Day: February 2, 2019

Ethereum Anti-ASIC Protocol Delayed As Crypto Developers Mull

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Ethereum Developers Delay ProgPoW Activation Per previous reports from this outlet, early last month, Ethereum (ETH) developers convened in a meeting that glossed over a number of subjects, including the network’s ASIC-resistant qualities. After some deliberation, the project’s core developers determined that it would be logical to eventually activate ProgPoW, a special Proof of Work (PoW) protocol that equals the playing field between ASICs and GPUs (almost like mining farms v.s. consumers). While an agreement was seemingly struck that the protocol would go live eventually, the timeline was nebulous and…

Bitcoin Approaches $3,500 as Top Cryptos See Mixed Signals

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Saturday, Feb. 2: most of the top 20 cryptocurrencies are reporting a mix of slight gains and losses on the day by press time. Bitcoin (BTC) is hovering over the $3,450 mark again, according to Coin360 data. Market visualization from Coin360 At press time, Bitcoin is down under half percent on the day, trading at around $3,489, according to CoinMarketCap. Looking at its weekly chart on CoinMarketCap, the current price is about 3 percent lower than $3,604, the price at which Bitcoin started the week. Bitcoin 7-day price chart. Source: CoinMarketCap…

Crypto Tidbits: VanEck Refiles Bitcoin ETF, Wall Street Giant To Launch Custody

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Contrary to cynical sentiment touted by skeptics of Bitcoin, crypto isn’t dead in the water. As Mike Novogratz, the founder of leading crypto-centric merchant bank Galaxy Digital, “[there’s] tons of activity under the hood.” Over the past week, VanEck & its fellow hopefuls refiled their Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application, while Binance and Fidelity made notable announcements that could eventually drive the adoption of blockchain technologies. Yet, there have been a few shortcomings too. Crypto Tidbits VanEck, CBOE, SolidX Refile Bitcoin ETF Application: On Thursday, reports arose that VanEck, CBOE,…

Major UK Public Transport Provider Partners With Crypto Startup for Loyalty Program

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Major United Kingdom public transport provider Go-Ahead Group Plc. is partnering with blockchain startup DOVU to introduce a tokenized rewards system for rail customers, TechCrunch reported Feb. 1. Listed on the FTSE 250 — an index of the 101st to 350th largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange — Go-Ahead provides over one billion rail and bus journeys in the U.K. every year. As well as being the largest bus service operator in London, the Group’s services reportedly account for around 30 percent of all U.K. train passenger journeys.…

Ethereum Devs Delay ASIC-Resistant PoW Algorithm Decision Until Third-Party Audit

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Ethereum (ETH) core developers have delayed the decision to implement Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)-resistant proof-of-work (PoW) algorithm ProgPoW. According to an Ethereum core developer meeting on Feb. 1, the team wants to wait until the algorithm is audited by a third party. Ethereum core developer Hudson Jameson declared during the call that “there is a group forming or multiple groups forming to perform an independent audit on ProgPoW.” He explained that the audit is an attempt to establish how effective the algorithm would be in leveling the playing field for…

Malta’s Regulatory Framework Attracts Crypto Players, but Int’l Watchdogs and Local Opposition Are Skeptical

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Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claimed that the growth of blockchain in Malta has created major risks of money laundering and terrorism financing in the island’s economy, as per the local media. Malta is renowned for its crypto-friendly politics, whose efforts in the field have earned it the moniker of “blockchain island.” However, its push for becoming the international crypto hub has attracted criticism from both global watchdogs and local opposition. Crypto-friendliness is one of the main priorities for the Maltese government On Jan. 24, the Times of…

Malta’s Regulatory Framework Has Attracted Crypto Players, but International Watchdogs and Local Opposition Are Skeptical

boss

Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claimed that the growth of blockchain in Malta has created major risks of money laundering and terrorism financing in the island’s economy, as per the local media. Malta is renowned for its crypto-friendly politics, whose efforts in the field have earned it the moniker of “blockchain island.” However, its push for becoming the international crypto hub has attracted criticism from both global watchdogs and local opposition. Crypto-friendliness is one of the main priorities for the Maltese government On Jan. 24, the Times of…

Crypto Thief Indicted in New York’s First SIM Swapping Prosecution

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Manhattan’s District Attorney (DA) announced the indictment of an individual for stealing identities and funds, including crypto, via a process known as SIM swapping. The announcement was made in an official press release from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on Feb. 1. The defendant, Dawson Bakies, has been accused of stealing the identities of over 50 victims in the United States, and also stealing funds from some of them. The 20-year-old man has been charged with identity theft, grand larceny, computer tampering and scheme to defraud among other charges in…

Can BitTorrent Token’s Success Push it Further Up?

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In the past 30 days, the valuation of the crypto market dropped from $138 billion to $114 billion by $24 billion. Yet, TRON (TRX) recovered from $0.0127 to $0.0264, by well over 107 percent. Since December 17, in about five weeks, the Tron price demonstrated a strong gain against both Bitcoin and the U.S. dollar following a series of positive announcements. Most recently, BitTorrent Token, the native cryptocurrency of the BitTorrent ecosystem, initiated a token sale on Binance Launchpad and all of the tokens sold out within minutes. Could BitTorrent…

$190 Million in Crypto Possibly Lost at Canada’s QuadrigaCX Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange

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One of Canada’s biggest Bitcoin (BTC) exchange – QuadrigaCX – has possibly lost $190 Million in cryptocurrencies after its founder and CEO died suddenly last December in India due to Crohn’s disease. The death of its CEO , Gerald Cotten, was announced by the exchange early January this year. To date, the team at the exchange has been unable to access the locked up Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Bitcoin Gold, Litecoin, and Ethereum. Cotten mostly worked from his home computer which was encrypted. The late Cotten’s wife, Jennifer Robertson,…