U.S.-regulated security token platform TokenSoft is now providing self-managed accounts for investors. The new service, announced on Thursday, is aimed to provide users of the platform a less technical and more secure way to hold and control their security token investments. Effectively a digital wallet, the product offers automated dividend distributions, and built-in reporting for token issuers. Multi-signature security is provided too, but only for accounts with over $1 billion in investments. “We’re excited to bring a multi-signature wallet security packaged in a self-controlled, easy to manage brokerage-style experience to…
Month: January 2020
Compared to Traditional Banks, Crypto Lenders See Booming Growth
A lukewarm U.S. economy is making big banks like JPMorgan Chase struggle to produce fast loan growth – even with interest rates close to historic lows. Yet, in the white-hot cryptocurrency industry, lenders are burgeoning. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 2.1 percent annual pace in the fourth quarter, on par with the third quarter’s clip, even after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times earlier in 2019 to stimulate growth. For the full year, the economy expanded 2.3 percent, a slowdown…
What Does Twitter’s New Decentralized Initiative Mean?
Back in December 2019, Jack Dorsey, the founder and CEO of Twitter and payments operator Square, announced a new team dubbed Bluesky, to work on decentralized social media standards. The news has gotten both the crypto and noncrypto communities abuzz — and for good reason. Mr. Dorsey has not only spoken in favor of decentralized protocols but (as proven by his work at Square) has committed resources trying to get there. Advocates and thought leaders of Web 3.0 such as Vitalik Buterin, Fred Wilson and Brian Armstrong have applauded this…
BitMEX Open Interest Hitting $1B Could Be Bullish for Bitcoin This Time
Experts believe bitcoin’s explosive price rally is about to hit an end as a trend-defining technical indicator screams ‘sell.’ Bitcoin’s Open Interest (OI) is approaching $1 billion on BitMEX. Historically, whenever the total valuation of unsettled contracts touches the said valuation, bitcoin’s price in spot markets plunge. In September 2019, for instance, the cryptocurrency underwent a significant sell-off, dropping by up to 26.21 percent when the BitMEX OI reached $1.03 billion. BitMEX OI hitting historically leads to massive bitcoin bearish corrections | Source: TradingView.com, Scalpex It dipped in a similar…
Coinbase Custody and Bison Trails to Lobby Staking Adoption
Coinbase Custody and Bison Trails have joined the ranks of the Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA), a Jan. 30 press release announced. Together with the alliance, they will advocate for the adoption of clear regulations on staking proceeds, as well as other development initiatives. The Proof of Stake Alliance is an advocacy group founded in 2019 and featuring more than 18 members. It engages in regulatory and congressional discussions to promote staking-friendly regulation, as well as organizing events and educational initiatives. As COO at Polychain Capital and POSA board member…
Bittrex Takes Out Record $300M Insurance on Crypto Held in Cold Storage
Bittrex has insured digital assets held in its cold (or offline) storage to up to $300 million, the highest coverage yet offered by a cryptocurrency exchange. The company announced the news Thursday, saying it has obtained digital asset insurance that will protect users’ holdings in cases of “external theft and internal collusion.” Bittrex CEO Bill Shihara said the cover, which has a limit of up to $300 million, offered “peace of mind” and would show clients it was “committed to prioritizing security throughout all of our decisions and forward looking…
Coinbase Custody, Bison Trails Join Proof of Stake Alliance to Push for Clearer Crypto Regulations
Coinbase Custody and Bison Trails have joined the Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA), a lobbying organization hoping to push regulators to clarify the legal treatment of staking services. Announced Thursday, the lobbying group said having the two companies on board adds weight to its mission of advancing the proof-of-stake (POS) industry. Other members of the group include Tezos, the Interchain Foundation and the Web3 Foundation. Proof-of-stake networks have participants, or validators, own currency to mint new coins, as opposed to proof-of-work which requires participants to commit computing power to advance…
As the WEF Warms Up to Crypto, Its Head of Blockchain Talks Empowerment
The 50th World Economic Forum is over, and Cointelegraph was happy to cover the most important highlights from the event and reflect on the role of crypto in Davos discussions. The person who knows more than anyone about the potential that our favorite technology could have on the WEF community is its head of blockchain and decentralized ledgers. Sheila Warren joined the WEF team in 2018, several months before the 48th event was held. Since then, she has been working on promoting blockchain within the world’s most influential economic community.…
Bittrex Secures $300 Million Insurance for Cryptocurrencies in Cold Storage
Cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex obtained $300 million in digital asset insurance against theft or collusion for the cryptocurrency it holds in cold storage. Bittrex announced in a blog post on Jan. 29 that the exchange obtained specialty insurance for corporations by insurance firm Lloyd’s of London after working with major insurance broker and adviser Marsh. The co-leader of Marsh’s digital asset risk transfer team, Sarah Downey, said, “We worked closely with Bittrex to create a tailored insurance solution to fit their specific cryptocurrency needs.” This is not the first crypto deal…
Former Coinbase COO Joins Figure, Creator of the Provenance Blockchain Platform
Asiff Hirji has joined Figure, a U.S. lending company utilizing blockchain to process the loans, a Jan. 30 press release revealed. Hirji will be company’s new president, having previously served as president and COO of Coinbase and other financial services companies. During Hirji’s two year tenure at Coinbase, he is credited with growing the company to over $1 billion in revenue and overseeing the expansion of its business and management team. Previously, Hirji occupied leadership roles at Andreesen Horowitz, TD Ameritrade, TPG Capital, Saxo Bank and others. At Figure, he…