Bitcoin just hit $8,000 – Here’s what’s pushing it up
The bitcoin price has today climbed above the $8,000 mark for the first time since mid-May — leading many to predict a return to the bull run that last year powered bitcoin to almost $20,000. The latest boost for bitcoin comes after a week that saw it add almost 20% to its price on the back of news that established financial giants are looking to get in on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, and a raft of positive regulatory news around the world.Meanwhile, the so-called bitcoin dominance rate — a measure of how much of the total cryptocurrency market is controlled by bitcoin — rose to 47% this week, the highest level […]
How to stop your assets going to the grave with you
Have you made plans to protect or pass on your digital assets – financial and personal – after you die? If not, you’re in good company. Most Australians don’t know they are at risk of losing all their online chattels if they are killed or incapacitated. That’s because they could take their secret passwords to the grave, have their assets locked away in perpetuity by social media networks or exhumed by digital grave robbers and sold on to the dark web, an online “netherworld” for trading illegal and stolen goods from identification to drugs and guns. An estate planning report last year by Charles Sturt University and The University of […]
What crash? Institutional investors have been buying up bitcoin all year
Every price drop is accompanied by a new wave of interest from the big money. Anyone who’s been following cryptocurrency is probably well aware of the pronounced slump that hit the markets as the December-January bubble burst, and the exuberance faded. This was perhaps an entirely expected outcome. By some estimates, maybe half of everyone who’s touched cryptocurrency to date jumped in during the December-January highs and was badly burned by the inevitable readjustment. So, most people didn’t have a very pleasant start to their crypto journey, and then those who didn’t get out were forced to buckle up for a six month bleed. Institutional investors have remained entirely unphased […]
Price prediction trend for Bitcoin in 2018, 2020 and 2025
If you ever tried to understand the workings of the cryptocurrency domain, you would surely understand that these currencies are highly volatile with chances of going way up or down in prices. However, there have been many successful predictions when it comes to the rise in Bitcoin trend. The current growth pattern for Bitcoin has been known to be steady between March as well as May in 2018. The prediction of price for Bitcoin is determined with elements such as supply-demand patterns, human psychology, and price charts. Let’s understand the turn Bitcoin is supposed to take for the years 2018, 2020, as well as 2025. Utility for Bitcoin Bitcoin is […]
What is the Blockchain? The Plain English version
By Bill Hess, Founder of Pixel Privacy. The word blockchain is on everyone’s lips right now. Although you might not really understand what “blockchain” means, chances are you’ve heard people talk about it (a lot). Some people believe it will change our world for the better, and it will replace the banks that we currently know – or similar extravagant things. Although the blockchain came to the general public’s attention when the crypto market absolutely exploded, the majority of the people still don’t understand how it works, what it’s used for or what all the fuss is about. In this guide, I’ll answer all of your questions in regards […]
Despite sensationalism and fear, blockchain is the real deal for businesses
It would seem that blockchain is gaining a bad reputation from many, thanks to the hyperbole being perpetuated in certain quarters. But while sensationalist and negative headlines confuse, a handful of banks are destined to have the last laugh as they move forward with adoption of the technology. The most common mistake being made, is that the terms “bitcoin”, “cryptocurrency” and “blockchain” are being used interchangeably. Cryptocurrency simply runs on blockchain – or distributed ledger technology – and that’s where the connection ends. One recent article was titled “Banks claim they’re building blockchains. They’re not” – the article was actually focused on bitcoin and cryptocurrency, meaning a more accurate title […]
Mastercard tries to make paying with virtual coins easier
Mastercard has landed a US patent for a payment system that would make it easier for people to quickly and securely settle transactions with cryptocurrencies. First reported by Coindesk, Mastercard said its proposed method would mean the payee assumed less risk in a cryptocurrency transaction, which could result in a higher acceptance of virtual coins by merchants. “It often takes a significant amount of time, around ten minutes, for a blockchain-based transaction to be processed, due to the computer processing time and resources required to verify and update the blockchain,” Mastercard said. “Conversely, traditional fiat payment transactions that are processed using payment networks often have processing times that are measured […]
CFA exam to include blockchain and cryptocurrency parts from 2019
With cryptocurrencies here to stay, education needs to start meeting student and employer demand. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies will be making an appearance in the level I and II Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams from 2019 onwards as part of a broader new reading called Fintech in Investment Management. The material will be released in August this year, giving exam-goers time to start logging their recommended 300 hours of study time on the topic. Like crypto uptake elsewhere, it’s being largely driven by popular demand from participants, with surveys and focus groups showing strong interest from future analysts and employers. The organisers might be equally onboard. “We saw the field […]
