Day: March 12, 2020

Cannabis Game, Reverse Auction Loans Join Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator

boss

The University of California Berkeley has announced the 17 latest startups to be accepted into its ‘Blockchain Xcelerator’ program.  They include a Cannabis-themed mass-multiplayer online game (MMO), and a reverse auction loan platform. Entry into the incubator’s Spring 2020 cohort was highly competitive with just 12%, of the 140 startups who applied being successful.  The accelerator is a collaboration between Berkeley Engineering’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, the Blockchain at Berkeley student group, and the Haas School of Business. Pot farming game offers ‘real Cannabis rewards’ Among the most…

Bitcoin Eyes Last Line of Defense But Can Bulls Save This Crucial Support?

boss

Bitcoin is declining and trading below the key $7,800 support against the US Dollar. BTC price could soon test the main $7,400-$7,500 support area where the bulls might take a stand. Bitcoin is extending losses and it may even slide below the $7,600 area against the US Dollar. The bulls are likely to take a strong stand near the $7,500 and $7,400 support levels. There is a major declining channel forming with support near $7,550 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair remains…

CME Group Suspends Trading in Response to Coronavirus

boss

With the coronavirus outbreak officially reaching epidemic proportions, crypto-related companies and organizations are having to change the way they do business.  According to a CNBC report on Wednesday, Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group — the second firm to launch Bitcoin Futures in the United States — will suspend trading in Chicago from March 13.  CME cited the need for caution over the spread of the coronavirus for the decision. Financial markets across the U.S. have been severely affected by the outbreak with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1500 points…

Ripple (XRP) Just Signaled “Sell” And It’s Vulnerable to a Sharp Decline

boss

Ripple is showing a lot of bearish signs below the $0.2050 pivot area against the US Dollar. XRP price is vulnerable to a massive decline below the $0.2000 and $0.1980 support levels. Ripple price is declining and it is trading well below the $0.2100 resistance against the US dollar. The price is likely to dive below the $0.2000 and $0.1980 support levels in the near term. There is a major declining channel forming with resistance near $0.2070 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The…

US Court Fines ICOBox $16M for Securities Violation in SEC Case

boss

A federal court has ordered ICOBox to pay a $16 million penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) for violating U.S. securities law. On March 5, Judge Dale S. Fischer of the District Court for the Central District of California granted the SEC’s motion for default judgment against the ICO-as-a-service platform and founder and CEO Nikolay Evdokimov. The SEC first brought charges against ICOBox in September 2019, accusing the company of hosting an unregistered securities sale. The regulator also accused the company of acting as an unlicensed securities broker…

Ethereum Is Diving And Primed To Test $165: Here’s Why

boss

Ethereum is showing a lot of bearish signs below $200 against the US Dollar. ETH price is likely to extend losses below $185 and $180 in the near term. Ethereum is struggling to recover above the $195 and $200 resistance levels against the US Dollar. The price is likely to dive further below the $180 support level in the near term. There is a key bearish trend line forming with resistance near $192 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). Bitcoin price broke the $7,700 support and…

LocalBitcoins Seller Charged After Undercover ‘Human Trafficking’ Sting

boss

A Washington state resident has been charged with money laundering after selling Bitcoin for $140,000 in cash to undercover agents. Bothell’s Kenneth Warren Rhule, 26, met with agents from Homeland Security Investigations on numerous occasions between April to December 2018, often in Seattle-area Starbucks cafes. According to the unsealed complaint Rhule — who traded on localbitcoins.com under the name Gimacut9 —  allegedly closed at least seven deals with agents “posing as criminals” who wanted to buy untraceable Bitcoin with the proceeds of their operations. They told Rhule they were bringing…

LocalBitcoins Seller Charged After Undercover ‘Human Trafficking’ Sting

boss

A Washington state resident has been charged with money laundering after selling Bitcoin for $140,000 in cash to undercover agents. Bothell’s Kenneth Warren Rhule, 26, met with agents from Homeland Security Investigations on numerous occasions between April to December 2018, often in Seattle-area Starbucks cafes. According to the unsealed complaint Rhule — who traded on localbitcoins.com under the name Gimacut9 —  allegedly closed at least seven deals with agents “posing as criminals” who wanted to buy untraceable Bitcoin with the proceeds of their operations. They told Rhule they were bringing…

Russia Cracks Down on ‘Anonymous Darknet Networks’ Like TON and Tor

boss

The Russian communications watchdog has launched an offensive on censorship resistant platforms, including the Telegram Open Network (TON) and privacy browser Tor. Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media — better known as Roskomnadzor — published a notice on March 3 seeking to engage contractors to research and block “anonymous darknet networks” hosting content deemed ‘“extremist” or “restricted”. The Russian-language crypto news outlet Forklog first reported the call for contractors, after it was published by Russia’s General Radio Frequency Center. Roskomnadzor cracks down on anonymous networks…

How Cryptographic Keys Development Will Drive Digital Asset Adoption

boss

As the price of Bitcoin (BTC) crept up in recent months, it appears public interest in digital assets is once again on the rise. Newcomers to the sector these days have it far easier than those who joined in the earlier days. Since 2017, we have seen an inflow of institutional investment, increasing the availability of crypto derivatives, and a vast array of new exchanges, custodians and wallets entering the market. However, the industry still lacks a fundamental capability, which is perhaps the most significant barrier to adoption for new…