Major Ethereum Software Client Upgrades in Preparation for Constantinople Hard Fork

  The Ethereum (ETH) Constantinople upgrade appears to be proceeding as planned, as a widely used Ethereum software client has published new code that includes a Constantinople activation time on GitHub Dec. 11. The post reads that Geth, which stands for Go Ethereum, v1.8.20 is a special release that will “finally” enable the Constantinople hard fork on the Ethereum mainnet at block 7,080,000. Geth is one of the three original implementations of the Ethereum protocol. The description further states: “It’s also our last planned release of the 1.8 family, meaning…

62% of Auto Execs Believe Blockchain Will Disrupt Industry within 3 Years

The auto industry is betting big on blockchain. In fact, a whopping 62% of auto executives say the technology underpinning bitcoin will be a disruptive force in the industry by 2021. Moreover, 95% of carmakers plan to make “moderate to significant” blockchain investments over the next three years, according to a report by the IBM Institute for Business Value, a business-research group. In its executive report entitled “Daring to Be First,” the IBM Institute says blockchain can revolutionize the auto industry by bringing transparency to supply chain management and financial transactions.…

Calling All Gamers: Razer Wants You to Mine Cryptocurrency Using Idle GPUs

Razer, the multi-billion-dollar gaming equipment manufacturer, released a new program that allows gamers to easily utilize their idle GPUs to mine cryptocurrency. The catch to this seemingly simple program, however, is that users don’t actually get to keep the cryptocurrency they mine. Razer Releases Cryptocurrency Mining Software Called SoftMiner The new program, called SoftMiner, allows PC users to utilize their expensive GPUs while they are not using their computers, whether that be while they are at school, sleeping, or at work, and in exchange Razer rewards them with something called…

Forbes Analyst Expects Bitcoin Price At $2,500

Forbes Analyst Touts $2,500 Bitcoin Price Target Clem Chambers, a markets analyst publishing to Forbes, recently released an article to the outlet’s contributor network, explaining why Bitcoin (BTC) could head lower in due time. Chambers, the CEO of ADVFN and a well-known financial industry journalist, first drew attention to how markets, Bitcoin included, normally react in, during, and after a “crash.” The reporter, who hasn’t been afraid to comment on crypto historically, explained that market collapses happen in “stages,” as seen by BTC’s drawdown in 2018, which saw the asset…

Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson Unveils New Smart Contract Tools

IOHK, a leading blockchain research and development firm, announced two tools developed by a world-leading team for writing smart contracts for the Cardano blockchain. The apps are called Plutus and Marlowe and were launched in test format at the first PlutusFest conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. These powerful tools will enable start-ups, the financial services and fintech industries, and academia to prepare blockchain contracts that will run on Cardano (ADA). Plutus provides a general purpose programming language and tools for the Cardano protocol. IOHK’s scientists and engineers have combined the discipline…

Crypto Markets See Modest Gains, Bitcoin Rises Above $3,400

Wednesday, Dec. 12: Cryptocurrency markets have seen moderate gains on the day, with all top 20 coins by market capitalization in the green, according to Cointelegraph’s Coin360. Market visualization from Coin360 Bitcoin (BTC) began the day around $3,414, subsequently reaching its intraday high of $3,534. At press time, the major coin is trading at $3,499, up 2.21 percent over the last 24 hours. Bitcoin daily price chart. Source: CoinMarketCap Today, Cointelegraph reported that the R&D lab at crypto startup TenX has tested the use of its cross-blockchain interoperability protocol to…

Bitcoin Rises 4.65%, Comes Closer to a Breakout Action Scenario

The bitcoin price on Wednesday jumped as high as 4.65 percent from its opening price and established an intraday high at $3,488. The BTC/USD rate is now trading at 3440-fiat on the Coinbase exchange, coupled with a notable rise in daily volatility. The pair on December 7 established its yearly low at 3210-fiat, after which it consolidated within a circa $300 range. It established a top near 3650-fiat only to find itself pulled back strong bearish presence near the level. Historically, BTC/USD now is looking to retest the same top,…

Canadian Court Rules to Return Mistakenly Sent Ethereum to Rightful Owner

A Canadian court has decided that a sum of mistakenly transferred cryptocurrency should be returned to its rightful owner, according to a report from the University of Oxford Faculty of Law published Dec. 12. A superior trial court of British Columbia found that Ethereum (ETH) tokens, which were mistakenly sent by the plaintiff, blockchain startup Copytrack, to the defendant, Brian Wall, must be returned to Copytrack. According to the report, the defendant mistakenly received 530 Ethereum coins from Copytrack instead of 530 Copytrack (CPY) tokens that he was supposed to…

Church’s Chicken Accepts Crypto Payments after KFC Denial

Church’s Chicken, an international fast-food franchise known its hand-battered fried chicken, has reportedly partnered with Dash Venezuela to become the first fast-food franchise to accept cryptocurrencies throughout its locations in Venezuela. According to a press release, a strategic alliance between Dash Venezuela and Church’s Chicken Venezuela will see 13 establishments start accepting the privacy-centric cryptocurrency as payment, after “extensive and rigorous days of training” to understand cryptocurrencies. Church’s Chicken is the fourth largest chicken fast-food fain in the world, as it has 1,700 restaurants spread throughout 25 countries. Per the…

Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Stellar, EOS, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, TRON, Cardano: Price Analysis, Dec. 12

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision. The market data is provided by the HitBTC exchange. When markets were rising, the novice traders believed they can never go down, and one must only have the courage and patience to HODL. However, after this year’s nerve-racking correction, most of those same traders now believe that the cryptocurrencies are going to…