Cryptocurrency investor and entrepreneur Trace Mayer plans to use the anniversary of the Bitcoin genesis block to make holders reclaim their private keys.

MAYER TO BITCOIN HODLERS: RECLAIM SOVEREIGNTY

In a video introduction to the plan, which he dubbed ‘Proof of Keys,’ Mayer appealed to the Bitcoin community to remove all funds not under their direct control, specifically third-party exchanges.

“We’ve got lots of new people who have come into the community, and I think it’s important to declare and redeclare our monetary sovereignty on a regular basis,” he said in the video.

https://youtu.be/_bNk5g_S0ZA

AVOIDING YOUR ‘MONETARY ENEMY’

One of the longer-serving figures in the Bitcoin space, Mayer voiced repeated distrust of well-known industry businesses including payment processor BitPay, US exchange Coinbase and storage service Xapo.

Quoting a warning by Bitcoin Core developers about using such businesses to store private keys, he continued that taking back control had multiple benefits for “HODLers of Last Resort” beyond financial security.

Technical literacy, knowledge, and respect of network consensus laws and more, he contended, would help galvanize those who have chosen Bitcoin over fiat.

“Anyone who doesn’t want you to hold your own private keys or do your own network consensus – they’re your monetary enemy,” he continued.

While dubiously referring to those who successfully control all private keys as “elite,” Mayer’s January 3 summons comes at a time when exchanges continue to garner criticism over chosen business paths.

Coinbase, which saw a backlash over its initial refusal to support SegWit transactions, poor technical reliability and consumer support, this week was found to be the entity behind suspect transactions amounting to 856,000 BTC ($2.9 billion).

The product of “scheduled maintenance” developers had signaled would occur November 28, the transactions involved almost 5 percent of the entire circulating Bitcoin supply.

Reacting on Reddit, users subsequently lambasted the exchange over the move, which appeared to involve over one hundred “non-multisig, non-SegWit” addresses.


Source:  https://bitcoinist.com/bitcoin-proof-of-keys-btc-off-exchanges/

If you look at the latest activity on Localbitcoins, there has been a large spike in recent days from both Argentina and Venezuela buying bitcoins. Both these troubled Latin American countries have displayed a steady increase in buying cryptocurrency due to rising inflation and troubled economies. But is the sudden uptick evidence of the two countries buying the dip?

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN VENEZUELA?

Looking at the charts, one of the first things you notice is that bitcoin purchases in Venezuela didn’t really begin in earnest until the second quarter of this year. Since April of 2018, the volume has increased from around 17 million to over 3 billion for the second week of December 2018, where it rises astronomically.


This likely indicates a lack of knowledge, trust or means to purchase virtual currency. But as the economic situation has worsened and the government devalued the national currency by 95 percent from one day to the next, more and more Venezuelans are looking to shield their wealth.

Bitcoinist spoke to Eugenia Alcalá Sucre who founded Dash Venezuela earlier this year and she explained the many problems in Venezuela that prohibit them using their national currency. Not only is its value almost entirely wiped out from one day to the next but there is a limit to the amount you can take out of machines and a scarcity of notes. She said:

   Bills are really, really scarce. You go to the bank and they only give you a little amount. They have limits. Even though you have
   the money in the bank you can’t take it out.

Venezuela is one of the most important countries for Dash cryptocurrency acceptance, with more than 2,500 merchants taking it including KFC.

While the western world is in panic at the crashing crypto market, for Venezuelans, it’s still a better option than their national coin. They’ve been using bitcoin (BTC) $3481.80 -0.4% to shield their wealth despite the value going down.

VOLUME KEEPS RISING

However, the recent spike on Localbitcoins could indicate that more people are getting in as a lower price makes buying bitcoins more accessible.

Bitcoinist spoke to Rodrigo Marques CEO of Latin America’s largest crypto company and bitcoin investing platform Atlas Quantum. He said:

   Look at the countries in Latin America, especially Venezuela and Argentina. It’s very hard for people to move money outside of
   these countries and people see bitcoin as a way to protect their investments. So it’s not just a matter of it’s faster and more stable,
   but making it possible for some people in some place to actually hold on to what they own, protecting their wealth.

A LOOK AT ARGENTINA

Argentina is in a similar situation, and Bitcoinist has been reporting on how Argentinians are using cryptocurrency to protect their wealth from inflation.

Reports of easing regulation could also see as many as 4,000 bitcoin ATMs in Argentina go online in the near future. However, the number currently still stands at two. According to Reuters, though, this is expected to rise to 30 by the end of the year.

Argentina is not undergoing a humanitarian crisis the likes of Venezuela. However, it is no stranger to inflation, which can almost be defined as hyperinflation since it is expected to reach 40 percent by the end of the year.

Moreover, the Argentine peso has lost more than 50 percent of its value against the dollar in 2018 alone. This makes it extremely hard for Argentinians to buy outside goods, to leave the country, or to protect their wealth.

Unlike Venezuela that is relatively new to cryptocurrencies, Argentina has demonstrated a longer history of buying bitcoins. Like Venezuela, though, it looks as if the dip of the week of November 24 when bitcoin was over $4,000 and the psychological barrier to it falling well under $4,000 now has encouraged more to jump on the bandwagon.


ARE ARGENTINA AND VENEZUELA BUYING THE DIP?

Are Argentina and Venezuela buying the dip? It’s possible. However, the uptick also appears to coincide with the most influential Bitcoin and Blockchain conference in Latin America held on December 6 in Santiago Chile, LA Bit Conf. As we’ve seen, trading volumes of bitcoin tend to rally upon an event or announcement.

https://twitter.com/lingzh1220/status/1071770449435127809/photo/1

https://twitter.com/lingzh1220/status/1071770449435127809

Moreover, Chile despite a much lower volume of trading in the first week of December, also saw a huge uptick that coincides with the event.


Source:  https://bitcoinist.com/venezuela-argentina-buy-bitcoin-dip/

Diehards: Bitcoin (BTC), Crypto Slump Is Just A Bump

Since Bitcoin (BTC)’s first day on the block, if you will, there have been a number of diehard decentralists that have seen immense value in the world’s first blockchain network. And while much has changed since the launch of the project, originally headed by pseudonymous coder Satoshi Nakamoto, with the crypto industry seeing sweeping market cycles, zealous believers in this decade-old innovation haven’t faltered in their belief.

In a testament to this undying belief, at the Bloomberg Crypto Summit on Friday, a number of crypto-centric panelists and presenters doubled-down on their affection towards cryptocurrencies and related technologies.  Speaking on-stage, James Bevan, chief investment officer at CCLA Investment Management, a long-term return-focused consortium, touched on crypto’s recent collapse, which skeptics say is a precursor to a Bitcoin “death spiral.”

Bevan, who once lauded Bitcoin (BTC) as pertinent in the future of global transactions, said the following:

   “I don’t regard this as an existential crisis, I just regard it as a bump in the road and institutional investors have had plenty of
   bumps in the road in conventional currencies and transaction systems.”

Speaking with the Independent U.K., Angel Versetti, CEO of Ambrosus, echoed this sentiment that this is far from the end for cryptocurrencies. In an interview, the blockchain startup chief claimed that while many lambast cryptocurrencies for being in a Dotcom-esque bubble, this is far from the case. In fact, Versetti noted that he “doesn’t believe [that] we are, or were, anywhere close to a bubble with cryptocurrency.” The CEO of the blockchain upstart then added that the arrival of hotshot institutional players, who he dubbed “bankers” and “financiers,” indicates that the industry’s first bonafide bubble is still on the horizon, rather than in the present.

Attributing a figure to his call for an eventual bubble, the Ambrosus chief exclaimed that an eventual $15 to $20 trillion U.S. dollar market capitalization for all crypto assets is within the realm of possibility.

“I Can See A Huge [Stablecoin] Expansion”

After Bevan made his comments, other industry insiders also discussed stablecoins, a growing subset of cryptocurrencies that are aimed at more conservative investors — namely, institutions.

In recent months, a number of stablecoins have hit the market, with even Coinbase and Circle joining the fray. Keeping in mind that these new cryptocurrencies often are lauded as better than Tether (USDT), coupled with the recent downturn in Bitcoin, stablecoins recently saw an influx of buying pressure, as traders sought solace.

As noted by CoinDesk’s market analysis team, three USDT competitors, TrueUSD, USD Coin, and the Paxos Standard, recently entered the crypto Top 30, finding themselves around a ~$190 million market capitalization.

https://twitter.com/CoinDeskMarkets/status/1071149346643738629

And interestingly, Lewis Fellas, the chief investment officer a British crypto fund Bletchley Park, believes that this growing stablecoin dominance is only slated to continue moving forward, despite the fears regarding Tether and Bitfinex. Fellas explained that there are purportedly 120 stablecoin-centric projects, but this subindustry is still in the “early innings of the proliferation.” The CIO added that he sees “huge expansion” potential, presumably referencing the institutional penchant for this form of cryptocurrency, which is just like a digitized dollar with blockchain values.

The conference attendees also touched on regulation in Bitcoin markets, claiming that it will become a growing facet of this industry henceforth. Although some lauded regulation as a good thing for crypto entrepreneurs, Ryan Radloff, CEO at CoinShares, exclaimed that government intervention could pose challenges, especially if there are discrepancies between crypto-friendly nations, many of which are economically small, and Western powerhouses.

Yet, Marieke Flament, the global chief of marketing at Boston-based Circle, claimed that it is necessary for larger countries to lay a path for cryptocurrency regulation, instead of leaving nations to play a never-ending waiting game.


Source:  ETHEREUMWORLDNEWS

The Bitcoin and Blockchain jobs industry is booming despite price deflation, a new survey from Glassdoor has revealed.

1775 BITCOIN, BLOCKCHAIN JOBS IN AUGUST

The findings, which originally appeared in mid-October, covered an 18-month period from April 2017 through August 2018.

In that time, the number of job openings “related” to both Bitcoin and Blockchain grew almost every month – even as the Bitcoin price began to fall after December last year.

Most came from cryptocurrency names, with Ethereum cofounder Joseph Lubin’s ConsenSys and exchange Coinbase among the top players.


Contrary to expectations, as of August 2018, there were more vacancies in the two sectors than ever before, even as BTC/USD $4070.00 +1.55% fell lower and lower.

“As more employers become interested and invest in the technology, the professionalization of the space has accelerated as well,” Glassdoor researchers wrote expounding the data.

Cryptocurrency prices began rising across the board around May 2017. In that month, just 234 jobs were on offer in the US.

Fast forward a year and a half and the Bitcoin price was circling $6500 – around three times higher – yet the number of jobs had multiplied well beyond that figure, reaching 1775 this August.

Glassdoor also lists the top markets for the job openings with New York City and Silicon Valley (unsurprisingly) in the top three.


RAPID GROWTH ‘SET TO CONTINUE’

“The surge in open jobs has well outpaced the 200 percent increase in value that cryptocurrencies have undergone since August 2017,” Glassdoor noted.

  "Despite the price volatility over the last year, continued growth in job openings suggests that blockchain employers remain
   confident in the market opportunity and continue to make long-term investments in their teams.

The survey was not the only one to identify the increasing trend. In September, analysts found the number of Asian opportunities had increased 50 percent since 2017.

Going forward, despite the blockchain industry, in particular, attracting mixed publicity recently, its longer-term growth seems somewhat more assured, says Glassdoor, adding:

  "While the ultimate staying power of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies remains to be seen, the blockchain job market
   seems primed to continue its rapid growth into the near future.


Source:  BITCOINIST

I think it's so extremely unlikely for Ethereum price to dive low. $70 is too much low and I think Vitalik Buterin will react if that happened.

Bitcoin (BTC), as well as the crypto market, experienced a free fall in mid-November. The value of the coin declined massively below the $6,000, $5,000, and $4,000 levels down to the $3,400 level. The decline in the value of Bitcoin and other digital currencies continued for several days. However, the digital currency started a slight recovery towards the end of November.

Bitcoin (BTC), which was trading below the $3,500 mark, surged higher and broke over the $4,000 level. The digital currency even saw an enormous gain of more than 15 percent in less than 24 hours. Bitcoin (BTC) surged over the $4,300 level. Unfortunately, the recovery of Bitcoin (BTC) is now on hold.

Bitcoin, after recovering over the $4k level, failed to cross into the new month on that level. Bitcoin (BTC) surrendered almost 50 percent of the gains it amassed during its recovery on the 30th of January.

Has the Digital Currency Market Reached the Bottom?

Analysts at FX Pro Insights – a research firm based in the U.K – said the selling above $4k is near-term traders booking some profits. According to the analyst, the real question is “has the digital currency market reached a bottom?”

A lot of investors and traders are now taking an optimistic approach to the BTC market. The recent decline of Bitcoin (BTC) to the $3,500 mark was also a crucial support to the digital currency. According to the analysts at FX Pro Insights, within this context, it is worth noting that speculators might soon start profiting from this trend, which might result in a new wave of sales.

However, investors and traders in the market are hoping that the market has reached the bottom. Everyone is expecting a sharp recovery in the value of Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital currencies in the market. By this time last year, Bitcoin (BTC) was seeing double-digit gains, heading towards the $20k mark with a full speed.

While the plunges in the market were attributed to a lot of factors, some of those factors have been resolved but the market is yet to recover. The recent declines were attributed to the split and war in the BCH network. Nevertheless, the dust is settled, is yet to recover significantly.

Bitcoin (BTC) Carried the Altcoin Market Along

Bitcoin (BTC) wasn’t the only digital currency affected by the recent plunges. The free fall was contagious and almost all digital currencies in the market were affected. Ethereum (ETH) lost more than 38 percent of its value to the massive plunge in the market.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH), a culprit of the market crash, was also greatly affected. The digital currency has lost more than 58 percent of its value after the split on its network. XRP (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), EOS, and other digital currencies were also affected by the declines.


Source:  SMARTEUM

I will not sell my remaining Bitcoins, instead, I will buy more when it touches the $1000 mark because I believe Bitcoin price will soar high next year.

Yes, Bitcoin might be dropping its current price but is normal in a crypto, but I do not believe Bitcoin is useless, he's still the king and will remain the number one.

   
PetroDollar (XPD) is being traded at Cryptopia, YoBit, Novaexchange, and Lykke, so if it's a scam could you provide proof and/or evidence or whatever to support your statement?

 

At the time of writing, Centaure (CEN) is up by 129.78% and it's trading at $0.001028 today according to coinmarketcap.com. Do you think this coin is worth investing even if it's market cap and circulating supply is unknown?

I honor your opinion, mate. But I think even if there were lots of altcoins and lots erc20 tokens being released every day in the market, it has nothing to do with the price of Bitcoin and/or Ethereum. What I know is that the price of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other coins (including tokens) are determined by supply and demand in the market where they're being traded.

Hello, Sylon, I am leaving the signature campaign please kindly save my stakes if there any. Thanks.

Hello, OP! Where's your ANN thread URL? Also, could you please clarify what you mean by, "50 BTC Worth Giveaways" in your subject? Are you going to pay in Bitcoin or, it's just a HYPE?

I know this is a bit early, but I'd like to know if KYC is required to receive payment? Thanks.

Hi! Can you give me their Telegram URL? Thanks.

Very interesting indeed! Guys, let's support this project, I consider it an opportunity. Who knows this may be the next Bitcoin.

Yes. Lots of companies are now using blockchain technology. As an example, "Shipment tracking is just one application of blockchain without cryptocurrencies that has potential in transportation and logistics." https://www.freightwaves.com/news/blockchain/blockchain-without-cryptocurrencies

If I have to choose between ETH and  XRP, I will choose the XRP. I like Ripple's XRP, it's very easy to make money with it. Ripple Price for today is $0.493058. Its current circulating supply is 39,935,410,492 XRP with a market capitalization of $19,690,482,865 billion USD at the time of writing.

About Ripple (XRP)

Ripple is a real-time currency exchange and remittance network created by Ripple Labs Inc and XRP is the token used for representing the transfer of value across the Ripple Network. Ripple coin price has seen unprecedented growth in the last year with a whopping 700% price rise. More and more payment providers are being onboarded based on its consensus mechanism. This does not, however, make it blockchain. Ripple uses HashTree, which is a persistent data structure, to summarize data compared across a network of validating servers to establish this 'consensus'. The key point to remember is that these servers can belong to anyone, from an individual to the banks themselves. Ripple uses this “distributed consensus ledger” in lieu of blockchain technology. Read more here to learn about what is Ripple, it's benefits and indicative return on investment.

If no one will support the ICOs it will die, and as a result, no more ANNs and Bounties can be found here in the forum, is it what you want? The reason why so many people come here is to find ICO projects or bounties to join to make money. Now, when no one will support these ICOs they will fail, and therefore, participants like you and me since we're supporting them as it's clear in our signature will never receive rewards in terms of token because they don't have funds to pay us.

It's the opposite, I think. The impact of the massive ICO cashout or sell-off causes the Ethereum to crash. Well, as we know, almost all ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) that were launched feature ERC20 tokens. Lots of investors who purchased tokens from ICO sales are worried about the crypto market situation, as a result, they sell their tokens too early so this has caused a lot of pressure on the market.