What is Bitcoin, and how does it work?
If you find the concept of Bitcoin confusing, you are not alone. The virtual currency has been a constant source of controversy, but it is still not well understood. On Tuesday, one Bitcoin was worth USD$4,394. Are Bitcoins those coins I see in photographs? No. Those coins are novelty items that newspapers used in photographs because they couldn’t find anything else to illustrate their stories about Bitcoin. A Bitcoin is a digital token — with no physical backing — that can be sent electronically from one user to another, anywhere in the world. A Bitcoin can be divided out to eight decimal places, so you can send someone 0.00000001 Bitcoins. […]
Bitcoin ‘more than just a fad,’ Morgan Stanley CEO says
Not every Wall Street bank chief is bearish on bitcoin. Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer James Gorman takes a more measured view on the cryptocurrency than crosstown rival Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan Chase & Co. head who earlier this month called it “a fraud” that’s in a speculative bubble worse than tulip bulbs. Bitcoin is “certainly something more than just a fad,” Gorman said Wednesday at an event held by the Wall Street Journal. “The concept of anonymous currency is a very interesting concept — interesting for the privacy protections it gives people, interesting because what it says to the central banking system about controlling that.” The digital currency has […]
The world’s first blockchain smartphone is in development
Sirin Labs, the company behind the US$14,000 Solarin smartphone, is now developing an open-source model that runs on a fee-less blockchain. The Finney — named in honor of bitcoin pioneer Hal Finney — will be the only smartphone in the world that’s fully secure and safe enough to hold cryptographic coins. Or so says the company, which is launching a crowdsale event this October (date to be confirmed) to support the phone’s development. According to Sirin, all Finney devices (there’s an all-in-one PC coming, too) will form an independent blockchain network powered by IOTA’s Tangle technology. The network will operate without centralized backbones or mining centers cluttering up the transaction […]
Want to learn more about Ethereum? Ethereum Co-Founder explains his cryptocurrency
Etherum co-founder Vitalik Buterin was one of the key speakers at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt, which was held last week in San Francisco. Asked to explain what Ethereum is to the average user, Buterin defined a blockchain from the perspective of those who understand its current most popular use — in cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin. Buterin said that a blockchain can keep track of how much money a person has at any given time — or what he calls “cryptoeconomics.” But, while that’s the initial use of a blockchain, Buterin and his colleagues have found that such a decentralized system of keeping tabs on transaction records can extend to a far […]
A Central Bank blockchain could make other banks obsolete
Will banks like ANZ and Westpac go the way of the record store? Professor David Yermack from NYU Stern School of Business thinks so. He argues it’s only a matter of time before Central Banks withdraw banknotes from circulation and put the national currency into an electronic blockchain rending other banks “unnecessary”. The distributed ledger technology promises to give Central Banks much greater control over national currencies and could put an end to money laundering and tax evasion, argues Yermack, who counts bitcoin and cryptocurrencies among his areas of expertise. “It’s not a question of if but when a country will do this. And my expectation is that the benefits […]
Regulated Bitcoin banking will disrupt Aussie finance sector says DigitalX
The launch of regulated, global bank trading in digital currencies such as Bitcoin will be a disruptive game-changer, says Australian digital currency consultancy, DigitalX. DigitalX (ASX:DCC) was the corporate advisor to Europe-based Bankera, which recently closed an “initial coin offering” after raising €25 million ($37 million). An initial coin offering is an unregulated means of crowdfunding using digital currency. Bankera expects to have a banking licence within the next two years and will operate as a global, regulated bank offering traditional banking and investment services to the blockchain marketplace, including payments, loans, deposits and investments. Blockchain is a technology that provides a public ledger of digital currency transactions. Each “block” […]
Australia cites Blockchain in ‘Digital Economy’ strategy launch
Australia’s government is plotting an ambitious new Digital Economy initiative, citing the country’s previous work with blockchain and its future potential in a new public consultation call. The scope of the project is outlined in a new paper published this week by the The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, which also includes a series of questions aimed to spur public debate around digitized businesses and services. Though none of the questions explicitly mention blockchain, the document highlights the technology in several areas, and signals that the government in Australia sees a prominent role for blockchain in the future. As the paper explains in one passage: “The next phase of […]
‘Banking for blockchain’ platform raises AUD$37m in pre-ICO round
ASX-listed blockchain solutions company DigitalX has announced Bankera has successfully closed its Pre-Initial Coin Offering (ICO) round by raising €25m (AUD$37m). Bankera, a digital fintech solution platform based in Europe, has closed €25m via the sale of 2.5 Billion Banker (BNK) tokens at €0.01 each. Bankera is building a regulated bank for the blockchain era, so it means it will be a digital bank with traditional banking services (eg, giving out loans) and will support both cryptocurrencies and regular currencies. With DigitalX as its corporate advisor, it held the token sale to fast-track the development of a ‘digital bank’ for consumers operating in the blockchain era. “This announcement is an […]
