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 | | | | | | 2. A single whale was responsible for the 2017 crypto bull run, according to research. University of Texas Professor John Griffin and Ohio State University's Amin Shams have updated their previous claims that the bull run, which argued that market misconduct was behind Bitcoin's rise to an all-time high of $20,000, was the result of Tether being used to provide price support and market manipulation. Now, Griffin and Shams are saying that analysis of Tether and Bitcoin transactions from March 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, indicate, to them, that a single entity via crypto exchange Bitfinex, the same people who also control Tether, is behind the manipulation. "This pattern is only present in periods following printing of Tether, driven by a single large account holder, and not observed by other exchanges," the academics wrote in a new peer-reviewed paper. Tether's General Counsel Stuart Hoegner, however, has rebuffed the claims, calling the research "foundationally flawed." –BLOOMBERG |     | | 3. Czech crypto-anarchist movement Paralelní Polis has received a warning from the country's central bank for using the word "coin" on its site to describe silver tokens it is minting. According to a tweet posted yesterday by Paralelní Polis, the Czech National Bank said it will be fined if it continues to use the word. In 2017, the organization started issuing its commemorative silver coins in a limited edition of 100, paying homage to a person who fights for digital freedom. In 2017, it was Ross Ulbricht, the founder and creator of Silk Road; in 2018 it was Julian Assange, the co-founder of WikiLeaks; and in 2019 it was Aaron Swartz, an American hacker, political, and internet activist, who died in 2013. Speaking about the central bank's warning, Martin Leskovjan, chair of the Paralelní Polis movement, said that it was "completely nonsense." –SEZNAM ZPRÁVY | | | | 4. Rajnath Singh, India's defense minister, believes artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the blockchain will form part of the future of warfare. Speaking to more than 80 delegates in Delhi Monday, Singh said that the armed forces must be equipped with these technologies to meet the challenges of modern warfare. In his opinion, the "character of warfare is changing." Today, it's not just a case of preparing for contingencies, but also repelling numerous threats from several sources, he said. As a result, AI, big data, and the blockchain could be used to safeguard the "safety and security of critical infrastructure," he concluded. –THE TIMES OF INDIA |  | | | | | | | |
