roadrunner

Cryptocurrency exchange operator Diginex has announced the start of its listing and trading on Nasdaq. Digital assets financial services company Diginex Limited announced on Thursday that it has completed a business transaction with 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company, which allows it to list and trade on Nasdaq. The company details: Diginex Limited will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ‘EQOS’ where it will offer investors the opportunity to participate in the growth of digital assets. The announcement adds that the company’s warrants will trade under the ticker symbol EQOSW. “This is a watershed moment for both Diginex and the cryptocurrency industry with the listing of the first-ever company with a crypto exchange on Nasdaq,” Diginex CEO Richard Byworth commented. “This also presents the first opportunity for anyone trading in the US capital markets to buy directly into the equity of a digital asset ecosystem and opens the door for financial institutions to participate in the enormous opportunity that digital assets present.” The Diginex group includes cryptocurrency exchange Equos.io, digital asset trading technology platform Diginex Access, digital asset custody provider Digivault, and the investment management business Bletchley Park Asset Management. The Equos.io exchange claims to be “regulatory-focused” with features such as segregation of duties, portfolio margining, and cross-collateralization. The exchange was launched in July, ahead of the transaction with 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp., as news.Bitcoin.com previously reported. What do you think about crypto exchanges listing on Nasdaq? Let us know in the comments section below. The post Cryptocurrency Exchange Operator Diginex Begins Trading on Nasdaq appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The Bitcoin network has achieved a few new milestones during the last week, as the price has remained above the $10k range for a record 66 consecutive days. Meanwhile, the network has surpassed 18.5 million bitcoin issued, as the global hashrate coasts along at an all-time high of 140 exahash per second (EH/s). As of today, October 1, 2020, bitcoin (BTC) has closed above the $10,000 price range for 66 straight days. The last time BTC saw the price stay above $10k consecutively was on December 1, 2017, when the crypto asset posted a record 62-day streak. Coin market capitalization web portals show there are over 7,000 digital assets in existence and BTC’s overall market valuation represents 57% of the $350 billion aggregate total. Statistics show BTC is down over -8% during the last 30 days, but up +20% for the last 90 days and up +29.7% against the USD in 12 months. The 66-day streak above $10k has also seen some higher prices as the top digital asset topped $12.5k within the timespan. The streak only counts the day’s closing prices, as BTC had dropped below the $10k region on September 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th to the $9,800 range. Despite managing to drag the BTC price below $10k, all of these instances saw the crypto asset close the day above the psychological price point. Meanwhile, BTC touched another milestone this week, as miners have minted over 88% of all the BTC that will ever circulate. Bitcoin’s current money supply or the number of coins in circulation today is 18,504,918 BTC at 9:30 a.m. EST on October 1st. Currently, the BTC issuance rate or inflation rate is around 2.9% after dropping from 3.6% measured at the end of February 2020. In the midst of the 66-day streak and over 88% of the BTC supply being issued, the Bitcoin network hashrate has been higher than ever. At the time of publication, BTC’s overall SHA256 hashrate is riding above the 140 exahash per second range (EH/s). Today there are 18 publicly known mining operations hashing away at the BTC chain and the mining pool Btc.com captures over 16% of the network hashrate. This is followed by mining operation F2pool (14.15 %), Poolin (12.44 %), Huobi (10.24 %), Antpool (9.51 %), and Viabtc (6.83 %) respectively. Today, BTC has been trading between $10,500 to $10,850 with an aggregate market cap of over $190 billion. Bitcoin’s price slid during the mid-afternoon (EST) trading sessions on Thursday by 4%. Bitcoin enthusiasts, traders, and speculators now wonder how long the current $10k streak will last. What do you think about bitcoin’s 66-day $10k streak? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. The post Bitcoin Posts a 66-Day Consecutive Streak Above the $10K Price Range appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

A US court has ruled in favour of the US SEC after the regulator’s filing of a motion seeking summary judgment against Kik for violating the country securities laws. Kik, which raised $100 million from 2017 ICO, had filed its own motion of summary judgment but the court refused to grant this. In his judgment, US District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein agrees with the US SEC’s contention saying “undisputed facts show that Kik offered and sold securities without a registration statement or exemption from registration, in violation of Section 5.” In a suit filed on June 4 2019, the SEC sought the court’s relief “in the form of an injunction barring Kik from violating Section 5(a) and Section(c) of Securities Act, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and financial penalties.” On the other hand, Kik, which raised $50 million on the last day of a its pre-sale (September 11, 2017), filed a Form D with the SEC claiming this particular fundraising was exempt. In denying the allegations, Kik asserts “as an affirmative defence that the definition of an ‘investment contract’ is void for vagueness as applied to Kik.” Still, the court ruled against it and subsequently ordered both parties “to jointly submit a proposed judgment for injunctive and monetary relief.” Salt’s 2017 ICO Also Found to Violate the Securities Act Meanwhile, in a different case, the SEC has secured an undertaking by Salt Lending Inc to reimburse investors that participated in the June 2017 token offering that raised $47 million. The regulator had similarly charged that Salt “violated Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act by offering and selling these securities without having a registration statement filed.” However, “in anticipation of the institution of these proceedings,” Salt Lending Inc instead submitted an Offer of Settlement which the Commission has determined to accept.” Meanwhile, the US regulator explains in the cease and desist order why it accepted Salt Lending Inc’s offer: “In determining to accept the Offer, the Commission considered remedial acts undertaken by Respondent, including the fact that Salt returned several million dollars to investors and cooperation afforded to the Commission staff.” Still, Salt Lending Inc is expected to issue a press release that notifies the public about the cease and desist order. In addition, the company must register the tokens as a class of securities. More importantly, the company must inform “all persons and entities that purchased Salt Tokens from Respondent before and including December 31, 2019, of their potential claims under Section 12(a) of the Securities Act.” The order concludes: Respondent shall, within ten (10) days of the entry of this Order, pay a civil money penalty in the amount of $250,000 to the Commission for transfer to the general fund of the United States Treasury, subject to Exchange Act Section 21F(g)(2). If timely payment is not made, additional interest shall accrue pursuant to 31 U.S.C. §3717. Meanwhile, the SEC is expected to continue enforcing provisions of the Securities Act retrospectively as it seeks to assert its position. However, it remains to be seen if the regulator can successfully enforce the provisions of the law with respect to Defi tokens. What do you think the SEC’s latest judgments? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. The post ICO Aftermath: US Rules in Favour of SEC in $100M KIK Case – SALT to Reimburse Claimants From 2017 ICO appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

With the US dollar facing headwinds, notably the coronavirus pandemic and an upcoming presidential election that could be among the most contentious in recent memory, gold has taken over as the preferred store of value for many investors. The price of the yellow metal has soared by more than 30% this year and recently surpassed an all-time high of $2,000 an ounce, as investors once again responded to market volatility by turning to the most trusted and longest-serving safe haven asset. Accessibility, however, continues to be a problem for gold as an asset class. Adding gold to a portfolio presents well documented logistical challenges, primarily the cost of storage and difficulty of transfer, which can discourage or exclude investors. Various blockchain-backed projects have attempted to address these obstacles, but many have failed due to their reliance on a centralized process which involved the issuer minting tokens on their own platform. This model created a single point of failure risk because users had to trust the issuer to hold the correct quantity of underlying gold. In 2017, Aurus Technologies identified the need for a decentralized solution to this problem. The firm subsequently developed an open-ended blockchain platform which allows various stakeholders in the gold industry to independently mint their own gold-backed tokens, known as AurusGOLD (AWG). Each AWG token is redeemable for one gram of 99.99% gold sourced from LBMA-accredited refineries, held in independent vaults around the world. Direct Bullion was the first broker to participate in the Aurus ecosystem, tokenizing five kilograms in late 2019. AurusGOLD Card and the accompanying mobile app. In addition to making ownership of gold more accessible, AWG also functions as a viable currency through the use of the firm’s newly launched AurusGOLD Card. It meets the three core criteria of a currency – the tokens allow it to be used as a medium of exchange, and it benefits from gold’s function as a store of value and unit of account. An inflation-hedged currency could prove valuable in the coming months and years following the unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus launched to offset the economic impact of the pandemic. The ecosystem’s revenue-sharing model encourages gold providers and vaults to mint AurusGOLD tokens, as they earn an equal share of 30% of the revenues generated from the usage of AWG, through its transaction and storage fees. The other 70% of generated revenue is distributed to holders of a secondary token called AurusCOIN (AWX) which presents a unique investment opportunity in the entire Aurus ecosystem. The Aurus team has a strong track record in the blockchain, commodities and financial sectors. Managing Director Guido van Stijn has held senior positions in commodity brokerages, he sits on the board of a major Latin American NGO and has advised Dutch banks and pension funds about leveraging blockchain technology. The firm has also carefully recruited highly experienced non-executive directors, including a former board member of a regulated gold trader, a former director of the UK’s biggest gold refinery and a former CEO of SPDR Gold Shares, provider of the world’s largest gold ETF. You can read more about them here. Investing in the Aurus ecosystem Returning to the investment opportunity – AurusCOIN (AWX) gives investors a stake in the Aurus ecosystem by delivering a regular revenue stream paid in AWG. Thereby making it one of the first instruments to generate a dividend for gold investors. From the total supply of thirty million AWX tokens, Aurus is now offering institutional and sophisticated investors access to a maximum of five million AWX in an effort to raise $12,500,000. The first tranche of one million AWX is already on sale at a price of $2.50 per token. Aurus will use the funds to develop and expand the ecosystem. The primary goal is to boost AWG’s market capitalization to $10 million and daily traded volume to $300,000 by the end of the first quarter of 2021. The firm also plans to add more gold providers and vaulting partners to further increase the decentralization of the Aurus ecosystem, as well as introducing new distribution channels and other commodity backed tokens. Aurus is playing a critical role in the democratization of the gold market. AurusGOLD (AWG) gives holders the chance to trade as little as a few cents worth of the precious yellow metal, and it functions as a sustainable and globally viable currency. Investing in AurusCOIN (AWX) not only supports the launch of this new product in one of the world’s oldest industries, but it also provides valuable portfolio diversification and a passive revenue stream in the form of gold delivered by an innovative asset class. For a copy of the Investor Brochure, click here. Watch the Aurus video Visit Aurus.io This is a 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 Aurus Disrupts the Gold Industry – Today Its Ecosystem Lists at a Value of $75m appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro says the country is to start using cryptocurrency in both domestic and global trade, as part of efforts to neutralize crippling U.S. economic sanctions. Speaking in the country’s parliament on Sept. 29, Maduro revealed that the move will “give new strength to the use of petro and other cryptocurrencies, national and global, in domestic and foreign trade…” The country has already been trying to use its national crypto, the petro, for this purpose but without much success. Maduro was delivering an anti-sanctions law aimed at spurring economic and social development, both paralyzed by U.S. sanctions. The blockade has also throttled Venezuela’s trade relations with much of the world, where the U.S. dollar still dominates. Now, the oil-rich South American country has set its sights on virtual currency. Venezuela, the world’s sixth largest oil producer, is hoping to leverage cryptocurrencies to compensate for the squeeze in petrodollars arising from the economic sanctions. Bloomberg quoted Maduro as saying: The finance minister and Venezuela’s central bank have new instruments which we will activate very soon so that everyone can do banking transactions, as well as national and international payments through the central bank’s accounts. Venezuela is working within the cryptocurrency world. Excoriated by the West, the leftist Venezuelan leader thundered: “Donald Trump and his sanctions are blocking Venezuela from carrying out transactions in any of the world’s banks. There’s other formulas to pay, and it’s what we’re using, because our payment system works perfectly in China and Russia.” According to the Bloomberg report, the central bank of Venezuela is formally testing whether it can hold crypto in its reserves. The immediate targets include bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH). Both assets have been requested by state-run Petroleos de Venezuela SA. The oil company wants to send BTC and ETH to the central bank and then have it pay the firm’s suppliers with the coins, says the report. Venezuela’s deepening economic crisis has led to a massive adoption of cryptocurrency, with more than $8 million worth of bitcoin traded peer-to-peer each week, Coindance data shows. The government recently signed a new tax agreement that enabled it to start collecting taxes and fees in the petro. What do you think about Venezuela turning to crypto in international trade? Let us know in the comments section below. The post Venezuela To Start Using Cryptocurrency in Global Trade in Efforts To Fend off U.S. Sanctions appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

American economist and former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, Stephen Roach said on Sunday that he believes the U.S. dollar will “crash faster and harder.” Roach said similar statements during an interview back in June, and his latest commentary stresses that people should “expect the dollar to plunge by as much as 35 percent next year.” Stephen Roach is a well known American economist as he worked as chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and he also advised as the company’s chief economist as well. Roach currently serves as a senior fellow at Yale University and he’s been discussing the American economy regularly during the last few months. Last June, news.Bitcoin.com reported on Roach’s interview with CNBC when he explained a number of reasons as to why he predicts a “dollar crash.” On Sunday, Roach published an editorial that bolsters his current opinion concerning a dollar crash and the economist emphasized that the USD has “entered the early stages of what looks to be a sharp descent.” The economist noted that the U.S. dollar index has slumped by 4.3% after it benefited by 7% when there was a flight to cash in February. Despite what Roach calls a “modest correction” the former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman said, “the dollar remains the most overvalued major currency in the world.” Roach expects the USD index to slide by as much as 35% in 2021 for a number of reasons. “I continue to expect this broad dollar index to plunge by as much as 35 percent,” Roach says in a newly written editorial. “This reflects three considerations: the rapid deterioration in macroeconomic imbalances in the United States, the ascendancy of the euro and renminbi as alternatives, and the end of the aura of American exceptionalism that has given the dollar Teflon-like resilience for most of the post-World War II era,” he added. Roach noted this past June in a prior opinion editorial that digital currencies like bitcoin and gold could possibly benefit from the massive dollar downturn. However, the two free-market assets may not see a significant boon from the major fiat adjustments, Roach highlighted at the time. “Although cryptocurrencies and gold should benefit from dollar weakness, these markets are too small to absorb major adjustments in world foreign-exchange markets where daily turnover runs around $6.6 trillion,” Roach said. The famed economist wrote on Sunday that it’s “no secret” what caused the unprecedented savings collapse in 2020. Moreover, the coronavirus outbreak “has been more than outweighed by a record expansion in the federal budget deficit.” In Roach’s opinion, this is just the beginning of the USD’s deterioration, and “the savings plunge is only a hint of what lies ahead.” “The vice is tightening on a still-overvalued dollar,” Roach concludes. “Domestic savings are plunging as never before, and the current-account balance is following suit. Don’t expect the Fed, focused more on supporting equity and bond markets than on leaning against inflation, to save the day. The dollar’s decline has only just begun.” What do you think about Stephen Roach’s opinion about the dollar collapse? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. The post American Economist Stephen Roach: ‘U.S. Dollar in the Early Stages of Sharp Decent’ appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Aspire (ASP) is the first digital asset creation platform to resist both mining exploits and 51 percent attacks common to proof-of-work blockchains. Its fees are a tiny fraction of creating assets on Ethereum or other platforms due to its innovative Aspire Gas (GASP) blockchain Both tokens will be introduced with BTC and USDT trading pairs, with more pairs to follow in the short-term. Bitcoin.com Exchange is thrilled to announce the upcoming listing of two new digital assets: Aspire (ASP) and Aspire Gas (GASP) on the 30th of September 2020 at 10:00 UTC. Both tokens were created by Aspire Technology, under the leadership of core developer Jim Blasko, a proof-of-work innovator since 2012. What is Aspire Technology? Aspire Technology is a leading developer of digital asset creation technologies. It was incubated by the bCommerce Labs accelerator fund and other angel investors. The Aspire platform, which consists of the Aspire (ASP) digital asset creation platform and Aspire Gas (GASP) blockchain, is the first digital asset creation platform to resist both mining exploits and 51 percent attacks that are common to proof-of-work blockchains. The Aspire platform improves upon the standard Counterparty open-source code, but grafts in an automated checkpoint server to prevent 51 percent attacks that have caused many other blockchains to be attacked and lose funds. Aspire is also not subject to miner attacks. Many other platforms have suffered one of these two common exploits that Aspire is immune from. Why should one choose ASP & GASP? Aspire (ASP) improves on speed, cost, and security for creating both fungible and non-fungible (NFT) tokens. It allows professional developers and hobbyists alike to create extensive digital assets involving up to 92 billion tokens per asset, as well as unlimited sub-assets, with no programming experience required, for about a dollar per asset. Aspire Gas (GASP) powers Aspire transactions for thousandths of a penny per transaction. Cost Effective Asset Transactions Aspire uses very small fractions of GASP for all transactions of digital tokens/assets sent on the Aspire network. gAsp currently charges 1 satoshi per byte when creating a transaction. These low fees allow for thousands of transactions with a single GASP, thus creating an extremely cost-effective way for sending small or large amounts of assets/tokens. Aspire is far more affordable than Counterparty, Maidsafe, Omni, Ethereum, Ravencoin, NEO, or any other digital asset platform. Speed The gAsp core and its increased speed allows for secure confirmations that average about 2 minutes, which is 5x faster than Counterparty or Bitcoin. The gAsp’s core is built on PoW (Proof Of Work) via scrypt mining and is designed for processing all of Aspire’s transactions onto one secure blockchain. All transactions of digital assets created on Aspire will always confirm at least 4x faster than Bitcoin’s 10 minute block time. Security By implementing advanced checkpoints into gAsp’s core, Aspire assets will be free of double spending, 51% attacks, and hostile takeovers of the blockchain. This is a first in asset creation platforms and gives Aspire the ultimate protection from malicious attacks. On Aspire, anyone can create assets at an extremely low price and in under two minutes. Currently the cost to do this is 10 Aspire coins (ASP), which are currently offered for free for a limited time through the Aspire bounty program. In addition, Aspire is 5x faster than Bitcoin. One Aspire Gas coin (GASP) allows more than 300,000 transactions of any asset created on Aspire. Strong Endorsement Danish Chaudhry, Head of Bitcoin.com Exchange, shared his views on the Aspire platform and what he’s looking forward to most in the relationship: “I’ve followed the team behind Aspire, and the platform upon launch for quite some time now. It is an incredible platform, not only because of its speed, but the core technology implemented. The focus and dedication given in this project is unparalleled, and their all-star team is by far one of the strongest in the industry. Excited to welcome ASP and GASP into our ranks.” Jim Blasko, CEO and Co-Founder of Aspire, added: “We are very proud that Bitcoin.com will be the first exchange to take on trading pairs for GASP and ASP, the native cryptos of the Aspire platform. By working with Bitcoin.com, Aspire and its amazing asset creation tools now fall into the hands of millions of new users. Our goal was to make crypto asset creation better in every way possible for the user, and this partnership is another stepping stone in the natural organic growth of Aspire. Today’s milestone ensures that future assets created on Aspire can be supported via Bitcoin.com’s exchange.” Michael Terpin, Co-Founder and Chairman of Aspire also added: “Ordinary consumers will drive the next massive wave of crypto adoption, just as they did in the second decade of the web. Aspire is poised to become the leading digital asset creation platform globally by combining ease of use with high speed and near-zero fees. We believe in the very near future, most people will have dozens of digital assets they interact with regularly.” About Bitcoin.com Exchange The mission of Bitcoin.com Exchange is to empower people from all over the world to trade cryptocurrencies with ease and confidence, from first-time traders to advanced trading professionals. With high liquidity, 24/7 multilingual support and dozens of trading pairs, complemented with a high level of security, we offer an attractive platform for trading any cryptocurrency. Within one year since launch, on average, our exchange has been visited by more than 500K active traders per month, and this number continues to grow as you read this sentence. About Aspire Technology and the Aspire platform Aspire Technology is a leading developer of digital asset creation technologies. It was incubated from the bCommerce Labs accelerator fund and other angel investors. The Aspire platform, which consists of the Aspire (ASP) digital asset creation platform and Aspire Gas (GASP) blockchain, is the first digital asset creation platform to resist both mining exploits and 51 percent attacks that are common to proof-of-work blockchains. For more information, contact info@aspirecrypto.com. Bitcoin.com Exchange Contact: antonio@bitcoin.com Aspire Contact: Transform Group, aspire@transformgroup.com This is a 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 Bitcoin.com Exchange to List Aspire and Aspire Gas as Newest Digital Asset Creation Platform Comes to Market appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The Gibraltar Stock Exchange said Tuesday that it listed a new bitcoin fund belonging to 3iQ Corp, a Canadian investment fund manager that focuses on new technologies and crypto assets. The announcement follows GSX Group’s recent launch of what it calls the Grid, “a venue to create and deploy debt securities, funds, and equities as ‘smart securities’ in tokenised form”. GSX is the parent company of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange. According to the exchange, the newly listed fund tracks the price of bitcoin by using a special index feed, which was developed by crypto market data provider Cryptocompare and Vaneck Europe, an asset management firm. 3iQ’s regulated BTC fund is already being traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange since April, but this is the first time it will be entering European shores. The exchange-traded fund aims to provide retail investors with “access to bitcoin without the burden of buying and safekeeping coins,” said the company in a statement shared with news.Bitcoin.com. U.S. crypto exchange Gemini is providing custody to the bitcoin held in the fund. 3iQ already manages two private investment funds: 3iQ bitcoin trust and the 3iQ global crypto asset fund. Nick Cowan, chief executive officer of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange, noted that the listing of “innovative asset classes” such as the bitcoin ETF will “in turn lead to increased adoption”. Fred Pye, president, and CEO of 3iQ said the Gibraltar listing gives financial players such as sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, which face restrictions in buying licensed, regulated exchange-listed products, access to those instruments. He added: Being listed on the Gibraltar Stock Exchange extends the reach of the bitcoin fund within the burgeoning European digital assets market. Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory on Spain’s south coast, has emerged as one of the most crypto-friendly countries in the world, with notable global platforms such as Etoro, Huobi, Xapo, and Bitso operating from there. Two weeks ago, the country’s Financial Services Commission updated its guidance notes for distributed ledger technology providers to include recommendations for risk management, as well as clarify aspects around the issuance of digital assets. What do you think about the 3iQ bitcoin fund being listed in Europe? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. The post Canadian Firm 3iQ’s Bitcoin Fund Listed on Gibraltar Stock Exchange appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

It is looking like good times in the retail industry as BuySellVouchers gives a solution that allows users of the platform to shop in the most popular retail chains with cryptocurrency. The innovative solution from one of the leading online marketplaces for digital goods allows shoppers to purchase gift cards of major retail shops using different digital currencies. The emergence of digital currency has practically disrupted the financial system, with its unique features and benefits endearing it to millions of people across the globe. While the retail industry has evolved over the years to embrace innovations that provide customers with the best possible shopping experience, many large retail chains seem to be taking too much time in adopting the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. Consequently, crypto enthusiasts and users of different digital currencies are underserved, which is where BuySellVouchers is looking to make a difference offering digital currencies as payment option. BuySellVouchers is providing an opportunity for shoppers to buy gift cards with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from major retail outlets such as eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Ikea, Target, App Store, Google Play, Starbucks, Uber, Microsoft Windows, Netflix, Ikea, Airbnb, Spotify, and Sephora. The gift cards and vouchers e-marketplace allows users to purchase gift cards of these major retailers using their desired cryptocurrency. It shall be noted that the BuySellVouchers e-marketplace not only makes it possible to buy digital goods but also enables to cash out gift cards for cryptocurrency. The cryptocurrencies currently supported on the platform include AdvCash, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether ERC20 (USDT), Perfect Money, WebMoney, and TokenBS USD. BuySellVouchers has also announced plans to add more digital currencies to cater to the diverse needs of shoppers across the globe. The recent move by BuySellVouchers is in line with the platform’s goal of bringing the best possible shopping experience to customers. The online marketplace for gift cards and vouchers has become increasingly popular since it was created in 2012, bringing together the buyers and sellers of digital goods. The user-friendly platform allows buyers to enjoy the use of discounted gift cards while sellers can sell gift cards for cash with no commission. The major advantage of BuySellVouchers, which has stood it out over the years, is the amazing discount opportunity that buyers of gift cards get when buying goods in their favourite store, with most gift cards and vouchers sold for prices lower than their value. BuySellVouchers e-market remains the ideal platform for persons interested in the best gift cards deals 24/7. For more information about BuySellVouchers, please visit – https://www.buysellvouchers.com/. BuySellVouchers can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. And Youtube. About BuySellVouchers BuySellVouchers is an online trading platform for buying and selling different kinds of vouchers, gift cards, and coupons while ensuring the safety of traders with top-notch security measures in place. The e-marketplace features a lot of official distributors of various digital goods to meet the needs of shoppers. ### Press Contact Email Address: partners@buysellvouchers.com Website: https://www.buysellvouchers.com/ This is a 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 BuySellVouchers Indirectly Gives the Opportunity To Shop in the Popular Retail Chains With Bitcoin appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

JPMorgan Chase has admitted to fraud charges and agreed to settle with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm has agreed to pay nearly a billion dollars in penalties and victim compensation. JPMorgan’s Fraud Cases The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced separate actions against New York-based global banking and financial services firm JPMorgan Chase & Co. and several of its subsidiaries on Tuesday. According to the agencies, JPMorgan has admitted to fraud charges and agreed on settlements to resolve criminal charges against it. The Justice Department explained that the criminal charges against JPMorgan Chase relate to two distinct schemes to defraud. “The first involving tens of thousands of episodes of unlawful trading in the markets for precious metals futures contracts, and the second involving thousands of episodes of unlawful trading in the markets for U.S. Treasury,” the DOJ announcement details. The CFTC independently issued an order charging and settling with JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its subsidiaries, JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities “for manipulative and deceptive conduct and spoofing that spanned at least eight years and involved hundreds of thousands of spoof orders in precious metals and U.S. Treasury futures contracts on the Commodity Exchange, Inc., the New York Mercantile Exchange, and the Chicago Board of Trade.” The CFTC detailed: JPM is required to pay a total of $920.2 million — the largest amount of monetary relief ever imposed by the CFTC. This total amount includes the highest restitution, disgorgement, and civil monetary penalty amounts in any spoofing case, the agency added. “For nearly a decade, a significant number of JP Morgan traders and sales personnel openly disregarded U.S. laws that serve to protect against illegal activity in the marketplace,” Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office commented. “JP Morgan Chase and Co. agreed to pay nearly one billion dollars in penalties and victim compensation.” In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order charging J.P. Morgan Securities “for fraudulently engaging in manipulative trading of U.S. Treasury securities.” According to the SEC: J.P. Morgan Securities admitted the findings in the SEC’s order, and agreed to pay disgorgement of $10 million and a civil penalty of $25 million to settle the action. What do you think about JPMorgan’s fraudulent activities? Let us know in the comments section below. The post JPMorgan Admits Fraud, Agrees to Billion Dollar Settlement for Illegal Trading appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Switzerland. September 30, 2020. Dock is pleased to announce the launch of its much-anticipated blockchain mainnet. The mainnet is the culmination of years of collaboration, hard work, and testing that brings to the market a bespoke credential issuing and verification platform. Dock seeks to solve the most difficult issues that face the credential industry today. Currently, most companies rely on centralized platforms that hoard data or issue digital credentials that are easy to forge. Dock was specifically built for this purpose of enabling organizations to create verifiable credentials on a decentralized network that are cryptographically secured and exist independently of any organization. Dock’s mainnet will enable issuers to create their own decentralized identities (DIDs) to authenticate credentials, while also enabling recipients to control, present, and retain ownership of their credentials. The mainnet is completely open-source and its use of the W3C’s industry-leading standards ensures interoperability across many platforms and applications. By having a dedicated, special-purpose blockchain, Dock aims to ensure that transaction costs are kept to a minimum and there is no impact from unrelated activities, which is not the case with Ethereum and many other public blockchains. In addition, Dock’s anchoring solution is blockchain agnostic wherein any blockchain can be used to anchor credentials issued via Dock and any solution can be used for storing the credentials. Dock provides easy-to-use tooling and infrastructure for issuers to develop apps or integrate with existing solutions. It is also one of the first to utilize the W3C’s Verifiable Credential Data Model (VCDM), a standard born out of work by a diverse international community of experts dedicated to creating open standards across the internet. The launch of the mainnet represents the completion of another significant milestone in the company’s roadmap, however, the team will not be resting on their laurels. Within the next couple of months, the company will commence a token migration from its existing ERC20 token system to a native token running on the new Dock mainnet. This is a major milestone for Dock since it will integrate the token as a method of transacting and rewarding participants within the Dock network. It will also enable the Dock network to be self-sustaining by incorporating additional features such as decentralized network governance. About Dock Founded in 2017, Dock is a remote company with a globally spread and multicultural team that is committed to creating a better future world powered by secure, individually-owned verifiable credentials using blockchain. For information on Dock’s mainnet launch head to https://www.dock.io/mainnet Any organizations interested in issuing on the Dock network can get in touch at marketing@dock.io Developers interested in building can review Dock’s technical documentation https://docs.dock.io/build This is a 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 Dock Announces Mainnet Launch appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

This week the research and analysis team Coin Metrics published a report on how decentralized finance (defi) is “fueling Ethereum’s growth.” Meanwhile, the researchers also highlighted that Ethereum’s cumulative transaction fees in 2020 are now over $350 million and more than double the aggregated total of Bitcoin’s network fees. Coin Metrics researchers and Nate Maddrey published a new report that discusses Ethereum’s defi evolution and the growth the blockchain has seen this year. However, with the new demand Coin Metrics highlights that ETH fees have “changed dramatically” and the authors note “high gas prices are becoming the new norm.” A few defi project launches contributed to the dramatic rise in network fees including UNI, SUSHI, YAM, and YFI. The trading of the new tokens has been more prevalent on decentralized exchange (dex) platforms and because swaps are onchain this created a fee market. “This can lead to escalating transaction fees as users compete to be first in line for a trade,” the report emphasizes. “ETH median transaction fee hit a new all-time high of $8.25 on September 2nd following the launch of SUSHI,” the study’s author adds. On Twitter, the Coin Metric’s team published a chart that shows Ethereum network fees this year are double the size of BTC’s 2020 fees. “Ethereum Total Transaction Fees during 2020 are now over $350m and more than twice Bitcoin’s,” the team’s Twitter account wrote. “By comparison, this time last year, cumulative Bitcoin Transaction Fees were $135M and Ethereum Transaction Fees were $27M,” the researchers added. The report says that distributed ledger network fees are a “double-edged sword.” Essentially users are paying higher fees but miners are gathering all the revenue and in turn, the hashrate has increased exponentially. “As a result, Ethereum’s hash rate is climbing towards all-time highs— This is a good sign for Ethereum, as network security is critical for the long-term health and success of the blockchain.” Although, the researchers underline that higher gas fees can make the ETH chain “prohibitively expensive” for a certain fraction of users. This can tip the scales for Ethereum whales who can swap large sums of tokens while smaller players could face a barrier to entry. “Ethereum’s median transfer value has increased to hundreds of dollars since the rise of defi, signalling that the network is shifting towards larger players,” the report points out. What do you think about Ethereum fees growing double the size of Bitcoin’s network fees in 2020? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. The post Cumulative Ethereum Transaction Fees in 2020 Supersede Bitcoin’s by a Long Shot appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

A few weeks ago, Devere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green said that he believed the U.S. election would bolster the price of bitcoin. Speaking with the financial broadcast MoneyFM on Monday, Green said he also believes that bitcoin will replace gold as the ultimate financial safe haven within the timespan of a generation. Devere Group CEO Nigel Green is a big believer in crypto assets like bitcoin (BTC) and he’s been more vocal about his forecasts in recent days. Last August, news.Bitcoin.com reported on Green explaining why he thinks the U.S. presidential election would have devastating effects on the U.S. dollar but also bolster bitcoin at the same time. Green’s firm Devere Group is one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organizations in the fintech world and the firm’s assets under management (AUM) exceed $10 billion. On Monday, Green once again spoke about the crypto asset again during an interview with the broadcast MoneyFM. The discussion was prompted by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) invoking two new crypto indexes in order to create a price standard for BTC and ETH throughout Asia. Green shared his thoughts about bitcoin (BTC) and other digital currencies in the interview and explains why he thinks bitcoin could potentially replace gold. “I just think [bitcoin] has gradually become more accepted,” Green said. “When you go back to the basics, there’s always been a system of payments in the world. If you go back to bartering, there’s always been some way of people keeping score. With the current situation, we have governments keeping score, and not everyone in the world is comfortable with their own government. So one way of looking at cryptocurrencies is that a computer is keeping score.” The Devere Group CEO added: So that’s what we’ve seen over a number years and just gradually more and more acceptance from people. [Bitcoin] is similar to gold, as so much as gold is limited, and obviously young people are more willing to accept a digital currency than perhaps some older people. Green said that owning U.S. dollars or Venezuelan bolivars is basically equivalent to owning promises from governments. Essentially, citizens are allowing governments to keep score, but the scorekeepers are easily corrupted. “Of course, what’s happened in recent times has been mass printing of money but it’s really digitally added,” Green stressed. “ If you are flooding the market with extra dollars, then in fact you are devaluing [money]. The advantage of bitcoin is that there is a limited amount. Some people would rather a computer keep score, and some people would not have faith in their government and they would rather have something where there’s a limited amount.” When asked if his bitcoin prediction was sped up by Covid-19, Green responded that he thinks the coronavirus has fueled his forecast and technology in general. “Do we really think we will have Singapore dollars in our pocket or will we have digital currencies? I think we accept that ultimately it will be digital currencies,” Green insisted. “The next question is: ‘Is bitcoin accepted as part of that digital world?’ It has become more and more apparent that it is, as younger people are more familiar with [bitcoin] and they trust in that world than perhaps other people,” the Devere Group founder added. Green continuously noted that there was a strong prevalence of the youth being more geared toward innovations like bitcoin. “There’s a particular generation that is more trusting in gold, but then there’s another generation coming through,” Green said. However, he also said he was in his sixties and even at his age he believes digital currencies are easier than storing precious metals. “It’s easier,” Green remarked. “You can put [crypto assets] on your telephone, [opposed] to carrying some gold or storing gold,” he concluded. What do you think about the Devere Group CEO’s opinion that bitcoin will replace gold in a generation? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. The post Devere Group CEO Predicts Bitcoin Can Replace Gold as Top Safe-Haven Within a Generation appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The decentralized exchange (dex) built on Ethereum, Uniswap has accumulated a whopping $2 billion in total value locked (TVL) this week. Tuesday’s data shows out of all the decentralized finance (defi) application’s Uniswap dominates the $11 billion landscape by over 18%. Just recently, the defi space has touched a few new milestones as the ecosystem’s TVL this week has topped $11 billion. The dex Uniswap is dominating the defi landscape by 18.65% with over $2 billion TVL to-date. Uniswap is followed by Makerdao ($1.9B), Aave ($1.56B), Curve.fi ($1.22B), and the Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) project ($990M). The Uniswap trading platform has captured a massive amount of demand this week with 104,324 unique users during the last seven days. Today according to stats, the Uniswap dex is moving just as much trade volume as some of the top centralized exchanges (cex) globally. On Tuesday, Binance has the top trade volume as far as cex trade volumes are concerned with $2.5 billion in 24-hour volume. Coinbase Pro is the second-largest cex in terms of trade volume on Tuesday with $343 million trades during the last 24 hours. Uniswap is well above Coinbase Pro with $398 million today, making the dex the second-largest crypto exchange worldwide in terms of trade volume on September 29. Dex volume in general has been quite large this week and during the last seven days Dune Analytics data shows 13 dex platforms saw $3.7 billion in trades. $2.3 billion of those swaps took place on Uniswap as it currently captures 63.7% of the trailing seven day average. Cumulatively, all 13 dex platforms saw a whopping $24 billion in swaps during the last 30 days. Dex platforms following Uniswap’s trade volume lead include Curve.fi, 0x, Balancer, Kyber, Synthetix, Dydx, and the Bancor Network respectively. Uniswap’s weekly and 24-hour trade volume has been a topical conversation on social media and crypto-related forums. A number of crypto enthusiasts wonder if dex volumes will someday supersede cex volumes entirely. Ethereum proponents believe the rise of stablecoins and dex platforms like Uniswap are starting to prove ETH skeptics wrong. “In the last bull market, critics said ETH had no use case besides scammy ICO’s,” the CTO and analyst Leon Fu from the web portal cryptocurrency.market recently told his 19,000 Twitter followers. “With the rise of stablecoins, Uniswap, and other protocols [that] enable actual utility [and] have nothing to do with ICO’s. Clearly, ETH skeptics were wrong,” he added. What do you think about Uniswap’s massive trade volume this week and during the last 24 hours? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments below. The post Uniswap Captures $2 Billion Locked, Dex Volume Outpaces Second-Largest Centralized Exchange appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Bitcoin of America offers a number of convenient ways to transfer your bitcoin or litecoin to commonly used USD payment gateways like prepaid debit cards or a PayPal account. Read the guides below to find the method that’s best for you. Most commonly, bank transfers are used to transfer bitcoin, but using popular fiat gateways like PayPal and Prepaid debit cards can make it easy to spend Bitcoin and Litecoin anywhere that accepts USD. Sell Bitcoin to Prepaid Debit Card Want to spend your crypto at any location across the globe that accepts debit cards, to make purchases of goods and services? Simply sell your bitcoin or litecoin using Bitcoin of America’s online exchange, and you will receive a prepaid debit card for the amount sold for use immediately online; you can also obtain a physical card in the mail. If you aren’t already familiar with how prepaid cards work, they function in pretty much the same way that a pay-as-you-go mobile phone does, when you top up the phone with cash. In other words, with prepaid cards you credit the card with cash in order to use them, and add more cash when the credit on the card is low. Each time you sell bitcoin the card transaction increases your cash balance, but unlike a normal debit card, a prepaid card is not connected to a bank account. Another benefit of a card which only holds the money you have, because it’s not tied to your bank, is that if you fall victim to a scam, you only lose the money on your prepaid card. In summary, the benefit of prepaid cards is that it’s a great option if you are looking for a quick, easy, and straightforward way of selling your bitcoin or litecoin without the hassle of using your bank account to wire money. The minimum amount you can receive following a sale on Bitcoin of America using your prepaid card is $25.00 and a maximum of $1999.00. PayPal Account Another method is that you can receive the proceeds of selling your bitcoin or litecoin to your PayPal account on the Bitcoin of America exchange. PayPal is one of the most popular and trusted online payment methods, an accessible and secure digital e-wallet, a safe way to withdraw funds after selling bitcoin or litecoin. If you haven’t tried it before, PayPal also comes with a one-touch service enabling you to checkout without having to re-enter your login details, which is also available on the mobile app. Just as a prepaid card has its benefits for limiting the impact of scammers, so PayPal is particularly well-suited for crypto investment purposes, designed with user protection in mind, monitoring transactions 24/7 to eliminate identity theft and phishing attacks. To sign up to PayPal use your internet browser to go to PayPal’s website and click Sign Up, then decide whether you want a personal or business account. Follow the instructions to complete the account set up. To make use of PayPal’s ability to send and receive money, you’ll then need to connect your bank account to your new account. There is also the option to connect your account to a debit or credit card. If you see a “confirm credit card” link in the card details section of your PayPal Wallet, you’ll need to confirm your card before you can use it with PayPal. If you don’t see this link, you can begin using your card right away. Bear in mind that you cannot as an individual use PayPal to sell bitcoin or litecoin, as it runs contrary to the acceptable use policy, which states “You may not use the PayPal service for activities that: Section 3, h) involve currency exchanges or check cashing businesses”. To read step by step instructions on How to Sell Bitcoin to a prepaid card or PayPal, visit the guide on the Bitcoin of America website. This is a 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 Easily Spend Your Bitcoin via Prepaid Debit Card or a PayPal Account with Bitcoin of America’s Easy to Use Trading Platform appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Delhi police are reportedly investigating a cryptocurrency exchange and its executives allegedly duping Indian investors after receiving multiple complaints. The complainants further say the company has moved office overseas without returning their investments. Police Investigate Crypto Scam After Multiple Complaints Forty-three people have filed complaints with the Delhi Police regarding a cryptocurrency investment scheme based out of Connaught Place, a financial hub in New Delhi, local news outlet Millennium Post reported this week. The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police subsequently launched an investigation into Pluto Exchange and seven of its executives, whom investors have identified as being behind the scheme. According to the police, one of the suspects told a complainant, Joginder Kumar, about his crypto trading and mining business operating under the name “f2poolminin,” and a cryptocurrency he and another suspect had launched. He urged Kumar to invest in the cryptocurrency, assuring him that it had a fixed return of about 20% to 30% per month. “[He] told me that if he brought more clients to his company he will give me a commission,” the publication also quoted Kumar as saying. After investing Rs 5 lakh ($6,780) but never received any payouts he was promised, Kumar took the matter to an official of Pluto Exchange. However, he was told that due to the falling price of bitcoin and the size of his account, the company was unable to pay him through its bank. Kumar was told to wait a few more months. However, after waiting a long time, he was still not paid anything. Kumar then went to the exchange’s office near Connaught Place and discovered that it has moved from India to Dubai. “I found that [there are] lots of people like me who invested their money in the company. The director collected approximately Rs 50 crore [$6.78 million] in the name of the cryptocurrency business,” Kumar described. According to the police, 43 people have filed complaints with the Economic Offences Wing police station so far. Preliminary inquiries and evidence submitted by the complainants show that they have invested more than Rs 2 crore in the cryptocurrency scheme operated by Pluto Exchange’s proprietors. In December 2017, the Dubai-based Pluto Exchange announced that it was launching a crypto trading app in India. While there is a listing for Pluto Exchange on the Google Play Store, several users complained that the app was not working back in 2018 and there has not been a newer review since then. At the time of this writing, the exchange’s website is no longer live. Pluto Exchange CEO and founder Bharat Verma told The Hindu Businessline in February 2018 that his exchange offered crypto-to-crypto trading for major cryptocurrencies, such as BTC, BCH, LTC, ETH, and DASH, with a plan to provide rupee support linked to bank accounts in the future. However, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), issued a circular that banned banks from providing services to crypto businesses in April 2018. It caused all crypto exchanges in India to suspend INR support and began offering peer-to-peer (P2P) trading services. The RBI banking ban on crypto businesses was quashed by the supreme court in March. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, were never banned in India. What do you think about this crypto scam? Let us know in the comments section below. The post Indian Police Probe Crypto Exchange and Founders Allegedly Running a Scam appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

VANCOUVER / SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 — Blockparty—the New York-based rare digital collectibles marketplace that launched last month to foster more meaningful fan engagement for artists, musicians, and sports teams—today announced a partnership with Dapper Labs, the company behind CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot, who will bring Blockparty onto Flow, their user-centric blockchain built for mainstream adoption. Digital collectibles offer an alternative form of engagement to the in-person experience of art shows, concerts and games, and help artists and athletes incentivize long-term relationships with their fans. By showcasing their work in Blockparty’s digital collectibles marketplace, content creators can access new initial and recurring revenue streams and gain access to new markets of fans. They can also expand their creative mediums and branded assets into digital and mixed reality, and create more integrated fan experiences. Using this curated digital collectibles marketplace, fans can own, sell, and trade valuable digital art, music and sports assets. The collectibles also provide users with insider benefits including access to unique rewards and giveaways such as VIP concert access or free swag. To date, Blockparty has featured works from 3LAU x Slime Sunday, Tommy Wilson, Matt Szczur, Mark Paul Deren (MADSTEEZ), Ryan Keeley and Harif Guzman (Haculla), which have all been sold out in a matter of hours. “With the Blockparty marketplace on Flow, we have an incredible opportunity to showcase a new league of digital assets by creators with an established fanbase, and to broaden the appeal of this new form of engagement. Our partnership with Blockparty will be an important step towards creating a vibrant ecosystem of crypto-enabled value creation and exchange on the internet,” says Mickey Maher, Head of Partnerships at Flow Known for building accessible gaming and entertainment consumer experiences on blockchain technology, Dapper Labs is driving the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology through the power of play and Flow. Flow is the only layer one blockchain built by a team that both understands the importance of reducing complexity for ecosystem developers and possesses proven expertise in eliminating on-boarding friction for mainstream users. Flow not only provides the stability and scalability necessary for blockchain products to support mass market adoption, but also provides payment rails for credit cards and cryptocurrency ensuring ease of use for consumers on all fronts. By lowering barriers of entry, Flow ensures that anyone can join this new digital economy. “The genesis of Flow is rooted in the need for an exceptional user interface, and that is what the musicians, producers, artists and clients working with Blockparty are seeking,” says Franklin Fitch, Director of Marketing & Curation at Blockparty. “One of our goals is to expand digital art and sell art that is powered by crypto—not ‘crypto art.’ Flow is the best solution to achieve this goal.” About Blockparty Blockparty has created a new class of digital collectibles across art, music, and sports to enable users to share and earn value together. Leveraging the NFT Token (NFT), Blockparty will enable fans to fully own, sell, and trade digital assets while allowing creators to build more valuable relationships with their fans by offering incentives, rewards, and giveaways through digital collectibles. Blockparty is headquartered in New York City, NY, and available to users across the globe. For more information, visit https://www.blockparty.co/ and https://www.nft.org/ About Dapper Labs Dapper Labs is the company behind CryptoKitties and the Flow blockchain as well as upcoming titles like NBA Top Shot. Founded in 2018, Dapper Labs uses blockchain technology to bring new forms of digital engagement to fans around the world. Blockchain-enabled applications can bring fans closer with the brands they love, give people a real stake in the communities they contribute to, and create new ways for consumers to become creators themselves. Publicly-announced Dapper Labs partners include the NBA and NBPA, Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, and UFC. Notable investors in Dapper Labs include Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, Venrock, Google Ventures, Samsung, and the founders of Dreamworks, Reddit, Coinbase, Zynga, and AngelList, among others. This is a 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 Dapper Labs and Blockparty Join Forces to Bring A New Breadth of Digital Collectibles onto Flow appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Bloomberg cryptocurrency analyst Mike McGlone says bitcoin is greatly undervalued, suggesting that its fair value price should currently be somewhere around $15,000. The price of bitcoin (BTC) has see-sawed between $10,000 and $12,400 over the last few weeks, often tumbling sharply following what one pundit described as “fake” breakouts. The latest rout saw BTC crash more than 8% within days from over $11,000 to $10,100. At Press time, each bitcoin is trading for $10,695, up nearly 2% in the last 24 hours. McGlone, a senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg, based his arguments on various factors, including bitcoin’s rising hashrate, which continues to hit new records, industry media report. The Bitcoin hashrate continues to increase and recently reached new highs. Also advancing are addresses used. A top metric for adoption, the 30-day average of Bitcoin addresses is equivalent to the price closer to $15,000 when measured on an autoscale basis since 2017. According to the latest data from charts.Bitcoin.com, BTC’s seven-day average hashrate rose past 140 exahash per second (EH/s) this week, an all time high. On July 28, the figure averaged 127 EH/s, a record at the time. Hashrate is a measure of the power of the computers linked to the Bitcoin blockchain, which determines their ability to produce new coins. Increasing hash power suggests miners are optimistic about making profits. This tends to influence the price of BTC higher, given the strong correlation between the two. But the relationship is not exactly as linear, because it is difficult to gauge future price changes based on hashrate alone. Meanwhile, the number of active bitcoin addresses has soared to 991,000, Glassnode data shows, up from 684,000 at the beginning of this year, when the asset’s price averaged around $7,700. When active addresses hit nearly 1.1 million on December 23, 2018, bitcoin traded for $14,800, on the average. McGlone has remained upbeat about bitcoin throughout its volatile swings, at a point suggesting this is to be the year that the top crypto will become a digital version of gold, a prime store of value. In his new analysis, he admits there might be pitfalls curtailing BTC’s price growth going forward – and that would have to be a reversal of the on-chain metrics related to “the hashrate and active addresses.” What do you think about Mike McGlone’s predictions? Let us know in the comments section below. The post Bitcoin Is Undervalued, Fair Value Price Should Be $15,000, Says Analyst appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

This week Bitcoin Cash fans have been discussing the milestone of over 10,000 Simple Ledger Protocol (SLP) tokens created since the infrastructure was first introduced. Moreover, tokens built on Bitcoin Cash are nearing 1 million transactions to-date. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) community members have noticed there are now 10,679 SLP tokens created since the Simple Ledger Protocol’s inception. The discussion concerning the SLP milestone took place this week on the popular Reddit forum r/btc. In addition to the 10k+ SLP tokens created, the number of transactions is nearing 1 million. Bitcoin.com token data page indicates there’s been 960,346 SLP-based transactions. Statistics show 2,250 SLP transactions were recorded in the last 24 hours. Currently, the top five most popular tokens in the last 24 hours have been Refund Token, Mistcoin, MAZE, Spice, and Zapit. However, 30-day stats show the top five SLP tokens by use was Mistcoin, MAZE, Refund Token, TBS, and Zapit. In addition to the 10k SLP tokens minted so far, there’s been 13,353 token burns to-date as well. Burning is the act of taking the SLP tokens out of circulation. Since the project was introduced, the SLP team is working with a number of projects and infrastructure providers. This includes exchanges, stablecoin issuers like Honestcoin and Tether, Bitcoin.com, an SLP hardware wallet, games like Realmx, the digital advertising marketplace Tribeos, the Spice Token ecosystem, SLP payments for Woocommerce, and many more. SLP development is bringing decentralized finance (defi) to Bitcoin Cash (BCH) as well with the upcoming introduction of the derivatives product Anyhedge, a project developed by the General Protocols team. Additionally, the SLP exchange Cryptophyl is restructuring into a decentralized exchange (dex) for BCH and is working with General Protocols as well. Moreover, a while back the SLP development team published a number of bounties to further the SLP ecosystem. For instance, the bounty is for building one or more smart-contracts that provide additional security to token issuers and paid out 500+ honestcoin (USDH). Additionally, during the last six months the SLP project formed the SLP Foundation and described how people can leverage multi-signature management with SLP tokens. Furthermore, since the Simple Ledger Protocol was invoked a number of tokens have gathered real-world value. Bitcoin.com’s SLP token index shows a total of eight market caps including tether (USDT). There are 6 million SLP-based USDT in existence but tether’s are also minted on a number of other chains. Other top SLP tokens featured in the market cap index include flexcoin (FLEX) with $29 million, gocrypto (GOC) with a $4 million market cap, Brave Sound Token (BRST) has an overall valuation of $3.3 million. This is followed by honestcoin (USDH – $2.7M), ACD Coin (ACD – $2.3M), sai (SAI – $882k), and spice coin (SPICE – $332k). The SLP Foundation also announced a partnership with the Blockhack Global 2020 event scheduled for October. “[Six] weeks. BIG education [and] investment partners,” the SLP Foundation tweeted on September 18. The Blockhack event is hosted by Bitbay and it’s a six week virtual hackathon that starts on October 5 through November 14. What do you think about the growth of the SLP token universe built on Bitcoin Cash so far? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. The post The Genesis of BCH Tokenization: Over 10,000 SLP Tokens Built on Bitcoin Cash appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Large Makerdao holders decided not to compensate the victims that were liquidated during the unexpected flash crash that took place on March 12, otherwise known as ‘Black Thursday.’ An aggregate total of 38 votes was cast and more than 65% of the governance portal participants voted for zero compensation. The day after March 12, otherwise known as ‘Black Thursday,’ the Makerdao project made headlines after between $4 to $6 million worth of the stablecoin DAI was left underwater due to an auction failure. A vote held this Tuesday indicates that the Makerdao project doesn’t plan to compensate any of the victims from the black swan event on March 12. The vote had a few options that would pay victims a percentage of the losses, and one option that called for zero compensation. Out of the 38 votes, over 65% voted for the zero compensation option, which means victims will get nothing for the losses. The news follows the recent class-action lawsuit against the Makerdao project for $28 million that was filed in mid-April. The plaintiffs claim that the Makerdao team did not explain the extreme risk of loss to investors. After the Tuesday vote, on Thursday morning, Makerdao cofounder Rune Christensen was asked about the poll decision. “I wish I could speak freely about it, but unfortunately I can’t comment on it because of the on-going lawsuit,” Christensen tweeted. A number of crypto enthusiasts didn’t take too kindly to the vote’s ultimate decision to not compensate the victims and conversed about it on social media. The popular Twitter account @chainlinkgod tweeted some harsh criticism toward Makerdao and DAI to his 26,000 followers: 56% of the collateral backing DAI is centralized nonbearer assets. So not only is DAI not decentralized, governed by MKR whales, and unable to maintain its $1 peg, but they also refused to compensate users who got their liquidated for $0 on Black Thursday. Future of finance? One person said that the vote was delayed purposely for months, so people forgot about the liquidations. A Makerdao team member called ‘Monetsupply’ described how the decision came to happen, and stressed that the “Maker protocol was designed to recapitalize system debt, but had no such guarantee for vault collateral.” In response to the Monetsupply’s thread concerning the vault compensation poll, one person asked if the class-action lawsuit was “factored in the decision.” No one responded to the question asked. Financial columnist William Foxley discussed the class-action against Makerdao with the Harris Berne Christensen LLP attorney Adam S. Heder via email. Despite the recent zero compensation decision, Heder explained to Foxley the lawsuit against Maker for $28 million would continue. What do you think about the Makerdao’s recent vault compensation poll decision? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. The post Makerdao Vote to Not Compensate Black Thursday Victims Receives Harsh Criticism appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The world’s largest auction house, Christie’s, will be presenting Bitcoin artwork for the first time. Block 21 of “Portraits of a Mind,” an art project showcasing the original Bitcoin code by Satoshi Nakamoto, will include a painting and a unique digital non-fungible token. Bitcoin Artwork Arrives at Christie’s Robert Alice, a blockchain art project, announced Wednesday the sale of a key artwork in the series entitled “Portraits of a Mind” at Christie’s, the world’s largest auction house. Portraits of a Mind is “a global art project to decentralise the founding code behind Bitcoin into 40 fragments,” its website describes. “With 40 paintings stretching more than 50 meters long,” this work of art forms “a complete hand painted transcription of the 12.3 million digits of code (v0.1.0) that launched Bitcoin,” the announcement details, adding that this artwork is the largest in the history of blockchain technology. “A symbolic expression of decentralisation, once globally distributed, the project will draw up a global network of 40 collectors where no one individual will hold all the code.” On Oct. 7, Block 21 of Portraits of a Mind, which includes a physical painting and a unique digital non-fungible token (NFT) representing the work, will be auctioned at Christie’s New York. It will be offered at an estimated $12,000 to $18,000. Prior to the auction, the piece will be exhibited from Oct. 1 to Oct. 6 in New York. alongside works by Monet, Picasso, Warhol, and Jackson Pollock. Block 21 of Portraits of a Mind to be auctioned by Christie’s New York on Oct. 7. The piece will be exhibited in New York from Oct. 1-6. Source: The Robert Alice blockchain art project. The Robert Alice art project was founded in 2018 by London-based artist Benjamin Gentilli with the aim to “promote blockchain culture within the visual arts.” He solely created Portraits of a Mind over three years. It is the first work of art from the project. Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Specialist Vivian Brodie commented, “Christie’s and I are thrilled to be supporting this landmark blockchain art project with the sale of Block 21 from Portraits of a Mind in our October Day Sale in New York,” adding: This is Christie’s first time presenting a work that explores crypto culture at auction and, as ever, we are very excited to welcome new audiences and collecting communities across the globe to Christie’s. Blocks 0 through 20 of the series were offered privately early this year to select collectors, including Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, Bloq chairman Matthew Roszak, Kinetic founder Jehan Chu, Digix founder Shaun Djie, and Coinscrum founder Paul Gordon. Block 21 is the first work from the project to be exhibited and offered for sale publicly. “The work is also linked to the Bitcoin blockchain, via a unique Opendime key in the reverse of each painting,” the announcement notes. What do you think about this Bitcoin art auction? Let us know in the comments section below. The post Leading Auction House Christie’s Listing Bitcoin Art for the First Time appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

After reaching an all-time high of $19.20 on August 14, the Chainlink token now trades lower after losing more than 50% in value in just over a month. The token, which briefly overtook Bitcoin Cash as the fifth-ranked crypto in market capitalisation terms, was ranked 9th on Markets.Bitcoin.com at the time of writing. On the surface, the token’s fall appears to be in sync with the rest of the crypto market, which has been dropping since Monday, September 6. Yet opponents of Chainlink insist there is more to Link’s fall than just the current bearish market trends. They point to the magnitude of the token’s fall when compared to other Defi related projects in the past 30 days. In August, one prominent Chainlink opponent and Twitter user, Cryptowhale argued that the price of Link “had shot well beyond its intrinsic value through DeFi hype, and greed.” However, in a recent tweet, the Cryptowhale reminds his followers of the death threats he received from Link Marines after publicly advising token holders to sell. The Cryptowhale had predicted Link’s fall and since then, the token has been retreating. Opponents insist this is happening because there is nothing else left to artificially pump the price. Also reiterating the message that Link’s rise is a bubble is Chainlink’s nemesis-in-chief, Zeus Capital LLP. The controvesial asset management company has been engaged in a very public campaign to discredit the Chainlink project claiming it is a pump and dump scheme to enrich founders. On its Twitter handle, Zeus Capital LLP regularly posts evidence of what terms token dumps by some of Chainlink’s 9 leading whales. Link whales account for 70% of all tokens in circulation according to Cryptowhale. With Link’s continued fall, Zeus Capital LLP, which got liquidated in August after shorting the token, appears to have seized the initiative from Chainlink Marines. Still, accusations that Zeus Capital LLP is spreading FUD for its own selfish ends is not going away. For instance, a Twitter user, Chainlinkgod.eth reminds Zeus Capital LLP followers that the asset management company “is a fake entity who pushed a fraudulent ‘research’ report to manipulate retail investors through a short and distort disinformation campaign with paid Twitter ads.” Another Twitter user counters Zeus Capital LLP’s evidence of Link crashing with one that shows the token’s positive performance in the first, second and third quarter of 2020. According to this info, Link is up 84.4% in the third quarter. Meanwhile, after briefly dropping to $7.54 on Wednesday, September 23, the Link token had recovered to $8.33 at the time of writing. The 24 hour traded volumes stood at $582 million. What do you think of Link’s current downward trend? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. The post Chainlink Token Down 60% in Under 40 Days: Opponents Ask If the Bubble Has Finally Burst? appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Developed by the team behind some of the most successful crypto applications in the world, Flow is a blockchain re-designed from the ground up to be user- and developer-friendly as well as modular and future-proof. The network is already being used to develop digital collectibles offerings for top global brands like the NBA and UFC who partnered with Dapper Labs to serve their billions of fans. You can now take part in the revolution of the digital assets space by joining the FLOW community token offering. Top Global Brands Trust the Flow Blockchain Dapper Labs, the company behind CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot, a year ago revealed that it developed a new blockchain called Flow. Designed to bring digital assets and decentralized apps to the mainstream, Flow is built for scale, speed and security like no other blockchain available today. The network is expected to have a large built-in user base from day one as Dapper Labs already have impressive partners it is developing digital collectibles solutions for including the NBA, Warner Music Group, Dr. Seuss, Ubisoft, and UFC. It is no surprise that top global brands choose to work with the developers of Flow as it is the only protocol layer team that has a proven track record of developing great consumer blockchain experiences. The Flow team is composed of leading researchers and experienced production engineers who have worked together for years defining a novel approach to blockchain architecture. And with over $40M in financing, notable investors in Dapper Labs include Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, Venrock, Google Ventures and Samsung. The Flow network is powered by a balanced native token design and novel distribution mechanics. The FLOW token enables participation on the platform, with the opportunity to earn rewards through network participation. Demand for FLOW token directly increases with activity on the platform as well as demand for secondary tokens minted on top such as stablecoins or governance tokens. To bolster decentralization Dapper Labs will hold a FLOW community token offering on CoinList. A Solution Built for the Digital Metaverse The amazing success of CryptoKitties proved that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and crypto games are here to stay, but also that a new approach to blockchain is needed to make sure they can scale for mainstream adoption. In late 2017, when the collectibles game exploded in popularity, it congested the Ethereum network – causing gas prices to skyrocket and transaction times to become unbearably long. For blockchain solutions to reach billions of people as mobile apps and the internet does today, an underline infrastructure network will have to be able to scale seamlessly without such limitations. In addition to Ethereum’s scaling limitations, most of the scaling solutions developed simply push complexity to developers or compromise on decentralization. Additionally, available blockchain platforms are unusable by most users because of onboarding barriers. These are some of the reasons why Dapper Labs decided to build the Flow blockchain for the past couple of years. Flow’s novel four-node architecture achieves massive improvements in speed and cost that scale with hardware capacity without compromising decentralization or breaking up the network into shards or “layer two” solutions. Many in the community believe that the combination of NFTs and DeFi will be the key to unlock the next wave of mainstream crypto adoption. With a developer-first approach, Flow makes building new apps and protocols safe, fast, and efficient.
 Flow also includes many features that take care of the inherent complexity of decentralized systems. This will allow any interested decentralized app developers to easily adopt Flow for their needs and thus unlock a rich ecosystem (metaverse) that intertwines entertainment and true digital economy like never seen before. To learn more about the Flow blockchain and what you can build on it visit the project’s site at onflow.org, and make sure to join the vibrant community on Discord. To take part in the opportunity to revolutionize the digital assets space check out the FLOW community token offering on CoinList. This is a sponsored post. Learn more on how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. The post Why Top Global Brands Like the NBA and UFC Choose Dapper Labs’ Flow Blockchain appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Reports say Venezuela has now legalized bitcoin mining following the decree recently issued by the National Superintendency of Crypto Assets and Related Activities (Sunacrip). As part of the new regulations, all entities and individuals interested in legally mining bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies must now apply for a license from the agency. According to a report, the decree will result in the creation of a National Digital Mining Pool (NDMP), a body that “seeks to bring together all the miners operating on the Venezuelan territory.” Meanwhile, the decree document, which was signed by Joselit Ramirez the superintendent of Sunacrip, does not specify “how much it will cost to obtain these licenses.” However, to ensure miners conform with these new regulations, the decree reportedly states that: The authorities will supervise both the creation and importation of mining equipment. Similarly, mining farms for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will be able to operate with the support of the State, but only if they are inspected by Sunacrip. As reported by News.bitcoin.com in July, Venezuela banned bitcoin mining operations in “any low-income neighborhoods with subsidized housing” due to what authorities termed “an excessive amount of power consumption.” Before that, the Venezuelan military had seized approximately 315 Bitmain Antminers. However, according to regulations, which came into effect after September 21, Venezuela now wants “those who are operating ASIC equipment for mining bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies” to connect to NDMP. Authorities now appear less concerned about excessive power consumption. Miners operating outside the pool will be subject “to the measures, infractions, and sanctions as set forth in the decree document.” Meanwhile, the report explains that if Venezuelan authorities insist on controlling and managing the NDMP, this will leave the government in charge of distributing rewards to miners. This, however, creates risks for miners as the pool operator can arbitrarily freeze funds or delay payments. The crisis-torn country tops peer-to-peer bitcoin trading volumes in the region alongside Brazil, while it remains a key bitcoin mining territory. With a share of the hashrate around 0.42%, Venezuela is the only Latin American state to feature in Cambridge University’s top ten list of countries with the highest bitcoin hash rate. However, now that the government has formalized bitcoin mining, Venezuela’s share of the total hash rate is likely to increase. What do you think of this latest move to regulate bitcoin mining in Venezuela? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. The post Venezuela Passes Law Legalizing Crypto Mining, Forces Miners to Join National Mining Pool appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Just recently a new project called Polkadot joined the top ten crypto coin list almost immediately after the project officially launched. Today, the Polkadot network is the sixth-largest blockchain in terms of market capitalization. The blockchain is considered an Ethereum competitor by a few individuals, and some crypto proponents speculate it will be amongst the top three market caps in the near future. Crypto proponents have noticed a new top ten crypto-challenger in the world of digital assets, as the Polkadot (DOT) blockchain has recently joined the leading ranks. A number of people never heard of Polkadot and wonder how this coin made it into the top ten so quickly. The top six crypto assets in terms of market valuation on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. The project was conceived by Ethereum cofounder Dr. Gavin Wood and the developer has worked on the protocol for the last four years. The project also stemmed from the initial coin offering (ICO) period and was one of three blockchain protocols (Dfinity, Filecoin) with a lot of hype behind them. The Polkadot project’s light paper notes that the protocol is a heterogeneous blockchain. “Polkadot is a next-generation blockchain protocol that unites an entire network of purpose-built blockchains, allowing them to operate seamlessly together at scale,” the light paper further details. “It connects several chains together in a single network, allowing them to process transactions in parallel and exchange data between chains with security guarantees.” Essentially, any type of arbitrary data can traverse across Polkadot’s multi-chain application environment like real-world assets and tokens. Any blockchain can join the Polkadot infrastructure, which is basically an aggregated set of validators that leverage heterogeneous shards. The three main components of the Polkadot protocol include the Relay Chain, Parachains, and Bridges. Heterogeneous sharding has been discussed within the blockchain development community for quite some time. Sharding is basically breaking up the workload (data) peer-to-peer nodes deal with and so nodes essentially hold their own shards of data. Every shard is shared amongst the network of nodes. Like traditional sharding techniques, the network offers interoperability between multiple chains, but heterogenous sharding allows every chain to remain unique. There are three main parts to the Polkadot network, which include the main relay chain (Polkadot blockchain), parachains, and bridges. The parachains are made up of the heterogeneous blockchain shards and everything is secured by the main Polkadot Relay Chain. The parachains can mint native tokens, transfer tokens, and connect to external chains via bridges. Bridges leverage Polkadot shards in order to communicate with blockchains like Ethereum (ETH) or Bitcoin (BTC). For instance, a startup called Interlay plans to create tokenized BTC product called “PolkaBTC” on the Polkadot blockchain. “Interlay has released the proof-of-concept for a trustless bridge from Bitcoin to Polkadot: the BTC Parachain,” the Interlay team details. “Once online, users will be able to mint 1:1 Bitcoin-backed assets onto Polkadot, so-called PolkaBTC, and use these across a wide range of applications, including decentralized exchanges, stablecoins, and lending protocols.” The Interlay team further adds: Under the hood, the BTC-Parachain implements XCLAIM, the only cross-chain framework that is financially trustless, permissionless, and censorship-resistant — and backed by top-tier research. Since Polkadot was first announced a great number of people have been waiting for the project to unfold. The Asia-based digital asset fund, Spartan Black, thinks that Polkadot (DOT) will someday be a top-three market cap contender in the future. “Within a year DOT will be top 3 market cap on Coingecko/CMC,” Spartan Black recently tweeted. The fund manager continued by saying that Polkadot was “arguably the most important crypto project since the launch of Ethereum in 2016.” Spartan Block wrote: Think of it as ETH2.0 without all of the activity that Ethereum currently has yet. With all the hype swept aside, there have been a number of criticisms against the Polkadot project as well. Tom Shaughnessy the cofounder of Delphi Digital has written about Polkadot’s promises, but also some of the project’s problems as well. Shaughnessy highlights how Polkadot has a “rocky history” and was born from members of Ethereum, particularly Gavin Wood, itching to implement sharding right away. Just recently, Polkastarter’s version of a decentralized exchange (dex) launched and the project is built for cross-chain token pools and auctions. The Delphi Digital executive also notes how Polkadot’s parent, the firm Parity, also had a “rocky history.” Shaughnessy also details how “voting on Polkadot could face hurdles” and “Polkadot’s council of 6–24 people (could be less or more over time) could be a centralization risk for the entire network.” News.Bitcoin.com reported on a number of Parity’s blunders during the last few years. At the time of publication, Polkadot (DOT) is the sixth-largest blockchain in terms of market cap as the native currency trades for a touch over $4 per coin. Market data shows there is over 852 million DOT in circulation giving the project an overall valuation of $3.6 billion today. Seven-day DOT/USD chart on September 23, 2020. Over 80% of the DOT being traded on September 23 is swapped with tether (USDT). This is followed by pairs such as BTC (13.4%), USD (1.9%), TWD (1.2%), EUR (1.2%) and BUSD (0.7%). Ethereum (ETH) trades only represent 0.65% of DOT trades on Wednesday. People find value in DOT because it promises to provide significant interoperability between a number of blockchains, while also highlighting the benefits of sharding. Despite the Polkadot project being worked on for years, it was just launched and still has a long way to go to catch up with a number of cross-chain competitors. A number of crypto proponents are also not fans of sharding and they believe the process can ultimately lead to vulnerabilities. For instance, a research paper published by Cornell University explains that the chain can be manipulated by “shard takeovers.” This means a node can be corrupted and the compromised data can lead to severe and permanent losses. “Existing sharding proposals achieve efficiency scaling by compromising on trust,” the paper highlights. What do you think about the Polkadot (DOT) project and how it effortlessly joined the top ten crypto coin list? Let us know what you think about this project in the comments section below. The post A Deep Dive Into Polkadot and How DOT Became a Top Ten Crypto Contender appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article