Yes. India had actually banned the trading of bitcoin. A government change is going to occur in India within the next 10 days. So let's hope that the new government is more pro-Bitcoin than the outgoing one.

The second North American Bitcoin Conference is coming to Chicago this summer. The much-anticipated event will draw thousands of Bitcoin entrepreneurs, businessmen, and tech-savvy developers to the Windy City on July 19-20.

Moe Levin, the organizer of the event, is anticipating an even larger draw in Chicago than the popular first NABC in Miami. Levin elaborated:

“Last conference was spectacular – we expected 750 people, but over 1200 people came. The biggest one yet in the states. Thankfully, we were able to scale it and open up extra rooms. We’re hoping to double that this time in Chicago.”

India’s first Bitcoin exchange launched this morning. BTCxIndia, whose first live market ticker began at 11:00 Indian Standard Time, offers “a secure, real time trading platform, following KYC- and AML-guidelines, and allowing instant INR deposits and withdrawals.”

For many gamers, it is obvious that buying games should be cheaper if you pay with digital currency. Cheaper Than Steam is here to prove just that.
Last week, the store announced that it now accepts only Bitcoin payment for CD keys for PC downloadable games. The keys they sell for games are redeemable on Steam and Origin.

The Future Capital Bitcoin Fund (FCBF) is a $30 million global investment fund aimed at companies leveraging services based on Bitcoin and other digital currencies. The FCBF is based in Australia and headed by digital entrepreneur, investor and fund manager Domenic Carosa.

Wow... another positive news from Singapore! Singapore is turning out to be the Bitcoin capital of Asia. More than half-a-dozen Bitcoin ATMs there, and new Bitcoin services being unveiled every day. Keep 'em coming. 

As bitcoin payment service CoinPip works with 37 Coins to make digital payments easier for everyone in Singapore, the question comes up: how exactly is Bitcoin maintaining itself in the world’s most business-friendly economy?

One sign of increasing Bitcoin acceptance around the world is the presence of the Bitcoin ATM. So far, Singapore has 8 Bitcoin ATMs installed throughout the city-state, including the island’s first cash-out cable ATM in late March.

A Bitcoin payments system solution provider is looking to bring an SMS wallet to Singapore – paving the way for new opportunities for mobile device users.
Singapore-based CoinPip joined up with 37 Coins digital wallet, which will open the door for bitcoin users with any mobile device to carry out transactions.

On the international scene, Bitcoin is set to make great strides – but keeping up with all of the developments worldwide can be a tricky business. Here is a round-up of what is going on with Bitcoin worldwide

Bitcoin’s rapidly growing popularity in countries south of the US is showing signs of revolutionizing the way Argentinians perform transactions on the local level.
Argentina has been plagued by high inflation and has for many years seemed to lurch from one financial crisis to the next. Independent economists currently place inflation at around 25%, a figure that the government has denied.

Mark Karpeles has dealt with a lot of criticism since the collapse of the Mt Gox Bitcoin exchange earlier this year – and the original creator of the Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange, Jed McCaleb, is trying to make sure he is not lumped into the same category as Karpeles.

Starving artists, filthy rich musicians, and everyone in between in the world of arts wants you to support their craft via Bitcoin. Whether the artists believe Bitcoin unites people by using one currency or whether they realize that it’s simply more convenient for people to make payments a la digital currency, the community is growing. Check out who’s who.

DarkMarket, billed as “opensource, uncensored, and private” for the next generation of digital black markets, has taken a note from the reddit community and changed its name to “OpenBazaar” in order to improve its public image.

lol.... thinking about this:


99% of the users will be male. And the competition for the remaining 1% will be fierce. 

Boredom got you down? Loneliness getting the best of you? Well hell, crack into your bitcoin savings and see if you can land that lucky someone. Bitcoin users looking to comb the dating scene are in luck as dating websites have begun accepting digital currencies for their services. And to make things even sweeter, there’s a dating site geared specifically towards Bitcoin enthusiasts.

In spite of the gloom descending over Russia regarding Bitcoin, it would seem not everyone shares the government’s opinion.

While the Duma recently moved to impose tough restrictions on private electronic money transfers and ban “surrogate currencies”, Russia Today recently published two articles which were considerably more positive.