Shopify Joins Libra While Quitter Vodafone Advertises Bitcoin on Facebook

Facebook’s coin project, Libra, continues to draw attention despite setbacks, including a shrinking pool of backers and a growing number of worried regulators. But now with JP Morgan seeing potential for the social network’s cryptocurrency and e-commerce giant Shopify joining the Libra Association, its chances might have improved. Although, assuring governments that Libra won’t undermine … Read more

Tradeblock Estimates Post-Halving Mining Cost of $12,500 per BTC

On February 7, the blockchain analytics provider Tradeblock published a report about the upcoming BTC reward halving. BTC’s block reward is expected to halve on or around May 12, 2020, and Tradeblock’s report estimates that the cost to mine BTC will be over $12,500 after the halving. Also Read: The Controversial S2F Model Predicts Bitcoin … Read more

Digital Remittances Reach Record High of $96 Billion, Fees Charged by Traditional Providers Open Door for Cryptocurrencies

In a globalized world where labor follows capital, the remittance industry has been growing constantly in both volume and users. Traditional providers like banks and money transfer companies have been charging high fees for their services which creates opportunities for alternative digital platforms and decentralized cryptocurrencies. Also read: Russians Can Use Qiwi, Sberbank, Yandex Money … Read more

5 Mining Operations Command More Than 50% of BTC’s Network Hashrate

The cryptocurrency community has been discussing mining centralization after a report was published that disclosed five mining operations command more than 50% of the BTC hashrate. At the time of publication, between F2pool, Poolin, Btc.com, and Antpool, the pools are hashing more than 59% of the BTC network hashrate. Also read: Bitcoin Verde’s New Project … Read more

Cambodia Announces Own Cryptocurrency as More Details Surface About China’s Digital Yuan

With China still in the lead, other countries are advancing their projects to develop payment systems around central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Cambodia, for example, has recently revealed it will mint its own coin within months. The news comes as more details about the digital Chinese yuan indicate its main purpose will be to substitute … Read more

US Bank Silvergate Sees Growth in Crypto Clients, Despite Decreasing Deposits From the Sector

Financial results released by two U.S. banks providing services to the crypto industry have indicated a decline in deposits from digital currency customers. However, a positive trend has been observed as well. One of the crypto-friendly institutions, Silvergate Bank, has seen an increasing number of crypto clients throughout the year. Also read: Swiss Bank Julius … Read more

Deutsche Bank Report: Digital Yuan Could Upset Global Power Balance, Plastic Will Die, Cash Survive

A new report from Deutsche Bank Research, Digital Currencies: the Ultimate Hard Power Tool, predicts that cash payments will remain for decades, but the emergence of digital payments “will lead to the death of the plastic card.” The report, which is the third installment in a series on payments by the group, points to economies … Read more

Companies Keep Flocking to Swiss Crypto Valley, Over 1,000 Jobs Added in a Year

Crypto Valley, a fintech-friendly region centered on the canton of Zug, has been expanding to other parts of Switzerland and neighboring Liechtenstein. Despite all the challenges facing the blockchain industry, favorable regulations and improving access to banking and legal services are attracting more and more crypto companies. Their number has increased for a third consecutive … Read more

Low Interest Rates Provide Precarious Protection Against Crisis, World Bank Warns

The latest global debt wave is the largest in the past five decades, the World Bank has acknowledged in a new report. The international institution notes that previous waves of broad-based debt accumulation lead to widespread financial crises. Historically low interest rates this time might not be sufficient to avoid the next meltdown. Also read: … Read more

How Dropgangs and Dead Drops Are Transforming Darknet Practices

Since the creation of the Silk Road, authorities have waged a war against the online drug trade with a wave of surveillance and enforcement. However, crypto-anarchists are developing new ways to evade the state’s tentacles as the next technological phase started to emerge in late 2017. On Monday, the Cypherpunk Bitstream podcast discussed the evolution … Read more