Bitmain Hits Back at “Dirty Tricks” Accusations

Chinese mining behemoth Bitmain has strongly refuted allegations that it pressurized an ASIC manufacturer into shutting out a foreign competitor. In a widely shared blog post, Siacoin’s lead developer David Vorick lifted the lid on the cutthroat ASIC mining business. In a response, Bitmain praised Vorick’s input to the industry – but took exception to … Read more

Siacoin Developer: ASICS Are “Money Printing Machines” for Manufacturers

ASIC miners are hugely profitable machines – provided you’re the manufacturer. That’s the view of Siacoin lead developer David Vorick, who’s published his thoughts on the monopoly enjoyed by manufacturers such as Bitmain and Halong Mining. In “The State of Cryptocurrency Mining”, Vorick also accuses manufacturers of using the machines themselves, before passing them on … Read more

Bitcoin in Brief Friday: China Mulls Blockchain Standard, Zcash Fights Chinese ASICs

In today’s Bitcoin in Brief we are covering a number of stories related to China. According to statements by Chinese officials, the People’s Republic is developing a national standard for blockchain technologies, which should be introduced next year. Also, the Zcash Foundation is taking steps to protect the network of the privacy coin from ASIC-based … Read more

Obelisk Team Provides a Major Update on Their SIA ASIC Miner

ASIC mining hardware has always been considered somewhat controversial in the world of cryptocurrency mining. These powerful devices give wealthier miners a competitive advantage over others, which can eventually lead to centralization. In the case of Sia, miners have been looking forward to the Obelisk ASIC miner for quite some time now. The big question … Read more

Cryptocurrency Projects Aiming to be ‘ASIC Resistant’ Have Little Success

Just recently the Bitcoin Gold (BTG) developers announced the project’s consensus algorithm Equihash was “threatened” in a blog post called “A Response to the ASIC Threat.” In the post, the BTG project’s team members explain that they might change the cryptocurrency’s current Equihash algorithm due to the recent launch of the Antminer Z9 mining rig. … Read more

A 51% Attack on Bitcoin Means Mutually Assured Destruction

What would happen if bitcoin were to suffer a 51% attack? It’s a hypothetical question, but one that has troubled some of the community’s brightest minds. Just as army generals play out countless war games, enacting doomsday scenarios, bitcoin defenders like to ponder ways in which the decentralized cryptocurrency could be attacked and brought to … Read more

Samsung Profits Surge on High Demand for Bitcoin Mining Chips

South Korean Samsung Electronics saw its operating profits surge in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous year. The company attributes the increase to its semiconductor division which manufactures bitcoin mining chips and says that it expects the trend to continue into the second quarter. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the … Read more

Bitcoin in Brief Friday: Farms on Wheels, a Hotel, and Even a Simulator for Miners

With 80 percent of all bitcoins already mined, and the hashrate of the network reaching all-time highs, in today’s Bitcoin in Brief we are covering some news from the world of crypto mining. An Italian company is developing mobile mining farms, while in Russia a mining hotel offers an opportunity to legally earn cryptocurrency. And, … Read more

Australia Cracks Down on Misleading and Deceptive Initial Coin Offerings

Australia’s financial regulator is cracking down on deceptive and misleading initial coin offerings (ICOs), citing “a serious breach of the Australian law.” As a result of the regulator’s inquiries, some issuers have halted their token sales or are modifying their structures. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space ASIC Takes Action Against ICOs … Read more