Hi guys,

When are these guys going to pay us? it's been too long since the ICO...

Any real update not a rumor? thanks

Hi Frogman,

I didn't find myself in the Twitter spreadsheet, who removed me?

Here is my details: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2053308.msg23809576#msg23809576

Looking forward to see the updates, thanks


Best regards,
cybersofts

Wanna Have a Crypto Lamborghini?



One of the most fun parts of the recent BlockShow Asia 2017 was meeting new great Blockchain-powered companies driving the industry in the APAC region; so was BitCar, a Singapore-based project which implements quite an innovative concept - peer-to-peer ownership of exotic cars. The Cointelegraph team had a chance to chat with Gov Van Ek, the co-founder and Sheree Ip, legal & Blockchain development head at BitCar, about Singapore, reading and how the things were different back in 2013.

However, all the chats with company representatives came after the main part of the conference - in which BitCar were directly and so actively involved.
Hong Kong, Singapore and yellow Lamborghini

The recent conference wasn’t the first collaboration experience for BlockShow and BitCar. A couple of months earlier, Sheree Ip also joined the BlockShow meetup in Hong Kong, where she took part in Regulatory Panel Session and also gave a brief interview afterwards. The location of the BlockShow Asia main conference - Singapore - seemed good for the BitCar team: not only because of the city’s status of one of the biggest global business hubs but also because of the location of the BitCar itself. Gov Van Ek, co-founder of Bitcar, said:

    “We chose Singapore specifically for BitCar. The talent pull here is very high, the education system is fantastic, and also everything from the monetary authority of Singapore through to other regulates and the community itself is becoming increasingly supported with high-quality fintech and ICO companies, so that’s why we feel confident in basing ourselves in Singapore and setting up our company here. We think it’s a great environment here.”

BitCar managed to draw everyone’s attention the day before the conference - all because of the yellow Lamborghini car which was clearly supposed to become the main attraction of the company’s exhibition space. It already became clear back then that the company really got prepared for the event.

And it turned out to be true. Apart from being one of the biggest BlockShow exhibitors, it’s hard not to mention the contribution BitCar brought to the conference programme. Thus, in the first day of BlockShow Gov Van Ek shed some light on BitCar activities and provided his rich insight on Fractional Ownership of Exotic Cars - an innovative concept developed by the company. In his speech, performed from the main stage of the event, Gov Van Ek explained the company’s vision of exotic cars as not just a piece of art, but a high-class asset. He explained his point of view with several examples, also expressing his regret for this asset not being properly explored in some parts of the world:

    “Right now in China there is still a ban on importing this kind of cars, and it’s only matter of time before it opens up and there are thousands of millionaires who are going to want to get involved in that asset class, so this asset class is really exciting - that’s what we think.”

Speaking of the second day of BlockShow Asia 2017, it's hard not to mention Sheree Ip participating as a panelist in a discussion titled The Major Laws Blockchain is Going to Change. There Sheree shared an interesting insight: it often happens that working with utility token can’t fit into commonly accepted structures or classifications (including the regulatory ones) and creates some brand new forms, which the current law will have to adapt to.

    “So, we’ll see a lot of changes in the laws coming very shortly, or small amendments even...coming in the next couple of years.”

Being one of the main sponsors of BlockShow Asia 2017, BitCar was rather closely involved in the organizational process - and that’s why it’s even more pleasant to receive such positive feedback from them.

    “We thought it was a well put together event! The Blockshow Team accommodated us very well with our special requirements of moving our Lamborghini in. Presentation stage gave us a fantastic opportunity to explain our product to attendees. Network opportunities were great there, with dedicated spaces to allow for this and after parties organized by Blockshow. We were very impressed with all the extra effort put in with the artwork, CT and Blockshow style. Overall we had a fantastic three days and would be keen to be a part of the next event Blockshow event! Well done.”

Continue reading: https://cointelegraph.com/news/wanna-have-a-crypto-lamborghini

South Korea Pushes Ripple Price Up 71%, as Japanese Banks Conduct Payment Trials



The South Korean cryptocurrency market has pushed the Ripple price up 71 percent over the past 24 hours, triggered by the Ripple blockchain-based payment trial conducted by Japanese and South Korean banks.




South Korea Accounts For 50 Percent of Ripple Trades

Bithumb, Korbit, and Coinone, three of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the South Korean cryptocurrency market, currently account for more than 50 percent of global Ripple trades. Over the past 24 hours, the three trading platforms have processed over $1.7 billion worth of trades, surpassing the combined daily trading volume of Bittrex, Poloniex, Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Binance, and Kraken.

In South Korea, investors tend to move rapidly through word of mouth. Once several people are invested, everyone else rushes to invest in that particular asset, as Korbit co-founder and CEO Tony Lyu emphasized several times.

When a leading cryptocurrency like Ripple begins to surge in value within the South Korean market, by 10 to 30 percent, the rest of the investors in the market scramble to invest in it, triggering a short-term surge in the price and daily trading volume.

Cryptocurrencies that are heavily concentrated in the South Korean market such as Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, and Monero tend to increase by large margins and decline rapidly at times as well, because of the abovementioned tendency of the South Korean market and its investors to move speedily based on the trend of the market.


Cause of South Korean Market Demand Surge

Earlier today, on December 13, Japanese mainstream media outlet Nikkei reported that major banks in Japan and South Korea are set to begin the testing of Ripple blockchain and its solutions on Friday. The aim of the joint project is to reduce the cost involved in international funds transfer by nearly 30 percent.

Since the beginning of 2017, Ripple Labs have made significant process in assisting major banks and financial institutions to adopt the Ripple blockchain technology. Banks based in Japan, in particular, quickly embraced the technology of Ripple, forming a consortium of 61 corporations.

In July, Ripple global head of strategic accounts Marcus Treacher said:

    “We commend these banks in Japan for taking a giant step forward on behalf of their customers. This is a great example of a regional banks converging into a global real-time payments network for the greater good.”

Ripple Labs and its partner banks in Japan and South Korea are planning to continue the testing of Ripple technologies in the long-term and implement the Ripple blockchain at a larger scale by early 2018.

According to Nikkei, Japanese banks have already developed Ripple-based systems to process global payments on its blockchain network. Cross-border payments between South Korean and Japanese banks will be begin on January 31, if pilot tests throughout December are successfully conducted.

As reported in September, SBI Ripple Asia first announced its foray into instant international blockchain payments to South Korean banks.

“South Korea is one of the most active markets worldwide when it comes to blockchain innovation and trading of digital assets. With trade flows into and out of the country totaling $960 billion every year, we also see a high end growing demand for Ripple’s frictionless payments solution in the country,” said Takashi Okita, SBI Ripple Asia chief executive.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/south-korea-pushes-ripple-price-71-japanese-banks-conduct-payment-trials/

Bitcoin Looks Lower In Chase for 'Small Cap' Gains



Bitcoin is looking heavy today after failing to see a decisive move higher in the last 24 hours.

While bitcoin (BTC) clocked a lifetime high of $17,631.42 just two days ago, it has since retreated to sub-$17,000 levels, as per CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index (BPI).

As of writing, the cryptocurrency is trading at $16,628. As per CoinMarketCap, BTC has depreciated by 2.0 percent in the last 24 hours, though it is still up 8 percent over the last 7 days.

The slow descent in prices is possibly due to alternative currencies garnering more attention from traders and investors. For example, ether has jumped 12 percent in the last 24 hours to a new record high of $747.59. Bitcoin cash and ripple have also appreciated notably – by 24 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

Parallels could be drawn between the action seen in the cryptocurrency over the last few weeks and the behavior in the stock markets.

Major equity indices are usually the first to rally. Once the large-cap valuations look overstretched, investors tend to rotate money out of large caps and into small caps. Investors who missed the bus, also chase the relatively undervalued small-cap stocks. Thus, non-index stocks/small caps begin rising after a rally in the index stocks looks overdone.

On similar lines, the signs of weakness in BTC could be due to investors chasing the small-cap cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin rallied sharply from its Sep. 15 low below $3,000 to the recent record high of $17,631.42. Comments on social media indicate a growing concern among investors over the pace of ascent in BTC prices.

Hence, new buyers could continue to focus on other options in the short-run, leading to a correction in BTC prices. The price chart analysis also points to increased odds of a pullback.


BPI chart



The above chart shows:

   - Rounding top pattern
   - Head-and-shoulders breakdown.

Both features indicate a short-term bullish-to-bearish trend change.

As per the measured height method, the head-and-shoulders breakdown has opened the doors for a drop to $15,350 levels.


4-hour chart



The above chart shows a bearish doji reversal (marked by circles) followed by a falling, descending top pattern (as indicated by a falling trend line).


View

As per the 4-hour chart (BTC/USD), the cryptocurrency looks set to test $15,884 (confluence of the ascending 50-moving average and the rising trend line).

On the higher side, only a move above $17,746 would signal a revival of the bull run. In that case, the cryptocurrency could attack $19,697 (Dec. 7 high) and possibly $20,000 levels.


Source: https://www.coindesk.com/down-we-go-bitcoin-looks-lower-as-traders-chase-small-cap-gains/

If you invested $1,000 in bitcoin in 2013, here’s how much you’d have now

If you took a chance on bitcoin early on, just a few years ago, your investment could have paid off in a big way.

According to digital-currency website CoinDesk — whose Bitcoin Price Index tracks prices from digital currency exchanges Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Coinbase and itBit — the value of bitcoins was volatile in 2013, particularly toward the end of the year: In December alone, the price per bitcoin hit highs of around $1,000 and lows below $600.

If you purchased $1,000 worth of bitcoin back then at a price of $600 per, you'd have a little over 1.6 bitcoins. If you purchased $1,000 worth of bitcoin at a price of $1,000 per, you'd have one bitcoin.


The above chart shows CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index for Dec. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2013

As of Thursday, bitcoin's value was just above $16,500, according to CoinDesk. Based on that value, one bitcoin would be worth a little over $16,500 and 1.6 bitcoins would be worth more than $26,400 today. This estimate does not include any additional fees or transactional costs.


That's a tremendous profit in just a few years.

If you were smart, or lucky, enough to invest even earlier, in 2010, you could be in the company of the Winklevoss twins, who are reported to be the first bitcoin billionaires.

As bitcoin has gone more mainstream, some of the biggest names in finance are weighing in. Fundstrat's Tom Lee and value investor Bill Miller have embraced the trend.

But even with many success stories surrounding bitcoin investments, seasoned investors are voicing caution. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban and "Oracle of Omaha" Warren Buffett warn of bitcoin's volatility. Legendary investor and index fund mogul Jack Bogle, at a recent Council on Foreign Relations event, told the audience, "Avoid bitcoin like the plague."

"Bitcoin has no underlying rate of return," the Vanguard founder said. "You know bonds have an interest coupon, stocks have earnings and dividends, [and] gold has nothing. There is nothing to support bitcoin," he said, "except the hope that you will sell it to someone for more than you paid for it."


Here's how young people should invest their first $10,000  

While big-names like Bogle have taken either pro- or anti-bitcoin stances, others, like self-made millionaire and best-selling author of "Money: Master the Game," Tony Robbins, haven't taken a firm position.

Robbins told CNBC's "Fast Money" that he thinks bitcoin "is very iffy" and compared investing in the cryptocurrency to "going to Vegas."

In his own portfolio, Robbins directs a certain amount of money to risky ventures, but he doesn't rely on them to work out. For those investments, he said, "I know it is just for fun I'm investing, I know I could lose."

If you are considering investing in cryptocurrencies, be careful. Past returns do not predict future results. Think of it like a trip to Vegas, experts like Robbins suggest: Only play with money you can afford to lose.


Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/14/if-you-put-1000-in-bitcoin-in-2013-heres-how-much-youd-have-now.html

This Russian Presidential Candidate Wants to Legalize Bitcoin




Boris Titov, a Russian businessman/ombudsman and bitcoin advocate, recently revealed he will participate in the presidential elections in 2018.

Titov, the leader of Russia’s Party of Growth, revealed that he would legalize popular cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum and that people would be able to store them in banks and exchanges, having the ability to pay for things outside of Russia with them. In Russia, Titov stated, people won’t be able to pay for things with cryptocurrencies as long as the ruble is used.

The presidential candidate added that the country’s economy and society need to change, as his Party of Growth has in the past defended. According to him, the country needs a vibrant economy with initiative, that focuses on modern production and the development of agriculture and construction projects. His views include the “development of the digital economy”, including the “development of the blockchain, cryptocurrencies, IT-spheres.”

The economy, Titov continued, needs to be developed because the we will soon be living in an “economic cemetery” as the price of oil drops and inflation grows. He sees the world becoming a different place in the future, where cryptocurrencies play an important role.

Titov also mentioned that the country thought about creating its own national cryptocurrency, presumably referring to the CryptoRuble, but added that the idea was dismissed when it was considered that “the task of cryptocurrency is to reduce costs.” As such, the country decided it wasn’t necessary to create the cryptocurrency, as it was important to regulate those that already exist.

Regarding cryptocurrency mining, the presidential candidate stated that the equipment in Russia can have higher efficiency than in America, meaning the country has an edge in the industry. As for ICOs, Titov seemingly believes regulating them is the best option. He stated (rough translation):

    “We have a system of legislation that can protect investors. Plus we have an ICO-generator.”´

The presidential candidate also revealed he has no plans of closing Telegram, as the “information vacuum” that currently exists needs to disappear.
Titov’s Cryptocurrency Support

Earlier this year, as reported by CCN, Boris Titov proposed the creation of a region in Crimea similar to the “kriptodoliny” (Cryptovalley) in Zug, Switzerland. The region’s goal would be to fund cryptocurrency and blockchain organizations

Titov has in the past called for Russia to legalize cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, and to do what it can to become a world leader in blockchain development. He’s also stated Russia can use its difficult economic situation to embrace blockchain technology and use it as a solution. According to him, the country could create bitcoin investment opportunities for foreign investors, by removing restrictions on these investments.

Titov’s Party of Growth, according to Wikipedia, supports a free market economy, democracy, and protecting the rights of the middle class. It’s widely seen as a pro-Kremlin party, but opposes the current presidential administration on several issues.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/this-russian-presidential-candidate-wants-to-legalize-bitcoin/

Whenever the demand of a commodity higher than the supply that is what is going to happen.
It is simple; the high demand of bitcoin by the people around the world is what is driving this crazy increase of bitcoin price.

You should invest in bitcoin, and by the way, how do you invest in blockchain, anyway?
It seems like you don't know what really blockchain is all about. Just go and invest in bitcoin, period!

In time, all countries would be accepting bitcoin just like USD.
Many countries are now skeptical about bitcoin because they don't know it origin.
And media fed them with bad information about bitcoin that many people are using it for illegal stuff.
But in time when everyone realizes the benefit and importance of using bitcoin, many countries will allow it like never before.

My biggest regret about bitcoin is failure to buy more bitcoins when it was very cheap online.
The years when bitcoin was cheap passed by just like weeks to me, if to say i bought few hundreds that time i would be millionaire by now.

Bitcoin was originally created to help people take control of their money instead of banks that trend to control and steal from the masses.
It's obvious now, that bitcoin turns out to the most profitable way of investment, that is because the importance of bitcoin is more than as it was expected.

Why do i feel discouraged after all the things bitcoin has done to not just only me but us...
Indeed, bitcoin has some issues but we can not deny the fact that no matter what bitcoin is still changing people lives.
Bitcoin scalability is the best thing to do to make bitcoin near perfect currency if the not the most perfect one for now.
Market price ups and downs gives people the opportunity to buy low and sell when the price gets higher and make profit.

EBay ‘Seriously Considering’ Adding Bitcoin Payments




EBay, one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms, is considering making the leap into cryptocurrency payments, according to a high-ranking company executive.


EBay ‘Seriously Considering’ Adding Bitcoin Payments

Scott Cutler, senior vice president of eBay Americas, told Yahoo Finance that the e-commerce giant is holding serious discussions about becoming the highest-profile company to accept cryptocurrency payments.

    “This is a trend that everybody is talking about, but sadly, at eBay, we don’t currently accept bitcoin as a form of payment, Cutler said. “We’re seriously considering it as these cryptocurrencies become more of a mainstream” payment instrument, but “we’re not quite there yet.”

Cutler added that the website serves as a popular secondary market for cryptocurrency mining hardware, and third-party sellers have listed thousands of other cryptocurrency-related collectibles.


Cryptocurrency Enters Main Street

Although it does not appear that eBay currently has any concrete plans to adopt cryptocurrency payments, the fact that the company is holding high-level discussions on the matter is the latest testament to how quickly bitcoin has permeated the mainstream.

Last week, bitcoin brokerage app Coinbase briefly became the top app in the Apple Store, signaling that retail investors were onboarding into the bitcoin ecosystem at a breakneck pace — a pace so rapid that Coinbase has suffered persistent outages due to record traffic.

This week, the first bitcoin futures contracts launched on U.S. exchange CBOE, and CME — the world’s largest derivatives exchange — will begin trading bitcoin futures next week. Though primarily targeted at Wall Street, futures are expected to lead to the creation of the first Bitcoin ETF, a retail investor-friendly investment vehicle that can be easily held in brokerage and retirement accounts.

The next watershed moment will be when cryptocurrency becomes so ubiquitous that businesses commonly accept it as payment for goods or services.

Prominent retailers such as Overstock and Newegg have accepted bitcoin for years, but none of retail’s white whales — a group that includes eBay, Amazon, and Alibaba — has formally adopted cryptocurrency payments. Earlier this year, CCN debunked a rumor that Amazon was planning to accept bitcoin. Recently, Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma stated that bitcoin was “not for me,” indicating that the Chinese conglomerate is not likely to adopt a currency that operates without government backing.

Some retailers, including video game distribution platform Steam, have actually stopped accepting bitcoin payments in recent months, citing increasing transaction fees that have accompanied bitcoin’s meteoric rise. However, bitcoin remains an option for big-ticket items, and altcoins such as ethereum, bitcoin cash, and litecoin are practical options for small-value transactions.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/ebay-seriously-considering-adding-bitcoin-payments/

IOTA Price Drops as Co-Founder Admits: Microsoft is Not a Partner But a Participant




Amidst controversy surrounding the nature of the partnership between Microsoft and IOTA, the IOTA Foundation has clarified that it does not have a strategic partnership with Microsoft.

In an interview with TNW, IOTA co-founder Dominik Schiener stated:

“We have never mentioned that any of the companies which are participating in the marketplace are our ‘partners. We call them participants. We are in touch with multiple divisions at Microsoft (Chicago, Paris, Munich). We are hosting two meetups today in Chicago and on Thursday in Paris which are hosted at the Microsoft offices.”


IOTA Price Surges Explodes After Microsoft Participation

Last week, CCN reported that the price of IOTA surged by more than 600 percent over the past month and was trading at a global average of over $4.

At the time, Microsoft blockchain specialist Omkar Naik released a statement in regards to the company’s participation on IOTA’s Data Marketplace which read:

“This next generation technology will accelerate the connected, intelligent world and go beyond blockchain that will foster innovation real world solutions, applications and pilots for our customers.”

Schiener further noted that the IOTA development team plans to meet up with Naik’s team to assist the company in establishing sensors which will allow Microsoft to sell their data directly on the IOTA marketplace.

CCN reported that large-scale conglomerates including Samsung, Cisco, and Volkswagen also partnered with IOTA, to utilize its Tangle-based solution for data monetization.

However, the price of IOTA has dropped by more than 13 percent over the past few hours, falling behind Ripple and Litecoin. The recent price drop of IOTA is notable because following the statement of Naik and the participation of Microsoft, the market valuation of IOTA increased from $2.95 billion to $13 billion.




No Partnership

The original press release dating back a few weeks ago obtained by TNW read:

“Participants from all sectors and industries are represented, companies such as Deutsche Telekom, EWE, Microsoft, Bosch, TINE, PwC, Accenture, Fujitsu, Schneider Electric, Orange, DNV GL, and many more have deployed sensors that directly sell the data on the marketplace.”

Hence, Schiener was accurate in that IOTA has not entered into a strategic partnership with Microsoft and other major conglomerates several weeks ago.

Still, whether the IOTA Foundation and its representatives should have requested media outlets to clarify the nature of the relationship between IOTA and Microsoft remains questionable, given that the original press release had not specifically stated that the two companies did not sign paperwork to form a partnership.

In the upcoming weeks, despite the lack of a legal partnership, companies participating in IOTA’s testing of Tangle are expected to continue the testing of IOTA’s technology in the long-term.

“The launch of the data marketplace was just the beginning. This project will continue for several weeks and is multi-staged,” said Schiener.

Regardless of the recent price drop, the market valuation of IOTA remains above $11 billion, which is still significantly higher than its market cap in November.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/iota-price-drops-co-founder-admits-microsoft-not-partner-participant/

South Korea Pushes Ripple Price Up 71%, as Japanese Banks Conduct Payment Trials




The South Korean cryptocurrency market has pushed the Ripple price up 71 percent over the past 24 hours, triggered by the Ripple blockchain-based payment trial conducted by Japanese and South Korean banks.


South Korea Accounts For 50 Percent of Ripple Trades

Bithumb, Korbit, and Coinone, three of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the South Korean cryptocurrency market, currently account for more than 50 percent of global Ripple trades. Over the past 24 hours, the three trading platforms have processed over $1.7 billion worth of trades, surpassing the combined daily trading volume of Bittrex, Poloniex, Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Binance, and Kraken.

In South Korea, investors tend to move rapidly through word of mouth. Once several people are invested, everyone else rushes to invest in that particular asset, as Korbit co-founder and CEO Tony Lyu emphasized several times.

When a leading cryptocurrency like Ripple begins to surge in value within the South Korean market, by 10 to 30 percent, the rest of the investors in the market scramble to invest in it, triggering a short-term surge in the price and daily trading volume.

Cryptocurrencies that are heavily concentrated in the South Korean market such as Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, and Monero tend to increase by large margins and decline rapidly at times as well, because of the above mentioned tendency of the South Korean market and its investors to move speedily based on the trend of the market.


Cause of South Korean Market Demand Surge

Earlier today, on December 13, Japanese mainstream media outlet Nikkei reported that major banks in Japan and South Korea are set to begin the testing of Ripple blockchain and its solutions on Friday. The aim of the joint project is to reduce the cost involved in international funds transfer by nearly 30 percent.

Since the beginning of 2017, Ripple Labs have made significant process in assisting major banks and financial institutions to adopt the Ripple blockchain technology. Banks based in Japan, in particular, quickly embraced the technology of Ripple, forming a consortium of 61 corporations.

In July, Ripple global head of strategic accounts Marcus Treacher said:

    “We commend these banks in Japan for taking a giant step forward on behalf of their customers. This is a great example of a regional banks converging into a global real-time payments network for the greater good.”

Ripple Labs and its partner banks in Japan and South Korea are planning to continue the testing of Ripple technologies in the long-term and implement the Ripple blockchain at a larger scale by early 2018.

According to Nikkei, Japanese banks have already developed Ripple-based systems to process global payments on its blockchain network. Cross-border payments between South Korean and Japanese banks will be begin on January 31, if pilot tests throughout December are successfully conducted.

As reported in September, SBI Ripple Asia first announced its foray into instant international blockchain payments to South Korean banks.

“South Korea is one of the most active markets worldwide when it comes to blockchain innovation and trading of digital assets. With trade flows into and out of the country totaling $960 billion every year, we also see a high end growing demand for Ripple’s frictionless payments solution in the country,” said Takashi Okita, SBI Ripple Asia chief executive.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/south-korea-pushes-ripple-price-71-japanese-banks-conduct-payment-trials/

$500 Billion: Ethereum, Ripple Prices Carry Crypto Market Cap to Historic Milestone




Cryptocurrencies achieved another historic milestone this week, as their combined market caps leaped above the $500 billion mark on the heels of an altcoin rally led by the ethereum and ripple prices.


Cryptocurrencies Now Worth Half a Trillion Dollars

The cryptocurrency market cap had begun the day at $467 billion, and it seemed unlikely that it would reach the $500 billion mark this quickly — especially considering that bitcoin ended the day trading sideways. However, fueled by an altcoin surge, the crypto market cap leaped above the $500 billion barrier Tuesday evening and eventually rose as high as $505.9 billion before tapering to a present value of $504.3 billion.
 

Source: CoinMarketCap

At this level, cryptocurrencies are now worth more than Berkshire-Hathaway, the holding company run by legendary investor — and bitcoin skeptic — Warren Buffett.


Bitcoin Price Holds Above $17,000

Ordinarily, one expects these market cap rallies to coincide with dramatic bitcoin price climbs, but that was not the case today. Although the bitcoin price hit an all-time high on bitcoin exchange Bitfinex, the global average topped out at $17,781, after which it fell back toward its previous-day level. At present, the bitcoin price is trading at $17,184, which represents a single-day increase of one percent and provides bitcoin with a $287.6 billion market cap.
 

Bitcoin Price Chart | Source: CoinMarketCap


Ethereum Price Eyes $700

The ethereum price posted an impressive advance for the second-consecutive day, rising 25 percent and briefly extending as high as $686. At present, the ethereum price is trading at a global average of $681, which translates into a $65.6 billion market cap.
 

Ethereum Price Chart | Source: CoinMarketCap

Though several factors are at play, the primary one is likely the fact that ethereum continues to see increasing transaction volumes. Just yesterday, the Ethereum network processed an average of 10 transactions per second for the entire day, a new all-time high.


Ripple Headlines March Past $500 Billion

Wednesday was another banner day for altcoins, and — led by ethereum and ripple — the total altcoin market cap rose above the $200 billion mark for the first time.
 

Source: CoinMarketCap

Bitcoin cash, the third-largest cryptocurrency, rose three percent for the day, but its closest rival is growing increasingly larger in its rearview mirror.

That’s because the ripple price exploded by 71 percent amid insatiable demand from Korean traders. Ripple now has a market cap of $18.4 billion, meaning that if it can replicate this single-day performance one more time, it will supplant bitcoin cash and rise to third in the rankings.
 

Ripple Price Chart | Source: CoinMarketCap

Ripple’s surge enabled it to race back ahead of litecoin, whose breathtaking gains began to taper on Wednesday morning. At present, the litecoin price is trading at $310, which represents a single-day increase of 12 percent.

Sixth-ranked IOTA was the lone cryptocurrency in the top 10 to decline for the day, perhaps signaling that the bulls have run out of steam following last week’s incredible rally.

Dash and monero each crossed historic milestones after double-digit percentage price increases. They are currently valued at $916 and $330, respectively. Ninth-ranked NEM traded sideways, while bitcoin gold rose by about seven percent to round out the top 10.

Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/500-billion-ethereum-ripple-prices-carry-crypto-market-cap-to-historic-milestone/

Litecoin Price Spikes 82% in a Single Day to Hit $300, Surpasses IOTA

The Litecoin price has achieved $300, as it surpassed IOTA with a $15 billion market cap, to become the fourth largest cryptocurrency in the world behind Bitcoin Cash.



Ari Paul, a prominent bitcoin analyst and the co-founder of Blocktower Capital, noted that the market cap of Litecoin has surpassed the entire cryptocurrency market valuation 15 months ago.

“Litecoin is now worth more than the entire cryptocurrency market just 15 months ago,” said Paul.


$10 Billion Market Cap Milestone

Earlier today, Litecoin creator and former Coinbase executive Charlie Lee revealed that the market cap of Litecoin surpassed the $10 billion mark, and has recorded a 4,000 percent increase in value year-to-date.

Since then, within less than 24 hours since the market valuation of Litecoin surpassed $10 billion, it achieved $15 billion, peaking to $230.

While a single major event did not trigger the price of Litecoin to increase by nearly 80 percent within a 24-hour span, many analysts believe that the recent surge in the price of Litecoin was caused by an overall increase in interest and demand for the cryptocurrency market from the traditional finance sector.

Given that Litecoin is a cheaper and a more currency-like alternative to bitcoin due to its lower fees and faster confirmation times, it is likely that the strong performance of bitcoin over the past three months has impacted the short to mid-term price trend of Litecoin positively.

Still, despite today’s strong rally, Lee emphasized that investors should approach Litecoin and any other cryptocurrency in the market with caution, as any currency could experience a major correction in value.

“Sorry to spoil the party, but I need to reign in the excitement a bit… Buying LTC is extremely risky. I expect us to have a multi-year bear market like the one we just had where LTC dropped 90% in value ($48 to $4). So if you can’t handle LTC dropping to $20, don’t buy,” said Lee.

He added that every bull run in the cryptocurrency market has been followed by a bear cycle, and hence, the latest 76 percent surge in the price of Litecoin could lead to a major correction in the short-term.

Lee said:

“Every crypto bull run I’ve seen has been followed by a bear cycle. The market needs time to consolidate. That’s just my experience from 7 years of watching this space. How low and how long it will be is TBD. People need to be aware of this possibility and invest responsibly.”


Litecoin Trading Not Centralized in South Korea

Considering all of the variables and recent events, it is optimistic that the trading of Litecoin is not heavily centralized in Litecoin, as Bitcoin Cash was in November. GDAX, the flagship trading platform of Coinbase, processed more than $1 billion in Litecoin trades over the past 24 hours. That is, almost half of the daily trading volume of GDAX at $2.25 billion being allocated to Litecoin.

Due to the zero-fee system of major cryptocurrency exchanges in the industry, the South Korean cryptocurrency exchange market has had a negative reputation, as zero-fee trading leaves exchanges vulnerable against bot and wash trading.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/litecoin-price-up-82-in-a-single-day-and-hits-300-surpasses-iota/

$0.15 = 1 SXS
1 ETH = 2000 SXS

I even calculated my tokens
$5250 = 35,000 SXS (SXS2)



We should be payed in SXS2 and within the conversion period for us to select the type of token we want between the two, isn't that's right?

Multi-Billion Dollar Japanese Tech Conglomerate to Pay Employees in Bitcoin




GMO Internet Inc., a multi-billion dollar Japanese technology conglomerate, will process salaries of its 4,710 full-time employees in bitcoin.

According to the official statement of GMO Internet, employees within the company and its subsidiaries will be able choose to receive their salaries in bitcoin with the newly integrated payroll system in the near future.

“The GMO Internet Group has decided to introduce a system that allows part of the salary payment to be received as bitcoin in order to promote ownership of our domestic employees’ virtual currency,” read GMO Internet’s statement obtained by Bitcoin.com.

At first, GMO Internet will limit the amount of bitcoin employees can receive on a monthly basis to 100,000 yen, around $881. As the number of bitcoin-receiving employees increase and the new payroll system continues to operates seamlessly, the company will increase the maximum limit of $881.


GMO Fully Committed to Serving Japanese Bitcoin Market

In May, GMO announced the launch of Z.com Coin, a cryptocurrency exchange targeted at institutional investors and retail traders, to address the rapidly growing demand from investors within the traditional Japanese finance sector for bitcoin.

Since May, for more than seven months, GMO’s Z.com Coin have been operating a cryptocurrency FX and cryptocurrency trading platform, as an exchange regulated by the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA). At the time, GMO emphasized that the Japanese cryptocurrency market could reach a market valuation of 1 trillion Japanese yen (JPY) in the next few years, expressing their optimism towards the exponential growth rate of the Japanese cryptocurrency market.

In October, GMO revealed the company’s long-term plans to compete in the global bitcoin mining industry, challenging dominant players within the market such as Bitmain. The firm stated that it will design and manufacture its own ASIC miners and mining equipment in partnership with a local semiconductor manufacturer.

“We will use cutting-edge 7 nm process technology for chips to be used in the mining process, and are currently working on its research and development with our alliance partner having semiconductor design technology to realize high performance computer for mining. It will be possible to reduce power consumption compared to the existing mining machines with the same performance, and achieve a computational performance of 10TH/s per chip,” said GMO.

GMO further emphasized that its mining center and operations will relocate to Northern Europe to utilize “plentiful renewable energy” and take advantage of the regions’ naturally cold climate to prevent ASIC miners and bitcoin mining equipment from overheating.

In the upcoming months, GMO is expected to allocate nearly 10 pecent of the company’s capital in improving its cryptocurrency exchange and mining ventures, to remain at the forefront of Japan’s cryptocurrency market.


Importance of GMO’s Bitcoin Payroll

Currently, bitcoin is widely adopted and recognized as a robust store of value and censorship-resistant money. The majority of bitcoin holders utilize the cryptocurrency to store or transfer their wealth. As such, several analysts including JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou and ACG Analytics strategist Larry McDonald noted that bitcoin is already penetrating into the multi trillion dollar market of gold.

GMO’s integration of bitcoin into its payroll system participated by thousands of employees is crucial because it sets a precedent across the nation and for other conglomerates in the country. Given that bitcoin is a legal currency in Japan, in the long-term, an increasing number of conglomerates will likely adopt bitcoin as a payment method.


Source: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/multi-billion-dollar-japanese-tech-conglomerate-pay-employees-bitcoin/