Yet another Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange has been hacked, losing a 6.7 billion yen (about $60 million worth of cryptocurrency), including 5,966 bitcoins.

The licensed exchange, called Zaif, is operated by the Tech Bureau. It said on Thursday that the exchange first noticed an unusual outflow of funds on the platform around 17:00 Japan time on September 14, after which the company suspended asset deposit and withdrawal services.

Tech Bureau explained that after further investigation, it discovered that hackers with unauthorized access to the exchange's hot wallets had stolen roughly $60 million in bitcoin, bitcoin cash, and MonaCoin. That being said, the exact amount of bitcoin cash stolen remains unknown.

The exchange added that since its own asset reserve is currently around 2.2 billion yen (or $20 million), it has reached an agreement with a Japan-listed firm called Fisco to receive a $44.5 million investment in exchange for a major share of ownership.

Tech Bureau said given the nature of the unauthorized fund access, it has filed the incident as a criminal case to local authorities for further investigation.

The incident marks the second hack in Japan this year, after Coincheck also reported that a whopping $520 million in NEM tokens were stolen by hackers in January.

Following Coincheck's hack, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) – Japan's financial watchdog – has launched a series of inspections on cryptocurrency exchanges in the country regarding their security measures.

The FSA had already notably issued a business improvement order to Tech Bureau in March specifically on its security and anti-money laundering enhancement.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-exchange-zaif-hacked-in-60-million-6000-bitcoin-theft/

I just tried to update the blockchain wallet app in my mi mix 2, but suddenly I get this error

"We are unable to connect to the host to establish a secure connection. Please verify your network connection and device before continuing."

I have a strong internet connection, I can even play a youtube vid with 4k and can download any large files. So I wonder if someone here experiences this, tho I don't have any funds stored there, I only used blockchain for email and push notifications when I sent and received funds.

PS. I already did clear cache but still get the error.

[List of Scam ICO]

All of the ICOs on this list are 100% proven scam. All information, proofs, etc. below came from different contributors to this forum. You can see all the reference/thread links and its archives where the user/s posted their proofs of this scams. All credits belong to these contributors below you should thank them for finding and exposed such fraud ICOs, I just compiled all of them here. This is only for now, based on others work and thus this list cannot be complete since there are too many scam ICOs but I'll try to list most of them here.
And also I just compiled all of scam crypto websites I saw on this board on my site.


List of Scam ICO

Name	Description	Reference	Contributor
abeonacoin.com	Fake ICO team / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
alfacoin.io	FAKE TEAM - Using someone's image with a fake name	Here	ICOEthics
airbon.io	Fake Team / Stealing People's identity	Here	ICOEthics
aizeus.net	Fake Team	Here	morvillz7z
amigocoin.co.uk	Plagiarized Whitepaper	Here	marlboroza
atkcoin.org	Fake Team - Stock Image	Here	morvillz7z
Bitdouble.casino	Fake teams, Identity theft, Stolen content.	Here	morvillz7z
bitmonk.coinmonkey.io	Fake team	Here	Coolcryptovator
bitcoinmax.info	Team picture is scratched,No profile link(real),Fake country	Here	Coolcryptovator
Blockmall.store	Fake team	Here	ICOEthics
blockkonnect.com	Fake team	Here	goldkingcoiner
bitgamecash.io	Fake Team/ stock images and stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
ChangeNow.io	Illegal exchanger from Russia	Here	ni23457
cloecoin.io	FAKE TEAM - Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
cointroops.com	Fake Team/ Stock Images	Here	ICOEthics
crowdif.com	Photoshopped pictures of the team, Ponzi ICO	Here	xtraelv
crowdsale.hamporn.com*	Fake team, Copied whitepaper, Fake business address.	Here	xtraelv
cryptoriya.io	Fake Team	Here	Makkara
darkpicocoin.co	Fake Team / Stock Image	Here	ICOEthics
dcattoken.com	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
dlex.cc	FAKE TEAM / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
dibbs.co	Fake Team/ Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
Digithoth.com	FAKE TEAM / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
dmpico.com	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
dojitoken.io	Fake Team - Using images of a deceased person	Here	ICOEthics
doublediamoncoinico.lantcing.com	Fake Team/ Stock Photos	Here	ICOEthics
dunemining.pro	Stolen content from another project, ripped off whitepaper, no team	Here	morvillz7z
easytradingplatform.com	ICO stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
easywork.life	Fake Team	Here	Be_Happy
egold.trade	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
Elrun.org	Fake Team/ Stock Image	Here	ICOEthics
eosgas.co	Hacking Myetherwallet by phishing site	Here	Coolcryptovator
Ethernet.cash	FAKE TEAM - Stealing people's identity/Image	Here	ICOEthics
ethereumwhite.online	Fake Team	Here	Be_Happy
follor.com	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
fairfake.wordpress.com	Honest and Obvious Scam	Here	ICOEthics
FoxBtc.io	Fake Team/ Stock Image	Here	ICOEthics
gdcleaders.com	Fake Team - Stock Image	Here	ICOEthics
Gec-coin.io	Fake Team - Stealing people's identity/Image	Here	ICOEthics
genisyscoin.org	Fake Team - Stealing people's identity/Image	Here	Trttn
getbitmoney.us	Fake bounty, stolen content,	Here	morvillz7z
GLOBO.in	Fake team/ stock images and stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
gigahashminer.io	Fake team/ Fake whitepaper	Here	Coolcryptovator
globfone.net	Fake team/ Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
greeneminer.com	Fake Teams and Stealing People's Identity	Here	ICOEthics
gtmr.io	Fake team/ Fake whitepaper	Here	ICOEthics
Hoverex.io	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
hadfyx.org	Fake Team/ Stock Images	Here	ICOEthics
heta.org	Fake Team	Here	Trttn
hiroyukicoindark.com	Fake Team	Here	Slow death
invest4g.in	Fake Team[/Image	Here	Trttn
ico.htfx.online	Fake ICO team/ Stock images	Here	ICOEthics
ico.inspem.com	Fake ICO team/ Stealing someone's identity	Here	ICOEthics
ico.twecrypto.com	Fake team	Here	Slow death
internacionalcoin.io	Fake ICO team/ Stealing someone's identity	Here	ICOEthics
investra.io	FAKE TEAM / stock images and stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
koalatoken.io	Fake team, identity theft	Here	morvillz7z
koilop.com	Fake team/ Stock image	Here	ICOEthics
koinstreet.com	Fake team/ Stock Image	Here	ICOEthics
layztoken.com	Obvious Scam	Here	ICOEthics
laxarcoin.com	Fake team	Here	ICOEthics
lexzoom.tech	Fake team	Here	ICOEthics
mefy.io	Fake Team	Here	cryptodevil
messicoin.org	Fake Team/ Stock Images	Here	Coolcryptovator
mltoken.io	Fake Team/ Stock Images	Here	ICOEthics
modorr.io	Fake Team/ Stock Images	Here	ICOEthics
MoonMarket.io	Fake ICO team / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
morh.io	Fake ICO team / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
ncplatform.org	Fake team	Here	Slow death
neofinance.io	Fake ICO team	Here	Hellmouth42
nel.network	FAKE TEAM - stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
nettekcoin.com	Plagiarized Whitepaper	Here	Coolcryptovator
offerzone.io	Fake Team, Stealing content from various projects	Here	morvillz7z
officium.cc*	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
onasander.com	Fake Team	Here	Be_Happy
one-fund.io	Fake Team	Here	Trttn
penchant.network	Fake Team	Here	TalkStar
petrolgascoin.com	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
plasmium.io	Fake Team	Here	Iamdeadlyz
pornx-official.com	Fake Team members	Here	xtraelv
posya.io	ICO Fake team	Here	ICOEthics
powerburstico.com*	ICO Fake team/ Stock images	Here	ICOEthics
powerchain.in	FAKE TEAM / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
pumpkinpro.io	FAKE TEAM / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
qovar.com	Suspicious Team (Probably Fake)	Here	Coolcryptovator
quantumpay.co	Fake Team	Here	o_e_l_e_o
regixium.io	Stolen content/idea, Plagiarized whitepaper, Fake team	Here	morvillz7z
retengo.co	FAKE TEAM - stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
sachio.net	Fake Team	Here	Trttn
sfcapital.io	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
Smartweb.network	Fake Team/ stock images and stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
sliclide.pw	Fake projects, stolen content, plagiarized whitepaper	Here	morvillz7z
span-coin.com	Fake team / Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
SOCIBIT.com	Fake Team - Stock photos	Here	ICOEthics
socialmediapay.io	Fake Team	Here	Coolcryptovator
superfruit.io	Fake Team - Stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
steincoin.org	Fake team	Here	ICOEthics
streamcash.live	Fake CEO and team members, identity theft	Here	morvillz7z
strixglobal.co	Fake Team	Here	Zalaster
supportchain.su	Fake Images - Stock Photos and People's Identity == Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
sunflowertoken.io	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
tkeycoin.com	Fake Team/ Stock Images	Here	ICOEthics
torchain.io	Fake Team	Here	Slow death
ultrix.co	Fake Team	Here	Slow death
vertix.tech	Fake Team/ stock images and stealing people's identity	Here	ICOEthics
veio.io	Fake Team/ stock images	Here	ICOEthics
wechatcash.net	Fake Team	Here	ICOEthics
xcov.com	Fake Team	Here	Coolcryptovator
xeonframe.net	Fake Team	Here	Coolcryptovator
yudi.io	Fake Team/ Stock images	Here	ICOEthics
zantepay.com	Plagiarized Whitepaper, Copied Contents	Here	XZERO1
zext.co	Fake CEO/Founder - Using stock images	Here	morvillz7z

* Website is no longer available.
* Beware, malicious website.



Contributors are sorted by their awesomeness and contributions on this list.

Name	Contributions
ICOEthics	64
Coolcryptovator	10
morvillz7z	10
Slow death	5
Trttn	5
Be_Happy	3
xtraelv	3
cryptodevil	1
goldkingcoiner	1
Iamdeadlyz	1
Hellmouth42	1
Makkara	1
marlboroza	1
ni23457	1
o_e_l_e_o	1
TalkStar	1
XZERO1	1
Zalaster	1

You can add also your thread (if ever your thread is still not yet on this list) with strong proof of course composed of archive links or screenshots that these ICOs are scam, just follow the format OR just post the thread's link of the scam report here.

Code:

ICO Website's URL:
Description:
Reference URL:
Contributor profile:

Changelog

Code:

2018.09.19 -  Added Scam ICO genisyscoin.org, invest4g.in, dcattoken.com, tkeycoin.com, laxarcoin.com, sunflowertoken.io, koilop.com, FoxBtc.io
2018.09.12 -  Added Scam ICO ncplatform.org, ico.twecrypto.com, torchain.io, ultrix.co, hiroyukicoindark.com, steincoin.org, offerzone.io, sachio.net, heta.org, cloecoin.io, mltoken.io, dmpico.com, petrolgascoin.com, investra.io, wechatcash.net, retengo.co, powerchain.in, layztoken.com, fairfake.wordpress.com   Added contributor Slow death
2018.09.11 - Added Scam ICO one-fund.io, added contributor Trttn
2018.09.08 - Added Scam ICO bitmonk.coinmonkey.io, bitcoinmax.info, eosgas.co, quantumpay.co, messicoin.org, egold.trade, onasander.com, xeonframe.net, xcov.com, easywork.life, lexzoom.tech, gigahashminer.io, gtmr.io, amigocoin.co.uk, nettekcoin.com, internacionalcoin.io, nel.network, socialmediapay.io, dlex.cc, follor.com, qovar.com, streamcash.live, mefy.io  Added contributor Coolcryptovator, o_e_l_e_o, cryptodevil
2018.09.03 - Added Scam ICO morh.io, yudi.io, ethereumwhite.online, strixglobal.co, plasmium.io, ico.inspem.com, hadfyx.org, dibbs.co, atkcoin.org, Elrun.org, gdcleaders.com, koinstreet.com, changenow.io Added Contributor Be_Happy, Zalaster, Iamdeadlyz, ni23457
2018.08.31 -  Added new Contributor/s goldkingcoiner, Hellmouth42, TalkStar
2018.08.31 - Added Scam ICO aizeus.net, koalatoken.io, blockkonnect.com,  Digithoth.com, veio.io, sliclide.pw, alfacoin.io, Ethernet.cash,  Hoverex.io, Gec-coin.io, SOCIBIT.com, globfone.net
dunemining.pro, crowdsale.hamporn.com, Blockmall.store, neofinance.io
2018.08.30 - Created the thread

I appreciate any kind of suggestions on how to make this thread/list be informative to anyone.

[Bitcoin's Second-Ever Developer Is Back (With a Big Vision for Crypto)]

Bitcoin's Second-Ever Developer Is Back (With a Big Vision for Crypto)



There are early adopters, then there are early early adopters.

Revealed exclusively to CoinDesk, the first coder to work alongside bitcoin's pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto, Martti 'Sirius' Malmi, is joining a team of developers launching a new cryptocurrency called AXE. The project, which is combining Malmi's Identifi online reputation system with decentralized database system GUN, is taking on the long-desired mission of decentralizing the Web.

And Malmi's history in the cryptocurrency space should pique the interest of plenty of enthusiasts.

An amateur college developer in 2009, Malmi played a crucial role in bitcoin's early days as the only active developer working alongside Satoshi – and even striking up a bit of a friendship. He earned Satoshi's trust enough to be given admin access to the website Bitcoin.org, and most of the changes in bitcoin's second code release are attributed to him.

But a couple years in, Malmi followed Satoshi's lead and left the project, thinking bitcoin didn't really need him anymore.

"I felt like bitcoin had already gone from zero to one, so to say. It was already up and running with a growing community and had lots of great developers working on it," he told CoinDesk.

In 2014, then, he started Identifi, with a decentralized architecture that didn't include a cryptocurrency at first.

But as he built – with his eyes on reducing the control web companies like Google and Facebook have – he decided something else was needed that hadn't been tried before and that a crypto token could incentivize its use.

Malmi told CoinDesk:

"Most of the giant online businesses, such as Google, Facebook, eBay or Airbnb are basically centralized indexes – searchable lists of stuff. If we want to disrupt them, we need decentralized indexing."

And that's where GUN, which has been in the works since 2014 as well, comes in.

Read More: https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoins-second-developer-returning-crypto/

I need $200 worth of PayPal with my ETH. Fund will be sent from this address https://etherscan.io/address/0x2fe5757206dbe19b5ecce55d9f899387acfb38a5

I will send first if you're trusted enough having recent trade/s within in the past 30 days. If not then you will send first. Reply here or send me a PM.

[YouTube Accused of Negligence in BitConnect Fraud Lawsuit]

YouTube Accused of Negligence in BitConnect Fraud Lawsuit



Digital media giant YouTube has been named in class action lawsuit tied to the collapse of BitConnect, the cryptocurrency lending platform widely accused of fraud.

BitConnect's shutdown in January – which followed a series of warnings from U.S. investors – triggered a number of investor lawsuits, including one filed in late January in Florida. BitConnect's platform was tied to a token and in-house crypto exchange, both of which have gone defunct in the months since (once valued above $400, the token is now worth less than $0.50 apiece according to CoinMarketCap).

That lawsuit later became a consolidated class-action following a court ruling in June, coming in the wake of claims of an ongoing inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The lawsuit faults YouTube for negligence in not policing the content on its site – particularly promotional videos by BitConnect boosters and affiliates – more tightly. The plaintiffs wrote that, all told, the top 10 most popular BitConnect affiliates "published over 70,000 hours of unedited content, generating 58,000,000 views and luring hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of victims."

They went on to state:

"By enacting policies designed to prevent bad actors (such as those soliciting investments in fraudulent Ponzi schemes) from disseminating harmful, offensive or inappropriate content through its platform, YOUTUBE owed, by its own assumption, Plaintiffs and the Class a duty to reasonable care to prevent such content from harming its users."

YouTube, according to the lawsuit, "failed as a gatekeeper to protect its users."

Google – YouTube's parent company – notably moved in March to ban cryptocurrency ads, including those tied to initial coin offerings (ICOs). That policy went into effect last month.

In an email to CoinDesk, David Silver, founder of the Silver Miller law firm that filed the class-action suit, urged the company to "take responsibility" for its alleged role.

"The platform allowed BitConnect to reach hundreds of thousands of potential investors, all while YouTube was aware that BitConnect was a scam. As the old saying goes: Sometimes when you lie down with dogs, you get fleas," he wrote.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/youtube-accused-of-negligence-in-bitconnect-fraud-lawsuit/

[The IDO – Initial DICE Offering]

When you talk of cryptocurrency and Crowdfunding, the first concept that comes to mind is the Initial Coin Offering, the ICO. The ICO has become a renowned concept today. We shall concentrate on alternate ways of Crowdfunding in Crypto Space.


The IDO – Initial DICE Offering
DICE is going to be the future of cryptocurrency. The most significant advantage of DICE is that it has the qualities of Fiat Currency as well as Cryptocurrency. DICE does not need a wallet for storage. It works outside the Blockchain technology and hence provides an easy way of raising funds in crypto space.

In comparison to the traditional methods of fundraising, IPO in Fiat currency, and the ICO in cryptocurrency, the IDO is incredibly cost-effective. The expenses associated with an IDO are minuscule. The only costs you incur are the cost of the operator’s server equipment and supporting software programs.

A new operator enters the DICE Economy through the IDO. On becoming a new operator, the business does not have any DICE at all. It has to encourage users to start mining and generate value. Every new excavated DICE unit that enters the economy adds to the valuation of the operator. By paying in DICE to the operator, the miner can acquire equity in the business.

Read More: https://bl4nkcode.info/press-release/publish/alternate-ways-of-crowdfunding-in-the-crypto-space

Facebook is reversing its ban on cryptocurrency advertisements and will now allow some preapproved advertisers to promote crypto businesses and services, like exchanges.

Facebook banned all crypto ads on the service back in January, around the height of the bitcoin price surge, to prevent people from promoting “financial products and services frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices.”

Now, advertisers that are approved by Facebook through an application process can promote crypto products, though ads promoting binary options and ICOs, initial coin offerings, are still banned. Interested advertisers may have to show Facebook “licenses they have obtained, whether they are traded on a public stock exchange, and other relevant public background on their business” in order to receive permission to run crypto ads.

The crypto bubble has declined considerably since late 2017, when the price of bitcoin was close to $20,000. (This morning, it’s just above $6,000 per coin.) That sudden rise in crypto created a mad dash by consumers who wanted in on the craze, and some shady businesses were trying to capitalize by promoting scams, hence the ban by Facebook. Others like Google, Twitter and Snapchat also banned crypto ads.

But crypto still has a lot of believers, and it easy to see why Facebook wants to sell crypto ads: It’s a growing, exciting industry with a lot of potential advertisers. So long as Facebook’s users aren’t getting scammed, the company would certainly love to take on the extra ad revenue.

Plus, Facebook seems to think the crypto craze is at least somewhat legit. The company started its own internal blockchain team earlier this year to explore the technology that’s used as the foundation for all cryptocurrencies. It seems likely that Facebook will take a hard look at cryptocurrencies in the process.

Source: https://www.recode.net/2018/6/26/17505876/facebook-cryptocurrency-ads-bitcoin-ico-ban-reversed


This is really a good news I hope google adsense will also follow or even twitter for their ban of crypto advertising. This news has a huge effect and even the price dropped when the ban was announced, and now its been reversing their decision I hope the market will respond and price will back where it came from even in just 10k  

[‘Blockchain Is Transformational’]

Tech billionaire Tim Draper, an avowed cryptocurrency bull, has set a $250,000 bitcoin price target for 2022.

Draper made the bold prediction April 12 at the 2018 Block (Chain) Party at his self-named Draper University in San Mateo, California.

“I’m thinking $250,000 a bitcoin by 2022,” Draper said (via Reddit). “Believe it. They’re going to think you’re crazy, but believe it. It’s happening and it’s going to be awesome!”

Draper has a fairly good track record for predicting bitcoin price movements, so market observers aren’t taking his bullish forecast lightly. In 2015, the venture capitalist accurately predicted that bitcoin would top $10,000 by the end of 2017. BTC prices soared above $13,000 on December 31, 2017.

‘Blockchain Is Transformational’
Draper also predicts that blockchain will disrupt and transform finance, healthcare, and many other industries. “It’s honest, it’s straightforward, it’s incorruptible, and it’s fair,” he said.

Shortly before the Block (Chain) Party, Draper signaled his unwavering confidence in blockchain, the technology undergirding cryptocurrencies.

“The blockchain is one of the most transformational technologies that has happened in the history of the world,” he told the San Mateo Daily Journal. “And it is totally worth celebrating.”


Tweet: https://twitter.com/AlexMoskov/status/984642159155580930

Draper isn’t the only billionaire who’s betting big on blockchain. The Rockefeller family (estimated net worth: $1 trillion) has partnered with the cryptocurrency investor group CoinFund to help entrepreneurs launch blockchain-based businesses.

David Pakman, a partner in Venrock — the venture-capital arm of the Rockefeller family — said his VC firm is not interested in turning short-term profits, but in making  a long-term investment in blockchain.

“There are a lot of crypto traders in the market,” Pakman said. “There are a lot of cryptocurrency hedge funds. This is different. To us, it looks a little bit more like venture capital.”


Read more: https://www.ccn.com/billionaire-tim-draper-sets-250000-bitcoin-price-target-for-2022/

[ICO]

Previously Facebook banned crypto ads, Google decided to do so in this upcoming June. Now some like fud news circulating that twitter will ban its crypto and related content ads too. And recently like minutes ago Snapchat banned ICO ads in its platform, unlike the said platforms snapchat only banned ICO which is also a good choice. But can somebody tell me if no one cares about this ban?   I don't even use snapchat like for real.

Sources:
https://www.coindesk.com/social-media-giant-snap-confirms-its-banned-ico-ads/
https://cheddar.com/videos/snapchat-bans-cryptocurrency-ico-ads/

This seems not new after facebook bans the advertisements of crypto-related services on its platform now google followed and this will take effect in June.

ads for the following will no longer be allowed to serve:

-Binary options and synonymous products
-Cryptocurrencies and related content (including but not limited to initial coin offerings, cryptocurrency exchanges, cryptocurrency wallets, and cryptocurrency trading advice)

Seems coinzilla and cointraffic are happy with this news since most crypto related services/sites/projects will move from google ads to this platforms. This might take a huge effect to the market or maybe will not. What do you think about this one?

Source: https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/7648803

[Disclaimer:]

Traxion team would like to inform you all that Traxion, that its team and its community are not at all associated nor affiliated with other websites and entities listed below:

http://traxion.io/
https://www.traxion.co/
https://www.traxion.com/en/
www.traxion.co.nz/



Disclaimer: I am only paid to manage and post this announcement thread. I will not be held responsible should the developers/project's team fail to reach their stated goals/obligations to the bounty participants, investors and everyone else. Join (on their bounty campaign) or Invest (on their ICO) at your own risk!

I have 2 steam wallet codes worth 20 USD. I will sell it for 35 USD if you want to buy both of them and 19 USD if not. I will send the codes first if you're a trustworthy member.

Please PM me or post here. 

I've been searching throughout the internet but can't find any accurate answer for it. I have ledger and I'm using electrum and mycelium for the legacy and currently using electrum for the segwit.

Now I want to use segwit in android so I can use it anytime and anywhere I want. So mycelium is my only hope but still they're not supporting segwit until now. So what can you suggest.

[South Korean Government to Allow Institutional Investors to Participate in ICO]

South Korean Government to Allow Institutional Investors to Participate in ICO




According to a report by Chosun, a leading mainstream news publication in South Korea, the South Korean government is planning to allow initial coin offerings (ICOs) in the near future, with strict regulations and policies in place.

ICO Will Not be Banned For All, Open For Institutional Investors

Chosun’s exclusive report revealed that the South Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Financial Services Commission, Ministry of Justice, Fair Trade Commission, and Financial Supervisory Commission, have formed a task force that will focus on drafting various regulatory frameworks for businesses and investors in the cryptocurrency industry.

Specifically, the task force will actively investigate into the possibility of taxing bitcoin investors, imposing stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies, and allowing institutional investors to participate in ICOs.

Read more: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/south-korean-government-allow-institutional-investors-participate-icos/amp/

The companies behind three blockchain platforms have unveiled a new advocacy group centered around interoperability between disparate networks.

Dubbed the Blockchain Interoperability Alliance, the effort is being backed by Aion, ICON and Wanchain in a bid to advance standards that would, as envisioned, promote a greater degree of connectivity between different blockchains.

"We believe that collaborating across projects will help set best practices for blockchain interoperability and encourage broader market adoption across enterprises and the public," Matt Spoke, CEO of blockchain startup Nuco and founder of AION, said in a statement.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/new-alliance-sets-out-to-boost-blockchain-interoperability/amp/

[Big gains, big risks]

Bitcoin soared to fresh records Tuesday, putting it on course for $10,000, but the virtual currency's stratospheric rise has fuelled fears of a bubble after a 10-fold increase this year.

The cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 as a bit of encrypted software written by someone using the Japanese-sounding name Satoshi Nakamoto, has had a roller-coaster ride that has taken it from just a few US cents to its current sky-high valuation.

Traded on specialist platform, with no legal exchange rate and no central bank backing it, Bitcoin is monitored and regulated by its community of users, and is used to buy everything from pizza to a pint in a London pub.

But it has attracted widespread criticism, from financial industry titans to governments.

JP Morgan Chase boss Jamie Dimon in September slammed the unit as a "fraud" and said he would fire his employees if they were caught trading it, while China has shut down Bitcoin trading platforms and South Korea's prime minister Tuesday voiced fears it could lead the young to get involved in fraudulent crime.

Still, the opposition has not stopped a dizzying surge in bitcoin this year, with its value jumping a 2017 low of $752 in mid-January to a record high above $9,895 Tuesday afternoon. Its value has rise about 45 percent in the past two weeks alone.
Analysts say the popularity has been driven by growing interest from major investors and a decision last month by exchange giant CME Group to launch a futures marketplace for the currency, which has not been listed on a major bourse before.

Big gains, big risks

As its fortunes have improved, retail investors have also rushed to jump on to the Bitcoin bandwagon, although fears of a bubble are growing, having witnessed wild swings in the past.

"The biggest issue with Bitcoin is that with no government backing or regulation, the gains may be big—but the sell-offs can be equally as drastic," warned James Hughes, chief market analyst of Britain-based forex trader AxiTrader, in a note to clients.
Transactions happen when heavily encrypted codes are passed across a computer network.
Bitcoin and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and which are maintained by a network of computers.

Hundreds of other digital currencies have been created since its launch, but Bitcoin remains by far the most popular.
Its supporters insist it offers an efficient alternative to traditional currencies because it is not subject to the whims of a state that may, for example, devalue its money to boost exports.

Commentators also suggest some are buying it as an alternative bet in times of global economic uncertainty.
But critics point to its volatility, an apparent vulnerability to theft and its use in illicit purchases online.
In one of the most high-profile scandals to hit the currency, major Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange MtGox collapsed in 2014 after admitting that 850,000 coins—worth around $480 million at the time—had disappeared from its vaults.

Bitcoin's use on the underground Silk Road website, where users could use it to buy drugs and guns, was also presented as proof it was a bad thing.
Despite concerns, most observers believe it is unlikely to suffer heavy falls soon.

"There is no real catalyst on the horizon that is going to bring this down," Shane Chanel, from ASR Wealth Advisers in Sydney, told AFP.


Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-11-bitcoin.html

Hot air balloon image] via Shutterstock

The total market capitalization for the cryptocurrency market has exceeded $300 billion for the first time.

Data from CoinMarketCap.com shows that the market capitalization for all cryptocurrencies is currently at roughly $301.5bn. Of that amount, bitcoin's market cap represents the lion's share, accounting for about $160 billion.

The move comes as the price of bitcoin continues its surge above $9,000, trading at roughly $9,592, according to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (BPI).

The push above $300 billion perhaps also showcases the pace at which the market has grown in recent weeks. On Nov. 3rd, the overall market capitalization rose above $200 billion for the first time. By contrast, the market crossed the $100 billion level back in June.

Other cryptocurrency market developments contributed to today's market capitalization milestone, additional data reveals.

The world's second-largest cryptocurrency, ethereum, has a press-time market capitalization of $46 billion and is currently trading at about $475, representing a price increase of more than 25% in the past week. Like bitcoin, ethereum also hit a new all-time high over the weekend.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/300-billion-bitcoin-price-boosts-crypto-market-value-record-high/

Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of BCH is languishing in segwit addresses. The funds were mistakenly sent there by users who have no easy way of differentiating segwit and non-segwit addresses. Retrieving the funds is difficult, but not entirely impossible, as p2sh.info’s Antoine Le Calvez has revealed. He’s discovered what’s believed to be the first successful bitcoin cash recovery, aided by the miners who confirmed the transaction.


Source: https://news.bitcoin.com/hundreds-bitcoin-cash-stuck-segwit-addresses-might-way-get-back/