Token2049, a recent crypto conference in Hong Kong, saw some of the biggest names in Bitcoin and blockchain congregate. NewsBTC was lucky enough to snag Phil Chen, a world-renowned technologist and the head of HTC’s blockchain division, for a quick interview. We discussed his team’s phone, the Exodus One, and his thoughts on recent developments…
Supporters of Bakkt continue to grow weary of further delays to the Bitcoin futures ruling. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) confirmed last month the matter is under review, but their lack of urgency casts doubt over the probability of Bakkt’s launch in Q1 of 2019. However, developments at a rival futures exchange give hope…
In a presentation given at Princeton University earlier today, University of Pennsylvania professor and blockchain author Kevin Werbach has claimed that distributed ledger technology offers humanity an entirely new kind of trust. Rather than being a “trustless” technology as many crypto proponents argue, Werbach instead posits that blockchain both expands trust, whilst simultaneously reducing the…
Figures for the end of 2018 show that San Diego-based Silvergate Bank saw an upsurge in digital currency customers. Previously, the institution provided banking services for 244 crypto businesses. However, by the end of last year, this figure more than doubled to 542. About Silvergate Bank Founded in 1988 as a state-chartered bank, the operations…
The Belarus government used the growing popularity of bitcoin as a tool to boost its technology sector, reported ZDNet. The media agency collected quotes from people who were working closely with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in drafting tech-friendly laws. One of them was a lawyer named Dennis Aleinikov, who helped the government draft a bill…
Many would nod to the fact that 2018 was not a great year for crypto investors. But that hasn’t deterred governments from putting taxpayers’ money into this vortex of permissionless recordkeeping technology. In just two weeks, the crypto industry received investment commitments from two countries. On March 6, the Argentinian government announced that it would…
The topic of charity often brings disparity of opinion. On the one hand, most of us recognize the injustices of the world and want to help those in need. But, given the reports of fraud and misconduct, as well as the sheer scale of problems, it’s understandable why many become numb to the issue. However,…
Over the past weeks, some of the world’s largest institutions, namely Facebook and JP Morgan, have announced intentions to launch blockchain ventures. While many crypto enthusiasts have welcomed this news, there’s one caveat, these projects are likely going to be centralized beyond compare. And to some, this simple fact isn’t something to be excited about.…
The United States’s Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that it will hold a public forum on blockchain and crypto assets. The event is the second of its kind and will take place at the SEC Headquarters in Washington DC on May 31. The forum is being held in conjunction with the SEC’s Strategic Hub…
A former “ethical hacker” with a number of high-profile institutions plans to host a blockchain security demonstration live at South By South West (SXSW) 2019. According to a press release, Rob Pope, currently of Dogtown Media and formerly a security specialist with HSBC and Barclays, will present on the weaknesses of various encrypted systems associated…