News

Global investment firms and cryptocurrency exchanges are rushing to develop new digital asset markets in preparation for impending regulations. Announced on July 31, 2018, SBI Holdings invested $9 million in Clear Markets to create a cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform. SBI Crypto Investment Makes First Move Japanese financial services powerhouse SBI Holdings invested 1 billion yen […]

Despite a market downturn, cryptocurrency is driving business across several industries worldwide. In Q2 2018, Square Cash app reported a 100% increase in profit from its Bitcoin trading transactions over the last quarter. BTC Fuels New Revenue Square’s peer-to-peer mobile payment platform, Square Cash reported $37 million in BTC trading revenue in its second-quarter financial […]

Unfazed by Bitcoin’s extended correction, the most devout crypto faithful maintain that Satoshi’s peer-to-peer digital currency may one day replace the dollar. According to UBS, the largest Swiss banking institution in the world, this prophecy won’t come to light any time soon. In a research report distributed to clients in more than 50 countries, UBS […]

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin put forward a series of open questions to the cryptocurrency community in a recent discussion with Mars Finance International WeChat group, postulating seven issues present within the blockchain ecosystem. Buterin’s “hard questions for any blockchain people” deal with some of the biggest obstacles between the current state of blockchain technology and […]

Dedicated hardware has made it possible for crypto holders to securely store digital assets in hack-proof crypto-vaults such as the Ledger device series. As cryptocurrency becomes more widely adopted, tech companies race to integrate secure crypto storage functionality into the most prolific devices used today — smartphones. Litecoin founder Charlie Lee recently announced native Litecoin […]

US SEC Commissioner Heston Peirce — one of the four SEC commissioners currently considering the future of a potential Bitcoin ETF — publicly announced that there is “no reason” why the regulatory body would not allow the product to be approved Peirce, who recently published an official statement of dissent regarding the recent SEC rejection […]

Leading cryptocurrency brokerage Coinbase announced the launch of GBP trading for UK-based customers, leveraging the platform’s freshly-minted e-money license issued by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Having recently become the first cryptocurrency trading platform to obtain a bank account with a major UK-based bank, Coinbase now offers Coinbase Pro, and Coinbase Prime customers can make […]

A possible ICO scam is under investigation in South Korea after a much-publicized shipwreck attracted the suspicions of local authorities. Sunken Treasures As reported by local outlet Korea Joongang Daily on August 1, 2018, Seoul-based Shinil Group is facing the heat as a critical figure in the scam. Earlier in July 2018, Shinil allegedly promised […]

In a report to President Trump entitled “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities Nonbank Financials, Fintech, and Innovation”, the US Treasury described blockchain and distributed ledger technology as “promising innovations”. Its recommendation regarding cryptocurrency, however, is less clear. The report examines existing and emerging trends in the current monetary system and makes more than 80 […]

With the first half of 2018 coming to a close, leading global audit firm KPMG is reviewing the impact of blockchain on the maturing fintech market. On July 31, KPMG published its global report on fintech investment trends for H1 2018. KPMG: “The Pulse of Fintech 2018” In its 2018 Pulse of Fintech report, KPMG recognizes […]