Companies

Coinbase-Backed Crypto Rating Council Lists IOTA, BAT, and USDC

The question of whether certain cryptocurrencies constitute securities is becoming increasingly relevant within the blockchain industry. As such, some core players in the space are upping their efforts to bring more understanding to the issue.The Crypto Rating Council, or CRC, is a group of major United States’ crypto firms that advocates and promotes regulatory clarity in crypto. Recently, the CRC evaluated a number of new cryptocurrencies to determine whether they should show signs of being securities.Three new tokens are analyzedIn an April 2 blog post, the CRC published an introduction

Coronavirus & Bitcoin Price: Is China Losing Its BTC Mining Monopoly?

This week the price of Bitcoin (BTC) surged more than 15%, reaching a high at $7,200 before pulling back into the $6,800 range. Despite the recovery, Bitcoin still has a way to go in order to reach the $8,000 level seen before the coronavirus-triggered selloff on March 12.Cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360The drop had several consequences on the Bitcoin network. Having reached the $3,800 price range, the accentuated drop forced some Bitcoin miners to throw in the towel and shut down their operations due to mining becoming unprofitable.As miners have

Binance Shelters Against Job Losses During Global Pandemic

While global unemployment continues hitting new highs amid the coronavirus pandemic, the cryptocurrency industry is stepping in to shelter job losses, with some of the biggest companies in the space announcing their intention to hire new employees.Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has just announced that it is seeking to hire more than 100 new employees, despite the ongoing economic downturn.In an April 3 tweet, Binance invited people around the world to build a career in the Blockchain space, offering a crucial opportunity to “work from home” as global jurisdictions

Exchange CEO Forecasts Crypto Market Uptick in Coming Weeks

As the world sits in flux between coronavirus and financial market concerns, AAX crypto exchange CEO, Thor Chan, thinks cryptocurrencies will ultimately make out ok.“During a period of intense panic, many investors fled the markets in search of cash, or to defend their positions elsewhere,” Chan told The Merkle in a March 30 interview, referencing recent plunging crypto and mainstream markets. “Cryptocurrency markets suffered together with all other markets,” he continued, adding:“But over the coming weeks and months, as governments cut interest rates, I think we will see the crypto

Past Halvings in Review: Case for an Immediate Bitcoin Upsurge Is Flawed

The block reward halving of Bitcoin (BTC) has long been touted as an optimistic factor to drive the short-term price trend of BTC in the first half of 2020. Historical data, however, shows that the halving does not necessarily coincide with an immediate upsurge in the price of Bitcoin.On the Bitcoin network, miners create blocks that record Bitcoin transactions to essentially verify and confirm payment data using computing power. Through large-scale mining centers filled with ASIC mining chips and sophisticated equipment, miners use a large amount of electricity and have

150-Year-Old Chinese Gas Company Ramps Up Blockchain Adoption

Chinese energy company, Shanghai Gas, announced an expansion of its blockchain efforts following a successful trial partnership with supply chain management blockchain firm, VeChain (VET), on March 31.Shanghai Gas, founded in 1865, is owned by utility services company, Shenergy Group — which claims to occupy more than 90% of Shanghai’s gas market. The firm has an annual supply of over 8 billion cubic meters.Shanghai Gas expands blockchain adoptionShanghai Gas’ trial used distributed ledger technology, or DLT, provided by VeChain to comprehensively monitor its supply chain and identify opportunities for efficiency

South African National Blockchain Alliance Holds Online Launch

The South African National Blockchain Alliance carried out an online livestream launch while the country is in the midst of a 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The organization was due to be launched at the beginning of April in Johannesburg but had to be taken online as South Africa and the world tackles a global health crisis.The launch happened during a livestream on YouTube on April 3, which included a panel of speakers elaborating on how SANBA will help nurture blockchain-focused startups and companies that

As Malta Delays Regulatory Clarity, Fewer Firms Remain on ‘Blockchain Island’

It seems that Malta is becoming both less popular among and less populated with crypto firms. The European Union country attracted dozens of industry players in 2018 on the back of the “blockchain island” agenda championed by the local government, but the relevant framework has not yet proven to be effective. Meanwhile, the official rhetoric apparently started to shift away from the blockchain sector, as the government now aims to consolidate it with “other niche sectors.”Meanwhile, the Malta Financial Services Authority, continues to pluck out non-registered crypto agents — be

Google Chrome Leads the Pack, but Privacy-Oriented Browsers Gain Traction

In recent months, big-name players like Google and Apple have been going the extra mile to showcase their privacy features to the world. However, as most people are now aware, these multinational companies have business models that are centered around collecting and aggregating the data of their customers. In this regard, growing interest in privacy-first browsers like Brave clearly suggests a collective increase in internet users’ concern over how their personal information is being accumulated, stored and utilized on a day-to-day basis.Individuals all over the globe have become so accustomed to

Brazilian Regulators Create DLT Platform for Screening Politicians

Four of Brazil’s financial regulatory institutions are collaborating to build a streamlined blockchain-based data-sharing platform to perform background checks on political representatives and corporations.The platform, dubbed PIER, was developed by Brazil’s central bank Banco Central do Brasil (BCB). The platform saw initial participation from the BCB, the Brazilian private insurance superintendent, and the local securities regulator to inform its database. Brazil’s social security supervisor is set to soon participate in the program too. The Brazilian government is also contemplating incorporating data collected by the country’s judiciary, trade boards, and international financial

Ripple’s Co-founder Chris Larsen Fully Recovers From Coronavirus Infection

Chris Larsen, the co-founder and executive chairman of Ripple has become the latest COVID-19 Survivor, as he announced Thursday that he has fully recovered from the infectious Coronavirus.  With over a million people currently infected with the virus and more than 53,292 dead, Larsen said he is indeed grateful for his recovery.  Sharing his experience on Twitter, the Ripple executive expressed his gratitude to everyone on the frontlines who took it upon themselves to keep him and other COVID-19 victims safe.  He further encouraged those who have recovered from the