Thursday, November 30, 2017

NYU Plans to Launch an Undergraduate Course in Cryptocurrencies

NYU Plans to Launch an Undergraduate Course in Cryptocurrencies

This year’s incredible bitcoin rally has raised a lot of interest in the cryptocurrency and created huge demand from people to learn everything they can about the phenomena. One academic institution which tries to answer this call is New York University (NYU).

Also Read: Paxful to Help Fund 100 Schools in Africa #BuiltWithBitcoin

Bitcoin 101 at NYU

NYU Plans to Launch an Undergraduate Course in CryptocurrenciesThe Stern School of Business at NYU was the first major US academic institution to offer a course in cryptocurrencies to its graduate students back in 2014. Now the school plans to offer a new option for undergraduates to learn about the field as well, NYU professor David Yermack told the Financial Times.

This new course is likely to be a highly sought one among NYU undergrads. Starting out with just a few dozen students, the graduate course accommodated 100 this year with many more applying to get in, and is expected to reach about 300 graduate students next year. “We are moving it to our largest auditorium, with capacity for 350 students,” the professor exclaimed.

Challenges

NYU Plans to Launch an Undergraduate Course in CryptocurrenciesUniversities that wish to offer classes about bitcoin, blockchain and other cryptocurrency related material face two problematic issues at the moment.

First, as anyone who follows the news can tell you, these subjects are changing at an incredible speed and if you were to write a textbook about the latest developments it will be out of date by the time it is printed. As Prof Yermack said: “Year over year we’ll change well over half the course material. It keeps you young to be reading half the night just to keep up with the latest innovations.”

Secondly and more importunately, the field is suffering from an acute talent shortage. With a teeming market full of new projects raising funds via ICOs, established companies exploring how to harness blockchain technology for their needs, and Wall Street heavyweights racing to start bitcoin trading, the competition for knowledgeable individuals is fierce. “Our biggest challenge is finding enough people to teach the courses,” explained Prof Yermack.

If you are looking to learn about bitcoin, but can’t make it to NYU, there is no reason to worry. All of the material needed can be found freely on the internet. And if you desire an Ivy League seal of approval, Princeton offers a ‘Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies’ course on Coursera.

Do you need a university to teach you about bitcoin? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


Images courtesy of Shutterstock.


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via Avi Mizrahi

Malta Bitcoin Schizophrenia: Government and Banks Send Mixed Signals

Malta Bitcoin Schizophrenia: Government and Banks Send Mixed Signals

Malta Financial Services Agency (MFSA) has issued its Discussion Paper on Initial Coin Offerings, Virtual Currencies and related Service Providers, “to present to the industry a proposed policy to be adopted by the MFSA for the regulation of the ICOs, [cryptocurrencies] and service providers involved in ICO and/or other VC activity.” It’s a welcome sign for the country’s bitcoiners after its oldest bank effectively banned all bitcoin transactions. Clearly there is a tension between Malta’s legacy financial sector and, perhaps ironically, a government eager to help usher in a new financial future.

Also read: Malta’s Prime Minister Says Europe Should Become the Bitcoin Continent

Malta Bitcoin Schizophrenia: Government and Banks Send Mixed Signals

Malta and its Crypto Identity Problem

MSFA is the country’s main financial regulator, and it appears to be seeking guidance on how to proceed with financial innovations, be they initial coin offerings (ICOs), cryptocurrencies (referred to as virtual currency or VC), and blockchain technology. It’s a rare chance for a nascent industry to have a say in regulating itself.

The stated aim of the MSFA paper is “to devise a policy framework that supports the innovation and new technologies for financial services in the area of VCs,” it declares, noting it is keeping an eye on “ensuring effective investor protection, financial market integrity and financial stability.”

Malta Bitcoin Schizophrenia: Government and Banks Send Mixed Signals

The Republic of Malta is a picturesque Mediterranean archipelago just south of Italy, home to under half a million citizens. It’s the smallest nation in the European Union.

“The consultation is open from 30 November 2017 until the 11 January 2018,” the MFSA announcement concluded.

This is a sea change from the regulator, as just this summer it warned against cryptocurrencies. Reacting to the first crypto ATM in the country, it stated: “Unlike traditional money, acceptance of payment in virtual currency depends entirely on the voluntary consent of the recipient. Furthermore providers of services in relation to virtual currencies are currently neither regulated by law nor authorised by the MFSA,” Times of Malta reported at the time. “You should not keep large amounts of money in [bitcoin] and ensure you keep it safe and secure,” the agency said.

Malta Bitcoin Schizophrenia: Government and Banks Send Mixed Signals

Bank of Valletta Snubs Bitcoiners

This week the country’s oldest bank, Bank of Valletta (BOV), halted all cryptocurrency transactions. “A bank representative I spoke to was very friendly but unable to give me any more information,” a customer complained. “They just said they were informed that the bank’s policy had changed.”

Malta Bitcoin Schizophrenia: Government and Banks Send Mixed Signals

BOV even went so far as to reverse SEPA transactions. Times of Malta reported an official spokesperson as saying its prohibition has to do with “risk appetite, regulatory directions and the exigencies of its correspondent banking network.”

Curiouser still is how the government seems to be reassuring local bitcoiners that blockades are just a phase. Its parliamentary secretary, Silvio Schembri said such blocks and banks are “short term,” and as such should be eased once official policy is in place.

If that wasn’t enough, Malta’s Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, earlier in the year spoke glowingly of bitcoin, saying in effect Europe should evolve into a “bitcoin continent.” His administration was a first to develop and approve a blockchain program as well. The Office of the Prime Minister has also stated it wants to issue a mock cryptocurrency test as a way to evaluate regulations going forward.

“Somewhat ironically, the government’s 25 per cent share in BOV makes it the bank’s largest shareholder,” the Times noted.

What do you think of Malta’s government and banks confliction on bitcoin? Tell us in the comments below!


Images courtesy of: Pixabay, blogspot, LinkedIn, BOV. 


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via C. Edward Kelso

New $100 Million Cryptocurrency Hedge Fund to Use XRP

New $100 Million Cryptocurrency Hedge Fund to Use XRP

TechCrunch and CrunchFund founder Michael Arrington has announced he is going all in on cryptocurrency investments with a new hedge fund called Arrington XRP Capital. As the name suggests, the fund will be managed in Ripple’s XRP but it will invest in a wide variety of cryptocurrency assets and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) as well as private equity offerings.

Also Read: Bitfinex Faces Further Scrutiny Over Tether Liquidity Concerns

$100 Million in XRP Investments

New $100 Million Cryptocurrency Hedge Fund to Use XRPAccording to Arrington, the $100 million cryptocurrency hedge fund has commitments from investors for over $50 million already, and they plan to begin trading in the next few weeks.

Other than the founder, two additional partners in the venture are former CEO of TechCrunch Heather Harde and veteran technology executive Geoffrey Arone.

This move is another strong indication of just how much cryptocurrency is recently becoming a mainstay in Silicon Valley as well as among established venture capitalists.

Why XRP?

New $100 Million Cryptocurrency Hedge Fund to Use XRPBesides being denominated in XRP, the new fund will accept investment funds and make redemptions in the cryptocurrency as well pay fees and salaries out in XRP. This is despite the fact that it doesn’t have a commercial relationship with Ripple and they are not investors in the fund, Arrington said.

In his announcement, the CrunchFund founder only explains the choice of the cryptocurrency for its advantages over ‘ancient fiat methods’ for cross-border currency transfers, asserting that traditional means are too slow and laden with fees.

Asked specifically about the choice of the cryptocurrency at the Consensus conference he elaborated that: “We think XRP is a particularly useful currency because of the transaction times.” Arrington also added: “I think investors are maybe heavier in bitcoin and ether than they should be.”

At the bottom line, the TechCrunch founder seems very bullish on the cryptocurrency ecosystem, predicting that the overall market cap will rise from around $300 billion to trillions of dollars and signalling that he intends to spend the rest of his career in this field.

Are bitcoin transaction times are a critical factor for further adoption? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


Images courtesy of Shutterstock


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via Avi Mizrahi

PR: Spectiv VR Featured on Fox Business’ Innovations Aired to over 100mm Viewers: Pre-Ico Dec. 8th

Spectiv VR Featured on Fox

This is a paid press release, which contains forward looking statements, and should be treated as advertising or promotional material. Bitcoin.com does not endorse nor support this product/service. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the press release.

Showcasing Advances in Virtual Reality

DMG Productions uncovers the latest technological breakthroughs in virtual reality.

Jupiter, FL — In an upcoming episode of Innovations w/Ed Begley Jr., the award-winning producers will explore the revolutionary world of virtual reality. This is slated to air first quarter 2018 on FOX Business. Check your local listings for more information.

With the growing development of virtual reality, previously unreal possibilities have become realities. As such, many speculate virtual reality will become the next revolutionary tech boom. This segment of Innovations will focus on the technology behind Spectiv, a platform that enables users and organizations to stream their unique virtual reality experiences to the world.

The Signal Token (SIG) Protocol is designed to decentralize the buying, selling, and rewarding of attention across media platforms by removing centralized intermediaries from advertising transactions.

“Spectiv’s mission is to make the virtual reality experience for everyone through community-driven VR streaming. We feel VR is one of the most exciting technological innovations ever, but the industry is experiencing some short-term friction in adoption. Spectiv is directly addressing this challenge by integrating a decentralized advertising system that will accelerate mainstream VR adoption,” said Dylan Senter, CEO and Founder of Spectiv. “He continued to say, “we are achieving this through our Signal Token Protocol, a blockchain solution that directly connects advertisers with content publishers, viewers, and curators, and are very excited to present our vision for the future of VR on the Innovations Series.”

Spectiv will act as the first adopter for this protocol, generating real-world application data to support future adoption by other media platforms.

“The cutting-edge technology behind the SIG Protocol will change the space of virtual reality as we know it,” said Michael Devine, Senior Producer for the Innovations series. “We look forward to enlightening the public about this technology.”

Signal Token Protocol

Spectiv is the creator and first adopter of the Signal Token Protocol. This protocol decentralizes the interaction between advertisers, content publishers, viewers, and curators. Using the Signal Token Protocol, advertisers can initiate Ad Campaign Smart Contracts that autonomously reward users for driving attention to advertisements. Every ad view and click that occurs is communicated to the Ad Campaign Smart Contract, triggering a token reward disbursement. This is an open-source protocol built for any media platform to implement. Spectiv will pioneer this protocol through its own media platform, Spectiv VR. This will provide a crucial real-world foundation for other platforms to learn from and build upon.

Token Purchasing Opportunities

Signal Tokens can be purchased in our Pre-ICO December 8th 2017, with early bird bonus opportunities for qualifying participants. The sale will have a maximum expected receipt of $40 million in Signal Tokens, priced at 650 Sigs/Eth. This open sale will be hosted at www.spectivvr.com. Email subscribers will receive early access to the token sale and exclusive 60% token bonus, so make sure to sign up to our email list.

About Innovations and DMG Productions:

Innovations, hosted by award winning actor Ed Begley, Jr., is an information-based series geared toward educating the public on the latest breakthroughs in all areas of society. Featuring practical solutions and important issues facing consumers and professionals alike, Innovations focuses on cutting-edge advancements in everything from health and wellness to global business, renewable energy, and more.

DMG Productions (responsible for creating the Innovations show) includes personnel specialized in various fields from agriculture to medicine, independent films to regional news and more. Field producers work closely with experts in the field to develop stories. This powerful force enables DMG to consistently produce commercial-free, educational programming that both viewers and networks depend on.

Contact Email Address
Dylan@spectivvr.com
Supporting Link
www.spectivvr.com

This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

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via Bitcoin.com PR

Court Ruling Grants the IRS Personal Data of 14,000 Coinbase Users

Court Ruling Grants the IRS Personal Data of 14,000 Coinbase Users

America’s Internal Revenue Service has gone fishing. Its target? Every single Coinbase user who ever placed a $20,000 trade. The huge dragnet exercise, spanning 2013-2015 and incorporating over 14,000 users, was awarded by a court yesterday, November 29. This is despite the best efforts of America’s largest bitcoin broker, which has fought back against what it sees as a shameless data grab and privacy violation. In a bid to save face, Coinbase has claimed a “partial victory” in its running battle with the IRS.

Also read: Nasdaq to Debut Bitcoin Futures by Mid 2018

Deep Sea Fishing on a Taxpayer Mission

Court Ruling Grants the IRS Personal Data of 14,000 Coinbase UsersThere’s no such thing as a quiet day in bitcoin. The last 24 hours has witnessed record-breaking trading volume, widespread exchange outages, all-time-highs, the largest red candle ever witnessed on a BTC chart and the fastest recovery in dollar terms ever seen. Much of that drama circled around Coinbase, a broker which dominates the bitcoin market, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Whilst dealing with unprecedented demand, with traffic levels hitting 8x their peak from June, the platform – whose iOS app has surged into the top ten, passing Netflix and Spotify – has had its hands full fighting an ongoing dispute with the IRS. Coinbase has been pushing back against what it believes to be an unjustified investigation into the actions of hundreds of thousands of its users.

 

A Pyrrhic Victory for Coinbase

In a blogpost filed November 29, Coinbase claimed a “partial victory” over the IRS, though many commenters would be less charitable, and award the latest round to the taxman. Coinbase was nevertheless keen to stress reasons to be happy, noting:

Thanks to Coinbase’s efforts, more than 480,000 customers’ records were preserved from disclosure. This is a 97% reduction in the number of customers impacted by this summons. Second, the quantity of data we must produce for the approximately 14,000 customers who remain in scope has been significantly reduced.

In what could be interpreted as sarcasm, CEO Brian Armstrong tweeted the following:

Court Ruling Grants the IRS Personal Data of 14,000 Coinbase Users

The Coinbase case stems from tax authorities realizing there was a woefully low number of tax returns being filed that included gains due on virtual currencies, despite their soaring popularity. To atone for this reporting black hole, the IRS took it upon itself to do some digging, and by digging read: investigate the finances of half a million Coinbase customers. In defense of the exchange and its customers, cryptocurrencies, as an emerging asset class, were vaguely defined at the time, and it would be unrealistic to have expected Americans to include them in their tax returns en masse.

The latest Narrow Summons request now pertains to 14,355 account holders who bought, sold, sent, or received more than $20,000 between 2013 and 2015. The IRS filing specifies “far fewer, but still more than 10,000, Coinbase account holders.”

Gross Governmental Overreach

Court Ruling Grants the IRS Personal Data of 14,000 Coinbase UsersYesterday, a California court ruled in the IRS’ favor, almost a year after the case was first filed. While Coinbase has tried to spin the ruling as a victory, it may prove to be a pyrrhic one that will leave the bitcoin broker licking its wounds and counting the cost. Financially Coinbase is fine, with record customer numbers, trading volume, traffic, and every other metric that constitutes a thriving business.

The greatest loss the company faces however is one of trust. Despite Coinbase struggling valiantly against the IRS, it will now be forced to hand over a swathe of customer data. Had a similar request been granted spanning the present day, it would have effectively included every single customer who ever bought or sold more than 2 BTC at a time. Despite being accused of gross overreach, the IRS has remained undaunted. The court ruling sends out a clear warning to U.S. customers: buy or sell even moderate quantities of cryptocurrency, and the authorities will be watching.

Do you think the IRS has any right to demand the details of thousands of Coinbase customers? Let us know in the comments section below.


Images courtesy of Shutterstock.


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via Kai Sedgwick

Central Bank Round-Up: Brazil & New Zealand Issue Statements, Cryptos are Assets or Securities in Canada

Central Bank Round-Up: Brazil & New Zealand Issue Statements, Cryptos are Assets or Securities in Canada

During November, several central banks addressed bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. New Zealand’s central bank has issued a statement seeking to educate citizens of the fundamentals underpinning cryptocurrencies, as well as the implications of such on monetary policy.  The senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada has stated that cryptocurrencies comprise assets or securities, rather than currencies. Brazil’s central bank also addressed cryptocurrencies during November, issuing a warning to investors.

Also Read: 1 Million Yen, 100 Million INR – Bitcoin Sets New Price Milestones on International Markets

Reserve Bank of New Zealand Does Not Believe Cryptocurrencies Pose Existential Threat to Mainstream Financial Institutions

Central Bank Round-Up: Brazil & New Zealand Issue Statements, Cryptos are Assets or Securities in CanadaThe Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has published a paper on cryptocurrencies titled “Crypto-currencies – An introduction to not-so-funny moneys.” The 44-page document seeks to “increase public understanding these technologies, highlight some of the risks involved in using crypto-currencies, and discuss some of the potential implications of these technologies for consumers, financial systems, monetary policy, and financial regulation.” The document also details the fundamental underpinnings and history of cryptocurrency, and provides definitions for terminologies relevant to the industry.

The document states that “Crypto-currencies expand the mechanisms by which people can transact with each other, strengthening competitive pressures on payment systems providers.” Despite such, the RBNZ states that due to the “relatively small volume of transactions” conducted using cryptocurrencies, “These new payment mechanisms are unlikely to completely supplant traditional payment systems.” The document also emphasizes the “incompatab[ility] of “the (pseudo) anonymity… of crypto-currency” with credit issuance – concluding that such prevents cryptocurrencies from posing a threat to many functions of traditional financial institutions.

Canada Views Cryptocurrencies as Assets or Securities, Not Currency

Central Bank Round-Up: Brazil & New Zealand Issue Statements, Cryptos are Assets or Securities in CanadaEarlier this month, Bank of Canada’s senior deputy governor, Carolyn Wilkins, stated that “so-called cryptocurrencies actually aren’t currencies at all, they’re not money.” Speaking with Bloomberg, Mrs. Wilkins stated “If you look at standard monetary theory… this is really an asset, or a security. And so it should be treated that way, and in fact, that’s the way it’s treated in Canada.”

When asked specifically of ICO’s Mrs. Wilkins stated “I’m not a securities regulator, and it’s not the Bank of Canada’s role to comment on any specific ICO, but… these look more like securities to me than a currency and they should be regulated as such.”

Mrs. Wilkins also expressed enthusiasm for blockchain technology, adding “What is promising… is… the distributed ledger technology that underpins it, because it provides the opportunities to create efficiencies in financial markets and other places that could actually be beneficial to market participants, businesses, and households.”

The Banco Central Do Brazil Issues “Alert on [the] Risks Arising From Custody and Trading Operations of So-Called Virtual Currencies”

Central Bank Round-Up: Brazil & New Zealand Issue Statements, Cryptos are Assets or Securities in CanadaThe warning emphasizes the lack of protections afforded to investors choosing to trade cryptocurrencies, stating that virtual currencies “are not issued or guaranteed by any monetary authority.” Brazil’s central bank states that “the purchase and safekeeping of virtual currencies” exposes investors to “imponderable risks, including… the possibility of loss of all capital invested.”

Despite the dire tone of the warning, the document states that “the need to regulate [cryptocurrencies] has not been identified to date by international organizations”, adding that “In Brazil, for the time being, no significant risks are observed for the National Financial System.”

What do you make of the central banks’ statements regarding crypto? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Bank of Canada


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via Samuel Haig

PR: Bcshop.Io Implements Bancor Protocol to Provide Bcs Tokens with Decentralized Liquidity

Bcshop.Io Bancor Protocol Partnership

This is a paid press release, which contains forward looking statements, and should be treated as advertising or promotional material. Bitcoin.com does not endorse nor support this product/service. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the press release.

BCShop.io is happy to announce that it will integrate the Bancor Protocol into its project to enable all users to convert BCS tokens directly on-chain. This means that no centralized exchanges need be involved, liquidity is available at any given time and very low fees are applied if at all.

According to BCShop.io Founder Vladlen Manshin, “The Bancor protocol integration enables great versatility for BCS token holders in their choice to buy, sell, or exchange tokens for ETH, BNT, or any other token in the newborn ecosystem. The BCShop.io team is proud to be among the first to implement a truly decentralized liquidity.”

Bancor gathers different project tokens into a single network where each project maintains a balance in its smart contract in order to use the BTN (Bancor Network Token) as a “Connector.” Tokens can be bought or sold with the use of BNT, ETH, or any other token in the network at a continuously calculated price based on the Bancor formula, which balances the buy and sell volumes.

Users can discover new projects which have already joined the network by browsing the Web App’s discovery page: https://goo.gl/AdZ335. The Bancor-compliant BCS Token Relay will be launched in the week following the successful completion of the Token Sale.

The integration of the Bancor Protocol into the BCShop.io project provides BCS token holders the following advantages when converting their tokens:

• No Spread – With Bancor’s non-profit automated market maker, BCS token holders can buy and sell their tokens at the exact same price.
• No Registration Required – Users can convert an Ethereum token to another type of token directly on-chain with the use of their Web3 compatible wallet.
• Continuous Liquidity – Users can convert any token (including ETH) in the network at any time regardless of the buyers and sellers and trade volume.
• Predictable Price Slippage – The Bancor Formula ensures price transparency by incorporating the transaction size and needs into the order book.
• No Counterparty Risk – The conversion of tokens comes with no risk, as they can be converted directly with a smart contract.
• Backward Compatible – Any existing ERC20 token can integrate into the Bancor Network with no code changes or fees.

After the BCShop.io token sale’s completion on January 31, 2018, 2% of all issued BCS tokens will be allocated to the BNT connector in order to enable conversions at any time via the Bancor network.

About BCShop.io: The BCShop.io project aims to reinvent the way digital commerce works today. It aims to enhance e-commerce with the fast-growing opportunities in blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies.

The BCS Token Presale is currently ongoing, and applications are accepted at https://bcshop.io/. Early contributors receive a 50% bonus.

About Bancor: Bancor Protocol™ is a standard for the creation of Smart Tokens™, cryptocurrencies with direct built-in convertibility through smart contracts. It utilizes an innovative token “Connector” method to enable formulaic price calculation and continuous liquidity for all compliant tokens, without needing to match two parties in an exchange. Smart Tokens interconnect to form token liquidity networks, allowing user-generated cryptocurrencies to thrive. For more information, visit their website at http://ift.tt/2oSNln9.

Contact Email Address
32mve32@gmail.com
Supporting Link
https://bcshop.io/

This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

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via Bitcoin.com PR

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

PR: Chasyr – the Blockchain Powered Ridesharing Company

Chasyr - Blockchain Ridesharing

This is a paid press release, which contains forward looking statements, and should be treated as advertising or promotional material. Bitcoin.com does not endorse nor support this product/service. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the press release.

It won’t be long before Chasyr becomes synonymous with ridesharing in California. In order to make that happen, they have been diligently building the foundation for their project to succeed as a ridesharing company powered by cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

With the early support from their online and offline community, it seems they will not have problems with obtaining a huge demand when they launch in 2018, especially after partnering with the Fresno Grizzlies aka the Houston Astros farm team. The team will be exhibiting their prototype while building it out at future blockchain and startup events in California to prepare their potential userbase for what is coming. They are currently in search of accredited seed investors to accept funding from and plan to have a token sale once their app is ready to put Chasyr Credits to use.

“Were not making this to see what it does. This is it, we are going to change the ridesharing industry with cryptocurrency regardless.” – CEO Tommy Marquez

This six month bootstrapped startup is going to be a licensed transportation network company to run on cryptocurrency and is now testing their alpha prototype which is available on www.chasyr.com

Contact Email Address
vanessa@chasyr.com
Supporting Link
www.chasyr.com

This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

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via Bitcoin.com PR

This Bitcoin Domain Can Be Yours for $2.75 million

This Bitcoin Domain Can Be Yours for $2.75 million

A rising tide floats all boats and a rising bitcoin inflates all domains. Stocks in graphics card manufacturers and crypto mining companies aren’t the only beneficiaries of the bitcoin bounce: BTC-themed web domains are also hot commodities. Sellers are asking hundreds of thousands of dollars for prime bitcoin domains, with some even priced into the millions.

See also: Stay Safe By Keeping Your ‘Bitcoin Business’ to Yourself

Bitcoin Enters the Public Domain

The bitcoin brand has soared in tandem with its market cap, with enterprising vendors cashing in on the cryptocurrency craze. Purveyors of a memorable bitcoin domain will need to dig deep though to claim a desirable URL. While the best bitcoin domains have already been snapped up (you’re looking at one of them), bitcoin.tv is still available for $350,000. Just two weeks ago, it was priced at $275,000, proving that bitcoin’s upward trajectory really does drag everything heavenward with it.

Domain provider Uniregister has a host of bitcoin-based titles available to monied buyers seeking to splash the cash and declare their intent. For aspiring buyers who can’t quite stretch to bitcoin.tv’s $350k price tag, bitcoin.car can be bought for just $2,888.

This Bitcoin Domain Can Be Yours for $2.75 million

Did Someone Say Blockchain?

Blockchain has become one of this year’s buzzwords for better or worse. It should come as no surprise therefore that blockchain-based names are also attracting a high premium. Anyone considering forking out the $2.75 million required to obtain blockchain.us had better have a killer app utilizing bitcoin’s underlying ledger if they’re to recoup their investment.

Disciples of the enigmatic Satoshi Nakamoto, meanwhile, may be tempted to hand over the $8,500 it will take to secure satoshitobitcoin.com. It’s just a shame the URL reads so unfortunately.

Bitcoins Are Scarce, Bitcoin Domains Likewise

Just because a domain is advertised for an exorbitant price doesn’t mean there are going to be any takers. It’s hard to imagine anyone coughing up the $1.5 million required for such dot-coms as cryptocurrencyoffers, cryptocurrencyhacked, or cryptocurrencyvillas.

This Bitcoin Domain Can Be Yours for $2.75 millionBitcoin might command the highest cryptocurrency market cap, but when it comes to domains, it’s the second most valuable coin – ethereum – that is dominating the domain game. Anyone wishing to host their WordPress blog on ethereum.com will need to pay a cool $10 million. While that particular URL has yet to be snapped up, eth.com went for a reported $2 million back in October.

Bitcoin.casino, on the other hand, was sold for a bargain $28,000 in March. Had the seller only hodled, there’s a good chance they could now have flipped that domain for several times its original price. Bitcoin’s still got a long way to go before growing demand causes domains to reach record levels. The highest price ever paid for a web domain was $90 million for Lasvegas.com.

Do you think premium bitcoin domains are overpriced? Let us know in the comments section below.


Images courtesy of Shutterstock.


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via Kai Sedgwick

1 Million Yen, 100 Million INR – Bitcoin Sets New Price Milestones on International Markets

Bitcoin Sets Price Milestones on International Markets

With all eyes on bitcoin’s meteoric break of $10,000, less attention has been paid to the price milestones recently established on leading international markets. In recent weeks, the CAD, AUD, NZD, and SGD pairings also surpassed $10,000, whilst a single bitcoin exceeds 500,000 RUB in Russia, 1 million JPY in Japan, 10 million KRW in South Korea, and 100 million INR in Indonesia.

Also Read: New All Time High – a Single Bitcoin Is Now Worth $10,000

The Price of Bitcoin Exceeds 1 Million Yen in Japan

Bitcoin Sets Price Milestones on International MarketsAs Japan is currently host to more than 60% of global trading volume, reaching the seven-figure milestone on the JPY markets is a big deal for bitcoin. According to cryptocompare, bitcoin broke above one million JPY at approximately 7 pm on the 25th of November EDT. The current JPY/BTC price as of this writing approximately (1:30 am November 29th EDT) is roughly ¥1,300,000

Seven hours after bitcoin broke above one million JPY, the South Korean bitcoin markets reached 10,000,000 KRW for the first time ever. Currently, the Korean markets account for 10% of 24-hour trading volume, comprising the third-largest bitcoin market behind the United States. The current KRW/BTC price is approximately ₩12,600,000.

Bitcoin Tests $15,000 in Australian, Canadian, and Singaporean National Markets

Bitcoin Sets Price Milestones on International MarketsWith the exception of an anomalous spike in the AUD/BTC price at the end of October, cryptocompare’s price index indicates that AUD trade convincingly exceeded $10,000 for the first time on November 16th at 4 pm EDT. AUD trade comprises the fifth largest national market with roughly 0.45% of 24-hour bitcoin trade. The current AUD/BTC price is approximately $14,400.

Singapore hosts the seventh largest national bitcoin market equating for roughly 0.34% of total trade. The SGD/BTC price broke above $10,000 for the first time at 11 pm on November 15th EDT and is now currently trading for $14,300 approximately.

Canadian trade presently accounts for 0.2% of 24-hour trading volume, comprising the ninth largest national market. The CAD price of bitcoin broke above $10,000 for the first time at 2 am on November 17 EDT, with CAD/BTC currently trading for $13,300.

Other Major Price Milestones on International Markets

Bitcoin Sets Price Milestones on International MarketsAt approximately 11 pm on the 25th of November EDT, the price of bitcoin exceeding 150,000 ZAR in South Africa for the first time. ZAR trade comprises the eighth largest national bitcoin market – comprising 0.25% of 24-hour trade.The current ZAR/BTC price is approximately ZAR167,000.

Indonesia’s bitcoin markets comprise approximately 0.1% of 24-hour trading volume, currently making such the fourteenth largest national market. The IDR/BTC price broke above 100,000,000 rupees at 9 am on November 1st EST, and at approximately midnight on November 29th EDT established a new milestone of over 150,000,000 rupees.

Russian bitcoin prices broke above ₽500,000 for the first time at 11 pm on November 25 EDT. RUB/BTC trading presently comprises the fifteenth largest national market, representing approximately 0.1% of 24-hour trading volume. Bitcoin is currently trading for approximately ₽600,000 in Russia.

What other price milestones did we miss? Let us know in the comments section below!


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The post 1 Million Yen, 100 Million INR – Bitcoin Sets New Price Milestones on International Markets appeared first on Bitcoin News.



via Samuel Haig

PR: Rentberry – Decentralized Home Rental Platform

Rentberry - Decentralized Home Rental

This is a paid press release, which contains forward looking statements, and should be treated as advertising or promotional material. Bitcoin.com does not endorse nor support this product/service. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the press release.

What is Rentberry and why does the world need it?

Rentberry is a decentralized home rental platform aiming to automate all rental tasks while saving both landlords and tenants time, money, and effort.

The company was established in 2015 and now boasts about 120 thousand active users and 224 thousand objects advertised. Today the platform operates all across the US, but it has already attracted investors from other countries, including the UK, China, Canada, Australia, England, Germany, and more. The company plans an expansion to Europe and Asia in 2019.

Rentberry creates the optimal rental environment for both tenants and landlords.
It streamlines the entire long-term rental process with blockchain and smart contract technology and eliminates the need for a middleman, making it possible for tenants and landlords to complete all rental tasks in one place. Rentberry’s proprietary auctioning technology reduces traditional frustrations, scam rates, time delays, and friction points in the rental process to benefit both tenants and landlords.

What are the biggest advantages of the platform for tenants?

Firstly, tenants don’t need to overpay right away. Once they have attended an open house, they just have to fill out an online rental application. They can also invite their roommates to apply for the same property. Also, they can attach their credit and background reports to make a better impression and seal the deal faster.

The second great advantage is that the rent can be paid online. It is possible to say goodbye to paper checks! An ACH technology allows to connect bank accounts to the platform and make payments instantly and safely. Those who want to split their rent with roommates can enjoy Rentberry’s split payments feature.

And thirdly, the simplicity of the Rentberry’s platform ensures seamless and stress-free application process. There is no need to drive to the other end of the city to sign a rental agreement. Rentberry has partnered with HelloSign to give users a possibility to sign and store all rental documents online. Rentberry uses SSL encryption technology and ensures the safe storage of all documents signed and all payments made on the platform.

On top of that, Rentberry has its own currency called BERRY token. It is a proprietary cryptocurrency that helps landlords and tenants save time and money on all rental transactions made on a platform. Rentberry has partnered with Cryptonomos to perform the Initial Token Sale.

The Pre-Sale of BERRY tokens starts on December 5 and lasts until January 26. The minimum quantity of tokens to be purchased is 15,000 BERRY (10 ETH). The Pre-Sale process includes 4 cycles, during which one can receive significant bonuses:

Dec 5 – Dec 19 – 33% Bonus
Dec 20 – Dec 26 – 27% Bonus
Dec 27 – Jan 16 – 20% Bonus
Jan 17 – Jan 26 – 13% Bonus

Hurry up to get the most out of the deal!

The Main Sale of BERRY tokens starts on January 26 and lasts until February 28. The minimum amount of tokens for the Main Sale is 0.1 ETH (150 BERRY). At this stage of ICO, the following bonuses are available:

January 26 – 7% bonus
January 27-28 – 4% bonus
For 1-3 ETH – 1% bonus
For 3-5 ETH – 2% bonus
For 5 ETH and more – 3% bonus

Detailed information on the Pre-Sale and the Main Sale of BERRY tokens can be found in Rentberry’s White Paper. Visit the site to download it: http://ift.tt/2Ag9a36

Have questions or comments? Feel free to contact us at:

Platform site: rentberry.cryptonomos.com
Facebook: http://ift.tt/2hB2pjY
Telegram: t.me/Cryptonomo_ICOs
Telegram Group Ru: http://ift.tt/2Aka5C0
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cryptonomosico/
Instagram: http://ift.tt/2ijc02W

Contact Email Address
rammex@cryptonomos.com
Supporting Link
https://rentberry.com/

This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

The post PR: Rentberry – Decentralized Home Rental Platform appeared first on Bitcoin News.



via Bitcoin.com PR

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a fascinating monetary tool that many believe will help fight the central banking system, corrupt economic planning, and help stop a small group of individuals from controlling the world’s money supply. Often times bitcoin is associated with anarcho-capitalism, free markets, and sometimes the Austrian school of economics. Today we will look at a large group of anarcho-capitalists, ‘gold bugs,’ and well-known economists to see how they feel about the bitcoin revolution.

Also Read: The Age of Disruption: Individual Anarchism Grows Alongside Peer-2-Peer Devices

Libertarian Luminaries and Anarcho-Capitalist Personalities Weigh In On Bitcoin Over the Years

Some people believe the decentralized cryptocurrency bitcoin is a tool that Austrian economists, anarcho-capitalists, libertarians, anarchists, and agorists should embrace. However, the many luminaries that have studied the works of Ludwig von Mises, and Murray Rothbard are still unsure about bitcoin. Some have embraced the cryptocurrency right away, while other individuals who pride themselves as ‘gold bugs’ changed their tune after initially dismissing bitcoin. Either way, bitcoin is very much a part of the anarcho/libertarian based ideologies and has been for quite some time.

Doug Casey

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin The writer and anarcho-capitalist, Doug Casey, is well known for his economic beliefs and essays about politics and markets. A few years ago Casey did not like bitcoin and dismissed the cryptocurrency when asked if he supported the new technology. However, these days Casey has a different perspective as the writer believes bitcoin is money, but he’s not confident it will last.

“As far as the cryptocurrencies are concerned, my original objection to Bitcoin was that it’s not backed by anything — So, it’s really a fiat currency — It’s very much like the US dollar, the Zambian Kwacha, the Argentine peso, or any of the other 150-plus currencies in today’s world — It’s a floating abstraction,” Casey explains in a recent interview.

But I missed something when I said, back then, that it had no value. It’s a fiat currency, but it has much more value than any other.

Dr. Ron Paul

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin Ron Paul is a former U.S. politician and a very popular Libertarian. Many believe Paul had sparked the interest of libertarianism in the minds of thousands of people when he ran for the U.S. presidency three times. Paul is also an author who wrote the famous book “End the Fed” among other classic works, as well as a student of the Austrian school of economics. The former politician has always been a fan of gold and precious metals, and at first, Paul was bit hesitant about bitcoin. However, Paul has changed his mind over the years as he now does television ads for a cryptocurrency IRA. During the cryptocurrency IRA commercial Paul states;

As a firm believer in currency competition, I’m excited to see the options what bitcoin opens up.     

 Robert Murphy

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin Robert Murphy is an anarcho-capitalist and popular writer and scholar at the Mises Institute website. Murphy likes bitcoin, and has co-authored a book called “Understanding Bitcoin: The Liberty Lovers Guide to the Mechanics and Economics of Cryptocurrencies.” In Murphy’s guide, he explains that bitcoin has become a medium of exchange and the often touted ‘Mises Regression Theorem’ has no relevance.  

“We are not predicting that bitcoin will eventually become a genuine money, rather we are arguing that at this point, the regression theorem of Ludwig von Mises has no bearing on the question at all,” explains Robert Murphy and Silas Barta’s book.    

Whether bitcoin becomes a money, or forever remains a medium of exchange, is a purely empirical question to which the regression theorem has no relevance.

David Kramer

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin David Kramer, another libertarian-leaning writer for the anti-state, anti-war, and pro-market website Lewrockwell.com, does not like bitcoin. Back in 2011, Kramer wrote an article called “Bitcoin: Just Another Bogus Medium of Exchange” and compared the decentralized currency to the now-defunct e-gold system. Kramer argues that bitcoin’s previous value was zero, and because it’s “bits in a computer” it still is zero. Only the free market can determine a fixed monetary source, “not a computer programmer,” explains the author. Kramer’s arguments have been refuted by many well-known bitcoiners like Jon Matonis.

Peter Schiff

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin The notorious Peter Schiff is a gold bug and American investor who has hated on bitcoin for quite sometimes. Nearly every time Schiff talks about bitcoin he relates the technology to the likes of collectible Beanie Babies and ‘tulip mania.’ It doesn’t seem like Schiff will ever appreciate bitcoin due to the fact it doesn’t have intrinsic value. News.Bitcoin.com has reported on Schiff’s many arguments against bitcoin over the years and his recent debates with the bitcoin proponent and RT talk show host Max Keiser, and CNBC’s Brian Kelly.

“It’s digital ‘fools gold,’” declares Schiff on CNBC. “You know today’s bitcoins are like beanie babies. The whole principle behind bitcoin was to replicate the properties that made gold uniquely suited to be money and act as an alternative to fiat currencies. But it’s not really viable as a money — I mean it is a potential medium of exchange, but it’s not a store of value.“

Konrad Graf

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin Konrad Graf is a well-known writer and economist that has published many articles on bitcoin monetary theory. Graf has written essays such as the “On the Origins of Bitcoin,” the “Bitcoin Decrypted Series,” and more recently “Are Bitcoins Ownable?” Back in November of 2015 Graf spoke with news.Bitcoin.com and told our readers that “bitcoin is among the greatest inventions in history.”   

“My ‘On the Origins of Bitcoin’ also focuses on differentiating the pure theory aspect from historical and anthropological approaches,” Graf explains. “It seeks to integrate both Menger’s and Mises’s contributions with some distinctive insights from Nick Szabo (aspects of “Shelling Out: On the Origins of Money”) into a single account that can handle bitcoin, shell beads, silver coins, and anything else, all in a way I argue is compatible with the Misesian regression theorem.”

Hans-Hermann Hoppe

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin The German-born American Hans-Hermann Hoppe is a popular anarcho-capitalist and Austrian School economist. Hoppe doesn’t believe bitcoin is money and has never been a fan of the cryptocurrency at least in public. However, the economist does think a radical form of decentralization will end the nation states and wreak havoc on the parasites pushing for democracy. Hoppe explained this position last year stating;

Don’t put your trust in democracy, but neither should you trust in a dictatorship. Rather, put your hope into radical political decentralization, not just in India and China, but everywhere.

Dr. Walter Block

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin The well known Walter Block is an Austrian School economist and anarcho-capitalist theorist. Block is also a senior fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Alabama. The economist doesn’t seem to appreciate bitcoin and has stated it goes against Carl Menger’s monetary theory believes it only exists because gold is suppressed.

“I favor money based on real commodities (gold, silver, whatever the market settles upon), and, I gather, bitcoins do not qualify — So, I oppose bitcoins,” explains Block.

I favor 100% backed (by a commodity) currency for reasons that Rothbard and Mises have written about, over and over again.

Gary North

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin One particular Austrian economist who dislikes bitcoin is Gary North. In fact, North believes “bitcoin is the second biggest Ponzi scheme in history” in one of his controversial essays. North discusses the primary aspects of what a Ponzi scheme is and how the origin of money works using the Austrian school of economics. North’s anti-bitcoin rhetoric has been refuted several times by other economists but the Lewrockwell.com and Mises Institute author has not been swayed.

“I hereby make a prediction: Bitcoin will go down in history as the most spectacular private Ponzi scheme in history,” details North.

It will dwarf anything dreamed of by Bernard Madoff. (It will never rival Social Security, however.)

Jeffrey Tucker

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin The author and economist Jeffrey Tucker is the director for digital development for the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and a well-known bitcoin advocate. Tucker has written many articles about the prospects of bitcoin, decentralization and digital entrepreneurship. At one time Tucker was a skeptic but soon become a very passionate believer in the cryptocurrency revolution.

“Distributed networks change so much, perhaps everything,” Tucker details back in 2015.

As capital, it is not owned by any one institution, which is amazing. And yet it puts massive economic power into the hands of the individual.

Stefan Molyneux

Love It or Hate It: Anarcho-Capitalist Luminaries Weigh In On Bitcoin The Irish born Canadian Stefan Molyneux was once a big proponent of bitcoin but has since quieted down about the subject. The anarcho-capitalist now alt-right libertarian is well known for his Freedomain podcasts, books, and YouTube videos. One video called, “The Truth About Bitcoin” is a very in-depth depiction of how Molyneux believes Bitcoin could be a tool to end the nation states.

“If we have a bitcoin universe, you don’t get to print money for war,” Molyneux once stated.

You don’t get to have money for a prison/industrial complex. You don’t get money for a war on drugs. You have to ask the people.

Is Bitcoin Anti-State, Anti-War, and Pro-Market?

There are many more well known Austrian economists and anarcho-capitalists who have a wide range of different views about bitcoin. We really can’t say what Mises, Menger or Rothbard would say about bitcoin with them not being around to witness the internet and blockchain technology. What we can do is formulate our own opinions by reading their works like the Misesian regression theorem, and other theories of what makes money. There are plenty of Austrian economists like Konrad Graf, Daniel Krawisz, and Robert Murphy who believe in bitcoin. It may take a long time for some of these other personalities to accept bitcoin, and some of them like Peter Schiff may never accept it at all.

What do you think of these economists and libertarian philosophers who are for or against bitcoin? Let us know what you think in the comments below.


Images via Pixabay, the Mises Institute, FEE, Lewrockwell.com, and wiki commons.


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via Jamie Redman

How Chinese Blockchain Projects Raise Funds Despite the ICO Ban

How Chinese Blockchain Projects Raise Funds Against the ICO Ban

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), the cryptocurrency version of crowdfunding, helped many Chinese blockchain startups raise faster funding this year, but also led to China’s clampdown on ICOs. In today’s series, we will take a glimpse at how Chinese blockchain businesses raise money after crowdfunding platforms were shut down. 

Also Read: Reports of Israeli ICO Ban Are Fake News, Entrepreneurs Look to Create ‘Crypto Nation’

Create Project Closed Groups

Measurable Data Token(MDT), a decentralized data exchange ecosystem, will be used to stipulate and reward users sharing their data to enterprises. The MDT team doesn’t use any PR services to reach as many people as possible in the world. Instead, they simply create a Wechat group and send group members an email explaining investment details. To attract investment, they promise 25% bonus to early bird investors and tokens purchased will be unlocked in 30 days when MDT is listed on exchanges. Sound enticing?

As of the time of writing, there are still less than 400 people in the group. An investor told news.Bitcoin.com that:

The project is really slow. They have been raising for over two months. Ever since exchanges were shut down, most investors just want to sell tokens they already have on hand. They don’t have much enthusiasm for new projects.

Initial Exchange Offerings

Mixin is an EOS-based real-time communication tool that can transfer coins using end-to-end encryption, according to its official website, the project has a 1,000,000 XIN token cap. Among which, 500,000 XIN will be reserved for the Mixin team. 400,000 XIN will be listed as an XIN/EOS trading pair on BigONE without price limit from November 25 until December 25. Orders will be executed according to price-time priority as received by the Bigone matching engine. The sale will end as soon as 8,000,000 EOS have been matched. Investors jokingly call this type of crowdfunding ‘Initial Exchange Offerings’ (IEOs) that synchronize token sales, token distribution, and tokens being listed at exchanges.

The rest of 100,000 XIN will be sold to whitelisted users after Dec 25 at the lowest Bigone price. How to be a whitelistes user? Register on the platform with your phone number and you will get an invitation code and a link. Send the link to others and if anyone registers with your invitation code, both you and the invitee will get a fixed share of the whitelist quota. Further invitees of invitee will also credit some shares to the original invitor, up to 7 levels.

How Chinese Blockchain Projects Raise Funds Against the ICO BanThis is why invitations with links to register Mixin have been clustering all wechat groups these past two days. Group members complain that this type of marketing reminds them of Ponzi schemes, especially considering that the project hasn’t released any information about the development team and roadmap, not even a whitepaper.

ICOs or IEOs, some projects rule out such efficient approaches to receive whopping financing. Nerthus is a Shenzhen-based blockchain startup that uses the Directed Acyclic Graph technology (DAG) to create a universal blockchain programming platform, it says. BD manager Erica Chen explained to news.Bitcoin.com that they are seeking support from traditional investors. “These investors don’t know much about blockchain. We have to spend a lot of time explaining to them. And they keep asking when the project will be launched and want to monitor our project progress,” notes Erica.”But at least we will not catch the attention of regulators.”

Once bitten, twice shy. Do you think the ICOs-led boom in entrepreneurship will occur again? Leave your comments below!


Images courtesy of Shutterstock, and WeChat.


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via Cindy Wang

Bitfinex Faces Further Scrutiny Over Tether Liquidity Concerns

Bitfinex Faces Further Scrutiny Over Tether Liquidity Concerns

Keeping a smaller currency constantly pegged to a larger national one, to a regional one or even to a global reserve currency, is a difficult task which many central banks around the world have failed to do in the past in times of crisis. When enough speculators attack the currency, or capital outflows are just too great to handle, keeping the peg becomes unsustainable and it cracks. Despite this the people behind one controversial altcoin, Tether, are trying to achieve just that.

Also Read: Exchanges Suspend USDT Transactions After $30 Million Tether Treasury Wallet Hack

Unbreakable  Tether?

Bitfinex Faces Further Scrutiny Over Tether Liquidity ConcernsNow the entire Tether idea is coming under intense scrutiny by voices in the cryptocurrency community in online forums and social media where people are raising their concerns. The most recent spark for this maelstrom is an apparent unintentional admission by the Tether PR team that the USTD is backed by other cryptocurrencies and not the USD. This means that in case of a crisis analogous to a traditional ‘run on the banks’ Tether might not be able to back up all its USTD with hard fiat cash.

In addition to Tether, the Bitfinex exchange has received much of the flak arising from this issue. It was recently revealed that Bitfinex’s Giancarlo Devasini and Philip Potter established Tether in the British Virgin Islands in 2014. The exchange was already facing harsh scrutiny over its relationship to the altcoin and its failure to adequately answer for a $30 million hacking of the Tether Treasury Wallet.

What Can Be the Repercussions?

Bitfinex Faces Further Scrutiny Over Tether Liquidity ConcernsUsually when a peg is no longer sustained despite previous promises it can have detrimental short-term effects on traders, exporters, importers, brokers or anyone else which relayed on a fixed exchange rate. Such was the case when George Soros “broke” the Bank of England in 1992, when the Swiss National Bank dropped the cap on the franc in 2015 and many other instances along the years.

In the unfortunate case of a Tether unpegging, the first to suffer the consequences will probably be cryptocurrency exchanges that use it as a proxy for fiat trading – unless they are already working on contingency plans unbeknownst to the public that is. In the longer term it could likely lead to financial regulators clamping down harder against cryptocurrency altogether, as many already fear. The bad press that will come out of it can also shake the confidence of bitcoin investors, many of them new to the field as they were attracted to the recent rally which took BTC from $1,000 to $10,000 this year, leading to a crash.

How do you think Bitfinex will be effected by the latest developments? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


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via Avi Mizrahi

PR: Bitcoen.io – First «Kosher» (Jewish) Crypto-Token and Blockchain Ecosystem

Bitcoen.Io First «Kosher» (Jewish) Crypto-Token

This is a paid press release, which contains forward looking statements, and should be treated as advertising or promotional material. Bitcoin.com does not endorse nor support this product/service. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the press release.

British company BitCoen is opening up an international blockchain market. The company declared about its strategic goal – to help interaction between representatives of the Jewish communities around the world. The BitCoen ecosystem is a system of services, qualitatively improving the life of the Jewish community.

Jewish communities from different counties demonstrated their interest to the project at the pre-sale period. Yet before the start of Token sale the audience of the project was more than 25,000 people from 124 countries. Project’s geography covers the whole world: states of North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. According to the company’s representatives, most requests for the purchase of BitCoen tokens came from Germany, England, Spain, France, Italy and, of course, Israel. As previously reported, Vyacheslav Semenchuk, founder and CEO of BitCoen, invested $ 500,000 of his personal funds in the development of the project. Project’s pre-sale was held to strengthen on the market and to confirm the interest of the audience. More than $150 000 were raised during the pre-sale without a single shekel spent on marketing.

Team
The blockchain project BitCoen was created by a young and ambitious businessman – Vyacheslav Semenchuk. Under the age of 30 he has already created and sold more than 10 start-ups, including in the fintech industry. Lifepay, with turnover amounted to 2,5 billions, was the largest project created by the entrepreneur, it was sold to a bank subsequently. For this project’s creation Vyacheslav Semenchuk managed to get the title of “Entrepreneur of the Year” according to YE. Yet before the emergence of a mass interest in the technology of blockchain Vyacheslav Semenchuk was engaged in its implementation in bank sphere.

“The blockchain project BitCoen was originally conceived as a system of services, qualitatively improving the life of the Jewish community,” explains Vyacheslav Semenchuk. “This is a fairly closed community, existing Worldwide. This community has needs in internal mutual settlements, to help their own businesses, oriented only for Jews; and has a big culture of charity. And all theese needs must be accomplished in the most transparent and profitable way. The ideal target audience for a blockchain project! So we came up with the BitCoen ecosystem idea, which integrated the useful mechanics from the world of the blockchain.

The team members work all over the world. “The development of Internet technologies allowed us to create an international team,” says Vyacheslav Semenchuk. “The BitCoen team includes the most experienced blockchain programmers, crypto marketers and other experts in crypto-economics, who got interested in creating an ambitious, high-quality and interesting project.”

What does it have inside
The blockchain project BitCoen consists of several parts, each of these parts logically complements the ecosystem.
BitCoen Token (BEN), which can act as a payment method between community representatives.

BitCoen loyalty program. Program users get BEN’s after purchases/services from the program partners and accrue BEN’s instead of abstract loyalty program points. BEN’s are accumulated and their duration isn’t limited. Unlike existing loyalty programs, that can have various restrictions for users, and often have unlimited opportunities for scammers, BitCoen Loyalty is completely transparent. No small fonts and asterisks in the program description. BEN’s do not burn after time, and can’t be canceled by anyone.

BitCoen Pay – payment system for online and offline purchases for private persons and businesses in points that accept payment by BENs. We have experience in creating payment systems (Life.Pay, PayQR) and we know how to make them even better so that the BitCoen project participants can use the most convenient payment services.

BitCoen Platform is a marketplace for Jewish businesses. A businessman can expand the number of customers, including at the expense of consumers from other countries.

BitCoen ADV – an advertising platform for the popularization of Jewish businesses, we already collected a huge target audience and we can do almost any targeting.

BitCoen blockchain technology
BitCoen is based on the source code of the izzz.io platform and uses a consensus that is based on Limited Confidence Confirmation Proof-of-Activity (LCPoA) and a trusted node system (Thrusted Nodes) to speed up the network. It is also planned to create a BitCoen compatibility layer with the ERC20 standard, for easy integration with exchanges. The choice of the izzz.io blockchain-platform is justified by the characteristics of this system, which exceeds the analogs for a number of parameters.

LCPoA blockchain algorithm is one of the most important features of Bitcoen blockchain. This algorithm reliably protects the network from spam and false transactions, while it does not require large expenditures of computing resources. There is a lack of mining in the system, all transactions within the platform network – are free. The technology provides a high network speed (up to 25,000 transactions per second). “BitCoen Blockchain is a new generation blockchain, which does not require participation in the “arms race” for the power of computers that spend an enormous amount of electricity. It is reliable, fast and free in terms of blockchain transactions. We can say that Bitcoin is a first generation blockchain (Blockchain 1.0), Etherium is Blockchain 2.0 and BitCoen – Blockchain 3.0,” explains Vyacheslav.

Token Sale
Since the BitCoen blockchain project is designed for a mass audience, it is very important to prove it with maximum transparency and legality. BitCoen legal team provided different options for the development of events and could create the most stable and secure system. BitCoen is a token, not an investment tool, it does not imply receipt of passive profit and does not have any signs of a stock. BitCoen doesn’t hold ICO but Token Sale only, which basically is a token pre-sale.

November 28, 2017 is the official start of the Token sale of the BitCoen blockchain project at http://bitcoen.io, which will last until December 26, 2017. Up to 20 million BENs at the price of $1 per one BEN are available on the Token sale. The emission of BitCoen is 100.000.000 BENs.

Development prospects of BitCoen
After the completion of Token sale BitCoen makes a listing on the global crypto-exchange. According to Vyacheslav Semenchuk, placement on the exchange is one of the marketing tools that allow us to expand the audience of the project.
As is known, the value of any crypto currency is determined by the audience’s interest in it and the real functional behind the token. The functionality of the BitCoen project allows Jews around the world to develop their business, staying within the framework of cultural traditions.

It should be noted that the creators of the project managed to attract not only experienced crypto-currency users of, but also an absolutely offline audience. “We understand that nowadays only a small percentage of the world’s Jewish communities use cryptocurrencies, the potential of blocking technologies is not yet appreciated,” says Vyacheslav Semenchuk. “That’s why we used al of the advertising channels and tried first of all to train a new audience and tell about the advantages and easy ways of access to technology.”

According to the auditors’ estimates, the capitalization of the BitCoen will be about 1,5 billion dollars after the realization of all components. According to independent experts, in the future, the capitalization of BitCoen can grow 10 times. “We are the largest jewish blockchain project for now, oriented to b2b and b2c audience. Even before the start of Token sale, we made partners with more than 700 large stores (among them OZON.ru, Aliexpress and others), which will add points in BEN’s when buying from them,” says Vyacheslav Semenchuk.

Moty Cristal, an international negotiator and an active member in global Jewish affairs, stresses that: “BitCoen project is a breath of fresh air which can further support the close relationships between Jewish communities worldwide, in this time of dynamic financial challenges and innovative opportunities”.

Contact Email Address
karolina@bitcoen.io
Supporting Link
https://bitcoen.io/

This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

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via Bitcoin.com PR