Bittrex Exchange Denies It Sought to Collaborate With Ukrainian Government

A Ukrainian government official said that United States cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex sought to collaborate with the Ukrainian government on developing the country’s cryptocurrency industry. In a Nov. 20 interview with domestic blockchain media outlet ForkLog,. Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Alexander Bornyakov claimed that Bittrex contacted the Ukrainian government to this end. Referring to Ukraine’s recent memorandum of understanding with Binance to collaborate on creating crypto legislation in the country, Bornyakov said, “After we announced it, we began receiving requests from Bittrex, from Coinbase.” Bittrex did not contact the Ukrainian…

Bitcoin Cash House African Expansion to Feature in Toronto Meetup

Besides networking with the local community, bitcoin cash meetups are a great way to learn about the development of the cryptocurrency and the ecosystem from the people that make it happen. The upcoming Toronto meetup, for example, will feature new details about the expansion of the Bitcoin Cash House to Africa. Also Read: Bitcoin Cash House Launches Crypto Hub in Venezuela Toronto to Host Special Bitcoin Cash Meetup on Sunday A local group of bitcoin cash supporters from the most populous city in Canada, Toronto, is going to host a…

Former US Gov’t Official, Capital One Exec Joins Payments Startup C Labs

Cryptocurrency payment startup C Labs has hired former United States government official Jai Ramaswamy to oversee the company’s compliance strategy. On Nov. 26, Coindesk reported that Ramaswamy had joined C Labs, the company responsible for Celo, which is an open platform that makes financial tools accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Ramaswamy’s credentials Also a former managing vice president at major credit card company Capital One, Ramaswamy will reportedly oversee the company’s strategy on global regulations, risk and compliance. Ramaswamy said that he is interested in helping C Labs…

Bitcoin Is Up More YTD Than Gold Is in Last Decade: Pomp

Bitcoin maximalist Anthony Pompliano claims he will never bail out of his long positions. Gold cheerleader Peter Schiff likens this to a Titanic captain – loyal but misguided. Even with its recent price plunge, bitcoin is still massively outperforming gold. At What Point Will Bitcoin Maximalists Capitulate? Peter Schiff never passes up a good opportunity to roast bitcoiners. The flagship cryptocurrency’s unexpected decline in the second half of this year has not gone unnoticed for (arguably) gold’s biggest cheerleader. But maximalists like Anthony ‘Pomp’ Pompliano of Morgan Creek Digital are…

China’s Digital Yuan Will Favor Payments and Retail

China’s digital currency approach will be favoring international payments and domestic retail system, a former senior official said. Zhou Xiaochuan, the president of the Chinese Finance Association and former governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), outlined two types of implementations of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) speaking at the 2019 Caixin Hengqin Forum, local publication Caixin reports Nov. 26. The first type is an electronic payment-oriented domestic retail system, while the second is international remittances for settlements between financial institutions. China will continue to focus on digital yuan,…

Libra Co-Founder Says It Isn’t Competing With Fiat Currencies

Libra co-founder and chief economist of Calibra Wallet Christian Catalini has attempted to clear up misconceptions in relation to the planned digital coin in an interview with CNN’s Julia Chatterley. The release of the whitepaper on Facebook’s (NASDAQ:FB) proposed coin back in June prompted massive debate from politicians around the world, most of which vehemently oppose the plan as they feel it poses a threat to the economic sovereignty of nations. Catalini has attempted to allay some of those concerns by saying that Libra is, at its most basic, a…

Libra Co-Founder Says It Isn’t Competing With Fiat Currencies

Libra co-founder and chief economist of Calibra Wallet Christian Catalini has attempted to clear up misconceptions in relation to the planned digital coin in an interview with CNN’s Julia Chatterley. The release of the whitepaper on Facebook’s (NASDAQ:FB) proposed coin back in June prompted massive debate from politicians around the world, most of which vehemently oppose the plan as they feel it poses a threat to the economic sovereignty of nations. Catalini has attempted to allay some of those concerns by saying that Libra is, at its most basic, a…

New Crypto-Stealing Malware Infected 80,000 Computers, Microsoft Says

The Microsoft Defender ATP research team shares insights on a new cryptocurrency-stealing malware variant that has infected close to 80,000 computers. On Nov. 26, Microsoft security analysts revealed that the malware, called Dexphot, had already infected close to 80,000 devices since October 2018, reaching its peak in the month of June of this year. The malicious code reportedly hijacks legitimate system processes to disguise its nefarious activity, with the ultimate goal of running a cryptocurrency miner on the infected device. When infected users attempt to remove the malware, monitoring services…

Can Crypto Platforms Help Loyalty Schemes in Shops Make a Comeback?

Retailers have been offering loyalty schemes for decades — but ensuring they are attractive enough to generate repeat customers is easier said than done. Bond’s Loyalty Report, which surveyed 55,000 consumers in 2019, exposed these challenges in a stark way. Although 73% of those polled said they were more likely to recommend a brand with a good loyalty program, personalization is proving crucial for keeping these shoppers engaged — and just 22% are very satisfied that the rewards they are offered are matched to their individual interests. Overall, retail initiatives…