Binance’s Peer-to-Peer Merchant Program Goes Live

Earlier today, Binance announced the launch of its Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Merchant Program, a user-oriented fiat currency trading platform.   How the program works In the Jan. 21 press release, the crypto exchange cites increasing demand of global users and a need for higher liquidity as prods for the P2P creation. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said:  “In the past quarter, there has been increasing growth in trading volumes on Binance P2P platform, and we have constantly received requests for more fiat-to-crypto access from our global community. To meet the growing users demand,…

British Telecoms Giant Latest Member to Bail on Libra Association

Adding to a lengthy list of departures last fall, telecom giant Vodafone has departed the Libra association, a spokesperson from Vodafone confirmed to Cointelegraph in an email on Jan. 21, 2020.  The representative said: “Vodafone Group has decided to withdraw from the Libra Association. We have said from the outset that Vodafone’s desire is to make a genuine contribution to extending financial inclusion. We remain fully committed to that goal and feel that we can make the most contribution by focusing our efforts on M-Pesa. We will continue to monitor…

In First ‘Pure Crypto’ Hire, Silvergate Bank Recruits Blockstream Liquid Network Exec

Crypto-friendly Silvergate Bank has made its first hire from the hardcore bitcoin community to support an ambitious roadmap for its business serving digital currency clients.  Benjamin Richman, formerly director of business development and partnerships at bitcoin tech startup Blockstream, joined the La Jolla, Calif.-based bank at the end of last month as director of digital currency.  “We’ve hired other folks that are from tech companies that were providing services to some crypto companies, and we’ve hired former law enforcement to help us with AML/KYC/BSA, but in the pure crypto space…

In First ‘Pure Crypto’ Hire, Silvergate Bank Recruits Blockstream Liquid Network Exec

Crypto-friendly Silvergate Bank has made its first hire from the hardcore bitcoin community to support an ambitious roadmap for its business serving digital currency clients.  Benjamin Richman, formerly director of business development and partnerships at bitcoin tech startup Blockstream, joined the La Jolla, Calif.-based bank at the end of last month as director of digital currency.  “We’ve hired other folks that are from tech companies that were providing services to some crypto companies, and we’ve hired former law enforcement to help us with AML/KYC/BSA, but in the pure crypto space…

Ether, XRP, and DASH Push Higher as the Altcoin Market Gains Momentum

Altcoins have been stealing the show recently, as some large caps have seen tremendous surges along the field. Bitcoin Cash ABC (BCH), Bitcoin Cash SV (BSV), Dash (DASH), and Ethereum Classic (ETC) have all shown increases of more than a hundred percent recently but it is a bit premature to be calling for celebrations at the new altcoin season? Perhaps no, but at least it’s a reason to dedicate some attention to altcoin market analysis.  Crypto market daily performance. Source: Coin360 Total altcoin market capitalization breaks downtrend and facing resistance…

Asset Tokenization Will Go Mainstream in Two Years

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of crypto payments firm Circle, projected that in the next two or three years the securitization of assets through tokenization will become much more realistic. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 21, Allaire and Neha Narula, the director of the Digital Currency Initiative in the MIT Media Lab, discussed how tokenization can make liquid assets — assets that can be converted into cash within a short period of time without losing value — more accessible without creating new systemic financial risks. Need for…

Libra Still Faces Uphill Battle Despite Softened Swiss Stance

A Swiss government memo appears to show a softening in the nation’s stance towards Libra, the proposed digital coin led by Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), just weeks after its former president described the project as a failure. The memo, seen by Bloomberg, shows the Swiss government refusing to rule out the possibility that Libra may one day be granted regulatory approval in Switzerland, despite major reservations being held by EU regulators. Government officials will continue to monitor the progress of the project, paying particular attention to “the form which Libra may take…

3 More Execs Leave Swiss Stock Exchange’s $100M Blockchain Project

Three executives have left SDX, the blockchain-based digital asset trading venue owned by Swiss stock exchange operator SIX Group, since the year began, including two founding team members. Ivo Sauter, SDX’s head of clients and products, and Sven Roth, its chief digital officer, both left their full-time positions. Roth will continue as an external advisor to SDX, a SIX spokesperson said. Both joined from Falcon Private Bank in 2018.  Alex Zinder, an architecture lead at SDX, hired a year ago and based in New York, also left this month, the…

3 More Execs Leave Swiss Stock Exchange’s $100M Blockchain Project

Three executives have left SDX, the blockchain-based digital asset trading venue owned by Swiss stock exchange operator SIX Group, since the year began, including two founding team members. Ivo Sauter, SDX’s head of clients and products, and Sven Roth, its chief digital officer, both left their full-time positions in January. Roth will continue as an external advisor to SDX, a SIX spokesperson said. Both joined from Falcon Private Bank in 2018.  Alex Zinder, an architecture lead at SDX, hired a year ago and based in New York, also left this…

How Not to Lose Your Coins in 2020: Alternative Recovery Methods

When Peter Schiff claimed that his wallet lost his Bitcoin (BTC), many in the crypto community were skeptical. While some believe that Schiff simply lost his password, others, like Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, highlighted that losing private keys remains an important issue for cryptocurrency users. Being your own bank is hard Keeping custody of your own cryptocurrency is quite complex, especially for non-tech savvy users. Most wallets require the user to write down the private key before accessing the wallet. Storing the key can be done by simply writing it…