Blockchain Daily News – Edition 84, 31.10.2017

Blockchain Daily News

by Florin Oprea

Edition 84, 31.10.2017

Fans’ Section

Central Bank-Issued Digital Currency Is The Future, Not Cryptocurrency, Economist Says

Ryan Browne – CNBC

Digital currencies issued by central banks will make transactions more efficient while cryptocurrencies serve as a vehicle for illicit activity, economist Barry Eichengreen told CNBC.

FAO: This sounds pretty “binary”…are things really that simple? I thought high profile economists usually go a bit deeper into analysis…

DNT: It becomes clearer, that’s the real stake: digital currencies issued by banks vs. cryptos (free world). But digital currencies will need blockchain, don’t they?

Arkansas Sheriff’s Office Mines Bitcoin To Fuel Dark Web Investigations

Stan Higgins – CoinDesk

A sheriff’s office based in the US state of Arkansas is taking a novel approach to its investigations into online crime: mining bitcoin. Investigators at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office have started generating their own cryptocurrency to be used when trying to track the movements of criminals online.

FAO: This could easily generate a strong debate, but, contrary to (at least) economist Barry Eichengreen’s beliefs, cryptocurrencies can serve for a better world too…

Deals, Investments & M&As

Next Up on CoinList Is Blockstack Initial Coin Offering

JD Alois – Crowdfund Insider

Following the blowout ICO by Filecoin that raised an incredible $205 million, CoinList has partnered with Blockstack for its forthcoming token sale.

FAO: Blockstack is a new network for decentralized applications. More details here.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin Hits New All-Time High Above $6,250 On Rumours That China May Cancel Exchange Ban

Bhushan Akolkar  – Coinspeaker

Bitcoin prices surge to a new all-time high above $6250 amid speculations of China lifting ban on local exchanges and resuming trading operations.

Chinese Bitcoin Traders Could Benefit From OKEx, Huobi-Pro P2P Trade Launch

William Suberg – The Cointelegraph

China’s Bitcoin traders could return to their favorite exchanges if rumors regarding OKEx and Huobi-Pro come true. According to local news feed cnLedger, the two umbrella exchanges are “soon to launch” p2p Bitcoin trading with support for fiat currencies including the yuan.

FAO: My yesterday’s question stays: Is China going to let go?  

Exchanges & Trading Venues

Litecoin Enters Massive Market: South Korea’s Second Largest Exchange Enables Trading

Joseph Young – Cryptocoins News

Coinone has integrated Litecoin. Within 24 hours since its integration of Litecoin, Coinone has processed $3.2 million worth of Litecoin-to-Korean won trades, becoming the eleventh largest Litecoin exchange in the market.

Another Company Surges After Announcing Plans To Get Into Cryptocurrencies

Doug Alexander – Bloomberg (subscription)

Canadian online lender Mogo Finance Technology rose the most in eight months after moving a step closer to giving customers the ability to hold bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in digital wallets.

FAO: You need to adapt in order to survive…

Vendors

The Last Hurdle: Liquidity Alliance Closes In On Distributed Ledger Launch

Michael del Castillo – CoinDesk

A group of international depositories and stock exchanges called the Liquidity Alliance united this year to launch LA Ledger, a blockchain solution designed to do to collateral what bitcoin did for value transfer. Now, having completed the proof-of-concept, the group is ready to launch a commercial product with only one thing left in its way: regulatory approval.

FAO: Maybe the most difficult step in their initiative…

BitPeople

We’ve Seen An 82% Jump In Bitcoin-Related Jobs, Says Employment Website CEO Matt Barrie

Annie Lin – CNBC

Bitcoin-related jobs are the fastest growing category of role on international employment marketplace Freelancer, the company said. With 82% growth in Q3, work related to cryptocurrency is skyrocketing.

FAO: The “cryptoverse” is expanding, exhibit no. N.

Regulation

Vietnam’s Central Bank Bans Bitcoin As Payment Method

Bhushan Akolkar  – Coinspeaker

The Central Bank of Vietnam issues a complete ban on using Bitcoin as a payment method in the country. Adapters of Bitcoin will have to face criminal prosecution with a penalty as high as 200 million dongs (nearly $9,000).

FAO: Harsh times in Vietnam. Ok, new update on our list:

Crypto-Teams BDN Global Outlook

Team “Pro”: Japan, Hong Kong + Singapore, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Catalonia (latest entry)

Team “Against”: China, India, Russia, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Lebanon, Taiwan (new entry – switching sides, from Team “Pro”)

Team “Neutral”: EU, USA, Canada

Events

Show Of Force: Ethereum Gears Up For Devcon3 Developer Conference

Alyssa Hertig – CoinDesk

Ethereum is out to prove itself at its annual developer event.

Analysis

Blockchain Technology Could Unblock Southeast Asia

David Boyle – Voa News

In a region where the most important records — identity and ownership for instance — are often subjected to little or no external oversight, blockchain offers enormous potential benefits.

Other news

Blockchain Man And Woman Will Have To Wait

Andrew Hill – Financial Times (subscription)

As the blockchain expands beyond its original use as a platform for digital currencies such as bitcoin, techno-evangelists are also bigging up its potential to do more than point to the provenance of a pork chop.

Opinion

This Might Be The Best Explanation For The Price Mania Around Bitcoin, Cryptocurrencies And ICOs

Kyle Torpey  – Forbes

Chain CEO Adam Ludwin, shared his perspective on the entire blockchain ecosystem.

FAO: Florin Adrian Oprea, Editor-in-chief Blockchain Daily News

DNT: Decebal Nicolaie Todarita, Editor Blockchain Daily News