President Donald Trump on Thursday night warned Facebook over its plan to create digital currency Libra, a move that poses a new obstacle to the company’s cryptocurrency ambitions. From a report: “Facebook Libra’s ‘virtual currency’ will have little standing or dependability. If Facebook and other companies want to become a bank, they must seek a new Banking Charter and become subject…
Tag: crypto
Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption ‘Equals That of Switzerland’
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: Bitcoin uses as much energy as the whole of Switzerland, a new online tool from the University of Cambridge shows. The tool makes it easier to see how the crypto-currency network’s energy usage compares with other entities. However, one expert argued that it was the crypto-currency’s carbon footprint that really mattered. Currently,…
‘Crypto’ Outbreaks Linked to Swimming Pools Are on the Rise, CDC Says
Not to spoil your summer pool fun, but outbreaks of “crypto,” a swimming-related diarrheal illness, are on the rise. Source: https://www.livescience.com/65815-crypto-outbreaks-increase-swimming-pools.html
America’s NSA Challenges Students With A Codebreaking Competition, Then Recruits Them
This year America’s National Security Agency (NSA) is once again “developing a cyber challenge and daring more than 330 schools and 2,600 students to solve it,” writes Federal News Network. Slashdot reader eatvegetables shares their report:
Kathy Hutson, the senior strategist for industry and academic engagement at the NSA, said the Codebreaker Challenge has become one of the best ways to attract…
Bitcoin Surges Past $11K. Is It Finally Gaining Acceptance?
The price of Bitcoin surged past $11,000 today — less than 24 hours after surging past $10,000. Ars Technica points out Bitcoin’s price has tripled in less than six months, “after crashing from an all-time high around $19,500 in December 2017.” And as the price of Ethereum rose above $300 for the first time in nearly a year, Mashable writes that…
Fintech CEO Claims Facebook ‘Ripped off’ His Bank Start-up’s Logo For Cryptocurrency Project
The founder of online bank Current claims Facebook copied his company’s logo for the social network’s bid to reinvent the global financial system. From a report: Stuart Sopp, a Wall Street trader turned start-up CEO, told CNBC that he used a San Francisco-based design firm named Character to create his start-up’s logo in 2016. That firm also worked on the secretive…
Dark Horse Cryptocurrency Spikes 60% After Surprise Google Shout-Out
A little-known cryptocurrency spiked more than 60% after Google gave the project a surprise shout-out in an equally-unexpected blog post on how to use Ethereum and Google Cloud to build hybrid blockchain applications. From a report: That cryptocurrency, Chainlink (LINK), enjoyed a parabolic swing that launched its price as high as $2.00 on Binance. Just hours earlier, LINK had traded below…
Facebook Set To Reveal Own Cryptocurrency Later This Month, Report Says
Social media giant Facebook is said to reveal its own cryptocurrency later this month. From a report: According to a report from The Information this week, Facebook is poised to unveil its cryptocurrency to the public later in June, which is aimed to allow users to process transactions via the social media channel, and will be offered to Facebook employees who…
Just 376 People Found to Own a Third of All Ether Cryptocurrency
Just 376 people hold a third of all Ether, the cryptocurrency that powers the Ethereum blockchain, according to new research by Chainalysis. From a report: Large holders are known in the crypto market as “whales,” which Chainalysis defines as individuals who hold their assets in digital wallets and not on an exchange, Kim Grauer, a senior economist at the company, said…
Microsoft Launches Decentralized Identity Tool on Bitcoin Blockchain
Microsoft is launching the first decentralized infrastructure implementation by a major tech company that is built directly on the bitcoin blockchain. From a report: The open source project, called Ion, deals with the underlying mechanics of how networks talk to each other. For example, if you log onto Airbnb using Facebook, a protocol deals with the software that sends the personal…