Korean Court Rules in Favor of Cryptocurrency Exchange Against Bank

A South Korean district court has ruled that Nonghyup Bank, a major bank in the country, cannot block transactions to the account of cryptocurrency exchange Coinis based solely on the government’s anti-money laundering guidelines. This is reportedly the first time a Korean crypto exchange has taken legal action against a bank for blocking its transactions.

Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space

Court Sided With Crypto Exchange

The 50th Civil Affairs Division of the Seoul Central District Court has ruled in favor of cryptocurrency exchange Coinis against Nonghyup Bank, local media reported.

The exchange filed a complaint with the court seeking to prohibit the bank from suspending its transactions after deposits to its account were blocked by the bank last month. Nonghyup Bank cited the Virtual Currency Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Guidelines set by the country’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) as its reason.

The court ruled on Monday that it is illegal for the bank to suspend the exchange’s transactions based solely on the FSC guidelines and moved to dismiss the suspension. Zdnet elaborated:

It is the first time that a cryptocurrency exchange has responded to bank suspension measures and has taken legal action.

Kim Tae-lim, a lawyer connected to the case, explained that Nonghyup Bank breached the contract with Coinis since the exchange “has the right to freely deposit and withdraw money in the account in accordance with the deposit agreement entered into between the bank and the exchange,” the Digital Daily detailed. Kim was further quoted by the publication:

This case is significant in that it is a decision to point out that indiscriminate regulation against a virtual currency exchange should be avoided in the absence of legal grounds.

Bank Losing Ground

The South Korean government introduced the real-name system for crypto exchanges in January with the aim to convert all accounts at crypto exchanges into real-name-verified ones. This system is part of the regulators’ anti-money laundering measures.

However, only four exchanges in the country are using the system: Bithumb, Upbit, Coinone, and Korbit. Banks have refused to provide the real-name conversion service to the rest of the exchanges. Coinis, therefore, continued to use its corporate account to accept customer funds. Banks claim that crypto exchanges that are not using real-name accounts are at high risk of money laundering.

Nonghyup Bank is currently providing the real-name conversion service for Bithumb and Coinone. In August, Bithumb suspended opening new virtual accounts due to a disagreement with the bank. In September, both Bithumb and Coinone announced that they were terminating fiat withdrawals for unverified crypto traders as requested by Nonghyup Bank.

Money Today elaborated:

The bank has been using the [AML] guidelines for ‘closing the transaction’ to pressure virtual currency trading sites for investor protection measures and anti-money laundering schemes and to encourage them to use real name verified accounts.

The news outlet noted that previously crypto exchanges have had to comply with the bank’s requests, adding that Coinis’ victory is likely to remove some pressure from exchanges.

What do you think of the court ruling in favor of a crypto exchange against a bank? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Bitcoin History Part 1: In the Beginning

With today marking the tenth anniversary of the Bitcoin whitepaper, the web is predictably thick with op-eds, retrospectives and thought pieces. While Oct. 31, 2008 is hailed as a pivotal moment in monetary history, at the time, few noticed the publication of the Bitcoin whitepaper to a cryptography mailing list. Like all revolutions, this one would take time to germinate.

Also read: Coinbase Raises $300 Million, Reaching $8 Billion Valuation

From Tiny Acorns Mighty Oaks Grow

It’s hard to place a finger on the moment when Bitcoin transitioned from an idea into a movement. Was it when Satoshi Nakamoto mined the genesis block on Jan. 3, 2009? Or when he sent the first transaction to Hal Finney a few days later? Or did it occur imperceptibly over the course of that year, as the conversation moved from the mailing list, where it had begun, to Sourceforge, where the first Bitcoin forum was established?

That’s one for the armchair pundits to ponder. What is beyond dispute is that by Nov. 22 2009, when Satoshi welcomed members to the new Bitcoin forum, hosted at bitcointalk.org, his idea had taken root and there was now a small band of believers helping to till the soil. “Hello Satoshi, all forum members and Bitcoin users!,” read the first reply to Satoshi’s maiden Bitcointalk post. “Thank you for developing Bitcoin. A P2P anonymous digital currency / eCurrency is long overdue. I’m very impressed and this project has great potential.”

It All Could Have Been so Different

When writing history, it’s easy to assign inevitability to events; to assume that things happened a certain way because that’s just how they were destined to occur. The truth is that Bitcoin, like all seismic movements, was not preordained to play out as it did. Were it not for the tenacity of those ultra-early adopters, who kept Satoshi’s brainchild alive through its weakest hours, coupled with serendipity and reinforcement by geopolitical events, Bitcoin may have never gotten off the ground. Its survival and present-day robustness can be attributed to the power of Satoshi’s idea coupled with the efforts of the hobbyists who worked late into the night to patch critical bugs and nurse Bitcoin until the nascent network was strong enough to survive.

In Bitcoin History, starting today, news.Bitcoin.com will chronicle a series of mini-episodes from the cryptocurrency’s early years, with a focus on the events that began life, like so much of Bitcoin’s history, on the forum Satoshi started. While Bitcointalk wasn’t the sole repository of seminal ideas, it formed a hub, in the pre-Medium and early Twitter days, where key contributors convened to share ideas. Back then, as today, there was plenty of arguing, but less tribalism and virtue signalling. With no land to fight over, the first task for Bitcoin’s maiden users was to build a world by which the ideas contained within the whitepaper could be realized.

“One immediate problem with any new currency,” mused Hal Finney, on Jan. 11, 2009, “is how to value it. Even ignoring the practical problem that virtually no one will accept it at first, there is still a difficulty in coming up with a reasonable argument in favor of a particular non-zero value for the coins.” He concluded:

As an amusing thought experiment, imagine that Bitcoin is successful and becomes the dominant payment system in use throughout the world … the possibility of generating coins today with a few cents of compute time may be quite a good bet, with a payoff of something like 100 million to 1! Even if the odds of Bitcoin succeeding to this degree are slim, are they really 100 million to one against? Something to think about…

Do you think Bitcoin was destined to survive, or did luck and perseverance play a part in its early days? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Exchanges Roundup: BNB on Etoro, Binance Freezes Wex Funds, Bittrex International

In cryptocurrency exchange news, Binance’s native coin has listed on Etoro, Bittrex has announced the upcoming launch of its Malta-based international exchange, and Chris Lee of Huobi has predicted that security token offerings will become a mainstream form of fundraising within five years.

Also Read: Bitcoin Trader Faces Five Years in US Jail for Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

BNB Lists on Etoro in First Listing Outside of Binance

Binancecoin (BNB) has been listed on Etoro, bringing the number of cryptocurrencies supported by the platform to 13. The listing comprises the first instance in which the altcoin has been listed on an exchange other than Binance.

The chief executive officer and co-founder of Etoro, Yoni Assia, stated: “Despite sensational headlines about the death of crypto, we continue to believe in the potential for crypto assets, as do our clients who are increasingly looking to diversify their crypto holdings. In response, we will continue to add the leading crypto assets to our range and we are pleased to add BNB to the platform.”

Binance Freezes Funds From Wex Worth $18.5 Million

It has been revealed that on Oct. 25 Binance froze more than 93,000 ETH that had been transferred from the embattled Wex exchange, valued at $18.5 million.

In response to a post on Twitter emphasizing the movement of funds from Wex to Binance dating back to August, Changpeng Zhao, the chief executive officer of Binance, tweeted: “The identified accounts are frozen, please report to law enforcement and have a case number. We will work with [law enforcement]. This is part of centralization we hate too, dealing with other exchange’s mess (we don’t even know the details). But we will do what we can.”

Users of Wex appear to have been unable to withdraw fiat or cryptocurrencies from the exchange for more than three months, with recent reports claiming that 35 complaints have been filed against Wex with the Russian Interior Ministry.

Bittrex Announces Upcoming Launch of Bittrex International

Bittrex has announced that it will launch Bittrex International, formerly branded as Bittrex Malta.

The exchange will seek to target users based outside of the United States, with Bittrex also promising “a streamlined token approval process” designed to facilitate the onboarding of new markets in “weeks instead of months.” The launch of the new exchange will also see a “European-based Bittrex affiliate” listing particular tokens that are available on the Bittrex International platform and not the US-regulated Bittrex exchange.

If tokens are approved through Bittrex’s “standard initial review process,” prospective projects will be “directed to follow the process outlined in the Malta Virtual Financial Assets Act.”

Huobi’s Chris Lee Predicts STOs Will Become Mainstream in 3-4 Years

Chris Lee, the former chief executive officer of Okex and the current board secretary and vice president of global business development for Huobi, has stated his expectation that security token offerings (STOs) will become a “mainstream fundraising method” in approximately three to four years.

Speaking to Huoxun Finance, Lee added: “Time will prove everything, [STOs are] indeed a big opportunity, as I believe asset-backed tokenization, which is the digital assets backed by physical assets, have the potential to drive the entire crypto industry to a higher level. There will be a place for STO in Hong Kong’s capital market one day.”

What is your response to Binance’s freezing of 93,000 ETH associated with Wex exchange? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Brazilian Banks Ordered to Reopen Cryptocurrency Exchange’s Frozen Accounts

A Brazilian court has ordered the reopening of cryptocurrency exchange Bitcoin Max’s bank accounts, which were closed without explanation by Banco do Brasil and Banco Santander in September. The two banks have reportedly reactivated the accounts to avoid paying fines.

Also Read: Kenya’s Bithub Africa Mines Bitcoin Using Solar Power

Threat of Fine Forces Banco Do Brasil and Banco Santander to Reactivate Exchange’s Accounts

According to local news site Portal do Bitcoin, Brazil’s Federal District Court promised to slap Santander with a fine of 5,000 real ($1,350) and Banco do Brasil with 20,000 real ($5,400) should both fail to comply with the preliminary judgement. Leonardo Ranna, a lawyer representing Bitcoin Max, said that all of the exchange’s accounts “have been restored, including those of exchange partners.”

In September, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), a transparency and competition body, started to investigate six of Brazil’s biggest banks after they closed accounts belonging to digital currency exchanges without explanation and refused to discuss the decision. The probe centred around allegations of “monopolistic practices … that could be limiting the action of brokers” within the cryptocurrency industry.

Results of the investigation are not yet known. The ruling against Banco Santander may only be temporary, however. The bank only complied on account of a “kind of injunction” that compelled it to reopen Bitcoin Max’s accounts within five days, Portal do Bitcoin reported. The injunction had been previously denied by a judge at a lower court, forcing the exchange’s lawyers to appeal to the Federal District Court.

The latest ruling by Ana Catarino, a judge with the higher court, was based on Banco Santander’s unilateral decision to close the exchange’s accounts without explanation, something that the court described as “abusive conduct that is prohibited by consumer protection rules.”

When Banco do Brasil shut down Bitcoin Max’s account, about $32,400 of the exchange’s money was stored in it. The exchange filed a lawsuit against the bank on Sept. 12. An injunction was turned down initially but a Federal District Court judge later gave the bank a 24-hour ultimatum to reactivate Bitcoin Max’s accounts or face a fine of about $540 a day.

Arbitrary Bank Account Closures

Adriano Zanella, chief executive officer of Bitcoin Max, said they were never made aware of the account closures and that he learned of the blockage via the manager of an agency. During the investigation by CADE, the transparency body accused major banks of “imposing restrictions or even prohibiting access to the financial system by cryptocurrency brokerages.” The banks denied the charge, saying accounts were closed as a security measure to prevent money laundering. Some of the banks under investigation include Banco Santander Brasil SA, Banco Bradesco SA, Banco do Brasil SA, Itau Unibanco Holding SA and Banco Inter and Sicredi.

Brazil is a hive of cryptocurrency activity in Latin America. The number of people trading bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has soared from less than 100,000 two years ago to about 1.4 million today. More than $2.4 billion worth of BTC was traded in the country last year, up from just $160 million in 2016.

In January, Brazil’s Securities and Exchange Commission stopped local investment funds from buying digital coins because “cryptocurrencies cannot be qualified financial assets.” The commission, however, made a U-turn immediately after, allowing for indirect ownership, meaning Brazilians could buy into crypto-related investment funds. Even politicians in the country are talking about bitcoin; a candidate in the recent presidential election campaigned for formally legalizing bitcoin.

What do you think about the relationship between virtual currency exchanges and legacy financial institutions? Let us know in the comments section below.

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October Volume Report: Weakest Monthly Trading Activity of 2018

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the initial publication of the Bitcoin whitepaper, the cryptocurrency markets recorded their weakest month for trading volume in all of 2018. Most of the leading markets saw a significant decline in trading activity throughout October, but NEO, TRX, QTUM and ZEC posted month-over-month volume increases.

Also Read: Venezuela Begins Public Sale of National Cryptocurrency Petro

BTC, USDT, ETH and EOS Hit
Lowest Points of the Year

In the last 30 days, approximately $109.5 billion worth of BTC has changed hands, resulting in an 11.9 percent decline in trading activity from $124.3 billion in September — the weakest monthly volume posted in 2018 thus far. The drop in BTC trading activity coincided with a similar plunge in USDT trading volume. Despite fears of a widespread USDT “untethering,” as well as the eradication of 30 percent of Tether’s circulating supply, the trading volume of USDT fell by just 12.6 percent, from $86.5 billion in September to $69.5 billion.

October saw $41.2 billion in trade for ETH pairings, down 30 percent from the $53.8 billion recorded in the preceding month. EOS, meanwhile, returned to its position as the fourth most-traded cryptocurrency, with a 30-day trade volume of $13.94 billion — down 30 percent from $20 billion in September.

XRP and LTC Hit Second-Strongest Levels Since May

XRP has held its top-five volume ranking for the second consecutive month, despite seeing a 45 percent reduction in trading activity. October saw $13.6 billion in trade across XRP pairings, down from $24.7 billion in September.

BCH was the sixth most-traded cryptocurrency in October, hitting $9.5 billion in trade volume over the past 30 days. BCH saw a 26 percent reduction in trading volume, down from $12.9 billion in the preceding month.

LTC ranked as the seventh most-traded cryptocurrency for the third consecutive month. About $9.14 billion of LTC changed hands in October, down 4.8 percent from $9.6 billion in September.

DASH posted a 30-day trade volume of 5.16 billion, settling at eighth place for the second consecutive month. Trading of the currency fell 20.6 percent from $6.5 billion in September.

NEO Breaks Into Top 10

NEO saw a massive 76.25 percent increase in trade volume in October, to rank ninth for the month. Approximately $4.6 billion worth of the currency has changed hands in the past 30 days, up from $2.61 billion in September.

ETC fell one position to rank 10th on the list of the most-traded cryptocurrencies in October. It hit a 30-day trading volume of $4.2 billion for the month, down 17.65 percent from $5.1 billion in September.

TRON, QTUM, and ZEC Post Modest Volume Gains

TRX hit $3.67 billion in trade volume this past month, up 4.25 percent over the preceding month’s 3.52 billion. TRX was the 11th most-traded cryptocurrency in October, moving up one rank from September.

CKUSD posted a 16.5 percent drop in trading volume at $3.4 billion, down from $4.07 billion in September. CKUSD ranked 12th for the month, sliding two positions from the preceding four-week period.

Despite recording a slight 2.5 percent increase in 30-day trade volume, QTUM fell two places to 13th on the list of the most-traded cryptocurrencies in October. About $3.73 billion worth of the currency traded hands for the month, up from $3.64 billion in September.

Trading of ZEC fell 4.16 percent month over month to $3.5 billion. Despite rising slightly by volume from $3.36 billion in September, the currency slid one place to rank as the 14th most-traded cryptocurrency in October.

BIX climbed two places to rank as the 15th most-traded cryptocurrency over the past 30 days. The currency posted a monthly trading volume of $1.42 billion, down nearly 30 percent from $2.02 billion in September.

Stellar recorded a monthly volume of $1.33 billion, sliding one position to rank as the 16th most-traded cryptocurrency for October, following three consecutive weeks during which it ranked 15th. Trading of Stellar fell 42.17 percent by volume from $2.3 billion in September.

New Entrants in Top 20

The declining trading volume across many leading markets saw several cryptocurrencies sneak into the top 20 rankings for the first time in recent months. ZB, for example, ranked 17th with a 30-day trade volume of $1.16 billion, following by XIN at $988 million.

BTM ranked 19th for the second consecutive month, with $920.8 million traded, despite falling 31.3 percent by volume, from $1.34 billion in September.

BNB, meanwhile, settled at 20th place in October, with $853.6 million worth of the currency changing hands over the last 30 days.

Do you think that the 10th anniversary of the Bitcoin whitepaper will drive greater trading volume across the cryptocurrency markets? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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CMC Markets Adds Bitcoin Cash to Cryptocurrency Offering

CMC Markets, a U.K.-headquartered financial derivatives brokerage with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange, revealed on Tuesday that it has expanded its cryptocurrency offering to include bitcoin cash (BCH), as well as litecoin (LTC) and ripple (XRP).

Also Read: How to Easily Give BCH as Gifts in Halloween Trick-or-Treat Packages

CMC Markets Responds to Demand

The roughly 60,000 clients that CMC Markets serves around the world can now start taking positions on the three additional cryptocurrencies paired against the U.S. dollar. The move follows the brokerage’s extension of its cryptocurrency offering from professional to retail clients in July. At launch, the trading platform only offered bitcoin core (BTC) and ethereum (ETH).

“Since the successful launch of our cryptocurrency offering in March, and subsequent extension to retail clients in July, our clients have expressed interest in extending their trading options beyond bitcoin and ethereum,” explained David Fineberg, group commercial director at CMC Markets. “We are pleased to offer them the chance to take a position on bitcoin cash, litecoin and ripple, three altcoins which continue to generate much speculation among traders.”

Research Before You Start Trading CFDs

Forex, spread betting and contracts for difference (CFDs) brokerages have been very eager to add cryptocurrency-based instruments in recent years, as the volatility lured their day-trader clients away to crypto exchanges. However, concerns about alerting regulators prevented some of the more established players from doing so as quickly as they could have. Only this week it was revealed that the U.K. government is now considering a ban on crypto derivatives.

CMC Markets cautiously entered the cryptocurrency CFDs race only after rivals such as Admiral Markets, Gain Capital’s City Index, Plus500 Ltd., and IG Group Holdings Plc. had already established operations in the space.

“Spread bets and CFDs offer a way to trade on cryptocurrencies as clients can take a position on market movements without owning the asset. By trading with an established provider, funds can be deposited and withdrawn with ease, avoiding the risks of purchasing cryptocurrencies directly through an exchange,” said Fineberg. “However, like all other financial instruments we offer, we always recommend clients understand the risks and conduct thorough research before trading.”

Is trading CFDs a good way to get exposure to bitcoin cash? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Ten Years Ago Today, the Whitepaper Changed the Way We Look at Money

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PR: aXpire Acquires BlockchainWarehouse (BCW)

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.

aXpire Acquires BlockchainWarehouse (BCW)

aXpire, a leading blockchain fund solutions company, has announced the acquisition of BlockchainWarehouse (BCW), a blockchain accelerator and leading token sale product developer. aXpire has made the acquisition to bolster the strength of its in-house blockchain talent and add a new product offering to its technology suite. BlockchainWarehouse offers a crypto-to-crypto gateway that aXpire has rebranded as “CoinBX” (pronounced “coinbox” or “coinbox blockchain exchange”), which will allow aXpire to offer AXPR purchases directly through its web applications, Resolvr and MatchBX. Clients will be able to buy AXPR with Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ether through a simple button on each product. This AXPR will be made available from existing tokens sold through exchanges.

CoinBX is another spoke in the “hub and spoke” Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software suite that aXpire is building out to make blockchain solutions a reality for businesses looking to become more profitable. CoinBX was originally used as a token sale platform, which aXpire will maintain, but will now also offer a discount or bonus to those using AXPR on the platform. In addition, the platform will be expanded into a crypto-to-crypto gateway, with part of the platform license fees payable in AXPR and burned. This new product means aXpire will be able to offer “Buy AXPR” buttons on its software, which will reduce the friction required for businesses and other customers to buy AXPR. This software represents the first aXpire venture into payments, and will serve as another building block in an ecosystem intended to encourage businesses to adopt blockchain.

The acquisition will also transfer all of BlockchainWarehouse’s clients to aXpire, allowing aXpire to create blockchain funds to share with its institutional investor database. These funds will utilize aXpire’s Resolvr software, and will allow investors a way to buy a diverse basket of blockchain projects with AXPR or fiat. Both methods of buying blockchain funds would end up utilizing AXPR and would provide another use case for the token.

Contact Email Address
info@axpire.com

Supporting Link
http://www.axpire.com

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Bitcoin Trader Faces Five Years in US Jail for Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

Bitcoin trader Jacob Burrell-Campos pleaded guilty this week in a U.S. federal court to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The 21-year-old San Diego native is now awaiting sentencing and faces a maximum of five years in jail.

Also Read: How to Easily Give BCH as Gifts in Halloween Trick-or-Treat Packages

‘Serious Threat’ to US Banking System

Burrell was arrested in August while trying to cross the border from Mexico. He was apprehended for trading crypto to fiat with over 1,000 people in the U.S. since January 2015, without any anti-money laundering safeguards in place. According to his plea bargain agreement, Burrell now admits to operating an unregistered exchange and has agreed to hand over more than $800,000 to the government.

“Unlicensed money transmitting businesses, especially those operating at or near the border, pose a serious threat to the integrity of the U.S. banking system, and provide an ‘open door’ for criminals to utilize such businesses to launder the proceeds of their illicit activities,” said U.S. attorney Adam Braverman. “The Department of Justice (DOJ) will continue to investigate and prosecute all individuals and businesses that seek to evade the licensing and anti-money laundering requirements under federal law.”

How It All Went Down

According to the DOJ, Burrell advertised his services on Localbitcoins and privately offered to sell bitcoin to people with no questions asked, in exchange for a 5 percent markup over the going rate. He initially purchased the cryptocurrencies he sold from Coinbase, but his account was closed due to the large number of suspicious transactions he had conducted. Undeterred, he turned to Bitfinex in March 2015 and bought about $3.3 million worth of bitcoin from the exchange over a period of just over two years.

As part of the plea deal, Burrell also admitted he had exchanged his dollars, which he kept in Mexico, with Joseph Castillo, a San Diego-based precious metals dealer. This amounted to importing more than $1 million in fiat on almost a daily basis between late 2016 and early 2018, according to the DOJ. He admitted this was intentionally done in multiple transactions, each with an amount slightly below the minimum $10,000 reporting requirement.

Does Burrell really pose a serious threat to the integrity of the U.S. banking system? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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The Daily: Nexo to Pay Interest on Stablecoins, Startups Launch Bank Services

In this edition of The Daily, we cover Nexo’s recent decision to pay interest on stablecoin holdings, as well as a project by two Swiss cryptocurrency companies to offer exchange and custodial solutions for financial institutions that handle digital assets. We also look at Bitfinex’s newly updated app for “on-the-go” traders. 

Also read: Security Startup Raises $30M, Crypto Used to Fight Plastic Pollution

Nexo Announces 6.5 Percent
Interest Rate on Stablecoin Holdings

Nexo, a cryptocurrency loans service, said this week that it’s going to offer interest payments on several leading stablecoins. When stored on the platform, trueusd (TUSD), gemini dollar (GUSD), paxos standard (PAX), Circle’s usdcoin (USDC), and Maker’s dai (DAI) will generate a 6.5 percent interest rate for those holding the currencies.

According to an announcement on Twitter, Nexo will also guarantee a one-to-one conversion to U.S. dollars on any major stablecoin for all liquidity providers. The company claims this is a unique service on the market.

After recently adding bitcoin cash (BCH), litecoin (LTC) and ripple (XRP), the cryptocurrency lending platform now supports seven digital currencies, including bitcoin core (BTC), ethereum (ETH) and binance coin (BNB), as well as its own token, Nexo. It accepts the coins as collateral for instant cryptocurrency-backed loans.

The APR for the loans is set at 16 percent, but a preferential rate will be applied when the native token is used as collateral. The platform will distribute 30 percent of its profits to Nexo holders, as part of the company’s first dividend payment in December.

Metaco and SCX Offer Exchange
and Custodial Services to Banks

Two fintech companies in Switzerland have teamed up to launch new exchange and custodial services for digital assets. Metaco, a provider of secure blockchain infrastructure, and trading platform Swiss Crypto Exchange (SCX) plan to offer their solutions to banks and other regulated custodians.

The new system developed by SCX is designed to directly connect banks in order to eliminate risks associated with the storage of assets on cryptocurrency exchanges. Silo, Metaco’s custodial infrastructure solution, is integrated with SCX and is expected to enable secure and reliable cryptocurrency trading. The two companies claim there is no central point of failure with its new system.

While SCX is still a centralized marketplace, it will now work with decentralized custody providers. The cryptocurrency exchange will provide liquidity and technology to new ecosystems built by banks. The traditional financial institutions will be responsible for maintaining their custodial activities through Silo. Metaco’s cryptocurrency storage solution, which was announced in January of this year, has been developed in cooperation with data security agency Guardtime.

Bitfinex Releases Updated Mobile Trading App

Cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex has launched its updated mobile application, which supports the latest features of the iOS and Android operating systems. In terms of functionality, the developers have tried to provide users with an experience that’s similar to the one they expect from the platform’s main website. The app now offers two landing pages, for trading and funding, respectively. Users can customize their favorites, orders, pairs and trading history, as well as the widgets on each page.

The Hong Kong-based trading platform said in a blog post that the updated software supports both vertical and horizontal layouts, as well as iPhone X and other smartphones with notches running across the top of their screens. “On-the-go” traders can run the app on multiple devices and their settings will be preserved. Bitfinex promises a more tablet-friendly experience and has said that users can now unlock the app with a fingerprint and face scan.

What are your thoughts on today’s news tidbits? Tell us in the comments section.

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Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Nexo, Bitfinex.

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Venezuela Begins Public Sale of National Cryptocurrency Petro

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Kenya’s Bithub Africa Mines Bitcoin Using Solar Power

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PR: BitCanna – Dutch Blockchain Startup Launching a Revolutionary Cannabis Platform

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.

Leading global cannabis brands are ready to go cashless and take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the BitCanna blockchain platform

AMSTERDAM, October 31, 2018 – With the current exponential growth of both the global cannabis industry and blockchain technology, there is a potential partnership that stands to benefit both. Within the cannabis industry, there is a growing demand for payment solutions, track & traceability of crops, and trust mechanisms. BitCanna is combining the best of all worlds, addressing each of these problems through the launch of its blockchain platform and associated cryptocurrency. Over the past year, a team of 20 dedicated specialists has worked in close collaboration with the cannabis industry on the development of the platform and its global expansion. A large and growing number of leading international brands have already confirmed their partnership, and on the first of November their ICO will open for interested investors.

Most banks and financial service providers still refuse to process cannabis transactions due to the large degree of regulatory uncertainty in the industry. Leading experts and entrepreneurs from both the financial and cannabis industries view this as a huge opportunity to build a global digital payment solution for cannabis retailers that can circumvent traditional financial institutions.

“Keeping up with constantly changing cannabis laws is very difficult. So banks, credit card companies, and online payment providers either refuse to get involved in cannabis, or they charge excessively high transaction fees,” according to Jan Scheele, CEO of BitCanna. “That puts companies who are selling cannabis products legally in a tricky situation — they have to figure out how to take their businesses cashless and sell online without breaking any laws. That’s where BitCanna will help.”

BitCanna is a global blockchain technology company that helps cannabis companies to go cashless securely, legally, and cost-effectively. The company claims to be able to process transactions using its BitCanna token almost instantaneously and for a fee of just a few cents. It will also let vendors manage their supply chains and record all customer identification data. It is an incremental technological breakthrough for the entire global industry.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a $10 or $100 transaction. Our customers will pay a small flat fee,” says Scheele. “We’re introducing a payment system that will make it cost-effective and safe for all cannabis companies to accept digital payments — whether they’re selling online or in-store.”

It’s not just online retailers who can benefit from blockchain technology. Some brick and mortar cannabis retailers spend as much as 10-15% of their revenues on security and staff to upkeep a cash-only business. Providing these companies with payment processing technology can help them reduce security risks while complying with regulations.

Many industry experts believe that despite the growth we’ve seen over the past few years, the cannabis market is only just beginning to take shape. In the United States alone, the cannabis market is forecast to double from $22B in 2017 to $44B in 2020. And the global market is expected to reach $140B by 2027, according to European investment bank Bryan, Garnier & Co.

BitCanna is well-placed to benefit from this growing industry. The company will have direct integration with some of the largest online cannabis shops when it launches in Q3 2019. It will run pilots at brick and mortar locations in the cannabis capitals Amsterdam and Barcelona. BitCanna alone has already partnered with dozens of cannabis companies to create the BitCanna Alliance. Alliance members are active in 27 countries and attract a combined 10 million unique website visitors a month so far.

The company has ambitious plans to become the global digital payment solution for the cannabis industry. It will launch in Europe first and then quickly expand to the rest of the world.

About BitCanna

BitCanna is a decentralized payment network for the legal cannabis industry. The company was founded by Boy Ramsahai, a true cannabis industry veteran who founded an internationally successful cannabis media company in 1991. His Dutch-language magazines High Life and Soft Secrets are well known in the Netherlands. BitCanna has partnered with major brands in the European cannabis market to form the BitCanna Alliance. The Alliance is working to create a healthy and transparent cannabis market by securing and tracking digital transactions and implementing supply chain and customer management.

Contact Email Address
info@bitcanna.io

Supporting Link
https://www.bitcanna.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.

The post PR: BitCanna – Dutch Blockchain Startup Launching a Revolutionary Cannabis Platform appeared first on Bitcoin News.

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South Korea Cracks Down on Unauthorized Cryptocurrency Funds

South Korean financial regulators are cracking down on unauthorized cryptocurrency funds. In particular, one crypto fund launched by a local exchange is reportedly being investigated. The exchange claims no wrongdoing as its token activities were carried out overseas, but has promptly canceled its plan to launch a second fund.

Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space

Unauthorized Crypto Funds

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) have warned investors of unauthorized cryptocurrency funds. The warning followed the launch of a financial product where “cryptocurrencies collected from some investors are managed through initial coin offerings (ICO), and profits are distributed at their expiration dates,” Business Korea described.

The regulators specifically referred to the fund launched last month by crypto exchange Zeniex called “ZXG Crypto Fund No. 1,” which is “the first virtual currency fund in Korea,” the publication detailed, noting:

The virtual currency fund has never been registered with the Financial Supervisory Service … None of the management company, sales company and the trustee have been approved by the Financial Services Commission.

Maeil business newspaper reported on Tuesday that “The financial authorities have handed over the circumstantial data for the investigation to the prosecution.”

Zeniex explained that while funding was made through its platform, “the actual recruitment and token issuance were made by overseas management companies,” the news outlet conveyed. Noting that less than 1 billion won ($878,080) has been raised, the company believes that there was no reporting obligation. An official of the exchange was quoted asserting:

An indirect investment in a virtual currency fund is an attractive tool to raise market soundness … It’s unfortunate that innovative attempts will not continue until the government’s guidelines are set.

The South Korean government banned ICOs in September last year but has yet to introduce guidelines for them. A number of proposals have been submitted to the National Assembly and the government is expected to announce its ICO stance in November.

Zeniex’s Funds and Capital Markets Law

Business Korea explained that under the Korean Capital Markets Act, all investment funds must be registered with the FSS.

In addition, “Public offering funds that collect funds from general investors must file securities reports,” and “an asset management company that manages a fund and the fund sales company that sells it have to obtain necessary financial approval,” the publication detailed.

The company must also “honor regulations on business practices such as the maintenance of minimum capital for soundness and the prevention of conflicts of interest and [has] a duty to explain to investors.”

As for Zeniex’s fund, an FSS official was quoted by Maeil saying, “It is the interpretation of the authorities that the fund must follow the investor protection system set out in the capital markets law as long as it is sold to domestic financial consumers.” However, the official admitted:

There is no way to check whether the platform is operating as claimed by Zeniex, because the financial authorities have no regulatory authority at present.

Zeniex had planned to launch its second fund this month. However, the company issued a statement on Monday stating that “The authorities are concerned that there is room for illegality,” adding that it “will completely cancel the launch of the second product because it could lead to misunderstandings of investors and regulators.” Local media then reported on Tuesday that Zeniex has canceled the launch of its second fund.

What do you think of South Korean regulators cracking down on unauthorized crypto funds? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Zeniex.

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UK Government Moots Ban on Cryptocurrency Derivatives

The U.K. government is considering a ban on cryptocurrency-linked derivative products. The Financial Conduct Authority said in a report on Oct. 29 that it will begin consultations on whether to ban the sale of derivatives based on digital coins like BTC as well as to restrict crypto-based contracts of difference to the public. Virtual currency futures and options will also be looked into, in discussions slated for the first quarter of 2019.

Also Read: Coincheck Reports Deepening Losses of $5.3 Million in Third Quarter

FCA Worried About Consumer Protection and Risk of Cryptocurrency-Related Illegal Activity

“Given concerns identified around consumer protection and market integrity in these markets, the FCA will consult on a prohibition of the sale to retail consumers of all derivatives referencing exchange tokens such as BTC, including CFDs, futures, options and transferable securities,” the financial watchdog said.

“The proposed prohibition would not cover derivatives referencing cryptoassets that qualify as securities,” it stated, in a report compiled by the Cryptoassets Taskforce, made up of the Bank of England, the FCA and the British Treasury. Contracts of differences on securities are to remain subject to the short-term restrictions of the European Security and Market Authority.

Whereas futures allow investors to pay for commodities or financial instruments to be delivered sometime in the future at a certain price, CFDs are basically financial derivatives that pay an investor the difference between the opening and closing price, in this case of a digital asset.

 Regulator Targets ‘Robust Response’

European regulators have complained that cryptocurrencies are risky, and repeatedly alleged that they help to fuel money laundering and terrorism while placing investor funds at the mercy of fraudsters. Their alarmist entreaties have ramped up pressure on governments to act, with many promulgating a series of regulations ostensibly to safeguard public funds and prevent the risk of financial instability.

The FCA, which has oversight of cryptocurrency derivatives because they are classified as financial instruments, rehashed similar concerns in its latest report. “The U.K. will not tolerate the use of cryptoassets in illicit activity, and the authorities will take strong action to address these risks by bringing all relevant firms into anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) regulation,” it warned.

The latest report comes hardly two months after some U.K. lawmakers, calling for regulation, likened the cryptocurrency market to the “Wild West.”

According to the taskforce, British authorities are developing a robust regulatory response that will address identified risks. It indicated that regulators will go significantly beyond the requirements set out in the EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5MLD), in the hope of delivering what it claimed to be “the most comprehensive responses globally to the use of cryptoassets for illicit activity.”

“The government will consult on its proposed actions in the new year, and will legislate during 2019 to give effect to this response,” the FCA detailed, adding that fiat-to-crypto exchange firms and custodian wallet providers will be brought within the scope of anti-money laundering regulation.

The Cryptoasset Taskforce was set up in April following concerns that the generally unregulated digital currency market is susceptible to fraud and manipulation, and can be used by criminals to expedite money laundering. This is despite clear evidence showing the legacy financial markets, led by central banks and credit card cartels, to be significantly more complicit in abetting such behavior.

What do you think about the potential ban on cryptocurrency derivatives in the U.K? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

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