London, January 12, 2016 – BlockchainBriefing, the world’s leading distributed ledger technology information and news portal, is this week launching ChainHQ, a searchable database which tracks and compiles the latest company and blockchain technology developments. This subscriber-only portal provides essential intelligence on which solutions are receiving investment, emerging sector leaders, challengers and the legal context to ledger technology.

http://www.newsbtc.com/2016/01/14/launch-of-chainhq-the-worlds-first-searchable-database-of-blockchain-investments-and-market-developments-documents-1billion-of-industry-funding/

Amid controversies surrounding the legitimacy of the cryptocurrency exchange Cryptsy and the recent withdrawal issues many users have reported, Silver Law Group, along with the law firm of Wites & Kapetan, P.A., has filed a nationwide class action lawsuit in federal court against Florida-based cryptocurrency exchange operator Cryptsy and its principal, Paul (“Big Vern”) Vernon.

http://www.newsbtc.com/2016/01/14/cryptsy-sued-for-holding-nearly-us5-million-of-user-funds/

It’s an odd question to ask, but progressively, more and more vendors have been allowing the use of Bitcoin in their storefronts.

It’s almost becoming a currency in its own right, and that’s shaking up large portions of the online world. At the 2016 Internet, Media and Telecommunications Conference, Netflix’s chief financial officer David Wells had some unexpected things to say about Bitcoin, and many of these were complimentary in nature.



http://paymentweek.com/2016-1-14-will-netflix-be-taking-bitcoin-payments-soon-9377/

Fintech startup Freemit is about to launch the next generation of money transfer.
“Money when you need it, anywhere, in any currency, from anyone, in seconds, NO fees,” states the Freemit website in simple and very disruptive terms. “Send, spend and get money anywhere in seconds. Skip the bank with our Bitcoin-powered exchange and pay no fees, ever.”
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/freemit-wants-to-make-global-money-transfer-free-using-bitcoin-infrastructure-1452793094

One of the longest-standing questions in the Bitcoin community has been where the technology will take off first. Some have said that Bitcoin makes much more sense in the developing world, while others claim developed nations like the United States have the sort of tech savvy and wealthy population necessary to give this new technology a boost.


https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/snapcard-ceo-will-be-a-humongous-year-for-bitcoin-in-brazil-1452787456

Blockchain startups investor Coinsilium is adding to its portfolio of investments by bringing in a total investment of $100,000 in smart-contracts-innovator Rootstock during the latter’s initial seed round.

Coinsilium, a London-based blockchain technology investor known for supporting blockchain-based startups during their early stages has announced its latest investment in a regulatory announcement today for investors. As recently as Christmas Eve 2015, the company started trading on the ISDX Growth Market in London.

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/coinsilium-investment-rootstock/

Adding to publicity issues experienced by the digital currency exchange Crypsy, Silver Law Group along with Wites & Kapetan, P.A. have filed a nationwide class action lawsuit in federal court against and it’s principal, Paul “Big Vern” Vernon.

Over the past several months Cryptsy account holders have claimed that they’ve been denied access to their accounts and have been unable to protect or control their assets.

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/class-action-lawsuit-filed-cryptsy/

Although the 4-hour chart is, technically, turning bearish there is no well defined xbt.social sell signal in either the 4-hour or 1-hour chart.

Based on the two grey trendlines defining upper and lower range boundaries, we may get a period of sideways movement – ranging between the bottom boundary and the resistance ceiling.

The first wave down from the 8th January high was complex. A typical B-wave then set up the price drop and the last wave down is not as complex as the first wave down from the 8 January high. For this reason additional lows seem likely: if only to complete the downward C-wave with a final 5th subwave.

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-price-more-sideways/

Extensive use of bitcoins and other virtual currencies could pose a threat to the state's financial stability unless restricted, Russia's Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Bitcoin, a popular virtual web-based currency, has appreciated against the Russian ruble, rising in value from approximately 30,000 rubles ($392) to almost 33,000 rubles by mid-January, according to CoinDesk. Its value remains volatile against most currencies.

http://sputniknews.com/business/20160114/1033148273/bitcoin-financial-stability.html

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Releasing or trading in the cybercurrency bitcoins may become a crime in Russia, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, said Thursday.

Liberland
© PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS
Liberland: Country of Bitcoin, Utopian Tax-Free Haven
“Criminal responsibility for the release of or trading in monetary surrogates, which are not considered under the law as a method of payment, has been directed to the interested bodies in cooperation with the Investigative Committee,” Bastrykin said.

http://sputniknews.com/business/20160114/1033125885/bitcoins-russia-crime.html

Bitcoin’s history is a fascinating story unparalleled in the worlds of tech and finance for its colorful characters, mystery and intrigue.

Banks are urged to get in the blockchain game and gain experience quickly by developing a set of projects and proof of concept tests. They should also be willing to fail quickly, understand the range of possibilities and place strategic bets.

http://www.paymentssource.com/news/paythink/blockchain-disruption-of-banking-has-already-begun-3023245-1.html

In just eight years, Bitcoin and the idea of “virtual currency” have gained acceptance and use both online and in the physical world. Spread by word of mouth and other “viral” means, decentralized virtual currencies have gone from a mere thought experiment to a tangible economic reality.

Today, one can use Bitcoin or other currencies not backed by the U.S. government to buy physical goods and services and online services. Established companies, such as Dell, DISH Network, Microsoft, and Papa John’s Pizza, all accept Bitcoin payments.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/265595-bitcoin-other-alt-currencies-offer-more-choices-for

PayPal was the hot new thing in payments when it launched in 1998, but in the era of digital currency, crowdfunding, micro-crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer lending, most people no longer see the company that way. So its newest board appointment is an effort to embrace the new landscape in digital payments.

To that end, PayPal (PYPL) has named Wences Casares to its board of directors, the company announced on Wednesday. Casares is founder and CEO of Xapo, a wallet provider for the digital currency bitcoin, and before Xapo he founded Lemon, another digital wallet company. He is an unusual addition to a board that includes executives from AT&T (T), the American Red Cross, Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN), and eBay (EBAY) cofounder Pierre Omidyar.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/here-s-a-sign-that-paypal-is-embracing-bitcoin-220129913.html

Blockchain technology emerged as one of the hottest subjects of 2015, as major banks, corporations and even governments began to weigh in on the technology that makes bitcoin work.

Pete Harris, Principal at Lighthouse Partners, answers some key questions about blockchain and where it is headed this year.

http://www.itproportal.com/2016/01/14/blockchain-in-2016-what-it-enterprises-need-to-know/

CoinDesk, one of the leading bitcoin news sites, has been acquired by Digital Currency Group according to a post on the company’s site. A source close to CoinDesk tells TechCrunch the price of the deal was around $500-600k.

The bitcoin news site, which launched in 2013, had raised around $2 million in undisclosed funding from investors and according to our source had been trying to sell for months, aiming to find a buyer for a price more in the $800k-$1M range.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/01/13/coindesk-acquired-by-digital-currency-group/

Former core developer and one of Bitcoin’s earliest advocates Mike Hearn has left the Bitcoin space entirely after talking of a crisis of the core system, “the block chain itself,” as he calls it and sees a price collapse in the future.

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/mike-hearn-says-bitcoin-has-failed-and-sees-a-price-plunge-in-the-future/

January 15, 2016: 
While some experts in the international banking industry fear the “Uber moment” as advanced technologies disrupt the conventional ways in the finance sector, that moment might not arrive very soon for the Vietnam’s infant fintech sector.

That said, fintech is still one of the hottest investment trends for startups in the country with total transaction value in the fintech market estimated to reach over $2.9 billion in 2015; and is projected to reach  $7.8 billion by 2020.

http://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/vietnam-poses-long-term-opportunities-from-nascent-fintech-industry-26913/

Just 25 km south of Zurich, Switzerland, is a small and picturesque town named Zug. At least 15 businesses in the industry, including Xapo, Monetas, Ethereum, and ShapeShift have made “CryptoValley Zug” their home.

It’s not too hard to see why. Zug is breathtakingly beautiful, is easy for foreigners to move to, has low taxes, a tradition of privacy, some of the world’s best regulations for FinTech, and a great support community of FinTech businesses that help each other out at meetup groups and conferences in the area.



http://bravenewcoin.com/news/cryptovalley-zug-well-positioned-to-become-the-silicon-valley-of-finance-in-europe/

Every now and then, an interesting topic regarding the adoption rate of Bitcoin is posted on Reddit. One user was wondering whether or not installing a Bitcoin ATM at his shop would increase the foot traffic. Due to the low adoption rate of the digital currency, this may not be the best idea, even when you are not necessarily looking to make a profit.

http://themerkle.com/news/why-you-should-considering-installing-a-bitcoin-atm-at-a-retail-location/

The illusion of the U.S. Dollar’s intrepid strength is a false indicator that the American media has been trumpeting since late 2013. It is an indication of its value relative to other fiat currencies like the Euro and Japanese Yen. Kind of like a battle for which debt-based bearer bond is the best at losing value the slowest. Well, CNBC has published an admission piece on how Bitcoin’s dollar price shames the world’s reserve currency in a battle of relative strength for 2015.

Eric Rosenbaum’s article has an odd post-mortum twinge to it, starting off with “The U.S. dollar has had a nice run.” Plenty were saying that about Bitcoin’s value at the end of 2013, no? Even so, U.S. Dollar index value has risen almost 10%, which sounds impressive enough. Yet, Bitcoin over the same period is up over 40%, which is somewhat misleading, at that. Bitcoin value hadn’t finished recovering from the Mt. God bubble/collapse, and dropped to under $180 in midJanuary, from over $300 USD at the start of the year. Bitcoin is up well over 100% since its darkest days, which is not mentioned in the piece.

http://www.newsbtc.com/2015/12/30/28290/