Day: November 8, 2018

Blockstream Announces Full Node and Wallet for Liquid Bitcoin

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Blockstream, a company focusing on the development of Bitcoin technologies announced on November 6, 2018, that its Liquid Bitcoin sidechain was made available. Blockstream’s Bitcoin Push Blockstream launched the Liquid Network on October 10, 2018, as the world’s first production Bitcoin sidechain. Now Blockstream has announced its Liquid full node binary and source code was ready and made available to all users. With this release, any user can now operate a full node in the P2P Liquid Network enabling them to trustlessly self-validate the chain. The release includes new utilities that…

Nine Leading Shipping Operators Launch Global Business Network Based on Blockchain

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Nine major terminal operators and shipping companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch an open digital platform based on distributed ledger technology (DLT), The Maritime Executive, a major industry source for maritime and marine news, reported Nov. 6. The MoU, aimed at forming a consortium to develop a shipping industry blockchain alliance dubbed the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN), has been signed by the world’s leading shipping operators during the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov. 6. The article notes that the software solution for…

Mining Giant Bitmain Hurries to Deploy 90,000 S9 Antminers Ahead of Bitcoin Cash Hard Fork

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Ahead of the imminent Bitcoin Cash (BCH) hard fork, mining giant Bitmain has rushed to deploy around 90,000 Antminer S9 machines to the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, Chinese blockchain news source DeepChain reports Nov. 8. As reported, the BCH network will hard fork on Nov. 15, and Bitmain is reported to be strategizing its role in the forthcoming computing “power war” by reaching out to local mining farms in the coal-rich region of Xianjing. Local mining pool operator Yu Hao told DeepChain that the mining titan has been in…

Ex-Google CEO: Ethereum Has a Tremendous Potential

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Photo: OFFICIAL LEWEB PHOTOS / Flickr The Ex. Google Chairman, billionaire Eric Schmidt, during a live event with economist Tyler Cowen hosted by Village Global in San Francisco, said Ethereum could be a “powerful platform” whose untapped potential is off-the-charts. In the wide-ranging conversation, Schmidt discussed the future of technology, corporate governance reform, Google’s hiring practices, and bifurcation of the internet. He also spoke about the blockchain technology that he called “overrated in the public format and underrated in its technical use.” He said: “Today, blockchain is a great platform…

Zimbabwe’s P2P Bitcoin Exchange Cryptogem Launched in Defiance of Central Bank Ban

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Cryptogem Global, a new peer-to-peer bitcoin (BTC) exchange, has opened in Harare in defiance of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s ban on cryptocurrencies. The decentralized platform allows Zimbabweans to buy and sell BTC without the need for intermediaries such as legacy financial institutions. Also Read: French Lawmakers to Lower Cryptocurrency Tax by 6 Percent A Globalized Cryptocurrency Exchange “Cryptogem Global is a … bitcoin trading platform where people around the globe can exchange their local currencies and e-money to bitcoin,” Melissa Mwale, co-founder and chief executive officer of Cryptogem Global, told news.Bitcoin.com. Mwale said the idea is to…

South Korea to Triple the Budget for Blockchain Projects Compared to 2018

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The South Korean government has agreed to invest $35 million in next year’s budget to develop blockchain technology and industry related to distributed ledger technology (DLT), South Korea’s largest economic information service company Korea Economic Daily reported Nov. 8. South Korea’s government has held a meeting on industry related to DLT and blockchain technology with the participation of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Information and Communication, the Democratic Party of Korea, and others. The Vice Minister of Health and Welfare announced during the meeting that the…

Can Blockchain Save Anime? Startup to Protect the Culture from ‘Unavoidable’ Decline

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A Japan-based blockchain platform says the country’s beloved anime industry is at an impasse. While the number of global fans for this distinctive, inimitable animation style has been growing exponentially, artists face “a harsh work environment with very little incentive.” Twilight Coin fears that, if this trend continues, it is unavoidable that both the quality and quantity of Japan’s anime culture will start to go in decline. This is why it is offering a “creator to consumer” model which enables artists to connect directly with fans and receive funding for…

the Arrest of India’s First Bitcoin ‘ATM’ Operators

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Earlier in October, the developers of India’s first Bitcoin (BTC) “ATM” were arrested in the city of Bangalore under criminal charges, in a case that has shaken the local startup community and cast a spotlight on the lack of clarity surrounding “the law of the land” in regard to crypto. While the official Freedom of Information Report (FIR), detailing the charges against the men, is not in the public domain, the mainstream media has reported that they were booked under serious criminal charges, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery. From…

Venezuela to Present Petro to Intergovernmental Group OPEC as Unit of Account for Oil

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Venezuela will present its state-backed cryptocurrency Petro as a unit of account for crude oil trading to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2019, the country’s oil company PDVSA reports on its Twitter Nov. 7. The PDVSA has cited its president Manuel Quevedo, who also holds the position of Venezuela’s Minister of Oil and Mining, speaking about the future presentation: “We will be presenting Petro to OPEC in 2019 as the main digital currency backed by oil.” According to the PDVSA, Quevedo also added that Petro will…

Why Identity Is Vital in Blockchain Humanitarian Programs: Brad Whitman of Everest

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Why Identity Is Vital in Blockchain Humanitarian Programs: Brad Whitman of Everest November 8, 2018 by Jon Southurst Privacy and anonymity are common topics in cryptocurrency — but not everyone wants that. In the world of NGOs and humanitarian assistance programs, knowing exactly who you’re transacting with is vital from both a trust and regulatory standpoint. That’s where platforms like Everest come in. Bitsonline‘s George Levy spoke to Brad Whitman at Money 20/20 2018 in Las Vegas to find out how and why. Also see: Ridesharing With Airplanes, on Blockchain: Mike…