Friday, 31 January 2020

Options Growth Will Ignite Innovation in the Bitcoin Market – But Not in the Way You Think

Richard Rosenblum, co-founder of GSR, points out the lackluster growth in listed options hides the real action taking place in OTC hedges.

Scotland’s Bitcoiners Share Canny Tales of ‘Buying the Dip’

A meetup in Scotland afforded a forensic examination of bitcoin's rollercoaster cycle – with plenty of examples of the emotional trauma that accompanied the ride.

How Fund Managers View Lending and Staking: 3 Takeaways From a CoinDesk Research Webinar

In December, we invited two fund managers, both long bitcoin and other crypto assets, for a CoinDesk Research webinar on lending and staking. Jordan Clifford of Scalar Capital and Kyle Samani of Multicoin Capital joined us to discuss how they evaluate risk and returns in crypto lending and staking, what crypto assets' risk-free rate might look like, and what DeFi needs to do to attract investors and new users.

Google Reinstates Bitcoin Rewards Game Suspended for ‘Deceptive Practices’

The “Bitcoin Blast” app is back on the Google Play store, though Google still hasn’t clarified why it was taken down in the first place.

Seychelles’ Stock Exchange Will List Ethereum Tokens Representing Supercars

MERJ, the only licensed stock exchange in the Seychelles, plans to list ethereum tokens representing shares in supercars issued by CurioInvest, starting with a $1.1 million Ferrari.

The Founders of Synthetix and Chainlink on DeFi, Derivatives and 25 New Decentralized Price Feeds

Yesterday Chainlink released price reference data for 25 of its decentralized oracle networks which, together, power more than $100m in DeFi.

Listen to Elon Musk’s Latest EDM Beats on the CoinDesk Crypto Roundup

We've got the 'hawt' new single from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and as bitcoin ends its best January ever, traders eye a price move above the psychological level of $10,000.

Ethereum Miners’ ETH Holdings Near Record Highs

Ethereum miners are hoarding ether tokens, and this could indicate high confidence in the project.

Bitcoin Startup Casa Names New CEO as Node Service Goes Open-Source

Bitcoin startup Casa is charging into 2020 with a new look – by winding down its hardware product and shuffling its front office.

Financial Firm SBI Holdings to Offer XRP Cryptocurrency as Shareholders’ Benefit

Japan's crypto-friendly financial firm SBI Holdings is to give shareholders the option to receive the XRP cryptocurrency as a benefit. They can alternatively accept health supplements.

‘Key Milestone’ for Hyperledger as Fabric Blockchain Platform Reaches 2.0 Release

Version 2.0 marks the most significant release since Fabric first launched in 2017.

Crypto Tax Software Developers Get Serious About System Standards

A growing number of crypto tax software developers are trying to bolster their products’ technical credibility with the CPA’s stamp of attestation.

Bitcoin Heads Into Historically Positive February on a Bullish Note

Bitcoin's 30% rise in January has put the bulls into the driver's seat, opening the doors for a continued rally into five figures.

Deribit to Launch Daily BTC Options as Regulated Competition Heats Up

Launching Feb. 3, the daily bitcoin index options will appeal to a different kind of trader, the firm says.

Third-Party Trackers Are Pulling Your Data Off Ring’s Android App

A new report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation details the personally identifiable information pulled from your Ring app.

USA vs. Virgil Griffith: What We Know (and Don’t) in the Bombshell Crypto Sanctions Case

Prosecutors appear to have a strong case against Virgil Griffith, the ethereum developer charged with conspiring to aid North Korea, legal experts say.

Bitfinex Adds Margin Trading on Tether Gold With Pairs of Up to 5x Leverage

Bitfinex has launched margin trading for Tether Gold with select pairs of up to 5 times leverage.

Silk Road Operator Pleads Guilty to 1 Charge of Conspiracy

Roger Clark, an alleged operator behind the Silk Road darknet site arrested in 2015, has pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to distribute narcotics.

Thursday, 30 January 2020

Few Banks Will Touch Crypto Firms, But Silvergate Wants to Touch Bitcoin Itself

Silvergate made its name providing fiat banking services for crypto businesses. Now CEO Alan Lane wants the bank to handle digital assets themselves.

Nomura Launching Benchmark for Japan’s Crypto Assets

Pegged to Japan's cryptocurrency market, Nomura's benchmark will be available to domestic and overseas institutional investors and crypto exchanges, among others.

Ethereum Dev Virgil Griffith Pleads Not Guilty to Violating North Korea Sanctions

Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on Thursday.  Griffith was arrested in November on allegations he spoke at a cryptocurrency conference in North Korea last year, where he allegedly taught his audience how to use cryptos to evade sanctions. A complaint […]

The Unsolved Mystery of How to Fund Public Protocols

Gitcoin, BCash and Zcash all try different paths to fund public protocol development, plus the latest in CBDCs from Japan and Cambodia and Andrew Yang on crypto.

Listia Raised $15M With Its XNK ICO. Now It’s Ditching the Token for Props

Listia's marketplace for used-goods is ditching its native XNK token in favor of YouNow's props.

Exchange Tokens: Neither a Great Investment Nor a Great Market Indicator

It’s surprising that, despite the success of their issuers, exchange tokens have not been more successful as investments, or as metrics of adoption in one of crypto assets' best-proven use cases, speculation.

Two Social Networks Announce Plans to Integrate YouNow’s Props Token

YouNow says two other peer-to-peer sites are now integrating its props token: Camfrog and Listia.

Zap’s New Product Lets Merchants Take Dollars Over Lightning Network

"Merchants can accept bitcoin and lightning payments with the same infrastructure, except they never touch the asset," explained Zap founder Jack Mallers.

Coronavirus Controls in China Are Delaying Crypto Miner Deliveries, Firms Say

MicroBT and Canaan have notified customers they would be delaying ASIC deliveries due to the Chinese government's quarantine of Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak.

‘One Network, Many Chains’ – The Case for Blockchain Interoperability

Inter-blockchain communication (IBC) is poised to be a major theme of 2020. And, like most trends in crypto, it has its fair share of hope, hype and haters.

Cambodia Readies a Blockchain-Based Digital Currency

Cambodia's central bank digital currency platform has the support of 11 national banks and will be used initially for domestic payments once launched at some point during the first fiscal quarter of this year.

Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 30, 2020

Markets Daily is back with news of the day and clips of Democratic Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang's recent crypto comments.

TokenSoft Launches Wallet Allowing Investors to Self-Manage Security Tokens

The U.S.-regulated security token platform says its new wallet product makes managing tokens easier for investors.

Compared to Traditional Banks, Crypto Lenders See Booming Growth

A lukewarm U.S. economy is making big banks like JPMorgan Chase struggle to produce fast loan growth - even with interest rates close to historic lows. Yet, in the white-hot cryptocurrency industry, lenders are burgeoning.

Bittrex Takes Out Record $300M Insurance on Crypto Held in Cold Storage

The insurance was underwritten by Arch Syndicate 2012, which provides specialized insurance for corporations.

Coinbase Custody, Bison Trails Joins Proof of Stake Alliance to Push for Clearer Regulations

Coinbase Custody and Bison Trails have joined the Proof of Stake Alliance, a lobbyist organization hoping to clarify the legal treatment of staking rewards in the U.S.

Andrew Yang: US Has to Fix Its ‘Hodgepodge’ Crypto Regulation

The current fragmented regulatory situation in the U.S. is "bad for everybody," Yang said.

Bitcoin Reinforces Latest Rally With Defense of $9,200 Price Support

The recent rally is looking solid, with the bulls defending key price support earlier on Thursday.

Japan Must Be Ready if Demand for Digital Yen ‘Soars’: Central Bank Official

Japan needs to keep researching a central bank digital currency, even if it won't launch one just yet, accord to the Bank of Japan's deputy governor.

Ethereum-Based Ad Firm Bidooh Sues Founders in Tech Ownership Dispute

The co-founders are countersuing, claiming the company – which developed "Minority Report-inspired ad boards – has been hijacked.

Former JPMorgan Exec Joins Binance as Latin American, European Director

Former State Street counsel, JPMorgan vice president and Huobi regional head Josh Goodbody is joining Binance as its new director of European and Latin American growth and institutional business.

Stablecoins ‘Flip’ Ethereum’s Native Currency In Transfer Value

A greater share of value is being transferred via stablecoins over the Ethereum network than its own native cryptocurrency.

Coinbase Custody Goes International With New Entity in Ireland

Coinbase has launched Coinbase Custody International Inc., a European entity for handling cryptocurrency deposits.

Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Better Regulation Could Curb Crypto Scams, Chainalysis Report Says

Chainalysis’ 2019 crime report found illicit activities accounted for roughly 1 percent of overall crypto transactions last year, and better enforcement of anti-money laundering and know-your-customer regulations could stamp out a large portion of that.

Developers Say Google Play Unfairly Booted Their Bitcoin Rewards Game

"Bitcoin Blast, a puzzle game which rewards players with BTC, was kicked off the Google Play store with little explanation, said the game's developer.

Coinbase Hires Google VP as Chief Product Officer

Surojit Chatterjee becomes Coinbase’s first chief product officer since the departure of Jeremy Henrickson in December 2018.

While CME Shines, Literally No One Is Trading Bakkt’s Bitcoin Options

Trading volumes in bitcoin options listed on the Intercontinental Exchange's Bakkt platform have completely dried up, even while CME’s options product is seeing strong interest.

Most of MakerDAO’s Asset Value Is in Only a Few Addresses

Though the industry is growing rapidly, a very small portion of addresses hold the majority of assets being locked and borrowed in the DeFi space.

Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 29, 2020

With bitcoin set for its best-ever January, Markets Daily is back with today's crypto news roundup.

Former Coinbase COO Joins Blockchain-Based Lending Firm Figure

Asiff Hirji, Coinbase's former president and COO, will take on a new role as president of blockchain-based lending startup Figure Technologies.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to Speak at ETHDenver Conference

For the first time, ETHDenver is officially partnering with Colorado's state government.

Silvergate Bank Adds 48 Crypto Clients in Q4 Even as Deposits Slip 4%

The La Jolla, Calif.-based bank, which went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol SI in November, released its earnings report before market open on Wednesday.

Binance US CEO Catherine Coley Explains Why Crypto Exchanges Are Rushing Into Staking

Binance US CEO Catherine Coley joins The Breakdown to discuss efforts to lower crypto's barriers to entry.

Binance US Now Offers Staking Rewards for These Two Cryptocurrencies

Binance US has joined other major exchanges in the staking game, adding staking rewards for cryptocurrencies algorand (ALGO) and cosmos (ATOM).

UK Financial Service Provider to Coinbase, Bitstamp Awarded FCA Payments License

A company that provides payment services for cryptocurrency companies like Coinbase, Bitstamp and Galaxy Digital has been awarded a license by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

France Charges Alleged BTC-e Operator Alexander Vinnik Following Greek Extradition

French prosecutors have charged Vinnik on counts of extortion, aggravated money laundering, conspiracy and more.

Bitcoin Eyes Best January Close in 7 Years After 30% Price Increase

Bitcoin is eyeing its best January performance in seven years after crossing the all-important 200-day average hurdle overnight.

Swiss Company Gets Green Light to Incorporate for a Blockchain IPO

In what's being called a first for Switzerland, a company has been allowed to incorporate for an IPO offering of tokenized shares on a blockchain.

Crypto Ponzi OneCoin May Have Used Fake Reviews to Boost Ailing Image: Research

The OneCoin cryptocurrency project – accused by authorities of being a ponzi scheme – attempted to boost its fortunes by using "inauthentic" accounts to place favorable reviews on TrustPilot and Quora, according to new research.

Bitcoin Cracks $9,400 to Reach Nearly 3-Month High in ‘Asia-Driven Rally’

Bitcoin has risen above a key area of resistance to reach its highest point in nearly 3 months.

LedgerX Board Member and Former CFTC Chair Named CEO of Miami Futures Exchange

Former acting CFTC Chairman and LedgerX board member Mark Wetjen is the new CEO at Miami International Futures Exchange, where he will build out its crypto asset and derivatives products.

Tuesday, 28 January 2020

Crypto-Related Deposits Drop by Half at Metropolitan Commercial Bank

Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s deposits from crypto firms have steadily declined, a sign of heightened competition in a field where the bank was once one of the only games in town.

Lawyers Ramp Up Pressure to Exhume Quadriga CEO’s Body

Miller Thomson is doubling down on its request that the RCMP exhume Quadriga founder Gerald Cotten's body by publicly requesting an update from Canadian MP Bill Blair, who oversees the agency.

Ex-PBoC Governor Urges China to Join Global Conversation on Libra

A former senior official with the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) believes the nation should join a global conversation about regulating stablecoins, with a particular focus on the Libra stablecoin.

Narrative Watch: The Future of Crypto FUD

When markets get hot, new FUD emerges. @nlw looks at three categories of FUD most likely to come up in the next bull market.

Volatility, Illiquidity Continue to Threaten BSV’s Newfound Position

Volatility in bitcoin SV (BSV) is raising concerns about the resilience and stability of the world’s fifth-largest cryptocurrency.

Standard Chartered Invests More Money in Newly Rebranded Trade Finance Startup

Standard Chartered has invested in Contour, the recently-rebranded Voltron blockchain trade finance platform digitizing letters of credit for financial institutions.

Uphold Introduces Commission-Free Trading for Users

The move to commission-free cryptocurrency trading was based on Uphold’s ability to net trades at a lower cost after gaining more liquidity providers, said Uphold CEO JP Thieriot.

MARKETS DAILY: Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 28, 2020

Bitcoin rallied to near $9,150 as stocks dropped over Coronavirus fears, plus IBM's new "Self-Aware Token" approach.

Roger Ver’s Mining Pool Pulls Support for Bitcoin Cash Dev Fund Over Chain Split Threat

Ver said he was "mostly just along for the ride," as some mining pools stepped back from competing hard forks.

Opporty Founder Calls SEC Suit ‘Grossly Overstated’ in Public Defense

In an open letter, Sergey Grybniak claims his firm followed all regulatory guidance available at the time of its 2017–2018 initial coin offering.

IBM Awarded Patent for ‘Self-Aware Token’

The firm says the concept of tokens that record their own data could make it easier for regulators to understand who is using them.

Bitcoin Rallies to Near $9,150 as Stocks Drop Over Coronavirus Fears

Bitcoin is rising in line with broader uptrend which began well before the coronavirus scare began weighing over traditional markets. In the short term, though, a dip is looking likely.

One of World’s Richest Firms Joins Blockchain Trade Platform Vakt After $5M Investment

Oil-giant subsidiary Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures has made a $5 million investment in Vakt, a commodities post-trade processing platform built with blockchain tech.

British Court Freezes $860,000 in Bitcoin Linked to Ransomware Payout

The victim firm in the ransomware attack had paid $950,000 in bitcoin to the perpetrator through an insurance company. Much of it ended up on Bitfinex.

Why Lightning Payments Aren’t Clicking for Porn Companies (Just Yet)

Bitcoin may finally achieve broader traction through the adult entertainment industry in 2020, but the chips aren’t stacked in its favor.

Gemini Hires Former Circle Compliance Officer to Oversee European Market

Blair Halliday steps into the role at Gemini as the EU's Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5) goes into effect.

Singapore Announces New AML Rules for Crypto Businesses

Singapore’s newly-enacted Payment Services Act brings so-called Digital Payment Token (DPT) services under current anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist-financing (CTF) rules.

Monday, 27 January 2020

Deutsche Bank Says Digital Currencies Could Be Mainstream in 2 Years

A digital currency could see widespread adoption within the next few years, a new report by Deutsche Bank suggests.

Bank of England’s Stablecoin Ruling Targets Financial Stability, Exec Says

Financial stability was a key factor in the Bank of England's decision to hold stablecoin payment systems to the same regulatory standards as existing payment chains.

Transfer Agent Vertalo Chooses Tezos Over Ethereum for Security Token Development

The digital security issuer says it chose Tezos because it is faster than ethereum, ideal for security tokens and is proof-of-stake.

Ukraine Plans to Track Suspicious Crypto Transactions Above $1,200

Ukraine’s financial watchdog will track crypto transactions exceeding $1,200, according to the head of its Ministry of Finance.

Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 27, 2020

Today's daily podcast features trouble at TRON and an attack on Bitcoin Gold. It's CoinDesk's Crypto News Roundup.

Israel’s Securities Regulator Asks Private Sector for DLT Proof-of-Concepts

Israel’s chief securities regulator Anat Guetta says DLT has “transformative potential” for the startup nation’s capital markets. Now she wants to see a proof-of-concept.

Over 1,000 Bitcoin Miners Granted Licenses in Iran: Report

Iran is said to be issuing licenses to miners after new legislation was brought in last year.

Court Documents Reveal More Possible Investors in Telegram’s $1.7B ICO

Big names that may have invested in Telegram’s token sale are surfacing in court documents as the company fights a case brought by the SEC.

Bitcoin Eyes $8.8K After Largely Erasing Last Week’s Dip

Bitcoin's recent pullback looks to have ended. Now prices could challenge a crucial price hurdle near $8,800.

Bad Actors Rent Hashing Power to Hit Bitcoin Gold With New 51% Attacks

The two attacks last Thursday saw over $87,000 in the cryptocurrency double spent.

Bitcoin’s Halving Captures Growing Interest – Among Google Searchers

"Bitcoin halving" searches are surging on Google, according to a report from the Norwegian cryptocurrency analysis firm Arcane Research.

How Coronavirus Outbreak in China Could Weigh on Crypto Prices

The coronavirus outbreak in China could curb flows into crypto assets from investors and dampen the recent rally in the global market, industry pros say.

Former Employees Sue Justin Sun and TRON Foundation, Alleging Workplace Hostilities

A lawsuit accuses Justin Sun and the TRON Foundation of harassing and firing two employees as payback for objecting to management practices.

Sunday, 26 January 2020

What Are Lightning Wallets Doing to Help Onboard New Users?

Andreas M. Antonopoulos rejoins the crew for a look at advances in Lightning technology making new-user adoption easier at a tangible, but minimal cost.

WEF Launches Global Consortium for Crypto Governance

The WEF is creating a global consortium to develop a governance framework for cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins.

Saturday, 25 January 2020

Crypto and the Latency Arms Race: Market Microstructures

Max Boonen, CEO of market maker B2C2, looks at recent trends in crypto market infrastructure.

Friday, 24 January 2020

Major Australian Exchange Expands to Singapore for Crypto-Friendly Regs

Independent Reserve will expand to Singapore to take advantage of its "overwhelmingly positive" regulatory response.

Davos, CBDCs, and the Rise of Bitcoin Art

The word from Davos is blockchain not crypto, cashless futures, and CBDCs, while Brekkie von Bitcoin gives us his take on the emergent field of bitcoin art.

Harmony Kicks Off Migration From Ethereum and Binance Chains to Its Own

Harmony is rolling out its token swap process, asking holders of its ERC-20 and BEP-2 tokens to switch to its own native asset to participate in staking and other activities.

Notes From WEF: Oil-Producing Nations Want Dollar Alternatives, Just Not Bitcoin

Middle Eastern elites at the World Economic Forum are highly skeptical of bitcoin, but there are whispers about its potential for cross-border settlements in the energy sector.

Crypto News Roundup and Interviews for Jan. 24, 2020

Bitcoin's up as Davos ends. This is CoinDesk's Crypto News Roundup for January 24, 2020.

Crypto Exec’s $1.8M SIM-Swap Lawsuit Has ‘Critical Holes,’ Says AT&T

AT&T has again argued against allegations it was in part responsible for a SIM-swap hack that cost crypto exec Seth Shapiro $1.8 million.

Your PGP Key? Make Sure It’s Up to Date

Identity thieves now have another tool at their disposal: bitcoin hashing power.

UK Cricket Club Will Issue this Season’s Tickets Over a Blockchain

The blockchain-based ticketing solution will be used for all Lancashire Cricket Club's domestic and international fixtures in 2020.

10% of Central Banks Surveyed Close to Issuing Digital Currencies: BIS

A fifth of the world's population may well have access to a central bank digital currency in as little as three years, according to a BIS survey.

Notes From the WEF: Cash Is Dead, Long Live Digital Cash

Consensus is building on one issue at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland: Cash is dead.

Continued Losses See Bitcoin Erase 40% of Recent Price Rally

Bitcoin's price pullback has gathered steam in the last 24 hours, erasing a major portion of the cryptocurrency's recent gains.

Ripple’s Brad Garlinghouse Hints Firm May Seek IPO Within 12 Months

The Ripple CEO said at Davos that an initial public offering is seen as the “natural evolution for the company,” perhaps even this year.

Japanese Lawmakers Will Propose Digital Yen to Counter Libra, China: Report

Around 70 politicians from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party plan to propose the nation issues its own digital currency.

Cypherpunk Harry Halpin Takes on Davos

Nym Technologies CEO Harry Halpin speaks to CoinDesk's Leigh Cuen about the waning power of the Davos elite.

Ripple Reports Selling Just $13M of XRP Last Quarter

Ripple sold $13 million in XRP last quarter – down 75 percent from its Q3 sales of $66.24 million.

BlockFi Adjusts Interest Rates to Lure Larger Crypto Deposits

BlockFi, recently announced it would make changes to the interest they pay for bitcoin and ether deposits.

Bitcoin’s Privacy and Scaling Tech Upgrade ‘Taproot’ Just Took a Big Step Forward

A privacy and scalability upgrade that could turn out to be one of bitcoin's largest to date has passed a couple of milestones that were little noticed outside technical circles.

Thursday, 23 January 2020

Hawaiian Bill Would Let Banks Act as Crypto Custodians

Hawaiian lawmakers have submitted a bill that allows banks to provide custody for digital assets.

Ex-CFTC Chair Christopher Giancarlo on Why He Launched Digital Dollar Project

In this video from WEF 2020, former Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo, also known as “Crypto Dad,” discusses his push to digitize the U.S. dollar and the future of global currencies.

Will Mass Adoption Be More PayPal or Pornhub?

Bakkt preps consumer app for 2020 launch while Pornhub starts performer payouts in Tether, plus a controversial, obligatory new dev fund in BCH.

‘Fluffypony’ Weighs In on CBDC Trend at Davos 2020

Companies are mainstreaming privacy, says Riccardo Spagni, better known as “Fluffypony."

Gemini Completes Second Level of Cybersecurity Compliance Exam

Gemini has concluded an SOC 2 Type 2 cybersecurity risk examination, evaluating how its security system controls operate across a period of time. The exchange plans to conduct such exams annually.

Alleged BTC-e Operator Will Be Extradited to France After Greek Supreme Court Ruling

Greece's supreme administrative court found that a ruling to extradite alleged BTC-e operator Alexander Vinnik to France was lawful. Vinnik can no longer appeal the decision.

Crypto News Roundup and Interviews for Jan. 23, 2020

In addition our news roundup, we'll hear from former CFTC Chairman Christopher Giancarlo, then we'll take a walk with a modern cypherpunk and senior reporter Leigh Cuen.

BitMex to Launch XRP Swaps, Delist 2 Other Derivatives

BitMEX is releasing an XRP-U.S. dollar quanto swap targeted at crypto’s budding derivatives market.

Tether Says Its Newest Stablecoin Is Backed by Gold in Swiss Vault

Tether is issuing a new stablecoin as ERC-20 and TRC20 tokens, backing their price with one ounce of gold.

ErisX Adds New Trading Features with Etale Partnership

The partnership will provide clients with machine learning-based order execution.

Campaign Privacy Statements Open Up Voters to Data Sharing

By signing up for one election campaign, you're often consenting to work with others.

Crypto Custody Provider Ledger Extends Reach in Asia With New Institutional Client

Ledger is partnering with dapp provider FLETA, offering legally compliant custody solutions as part of its push to expand in Asia.

CoinDesk Q4 2019 Review: A Year in Suspended Animation

The CoinDesk Quarterly Review surfaces the key data, trends and events shaping the crypto markets. Check it out now.

Bitcoin Cash Miners Propose Controversial Soft Fork for Zcash-Style Development Fund

The proposed fork will see 12.5 percent of block rewards diverted to a new BCH-specific development fund. Reactions have been mixed.

Bitcoin Faces Move to $8,200 After Dropping Out of Trading Range

Bitcoin's three-day range play has ended with a bear victory. Now prices could visit deeper support at $8,200.

Pornhub Now Lets Models Get Paid With the Tether Stablecoin

Pornhub has added new performer payment options including the tether (USDT) stablecoin, two months after being apparently dropped by PayPal.

This Virginia Lawmaker Argues Blockchain Can Boost Local Elections, Economy

House of Delegate member Hala Ayala wants Virginia to seriously consider blockchain for the future of elections and the economy.

Liechtenstein Regulators Approve Ethereum-Based Real Estate Fund

The fund enables investors to gain exposure to a global real estate portfolio through a ERC-20 security token.

Meet the Crypto Angel Investor Running for Congress in Nevada

Lisa Song Sutton, an entrepreneur and bitcoin ATM investor, is running for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District of Nevada. If elected, she'd like to sit down with President Trump and talk about bitcoin and cryptocurrency.

Crypto Asset Firm Amun Launches Inverse Bitcoin ETP

Digital asset issuer Amun is launching a new product for bitcoin bears on the Swiss Stock Exchange.

Law Firm Representing Quadriga’s Ex-Users Want Info About ‘Shadow Bank’ Crypto Capital

Miller Thomson, the court-appointed law firm representing former users of the QuadrigaCX exchange, wants information about Crypto Capital and whether it holds any of Quadriga's funds.

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

Federal Judge Orders Kik Technical Advisor to Sit for Deposition With SEC

Kik technical advisor Tanner Philp must sit for another deposition in the company's ongoing legal fight with the SEC over its 2017 token sale, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Why High-Profile Defections Aren’t Libra’s Biggest Challenge

Libra has lost another Association member, but according to @nlw that’s likely low on their worries list, plus Square’s LN efforts & TON’s SEC support.

SEC Depositions Shed Light on Telegram’s $1.7B Token Sale

Newly released transcripts of the SEC’s depositions of Telegram executives offer a rare window into the logic and the mechanics behind its $1.7 billion token sale.

Grayscale to Fund Ethereum Classic Developers for 2 More Years

Grayscale Investments has committed to financially supporting development of the ethereum classic (ETC) cryptocurrency for another two years.

Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 22, 2020

Join CoinDesk Podcast Editor Adam B. Levine and Senior Markets Reporter Brad Keoun for a daily, time saving rundown of top news impacting crypto markets today.

Bitcoin’s Lighting ‘Torch’ Reignites, Blazes Through 38 Countries in 3 Days

It's moving around the world much faster the second time around, already reaching 91 people.

Jack Dorsey’s Square Wins Patent for Fiat-to-Crypto Payments Network

Square's newly awarded patent enables seamless transactions between a number of potential asset types including crypto.

Retail Accumulation? Number of Bitcoin Addresses With One or More Coins Sees Solid Rise

A key on-chain metric has witnessed solid growth over the past 12 months, possibly indicating steady accumulation of bitcoins by retail traders.

Hacker Noon Is Storing Content on a Blockchain After Ditching Medium

Hacker Noon is publishing article annotations onto its new blockchain to save costs and storage space.

Notes From the WEF: The Coming Battle Between Surveilled and Private Money

Most Davos experts appear to agree that blockchain technology is best for data collection rather than self-sovereign finance.

Hyperledger to Explore How Blockchain Can Help World Meet Climate Goals

The new climate group will allow participants to share ideas for a new distributed database to track emissions.

Sports Live-Streamer Will Reward Viewers With Its Own Crypto

The live-streaming provider is launching its own ethereum-based cryptocurrency to reward viewers and encourage interactions.

Blockchain Association Sides With Telegram Against SEC, Says Grams Are Not Securities

The U.S. advocacy group has come out strongly on the side of Telegram in its ongoing SEC court case.

Bitcoin Bulls Seek Stronger Move After Bounce to $8.8K Loses Momentum

Bitcoin continues to defend key support, but a sustained move above $8,750 is needed to revive the short-term bull case.

SEC Charges Blockchain Marketplace Opporty Over ‘Fraudulent’ $600,000 ICO

The firm is alleged to have conducted a fraudulent and unregistered sale of digital assets called OPP Tokens, raising around $600,000.

Digital Chamber Asks Court to Draw Line Between Investment Contracts and Assets in Telegram Case

The Chamber of Digital Commerce, a blockchain advocacy group, wants a U.S. court to distinguish between an investment contract and the underlying asset used by Telegram during a 2018 initial coin offering.

Binance Invests in Open-Data Framework Provider Numbers Seeking Product Boost

The exchange says it's integrated Numbers' data verification app with Binance Chain.

Swiss Banks Enter the Age of Bitcoin

An emerging trend in wealth-stashing Switzerland: crypto-friendly banks.

Tuesday, 21 January 2020

In First ‘Pure Crypto’ Hire, Silvergate Bank Recruits Blockstream Liquid Network Exec

Benjamin Richman, formerly director of business development and partnerships at Blockstream, will help the crypto-friendly bank pursue its ambitious goals for serving the crypto industry.

3 More Execs Leave Swiss Stock Exchange’s $100M Blockchain Project

Three executives have left SDX, the blockchain-based venue for digital asset trading owned by Swiss stock exchange operator SIX Group, since the year began, including two founding team members.

Kevin Owocki on Gitcoin, Controversy and the Future of Open Source Funding

The founder of one of crypto’s most buzzed about projects discusses the origins of Gitcoin, controversy, and why open source funding needs to evolve.

Vodafone Is the Latest Big Company to Quit Facebook-Founded Libra Association

Telecom giant Vodafone has left the Libra Association, the eighth company to pull out of the Facebook-led digital currency project since the fall.

Huobi Opens Brokerage Platform for Institutional Investors

Huobi is opening a brokerage, headquartered in Gibraltar, to better serve its institutional clients.

Merchants Can Now Accept XRP Via Crypto Payment Processor BitPay

If $XRP is burning a hole in your pocket you can now spend it at retailers served by BitPay (along with $BTC, $BCH or $ETH)

Square Crypto Is Creating a ‘Lightning Development Kit’ for Bitcoin Wallets

Square Crypto is hoping to galvanize Lightning development with a new tool kit, currently under construction.

Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 21, 2020

Join CoinDesk Podcast Editor Adam B. Levine and Senior Markets Reporter Brad Keoun for a daily, time saving rundown of top news impacting crypto markets today.

6 Central Banks Form Digital Currency Use Case Working Group

The working group will pool research into CBDCs.

Paxos Launches Automatic Conversions Between Bank Deposits and Stablecoins

Paxos is enabling a new auto-transfer feature to streamline the conversion of funds between bank accounts and stablecoin deposits.

Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust Is Now Open to More Investors as SEC Reporting Company

The trust’s shares are now registered under the Exchange Act of 1934, making the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust the first cryptocurrency investment vehicle to become a reporting company.

Switzerland Softens Tone on Libra After Ex-President Says Project ‘Failed’

Switzerland may be attempting to repair its relations with Libra following a blunt statement from the country's president.

Regulated Fintech Firm Monerium to Issue E-Money on Algorand Blockchain

Monerium, which has a European Economic Area e-money license, will bring fiat currency transactions onto Algorand's protocol.

Bitcoin Price Indicator Eyes First Bullish Turn Since August

Bitcoin's case for a rally to $10,000 over the next few weeks looks stronger with the weekly MACD histogram about to turn bullish for the first time in five months.

India’s Central Bank Explains Why It Blocked Banks From Using Cryptos in Court Filing

The Reserve Bank of India has said in a court filing that it had "ringfenced" financial institutions from dealing with digital assets over perceived risks, but hadn't banned cryptos.

Do Custodians Wield Undue Influence on Crypto Market Prices?

Noelle Acheson warns of the consolidating power of crypto custodians, and the influence this could have on asset prices.

Canada Forges $130,000 Development Deal for Steel-Tracking Blockchain

The Canadian government has awarded enterprise blockchain startup Mavennet a procurement contract for the development of an on-chain steel-tracking platform.

Monday, 20 January 2020

DigixDAO Votes to Liquidate $64M Treasury

With only 52 votes, the DigixDAO treasury will dissolve, returning DGD holders their staked $ETH.

CME Open Interest for Bitcoin Futures Up 100% Since Start of 2020

Open interest in bitcoin futures listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) have doubled in the first few days of the year, as noted by data analytics firm Skew.

South Korea Considers 20% Crypto Tax

Officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance's income tax office have reportedly been reviewing the proposal.

CoinDesk at WEF 2020: Crypto Themes to Watch as Davos Gets Underway

Get your Fourth Industrial Revolution hardhats on. CoinDesk is at Davos to guide you through all things blockchain and crypto at the yearly confab of global leaders and their hangers-on.

Blockstream Co-Founder Joins Bitcoin-Only Startup River Financial

Jonathan Wilkins, a co-founder of Blockstream, is joining up-and-coming bitcoin brokerage River Financial as Chief Security Officer.

Palestinian Militant Group Has Received 3,370 Bitcoins in Donations Since 2015: Report

The report from an Israeli organisation claims the group used bitcoin to avoid sanctions, offer a degree of anonymity to donors and enable cross-border money transfers.

Australian Regulator Gives Green Light to App-Based Retail Bitcoin Fund

The bitcoin fund is being launched by micro-investment app provider Raiz Invest Australia.

After Sudden 8% Drop, Bitcoin Bulls Must Defend Price Support at $8,460

Bitcoin's dramatic overnight fall from $9,200 is telling a tale of buyer exhaustion.

London-Listed Argo Blockchain Reports 10-Fold Increase in Bitcoin Mining Revenue in 2019

For its first full year of operations, Argo says it generated just over $11 million in revenue

Bitfinex Investor’s Crypto Lending Startup Posts $2.3M in 2019 Revenue

China-based RenrenBit has disclosed it took $600,000 in net income from revenue of $2.3 million in 2019.

How Was It Possible for Bitmain to Oust Its Largest Shareholder Overnight?

Corporate documents reveal new details about the ouster of Bitmain co-founder Ketuan "Micree" Zhan.

Why the World Economic Forum Is Creating a Blockchain ‘Bill of Rights’

Sheila Warren, the head of blockchain for the WEF, argues the technology needs a set of principles for staving off potential misuse.

Sunday, 19 January 2020

Decentralization Philosophy Part 1 – From Buddha to the Conquistadors

Earlier this week, the Let's Talk Bitcoin! Show gathered to discuss decentralization in blockchain projects, the historical context of decentralized organizations, the robustness it conveys but also the difficulties it engenders...

Saturday, 18 January 2020

Grasping Lightning: Mapping the Key Players in Bitcoin’s Next Phase

All kinds of groups are developing for lightning, the likely future of bitcoin payments. Here's a guide to notable players and projects.

Friday, 17 January 2020

Plaintiffs Combine Their Market-Manipulation Lawsuits Against Bitfinex and Tether

Three class action lawsuits alleging Bitfinex and Tether manipulated the bitcoin market have been combined in federal court, with the stablecoin issuer promising to fight the claims.

The Prospect of Building a New International Monetary System Is Getting Real

When world leaders gather in Davos next week, they'll confront an essential question, says Circle's Jeremy Allaire: Can they seize blockchain's ability to create value for people around the world?

Ex-NFL Team Owner Pleads Guilty to Running Unlicensed Money Transmitter

Crypto Capital co-founder Reginald Fowler pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmission business Friday. Additional charges were dropped.

Tyrone Ross on Why Financial Advisors Are Taking Notice of DeFi

Financial advisor and crypto advocate Tyrone Ross joins for hot takes on financial advisors, DeFi and the most important company in crypto.

Canadian Regulatory Group Targets Crypto Exchanges Holding Users’ Digital Assets

Canada's top financial watchdog has told crypto exchanges they will be subject to securities law if they act as custodians to users' digital assets.

Davos Needs to Wake Up to the Ills of Centralization

The lens of decentralization reveals a number of elephants in the room that world leaders at the WEF are missing.

Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 17, 2020

Join CoinDesk Podcast Editor Adam B. Levine and Senior Markets Reporter Brad Keoun for a daily, time saving rundown of top news impacting crypto markets today.

SEC: Cash-Strapped Telegram Launched 2018 Token Sale to Pay for Servers

Telegram launched its token sale because it was "short on cash" to pay for servers, the SEC said.

Block.One Will Not Launch Its Social Network on EOS

In a departure from earlier announcements, the company now says its Facebook rival, Voice, "will be run on a purpose-made EOSIO blockchain."

SEC Charges ICO Operator Who Used Alias After Past Conviction

The SEC has charged Blockchain Terminal founder Boaz Manor with securities fraud for a $30 million ICO conducted in 2017 and 2018.

Ripple-Backed Crypto Wallet BRD Launches Blockchain Toolbox for Enterprise Apps

The mobile wallet provider is launching a suite of tools aimed to allow blockchain developers to more easily and cheaply build apps for enterprises.

Swedish Crypto Exchange BTCX Plans IPO in 2020

An IPO offers BTCX the opportunity to help bring transparency to the industry, it's CEO says.

Bitcoin Falls Back After Briefly Breaking $9k Resistance

Bitcoin's bulls have failed to make a solid move above $9,000, having briefly topped the psychological resistance level earlier on Friday.

Binance in Talks to Launch Crypto Trading Joint Venture in Japan

The exchange said it is discussing a strategic partnership with a Softbank subsidiary and Japan-based exchange TaoTao to work together to provide "trading services" in the country.

Blockchain Arbitration Firm Proof of Trust Plans London Stock Exchange Listing

The company has said it plans to list on the London Stock Exchange's main market.

Watch Civic’s CEO Talk About His New Cross-Border Payment System

The Civic Wallet is a noncustodial money transfer system that uses your face instead of complex keys.

2019’s DeFi Boom Creates New Questions for Tax Filing Season

A number of startups are now trying to help retail investors make sense of the tax implications of decentralized finance.

Crypto dealer SFOX Adds New Service for Fund Managers to Invest in Digital Assets

San Francisco Open Exchange unveiled Thursday its new “Separately Managed Account Solution” to help investors create their own crypto trading strategies.

Deribit Takes On New Trading Tools to Capture ‘Exploding’ Options Market

Global provider of professional trading software Trading Technologies announced Wednesday it would provide connectivity to leading derivatives exchange, Deribit

Anchorage, Bison Trails Execs to Helm Libra’s New ‘Technical Steering Committee’

The Libra Association has formed a steering committee to oversee the creation of its technical roadmap.

Thursday, 16 January 2020

CabbageTech CEO Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison After Pleading Guilty in Fraud Case

Patrick McDonnell was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison and ordered to pay victims $225,000 after pleading guilty to charges he defrauded investors in his crypto trading platform, CabbageTech.

Currency ‘Cold War’ Takes Center Stage at Pre-Davos Crypto Confab

Cryptocurrencies could be at the heart of a new Cold War, at least according to some investors at the Crypto Finance Conference in St. Moritz.

US Lawmakers Try Again on Tax Relief for Small Crypto Payments

House Representatives’ bipartisan legislation would exempt realized crypto gains under $200 from taxation.

Decred’s Akin Sawyerr Says Blockchain Is Part of Africa’s Political Future

Blockchain-based governance could lead the way towards better business and political practices around the world, says investor Akin Sawyerr.

Why ‘Crypto Dad’ Is Building the Digital Dollar Foundation

With the proverbial digital currency barbarians at the gate, ex-CFTC chair Christopher Giancarlo launches a digital dollar initiative.

Fake News on Steroids: Deepfakes Are Coming – Are World Leaders Prepared?

What 2018 and 2019 were to blockchain and cryptocurrencies on the WEF stage (met with a healthy mix of intrigue and skepticism), 2020 will be to synthetic media, also known by the ominous-sounding euphemism “deepfakes.”

MARKETS DAILY: Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 16, 2020

Today’s topics: More ways to listen or subscribe: Whether you’re a first-time listener or you’ve heard every episode, we’d like to know what you think about the show. What do you like? What don’t you like? What do you think we’ve totally missed but should be talking about every day or at least every week? Email […]

New Hampshire Lawmakers Vote Down Crypto Tax Bill

New Hampshire legislators have scrapped a bill that would have allowed state agencies to accept cryptocurrencies for tax payments.

Bitcoin’s Share of PoW Mining Rewards Now Above 80%

Rewards received by bitcoin miners form a major chunk of the salaries paid across major proof of work (PoW) blockchains, according to Yassine Elmandjra, a cryptocurrency analyst from ARK Invest.

Chrysler Building Owner Sells Stake in Zurich Property for ERC-20 Tokens and Cash

Property firm RFR Holdings accepted a 20 percent stake of the purchasing price in digital securities based on ethereum tech.

Coinbase-Led Crypto Ratings Council Plans Transparency Boost as New Members Join

The Crypto Ratings Council, formed by Coinbase, Kraken and other exchanges last year, has added eToro and Radar as members. It's also planning to unveil its asset rating framework this year.

Former CFTC Officials Ramp Up Push for Digital Dollar With Accenture Partnership

Former CFTC Chair Chris Giancarlo and LabCFTC head Dan Gorfine are forming the Digital Dollar Foundation, working with Accenture to determine how best to create a U.S. central bank digital currency.

Fintech Startup Aims to Create New Asset Class With ‘Continuous’ ICO Model

A newly launched fintech firm hopes to leverage the token sale model to back investments in real-world assets. But it's taking a different approach than many previous projects.

Winklevoss-Led Gemini Exchange Now Has Its Own Insurance Company

Gemini, led by the Winklevoss twins, has set up its own insurance captive to cover loss of crypto in cold storage – with a possibly record-breaking $200M limit.

Bull Breather? Bitcoin Market Turns Indecisive at Two-Month High

Bitcoin's bulls are showing signs of exhaustion, having engineered a speedy rally to $8,900.

Liquid Exchange Cancels Sale of Telegram’s Gram Tokens

With the SEC lawsuit holding up the launch of Telegram's TON network, the Japan-based exchange has cancelled its sale of gram tokens.

Bithumb Exchange Fighting Back Against ‘Groundless’ $69M Tax Bill

The South Korea-based exchange is fighting a move by the country's tax authority to withhold over $69 million in tax on foreign cryptocurrency transactions.

Meet the DC Advocacy Org Helping Put Blockchain on the US Military’s Radar

The D.C.-based Value Technology Association helped lead the charge in requiring the U.S. Department of Defense to consider the benefits of blockchain technology.

Wednesday, 15 January 2020

Kraken Acquires One of Australia’s Longest-Running Crypto Exchanges

With its acquisition of Bit Trade, Kraken is making a major push into the Asia-Pacific region.

Venezuela’s Maduro: Airlines Must Use Petros to Pay for Fuel

The state oil company will only accept petro for airplane fuel, per a new decree from Venezuela's president.

Electric Coin Company SDK Paves Way for Shielded Zcash Payments on Mobile

The Electric Coin Company has released development tools to help build mobile wallets able to support shielded payments, which obfuscate addresses and transaction amounts.

Anchorage Moves Into Crypto Trading With New Brokerage Service

Crypto custodian Anchorage is launching a brokerage for its institutional clients, supporting the effort with new analysis and risk modeling capabilities after acquiring data startup Merkle Data.

The Open Index Protocol Aims to Decentralize Media

Amy James' Open Index Protocol is taking aim at YouTube and Instagram.

BTCPay Server Now Processing Blockstream’s Liquid Assets

BTCPay server now accepts assets issued on Blocksteam's sidechain, Liquid.

NBA Team Auctioning Basketball Star’s Jersey on Ethereum Blockchain

The Sacramento Kings plan to auction off Buddy Hield’s jersey from today’s game against the Mavericks using an ethereum-based platform built by ConsenSys.

Why Crypto’s ‘Rogue State’ Narrative Is a Risk to the Industry

From a North Korean blockchain conference to a sanctions-evading crypto hedge fund, does this type of activity present a narrative risk to the crypto industry as a whole?

NJ Counterterrorism Chief Warns US Congress: Crypto Is Funding ‘Domestic Extremism’

New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Jared Maples predicted Wednesday that domestic terrorists will increasingly turn to bitcoin.

Crypto Analytics Firm Elliptic to Tell US Congress Privacy Coins Need Stricter AML Rules

Elliptic head of policy Liat Shetret will recommend that the U.S. push for greater enforcement of anti-money laundering regulation of crypto exchanges, including for traders using privacy coins, in a Congressional hearing on human trafficking.

MARKETS DAILY: Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 15, 2020

With the price of bitcoin now up an astounding 23% so far in the first half of 2020, Markets Daily is back with the stories moving todays markets.

Startup Crypto Exchange Blade to Launch Zero-Fee Trading in February

Crypto perpetuals exchange Blade will be introducing zero-fee trading next month in a bid to gain market share from rivals.

JPMorgan Spinoff Kadena Launches Public Blockchain, Integrates Wallet to Cosmos Network

Kadena, a startup spun out of JPMorgan’s blockchain center, has taken a step toward its vision of creating interoperable, scalable public blockchains with a full launch Wednesday.

Uphold Opens Crypto Trading to Users With UK Bank Accounts

Trading platform Uphold has added pound sterling support, in beta for now

Binance’s Fiat-Gateway Partner Banxa Raises $2M in Series A Round

Digital banking infrastructure provider Banxa has raised $2 million soon after partnering with Binance.

Enterprise Ethereum Alliance Launches Testing Ground for Blockchain Interoperability

The EEA is launching testnet to iron out interoperability issues between commercial ethereum projects.

Voyager to Offer Interest on Three Newly Listed Stablecoins

Voyager Digital will allow customers to earn interest on tether, USD coin and true USD.

UN Warns Against Attending North Korean Crypto Conference Next Month

The United Nations says attending North Korea's cryptocurrency conference in February would likely be a violation of sanctions.

Bitcoin Eyes $9K After Biggest Single-Day Rise in a Month

Tuesday's sharp rise looks to have put bitcoin on path toward the 200-day average at $9,100.

Bitwise Withdraws Bitcoin ETF Application With the SEC

Bitwise's bitcoin ETF had already been rejected by the SEC, though that decision was under review.

Ahead of Davos, What Can Cash Teach Us About Crypto?

"I have long held that, were cash invented today, it would be dismissed by policymakers, bankers and law enforcement as dystopian, absurd and dangerous."

Former Venezuelan Gold Mining Company Wants to Centralize Bitcoin ATM Infrastructure

First Bitcoin Capital Corp. wants to unite the providers of bitcoin ATMs around the world.

IBM and Chef Aarón Sánchez Bring Food to the Blockchain

Chef Aarón Sánchez showed us how food can hit the blockchain and our bellies.

Tuesday, 14 January 2020

In New Court Filing, Craig Wright Claims to Receive Keys to $9.6B Bitcoin Fortune

Craig Wright said he received the necessary information to unencrypt the so-called “Tulip Trust.”

Traders Turn to DeFi to Capitalize on Tuesday’s Crypto Market Spike

Decentralized finance (DeFi) applications are popping off Tuesday, and the ETH price spike isn't the whole story.

The FBI Is Now Reaching Out to QuadrigaCX Victims

The FBI is emailing victims of the QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency exchange, confirming the federal agency is investigating the circumstances around its collapse.

Mati Greenspan on the Technical and Macro Roots of Bitcoin’s Price Surge

As BTC surges, is it fundamentals, technicals or macro context? Former eToro analyst Mati Greenspan breaks it down.

More Than Half of Financial Advisors Want Better Regulation Before Investing in Crypto

More than half of financial advisors are too spooked by regulatory uncertainty to initiate or expand their cryptocurrency investments, a new study by Bitwise Asset Management found.

MARKETS DAILY: Crypto News Roundup for Jan. 14, 2020

With the bitcoin price up more than 6% in the last 24 hours, Markets Daily is back with news and commentary.

Storming the Gates: How ‘Crypto Davos’ Became a Thing

How the crypto industry can (and has) influenced the premier gathering of the world's economic and political elite.

SEC Warns Crypto Investors of Initial Exchange Offerings in New Note

The SEC warned investors that initial exchange offerings, while claiming to be different from initial coin offerings, may still violate federal securities law.

What It Takes to Get a Crypto-Friendly Bank Charter in Wyoming

An SPDI charter offered in Wyoming lets U.S. firms offer banking and custody services under a regulator that’s not the FDIC, but the application and capital requirements are as rigorous as launching a de novo state-chartered bank.

Binance to Launch Korean Support Center Following Investment in Local Startup

Binance has made its first direct investment in a South Korean startup as part of a deal to launch a support center in the country.

LinkedIn Says Blockchain Is Top Skill for 2020

Blockchain is listed as the number one “hard skill” for 2020 in a new report compiled by jobs site LinkedIn.

Paxos’ Tokenized Gold Futures Are Now Trading on FTX Exchange

For the first time, investors can trade gold-backed futures contracts on a leading crypto derivatives exchange. In addition to its spot market trading, PAX Gold is now available as perpetual and quarterly futures contracts on FTX.

Upbit Exchange Resumes Ether Services Months After $49M Hack

Upbit said users will need to create new wallet addresses to resume trading.

Securitize Opens IRAs to Digital Securities Investors With Partnership

Digital asset issuer Securitize has facilitated what it claims is the first direct IRA investment in security token offerings.

CME’s Bitcoin Options See First-Day Volume of $2.3M

Options on bitcoin futures from Chicago Mercantile Exchange got off to a good start on Monday, seeing trading volume reach 55 contracts in the opening session.

Regulated Derivatives Will ‘Legitimize’ Crypto, Says CFTC Chair

Regulated derivatives will instill market confidence in cryptocurrencies, according to Heath Tarbert.

Resurgent Bitcoin Will Likely Shrug off Long-Term Bear Cross

A bitcoin chart indicator is about to turn bearish for the first time since June 2018, but should have little effect on prices.

Off-Blocks Launches US Government-Tested Digital Signature Service in Beta

Digital signature platform Off-Blocks is bringing its Department of Homeland Security-tested file verification tool to the public.

Kraken Futures to Expand Into Russia After New Hire

Kraken Futures is ramping up its Russian expansion with the hiring of a new representative, ICBIT founder Aleksey Bragin.

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Bitcoin Price Rallies 3.7% to Hit 2-Month High

The price of bitcoin (BTC) has risen once again after a successful launch of CME’s bitcoin options.

WisdomTree Mulls New Stablecoin as US Money Manager Drives Toward Crypto

WisdomTree, an asset manager specializing in exchange-traded funds, is vying to become one of the first established U.S. financial firms to offer clients digital assets, including a so-called stablecoin whose value is closely linked to the U.S. dollar.

Monday, 13 January 2020

Judge Reopens Questions in Ongoing 1.1M Bitcoin Craig Wright Trial

Craig Wright's court battle with the brother of deceased business partner David Kleiman reached a new level of complexity.

Narrative Watch: The Hunt for Crypto’s Killer App

As a Brooklyn Nets player tokenizes his contract, are income share agreements poised to break out as one of crypto’s killer apps?

Overstock CEO: Crypto Investments Are Ready for Prime Time

Overstock CEO and Medici Ventures President Jonathan Johnson believes crypto investments are finally ready to enter the real world.

Why Compliance Is the Biggest Team at Bitcoin ATM Startup Coinsource

We caught up with bitcoin ATM startup Coinsource on the show floor of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

This Blue Chip Crypto Insurance Consortium Lacks One Thing – a Sizable Loss

In a rare interview, insurance company Arch talks about its $150M crypto storage policy.

MARKETS DAILY: China Moving Closer to Digital Yuan Launch

Markets Daily is back with the most important news impacting crypto markets today.

Mobile Phone Retailer Joins China’s Blockchain Land Grab With US Startup Investment

One of the largest smartphone retailers in China is stepping into the blockchain world by investing in U.S.-based startup Monsoon, valuing the firm at over $100M, sources said.

CME Takes Its Bitcoin Options Live, Competing With ICE’s Bakkt

The Chicago exchange has announced its highly-anticipated bitcoin options are now open for trading.

Coinbase Hands Nearly $1M to Cryptsy Victims After Settling Class Action Lawsuit

Coinbase will fork over $962,500 after settling a class action lawsuit which alleged Cryptsy founder Paul Vernon used the U.S. exchange to launder his victims' funds.

Dish Network Files Patent For Blockchain-Based Anti-Piracy System

The satellite TV firm's newly published patent application details a means to combat online piracy using blockchain.

Bitcoin Makes Biggest Weekly Price Gain Since October

Bitcoin's six-month downtrend looks to have ended with last week's double-digit price gain.

Asian Conglomerates Lead $31M Round for Blockchain Remittance Firm Lightnet

Lightnet, the company behind the Velo Protocol, has just raised $31.2 million from some of Asia's biggest firms.

Japan’s Financial Watchdog to Set Low Leverage Cap for Crypto Margin Traders: Report

Japan's top financial regulator reportedly plans to reduce the risk to crypto margin traders by cutting the maximum allowed leverage.

Sunday, 12 January 2020

‘The Internet Was Illegal’ and Other Early Stories With Zooko Wilcox

In this wide ranging conversation, CoinDesk Reporter Leigh Cuen and early cypherpunk Zooko Wilcox discuss what crypto can learn from technology successes and failures in the 80's and 90s', and how in the future your perAI will be a lot like lawyers today.

Ethereum Classic Successfully Completes ‘Agharta’ Hard Fork

Similar to the network’s last backwards-incompatible upgrade in September, Atlantis, Agharta makes ethereum classic more interoperable with sister-chain ethereum.

Saturday, 11 January 2020

Hardware Is Hard: Two Blockchain Devices Win Plaudits at CES 2020

A blockchain-secured smartphone and home security camera won Innovation Awards at the annual trade show in Las Vegas. But don’t call the startups behind them hardware companies.

Is Bitcoin in 2020 Really Like the Early Internet?

Bitcoin may be behind the internet’s timeline in terms of commercial use cases, but it has already achieved comparable social functions.

Friday, 10 January 2020

LedgerX Names Former Chief Tech Officer as New CEO

Former LedgerX CTO and Zach Dexter has been named as the company's CEO just hours after a director alleged the company's interim management was failing its investors and employees.

SEC Produces Evidence That Telegram Kept Selling Tokens After $1.7B ICO

The SEC produced evidence that Telegram kept selling tokens after its ICO, undermining the firm's argument that the sale was exempt from registration.

PwC Switzerland Incorporates ChainSecurity Team to Expand Blockchain Audit Tools

Officially, it’s not an acquisition. But seven technical engineers are joining the accounting firm to bolster its smart contract auditing abilities.

China’s Central Bank: Here’s the Latest on the Digital Yuan

The People's Bank of China said several important processes in the development of the digital yuan were "almost complete."

ANALYSIS: The Global Game of Coins Heats Up

A new paper from the PBoC says the “top-level” design of its digital currency is complete while AMLD5 in Europe is causing crypto companies to flee.

SEC Seeks $16M From ICOBox for Unregistered Token Sale

The SEC has asked a federal court in California to fine ICOBox more than $16 million for selling illegal ICOS tokens.

MARKETS DAILY: Basketball’s First Celebrity Token Shoots for Monday Launch

After years of discussion it looks like on Monday we'll see our first high profile, professional athlete linked securitized token offering. Markets Daily is back with the story and what it means.

This Metric Suggests Bitcoin Has Bottomed Out

Bitcoin likely carved out a major price bottom in December, according to a non-price metric, which has proved as a reliable price indicator in the past.

LedgerX Board Member Says Company in Disarray After Founders’ Ouster

In a letter to the CFTC Office of the Inspector General, a LedgerX board member alleges the company is failing its investors and shareholders following the suspension of its founders in December.

NBA Player’s Contract Tokenization Plan Can Move Forward: Reports

Spencer Dinwiddie intends to begin selling tokenized shares of his contract starting Monday, Jan. 13.

Cobinhood Announces Shutdown, Claiming It Will Audit User Accounts

Troubled crypto exchange Cobinhood has announced it is shutting down – but just temporarily, it seems.

Popular Korean Crypto YouTuber Badly Beaten After Threats From Angry Investors

A South Korean crypto YouTuber has been assaulted at his home, with some suggesting the attackers may have been upset investors.

WatchSkins Is Creating Digital Collectibles for Your Wrist

A company called WatchSkins wants to turn digital wearables into new ways to express yourself – and let you own a piece of unique digital property too.

A Lawsuit Alleging Tether and Bitfinex Manipulated the Bitcoin Market Has Been Dropped

A class-action that alleged Tether and Bitfinex manipulated the bitcoin market has been withdrawn by the plaintiffs.

US Lawmakers Call on Communications Regulator to Tackle SIM-Swapping Crime

Democrat lawmakers are demanding that the FCC takes action to tackle the rise in SIM swapping attacks.

Bitcoin Retraces 45% of Recent Price Gains as Bulls Lose Momentum

Bitcoin has erased 45 percent of recent gains in what appears to be a low-volume pullback.

Kik (Again) Asks for Trial in Legal Tussle With SEC Over Token Sale

Kik is hoping to go to trial in the ongoing legal fight with the SEC over its 2017 kin token sale.

European Crypto Firms Brace for Higher Costs as AMLD5 Takes Effect

A strict new regulatory regime is dawning upon European firms handling cryptocurrency. Here’s what AMLD5 will mean for the industry.

Is SardineCoin Real? The Sardines Are, At Least

SardineCoin seemed like a fishy proposition to the crypto world, but CoinDesk found the issuer’s booth, stocked with tins, at CES 2020.

Thursday, 9 January 2020

MakerDAO Pitches DeFi to the Masses at CES 2020

There's a "digital money" section on the show floor of this year's CES. MakerDAO's DAI is the only crypto with a booth.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg Highlights Digital Commerce, But Not Libra, in 2030 Vision

Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook wants to build commerce tools for small businesses which use the social media giant's apps, but noticeably avoided mentioning the Libra stablecoin project in his 2030 vision.

Dutch Derivatives Exchange Deribit to Move to Crypto-Friendly Panama

Deribit will operate out of Panama starting Feb. 10, citing the Netherlands’ presumed adoption of “very strict” anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

Narrative Watch: Why 2020 Will Be the Year of the DAO

2019 saw the launch of MolochDAO, MetaCartel, MarketingDAO and more than 1,000 DAOs on Aragon. Will 2020 be even bigger?

Illinois Legalizes Blockchain Contracts

With the new year Illinois became the latest state to recognize smart contracts and other blockchain-based records as legal instruments.

ETF Giant Leads $17.7M Series A for Blockchain Compliance Startup

WisdomTree was the lead investor in the funding round for Securrency. Other investors include the state-backed Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

SEC Charges Man Behind Alleged Crypto Mining Scam

The SEC claims Donald Blakstad bilked investors of $3.5 million. One scheme involved a non-existent crypto mining operation.

MARKETS DAILY: The Nakamoto.com Debacle

Markets Daily is back with the news moving markets over the last 24 hours, plus a look at Nakamoto.com's troubled launch and how it relates to 'Bitcoin Maximalism'. Later, Brad breaks down a new paywalled report on the upcoming bitcoin "Halving"

Bitcoin Sign Guy Is Back, Bringing Sound Money to Urbit’s ‘Sound Computer’

Bitcoin Sign Guy is developing payment architecture on Urbit so people can live as a full digital citizens.

North Korean Hackers Now Using Telegram to Steal Crypto: Kaspersky

Hacking group Lazarus is developing sophisticated new techniques to steal cryptocurrencies from victims.

ESMA Wants to Create ‘Sound Legal Framework’ for Cryptocurrencies in 2020

Citing concerns about digitalization risks to financial markets, ESMA plans to focus more on crypto regulation this year.

AT&T’s Cybersecurity Branch Breaks Down Crypto Miner Threat to Email Servers

A new technical analysis from AT&T Alien Labs offers an inside look at how a pernicious form of monero mining malware infiltrates email networks.

Australians Won’t Use Libra, Believes Central Bank

Reserve Bank of Australia officials are not yet convinced cryptocurrencies offer benefits over and above traditional means of payment.

Nervos Network Will Hand Out $30M to Encourage Third-Party Development

The grant fund will pay developers in cash, rather than equity or tokens, and submitted projects will be made public to source feedback from the Nervos community.

Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith Indicted Over North Korea Event Appearance

Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has been indicted in New York over allegations relating to a conference appearance in North Korea last April.

Bitcoin’s Bull Bias Intact Despite 6% Price Pullback

Bitcoin's bullish case remains intact with prices holding well above key support near $7,570.

Interpol Leads Operation to Tackle Cryptojacker Infecting Over 20,000 Routers

The international crime fighting agency led an operation to stem a plague of cryptocurrency mining malware afflicting computer routers across Asia.

New York Governor Proposes Giving Financial Watchdog More Teeth

Andrew Cuomo wants to give the Department of Financial Services more powers in regulating certain licensed entities, including crypto startups.

Wednesday, 8 January 2020

Crypto Trading Privacy Gets a Boost as $15M of Tether Moves to Liquid Sidechain

Innocuous at first glance, the transfer has implications for both digital asset trading and the larger tether market.

Travis Kling on Bitcoin as a Safe Haven Asset

Ikigai’s Travis Kling looks at BTC's correlation to gold and crude in response to Iran missile strikes, plus SEC priorities and Congressional intrigue.

Vulture Investor Is Looking to Buy QuadrigaCX Creditors’ Claims

Argo Partners, a New York-based investment firm, wants to buy QuadrigaCX creditor claims, should there be sufficient interest.

Kraken Lists USDC the Day After Binance Drops It

Kraken, which considers USDC the world's fastest-growing stablecoin, adds it a day after Binance removed it because of low trading volume.

ECB’s Lagarde: We Want to Develop Digital Currencies but Won’t Discourage Private Initiatives

Lagarde said the ECB will continue researching CBDCs and will not stand in the way of any private initiatives.

A Russian Nuclear Plant Is Renting Space to Energy-Hungry Bitcoin Miners

A state-owned nuclear power plant in Russia may soon fuel a bitcoin mining hub.

MARKETS DAILY: Geopolitical Impacts and Cars Paying Cars in Crypto?

Cars paying cars? With geopolitical events reverberating and bitcoin continuing its upward trend, CoinDesk's Markets Daily is back with news and analysis.

Join CoinDesk Tonight in Las Vegas

Hey, Las Vegas crypto lovers, see you tonight at G.O.A.T. for our first On Tap meetup in Las Vegas. Join us for an evening of brews, bitcoin and blockchain. The event will be held at G.O.A.T. Sports Bar in Las Vegas and starts at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8. We’ll close up at around 8 p.m. but […]

10M Bitcoins Haven’t Moved in More Than a Year, Highest Since 2017

“HODLing” has returned to a major milestone: The total amount of bitcoins that haven’t changed hands in more than a year has crossed the 10 million mark.

Bitcoin Price Will Be Golden in 2020 Thanks to Limited Supply, Increasing Use: Bloomberg Report

Bitcoin, like gold, is a limited asset that can't be easily increased to meet demand. Bloomberg analysts predict the price of both will rise this year.

Oman’s Largest Port Joins Blockchain Shipping Platform TradeLens

Port of Salalah has signed up to TradeLens – a blockchain supply chain platform founded by IBM and Maersk.

BlockFi Adds Litecoin, USDC to Its Lending Product Suite

The initial annual percentage yield will be 8.6 percent for USDC and 3.78 percent for litecoin.

Former Bakkt CEO to Help Oversee CFTC in Congress

Newly appointed senator Kelly Loeffler is to join the committee that oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, raising concerns of a possible conflict of interest.

Why China Is Banning Crypto But Is Bullish on Blockchain

"The bandit needs to be wiped out before the regular army gets in," says Flex Yang, co-founder and CEO of Babel Finance, speaking of China's uncertain crypto regulations.

Bitcoin May Follow Gold With Significant Price Breakout

Bitcoin looks set to take a page out of gold's book and confirm a price breakout on the weekly chart.

Binance Adds Near-Instant UK Pound Payments in Latest Fiat Expansion

The Malta-based exchange has added new direct fiat funding options, including Faster Payments for U.K. pounds-bearing customers, as well as euros and Australian dollars.

Why Harvard Research on a Low-Profit Tezos Attack Matters for Proof-of-Stake

The study reveals some of the understudied aspects of proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin Hits New 2020 High Above $8,400 After Iranian Missile Attack

Bitcoin’s price has hit a new record for 2020, reaching as high as $8,438 before retracing slightly.

Tuesday, 7 January 2020

Sony’s Car Points to a Future of Machine-to-Machine Crypto Payments

Could Sony's sensor-laden car be the future of blockchain-based mobility?

Libra Association Exec: World Needs Us Because Bitcoin Is ‘Not a Means of Payment’

Libra Association Vice Chair Dante Disparte spoke at the Digital Money Forum at CES 2020, arguing for Libra's advantages over other bitcoin.

SEC Examination Office Gets Specific About Crypto Priorities in 2020

The SEC Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations detailed its crypto priorities for 2020, highlighting employee supervision and transfer agents developing blockchain technology.

Hamstringing an Industry With Compliance Costs

The risk to the industry when crypto companies have to spend millions on compliance, plus new BTC mining in TX and the IMF on digital currencies.

Coinbase Pro App Now Available on Android With 50 Trading Pairs

Coinbase claims professional investors in 100 different countries can access 50 different trading pairs on its new Android mobile application.

MARKETS DAILY: Are Governments Feeling the FOMO?

With bitcoin setting a blistering pace for 2020, Markets Daily is back with all the news that matters, plus a look at several stories on the escalating, global interest in blockchain by governments.

Blockchain Vendor R3 Scores Its Second Patent in a Week

Enterprise software vendor R3 has won a patent for a blockchain-based record system designed to make corporate information-sharing more efficient.

SBI, GMO to Rent Capacity at Massive Bitcoin Mine in Texas: Report

Potentially the world's biggest bitcoin mine, one still under construction, is said to have signed up two top corporate customers in the form of SBI Holdings and GMO.

DAO Platform Aragon Begins Recruiting Jurors for Tokenized ‘Court’

The blockchain-based court system will allow humans to arbitrate on disputes brought forward by ecosystem members.

Digital Currencies Won’t Replace US Dollar Any Time Soon: IMF Chief Economist

Digital currencies do not yet meet the criteria to become a viable alternative to the greenback, according to the IMF's Gita Gopinath.

Law Enforcement Data Requests Rose By Almost 50% in 2019, Says Kraken

The exchange's CEO said the cost of responding to law enforcement requests for user data was over $1 million.

Bitcoin Probes Major Resistance After 15% Price Rally

Bitcoin's recent gains have led to a bullish chart breakout and brought a key long-term price resistance into play for the first time in over two months.

Store of Value Remains Crypto’s Best Use Case

Store of value was the most viable and desirable use case across crypto in 2019 and offers a basis to increase adoption in the second decade of crypto, says Ryan Zurrer of Dialectic.

Gemini’s Head of Risk on How Crypto Beats Traditional Finance

The arc of crypto bends toward regulation, so we might as well be prepared, says Gemini's risk chief and the president of the Virtual Commodities Association, Yusuf Hussain.

Bitcoin Climbs as Tether Gets $500M Injection in 5 Minutes

Bitcoin's price jumped Monday as tether's market capitalization swelled by $500 million in a matter of minutes.

Monday, 6 January 2020

Taking the TON Out of Telegram

Discussing how bitcoin might react to Iran and a rise in instability, plus news that TON won’t be in Telegram and reviewing the Nakamoto.com dust up

Bitcoin as a Safe Haven? US-Iran Tensions Rekindle Debate

Bitcoin’s recent price jump after the U.S. killing of a top Iranian official has rekindled a long-running debate among investors: whether it will work as a safe-haven asset like gold in times of heightened geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Join CoinDesk at CES This Week

Join us on Jan. 8 for an evening of brews and blockchain.

Baidu Adds Service to Help Developers, Small Businesses Build Dapps

Chinese internet giant Baidu launched on Monday a blockchain-based service for developers and small and medium-sized businesses to build decentralized applications, or dapps.

MARKETS DAILY: Who Should Be Allowed to Invest?

With bitcoin rising for the fourth straight day, now at a two-week high around $7500, up about 10 percent from Friday’s lows, it's CoinDesk's Markets Daily for todays news and analysis.

AuthenTrend’s At.Wallet Offers Fingerprint Security in Ultrathin Package

The AT.Wallet is a thin hardware wallet with an e-ink screen and fingerprint sensor.

Telegram Tries to ‘Clarify’ Gram Crypto Project Amid Ongoing SEC Fight

Telegram will not integrate a crypto wallet into its messaging app, at least until it gets the green light from U.S. regulators, the company said Monday on its official website.

IBM Blockchain App Promotes ‘Virtuous Cycle’ for Sustainable Coffee

IBM is launching a new app that uses blockchain to allow consumers interested in sustainability to trace the coffee they buy along the supply chain.

Rivals Signature Bank and Prime Trust Team up to Offer Instant Payments for Institutions

Crypto banking rivals Prime Trust and Signature Bank have partnered to offer "real-time" settlements for institutional digital asset trades.

South Korean Presidential Commission Wants to Bring Crypto Into Mainstream Finance

Financial institutions should be allowed to launch cryptocurrency products, such as derivatives, according to a government advisory body.

Bitcoin Mining Power Hits Fresh All-Time High

Bitcoin's hash rate reached record highs this week, likely as some miners scale up operations ahead of the reward halving event later this year.

Bitcoin Eyes Price Breakout Amid US-Iran Tensions

Bitcoin is drawing bids amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and could soon rise above key resistance at $7,580, confirming a short-term bullish breakout.

We Still Don’t Know Bitcoin’s Real Volume

CoinDesk Research analyst Galen Moore unpacks the differences in reported trading volumes from three major data aggregators.

Closer Look at SEC ‘Accredited Investor’ Revamp Suggests Little Will Change

For the first time in decades, the SEC is lowering the barrier to investing in private securities, including crypto tokens. How much lower is unclear.

Saturday, 4 January 2020

How Libra Failed, and How It Could Succeed in 2020

Libra was the seminal crypto event of 2019, says management consultant Richie Hecker. But, in its current form, it is doomed to fail.

Professor Ben Noys: What Crypto Sees in Accelerationism

Benjamin Noys found a link between fringe, online philosophies and digital-native currencies. Here he explains "accelerationism."

While We Wait for Laws, We Need Better Interpretations of Existing Regulation

Congress isn't likely to pass crypto-favorable legislation in 2020. In the meantime, we have to hope for action from the SEC.

Friday, 3 January 2020

Longfin CEO Reaches $400,000 Settlement With SEC Over Fraud Charges

Venkata S. Meenavalli has agreed to pay $400,000 in both disgorgement and penalties related to a 2017 Regulation A+ offering the SEC deemed fraudulent.

Compared to Gaming and Gambling Dapps, DeFi Is Still Behind

A closer look at the data shows that decentralized applications are struggling to gain traction, and DeFi is not the main use case.

US Citizen Accepting Bitcoin for Narcotics Indicted by DOJ

Joanna De Alba "dispensed heroin and methamphetamine from the shadowy corners of the internet," said U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue.

YouTube, Tron and the Dream of Decentralization

After YouTube (temporarily) removes crypto content and DLive moves to Tron, many are asking: Are decentralized social media alternatives possible?

Even If Blockchain Can’t Secure Land Rights, It Got Us Talking About Them

Anand Aanchal of the World Bank thinks blockchain spurred an interest in securing land rights but often falls short of expectations.

NY Court Orders Telegram to Produce ICO Documents Ahead of CEO’s Deposition

Telegram has been ordered by a judge to hand over financials concerning the $1.7 billion ICO for its TON blockchain.

When DeFi Meets Neo Banking, This Thing Gets Interesting

When you combine DeFi with wider trends in fintech, you get an existential threat to banks.

Bitcoin Jumps 5%, Gaining With Gold, After US Kills Top Iranian Official

Bitcoin jumped the most in two weeks after a U.S. drone strike killed a top Iranian military commander, fueling speculation that heightened geopolitical turmoil might spur demand for the cryptocurrency in 2020.

BusKill Is a DIY Tool to Lock Down Your Laptop

Operational security, or opsec, is key if you're doing anything on crypto exchanges. This new trick can make you a bit safer in a crowded cafe.

MARKETS DAILY: Bitcoin Bouncing After US Airstrike in Iraq

Bitcoin is bouncing as geopolitical tensions heat up following US confirmation of a high profile drone strike in Iraq.

Stanford Prof Darrell Duffie on Our Big Stablecoin Future

A distinguished Stanford professor breaks down the year in stablecoins: Libra, Tether and Central Bank Digital Currencies, like China's.

Pantera Partner Paul Veradittakit’s Crypto Predictions for 2020

And a look-back at how his 2019 predictions fared.

Thursday, 2 January 2020

Guangdong Blockchain Financing Platform Aims to Help Small Business

A new platform backed by Guangdong province aims to streamline the process for commercial banks to lend funds to small businesses with more detailed and reliable profiles provided by its blockchain network.

Join CoinDesk at CES Next Week

Join us on January 8 for a CoinDesk OnTap meetup in Las Vegas.

MARKETS DAILY: Central Bank Digital Currencies and US Dollar Dominance in 2020

With 2019 vanishing in the rear view mirror, Markets Daily is back for an insightful look into the trends that are already shaping this new decade.

Muir Glacier: Ethereum Hard Forks for Second Time in One Month

With the mining of block 9,200,000, ethereum's Muir Glacier upgrade has been implemented. The block was mined today at 8:30 UTC.

Wednesday, 1 January 2020

Taylor Monahan on Crypto’s Divergent Possibilities in 2020

Why 2020 represents a fundamental dividing line between cypherpunk crypto and government & corporate co-opted crypto.

MARKETS DAILY HOLIDAYS: Ode to Satoshi

On today's holiday episode of Markets Daily, we celebrate the new year with a classic song from the early days of bitcoin.