As Libra continues to spur discussions among regulators around the world, and China’s digital yuan comes ever closer to fruition, the U.S. Federal Reserve seems disinclined to look seriously at a digital dollar. Ex-CFTC Chair Chris Giancarlo – aka “Crypto Dad” – isn’t waiting around. He has teamed with Accenture to launch the nonprofit Digital Dollar Foundation. As crypto continues to evolve, it does so in sometimes divergent directions. Gemini announced a new insurance company designed to make big institutions more comfortable with the space. Zcash, meanwhile, released an updated…
Day: January 16, 2020
Why ‘Crypto Dad’ Is Building the Digital Dollar Foundation
As Libra continues to spur discussions among regulators around the world, and China’s digital yuan comes ever closer to fruition, the U.S. Federal Reserve seems disinclined to look seriously at a digital dollar. Ex-CFTC Chair Chris Giancarlo – aka “Crypto Dad” – isn’t waiting around. He has teamed with Accenture to launch a new non-profit, the Digital Dollar Foundation. As crypto continues to evolve, it does so in sometimes divergent directions. Gemini announced a new insurance company designed to make big institutions more comfortable with the space. Zcash, meanwhile, released…
Fake News on Steroids: Deepfakes Are Coming – Are World Leaders Prepared?
This is part of a series of op-eds previewing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. CoinDesk will be on the ground in Davos from Jan. 20–24 chronicling all things crypto at the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political elite. Follow along by subscribing to our pop-up newsletter, CoinDesk Confidential: Davos. Arif Khan is the CEO of Alethea AI. The opinions here are his own. Despite its shortcomings, the World Economic Forum has laudably established itself as an important venue for highlighting controversial technology trends that will have…
Bancor’s Airdrop as First Step to Take Blockchain Out of 1997: Interview
Decentralized exchange project Bancor (BNT) is currently in the midst of launching a massive airdrop to all its token holders. Cointelegraph took the occasion to interview Co-founder and Product Architect Eyal Hertzog, and Head of Growth Nate Hindman. The duo shared their thoughts on the airdrop, existing trends in decentralized finance (DeFi) and Bancor’s upcoming transition to a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). Engaging the community through an airdrop In November, Bancor announced an airdrop of ETHBNT to all those who held its BNT token as of Jan. 1. The airdrop…
MARKETS DAILY: Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 16, 2020
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Blind Bitcoin Bias Gives Crypto Technical Analysis a Bad Rap
If you’ve spent any time browsing crypto Twitter, or any of the Bitcoin or crypto-focused communities on Reddit, there’s no doubt you’ve come across investors challenging traders sharing charts filled with trendlines, saying that “technical analysis doesn’t work.” While technical analysis does not guarantee success, it can certainly increase the probability of it. However, any bias – something that is ever-present throughout the crypto market – must be removed to accurately get a read on the market. Let’s take a look at how bias can interfere with technical analysis, and…
Telegram’s Legal Battle With the SEC Heats Up Over TON Bank Records
Telegram’s battle with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission became one of the most closely followed legal dramas of the crypto space in 2019. This was not only because it appeared to be the first time the Durov brothers’ relentless expansion faltered but also because the court case could have lasting implications for future fintech projects around the world. Although an initial court decision seemed to have allowed Telegram to maneuver around the request by the SEC to provide the company’s banking records, that decision has since been reversed.…
New Hampshire Lawmakers Vote Down Crypto Tax Bill
New Hampshire legislators have scrapped a bill that would have allowed state agencies to accept cryptocurrencies for tax payments. On Jan. 8, the New Hampshire House of Representatives accepted a motion from the General Court’s Executive Departments and Administration Committee stating that the tax bill was “inexpedient to legislate” and should be removed before it reaches the floor. The committee voted to kill the bill in November on a 17-1 vote, as originally reported by The Block. The bill would have required the state treasurer to develop a means for…
Coinbase-Backed Crypto Ratings Council Adds eToro, OKCoin
The Coinbase-backed Crypto Ratings Council (CRC), a group of major United States’ cryptocurrency firms seeking regulatory clarity, has welcomed new members. Established in late 2019, the CRC has expanded to include members like trading platform eToro, crypto exchange OKCoin and Radar, the startup behind decentralized exchange Radar Relay. Coinbase announced the news in a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Jan. 16. CRC now counts 11 members including Goldman Sachs-backed crypto finance firm Circle As the new participants join eight other industry leaders in the council, the CRC now counts…
Binance and Huobi Received Over 52% of Total $2.8B Illicit BTC in 2019
Binance and Huobi have together received over 52% of total $2.8 billion illicit Bitcoin (BTC) transfers in 2019, according to a new report. Chainalysis’ findings Over the course of 2019, criminal entities moved a total of $2.8 billion in Bitcoin to cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a Jan. 15 study from Chainalysis. According to the New York-based firm, Binance and Huobi, two of the world’s largest crypto exchanges to date, have received 27.6% and 24.7% of total transfers from criminals in 2019. As such, the two major crypto trading platforms are…