Overstock’s blockchain arm tZERO aims to launch its cryptocurrency and digital asset broker dealer service in the first half of 2020. In a letter to investors released on Jan. 30, tZERO CEO Saum Noursalehi provided a recap of the company’s progress over the last year and highlighted tZERO’s goals for 2020. One of the main objectives of the company is to roll out a digital assets broker dealer in the first half of the current year, dubbed tZERO Markets. Noursalehi Read more …
Bank of Lithuania may be the next entity to look into Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), after multiple banks worldwide have expressed interest. All Aboard the Central Bank Digital Currency Bandwagon Following preliminary interest from central banks in China, as well as India, Cambodia, and to an extent the European Central Bank, the Bank of Lithuania has given attention to digital assets issued and backed centrally. CBDCs may be a tool to bring the central bank’s digital money directly to Read more …
Enterprise blockchain project Hyperledger has released the most significant update of its DLT framework Fabric since launch in July 2017. The Hyperledger Foundation announced Thursday that Fabric 2.0 is designed to improve the usability and performance for the end user, with updates including new features such as decentralized governance for smart contracts and several enhancements for handling and sharing private data on the platform. Describing the release as a “key milestone,” IBM’s VP of blockchain platforms, Jerry Cuomo, said it Read more …
After launching trading of gold-pegged stablecoin Tether Gold (XAU₮) last week, Bitfinex now allows users to trade Tether Gold against Bitcoin (BTC). On Jan. 30, Bitfinex has rolled out three margin trading pairs for Tether Gold, a digital asset backed by physical gold, which was introduced by Bitfinex’s affiliate firm Tether on Jan. 23. The crypto exchange exchange now allows traders to trade Tether Gold against Bitcoin as well as the U.S. dollar and dollar-pegged stablecoin Tether (USDT). Margin trading Read more …
A senior adviser to the operator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics in a Manhattan federal court. According to a United States Department of Justice press release dated Jan. 30, Roger Thomas Clark was a key figure in the development of Silk Road, advising on all aspects of the enterprise, and even attempting to arrange a murder-for-hire to protect its interests. Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht described Clark, Read more …
As Jan 2020 comes to a close, bitcoin is up 32% this month. As one analyst points out, if this continues every month, BTC will reach $152,000 by the end of the year. Bitcoin Is Up 32% This Month In a tweet that garnered thousands of likes and replies yesterday, Bitcoin analyst and developer Crypto₿ull pointed out that bitcoin is up 32% this month. He added: If we go up 32% every month this year we will be at $152,000 Read more …
A Google executive from India has joined Coinbase as the new chief product officer after 11 years at Google. He aims to help Coinbase make cryptocurrency mainstream. “I am excited about what crypto and blockchain technology can do to democratize our financial systems,” the executive said, citing his experience growing up in India and the trauma of demonetization. Also read: Regulatory Roundup — New US Crypto Tax Bill, Central Banks Join Forces on Digital Currencies From Google and Flipkart to Read more …
It might not be a good idea to purchase bitcoin as an insurance asset against this year’s nailbiting US presidential election. That is according to a new study that doubts bitcoin’s credential as a safe-haven asset against a mounting political uncertainty. Author Tobias Burggraf, a research assistant at WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management, found that the cryptocurrency’s price goes down whenever governmental risks are high. The report used two class of variables: One that concerned returns of bitcoin over a specific Read more …
A growing number of crypto tax software developers are trying to bolster their products’ technical credibility with the Certified Public Accountant’s (CPA) stamp of attestation. Attestation is an independent review conducted by a CPA, whose report includes conclusions about the reliability of data, statements – or systems, in the case of software services. Lukka and Verady, two competing developers, both announced on Jan. 21 their tax software solutions have received System and Organization Control (SOC) attestation reports from independent auditors. Read more …
Hyperledger Fabric released version 2.0 of its enterprise distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform, according to a Jan. 30 announcement. Several major features were added to the platform that improve how its different participants communicate with each other. Hyperledger Fabric is one of the several products of the Hyperledger consortium, which features dozens of important industry players and is primarily backed by IBM. Fabric is a private or “permissioned” blockchain network that is used in industries such as finance and supply Read more …
View Bitcoin’s January surge has put the bulls into the driver’s seat, opening the doors for a continued rally into five figures. A minor pullback to $9,000 could be seen in the next 24 hours or so, with intraday indicators are flashing bearish signals. The overall bull bias will remain intact as long as prices are holding above recent lows near $8,200. Bitcoin is holding its bullish trend while heading into the historically strong month of February The top cryptocurrency Read more …
Over-the-counter digital currency trading and lending firm Genesis closed the fourth quarter of 2019 with record high results in loan originations since its inception. Per a Jan. 30 press release, Genesis facilitated over $4.25 billion in loans since its incorporation in March 2018, which made Q4 the best in company history. Genesis originated more than $1.1 billion in loans and borrows for its institutional customers, with total active loans of $545 million, showing a 23% increase compared to $450 million Read more …