2015 will be remembered as the year bitcoin and its blockchain entered the mainstream, penetrating the highest levels of the global financial system, the arts, and social media, even what at the moment is known as the internet itself, but at what cost will this be as we move forward to its core principle of decentralisation?

Bitcoin first appeared on the scene after the height of the global financial crisis in 2009 as an experimental alternative to the current system of central banking. This was the first time in history people could send value worldwide instantly, practically free without having to trust a third party and everything verifiable on its public blockchain all which is self-regulatory.

This was free from all governments control and no corporate entity was holding power, the new trust was not to pay the bearer but instead in mathematics.

Since my venture into the rabbit hole of the bitcoin world in 2012 I have been astounded to see that even the most intelligent of people believed paper money was still backed by gold and that the banks were here to provide us with a service and protect our savings and investments from thieves.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/115859/bitcoin-blockchain-banks-and-the-future-of-decentralisation

In the era of social networks where people share freely everything from the content of their dinner plates to the mood they are in for the world to see instantly, dotcom/mobile entrepreneur and Bitcoin angel investor Alistair Milne has spotted a wide open gap in the market and plans to bring it to the mainstream.

The site Sato.sh was created as a direct result of the growing success and flexibility of Bitcoin. The digital currency has enabled people to reward anyone with any amount, anywhere around the globe and Sato which the owners prefer to call it is ready to trial this concept to the world.

Sato rewards anyone posting content, proportionally to its popularity.

Initially, fractions of Bitcoin will be awarded based on the positive feedback from other users. Later on, additional payments will be paid proportional to the traffic generated by the owner of content posted.

Their aim is to convert advertising dollars into bitcoins and distribute them to all users that contribute to their success. They hope Sato.sh will be the easiest way for someone to earn bitcoins without requiring any investment or access to banking.

To get the ball rolling with a minimum viable product, the site will be paying 4 ‘bits’ (0.000004 BTC) for every upvote received by a post on their site.

They are hoping that these will quickly add up, with 1000 upvotes being worth $1.1. The reward per vote will be subject to change due to Bitcoin’s price volatility.

Assuming they get traction early on, which I have no doubt will happen, they will fundraise so that the founders can expand the team and develop mobile applications and new features for the site quickly.

The plan is to then play with a few ideas they have to allow people to spend bitcoin to promote sites/services/news on Sato.sh and perhaps integrate more traditional advertising to earn us  $/£/€ which we will use to buy bitcoin.

Once this income exceeds what we are paying out for up votes, we will be able to distribute additional bitcoin ‘dividends’ to users who have posted content which has generated revenue.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114988/satosh-the-new-website-that-pays-you-in-bitcoin-to-share-your-content

Bitcoin ATM operator SatoshiPoint is now backed by two experienced Angel investors, including Alistair Milne (an investor in several Bitcoin startups and manager of the Altana Digital Currency Fund).

The financing will fund the expansion plans of SatoshiPoint and further extend its capabilities, allowing individuals to buy and sell Bitcoin at more locations and digitally online in larger quantities.

Largest network of Bitcoin ATMs in the UK

Already operating the largest network of Bitcoin ATMs in the United Kingdom with current locations in Oxford St, Old Street Underground, Manchester, Bristol and Swansea, the company is en-route to be one of the largest Bitcoin ATM networks in the world. This investment has allowed SatoshiPoint to purchase 7 new Bitcoin ATMs. These new ATMs are one way and bi-directional, enabling both the buying and selling of Bitcoin.

5 brand new locations have been confirmed and will be installed at:

JonesTown Bethnal Green E2 6AB  http://www.jonestown.co.uk/

Fuckoffee Bermondsey  SE1 3UW   http://fuckoffee.co.uk/

Mr Snappy’s Camden Town NW1 8AH  http://mr-snappys.com/

Holborn News Holborn WC1V 7DX  http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1244/6452.php

The Silver Bullet Finsbury Park N4 2DH http://www.thesilverbullet.co.uk/

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114848/satoshipoint-backed-by-2-angel-investors

Ten years ago a financial technology event of this global scale taking place in Belfast Northern Ireland wasn’t even seen as a reality. Yet from Sunday we have saw the leading members of the FinTech industry descend on a mass scale to the city from all corners on the world.

MoneyConf is the sister event of the world renowned Web Summit which has been held in Dublin over the last four years and organised by founder Paddy Cosgrave. The attendance has grown from an initial 400 to last year’s staggering 20,000 in attendance.

Beginning on Monday morning the sun beamed down over the North of Ireland as Paddy Cosgrave gave his opening speech at the T13 which is where the event was held in the Titanic Quarter area of the city.

It was a defining moment for Belfast as a global competitor base in the Financial Technology arena as the city was showcased to attendees from all around the globe and some of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs. FDi Markets, a service from the Financial Times, ranked Belfast as the Number 1 city globally for Fintech investment.

Leading figures from the traditional financial world including Visa, PayPal, Western Union, Santander, MasterCard and American Express as well as representatives from numerous banking institutions were all in attendance in what has been dubbed the “Glastonbury for nerds.”

Then from the digital currency industry there was a superstar line up of speakers including the CEO and co-founder of Bitpay Stephen Pair, Nicholas Cary co-founder of Blockchain, Charlie Lee founder of Litecoin, Koinify founder Tom Ding, Elliptic COO Tom Robinson and Patrick Murck from the Bitcoin Foundation to name but a few.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114581/belfast-hosts-global-fintech-industry-at-monyconf-2015

Hello crazyearner and thanks for asking!

Our 1st meet-up went really well, we had a small but very interestingly diverse group of thirteen attendees ranging from an age group of early 20's to the mid 60's, coming from a variey of industries such as the classical arts to prominent memebers of the animation industry. I would like to thank Boden Park Coffee Co. for giving us a base to hold this, all the attendees who came and our sponsors who without this event wouldn't have been possible!

The theme for the meet-up was "The Basics" where i prepared a slideshow on the basics of Bitcoin, what it is to different people (currency, asset, protocol etc), its comparisons with money (unit of account, store of value, a medium of exchange), a look under the hood of the protocol, the different types of wallets, how to do transactions and finished on the basics of the potential of the Blockchain.

Even though all the attendees were early adopters from 2012/2013 they all said they learned something new.

We are working on the next meet-up which will be a casual one where we will organise a core group to collaborate together and decide on the best way forward for BANI in educating, promoting and creating a digital currency ecosystem in the province.

I will keep you all updated here on future plans and meet-ups as well at my Twitter account @theirishdivil and through the usual Reddit and Facebook channels we use.

You'll can view some photos here under the news section crazyearner...

http://www.bani.org.uk

I agree with you on everything there Mr Crabs except whether their on our sides or against! When has the government ever done anything for the people that's not in the interests of the banking and big corporations industry first and foremost?

Bitcoin and the Blockchain are self regulatory and it was the decentralized concept that brought it to were it is today. Governments trying to take control of this through regulations will only give us more of the same old faces wearing new suits, and will only bring about more of what we already have which is clearly broken and can't be fixed!

While it seems from the outside looking in that the Bank of England, The United Kingdom Government and Her Majesty’s Treasury are pro digital currencies, just what direction are they really going in and at what cost will their final decisions have for the decentralised concept the protocol was designed for.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114454/bank-of-england-hmt-uk-gov-the-future-of-the-digital-currency-industry-in-great-britain-

Wishing the Non-Profit Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland all the best at their 1st regional meetup tomorrow afternoon in Boden Park Coffee Co Belfast!

We have had a very successful launch so far with CoinTelegraph UK which has a main focus on covering the latest and breaking news, interviews, breakthroughs and analysis with emphasis on expert opinion and commentary from the digital currency community throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

CoinTelegraph UK is a completely independent publication covering cryptocurrency, the Blockchain, decentralized applications, the internet of finance and the next gen web.

The CoinTelegraph Media Group who we are partnered with is the largest international cryptocurrency-related marketing and advertising agency in the world.

With over 100 satisfied partners, 1000 sign ups, 3,000 daily activity shares, 60,000 unique visitors per day and a staggering 300,000 page views per day it is an obvious choice get your business noticed by people interested in the crypto industry.

We now for the first time have a major crypto based publication focusing solely on the digital currency industry in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which will give businesses who just want to target this specific audience the perfect platform from which to do so.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114301/advertise-get-the-best-coverage-for-your-business-with-cointelegraph-uk

While there are already online businesses based in Northern Ireland accepting Bitcoin, we have only recently had our first brick and mortar based company announce that it accepts the digital currency for its products. This will hopefully be like the stone that’s thrown into the sea and will cause a ripple effect throughout the province.

Boden Park Coffee Company based on the corner of the Ormeau bakery building on the Ormeau Road has a remarkably forward thinking owner. They saw Bitcoin and the potential it has for businesses in reducing credit card fees, eliminating fraud, chargebacks and double spending, all of which has a direct financial impact on a business’s profits.

With twenty five per cent of their customer base using a credit card to pay for their goods at a charge of between 2% and 4% to the merchant I find it fascinating that more small businesses aren’t jumping at the chance to sign up and accept Bitcoin.

Then with banks now charging for businesses to lodge cash deposits the costs in dealing with traditional currencies is becoming more and more expensive.

The owner Orla McKeating seems to have been well aware of the digital era we have zoomed into at the speed of light from the beginning with her business, and has the coffee shop adapted accordingly.

There is free Wi-Fi available and all seating areas have USB docks fitted to keep your smart phone or tablet fully charged, so you can work away online while drinking from their delicious selection of coffee and indulging in one of the freshly baked food products, all of which have a first class rating on sites such as Tripadviser.

They are not only the first brick and mortar business to accept Bitcoin, but are also the owners of the first exchange terminal in Northern Ireland that lets those wanting to purchase some Bitcoin able to do so in as simple a manner as sending a text message.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114234/boden-park-coffee-co-belfast-now-accepting-selling-bitcoin

Hi indiemax if you click the link to the rest of article it states that the UK banks are not crypto friendly...

I reached out to one of the co-founders Roman for his take on this exciting new exchange and their future plans and here is what he had to say:

“We are hoping to find a UK bank that would open accounts to a Bitcoin exchange. We have not been successful so far but I hope we will eventually become one of the first exchanges to offer Pound Sterling domestic transfers. In the meantime, we are working on introducing instant Euro bank transfers and international cash deposits. And with our next release in June we will also present our “Quick Buy/Sell” interface that will allow you to simply enter amount, get a quote and buy or sell instantly for previously confirmed price.”

CoinMate is the latest and most innovative Bitcoin exchange to register and launch in the United Kingdom after a successful beta trial from November of 2014 in the Czech Republic. This may be a new company but the guys behind this operation have had very successful past experiences in the industry and you could call them old hands.

The company team of five consists of two founders, two developers and a customer representative coming from various backgrounds such as top-notch financiers, traders and developers. CoinMate is just one of two complimentary platforms this group of individuals are involved in.

The co-founders Roman and Daniel have been involved in the digital currency space from nearly the beginning, starting of as miners and early investors they are step by step moving deeper into the industry.

They already have a regulated company in the Czech Republic for financial services and have plenty of experience in the payment services industry having previously developed a payment system platform for the traditional finance sector.

What has drawn them to establish a company in the United Kingdom is that the UK has always been seen as a financial hub in Europe and has been the most pro-active country in the world in regards to setting guidelines for the crypto industry in areas like VAT where transactions have been officially declared exempt from Value Added Tax and a regulatory framework is in the process.


http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114204/coinmateio-bitcoin-trading-made-simple-makes-crypto-friendly-uk-its-base

It is exciting times in N.Ireland in regards to Bitcoin at the moment with the first upmarket coffee shop in Belfast starting to accept Bitcoin, the arrival of the first exchange terminal making purchasing the currency as easy as sending a text message and the Non-Profit Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland holding its first regional meet-up in Belfast on the 28th of May.

Bitcoin in the North of Ireland had been lagging behind the rest of the United Kingdom and Ireland in regards to education, promotion and adoption in the past, although that all seems to have changed in the last few months.

The Non-Profit Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland was founded by me in November of 2014 after a previous six months of preparation in getting an official non-profit status registered.

Since then I have been amazed at the amount of support I have encountered here in regards to digital currencies and having an organisation specifically focusing on education, promotion and adoption.

The mainstream press here especially the Belfast Telegraph has been covering Bitcoin related news in a fair, truthful and transparent manner which has been a brilliant help.

There are numerous start-up businesses which are all Bitcoin related that I know of registered and soon to be launched throughout the year, and with the announcement of Fidor Bank opening in the UK things couldn’t be looking any better.

There is even some speculating that N.Ireland could be the Hong Kong of Bitcoin when the corporation tax cut to 12.5% takes place, leaving us with a worldwide advantage as a base for new businesses and with it much needed employment.

This would leave the North of Ireland with the lowest corporation tax rate in the United Kingdom which is currently at 21%. Include this with having the most crypto friendly environment in the world and you have a recipe for success.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114173/could-northern-ireland-be-the-hong-kong-of-bitcoin

Northern Ireland is an interesting region to keep an eye on in terms of Bitcoin and digital currency adoption.  Not only does Northern Ireland have its very own Bitcoin Foundation chapter – a non-profit called Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland – but, they are also planning to host their very first event in the near future.

Spreading the word on Bitcoin and blockchain technology in a country such as Northern Ireland has been in the making for quite some time.  One could even go as far as saying that Northern Ireland is the “odd one out” as far as the United Kingdom is concerned.  But, that doesn’t make its inhabitants less proud of what they do and how they may appear to be different from the rest of the UK.

And with that way of life comes the adoption of innovative technologies into your everyday routine. Bitcoin Association Northern Ireland want to bring Bitcoin and digital currency to the masses and aim to organize monthly meetups, in order to do so.  Speaking of which, their first monthly meetup will be on May 28th at Boden Park Coffee Company Ltd. in Belfast.  The meetup takes place between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM local time.

http://digitalmoneytimes.com/crypto-news/bitcoin-association-northern-ireland-to-hold-first-monthly-meetup-soon/

I had deleted my post kfarrelly but seeing as your as still spewing bullshit i shall reveal the truth and if necessary proof!

You sent the cops to my family home which i believe is beneath contempt as you wanted an article stating FACTS took offline. I am not the only one has reported this information online and is there for all to see!

This was after you sent a defamation email against myself to my boss (which my lawyer and I are in receipt off) to try and get me the sack and get the article removed which didn't work either stating I had links to terrorist groups and had threatened you with them which you had proof off, WHERE IS THIS PROOF?

This was all without foundation as there were no links or proof of any threats to provide WHICH IS WHY THE ARTICLE IS STILL UP!

To claim hate crime which police said it wasn't is rich coming from supporters of apartheid!

You also claimed in the email you were a Catholic deacon, that is deception you know?

As to your online claim of being involved with me for several months, the police were provided with the 1st contact date and the last which was a total of 10 weeks and 2 days!

This imaginary group of several people you said i was involved with in your group was also proved to be lies as was the claim i asked to leave and go with another business venture and could i come back it if didn't work out.

If i provide the real proof as to why i pulled away, you will have the cops back at my door but if i have to i will!

As to claiming i put the lifes of 3 year olds in danger, it isn't me who is using them as a shield to protect me from my operations and who really benefits from them!

If being involved with Bitcoin from 2012 is being a "Bitcoin Newbie" I'm so sorry i can't claim like you did that as an employee of GCHQ you were asked to investigate Bitcoin in 2010.

Your reputation is in shatters because of all your lies and deceit and instead of praying for me why don't you practice what you claim to believe in and gain some credibility back by telling the truth!

We are delighted to announce after many months of hard work behind the scenes, the 1st of our regional monthly meet-ups on the 28th of May 2015 at Boden Park Coffee Company Ormeau Road, Belfast, County Antrim BT7 3GN, between 6:30pm & 8:30pm.

I would like to thank the owners of Boden Park Coffee Co. for kindly hosting this event.

They are the 1st coffee shop in N.Ireland to accept Bitcoin for their delicious selection of coffee and freshly baked products, as well as hosting the 1st exchange terminal in N.Ireland so anyone can come to the premises and purchase Bitcoin in a simple and efficient manner.

I would also like to thank our sponsors for their support, The Coin Cave is an Irish based exchange for multiple currencies and Bittylicious is a UK based exchange for multiple currencies. Bitcoinmarketingteam.com are an Irish based company specialising in areas of Bitcoin marketing.

Osk&r Juliet Ltd is a design studio based on the north coast of Antrim, N.Ireland. They work with people & businesses to develop ideas from concept through to reality.

Bitpay and Netki are our latest sponsors! BitPay is the largest global bitcoin payment service provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in May 2011 by Anthony - Antonio Gallippi and Stephen Pair, the company has been called the "PayPal of Bitcoin".

BitPay provides payment processing services for more than 50,000 businesses and processed over US $100 million worth of Bitcoin transactions in 2013. In 2014, BitPay started processing $1 million USD daily.

Netki was founded in 2014 to remove barriers to entry for consumers, and help foster mass-market adoption of digital currency. Its Wallet Name Service offers enterprise-grade solutions that allow developers to offer consumer friendly digital currency applications, while still promoting scalability and security

Without you guys this meet-up wouldn't be happening!

In keeping with the true spirit of the decentralized nature of Bitcoin as envisioned by the creator Satoshi Nakamoto, the meet-up is by the people for the people.

As a non-profit organisation we are here to provide a service to the Bitcoin community of N.Ireland with no corporations or any type of entity being in control.

We are strong believers in decentralization and are trying to involve it into everything we do!

The BANI meet-ups are being held to inform people who have an interest in bitcoin, and to give them an opportunity to meet people with a similar interest in the applications of the technology.

For us old hands it is an opportunity to come together and discuss Bitcoin, Blockchain and cryptocurrencies without being told to shut up by the wife (or husband), and for entrepreneurs to network and discuss creating businesses for a Bitcoin ecosystem here with access to free support from global experts in the industry without having to give away half of your business idea for some VC investment.

Also at the meet-up there will be a very important opportunity to discuss and decide on the way forward for Bitcoin in N.Ireland in regards to promotion, education and regulations.

BANI has been asked to be representatives for N.Ireland in the upcoming United Kingdom HMT consultations, and this gives us a perfect opportunity to use our position to fight regulations that will stifle innovation.

Everyone is welcome and we would like to see you there as we begin our journey, as the saying goes there is strength in numbers.

Email if you require further information or just to let us know your attending niallmaye@bani.org.uk

The Future is Bright, The Future is Crypto!

BANI

http://www.bani.org.uK

Hi EMIF! I'm referring to the guys who are behind this operation, I'll reveal more details soon!

Gift Off which specialises in offering gift cards in exchange for over 27 different digital currencies has just this week added another fifty options to their range of over one hundred and eighty gift cards already available, as well as expanding their operations into another few European countries.

They are leading the way in the United Kingdom in regards to making it easier for users to spend their Bitcoins, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Dash as well as over twenty other digital currencies on day to day items.

Some of the names of the big brands they have added to their already impressive portfolio include Argos, House of Frazier and Habitat, as well as some niche stores such as Vape Escape and iSupp to name but a few.

Other new gift card options include names like Next, Moo, GHD, Mitchells & Butlers Dining Out Card, (which can be used at over 1500 locations) AGA Bookshop, All Bar One, Jo Malone and the list just goes on and on.

Adam Cleary who is an investor and non-executive director of the company and also holds the position as a director of the United Kingdom Digital Currency Association said:

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114044/gift-off-uk-adds-fifty-new-gift-cards-to-their-collection-expands-operations-further

Paycoin has to be one of the most controversial cryptocurrencies in the industry to date, filled with promises that never saw the light of day, allegations and revelations that are still unfolding; it has left a sour taste in the mouth of many involved in the crypto sphere.

Mr. Vegetabile who is one of the five directors of the Litecoin Association has been very vocal independently from the Association of Josh Garza, GAW, Coin-Swap and Paycoin in the past, which resulted with Mr. Garza last January calling Andrew out for a public debate which has yet to happen due to Josh looking to change the boundaries as to how this should unfold.

This feud between the two began when Josh Garza purchased the now redundant Coin-Swap crypto exchange and added his own currency to it, which Andrew Vegetabile saw as unethical because of a conflict of interests and publicly demanded Litecoin be removed from the exchange.

This lead to many other coin developers following suit and has just been one of many controversies that has been continually leaking throughout the crypto community in regards to many angles of GAWs operations.

It now looks like we are heading into round three of the saga between these two guys, and The Real Mage has issued a public statement that isn’t vetted, approved nor known about to anyone in the Litecoin Community on Josh Garza/GAW, and reveals he is still up for the live debate.

http://cointelegraph.uk/news/114001/andrew-vegetabile-aka-the-real-mage-calls-on-xpy-community-to-take-their-coin-back-from-gaw-is-still-up-for-live-debate-with-josh-garza-of-paycoin

The UK Government is most definitely pro Bitcoin, if you read the part in the article where the Chief Executive Brian Armstrong is quoted in The Times saying the talks have been ongoing for “at least six months” this would bring us back to at least November of 2014, long before the release of their report during the budget last month.