Day: February 21, 2020

PS5 & Xbox Leaker Teases Next-Gen 90fps Native 4K Gameplay

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Leaker details hands-on session with undisclosed next-generation game. The gameplay is locked at 90 fps in native 4K on both PS5 and Xbox Series X. Both Sony and Xbox are reportedly targeting 12 Teraflops. While we’ve heard much about the next-generation console hardware through successive leaks, details of the actual PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X gameplay have been sorely lacking. That is, until now. A leaker has offered a description of a hands-on session with an undisclosed next-generation title. Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment Next-Gen Gameplay NeoGAF forum user OsirisBlack…

Riot’s Stock Dips 5% as It Focuses on Bitcoin Mining Ahead of Halving

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Riot Blockchain, a Nasdaq-listed crypto firm in the United States, plans to sell its exchange to focus on Bitcoin (BTC) mining ahead of the halving. According to an official announcement on Feb. 20, Riot has “opted to sunset further development of Riot’s U.S.-based digital currency exchange” in order to focus on cryptocurrency mining as part of its updated strategic priorities for 2020. Following the announcement to shift its focus on Bitcoin mining, the company’s shares dropped more than 5%, trading at $1.40 at press time, according to CNBC data. Industry…

Binance Is Not Under Our Jurisdiction, Says Malta Regulator

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Binance is neither licensed to operate nor is it regulated in Malta, the country’s chief financial watchdog has said. The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) issued a statement Friday denying that it has ever regulated Binance or that the exchange has ever had leave to operate in the island nation’s fledgling cryptocurrency industry. Citing reports in the media that referred to Binance as a “Malta-based cryptocurrency company”, the regulator announced that “Binance is not authorised by the MFSA to operate in the crypto currency sphere and is therefore not subject…

Amazon Prime Smash-Grabs UK Market in Fierce Netflix Battle

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Amazon has overtaken Netflix to become the fastest-growing streaming service in the UK. Recording its best year since it launched six years ago, subscriber numbers have risen from 5.28 million at the end of 2018 to 7.14 million at the end of 2019. One of the key reasons for Amazon’s success? Premier League coverage. Amazon Prime is now the fastest-growing streaming service in the UK, six years after launching. In all honesty, not many people saw this coming. Netflix has been strong in the UK for years now and is…

Fidelity International Invests $14M in Hong Kong Crypto Exchange Operator

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Fidelity International, a spin-off from the U.S. financial services giant Fidelity Investments, has invested $14 million in the Hong Kong-based operator of crypto exchange OSL. According to public disclosures on Feb. 21, Fidelity International bought 17 million shares of OSL owner BC Group at a price of HK$6.50 (US$0.83) per share, which brings it a 5.6 percent stake in the firm. The investment is part of a $36 million share placement that Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed BC Group announced last month. While the transaction was completed Feb. 12, the names…

Cyprus SEC Embraces Blockchain Despite Unregulated Status of Crypto

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The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) recently published a report discussing the ongoing activities of its Innovation Hub — a cooperative entity that was launched in October 2018 as a platform for engagement between CySEC and entities operating in the fintech and regtech sectors.  Nineteen different companies directly engage with the platform, nine of which comprised projects utilizing blockchain. Among these companies were several projects using distributed ledger technology (DLT) to transfer and verify ownership of financial instruments, trading facilities that operate using blockchain, and a venture capital fund…

OSCE Sponsors Cryptocurrency Course for Central Asia Law Enforcement

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The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) conducted a training course on combating darkweb-facilitated crime. Law enforcement representatives from Central Asian countries were taught how the darkweb and cryptocurrencies function, in order to better combat drug-related crime. The training was held in the span of five days that ended on Feb. 21, an official announcement reveals. The course focused specifically on “new psychoactive substances,” synthetic replacements of common drugs that are designed to mimic their effect. They are often considered more dangerous due to their unknown history and…

Alyx? Good Luck Owning a Valve Index at Launch

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Valve warns of a limited supply of Valve Index VR headsets in the coming months. The coronavirus outbreak has affected production schedules of the headset. Many would-be Half-Life: Alyx players are likely to miss out at launch. Valve has announced that it is the latest gaming company to fall foul of the coronavirus epidemic. Production of the company’s Valve Index VR headset and controllers is hitting roadblocks due to the outbreak. Valve expects to ship fewer units than expected in the lead up to the release of VR title, Half-Life:…

Expert Says New Blockchain Regulation Should ‘Nudge’ Rather Than Push

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Regulators should aim to influence public behavior rather than rule with an iron fist when it comes to emerging industries such as blockchain. Two Israel-based academics, Hada Jabotinsky and Nassim Cohen argued this point in a new paper and accompanying brief, published to the University of Oxford Law Department blog on Feb. 21. The paper proposes an approach that would result neither in an under-regulated free-for-all that leaves consumers vulnerable, nor in heavy-handed prohibitions that stifle technological progress. Complex new technologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, Internet of Things, and automated…

Bitcoin Chart Indicator Flips Bearish as Price Sees Weak Bounce From $9.4K

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Bitcoin’s lackluster recovery from price support around $9,400 is struggling to gather upside traction amid bearish developments on the short-term technical charts. The top cryptocurrency by market value fell by 5.5 percent on Wednesday to register its biggest single-day drop in three months. Sellers, however, failed to keep prices below the widely tracked 200-candle average support on the 4-hour chart (currently at $9,400). That level was defended again on Thursday. So far, however, the repeated defense of that level has failed to yield a notable price bounce, leaving the cryptocurrency…