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STAMP OF APPROVAL: Ripple has endorsed three cryptocurrency exchanges as "preferred partners" for transacting with its xRapid payments service, which uses the cryptocurrency XRP.
With the designation, the company is essentially encouraging all its bank clients in the U.S., Mexico and the Philippines to use Bittrex, Bitso and Coins.ph, respectively, for sending funds via xRapid. Full Story
OMINOUS FORESHADOWING: The Foreshadow vulnerability — i.e. flaws in Intel's chips that can affect the parts for sensitive data storage — is likely to have ramifications for the cryptocurrency world.
Since many crypto projects are planning to use Intel’s Software Guard Extension (SGX) enclaves, the region of the chip for sensitive data storage, Foreshadow will require them to do some restructuring before launching. Full Story
BIG NAMES: SFOX, a trading platform that assists institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals on cryptocurrency deals, has closed a Series A funding round of $22.7 million.
Among its investors, notably, is Airbnb’s co-founder, Nathan Blecharczyk, along with Tribe Capital, Social Capital, Y Combinator, Danhua Venture Capital, and Digital Currency Group.
The platform said its goal is to minimize the impact of high-volume trading on the cryptocurrency market, while boosting trading liquidity. So far, according to SFOX, it has facilitated over $9 billion in transactions and achieved a 12-fold growth in client numbers this year. Full Story |
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 What are the hottest locations for blockchain companies? CoinDesk Research looked into the matter and found: • In descending order, San Francisco, London, and New York are the top three cities
• Half of the top ten cities are located within the United States
• San Francisco is also the top blockchain venture-funded city with a total of $1.2 billion Find out more crypto research insights here. |
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| | SIGNS OF LIFE: $6,675, according to technical charts, is the new target that bitcoin's price has to break in order to confirm a bullish reversal. Full Story |
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BEST OF THE BEST
WIRED: One of the biggest concerns people have over Facebook is about privacy: while the social media platform has made its users’ lives more convenient, it holds everyone’s digital identities in its database. But with the application of blockchain technology, Coinbase, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, is trying to solve the problem.
According to Wired, the San Francisco-based crypto exchange has acquired the team behind a startup that focuses on the digital identity field. The new employees will help Coinbase “explore ways to integrate decentralized identity across its services.”
THE REST
BLOOMBERG: “A soft opening of sorts” for a bitcoin-based ETF is how the business wire described a product that was officially launched in Sweden this week.
Though it may still take a while for the U.S. crypto community to get a crypto-based ETF approved, investors can actually take on exposure to bitcoin without buying it through a product named Bitcoin Tracker One. Listed and regulated in Sweden, the product is now quoted in U.S. dollars under the ticker CXBTF, meaning that brokerages can offer it to American investors.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: Huobi Group, the company behind one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by daily trading volume, will help five partners to open their own cryptocurrency trading platforms through its Huobi Cloud, the SCMP reported.
The paper said this move shows Huobi's "confidence in the market” despite the recent price tumbles. |
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