Hard Fork Date / ETF Delay / Coinstar / $2.2 Trillion in Trades

Subscribe | View in browser $BTC (1:31 p.m. EST): $3,609.46 (0.81%) // 90-day high: $6,860.85 // 90-day low: $3,286.14 / / More… $BCH ABC (1:31 p.m. EST): $130.00 (5.55%) // 90-day high: $632.22// 90-day low: $80.95 // More… $ETH (1:32 p.m. EST): $119.13 (1.13%) // 90-day high: $229.12 // 90-day low: $85.11 // More… $LTC (1:32 p.m. EST): $31.88 (2.39%) // 90-day high: $54.64 // 90-day low: $22.09 // More… $XRP (1:32 p.m. EST): $0.31 (-0.15%) // 90-day high: $0.53 // 90-day low: $0.28 // More… Here are the 10 most important stories about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies today       1. The Constantinople hard fork to the ethereum network has been scheduled for February 27. The fork will take place at block 7,280,000. The hard fork has been delayed multiple times, most recently from January 16 when developers discovered a security bug. The fork will continue without EIP 1283, an upgrade that was supposed to make certain transactions on ethereum cheaper, but turned out to be too buddy to use. –MASHABLE       2. The continuing government shutdown will likely postpone the US Securities and Exchange Commission's ruling on a bitcoin ETF. The SEC had given a February 27 deadline to make a decision, but that is now in doubt as the government shutdown continues without an end in sight. Jake Chervinsky, a recognize lawyer and a government enforcement securities litigation attorney, tweeted that the ETF would not be automatically be approved if the government shutdown continues, as some had speculated based on regulatory law. Chervinsky said the SEC has some workarounds, though, around that law and would likely use them in this case. –AMB CRYPTO       Ad An Insane Credit Card Offering 0% Interest Until 2020 This jaw-dropping card is offering 0% APR for 14 Months and 5% back in rotating categories. Pay no interest until 2020 and double your cash back. 3. Coinstar kiosks recently began allowing users to purchase bitcoin, however the service has been met with mixed reviews. As the kiosks went live with the service in recent days, some users complained of overly strict security policies that hampered their experience. For example, some users had to provide an email address, phone number, identification card and a selfie photograph – just to buy $25 in cryptocurrency. "Lame but not unexpected. Seems silly for such a small amount," one user said. –DIGITAL TRENDS       4. More than $2.2 trillion in bitcoin was traded last year. That total is nearly four times more than the amount traded in 2017, despite falling prices. The $2.2 trillion total is more than the traded volume of the Bulgarian Lev and right behind the Chilean Peso. This news comes alongside reports that bitcoin transactions have hit a yearly high of 325,000 confirmed transactions per day, giving credence to the bitcoin proponents who believe the digital coin can be viewed as a global currency. –BITCOINIST       Ad Intelligence is creating stronger connections. Today's world generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. Sifting through that much available information is hard. Micron is helping analyze that data to create stronger connections between AI, organizations, and most importantly, people.​​ Learn More. 5. Blockchain, the world's largest cryptocurrency wallet provider, wants to partner with a stablecoin by the end of this year, CEO Peter Smith said. –THE BLOCK CRYPTO 6. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called Tron CEO Justin Sun a "self-identified shill that no one should bother listening to." –SMARTEREUM 7. Celebrities continue to buy up bitcoin, even as the price has dropped. –NEWS BTC 8. Bitcoin developer Jimmy Song writes that mining attackers are overblown. –BITCOIN MAGAZINE 9. A pilot program to link solar rooftop panels with the blockchain looks to expand. –CLEAN TECHNICA 10. The Bank of International Settlements issued a report that calls on bitcoin to stop using its Proof-of-Work algorithm. –BITCOINIST       Written and curated by David Stegon. He has been a reporter for 15 years, the past 10 focused on technology. Follow him @davidstegon. Editing team: Lon Harris (editor-in-chief at Inside.com, game-master at Screen Junkies), Krystle Vermes (Breaking news editor at Inside, B2B marketing news reporter, host of the "All Day Paranormal" podcast), and Susmita Baral (editor at Inside, recent bylines in NatGeo, Teen Vogue, and Quartz. Runs the biggest mac and cheese account on Instagram).       Ad Owl Labs is the creator of the Meeting Owl, the first 360-degree smart conference camera. Learn more.

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