Sunday, December 22, 2019

This week in tech: Asia shows the blockchain world how it’s done

 


More global giants continue to adopt the blockchain, setting the stage for what could be a momentous year in 2020 for the technology. Asia has continued to set the pace, with China, South Korea and India leading the pack.

This week, China's internet giant ByteDance launched a new partnership which will develop blockchain and AI solutions for its clients. Known mainly as the owner of video sharing app TikTok, ByteDance partnered with a state media conglomerate to launch a new company named Pengpai Audiovisual Technology Co.

Also in China, the country's judiciary revealed this week that the smart courts system has been quite a success. The courts are powered by blockchain and other technologies such as AI and cloud computing. According to a recent report, these smart courts settled over 3 million cases between March and October this year.

The race for a national digital currency is still on course, with Iran revealing its intentions this week. The country's president proposed the development of a Muslim crypto this week, aimed at checking the U.S. economic dominance. He called on Muslim nations to come together and back this crypto as they seek to strengthen financial and trade cooperation.

This week, Thailand announced that it would apply blockchain in the issuance of its electronic visa on arrival. The application of the technology will speed up the process, while enhancing transparency and security.

Over in East Asia, a leading telecom operator announced the launch of a blockchain-based currency to revitalize the local economy. South Korea's largest telecom company KT partnered with Busan city to launch the currency, which will be known as Dongbaekjeon. Busan, South Korea's second largest city after Seoul, believes the currency will "revitalize its local economy and ease the management burden of small business."

In South Asia, one of the largest consultancy companies released a blockchain development kit this week, aiming to accelerate the development of decentralized applications. Tata Consultancy Services, which is the largest Indian company by market capitalization, launched the kit to allow enterprises to build and deploy dApps in a simplified way. The company claims that developers who use their kit write smart contracts 40% faster than their peers.

In Hong Kong, the United Nations is turning to blockchain to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers. Through the International Organization for Migration, the U.N. launched a blockchain tool that will introduce transparency in the immigration sector. Hong Kong is home to nearly 400,000 migrants and over half this number has been exploited in one way or another.

Over in the U.S., chipmaker AMD this week joined a blockchain alliance which aims at promoting the technology in the gaming industry. AMD becomes the first major player to join the Blockchain Game Alliance. Still in the U.S., a Gartner report this week revealed that over 75% of major companies are integrating blockchain and IoT in their operations. According to the report, transparency and security are some of the key reasons for the continued uptake.

The week also saw some legal enforcement, with two Russian crypto miners charged for using government resources to mine. This came just a month after a Russian nuclear physicist had been sentenced to three years in jail for a similar crime.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Crypto bank SEBA expands to nine new jurisdictions

 


Cryptocurrency-focused banking startup SEBA Crypto AG has expanded into nine new jurisdictions, just months after it received a Swiss banking license. With its latest expansion, the startup aims to bridge the gap between digital currencies and the legacy banking system.

Based in the Zug crypto valley in Switzerland, SEBA aims to offer the crypto industry with the banking services that it has lacked for so long. It obtained a Swiss banking license in August and became fully operational a month ago.

In a statement shared with media houses, the company revealed that it had expanded into nine new jurisdictions. These are Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the U.K and Portugal.

For SEBA, it's all about bridging the gap between the traditional financial system and the new era of digital currencies. As CoinGeek has reported severally, crypto companies have struggled to access even the most basic banking services. For banks, it doesn't matter how big the company is or how much revenue the bank stands to lose, as has been seen with the Bitfinex banking debacle.

In its statement, SEBA criticized the great discrepancy that exists between legacy financial institutions and the crypto industry, stating, "More than 10 years after the invention of Bitcoin, there is still a tremendous gap between traditional banking on one side and decentralized finance on the other side."

SEBA provides several products to its clients, starting with the most basic bank account needs. It'll also allow its clients to tokenize all forms of assets, from real estate to investment products. It also offers an e-wallet alongside its SEBA card. Its services allow its clients to manage five cryptos currently, among them Ether, Litecoin and Stellar. They can easily exchange these cryptos into fiat on SEBA's platform, and vice versa.

As we reported previously, SEBA's promising future has pooled in investors, allowing it to raise $100 million in its most recent funding round. At the time, the startup's CEO Guido Buehler reiterated that its mission is "to become a market leader in the convergence of traditional finance with the crypto economy."
 


Indian Parliament member Dr. Subramanian Swamy has shared his view on cryptocurrency. Advocating for India to make the transition to crypto, he reportedly said, "cryptocurrency is inevitable." The lawmaker will chair a conference at the UN India's headquarters next week where issues surrounding cryptocurrency in the country will be discussed.

Indian Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Subramanian Swamy has reportedly spoken about cryptocurrency following the statements made last week on digital currency by the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP was nominated to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's parliament, by the President of India. According to Sarkaritel news portal, Dr. Swamy supports cryptocurrency adoption. He was quoted on Wednesday as saying:

Last week, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das revealed that the central bank had examined internally the prospect of issuing an RBI-backed digital rupee. "I think it is an area where the Reserve Bank will certainly look at seriously at an appropriate time," he confirmed. The RBI, however, has not warmed up to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Its banking restriction, enforced on the Indian cryptocurrency industry in July last year, is still in effect. The supreme court is expected to resume hearing the arguments against this ban in January.

Crypto Conference at UN India
Dr. Swamy will chair a closed-door conference at UN India's headquarters in New Delhi on Dec. 18. The event is co-organized by United Nations Technology Innovation Lab – UNTIL India and BEGIN India Think Tank. The aim of the conference is to deliberate on methods, technology and delivery mechanisms of digital currency that make nations, particularly law enforcement, "vulnerable in monitoring/ controlling/ stopping the invisible vaporization of fiat currency towards terror financing," the UN's website described.

"The scheduled conference on cryptocurrency organized by Mr. Deepak is most timely," Dr. Swamy was quoted by the news outlet as saying. "China is today even ahead of U.S. in its decision to begin a trial run in two cities for digital transactions." Deepak Kapoor is the founder of BEGIN India Think Tank. The MP elaborated:

I advocate that India as an established super power in software should accept to make the transition to cryptocurrency.

The conference will be attended by leaders from key Indian investigative agencies, law enforcement agencies, as well as state and central government IT departments. BEGIN India Think Tank focuses on addressing issues surrounding blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. The organization helps investigative agencies, law enforcement agencies, and banking institutions understand cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Kapoor affirmed:

We are committed to addressing a range of issues around cryptocurrency, globally, starting in India.

"From its damaging negative aspects that contribute to undermining [the] dominance of central banks in a nation's economy to the overwhelmingly positive aspects of how policy should be formulated around the most secure technology till date which was essentially built to decimate the control of governments and central banks," he continued. "We must work to retain the safeguards."

Among topics that will be discussed at the conference is how to fight crypto-related crimes. "For this purpose, such conferences are necessary in a democracy that India is, and move to digital, orderly and tamper-proof transaction just as in the past, the world had moved from barter to precious metals to paper currency for transaction," Dr. Swamy detailed.

"The banking system is unable to track any financial transactions and law enforcement agencies are helplessly unable to deal with high-end cryptocurrency technology," Kapoor remarked. "Investigators have not yet even understood how to ascertain/ calculate the total value of siphoned off funds, leave alone locating and seizing it," he further asserted.

Despite various efforts by the Indian government and law enforcement agencies, BEGIN India's founder claims that "not a single case of cryptocurrency has yet been successfully solved, nor a fraction of the money recovered so far." He noted that "Alarmingly, with each passing day, larger amounts keep getting converted to cryptocurrency and vanishing into the thin-air invisible economy, thus weakening India's economy and hurting its GDP." Meanwhile, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy has introduced a few courses teaching high ranking police officers about cryptocurrency.

Monday, December 9, 2019

Weiss Ratings Downgrades EOS to 'C-' Due to Centralization - How Other Coins Measure Up

 

Weiss Ratings has downgraded EOS once again, taking its ranking from a B to a C-. The group cites "failure to decentralize," "misallocation of resources," and a congested network as reasons for the fall in rank. "Weiss Crypto Ratings model is not based on opinion. It's driven by data," the group claims. In this article we'll look at EOS, as well as top coins by market cap to see how Weiss — and other voices in the space — view their progress.

The Weiss Rating System
The self-described "only ratings agency that combines the broadest coverage, strictest independence, complete objectivity, high ethics, and a commitment to safety," has moved EOS down to a C- rating. Weiss Crypto Ratings took to Twitter over the weekend to explain their reasoning. "We've had great respect for work and thinking that went into the EOS project. But the Weiss Crypto Ratings model is not based on opinion. It's driven by data," the group tweeted. "And that data has now caused a downgrade from B to C-. Here's why (full article to be published soon)."

The first reason given is a perceived failure to decentralize. Weiss notes that 0.01% of EOS token holders "control a whopping 68% of the voting power. So much for the claim that EOS is a major improvement over older cryptos like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH)," the group asserts. The second reason is a "misallocation of resources" that has resulted in network congestion, and frozen transactions for small token holders. "The issue of CPU, REX and the clogged network is too complex to explain in a simple Twitter format, so on this topic, see our article explaining EOS downgrade in detail, coming out soon," Weiss details.

Bitcoin Core
Weiss gives market cap leader Bitcoin Core (BTC) an overall rating of B+. Weak areas are "risk" and "momentum" and the coin receives a D grade in market performance. Adoption and technology both score well, getting an A. In a recent article published to the American Institute for Economic Research, Austrian economist and Bitcoin advocate Jeffrey A. Tucker seems to lend credence to the Weiss assessment on momentum, writing:

Consider the core data. Transactions per day are at 2016 levels. Exchange volume is at 2017 levels. Wallet use is at an all-time high but most new users come in through exchanges and keep their money there, which belies the hope of disintermediated money.

Ethereum
Ethereum also garners a B+ grade by the Weiss system, ranking "fair" and "excellent" in technology and adoption, respectively. A D- score in market performance counterbalances this positivity. While some in the crypto space would argue that there are serious scaling issues with Ethereum and question the technology and adoption score, Weiss nonetheless gives these an A, based on its ranking system.

XRP
XRP receives a B-, rated "very weak" in the momentum category and "weak" in the risk category. "Momentum," according to the Weiss system, "evaluates the upside potential an investor could benefit from." XRP's most highly scored aspect is adoption, categorized as "excellent." Centralization has been a big issue in the crypto space for critics of XRP, as some see the asset as being controlled directly by the company, and not a decentralized community.

Bitcoin Cash
Bitcoin Cash, whose community and tech seek to address some of the issues with BTC Tucker discusses in his article, gets an overall Weiss rating of C. Interestingly, no 90-day performance history is shown for BCH at press time, and this metric would ostensibly be needed to effectively establish risk and momentum, both of which Weiss rates as weak. In any case, BCH shines most brightly in the category of adoption, which is rated "good."

Monday, December 2, 2019

How the Upcoming Bitcoin Halving Compares to Previous Cycles

 


For those standing very close to the crypto charts, it might be easy to get discouraged by the gloomy nature of recent markets. However, new comparisons of the current halving cycle to those in the past have emerged and might put some wind back into the sails of traders, hodlers, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts in general.

Miners Unfazed as Halving Approaches
Though crypto prices took a big dip in November, with BTC falling 30% from a high of $9,486 to a bottom of around $6,575, hash rates on both the BTC and BCH chains have held relatively steady as the next block reward halving approaches. Data also points to miners hoarding coins in view of the upcoming subsidy reduction, as the event is generally viewed as price favorable. In combination with these factors, new analysis has emerged which might suggest that in spite of the recent bearish climate, things might be more on track than previously supposed.

Comparing Halving Cycles
The image above aligns the block reward halving points of three cycles (the latter half of pre-halving and the first half of post-halving), with the three cycles anchored at a common line of 100% of the cycle low. The first two cycles which are completed, and the pre-halving phase of the current cycle are displayed. Interestingly, the movements in the latter half cycles appear to follow a similar trend. As creator of the graphic, @Chartsbtc, states on their Twitter post:

Each cycle is 210,000 blocks (~4 years). This chart starts half way through the cycle and goes half way into the next cycle. This is my attempt to show the lows prior to halving and the peaks post halving but keep everything centered around the halving.

The graphic is compelling, and has many hoping for great moves price-wise in 2020 and beyond. Discussing the methodology of creating the graphic further, @Chartsbtc explains why the green price action line does not touch the 100% cycle low level: "The low was a intraday price and the chart only plots the closing prices to the nearest 105th block. I wish I actually had prices per block." They further note that viewers should "Keep in mind that each cycle peak will likely be lower than the prior one." Even so, should the trend repeat BTC could see a post-halving peak around $80,000. Still, this is all speculation, and other factors must be kept in mind.

Into 2020
With the Bitcoin Core halving estimated to be taking place in mid-May, 2020, and the Bitcoin Cash halving to likely occur a month earlier, speculation of course abounds. Other factors playing into market perception and possibly price, such as proliferating development surrounding the BCH chain, and a trend of businesses dropping BTC as a payment method due to fees and congestion (not to mention an overall shift in attitude in the BTC community from user to mere hodler), could also have unexpected affects. If the projections of the above halving data are correct, however, everyone may be in for an interesting ride in 2020.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

58% of German Banks Charge Negative Interest Rates

 


Germany's central bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank, has conducted a survey of banks charging negative interest rates on customer deposits. Some are charging retail customers as well as corporate clients. An independent price comparison portal shows which banks are currently charging for deposits and how much they are charging.

Central Bank Survey
A growing number of German banks are passing on the burden of negative interest rates to their customers as the European Central Bank (ECB) continues to maintain a negative interest rate policy (NIRP). The current ECB deposit rate is -0.5%, the lowest on record.

"Many banks in Germany have introduced negative rates on deposits," the Deutsche Bundesbank wrote in its November monthly report after conducting a survey of 220 banks at the end of September regarding their negative interest rate policies. The central bank believes that the surveyed banks constitute a representative sample of the overall sector, thereby allowing it to make qualified statements concerning the spread of negative interest rates on customer deposits in the German banking sector. The Financial Times summarized:

58% of the banks said they were levying negative rates on some corporate deposits and 23% said they were doing the same for retail depositors.

Even the country's largest banks have started charging their customers for deposits. Deutsche Bank CFO James von Moltke told analysts last month that his bank had stepped up its attempts to pass on the negative rate burden to corporate clients. "This is more difficult in the private bank business than in corporate or institutional deposits and we don't see an ability to adjust legal terms and conditions of our accounts on a broad-based basis," the CFO was quoted as saying. He added that his bank had also approached some retail clients with large deposits on the matter.

Similarly, Commerzbank CFO Stephan Engels revealed earlier this month that his bank had already been approaching wealthy retail customers holding deposits of more than 1 million euros ($1.11 million).

Which Banks Charge Negative Interest Rates
While the central bank did not provide a list of banks that are charging negative interest rates, German consumer price comparison platform Verivox has published several lists of banks that fall into this category. The platform claims to have examined the policies of over 800 German banks.

According to its current database, at least 21 banks have published their negative rate policies online and seven others are charging fees for money market accounts which are usually free. Further, the platform lists 20 other banks that the media have reported as charging for deposits but they have not published the information on their websites.

Verivox's list of 21 banks currently charging negative interest rates on customer deposits.
News.Bitcoin.com was able to verify that a number of banks on the Verivox list do charge negative interest rates including Berliner Volksbank, Ethikbank, Skatbank, Sparda-Bank Berlin, Sparkasse Harburg-Buxtehude, Volksbank Eisenberg, and Volksbank Fürstenfeldbruck. Berliner Volksbank, one of the largest German cooperative banks, started charging -0.5% on accounts with at least 100,000 euros on Oct. 1, as news.Bitcoin.com previously reported.

Following the move by the ECB to lower the key interest rate to -0.5% in September, Skatbank announced its negative interest rate policy, emphasizing:

We can no longer economically accept responsibility for maintaining the ECB negative interest rate in full. So far, negative interest rates were only incurred for large-scale depositors. As a result of its actions, the ECB leaves us no other choice than to further restrict our deposit business.

Another German price comparison website, Biallo, claims to have found more than 150 German financial institutions that are charging negative interest rates. Founder Horst Biallo wrote, "A biallo.de survey of just over 1,300 banks and savings banks shows that a good 150 financial institutions are now charging negative interest, 52 of which are private sector institutions." However, his list is not publicly available.

First Bank to Charge Small Savers Negative Rate
Among the 21 banks on Verivox's list is Volksbank Fürstenfeldbruck, a cooperative bank located west of Munich. The bank has recently been in the news for being the first German bank to pass on the cost of negative interest rates to even small savers.

The bank explained that it will collect a custody fee of -0.5% on instant access savings accounts, the Financial Times detailed. "New clients who also do other business with the bank, such as real estate financing or pension planning, will be exempt from the charges." The bank's website shows that accounts opened on Oct. 1 or later with deposits of 0.01 euro or more will be charged the fee. Inundated with inquiries about its new policy following media reports, the bank put up an explanation on its website, emphasizing that only new clients are affected. Verivox CEO Oliver Maier was quoted by the Financial Times on Tuesday as saying:

Negative interest rates have now reached the average saver.
What do you think of a growing number of German banks passing on the burden of negative interest rates to their customers? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Bitcoin Cash Community Funds Eatbch Trip to Ghana

 

This week members of the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) community donated funds to Eatbch South Sudan volunteer Thiong Deng so he could spread the word about the benefits of BCH at the Young African Leaders Summit. According to Deng, his journey to Uganda and Ghana has been fully funded which includes flight, hotel, visa costs, and a ticket to the event.

Eatbch South Sudan Volunteer Heads to the Young African Leaders Summit
Eatbch is easily recognized as the Bitcoin Cash community's most favorite charity because the nonprofit organization has been using BCH to help people throughout Venezuela and South Sudan. People can follow Eatbch on Twitter and see how the "peer-to-peer electronic cash-to-food system" feeds families and children in need regularly. Just recently, the nonprofit published a new website called eatbch.org that shows the tremendous work being done in South Sudan and Venezuela. Moreover, the website's visitors can donate bitcoin cash directly to the effort so people can help others experiencing economic hardships and difficult times.

Last September, news.Bitcoin.com reported on Eatbch South Sudan leader Emmanuel Lobijo, who was invited to attend the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit. Lobijo joined Greta Thunberg and many other activists at the UN's event in New York. The Eatbch South Sudan leader explained how BCH can "bridge access to the world" and how the charitable organization is using bitcoin cash to fight water wars, drought, and famine in the African country.

This week members of the BCH community funded Eatbch South Sudan volunteer Thiong Micheal Deng's trip so he could attend the Young African Leaders Summit in Ghana. On November 13 and 14, BCH proponents on Twitter and Reddit asked the community to help fund Deng's trip. "Can we get Thiong, an Eatbch South Sudan representative to the Young African Leaders Summit? He still needs $800 dollars of funding," one Reddit post asked. Deng disclosed all the anticipated expenses for the trip to the Young African Leaders Summit and thanked the community for the "generous donations" but he still had $835 left to raise.

BCH Community Funds Travel Expenses to Ghana
On Twitter, software engineer Josh Ellithorpe (who designed the eatbch.org website) also asked BCH supporters to help fund Deng's travels. "This is the last day to get Thiong (an Eatbch South Sudan representative) to the Young African Leaders Summit," Ellithorpe tweeted. "Let's support him in spreading the word about Bitcoin Cash and the excellent work of Eatbch."

After a few BCH proponents made requests to the community, Deng managed to get the funds needed to embark on the trip. "Thanks, Bitcoin cash community," Deng said. "[You] have set up my journey to Uganda — 18-hour bus drive — then flight to Ghana for the conference. BCH you made it happen — thanks for the love." The BCH community members who helped fund the trip and the work being done by Eatbch at large demonstrates how passionate BCH proponents are about peer-to-peer cash. The work Eatbch does each and every day showcases how decentralized, borderless cryptocurrencies can truly revolutionize the global economy.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Royal Bank of Canada Patents Point to Crypto Exchange Launch

 


The largest bank in Canada by market capitalization, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), is reportedly opening a cryptocurrency exchange. Patents have been discovered that reveal some of the technology the RBC may implement, which could be used to bring digital currency trading to the bank's 16 million clients.

The Royal Bank of Canada May Launch a Crypto Exchange
A report stemming from the publication The Logic claims that the RBC is currently exploring the construction of a digital currency trading platform. Columnist Zane Schwartz wrote on November 11 that the bank will give customers the ability to invest and trade cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH. The report reveals RBC is interested in creating funds with a basket of digital currencies as well. "The bank is also looking into letting customers open bank accounts containing cryptocurrency," Schwartz wrote. If the crypto trading platform comes to fruition then the Canadian bank will be the first financial institution in the country to offer such services.

At the last World Economic Forum in Davos, the Royal Bank of Canada's CEO, David McKay, told the public that the financial institution aims to leverage distributed ledger technology. "We're experimenting with taking an asset and breaking it into smaller pieces and registering that in a decentralised register called blockchain. You can take an asset or even a company and create a unit on a decentralised blockchain and then sell that into the marketplace," McKay said during a panel discussion.

Speaking with Schwartz, RBC spokesperson Jean Francois Thibault explained that the Canadian financial institution "like many other organizations, files patent applications to ensure proprietary ideas and concepts are protected." Thibault would not confirm to Schwartz whether or not the RBC would be constructing a new trading platform for cryptocurrencies.

Royal Bank of Canada Patents Point to Crypto Exchange Launch
A while back, RBC's wealth management service published a report outlining the benefits and risks tethered to digital currencies.
As early as 2015, the RBC expressed interest in blockchain and McKay explained that the technology was a "quantum innovation." "It is a brand-new technology, and what do we really know about it? How cyber-secure is it? We are going to learn a lot more about it," McKay told the publication American Banker. "Given what is at stake, it is not something you can rush to market with and fix as you go. You want it to work."

Royal Bank of Canada Patents Point to Crypto Exchange Launch
Royal Bank of Canada patent CA 3038757: A system and method for handling crypto-asset transactions.
Alongside this, RBC's wealth management arm also published a report called "Bitcoin and beyond: Five things to know about cryptocurrency." The RBC study notes there are plenty of risks associated with decentralized blockchain assets, but in the long run "the possibilities of cryptocurrencies are undeniable."

International Law Enforcement Conference Addresses Crypto and the ‘Criminal Economy’

 

The 2019 National Proceeds of Crime Conference (NPOCC) held in Brisbane, Australia from November 13-15 addressed "Globalisation and Digitisation of the Criminal Economy," and featured 200+ delegates hearing from representatives of organizations such as the Australian Federal Police, Singapore and New Zealand police, United States Department of Justice, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. The conference set out to address how to better seize criminal profits and face challenges to law enforcement presented by the darknet and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

Addressing Crypto Crime
Justine Gough, Acting Assistant Commissioner for the Australian Federal Police (AFP), stated that "Advances in technology, like cryptocurrency and encrypted communications have changed the way criminals acquire and hide their assets" and that "Seizing and removing the profits of crime is one of the most effective capabilities we have in impacting organised criminal networks."

The international conference, which aimed to address such topics as "the Darknet, trends in money laundering, collaboration in investigations; evidence collection in an age of cloud-based data and the monetisation of cybercrime" focused on how relevant organizations respond to crime in an age where cryptography and digital assets like bitcoin have enabled greater efficiency in skirting law enforcement. The push echoes recent sentiment from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whose director Christopher Wray claimed problems presented by such technologies are getting "bigger and bigger."

Money Laundering and the Darknet
Since the takedown of infamous darknet marketplace Silk Road in 2013, bitcoin and crypto have been in the mainstream media spotlight, and in the sights of law enforcement and financial regulators worldwide when it comes to money laundering and illegal activities. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has claimed that bitcoin and crypto are a "risk to the financial system" while pushing back against the idea that the world reserve U.S. dollar is used comparably. "I don't think it's been successfully done with cash. I'll push back on that. We're going to make sure that bitcoin doesn't become the equivalent of Swiss-numbered bank accounts," Mnuchin stated in July.

AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Gough says of the NPOCC:

We are honoured to have representatives from law enforcement, government departments and private enterprise … share their insights and to collaborate on how we respond to emerging technologies like cryptocurrency.

The response has already been swift and formidable. From numerous arrests of those transacting and trading in crypto — both criminal and non-criminal elements alike — to powerful tax agencies like the IRS issuing thousands of warning letters to potential crypto non-filers and money launderers, it's clear law enforcement worldwide means business. The question of what kind of similar enterprise in trafficking, money laundering and tax evasion is being done with the almighty USD remains noticeably off the table, however.

Worldwide Enforcement Efforts
It will be interesting to hear the conclusions of this week's Brisbane conference, and to see what developments proceed from the talks on monetization of cybercrime via crypto. Already global policymakers and joint enforcement initiatives such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) are working to broaden the intelligence and enforcement dragnet for targeting unauthorized and permissionless financial activity worldwide. As the NPOCC's problematic "Digitisation of the Criminal Economy" continues, the crypto space can expect even more scrutiny and heightened KYC/AML compliance measures in 2020.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Trade Crypto in Person Safely

 

With mainstream exchanges becoming progressively cumbersome due to privacy invasive policy and regulation, some crypto traders are switching to more private, face-to-face trading. While this route isn't for everyone, and comes with unique risks, it does offer a very real solution to many of the problems plaguing mainstream exchanges currently. The goal of this breakdown is to provide a few best practices for safety and success when trading crypto in person.

Why Face to Face?
For anyone that's ever had their money frozen on an exchange, this question is a no-brainer. Since most exchange wallets are custodial, meaning the service itself holds and manages user funds centrally, one bug in the code, hack, or audit from a governmental regulatory agency could mean that you and your money are parted indefinitely. Stomach sinkers of this nature have occurred often enough that many, understandably, don't want to run these risks anymore. Others are concerned about privacy and the security of their personal data and information. Trading in person via a non-custodial platform or otherwise lets traders hold funds until the very last second, and guarantees more control. Still, there are important things to be mindful of in order to trade safely and successfully.

Best Practices
To avoid getting scammed, set up, or potentially endangered, there are some time-tested best practices for trading face to face. The overarching one is simple, though: just use common sense.

Choose a trustworthy platform / trader
Maybe you know someone in your community who also uses cryptocurrencies. Perhaps a friend of a friend, or an acquaintance interested in getting into crypto, but they don't know how. Online, reliable peer-to-peer platforms such as that currently offered at local.bitcoin.com are great places to start. Platforms that offer blind escrow, and end-to-end chat encryption are the safest bets. Whatever one's approach, testing first and vetting for reliability is critical.

Using shoddy, unproven platforms or trading with strangers who've no reputation for being honest probably won't end well. There are scammers as well as government agents on some p2p networks, and in real life, more than happy to ensnare even innocent, legal users of crypto for their own benefit.

Well-managed platforms will have a reputation system in place so users can verify which traders have completed the most trades successfully, and feedback features for rating their quality of service. Be sure to work out all the specifics of the trading process and procedure in clear detail on an encrypted chat application prior to meeting for the trade.

Meet in an open, highly visible public space
After working out the specifics of your deal, and providing only necessary information to the contact, meet in an open, highly visible space that is frequented by people but also provides enough serenity to conduct business. A well-lit coffee shop or popular meeting spot in view of the public can be a great place to conduct crypto trades. Trust your gut in meeting someone for the first time, and if anything "feels off," don't hesitate to politely back out.

A great way to get scammed face to face is to send your bitcoins to the guy across the table and watch him run off without paying you. In this situation you could give chase (risky), yell, flail about, or call the cops, but you're more than likely just SOL. Be sure the other person lets you see the money, gift cards, etc., first, before sending any coins.

Most respectable traders will place money on the table discreetly (in an envelope or book) so that it is within reach of both parties, and sudden moves to bolt are not likely to succeed. Once the tx has enough confirmations for the buyer's liking, they should slide the money over and invite the other party to count it. If you are the one buying crypto be sure to make the seller feel at ease by setting up the trade similarly. Crypto-to-crypto deals require a bit more creativity perhaps, but having both devices in reach and openly in view can help.

Horse Sense Is Number One
There are limitless options for working out trustworthy trade arrangements, including step-by-step, fractional trades to test the waters on first meeting, PGP contracts making it difficult for a party to lie about the agreement after the fact, and verification via other contacts of a trader's reputation. However, as mentioned earlier, the main thing is to trust your reason, and gut instinct. If some aspect of a crypto trade arrangement feels spooky or inconsistent, it's more than okay to kick the deal and get out. More often than not, however, in person trades are fun, friendly experiences that can be a good way to get out of the typically isolated, smugly self-referential hell that is crypto Twitter, catching a breath of fresh air while stacking sats and building the bitcoin economy.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Bitcoin Poised For Another Breakout as It Clings to Support, Which Way Next?

 

Bitcoin has spent the past two weeks consolidating just below the 200 day moving average. So far it has managed to cling to support above $8,000 but a big move could be coming soon so which way will it go next?

Bitcoin Trading Range Tightens
Another day has seen Bitcoin bounce between $8,300 and $8,400 as the range bound channel begins to tighten up. According to Tradingview.com BTC is currently within this range at $8,340 since the big dump on Friday.

RSI is right on 50 on the four hour chart but below it on the daily. That death cross of the 50 day MA and 200 day MA is looming ever closer and could occur in about a week, especially if the breakout is to the low side.

Trader 'CryptoHamster' has observed the sideways channel on the 50% Fibonacci retracement level which is also a signal of a bigger move approaching.

Stating that Bitcoin will 'either go up or down' is pretty obvious but where will it stop is more interesting. On the high side the 23.6% Fibo shows resistance at just below $8,600 while a drop lower to the 61.8% line takes it back to $8,200.

Below that is further support at $8k then $7.8k. At the moment BTC has corrected 40 percent from the 2019 high and is holding ground. Market dominance has failed to regain 70 percent and is currently just below it according to Tradingview.com.

Elsewhere on Crypto Markets
The majority of the altcoins are showing red this Sunday though losses are minor as they also follow big brother's consolidation. Ethereum has weakened again in a fall back towards $180. ETH is unlikely to decouple from BTC until major network upgrades in Istanbul and early Serenity phases are rolled out in a few months' time.

Ripple's XRP has remained flat for the past few days but it has managed to hold on to previous gains keeping the token around $0.275. Bitcoin Cash has weakened again allowing Tether to retake fourth spot with a larger market cap and Litecoin has shown very little movement from its $55 price level.

Today's top movers on altcoin markets are Binance Coin adding 4 percent to close in on $18, and BSV getting a 3.5 percent lift as it approaches $90. There are no coins in the top one hundred gaining double digits as Sunday trading remains lethargic.

Total crypto market capitalization hasn't moved much this weekend and remains around $225 billion. Daily volume, according to coinmarketcap.com, has declined below $50 billion but markets are marginally higher than this time last weekend.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Is PayPal Backing Out Of Libra Deal?

 

The controversial essence of what is Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency has just been hit significantly according to recently surfaced news.

A spokesperson for the payment giant Paypal spoke to the Wall Street Journal on Friday afternoon and said that the firm has decided to "forgo further particpiation" on the project. However, despite this, they added that the payment network will continue to support the goal of Libra which is to 'democratize finance'. This would mean that is will keep it options open with Facebook for the future.

The PayPal representative said:
"We remain supportive of Libra's aspirations and look forward to continued dialogue on ways to work together in the future. Facebook has been a longstanding and valued strategic partner to PayPal, and we will continue to partner with and support Facebook in various capacities."

This is an announcement that came shortly after sources to the Financial Times said that PayPal spokespersons didn't make an appearance at the Washington-based Libra conference. Sources went onto say that out of the 28 corporate backers of the upcoming stablecoin, PayPal was the only one who didn't turn up to the meeting. What this was down to is unknown, however, it's important to keep an open mind and not presume the worst.

It's also worth noting that by not turning up to support the Libra Association, PayPal hasn't actually betrayed any formal contracts or agreements. Gabrielle Rabinovitch, the Vice President of investor relations at PayPal, said in August that the firm's participation in the crypto venture was one backed by a "non-binding" contract.

Apple
We recently got the opinion of Apple's Tim Cook and what he thinks of cryptocurrency and Libra. However, when being asked whether Apple is planning to create a currency, Cook said:
"No. I deeply believe that money must remain in the hands of states. I am not comfortable with the idea that a private group creates a competing currency. A private company does not have to seek to gain power in this way. Money, like Defense, must remain in the hands of States, it is at the heart of their mission. We elect our representatives to assume government responsibilities. Companies are not elected, they do not have to go on this ground."