19-year-old charged in crypto SIM-swap / Iran's president talks crypto / Lithuania's "collectible" coin

Inside Bitcoin presented by Infinite RED.

Presented by Subscribe | View in browser Market Watch: Bitcoin has recovered slighly after falling below $7,000 early this week. The rest of the top five altcoins remain down today.  Bitcoin: $7,142 (⬆️ 4.26%) // $129.3 billion market cap. Ethereum: $127 (⬇️ 0.04%) // $13.8 billion market cap. XRP: $0.188 (⬇️ 0.67%) // $8.1 billion market cap. Tether: $1.00 (⬆️ 0.05%) // $4.1 billion market cap. Top 100 Winner: TomoChain: $0.595 (⬆️ 17.43%) // $39 million market cap. Top 100 Loser: Kyber Network: $0.202 (⬇️ 6.34%) // $34 million market cap. Prices are as of 3:00 p.m. ET.       1. A 19-year-old male has been charged for his alleged involvement in a $1 million crypto SIM-swapping scheme that affected at least 75 people in the U.S. According to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Yousef Selassie conducted the heist, which targeted residents in 20 states. Selassie has been indicted on nine counts. He is alleged to have stolen the money via an iPhone and a computer. SIM-swapping involves the theft of a victim's mobile number, enabling hackers to gain access to a person's online financial and social media accounts. This is done by intercepting messages or phone calls used for two-factor security measures. –COINTELEGRAPH       2. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has suggested the creation of a cryptocurrency for Muslim countries that would provide an alternative to the U.S. dollar. The U.S. has imposed several economic, military, scientific, and trade sanctions against Iran since 1979. In Rouhani's opinion, the U.S. has used economic sanctions as the "main tools of domineering hegemony and bullying" other nations. Reaching out to leaders in Malaysia, Qatar, and Turkey, Iran's president stated that the use of the U.S. dollar "can curb economic development." He proposes that they use their own currencies or have a common currency. –ASSOCIATED PRESS       A MESSAGE FROM INFINITE RED Learn the Concepts of AI in a Free Five-Day Mini-Course Interested in AI but not sure where to start? Try AI Demystified, the free mini-course about AI. By the end of the five-day course, you'll understand important AI buzzwords, common types and uses of AI, and practical business applications. Sign up today and start your AI learning journey! 3. Throwback Thursday: CME launches Bitcoin trading On December 17, 2017, the Chicago Mercantil Exchange (CME) started trading Bitcoin futures, which took place after the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) launched their's on December 10. At the time of the launch, the price of Bitcoin was rising to its all-time high of $20,000, which many have put down to the launch of the Bitcoin trading futures as new investors entered the market. Up and running for two years, the CME Group recently reported that it had noted an increase in growth volume and customer interest. As of December 17, 2019, 2.5 million contracts have been traded on CME since its launch.       4. Lithuania's central bank is launching a blockchain-based digital "collectible" coin as it increases its crypto activities. The LBCoin will commemorate the country's 1918 declaration of independence, with all 24,000 tokens projected to launch in the spring of 2020. As well as the LBCoin, the Bank of Lithuania has been working on developing a technology platform and regulatory sandbox, known as the LBChain, for testing digital ledger projects. –GLOBAL GOVERNMENT FORUM       A MESSAGE FROM FASTLY Extend the power of your core cloud to the edge with our API-first platform. Bring your innovative ideas to life, faster. Our edge cloud platform moves data and applications closer to users, at the network edge — so you can deliver fast, secure, and scalable online experiences. Take it for a spin and test up to $50 traffic, free.   5. Blockchain Capital's "State of Crypto 2019" report focuses on the year the market has had so far and claims that 2020 will be a bullish year for Bitcoin. According to the report, the price of Bitcoin will "blow past" its all-time high of $20,000, which it reached during the 2017 crypto bull run. The report also noted that despite prices being down, adoption in the market was increasing. This can be seen by the likes of Fidelity, Bakkt, JPMorgan, and TD Ameritrade, which have launched crypto-based financial products. –DECRYPT       6. While Blockchain Capital didn't give a figure that it thinks Bitcoin will reach in 2020 in its report, crypto advocate and entrepreneur Tim Draper has stated that it will hit $250,000 in six to 12 months. In his opinion, this could take place after the Bitcoin halving event based on a technical analysis. –BLOCKTV       7. Justin Sun, the CEO of the Tron blockchain network, is donating $1 million to environmental activist Greta Thunberg to help save the environment. Taking to Twitter, Sun stated that he shared Thunberg's "passion to change the world." In his opinion, "Crypto will contribute immensely in reducing carbon footprint." –U TODAY       8. Blockchain.com's crypto platform, The Pit, has added support for the British pound sterling with the U.K. Faster Payments Scheme (FPS). According to the company, users will be able to buy Bitcoin and Ether in "less than five minutes." FPS is a banking initiative in the U.K. that cuts the amount of payment time between different banks' customer accounts from three days to seconds. –THE BLOCK       9. Internet startup Blockchain of Things (BCoT) has agreed to pay $250,000 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after it launched an unregistered initial coin offering (ICO). According to an order, BCoT has said that it will pay back users as well as notify token holders individually and on its website of the potential claim. –COIN DESK       10. Crypto platform Binance is asking its U.S. users to beta test the upcoming Binance.US iOS app. The testing will enable users to address any potential flaws while helping the platform resolve any issues before making it available to a wider community. Before its launch, beta testers will use the app for a specific period of time. –COINTELEGRAPH       This newsletter was written and curated by Rebecca Campbell. She has been writing and reporting on various industries for the past 10 years, more specifically tech in the last three. Connect with her on Twitter. Edited by Sheena Vasani.       Ad Interested in AI but not sure where to start? Learn the key concepts in this free course.

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