (£19,430; $27,300) on Google, Facebook, and other websites in an effort to attack the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and others.

Most notably, NFB also paid prominent Polish YouTube network Gamellon to run anti-cryptocurrency videos without disclosing the fact that the videos were technically sponsored content. Mati Greenspan, a senior market analyst at trading platform eToro commented:

"It’s one thing to spread FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) or talk it down if it’s bothering you, I can respect that. But to start a smear campaign using social influencers and not disclose the payments, that’s just low down and dirty."
Read more here

FarmaTrust: Saving lives using Blockchain and AI

FarmaTrust is a web-based, peer to peer platform designed to keep an immutable record of every legitimate pharmaceutical drug produced. Using the Blockchain technology, it is at the forefront of preventing counterfeit drugs getting into the supply and therefore preventing death and suffering of patients, be it in the developed or the developing world. Further the use of AI and machine learning technologies also benefit commercial operations of the pharmaceutical industry, increasing efficiency and revenues. FarmaTrust is a robust global platform that is compatible with legacy systems, and can be configured to ensure compliance with a multitude of different regulatory regimes. It is hardware and software agnostic, and is available globally.

January Pre-Sale: doubled expectations, 4m USD was raised
February 15: Pre-TDE has started, the first 72 hours will be open for Whitelisters only
February 18 - 14 March: -20% discount or 200m tokens, whichever comes first.

You don’t want to miss out on this one, participate via FarmaTrust website!

 

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Venezuela Says Petro's Pre-Sale Has Raised $735 Million

Venezuela has announced that the pre-sale of its oil-backed cryptocurrency, the Petro, has attracted $735 million on the first day. The government has also published a buyer’s manual and confirmed that buyers can use hard currencies and cryptocurrencies, but not bolivars. The Superintendent of Cryptocurrencies, Carlos Vargas, stated:

"The presale and the Initial Coin Offer will be made in hard currencies and cryptocurrencies, but not Bolivars. Our responsibility is to put the Petro in the best hands and then a secondary market will appear."

Read more here


South Korea to Support 'Normal' Crypto Trading

South Korea appears to be softening its stance on cryptocurrency trading. According to Yonhap News, Choe Heung-sik, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, has said the government "will support cryptocurrency trading if normal transactions are made." According to BusinessKorea, a government official involved with a virtual currency task force said:

"We are positively considering the adoption of an exchange approval system as the additional regulation on cryptocurrencies. We are most likely benchmark the model of the State of New York that gives a selective permission [for exchange operations]."

Read more here


RMIT University Launches Australia’s First Blockchain Course

RMIT, an Australian public research university, has launched Australia’s first university Blockchain course, according to Business Insider Australia. The 8-week course, entitled “Developing Blockchain Strategy”, was designed by RMIT’s Blockchain Innovation Hub and partners with consulting firm Accenture and fintech hub Stone & Chalk. Jason Potts, the director of the Blockchain Innovation Hub, told Business Australia Insider:

“It’s one of those things where a whole lot of different technologies have come together to contribute to it working. Much of this course is designed to help executives and business leaders to understand not just how this new technology works, and understanding what’s actually behind it, but also how it reflects business models and business strategy.”

Read more here

 

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Bafin Clarifies Stance on ICOs as More Citizens Ask About Tokens

Germany’s financial regulator Bafin has clarified its position on Initial Coin Offerings. Bafin admitted it was receiving many inquiries about the status of tokens and cryptocurrencies distributed to investors through ICOs. The federal agency advised interested parties to refer to regulations applicable to traditional financial instruments and comply with current requirements.

In an advisory letter, Bafin provides some basic definitions of ICOs and related terms. The regulator's objective is to educate the public about cryptocurrencies, tokens, which are typically generated using distributed ledger or blockchain technology, and ICOs, that are used to raise funds for startup projects.

Read more here

Ripple Is Releasing Two New White Papers For Peer Review

Announced yesterday, San Francisco-based startup Ripple is releasing two new white papers for peer review - one describing XRP's consensus algorithm in a more formal way and the other outlining a way to improve the diversity of connections of each node, the software users run to relay and verify transactions on the network. The move shows that Ripple is ready and willing to invest in the core infrastructure supporting its cryptocurrency.

In an interview, Ripple CTO Stefan Thomas, sought to stress how the papers open up the possibility of further building a network effect around the tech. Thomas stated:

"This is the first time we're releasing peer-reviewed academic papers. Obviously, it opens the door for future research. After this, I expect you'll hear much more about us interacting with academia."
Read more here

Tesla 'Cryptojacked' By Hackers To Mine Cryptocurrencies

Tesla, the electric car manufacturer based in Palo Alto, California, is the latest corporation to fall victim to ‘cryptojacking’, according to a newly released research from cybersecurity firm RedLock.

The researchers found that hackers had infiltrated Tesla’s Kubernetes console (a system for containerized apps that was originally designed by Google) which was not password protected. The hackers were mining for cryptocurrency from within one of Tesla’s Kubernetes pods.

The team noted some sophisticated evasion measures that were employed in this attack. Unlike other crypto mining incidents, the hackers did not use a well known public mining pool in this attack. Instead, they installed mining pool software and configured the malicious script to connect to an unlisted or semi-public endpoint. This makes it difficult for standard IP/domain-based threat intelligence feeds to detect the malicious activity, they explain.

Read more here

 

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Venezuela Orders Government Services to Accept Any Cryptocurrency

Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro has ordered the country’s consular services, as well as several other services and gas stations, to accept any cryptocurrency including the nation’s own currency, the Petro. This announcement was broadcasted nationwide from the Miraflores Palace and also reported on the website of the Superintendency of Cryptocurrencies. The president said:

"I order the payment of consular services in all embassies and consulates of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the world, and all consular services in the country, in the Petro currency or in any cryptocurrency."
Read more here

France Cracks Down on Unregulated Cryptocurrency Futures Trading

In a statement released yesterday, the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) said that it had observed a variety of online trading platforms launch cryptocurrency-based derivatives such as binary options, contracts for differences (CFDs), and Forex contracts. The agency, which attributed this development to the “recent cryptocurrency boom,” said that it had concluded that cash-settled cryptocurrency contracts qualified as derivatives, making them subject to AMF oversight. The agency stated:

“The AMF concludes that a cash-settled cryptocurrency contract may qualify as a derivative, irrespective of the legal qualification of a cryptocurrency. As a result, online platforms which offer cryptocurrency derivatives fall within the scope of MiFID 2 and must, therefore, comply with the authorisation, conduct of business rules, and the EMIR trade reporting obligation to a trade repository.”
Read more here

Shuttered Exchange BitFunder Founder Charged With Fraud

The US securities regulator has charged the now-shuttered BitFunder with attempting to hide information about a major hack. Meanwhile, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York simultaneously charged BitFunder founder, 37-year old Jon E. Montroll of Texas who also ran digital wallet service WeExchange Australia, with two counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. He faces decades in prison for the combined charges.

The combined charges levied against the exchange and Montroll include operating an unregistered securities exchange, defrauding investors and “making false and misleading statements” about the “unregistered offering of securities.” The SEC’s New York regional office director, Marc Berger, said:

“We allege that BitFunder operated unlawfully as an unregistered securities exchange. Platforms that engage in the activity of a national securities exchange, regardless of whether that activity involves digital assets, tokens, or coins, must register with the SEC or operate pursuant to an exemption."
Read more here

XinFin—the Blockchain Technology Company launched XDCE, its utility token on Feb 5, 2018

Singapore—Feb 22, 2018—XinFin launched its utility token XDCE on Feb 5, 2018. XDCE is an ERC20 token which will have multifold benefits for traders, private investors and institutional level partners.

Speaking about the XDCE Crowd Token Sale, Alex Mathbeck, Marketing Head, XinFin said, “The swappable XDCE token will predominantly help traders who compete against other ERC20 tokens across various exchanges. While our reach becomes more versatile in the open crypto market with this launch, traders will also leverage from XDCE’s compatibility and tradability on most exchanges. This will enable XDC01 to grow strictly from use cases whereas traders using XDCE can connect and benefit from growth of standard XDC token.”

Hosted on decentralized Ethereum Ecosystem, the ERC20 utility token, XDCE will enable global enterprises work with XDC Protocol.

“XinFin tokens are on built on XDC01 protocol which is first of its kind hybrid protocol. Launch of XDCE tokens was a move in this direction so that people can trade at stable prices on regulated exchanges sidestepping volatile market where price changes drastically due to lower liquidity.” said, Mr. Mathbeck.

Token Sale Page:
XinFin | XDCE Token ICO

About XinFin:

XinFin (www.xinfin.org) is a Singapore based blockchain Technology Company focused on international trade and finance across the globe. XinFin’s XDC protocol is a hybrid blockchain that allows peer-to-peer contracts over regulated payment rails or using XDC tokens in approved jurisdictions. You can follow XinFin on Twitter (@XinFinF) and on Telegram (https://t.me/xinfintalk).

 

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UK's Biggest Crypto and Blockchain Event for Investors

The Crypto Investor Show is launching a crypto and blockchain investor event in the UK. The goal is to put on a well rounded and innovative event that reflects the buzz and excitement created in 2017, while giving investors the chance to fully understand the key elements driving blockchain technology forward, how and why the industry has got to where it is now, and what could be in store for 2018 and beyond.

The event will bring the best cryptocurrency and investment speakers from around the globe, featuring Stephan Tual, Prof. William Knottenbelt, Galia Benartzi and much more.

The Crypto Investor Show will cover many aspects of the current state and future of cryptocurrencies, with invited and contributed presentations on:

What is blockchain and why is it disrupting the world as we know it?
How to mine, buy and trade digital currencies?
How to store cryptocurrencies safely?
The latest blockchain innovations?
How to navigate the ICO market?
The role and views of regulators, auditors and legal experts?
Can the value of altcoins continue to rise in 2018?
How to invest safely and avoid potential pitfalls?
The event will take place on the 10th of March 2018 between 9.00am and 6.00pm, at the QEII Centre. It is in the heart of Westminster, very easily accessible and it is served by outstanding transport links. The show will start the 10th of March 2018 between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

The CryptoCompare team will be attending the event and we are thrilled to invite you to join us on the show!

To buy a ticket to the Crypto Investors Show click here and to learn more about the show click here


Coinbase Compelled by IRS to Provide Customers’ Information

Popular cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been forced by court order to hand over thousands of its customers’ names and assorted personal information to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the agency’s effort to collect taxes. The San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange announced on its website:

"On February 23rd, 2018, Coinbase notified a group of approximately 13,000 customers concerning a summons from the IRS regarding their Coinbase accounts. The court ordered Coinbase to provide taxpayer ID, name, birth date, address, and historical transaction records for certain higher-transacting customers during the 2013-2015 period."
Read more here


Stock Trading App Robinhood Launches Zero-Fee Cryptocurrency Trading In 5 U.S. States

Popular mobile stock trading app Robinhood has formally launched its new Robinhood Crypto service, that allows customers in five U.S. states to buy Bitcoin and Ethereum without having to pay any fees.

According to an announcement, residents of California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Missouri and Montana can now trade the top two cryptocurrencies using the app. Those who aren’t yet able to trade will be able to track those and 14 other cryptocurrencies, including Ripple, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic, Monero, NEO, and Dogecoin.The announcement reads:

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm towards Robinhood Crypto and are excited to contribute to the cryptocurrency community in a meaningful way. (…) With the release of Robinhood Crypto, we’re continuing our mission of making the financial system work for everyone, not just the wealthy.”
Read more here


QTUM is Leading The Way in Bringing Blockchain to Mainstream Audiences Through Their Strategic Collaboration With Vanywhere

This innovative skill-sharing platform creates a marketplace for nearly anyone with a skill in any field to offer their services through live video, voice and chat. People on the platform (who Vanywhere calls “Skillers”) set their own price per minute, and get paid in cryptocurrency for doing what they do best.

Vanywhere already has a live working product that’s proved itself in the market. During their live product testing, they became the premiere destination for Apple customer service over live video, with support given by Apple enthusiasts from all around the world.

It’s no wonder that Qtum opted for a strategic collaboration with Vanywhere. By building their platform on Qtum’s blockchain, Vanywhere gives everyone the opportunity to monetize their skills and earn in crypto, even if they have no prior knowledge of the crypto space.

Check out Vanywhere’s website to learn more about the platform and read their white paper. You can also watch their collection of videos to see Vanywhere in action.


Crypto Enthusiasts could Generate Assets by Playing Favorite Computer Games

We would like to introduce to you the first decentralized PvP gaming platform – IQeon.

This gaming ecosystem hosts apps, games and services based on intellectual competitions between players. By playing your favourite games or/and placing bets on the results of gaming competitions you earn real money, the cryptocurrency of IQeon platform. IQN is based on Ethereum network and is compatible with modern Exchange platforms.

By gaining points, bonuses in one game you can easily turn them into the platform cryptocurrency and then use in other games. IQN could be easily traded for other coins and go fiat to your card. Gaming has never been more enjoyable than when you actually earn on it.

Since January 30, IQeon has an ongoing ICO which ends on March 13, 2018. Right now you may buy IQN and get 10% additionally. Beginning from February 27 until the end of the ICO the bonus is only 5%.

Hurry up to invest in IQeon ICO now and give yourself a chance to play and earn on your in-game achievements!

 

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Poloniex Acquisition Rumored to Have Cost $400 Million

Payment and fintech company Circle has acquired Poloniex exchange. Weeks of rumours have finally been put to rest as the press releases were circulated earlier today.

A CryptoGlobe source says that the acquisition price is around the $400 million mark which would place it as the largest acquisition in the crypto space to date. An announcement was published on the exchange website that reads:

"We are excited to announce that as of today, February 26, Poloniex will be joining the Circle team and building on our foundations to further scale our platform, grow our global reach, and accelerate the token ecosystem in the months and years ahead."

Read more here


ECB Unveils Instant Payment System

Yves Mersch, an executive board member of the European Central Bank (ECB), told Bloomberg the organization is readying a new settlement system dubbed Target Instant Payment Settlement, or TIPS, for its November debut.

TIPS is a product for the purpose of offering real-time payment transactions to disrupt the disrupter, the distributed ledger technology and cryptocurrencies.

Read more here


Coincheck Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public Trust

Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange, Coincheck, is reportedly considering a capital tie-up to strengthen its financial base and regain trust following a massive cryptocurrency theft from the exchange in a hacking incident about a month ago, according to an informed source.

The exchange lost 58 billion yen worth of the cryptocurrency NEM (~USD$544 million) on January 26.

Read more here


Last Chance to Invest in e-Chat, ICO Ends on March 1, 2018

Buy e-Chat tokens with 5% discount now! The price for 1 ECHT is $1.425.

What is e-Chat and what makes it challenge the messaging world?
• Confidentiality. Data is encrypted through the following technological combination: blockchain, peer-to-peer computing (P2P) and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS).
• Security: Convenient key verification tools for end-to-end data encryption are used.
• Protection against blocking.
• Cross-platform compatibility.
• Intuit user-friendly interface.
• Free

Benefits for ICO participants:

1) By supporting the project right now you get ECHT that could be later used on the platform. As the amount of e-Chat users will be increasing the growth in e-Chat tokens demand will become obvious. According to our expectations, this will cause the ECHT price rise as well.

2) ECHT is used to purchase lifetime storage on e-Chat. This way of token liquidation, in the long run, bears its fruit: the exchange rate will grow due to their limited amount of turnover.

3) e-Chat provides mining options for its users. This could also stimulate the interest to ECHT and influence the growth of its market price.

e-Chat is mentioned by such publication giants as Forbes, Huffington Post, Cointegrated, Inc., Reuters, Nasdaq, Yahoo, Bitcoin.com, CoinShedule, CryptoCompare, Finance Magazine, NewsBTC, CoinNewsAsia, BTC-ECHO, USA Today, BitScreener, MorningStar, Ethereum World News and dozens of others, which of course impacts the popularity of the application.

Follow the news on the e-Chat official website!


WELL Launches Personal Dashboard for its Crowdsale Supporters

WELL has launched its personal dashboard in advance of the new crowdsale dates. The dashboard serves to improve the tokensale process, insure safety and compliance.

The Whitelist pre-sale was originally scheduled to end on February 24th, with the public sale running February 25th - May 15th. WELL has extended the Whitelist period and the bonuses to accommodate overwhelming demand from supporters and add more functionality to WELL platform. Now the Public Sale will run April 16th - May 15th.

The new bonus schedule allows more time to receive the maximum 40% bonus. It will be available until March 15th, with a 30% bonus given March 16th - April 15th. You can visit the WELL website to learn more about the bonus system.

WELL founders emphasized, “Contributors who participated in our pre-sale, receiving a 30% bonus, will get additional 10%.”

About WELL:

WELL is creating a global blockchain platform for high-quality healthcare to eliminate country borders and connect doctors and patients worldwide. The WELL token enables an on-demand system solving the problems of cross-border payments, data accessibility, payment risk. If you are interested in WELL pre-sale, contact us at crowdsale@joinwell.io or on Telegram.

 

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JP Morgan Chase Says Cryptocurrency Is A Threat

JP Morgan Chase has recently released a report stating cryptocurrencies pose a threat to their banking services. The report, known as ‘Form 10-K’, is an annual that has roughly 300 pages, and states cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum posed a risk to JP Morgan banking services. The JP Morgan annual report reads:

“Furthermore, both financial institutions and their non-banking competitors face the risk that payment processing and other services could be disrupted by technologies, such as cryptocurrencies, that require no intermediation.”
Read more here

CFTC Allows Employees to Trade Cryptocurrencies

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has given its employees the green light to invest in cryptocurrencies, according to a Bloomberg report. The CFTC's general counsel, Daniel Davis, gave the go-ahead in a memo earlier in February, apparently in response to "numerous inquiries" from employees about whether they could do so. While members of the agency can now invest in cryptocurrencies, they are still prohibited from crypto futures or margin trading, and from using insider information gleaned through their jobs, according to Bloomberg. The memo reads:

"In this environment, the situation is ripe for the public to question the personal ethics of employees engaging in cryptocurrency transactions. Please keep in mind that you must endeavor to avoid any actions creating the appearance that you are violating the law or government and commission ethical standards."
Read more here

Bittrex’ Stance on Bitcoin Private

Bitcoin private has been a long time to come, with the fork of Zclassic announced back in December of last year. Since then, traders have been steadily accumulating ZCL, causing its price to rise from $4 in early December to a high of almost $200. In the last 48 hours, the coin has plunged to a low of $73, a drop of 50% in less than a week.

It had been widely assumed – or at least hoped – that Bittrex would support the fork, given that 93% of the trading volume comes from the U.S. exchange. However, the exchange finally broke its silence yesterday and said that it "will not be supporting the market for Bitcoin Private". The statement reads:

"Bittrex will NOT be supporting the market for Bitcoin Private but due to issues with the Zclassic wallet, we will offer Zclassic holders on Bittrex partial support through claiming and withdrawing BTCP…Bittrex will suspend the Zclassic market approximately 15 minutes before the snapshot time and perform an on-exchange snapshot of ZCL balances. The market will re-open after 5 pm UTC once the on-exchange snapshot is complete.”
Read more here

Education Ecosystem Announces Token Exchange Listings and Chance to Win Three Tesla Model S Cars

Education Ecosystem (LiveEdu) has announced that their Education token will be issued to crowdsale contributors and also listed on exchanges this week.

CEO, Dr. Michael J. Garbade had this to say, “As ICO contributors know, due to legal restrictions we could not start work with centralized exchange listings until our ICO Round I was closed. This issue slowed us down but we have made progress with the help of our advisors. We have already closed deals with three exchanges where Education tokens will be listed, namely Bibox, Gate.io and Exchange 3. Exchange 3 will announce the listing themselves due to their policy. Our goal after these three listings is to get listed on two Tier 1 exchanges with whom we are currently in discussion. All of these exchanges will list Education tokens with ETH and BTC pairs.”

Gate.io will list Education tokens on Thursday, March 1, 2018 and Bibox on Friday, March 2, 2018. Both Gate.io and Bibox will give away a Tesla Model S and Education tokens if you participate in the trading and deposit competitions. You can be the owner of a brand new Tesla. Apart from the five centralized exchanges above, you can also trade Education tokens soon on Etherdelta, IDEX, Liqui, and Tidex.

Read more here

Dragon Inc.’s DRG Token not for High-Rollers Only

Another strategic partnership to integrate Dragon as a universally accepted utility token for the entertainment industry.

(ASEAN - March 1, 2018) Dragon Inc., which is on track to drastically transform the high-stakes and the junket gambling marketplace through its Blockchain-based solution, announced an agreement with Dragonbet8. Dragonbet8, which is already partnered with traditional industry leaders such as Visa & Mastercard are now proud to accept and fully integrate Dragon Tokens (DRG) into its payment solution after its launch.

This move by Dragon sees DRG tokens being not only used by high-rollers in casino junkets but by the massive online gaming community as well.

“For us here at Dragon Inc the natural choice is to expand into online gaming and casinos such as the popular games DragonBet8 have on their platform. Dragon Inc itself is constantly seeking out vital and positive partnerships between key industry leaders and new innovative technology providers striving to develop international relations and promote Dragon Token with partners who share our values. Our Utility entertainment token is set to be a game changer across the entire Blockchain ecosystem. This has always been my vision but I did not realise just how quickly mass adoption of Dragon Token would be.

Our new partnership provides another significant use-case for Dragon's solution. We welcome the team at DragonBet8 and look forward to sharing in our prosperity and continuing our great good fortune.”, says Paul Moynan Co-founder Dragon Inc.

Read more here

 

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CFA Charterholder Writes Crypto Investing Book

Financial author and Chartered Financial Analyst ® Designation holder, Jonathan Hobbs, has written an extensive crypto investing guide to help bring cryptos to the mainstream. The Crypto Portfolio – A Commonsense Approach to Cryptocurrencies is now globally available on Amazon in paperback format.

Jonathan Hobbs, CFA said:

“Cryptos are a really exciting investment opportunity, but they are also very risky. I wrote this book to help investors manage some of those risks.”
The book is just under 250 pages in length and is split into three parts. In part one, Hobbs dissects the technology behind various different cryptos. In part two, he explores and backtests ‘the Crypto Portfolio’ investment strategy – a simplified approach to managing the extreme risks of crypto investing. Part three looks at more advanced crypto trading and investing strategies including technical analysis, fundamental coin analysis and ICOs.

The paperback version of the book is now available on Amazon. The Kindle version is excepted to launch in early April.

Read more here


Goldman Sachs Official: Cryptocurrencies in ‘Current Format’ Are in a Bubble

Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, CIO of the Private Wealth Management Group at Goldman Sachs, is responsible for guiding millions of dollars of fiat investments. According to the transcript of an interview, cryptocurrencies have been a hot topic for the firm with investors highly keen to learn more about them and the blockchain technology they utilize. Whilst the company recognizes the potential of blockchain technology, the firm is not surprisingly bearish regarding the fully decentralized currencies that currently exist. Sharmin said:

“Our view is that while we like the concept of blockchain, and think it will evolve into a useful tool for companies, for the financial industry, we think cryptocurrencies in their current format, meaning that in the current incarnation, are in a bubble.”
Read more here


South Korean Bank Trials Ripple for Overseas Remittance

South Korea's Woori Bank has reportedly completed a cross-border remittance test using the distributed ledger technology (DLT) developed by San Fransisco-based startup Ripple.

According to local business media source ChosunBiz, the completion of the trial arrives as the bank's Digital Strategy Department reveals plans to commercialize the Ripple-based platform this year. It also marks a second phase of the trial, following an earlier test at the end of January.

ChosunBiz indicates that other non-Japanese institutions involved include South Korea's Woori and Shinhan banks, as well as Thailand's Siam Commercial Bank.

Read more here


WELL Launches Personal Dashboard for its Crowdsale Supporters

WELL has launched its personal dashboard in advance of the new crowdsale dates. The dashboard serves to improve the token sale process, insure safety and compliance.

The Whitelist pre-sale was originally scheduled to end on February 24th, with the public sale running February 25th - May 15th. WELL has extended the Whitelist period and the bonuses to accommodate overwhelming demand from supporters and add more functionality to WELL platform. Now the Public Sale will run April 16th - May 15th.

The new bonus schedule allows more time to receive the maximum 40% bonus. It will be available until March 15th, with a 30% bonus given March 16th - April 15th. You can visit the WELL website to learn more about the bonus system.

WELL founders emphasized, “Contributors who participated in our pre-sale, receiving a 30% bonus, will get additional 10%.”

About WELL:

WELL is creating a global blockchain platform for high-quality healthcare to eliminate country borders and connect doctors and patients worldwide. The WELL token enables an on-demand system solving the problems of cross-border payments, data accessibility, payment risk. If you are interested in WELL pre-sale, contact us at crowdsale@joinwell.io or on Telegram.


The First C³ Crypto Conference in Berlin: Buy your tickets now!

The most extensive conference for cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the heart of Europe, offering keynotes, workshops and exhibitions embracing the ecosystem of decentralization will be held on April 5th and 6th, 2018. The C³ Crypto Conference in Berlin already boasts a dynamic lineup of crypto superstars, from Miko Matsumura to Hartej Sawhney, the world’s leading smart contract security auditor, with more speakers, exhibitors and workshops being added daily.

“Berlin is inviting the world to a hands-on experience engaging with the world’s top blockchain experts aiming to link the ecosystem,” said Dennis Weidner, managing director of the C³ Crypto Conference.

This exhibition is open to all blockchain enthusiasts, from beginners to investors to the most hard-core bitcoin maximalists.

“Everyone will enjoy it, from small-time traders to mainstream investors and CEOs,” said Weidner. The C³ Crypto Conference will provide a unique platform to introduce yourself, your company, or your token to some of the biggest names in crypto. Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for highly coveted jobs, and even pitch their ICOs to a panel of prominent investors. The C³ Conference will also provide ticket-holders with outstanding opportunities to learn from and network with the industry’s top thinkers, with companies like SAP, Wallstreet Online and Savedroid all in attendance.

For tickets and more information, visit https://www.crypto-conference.com

 

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Mark Carney: Prospect Of Crypto Replacing Fiat Is ‘Tenuous At Best’

The Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, delivered a speech titled ‘The Future Of Money’ and spoke in depth on cryptocurrencies and the challenges they posed. Throughout the speech, he dismissed the idea of cryptocurrencies replacing fiat money, and said that they entailed significant risks for investors and those investing in cryptocurrencies could lose money. The governor said that cryptocurrencies do not currently pose a threat to financial stability, however, he said that if more people started investing the bubble could raise concerns for macro-financial stability. He stated:

"Their [cryptocurrencies] prospects of replacing fiat money are tenuous at best"

Read more here


Bittrex Blocks Residents of North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Syria, and Cuba

Last month, Las Vegas-based cryptocurrency exchange, Bittrex, published its new terms of service, which are expected to come into effect on the 9th of March.

The new terms of service will forbid citizens or residents of any state, country, territory or other jurisdiction that is embargoed by the United States from accessing Bittrex's trading services.

Read more here


UK Central Bank to Clamp Down on Crypto Money Laundering

Last Friday, during a speech at the Scottish Economics Conference in Edinburgh, Mark Carney, governor of Bank of England, stated that in his opinion, more rigorous regulations should be applied to exchanges in order to avoid the illicit use of cryptocurrencies in financial crimes, such as money laundering and terrorism financing. Carney said:

"In my view, holding crypto-asset exchanges to the same rigorous standards as those that trade securities would address a major underlap in the regulatory approach"

Read more here



iOlite Aims to Facilitate Smart Contract Coding By Allowing Any Language via Its Fast Adoption Engine

The iOlite Foundation aims to bridge current technological gaps and draw mainstream users with different coding expertise to blockchain technology. iOlite offers its solution to all users, even those without experience with Solidity. The answer is simple: if you are not good at Solidity, use your own programming language to create smart contracts!

To assist coding newcomers, iOlite intends to build a platform that will allow anyone to write smart contracts using various languages, both spoken (like English) and programming (like Java, C++, Python, etc.) iOlite will utilize blockchain and machine learning technologies that will accept text in any language as an input, and then instantly compile it into smart contracts with the help of Fast Adoption Engine (FAE).

Writing smart contracts on iOlite is designed to be user-friendly while the iLT tokens become the financial backbone. All contributors in the iOlite network who help with the machine-learning process will receive iLT tokens depending on the complexity of the smart contract structures they create.

The crowdsale starts on March 10, 2018, and will end on April 14, 2018. iOlite aims to reach a hard cap of $12.5 million. If you are interested in iOlite’s TGE, you can visit their website or subscribe join their Telegram


Solid Rocket Booster Ignition And Liftoff Of The Datarius!

Today, on March 5, 2018 at 12:12 UTC, the main ITO round of the Datarius project will start with a 30% bonus in the first 6 hours – Datarius, the first social p2p cryptobank allow users and legal persons from all over the world, to interact directly with each other, thereby avoiding the middlemen intervention and paying only a minimal fee to the platform, at their discretion, based on the additional services selected. Datarius features:
•Three categories of P2P Lending with different risk levels;
•Minimum system fees in accordance with the AI-based transaction risk levels;
•Possibility of creating your own microcredit account;
•Possibility of making lending fully automated due to the Trust Limits and a unique rule designer;
•Analysts, risk managers, combined with a credit rating system based on BIGData and partner services;

Why to participate in the ITO?
•DTRC token is a unique key to access all the benefits of the Cryptobank;
•Fintech segment of p2p microlending demonstrates annually almost a 30.5% growth in developing countries;

Participation in the final round is the last chance to become an active user of the bank of the future and start benefiting with the project. How to invest?
•Visit the Datarius official website and register as a participant at ito.datarius.io
•Participate in the project’s Referral Program and get an additional 5% bonus.

Are you tired of opacity, greed, and banality of the classical financial systems? Do you aspire to freedom of choice and financial products as a Pay what you want service? Datarius is your social p2p cryptobank.

 

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Coinbase Hit by Lawsuit Over Alleged Insider Trading

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has been hit by a class action lawsuit over alleged insider trading during its launch of Bitcoin Cash. According to a court document dated last Thursday, the case has been brought by Jeffery Berk, representing a group of investors that placed trading orders on Coinbase or its order book trading platform GDAX from Dec. 19-21, 2017. Based on the complaint, the case takes aim at Coinbase's launch of bitcoin cash (BCH) trading in the same month, with the plaintiffs accusing the company of tipping off insiders ahead of the formal launch. The complaint states:

"When Coinbase's customers' trades were finally executed, it was only after the insiders had driven up the price of BCH, and thus the remaining bitcoin customers only received their BCH at artificially inflated prices that had been manipulated well beyond the fair market value of BCH at that time."

Read more here


PayPal Files Patent to Improve Cryptocurrency Transaction Times

On the 1st of March, the electronic payments firm PayPal filed an application for an 'Expedited Virtual Currency Transaction System'. The patent appears to be for a system in which private keys (strings of characters that represent ownership of cryptocurrency and allow crypto to be traded) are traded between buyer and seller in a secure and anonymous manner. The documents read:

“The systems and methods of the present disclosure practically eliminate the amount of time the payee must wait to be sure they will receive a virtual currency payment in a virtual currency transaction by transferring to the payee private keys that are included in virtual currency wallets that are associated with predefined amounts of virtual currency that equal a payment amount identified in the virtual currency transaction.”

Read more here


Brazil Regulators Move to Block Bitcoin Mining Investments

Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) has moved to suspend the offer of securities related to a local Bitcoin mining operation. In a recent statement, the regulator declared that the offering for HashBrasil being pitched to investors was not authorized, identifying how the solicitations were playing out across social media channels. The securities regulator stated:

"The [Authority] has identified that the company and the individual mentioned above are publicly offering...an investment opportunity related to quotas in [a] bitcoin mining investment group ('HashBrasil'), using appeal to the public for the conclusion of contracts that may be included in the legal concept of security,"

Read more here


PodOne's Qubicle token crowdsale started on 3/1/2018!

Participate in the crowdsale early to receive a 50% bonus, available only during the first week of the crowdsale, March 1st, 2018 — March 7th, 2018. During the first week, investors will receive 1,500 QBE for 1 ETH.

In the second week of their crowdsale, participants will still have an opportunity to receive a 20% bonus, available only during the second week of the crowdsale, March 8th, 2018 — March 15th, 2018. 1 ETH will equal 1,200 QBE.

For the third and final weeks of the crowdsale, investors will receive 1,000 QBE for 1 ETH. This will be the final opportunity to participate in the Qubicle crowdsale and will be available from March 16th, 2018 — March 31st, 2018.

About PodOne

PodOne is launching the next global phase in contact center services, bringing together employers and agents through its decentralized network while optimizing staff time, reducing labour costs and elevating a new standard in training.

The team behind PodOne has a combined 50 years of experience in the contact center industry and are the leaders behind Fenero, a disruptive and award-winning cloud-based contact center platform used by over 2,200 call and customer service organizations worldwide.

Please visit https://PodOne.io to learn more. You can also view our whitepaper by visiting podone.io | 521: Web server is down

 

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Coinbase Announces the Launch of its New Index Fund

Yesterday, popular online exchange Coinbase announced the release of a weighted index fund for cryptocurrencies. The Coinbase Index Fund will give accredited U.S. investors exposure to all assets listed on the company's current exchange, GDAX. The currencies will be weighted based on market capitalization. According to CNBC, Coinbase President and COO Asiff Hirji stated:

"It's a very simple to use, easy way to get exposure to the crypto-assets that we offer on our exchange."
Read more here


Russia Prepares to Legalize Cryptocurrency Markets by July 2018

A Russian parliament’s official report, released on the 1st of March, states that Russian president Vladimir Putin has set a deadline on the 1st of July for relevant cryptocurrency legislation to be adopted in the country. Russia’s Ministry of Finance has put the spotlight on legal guidelines for the issuance of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) while the country’s central bank has prepared a separate draft law on crowdfunding. State Duma Committee for Financial Markets chairman, Anatoly Aksakov, stated:

“The central bank is against the legalization of this type of digital currency since in this case, citizens can start actively investing in crypto-tools, not taking into account possible risks.”
Read more here


North Korea May Have Netted 11,000 BTC in Transactions

North Korean hackers may have netted the regime over $200 million worth of cryptocurrency transactions last year. The regime’s potentially huge cryptocurrency revenue was revealed by Priscilla Moriuchi, a former NSA officer, during an interview with Radio Free Asia. Per the former US government employee, North Korea could have made an estimated 11,000 bitcoins through a cyber army. Per Moriuchi, who now works at cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, said the funds were acquired through mining or hacking. She stated:

“I would bet that these coins are being turned into something – currency or physical goods – that are supporting North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme.”
Read more here


The First C³ Crypto Conference in Berlin: Buy your tickets now!

The most extensive conference for cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the heart of Europe, offering keynotes, workshops and exhibitions embracing the ecosystem of decentralization will be held on April 5th and 6th, 2018. The C³ Crypto Conference in Berlin already boasts a dynamic lineup of crypto superstars, from Miko Matsumura to Hartej Sawhney, the world’s leading smart contract security auditor, with more speakers, exhibitors and workshops being added daily.

“Berlin is inviting the world to a hands-on experience engaging with the world’s top blockchain experts aiming to link the ecosystem,” said Dennis Weidner, managing director of the C³ Crypto Conference.

This exhibition is open to all blockchain enthusiasts, from beginners to investors to the most hard-core bitcoin maximalists.

“Everyone will enjoy it, from small-time traders to mainstream investors and CEOs,” said Weidner. The C³ Crypto Conference will provide a unique platform to introduce yourself, your company, or your token to some of the biggest names in crypto. Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for highly coveted jobs, and even pitch their ICOs to a panel of prominent investors. The C³ Conference will also provide ticket-holders with outstanding opportunities to learn from and network with the industry’s top thinkers, with companies like SAP, Wallstreet Online and Savedroid all in attendance.

For tickets and more information, visit Crypto-Conference.com // Blockchain, Token Sales, ICO ...


Eligma - AI-driven and blockchain-based cognitive commerce platform

Eligma is set to change the way people discover, purchase, track and resell items online. With its unique features, it will offer users a “one-place”, from where they can shop in all the online stores anywhere in the world, check the value of items in their inventory and learn the best time to sell those items.

Eligma will offer users a completely decentralized universal loyalty program and help transform every household into a business while also bringing cryptocurrencies into mainstream by offering crypto payments for online stores that do not offer them yet. The three main pillars, discovery, inventory and loyalty, will enable Eligma to become an AI-driven and blockchain-based platform that acts as a personal commerce agent. It will advise users, which item to buy by considering item components, quality, price, shipping time and costs as well as other factors. It will enable users to securely and transparently sell their used items on multiple second-hand markets at the most appropriate time through their personal item inventories.

Eligma will transform every household into a business and save the one thing that cannot be bought - time.

Learn more here

 

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FinCEN Letter To Congress Tightens Net On ICOs

FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network), a U.S. financial agency, has stated in a letter published Tuesday, that the existing AML & KYC regulations will be applied to all ICO participants. The letter suggested that developers and exchanges that interact with ICOs should register as a money transmitter and comply with a lengthy list of AML (anti-money laundering) and KYC (know your customer) regulations. An excerpt from the letter reads:

“Generally, under existing regulations and interpretations, a developer that sells convertible virtual currency, including in the form of ICO coins or tokens, in exchange for another type of value that substitutes for currency is a money transmitter and must comply with AML/CFT requirements that apply to this type of MSB. An exchange that sells ICO coins or tokens, or currency, would typically also be a money transmitter”

Read more here


Binance Liquidates User’s Altcoin Holdings Due To Unknown Issue

Binance, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, is currently dealing with an unknown problem, as it’s liquidating user’s altcoin balances at market price, without warning them or getting their consent. Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao, ensured that all funds are safe as the twitter post shows:

"All funds are safe. There were irregularities in trading activity, automatic alarms triggered. Some accounts may have been compromised by phishing before. We are still investigating. All funds are safe."

Read more here


Venezuela to Auction Petro via Its Foreign Exchange Platform

According to the Venezuelan vice president, Tareck El Aissami, the country’s oil-backed cryptocurrency, the Petro (PTR), will be auctioned to private companies via the country’s Dicom foreign exchange platform “in a few weeks.” While speaking at a meeting broadcast on state television, El Aissami said that the Petro will be auctioned, and then added to the markets enabling companies to use the country’s oil-backed cryptocurrency to pay for imports of raw materials. The vice president stated:

“The Petro is going to be our powerful international currency, above the dollar.”

Read more here

 

[CryptoMAV]

si ok un analisi dettagliata sulla situazione odierna ?
mi riferisco all'impatto del giappo e dei suoi dump ovviamente

 

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Japanese Exchanges ‘Punished’ By FSA Regulators

Yesterday, the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) announced that it has suspended two cryptocurrency exchanges. Starting today, the duration of each suspension is a month and has been ordered as the result of poor security and compliance standards. Bit Station and FSHO were the exchanges that had trading halted for a month. However, 5 other exchanges came under fire from the FSA and must produce and submit a ‘Security Improvement Plan’ by March 22nd. The Agency stated:

"While not yet complete, the FSA inspections have apparently found enough issues with customer protections and anti-money-laundering measures that the agency fears another Coincheck-style hack."
Read more here

US Regulators Working Together to Combat Crypto Fraud

According to J. Christopher Giancarlo, Commodity Futures Trading Commision (CFTC) Chairman, US regulators have begun to coordinate with their abroad counterparts to combat cryptocurrency fraud. Giancarlo revealed this international effort during a U.S. House of Representatives committee hearing on the CFTC’s budget for the fiscal year 2019, adding that officials in the Treasury Department and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were also involved in the collaboration. One excerpt from the statement reads:

"The CFTC has been in close communication with the SEC with respect to policy and jurisdictional considerations, and in connection with our recent enforcement cases”
Read more here

Binance CEO: All Irregular Trades Reversed, Hackers Lost Coins

On March 7th between 14:58 and 14:59 “abnormal trading activity” was detected on one of the Hugely popular Binance exchange’s marketplaces. The automatic risk management system was triggered, and all withdrawals were immediately halted. In conformity with Changpeng Zhao, Binance CEO said that all fraudulent trades that occurred on Wednesday have been reversed. A post on Twitter reads:

"Binance has reversed all irregular trades. All deposit, trading and withdrawal are resumed. will write a more detailed account of what happened shortly. Interestingly, the hackers lost coins during this attempt. We will donate this to Binance Charity."
Read more here

CoinSwitch: Exchange Cryptocurrency at the Best Rate

CoinSwitch.co is an easy-to-use cryptocurrency exchange aggregator (one place to access multiple available exchanges) with many leading markets across the globe, such as Changelly, Shapeshift, EverCoin, Blocktrades, Bittrex, Cryptopia, and others. CoinSwitch provides real-time exchange rates to customers. Currently, CoinSwitch supports over 250 cryptocurrencies and more than 6000 pairs to exchange. With just a few clicks users can organize and access most of the popular exchanges.

Read more here

Multiversum delivering 4th Generation Blockchain – A Relational Crypto Database

Multiversum, a new innovative blockchain technology platform, has created a fourth generation blockchain. Instead of creating a single blockchain, Multiversum has created a Crypto Relational Database that forms chains of data that are flexible to meet the needs of complex corporate and industrial environments. Multiversum Visioner and Founder, Andrea Taini, stated:

“Blockchain is transformation in its technology. However, it is also limited in its application for complex corporate environments. We have taken the best of blockchain, addressed the commercial failings and generated a powerful, innovative solution with industry strength attributes.”

Multiversum can offer faster and more scalable solutions. It seeks to be more competitive by generating more flexible solutions to meet corporate needs in which complex data structures need to be organized in tables (as in relational databases). At the same time, those structures need to be validated and made immutable with blockchain-based techniques such as increasing traceability and security. The Multiversum platform applies blockchain functionality, without the legacy technical issues, to primary management of databases, application decentralization, auditing, security and reliability.

The Multiversum Pre ICO will run from the 1st of March until the end of the month, with the main ICO starting on April 4th. For more information, please visit the Website, International Telegram Group, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, BitcoinTalk, Reddit and Twitter.

The First C³ Crypto Conference in Berlin: Buy your tickets now!

The most extensive conference for cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the heart of Europe, offering keynotes, workshops and exhibitions embracing the ecosystem of decentralization will be held on April 5th and 6th, 2018. The C³ Crypto Conference in Berlin already boasts a dynamic lineup of crypto superstars, from Miko Matsumura to Hartej Sawhney, the world’s leading smart contract security auditor, with more speakers, exhibitors and workshops being added daily.

“Berlin is inviting the world to a hands-on experience engaging with the world’s top blockchain experts aiming to link the ecosystem,” said Dennis Weidner, managing director of the C³ Crypto Conference.

This exhibition is open to all blockchain enthusiasts, from beginners to investors to the most ******** bitcoin maximalists.

“Everyone will enjoy it, from small-time traders to mainstream investors and CEOs,” said Weidner. The C³ Crypto Conference will provide a unique platform to introduce yourself, your company, or your token to some of the biggest names in crypto. Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for highly coveted jobs, and even pitch their ICOs to a panel of prominent investors. The C³ Conference will also provide ticket-holders with outstanding opportunities to learn from and network with the industry’s top thinkers, with companies like SAP, Wallstreet Online and Savedroid all in attendance.

For tickets and more information, visit Crypto-Conference.com // Blockchain, Token Sales, ICO ...

 

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Study Allegedly Finds $3B Worth of Faked Cryptocurrency Volumes

On March 10th, a study published by a cryptocurrency trader and researcher, Sylvain Ribes, states that allegedly $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency trade volumes are concocted. The study also reveals some curious information about trading volumes that stemmed from exchanges like OkEx and Huobi, which may be falsifying their trade volumes. Sylvain Ribes stated:

“I found ridiculously massive discrepancies between exchanges. Not the kind that can be easily hand-waved away (“oh well, their users must behave differently”), but the kind that can only be explained by some figures being overstated as much as 95%.”
Read more here


Wall Street Strategist Creates “Bitcoin Misery Index”

Tom Lee, a Wall Street strategist covering Bitcoin and the co-founder of Fundstrat Global Advisors, recently created the “Bitcoin Misery Index.” The index works like most sentiment indicators and is meant to be a contrarian one, which means that when it’s low, it’s time to buy the cryptocurrency.. The Index takes into account several factors such as the number of winning trades out of the total and the cryptocurrency’s volatility. Lee stated:

“The BMI [Bitcoin Misery Index] is telling us to keep the negative headlines in perspective. When the BMI is at a 'misery' level, future returns are very good."
Read more here


Bittrex: We’re Compliant With SEC’s ICO Rules

The US-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex issued a statement saying that it is compliant with federal regulations governing securities trading. The exchange, which is headquartered in Seattle, assured its customers that its token review process is compliant with rules that prohibit companies from creating trading markets for unregistered securities. The statement reads:

“As a U.S.-based digital currency exchange, Bittrex is committed to incubating new blockchain technology projects and offering innovative, compliant digital tokens to our customers. Bittrex uses a robust digital token review process to ensure the tokens listed on the exchange are compliant with U.S. law and are not considered securities.”
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Kind Ads: The Next Generation of Online Advertising

Kind Ads is a decentralized ad network platform that seeks to make the online ad experience more pleasant for all those involved, bringing more revenue for publishers with high-quality ads, fewer fees for advertisers and more effective, less intrusive for the users. Kind Ads plans to do this by cutting out the middleman, taking in no fees as a platform whatsoever. Kind Ads aims to eliminate the middleman by creating a decentralized ad network in which publishers and advertisers interact directly in a transparent manner, exchanging subscriber access ethically and making tracking information accurate and quick.

In this ecosystem, advertisers will find publishers based on subscriber quality. However, the most rewarding aspect of Kind Ads will be its tokenized rewards pool in which KIND, an Ethereum-based token, will be awarded to users based on their behaviour and how much information they are willing to share. The reward pool is based on the website's traffic quality, so effective campaigns lead to more rewards for the user.

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South Korea Preparing To Reverse Ban On ICOs

According to the Korea Times, the ban on ICOs may be revoked by the same financial authorities that banned ICOs last year. An anonymous source allegedly said that the financial authorities have been talking with the country's tax agency, justice ministry and other relevant government departments to allow ICOs in Korea when certain conditions are met. However, there isn't an official announcement that acknowledges the unban of ICOs in Korea. A spokesperson from the South Korea Financial Services Commision stated:

"There are many speculating about the possibility of allowing ICOs. The FSC has acknowledged a third-party view regarding the issue, but there's nothing that we can say officially at the moment."

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Genesis Mining Hit With Cease-and-Desist Order

Due to a cease-and-desist order released on March 9, cloud mining service Genesis Mining has been told to stop operating in the state of South Carolina. Genesis Mining and Swiss Gold Global Inc were named in the order, which says that mining contracts sold to state residents are considered securities. In the order, it was alleged that Swiss Gold Global Inc acted as a broker-dealer for Genesis. The order reads:

"At all times relevant to this order, Respondent Genesis Mining continuously offered investment opportunities in Mining Contracts to South Carolina residents through its website. At no time relevant to the events stated herein was Respondent Swiss Gold Global registered with the Division as a broker-dealer, and no exemption from registration has been claimed by Respondent Swiss Gold Global."

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Binance Offers $250k For Information Leading To Hackers’ Arrest

Binance, a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange is offering the equivalent of $250,000 in cryptocurrencies for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for an attack on its platform that took place last week. A post on the Binance blog reads:

"To ensure a safe crypto community, we can’t simply play defense. We need to actively prevent any instances of hacking before they occur, as well as follow through after-the-fact.”

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