​From farm to plate via blockchain: Solving agriculture supply chain problems one grain at a time

0. Blockchain and business: Looking beyond the hype ... and targeted the economic supply chain with one specific piece of technology: blockchain.

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Blockchain And Its Plans For Brand Loyalty, Incentives And Celebrities

As decentralized networks become popular in the business world, companies are finding new, more valuable ways of interacting with users.

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How to start a blockchain project: Questions for IBM's Jerry Cuomo

For starters, a blockchain project is driven by a shared conviction that there must be a better way to do a business process. That's according to Jerry ...

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3 Things That Are Holding Bitcoin Prices Down

Bitcoin prices have stacked around the $6,000 mark recently. That's at the low end of their trading range over the last six months. That may have come ...

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Bitcoin Cash Support is Now Live on Purse.io

This week the well-known Purse.io, a firm that allows people to purchase items on Amazon and save 15 percent or more, has announced that Bitcoin ...

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Has Bitcoin Entered the Doom Loop?

Throughout 2017, the price of bitcoin rose stratospherically, driven by a volatile cocktail of surging amateur interest in cryptocurrencies, professional ...

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Lighting Labs Co-Founder and Bitcoin Developers Slam Study on Lightning Network

However, experts in the know — including Bitcoin core developer Jonas Schnelli and core development contributor, Peter Todd, as well as the ...

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Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Litecoin, Cardano, Stellar, IOTA, TRX: Price Analysis ...

Founder of OnChain Capital Ran Neu-Ner believes that Bitcoin might test $5,350 within the next couple of weeks, yet he is upbeat on the long-term ...

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A consultancy that has been spot-on about how far crypto markets would tank expects bitcoin to ...

At the beginning of the year, consultancy Quinlan & Associates made a call that the bitcoin markets would tank in 2018. And so, far the firm's ...

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Bitcoin's plunge means one thing: calls for rallies to $25000 by year-end are fading—fast

Bitcoin prices have carved out a fresh near-term nadir, extending a downtrend that has taken hold of the world's No. 1 virtual currency since a May ...

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Battered Bitcoin Bulls Can Take Solace in This Technical Signal

Data show that Bitcoin breached the level -80 marker of the indicator this week, a threshold suggesting to traders it may be time to get in on the action.

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Startup Raises $600K to Build Bitcoin Cash Mobile Wallet

CoinText.io, a blockchain startup developing a way to conduct offline bitcoin cash transactions, just closed a $600,000 seed funding round, the ...

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Does Bitcoin Cash Deserve A Billion Dollar Valuation?

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is fast approaching its first birthday; and what a year it's been. BCH has seen highs of $3,800; acquired a comfortable multi-billion ...

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Bitcoin hits lowest level since November

The value of bitcoin slipped below the $5,800 mark Friday -- its lowest levels since November as security and regulatory concerns overwhelm buyers.

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Why El-Erian's views on bitcoin may not work for you

Bitcoin might be winning back favor in the public eye. Mohamed El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at Allianz, called bitcoin a buy if its price falls ...

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Bitcoin bloodbath nears dot-com levels as many tokens go to zero

Bitcoin bloodbath nears dot-com levels as many tokens go to zero ... bitcoin is getting ever-closer to matching the Nasdaq Composite Index's 78 ...

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Bitcoin Falls Below $6000 to a New 2018 Low -- Here's What Investors Need to Know

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) dropped below $6,000 on Thursday and is currently trading at approximately $5,900 on Friday -- its lowest level since November ...

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Some Cryptocurrency Investors Are Giving Up on Bitcoin—and Cashing Out of Coinbase

When the price of Bitcoin rallied 33% in April, some cryptocurrency investors decided it was time to get out, rather than hang on in hopes of a ...

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Bitcoin skids below $6000, nears 60 percent loss for the year

Bitcoin prices dropped to November lows Friday as investor sentiment struggles to rebound after global regulatory headlines and hacks in recent ...

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Bitcoin Dips Below $6K Following Hacks And Regulatory Crackdown

Following a regulatory crackdown and recent hacks, bitcoin prices have slumped to lows not seen for months. The popular cryptocurrency dipped just ...

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Why This Allianz Economist Says Bitcoin Is a Buy Around $5000

As the price of Bitcoin continues its dip to $5,800, one economist thinks that it may be heading into buying territory. When asked at what price he might ...

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Bitcoin Is a Buy at $5K, Says Allianz Chief Economist El-Erian

Chief Economic Advisor at financial services company Allianz, Mohamed El-Erian, told CNBC today, June 29, that he thinks Bitcoin (BTC) will ...

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Bitcoin review: Sunday was good, but values were a disaster by Friday

According to Cointelegraph, bitcoin is continuing a trend of declines in the run-up to futures expiration dates. At press time Friday, BTC/USD is trading ...

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BitcoinTV by KRBECrypto on YouTube

#bitcoinmovement.....New video by KRBECrypto: The Gentlemen of Crypto EP. 199 - Tether Double Spend, Cryptokitties, Brave Gets Braver, UK & Crypto https://youtu.be/fzXA0KF_pIE

'The Rout in Cryptocurrencies is Still Not Finished,' Claims Barclays

Looking for someone to play the bearish case in regards to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? Look no further than the Head of Investment Strategy ...

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Cryptocurrencies: from Wild West to wide-scale adoption

First question, then, are cryptocurrencies currencies or commodities? Gary Sheynkman: A currency is supposed to be legal tender, but we still talk ...

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Millions in Cryptocurrencies Seized in Biggest LSD Bust in European History

On Thursday, law enforcement gave everyone a reminder of cryptocurrencies roots when it took down an LSD ring and seized millions of dollars worth ...

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The Bubble-O-Meter: How to use a competitive cryptocurrency analysis tool

Nowadays, most people are familiar with the term cryptocurrency. This virtual alternative to the traditional fiat has gained worldwide media attention ...

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More than 1000 cryptocurrencies marked dead in a recent study

In a recent data by Dead Coins, more than a thousand coins have already fallen dead and out of the crypto-market, while Coinospy has given more ...

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Why This Cryptocurrency Fund Is Long Ethereum and EOS, Short Litecoin and XRP

It's hard to find a more controversial cryptocurrency than EOS, whose initial coin offering (or ICO) raised a record $4 billion early this month—and ...

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Lisk (LSK) Becomes One Of The Most Undervalued Cryptocurrencies, Down 86% From ATH

In fact, it has had one of the worst corrections among all cryptocurrencies, having fallen 86% from its all time high. RSI is also down in the oversold ...

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New Study Shows Complicated Purchasing Process is Biggest Hurdle for Cryptocurrencies

LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CreditCoin.com, the fastest and easiest way to buy cryptocurrencies, today announced the results of a ...

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7 Cryptocurrencies That Outperform Bitcoin

Another possible factor that sets-up a contrarian case for cryptocurrencies to buy is the World Cup. Although speculative, I find it interesting that since ...

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The Best And Worst Cryptocurrencies So Far In 2018

The crypto boom came to a screeching halt in 2018, with most major cryptocurrencies down more than 40 percent on the year. Investor fears over ...

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Fundamental Analysis Of Major Cryptocurrencies

The very discussion of fundamental analysis as it applies to cryptocurrencies might seem silly to those that don't believe in the asset class as a whole, ...

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Bithumb Restores Millions in Stolen Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Other Cryptocurrencies

Bithumb says it has recovered about half of the cryptocurrency stolen by hackers in a recent cyber attack. “The main reason for the reduction of the ...

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Indian Women Invest Twice as Much as Men in Cryptocurrencies, Study Shows

A study conducted by Indian cryptocurrency exchange BuyUCoin has recently revealed that women in the country invest, on average, twice as much ...

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BitcoinTV: by Cryptocurrency Market on YouTube

Life Changing Finance #22 - 3 Types Of People You Need Around You To Create Wealth - By Tai Zen
Learn more at: 1. Follow us on Twitter: @heytaizen | @leoncfu 2. Subscribe To Our Newsletter at: https://ift.tt/2HRaQGA 3. Get your copy of the Cryptocurrency Investing Blueprint™ at: https://ift.tt/2Jtj1WK 4. Attend the next Cryptocurrency Investing Bootcamp™ at: https://ift.tt/2HThrQI

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Bitcoin bloodbath nears dot-com crash levels as hundreds of other cryptocurrencies go to zero

Bitcoin's meteoric rise last year had many observers calling it one of the biggest speculative manias in history. The cryptocurrency's 2018 crash may ...

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Ripple (XRP) Can't “Shake” The Cryptocurrencies Market Drop

This period is a ruthless one for Ripple (XRP), despite the good news and positive predictions surrounding Ripple company, the owners of XRP crypto.

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Indian Banks Chooses Ripple Over Other Cryptocurrencies

A recent analysis shows an increase of Ripple products; RippleNet, xCurrent and xRapid, being used among commercial banks in India since the city ...

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Some Cryptocurrency Investors Are Giving Up on Bitcoin—and Cashing Out of Coinbase

When the price of Bitcoin rallied 33% in April, some cryptocurrency investors decided it was time to get out, rather than hang on in hopes of a ...

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Bithumb Hack Update: Cryptocurrency Exchange Recovers 45% of Stolen Coins

Bithumb has managed to recover roughly 45 percent of the cryptocurrencies stolen during the June 20 hack. The platform announced the news in an ...

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Electra (ECA) Partners with UniFox to Provide Cryptocurrency ATM & POS Machines Worldwide

The multifaceted cryptocurrency project UniFox will be adding the fast and secure Electra (ECA) currency to their international network of ATMs & POS ...

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Weed Money: Cryptocurrency May Be Key to Unlocking Bank Vaults for Cannabis Industry

Cryptocurrency is like the cannabis of the financial world. It's the hot new commodity with promises of boom or bust for anyone brave enough to stake a ...

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BitcoinTV: by Cryptocurrency Market on YouTube

Life Changing Finance #22 - 3 Types Of People You Need Around You To Create Wealth - By Tai Zen
Learn more at: 1. Follow us on Twitter: @heytaizen | @leoncfu 2. Subscribe To Our Newsletter at: https://ift.tt/2HRaQGA 3. Get your copy of the Cryptocurrency Investing Blueprint™ at: https://ift.tt/2Jtj1WK 4. Attend the next Cryptocurrency Investing Bootcamp™ at: https://ift.tt/2HThrQI

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Ross Ulbricht Is Denied Prison Sentence Review by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court announced on June 28, 2018, that it will not reconsider the conviction or life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the alleged mastermind behind the darknet site Silk Road. At press time, no reason has been provided for the Court’s decision.

Ulbricht was first arrested in October 2013 at the Glen Park Branch Library in San Francisco. During his trial, prosecutors stated that, at the time, he was speaking online with an undercover FBI agent while running the site through an open laptop under the name “Dread Pirate Roberts.” Among the evidence collected from Ulbricht’s computer were chat logs, journal entries and spreadsheets pertaining to Silk Road financial data between the years 2011 and 2013.

Ulbricht’s defense team insisted that he was not the man prosecutors were looking for. They argued that Ulbricht had created Silk Road as an “economic experiment,” but that he handed the website off to another person when it became “too chaotic.” They claimed the real Dread Pirate Roberts was still out there and that Ulbricht was simply a “fall guy.”

The jury remained unconvinced by these remarks. Ulbricht was found guilty on counts of trafficking drugs on the internet, running a criminal enterprise, narcotics-trafficking conspiracy, computer hacking and money laundering, and was sentenced to life in prison. Ulbricht’s legal team later filed an appeal of the sentence, which was formally denied in 2017.

Ulbricht attempted to bring his case before the Supreme Court last December, alleging that his fourth and sixth amendment rights had been violated. Ulbricht said that during the investigation and his sentencing, law enforcement agents had collected internet traffic information without warrants, and that the judge presiding over the case had imposed an “unreasonable sentence” due to reports that Ulbricht had tried to hire a hitman — a crime for which he was never convicted or charged with.

Ulbricht’s attempts to bring his case to the Supreme Court had been met with support from several organizations including the Gun Owners of America, the National Lawyers Guild and the Reason Foundation.

Upon hearing the recent case Carpenter v. United States — which involved location data stored and obtained by cell phone providers — the Supreme Court ruled that the fourth amendment does offer individuals “legitimate expectation of privacy” over their personal data, even if they voluntarily provide it to third parties. The ruling convinced many of Ulbricht’s supporters that the Court would be willing to at least consider his side of the story, though it appears these hopes have been dashed, and Ulbricht’s life sentence will stand.

The Twitter account @free_ross immediately posted its reaction to the decision, saying, “SCOTUS denied #RossUlbricht cert petition this morning after holding it pending Carpenter. This is a NO on internet privacy and Ross’s case. Devastating. #freeross.”

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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Bitcoin Magazine’s Week in Review: Charity Funds and Dark Web Run-Ins

This week, the U.S. Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies banded together to bring down some bad actors on the dark web. EOS is undergoing some growing pains with the launch of its network, exposing the trials and tribulations of an all-too-centralized governance model.

It wasn’t all unsavory news, though. A new $300 million crypto fund was launched by Andreessen Horowitz to help grow the ecosystem, and Coinbase’s CEO started a cryptocurrency charity fund that already has $1 million to work with.

We witnessed some notable technological advancements this week as well with the announcement of the ERC-1155 token standard for Ethereum. The new standard will build on and enhance ERC-721’s functionality, the same standard used to tokenize non-fungible assets like CryptoKitties.

Featured stories by Jimmy Aki, Colin Harper, Erik Kuebler and Nick Marinoff.

Stay on top of the best stories in the bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Subscribe to our newsletter here.

DOJ, U.S. Agencies Seize Over $12M Bitcoin in a Slew of Dark Web Busts

The U.S. Department of Justice, in cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Secret Service (USSS), the Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have apprehended more than 35 dark web drugs and arms dealers in a nation-wide bust. In the nation’s first inter-agency crackdown on dark web operators, the sweep ended in the confiscation of military-grade weapons, drugs and drug manufacturing equipment, $3.6 million in hard cash and gold bars and over 2,000 bitcoin, valued at around $12 million.

Andreessen Horowitz Has Launched a $300M Crypto Fund

Financial firm Andreessen Horowitz has established a new $300 million crypto fund that is dedicated to investing in cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-related projects. Named a16z crypto, the new fund has the firm delving deeper into the cryptocurrency space to grow its existing portfolio, which includes digital currency exchange Coinbase. In a statement posted on the company's blog, general partner Chris Dixon states that the a16z crypto fund provides the firm with the flexibility to invest in any area of its choosing, from traditional equities to digital tokens. As a result, the firm will be able to invest in both companies and the tokens those companies create.

Enjin Coin CTO Creates ERC-1155, a New Token Standard for Ethereum

Co-founder and CTO of Enjin Coin Witek Radomski has developed the ERC-1155 token, a new standard for defining video game tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. Radomski was responsible for the development of the ERC-721 non-fungible token standard that was used in the development of CryptoKitties. The new protocol allows for an infinite number of both fungible and non-fungible items to be deployed through a single contract, a breakthrough that has ramifications for tokenized asset management for the gaming industry and beyond.

EOS Founder Wants to Scrap the Platform's Constitution, Start Anew

The long awaited EOS launch occurred earlier this month, but it has not been without its difficulties. Daniel Larmier, the founder and technical architect of EOS, has confirmed that he wants to scrap the platform’s current constitution and build a new one. Speaking on the EOSIO Gov Telegram Channel, Larmier revealed that he has doubts about the company’s current on-chain governance model and called the existing constitution “unwise.” While Larmier has a proposal to change the problems, those for the change would have to outnumber those against it by 10 percent. They would then have to hold this position for 30 consecutive days within a 120-day period, so even if Larmier does get his way, we’re not likely to see the emergence of a new constitution for a minimum of four months.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Launches Cryptocurrency Charity Fund

On June 27, 2018, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced his new cryptocurrency charity fund, GiveCrypto. Armstrong established the philanthropic venture to financially empower people with direct cryptocurrency distributions. The charity has already raised $1 million from prominent cryptocurrency community members, and it plans to raise $10 million by the end of 2018 and $1 billion over a two-year time frame. The nonprofit’s mission is to give 100 percent of its cryptocurrency contributions to impoverished people, an altruistic goal that simultaneously drives cryptocurrency’s real-world utility.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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Blockchain Hype Overstates Reality, Says Steve Wozniak

Technologist and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak played contrarian at the NEX technology conference in late June, comparing the hype around blockchain to the fervor he witnessed just before the implosion of the dot-com bubble. Still, Wozniak stood by his unflinching loyalty for Bitcoin, even in the midst of the market’s 2018 downturn.

To be sure, Wozniak believes blockchain technology will serve as a cornerstone for business and industry in the future, calling it “decentralized and totally trustworthy.”

Nonetheless, early adopters “can burn themselves out by not being prepared to be stable in the long run,” Wozniak said. Comparing the growth of the blockchain industry to the dot-com mania of yesteryear, he said, “It was a bubble, and I feel that way about blockchain.”

It’s Wozniak’s guess that the same pattern will repeat today. “If you look now you say all that internet stuff happened, we got it, it just took a while,” he told the tech conference audience.

Ultimately, Wozniak forecasts that blockchain technology will disrupt the social media sector. Facebook, which holds somewhat of a social media monopoly, is ripe for competition, and a blockchain-based platform could emerge as a key rival to challenge the status quo.

Wozniak also sees long-term potential in Ethereum and its currency, ether. In particular, Wozniak cited programmers’ ability to build out their own Ethereum-based projects, as well as development efforts from companies like Microsoft Corp. and J.P. Morgan to unearth the DApp platform’s full potential.

While Wozniak is putting blockchain on ice for now, saying it isn’t yet ready to live up to the hype with mainstream adoption, he held his ground on Bitcoin, something he once referred to as “digital gold.” Although the cryptocurrency lost more than half its value so far this year, he still referred to it as “just amazing.”

Wozniak purchased bitcoin at around the $700 mark and sold most of his holdings at the peak near $20,000.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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Malta Passes Favorable Cryptocurrency Laws in Next Step as a Blockchain Island

The Maltese Parliament has voted into law three cryptocurrency and blockchain bills, making Malta one of the most desirable locations for setting up blockchain enterprises.

According to legislative records, the bills, which were introduced to the parliament by Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation Silvio Schembri, were passed unanimously on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

The bills-turned-law detail the regulation of ICOs and cryptocurrencies and the process for setting up crypto-based businesses in Malta. The news, which Schembri shared via a tweet, makes Malta the first country to enact such laws.

“Today, Maltese Parliament unanimously approved three bills on DLT/blockchain, a 1st in the World. Honored to have driven these bills," he said.

The three bills passed into law are "The Virtual Financial Assets Act," "The Malta Digital Innovation Authority Act," and "The Innovative Technology Arrangements and Services Act," respectively.

The Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFA)

The VFA will regulate initial coin offerings. The law requires new companies raising capital through ICOs to publish white papers that outline a detailed description for the entire project. Issuers are also expected to make their financial history public.

The Malta Digital Innovation Authority Act

This law formalizes regulatory procedures for the cryptocurrency and the blockchain industry. It also establishes the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA), which will serve as the regulatory body for the industry. The functions of the MDIA will be carried out by a Board of Governors, headed by a CEO. Local news outlet the Times of Malta confirmed the appointment of Stephen McCarthy as the first chief executive of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority.

Technology Arrangements and Services Bill

This law details the registration and certification of technology service providers and technology arrangements, and it focuses on the registration of exchanges in Malta. Industry insiders believe this bill was created to make Malta the destination of choice for cryptocurrency exchanges.

Malta, which, even before these laws, was known as a friendly hub for blockchain businesses, has already attracted some crypto heavyweights such as OKEx and Binance.

The new bills are expected to guide the government on how to embrace the technology and achieve its aim of becoming a hotspot for crypto and blockchain businesses.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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U.K. Banks Warned to Be Careful With Cryptocurrencies

The Bank of England has warned U.K. lenders to study cryptocurrencies before doing business in the space. In a letter sent out to the financial institutions in the country yesterday, the Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods warned financial companies to take appropriate steps to protect themselves against "exposure to crypto-assets" which he believes are susceptible to "fraud and manipulation, as well as money-laundering and terrorist financing risks."

While acknowledging the benefits of the underlying distributed ledger, the deputy governor believes the high price volatility and relative illiquidity of cryptocurrencies are good enough reasons why financial institutions need to be careful when dealing with crypto assets.

The letter went on to explain the steps banks should take to lower any possible risk from trading in crypto assets. He lists hiring a PRA-approved "Senior (Insurance) Management Function (S(I)MF)" auditor to review and sign off on the "risk assessment framework," conservative incentives that discourage "excessive risk-taking" and aligning the bank's risk management approach with the uncertainties associated with cryptos.

Woods, who also doubles as the CEO of Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), reminded financial institutions of their fiduciary responsibility under the PRA regulations.

While borrowing a leaf from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) scathing report on bitcoin, the deputy governor advised the banks not to get ahead of themselves by considering cryptos as a form of money.

"Crypto-assets should not be considered as currency for prudential purposes," he said.

Classification of cryptocurrencies has been a problem in the U.K., as with most parts of the world. Earlier this year, the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney informed students of the failure of Bitcoin as a form of money as no one "uses it as a medium of exchange." Carney, who softened his tone some weeks after, advocated for regulating cryptocurrencies not banning “crypto-assets outright.” Authorities should "be careful not to stifle innovations which could in the future improve financial stability," he said.

Last year, the Bank of England partnered with Ripple to test an interledger system, and it has announced a revamp of its entire settlement system to accommodate distributed ledger technology.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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Promoted: Trivver: XR Advertising in an XR World

Imagine an enhanced field of vision — one which allows us to seamlessly interact with others, through the use of our hands and without dependency on a screen.

This future has arrived — with unparalleled possibilities for advertising, training and collaboration — free of geographical barriers. Welcome to extended reality (XR), encompassing mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and 3D technology. 

The projected market size — $209 billion by 2022 according to Statista — for AR and VR is massive. Trivver, a cutting-edge, programmatic advertising startup, is at the nexus of this XR world and traditional advertising. Trivver will employ blockchain technology for validating advertising, to ensure transparency, security and efficiency. In pursuing XR technology, Trivver joins the likes of Facebook, Google and Apple in pushing the boundaries of this new digital frontier.

Trivver uses 3D product placement of brand models to deliver advertising — in games, business, entertainment or sports XR environments. Trivver’s comprehensive XR advertising platform leverages its suite of patented technologies to deliver 3D branded objects across environments and platforms, enabling a single model to autoscale to fit seamlessly with multiple environments. With this technology, Trivver is poised to enable the adoption, commercialization and monetization of XR.

Trivver provides advertisers with the ability to engage with today’s rapidly growing XR user community. In particular, Trivver’s Smart Objects are intended to foster organic relationships between brands and consumers, leading to less digital ad friction. In addition, Smart Objects offer unprecedented capability to record view engagements with brands, including viewability and intent to purchase. 

The platform provides a set of tools for game developers, retailers, real estate and other XR content publishers. Trivver is using its Ethereum-based token, TRVR, to promote development of a library of Generic Smart Objects, the default 3D models that represent ad spots in the environment. As the library of Generic Smart Objects grows, it will become available to game developers for future development, as well as offer a way for XR developers and designers to become part of the Trivver ecosystem. 

The Genesis

Founded in 2011, Trivver is the brainchild of founder and CEO Joel LaMontagne. A serial entrepreneur with a background in computer science and mathematics, LaMontagne’s previous work includes the creation of a patented digital randomization engine that facilitates nonlinear experiences for online gaming, education and military training.

“The epiphany [that led to Trivver] came to me back in 2007 when I witnessed my twelve-year-old son play an online game and repeat the same level again and again to achieve a better score, because he learned the game’s pattern,” LaMontagne said.

He added that Trivver’s multi-patented technology enables advertisers to easily deploy, monitor and efficiently measure user actions across all devices inside AR/VR/MR/3D — really any XR environment. 

“Our ‘one and done’ IP allows a brand to create a single 3D Branded Object file and send it to many XR locations in just one click,” he said. 

Trivver’s 3D Branded Object files, or “branded smart objects,” are native to the environment they are placed in, creating nondisruptive advertisements that consumers actually enjoy interacting with. Trivver, LaMontagne added, also monitors and tracks metrics to provide brands with detailed consumer data.

LaMontagne said that Trivver’s patented technology allows both large and small developers the ability to “become a part of our network and monetize their published content.” The Trivver ad network, he said, provides advertisers the ability to connect with smaller content providers seamlessly.

The “Virtual” Road Map Ahead 

The public sale of TRVR commenced on June 15.

All available TRVR will be issued during the one-time distribution period with no additional issuance after the close of the campaign. The total number of TRVR to be issued will be calculated at the end of the distribution period.

“Our desire is to become the standard in XR advertising,” LaMontagne said. “We want to enable developers in the XR Space — both large and small — to fund themselves through advertising, to encourage the improvement of technology that enhances people’s lives and to make product placement in XR space as relevant and interesting to users as possible.” 

Note: Trading and investing in digital assets is speculative and can be high risk. Based on the shifting business and regulatory environment of such a new industry, this content should not be considered investment or legal advice.

This promoted article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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Op-Ed: Challenge of Mining Centralization Unveils Bitcoin’s Elegant Design

Last year, growing problems of Bitcoin mining centralization came to light with the controversy of an AsicBoost scandal. As a largely centralized hash rate began to threaten the software’s magical property, concerns were raised that incentives at the crux of Bitcoin’s game theory had broken away.

Now, the power of miners, harnessed by economic incentives, escaped accountability by attacking Bitcoin’s SHA 2 hashcash and exploiting it. This further gained advantage through vulnerability in the network’s interface with the old world of industrial infrastructure and patents.

In facing the increasing power of hardware manufacturers, the idea emerged to make changes in proof of work to fix incentives. Some see such moves to be dangerous, as it could devastate the security of the network and create a contentious hard fork. Others are more pessimistic about ASIC-resistant algorithms, due to the flexibility of hardware engineers and manufacturers’ ability to control hardware production. This challenge that cannot simply be solved technically brings us a unique opportunity to explore this innovation and discover the technology’s elegant design.

Money as a Technology of Cooperation

The invention of Bitcoin arrived through the accumulative efforts of many minds. Before Satoshi Nakamoto shared the vision of peer-to-peer digital cash in the white paper, there were pioneers who stepped into this uncharted territory. Nick Szabo, a legal scholar and cryptographer, with his creation of bit gold inspired this breakthrough of computer science.

In the paper Shelling Out, the Origins of Money, published in 2002, Szabo traveled into the ancient past to trace precursors of money used by our ancestors. By gaining the insight of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who saw money as a “formal token of delayed reciprocal altruism,” Szabo recognized the role of money in providing humans’ unique evolutionary advantage. Describing it as a “technology of cooperation,” he noted how early forms of money, such as the shells of clams, solved the problem of the risk of cheating in the exchange of favor, where reciprocity wouldn’t be made simultaneously.

Now, in this digital age and with the birth of Bitcoin, this tool for cooperation is replicated online. Satoshi, through engaging computer machines to work on mathematical puzzles of computation, found a way to check man’s selfishness that takes advantage of others’ good will. Bitcoin’s consensus algorithm enforces sets of rules across a network, by aligning incentives of all players and encouraging each to overcome selfish tendencies that prevent cooperation with a careful balance of risk and reward.

Puzzle of Altruism

The genius of Bitcoin’s protocol was developed on this understanding of the origin of money that is deeply tied to evolutionary forces within mankind. At the core of this technology lies knowledge of human nature informed by evolutionary biology. Dawkins, who authored the influential book, “The Selfish Gene” renewed the theory of evolution by putting genes rather than individuals at the center. With the term “the selfish gene,” he explained how “a gene that didn’t look after its own interests would not survive.” With this gene’s-eye view of life, Dawkins appeared to have solved part of the riddle of human nature. Yet, he stumbled upon another when he recognized acts of kindness in nature. Altruism has been one of the greatest puzzles for many biologists.

Dawkins asked, “How can selfish genes support kindness?” Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection offered no incentive for organisms to help others. Dawkins went on, “If genes are striving selfishly to make more copies of themselves, how can a gene achieve this selfish objective by making their bearers act altruistically?” He contemplated how, in the Darwinian struggle for existence, kindness toward others seemed to counter this programming.

Partial explanations were provided in the idea of kin selection. Inclusive fitness theory argues the reason for such behavior is due to a sharing of large percentages of genes among close relatives. Another is the idea of reciprocal altruism used to explain costly cooperation between non-relatives, with a tit-for-tat strategy of “you scratch my back and I scratch yours.” Here, altruism is widely considered by biologists to be part of a survival game for genes, and nature has shown that the genes that return favor are more likely to survive. Yet, Dawkins pondered that, when it comes to humans, there seems to be something more that goes beyond what these theories can explain, for helping occurs even among those who are not close relatives and is given to complete strangers who don’t return favors.

Paradox of Human Nature

In recent years, examples of altruistic acts emerged on the internet with the waves of whistleblowers. From WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, we have seen individuals that acted on behalf of the public good at expense of their own well-being. These individuals demonstrated extraordinary courage, even risking their lives to protect not only the welfare of their nations, but all of humanity.

This presents an internal contradiction within humans: man is selfish and can be nasty, yet at the same time has a capacity for empathy and can act kindly to others. Dawkins found a way to embrace this paradox of human nature. He remarked how “selfish genes give rise to altruistic individuals” and asserted that the puzzle of altruism can be solved by using the concept of the selfish gene. He looked at altruism as the misfiring of selfish genes and explained how “we have a lust to be nice, even to total strangers, because niceness has been hardwired into us from the time we used to live in small groups of close kin and close acquaintances with whom it would pay to reciprocate favors.”

Civilization seems to have lost this paradox of human nature. Western construction of morality split an evolutionary force in nature into opposite tendencies. Humanity, in efforts to attain virtues that are considered positive, suppressed others that have been deemed negative and unworthy. Philosopher Jacob Needleman described how religious and moral doctrines of European cultures created a dualistic morality that “supports the radical separation of the good (however it is understood) and the evil (that which resists the good).” He noted such morality becomes “‘moralism’ when it imposes a sense of good and evil that diminishes the interconnectedness of life.”

Duality of human nature with selfishness on one hand and altruistic attributes like empathy on the other, created an internal conflict within man. This made people pit one side of human nature against the other. This one-sidedness of a human view in favor of certain characteristics over the other led to the failure of self-honesty, making it difficult for us to truly account for our deeds. Selfish parts of ourselves that are denied and condemned become dark. Efforts to eradicate this force made it more hostile and cunning. The extreme selfishness created through society’s refusal to accept human nature in its fullness has become destructive. It began to pose a threat to civilization itself.

The Value of Networked Individuals

In the last half of the 20th century, we have seen an increase in this schism of human nature. The tension of opposites that could no longer be contained, unleashed a cold war dividing the world into two competing power blocks. One sector was represented by the U.S. and Western European model of liberal democracies and the other was by Russian and Chinese communist states. Unresolved conflicts inside ourselves became ideological battles, creating a brutal competition for existence. In this grand struggle of power, Western capitalism promoted the value of the individual over the needs of the collective, while communism forced people to place the interests of a community over individuals.

Systems of governance based on political ideologies, incapable of holding the paradox of human nature, suppressed the dynamics of life. The centralized model of society, both in a form of capitalism and socialism, has subverted the force of evolution, by using money as an instrument of control to regulate aspects of human nature. The state’s oppression of self-interests of the majority led to the concentration of power in a few hands, fueling the corruption in the system. As ordinary people were held hostage by this political battle of governments, being kept in a loop of a death spiral, Satoshi found the perfect equation that could restore the paradox of human nature to end this war that is waged inside each person.

While the hierarchy of institutions divides human nature, breaking apart the value of individuality and the collective, decentralization unites them, creating a higher value of the networked individual. In Bitcoin’s open horizontal platform, what one does to oneself can be directly translated into what one does to others and vice versa. Everyone’s contribution enriches the whole network, while harmful behaviors bring loss for all. In this inclusive circle, contradiction between the logic of service to oneself and service to a group can now be reconciled. What an individual does out of one’s self-interests can become a communal act of giving because it benefits all in the network.

In this invention of free software, Satoshi liberated human nature that was bound up by intellectual property of the nation-state built on the archaic knowledge of man. Centralized systems of politics are inherently undemocratic. In this, the reform and progress of society often relies on the conscience of individuals who can demonstrate an extraordinary capacity to act altruistically as is seen by the example of whistleblowers. This requires a great sacrifice on the part of these individuals to take risks that are unsustainable.

Now, Bitcoin opens a new paradigm that is much more balanced. In this, one no longer has to sacrifice one’s needs in order to act altruistically and one does not have to give up aspirations for altruism in order to preserve self-interests. Upon economic incentives of selfishness, a spiral staircase of Bitcoin’s DNA can emerge. The incentive structure that is built upon a realistic assessment of humanity allows individuals to align themselves with their own self-interests. Through each taking risks voluntarily, the system increases the rewards for networked value.

Dormant Sleeping Codes

In the act of releasing a protocol pseudonymously online, the unknown creator of Bitcoin launched an open source development to build a new habitat for networked individuals. Responding to the good will of strangers, developers around the world came together to engage in a labor of love to work on Bitcoin. Those ambitious and adventurous ones among us all began investing precious resources to play the market. Greed of miners through the survival of the fittest mining markets have helped the network build a global level of security.

Now, in facing the threat of mining centralization, it might be tempting to jump into a quick tech fix of changing algorithms, trying to punish selfishness and combat our destructive potential within. But such solutions will likely just replicate the problem of the old system of control and possibly destroy the harmony of human nature that has been restored in the code.

Perhaps a perceived design oversight of a proof-of-work function, with its lack of resistance against mining centralization is not a flaw that needs to be fixed. Rather, it can be seen as something that could enable the vital feature that needs to be activated at a critical phase in the development of this technology. The problem that now confronts this ecosystem urges us to find solutions that are already in the protocol. Crisis can stimulate and trigger resistance from a human organism. This awakens dormant sleeping codes: sovereign users who claim their role in the network as ones who ultimately give Bitcoin value.

The integrity of Bitcoin is ensured through decentralization. This decentralization that ensures Bitcoin’s defining feature of permissionless-ness and censorship resistance cannot just be guaranteed with proof of work through people simply depending on technology. In the summer of 2017, in the midst of the storm of the scaling debacle, cryptographer and inventor of Hashcash, Adam Back reminded:

cypherpunks write code, and sovereign individuals run code? that maybe levelling up soon

The design of Bitcoin’s unprecedented immutability built with the best security practice in computer science includes the pressure for decentralization that is to be applied from everywhere.

Activation of Sovereign Users

The new stream of self-interests began to emerge in the ecosystem during the block size battle in 2017. As the threat of a contentious hard fork grew, resistance was swiftly organized from the bottom up. From the #UASF movement to the #No2X protest, we have seen the awakening of sleeping giants. Samson Mow, chief strategy officer of Blockstream and CEO of game company Pixelmatic, instigated a new game of “Proof of Hat consensus” by distributing the UASF cap across the network. What arose was a vision of cypherpunks. It placed Bitcoin’s value proposition in features that could bring a larger implication in the functioning of democracy, such as an ability to circumvent financial blockades and governments’ seizures. This came to clash with the PayPal 2.0 vision of Bitcoin, with emphasis on its utilitarian and commercial value as cheaper, faster, on-chain transactions.

Under the radar, the activation of sovereign users has been slowly occurring. Some are stepping up to fulfill their role in this network, manifesting the blueprint of this technology. Teams behind Bitseed created Bitcoin full node devices to help users around the world attain secure access to the blockchain to run full nodes and enforce rules. Bisq, an open-source desktop application, has been working to bring a P2P-based solution to the problems of centralized exchanges in order to extend Bitcoin’s decentralization.

Now, the network is finding creative ways to tackle problems of mining centralization. With an aim to break the mining hardware monopoly and bring much needed competition, Bitcoin Core contributor BtcDrak began a mining project, setting up an ASIC chip manufacturing company. While some strongly oppose it, a new initiative for the Blockchain Defensive Patent License is put forward as a way to counteract the AsicBoost patent monopoly that blocks competition, without jeopardizing the pristine protocol. Opportunities for the use of renewable energy are emerging as a way to decentralize mining. The idea is to take the excess capacity from solar and hydro energy production and use them to mine bitcoin.

The darkness of the old world that has yet to be enlightened became tyrannical. As it begins to infiltrate this new P2P network, the call is given for a wider distribution of self-interests to strengthen Bitcoin’s noble architecture. Imagination of computer science inspires us all to align ourselves with incentives coded inside our own DNA and restore the balance of human nature. Each individual’s participation in the development of this technology helps Bitcoin maintain its mathematical precision. By laying the solid foundation upon the virtue of selfishness, blocks of cooperation can be built to further improve the workings of reciprocal altruism.

This is a guest post by Nozomi Hayase. Views expressed are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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ICO Round-Up: Social Media Influencers Bypass Ad Ban, Centra Tokens Deemed Securities

Three stories dominate this week’s initial coin offering (ICO) round up: It appears many ICO projects are reaching out to social media influencers in an effort to thwart advertising bans across leading platforms. A study published by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) suggested that the country develop a licenced-based regulatory apparatus that permits cryptocurrency activities including ICOs. A U.S. judge has found that CTR, tokens distributed through Centra Tech’s ICO that sought the promotional services of boxer Floyd Mayweather, demonstrate numerous attributes of a security under existing legislation.

Also Read: South Korea Thinks Real-Name System is Working – Stepping Up Crypto Monitoring

ICOs Turn to Social Media Influencers Amid Advertising Ban

A report by the LA Times has looked into the increasing prevalence of ICO promoters employing the services of social media influencers in the midst of the prohibition on cryptocurrency advertisements on a number of leading social platforms.

The report cites research conducted by Solume, which found that approximately 18% of cryptocurrency-related posts on Reddit, Twitter, and Bitcointalk.org now typically originate from bounty campaigns set-up by ICO promoters. In January, by contrast, the figure was 6%.

“It’s really a very cost-effective mechanism for developing a brand,” stated Saransh Sharma, the president of 4new – who are currently conducting an ICO. “Before you know it, there’s a snowball effect,” he added.

Whilst ICO promoters appear to have found a means through which they can advertise on social media platforms despite the ban, some are not convinced that the practice of paying social media influencers to promote ICOs will last for long.

Lex Sokolin, the global director of fintech strategy at Autonomous Research, stated: “Once it becomes clear that financial outcomes can be manipulated not just by trading but [also by] creating perceptions through social media, regulators will take a very hard stance.”

Chinese Banking Commission Suggests Inclusive ICO Regulations

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) recently made public a working paper titled, “The Study of Development and Regulations on Distributed Ledger Accounts, Blockchain and Digital Currency.”

The report argues for the development of an inclusive, license-based regulatory apparatus designed to allow cryptocurrency related activities, including ICOs, to operate legitimately in the country.

“Currently, any capital transaction that relates to distributed ledger accounts, blockchain, cryptocurrency and its derivatives, ICOs and exchange operations should all be regarded as financial services. Therefore they must be put under relevant financial regulatory frameworks so that they can operate legally with a license,” the document states.

Centra Found to be Distributing Securities

In the latest news regarding the Floyd Mayweather-promoted Centra ICO, a Florida district court has found CTR tokens issued through the company’s initial coin offering comprise securities. The court, citing the Howey test, argued that CTR tokens satisfy the criteria for all three prongs of an “investment contract,” rendering such a security.

The court found that “Because the success of Centra Tech and the Centra Debit Card, CTR Tokens, and cBay that it purported to develop was entirely dependent on the efforts and actions of the Defendants […] the offering of Centra Tokens was an investment contract under the Securities Act, such that the Defendants sold or offered to sell securities by virtue of the Centra Tech ICO.”

The court recommended that “the Defendant’s Renewed Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, Asset Freeze, Document Preservation Order, and Order to Make Accounting and Other Ancillary Relief […] be granted to the limited extent consented by the Defendants.”

Do you think social media influencers will continue to be used as a means to bypass advertising bans? Join the discussion in the comments section below!

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Report: 2018 Token Sales Almost Double Last Year’s Results

Initial Coin Offerings in the first half of 2018 have attracted nearly double the amount of funds raised last year, a new report reveals. Researchers point out, however, that the majority of ICOs have largely failed, with only a third of the projects closed successfully. According to the study, the US remains the major destination for coin offerings while Switzerland has established itself as a European ‘standard bearer’ in regulation.  

Also read: Why 70% of ICO Tokens Are Not Exchange Listed and Probably Never Will Be

$13.7 Billion Raised in Coin Offerings This Year

The capital raised through Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) has reached $13.7 billion USD in the first five months of this year, twice the total for the whole of 2017. The data comes from a newly released report authored by the Swiss Crypto Valley Association (CVA) and Strategy&, the consulting division of one of its members, PwC. The study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the global ICO activity and explore key changes in the space since last year.

The numbers in the second edition of the quarterly Global ICO Report are in sharp contrast with this year’s bearish trend that has taken over crypto markets. According to Daniel Diemers, Head of Blockchain EMEA at PwC Strategy&, the report “highlights the continued growth and popularity of ICOs globally in 2018, with over 537 ICOs conducted in the first five months of this year, raising a combined total of $13.7 billion USD – more than all ICOs which took place before 2018 combined.” According to data quoted by Reuters, around $7.0 billion have been raised by token sales last year. Daniel Diemers also said:

After all the hype of 2017, this year has seen the ICO sector becoming more mature and established, with an improved focus on best business and legal practice, investor relations and fundraising. Hybrid models of combined Venture Capital and ICO financing are increasingly bringing together the best of what both have to offer, so that the soundness of a business is validated while it realizes its market potential by receiving crowd support.

However, the paper also notes that the majority of crowdfunding projects have failed to achieve their goals. Only about 30 percent of the 3,470 ICOs announced since 2013, the report details, have closed successfully, while many have been delayed or lost momentum during the token sale process.

America a Major ICO Destination, Switzerland a Leader in Regulation

According to the research, the US remains a major destination for Initial Coin Offerings. In the first five months of the year, 56 US-registered token sales have raised a total of $1.1 billion USD. The authors believe this is due to the clear and firm regulatory requirements put in place there and the growing number of crowdfunding projects that choose to register with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They also point to an increase in the number of coin offerings conducted in the United Kingdom as well as the volume of capital raised there. According to the provided statistics, 48 UK-registered ICO projects have attracted more than $500 million in 2018.

Another conclusion is that Switzerland has affirmed itself as a leading hub for ICO and blockchain business in Europe and remains attractive to crypto entrepreneurs, while smaller jurisdictions like Liechtenstein, Gibraltar and Malta are following in its footsteps. “Switzerland is the standard bearer in terms of establishing a regulatory environment for the digital economy. The Crypto Valley in Switzerland offers a unique environment that embraces blockchain technologies and the potential of ICOs while always embodying Swiss values, such as privacy protection and confidentiality,” said Oliver Bussmann, President of the Crypto Valley Association.

ICO Destinations and Trends

The findings confirm some previous observations and detect new trends regarding Initial Coin Offerings. According to an earlier report, covering 370 ICOs, US-based crowdfunding projects have raised $1.03 billion – so no surprise there. The study placed China (including Hong Kong) second with $452 million, followed by Russia with $310 million USD. What’s surprising is the development of the ICO market in the UK, where financial authorities and regulators have generally demonstrated lukewarm attitude towards cryptocurrencies and the crypto space.

Switzerland, whose crypto-friendly jurisdiction has attracted a number of crypto and blockchain businesses, is trying hard to catch up with the leading ICO destinations. Representatives of the country’s crypto community have joined a multinational effort to challenge the ban on crypto-related advertisements imposed by the largest IT corporations. The restrictions introduced by companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter, hit hard crowdfunding projects and are likely to be targeted soon in a class action lawsuit.

At the same time, the achievements of far less conspicuous European countries have made the headlines of ICO-related articles and publications. Lithuania is a good example – the tiny Baltic state has reportedly attracted around 10 percent of all coin offerings last year. An estimated €500 million has been raised through ICOs and blockchain projects over the last 12 months. Authorities in Vilnius have recently issued comprehensive regulatory guidelines for initial coin offerings. According to a recent report by Politico, the country’s economy is expected to grow by more than 3 percent this year and the digital cash flow is part of the reasons.

Do you expect the ICO sector to grow, despite the continuing downward trend on crypto markets? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

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Supreme Court Will Not Reconsider Ross Ulbricht’s Life Sentence

Indian Exchange Zebpay Boosts Trading Support for 19 Cryptos Ahead of RBI Ban

Mastercard Latest Crypto Patent: Anonymous Third Party Transactions

This week marks another set of patents granted Mastercard, which is part of a many years attempt by the payments behemoth to employ technology underpinning most cryptocurrencies. The latest turn involves anonymous distributed ledger transactions via a third party processor.

Also read: Bitlicense Should be Smashed, Candidate for New York Governor Urges

Mastercard Granted Still More Crypto Patents

In its latest crypto patent filings, Mastercard stresses “a need for a technical solution whereby an entity may participate in a transaction where transaction details may be posted publicly to ensure accountability and trust in the data, while still providing anonymity and inability of others to track individual transactions or volume information by transaction party identifying information of both parties of a transaction to satisfy the confidentiality needs of each entity involved in the transaction.”

The more than half-a-century old legacy payments institution based in the United States is a world leader. Tens of thousands of employees. Nearly $13 billion in yearly revenue. It is a staple of Standard & Poor’s component indices. Its principal global business is as an intermediary, trusted third party, between merchant banks, and their derivations, along with credit, prepaid, and debit cards.

United States Patent Application 20180181953, granted yesterday after having been filed back in late December of 2016, reads in abstract, “A method for posting of anonymous directed transaction includes: storing a plurality of entity profiles, each including an entity identifier and a secret value; receiving a transaction request from a first entity, the request including transaction data and a specific entity identifier associated with a second entity; identifying a specific entity profile that includes the specific entity identifier; generating a first hash value via application of one or more hashing algorithms to the transaction data; generating a second hash value via application of one of more hashing algorithms to a combination of the first hash value and the secret value included in the identified specific entity profile; and posting the first hash value and second hash value to a publicly accessible data source.”

Loosely translated, a public blockchain transaction, as it exists in its popular forms with regard to bitcoin core (BTC), just might be a key in holding back more crypto acceptance on a broader scale. Of its many ironies, BTC’s open ledger provides a wealth of information for both consumers and businesses, and aspects of industrial espionage are sure to follow, something giants like Mastercard are keen to avoid at all cost.

Privacy for Mastercard is Different than Privacy in the Crypto World

The cryptocurrency world has continued to tackle the issue of private, cash-like transacting since its inception. Alternatives abound among tokens and alternative coins, and their numbers and intensity are growing at record paces.

For traditional payments companies, avoiding a public distributed ledger is equally growing in importance. They’ve several masters to please, including lawmakers and regulators who wish to grant such transaction access to police. Eliminating peer-to-peer features is also very important, and so third party processors are vital to the company’s plans. A lucrative side business is to sell such information to other companies hoping to exploit its proprietary data for advertising purposes, for example.

Crypto-related patents recently granted to the company include travel and even coupons. They’re yet another ironic turn for a company with well-known hostilities toward the crypto community.

What do you think about Mastercard’s patent moves? Let us know in the comments. 

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Images via the Pixabay, Mastercard.

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Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Satoshi Pulse, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.

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