January 31, 2019 @ 8:15 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Citing “high risk,” “insufficient disclosure,” “no actual service” and token dump price plunges of 68% immediately after privately sold coins are introduced onto public exchanges, the Korean Government has decided to uphold strict regulation (reportedly a ban) on ICOs (initial coin offerings). The government made the decision… Read More

January 31, 2019 @ 3:35 pm By Cali Haan  |  

People checking their balances on cryptocurrency exchanges and financial accounts are being warned to delete all cookies from their browsers after they log out. According to cybersecurity researchers at Palo Alto Networks, a new cookie-based cryptomining malware called “CookieMiner” is circulating and is designed to… Read More

January 31, 2019 @ 2:45 am By Cali Haan  |  

A nurse from Rancho Cordova, California, has been arrested by federal agents in the US and charged with conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl for allegedly selling more than 20 ooo prescription opioid pills and patches over the Dark Net for bitcoins, The Sacramento Bee reports…. Read More

January 30, 2019 @ 7:38 pm By Cali Haan  |  

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring the Comptroller General of the US to study how cryptocurrencies and online marketplaces “are used to facilitate” human trafficking (sex trafficking) and drug trafficking. The bill garnered broad bi-partisan support. The purpose of the study is… Read More

January 30, 2019 @ 11:49 am By Cali Haan  |  

Researchers at blockchain forensics firm Elementus who extensively documented the days- long, $16 million USD hack against New Zealand-based crypto exchange Cryptopia two weeks ago now claim that the same hacker has struck again at Cryptopia. According to Elementus, “Though Cryptopia remains silent…” about the… Read More

January 30, 2019 @ 3:51 am By Cali Haan  |  

Hackers may have created a fake LocalBitcoin forum page for the popular global peer-to-peer Bitcoins trading service LocalBitcoins, thereby conning “a number” of affected users out of disclosing the info needed to steal their digital coins. According to a report from LocalBitcoins on Reddit, the… Read More

January 30, 2019 @ 2:42 am By Cali Haan  |  

JP Morgan analysts have written that the main value of cryptocurrencies would be in situations of “dystopia” where investors have, “lost faith in all major reserve assets (dollar, euro, yen, gold) and in the payments system,” Business Insider reports. According to “a note dated January 24th,”… Read More

January 29, 2019 @ 10:39 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Jamie Selway, the former Head of Electronic Brokerage and Execution Services Investment Technology Group (ITG), co-founder of White Cap Trading, and former Chief Economist at Archipelago (acquired by the NYSE) is leaving crypto wallet and app developer Blockchain where he was brought in as Global Head… Read More

January 29, 2019 @ 4:14 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A Switzerland-based firm called Tangem has announced it will be providing the physical bank notes representing the Marshall Island’s new “Sovereign” (SOV) cryptocurrency. Creation of the “Sovereign” by the Marshall Islands’ government has been the subject of some controversy. In September, the International Monetary Fund warned that… Read More

January 29, 2019 @ 12:21 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Investigators in Japan have found that 40% of 56 key economic indicators used by the government to asses the state of the economy in Japan contain errors, Nikkei Asian Review (NAR) reports. The determination has reportedly cast doubt on President Shinzo Abe’s program of “Abenomics,” which… Read More

January 27, 2019 @ 12:47 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Sources to Bloomberg have claimed that The Bank of England (BOE) is refusing to release $1.2 billion USD of Venezuela’s gold to the country’s officials. A delegation led by Calixto Ortega, president of Venezuela’s central bank,  reportedly visited London in December seeking access to the… Read More

January 27, 2019 @ 9:02 am By Cali Haan  |  

Ryan Selkis, CEO of cryptocurrency data analysis firm Messari, claimed on Twitter Thursday that he has received three threatening phone calls from disgruntled “Ripple” (XRP) investors angry about a recent report Messari published claiming Ripple inflates its market cap figures. Selkis later tweeted that he… Read More

January 26, 2019 @ 10:49 am By Cali Haan  |  

Huw van Steenis, a senior adviser to the Bank of England tasked with “leading a review on the future of finance” told Bloomberg in Davos this week that he believes that cryptocurrencies do not pose a threat to mainstream finance: “I’m not so worried about crytocurrencies…. Read More

January 26, 2019 @ 8:44 am By Cali Haan  |  

Moshe Hogeg, a high-profile Israeli crypto startup founder (Invest.com, Stox, Sirin Labs) previously sued by Invest.com investors, is now being sued by a Chinese cryptocurrency investor who claims Hogeg has been misusing funds he raised in an initial coin offering (ICO) for the creation of… Read More

January 25, 2019 @ 1:04 am By Cali Haan  |  

Many have seen ads on social media from fake accounts of “celebrities” asking followers to send Ethereum cryptocurrency and receive much more back. According to Blockchain forensics” firm Chainalysis, these scams were much more profitable last year. In 2018, ETH-scam pervaders boosted their profits from… Read More

January 24, 2019 @ 11:29 am By Cali Haan  |  

The rumoured appointment of a new CEO at cryptomining giant Bitmain does not appear to have enhanced the company’s prospects of going public in Hong Kong, South China Morning News reports. Responding generally to media questions about cryptomining firms seeking IPOs in Hong Kong, Charles… Read More

January 24, 2019 @ 9:28 am By Cali Haan  |  

VanEck has withdrawn it’s its SEC application for a rule change that would allow the company to list a Bitcoin ETF on the Cboe exchange. According to the relevant release from the SEC, VanEck first filed for the rule change on June 20th of last… Read More

January 24, 2019 @ 2:44 am By Cali Haan  |  

The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS) published guidance today exempting cryptocurrency exchanges and crypto ATM businesses from having to register in the state as money-transmission businesses. According to Grimes Law, licensing as a money transmitter in Pennsylvania requires a Surety Bond of $1 million… Read More

January 24, 2019 @ 1:14 am By Cali Haan  |  

Bitfury, one of the world’s largest “blockchain” companies (they manufacture cryptocurrency miners, run “cryptomining pools” and generate software) has appointed a new CEO to run its blockchain forensics leg Crystal, according to a company release. Marina Khaustova, reportedly the former chief marketing officer and  co-founder of a digital token… Read More

January 23, 2019 @ 2:36 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Following a meeting of The Executive Committee of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have announced plans to collaborate on a “joint pilot cryptocurrency” for possible use in cross border banking, Emerati state news agency WAM reports. The initiative is one of seven… Read More