 |
'BEST SHOT': Developers behind the cryptocurrency monero are ramping up efforts to keep specialized mining hardware called ASICs from dominating the race for rewards, which now total roughly $62 million annually. But much of that appears to be increasingly falling into the hands of ASIC operators, nudging out smaller, independent or hobbyist participants. As such, monero developers are moving forward with activation of a new mining algorithm known as RandomX, designed to render ASICs non-competitive.“It’s our best shot to preserve monero as it was founded,” said monero contributor Justin Ehrenhofer. “If this fails then monero will probably move to an ASIC-friendly algorithm.” Full story
COINBASE CARD: Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has expanded its Visa debit card service to six European countries. The move allows customers in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands to spend cryptos including bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin in both online and physical stores that accept Visa. Coinbase first rolled out its cryptocurrency debit card in April, exclusively for users based in the U.K. at the time. Full story
EXCHANGE RANKINGS: Cryptocurrency data and indices provider CryptoCompare is working to make it easier to spot good, and bad, crypto exchanges. Announced Wednesday, the company has launched a benchmark ranking of over 100 active spot exchanges from across the globe, offering users a “comprehensive, granular and reliable source of information on the best trading venues.” Under the system, exchanges are graded from high to low – through AA, A, B, C, D, E, F – based on a number of factors including team, investment, data provision and trade surveillance. Full story
VISA B2B: Visa has launched its long-in-development blockchain-powered business payments service, Visa B2B Connect – a product that was originally developed alongside blockchain startup Chain. At launch, B2B Connect will serve businesses seeking to make payments to 30 markets, with 90 more corridors expected to be opened by the end of 2019. The service has been designed to help Visa’s corporate clients sidestep the slow correspondent banking network, opening up near instant international payments using technology in part powered by Hyperledger Fabric. Full story
VATICOIN? Former US Senator and noted Catholic, Rick Santorum, has come out in support of Cathio, a for-profit organization that will “provide efficient, secure, and transparent movement of funds within the Catholic world.” Details of the product are slim but it looks to be a traditional fintech play with a blockchain chaser. Users of the Cathio network pay 2 percent to run their financial transactions through the system and let priests take donations without any of the money passing through the morally bankrupt Silicon Valley payment providers. As an added bonus, the app is sort of a Moviefone for churches, allowing them to post photos and mass times on Cathio’s map. Full story
IEO ATTRACTION: Despite legality issues for U.S. investors, many global participants are still actively investing in sometimes controversial initial exchange offerings (IEOs) due to their potential high returns. CoinDesk contributor Christopher Brookins, founder of Valiendero Digital Assets, analyses the primary driving forces behind IEO token prices. Full opinion |
|
|
|
|
 |
SEEKING A BREAK: Bitcoin is still lacking clear direction, with the price stuck in the $7,500–$8,100 trading range for the eighth consecutive day. An upside breakout could pave the way for a retest of $8,500, although the breakout could be short-lived if volumes remain low. On the downside, a violation of a bullish higher low of $7,713 would shift risk in favor of a drop to $7,500. Full story |
|
|
|
|
| STAMP COLLECTING: The Austrian Post has just revealed a crypto collectible stamp that can be used to your grandmother a birthday card, as well a “virtual collector's item.” The stamp has a digital counterpart that’s stored on a blockchain and can be stored in a digital wallet. Under a scratchable layer, the stamp hides the details the new owner will need, including a wallet access code and a secret phrase. If the digital version of the stamp is sold or transferred, the transaction is fully documented on the blockchain, says the Austrian Post. |
WHO WON #CRYPTOTWITTER  |
|
| | | | | | |
