roadrunner

On March 29, the two largest mining rig manufacturers, Canaan Creative and Bitmain Technologies, announced the sale of their next generation devices that process the SHA-256 algorithm. Both firms are gearing up to sell the new products this spring as a slew of mining operations have been prepping up new facilities in order to take advantage of the wet season in China. Also read: Mempool ‘Spam’ and Rising Fees: The Consequences of Veriblock’s Mainnet Launch Antminer 17 Series Available for Purchase on April 9 Bitcoin miners will be interested in the latest rigs that will be sold in the near future by the industry’s leading manufacturers. On Friday, Bitmain announced a sale date so the public can purchase devices from the Antminer 17 series which include the Antminer S17 Pro, Antminer S17, and the Antminer T17. The rigs will be sold globally on April 9, and come packed with Bitmain’s newly improved second generation 7nm ASIC BM1397 mining chips. During the announcement, Bitmain’s product manager of the latest Antminer series, Yangxin, revealed some details about the relationship between the company and the semiconductor foundry TSMC. “The new miner offers a steep improvement in the hashrate in terms of space and power consumption,” Yangxin noted. The BM1397 chips are produced using TSMC’s 7nm Finfet process and Yangxin claims the revamped 17 series will provide miners with 28.6 percent more efficiency than the previous 7nm equipped model using the BM1391. Yangxin stated that the future of mega-efficient SHA-256 miners will go beyond the 7nm scope. “From a technical point of view, there is no end to the development of technology. However, in the short run, the driving force behind the development of next-gen miners beyond 7nm chips is slowing down due to physical limitations,” Yangxin explained. The product manager continued: With the nm size shrinking quantum effects, among other new challenges, come into play. It is promising that TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is already in the process of building 5nm chips. Bitmain’s announcement does not reveal the new products’ hashrate but the previous Antminer S15 produces 28 trillion hashes per second (TH/s). The 17 series specifications will be available on the official website when the devices go up for sale. Yangxin did disclose that there is a noticeable performance improvement compared to the previous generation chip and the 17 series models have a “higher hashrate in a single miner.” Canaan Reveals the New Avalonminer A10 Following Bitmain’s announcement, Chinese firm Canaan Creative released information on the launch of its latest Avalon series. Canaan announced the new Avalonminer A10 on the company’s official Wechat account on Friday as well. Interestingly, Canaan’s ad says that the new miner will go on sale in March 2019, yet the official sale date is still unknown. Moreover, during the spring, Chinese miners have been flocking to Sichuan for cheap electricity during the wet season and mining operations have been buying up rigs for new facilities. Canaan does reveal some of the specifications tied to the A10 device which include 31TH/s and power consumption of around 1736W off the wall. This means the machine boasts a possible 50W/T (watt per terahash) at max capacity. Other details such as the new Avalon rig’s price per unit are still unknown. The news follows rumors of Canaan reapplying for the company’s initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong because it expired. The finance publication Securities Times also reported that Canaan raised “several hundred million U.S. dollars” on March 11. Bitmain’s IPO application expired as well and the company has recently disclosed that the corporation will also attempt to go public again by reapplying. What do you think about Canaan and Bitmain’s latest announcements concerning next-generation machines? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Image credits: Canaan Creative, and Bitmain Technologies. Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section. The post Manufacturing Giants Bitmain and Canaan Announce Second-Generation Miners appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Two companies from different parts of Europe have recently announced new products that cater to the financial needs of businesses in the crypto industry. The services range from opening bank accounts to providing payment processing solutions. Developers say they will give crypto companies the peace of mind they need to focus on their core activities without having to worry about banking. Also read: Cryptojobs Is a Platform With 1,300 Vacancies in the Cryptocurrency Industry British Company to Open Bank Accounts for Crypto Businesses Coinacquiring, a London-based consulting firm, has announced it now offers help in opening “crypto-friendly bank accounts” for companies in the sector. The corporate banking assistance will expand its portfolio, which already includes another sought after service, fiat-to-crypto payment processing provided to merchants accepting digital currencies. The bank accounts will be available in multiple fiat currencies including British pound, euro, U.S. dollar, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen, along with many other currencies such as Czech koruna, Romanian leu and South African rand, for example. They will also support SEPA instant credit transfers and wire transfers via Swift. Banking and payment processing services are in high demand in the sector and the company receives several requests a day as David Jones, senior payments consultant at Coinacquiring, told news.Bitcoin.com. Jones believes banks turn the crypto businesses away because they don’t fully understand how to evaluate risk in the crypto industry. To provide more security and stability to cryptocurrency merchants, Coinacquiring maintains relationships with a number of traditional financial institutions. “We have several Tier 1 European banks we work with and also options with smaller banks further afield,” the company representative assured. Coinacquiring charges a fixed $500 account opening fee and additional fees are negotiated directly between the merchant and the respective bank. Jones added that these processing rates typically tend to be between 3 and 5 percent. “We know how difficult fiat to crypto payment processing can be to set up,” David Jones was quoted as saying in a press release sent by the company earlier this week. “We want to create a space where crypto businesses can focus on building exciting products and technologies instead of having to worry about whether their banking infrastructure is reliable or not,” he emphasized. Coinacquiring also offers assistance with opening foreign exchange accounts, although this service is not that frequently requested. “As an extension to this we will look to provide some treasury management solutions for exchanges working in multiple fiat currencies. However, this is a few months off,” Jones explained. The consultant noted that there are currently plenty of crypto-to-fiat payment processing options and Coinacquiring wouldn’t be filling a void if it decided to offer this kind of service too. “As we grow I guess it makes sense to include this for completeness more than anything else,” Jones remarked when asked about the company’s plans for the future. Belarusians Develop Crypto-to-Fiat Payment Processing Software Meanwhile, a new crypto-to-fiat payment processing system has been developed in Eastern Europe, despite strong existing competition in this niche. One of the established companies in the field, Paytomat, already has a network of merchants accepting cryptocurrencies using its services for instant conversion to local fiat. Their clients are based in a dozen countries around the world, from Ukraine to Venezuela. Now Synell, an IT company headquartered in Belarus and with offices in Russia and the U.S., is promoting its offering to the growing market, its software capable of processing direct crypto payments and converting digital coins to fiat money for businesses that wish to provide their customers with the option to pay with cryptocurrency. The platform, called Acquiring, can accept payments in three major digital currencies – bitcoin core (BTC), ethereum (ETH) and litecoin (LTC). The developers note, however, that support for other coins can be added upon request from interested parties. The team has also developed an API and a mobile application that enables users to receive payments directly at their store checkout. The software package is now up for sale and offered to companies that would like to invest more time and effort into its further development and integration, Synell CEO Denis Gorskin told news.Bitcoin.com. The crypto payment processing platform, which costs $18,000, was originally designed for Russian clients but it can be adapted to any other market and already has an English-language version. Do you think the launch of new services designed specifically for crypto companies indicates that the industry is recovering? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned companies or any of their 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 this article. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post New Crypto-Friendly Banking and Payment Services Launch in the UK and Russia appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The number of travel websites accepting cryptocurrencies has been growing with the popularity of digital coins. One well-established platform, Bitcoin.travel, now supports payments in seven cryptos, including bitcoin cash (BCH). Also read: Cryptojobs Is a Platform With 1,300 Vacancies in the Cryptocurrency Industry Travel Anywhere, Pay in Crypto Bitcoin.travel works with businesses from the travel industry willing to accept decentralized digital currencies for their services. On the platform, which is available in dozens of languages, users can search for flights, hotels and rentals offered by numerous partners around the world. Starting originally with BTC payments, the travel site has expanded the number of supported cryptocurrencies to seven. Currently, it can also process incoming transactions in bitcoin cash (BCH), ethereum (ETH), ethereum classic (ETC), litecoin (LTC), dash and dogecoin. Travelers can book a desired destination, accommodation or other service using their preferred cryptocurrency. The payment is accepted on confirmation but is transferred to the provider at least 24 hours after guests check in. Businesses are welcome to list their places and services on Bitcoin.travel free of charge, providing a description, pictures and price rates. As per the terms of service, they can request a withdrawal of the due amount a day after the arrival of their customer. Payouts are made in BTC, BCH, ETH, and LTC. What other crypto-friendly travel websites do you know or use? Share your experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned companies or any of their 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 this article. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post Book Flights and Hotels With BCH and 6 Other Coins at Bitcoin.Travel appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

India’s impending general election could affect the government’s process of regulating the crypto industry. A local lawyer has explained to news.Bitcoin.com how the election could impact regulations. According to the Indian Election Commission’s code of conduct rules, no new law can be passed during the election. Also read: Indian Supreme Court Postpones Crypto Case at Government’s Request Election Could Delay Crypto Regulation India’s general election is approaching with the voting due to take place in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. Explaining his interpretation of the law pertaining to how the election could have an impact on crypto regulation in India, lawyer Varun Sethi, founder of Blockchain Lawyer, told news.Bitcoin.com Saturday: During election time in India, ‘aachar sanhita’ or code of conduct applies. Thereby no new law can be passed. Thereby we do not expect government to officially announce any regulation regarding cryptos or others. Sumit Gupta, CEO of local crypto exchange Coindcx, also shared with news.Bitcoin.com that “According to the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, no major welfare policy decisions can be made once the dates for general elections have been set.” He elaborated, “Since the dates for the 2019 general elections have been made public, the government of India might be able to ‘postpone’ crypto-regulations until after the general elections.” Sethi further noted, “Till the time the supreme court case is pending for [the] hearing, the government is shielded from making an announcement.” He also clarified that laws could be passed immediately after the results of the election are out since “The code of conduct applies prior to elections not post it.” The Supreme Court of India gave the government four weeks on Feb. 25 to come up with a report on crypto regulation. The court expected to hear about the regulation on Friday from the interministerial committee headed by Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. However, it adjourned at the request of the government’s counsel until July. Crypto Regulation Not to Be Hurried The Indian government has been drafting a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency for quite some time. Garg previously said on television that a draft crypto regulation would be ready in July last year. However, the government has yet to announce any form of regulation for the crypto industry. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Finance told Lok Sabha that “the department is pursuing the matter with due caution,” adding that “It is difficult to state a specific timeline to come up with clear recommendations.” Nonetheless, the government told the supreme court during the February hearing that the panel was in the final stages of deliberations. Sethi further shared with news.Bitcoin.com: Post election, the government as a populist measure may consider adoption of new technology and cryptos could benefit from it. However that would happen only if the supreme court passes other than negative order. Gupta remarked that crypto regulation is “a critical decision so it should not be taken in a hurry,” emphasizing that it is “best to take time to come up with a good regulatory framework rather than taking any wrong steps.” He asserted that the “election could be the most probable reason” for the supreme court’s decision on Friday “as everyone is busy with general elections … and no one wants to hurry in such a critical step.” Meanwhile, Reuters reported Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has predicted an easy victory, believing that “his ruling coalition would increase its majority in India’s upcoming election, despite some independent analysts suggesting it could disappear due to discontent over lack of jobs and depressed farm incomes.” How do you think the Indian election could impact crypto regulation? Let us know in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Bitcoin.com does not endorse or support claims made by any parties in this article. None of the information in this article is intended as investment advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Neither Bitcoin.com nor the author is 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 this article. Images courtesy of Shutterstock and the government of India. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post How India’s Election Could Impact Crypto Regulation appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Over the last two years, the Lightning Network has been touted as the scaling solution for the Bitcoin Core (BTC) network. However, the solution has been heavily criticized for its lack of security, and on March 28, Bitcoin Unlimited’s chief scientist Peter Rizun wrote an interesting evaluation of the Lightning Network’s “dirty little secret.” Also read: Mempool ‘Spam’ and Rising Fees: The Consequences of Veriblock’s Mainnet Launch Visualizing the Lightning Network from a Different Perspective This week, Bitcoin Unlimited’s Peter Rizun wrote a critique concerning the often controversial Lightning Network (LN). In delving into the project, Rizun asks the reader to visualize the LN as a string of beads (Fig. 1) extended between two individuals, Alice and Bob. In essence, Alice can send Bob funds by pushing one of her beads to Bob, utilizing the string which represents an LN channel. Fig. 1. Alice can send a payment to Carol by routing it through Bob. Because beads cannot leave the string they are on, Bob ends up with one more bead on his string with Alice, and one fewer bead on his string with Carol. Rizun’s essay notes that the foundation of the network is the reason for LN liquidity problems because “the beads can move from side to side but cannot leave the string they’re on.” From there, Rizun discusses the LN security model which depends on Hash and Time-Lock Contracts (HTLCs). Fig. 2. The hash-lock opens when a password is entered that hashes to the specified value (45f8 in this case). The time-lock opens after the specified time has elapsed (48 hours in this case). Essentially, HTLCs explain how the system prevents Bob from keeping the bead from Alice without sending one on to Carol. In order to bypass this issue, the LN project uses locks in the channel and in Rizun’s the locks are placed in the string in order to constrain the beads’ movements until the agreement’s conditions are met. “The hash and time-lock contracts (HTLCs) used in Lightning payments involve two types of locks (Fig. 2): the first is a lock that opens if presented with the correct password (we’ll call this a “hash-lock”), and the second is a lock that opens automatically after a time delay (we’ll call this a “time-lock”),” Rizun’s blog post details. The developer then returns to the example of a payment between Alice to Carol through Bob, and Rizun notes that in order to make the process “trustless,” Alice, Bob, and Carol need to be online simultaneously in order to settle the agreement. “First, Alice asks Carol to think up a secret password and tell her the password’s hash. Let’s pretend the password Carol thought up was ‘boondoggle’ and its hash was ‘45f8’ — Next, Alice places a hash-lock between her and Bob, set to open when presented with a password that hashes to ‘45f8,’” runs Rizun’s critique. “At this point in time, neither Alice nor Bob can open the lock because neither knows the password — Alice then pushes a bead against the hash-lock. Lastly, she places a time-lock on the left side of the bead, set to automatically open after 48 hours (Fig. 3).” Lightning Network Micropayments Are Not Trustless at All The study further explains why Bob would bother to participate in this settlement in the first place if Carol had not been cooperative. Basically, the theory assumed is that Alice will send Bob a fraction more than what she asks Bob to send to Carol, as a fee to compensate for risks. It also reveals the purpose the time-locks serve in order to protect someone’s funds if a payment fails. An example of this situation would be if Bob becomes uncooperative after Alice shifts her bead over and adds the two locks, Rizun adds, and remarks that time-locks give Alice the ability to retrieve the funds. His essay says that even though this is possible, the Lightning Network has a dirty little secret which can be seen when the channel state involves three outputs: Alice’s coins, Bob’s coins, and the coin “in flight.” The problem occurs if the value-in-flight is below the BTC dust threshold, in which case it can’t be used as a third output in the channel-state transaction. “It is thus not possible to use hash- and time-locks to protect the payment if the payment is too small,” Rizun paper emphasizes. “It is not exactly true that the number of beads on a string is constant. There is actually a bucket beside each string labeled “Miner’s Fee” that contains small fractions of beads. The value in this bucket gets claimed by the miner who confirms the channel-state transaction, should the channel state be pushed to the blockchain. Fractions of beads can move from the string to the bucket, or from the bucket back to the string, but only if the persons on both sides of the channel agree.” The paper continues: Rather than locking the value in-flight with hash- and time-locks, for small payments Alice and Bob just move the value-in-flight into the fee bucket (Fig. 8). Bob trusts that Alice will cooperate with him to take the value-in-flight out of the fee bucket when he reveals Carol’s secret password. Bob can then dump the value-in-flight into another bucket he shares with Carol and manipulate the situation by asking Carol to tell Bob the secret password. Carol tells Bob the secret, and Bob and Carol together move the payment from the fee bucket to Carol’s side, Rizun states. Bob then goes back to Alice, tells her Carol’s secret, and if all goes well, Alice cooperates with him to take the value-in-flight out of the fee bucket and place it on Bob’s side of the string. The paper adds: Unlike the HTLC scheme described earlier, this scheme relies on trust. For example, Carol could reveal the password to Bob, who could then leave the payment in the fee bucket yet still go to Alice and deliver the password in exchange for his payment. According to a few individuals on social media and cryptocurrency forums, the problems associated with the trust issue and micropayments are well known. At the time of writing, the dust threshold is less than 600 satoshis which means if fees were to spike considerably again, the Lightning Network wouldn’t be a feasible option. Rizun’s paper notes that the issue adds unneeded friction from layer one to layer two by “forcing complex and poorly-understood work-arounds to the L2 protocol.” Moreover, those who have been cheering for higher network fees in order to bolster more Segwit use (were the dust limit is even lower) and forcefully pushing for LN adoption do not seem to understand how impractical that would be. What do you think about the issues involved with LN and the added friction that layer two adds to common settlements compared to traditional layer one transactions? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Image credits: Shutterstock, and Bitcoin Unlimited’s Peter Rizun. Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section. The post Analysis Shows Lightning Network Suffers From Trust Issues Exacerbated by Rising Fees appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

First they came for our privacy. Then our data. Finally they took our memes. If the more hyperbolic headlines are to be believed, the EU’s ratification of the controversial Article 13 copyright law will have repercussions for purveyors of highly shareable online content. The reality is less draconian. Nevertheless, Article 13, coupled with last year’s GDPR laws, has ramifications for all tech companies, blockchain projects included. Also read: Mempool ‘Spam’ and Rising Fees: The Consequences of Veriblock’s Mainnet Launch Article 13 Passes But Memes Earn a Reprieve The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law, described as “the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years,” received a mixed reaction upon its introduction last year. Within the cryptocurrency industry, the fallout was limited to a handful of projects that bowed out rather than accede to the incoming regulations. As hybrid blockchain company LTO Network noted, GDPR posed “an even greater challenge” to blockchain projects “due to the intrinsic characteristics of the technology, even causing some projects to shut down and go out of business.” Now that the European Parliament has voted in Article 13, crypto businesses face yet another logistical challenge: how to remain compliant while operating public blockchain networks that are meant to be censorship-resistant, and thus impervious to copyright law. A handful of crypto companies, LTO Network among them, haven’t just adapted to new EU data laws – they’ve embraced them. The Dutch-based blockchain company provides GDPR compliant services to clients accessing public and private blockchains. This week it inked a deal with Signrequest, one of Europe’s biggest electronic signing parties to secure its documents on the LTO Network. What Did the EU Meme by This? Not everyone is enamored with the EU’s data directives. Digital liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation has described Article 13 as “a censorship machine that puts thousands of daily activities and millions of internet users at the mercy of algorithmic filters.” Opponents of the copyright law include Tim Berners Lee, who is overseeing a decentralized social app called Solid that will enable users to own and control their data. Content shared “for purposes of quotation, criticism, review, caricature, parody, and pastiche,” will be excluded from Article 13, so memes should be safe at least. That’s just as well seeing how Article 13 itself has inspired a plethora of memes. But what about other types of copyright content that might be uploaded to crypto networks, in contravention of GDPR or Article 13? When the copyright infringement claims start flying in, the crypto community will be watching attentively to see which so-called blockchains censor content that was uploaded onchain, and which ones refuse because either they won’t or they can’t. Article 13 was conceived to clamp down on the theft of intellectual property. How strange if its primary benefit came to be as a litmus test on the decentralization of crypto networks. What are your thoughts on Article 13? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post What Article 13 Means for the Cryptocurrency Industry appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The true size of the cryptocurrency market may be as little as 5 percent of its officially reported total. Coinmarketcap (CMC), the leading market data website, has been accused of unquestioningly publishing crypto exchange figures, despite compelling evidence of manipulation by many trading venues including a glut of Asian platforms. Now, a number of market data websites have ramped up pressure on exchanges to provide accurate figures. Also read: Cryptojobs Is a Platform With 1,300 Vacancies in the Cryptocurrency Industry Fake It Till You Make It Due to its dominance, Coinmarketcap exerts a significant pull over the cryptocurrency market, incentivizing exchanges to inflate their reported trading volume, in a bid to game the ratings system. CMC ranks exchanges by both reported and adjusted volume, in a bid to thwart the exchanges determined to fake it till they make it as legitimately active trading venues. Nevertheless, fake volume remains a huge problem. Some have disputed Bitwise’s claim that the true size of the cryptoconomy is just 1/20th of its reported total. It is evident, however, that the amount of cryptocurrency credited with changing hands on a daily basis has been significantly overstated. A number of market data websites, led by Messari, are striving to share unvarnished figures that have not been inflated. That doing so will distinguish these data platforms from CMC in the process can’t hurt either. Messari’s Onchainfx dashboard now includes a column for “Real 10” 24-hour volume – the 10 exchanges singled out by Bitwise for their honest reporting. Messari’s Real 10 ‘They Could Fix This Problem Overnight If They Wanted’ Coinsbit is a fiat-crypto exchange that’s listed on market data websites including Coinmarketcap. A spokesperson for the platform explained to news.Bitcoin.com that it was incumbent upon each exchange to act ethically and to refrain from practices that might artificially inflate volume. “Sites like Coinmarketcap are reliant upon the accuracy of the data they’re fed via API from cryptocurrency exchanges,” noted the Coinsbit representative. “While CMC can take measures to omit or penalize platforms that have been found to be misreporting volume, the onus is on the exchanges themselves: they could fix this problem overnight if they wanted, but as it stands, there’s no economic incentive to do so.” Mateusz Sroka of market data website Coinpaprika told news.Bitcoin.com that fake volume is a problem that has plagued the cryptocurrency industry for years, and that blatant market manipulation, including falsely reported volume, has been a deterrent to institutional adoption. “In the past 12 months, we’ve seen pressure placed on crypto exchanges to clean up their act, and also for market data sites to proactively penalize platforms that blatantly misreport their figures,” he said, adding: It’s going to take a concerted effort to stamp out manipulation altogether, but there are already signs that exchanges are feeling the pressure to act more ethically, which will help to further legitimize the cryptocurrency sector in the eyes of the wider public. These Coinmarketcap Alternatives Provide a Different Take on the Crypto Markets For traders interested in obtaining more accurate trading figures, or accessing features that Coinmaketcap doesn’t offer, there is a number of alternatives to explore. Messari: For “true” trading volume and more accurate figures pertaining to circulating supply of crypto asssets, Messari’s Onchainfx is the market leader. Openmarketcap: This cryptocurrency data tracker uses prices and trading volumes from trusted exchanges only in calculating average prices and total volume. Coinpaprika: For clear data on trading volumes, plus information on price differences between exchanges, Coinpaprika has got it locked down. Bitcoin.com Markets: For legibility, Bitcoin.com’s crypto asset charts are clean and comprehensible, with a distinct and pleasing aesthetic. The portal also offers crypto charts paired with seven fiat currencies. 7-day BCH chart on Bitcoin.com Markets Blockmodo: For information on social chatter surrounding cryptocurrency projects, and how this may feed into market prices, Blockmodo is ideal. Coinratecap: This CMC alternative has a number of useful features including a cryptocurrency price converter and links to almost 100 exchanges. Coingecko: For listing crypto assets the moment they’re tradable, Coingecko is ahead of the pack. Coincodex: For customized filters, including three-month and year-to-date changes, Coincodex is perfect. Like Coingecko, it’s also quick to list new digital assets and features a host of insightful data points. What’s your favorite market data website and why? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post These Cryptocurrency Data Sites Aim to Be More Accurate Than Coinmarketcap appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Last month the Veriblock testnet represented more than 30 percent of BTC’s network transactions but the project took a hiatus before launching the protocol’s mainnet. When the project stopped, the BTC network’s mempool dropped, transactions per day were cut in half, and fees slightly dipped. However, since the mainnet launch of the Veriblock blockchain, the mempool is once again getting ‘spammed’ and average transaction fees have increased over the last few days. Also read: Indian Supreme Court Set to Hear Crypto Case on March 29 Veriblock’s Mainnet Captures 18% of BTC Transactions The Veriblock blockchain launched its mainnet on March 25, and since then the project has been using a lot of BTC transactions again. News.Bitcoin.com reported on the Veriblock testnet back in February when the blockchain platform was piggybacking off the chain and utilized more than 30-45 percent of transactions on a daily basis. Often times last month, BTC transactions per day numbered 285,000-350,000 when Veriblock was testing. Veriblock captures more than 18% of BTC transactions today. Then, at the beginning of March, Veriblock stopped its testnet and BTC transactions (txn) slipped to 212,000 txn on March 9. After the latest Veriblock launch, the project is now capturing 18.6 percent of BTC transactions at the time of writing and BTC hit a weekly high of 393,000 txn on March 27. Moreover, because of all of these transactions, BTC’s average fee jumped from $0.34 to $0.49 per txn and the mempool (transaction queue) has spiked considerably. Since Veriblock has returned BTC network fees began to rise. The Veriblock chain is a project that aims to “help secure blockchain networks against 51% attacks so they can thrive.” The project uses a system called proof-of-proof (PoP) and the ‘proof’ is tied to the OP_Return transactions used within the BTC network. Essentially Veriblock can create a snapshot of any chain state and secure it with BTC in a transparent and permissionless fashion. When the mainnet launched, the Veriblock team explained that it is committed to helping other blockchains fend off malicious attacks. The team mentioned the 51 percent attacks and deep reorgs that happened to Bitcoin Gold, Zencash, Ravencoin, FLO, Vertcoin, and Ethereum Classic as recent examples. Veriblock says that cryptocurrency development teams can now concentrate on programming new features, instead of stressing about attacks. “The marketplace has validated this approach, with over 6,000,000 security transactions on Bitcoin to date,” Veriblock claims. The point when Veriblock was running its testnet and then took a break and then launched the blockchain’s mainnet on March 25 is very noticeable looking at BTC’s confirmed txns per day data. Some Take Issue With Using BTC for Storing Arbitrary Data and Have Criticized ‘Unneeded’ Purchases Last time Veriblock used a very noticeable amount of BTC transactions, many hardcore maximalists didn’t like the use of the opcodes and accused the project of “spamming” the network. Developer Jameson Lopp called the project “inefficient” at the time and others called it “garbage.” With the recent Veriblock mainnet launch, spectators are noticing the “fee pressure rises” and others have started getting salty again. There are others that see the fees as positive because they could kickstart Segwit adoption and force people into using the unfinished Lightning Network. For instance, one observer tweeted: Seems like Lightning channel opens and Veriblock PoPs will make up the majority of transactions soon — This could force exchanges to look into adopting Lightning sooner rather than later. BTC OP_Return statistics. Op_Return transactions have been very popular throughout the community lately and other blockchains like Bitcoin Cash (BCH) have been using them widely as well with concepts like token creation and platforms like Bitcoinfiles.com and Memo.cash. In fact, OP_Return transactions have been popular throughout the Bitcoin economy since 2013, when people became fascinated with tethering bits of data into transactions to benefit from the blockchain’s immutability. However, some people have taken issue with people using BTC for arbitrary data and have called these transactions whimsical and unneeded spam. With the fees rising and BTC’s transaction congestion in 2017, it caused people to reveal their subjective valuations on what they think people should spend BTC on — to the point where a coffee purchase with bitcoin is considered infeasible. BTC mempool begins to see congestion. Supporters of the BCH network believe that a focus on improving onchain scaling is a far better method than forcing people to pay high network fees and onboarding people onto an unfinished and insecure network. There are not many BCH proponents who take issue with people paying for transactions in a permissionless manner, even if it’s aimless and arbitrary information. Moreover, the BCH network has proved it can handle a significant surge of onchain transactions when it processed more than 2 million transactions in 24 hours on Sept. 1, 2018. In fact, the chain continued to process record-breaking daily txns per day that entire week and miner fees declined instead of doubling. It’s hard to say whether or not BTC’s increasing network fees and Veriblock paying for a large portion of transactions will push people toward the Lightning Network or towards other chains as it has done in the past. What do you think about the Veriblock chain buying a lot of BTC transactions in order to operate its proof-of-proof (PoP) consensus? What do you think about the rising BTC network fees associated with this issue? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Image credits: Shutterstock, Blockchain.com, Grafana OP_Return statistics, Veriblock, and Bitinfocharts.com. Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section. The post Mempool ‘Spam’ and Rising Fees: The Consequences of Veriblock’s Mainnet Launch appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The number of merchants accepting bitcoin cash (BCH) is growing. According to a community-curated website, there are over 1,000 BCH-accepting merchants, grouped into over 40 categories. The site also separately lists organizations that accept BCH donations. Also read: Indian Supreme Court Set to Hear Crypto Case on March 29 Directory of 1061 Merchants Accept Bitcoin Cash is a community-curated directory of merchants that accept BCH. It currently lists 1,061 merchants as accepting bitcoin cash for products and services and 61 organizations as accepting BCH donations. The main directory has 1,039 BCH-accepting merchants, divided into 41 categories such as accommodation, art & design, banking, cloud computing, communication, crowdfunding, crypto exchanges, developer, domains, education, entertainment, food, gambling, gaming, IoT, legal, mining, payments, and security. Organizations that accept crypto donations and merchants offering adult products or services are listed separately. Under the “Donations” tab, there are five categories consisting of 67 organizations, 61 of which accept BCH donations. The “Adult” tab has three categories comprising 57 businesses, 22 of which accept BCH. Merchants can be searched by name or browsed by category. Since the directory includes some businesses that accept other cryptocurrencies, site visitors can filter the listings to only show those accepting bitcoin cash. “This is an open source project which accepts submissions from the general community,” the project’s Github page describes. The site charges no fees and the team behind the initiative has clarified that they “do not endorse nor confirm the legitimacy of any of the sites/merchants linked to on this site.” They further noted, “While we try our best to verify the information submitted, it’s possible that we may miss something.” The site has a form for any visitor to submit a request for a merchant be added to the directory. The team additionally explained that their goal is to build a directory “with a comprehensive list of sites that accept or support bitcoin cash, as well as bitcoin (legacy),” emphasizing that “Our hope is to connect consumers and merchants, while spreading awareness and promoting global adoption of bitcoin cash.” Bitcoin Cash Adoption Growing The Accept Bitcoin Cash website also features a handy page that shows adoption statistics from all of its listings. Currently, 56 percent of all merchants listed in the main directory accept BCH, which is 1,039 out of 1,848. Meanwhile, 67 organizations accept crypto donations, 91 percent of which accept BCH donations. Furthermore, 90 percent of the websites that accept BTC also accept BCH, which is 982 out of 1,091. Last month news.Bitcoin.com reported that BCH merchant acceptance is thriving in three regions. Since then, more BCH-accepting merchants have been added in those regions, according to data from Marco Coino. Slovenia, a central European country, is in the lead globally with 257 merchants accepting bitcoin cash within its borders, 105 of which are located in the capital city’s shopping district known as Bitcoin City. There are also crypto-dispensing ATMs located throughout the premises. Australian state Queensland comes in second with 104 merchants while 61 are located in Japan. What do you think of the Accept Bitcoin Cash initiative? Let us know in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Bitcoin.com does not endorse or support claims made by any parties in this article. None of the information in this article is intended as investment advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Neither Bitcoin.com nor the author is 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 this article. Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Accept Bitcoin Cash. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post Community-Run Directory Surpasses 1000 BCH-Accepting Merchants appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The sight of new job ads being published regularly, at a time when some businesses have been downsizing to cope with the crypto winter, is a positive sign. The importance of job boards connecting companies with professionals is growing, with Cryptojobs one such platform. Also read: Coingapp Allows You to Exploit Arbitrage Opportunities Between Exchanges 1,300 Ads on a Crypto Job Board Cryptojobs (crypto.jobs) is among the leading platforms specializing in posting new openings for those who wish to begin or continue their career in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. The website currently lists almost 1,300 jobs and adds new vacancies almost every day. Users can filter the ads by categories, which include tech, design, business development, sales, marketing, operations, customer support, analyst, and other, as well as browse them by skills. They can also toggle between all jobs and remote positions, some of which are restricted to a particular territory. Each job posting contains a description of the respective position and the specific requirements for the candidates. The ads also indicate if the job is a full-time or part-time engagement, a temporary contract or an internship. Cryptojobs enables companies to post new jobs free of charge. A $199 paid upgrade provides them with unlimited applications, highlighted ads on the homepage, push notifications to subscribed candidates and other additional services. Job seekers can upload their resumes thanks to a recently added feature. Have you used the services of a crypto-specific job platform? Tell us in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned companies or any of their 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 this article. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post Cryptojobs Is a Platform With 1,300 Vacancies in the Cryptocurrency Industry appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

India’s supreme court has postponed hearing the crypto case at the request of the government’s counsel. The court was expecting to hear about the country’s cryptocurrency regulation today before proceeding to address the banking ban by the central bank. However, the case has now been postponed. Also read: Indian Supreme Court Set to Hear Crypto Case on March 29 Supreme Court Hearing Today The Supreme Court of India was scheduled to hear the crypto case today, after it gave the government four weeks to produce a report on the regulatory framework for cryptocurrency during the last hearing on Feb. 25. However, according to Twitter account Crypto Kanoon, an Indian platform for blockchain and crypto regulatory news and analysis: Supreme Court has adjourned the Crypto vs RBI matter on the request of government’s counsel. Matter fixed for final arguments in 2nd week of July on a non-miscellaneous (regular) day. India’s cryptocurrency regulation is being drafted by an interministerial committee headed by Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. During the last hearing, the government told the court that this committee was in its final stages of deliberations. The exact date of the next hearing will be in the court order which has yet to be released. The RBI Ban Continues for Now India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), issued a circular in April last year banning banks under its control from providing services to crypto businesses. The ban went into effect in July and banks in the country closed the accounts of crypto exchanges as well as of customers that showed transactions involving cryptocurrencies. Jaideep Reddy, a lawyer with Nishith Desai Associates, told news.Bitcoin.com earlier this week that “One would hope the case on the RBI circular is decided soon since the industry has been in limbo for nearly a year now.” Reddy represents the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in its writ petition against the RBI ban. The banking restriction has forced Indian exchanges to improvise and change their business models. Some launched crypto-only trading while others launched escrowed peer-to-peer (P2P) services. A number of exchanges have reported a rise in demand for P2P trading. Some companies shut down their Indian operations because of the banking restriction such as Zebpay, formerly one of the largest crypto exchanges in India. Another large crypto exchange, Unocoin, tried to bypass the ban by launching a cash kiosk. However, the exchange ran into trouble with law enforcement which mistook its kiosk for an ATM that violated the RBI ban and arrested two of the company’s founders. Meanwhile, the Indian crypto community has come together on a social media campaign calling for positive regulation and an end to the banking ban. What do you think of the Indian supreme court postponing the crypto case? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post Indian Supreme Court Postpones Crypto Case at Government’s Request appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

On March 27, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) fans were introduced to a new BCH full node written in the Python programming language. The project, known as Bitcoinpython, is a modern BCH library whose creator claims it to be the fastest available Python implementation with 100X the speed of its closest competitor. Also read: Menu.cash Allows Diners to Create Table-Specific Orders and Pay With BCH Bitcoinpython: A Fast Bitcoin Cash Full Node Written in Python Over the last year, there’s been an assortment of alternative BCH full node clients released using a variety of different programming languages. On Wednesday, software developer Corentin Mercier announced the launch of Bitcoinpython on Twitter and explained that it was the “fastest and easiest Python library” to date. Python is a general purpose programming language created in 1991 that’s well known for its ease of use. Mercier’s Bitcoinpython documentation explains that the Python nodes for BCH were “pretty bleak” and prior releases had unfriendly APIs and lacked a significant amount of testing and specifications. The developer revealed that he forked the Bitcoinpython code from a library that stemmed from programmer Ofek Lev and he also used Teran Mc Kinney’s Bitcash library upgrade. The Bitcoinpython documentation explains there to be five benefits to the library which includes a robust API, compliance with all BCH improvement protocols, availability for all major platforms, extensive documentation and of course speed – Mercier believes the client is 100X faster than the closest library. “Bitcoinpython is Python’s fastest Bitcoin Cash library and was designed from the beginning to feel intuitive, be effortless to use, and have a readable source code,” the project’s introductory documentation states. Alternative Clients Bring More Blockchain Compatibility The project’s code is open source and available on a Github repository, which describes what the Python written node supports. The specs detail that the node features cold storage keys, 25 different fiat currencies, exchange rate API with optional caching, deterministic signatures, optimal transaction fees, compressed public keys, and it offers standard P2PKH transactions. Bitcoinpython also provides multiple representations of private keys which include WIF, PEM, and DER. Mercier also gives credit to Bjarne Magnussen for his Segwit code for BIP143 support as well. The Bitcoinpython release follows the BCH nodes written in Golang and Rust a few months ago. Most of the nodes used today are written in C++, the codebase Satoshi originally used in 2009. The two dominant nodes within the BCH network consist of ABC (54.4%) and Unlimited (44%). However, since the launch of the Bchd client and the Neutrino wallet, there are roughly eight Bchd nodes in the pack. People like to develop nodes in languages like Golang, Node.js, and Python because a lot of developers enjoy how easy these languages are to learn. Moreover, there are a lot of web applications using friendly coding languages and with wider language communication it could end up making them blockchain compatible. Mercier is a big fan of building cryptocurrency applications and has developed other projects like Blurry.cash, a blurry photo site that lets you pay BCH to reveal a clear picture, and a bitcoin vending machine product called Bsnack. Bitcoinpython is another addition to the developer’s portfolio and demonstrates his passion for creating solid use cases for cryptocurrencies. What do you think about the Bitcoinpython full node software? Let us know what you think about this project in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned companies or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com and the author are 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 this article. This editorial is for informational purposes only. Image credits: Shutterstock, Bitcoinpython, and Twitter. Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH, and other coins, on our market charts at Satoshi’s Pulse, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com. The post New Bitcoinpython Node Is 100X Faster Than Previous Python Libraries appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Ernesto Huerta is the very embodiment of Bitcoin. As the operator of Crypto Space, a physical bitcoin exchange in Los Angeles’ San Pedro neighborhood, Huerta knows more than most about the challenges of running a cryptocurrency business while maintaining banking access and compliance. In a wide-ranging interview, the Crypto Space owner has disclosed the realities of straddling the line that separates centralized and decentralized finance, and the underhand tactics big banks deploy to crush crypto startups. Also read: Japan Approves 2 New Crypto Exchanges – 140 More Interested ‘If JP Morgan Chase Is Listening I’d Like My $100,000 Back’ Ernesto Huerta faces a twin challenge upon awakening each morning: keeping his own business afloat, while doing the same for his clients. It’s not that business is bad – in fact, Crypto Space is booming. Rather, the realities of operating in the cryptocurrency industry mean Huerta is constantly at risk of having the rug pulled from under his feet by the banks. His clients, many of whom operate in the marijuana industry, face the same challenge. Crypto Space is thriving thanks to a series of crypto ATMs installed in multiple locations, and Huerta has found a niche in aiding businesses specializing in medical marijuana and money transmission – all performed legally and by the book. Crypto Space On this week’s Humans of Bitcoin podcast, Huerta tells host Matt Aaron about the struggles he faces in the day-to-day running of Crypto Space, but explains why he wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. The brick and mortar premises, Huerta recounts, “is more like a crypto bank, a place where you can get instant settlement and where we solve people’s problems. They can buy large amounts of crypto and have zero slippage and instant transactions.” The physical lounge forms a laid back spot for like-minded souls to hang out, drink beer and talk about bitcoin and trade cryptocurrencies such as BCH and BTC. But there’s also serious business to be done. In addition to the legal marijuana industry, notes podcast host Matt Aaron, “there are many industries that don’t have bank accounts. Ernesto is building trust in an industry that needs trusts because it’s confusing, and there’s a lot of scams, but he’s thriving because he’s solving the problem for people who have trouble with cash.” How Cryptocurrency Solves Real World Problems “There’s a lot of companies, including real estate companies, that know crypto is there, they want to take payment in crypto and hold it as an asset but they don’t even understand how to secure their assets,” explains Huerta. “Say they buy a million dollars worth of crypto, how do they secure it? So we help them set up their security, get them a pen tester to penetrate their systems and make sure that their business and their home networks are secure, and will help them set up their Ledgers, their multi-sig wallets etcetera.” Because cannabis is not legal federally, but is legal in the state of California, Huerta has found himself aiding a lot of marijuana companies that have been frozen out of the financial system. “You know, they have to buy products, they have to buy seeds, they have to buy fertilizer equipment, so they need to spend [money] and there’s no real outlet for them,” he observes, before pointing out some of the crypto-based solutions available. “One solution in regards to compliantly onboarding significant amounts of cash,” outlines Huerta, “is through the smart ATM network with full biometric KYC for compliance; everything that the government needs or the state needs in regards to doing a legal transaction. So we would work with a medical marijuana dispensary, and maybe they could take bitcoin at their dispensary and we’d set them up and show them how to store that and then they could put an ATM in the dispensary.” It’s not just dispensaries that have a need for Crypto Space’s services, for Huerta notes: As soon as you register as a money services business, it’s close to impossible to maintain or get a bank account. So they force you to deal with cash, kind of like cannabis companies. Not everyone who walks through the doors of Crypto Space can become a customer however. “Unfortunately, we have to turn down a lot of business because of compliance which we take very seriously. If someone comes in and says ‘Hey, I got this bag full of cash and I’d like to buy some bitcoin,’ I’m like, ‘Sure, let’s see your ID, I got to source the funds’ and then they’re like ‘Well, maybe not.’ We have to be very, very careful. But if they do pass compliance, and everything’s good, we can settle instantly.” Crypto Space Banks Are the Biggest Criminals There’s a lot of dirty money flowing around by the government or the banks restricting crypto companies,” claims Huerta. “It’s like Prohibition in the 20s with, like, Al Capone and everything. They criminalize banking, they create these monsters, they create these underground networks. Because the moment you criminalize something, it brings out this whole other problem, right?” He is scathing of U.S. banks and the fact that “They can choose to do business or not do business with whomever they want. I know this from dozens of letters that either my clients have gotten, or I have gotten, that what they do is freeze your funds to hold them for 10 business days, and you get a letter saying, ‘We’re not telling you why we are closing your bank account, the decision is final’.” Huerta continues: You’ll get a cashier’s check [from the bank] in 10 business days. So they don’t tell you why. And they say the decision is final, and they steal your money. And they play with it for god knows how long until they decide they’re going to give it back to you. “I can tell you right now that JP Morgan Chase does not do that – they freeze your funds,” reveals Huerta. “They are going to have a JP Morgan coin, but they’re purging money service businesses and other accounts and freezing their funds. I’m telling you this from first hand experience. If JPMorgan Chase is listening, I’d like my $100,000 back – they’re holding it hostage.” The banking giant had been holding onto Huerta’s funds for around a week at the time of recording the podcast. “Maybe I’ll get it back. Maybe I won’t,” he muses. “But JPMorgan Chase – shame on you. We are a compliant and legitimate company and they’re holding our money.” 23 days after uttering those words on the Humans of Bitcoin Podcast, Ernesto Huerta finally got his money back from JPMorgan Chase. Have you experienced banking problems while operating a cryptocurrency business? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post Cannabis, Cryptocurrency and Compliance: One Man’s Quest to Support Unbanked Businesses appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Menu.cash is a new Bitcoin Cash (BCH) application that allows food establishment owners to set up online menus that are tied to table-specific QR codes. The QR redirects to the venue’s menu and patrons can simply choose the items they want and settle the bill in minutes using BCH for payment. Also read: Examine the Token Universe Built on BCH With the New SLP Explorer A Menu System With BCH-Integrated Point-of-Sale This week Bitcoin Cash supporters were introduced to a new platform called Menu.cash, an application for venues that enables customers to order with their phone and pay with an integrated point-of-sale (PoS) system. The application is unique because the system’s QR code redirects to a food establishment’s online menu interface, and quickly tethers settlement with BCH and delivery to the specific table it was ordered from. “I’ve been working on a project which allows venue owners to set-up their menu online, called Menu.cash — Customers can scan a table-specific QR code that contains both the venue’s menu and the table ID,” the founder of Menu.cash explained during the announcement on March 27. “The QR code then redirects to the venue’s menu, where the customer can order anything they like, and then pay with Bitcoin Cash — Once the transaction has been broadcast, the waiters of the venue get a notification of the order to their phone, and they can deliver it directly to the table it has been ordered from,” Sample menu that can be tested. Table-Specific Ordering The system is fairly intuitive and merchants can look at a sample menu to get an idea of how the platform works. Essentially the customer can scan the QR code and open the website but they can also type the domain name and six-letter code by hand. Venue owners have a 12-step process to complete and no plugins are required. The merchant creates an account with a valid email and then responds to the email verification which redirects to the Projects page. From there, establishment owners can add their menu and select a local currency for an exchange rate for BCH. Checkout process for Menu.cash. Menus can also have translations added to the header bar and people can order food in their selected language. At the moment, the Menu.cash service is free, but the founder of the project has noted that at some point down the line it will take a percentage per order. Menu.cash plans to add fees once “legal questions have been resolved and the product has been polished,” the project’s creator revealed. The platform also has a roadmap of goals it plans to add in the future like paying with cash and converting BCH directly to fiat, notifications for iOS, and a tutorial so merchants and customers can learn how to use the system quickly. On forums and social media, BCH supporters seemed to like the new BCH-powered menu concept and complimented the creator for his efforts. “This is a really cool idea, and the potential is definitely there — Not sure where you’re based out of, but went ahead and ordered a lager,” enthused one BCH enthusiast. What do you think about the Menu.cash platform? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned companies or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com and the author are 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 this article. This editorial is for informational purposes only. Image credits: Shutterstock, and Menu.cash. Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH, and other coins, on our market charts at Satoshi’s Pulse, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com. The post Menu.cash Allows Diners to Create Table-Specific Orders and Pay With BCH appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

For many businesses, startups in particular, the introduction of cryptocurrency features into their online platforms can bring tangible benefits. Integrating cryptocurrency payment options and providing market information about digital coins has the potential to attract customers from a community that favors fast and inexpensive electronic payments. Also read: Bitcoinmap.cash Helps You Find Places to Spend BCH WordPress Crypto Plugins The simplicity and flexibility of WordPress has made it a preferred platform for many young companies looking to build their own websites. Those relying a on crypto income, however, need to install a plugin that supports cryptocurrency payments. There are many available options, one of which is My Crypto Checkout. The plugin allows online stores to receive direct payments in over 30 cryptocurrencies in peer-to-peer transactions with a zero percent fee. Under a free license, MCC processes up to three sales per month but the paid subscription comes with unlimited transactions for $59 a year. Once it’s downloaded from the Plugins page in the WordPress dashboard and activated, one or more cryptos have to be set up in the Currencies tab. As the software supports Woocommerce and Easy Digital Downloads, the payment gateway settings for the preferred platform need to be adjusted too. Other websites may want to keep their users informed about crypto prices. A simple solution is provided by the Cryptocurrency Price Widget, which comes with real-time price updates for over 3,600 coins and 160 fiat currencies. It can be downloaded and installed from Add New in the Plugins page. Bitcoin.com offers widgets that update website visitors about the price movements of bitcoin cash (BCH). They also enable websites to receive the latest news from the crypto space via a news ticker. Find out how to install them by visiting the Bitcoin Widgets page. Do you agree that crypto widgets are useful for online businesses? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post How to Install a Crypto Widget on Your Website appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

On Monday, the independently syndicated radio broadcast Free Talk Live (FTL) announced that the organization, along with a group of businesses and FTL listeners, had raised $45,000 in cryptocurrencies to construct an orphanage in Uganda. The initiative also raised another $35,000 in crypto to purchase the land for the orphanage within the small African village. Also read: Mineable Cryptocurrencies Are Far More Valuable Than Non-Mineable Coins $80K in Crypto Raised Cryptocurrencies and philanthropy go hand in hand and on March 25, the Free Talk Live radio show announced the team had raised a total of $80,000 in digital currencies to purchase land in Uganda and build an orphanage on the site. FTL also had matching contributors who helped the crowdfunding initiative including organizations like Cell411, Bitcoin.com, and the Shire Free Church. The land purchase and orphanage construction will help the small village self-sustain and the residents will be able to dedicate more energy to things like growing crops and raising livestock. The orphanage construction goal was also led by The Foundation of Hope Uganda and one of the foundation’s ministers, Ndifuna Johnson. The Foundation of Hope Uganda. According to FTL, the radio show’s listeners also participated in the funding process using the radio program’s cryptocurrency tip jar, which accepts DASH, BTC, BCH and the ability to donate with other coins using Shapeshift. FTL airs live, seven nights a week from 7-10 p.m. EST on nearly 200 radio stations. Co-host Mark Edge believes the initiative shows the true power of cryptocurrency crowdfunding. Moreover, Edge thinks that giving the Uganda village a helping hand helps them discover better opportunities. “All I want here is for young people to have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves,” Edge explained. “Education is important and you can’t have human freedom without humans and these kids need food. This is a way for these kids to get it — this is a better plan — Give them a fishing rod and let them catch their own fish.” Villagers Build Thousands of Clay Blocks in Anticipation FTL first heard about the foundation in Uganda when Ndifuna Johnson contacted Edge about the orphanage. Not long after the first encounter and discussions with a local preacher, Kamua Saul, Edge thought it was a worthwhile project to pursue further. According to the radio host, the villagers crafted thousands of clay blocks in anticipation of the orphanage. “They did it piece by piece, fist the foundation, walls, second floor — Bit by bit, over time. It looks great and can fit 40 kids. It also functions as a sort of community center for all the children in the village,” Edge detailed. The Foundation of Hope Uganda. According to FTL and the foundation, the villagers are in the process of securing the land using the funds provided by FTL donors and associated sponsors. The FTL host also noted that there’s often a misconception among libertarians in regard to helping people in need and this project has shown that “nothing could be further from the truth.” The news also follows the peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange Paxful’s mission in Rwanda, which helped fund two schools in the region. The #Builtwithbitcoin initiative raised over $100,000 of BTC, BCH, ETH, LTC, and DASH for the construction. The last facility Paxful helped fund and develop allowed for six classrooms, bathroom stalls, a cafeteria and a new water well system. The New Hampshire radio show’s latest focus on helping the orphanage in Uganda proves once again that cryptocurrencies are extremely well suited for spreading economic freedom through philanthropy. What do you think about Free Talk Live listeners, Bitcoin.com, the Shire Free Church, and Cell411’s initiative to build an orphanage in Uganda funded with cryptocurrencies? Let us know your thoughts on this subject in the comments section below. Image credits: The Foundation of Hope Uganda, FTL, and Pixabay. Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH, and other coins, on our market charts at Satoshi’s Pulse, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com. The post Free Talk Live and Friends Raise $80K in Crypto for Ugandan Orphanage appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

There are 2,121 digital currencies tracked on market websites with a net valuation of around $140 billion. Statistics for the end of Q1 2019 show mineable digital assets to be the most valuable cryptocurrencies on the market today, with the top eight mineable coins representing 68 percent of the entire cryptoconomy. Also read: Bitcoin and the Agora: Every Transaction Outside the Nexus of State Control Is a Victory Mineable Cryptocurrencies Capture Close to 70% of the Market There are a lot of cryptocurrencies these days but only a handful have a significant fiat value and a large community of supporters. Currently, there are only four cryptocurrencies within the top 10 market capitalizations that are mineable. The remainder have already been minted like Ripple’s XRP, Stellar’s XLM, various initial coin offerings and a few that use the proof-of-stake (PoS) mechanism. The four cryptocurrencies in the top 10 (BTC, ETH, LTC, and BCH) that can be mined have a combined market cap of around $91.7 billion. These coins constitute approximately 65.5 percent of the entire crypto ecosystem’s net worth. The rest of the top 10 non-mineable cryptos are worth a combined total of about $24 billion, which is 17 percent of the whole economy. Top 10 market cap with the top four mineable coins highlighted. Moreover, there are only eight mineable cryptocurrencies within the top 20 crypto market capitalizations. The coins joining BTC, ETH, LTC, and BCH include BSV, XMR, DASH, and ETC. These mineable cryptos are worth $3.32 billion or 2.2 percent of the entire economy’s valuation. The eight combined mineable coins capture around 67.7 percent dominance and are worth far more than 2,100 other cryptos. All of the top coins that are mineable can be mined by anyone with a standard GPU and ASIC machine. Coins like XMR and ETH have community members who believe in some form of ASIC resistance and when LTC first launched it was supposed to be ASIC resistant but that goal failed almost immediately. Certain Mining Pools Have Skin in the Game Across Several Cryptocurrency Networks One interesting fact is that all of the four mineable coins in the top 10 have the same mining pools processing coins. Both BTC and BCH have a great overlap of mining pools that process coins on both networks including organizations such as BTC.com, Antpool, Bitcoin.com, and Viabtc. Similarly, the LTC network has some overlap with both the BTC and BCH networks with pools like F2pool, Antpool, Poolin, and Viabtc. BTC and BCH mining pools have a big overlap of miners processing both chains. It’s also worth noting that on all three networks these woven sets of mining pools have dominant shares of hashrate in each network. ETH, on the other hand, has very little overlapped pools except for the prominent F2pool capturing a large chunk of ETH’s hash power. At the end of this year’s first quarter, both BTC and BCH have a decent amount of unknown miners. Currently unknown miners processing BCH capture roughly 19.4 percent of the network hashrate. Meanwhile, unidentified miners on the BTC chain have about 23.9 percent of the current hashrate. ETH and LTC have a lot less overlap except for F2pool. There’s a wide variety of coins these days, many of whose teams criticize mineable cryptos for ‘wasting’ resources. This is a huge talking point for certain pre-mined coins that ditch the proof-of-work consensus algorithm but data clearly shows mineable assets are close to two-thirds more valuable than non-mineable tokenized assets. The public can also see that a good portion of the world’s top mining pools diversify their hashrate, demonstrating the faith they hold in these mineable digital assets. What do you think about the top mineable coins being more valuable than the rest of the cryptconomy? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Image credits: Shutterstock, Coin Dance, Blockchain.com, and Pixabay. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even look up the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post Mineable Cryptocurrencies Are Far More Valuable Than Non-Mineable Coins appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Initial coin offerings haven’t died: they’ve simply rebranded as initial exchange offerings (IEOs). From Huobi to Okex and Bitmax to Bittrex, the number of crypto exchanges hosting token sales has proliferated. In a week where Kucoin has entered the ring with its Spotlight platform, we take a deep dive into IEOs: the good, the bad, and everything in between. Also read: Bitcoinmap.cash Helps You Find Places to Spend BCH ICO Becomes IEO IEOs have been a hot topic this year, with the success of Binance Launchpad causing FOMO among traders, elevating the price of BNB to new highs, and spurring other exchanges into devising their own token sale platforms. In less than two months, the crypto space has gone from having one IEO platform to six. Binance Launchpad now faces competition from Bittrex IEO, Bitmax Launchpad, Huobi Prime, Kucoin Spotlight, Bgogo Apollo, OK Jumpstart, Probit Launchpad, and Exmarkets Launchpad. The integrated exchange and token launch system popularized by Binance offers clear benefits to stakeholders including the following: Exchanges: Increased trading volume, receive a percentage of tokens issued, and demand for their own native token grows. They may also receive a listing fee from the project whose token they’ll be launching and subsequently adding to their exchange. Projects: Can tap into large existing investor pool, have their token sale promoted by the exchange, and are guaranteed listing complete with the liquidity this brings. Investors: Have easy access to new tokens via a platform they are already familiar and verified with. Are incentivized to participate in the knowledge that tokens can likely be flipped for a profit once exchange listed. It’s not all blue skies and clear waters ahead for IEOs however; just as the ICO market became saturated in 2017, there’s a risk that the same will happen for IEO launchpads. To date, Binance Launchpad has been an unbridled success, with its three token sales producing an average USD return for investors of over 300 percent. As the number of IEO platforms grows, however, the quality of featured projects is likely to diminish, dragging down the profits to be realized and dampening investor interest. But for now, at least, initial exchange offerings are hot property, as demonstrated by the spate of platforms that have sprung up to support them. The following guide will examine the setup of these platforms, including the success rate of projects launched, and the rules for IEO participation mandated of investors. Kucoin Spotlight Parent exchange: Kucoin Native token: KCS Token performance: Up 3x in a month Projects hosted: Multivac Participation: First come, first served KYC required: Yes Kucoin calls itself “the people’s exchange,” and by that reasoning, Spotlight must be the people’s IEO launchpad. Tokens can be purchased using KCS only, Kucoin’s native token. As with Binance coin, KCS has appreciated in value significantly since Spotlight was unveiled. The first project to be launched with Spotlight, Multivac, is a flexible blockchain solution that supports dapps and incorporates sharding to ensure high throughput. Kucoin has been keeping extremely busy of late, having redeveloped its interface, revamped its API, introduced Spotlight, and begun work on Kumex, a Kucoin derivatives platform similar to Bitmex that will also make use of the KCS token. Bitmax Launchpad Parent exchange: Bitmax Native token: BTMX Token performance: Up 6x in a month Projects hosted: DOS Network (DOS) DOS performance: Down 14 percent in last 24 hours Participation: First come, first served KYC required: Yes Bitmax is a relatively new exchange complete with a new platform for token sales. The BTMX token was mired in controversy due to disputes over the allocation and lock-up assigned to private sale participants. Since then, however, the exchange has kicked things up a notch, with the BTMX token following suit, recording an extremely bullish March. At present, traders appear to be more interested in BTMX than they are in the token sales due to launch on the platform. DOS Network hasn’t done much to excite the community, and already there’s a sense that these projects may struggle to sustain their price once exchange listed. It’s early days for Bitmax Launchpad though, which may yet produce some winners. Bittrex IEO Parent exchange: Bittrex International Native token: None Projects hosted: Raid (token sale cancelled) Participation: First come, first served KYC required: Yes Hopes were high for Bittrex IEO. Not only does the exchange have a favorable and longstanding reputation within the industry, but without a native token to pump, Bittrex International’s decision to host IEOs seems less cynical than some of its competition. Had its maiden project gone ahead as scheduled, Bittrex would have sold 17 percent of all tokens minted by Raid, significantly more than the 6 percent offered by Binance for the projects it’s hosted. Unfortunately, the Raid token sale was called off at the last minute due to misleading partnership claims. As a result, the Bittrex IEO launchpad remains untested. Huobi Prime Parent exchange: Huobi Native token: HT Token performance: Up 2x in a month Projects hosted: TOP Network Participation: First come, first served KYC required: Yes Huobi has dubbed its IEO service a Direct Premium Offering (DPO). Projects launched in this manner will have their tokens deposited directly into participants’ accounts, who will then be able to trade them instantly against the exchange’s native HT token. Huobi Prime promises: Rigorous screening and selection processes to ensure only premium projects that have yet to be listed on any major exchange are included. Early access to coins at below market prices. Entry to retail investors, not just professionals and VIPs. The first project earmarked for Huobi Prime is TOP Network, a Silicon Valley-based startup that provides low-cost messaging, calling, video, VPN, CDN, and IoT data sharing services that’s now launching its own DPoS blockchain. Token sale participation calls for a fully verified Huobi Global account and an average monthly holding of 500 HT, although this will be waived for the TOP sale. OK Jumpstart Parent exchange: Okex Native token: OKB Token performance: Up 2x in a month Projects hosted: TOP Network Participation: First come, first served KYC required: Yes Not much is known about Okex’s IEO platform, other than what was outlined in a blog post shared earlier this month. It is likely, however, that entry to projects hosted on OK Jumpstart will require use of OKB, the exchange’s internal token, which is a non-blockchain asset, and thus not transferrable outside of the exchange. Justifying the IEO model, Okex wrote: The exchange is risking their credibility when doing IEOs, since it has no control over the IEO project team’s operation and product delivery as promised in the latter’s white paper. To maintain trust with its customers, the exchange must carry out a comprehensive assessment of the project before launching the IEO. This provides an extra layer of protection to contributors. Bgogo Apollo Parent exchange: Bgogo Native token: BGG Projects hosted: Armor Participation: First come, first served – provided 60+ scored on examination KYC required: Yes Not to be outdone, Bgogo exchange has devised its own launchpad, appropriately named Apollo. Its first project is Armors (ARM), which is focused on blockchain security including wallet monitoring and offering various patented technologies. Participation in the ARM token sale, which was conducted on March 23, required passing an entrance exam to establish that investors were familiar with the Armors project. The six exchanges featured here are joined by Probit, Exmarkets, and Exmo, with the latter’s first IEO involving European crypto payment service Paytomat. These nine token launchpads will have their work cut out in competing with the runaway market leader, Binance, which has recently announced a lottery system for entry into its token sales. Participants will also be required to hold BNB for a period of 20 days, which has served to further drive up the price of the token. What are your thoughts on initial exchange offerings? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Coin Codex. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post From Kucoin Spotlight to OK Jumpstart: Initial Exchange Offerings Analyzed appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The Indian crypto community is ramping up its efforts to bring about positive crypto regulation and an end to the banking ban imposed by the country’s central bank. There are several ways crypto enthusiasts in India can join in on the efforts, the CEO of a local crypto exchange, who has been running a popular social media campaign for the two causes, has shared with news.Bitcoin.com. Also read: Indian Supreme Court Set to Hear Crypto Case on March 29 File Right to Information (RTI) Requests As the Supreme Court of India prepares to hear about the country’s crypto regulation from the government, the Indian crypto community is accelerating its efforts to positively influence crypto regulation and lift the banking ban imposed by the central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Nischal Shetty, CEO of local exchange Wazirx, who started the “India Wants Crypto” social media campaign, shared with news.Bitcoin.com Sunday several ways Indian crypto enthusiasts can join in on the efforts. One is to “Ask the right questions to RBI (through RTI),” he began. Tweeting to his 56.3K followers last week, Shetty urged them to file RTI requests asking the central bank two questions. They are: “Did you have any solid data that led to implementing banking ban on crypto transactions?” and “Do you have any data to prove banking ban on crypto transactions has led to reduction in money laundering?” “ want it to be a group effort,” he continued, adding that together is better than alone. At the time of this writing, several people have agreed to file an RTI; one person already has. The central bank revealed in response to an RTI filed in July last year that “it conducted no research or consultation before the implementation of restriction in April. The RBI also responded that no committee was ever formed for analysing the concept of blockchain before the decision,” the Economic Times reported. In August, there were reports that the RBI had created a dedicated unit for crypto, blockchain and AI, which it subsequently denied. Engage in Social Media Campaigns Another way anyone can help is by participating in one or more social media pushes such as Shetty’s India Wants Crypto campaign. Since Oct. 31 last year, he has been tweeting to ministers daily, calling for positive regulation and explaining to them how crypto can benefit India. One of his tweets reads: Positive crypto regulations in India will help create wealth and jobs for millions of Indians. Millions of youth in India want to see positive crypto moves by the government. Shetty detailed, “Let’s get the attention of our finance minister whom we’ve voted to power so that he can help us. We need to present to him hard facts about crypto so that he can understand why millions of Indian youth are opting for crypto.” He emphasized, “This is a movement that can never be accomplished without everyone.” Last month, he shared his campaign’s stats and revealed that “Every day there are 100s of retweets and likes and thousands of views.” Over a period of 99 days, his campaign generated 1.48 million impressions, resulting in 57,374 user interactions such as retweets, replies, and likes. Participate in Meetups The third way to help effect change is to “Participate in meetups to spread awareness of [the] banking ban and how it’s not justified as [the] ban was done arbitrarily, without any data to back it up,” Shetty conveyed. Crypto awareness organization Blockchained India, for example, holds monthly meetups in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. In addition, the group has held open town hall meetings in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The next meeting will be in Bengaluru on March 30. Urging the community to join in on the roadshow and voice their opinions regarding crypto regulation, Blockchained India cofounder Akshay Aggarwal affirmed: The intentions with this roadshow are pure. We want to help the good folks hustling day and night from the crypto space. Industry participants and crypto enthusiasts who attended the group’s past roadshow meetings shared their thoughts and ideas on crypto regulation for India. According to the group, the best ones will be submitted to the government. Educate and Spread Knowledge Two other ways that could help involve educating people and spreading the cause. Shetty recommends for anyone with friends in the media to educate them about crypto because “their viewpoints reach the government faster,” he believes. Furthermore, he suggested that anyone can “Blog about why the banking ban in India is shortsighted and hurting innovation in the Indian crypto ecosystem,” concluding: All in all, the more Indians and Indian media cover the fact that banking ban by RBI was done without any data, the better our chances of reviving crypto in India. What do you think is the most effective way to help influence crypto regulation and lift the banking ban? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post How to Help Influence Crypto Regulation in India appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Roger Ver, CEO of Bitcoin.com has agreed to help the Jeju Blockchain Smartcity Association grow the BCH ecosystem. On March 25th, Roger Ver agreed to collaborate with the Jeju Blockchain Smarcity Association in Korea. The Association’s blockchain and BCH friendly environment is built on three pillars: free market efficiency, job creation, and international leadership. Since time is of the essence, the association plans to launch the Korean Blockchain Smarcity Challenge, to find and incentivize startups to help develop the BCH ecosystem. The goal of the competition is to develop innovative solutions that resolve existing urban issues in transport, energy, environmental sustainability, safety, payments and many more. The Korean Blockchain Smartcity Challenge will also showcase the ways in which blockchain technology is used by companies, the federal government, and the local government in Jeju Smartcity. With regards to the partnership, the Jeju Blockchain Smartcity Association global team had this to say, “Throughout this event, we will identify technologies that revolutionize our daily lives. By leveraging on advanced technologies, we have the potential to increase urban efficiency, promote economic growth, and increase the quality of life for our inhabitants.” Contact Email Address contact@jejublockchain.org Supporting Link http://jejublockchain.org/ The post PR: Bitcoin.com Partners With Jeju Blockchain Smartcity Association to Spread BCH Adoption appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

On March 23, the Twitter handle @Bitcoin became mired in controversy after BTC supporters complained about the account and attempted to get the profile shut down. The operator of the Bitcoin Twitter profile has also accused the social media platform of manipulating matters by placing restrictions on the account and limiting its overall traffic. Also read: Bitcoin and the Agora: Every Transaction Outside the Nexus of State Control Is a Victory The Relentless Attempt to Silence a Twitter Handle The owner of the Twitter handle @Bitcoin believes the account is being restricted for being critical toward the Bitcoin Core (BTC) network and the Lightning Network (LN). Over the last few weeks, several BTC supporters have advocated having the account suspended or reassigned to a group of core developers. The dispute arose because the @Bitcoin account shows support for the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network. Hardcore maximalists and LN proponents believe that because the account calls itself ‘Bitcoin,’ it is fraudulently impersonating what they believe is the ‘real’ Bitcoin. On March 15, Twitter user @Moonoverlord opined that the account should be handed to the group of developers known as Bitcoin Core. “So embarrassing the Bitcoin handle acts like this,” Moonoverlord tweeted. “Should be given back to the bitcoin core team instead of being used to start petty fights and mislead people.” The @Bitcoin Twitter handle showing how the account’s traffic has been drastically reduced. Its owner suspects Twitter employees of shadow banning. The former moderator of the r/bitcoin subreddit, a Reddit forum known for rampant censorship, also agreed with the idea and explained the handle could be given to any developers behind BTC. “Doesn’t have to be the core devs — Could be the group of devs @sqcrypto funds with just positive and informative content,” explained the Twitter handle known as ‘Stop and Decrypt.’ Blockstream VP of Solutions, Warren Togami, replied to Stop and Decrypt’s commentary by stating that “It’s better for the name to be frozen forever — The account has been committing fraud for a long time — Surely this is a violation of ToS.” Twitter Suspensions and Shadow Bans Following the controversy and people bickering about the handle this week, the @Bitcoin account detailed that it believed it was already being unfairly restricted. “Any journalists want to write about how Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter) is restricting accounts that are critical of one of his portfolio companies?” asked the Bitcoin handle on March 23. Twitter has also been accused of censorship and deplatforming for quite some time by many different critics. The Twitter founder is a publicly known Lightning Network investor and has helped fund the startup Lightning Labs. The Bitcoin account had previous problems with Twitter in April 2018, when the account was suspended for unknown reasons. After the account was suspended, the r/bitcoin community celebrated while others on social media thought the move by Twitter was immoral. For example, cryptocurrency news and research website Coinivore tweeted to Twitter and Jack Dorsey to say that the account “should be restored and allowed to express their opinion on scaling.” Eventually, the Bitcoin account was restored to the rightful owner, but ever since its social reach appears to have been neutered. The ‘One True Bitcoin’ Debate May Take Years to Settle Right now the Bitcoin account doesn’t seem to be phased by the harassment and has continued to express opinions that are in opposition to scaling choices promoted by BTC and LN supporters. People who support the @Bitcoin handle expressing itself in any fashion have said that Bitcoin technology and the name are not a designated brand that solely belongs to BTC. Twitter has censored Alex Jones, Info Wars, and many alt-right conservatives. In fact, the protocol has been forked roughly 47 times since the notorious split on August 1, 2017, and there are individuals who believe there are many forms of Bitcoin now. The people who believe there is no ‘one real’ Bitcoin are convinced the protocol they support is the “better Bitcoin.” Among the 47 odd forks, groups of people think that there are only three chains that have decent support and it will take years for the market to decide which coin will be considered ‘the one and only Bitcoin.’ Even the amount of proof-of-work (PoW) could change in a 10-year period or another Bitcoin fork could capture the most accumulated PoW as well as the biggest market capitalization. On Saturday, entrepreneur Vinny Lingham expressed his opinion on this manner, writing that BTC is a clear winner and incumbent. Lingham added that “it’s going to take a Herculean effort for BCH and BSV to overtake it.” “That said, the over-reliance on the Lightning Network for scaling and extreme focus on decentralization with the risk of high fees at any moment is a major limiting factor,” Lingham continued. Another example that describes the situation perfectly was when independent cryptocurrency researcher Hasu Fly explained the set of circumstances that led to Bitcoin forks in December 2018. Within his memorable essay “Unpacking Bitcoin’s Social Contract,” Hasu noted that usually Bitcoin’s social contract cannot fork and typically only one contract remains after a split. However, the cryptocurrency researcher explained that the BCH fork was a rare and different story. “Forking the protocol doesn’t equal forking the social contract, so the new token is worthless by default,” Hasu’s essay notes. “In the rare case that the social contract itself splits (like when bitcoin cash split off from bitcoin), you end up with two weaker social contracts—each agreed to by fewer people than the old one.” Some people believe the ‘one true’ Bitcoin has not been decided upon. The Sum of All Coins To many people, the ultimate decision will be made by network participants and the free market in regard to what the ‘better Bitcoin’ is and it may not be decided for a very long time. Also, there are cryptocurrency supporters who hold BCH, BTC, and BSV as a ‘sum of all coins’ investment approach, in order to see which one reigns supreme in the future. People of this opinion believe that the Bitcoin twitter handle should not be restricted or frozen by the whims of the mob and a Lightning Network investor. However, in the crypto community, the oppression of mob rule and censorship has been extremely heavy in recent times. The Orwellian thought process expressed on Twitter shouldn’t be too surprising since forums like r/bitcoin, many crypto thought leaders, and various censorship apologists have promoted the obvious manipulation within the Bitcoin community since 2015. What do you think about the individuals trying to get the Bitcoin Twitter account suspended? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments below. Image credits: Shutterstock, Twitter, and Pixabay. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even look up the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post @Bitcoin Account Accuses Twitter of Shadow Banning to Restrict Its Reach appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

An application called Bitcoinmap.cash lists locations where decentralized digital currencies such as bitcoin cash can be spent directly. It provides information about hundreds of restaurants, bars, hotels, and stores around the world that accept electronic cash without intermediaries. Also read: New Crypto Exchange Bitzlato Offers P2P Trading Promoting Direct Payments With Bitcoin Cash The Bitcoinmap.cash platform, a community project open to new participants and developers, has a web-based version and a mobile app for Android devices. All the venues displayed on its map accept bitcoin cash (BCH) or dash, while some of the shops also take bitcoin core (BTC). Many of these places – such as the Cara B Cafe-Bar in downtown Barcelona or the La Sirene Soho Restaurant in New York – offer discounts of up to 20 percent on the first BCH payment you make. The people behind Bitcoinmap.cash believe anyone who is holding cryptocurrency should support the growth of its value by actively promoting and spending it. “The only reason why Bitcoin has any value is because we can use it for payments. If we don’t use it for real world p2p payments it will never reach its potential,” proclaims the app’s Google Play store page. The platform’s developers, who hail from a group called The Real Bitcoin Club, note their goal is to promote the adoption of cryptocurrencies without the participation of payment processors and government engagement. They suggest using bitcoin cash and dash as their low transaction fees allow everyone to participate, especially in regions such as Africa, South America and Asia. Businesses that want to be added to the map can file a request via email to trbc@bitcoinmap.cash. Do you find apps such as Bitcoinmap.cash helpful for the adoption of cryptocurrencies? Share your thoughts about the platform in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Bitcoinmap.cash. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post Bitcoinmap.cash Helps You Find Places to Spend BCH appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

Bitcoin.com’s gaming portal is filled with a plethora of casino-style games that allow you to wager and win with bitcoin cash (BCH). Last week, one punter did just that, scooping $5,000 of BCH from a progressive slot. All of the games that feature on Bitcoin.com’s Cashgames portal are provably fair, with a typical return of 99% or greater. All it takes is a little BCH to participate. Also read: The Fed’s Low Interest Rates and QE Have Created a Dependent Generation Anonymous Player Wins 33 BCH Playing Cashgames Bitcoin and betting have long been synonymous, with the earliest use cases for the digital currency comprising simple high-low gambling games such as Satoshi Dice. There’s even evidence that Satoshi intended to incorporate a virtual poker game into Bitcoin’s first code. At Bitcoin.com, we’ve maintained this tradition by enabling people to participate in games of chance in which the outcome can be verified. This type of transparency is at the heart of peer-to-peer currencies such as bitcoin cash, which is a natural fit for provably fair gaming. On March 18, one anonymous player tried their luck on one of the Cashgames progressive slots, and won 33 BCH, worth over $5,000. Cashgames features an array of casino favorites including video poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and keno. There’s also slots and dice, with the latter game akin to the original Satoshi Dice that was once so popular among early bitcoiners. Because Cashgames is powered by BCH, fast and low cost deposits and payouts are guaranteed. Players can try out all of the games in testmode before electing to deposit bitcoin cash and play for real. If you don’t have BCH handy, Sideshift integration will enable you to switch from other cryptocurrencies such as BTC quickly and privately. Alternatively, there is a BTC-based version of the portal called Bitcoin Games. Win up to 4,000 BCH in One Go Whether you choose to bet big or stay small on Cashgames is your call. Because of its provably fair setup, the gaming portal gives players confidence in the outcome of each hand played, dice rolled, or roulette wheel spun. While residents of a handful of countries including the U.S. are not allowed to play for real BCH, Cashgames is accessible in most countries where gambling is legal. There’s some serious sums to be won too: land a royal flush in video poker, and you could be looking at a jackpot in excess of 4,000 BCH. Even if you’re simply curious to see how a cryptocurrency-powered gaming site operates, there’s plenty to keep you rapt. Check out Cashgames and see what you can win at the provably fair site with a 99% return. Have you tried Cashgames? What are your thoughts on the BCH-powered gaming portal? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post Win $5K of BCH Playing Cashgames From Bitcoin.com appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The four-week window that the Indian supreme court has given the government to come up with crypto regulation is coming to an end. According to the court’s Advance List, the crypto case is listed for March 29. Meanwhile, the community is ramping up efforts to bring about positive crypto regulation and the end of the banking ban imposed by the central bank. Also read: Indian Exchange Launches Lending Program for 5 Cryptocurrencies Advance List Shows Hearing Date: March 29 The deadline given to the Indian government by the country’s supreme court to come up with a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency is drawing near. On Feb. 25, the court gave the government four weeks to produce crypto regulation. That period is up next week. Nishith Desai Associates lawyer Jaideep Reddy represents the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in its writ petition against the crypto banking ban by the central bank. He told news.Bitcoin.com Saturday: The supreme court publishes something called the ‘Advance List’ and according to that, the case is listed on March 29. The final list which will have the confirmed date should be out early next week. While the court’s Advance List currently lists March 29 as the next hearing date for the crypto case, it is still subject to change. Furthermore, the court will first hear about the regulatory framework for cryptocurrency from the government and may not address the crypto banking ban by the central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on the same day. The regulatory framework for cryptocurrency in India is being drafted by an interministerial committee headed by Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs. During the last supreme court hearing, the government told the court that this committee was in its “final stages of deliberations.” There have been a few reports speculating on what the recommendations by the Garg committee entail. CNBC TV18 claims that their sources said the panel has suggested a ban on cryptocurrencies. However, another report states that the panel has suggested cryptocurrency “needs to be legalized with strong riders.” Efforts to Lift RBI Ban The RBI issued a circular which prohibits banks from providing services to crypto businesses including exchanges back in April last year. The ban went into effect in July. A few industry participants and stakeholders responded by filing writ petitions against the ban, which the community hopes the supreme court will soon hear. The case was originally going to be heard on Sept. 11 last year but it has been repeatedly postponed. Reddy shared with news.Bitcoin.com that “As of now we are fully focused on representing our clients in the supreme court case, since the RBI circular is the restriction which really affects the industry,” emphasizing: One would hope the case on the RBI circular is decided soon since the industry has been in limbo for nearly a year now. As the supreme court hearing on crypto regulation approaches, there are several notable efforts within the crypto community in India to bring about positive changes. News.Bitcoin.com recently reported on Blockchained India’s roadshow making rounds in four cities where industry participants can share their thoughts on whether India needs cryptocurrency regulation and what their suggestions are. The latest meeting took place in Hyderabad on March 16 and the next one will be in Bengaluru on March 30. The organizer of the events has said that the best suggestions for crypto regulation “will be included in the report to be submitted to the decision makers amongst the government.” Meanwhile, the “India Wants Crypto” social media campaign has entered its 143rd day and is continually growing in popularity. Do you think the Indian supreme court will hear the crypto case on March 29? Do you think the RBI ban will be lifted? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock. Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. The post Indian Supreme Court Set to Hear Crypto Case on March 29 appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article

The race to file blockchain patents has accelerated lately with one specific firm, Nchain Holdings, attempting to capture hundreds of distributed ledger-related patents. According to reports, self-proclaimed Satoshi – Craig Wright – and his Nchain business claim to have filed 666 patent applications to date, capturing a gigantic portfolio of intellectual property. Also Read: Jeff Garzik Subpoenaed in Kleiman Bitcoin Lawsuit Against Craig Wright So-Called Satoshi’s Quest to Patent the Blockchain The notorious Craig Wright, a man who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, is continuing his effort to obtain hundreds of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related patents. Wright is the chief scientist of Nchain but is best known for his attempts to prove he created Bitcoin over a decade ago. Craig Wright, the chief scientist of Nchain Holdings, has filed for hundreds of patents over the years. Wright has also claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto on numerous occasions. Nchain has been relentlessly filing for digital currency and blockchain patents. According to a report published on March 7, Craig Wright and Nchain Holdings have applied for a total of 666 patents and they proudly announced this watershed moment after reaching this symbolic number. “In fact, Craig Wright and Nchhain have so many patent applications that we have now reached a fiendish milestone,” explains Nchain executive Jimmy Nguyen in the recent blog post. He continued: Last month, Nchain filed patent application number 666 — That’s right — the number of the Beast, Satan himself. Despite Nguyen’s claim, it’s hard to confirm the exact number of patents filed in Wright and Nchain’s name. The last report concerning Wright and Nchain’s patent acquisition was published and researched by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The report states that since August 2017 the organization has found roughly 155 patent applications filed by Wright. Nchain has filed and been granted numerous patents over the last few years, to the extent that the relatively unknown company seems to have more patents than most financial incumbents. This includes top blockchain patent holders such as Alibaba, Bank of America, Mastercard, IBM, and Accenture. Both Wright and Nchain executive Jimmy Nguyen speak publicly about these patent filings on a regular basis. Moreover, Nchain’s blockchain patent filings can be found throughout many patent and trademark offices across the globe in countries like the U.K., U.S., Japan, and China. The intellectual property requests include concepts like a blockchain counting system and a method for use in secure voting, an operating system for blockchain-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, and an agent-based Turing complete feedback system built within a blockchain network. Those concepts are just scratching the surface when it comes to patent filings found peppered throughout the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office. Technology Protection or Weapons for Patent Wars? The large amount of filings begs the question: Why does Nchain Holdings and the self-proclaimed Satoshi Nakamoto need so many patents? According to Nchain, intellectual property (IP) is being obtained to protect the technology. Back in July of 2018, when Mastercard acquired a patent that facilitates anonymous cryptocurrency transactions, Coingeek’s Calvin Ayre stated: “This is precisely why Nchain has to go the patent route … to protect technology they invent to release open source.” In Nguyen’s latest blog post, the executive said that Nchain will “encourage companies to build on BSV where it will be free to use many of Nchain’s IP assets.” “With hard work and great expense, Nchain has produced what we believe is the world’s largest and best quality blockchain patent portfolio in the world,” Nguyen’s blog post details. “Nchain will use its IP portfolio for good, not evil, to help the Bitcoin SV ecosystem.” Many cryptocurrency users detest the idea of using patents within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, which is traditionally dominated by open source projects. With Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America, and Nchain, the range of patent applications lodged today is quite wide. Many cryptocurrency fans believe that patents are part of a strategic move to threaten developers, startups and smaller firms for years to come. Some digital asset proponents also believe the community should rally together to stop patent filers and large corporations from stealing prior art. A good majority of bitcoiners are not too worried about these patents for the specific reason that Bitcoin is prior art and technology that cannot be patented. However, some individuals have voiced concern over Wright and Nchain’s patent filing due to his dubious claims of being Bitcoin’s inventor. The greater Bitcoin community and most crypto fans in general do not believe Wright is Satoshi as he has been accused of plagiarism and condemned for creating phony blog posts, PGP keys, and allegedly doctoring many contracts and emails. However, skeptics like libertarian author Wendy McElroy believe that the “ignorance of the audience” and “knowing how to game the system” may maximize Wright’s chance of winning. What do you think about Nchain and Craig Wright’s attempt to gather a vast collection of patents for the company’s IP portfolio? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Lens.org, WIPO. At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even look up the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more. The post Craig ‘Satoshi’ Wright Claims to Have Filed 666 Blockchain Patents appeared first on Bitcoin News. View the full article