Satoshi vs. Bitcoin Jesus: Australian at centre of crypto name squabble
Australian Craig Wright, the self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, is poised to win a fight that will likely lead to the creation of another version of Bitcoin Cash, the original offshoot of the biggest cryptocurrency. A group headed by Wright is expected to take control tomorrow of the world’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency following a software upgrade. A rival faction that disagrees on how to best expand has been trying to persuade the community of computer operators running the network to adopt their version. About 70 per cent of the so-called miners that process the transactions that keep the network afloat are signalling they support the version backed […]
Coinjar founder tips ‘stablecoin’ as the next big thing in cryptocurrency
Asher Tan, one of the wunderkind founders of Melbourne-based bitcoin exchange CoinJar, is looking out the window of a relaxed, almost hipster, shared-workspace for tech start-ups in London. It’s in a somewhat unlikely location: the 39th floor of the tallest office tower in the strait-laced banking district, Canary Wharf. The view of London’s metropolitan sprawl is amazing. But since arriving in Britain eight months ago, Tan’s eye has mostly been focused on peering over a different horizon – trying to pick out what’s coming next in the volatile, unpredictable landscape of cryptocurrency. Leaving his co-founder Ryan Zhou in charge of the day-to-day running of CoinJar and its 400,000 customers, he […]
DIY super funds getting into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
More do-it-yourself super funds are investing in cryptocurrencies as interest in investing in digital currencies rises among investors generally. While no hard data will be available until later next year when the Tax Office releases figures for the first time on how much cryptocurrency is held by funds, industry players say there are more self-managed super funds (SMSFs) investing. Fred Schebesta, a co-founder of comparison site Finder as well as digital currency exchange HiveEx, notes a marked increase in enquiries from SMSFs looking to buy cryptocurrency. And Adrian Przelozny, the chief executive of Sydney-based digital currency exchange Independent Reserve, has about 6000 self-managed super funds on the platform, with half […]
Bitcoin: Ten Years On
A mysterious, anonymous entity known as “Satoshi Nakamoto” posted a white paper on October 31 2008 entitled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”. It was the first time that the concept of Bitcoin entered the world. But outside of the cypherpunk mailing lists – those promoting the use of privacy-enhancing technology – this event was hardly noticed. Ten years on, who hasn’t at least heard of the cryptocurrency? On just nine pages, the white paper explained how the Bitcoin system would work. Many attempts at electronic cash had already been made going right back to computer scientist David Chaum’s “Digicash” developed in the 1980s. Using an intricate dance of cryptography, […]
How cryptocurrency is disrupting the global economy & the financial system
For the longest time now, cryptocurrency has been slowly rising and increasing its powers in the background. Though not a lot of people have been paying attention to it lately, it’s still going strong with no signs of stopping. Because of the technology behind it, cryptocurrency has the potential to be one of the biggest disruptors in the global business process. As for the financial sector, here are some of the ways cryptocurrency can change it. Fewer barriers to entry One of the best things about cryptocurrency is that just about everyone can get involved. There are little to no barriers to investing or trading cryptocurrency. And as more people […]
Why Bitcoin is here to stay
The real game changer of Bitcoin is the underlying network of highly secure computers that support it. These computers run a new form of database called “blockchain.” Blockchain technology enables money and data to move without having to rely on a trusted middleman. It’s truly revolutionary. Already more than $3 billion a day is transacted across the Bitcoin network without the need for a central clearing authority. That has never happened before and it makes Bitcoin a unique asset. Software developers across the world are building applications designed to piggyback off this network. Over the next few years we’ll begin to see a host of new applications emerge for Bitcoin and the network […]
Bitcoin seems indestructible but another cryptocurrency might be about to take its place
Bitcoin was born out of the global financial crisis of 2018, but on the eve of its 10th anniversary the world’s first cryptocurrency may be facing a crisis of its own. Uncertain regulation, technological failings and infighting within its developer community mean another cryptocurrency could be on the verge of taking its place as the world’s leading digital currency. With a market cap of over $100 billion, bitcoin has established itself over the last decade as the world’s leading cryptocurrency, yet since its inception more than 3,000 other cryptocurrencies have since come into existence – each attempting to offer something that bitcoin can’t. After a decade of dominance, experts tell […]
No need for national digital dollars: RBA
The Reserve Bank of Australia and a global investment bank say the speed of payments innovation will fend off any threat from cryptocurrencies, and creating digitised versions of central bank money will make bank runs much more likely during a crisis. After last year’s speculative bitcoin bubble, the potential for the Australian central bank to issue digital dollars to allow money to move through distributed ledgers is fading. RBA assistant governor Michelle Bullock told a global audience at Sibos that while it’s still open to considering wholesale applications for a digital Australian dollar, it hasn’t yet been convinced of the need to create one, and the RBA does not want […]
