Free cryptocurrency tokens fell from balloons in Mainframe's first "airdrop" in Hong Kong on March 20, 2018. It was part of a giveaway in which the secure messaging company will release a total $1 million worth of crypto coins.

HONG KONG—The crowd, most of them wearing masks, squinted up at the raft of multicolored balloons floating near the ceiling, trying to make out the silhouettes of the coins suspended inside each one. And then, against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s neon-rainbow skyline, they raised their hands as the countdown began: “10, 9, 8…FREEDOM!” they screamed, amid a shower of confetti. Suddenly, the loud popping of a fireworks show filled the room as the balloons exploded, and the crypto tokens they contained fell into eager hands.

The spectacle Tuesday evening, held at the inaugural Token 2049 conference, released tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of free digital money. But it was just the first of 25 events in which a Utah-based secure messaging startup called Mainframe will give away about $1 million of its cryptocurrency—by literally making it rain crypto coins upon the heads of enthusiasts.

The more details read @ http://fortune.com/2018/03/21/cryptocurrency-coin-ico-airdrop-mainframe/

It sounds very reasonable. But how the regulations are going to prevent such hack, for instance of Mt.  Gox's case. It looks like more technique issue than regulation concern.

Are Ethereum Meta is an upgrade version of Ethereum? Or they are not related at all?

This is an opinion only, not an advertisement. Haha, I wish it was an ad that I can earn some crypto coins. Would you mind to share good info about the future of cryptos with us?

Coinbase obtained a bank account with U.K. lender Barclays, the company said Wednesday, in a move that will make it easier for British customers to use its product.

The deal marks the first major partnership between a U.K. bank and a cryptocurrency exchange.

Coinbase is one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets and has nearly 12 million users.

Coinbase, also said it was granted an e-money license by the U.K. regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and adds support for the Faster Payments Scheme (FPS).

For UK users, the most noticeable update will be Faster Payments which will simplify the process of topping up and withdrawing money from Coinbase.

To read more details @ https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/14/coinbase-cryptocurrency-exchange-opens-bank-account-with-barclays-in-uk.html

Look back 1999-2000 tech bubble, there were so many dotcoms companies, most of them had gone, the front-runners won but not all are alive now. It is hard to predict.

Bitcoin's price has been in freefall this week. The price of one bitcoin hovered at $9,757, down 8.6% from 24 hours earlier, according to WorldCoinIndex.

The dramatic price drop occurred shortly after the Securities and Exchange Commission said it will require cryptocurrency exchanges to register with the agency.

Until now, the opaque crypto market has been largely unregulated. In a statement this afternoon, the SEC explained why it plans to change that:

      If a platform offers trading of digital assets that are securities and operates as an 'exchange,' as defined by the federal securities laws, then the platform must register with the SEC as a national securities exchange or be exempt from registration."

      The SEC staff has concerns that many online trading platforms appear to investors as SEC-registered and regulated marketplaces when they are not. Many platforms refer to themselves as "exchanges," which can give the misimpression to investors that they are regulated or meet the regulatory standards of a national securities exchange.

There are longstanding rumors that bitcoin prices are being manipulated by "bitcoin whales," or individuals who hold huge amounts of BTC. About 1,000 people hold 40% of all the bitcoin in the world, according to Bloomberg, so it's no surprise they exert a disproportionate impact on BTC price movements.

Today, one bitcoin whale revealed that he has sold about $400 million in bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash since September 2017. Nobuaki Kobayashi, a Tokyo-based attorney and bankruptcy trustee for the now-defunct Mt. Gox crypto exchange, said he's raising money to pay off Mt. Gox creditors.

Mt. Gox, which operated between 2010 and 2014, was once the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, handling 70% to 80% of all trading in the world. The platform went bankrupt in 2014 after it lost 850,000 bitcoins (worth about $500 million) due to a hack.

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Read more: Bitcoin Price Tumbles Below $10k As SEC Says Crypto Exchanges Must Register With Agency | Investopedia https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-price-tumbles-cryptocurrency-bloodbath-continues/#ixzz596G60poQ

"Alpha", by Vangelis, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9pCUEIIDLE&index=4&t=0s&list=PL9faXR1wqjuyDo6sw_vL8Cpyam1P1Ep-2

 "Rosetta" also by Vangelis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ButrGj2xcQk&t=283s&list=PL9faXR1wqjuyATn0yqP9FSvJopcvCZVzU&index=15

Bitcoin – the Current Standard, that uses peer-to-peer technology.

Bitcoins are created digitally through a “mining” process that requires powerful computers to solve complex algorithms and crunch numbers. They are currently created at the rate of 25 Bitcoins every 10 minutes and will be capped at 21 million, a level that is expected to be reached in 2140.

Litecoin – Litecoin is designed for processing smaller transactions faster. Unlike the heavy computer horsepower required for Bitcoin mining, Litecoins can be mined by a normal desktop computer.

Ripple – Like Bitcoin, Ripple is both a currency and a payment system. The currency component is XRP, which has a mathematical foundation like Bitcoin. The payment mechanism enables the transfer of funds in any currency to another user on the Ripple network within seconds.

MintChip – Unlike most cryptocurrencies, MintChip is actually the creation of a government institution, specifically the Royal Canadian Mint. MintChip is a smart card that holds electronic value and can transfer it securely from one chip to another. Like Bitcoin, MintChip does not need personal identification; unlike Bitcoin, it is backed by a physical currency, the Canadian dollar.


To read more details @ https://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/091013/future-cryptocurrency.asp

This bill recognizes the values of the technology innovations in the cryptocurrency, it is very good, but in my opinion, it is still very difficult to implement the bill (not pass yet) due to the current volatility of the cryptocurrency.

bitcoin has had an antagonistic relationship with its offshoot, bitcoin cash. But their battle may have provided a trigger to seek ways to protect bitcoin’s core code from indiscriminate use.

If a proposal to change the open source MIT License governing bitcoin is implemented, then further forks from bitcoin might not be allowed to use the original cryptocurrency’s code. The MIT License used in bitcoin is widely used across open source software projects to enable innovation and collaboration.


To know what is impact to cryptocurrency technology, read more: Bitcoin's Developers Are Debating A Change To Its Open License
@ https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoins-developers-are-debating-change-its-open-license/?utm_source=personalized&utm_campaign=bouncex&utm_term=12309333&utm_medium=email

Arizona is poised to become the first state to accept tax payments in cryptocurrencies. The state's Senate passed a bill that would allow payment of state income taxes via cryptocurrencies to be “recognized” by the state’s revenue authorities. The law has moved on to be considered by Arizona's House of Representatives.

According to the bill, the state's Department of Revenue, upon receiving payments in crypto for “tax and any interest and penalties”, would be obligated to convert the cryptocurrency payments to U.S. dollars within 24 hours.

Read more: Arizona Poised to Accept Tax Payments in Bitcoin @ https://www.investopedia.com/news/arizone-votes-accept-tax-payments-bitcoin/?utm_source=personalized&utm_campaign=bouncex&utm_term=12273569&utm_medium=email

WoW, how much does cost you when you do bitcoin mining?

Is worth it? Guess the answer is yes, that is why so many people are doing it

The tile of the news is a little bit longer than shown, the title is: "Iceland Expects to Use More Electricity Mining Bitcoin Than Powering Homes This Year".

Cryptocurrency mania might have gone a little too far in Iceland. The region’s energy company says Bitcoin mining is becoming so popular that the country will likely use more electricity to mine coins than power homes this year.

That could cause problems, though, as officials warn they won’t have sufficient energy to supply the number of proposed Bitcoin mining centers (if those facilities do indeed open).

The details can be read from http://fortune.com/2018/02/13/iceland-bitcoin-mining-electricity/

Now, to buy bitcoin is the same thing as pulling cash out of an ATM by using a credit card.

Coinbase sent an email to some customers early Feb. 1, alerting them that credit card networks are beginning to treat cryptocurrency purchases as cash advances, leading to fees and higher interest rates on these transactions.

A Mastercard spokesman told Investopedia via email, "Over the past few weeks, we have clarified to acquirers – the merchant's bank – the right transaction or merchant category code to use for these type of transactions (cryptocurrency purchases). This provides a consistent view of such purchases for both merchants and issuers."

A Visa spokeswoman said via voicemail, "it would be up to the individual issuer, the financial institution that issued the card, to determine any fees that they might charge for certain types of purchases, so it's not Visa. We don't issue cards."

The more details please read @ https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=post;board=77.0

No, Bitcoin won't die because Bitcoin's owners always can find a blockchain who believes Bitcoin and sell the Bitcoin to him/her.

There are so many people who own the Bitcoin, so Bitcoin won't die.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (MUFG). is planning to release its own coin by March 2018. The MUFG coin will have parity with the Japanese yen and will be rolled out to employees of the financial services group first. It will enable standard transactions, such as shopping or transfer of money between individuals, and costs are much lower than a credit card. However, MUFG treats cryptocurrency as an asset, not currency.

if interested in, you can read "Japan's Biggest Bank Is Releasing Its Own Cryptocurrency In March "

I know a little bit in college.

Bitcoin will not die, it will bounce back.