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For android is very nice software name Delta u make your portfolio there and its alert you every hour if price changing u dont need to open it u just look on Push messages , for IOS have good soft too like Blockfolio. Very easy and smarty to use like that.
[2018-03-06] Bitcoin on Lightning Too Risky? Maybe Ice Cream Will Tempt You
I scream. You scream. Crypto screams for ice cream?
At least that's what three college students are hoping for in starting an ice-cream delivery service in San Francisco, one that will run solely on bitcoin's in-development Lightning Network at launch.
Dubbed Block and Jerry's, a play on the popular U.S. brand Ben and Jerry's, the service was created to give real consumers a reason to push forward the bleeding-edge payments technology - one that, after years of ideation, is just now beginning to see real testing and use.
"We think that this is a motivating factor to jump into bitcoin and start playing around with the Lightning Network and getting to understand it," Block and Jerry's co-founder Rob Durst told CoinDesk.
https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-lightning-risky-maybe-ice-cream-will-tempt/
At least that's what three college students are hoping for in starting an ice-cream delivery service in San Francisco, one that will run solely on bitcoin's in-development Lightning Network at launch.
Dubbed Block and Jerry's, a play on the popular U.S. brand Ben and Jerry's, the service was created to give real consumers a reason to push forward the bleeding-edge payments technology - one that, after years of ideation, is just now beginning to see real testing and use.
"We think that this is a motivating factor to jump into bitcoin and start playing around with the Lightning Network and getting to understand it," Block and Jerry's co-founder Rob Durst told CoinDesk.
https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-lightning-risky-maybe-ice-cream-will-tempt/
I heard that even with signed messages and other plenty of prooves people waiting for months for their accounts back. But it wouldn't hurt to post mine here as well:
1YVg4J6DLavUX6CjJAPMcNWDYY9RWVnKb
Thank you for this topic.
1YVg4J6DLavUX6CjJAPMcNWDYY9RWVnKb
Thank you for this topic.
quoted but please read how to sign your message !
-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hello today 6 of march my username on bitcointalk is miningfool and i want stick my btc wallet here forever
-----BEGIN SIGNATURE-----
1FcrhtRfVYku76PTj8dBXX8eK6kmf8BMJ1
IJpB+4Un/u4cjA2Qex3vlH2aA+RrykQoQyn2G7+lpx9iOPW0PLVm95rl+OstSh1jJjt5W9MAHfitMspsX75wiKo=
-----END BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
[2018-03-05] Major Blockchains Are Pretty Much Still Centralized, Research Finds
At the beach, they say, all your troubles melt away.
But that's not entirely the case for researchers who spent part of this week at the Financial Crypto 2018 conference on the Caribbean island of Curacao, discussing the decentralization of the two largest crypto protocols, bitcoin and ethereum - or where they're lacking in this regard.
Presented on March 2, a new paper, titled "Egalitarian Society or Benevolent Dictatorship: The State of Cryptocurrency Governance" by University College London researchers, delved into the topic further by measuring how many developers are contributing to and commenting on cryptocurrency codebases.
https://www.coindesk.com/major-blockchains-pretty-much-still-centralized-research-finds/
But that's not entirely the case for researchers who spent part of this week at the Financial Crypto 2018 conference on the Caribbean island of Curacao, discussing the decentralization of the two largest crypto protocols, bitcoin and ethereum - or where they're lacking in this regard.
Presented on March 2, a new paper, titled "Egalitarian Society or Benevolent Dictatorship: The State of Cryptocurrency Governance" by University College London researchers, delved into the topic further by measuring how many developers are contributing to and commenting on cryptocurrency codebases.
https://www.coindesk.com/major-blockchains-pretty-much-still-centralized-research-finds/
Very hard for bitcoin to make 15k and goes upper have tons of people who a ready to sell bitcoins for 12-13k and 14-15k itt will be very hard way to earn this wall and eat 15k and rise up 17 
Hope everything will be fine with bitcoin and we will take this and will go to new highs !
Hope everything will be fine with bitcoin and we will take this and will go to new highs !Белорусы конечно молодцы , что так делают и легализуют крипту , я конечно за то что они делают , но не факт , что это приведет к чему то хорошему т к думаю получится фигня какая то либо как в России , много слов а по факту нифига !
what point to hodl bitcoin ? i think its a bad idea . becose of becose very hard to make alot of profit now , we need alot of stupid money come to market to see new highs , untill that we will have flating 10k i think and above , i dont use btc at all , i like eth better becose its faster and cheaper
BTC - Once Wall Street Enters You will Wish You Owned More!
⭐ Merited by surfinonmyownwavebaby (1)
Overview:
We remain bullish on Bitcoin'.
Technical:
Bitcoin' did not retest the 9977 level (0.618 retrace) which is indicative that though sentiment may be bearish , Bitcoineers are not. Support held at the 10339 level and currently have engulfing candle on the 12 hour. This is often a strong signal for a bullish reversal and seeing it happened at the 0.382 retrace of the recent bull swing it provide additional confirmation that we are likely to move higher. 11k is a level that psychologically needs to be broken and held to move higher. What is interesting is the more information we get the stronger our longer term target becomes. The 1.618 extension of the previous move lands us right in the middle of our longer term target level at 13098. This is the area I am looking for a completion of the current wave count and an area for a sign of a reversal.
Sentiment:
Market sentiment is neutral which where we are starting to see many analysts that were calling for 3k,5k and now 8k, simply trying to make a square block fit in a round hole. I still own my positions that I bought at 13700 13400 and 9700 from before the crash. My cost average is around 12k. Patience and not giving into impulses prevented us from selling at lower levels as the doom and gloomers were calling for lower levels. We were never swayed, and though we had the selloff (in my opinion due to the derivatives meltdown as I wrote about weeks ago) kept to our longer term perspective of the market and are longer term target of 21k.
Fundamental:
Bitcoin' users are expected to reach 200 million by 2024 and we are adding about 1 million new addresses a month. Of the 23+ million addresses about 3% of these are actively used every day. Now Ethereum' has passed Bitcoin' in new addresses with over 27 million addresses, but even with more addresses they have less active addresses then bitcoin' on any given day. Over 1/3 less. Comparing transactions over 18 billion dollars is sent daily compared to less than 1.5 billion dollars for Ethereum'. As demand increases and supply is limited the price is headed in one direction. UP!
Interesting parallel with gold'. Only about 1-2% of Americans own physical gold'. However over 10% have exposure to gold' through ETFs and the derivatives market. Gold' like Bitcoin' is a pain to own physically. Once ETFs enter the array of investment products this will bring more money into those wanting to hold Bitcoin' but do not want to hassle with it. They want to go onto Ameritrade and click buy this ETF . Done! Once wall street gets involved if you do not own you will wish you did.
Closing:
The longer term technical perspective is still strong for Bitcoin' and so is the fundamental perspective. Though many are claiming bitcoin' is not good for cash transactions the market clearly thinks differently. People think that fees and speed are what will determine transactions. This is partially true but for large transactions Bitcoin' is still the preferred method of money transfer. Add to this many people like myself simply buy and hold bitcoin' and the future is bright.
Regardless of the naysayers the facts speak different tune. Yes if you are all crypto all the time, then sure you may like other alt coins better. But the main stream investor sees name recognition and is not going to pour their hard earned money into Reddcoin. Seriously. For the nickle and dimers this is fine, but large institutions want security and that is found in bitcoin' PERIOD!
https://www.tradingview.com/chart/BTCUSD/XLpcSdOu-BTC-Once-Wall-Street-Enters-You-will-Wish-You-Owned-More/
Bitcoin (BTC) passed above the $11,000 mark this morning, but is having a tough time holding on to the gains amid low trading volumes.
As of writing, CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index (BPI) had dropped slightly to $10,890 - up around 19 percent from the weekly low of $9,304.68, and 5 percent over the last 24 hours.
A look the individual markets on data site CoinMarketCap shows trading volume is highest in BTC/USDT (bitcoin-tether) pair listed on the cryptocurrency exchange OKEx. Further, three out of the top 10 exchanges by volume offer BTC/USDT. So, it appears investors are using tethers to trade bitcoin - perhaps due to the USD-pegged token's low volatility.
Meanwhile, 24-hour trading volume stands at $8.4 billion - the highest since Feb. 21. However, that number doesn't look particularly impressive when compared to the average daily trading volume of $13.4 billion seen in January and $13.2 billion seen around the price peak in December. Further, the 24-hour volume is largely unchanged from the February average daily volume of $8.25 billion.
While stagnant volumes are a cause for concern, the odds of a bullish inverse head-and-shoulders breakout have improved, price chart analysis indicates.
Daily chart (linear scale): Descending trendline breached
The descending trendline (drawn from the Dec. 17 high and Jan. 6 high) resistance has been breached, using the linear price scale (also known as arithmetic scale), signaling a bullish break.
Daily chart (log scale): Trendline resistance intact, BTC falls back below $11,000
On the above chart (prices as per Bitfinex), the descending trendline resistance shifts higher to around $11,600 due to the log price scale.
Since BTC has moved by a large percentage over the last year, log price scale is preferable as it plots two equal percent changes as the same vertical distance. So, regardless of where we are on the graph (at $2,000 or $20,000), a significant percentage move will always correspond to a significant visual change.
That said, a significant majority of investors use the linear scale and hence, it could be said that an upside break of the descending trendline occurred earlier this week.
Further, the bullish 5-day MA (moving average) and 10-day MA cross on this chart also favor the bulls, as does yesterday's close (as per UTC) above the 50-day moving average (MA). And, last but not least, the relative strength index (RSI) has moved higher, indicating scope for an upside move in BTC prices.
However, yesterday's price gains were not backed by strong volumes and the retreat from the intraday high of $11,189 to $10,900 seen today has neutralized the immediate bullish outlook.
View
A high volume break above $11,610 (inverse head-and-shoulders breakout) would open the doors for a rally to $17,000-$17,400.
Meanwhile, a drop below the descending trendline support of $10,000 (on the linear chart) would signal bullish invalidation.
Bearish scenario: As discussed yesterday, a daily close below $9,280.4 (Feb. 25 low) could yield a sell-off to $6,500-$6,000.
Chart image via Shutterstock
https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-struggles-to-stay-above-11000-amid-low-volumes/
As of writing, CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index (BPI) had dropped slightly to $10,890 - up around 19 percent from the weekly low of $9,304.68, and 5 percent over the last 24 hours.
A look the individual markets on data site CoinMarketCap shows trading volume is highest in BTC/USDT (bitcoin-tether) pair listed on the cryptocurrency exchange OKEx. Further, three out of the top 10 exchanges by volume offer BTC/USDT. So, it appears investors are using tethers to trade bitcoin - perhaps due to the USD-pegged token's low volatility.
Meanwhile, 24-hour trading volume stands at $8.4 billion - the highest since Feb. 21. However, that number doesn't look particularly impressive when compared to the average daily trading volume of $13.4 billion seen in January and $13.2 billion seen around the price peak in December. Further, the 24-hour volume is largely unchanged from the February average daily volume of $8.25 billion.
While stagnant volumes are a cause for concern, the odds of a bullish inverse head-and-shoulders breakout have improved, price chart analysis indicates.
Daily chart (linear scale): Descending trendline breached
The descending trendline (drawn from the Dec. 17 high and Jan. 6 high) resistance has been breached, using the linear price scale (also known as arithmetic scale), signaling a bullish break.
Daily chart (log scale): Trendline resistance intact, BTC falls back below $11,000
On the above chart (prices as per Bitfinex), the descending trendline resistance shifts higher to around $11,600 due to the log price scale.
Since BTC has moved by a large percentage over the last year, log price scale is preferable as it plots two equal percent changes as the same vertical distance. So, regardless of where we are on the graph (at $2,000 or $20,000), a significant percentage move will always correspond to a significant visual change.
That said, a significant majority of investors use the linear scale and hence, it could be said that an upside break of the descending trendline occurred earlier this week.
Further, the bullish 5-day MA (moving average) and 10-day MA cross on this chart also favor the bulls, as does yesterday's close (as per UTC) above the 50-day moving average (MA). And, last but not least, the relative strength index (RSI) has moved higher, indicating scope for an upside move in BTC prices.
However, yesterday's price gains were not backed by strong volumes and the retreat from the intraday high of $11,189 to $10,900 seen today has neutralized the immediate bullish outlook.
View
A high volume break above $11,610 (inverse head-and-shoulders breakout) would open the doors for a rally to $17,000-$17,400.
Meanwhile, a drop below the descending trendline support of $10,000 (on the linear chart) would signal bullish invalidation.
Bearish scenario: As discussed yesterday, a daily close below $9,280.4 (Feb. 25 low) could yield a sell-off to $6,500-$6,000.
Chart image via Shutterstock
https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-struggles-to-stay-above-11000-amid-low-volumes/
BTC moving near Downtrend Resistance, trying to Fix above it.
I show Daily and 3h timeframes.
Wait for price action in White circle.
Good luck with your trades!
Feel free to ask a questions.
https://www.tradingview.com/chart/XBTUSD/io2HEafZ-BITCOIN-Not-very-Bullish-Not-very-Bearish/
[2018-03-01] Square: Murky Crypto Accounting Rules Pose Risk
Square Inc. has identified another business risk for publicly traded companies that deal in cryptocurrencies: unclear accounting rules.
In its most recent annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the digital payments company wrote that Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the U.S. accounting standard for public companies, offers no specific guidance for cryptocurrencies. This makes it difficult for Square to know how to report its profits or losses from cryptocurrency transactions.
Moreover, the document suggested that auditors or regulators could disagree with how Square accounted for cryptocurrencies. The filing continued:
"The accounting can be complex and subject to challenge or scrutiny. The final conclusions on the accounting treatment for our cryptocurrency transactions could affect the presentation of our results of operations."
https://www.coindesk.com/square-says-murky-accounting-rules-crypto-pose-business-risk/
In its most recent annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the digital payments company wrote that Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the U.S. accounting standard for public companies, offers no specific guidance for cryptocurrencies. This makes it difficult for Square to know how to report its profits or losses from cryptocurrency transactions.
Moreover, the document suggested that auditors or regulators could disagree with how Square accounted for cryptocurrencies. The filing continued:
"The accounting can be complex and subject to challenge or scrutiny. The final conclusions on the accounting treatment for our cryptocurrency transactions could affect the presentation of our results of operations."
https://www.coindesk.com/square-says-murky-accounting-rules-crypto-pose-business-risk/
[2018-02-28]Rapper 50 Cent Denies He Is Bitcoin Millionaire At Bankruptcy Court
Curtis James Jackson III, known more commonly by his stage name 50 Cent, has denied that he made millions by selling an album for Bitcoin (BTC) in documents filed during his bankruptcy case, The Blast reported Monday, Feb. 26.
According to The Blast, TMZ falsely reported in January that he made 700 bitcoins by accepting them as payment for his album Animal Ambition in 2014. The Bitcoin fortune rumor was subsequently confirmed by 50 Cent on Instagram and a tweet which are no longer available. 50 Cent now acknowledges the reporting to be false.
The famous rapper originally filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2015 at the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut. While the case was settled in 2016, a court filing last week by Jacksons lawyers sought to clarify that 50 Cent, never owned, and does not own, a bitcoin account or any bitcoins.
According to court documents, 50 Cent actually did accept Bitcoin as payment for Animal Ambition, but it was converted to US dollars right away by a third party, Central Nervous, LLC. 50 Cent commented that rumors about his BTC holdings were favorable to [his] image or brand, even if the report is based on a misunderstanding of the facts.
The rapper added that as a matter of course, he will not deny any press coverage, be it true or false, so long as it helps enrich his public image and further his personal brand.
Jacksons bankruptcy case was the result of years of extravagant living, mismanaged wealth, and sometimes scandal. 50 Cent was prompted to file for bankruptcy following the loss of a $7 mln privacy lawsuit to the ex-girlfriend of a rival. The final payout for Jacksons bankruptcy case was $23 mln dollars.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/rapper-50-cent-denies-he-is-bitcoin-millionaire-at-bankruptcy-court
Рынок ICO продолжает развиваться стремительными темпами. За первые два месяца 2018 года с помощью этого метода финансирования было привлечено более $1,1 млрд., сообщает Insider.
Всего за январь и февраль было проведено 48 ICO. В пятерку крупнейших вошли: Envion (собрано $100 млн.), Neuromation ($71,7 млн.), Crypterium ($51,7 млн.), SwissBorg ($50 млн.), Lendroid ($47,5 млн.).
А крупнейшее в истории первичное размещение токенов еще только готовится: Telegram в ходе первого раунда ICO привлек 850 млн долларов от 81 частного инвестора и уже запустил второй раунд.
Эксперты ожидают, что если нынешний темп сохранится, то к концу года ICO суммарно привлекут более 7 млрд долларов. Для сравнения: за весь 2017-й год было собрано всего 3,88 млрд долларов.
https://happycoin.club/za-yanvar-fevral-ico-privlekli-bolee-1-1-mlrd/
[2018-02-28] хардфорк Bitcoin Private с поддержкой протокола zk-SNARK
В среду, 28 февраля, в сети биткоина состоится хардфорк Bitcoin Private (BTCP) с поддержкой протокола анонимности zk-SNARK на основе доказательства нулевого разглашения. Главной особенностью Bitcoin Private является то, что хардфорку одновременно подвергнется и ZClassic, форк анонимной криптовалюты ZCash. Об этом ForkLog сообщили представители майнингового пула btcprivate.pro.
Bitcoin Private станет первым форком, основанным сразу на двух блокчейнах, а PoW-алгоритм Equihash позволит добывать BTCP с помощью видеокарт.
Размер блока в сети составит 2Мб, а частота генерации новых блоков 2,5 минуты, при этом каждый будет содержать 12,5 BTCP. Необходимое количество блоков для подтверждения нового блока составляет 100. Одновременно с этим, 10 блоков необходимо на шилдинг и еще 10 на обратное возвращение с шилдинга, что обусловлено особенностями протокола zk-SNARK. Стоит отметить, что перерасчет сложности будет производиться после каждого найденного блока.
Монеты BTCP традиционно будут распределены в соотношении 1:1 между держателями биткоина и ZClassic.
Пока хардфорк Bitcoin Private поддержал мультивалютный кошелек Coinomi и две криптовалютные биржи: HitBTC и TradeSatoshi. Однако торговые пары с ZLC есть только в листинге второй.
На данный момент у проекта отсутствует официальный кошелек для ОС Windows, поэтому пользователи могут создать только холодный бумажный кошелек по ссылке, разработчики которого рекомендуют придерживаться всех правил безопасности в связи с недавней кражей средств пользователей MyBtgWallet.
Команда разработчиков насчитывает более 70 человек. Они уже обязались имплементировать защиту от повторного воспроизведения транзакций. Стоит отметить, что их фотографии, имена и ссылки на аккаунты в социальных сетях размещены на официальном сайте проекта.
Основателем и ведущим разработчиком является создатель ZClassic и WhaleCoin Ретт Крейтон.
Напомним, уже на этой неделе в сети Ethereum Classic может состояться хардфорк Callisto.
https://forklog.com/v-seti-bitkoina-sostoitsya-hardfork-bitcoin-private-s-podderzhkoj-protokola-zk-snark/
Bitcoin Private станет первым форком, основанным сразу на двух блокчейнах, а PoW-алгоритм Equihash позволит добывать BTCP с помощью видеокарт.
Размер блока в сети составит 2Мб, а частота генерации новых блоков 2,5 минуты, при этом каждый будет содержать 12,5 BTCP. Необходимое количество блоков для подтверждения нового блока составляет 100. Одновременно с этим, 10 блоков необходимо на шилдинг и еще 10 на обратное возвращение с шилдинга, что обусловлено особенностями протокола zk-SNARK. Стоит отметить, что перерасчет сложности будет производиться после каждого найденного блока.
Монеты BTCP традиционно будут распределены в соотношении 1:1 между держателями биткоина и ZClassic.
Пока хардфорк Bitcoin Private поддержал мультивалютный кошелек Coinomi и две криптовалютные биржи: HitBTC и TradeSatoshi. Однако торговые пары с ZLC есть только в листинге второй.
На данный момент у проекта отсутствует официальный кошелек для ОС Windows, поэтому пользователи могут создать только холодный бумажный кошелек по ссылке, разработчики которого рекомендуют придерживаться всех правил безопасности в связи с недавней кражей средств пользователей MyBtgWallet.
Команда разработчиков насчитывает более 70 человек. Они уже обязались имплементировать защиту от повторного воспроизведения транзакций. Стоит отметить, что их фотографии, имена и ссылки на аккаунты в социальных сетях размещены на официальном сайте проекта.
Основателем и ведущим разработчиком является создатель ZClassic и WhaleCoin Ретт Крейтон.
Напомним, уже на этой неделе в сети Ethereum Classic может состояться хардфорк Callisto.
https://forklog.com/v-seti-bitkoina-sostoitsya-hardfork-bitcoin-private-s-podderzhkoj-protokola-zk-snark/
[2018-02-27] Bitcoin.com - This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a Price
In crypto, as in life, everything comes with a price. You want free tokens airdropped to your wallet? Prepare to answer a bunch of questions and follow a bunch of social channels for the pleasure. You want cheap bitcoin transactions? Then the price you must pay is forgoing the network for all but essential transactions. Well be covering that contradiction in terms plus a whole lot more This Week in Bitcoin.
The Cryptoverse Never Sleeps
From bullish to bearish and cheerful to sad, a typical week in the crypto space encompasses it all. The stories coming from South Korea this week were decidedly mixed. The nations cryptocurrency exchanges have certainly been doing well; revenue is up 88x in just a year. That story was tempered, however, by the sad news of a cryptocurrency regulator found dead in his home, with stress believed to be an attributing cause.
If there is one overarching theme to the past week, however, its been the fact that transaction fees are ridiculously cheap. Were talking just over 1 satoshi per byte cheap. Some bitcoiners have been celebrating, but this cheer should be tempered with a dose of realism, for theres a reason why fees are so low: people have simply stopped spending bitcoin, whose daily transaction volume has dropped significantly over the last two months.
Algorithms Rule Everything Around Us
Censorship can take many forms. There are outright bans, and then theres the Facebook approach which is not to censor posts per se, but rather to render them effectively invisible so that no one sees them on their timeline. A recent change to Facebooks algorithm has caused brand pages to all but disappear from followers feeds. What has this got to do with crypto? Well, if you want to keep seeing posts of pages you like including news.Bitcoin.com heres what you have to do. The price for continuing to use Facebook is having the news you like buried beneath the baby photos you have to pretend to like.
This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a Price
Living Life on the Edge
This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a PriceMulti-asset wallet Edge went live this week, and its one of the most eagerly anticipated cryptocurrency apps in a long time. One of the cool things about the app, which is available on iOS and Android, is that it stores bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum, and ERC20 tokens. And because theres Shapeshift integration, its easy to swap between supported currencies. Like any new app, there are still a few bugs to be squished, and some Android users have reported issues with getting Edge wallet to run properly on their devices. Speaking of apps, Robinhood has now begun rolling out its crypto trading feature. Interest has been extremely high, but it will be interesting to see whether this transitions into actual usage on a scale that can give Coinbase a run for its money.
From the practical to the crazy, and the first of this weeks weird stories involves Zen Master Steven Seagal whos gone from being a pugnacious action star to the brand ambassador for an extremely dubious cryptocurrency called Bitcoiin with two Is. Nothing about this story makes much sense. Then again, neither does the story about people now tokenizing themselves, but apparently thats now a thing.
A Law Unto Themselves
One of the most commented stories from the past seven days concerns a California man who was arrested for selling just shy of 10 BTC. For this innocuous act hes been hit with a money laundering charge. ICE the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency were responsible for the mans arrest and subsequent indictment. You would expect regulatory agencies to be suspicious of bitcoin, but not institutional investors. Thats exactly how dinosaurs such as commodities trader Dennis Gartman feel about bitcoin however. Thankfully not everyone from his generation is as negative about all things crypto. Tim Draper put it best when asked if he would consider selling his bitcoin for fiat, replying Why would I sell the future for the past?
The Oil Backed Crypto Thats Backed by Nothing
Weve written a lot about the Petro over the last few months, and this week was no different as Venezuela finally got round to offloading it via a pre-sale. Trying to separate the facts from the government hype are never easy though, and thus Maduros claim to have sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tokens should be taken with a shovel of salt. Its also been pointed out that this supposedly oil-backed crypto is in fact backed by the monetary value of a barrel of oil in bolivars. In other words, the petro is backed by a big fat nothing. Oh, and at the last minute its switched from the ethereum blockchain to NEM. Allegedly.
This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a Price
And Finally
We resisted writing about IOTA this week, though suffice to say theyre still threatening to sue everything and everyone for having the temerity not to accede to their worldview. IOTA, with its free transactions, is another proof that everything has a price, which in this case includes missing coins, constant threats, black-listing, doxing, and litigation. Last time we checked in, Charles Hoskinson was offering to fund any security researchers who wind up sued by IOTA.
Finally, a word on the price of buying into that hot ICO you were shilled a ref link to: statistically speaking, theres a 46% chance the project will be dead in the water by this time next year. Just saying. Catch all the rest of this weeks top stories, broken down into bite-size chunks, on the This Week in Bitcoin podcast with your vivacious host Matt Aaron.
https://news.bitcoin.com/week-bitcoin-everything-price/
The Cryptoverse Never Sleeps
From bullish to bearish and cheerful to sad, a typical week in the crypto space encompasses it all. The stories coming from South Korea this week were decidedly mixed. The nations cryptocurrency exchanges have certainly been doing well; revenue is up 88x in just a year. That story was tempered, however, by the sad news of a cryptocurrency regulator found dead in his home, with stress believed to be an attributing cause.
If there is one overarching theme to the past week, however, its been the fact that transaction fees are ridiculously cheap. Were talking just over 1 satoshi per byte cheap. Some bitcoiners have been celebrating, but this cheer should be tempered with a dose of realism, for theres a reason why fees are so low: people have simply stopped spending bitcoin, whose daily transaction volume has dropped significantly over the last two months.
Algorithms Rule Everything Around Us
Censorship can take many forms. There are outright bans, and then theres the Facebook approach which is not to censor posts per se, but rather to render them effectively invisible so that no one sees them on their timeline. A recent change to Facebooks algorithm has caused brand pages to all but disappear from followers feeds. What has this got to do with crypto? Well, if you want to keep seeing posts of pages you like including news.Bitcoin.com heres what you have to do. The price for continuing to use Facebook is having the news you like buried beneath the baby photos you have to pretend to like.
This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a Price
Living Life on the Edge
This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a PriceMulti-asset wallet Edge went live this week, and its one of the most eagerly anticipated cryptocurrency apps in a long time. One of the cool things about the app, which is available on iOS and Android, is that it stores bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum, and ERC20 tokens. And because theres Shapeshift integration, its easy to swap between supported currencies. Like any new app, there are still a few bugs to be squished, and some Android users have reported issues with getting Edge wallet to run properly on their devices. Speaking of apps, Robinhood has now begun rolling out its crypto trading feature. Interest has been extremely high, but it will be interesting to see whether this transitions into actual usage on a scale that can give Coinbase a run for its money.
From the practical to the crazy, and the first of this weeks weird stories involves Zen Master Steven Seagal whos gone from being a pugnacious action star to the brand ambassador for an extremely dubious cryptocurrency called Bitcoiin with two Is. Nothing about this story makes much sense. Then again, neither does the story about people now tokenizing themselves, but apparently thats now a thing.
A Law Unto Themselves
One of the most commented stories from the past seven days concerns a California man who was arrested for selling just shy of 10 BTC. For this innocuous act hes been hit with a money laundering charge. ICE the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency were responsible for the mans arrest and subsequent indictment. You would expect regulatory agencies to be suspicious of bitcoin, but not institutional investors. Thats exactly how dinosaurs such as commodities trader Dennis Gartman feel about bitcoin however. Thankfully not everyone from his generation is as negative about all things crypto. Tim Draper put it best when asked if he would consider selling his bitcoin for fiat, replying Why would I sell the future for the past?
The Oil Backed Crypto Thats Backed by Nothing
Weve written a lot about the Petro over the last few months, and this week was no different as Venezuela finally got round to offloading it via a pre-sale. Trying to separate the facts from the government hype are never easy though, and thus Maduros claim to have sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tokens should be taken with a shovel of salt. Its also been pointed out that this supposedly oil-backed crypto is in fact backed by the monetary value of a barrel of oil in bolivars. In other words, the petro is backed by a big fat nothing. Oh, and at the last minute its switched from the ethereum blockchain to NEM. Allegedly.
This Week in Bitcoin: Everything Has a Price
And Finally
We resisted writing about IOTA this week, though suffice to say theyre still threatening to sue everything and everyone for having the temerity not to accede to their worldview. IOTA, with its free transactions, is another proof that everything has a price, which in this case includes missing coins, constant threats, black-listing, doxing, and litigation. Last time we checked in, Charles Hoskinson was offering to fund any security researchers who wind up sued by IOTA.
Finally, a word on the price of buying into that hot ICO you were shilled a ref link to: statistically speaking, theres a 46% chance the project will be dead in the water by this time next year. Just saying. Catch all the rest of this weeks top stories, broken down into bite-size chunks, on the This Week in Bitcoin podcast with your vivacious host Matt Aaron.
https://news.bitcoin.com/week-bitcoin-everything-price/
[2018-02-27]Bitcoin.com - Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital
Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck is reportedly considering a capital tie-up in order to regain the trust of crypto investors, following a recent hack where 58 billion yen worth of cryptocurrency was lost. As multiple victim groups are preparing to sue the exchange, the Tokyo police is also stepping up its investigations.
Also read: Indians Look to Buy Bitcoin Overseas as Regulations Tighten
Possible Capital Tie-Up
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public TrustThe Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck is reportedly considering a capital tie-up to strengthen its financial base and regain trust following a massive cryptocurrency theft from the exchange in a hacking incident about a month ago, Jiji Press reported, citing an informed source. The exchange lost 58 billion yen worth of the cryptocurrency NEM (~USD$544 million) on January 26.
The source told the publication:
There have emerged several possible partners, including an investment fund.
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public Trust
Coincheck CEO talking to the press.
An official in the crypto industry commented, Coinchecks customer base of over one million is fascinating. However, there are concerns that the exchange could lose its customers going forward as it still struggles to compensate victims. Investing in the company could involve great risks, an official at a financial institution elaborated.
Jiji Press reported on Monday that Coincheck expressed its eagerness to continue its business, adding that the company will strengthen its computer security system and information disclosure policy.
Three Victim Groups
It has been about a month since the hack and the prospect of Coincheck compensating roughly 260,000 customers and restarting its business are still uncertain, Sankei reported. While the exchange resumed yen withdrawals on February 13, crypto withdrawals have not resumed. In addition, Coincheck promised to repay customers approximately 46 million in yen, rather than in cryptocurrencies.
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public Trust
Coinchecks executives explaining about the hack.
On February 15, seven Coincheck customers filed a lawsuit at the Tokyo district court seeking the return of their cryptocurrencies, rather than Japanese yen. The plaintiffs are requesting their NEM and 12 other kinds of cryptocurrency, including bitcoin and ether, Business Insider Japan reported.
Another victim group was formed on February 22, and the third is also scheduled to be established, the news outlet added.
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public TrustEarlier this month, a meeting of Coincheck victims was held in Tokyo; approximately 35 users attended as well as three lawyers from the law firm Authense. An association of Coinchecks victims was also established at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Nikkei reported that the Tokyo police department of cybercrime is setting up a headquarters this week to investigate the hack. It will be staffed with 100 investigators, including those familiar with cryptocurrency technology.
Do you think Coincheck should partner with another company? Let us know in the comments section below.
https://news.bitcoin.com/hacked-japanese-exchange-capital-tie-up-to/
Also read: Indians Look to Buy Bitcoin Overseas as Regulations Tighten
Possible Capital Tie-Up
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public TrustThe Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck is reportedly considering a capital tie-up to strengthen its financial base and regain trust following a massive cryptocurrency theft from the exchange in a hacking incident about a month ago, Jiji Press reported, citing an informed source. The exchange lost 58 billion yen worth of the cryptocurrency NEM (~USD$544 million) on January 26.
The source told the publication:
There have emerged several possible partners, including an investment fund.
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public Trust
Coincheck CEO talking to the press.
An official in the crypto industry commented, Coinchecks customer base of over one million is fascinating. However, there are concerns that the exchange could lose its customers going forward as it still struggles to compensate victims. Investing in the company could involve great risks, an official at a financial institution elaborated.
Jiji Press reported on Monday that Coincheck expressed its eagerness to continue its business, adding that the company will strengthen its computer security system and information disclosure policy.
Three Victim Groups
It has been about a month since the hack and the prospect of Coincheck compensating roughly 260,000 customers and restarting its business are still uncertain, Sankei reported. While the exchange resumed yen withdrawals on February 13, crypto withdrawals have not resumed. In addition, Coincheck promised to repay customers approximately 46 million in yen, rather than in cryptocurrencies.
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public Trust
Coinchecks executives explaining about the hack.
On February 15, seven Coincheck customers filed a lawsuit at the Tokyo district court seeking the return of their cryptocurrencies, rather than Japanese yen. The plaintiffs are requesting their NEM and 12 other kinds of cryptocurrency, including bitcoin and ether, Business Insider Japan reported.
Another victim group was formed on February 22, and the third is also scheduled to be established, the news outlet added.
Hacked Japanese Exchange Considers Capital Tie-Up to Regain Public TrustEarlier this month, a meeting of Coincheck victims was held in Tokyo; approximately 35 users attended as well as three lawyers from the law firm Authense. An association of Coinchecks victims was also established at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Nikkei reported that the Tokyo police department of cybercrime is setting up a headquarters this week to investigate the hack. It will be staffed with 100 investigators, including those familiar with cryptocurrency technology.
Do you think Coincheck should partner with another company? Let us know in the comments section below.
https://news.bitcoin.com/hacked-japanese-exchange-capital-tie-up-to/
[2018-02-25]btcmagazine - Riot Blockchain Gets Hit by Another Shareholder Lawsui
After changing its name to Riot Blockchain in October to include the word blockchain, the public company watched its stock skyrocket from $8 a share to more than $38 during a cryptocurrency rally at the beginning of the year.
The first significant problem was the company did not have any real focus on blockchain technology. Before October, Riot was known as Bioptix, a maker of diagnostic machinery for the biotech industry. The company also changed its ticker symbol to RIOT from BIOP.
Another problem was that key shareholder Barry Honig got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, selling off a big stake of his shares at $38 per share after the name change.
On February 22, 2018, law firm Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announced it was filing a class-action lawsuit against Riot. The complaint charges Riot, along with Honig and company CEO John ORourke and CFO Jeffrey McGonegal, with securities violations.
Specifically, the charges claim that despite its lack of blockchain expertise, Riot changed its name to generate investor enthusiasm to further an insider scheme that would allow Riots controlling shareholders to dump their stocks at grossly inflated prices.
At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Riot and its principals, charging them with securities violations and false and misleading statements.
These lawsuits follow a scathing investigation into Riot by CNBC on February 16, 2018, that raised questions about the companys business model and Honig. In the wake of that report, shares tumbled 33 percent to $11.46. It is likely these class-action lawsuits may be the first of many to come against Riot.
Shady Activities
On October 4, 2017, Riot adopted its new name and headed off in a radical new business direction, announcing it was going to invest in and operate blockchain technologies with a focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum. The company had no previous business in blockchain technology, yet in press releases, Riot portrayed itself as a seasoned player in the space.
At Riot Blockchain, our team has the insight and network to effectively grow and develop blockchain assets, said Riots then-CEO, Michael Beeghley, in a statement at the time.
The company has a history of questionable activities. In December, Riot began purchasing cryptocurrency mining equipment. But rather than purchasing from the manufacturer or other suppliers, the company paid more than $11 million for equipment worth only $2 million by purchasing it through a newly formed shell entity.
Honig is also charged with exercising outside influence over the companys business operations. Beginning in April 2016, long before the company changed its name to Riot, Honig began purchasing shares in the company. By December 2016, he had become the companys largest shareholder, owning more than 11 percent of the company. He used that influence to nominate several new directors to the board, including ORourke.
In addition to insider selling after the name change, other worrying signs about the company included: Riot lost two auditing firms in just one year, and two annual stockholder meetings were postponed at the last minute. Also, some of Riots business deals involved investors who had worked on similar deals together in the past, raising questions about the companys governance.
All Aboard
Riot is not the only company to have jumped onboard the rename-your-company blockchain bandwagon. Several other companies have also rewritten their names to cash in on the blockchain and cryptocurrency craze.
In December, the Long Island Iced Tea Corporation, a New Yorkbased company that makes iced tea, rebranded itself as Long Blockchain. Its company shares rose 300 percent as a result. In January, legacy photography company Kodak announced the launch of KODAKCoin, a photo-centric cryptocurrency for photographers, and its stock went up 80 percent within hours.
Lawsuits like the ones now piling up against Riot stand as a reminder that a name change is not enough a company needs real blockchain experience and technology and a solid business plan behind it before adding blockchain to its name.
source link - https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/riot-blockchain-gets-hit-another-shareholder-lawsuit/
The first significant problem was the company did not have any real focus on blockchain technology. Before October, Riot was known as Bioptix, a maker of diagnostic machinery for the biotech industry. The company also changed its ticker symbol to RIOT from BIOP.
Another problem was that key shareholder Barry Honig got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, selling off a big stake of his shares at $38 per share after the name change.
On February 22, 2018, law firm Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announced it was filing a class-action lawsuit against Riot. The complaint charges Riot, along with Honig and company CEO John ORourke and CFO Jeffrey McGonegal, with securities violations.
Specifically, the charges claim that despite its lack of blockchain expertise, Riot changed its name to generate investor enthusiasm to further an insider scheme that would allow Riots controlling shareholders to dump their stocks at grossly inflated prices.
At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Riot and its principals, charging them with securities violations and false and misleading statements.
These lawsuits follow a scathing investigation into Riot by CNBC on February 16, 2018, that raised questions about the companys business model and Honig. In the wake of that report, shares tumbled 33 percent to $11.46. It is likely these class-action lawsuits may be the first of many to come against Riot.
Shady Activities
On October 4, 2017, Riot adopted its new name and headed off in a radical new business direction, announcing it was going to invest in and operate blockchain technologies with a focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum. The company had no previous business in blockchain technology, yet in press releases, Riot portrayed itself as a seasoned player in the space.
At Riot Blockchain, our team has the insight and network to effectively grow and develop blockchain assets, said Riots then-CEO, Michael Beeghley, in a statement at the time.
The company has a history of questionable activities. In December, Riot began purchasing cryptocurrency mining equipment. But rather than purchasing from the manufacturer or other suppliers, the company paid more than $11 million for equipment worth only $2 million by purchasing it through a newly formed shell entity.
Honig is also charged with exercising outside influence over the companys business operations. Beginning in April 2016, long before the company changed its name to Riot, Honig began purchasing shares in the company. By December 2016, he had become the companys largest shareholder, owning more than 11 percent of the company. He used that influence to nominate several new directors to the board, including ORourke.
In addition to insider selling after the name change, other worrying signs about the company included: Riot lost two auditing firms in just one year, and two annual stockholder meetings were postponed at the last minute. Also, some of Riots business deals involved investors who had worked on similar deals together in the past, raising questions about the companys governance.
All Aboard
Riot is not the only company to have jumped onboard the rename-your-company blockchain bandwagon. Several other companies have also rewritten their names to cash in on the blockchain and cryptocurrency craze.
In December, the Long Island Iced Tea Corporation, a New Yorkbased company that makes iced tea, rebranded itself as Long Blockchain. Its company shares rose 300 percent as a result. In January, legacy photography company Kodak announced the launch of KODAKCoin, a photo-centric cryptocurrency for photographers, and its stock went up 80 percent within hours.
Lawsuits like the ones now piling up against Riot stand as a reminder that a name change is not enough a company needs real blockchain experience and technology and a solid business plan behind it before adding blockchain to its name.
source link - https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/riot-blockchain-gets-hit-another-shareholder-lawsuit/