Tech 21 May 2019

Amazon awarded a proof of work patent for Merkle tree technique

In an effort to improve their web services through blockchain technology, Amazon has secured a patent for a proof of work technique.

Business 21 May 2019

Hong Kong and Bank of Thailand reach deal for blockchain research

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank of Thailand are ready to further their research together after signing a memorandum of understanding,.

Business 20 May 2019

Consensys announces partnership with LVMH, Microsoft

Consensys has just announced that they are partnering up with the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH and Microsoft for a blockchain-based platform.

Business 15 May 2019

Floyd Mayweather, DJ Khaled escape Centra Tech ICO lawsuit

Floyd Mayweather, DJ Khaled, and two Centra Tech employees escaped repercussions with respect to a lawsuit filed against the startup’s fraudulent ICO.

Tech 15 May 2019

Feds nab movie pirate with ‘diverse’ crypto portfolio, thanks to Paypal

Paypal tipped off the Homeland Security Investigations to two streaming services whose owner reportedly has a diverse cryptocurrency portfolio.

Business 14 May 2019

BitOasis clears initial hurdle to operate in Middle East

BitOasis has taken an important step towards getting a full license, and will be a crucial player in the Middle East crypto scene.

Tech 14 May 2019

CoinGecko’s new ‘trust score’ feature addresses fake volume data

CoinGecko is giving investors a new tool to help them chose the best crypto exchange.

Business 17 May 2019

Caspian partners with OKEx exchange for institutional crypto trading

The partnership is part of Caspian and OKEx’s effort to improve the infrastructure for the institutional adoption of cryptocurrency trading.

Tech 16 May 2019

Billon secures EU funding for blockchain document management system

The idea is to increase transparency in efficiency with respect to document storage and management by placing these documents on a distributed ledger.

Business 13 May 2019

Samsung NEXT leads funding round for blockchain streaming network

Samsung NEXT and Blockchain, the largest non-custodial crypto wallet, have led a funding round for Theta Labs, the blockchain-based streaming video network.

Business 13 May 2019

Trading firms blacklist to clean up crypto industry

To help mature the industry, some of the biggest investors are proposing to create a backlist of bad actors in the crypto space.

Business 13 May 2019

Germany plans to introduce regulations allowing blockchain bonds

Germany is changing its tone on blockchain technology, and might introduce new regulations this year.

Business 13 May 2019

Figure Technologies loan platform secures $1B financing facility

Figure Technologies announced on May 9 that it had secured a $1 billion line of credit on the Provenance.io blockchain.

Tech 8 May 2019

ASX looks to distributed ledger technology

The Australian Securities Exchange has now pushed forward with their blockchain solution, and called it the Customer Development Environment.

Business 8 May 2019

Alibaba’s investment arm invests in blockchain privacy startup QEDIT

Alibaba has made a big investment in privacy focused blockchain startup QEDIT in an effort to better safeguard their data.

Tech 7 May 2019

Bursa Malaysia makes first foray into blockchain for securities borrowing

The Kuala Lumpur-based stock exchange is reportedly interested in a blockchain-powered platform involving the securities borrowing and lending market.

Tech 7 May 2019

Singapore graduates to start receiving blockchain-based certificates

Beginning 2019, graduates from 18 educational institutes in Singapore will receive blockchain-verified certificates.

Tech 7 May 2019

FCC may tap blockchain to track wireless spectrums

The U.S. agency reportedly wants a track-and-trace technology for wireless spectrums that is “open-source, distributed and secure.” In short, blockchain technology.

Business 10 May 2019

Europol helps nab crypto-laundering ring in Spain

Eight were arrested and a bunch of equipment and money seized in a Europol assisted raid in Spain.

Business 6 May 2019

Blockchain firm SETL emerges from bankruptcy

SETL has somehow scraped back from bankruptcy to be a new company, with a second chance at making a difference.

Business 10 May 2019

Orchid Labs raises $48M to end internet surveillance

Orchid Labs has had quite a successful year, raising $43 million from accredited investors since the year started, and hopes to raise $125 million in total.

Business 26 April 2019

SEC Investor alert warns against crypto scams

The SEC has put out a pretty fleshed out warning so that investors can understand the typical pit-falls of crypto scams.

Business 3 May 2019

TenCent’s healthcare startup Waterdrop achieves $1 billion valuation

Waterdrop, which hopes uses blockchain technology to allow users to crowdfund for healthcare, has recently hit the unicorn mark.

Business 3 May 2019

London Stock Exchange currently exploring blockchain use cases

The London Stock Exchange is looking into blockchain use cases that could increase transparency for financial markets.

Tech 3 May 2019

Five Canadian banks turn to blockchain for identity verification

Five of the top banks Canadian banks are joining together to digitally verify customers using blockchain technology.

Business 24 April 2019

Student gets 10-year jail term for stealing $7.5 million in crypto

Joel Ortiz, a 21 year-old from Boston, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for stealing cryptocurrency through hacking.

Business 25 April 2019

Dark web drug dealers plead guilty to crypto money laundering

Marking a first for the state of New York, prosecutors have secured their first conviction for money laundering through cryptocurrency.

Business 1 May 2019

Socios secures its first Premier Club partnership

In a big new partnership, Socios, a company that offers tokens to make fans more than just fans, has partnered with West Ham United in its first Premier Club partnership.

Business 1 May 2019

Liquid plans to expand to the United States

Liquid, after recently attaining unicorn status, is setting its sights on a US expansion.

Business 23 April 2019

South Korea faces growing threats from cryptojacking

A recent report reveals that South Korea is facing an increasing amount of cyber-attacks, and many of them are now of the cryptojacking variety.

Business 30 April 2019

Russia will explore blockchain in 4 regulatory sandboxes

Russia will establish four regulatory sandboxes for companies to try out new blockchain technology, amongst others, in before real rules kick in.

Business 22 April 2019

Japan’s Zaif crypto exchange resumes services under new management

The Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Zaif announced that it is resuming its activities under new management, several months after falling victim to a hack.

Business 22 April 2019

FinCEN gives historic fine to cryptocurrency trader

Eric Powers appeared to do everything he could to upset law enforcement, and he’s getting a big fine as a reward.

Business 18 April 2019

Nevada lawmakers scrap controversial Bitcoin bill

In what many consider a victory for the cryptocurrency community, Nevada lawmakers scrapped Senate Bill No. 195, which many believe was not beneficial to the crypto markets.

Business 18 April 2019

Charlie Shrem, Winklevoss twins settle lawsuit over missing Bitcoin

The Winklevoss twins have settled their lawsuit against Charlie Shrem, who they claimed owed them $26 million worth of cryptocurrency.

Business 17 April 2019

Monex hoping that Coincheck will help with market share

Monex is hoping that, by adding digital assets through Coincheck, it can compete with some of the giants of the Japanese financial world.

Business 17 April 2019

Cornell researchers conclude that crypto is overrun with trading bots

Crypto traders that might feel they are doing pretty good are likely trading against bots that don’t care how they feel.

Tech 17 April 2019

More than $50M in crypto stolen from US wallets in last 15 months

The thefts involved five hackers all aged between 18 and 26, who have been charged with the cybercrimes, according to law enforcement authorities.

Business 17 April 2019

North Korea buying nuclear weapons with crypto theft fund: report

It is currently unclear how much cryptocurrency that North Korea has stockpiled, but it is estimated to be somewhere between $545 million and $735 million, according to a recent report.

Tech 15 April 2019

“Learning coin” to help educate IMF and World Bank about blockchain

The IMF and World Bank are teaming up to make a new cryptocurrency to help organizations learn more about blockchain technology.

Business 15 April 2019

SEC looking into misleading ETF names

The SEC is cracking down on ETFs that are using misleading names with the alleged purpose to bring in investors who don’t know better.

Business 12 April 2019

Bermuda finance ministry gives green light to Velocity Ledger ICO

VHL Financial is currently in the application phase with the Bermuda Monetary Authority, and the goal is to operate a digital asset exchange in the country after the proper licenses are obtained.

Tech 12 April 2019

Connecticut man gets jail time over Bitcoin phishing scheme

Michael Richo, 37, was charged with fraud and money laundering offenses for his involvement in a Bitcoin phishing scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

Business 10 April 2019

Jail time, $800K forfeiture await unlicensed Bitcoin trader in California

Jacob Burrell Campos was forced to forfeit $823,357 in illicit profits and was also sentenced to two years in prison in the United States.

Business 11 April 2019

Texas regulator orders crypto firm FxBitGlobe to cease operations

The crypto investment firm claims to offer incredible returns between 25% and 75%, which many believe to be an obvious sign of a Ponzi scheme.

Business 10 April 2019

Bitfinex gets rid of $10K minimum equity requirement for users

The platform has removed its $10,000 minimum equity threshold requirement, a move that is expected to allow more traders to use the platform.

Business 11 April 2019

Lawmakers reintroduces bill exempting crypto from US securities laws

Compared to the 2018 version, the Token Taxonomy Act 2019 has more detailed definition of what constitutes a digital token that is more inclusive of emerging technologies.

Tech 9 April 2019

Thomson Reuters receives patent for blockchain-based identity management

The media giant seeks to develop a blockchain-powered identity system capable of receiving validated identity data, which it will send “to at least one node of the distributed system,” and then generate an identity token.

Tech 9 April 2019

Law enforcement in South Korea arrest crypto scammers with AI help

Scammers were reportedly arrested—with the help of artificial intelligence (AI)—in South Korea after a running a Bitcoin Ponzi scheme for some time.

Business 8 April 2019

Coinbase snags spot on LinkedIn’s popular US employers list

One reason that Coinbase’s appearance on the list is significant is because the company appeared on the list above JPMorgan Chase, also one of the most well-known financial institutions in the world.

Business 8 April 2019

BitPanda receives coveted payment service provider license

The Payment and Service Derivative 2 license from the Financial Market Authority Austria allows crypto firm Bitpanda to offer its service in various countries both in the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Business 8 April 2019

Atomic Capital enters crypto loan sector with ‘most aggressive’ offer

The company is offering U.S. dollar loans for up to 85% of the value of BTC or ETH pledged as collateral, a vast increase from competitors that offer 50% loans of pledged crypto assets.

Business 5 April 2019

Mastermind behind $300M crypto Ponzi scam in India posts bail

Amit Bhardwaj, founder and CEO of GainBitcoin, was supposedly admitted to Apollo Hospital for dialysis treatment recently. His bail has been granted on medical grounds, according to reports.

Business 4 April 2019

Japan finds new tech unicorn in crypto trading platform Liquid

Japanese crypto trading platform Liquid has officially hit unicorn status, now with a valuation of over $1 billion following its Series C funding round.

Business 4 April 2019

North Korea reportedly using crypto heist money for nuclear weapons

Apt 38 is an elite group of North Korea’s most capable hackers, and they are sponsored by the government, according to reports.

Business 3 April 2019

Crypto startup Harmony raises $18M in token presale

The Harmony blockchain aims to be an “open consensus for 10 billion people,” or at least is marketed that way, which is interesting considering that there are not even 10 billion people on Earth currently.

Business 3 April 2019

Hong Kong firms offers insured custody service for cryptocurrency

Branding China Group is a trading and asset management firm that is known for its technology investments, but has been diversifying into the blockchain sector recently.

Business 2 April 2019

US SEC orders crypto fund Mutual Coin Fund to cease and desist

The SEC is accusing Mutual Coin Fund and its founder Usman Majeed of misrepresenting the amount of money raised, and that the fund had declined significantly—by 62%—as of February 28, 2019.

Business 2 April 2019

US securities regulator wants an expert crypto advisor ASAP

While the SEC has yet to offer specific guidelines on cryptocurrency, it is apparently searching to hire a “crypto specialist attorney advisor” quickly.

Business 2 April 2019

Swiss publishing house Netzmedien AG offers wages in Bitcoin

The Swiss publishing house announced on Monday that all company employees’ wages will be paid in cryptocurrency instead of fiat currency.

Business 1 April 2019

Bithumb assures crypto ‘assets are safe’ amid $13M EOS hack

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb is assuring investors that their funds are safe after a hack that reportedly led to the loss of 3 million EOS worth $13 million.

Business 1 April 2019

Hong Kong regulator reminds investors to be wary of security tokens

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has warned about the risks involved with security token offerings investment, noting that those issuing STOs have to be licensed or registered in Hong Kong.

Business 29 March 2019

Börse Stuttgart teams up with Axel Springer for crypto trading venue

Germany’s second-largest stock exchange, Börse Stuttgart, is launching a cryptocurrency trading venue that will cater to both retail and institutional investors.

Business 29 March 2019

7 linked to crypto ransom racket busted in Pakistan

A gang was busted in Pakistan that was demanding Bitcoin Core (BTC) for ransom, according to reports.

Tech 29 March 2019

Blockchain-based diamond exchange CEDEX opens for business

A new diamond exchange by the name of CEDEX has just opened, for those wishing to invest in the diamond sector. In fact, $50 million worth of diamonds have already been listed.

Tech 28 March 2019

Ukrainian man accused of cryptojacking his own websites

Cybercrime is apparently alive and well in Ukraine, as an individual has been utilizing his own websites as a means to rake in illegal cryptocurrency revenue.

Tech 25 March 2019

Odyssey blockchain hackathon seeks prototypes to address ‘societal challenges’

The Netherlands is continuing its Odyssey tradition for the third year, where all sorts of talented individuals will gather to tackle societal challenges by offering solutions through emerging technologies.

Business 27 March 2019

Binance partners with IdentityMind for KYC compliance

The exchange has previously partnered with Chainalysis, but the partnership with IdentityMind makes it so that Binance can work harder to meet regulations all around the world.

Tech 27 March 2019

Bank of America’s tech chief not so sure about blockchain

Cathy Bessant, the tech and operations chief for Bank of America, stated in an interview with CNBC that she is “open-minded” about blockchain, but admitted to being “bearish” when it comes to her own private sentiment.

Business 25 March 2019

Twitch ditches BTC, BCHABC crypto payment options

A Reddit user pointed out that both BTC and BCHABC were no longer an option when it comes to paying for Twitch subscriptions.

Business 25 March 2019

Vietnam to launch first official cryptocurrency exchange

Kronn Ventures AG has officially signed a memorandum of understanding with the Linh Tanh Group, which will pave the way for the establishment of a cryptocurrency exchange in Vietnam.

Business 27 March 2019

For the economy: Tim Draper urges Argentina to legalize cryptocurrency

In a meeting with Argentinean President Mauricio Macri, the venture capitalist reportedly said he would double his investments in Argentina if the peso gained value at a higher rate than Bitcoin.

Business 25 March 2019

Visa wants cryptocurrency, blockchain pro to join ‘Visa Crypto’ team

The global credit card company is looking for a crypto professional who is familiar with “permissionless blockchain technology” to join the team, according to a Smartrecruiters posting.

Tech 22 March 2019

Blockchain analyst CipherBlade criticizes WSJ journalism, or lack thereof

CipherBlade, a blockchain investigation firm, has concluded that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has overstated its previous claims about the cryptocurrency exchange ShapeShift.

Business 26 March 2019

Yahoo-backed crypto exchange launching soon in Japan

The exchange has a high-profile backer in YJFX, a subsidiary of Yahoo Japan, and was formerly known as BitARG before it rebranded to Taotao.

Business 22 March 2019

‘Irresponsible tweets’ land John McAfee in hot water with Skycoin

Skycoin has responded on Twitter that it John McAfee’s comments about “whale f--king” that actually led to the project being forced to sever ties with the cryptocurrency influencer.

Business 20 March 2019

Blockchain, Brexit, and Ireland: What will happen?

The economic uncertainty has led many to believe that cryptocurrency might be able to play a role, since traditional currencies might not be able to stabilize through the crisis.

Business 20 March 2019

Cryptopia outlines eventual return as exchange resumes trading

Co-founder Rob Dawson categorically denies that an exit scam took place, and points out that Cryptopia actually plans on reopening. For now, the crypto exchange has resumed trading on 40 various crypto trading pairs.

Business 19 March 2019

Tel Aviv judge rules bank wrong to close crypto mining firm account

A judge in Israel has just shaken up the cryptocurrency community by ruling on cryptocurrency miner Israminer’s account with Union Bank in Tel Aviv.

Business 19 March 2019

Trump’s planned crackdown on cartels could hurt crypto

In a move that is sure to be quite controversial, it appears U.S. President Donald Trump is considering labeling Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.

Business 18 March 2019

MercadoLibre ditches crypto after PayPal investment

The e-commerce giant has abruptly announced that cryptocurrency-related listings will not be allowed on the platform. The announcement comes on the heels of a significant investment from PayPal.

Business 18 March 2019

Crypto czar thinks startups should ask for permission, not forgiveness

The U.S. securities regulator has been tightlipped about cryptocurrency regulation, but apparently, even stablecoins might come with their own concerns, according to SEC advisor for digital assets Valerie Szczepanik.

Tech 15 March 2019

IBM new blockchain patent meant to ward off replay attacks

IBM is clearly interested in improving the overall security of blockchain, and withstanding any potential attacks while still maintaining user privacy and user permissions.

Business 15 March 2019

Singapore’s ‘Bitcoin trial’ rules in favor of market maker

The case involves a market maker and cryptocurrency exchange, where orders were made and actually reversed by cryptocurrency exchange Quione.

Business 14 March 2019

Well-known investor Marc Faber makes first crypto purchase

Swiss investor Marc Faber's opinion on cryptocurrency might finally be changing.

Business 14 March 2019

‘Crypto’ thriller goes to Hollywood

The movie, dubbed "Crypto," has been discussed among the cryptocurrency community for some time now, and its trailer has finally hit Youtube.

Business 13 March 2019

Cryptocurrency scam sweeps through Sweden

The scam lures victims in by promising high-end merchandise but requires the interested buyer to exchange their fiat currency into cryptocurrency for the purchase to be finalized, according to reports.

Business 13 March 2019

Crypto Integrity: Fake volume in crypto markets still prevalent

A Crypto Integrity report suggests that almost 90% of all cryptocurrency volume in February 2019 wasn’t “real,” and this included volume at some of the most well-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world.

Business 12 March 2019

‘Crypto mom’ cautious about proposed blockchain action plan in US

The Digital Chamber of Commerce has called for a blockchain “National Action Plan,” which will allow U.S. to publicly supports the sector without stifling innovation.

Business 12 March 2019

CEO pleads guilty to selling ‘Bitcointopia’ land he didn’t own

Morgan Rockcoons is no exception pitched the idea of a “Bitcointopia” to many individuals last year, offering to sell them land that he claimed to own in Nevada.

Tech 8 March 2019

Where is your milk from? Carrefour lets buyers know with blockchain help

French supermarket company Carrefour wants to allow consumers to know more about where exactly their milk comes from, according to reports.

Business 8 March 2019

Malaysia wants feedback on proposed ICO regulatory framework

Malaysia is seeking public feedback with regards to regulating initial coin offerings (ICOs) and property crowdfunding.