Month: October 2017

Bitcoin isn’t the only cryptocurrency trading at all-time highs today. At press time, the vertcoin-U.S. dollar (VTC/USD) exchange rate is $5.55, its highest level ever. Week-on-week, VTC has witnessed a 69 percent appreciation in value, while on a monthly basis, its price has gone up by an astonishing 431 percent. So, what’s behind the rally? The boost for the lesser-known crypto appears to be occurring as it closes in on a reduction of its block reward, expected on Dec. 12. The term “block Read more …

The hard fork part of the New York Agreement is scheduled to take place within about two weeks. This incompatible protocol rule change is set to increase Bitcoin’s block weight limit, to allow for more transactions on the network — if everyone adopts the change. Otherwise, it will create a new blockchain and currency that may or may not be considered to be “Bitcoin.”The list of signatories of this agreement includes several of the largest Bitcoin startups and mining pools Read more …

The global healthcare market is vast and complex, with equity funding to digital health companies having reached $5.8 billion so far this year. Within this space, myriad models of healthcare delivery are being employed as breakthrough technologies areintroduced.   A concept that’s gaining increased attention is the “patient-oriented medical network.” In this model, patients can manage and control their healthcare data through a mobile electronic medical record (EMR) — information they’re able to grant their doctors access to when requested. Read more …

If you’ve been tempted to get in on the blockchain currency racket, first read tech writer Mark Frauenfelder’s story of losing access to $30,000 in bitcoin. Ask yourself if you could handle the stress of trying to guess a seven-digit PIN, knowing that every time you guessed wrong, your money would get locked away for hours, then days, then years. Ask yourself what you’d do if your investment paid off tenfold, only to disappear in a fire. Frauenfelder got into Read more …

5. Smart contracts can apply to different fields. Voting results will be put in the Blockchain and distributed among the nodes of the network. All the data is encrypted and anonymous. This method eliminates any possibility of manipulation with the ballot. The supply chain is generally long and includes a lot of links. Each link has to get a confirmation from the previous one, hold up its end of the contract and send the information further. It takes a lot Read more …

CME Group, the US-based financial market company operating the world’s largest options and futures exchange, has officially announced its plans to launch bitcoin futures by the end of 2017. In a corporate statement, CME revealed that its bitcoin futures trading platform is currently being reviewed by US financial authorities and regulators. Upon the approval of the US government in the fourth quarter of 2017, CME will launch a bitcoin futures exchange for institutional and retail investors. Terry Duffy, CME Group Read more …

Vietnam’s central bank is prohibiting the use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in payments. According to an Oct. 30 statement, the State Bank of Vietnam said that cryptocurrencies are not a “lawful means of payment” in the country, and the “issuance, supply, use of bitcoin and other similar virtual currency as a means of payment is prohibited.” From next year, it goes on, illegal use of cryptocurrencies in payments will be subject to penalties of between 150 million ($6,600) and 200 Read more …

SimplyVital Health, the company behind the blockchain-based healthcare protocol Health Nexus, has announced a delay to its token offering to give further time for AML and KYC analysis. SimplyVital Health is dedicated to creating the best possible foundation for its Health Cash [HLTH] token that is critical to building out a new healthcare ecosystem and amid a climate of heightened interest in cryptocurrency offerings, SimplyVital Health is adhering to current best practices as closely as possible. “While the AML/KYC process Read more …

Most online users have been burnt by PayPal or another digital payment system at one time or another. Perhaps you’ve tried to withdraw money someone has sent to you, only to find that you’ve been blocked from that service. Or maybe you’ve tried to receive money, only to discover that the fees can be pretty steep once you start using other services. And, the greatest sin of all – PayPal doesn’t accept cryptocurrencies. UTRUST, the first-of-its-kind Blockchain based payment platform, Read more …

The price of bitcoin has hit an all-time high, crossing $6,300 for the second time this week. According to data from the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (BPI), the price reached an average of $6,341.10 across global exchanges at roughly 14:00 UTC today. On Oct. 29, the price of bitcoin rose to $6,306.58, a move that came just over a week after markets moved above $6,000 for the first time. Data shows markets have consistently traded above this level since Oct. 29. Read more …

Bitcoin has hit new all-time price highs on its ninth birthday today as CME Group announces futures trading. Investors still celebrating the weekend’s record-breaking $6,300 have little to fear this Halloween as renewed momentum coming from CME takes Bitcoin within reach of new heights. We’re launching #Bitcoin futures to provide a regulated trading venue for the #digitalasset market. https://t.co/5RRvVCGtjB pic.twitter.com/zcbCAUriUd — CMEGroup (@CMEGroup) October 31, 2017 The move appeared broadly expected Tuesday even without the news, analyst Tone Vays and Read more …