Topics

211

Crypto Discussion / Bitmain, Roger Ver, Kraken Sued for Alleged Bitcoin Cash Hard Fork Manipulation

« on: December 08, 2018, 05:58:47 PM »

Florida-based United American Corp. (UnitedCorp) has purportedly filed a lawsuit against Bitmain, Bitcoin.com, Roger Ver, and the Kraken Bitcoin Exchange, according to a press release published Dec. 6. UnitedCorp alleges that the defendants planned a scheme to take control of the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network.

Founded in 1992, UnitedCorp is a development and management firm with a focus on telecommunications and information technologies. The company manages a portfolio of patents and proprietary technology in telecoms, social media and blockchain. UnitedCorp also owns and operates BlockchainDomes stations, that provide heat for agricultural applications.

The suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleges that the defendants jointly used unfair methods and practices to manipulate the BCH network for their benefit and detriment of UnitedCorp and other BCH stakeholders. The release further specifies:

“UnitedCorp believes that the defendants colluded to effectively hijack the Bitcoin Cash network after the November 15, 2018 scheduled software update with the intent of centralizing the network — all in violation of the accepted standards and protocols associated with Bitcoin since its inception.”

On Nov. 15, the BCH network underwent an update, which divided the community into two main camps, those who support Bitcoin Cash ABC and those who support Bitcoin Cash SV. UnitedCorp states that the defendants took control of the coin’s network right after the upgrade using “rented hashing.” This allegedly led to the adoption of Bitcoin ABC rule sets, precluding other implantations from maintaining a democratic rule sets.

UnitedCorp also alleges that on Nov. 20 the Bitcoin ABC development team put a “poison pill” into the blockchain by way of a “Deep Reorg Prevention” in order to strengthen control over the blockchain ledger. The move allegedly enables maintenance of control on implementations for future network updates.

The suit seeks injunctive relief against the defendants and the cessation of perceived ongoing actions against the BCH network now and in the future. Additionally, UnitedCorp seeks compensation, the value of which it claims will be determined at trial.

Bitcoin Cash has registered major losses on the day. The altcoin is down by over 20 percent over the last 24 hours and is trading at around $103 at press time, according to CoinMarketCap.

Bitcoin SV (BSV), in turn, has seen noteable daily gains of over 27 percent, and is trading around $112 at press time. BSV’s maximum supply is 21 million, while its market capitalization is around $1.9 billion at press time.


Source: https://ctlgr.com/76oq

212

Crypto Discussion / Neufund Partner to Create Security Tokens Framework

« on: December 08, 2018, 05:54:58 PM »

Cryptocurrency hardware wallet firm Ledger has partnered with German crypto startup Neufund to let users manage security tokens via Ledger’s desktop app, according to a press release Dec. 6.

Ledger’s collaboration with blockchain-based equity and crypto fundraising platform Neufund aims to develop a framework for security tokens. Ledger Live — a recently launched desktop application for crypto asset management — is reportedly adding an ERC-20 integration “soon.” The app will let users manage security tokens issued via Neufund’s set of protocols.

Previously, Neufund teamed up with cryptocurrency exchange BitBay to let investors buy and sell equity tokens with fiat currencies. At that time, Neufund was reportedly aiming to become the first end-to-end primary issuance platform for security tokens, specializing in equity tokens.
Meanwhile, Ledger announced in late November that it is expanding to New York as part of its development of institutional custody offering Ledger Vault. Ledger Vault is a form of custody solution allowing multiple members of a corporate entity such as a hedge fund to access the same cold storage wallet.

Also in November, the Germany-based IOTA Foundation announced it will integrate IOTA tokens with Ledger’s cryptocurrency hardware wallets.

Source: https://ctlgr.com/76of

213

Trading / Major Crypto Exchange Binance Launches ‘Sub-Accounts’ for Institutional Clients

« on: December 07, 2018, 05:51:39 PM »

Top cryptocurrency exchange Binance has released a new sub-accounts feature for institutional and high-tier individual traders, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph Dec. 6.

The feature will allow parties to create up to 200 subsidiary trading accounts under the canopy of one main account. This “master” account will have sole control over movement of assets between sub-accounts, and be able to grant each of them different access levels and permissions. Nonetheless, each sub-account will retain its own set of API limits to allow for high capacity trading.

According to Binance’s breakdown of the differences between the master account and its subordinates, the former will have the exclusive ability to view all data and balances, transfer funds between accounts, and have full managerial control and access to a range of asset audit tools.

The press release gives further details, noting that the account management function allows master accounts to freeze or unfreeze their subordinates.

The new sub-account feature is limited in availability to corporate users and individuals with VIP 3 tier (or above) accounts; Binance outlines that “VIP tiers will be calculated on an aggregate basis, and corresponding discounts will be applied to all sub-accounts.”

The exchange has also emphasized that it has upped security for its new sub-account feature by rigorously “sub-dividing” login information to minimize risk.

As reported yesterday, Binance recently released a second preview of its forthcoming decentralized exchange (DEX), stating that a testnet version of the platform will become available for prospective users “soon.”
As of press time, Binance is the world’s crypto largest exchange by daily trade volume, seeing $798 million in trades over the 24-hour period.

Source : https://ctlgr.com/76nq

214

Trading / Coinbase Seeks Trademark for Term ‘BUIDL’ as Crypto SaaS

« on: December 07, 2018, 05:49:25 PM »

Major crypto exchange Coinbase is seeking the trademark for the crypto-industry term “BUIDL,” according to an application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Oct. 2

The word is the intentional misspelling of “build” and is analogous with the word “hodl,” the crypto community’s misspelling-turned-term that indicates holding cryptocurrencies, instead of selling them. In the crypto space, the “BUIDL” moniker refers to focusing on building products as a way to support the industry, as opposed to only holding crypto assets as an investor.

According to the application document, the company seeks to trademark the mark “BUIDL” itself, which it clarifies “consists of standard characters, without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.”

The mark’s identification in the filing states that the term relates to software as a service (SaaS) “featuring software for transactions using virtual currency.” Specifically, “BUIDL” SaaS services would include “software for managing, buying, selling, storing, transacting, exchanging, sending and receiving virtual currency.”

This summer, Cointelegraph reported that Coinbase had patented a proposed new method for securing Bitcoin (BTC) payments.

In September, crypto industry investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss’ firm filed a patent with the USPTO for “securely storing digital assets.”

Source: https://ctlgr.com/76nr

215

Crypto Discussion / Russian Intellectual Property Court Trials Blockchain to Store Copyright Data

« on: December 05, 2018, 12:33:07 PM »

A Russian court dedicated to intellectual property cases has successfully tested a blockchain network for storing copyright data. The technology was reportedly used for the first time in the judicial area in Russia, major Russian news agency TASS writes Monday, Dec. 3.

According to TASS, the court recorded a change in a group of right holders, using a blockchain solution provided by Russian intellectual property startup IPChain. IPChain’s president Andrey Krichevsky claims this is a precedent for the Russian judicial system, calling the use of the tech “a definite breakthrough.”

Krichevsky believes that blockchain could help increase interoperability in the copyright market, as it allows all information stored to be kept up-to-date, which is particularly important for the area of property rights.

TASS reports that the court’s representative, Ludmila Novoselova, hinted that the courts’ tech support will further evolve, noting that in five years all the legal disputes will probably be settled online.

As Cointelegraph reported before, IPChain has previously partnered with the Uzbek government to deploy its decentralized solutions in the local copyright sphere, especially in the field of science and invention.

Earlier this year, a similar deal was signed between IPChain and the State Patent Office of Kyrgyzstan to digitize patent records and store them in a decentralized database. Krichevsky has also stated that blockchain projects were discussed with Armenian officials as well, TASS notes.

Spanish public institutions are also exploring the use of blockchain in the copyright area. In July, the Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers and the Madrid School of Telecommunications Engineering announced they started researching blockchain use in copyright management.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/russian-intellectual-property-court-trials-blockchain-to-store-copyright-data?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

216

Crypto Discussion / Maduro Raises Petro’s Value by 150 Percent Amid Ongoing Inflation

« on: December 05, 2018, 12:27:12 PM »

Venezuela’s рresident, Nicolas Maduro, has raised the reference value of the national cryptocurrency, Petro, the president’s official Twitter tweeted Nov. 30.

According to major Latin American television channel TeleSur, Maduro first announced the new Petro rate on Thursday, Nov. 29, against the background of the country’s ongoing hyperinflation. The value of the Petro is now set at 9,000 sovereign bolivars, instead of the previous 3,600 bolivars.

Speaking in Caracas that day, Maduro also ordered an increase in the monthly minimum wage by 150 percent, which is the sixth increase in 2018 and 25th in total during Maduro’s presidency.

Later that week, Venezuela also devalued Dicom, the official exchange rate in the country, Bloomberg reported Saturday, Dec. 1. The national fiat has dropped by as much as 40 percent, from 96.84 sovereign bolivars per dollar on Nov. 30 to 171.67 the following day.

Leonardo Buniak, a Venezuelan economist cited by major Venezuelan newspaper El Universal, called the move “very bad news for Venezuelans.” He believes that the government is unable to fund the wage increase, which will inevitably lead to another price hike and, yet again, hyperinflation. “To anchor the bolivar to Petro is equal to anchoring it to nothing,” he said.

The ongoing economic crisis in the country has been provoked by a shortage of revenue from oil production. According to Bloomberg’s Cafe Con Leche Index, which tracks hyperinflation in Venezuela using an average price of coffee cup as an example, the annual inflation rate in the country has climbed up to 200,000 percent.
As Cointelegraph reported in August, Maduro made Petro a unit of account within the country, tying salaries and a pricing system for goods and services to the oil-backed national cryptocurrency.

The official sale of Petro in Venezuela started this November, with several top officials — including Maduro — purchasing it via the official website. However, the currency is not yet available on any major crypto exchanges, nor can it be traded in pairs with other coins.

Experts are concerned about the actual existence of Petro after a Reuter's report on the nature of the state-owned coin, issued in August, that turned up little evidence of the coin’s oil-backed reserves.

According to the investigation, the Atapirire area that Maduro claimed was the actual petroleum center for backing the coin showed no signs of recent activity. Other experts told news outlet Wired that Petro was nothing more than a "smoke curtain" to conceal Maduro's recent failure to reanimate the national fiat currency, the sovereign bolivar.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/venezuela-maduro-raises-petros-value-by-150-percent-amid-ongoing-inflation?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

217

Bounty Programs / Cryptotalksworld Bounty

« on: November 27, 2018, 08:25:11 PM »

Website        Facebook       Twitter  LinkedIn      Reddit      Telegram

MASTER SHEET

General Rules

1. All participants must join our telegram group
2. The week for this campaign starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday
3. No cheating. Any attempt to cheat will lead to a perm ban from this campaign
4. Make a proof of authentication post here
5. To minimize gas cost, we will make payment a week after we close this bounty. In case we have sufficient funds, we will make payment every month
6. Contact telegram support for any issues concerning this bounty. Moderators of this bounty may not respond to you on time if you make your complains here.

List of Campaigns [Click on each campaign to read more about it]

1.Facebook Campaign
2.Twitter Campaign
3.LinkedIn Campaign
4.Reddit Campaign
5.Telegram Group/Channel Owners Campaign
6.Telegram Invite Campaign
7.Content Creation Campaign
8.Translation Campaign
9.Signature Campaign
10.Others

Weeks
20/11 - 24/11
25/11 - 01/12
02/12 - 08/12
09/12 - 15/12
16/12 - 22/12
23/12 - 29/12
.
.
.





Facebook Campaign   //  spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined Facebook Campaign
CTW Forum profile link:
facebook profile link:
facebook name:
Telegram username:
Friends/Followers:
Rules
1.Like our facebook page
2.You must have at least 250 friends/followers
3.Share at least 3 posts from our page
4.Make at least 2 posts on your own with the hashtags #cryptocurrency #blockchain #bounty #cryptotalksworld
5.In case there are no posts to share, make at least 3 posts for that week instead
6.Make all your reports on this thread before Sunday, 11:59 GMT
7.Fill this FORM to join

Rewards based on your friends/Week:
250 - 999 = 500 CTW
1000 - 2999 = 750 CTW
3000+ = 1000CTW


Twitter Campaign   //  Spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined Twitter Campaign
CTW Forum profile:
Twitter profile link:
Twitter username:
Telegram username:
Followers:
Rules
1.Follow our twitter page
2.You must have at least 250 followers
3.Share at least 3 posts from our page
4.Make at least 2 tweets on your own with the hashtags #cryptocurrency #blockchain #bounty #cryptotalksworld
5.In case there are no posts to retweet, make at least 3 posts for that week instead
6.Make all your reports on this thread before Sunday, 11:59 GMT
7.Fill this FORM to join

Rewards based on your followers/Week:
250 - 999 = 500 CTW
1000 - 2999 = 750 CTW
3000+ = 1000CTW


LinkedIn Campaign   // Spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined LinkedIn Campaign
CTW Forum profile:
LinkedIn profile link:
LinkedIn username:
Telegram username:
connections:
Rules
1.Follow our LinkedIn page
2.You must have at least 250 connections
3.Share at least 3 posts from our page
4.Make at least 2 posts on your own with the hashtags #cryptocurrency #blockchain #bounty #cryptotalksworld
5.In case there are no posts to share, make at least 3 posts for that week instead
6.Make all your reports on this thread before Sunday, 11:59 GMT
7.Fill this FORM to join

Rewards based on your connections/Week:
250 - 999 = 500 CTW
1000 - 2999 = 750 CTW
3000+ = 1000CTW


Reddit Campaign   //  Spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined Reddit Campaign
CTW Forum profile:
Reddit profile link:
Reddit username:
Telegram username:
Rules
1.Subscribe to our CryptoTalksWorld Subreddit
2.You must have at least 15 post/comment karma
3.Upvote all our posts
4.Make at least 2 posts on your own in crypto related sub reddit
5.Maximum 3 posts will be counted/week
6.Payment depends on the number of upvotes your posts get/week
7.Make all your reports on this thread before Sunday, 11:59 GMT
8.Fill this FORM to join

Rewards based on upvote/week:
<5 upvotes = 100 CTW
 5- 10 upvotes= 500 CTW
10+ upvotes= 1000CTW


Telegram Group/Channel Owners   // Spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined Telegram Group/Channel Owner Campaign
CTW Forum profile:
Telegram username:
Telegram group/channel link:

Rules
1.The group or channel must have at least 2K members
2.Join our main Telegram group
3.Ping a moderator on the main telegram page to join your group or channel after you have made a post about our forum
4.The length of the post will determine your pay
5.Pin the post to get more tokens
6.Fill this FORM to register for this campaign

Reward differs as below
For group/channels below 10K members,
Making a post without pinning it:
1 day = 250CTW (Deleting the post before 24 hours means no reward)
(You can make a different post only after 7 days)

For a Pinned post and below10K members,
1 Day = 500CTW
3 Days = 2000CTW
7 Days = 5000CTW
Note: Pinned Posts less than 24 ours will not be given the reward

For group/channels above10K members,
Making a post without pinning it:
1 day = 500CTW (Deleting the post before 24 hours means no reward)
(You can make a different post only after 7 days)

For a Pinned post and below 10K members,
1 Day = 1000CTW
3 Days = 4000CTW
7 Days = 10000CTW

Note: Pinned Posts less than 24hours will not be given the reward


Telegram Invite Campaign   // Spreadsheet
Invite your friends to our telegram page and get rewarded in CTW tokens
Take a screenshot of the added friends and fill the form below. Make sure you are done adding your friends before filling the form. Or let your friend join and write @username invited me to join before filling the form. You cannot fill it more than once.

Fill This FORM to register your invitees.

***Note

Do not add users who are unwilling to join, uses who leave the group immedately after adding them will not count.
[/list]
Reward per invite = 500CTW
This campaign is capped at 10 invites per person.


Content Creation Campaign// Spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined Content Creation Campaign
CTW Forum profile:
Telegram username:
Rules

1.Blog posts must have at least 500 words
2.No copy and paste work
3.Must include all our website, facebook, twitter, linkedIn and reddit links in your work. Our website must apear at least twice
4.Must have at least 500 subscribers to participate in youtube campaign
5.Youtube videos mst be at least 3 minutes long.
6.Fill this FORM to join

Rewards:
Blog posts
Good= 1500 CTW
Excellent = 2500 CTW
Note: Only 4 blogs will be accepted per participant

Reposting blog posts
For posting your own work on another site= 500 CTW
Posting this thread on another site= 250 CTW
Note: Repost is capped at 1 per blog post

Youtube Videos
Good: 5000 CTW
Excellent: 10000 CTW
Only 3 Submissions per participant(same username)


Translation Campaign //  Spreadsheet
You must apply hear before starting your work
Application post

Code: [Select]

#Applying for translation in [specify] language
CTW Forum profile:
Telegram username:
Rules
1.Make a translation of this thread to your local board or another crypto related forum
2.Moderate it if possible
3.Fill this FORM with your work after you have been accepted

Rewards/translation:
Translation without moderation = 7000 CTW
Translation + moderation - 12000 CTW


Signature Campaign //   Spreadsheet

Proof of authentication post

Code: [Select]

#Joined Signature Campaign
CTW Forum profile:
Forum username
Telegram username:
Rules
1.Must be at least a Crawler
2.Make at least 10 posts a week
3.Only 5 posts from the local boards will be counted and only 2 posts from the off topic board will be counted
4.You can leave the campaign and join later but before leaving, make sure to you have 10 post in that week. To proof this, 5.make a post here to indicate your intentions to pause the signature campaign
6.Fill this FORM to join

Rewards/week:

Jr member = 600 CTW
Full member =  2000  CTW
Sr Hero = 3000 CTW
Hero = 5000 CTW


Signature Code:
Jr member to hero

Code: [Select]

[center][table][tr][td][url=https://cryptotalksworld.org][size=2pt][tt] [color=#e7524b]

[color=#f56a1f]               ▀
[/td][td][url=https://cryptotalksworld.org/][font=Baskerville Old Face][size=22pt][b][color=#5776f5]C[/color][color=#775de6]R[/color][color=#9744d8]Y[/color][color=#b72bc9]P[/color][color=#c233af]T[/color][color=#ce3c95]O[/color][color=#d9447a]T[/color][color=#e44c60]A[/color][color=#ea564a]L[/color][color=#ef6035]K[/color][color=#f56a1f]S[/color][color=#775de6]W[/color][color=#9744d8]O[/color][color=#b72bc9]R[/color][color=#c233af]L[/color][color=#ce3c95]D[/color]
[/size][/td][td][url=https://cryptotalksworld.org/][size=15pt][color=#5776f5]A[/color][color=#606ff1]n[/color][color=#6868ed]t[size=15pt][color=#5776f5]i[/color]-[color=#7a5be5]S[/color][color=#8354e1]c[/color][color=#8b4ddd]a[/color][color=#9446d9]m[/color][color=#9d3fd5] F[/color][color=#f06231]o[/color][color=#f2652b]r[/color][color=#f36725]u[/color][color=#f56a1f]m[/color][/url]
[font=calibri][size=9pt][b][url=https://t.me/joinchat/ItmP9AsnZtgrVhu9SXfAog][color=black] ✔ TELEGRAM  [/color][/url][url=https://twitter.com/CryptoTalksWD][color=black] [color=purple]✔ TWITTER[/color][/url]    [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoTalksWorld/][color=black]✔REDDIT[/color][/url]   [url=http://fb.me/cryptotalksWD][color=#9d3fd5][color=#5776f5]✔FACEBOOK[/color][/color][/url]    [url=https://www.linkedin.com/company/cryptotalksworld/][color=#f06231]✔LinkedIn[/color][/url]    [url=https://cryptotalksworld.org/][color=#f06231] ✔LET'S FIGHT SCAM [/color][/url][/td][td][url=https://cryptotalksworld.org/][size=9pt][color=#7353f7][b][move][glow=red,2,300]Together we will build a stronger crypto community[/glow][/move][/td][/tr][/table]

218

Crypto Discussion / Bitfury Partners With Russian Economics University to Establish Blockchain

« on: November 26, 2018, 05:56:15 PM »

Multisectoral blockchain company Bitfury has partnered with the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics to create an accelerator for blockchain projects, Russian crypto news outlet Forklog reports Nov. 21.

In addition to supporting the development of blockchain projects, the university will provide courses and additional education dedicated to “training specialists who are able to create innovative projects using digital technologies in a short time.” This will enable specialists to “bring [the projects] to market amid the new industrial revolution,” Dmitry Ufaev, the head of Bitfury Russia, told Forklog.
According to Forklog, the project will be backed by Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. A ministry official cited by the news outlet stressed that the pilot program meets the aspirations of both public institutions and large corporations that need to be modernized.

As Cointelegraph previously reported, major universities worldwide are offering crypto-related courses with increasing frequency. According to a recent Coinbase study, 42 percent of the world’s top 50 universities, such as Berkeley, Stanford and Cornell, offer at least one class on cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

Earlier this week, Tokyo University announced a course in blockchain technology after various companies —  including Japanese banking giant Sumitomo Mitsui —  donated $800,000 to support the program.

In October, the University of Gibraltar established an advisory group that will focus on the development of blockchain-related educational courses. The New Technologies in Education group is reportedly a joint initiative between the government, the university, and a number of the leading technology firms based in the country.

On Nov. 6, Bitfury closed a funding round led by European venture capital fund Korelya Capital, having raised $80 million. The company also recently hired an investment banker, Antoine Dresch, to its board of directors, and a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) member, Annette Nazareth, to its advisory board.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitfury-partners-with-russian-economics-university-to-establish-blockchain-accelerator?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social

219

Crypto Discussion / BlockShow Opens Pitch Competition in Singapore

« on: November 26, 2018, 05:53:26 PM »

BlockShow is preparing a live-streamed business pitch competition for startups, called EXP20, which will take place on Nov. 29, 2018. The event is a new segment of their Asia Blockchain Week programme, that will be hosted in Singapore from Nov. 27 until Dec. 1, 2018. Dubbed “ the largest blockchain technology roadshow” by Venturebeat, Asia Blockchain Week addresses the rise of the Asian economy and the region’s growing interest in blockchain technology.

Crypto colosseum
EXP20 is a new startup competition show which will be livestreamed during the Asian Blockchain Week. Taking place on the event’s second stage, the teams will each be given 10 minutes to pitch their technology to a panel of investors. The most viable projects stand to win different kinds of support, such as funding, promotion or important connections, should they be able to convince the panel that their idea has the potential to be successful at a global scale. The BlockShow team says:

“It’s a ruthless competition requiring both top-notch technology and sharp business skills, perfectly suited for the blockchain startup sphere.”

The competition offers entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their business idea to a panel of venture capitalists, and then defend themselves and their ideas under questioning, in the hopes of convincing one of the panel to invest in their product. EXP20 will be streamed online, for anyone interested in the most cutting-edge applications of blockchain technology.

The panel will include the following blockchain investment funds: Sora Ventures, GBIC, Fenbushi, Zenith Ventures, Red Dot Ventures, Rock Expansion, XSQ, Visionz Capital, Plutus VC, BCI, Blockchain I, BlockAsset, and Trive VC.

This isn’t the first time BlockShow has had startups compete for funding. The BlockShow Oscars have been a staple of every BlockShow conference, and is based on a similar concept:  a competition where ten startups were given the chance to showcase their creations. It has brought attention to projects such as Electrify Asia, Bancor and Status, who have raised over $100 million each after they won their awards. The crucial difference of the new competition is that, while there was only one BlockShow Oscar winner, all ten EXP20 participants have the potential to walk away with valuable support. They also all face the risk of failure. The BlockShow team adds:

“With no guarantees and a fiercely competitive pool of applications, it will be a highly engaging event, attracting viewers from all over the globe.”

Top speakers
BlockShow’s Asia Blockchain Week will take place at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel. As a leading conference on blockchain and cryptocurrency, it promises to be one of the biggest events on the fintech calendar. In collaboration with Cointelegraph, this year’s BlockShow is expected to attract over 2000 attendees and feature over 100 leading blockchain experts from around the world.
This year’s program will be focusing on topics such as ‘The Post-ICO Future of Blockchain Investments’ and ‘Corporations Tackling Blockchain’, offering attendees a chance to consider blockchain’s new-found place in the global market.

The lineup of speakers at Asia Blockchain Week include some of the most well-known cryptocurrency personalities: Bobby Lee, Co-Founder, BTCC and Board Member of the Bitcoin Foundation; Tony Tong, Vice Chairman of China Credit Management Association, and Co-Chairman & Co-Founder of Hong Kong Blockchain Association; and Jehan Chu, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Kenetic, and Co-Founder, Social Alpha Foundation.

These personalities will be joined by other high-profile names such as: Stanley Yong, CTO at IBM, Former Head of Innovation at the Monetary Authority of Singapore; Jason Hsu, Crypto-Congressman and Taiwan Legislator; Remington Ong, Partner at Fenbushi Capital; Michael Gu, Founder of Boxmining; Vanessa Cao, Partner at Sora Ventures, Former Managing Director at JRR Crypto; Thomas Lee, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Fundstrat Global Advisors LLC; Sinhae Lee, Founding Partner at Global Blockchain Innovative Capital and Block72 International Blockchain Consulting, Richard Wang, Partner at DFJDragon Fund/ DraperDragon Fund; Dr. Ben Goertzel, Chief Scientist at Hanson Robotics, and CEO at SingularityNET; and Ted Lin, Chief Growth Officer at Binance.

Trend-setting event
Since 2016, BlockShow events have been held in Europe, America and Asia, drawing turnouts in the thousands. Its organisers say:

“This year’s Asian Blockchain Week will no doubt see record numbers, with the future of the technology growing more concrete and embedded in the wider public consciousness. EXP20 brings with it a new avenue to connect with what’s happening at the forefront of Blockchain.”

For those unable to attend in person, EXP20 will be livestreamed. Investors will cross-examine some of the most compelling developments in the technology, while viewers are given an experience that can expand the boundaries of what was thought possible in this burgeoning sector. Startups looking to compete in EXP20 can register here, while those wishing to attend Asia Blockchain Week can purchase tickets through the BlockShow website.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/asias-got-talent-for-crypto-startups-blockshow-opens-pitch-competition-in-singapore?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social

220

Crypto Discussion / German Federal Economic Ministry Wants to Combat Tax Fraud with Blockchain

« on: November 25, 2018, 05:32:29 PM »

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is planning to fight tax evasion schemes by using blockchain, German business news outlet WirtschaftsWoche reported Nov. 22.
Following the major European tax fraud scheme CumEx-Files, the BMWi has suggested that distributed ledger technology (DLT) is capable of making the tax system more efficient in terms of fraud prevention.
Discovered in 2017, the CumEx-Files was a tax fraud scheme that reportedly was used by a network of banks, stock traders and top lawyers to obtain billions from European treasuries through speculation with dividend tax. As a result of the CumEx scheme, the German economy has reportedly suffered the most, with at least around $63 billion in reported losses.
The Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWi Christian Hirte stated that blockchain technology deployment “could ensure” that tax shares are “certainly traceable” at “any time.”
According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, over $5 billion was washed through the German tax regulation loophole alone before 2012.
Earlier in November, the Thai Revenue Department revealed plans to track tax payments using DLT and machine learning, specifically intending to verify tax payments validity and to accelerate the tax refund process.
Previously, Cointelegraph reported on tax software firm Vertex suggesting that governments implement blockchain to improve tax systems.


Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/german-federal-economic-ministry-wants-to-combat-tax-fraud-with-blockchain?utm_source=telegram0&utm_medium=social

221

Crypto Discussion / Parliament Approves Crypto Bill to Combat 'Financial Blockade'

« on: November 24, 2018, 08:03:32 AM »

The Constituent National Assembly of Venezuela has approved a bill on cryptocurrency regulation, the country’s Ministry for Communication and Information reported Nov. 21.

The law was proposed by the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro and consists of 64 articles and five transitory provisions. It validates Petro, Venezuela’s controversial oil-backed cryptocurrency, as a unit of commercial exchange within the country, and states that goods and services can also be purchased with Petro.

According to Cuban state news agency Prensa Latina, the Assembly has also approved amendments to current anti-money laundering lawс. Under the new rules, Venezuela’s crypto exchanges are reportedly allowed to carry foreign exchange operations using Petro.

As per Andres Eloy Mendez, the head of the special commission on crypto frameworks cited in the Ministry’s official release, the new measures are being taken primarily to combat the “financial and commercial blockade” from the U.S. government. Mendez said that Petro can help effectively avoid sanctions and to establish new international business relationships, as it is not controlled by the state’s central bank and, therefore, cannot be a subject to any restrictions.
Venezuela officially launched the Petro for sale in late October. The state-issued cryptocurrency can only be purchased at the official website or in public offices, as the Petro digital wallet has been suspended by Google.
As Cointelegraph previously reported, Maduro along with Venezuela’s establishment, has been actively involved in Petro promotion since it was first announced in December, 2017. In August, Venezuela’s president offered to use the coin as a unit of account for salaries, goods and services.

In September, Maduro claimed that Petro will be used for international commercial transactions. Finally, Maduro was among the first officials who registered at Petro’s website and bought the digital currency.

Maduro's Claims on Petro
Most recently, the head of Venezuela’s state oil company Manuel Quevedo announced that the country will present Petro as a unit of account for crude oil trading to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2019.

This summer, Wired magazine called the national cryptocurrency a "smoke curtain" to conceal Maduro's recent failure to reanimate the country’s fiat, the sovereign bolivar. Earlier this year, a Reuter's report claimed that Petro was not backed by oil nor mined anywhere in the country. More recently, the Economist, in its turn, noted that Petro is not listed on any of the world’s major crypto exchanges.

Source : https://cointelegraph.com/news/venezuela-parliament-approves-crypto-bill-to-combat-financial-blockade?utm_source=telegram0&utm_medium=social

222

Crypto Discussion / Bitcoin Could Hit $15-20K by End of 2019

« on: November 23, 2018, 06:15:14 PM »

The Chief Commercial Officer (COO) of global crypto payment processor BitPay has ventured that Bitcoin (BTC) will hit $15,000 to $20,000 by the end of 2019. The COO, Sonny Singh, made his forecast during an interview with Bloomberg Nov. 22.

In the midst of a bearish market picture – with Bitcoin down over 32 percent in value on the month – Singh said that he expects the next big price action to come when mainstream financial sector giants such as Fidelity and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) start to launch their crypto-based investment products next year.

The financial giants’ entry into the space could catapult Bitcoin’s price to as high as $15,000-$20,000 by the end of 2019, Singh told reporters.

Aside from traditional financial incumbents’ launch of crypto-based products, Singh pointed to structural changes in the crypto market itself, with stalwart companies such as U.S. crypto exchange and wallet provider Coinbase and crypto bank Silvergate gearing up for possible initial public offerings (IPOs).

Singh forecast that next year would therefore herald an “exciting” moment: the launch of a crypto-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) by a “Blackrock-type” company or a Fidelity product will energize the space as traditional players jostle for market dominance against “the Bitpays and Coinbases” of the sector.

Singh nonetheless drew a firm distinction between Bitcoin and altcoins, arguing that:

“There’s a night and day difference between Bitcoin and everything else. Bitcoin is the under pound gorilla, it’s the one that has the mass network effect… [the one] the traditional financial incumbents are building products around. Other [crypto assets] […] I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.”

Remarking that “the ICO market is pretty dead right now,” Singh also suggested that signs of increased intervention from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not bode well for the future of the token space.
In an interview this September, Singh outlined a broadly similar argument that the crypto markets are on the threshold of a certain “defining moment,” which will come with big institutional investor market entry, set to “become real” in 2019.


Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitpay-coo-sonny-singh-bitcoin-could-hit-15-20k-by-end-of-2019?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social

223

Mining / Crypto Miners Sell off Mining Devices ‘by Kilo’ Amidst Market Decline

« on: November 23, 2018, 10:17:15 AM »

Cryptocurrency mining operations in China are reportedly selling mining machines by weight, as opposed to price per unit. This selloff was reported by local Chinese crypto outlet 8BTC Wednesday, Nov. 21, with reference to the cryptocurrency mining pool F2Pool.

Cryptocurrency markets experienced widespread decline throughout last week, with Bitcoin (BTC) declining to as low as $4,300 per coin.

The decline has resulted in a similar drop in mining profitability and forced Chinese operators to sell their mining devices at a loss, according to 8BTC. The news outlet has reported that the miners are being sold “by kilo,” citing a post made by the founder of F2Pool on the Weibo microblogging platform.

Crypto miners are reportedly especially eager to sell the older models, including Antminer S7, Antminer T9, and Avalon A741, as these have reached their “shutdown price.” According to local Chinese outlet Tencent News, the earnings from mining are no longer enough to cover electric power and other associated costs.

The market slump has reportedly affected mostly small and medium-sized mining operations in the Chinese regions of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. There, 8BTC reports, some mining machines are being sold on the second-hand market for merely 5 percent of their original value. A mining machine bought at a price of up to 20,000 yuan ($2,885) a year ago is reportedly currently sold for just 1,000 yuan ($144).
Bitcoin’s price has kept falling, along with the rest of the crypto market, since the hard fork network upgrade of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) that took place Nov. 15. The update has led cryptocurrency exchanges around the world to suspend BCH trading and withdrawals.

Earlier this month, Bitcoin mining giant Bitmain announced plans to reach out to local mining farms in the coal-rich province of Xinjiang, and deploy around 90,000 Antminer S9 devices in the region. Bitmain’s move is reported to be a strategic one in the computing “power war” associated with the BCH hard fork.

At press time, the crypto markets have calmed down, with most of the top ten cryptocurrencies seeing only mild losses. BTC has today hovered between $4,450 and $4,630.
In September, the CEO of F2Pool published an infographic that indicated that if Bitcoin price would reach lower than 36,792 Chinese yuan (about $5,376), mining the cryptocurrency with an Antminer T9 would become unprofitable. In the case of an S7 model miner, the break-even point amounted to a significantly higher Bitcoin price point of about 79,258 yuan (about $11,581).


Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/china-crypto-miners-sell-off-mining-devices-by-kilo-amidst-market-decline?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social

224

Crypto Discussion / Tezos Korea Foundation Partners With Yonsei University for Blockchain Developmen

« on: November 23, 2018, 10:04:34 AM »

The South Korean branch of the Tezos Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yonsei University to collaboratively work on the development of blockchain talents, says a Tezos official press release published Nov. 21.

The new agreement between the Tezos Korea Foundation and Digital Society Research Center at Yonsei University in Seoul aims to provide “blockchain education cooperation, training of OCaml [Objective Calm] and smart contract experts.” The MoU is primarily focused on human resources and education in the blockchain technology industry. The press release states:

“Through this agreement, both sides will strengthen the expertise of the blockchain and education expertise, and discuss various cooperation opportunities to lead the blockchain field.”

Back this summer, the Tezos Foundation had already announced a public call for research grants in July. Later, Tezos provided financial grants to four research institutions for blockchain tech and smart contracts development, as Cointelegraph reported Aug. 10.
Also this summer, the Tezos Foundation announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers Switzerland (PwC) — one of the four largest professional services networks in the world, commonly known as the “Big Four” — would conduct an external audit of its finances and operations, Cointelegraph wrote Jul. 24.
Previously this week, Japanese banking giant Sumitomo Mitsui (SMBC), the Ethereum Foundation, and the University of Tokyo jointly announced an education course, dubbed “Blockсhain Innovation Donation Course,” in the university’s graduate school of engineering.


Source : https://cointelegraph.com/news/tezos-korea-foundation-partners-with-yonsei-university-for-blockchain-development?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

225

Crypto Discussion / Ripple Leads Crypto Coalition

« on: September 30, 2018, 02:09:12 AM »

⁠A crypto coalition led by Ripple plans to pay D.C. lobbyists to influence the government’s stance on cryptocurrencies and innovation

https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-leads-crypto-coalition-seeking-govt-oversight-encouraging-crypto-blockchain?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social