Luke Parker
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Bitcoiners turn to philanthropy
Using Bitcoin to send donations is a well-worn and proven concept, and 2017’s unprecedented bitcoin gains have enabled various early adopters to launch philanthropic endeavors. Wikileaks became the first to take advantage of bitcoin for donations in 2010, and has championed its use ever since. The first rush of mainstream charities accepting donations was in 2015.
Mainstream bitcoin futures markets are coming
The age of Bitcoin investments going mainstream is nearly upon us, at least for traders in the US market. Last Wednesday, the highest-volume derivatives market in the world, CME Group, announced that it will open its Bitcoin Futures market on December 18th. The second largest market, the Chicago Board of Exchange (CBOE), then one-upped the CME and announced that they’ll be the first to launch Bitcoin futures trading on December 10th.
The Bitcoin mining hardware race is on
The ASIC mining hardware manufacturing industry has so far largely been dominated by Chinese manufacturer Bitmain, which has sold equipment equivalent to about 60% of the current hashrate. However, several reputable companies have made promising announcements lately about entering the ASIC mining hardware industry with cutting-edge new equipment.
For Bitcoin, is being a store of value more important than a payment system?
The drama surrounding Bitcoin in recent times has almost entirely revolved around conflicting opinions on how the network should scale to accommodate increasing demand and reduce transaction delays. After years of debate the two sides remain — those who believe Bitcoin to be a digital cash-like payment system, and others who primarily view it as a store of value, like gold.
Segwit2x hard fork abandoned — what happened and why
Bitcoin price reached a record high on Wednesday, as news broke that the Segwit2x hardfork had been cancelled. The highly contentious hardfork, which was considered an upgrade to Bitcoin, would have increased the base block size to 2MB and was the second part of the New York Agreement (NYA) scaling plan.
CME Bitcoin futures announcement captures institutional investor attention
On Tuesday, CME Group — the world’s largest derivatives trading house by volume — announced that it will launch trading for Bitcoin futures contracts before the end of the year, pending approval by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Bitcoin’s price has seen a steady bull trend since the announcement, rising more than ten percent the following day — and continuing to hit all-time highs throughout the week.
Segwit2X — Forked from the get-go?
Announced on May 23rd, The New York Agreement (NYA) is the contract between the Bitcoin miners who represent the majority of Bitcoin’s hashing power, and a group of over 50 other businesses, to implement the Bitcoin software upgrade Segwit2x. While it’s no secret that the NYA isn’t loved by everyone in the Bitcoin community, a series of events on October 24th left many wondering if the agreement might unravel entirely — leaving the project with no path forward to achieve its goal of upgrading Bitcoin and increasing its block size.
Sun Exchange allows long-term direct investment in Solar Energy using Bitcoin
South African blockchain startup Sun Exchange has successfully raised US$1.6 million in seed capital for their new investment platform, which aims to provide solar power for the developing world by enabling global investments through bitcoin. Initially launched in 2015 through crowdfunding, Sun Exchange is using blockchain technology to circumvent the chief barrier to affordable solar power, which is the initial financial cost. The company is enabling investors to purchase solar panels using bitcoin, among other currencies, which can then be rented to projects. The investors earn income as the solar panels they purchase produce power, and the company pays investors using bitcoin. Sun Exchange markets the solar panels for as little as $8 per unit, making the purchase extremely affordable.
Abkhazia announces ICO to fund first state-run cryptocurrency
The Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia has announced a plan to raise a billion dollars worth of cryptocurrency via an ICO. The breakaway state has long vied for international legitimacy and has struggled to attract investment to fund its internal development projects — a situation it hopes to turn around by creating a state-sponsored cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin Core developers issue Segwit2x hard fork warning
On Wednesday morning, the Bitcoin Core development team released a rare statement concerning the safety of Bitcoin users’ coins during the potential hard fork for Segwit2x, which is scheduled to occur in November. The developers state that the hard fork is not supported by the majority of the Bitcoin users and developers, which makes it contentious, and therefore puts many user's bitcoins at risk if they store them with the wrong services.
