Currently shown: 2020 December. Click on a month to see its archives!
2020. Dec. 31. 21:52
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network wants U.S. persons who hold crypto in offshore accounts to report holdings over $10,000.2020. Dec. 31. 21:09
Bitcoin nearly triples its price in 2020 and ends the year close to $29,000, but ether gained 450%.2020. Dec. 31. 19:00
A look at privacy and infrastructure advances that will shape the bitcoin ecosystem in the years to come.2020. Dec. 31. 17:00
The future of money will be a tussle between algorythmic and fiat-pegged stablecoins and central bank digital currency experiments.2020. Dec. 31. 17:00
On today's holiday episode of Markets Daily, we take a look at the term "satoshi," its origin, what it means and why it matters.2020. Dec. 31. 16:00
2020 will be looked back on as the year that marks the present era from the past; the demarcation line separating the before and the after.2020. Dec. 31. 15:20
Bitcoin mining equipment maker Ebang announced Thursday it is preparing to officially launch a cryptocurrency exchange in the first quarter of 2021.2020. Dec. 31. 15:00
Crypto assets not only are not going away. They will become integral to our financial and political lives.2020. Dec. 31. 14:09
The U.S. division of eToro is suspending XRP trading after an SEC suit alleging it is a security.2020. Dec. 31. 11:36
The number of bitcoin whales rose to a new record high on Wednesday.2020. Dec. 31. 09:00
In its public response to the US Treasury Department’s proposed rule, the blockchain analytics firm has argued that they are likely to be ineffective and counterproductive.2020. Dec. 31. 03:08
Companies are being asked to transfer their bitcoins to other places, such as Coinbase.2020. Dec. 31. 00:25
"I would expect to see bitcoin charge past $30,000 as we enter the new year,” said one market observer.2020. Dec. 30. 22:02
Serbia will now permit the issuance and trading of digital assets under a law that went into effect this week.2020. Dec. 30. 21:45
Proof-of-stake is a method of maintaining integrity in a blockchain, ensuring users of a cryptocurrency can’t mint coins they didn’t earn.2020. Dec. 30. 21:27
Another day, another all-time high in bitcoin as the cryptocurrency changed hands as high as $28,871.78.2020. Dec. 30. 21:19
The U.S. Treasury’s decision to impose know-your-customer rules to private cryptocurrency wallets is flawed in more ways than one.2020. Dec. 30. 20:57
Bitcoin custodian firm BitGo agreed to pay $93,830 in a settlement pact with the U.S. Treasury over 183 “apparent violations” of multiple sanctions programs.2020. Dec. 30. 20:29
Binance becomes latest crypto exchange to delist Ripple's XRP2020. Dec. 30. 20:11
A man from Missouri is filing a suit against Coinbase for its sale of XRP, a California court filing reveals.2020. Dec. 30. 20:11
A man from Missouri is filing a suit against Coinbase for its sale of XRP, a California court filing reveals.2020. Dec. 30. 19:00
The Santiago Capital investor takes a look at what 2020 taught us about his notable economic theory.2020. Dec. 30. 18:40
So far, the SEC has considered many applications for bitcoin-based ETFs and rejected them all.2020. Dec. 30. 18:26
In an email sent to clients Wednesday, Genesis announced it would be halting XRP trading and lending in the new year.2020. Dec. 30. 17:39
COVID-19 ravaged the world's economies but prompted mainstream financial markets to start taking bitcoin seriously. A look back at the year in bitcoin.2020. Dec. 30. 17:02
Binance Pool represents 11% of Bitcoin’s mining hashrate. Adding it to the “yes” column pushes mining pool support for Taproot to about 91%.2020. Dec. 30. 17:00
Gitcoin's Kevin Owocki coins the phrase "regenerative finance" to describe the future of funding open-source development.2020. Dec. 30. 17:00
In this special episode of Markets Daily, CoinDesk's Lyllah Ledesma reads Nikhilesh De's profile of Linda Lacewell, one of CoinDesk's Most Influential People in 2020.2020. Dec. 30. 16:00
Almost 50 monetary authorities and central banks are researching and developing wholesale or retail CBDCs. What does 2021 hold in store?2020. Dec. 30. 15:21
Ripple and the SEC will meet over video call, according to a court order from the US District Court of the Southern District of New York.2020. Dec. 30. 14:00
Statechains offer another way to scale bitcoin payments. New exploration has uncovered that statechains could boost Bitcoin privacy as well.2020. Dec. 30. 14:00
If it's to reach its full potential, the decentralized economy needs to scale censorship resistance, say Solana's CEO and COO.2020. Dec. 30. 13:12
A unit of oil and gas giant Gazprom has opened a mining venue on an oil drilling site using gas produced as a byproduct to produce electricity.2020. Dec. 30. 12:30
In our year-end Ethereum round up, we feature 4 charts from 4 Ethereum 2.0 staking experts recounting the best highlights of 2020.2020. Dec. 30. 08:22
Institutional investors are perceived to be driving this record-setting run.2020. Dec. 29. 23:57
The Times' data included pay details for most of Coinbase’s roughly 830 employees at the end of 2018.2020. Dec. 29. 22:15
The report outlines how the researchers identified and isolated generalized front-running bots while evaluating their efficiency.2020. Dec. 29. 21:26
Bitcoin fell to the $26,000 level after it hit above $28,000 on Sunday, yet markets remain bullish on both retail and institutional interest.2020. Dec. 29. 21:22
Binance announced a $10 million fund to support projects that are built on top of the Polkadot ecosystem.2020. Dec. 29. 21:17
A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency whose value is tied to an outside asset, such as the U.S. dollar or gold, to stabilize the price.2020. Dec. 29. 20:36
“Bitcoin is digital gold,” SkyBridge says in its pitch to investors. “It is better at being gold than gold.”2020. Dec. 29. 20:06
The announcement came hours after Coinbase and OKCoin took similar actions.2020. Dec. 29. 19:00
Options marketplace Opyn is rolling out an upgrade that targets capital efficiency and liquidity in the decentralized financial options market.2020. Dec. 29. 19:00
The popular economist talks about the K-shaped recovery and why we could be in for more pain in 2021.2020. Dec. 29. 17:08
The crypto trading/investment management platform is also considering the possibility of a merger with a special purpose acquisition company.2020. Dec. 29. 17:08
The charter makes GMO one of only 27 companies licensed in New York to engage in virtual currency activities.2020. Dec. 29. 17:00
In this special episode of Markets Daily, CoinDesk Podcasts editor Adam B. Levine reads Nathan DiCamillo's profile of Jesse Powell, one of CoinDesk's Most Influential People in 2020.2020. Dec. 29. 16:00
Andrew Keys has 16 reasons why crypto will take center stage economically, politically and socially in 2021.2020. Dec. 29. 15:00
In the next phase, blockchain networks have to find use cases beyond censorship resistance and permissionless access, says TRON's founder.2020. Dec. 29. 14:39
The CME has become the largest bitcoin futures exchange by open interest amid institutional onboarding.2020. Dec. 29. 14:00
Okung’s $13 million salary is being split fifty-fifty between bitcoin and fiat by way of Zap’s Strike product.2020. Dec. 29. 14:00
Israel-based global fiat payment processor Simplex announced Tuesday it has become a principal member of the Visa network.2020. Dec. 29. 13:40
Canadian augmented reality (AR) company NexTech AR is jumping on the crypto bandwagon with plans to use its treasury funds to buy $2 million of bitcoin for “capital diversification.” Read more: Nasdaq-Listed Canadian Firm to Invest Over $1M in Bitcoin2020. Dec. 29. 13:40
NexTech's Evan Gappelberg is the latest CEO to use company treasury funds to buy bitcoin.2020. Dec. 29. 13:00
Bitcoin proved it could change how people think. But will the new system it enables be "better" or just "a system that better serves me?"2020. Dec. 29. 12:47
OKEx launches real-time settlement for the trading of derivatives on its platform allowing users to make withdrawals at any time.2020. Dec. 29. 12:20
The city council of Lebrija has created a virtual currency ‘Elio’ that can only be used for payments made to small and medium businesses, according to a report by Diario de Sevilla. Read more: Spain’s Second-Largest Bank Will Soon Launch Crypto Services: Sources2020. Dec. 29. 11:07
The digital asset manager held $19 billion in assets under management as of Monday, up from last week's $16.4 billion.2020. Dec. 29. 10:41
The move is viewed by some as a sign the Indian government is warming up to cryptocurrencies.2020. Dec. 29. 10:41
The move is viewed by some as a sign the Indian government is warming up to cryptocurrencies.2020. Dec. 29. 10:18
Voyager reassured its customers that no funds or personal information were compromised but warned it will take time to get its app back online again.2020. Dec. 29. 10:18
Voyager reassured its customers no funds or personal information were compromised but warned it will take time to get its app back online again.2020. Dec. 28. 22:30
Coinbase said it will suspend trading of XRP, the cryptocurrency at the heart of an SEC lawsuit against Ripple Labs.2020. Dec. 28. 21:20
Bitcoin takes a break after record price-setting Sunday while some traders are plowing BTC into ETH.2020. Dec. 28. 20:10
Defi insurer Cover Protocol, designed to reduce smart contract failure risks, was exploited by a bug in its smart contract on Monday morning.2020. Dec. 28. 20:06
BOX proposed a rule change to the SEC for using the Ethereum blockchain to record and publishing end-of-day securities ownership balances.2020. Dec. 28. 20:06
OKCoin said it will suspend XRP trading and deposits on its crypto exchange, effective on January 4, 2021, according to its statement on Monday afternoon. The exchange specified two key dates along the suspension timeline. “At 3 a.m. UTC time on January 4, the exchange’s users who have borrowed from the XRP/USD margin pair (incl. […]2020. Dec. 28. 20:06
OKCoin became the latest exchange to suspend XRP trading and deposits as of early next year.2020. Dec. 28. 19:00
A macro and bond specialist joins NLW to discuss the economics of 2021.2020. Dec. 28. 18:00
Vauld, formerly called Bank of Hodlers, raised $2 million in a round led by Pantera Capital to expand its crypto banking platform.2020. Dec. 28. 17:30
Cover Protocol announced it's exploring launching a new COVER token through the snapshot before the attack by a "white hat" hacker on Monday morning.2020. Dec. 28. 17:20
Stefan Qin, the 23-year-old founder of Virgil Capital, has been accused by the SEC of “fabricated records” for failing to redeem $3.5 million in investments and attempting to withdraw $1.7 million in investor funds to pay off Chinese loan sharks.2020. Dec. 28. 17:00
In this special episode of Markets Daily, CoinDesk Podcasts editor Adam B. Levine reads Zack Seward's profile of Charles Cascarilla, one of CoinDesk's Most Influential People in 2020.2020. Dec. 28. 16:53
Bitcoin has only “died” 11 times this year.2020. Dec. 28. 16:30
Riot's value was less than $50 million when it started mining bitcoin three years ago.2020. Dec. 28. 16:16
Big bitcoin balance holders, or "whales," are moving less crypto onto exchanges, signaling some reduction of sell-side pressure, according to CryptoQuant.2020. Dec. 28. 16:00
Asia looks poised to continue its trajectory towards digital dominance, says the co-founder of Zilliqa.2020. Dec. 28. 15:00
This year China and the U.S. faced off over trade and technology bans. But the battler for monetary hegemony has only just begun.2020. Dec. 28. 14:53
The SBI Holdings statement refers to a research article by Sadakazu Osaki of the Nomura Research Institute indicating under Japanese law XRP is a "cryptocurrency asset" and not a security.2020. Dec. 28. 14:24
The decentralized finance (DeFI) insurance project Cover Protocol was hacked earlier Monday in an infinite printing scheme, causing the price of the Cover token to plunge. Hours later, a so-called ‘white hacker’ claimed responsibility for the attack, saying all funds had been returned. The exploiter has cashed out over $4 million including about 1400 either, […]2020. Dec. 28. 14:00
How a VC working in China finally convinced her Dad to buy into Bitcoin. The winning argument: Protection against government seizure.2020. Dec. 28. 13:39
The announcement comes after a holiday weekend in which the price of bitcoin hit a succession of new all-time highs.2020. Dec. 27. 22:00
Looking back on the year in bitcoin and crypto, with rhymes.2020. Dec. 27. 16:51
Dozens of Israelis who own digital currencies have recently received notification telling them they must fully disclose their assets for taxation purposes.2020. Dec. 27. 16:14
The investment giant has posted a job vacancy for an NY-based VP blockchain lead to help with the valuation of crypto assets.2020. Dec. 27. 16:04
CME Group’s recent announcement that it will launch ether (ETH) futures on Feb. 8, 2021, is the “writing on the wall” that institutions will being buying the cryptocurrency next year, according to a pair of tweets by Ryan Watkins, an analyst at crypto data provider Messari.2020. Dec. 27. 16:04
CME Group’s recent announcement that it will launch ether (ETH) futures on Feb. 8, 2021, is the “writing on the wall” that institutions will being buying the cryptocurrency next year, according to a pair of tweets by Ryan Watkins, an analyst at crypto data provider Messari.2020. Dec. 27. 16:03
Ether is up over 11% in the past 24 hours.2020. Dec. 27. 16:00
Regulators are no longer standing on the sidelines of distributed ledger innovation, says Gibraltar’s Minister for Digital and Financial Services.2020. Dec. 27. 15:00
Four of the top nine crypto assets by market cap are on a path to proof-of-stake, says the CEO of Staked.2020. Dec. 27. 14:43
After tearing through $27,000 for the first time ever only a few hours before, the price of bitcoin surged past $28,000 Sunday morning as the leading cryptocurrency’s recent meteoric rise continues. BTC’s market value now exceeds $500 billion.2020. Dec. 27. 14:43
The price of the leading cryptocurrency has risen about 14% in the last 48 hours.2020. Dec. 27. 14:00
One of the most popular economics and bitcoin YouTube host joins NLW for a conversation about how to make 2021 better.2020. Dec. 27. 13:00
The crypto industry faces a momentous choice. Does it integrate with the existing financial system's rules? Or does it choose to fight for its anti-status quo principles?2020. Dec. 27. 06:21
After hitting $25,000 on Dec. 25 and $26,000 on Dec. 26, quite naturally the price of bitcoin (BTC) soared past $27,000 early on Dec. 27 as the leading cryptocurrency’s recent meteoric rise continues.2020. Dec. 27. 06:21
Year to date bitcoin is up more than 270%.2020. Dec. 27. 06:21
Year to date, bitcoin is up more than 270%.2020. Dec. 27. 06:21
Year to date, bitcoin is up more than 270%.2020. Dec. 27. 00:48
A side effect of the Fed's medicine for the pandemic-stricken U.S. economy was to create conditions ideal for the rise of cryptocurrencies.2020. Dec. 26. 20:43
The leading cryptocurrency set another all-time high this month.2020. Dec. 26. 20:43
The leading cryptocurrency set another all-time high this month.2020. Dec. 26. 20:05
Non-U.S. clients can still trade the token but need to pre-fund all short trades, the report said.2020. Dec. 26. 16:00
Hedera Hashgraph's CEO says integrating novel technologies with existing enterprise systems will drive adoption in the years ahead.2020. Dec. 26. 15:25
A week ago last Thursday, Deribit made news by introducing call and put options at the $100,000 strike price.2020. Dec. 26. 15:25
A week ago last Thursday, Deribit made news by introducing call and put options at the $100,000 strike price.2020. Dec. 26. 14:05
Digital currencies may challenge and someday could make redundant the SWIFT global banking payment system, according to a Central Bank of Russia official, Russia Today reported. Read more: Bank of Russia Chair: Digital Ruble Is No Threat to Banks2020. Dec. 26. 14:00
The founder of mobile crypto bank Abra discusses the massive expansion of global central bank balance sheets.2020. Dec. 26. 12:00
Staking on Ethereum 2.0 is a business opportunity for early adopters in 2021.2020. Dec. 26. 10:00
Building an internet we can trust requires trustless protocols.2020. Dec. 26. 03:40
The event happened just a week after the leading cryptocurrency broke $24k.2020. Dec. 26. 03:40
The event happened just a week after the leading cryptocurrency broke $24,000.2020. Dec. 26. 01:38
Naci A?bal's comments would place Turkey on the fast track to central bank digital currency.2020. Dec. 25. 19:34
We have arrived to the end of an era.
BitBargain launched in 2012, during Christmas. I was the only vendor for the first two days: my first trade was selling 10 BTC for £85 (yes, £8.5 per one bitcoin).
Bitnumus, Pucilowski and a few other vendors soon joined in. Until that point, they had been OTC trading on #bitcoin-otc and selling bitcoins for cash via Localbitcoins.com, which back then did not have online transfers yet - they were all about cash. Within a few weeks of BitBargain’s launch, they too implemented offers for online trading. After a programme on the BBC talked about crypto and showed BitBargain, our platform took off and became successful.
The intention of this post is to take a trip down memory lane, look back at the challenges, the successes, explain why BitBargain is closing down instead of becoming a regulated UK entity and offer hints on what the future will look like.
2012 was a very different time. Mt.Gox was THE exchange in town where you could send £1000’s without ID verification and get bitcoin in return, usually the same day. BitBargain did not ask for ID either (but you did get your coins in 5 minutes as opposed to several hours on Mt.Gox). You couldn’t ID verify on BitBargain even if you wanted to. Getting your bank account suspended for buying or selling crypto was unheard of in our circles.
It didn’t take very long for this system to be exploited by criminals and noticed by banks. I remember trying to deposit money into Mt.Gox and getting an error on HSBC saying the account was unable to receive funds. It’s no wonder they were the first big target of fraudsters. This problem had very quickly reached BitBargain vendors also.
We found out the hard way that allowing just anyone with no reputation, trading history or identification to buy £1000’s worth of bitcoins was a bad idea. We had also found out the hard way that banks just pour fuel on the fire instead of helping out. For that first trade gone wrong, a vendor’s bank account was frozen for months along with all of his other assets that had nothing to do with the trade. Without crypto, he would not have been able to pay his rent. I was later put in a similar situation when HSBC had blocked my personal and business accounts. Their reason stated through an unofficial channel was that I sent and received 1 GBP payments which were for verifying bank accounts and for some reason they thought it would be better to close my account than to send an email, text me or call me to say it was a problem for them.
Ever since that reality check and the understanding that fraudsters presented a significant danger to the business with banks just making the situation worse, we have adapted. When phone verification wasn’t enough, ID verification was added. When passports weren’t enough, selfies were required. When cash deposits became hot potato, we stopped offering that payment method.
I remember being on a family trip in Italy when reports of fraud came in for accounts which verified using Polish IDs and ended up sending money from a different account. At the first place to sit down with WiFi, I kicked the fraudster off a trade in progress. That same day selfies were introduced (holiday coding, yay!) and not much later we started attaching remitter names to the trades to be able to track fraud and notice in time if someone was using a third party bank account or violating policies by creating new accounts. We got rid of cash deposits altogether.
Thanks to these steps taken, fraud rate has been hovering near 0% since 2013, even in 2020. The unique counter-fraud measures combined with the cooperation of sellers resulted in something special, providing vendors with a safe platform that was unlike Localbitcoins or any other marketplace at the time. Shutting down fraudsters took a concentrated effort and it worked, not only in the short term.
The banking side was a bit more problematic. Not just on the bitcoin front. I remember an article about this guy who wanted to buy a car in cash and so he went to his bank to take out cash, just a few thousand pounds. The bank would not give him his own money until he showed them the advert for the car. These same banks suspended the bank accounts of their clients for simply using the word ‘BITCOIN’ in the reference. These same banks rejected transfers to a list of bank accounts owned by reputable exchanges abroad. These same banks sided with fraudsters even when it would have taken two minutes of investigation to find out without a shadow of doubt where the responsibility lied. These same banks suspended business bank accounts that had no fraud or any type of issues, just for suspicion of bitcoin trading. These same banks went as far as to put out a false fraud alert on vendors to prevent them from opening a bank account elsewhere.
I understand that some of these drastic measures were in response to rampant fraud, but they were inadequate and often came from incompetence, sometimes even clear malice. The expression “to throw the baby out with the water” comes to mind. The banks did much harm to not just the crypto community, but many legitimate clients of theirs. Banks expected us to do the impossible to counter fraud, but most online banking would not show the sort code and account number of the sender. Two banks even went as far as allowing the sender to set ANY remitter name they liked. Things like these made our job next to impossible. But we still survived.
Despite the hardships, most buyers rarely ever noticed much of it. Come to BitBargain, follow the instructions, buy your £100 worth of crypto, withdraw. It was that simple. There were several key reasons for BitBargain trades being so fast and smooth and problem-free.
- only the most relevant instructions were presented to the buyers along the way as they came closer and closer to the actual trade- we have a very extensive seller howto which is probably useful reading material for all P2P/OTC vendors everywhere, not just BitBargain- we had a strict seller test to ensure that all vendors knew the policies, understood how to communicate efficiently and handle tough situations- the “going online” method - sellers had to be active and respond within minutes, otherwise they would get signed off- SMS notifications to my phone and me jumping out the bed whenever there was a situation in which I could offer assistance- the ability for buyers to ping the vendor with a text message if there was no response- a reliable central ID verification to relieve vendors of the heavy work- taking the time to communicate with buyers and sellers to explain what was going on and why- removing buyers and sellers swiftly if they acted in bad faith or seemed consistently unable to follow instructions
It wouldn’t be right to speak only about the successes. Some things didn’t go exactly to plan. One such example was the minprice() feature. The idea was that vendors could use this function in their price formula to make sure they were competitive and didn’t offer coins at a price that was too high compared to other vendors. I expected this feature to push the prices down a little to a level where it still made it profitable for vendors to sell, but buyers wouldn’t have to pay much more than if they used competing marketplaces. Sure enough, it went the opposite way - encouraging a price cartel. Of course I didn’t mind vendors taking an extra, as buyers didn’t mind paying the markup for the quick and reliable service. But when you align your prices inside a closed system and ignore the rest of the world, eventually you distance yourself from reality and you chase away buyers. So this feature was removed in the end. Instead, I made a quicker seller test: getting more vendors to join increased competition and drove prices lower. The memory of minprice() will always remain with me as a stereotype of a solution that sounds good on the surface but ironically achieves the opposite of what it was meant to do.
After around 2014, things became less eventful. And that’s a good thing. I have the vendors to thank for that. They have been the backbone of BitBargain, they were the ones doing all the trading. They were the ones who had to get out to obtain bank accounts whenever one was closed without a good reason. They were the ones holding bags of coins and being subjected to price drops. They were under constant stress of having to compete with other vendors. They were the ones who had to deal with fraud attempts and the occasional drunk buyer. The regular vendors on BitBargain are all great people, mostly introverted, intelligent, helpful, fair, reasonable. They were a pleasure to work with.
There are so many great stories and so many people I should have talked about (R.I.P. aldur1) who were essential to BitBargain becoming a success. But I understand most of you are reading this curious to find out what is happening, why it is happening and what the future holds. So let’s get into that instead.
The counter-fraud measures we employed along with monitoring and sensible trading limits have covered not just the fraud aspect but also helped to avoid money laundering and comply with all kinds of regulations. When there was actual crime committed, we were there to help out the authorities (unlike the other way around, when a vendor was defrauded through a stolen bank account).
We would get a data disclosure request document by email from a police officer which included the type of crime being committed, the name of the person and some information about how they are connected to BitBargain. And they got the information they wanted: I would do the lookups, fill out the form, visit the post office and mail the physical letter. There were no crime syndicates using BitBargain to launder money, we were not a btc-e type operation, all the vendors and myself had incentives to keep the marketplace clean. And we did. I even had police pass my name around as someone they could turn to for help. I’ve heard other crypto marketplaces were just as helpful.
However, in addition to the reasonable requests we got, there were also some cases that worried me. Here are some anecdotes that are necessary to be aware of as we go forward to the regulation side and my decision to no longer have my crypto business in the UK.
- In one case, the investigator demanded a user’s details after clicking through 3 different levels of clusters on WalletExplorer.com. He was ignorant about what shared wallets were or how they worked. Luckily after a few emails I managed to explain where he went wrong and pointed him in the right direction without revealing any customer information. He thanked me and I hope he found the culprit in the end.
- Sometimes we would get emails from police which included in the CC field a long list of crypto businesses, domestic and foreign, addressing us and others at the same time without having any idea if we are involved in the case or not. I guess I can understand this as a last-resort option, but I’m still not convinced that it is appropriate.
- There is such a thing as “too much information” - once, the police disclosed not just the basic details of the person they were looking for, but they for some reason included a plaintext password in the report which belonged to the user. That is very irresponsible in my book.
- The FBI has a habit of posting illegal items on marketplaces and wait for criminals to bite the hook. You could argue that some listings come very close to entrapment. In at least two cases, it trickled down to me having to deal with it. A notable case that made news is the story of Kuntal Patel.
- I’ve met in person a UK trader who was using Localbitcoins. He was a lorry driver and occasionally sold bitcoins. One small trade he did in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person resulted in the authorities charging him with a crime, seizing his assets, searching his home and when the case started falling apart, they put pressure on him and used tactics that no government should. When we last talked a long time ago, he was about to take them to court. I don’t know if it’s even possible to do.
- In one case, the NCA demanded information about a bulk list of transactions that had nothing to do with BitBargain. The policy is that we don’t reveal if a user exists or not, unless there is reasonable suspicion that they committed a crime. Simply revealing that they are a user on the platform could be twisted into getting a court order. So I responded that I am not at liberty to disclose the identity of any users based on the request. This did not go down well with them, so they said they would get a court order to force me into compliance. I said okay. I haven’t heard from them since. My guess is that they put on this bluff and sent the same request to several bitcoin companies. Or they were just going based off bad blockchain analysis information.
- Most of the requests we did not comply with originated from blockchain analysis based information. Blockchain analysis is essentially a best guess of a proprietary algorithm which scans the blockchain, the web, the dark web and all kinds of data sources, then tries to connect different addresses, group them into clusters, make a guess as to what entity owns the cluster, then present information about where those wallets sent coins and where they received coins from. Busting down the front door of someone based on such approximations is highly inappropriate and unreasonable in my opinion, though it is an accepted practice in the United States for example. It is important to mention that some of the BA based requests asked for information we did not have. This means that the specific tool they used incorrectly claimed that a transaction or address belonged to us.
Those in power want as much control over crypto as they have over your personal bank account. Some of them want this with good intentions without much consideration about balancing their power against constitutional rights of the people, others need it only to stay in power. They demanded a solution. Predictably, the industry jumped right on it and came up with something that would pass. And it’s good business. Some of these companies ask for tens of thousands of dollars a year to give you access to their database and tools. And they’re not all bad. Most of the time you can figure out the name of the exchange by simply providing a transaction ID. You can check out an exchange and see how much coin is going to dark web suspects. Overall, it’s a good tool to have, but at the end of the day it’s still just a best guess by a computer software.
Even when blockchain analysis spits out the the correct guess, as we have seen the authorities may combine it with other results or other pieces of information and come to a wrong conclusion because they just do not know how to interpret it all. And just because you win the case in court, your life can still be ruined in the process.
But my main issue isn’t even a small number of innocent people’s doors being kicked down erroneously. Blockchain analysis will affect all exchanges and crypto businesses in the coming years. It will not be used just to track down criminals or kick hardcore darknet market users to keep their wallet clean.
In the beginning, nobody did any blockchain analysis. It did not exist. In the next stage, some businesses started using it. But it wasn’t mandatory and you had to receive coins from a well known darknet market to get a high score on blockchain analysis to potentially get in trouble. Now you’re considered suspicious if you used a marketplace and not an exchange. Coinjoin counts as high risk. Gambling is high risk. As you use entities that are paranoid about keeping their coins clean and adhering to all the regulations, your risk scores will continue to increase and without you even knowing why, your deposits will become rejected, you may be asked to supply documents or lose the coins, your account may become suspended without you having any clue what you did wrong. And quite possibly you didn’t do anything wrong. But that won’t matter.
The goal post, the risk score threshold will keep moving along this trend until the point where you will be afraid of using your personal wallet, donating to someone online, receiving bitcoins from anywhere except for regulated exchanges. At that point, crypto will be akin to a regular bank account. You won’t have a bitcoin wallet, you will have accounts to websites. If you think I’m exaggerating, here is an article from just a week ago: https://www.coindesk.com/self-hosted-bitcoin-wallets-become-front-line-in-fight-over-crypto-regulations
And so we have arrived to regulations. In Hungarian, there is a saying: “to fall off the other side of the horse” - loosely meaning “to go to the other extreme”. Given what went down with Mt.Gox, I understand why some felt the need to regulate exchanges. But in my very personal opinion, we’ve gone overboard. I disagree with the following:
- having to ask ID from everyone, even if they only want to buy £200 worth of coins - storing their documents and personal information for years- giving access to authorities to query any transaction and customer info instantly (this is also in the roadmap)- being forced to use expensive and unreliable blockchain analysis services, eventually stop providing service to everyone who isn’t depositing from another regulated exchange (I expect we will come very close to this eventually)- paper-pushing, form filling, sending documents that look authentic but cannot be reasonably verified by the crypto businesses, not really preventing money laundering or fraud, just removing responsibility, but not really removing responsibility, meanwhile making users jump through useless hoops that drive many of them away from crypto for good- masses of innocent people being interrogated at a police station about what transaction X was, 14 months ago (once we were requested by the police to provide information on something from over 3 years prior)- having to hire separate compliance people and a legal team even just for having a custodial wallet- regulating crypto-to-crypto conversions which do not involve fiat- putting up all kinds of delays, road blocks, challenges and keep increasing these as regulations progress in a stricter direction
Before 5MLD in around 2016, I think the balance was pretty good. We kept criminals away, ID was required for vendors, regular traders and high amounts. We prevented smurf accounts. We cooperated with police requests, we used blockchain analysis in some cases and kept the cluster clean. Many have learned from Mt.Gox’s bad example, exchanges have gotten much more stable and I don’t think regulations were the most significant driving force behind this improvement. Yes, regulations are important to draw in corporate money and to keep big businesses from failing big. But forcing regulation on anyone just hosting a custodial wallet and not allowing even a few people to put their trust in a startup service is not how it should be.
Back in January of 2019 when in compliance with 5MLD I put all accounts on mandatory ID verification, it did not feel right at all. It raised the question “how far am I willing to go?” - the answer is, not much further. The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) are now in charge of crypto in the UK and they forbid all UK businesses from offering a custodial wallet or trading bitcoins without getting prior approval. Thus, BitBargain is closing down, redirecting buyers and sellers to a chatroom and allowing them to verify each other easily. At least chatrooms are not regulated (yet). The chatroom’s address is BitResident.com by the way, some vendors are already there, waiting to see how this pans out. If you are a vendor, you are more than welcome to join. There is no registration, just sign in with your BitBargain account before opening the page.
While I do not agree with the specifics of the regulation, I genuinely wish the best to those crypto businesses that still wish to continue their journey within the borders of the United Kingdom. That is certainly the correct business decision. After most UK vendors disappear, the remaining ones will no doubt see a large volume of trading. Even from the buyers’ perspective, any crypto business is better than nothing. I have compiled a list of vendors, marketplaces and exchanges to share some love and drive some traffic to them. The list is available in the #suggestions channel over at BitResident.com.
I wanted to go into some other subjects involving trends in the United Kingdom that are not tied to crypto, but they may be divisive, so I will skip on those. My only suggestion for everyone is to read Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World again, then compare fiction to the reality around you.
Personally, I will be busy with a couple of things: technical solutions for a regulated UK business (I’ve made a nifty and flexible wallet system to handle ledgers, deposits, withdrawals), maintaining order and entertaining guests on BitResident.com (hopefully it won’t be empty) and some other undisclosed projects. I highly recommend at least idling around in the community for another few months as there is a possible reward involved to those who are active. On top of being part of a great crypto community of course.
Again, I want to sincerely thank everyone who has used BitBargain in the past, whether for buying or selling. My life would not have been the same and I am very thankful to have gotten to know all you wonderful people. I wish for all of you good health, true freedom and heavy bags of coins that just keep going up in value.
Martin
2020. Dec. 25. 19:00
The director of research at Fidelity Digital Assets gives her take on the crypto space.2020. Dec. 25. 17:00
On today's holiday episode of Markets Daily, we're joined by John Barrett for a holiday classic.2020. Dec. 25. 16:59
Cryptocurrency exchange EXMO said an estimated $4 million of the cryptocurrency stolen during a hack on Dec. 21 was through the exchange Poloniex. Read more: Crypto Exchange EXMO Says Hackers Have Stolen 5% of Total Assets2020. Dec. 25. 16:40
Bitstamp is the first major U.S.-based crypto exchange to respond to the SEC lawsuit.2020. Dec. 25. 12:57
Bitcoin cut through $24,500 on Christmas Day, setting a new record high as the leading cryptocurrency’s ongoing rally continues the holiday season. Read more: Over $20K? Why Is Bitcoin Worth Anything at All?2020. Dec. 25. 12:57
The leading cryptocurrency blew past the previous mark set a week ago.2020. Dec. 25. 00:00
The token, named 1INCH and running on Ethereum, will be distributed to all wallets that have previously interacted with the platform.2020. Dec. 24. 20:30
The SEC order effectively blows up 1 billion TNT tokens.2020. Dec. 24. 20:10
With XRP’s sell-off, bitcoin’s dominance increases. However, the derivatives market hints at more volatility ahead for the world's leading cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 24. 19:00
One of crypto twitter's best-known personalities discusses DeFi, bitcoin and how 2020 was and wasn't like 2017.2020. Dec. 24. 18:40
Mayor Suarez is open to everything from blockchain voting to tokenization.2020. Dec. 24. 18:03
Livecoin asked clients to stop making deposits and trading after suffering a "carefully planned attack."2020. Dec. 24. 17:40
Over $1.5 billion in XRP futures have been liquidated since the start of November.2020. Dec. 24. 17:00
On today's holiday episode of Markets Daily, we're joined by Santa Clause for a bitcoin holiday classic.2020. Dec. 24. 16:00
Moving through the high-level confusion of an emergent field of digital assets during a pandemic presented unique challanges.2020. Dec. 24. 15:49
Japan is gearing up to launch a digital currency in both the public and private sectors as it trails China, which is in the trial stage of launching its own. Read more: Digital Yen Would Make Crypto Markets ‘More Lively,’ Says CEO of Monex Group2020. Dec. 24. 15:31
The question of whether or not to delist XRP isn’t a black-and-white one for crypto exchanges.2020. Dec. 24. 15:16
The news comes a day after former Chairman Jay Clayton announced that yesterday was his last day.2020. Dec. 24. 15:16
The news comes a day after former Chairman Jay Clayton announced that yesterday was his last day.2020. Dec. 24. 14:17
The government’s plan to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges in Hong Kong could mean ATMs may also be off-limits, the group claims.2020. Dec. 24. 14:00
Crypto is about to split in two. On the one side: KYC-compliant digital currencies. On the other: money "Legos" self-organized in DAO structures.2020. Dec. 24. 13:36
London-based cryptocurrency company BitcoinPoint announced Thursday bitcoin holders can now cash out bitcoin from 16,000 Cashzone automated teller machines (ATMs) situated across the entire U.K.2020. Dec. 24. 13:36
London-based cryptocurrency company BitcoinPoint announced Thursday bitcoin holders can now cash out bitcoin from 16,000 Cashzone automated teller machines (ATMs) situated across the entire U.K.2020. Dec. 24. 12:04
Talks regarding a possible acquisition by PayPal of bitcoin custodian BitGo have fallen through, Fortune reported, citing multiple sources. Read more: PayPal Said to Be in Talks to Buy Crypto Firms Including BitGo: Bloomberg2020. Dec. 24. 12:04
Talks regarding a possible acquisition by PayPal of bitcoin custodian BitGo have fallen through, Fortune reported, citing multiple sources. Read more: PayPal Said to Be in Talks to Buy Crypto Firms Including BitGo: Bloomberg2020. Dec. 24. 11:19
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced Thursday it is closing its Korea operations after eight months of operating due to low usage and volume.2020. Dec. 24. 11:19
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance said a new South Korean law going into effect early next year was another factor.2020. Dec. 24. 10:50
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is accusing the founder of hedge fund Virgil Capital which specializes in cryptocurrency arbitrage, of fraud.2020. Dec. 24. 08:00
Open lending grew from a fringe use-case to a burgeoning engine powering the next phase of the digital economy.2020. Dec. 24. 00:24
The firm's bitcoin AUM rose by more than $3 billion in a week.2020. Dec. 23. 23:38
Clayton announced in November he would be leaving by the end of the year but hadn't specified a date.2020. Dec. 23. 22:23
Stablecoins should meet the same regulatory standards as other financial instruments, Trump’s Working Group on Financial Markets said.2020. Dec. 23. 22:08
Bequant is on its way to becoming a fully licensed prime broker for digital assets, with the option for more securities licenses in Malta.2020. Dec. 23. 21:30
The incident shows the variety of ways data can be used to hurt people, and raises questions about how and if certain data should be retained at all.2020. Dec. 23. 21:29
Bitcoin continues trading below $24,000 as legal action by the SEC rattles the XRP market.2020. Dec. 23. 20:40
FinCEN’s proposed rule regulating “unhosted” wallet transfers has a number of potential issues, including unintended consequences for decentralized finance.2020. Dec. 23. 19:00
No one would have expected an economic crisis to bring a new generation of investors to the table, but that's exactly what it did.2020. Dec. 23. 18:34
The Defiant is required reading about DeFi these days. How did "one more Bloomberg journalist" become a successful media entrepreneur and influencer?2020. Dec. 23. 18:21
The donation from a group headlined by NEAR, Solana and Celo comes in addition to $300,000 raised via Gitcoin.2020. Dec. 23. 17:55
The SEC's broker-dealer guidance was generally welcomed as a step in the right direction by industry players.2020. Dec. 23. 17:00
With BTC struggling to break past $24K and the SEC suing Ripple, CoinDesk’s Market’s Daily is back with the latest crypto news roundup.2020. Dec. 23. 15:45
Crypto money manager Bitwise has liquidated $9.3 million worth of XRP in its crypto index fund.2020. Dec. 23. 15:34
"Too many champions of crypto want to be the epicenter of decentralization," says our columnist.2020. Dec. 23. 14:58
The SEC's suit against Ripple has triggered a steep sell-off in price for the payments token XRP. Meanwhile, prices for Chainlink's token have increased sevenfold this year, most among CoinDesk 20.2020. Dec. 23. 14:56
Mogo, a Canadian fintech listed on the Nasdaq and Toronto stock exchanges, said it may make further bitcoin investments next year.2020. Dec. 23. 14:47
Axie Infinity has launched the public testnet of its Ronin sidechain with video game giant Ubisoft as an initial validator.2020. Dec. 23. 14:36
What is bringing us closer to a decentralized financial future?2020. Dec. 23. 14:00
Binance-backed Cere Network has raised another $1.5 million to become a decentralized version of Salesforce.2020. Dec. 23. 14:00
The Miami Heat's Tyler Herro is the first NBA player to provide a voiceover for a crypto game.2020. Dec. 23. 13:25
Hashed Ventures has raised $120 million for a fund that will be focused on a new era of distributed networks.2020. Dec. 23. 12:30
Ethereum miners are making investments to maximize profits before mining becomes obsolete and gets replaced by validating on Ethereum 2.0.2020. Dec. 23. 11:52
The Swiss firm plans to expand into the Middle East and Asia and offer services for U.S. institutional clients.2020. Dec. 23. 10:30
Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith is likely headed to trial on charges of violating international sanctions, after a Tuesday hearing where a federal judge clarified what's being argued.2020. Dec. 23. 09:56
The SEC is accusing Ripple of violating federal securities laws via sales of the XRP cryptocurrency to retail consumers.2020. Dec. 23. 01:29
"MoneyGram will continue to monitor the situation" following an SEC lawsuit against its part-owner, Ripple, a spokesperson told CoinDesk.2020. Dec. 23. 01:00
Coinbase, one of the oldest and most profitable companies in crypto, has awarded its first round of Bitcoin developer grants.2020. Dec. 22. 01:41
A beta version of our crypto trading community is now open. There is no registration: if you are signed in to your BitBargain account, simply visit bitresident.com and you will be able to chat in the #crypto-chat, #support and #trading channels. Everybody’s username matches their BitBargain username, only traders can open private chats with you.
Reasons to stick around:
It’s a safe meeting place for over 100,000 BitBargain crypto usersYou may get a better price here than the exchanges or marketplacesThere is no trading fee, it’s all self-serve, all over the counterThere is already a network of trust built up that you can verify and rely onDiscuss news, events related to bitcoin, ethereum and altcoinsLearn about new ways to buy and sell cryptoLearn about wallets and securityShare your experience in investments and services, hear from othersIt’s good to have a fallback when platforms are being closed down or enforce strict rulesRewards are given to traders actively using the platform to exchange assetsSometimes we will do airdrops and other lucrative surprisesThe only thing we ask is that you refrain from dragging users away from the community to external platforms as we are in the process of building it up. Trading should be done in private chats, without pushing your trading partner to leave the platform. However, you can request an introduction to your crypto trading website. If it’s worthy, we will be happy to add it to the list of suggestions in the #support chat. We expect that most users will prefer to conduct trades on a new web platform and will try out the suggested links. But we hope some sellers and buyers will keep trading going.
Try it out here: https://bitresident.com/
2020. Dec. 18. 23:01
Judge John Dorsey of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court rejected a motion to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee to oversee Cred’s restructuring.2020. Dec. 15. 13:03
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has finalized a platform that tracks CO2 emissions during mining processes using blockchain.2020. Dec. 15. 12:24
Mt. Gox’s trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi has at last filed a draft plan for the rehabilitation of creditors including former users. See also: Mt. Gox Deadline Extended Again After Creditors Criticize Refund Proposal2020. Dec. 15. 12:07
Bankhaus von der Heydt partnered with Bitbond to launch its euro-backed stablecoin on Stellar last week.2020. Dec. 15. 11:24
Huobi Global saw an influx of larger-than-average bitcoin deposits soon before the price drop, an analyst said.2020. Dec. 15. 11:00
The hybrid blockchain maker said it is collaborating with fintech firm Celo to on-board its stablecoin, cUSD, to Kadena’s platform using a trustless bridge.2020. Dec. 15. 10:36
Grayscale's bitcoin and ether trusts now make up almost the entire $13 billion in AUM value.2020. Dec. 15. 09:38
The OCC's head economist said in a paper that chartering stablecoin providers would offer benefits to consumers, as well as to the firms themselves.2020. Dec. 15. 08:52
The three co-founders of Collider Ventures agree Israel’s vibrant crypto industry waned, yet didn’t fizzle, throughout 2020.2020. Dec. 15. 08:30
Banca Generali, a subsidiary of Italy’s largest insurer, will also help its customers hold bitcoin following the $14 million Series B.2020. Dec. 14. 21:56
It was a jarring reminder of the hidden costs of the easy-to-use, centralized systems that permeate the web, and just how taxing or debilitating they can be.2020. Dec. 14. 21:33
Bitcoin is making gains after a strong volume weekend while ether’s percentage of BTC price shows it may have room to climb.2020. Dec. 14. 20:00
MassMutual’s $100M BTC investment has the potential to open a massive new investment category, according to analysts.2020. Dec. 14. 20:00
Square Crypto is issuing another Bitcoin developer grant for research on Bitcoin design and user experience.2020. Dec. 14. 18:43
The Seattle-based firm plans to invest in 10-15 ventures in the blockchain space over the next two to three years.2020. Dec. 14. 18:32
Microsoft and Ernst & Young LLP announced plans to use a blockchain platform to allow Microsoft’s Xbox gaming partners, artists, and content creators to track and manage their payments and royalty contracts.2020. Dec. 14. 17:49
Yearn continues to rapidly expand through acquisitions, leading some to call it the Amazon of DeFi. While a U.S. Treasury hack serves as a reminder of the amount of financial data in circulation.2020. Dec. 14. 17:40
Coinme-powered bitcoin ATMs have sold 650% more bitcoins this year than in 2019.2020. Dec. 14. 16:24
The Kentucky-based CC Metals & Alloys steel plant owned by Ukrainian billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky is mining bitcoin as other activities have stopped, according to a report.2020. Dec. 14. 15:54
An Evercore analyst named PayPal as the top payments stock and said its recently launched cryptocurrency offering could boost margins.2020. Dec. 14. 15:26
From securities law to DeFi, there's a lot for U.S. regulatory agencies to clarify about crypto in the year ahead.2020. Dec. 14. 15:04
Band Protocol will help create a common standard enabling blockchain applications to easily leverage APIs and data.2020. Dec. 14. 14:27
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin took to Twitter to warn his followers not to take personal loans to purchase cryptocurrencies.2020. Dec. 14. 14:00
In 2020, bitcoin went from fringe investment to the talk of Wall Street, as the coronavirus-induced recession spurred recovery plans built around stimulus.2020. Dec. 14. 14:00
Argentina's crypto industry saw record trading volumes this year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and economic hardship.2020. Dec. 14. 13:19
Yearn Finance looks like it could assemble the Amazon of DeFi. If it does it, it will get there like everything else in crypto: way faster.2020. Dec. 14. 13:11
Nexus Mutual's CEO, Hugh Karp, lost the tokens after an attacker gained remote access to his computer.2020. Dec. 14. 12:15
Two cryptocurrency exchanges chose to kick off advertising campaigns on London's Underground system Monday.2020. Dec. 14. 11:49
Bitcoin's revived uptrend could soon lead to a much-anticipated breakout above the $20,000 mark, according to several analysts.2020. Dec. 14. 10:47
The regulated Swiss firm is now eyeing a dual listing of shares in Switzerland and Singapore in partnership with the SIX Digital Exchange.2020. Dec. 14. 10:01
JPMorgan analysts said MassMutual's recent $100 million bitcoin purchases are a sign of growing mainstream acceptance for the cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 14. 10:01
JPMorgan analysts said MassMutual's recent $100 million bitcoin purchases are a sign of growing mainstream acceptance for the cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 14. 09:40
"We are not like Libra and we don’t have an ambition to replace existing currencies,” said a former governor of the People's Bank of China.2020. Dec. 14. 08:52
The crypto payments infrastructure provider is set to list on a Canadian stock exchange in what's being claimed as a world first.2020. Dec. 13. 22:01
Just because gold is losing momentum and bitcoin is gaining it doesn't mean investors are selling gold to buy bitcoin – not yet, anyway.2020. Dec. 13. 20:48
Fidelity Investments CEO Abby Johnson says the mutual fund giant's custody business around bitcoin has been "incredibly successful" and has a "tremendous pipeline."2020. Dec. 13. 20:22
The MicroStrategy CEO took to Twitter to dismiss widespread speculation that his company's recent massive purchases of bitcoin have turned it into an investment firm or de facto ETF.2020. Dec. 13. 14:00
As conventional wisdom grows that central banks can go more deeply into debt than previously thought, one economist asks, how much is too much?2020. Dec. 12. 21:49
The Bank of France’s deputy governor said there has been a “hands-on approach” with the bank’s experiment to launch a digital euro for the general public.2020. Dec. 12. 14:00
Banks are moving into crypto and crypto companies are trying to become banks, so how does it all play out?2020. Dec. 11. 22:15
The guidance is apt to chafe privacy advocates, inside and outside the crypto space, who are already uneasy about the honeypot that FinCEN’s suspicious activity report database has become.2020. Dec. 11. 21:28
Bitcoin’s price dipped below $18,000 for the third straight day while an increase in active Ethereum addresses is fundamentally positive.2020. Dec. 11. 20:11
Aavegotchi – a retro, Tamagotchi-inspired game that came to life at the end of DeFi Summer – is launching in full on Jan. 4.2020. Dec. 11. 20:02
A new World Economic Forum report highlights the importance of dispute resolution for enterprise blockchain projects.2020. Dec. 11. 20:00
MassMutual becomes the latest announced institutional buyer of bitcoin, and this one could be even more significant in terms of precedent.2020. Dec. 11. 19:37
XRP is a digital asset and cryptocurrency issued and partly managed by Ripple, a payment solutions company.2020. Dec. 11. 18:08
Aegis Custody wants to build a tokenized bridge between U.S. investors and trade finance opportunities in Asia.2020. Dec. 11. 17:58
As delisting for privacy coins spreads, advocates argue that not only should regulators want them on exchanges but they should tell exchanges what they need to do to be compliant.2020. Dec. 11. 17:38
Women of color from the cryptocurrency industry are concerned the STABLE Act would make wealth disparities in the U.S. much worse.2020. Dec. 11. 17:29
Data indicates DeFi could take a huge bite out of CeFi when it comes to the ether cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 11. 17:14
MicroStrategy's debt raise resulted in an estimated $639 million for bitcoin purchases.2020. Dec. 11. 17:14
As Wall Street buys bitcoin, crypto faces a fight for its soul. On the one side is mainstream acceptance. On the other: its cypherpunk roots.2020. Dec. 11. 17:01
There are more bitcoin "whales" than ever, and new data shows how they drive market movements.2020. Dec. 11. 16:55
A 19-year old Rostislav Solod is a Ukrainian politician and a monero whale dreaming of launching his own token2020. Dec. 11. 16:14
The fintech firm added eos, omg network, tezos and 0x for its European users.2020. Dec. 11. 15:58
The crypto corridor connecting Switzerland and Singapore is firming up, involving many of the usual suspects in banking, custody and trading.2020. Dec. 11. 15:08
Sweden's central bank has begun to study the feasibility of moving the country to a digital currency.2020. Dec. 11. 14:42
The decentralized protocol says its offerings of fixed-rate lending and interest-rate derivatives will place it in a unique position in Defi.2020. Dec. 11. 14:10
MassMutual's push into bitcoin shows increasing adoption – of the narrative that the cryptocurrency can work as a hedge against central-bank money printing.2020. Dec. 11. 13:23
Attorneys for Virgil Griffith want the U.S. government to specify the charges he’s facing, rather than a broad claim that he violated U.S. sanctions.2020. Dec. 11. 12:56
The data backs the popular narrative that institutional bitcoin investors have been leading the 2020 price rally.2020. Dec. 11. 12:00
Data from OKEx gives one explanation of how bitcoin whales were able to influence the market during the rallies.2020. Dec. 11. 12:00
Data from OKEx gives one explanation of how bitcoin whales were able to influence the market during the rallies.2020. Dec. 11. 11:33
The liquidator of the defunct cryptocurrency exchange has opened a portal so former users can begin making claims to retrieve their trapped funds.2020. Dec. 11. 10:55
Indian banks have started doing business with select cryptocurrency exchanges and their customers, CoinDesk has confirmed.2020. Dec. 11. 10:33
Russian civil servants must start reporting their crypto assets as the country's first crypto law comes into force in January.2020. Dec. 11. 09:56
Didi, Meituan and Bilibili are reportedly taking part in the latest test of the digital yuan, allowing lottery winners to spend the digital currency online.2020. Dec. 11. 09:10
The NYAG has said Tether and Bitfinex have been cooperating in its inquiry, which is expected to progress more quickly once the documents are provided.2020. Dec. 11. 08:40
3iQ said its Ether Fund has completed an initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange, calling it a "world first."2020. Dec. 10. 21:25
Bitcoin slipped below $18,000 again Thursday as ether’s volatility in 2020 shows a different dynamic.2020. Dec. 10. 21:25
Bitcoin slipped below $18,000 again Thursday as ether’s volatility in 2020 shows a different dynamic.2020. Dec. 10. 20:30
The World Economic Forum wants to create guidelines for data storage and distribution, in hopes of making it easier for researchers and governments to make informed decisions.2020. Dec. 10. 19:40
The SEC commissioner explains why the SEC’s approach has been “too slow and too ambiguous” and why she’s optimistic for 2021.2020. Dec. 10. 19:21
Massachusetts Mutual has made a $100 million investment in bitcoin and a $5 million equity stake in New York Digital Investments Group.2020. Dec. 10. 18:40
Enforcement Director Stephanie Avakian led SEC investigations during the heart of its ICO crackdown.2020. Dec. 10. 17:55
The token was listed on social money platform Fyooz, where buyers, most likely fans of the rapper, bought $YACHTY for $15 each.2020. Dec. 10. 17:53
U.S. lawmakers are asking the nation's financial guardians to clarify crypto custodianship while France wages war on anonymity.2020. Dec. 10. 17:18
BTCUSD is consistently the most popularly viewed symbol in 2020.2020. Dec. 10. 17:01
The number of developers in crypto is ticking up again, and one network remains a clear winner in attracting coders.2020. Dec. 10. 15:36
A contest for inclusive fintech shows the potential for crypto-related tech to help the world's poor, but also how much it still needs to develop.2020. Dec. 10. 15:34
CFTC Chairman Heath Tarbert intends to leave the role early in 2021, opening the door for President-elect Joe Biden to name a new top commodities regulator.2020. Dec. 10. 15:03
The ECB's decision to expand an emergency bond-buying program by €500B may represent latest installment of years-long balance-sheet increase.2020. Dec. 10. 15:01
Curv is teaming up with MetaMask to allow institutions to invest in DeFi protocols while having institutional-grade custody options.2020. Dec. 10. 14:42
The live repo trade used a blockchain application built in-house, as well as the bank's jpm coin.2020. Dec. 10. 14:30
YIELD sets out to simplify the process of investing in DeFi products.2020. Dec. 10. 14:30
Lukka is looking to go mainstream with a strategic investment from three stalwarts of traditional finance.2020. Dec. 10. 14:30
Lukka is looking to go mainstream with a strategic investment from three stalwarts of traditional finance.2020. Dec. 10. 13:47
Paxful has partnered with Kenya-based remittance network BitLipa to allow users to buy and sell bitcoin and the tether stablecoin.2020. Dec. 10. 13:07
The ECB says the additional monetary policy actions were needed because of a resurgence in coronavirus cases.2020. Dec. 10. 13:00
Financial data records collected by FinCEN are a valuable tool for law enforcement. They’re also a trove of personal data on people who have not committed a crime.2020. Dec. 10. 11:40
U.K.-based SpaceChain beat 13 other national applicants to secure the funding.2020. Dec. 10. 10:56
The city council member in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, bought 185,000 XMR in 2015 when the cryptocurrency's price was well below $1.2020. Dec. 10. 10:17
The DBS Digital Exchange is 10% owned by Singapore's SGX stock exchange.2020. Dec. 10. 10:07
FTX exchange has listed an Airbnb derivatives product ahead of the home rental giant's initial public offering today.2020. Dec. 10. 09:34
"Bruno Brock" is alleged to have avoided tax on sales of the pearl cryptocurrency as well as minting free tokens for himself.2020. Dec. 10. 00:20
Reps. Warren Davidson, Tom Emmer, Ted Budd and Scott Perry urged Steven Mnuchin to rethink his rumored self-hosted wallet regulations in an open letter Wednesday which warned such rules might "crush a nascent industry."2020. Dec. 09. 22:32
Paxos has filed to become a federally regulated bank with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, joining BitPay and Anchorage.2020. Dec. 09. 21:56
Jose Angel Aman, charged with operating the fraudulent investment scheme, was sentenced to serve six years in federal prison and pay over $23 million in victim restitution by a federal court in Florida.2020. Dec. 09. 21:15
Bitcoin fell below $18,000 Wednesday while DeFi closing in on $15 billion locked may have more to do with price than actual cryptocurrency parked there.2020. Dec. 09. 20:35
Former Quontic Bank executive Patrick Sells will be responsible for developing NYDIG’s white-labeled crypto services for banks.2020. Dec. 09. 20:23
The French finance ministry is imposing sweeping KYC rules on all VASPs in the country.2020. Dec. 09. 20:20
The STABLE Act regulating the burgeoning stablecoin industry is misplaced and overly broad, says our columnist.2020. Dec. 09. 20:00
The Messari CEO goes over the highlights of his just-released annual “Crypto Theses” report.2020. Dec. 09. 19:45
U.S. lawmakers asked the SEC and FINRA to clarify how crypto firms can become registered broker-dealers and provide custody services for crypto assets.2020. Dec. 09. 19:40
Bitcoin's success should force governments to grapple with falling public trust in fiat currencies.2020. Dec. 09. 19:04
A Bank of America report on a possible mass-adopted digital euro noted that such movement could spell difficulty for commercial banks that could see some of their deposits migrate to the European Central Bank.2020. Dec. 09. 17:58
The troubled bitcoin mining pool is up 181 PH/s from its 18 PH/s lows in November.2020. Dec. 09. 17:45
2020 was an awful year for the world but a breakthrough one for crypto writ large. Here are 10 trends to watch for next year.2020. Dec. 09. 17:18
Bitcoin’s options market has flipped bearish for the short term while Citi analysts downgrade MicroStrategy's stock.2020. Dec. 09. 17:13
Most Influential 2020 features art from Alotta Money, XCopy, Osinachi, Matt Kane, Sarah Zucker, Yonat Vaks and Olive Allen.2020. Dec. 09. 16:49
Crypto payments firm BitPay has filed to become a national bank in the U.S., according to a Dec. 8 legal notice.2020. Dec. 09. 16:04
Bitfury current holds 37.2 million shares of Hut 8.2020. Dec. 09. 15:59
Fidelity Digital Assets is reportedly partnering with crypto lender BlockFi for the new business angle.2020. Dec. 09. 15:30
Crypto remittances are growing in Latin America, particularly in the wake of other remittance platforms shutting off access to some markets.2020. Dec. 09. 15:14
The number of crypto criminals using so-called privacy wallets to help hide their identities is on the rise, according to analytics firm Elliptic.2020. Dec. 09. 15:00
Latin American crypto exchange Bitso has raised a whopping $62 million funding round, the largest in the region for a digital asset firm.2020. Dec. 09. 14:50
"The adoption of bitcoin by institutional investors has only begun, while for gold, its adoption by institutional investors is very advanced," a JPMorgan managing director wrote in the report.2020. Dec. 09. 14:44
MicroStrategy said Wednesday it anticipates raising $537.2 million in net proceeds from a debt offering the business intelligence company is conducting in its most brazen play yet to buy more bitcoin. The story is developing and will be updated with additional information.2020. Dec. 09. 14:44
MicroStrategy anticipates raising $537 million in net proceeds from a debt sale designed to fund bitcoin speculation.2020. Dec. 09. 14:03
"A big day for bitcoin privacy" said developer Chris Belcher as he announced a test transaction implementing a promising privacy technology invented years ago2020. Dec. 09. 13:54
A Wells Fargo unit doesn't recommend bitcoin to clients, since they can't yet hold cryptocurrency in their accounts. What if that ever changed?2020. Dec. 09. 13:17
Germany’s Bankhaus von der Heydt is working with Bitbond for the first direct issuance of a stablecoin by a bank on Stellar, the firms said.2020. Dec. 09. 13:01
Join Tim O'Reilly, Michael Casey, Adam Levine, Daniel Cawrey and Lorne Lantz among others for a very special "Mastering Blockchain" book launch event.2020. Dec. 09. 13:00
OKCoin announced it will become the first U.S.-based crypto exchange to list Blockstack PBC’s stacks token (STX).2020. Dec. 09. 13:00
OKCoin announced it will become the first U.S.-based crypto exchange to list Blockstack PBC’s stacks token (STX).2020. Dec. 09. 12:57
Zodia Custody is currently pending approval by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority and is expected to launch in 2021.2020. Dec. 09. 12:30
Breaking down Ethereum 2.0 and its sweeping impact on crypto markets, weekly.2020. Dec. 09. 12:00
Bitwise has launched the first crypto index fund available to investors in the U.S.2020. Dec. 09. 12:00
Bitwise has launched the first crypto index fund available to investors in the U.S.2020. Dec. 09. 12:00
Bitcoin's fall toward $18,000 has revived demand for short-dated put options as a way to hedge downside risk.2020. Dec. 09. 10:53
The British arm of the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange saw a sharp downturn in business in 2019.2020. Dec. 09. 09:59
Speaking at the Singapore Fintech Festival, ING's blockchain lead spoke publicly for the first time about the bank's trials with digital assets.2020. Dec. 09. 08:54
The founder of the world's largest hedge fund says bitcoin can for part of a diversified portfolio, though he may still prefer gold.2020. Dec. 09. 06:30
Bertelsmann has invested in the second fund of Berlin's Greenfield One, a crypto venture firm with earlier bets on NEAR, Arweave and others.2020. Dec. 09. 04:00
A shared payments infrastructure initiated by the state and joined by major Indian banks, the United Payments Interface (UPI) accounted for over 2.2 billion transactions in November.2020. Dec. 09. 02:23
Bitcoin has fallen toward a key area of psychological support near $18,000.2020. Dec. 09. 00:55
The company was valued in its last funding round in September at $11.7 billion, showing how the platform has grown during the pandemic and among millennials, the NY Post said.2020. Dec. 09. 00:55
Trading app Robinhood has chosen Goldman Sachs to lead the way for an initial stock offering, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.2020. Dec. 08. 21:46
The bitcoin market dipped again Tuesday while traders have scooped up ether options at the $1,120 price level.2020. Dec. 08. 20:41
One of Ethereum’s most popular software wallets, MyEtherWallet, is giving users access to Ethereum 2.0 staking.2020. Dec. 08. 20:00
Michael Saylor announced plans to offer convertible bonds with the express intent to buy BTC. The community reacts.2020. Dec. 08. 20:00
Michael Saylor announced plans to offer convertible bonds with the express intent to buy BTC. The community reacts.2020. Dec. 08. 18:37
MicroStrategy was trading sharply lower Tuesday after a Citi analyst changed his rating to "sell."2020. Dec. 08. 18:02
With two new grants under her belt, Bitcoin Core's first full-time female developer is building the future of the network.2020. Dec. 08. 18:01
Hayden Adams took a $65,000 grant and turned it into a $2 billion protocol; meet the King of the DeFi Degens.2020. Dec. 08. 17:59
The former Coinbase CTO sounded the alarm early about the virus. More broadly, he’s emerged as a prolific and perceptive thinker about the trust and knowledge problems crypto aims to solve.2020. Dec. 08. 17:59
“The PBOC that is not criticized by the public will not withstand the test of history," the current head of the central bank says. Zhou Xiaochuan's legacy – the digital yuan – was sidelined, until it became necessary,.2020. Dec. 08. 17:59
Andre Cronje founded the platform that kick-started 2020's DeFi summer that made thousands rich. It almost broke him.2020. Dec. 08. 17:58
Described by Bloomberg as the "best investor you've never heard of," Cathie Wood has made a string of smart, future-facing bets, including a big stake in Bitcoin.2020. Dec. 08. 17:57
Filecoin and IPFS creator Juan Benet is unafraid of taking on imposing problems. Like, say, rebuilding the internet.2020. Dec. 08. 17:57
NYDFS Superintendent Linda Lacewell is a regulator prepared to work with the grain of crypto rather than against it.2020. Dec. 08. 17:56
In 2011, Jesse Powell stored digital assets for online gamers. Now, his crypto exchange has created a bank for which he helped develop the rules.2020. Dec. 08. 17:55
The global pandemic and interwoven political and economic crises became fertile ground for Bitcoin to become a tool for human rights.2020. Dec. 08. 17:55
PayPal pumped excitement into the bitcoin market this year. And on the back-end of every purchase is Charles Cascarilla's Paxos.2020. Dec. 08. 17:53
Michael Saylor has been a bitcoin evangelist and dollar doomsayer for less than 6 months. But the bits that would become his bitcoin philosophy began forming three decades ago.2020. Dec. 08. 17:25
Crypto markets are trading sideways, while Spain's second-largest bank is reportedly planning a leap into the digital asset industry.2020. Dec. 08. 17:22
Miners are “scrambling” for any available machines as manufacturers stay sold out.2020. Dec. 08. 17:00
BitGo has added cap intro services, a kind of marketing activity carried out among hedge fund investors, to its crypto brokerage offering.2020. Dec. 08. 16:50
Standard Chartered has gathered a group of crypto exchanges for a new digital asset trading platform tailored to the institutional market, according to sources.2020. Dec. 08. 16:14
House Bill 220 would enable Ohio's governmental bodies to use blockchain and DLT in their operations if signed into law.2020. Dec. 08. 15:37
Bitcoin sidechain developer RSK is revamping how users swap bitcoin for its network’s tokenized version for the cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 08. 15:01
The code for Symbol has now been "frozen" in its current iteration, marking the last step in preparing for its mainnet launch.2020. Dec. 08. 14:48
Square will dedicate $10 million to the development of clean bitcoin mining technologies.2020. Dec. 08. 14:01
As banks like Wells Fargo come around to writing about bitcoin, pro crypto analysts are scrutinizing blockchain network activity for clues on market cycle.2020. Dec. 08. 13:02
Vincent, the investment platform founded by Slava Rubin, is seeing an 80% growth in searches for digital assets.2020. Dec. 08. 12:00
China's Nervos picks Huobi's HUSD as the first available stablecoin on its blockchain amid a DeFi boom in China.2020. Dec. 08. 11:56
The Barcelona-based fashion brand is to start tracing its supply chains on a blockchain platform from Finboot.2020. Dec. 08. 11:10
Bitcoin took a dip Tuesday as traditional markets suffer the jitters on fears of a "no-deal" Brexit.2020. Dec. 08. 11:10
Bitcoin took a dip Tuesday as traditional markets suffer the jitters over fears of a "no-deal" Brexit.2020. Dec. 08. 10:16
An SBI Holdings subsidiary and SIX Digital Exchange will offer digital asset services for institutional investors in Singapore.2020. Dec. 08. 09:23
In the last month, weekly inflows to cryptocurrency funds from institutional investors have been breaking records, according to data reported by Reuters.2020. Dec. 07. 21:23
A bit of bitcoin price dumping occurred Monday while some investors dove back into DeFi with their ether.2020. Dec. 07. 21:15
MicroStrategy is turning to investors to fund up to $400 million more in bitcoin purchases.2020. Dec. 07. 21:02
Proposals for immunity or vaccine passes have resurfaced with promising news about vaccines, but the web standards they’re based on contain flaws.2020. Dec. 07. 20:21
As bitcoin rallied from $13,400 to over $19,000, a trader who bought the $36,000-strike January expiry call saw a paper profit of more than $4 million.2020. Dec. 07. 20:00
More money, more participants, more participating banks and merchants – a look inside the latest DC/EP trial in Suzhou.2020. Dec. 07. 19:36
German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz took aim at the rebranded lDiem and said it would take more than cosmetic changes to smoothen regulatory concerns.2020. Dec. 07. 19:17
Oon CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ on Monday, Allaire spoke about the regulatory attitudes toward stablecoins and how the incoming administration may treat crypto.2020. Dec. 07. 18:52
BBVA is poised to enter the cryptocurrency trading and custody space, according to two people familiar with the plans.2020. Dec. 07. 17:31
Abra is expanding its crypto marketplace to dozens more countries through partnerships with four fiat-to-crypto gateways.2020. Dec. 07. 17:19
Singapore is funding blockchain R&D. Germany's second-largest stock exchange's crypto app saw $1.21 billion in trading volumes this year. Grayscale is seeing a growing number of "Ethereum-first" institutional buyers.2020. Dec. 07. 17:07
Blockstack's Stacks tokens could soon no longer be a security in the US and become available to US investors.2020. Dec. 07. 16:28
The U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement following a virtual call with other G7 members.2020. Dec. 07. 16:23
MobileCoin, which has been a bit of a white whale since the initial coin offering (ICO) era of 2017, announced a mainnet launch on Monday.2020. Dec. 07. 15:54
The company acquired nearly 18,000 new ASICs in an all-stock transaction.2020. Dec. 07. 15:53
SIX will join Swisscom and Sygnum in a new venture aimed to enable Swiss banks to offer digital assets to their customers.2020. Dec. 07. 15:18
Alexander Vinnik, an alleged BTC-e operator, was found guilty of money laundering in France and sentenced to five years in prison.2020. Dec. 07. 15:00
Bittrex's tokenized shares can be bought in fractions, rather than whole shares.2020. Dec. 07. 15:00
Bittrex's tokenized shares can be bought in fractions, rather than whole shares.2020. Dec. 07. 13:56
This year's rapid price gains are unnerving some investors, but NYDIG's Greg Cipolaro argues that bitcoin's growing network could justify $52K in five years.2020. Dec. 07. 13:02
Germany’s second-largest stock exchange says its trading app Bison exceeded its expectations this year.2020. Dec. 07. 12:27
A proposed OCC rule would stop banks from using political criteria in lending. But we don't need it, says our columnist.2020. Dec. 07. 11:08
The government-backed foundation is funding research and development of commercial use cases for blockchain technology.2020. Dec. 07. 10:46
The proof-of-concept issuance of tokenized bonds was carried out on a blockchain platform built by Standard Chartered's fintech investment unit.2020. Dec. 07. 10:19
All three of Thailand's tax departments reportedly aim to improve tax revenue collection using blockchain technology.2020. Dec. 07. 09:31
Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, is looking at blockchain tech to solve problems in the city, starting with an e-voting system.2020. Dec. 07. 08:30
A working group wants to create some best practices for decentralized finance in an effort to improve adoption while warding off potential regulations.2020. Dec. 06. 22:00
Bitcoin may be rooted in blockchain technology, but it's evolved into something much more than code. That's why it's not easy to replicate.2020. Dec. 06. 21:59
PBOC’s Digital Currency Institute and the HKMA are discussing the technical pilot testing of using e-CNY form making cross-border payments.2020. Dec. 06. 19:58
Nearly 11% of revenue came from fees, down slightly from October.2020. Dec. 06. 18:09
DeFi has given Ethereum a significant boost since this summer and the blockchain official kicked off its journey to its upgrade after securing enough funds for its deposit contract.2020. Dec. 06. 14:19
In this exclusive extract, the author of "The Bitcoin Standard" introduces its sequel, "The Fiat Standard."2020. Dec. 06. 14:00
The well-known economic historian connects the dots between bitcoin and CBDCs in the COVID-19 money era.2020. Dec. 06. 01:57
Coinbase announced Saturday its plans to support an airdrop that has been seen as a factor in boosting XRP’s price in recent weeks.2020. Dec. 05. 22:38
The hard fork will introduce the token locking mechanism, one of its most significant new functions, to the mainnet.2020. Dec. 05. 18:40
The platform will close all its over-the-counter (OTC) trading services because of the risks related to uncertainties from China’s regulatory policies/2020. Dec. 05. 16:38
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has launched Efforce, a company that facilitates investments in energy efficiency projects via cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.2020. Dec. 05. 16:22
Short open interest for leveraged funds grows on CME as likely hedge trades continue to increase.2020. Dec. 05. 15:07
The country's income tax authority is tracking investors making money amid the ongoing bitcoin price rally and is all set to demand taxes, two sources familiar with the matter told The Economic Times.2020. Dec. 05. 14:00
A new crypto outlook from Bloomberg suggests BTC could reach $50,000 in 2021, topping off a month of major institutional momentum for the asset.2020. Dec. 05. 10:05
Chinese e-commerce firm JD.Com says it's become the first online platform to accept the nation's central bank digital currency.2020. Dec. 04. 23:46
House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters told President-elect Joe Biden to undo the OCC's crypto guidance after he takes office next year.2020. Dec. 04. 23:46
House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters told President-elect Joe Biden to undo the OCC's crypto guidance after he takes office next year.2020. Dec. 04. 23:46
The head of the House Financial Services Committee wants President-elect Biden to to rescind guidance by the OCC that national banks may hold stablecoin reserves as a service to bank customers.2020. Dec. 04. 23:46
The head of the House Financial Services Committee wants President-elect Biden to to rescind guidance by the OCC that national banks may hold stablecoin reserves as a service to bank customers.2020. Dec. 04. 22:59
MicroStrategy's share prices have increased over 170% since the company first announced its interest in bitcoin in July.2020. Dec. 04. 22:41
Donations in dai, USDC, and ether were sent to Coin Center via Gitcoin.2020. Dec. 04. 22:20
A CBDC is a central bank digital currency, a new type of money governments are experimenting with that often has blockchain at its core.2020. Dec. 04. 21:45
Bitcoin briefly dropped below $19,000 on a low-volume day while the ether options market seems to be in decline for now.2020. Dec. 04. 21:29
Psychology and selling pressures have kept bitcoin's price below $20,000.2020. Dec. 04. 20:00
Since 1969, 34 out of 45 years have seen a late December rally. Here are 5 reasons why that might not happen this year.2020. Dec. 04. 18:42
Solana, a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain spearhead by FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, is "stuck" due to an unknown issue.2020. Dec. 04. 17:58
The success of a store-of-value asset, like bitcoin or gold, isn't just a matter of durability, fungibility or scarcity. It's about whether people believe in it.2020. Dec. 04. 17:46
That's up from about $570 million in 2019.2020. Dec. 04. 17:10
Traders have begun unwrapping tokenized bitcoins. The U.S. Treasury Department will keep a vigilant eye on digital innovations. And trading volumes on OKEx have plummeted.2020. Dec. 04. 16:41
Michael Corbat's multinational banking giant has been calling digital currency all but inevitable since 2014.2020. Dec. 04. 15:05
The approved digital banks will be able to start operating from Singapore in early 20222020. Dec. 04. 15:05
The approved digital banks will be able to start operating from Singapore in early 2022.2020. Dec. 04. 14:30
Bolivia is one of the rare countries that has essentially banned cryptocurrency, but the nation's blockchain advocates aren't giving up.2020. Dec. 04. 13:59
OKEx appears to suffer customer outflows after lifting of five-week withdrawal suspension, highlighting the existential threat of operational risk.2020. Dec. 04. 13:33
Brooks hinted at a flurry of crypto clarity actions in the next 6 weeks that could drive more institutions into the asset class.2020. Dec. 04. 13:09
'Bitcoin's macroeconomic, technical and demand vs. supply indicators supportive of $50,000 target resistance,' according to Bloomberg2020. Dec. 04. 12:27
Russian cryptocurrency and blockchain association warns the Bank of Russia against the excess centralization of the digital ruble2020. Dec. 04. 12:03
The Ripple exec was responding to a question asking whether a majority vote could force the destruction of XRP held in escrow.2020. Dec. 04. 11:05
The department wants state and federal regulators to keep a vigilant watch on digital asset innovation.2020. Dec. 04. 10:37
OMG helps speed transactions and lower fees on the Ethereum by handling transactions off-chain,2020. Dec. 04. 10:28
Payments processor Stripe is teaming up with banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Barclays to provide checking accounts and other banking services, reports the Wall Street Journal. See also: Stripe to Pay $120,000 in PlexCoin ICO Settlement With Massachusetts Attorney General2020. Dec. 04. 00:49
The world's largest audio streaming service is on the hunt for a new associate director to lead its activity within the Libra stablecoin project.2020. Dec. 03. 21:42
Bitcoin’s price is in a tight range Thursday while some investors are moving into ether.2020. Dec. 03. 21:27
Many investors aspire to hold bitcoin as a store of value, but right now the cryptocurrency is very volatile, said the head of Fidelity Digital Assets.2020. Dec. 03. 20:47
The reorganization strengthens FinHub's ability to address the digital assets space.2020. Dec. 03. 20:19
A sharp drop in OKEx’s trading volume and stablecoin reserves – tether in particular – may reveal an ongoing exodus of its users after the popular crypto derivatives exchange unexpectedly halted all crypto withdrawal activities for about five weeks.2020. Dec. 03. 20:00
WBTC burns picked up in November, continuing into December.2020. Dec. 03. 19:00
The creators of the stablecoin platform Terra are launching Mirror Protocol, a way to mint crypto assets that mimic U.S. stocks.2020. Dec. 03. 18:47
The hedge fund manager has 1% to 2% of his multi billion-dollar portfolio in bitcoin.2020. Dec. 03. 18:43
The STABLE Act would force all stablecoin issuers to have bank licenses, a shot across the bow that portends an emerging legal challenge for the industry.2020. Dec. 03. 18:01
Human Protocol, home of the anti-bot hCaptcha system, announced it is expanding beyond Ethereum to a future Polkadot parachain, Moonbeam.2020. Dec. 03. 17:05
Crypto Twitter, like the U.S. Congress, is usually divided. A proposed law to strengthen stablecoin oversight has brought crypto together.2020. Dec. 03. 17:01
As DeFi sees its first M&A, we’re left with a big question: How do you value an open-source project in a very new industry?2020. Dec. 03. 16:55
A Swiss experiment on how central bank money can be linked to markets built on distributed ledger technology (DLT) yielded positive results.2020. Dec. 03. 15:07
Darknet markets are falling off the radar and watching their customer base level off.2020. Dec. 03. 14:59
DeFi platform Aave has rolled out its second version, with several features that should make it more flexible and more capital efficient.2020. Dec. 03. 14:52
Hauck & Aufhauser is launching a cryptocurrency fund in January 2021.2020. Dec. 03. 14:33
Financial data provider S&P Dow Jones Indices is launching a crypto asset index in 2021.2020. Dec. 03. 14:30
Kraken is for the first time funding open-source Ethereum projects.2020. Dec. 03. 13:43
As prices consolidate below $20K, traders cue off macroeconomic factors - like Biden remark that $908B stimulus would be "down payment."2020. Dec. 03. 13:36
Slush Pool has immortalized a potentially iconic Reuters headline on the Bitcoin blockchain.2020. Dec. 03. 12:56
Bitcoin has found adoption this year as digital gold. The other promises of cryptocurrency have yet to find fruition, says our columnist.2020. Dec. 03. 12:04
A continued decline in the U.S. dollar and rising inflation expectations support bitcoin's long-term bullish case as a hedge asset.2020. Dec. 03. 12:04
A continued decline in the U.S. dollar and rising inflation expectations support bitcoin's long-term bullish case as a hedge asset.2020. Dec. 03. 10:50
Swiss-based Valour says its bitcoin ETP is the first with no management fees.2020. Dec. 03. 09:58
Cabify, one of the world's largest ridesharing companies, is moving to offset its carbon emissions with the help of blockchain marketplace ClimateTrade.2020. Dec. 03. 09:58
Cabify, one of the world's largest ridesharing companies, is moving to offset its carbon emissions with the help of blockchain marketplace ClimateTrade.2020. Dec. 03. 09:16
Theta Labs says it plans to democratize content delivery with its decentralized video platform.2020. Dec. 03. 00:11
Prolonged but fruitless efforts to get regulators on the firm’s side seem to have exhausted Ripple’s patience as it eyes a potential IPO and fights a lawsuit.2020. Dec. 02. 22:37
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Stephen Lynch and Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia have introduced a bill that would require stablecoin issuers to secure bank charters and either obtain FDIC insurance or maintain full reserves to operate in the U.S.2020. Dec. 02. 21:32
Bitcoin’s price is seeing little action while the ether options market is betting on a much lower valuation for the asset in 2021.2020. Dec. 02. 20:26
Analysts are warning crypto newcomers that ether shouldn't be considered merely as a second-best crypto investment after bitcoin.2020. Dec. 02. 20:00
One of finance’s most colorful personalities joins NLW to discuss how advisers spend their money, Robinhood traders, bitcoin and more.2020. Dec. 02. 19:36
Who said "safe haven"? Bitcoin's unique performance and risk profile make it a different type of investment animal.2020. Dec. 02. 17:47
There are now more active bitcoin users than ever before, as CEOs of both PayPal and BlackRock think about the future of finance.2020. Dec. 02. 17:21
CoinDesk marks its seventh Most Influential list with two CoinDesk Live events Dec. 7-8.2020. Dec. 02. 16:40
"Sharding" is a proposed method of splitting Ethereum's infrastructure into smaller pieces in an attempt to scale the network.2020. Dec. 02. 16:24
Rogue developers seem to have rug-pulled their own project, Compounder Finance, netting some $10.8 million in funds from the project’s investors.2020. Dec. 02. 15:37
Existing shareholders will receive eight additional ETHE shares for each one held, with each new share being a ninth the value and price of the current ones.2020. Dec. 02. 14:37
Jay Hao pledged in an AMA that his firm has taken steps to ensure cryptocurrency withdrawals won't again be frozen because of the absence of a keyholder.2020. Dec. 02. 14:21
XRP soared 169% in November, topping performance of the CoinDesk 20 digital assets during a month when bitcoin dominated headlines.2020. Dec. 02. 14:16
Visa is linking its payments network of 60 million merchants to the USDC stablecoin, according to Forbes.2020. Dec. 02. 14:16
Visa is linking its payments network of 60 million merchants to the USDC stablecoin, according to Forbes.2020. Dec. 02. 14:00
Decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator 1inch has closed a $12 million funding round led by Pantera Capital.2020. Dec. 02. 13:31
Dan Schulman took to the stage at Web Summit tech event on Wednesday, telling attendees that cryptocurrency is on the way to the mainstream.2020. Dec. 02. 12:52
Ukraine's parliament has approved the first version of a draft cryptocurrency bill, bringing regulation of the industry a step closer.2020. Dec. 02. 12:30
Breaking down Ethereum 2.0 and its sweeping impact on crypto markets, weekly.2020. Dec. 02. 12:30
Breaking down Ethereum 2.0 and its sweeping impact on crypto markets, weekly.2020. Dec. 02. 12:00
XRP jumped 169% in November to top the performance rankings among digital assets in the CoinDesk 20, outperforming bitcoin and ether.2020. Dec. 02. 11:54
As bitcoin set a new price high closer to $20,000 on Tuesday, the network also saw record-breaking user activity.2020. Dec. 02. 10:30
Security token platform Dusk Network has become a shareholder of a Dutch stock exchange as part of both firms' plans for share tokenization.2020. Dec. 02. 09:32
Crypto.com has secured an Australian Financial Service License through its acquisition of The Card Group.2020. Dec. 02. 08:54
BTC Markets, one of Australia's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, has accidentally exposed users' data, raising the risk of phishing attacks.2020. Dec. 02. 08:00
U.K.-based bitcoin app Ziglu raised over $8 million in a crowdfunding campaign, the largest equity raise on the Seedrs platform this year.2020. Dec. 02. 05:01
New York Digital Investments Group (NYDIG) raised $150 million for two new funds to invest in cryptocurrencies, a move that underscores the one-stop crypto shop’s skyrocketing clout on the institutional bitcoin scene. As revealed in two U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, NYDIG Digital Assets Fund I raised $50 million from institutional investors while NYDIG […]2020. Dec. 02. 04:37
The head of the world's largest asset manager has provided a bullish take on the world's first cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 02. 04:37
The head of the world's largest asset manager has provided a bullish take on the world's first cryptocurrency.2020. Dec. 01. 22:19
Bitcoin privacy experts are unimpressed with a circulating slideshow-style privacy report that targets upcoming Bitcoin upgrade Taproot.2020. Dec. 01. 21:50
Bitcoin’s bull run stalls while ether is still acting like a little brother despite the audacious Eth 2.0 upgrade.2020. Dec. 01. 20:16
Investors looking to buy bitcoin now should consider implementing a dollar-cost averaging (DCA) strategy, according to leading traders in the cryptocurrency space.2020. Dec. 01. 20:16
Investors looking to buy bitcoin now should consider implementing a dollar-cost averaging (DCA) strategy, according to leading traders in the cryptocurrency space.2020. Dec. 01. 20:00
In a research note intended for clients, investing giant AllianceBernstein says it changed its mind on bitcoin’s role in asset allocation.2020. Dec. 01. 19:33
Yearn Finance is eyeing yet another merger – only this time, the candidate, SushiSwap, has a larger market size than Yearn itself.2020. Dec. 01. 18:55
About 65% of users would use bitcoin as a currency at PayPal's 28 million merchants.2020. Dec. 01. 18:15
Crypto-jacking is giving nation-state hackers a decoy for their more malicious attacks, Microsoft cautioned in a report.2020. Dec. 01. 17:53
The EU has created a common framework for regulating crypto across the economic bloc. The U.S. is still working out its approach.2020. Dec. 01. 17:48
Ethereum 2.0 charts new territory with the launch of its proof-of-stake backbone as retail interest in Bitcoin spikes, Google search data suggests.2020. Dec. 01. 17:44
The Human Rights Foundation has secured donations from the Gemini cryptocurrency exchange to fund even more Bitcoin developers in 2021.2020. Dec. 01. 17:44
Russian banks and financial brokers are worried the digital ruble will be a burden for them.2020. Dec. 01. 16:36
Hive shares have gained over 1,200% in 2020.2020. Dec. 01. 16:06
Centre, the Coinbase- and Circle-founded project that oversees the USDC stablecoin, has hired Wall Street veteran David Puth as its new CEO.2020. Dec. 01. 15:57
Resistance is futile and the time for doing nothing with crypto was two years ago, not today, says our columnist.2020. Dec. 01. 15:17
Cryptocurrency derivatives platform ErisX launched cash-settled bounded futures on Tuesday.2020. Dec. 01. 14:27
Institutional adoption is the buzzword du jour, probably a factor in bitcoin's price rally close to $20,000, and not even really happening yet.2020. Dec. 01. 14:00
The Libra Association is rebranding itself to "Diem" to distance itself from the original multi-currency stablecoin vision as it prepares for a possible 2021 launch.2020. Dec. 01. 14:00
BlockFi CEO Zac Prince said it will be the first credit (not debit) card in the cryptocurrency industry.2020. Dec. 01. 13:40
The UPCO2 token represents a certified measure of carbon dioxide and can be traded, held or burned to offset an individual’s carbon footprint.2020. Dec. 01. 13:15
Fourteen operators of the giant PlusToken scam have been sentenced in China to up to 11 years in prison.2020. Dec. 01. 12:01
The Beacon Chain, the backbone of Ethereum's future Proof-of-Stake network, is now live.2020. Dec. 01. 12:00
The revelation is a notable public relations win for Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.2020. Dec. 01. 12:00
The revelation is a notable public relations win for Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.2020. Dec. 01. 11:52
Google searches for "bitcoin price" are double levels seen a few weeks ago.2020. Dec. 01. 10:47
Jonathan Rowland, founder of bitcoin finance app Mode, may make a bid for struggling British soccer club Wigan Athletic.2020. Dec. 01. 10:01
An identity management provider backed by PayPal, Foxconn and others has been acquired by Nevada-based holding company Blockchains LLC.2020. Dec. 01. 09:33
Ledger's new chief experience officer hails from luxury conglomerate LVMH, which owns brands like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Christian Dior.2020. Dec. 01. 04:30
You may have seen the notice: BitBargain will cease operations and close by 2021. This post is a quick summary of dates you need to know about if you have funds stored or intend to use BitBargain for as long as possible.
A further post will follow, explaining the closure, regulatory changes in the UK and how to proceed in the next year.
The dates are:
Dec. 1 – A notification is posted on the site to remind users about the closure and that funds should be removed (an email will also be sent to those who store money on BitBargain)Dec. 24 – BitBargain’s 8th birthdayDec. 25 – Last day of tradingDec. 26 – Trading, deposits stopped, withdrawals still workJan. 9 – Ability to withdraw ceases2020. Dec. 01. 02:18
Höptner comes from Börse Stuttgart GmbH and Euwax AG, where he has been CEO since 2018.2020. Dec. 01. 00:01
Upstart crypto exchange LVL wants to take on U.S. giants by removing trading fees. The move comes as bitcoin touches new all-time highs.