The Effect on Consumers and Legitimate Businesses

Although the crypto industry has long been touted as the solution to some of the longest-running issues in the global economy, there’s one problem it has been unable to shake off so far: fraud. Scams have been in operation for centuries — from counterfeited versions of luxury products, to Ponzi schemes that have collapsed, leaving hard-working consumers out of pocket to the tune of billions of dollars. Unfortunately, the growth in awareness and demand for digital assets has seen sophisticated fraudsters turn their attention to duping those who may be…

Anchorage Becomes First Qualified Gram Custodian Ahead of Oct. 31 Launch

Digital asset custodian of software firm Anchor Labs has stated that it became the first entity qualified to support institutional custody for Telegram’s Gram (GRM) token. Gram to launch on Oct. 31 Anchorage Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of California-based Anchor Labs, will be the first entity that will enable institutional investors and organizations to hold Gram tokens at launch on Oct. 31, the company’s co-founder and president Diogo Monica announced on Oct. 7. Not registered with the SEC In the blog post, the firm stated that the services…

Anti-51% Attack Measures Always Imply Centralization

Bitcoin Core developer Greg Maxwell has criticized the “attractive mystery” that fear of a 51% attack on Bitcoin (BTC) entails, arguing that it betrays a fundamental lack of understanding about the cryptocurrency. In a Reddit post published on Oct. 5, Maxwell argued that any mechanism cooked up to mitigate the threat of a 51% attack always implies centralization and represents a far greater threat to Bitcoin’s integrity. Bitcoin’s fundamental focus As Cointelegraph reported previously , a 51% attack can occur on blockchains that use a proof-of-work (PoW) algorithm and essentially…

UK Bitcoin Mining Firm’s Revenue Jumps 75% despite Bearish Q3 |

Subscription-based bitcoin mining firm Argo Blockchain has registered a profitable third quarter even though the asset it deals in witnessed a sharp drop in value. The UK-based company, whose stocks are listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), confirmed its revenues rose to £3.6 million (~$4.42 million) in the three months ending on September 30. That brought its quarter-on-quarter gains up by 75 percent, with a mining margin of 73 percent. Mike Edwards, the executive chairman of Argo, attributed their increased returns to a string of factors, including competitive electricity…

UK Bitcoin Mining Firm’s Revenue Jumps 75% despite Bearish Q3 |

Subscription-based bitcoin mining firm Argo Blockchain has registered a profitable third quarter even though the asset it deals in witnessed a sharp drop in value. The UK-based company, whose stocks are listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), confirmed its revenues rose to £3.6 million (~$4.42 million) in the three months ending on September 30. That brought its quarter-on-quarter gains up by 75 percent, with a mining margin of 73 percent. Mike Edwards, the executive chairman of Argo, attributed their increased returns to a string of factors, including competitive electricity…

Ledger to Add SWFT-Powered Atomic Swaps to Its Ledger Live App

Major hardware wallet producer Ledger plans to integrate cryptocurrency atomic swaps powered by cross-blockchain transfer protocol SWFT into its companion app Ledger Live. According to a news release shared with Cointelegraph on Oct. 8, “wallets with SWFT Blockchain integration allow their users to swap currencies without having to leave the app or worry about addresses.”  That being said, no date has been provided for the launch of the new Ledger Live feature. SWFT Blockchain founder and CEO Ramble Lan envisions the demand for such services to grow dramatically in the…

Hyundai’s Blockchain Arm to Set Up $10M Fund for Mainnet Launch: Report

Hdac Technology, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group, plans to set up a $10 million blockchain investment fund in 2019. Hdac testnet to launch in November 2019 Hdac will spend the funds to launch its mainnet as well as to develop decentralized applications, support new industry startups and create an ecosystem with a “cryptocurrency compensation system,” Korean outlet The Financial News reported on Oct. 6. Hdac, issuer of Hyundai token (HDAC), is planning to release its mainnet in Q1 2020, the report notes. As…

Ex-Ethereum Advisor Nerayoff Loses Techstars Deal After Extortion Charges

Startup accelerator Techstars has cancelled its year-old partnership with the firm owned by early Ethereum advisor Steven Nerayoff. Techstars ditches the joint accelerator According to cryptocurrency news outlet The Block on Oct. 8, Nerayoff’s arrest on suspicion of extortion had forced Techstars to reconsider its association with Alchemist, a blockchain advisory startup. The two joined forces in July 2018, creating the Alchemist Blockchain Techstars Accelerator based in New York. Last month, Nerayoff was arrested in connection with the alleged plans to bring down another United States startup. Together with Michael…

EU Finance Commissioner to Propose Unified Crypto Legislation

The European Union’s finance commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has pledged to propose new rules to regulate cryptocurrencies such as Facebook’s Libra. As Reuters reports, speaking before EU lawmakers on Oct. 8, Dombrovskis stated: “Europe needs a common approach on crypto-assets such as Libra. I intend to propose new legislation on this.” Dombrovskis’s role Having served as Latvia’s prime minister and finance minister and as a member of the European Parliament in 2004–2009, Dombrovskis now seeks reappointment as the executive vice president of the European Commission. If reappointed, he would be tasked…

Class Action Lawsuit against Tether and Bitfinex: Manipulated the Crypto Market

The multi-million dollar firm behind the controversial stablecoin known as Tether (USDT) is back in the news again. This time Tether Limited is being accused of being a part of a “fraud,” “pump-and-dump,” and “money laundering” scheme in a new lawsuit. Like a crashing rocket, the crypto community was dealt a big blow earlier in the week when news surfaced of an ongoing class action lawsuit, which claims that the renowned crypto firm (alongside its affiliated company Bitfinex) is holding the key to what could pass as the biggest cryptocurrency…