Key Comments From Libra Hearing at US House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives Financial Services Committee heard testimony from from Facebook’s David Marcus, today July 17. Marcus, the CEO of the Calibra wallet service for the social media giant’s forthcoming Libra stablecoin, attempted to assuage regulators’ concerns regarding the project and educate lawmakers on its purpose and potential. Cointelegraph has compiled some key quotes from the hearing, which you can view here. [2:50] Rep. Maxine Waters, chair of the Financial Services Committee: “Demonstrated pattern of failing to keep consumer data private on a scale similar to Equifax……

Bitcoin Could Shed 20% & Drop to $7,400 Because Bulls Look Exhausted

Bitcoin’s impressive parabolic run may have come to its conclusion. On July 11, we warned investors that the No. 1 cryptocurrency would falter to $9,000 as it flailed overheated signals. At the time, bitcoin was bouncing and market participants were expecting a new 2019 high as the market threatened to breach resistance of $12,000. However, the cryptocurrency lost its bullish steam and it is now trading at approximately $9,700. As bitcoin continues to show signs of weakness, it could drop by another 20 percent, approximately. The price could even hit…

Jamie Dimon Says Libra Does Not Pose a Threat in Short Term

Jamie Dimon, CEO of global financial services firm JPMorgan Chase, argued that Facebook’s cryptocurrency project Libra does not pose a threat in the foreseeable future. As reported by CNBC, Dimon delivered his comments during a conference call with analysts on Tuesday, July 16. Dimon said that he would not spend too much time on Libra, specifying that “to put it in perspective, we have been talking about blockchain for seven years and very little has happened. We are going to be talking about Libra three years from now.” Dimon continued…

Overstock Subsidiary and Tokenization Firm tZERO Announces New Management

The blockchain-based subsidiary of retail giant Overstock,  tZERO, has appointed three new managers. The company announced the new hires in a press release on July 17. According to the announcement, new appointees Brooke Navarro, Michael Mougias and Alexandra Sotiropoulos have been official managers since July 15. TZero states that these new executives are the firms head of issuance, head of investor relations and head of communications, respectively. The CEO of tZERO, Saum Noursalehi, remarked on the intended role for these new hires, saying: “On the issuance front, Brooke will drive…

Cryptocurrency Grin Follows Through With Anticipated July 17 Mainnet Hardfork

Privacy-focused cryptocurrency Grin has completed the first hardfork so far on its mainnet. The fork occurred at block height 262,080 on July 17, as shown on the Grin block explorer Blockscan.   According to an official announcement from Grin core dev Quentin Le Sceller, the latest blockchain hardfork is designed to discourage Grin mining through dedicated application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and also includes a new iteration of its “bulletproof rewind scheme” for Grin wallets. As previously discussed by Cuckoo Cycle author John Tromp, there is reportedly no sign of users…

Litecoin Price Rebounds 14% as Halving Volatility Looms

Litecoin (LTC) has gained more than 14 percent in 24 hours, surging from a low of $77.60 on Tuesday to a high of $93.05, before dropping slightly to $90.09 where it is currently trading. A Wild Week for the Litecoin Price The move saw the litecoin price outpace its peers as the crypto market struggled to recover from a punishing correction. LTC sunk as low as $76.70 during the sell-off. LTC had not been immune to the recent downturn. | Source: CoinMarketCap It is fair to say that it has…

Facebook Has Not Contacted Swiss Regulators On Libra’s Registration

Social media giant Facebook has reportedly not contacted Swiss regulators regarding the registration of its long-awaited cryptocurrency project Libra. On July 16, Hugo Wyler, a spokesman for and head of communication at the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), told CNBC that the agency has not been contacted by the promoters of Libra. Notably, the Libra project’s head, David Marcus mentioned in his testimony that the FDPIC would be the Libra Association’s privacy regulator: “For the purposes of data and privacy protections, the Swiss Federal Data Protection and…

Huobi Transitions From Current HUSD System to New ERC-20 Token

Huobi cryptocurrency exchange will transition its HUSD token from its current stablecoin system to an ERC-20 token through a partnership with crypto startups Stable Universal Limited and Paxos Trust Company. Per a press release published on July 17, Stable Universal will develop a new ERC-20 HUSD Token, which will be pegged to the United States dollar and held in reserve by the New York State Department of Financial Services-regulated custodian Paxos. Huobi will be the first platform to list HUSD Token. In the coming days, Huobi will change over from…

‘Smart Dubai’ Initiative Receives a Boost as DAG Platform Comes On Board

A DAG blockchain platform that can operate as the IT infrastructure for smart cities has announced a partnership with the private office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum — paving the way for an operational presence in Dubai. The Fantom Foundation says its protocol is designed to operate as the information technology infrastructure for smart cities that will make the lives of people living in urban areas easier — enhancing everything from health care and education to traffic management and environmental sustainability. Recently, the Unites Arab Emirates unveiled its “Smart…

Reasons Why US Government Won’t Ban Libra Cryptocurrency

Things are heating up for Libra: This week’s United States congressional hearings showed that many politicians are not convinced by the safety aspects of Facebook’s cryptocurrency project, as they grilled the social media giant on privacy- and trust-related issues. In response, Facebook keeps stressing Libra’s compliance with regulators and readiness to discuss possible frameworks. Meanwhile, a drafted bill titled “Keep Big Tech out of Finance” surfaced right before the testimonies before Congress took place. So, does the U.S. government have the power to terminate Libra — which is something Rep.…