Coin News

Over the weekend, people noticed that Microsoft's Windows 10 Store FAQ had been updated, and claimed Bitcoin is no longer a supported payment method. Now, the company tells Softpedia that this update was "inaccurate information" and that users can st...

In a day when the major bitcoin headline was that of Microsoft seemingly cutting ties with Bitcoin, the company has now been forced to apologize for what it deemed as “inaccurate information”. Bitcoin will continue to be supported. Technology giant Microsoft had suggested in a recent FAQ/How-to post that it would be no longer accepting […]

The post Microsoft Apologizes: Bitcoin Still Accepted appeared first on CCN: Financial Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

 As 2015 came to a close and the new year began, many thought leaders in the financial technology space made their predictions on the trends and innovations that will get us excited in 2016. One of the most prominent technologies that repeatedly appeared on these lists was the blockchain, which has emerged from the shadows of bitcoin with a new, solo image. Read More

A New York man has been charged with operating an unlawful money transmitting business in connection the sale of bitcoins.

Following a successful pilot program, US financial services firm USAA is expanding its bitcoin integration to all members.

In September Bitcoin Magazine reported that Andrew G. Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England (BoE), hinted at the possibility that...

The post Researchers Propose RSCoin, a Permissioned Blockchain Currency Controlled by Central Banks appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

Digital currency exchange Bitfinex has added ether trading prior to the release of the Ethereum's next software implementation 'Homestead'.

The BI Intelligence Content Marketing Team covers news & research we think you would find valuable.

We’ve entered the most profound era of change for financial services companies since the 1970s brought us index mutual funds, discount brokers and ATMs.

No firm is immune from the coming disruption and every company must have a strategy to harness the powerful advantages of the new financial technology (“fintech”) revolution.

The battle already underway will create surprising winners and stunned losers among some of the most powerful names in the financial world:  The most contentious conflicts (and partnerships) will be between startups that are completely reengineering decades-old practices, traditional power players who are furiously trying to adapt with their own innovations, and total disruption of established technology & processes:

• Traditional Retail Banks vs. Online-Only Banks: Traditional retail banks provide a valuable service, but online-only banks can offer many of the same services with higher rates and lower fees

• Traditional Lenders vs. Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces: P2P lending marketplaces are growing much faster than traditional lenders—only time will tell if the banks strategy of creating their own small loan networks will be successful

• Traditional Asset Managers vs. Robo-Advisors: Robo-advisors like Betterment offer lower fees, lower minimums and solid returns to investors, but the much larger traditional asset managers are creating their own robo-products while providing the kind of handholding that high net worth clients are willing to pay handsomely for.

As you can see, this very fluid environment is creating winners and losers before your eyes…and it’s also creating the potential for new cost savings or growth opportunities for both you and your company.

After months of researching and reporting this important trend, Business Insider Intelligence has put together an essential briefing that explains the new landscape, identifies the ripest areas for disruption, and highlights the some of the most exciting new companies. These new players have the potential to become the next Visa, Paypal or Charles Schwab because they have the potential to transform important areas of the financial services industry like:

• Retail banking

• Lending and Financing

• Payments and Transfers
• 
Wealth and Asset Management

• Markets and Exchanges

• Insurance

• Blockchain Transactions


If you work in any of these sectors, it’s important for you to understand how the fintech revolution will change your business and possibly even your career. And if you’re employed in any part of the digital economy, you’ll want to know how you can exploit these new technologies to make your employer more efficient, flexible and profitable.

Among the big picture insights you’ll get from this new report, titled The Fintech Ecosystem Report: Measuring the effects of technology on the entire financial services industry:

• Why financial technology is so disruptive to financial services—it will soon change the nature of almost every financial activity, from banking to payments to wealth management.
• The basic conflict will be between old firms and new—startups are re-imagining financial services processes from top to bottom, while incumbent financial services firms are trying to keep up with new products of their own.
• Both sides face serious obstacles—traditional banks and financial services firms are investing heavily in innovation, but leveraging their investments is difficult with so much invested in legacy systems and profit centers.
• Meanwhile, startups are struggling to navigate a rapidly-changing regulatory landscape and must scale up quickly with limited resources.
• The blockchain is a wild card that could completely overhaul financial services. Both major banks and startups around the world are exploring the technology behind the blockchain, which stores and records Bitcoin transactions. This technology could lower the cost of many financial activities to near-zero and could wipe away many traditional banking activities completely.

This exclusive report also:

• Explains the main growth drivers of the exploding fintech ecosystem.
• Frames the challenges and opportunities faced by incumbents and startups.
• Breaks down global and regional fintech investments, including which regions are the most significant and which are poised for the highest growth.
• Reveals which two financial services are garnering the most investment, and are therefore likely to be transformed first and fastest by fintech
• Explains why blockchain technology is critically important to banks and startups, and assesses which players stand to gain the most from it.
• Explores the financial sectors facing disruption and breaks them down in terms of investments, vulnerabilities and growth opportunities.
• And much more.

The Fintech Ecosystem Report: Measuring the effects of technology on the entire financial services industry is how you get the full story on the fintech revolution.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide to the fintech revolution, choose one of these options:

1. Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
2. Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the fast-moving world of financial technology.

Join the conversation about this story »

This is a guest post by Zach Ramsay. Zach is a developer at Eris Industries and a prior academic, where he was successful at teaching toads,...

The post How Blockchains Can Further Public Science appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

Microsoft is still accepting and crediting bitcoin payments amid reports that the tech giant is moving away from the digital currency.

 Following a claim that 13,000 bitcoins & 300,000 litecoins were stolen by a hacker, a class action lawsuit and its subsequent insolvency, Cryptsy has now revealed a “reward contract” with ‘Cryptcracker’ to retrieve the stolen coins in exchange for a ‘base’ reward of 1750 BTC, approx. $725,000. In a bizarre twist to an already contentious […]

The post Cryptsy Reveals Stolen Bitcoin Recovery Reward ‘Contract’ appeared first on CCN: Financial Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

 Following a claim that 13,000 bitcoins & 300,000 litecoins were stolen by a hacker, a class action lawsuit and its subsequent insolvency, Cryptsy has now revealed a “reward contract” with ‘Cryptcracker’ to retrieve the stolen coins in exchange for a ‘base’ reward of 1750 BTC, approx. $725,000. In a bizarre twist to an already contentious […]

The post Cryptsy Reveals Stolen Bitcoin Recovery Reward ‘Contract’ appeared first on CCN: Financial Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

Instacoin, which operates Lamassu bitcoin ATMs in Quebec, Canada, has tweeted it is going to support Ethereum.  With over 16 Lamassu ATMs in Canada (and more coming in 2016), we have plans to support #Ether / #Ethereum / #ETH https://t.co/ByvFbkwnxL — Instacoin (@Instacoin) March 12, 2016 The tweet announced that Ether.camp has developed a hybrid […]

The post Instacoin Develops Hybrid Bitcoin/Ethereum ATM appeared first on CCN: Financial Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

There is currently a lot of debate within the community about Bitcoin's long-term technical viability, as the system is designed now

Software and hardware giant Microsoft is no longer accepting Bitcoin payments made on the Windows 10 store. The move comes a year after the corporation began accepting Bitcoin via BitPay. Notably, the move hasn’t affected users purchasing credit via Bitcoin on to their Microsoft Xbox accounts. In a new ‘how-to’/FAQ post, the Redmond-based giant has […]

The post Microsoft Puts the Brakes on Bitcoin Payments appeared first on CCN: Financial Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

 Microsoft has quietly stopped supporting bitcoin payments just over one year after it (quietly) added support for the crypto currency within its Windows Store. Read More

Coinify APS, a Denmark-based blockchain currency payment provider, is facilitating the first real estate purchase in Denmark using bitcoin. Coinify processed a transaction worth 117 BTC (290,000DKK, $50,000 USD). The Just-Sold group real estate agency signed up for a Coinify merchant account at the buyer’s request to accept the blockchain payment. The purchase was in […]

The post A First In Denmark: Miner Buys House With Bitcoin Using Coinify appeared first on CCN: Financial Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

Welcome to The Fintech Briefing, a morning email providing the latest news, data, and insight into disruptive fintech in the UK and Ireland, the Continent, and beyond, produced by BI Intelligence.

Want to receive The Fintech Briefing to your inbox? Enter your email in the box below.

WOMEN LESS LIKELY TO INVEST. There's a gender investment gap in the financial services industry, and firms are losing out on potential business, while consumers get worse returns, because of it, according to a recent study conducted by P2P lender RateSetter. Only a third of RateSetter's investors are female, and only 48% of women in general own investment products — compared to 66% of men, according to research carried out by the firm. RateSetter began investigating the discrepancy after discovering its female employees were much less likely to invest than its male employees, even when a financial incentive was offered. The research aimed to find out if female reluctance to invest was a general pattern amongst UK consumers. They also held a panel event to discuss the results of the research this week, the first in a series of events designed to explore issues in the world of finance. 

• Women more likely to save, but less likely to hold stocks and shares. 62% of women hold their own savings account, compared to 55% of men. However, only 11% of women hold stocks and shares, compared to 23% of men. 
• More women say they don't understand investment products. Around half of women say they understand stocks and shares, compared to three-quarters of men, and more importantly for the P2P lending industry, only 26% of women say they understand P2P lending, compared to 42% of men. This further indicates that men are more engaged in fintech across the board, but also more confident that they understand complex products. 
• Women describe themselves as risk averse. Women were twice as likely (28%) to describe themselves as "strongly risk averse" than men (15%).

P2P lenders, and the fintech industry as a whole, are missing out on a big chunk of potential funds if women continue to avoid investing. P2P lenders also want to raise awareness that they are an investment tool for everyone, especially those who traditionally haven't previously invested. To start addressing the issue, RateSetter is looking to spark a conversation in the industry about potential solutions.

BI Intelligence suggests three ways for gaining market share among female consumers:

• Ads targeted at women. These could include more gender-neutral adverts, as commentary from the RateSetter event suggested most P2P lender adverts target men.
• Education and clear information about P2P lending. The provision of clearer information about products is necessary, especially given how many products are currently on the market. 
• Highlight the merits of IFISA. The P2P industry hopes that government support of the Innovative Finance Individual Savings Account (IFISA), due to launch in April, will encourage more people, of either gender, to invest in their products and achieve a better return. 

ZOPA'S EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN ON BANKS AND P2P LENDERS. In Friday's Fintech Briefing, we ran a story on the future relationship between banks and P2P lenders. In the story, we used analysis from the Economist, misattributed to Giles Andrews, Executive Chairman of Zopa. We spoke with Andrews last week to clarify his views on future relationships between banks and P2P lenders.

• One of Zopa's key value propositions is that its risk analytics are more sophisticated than that of many banks, according to Andrews. The firm has 11 years of through-the-cycle data, which it uses in its models, and has lent nearly £1.4 billion ($2 billion) to-date. 
• Banks that lack unsecured loan capabilities are most likely to partner. These banks and P2P lenders like Zopa are natural partners, according to Andrews.
• Banks with unsecured loans capabilities can still benefit from partnerships. Zopa's risk analytics could offer banks an edge, even if they already have existing unsecured loan capabilities. 

This doesn't mean that all banks will avoid building their own P2P lending solutions, just that in some cases partnering is the easiest and best way to enter the market. 

Enjoying The Fintech Briefing? Enter your email to receive it directly to your inbox.

THE IMPACT OF BREXIT ON LONDON'S FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY. This summer the UK will decide if it should make an exit from the EU. If Britain were to "Brexit", London's financial services businesses would suffer a loss of business and protection against discrimination, according to a new report from The City UK. Businesses would lose the benefit of Passporting, which allows businesses authorised in one EU country, whatever the national origin of the business, to offer services remotely in the other 27 EU states without further authorisation.

• Protection against discrimination. Passports guarantee incoming firms will be able to do business on the same terms as local ones, so long as they comply with local regulatory requirements. Without access to passports, UK-based firms (including subsidiaries of non-EU businesses which have set up offices in the UK), would face barriers in other EU countries that could impact their ability to operate. 
• Loss of business. Currently, UK firms can sell products across Europe through a cross-border service provision without a physical presence in other member states. The loss of passporting would mean this was no longer automatically possible.

The biggest problem financial services firms currently have is uncertainty. At this point, it's unclear what a Brexit would actually look like so the perceived risks are mostly speculative. For example, passporting in its current form is not a perfect solution — UK firms still must comply with country-specific regulatory requirements in other EU states. In the event of a Brexit, some of these problems could be potentially be addressed in the negotiation of a new agreement between the UK and the EU.

Around the world...

HONG KONG LOOKS FOR FINTECH TALENT IN LONDON. InvestHK, the department of the Hong Kong government responsible for Foreign Direct Investment, wants to boost Hong Kong's fintech industry by encouraging startups and established firms from London and New York to set up in the region, according to SCMP. Hong Kong has a strong financial services industry, and the government is starting to see fintech as a complimentary sector worth supporting. Hong Kong already has 86 fintech startups, and it's hoping to take advantage of its position as a gateway to China to attract firms looking to move into the country and Asia more broadly. 

JAPAN DEBATES BITCOIN REGULATION. The Japanese parliament, the Diet, will soon vote on Bitcoin regulations put forward by the Japanese finance minister, Taro Aso, according to nasdaq.com. The regulations will classify Bitcoin as a currency, impose new requirements on exchanges, and remove the firewall that currently prevents banks and securities firms from investing and trading in Bitcoin. 

BRAINTREE MAKES STAFF CUTS. The US-based payments company owned by PayPal has cancelled its annual hacking competition "BattleHack", which is designed increase awareness of its services amongst the developer community, and cut some staff associated with it. The project was designed to encourage developers who participated to use Braintree's services if they were later hired to work on eCommerce projects. This likely signals a change in marketing direction, rather than a bigger upset in the company, as it processed £35 billion ($50 billion) last year.

Want to cover fintech for BI Intelligence? We're hiring a Research Associate to join our team in London. The ideal candidate will have strong research skills and one year of relevant work experience. Recent graduates with a degree in journalism or social science are encouraged to apply. If you would like to learn more about the role or you know someone that might be a good fit, you can find more information and apply here. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how to see how much you've spent on Amazon in your lifetime

We’ve entered the most profound era of change for financial services companies since the 1970s brought us index mutual funds, discount brokers and ATMs.

No firm is immune from the coming disruption and every company must have a strategy to harness the powerful advantages of the new financial technology (“fintech”) revolution.

The battle already underway will create surprising winners and stunned losers among some of the most powerful names in the financial world:  The most contentious conflicts (and partnerships) will be between startups that are completely reengineering decades-old practices, traditional power players who are furiously trying to adapt with their own innovations, and total disruption of established technology & processes:

• Traditional Retail Banks vs. Online-Only Banks: Traditional retail banks provide a valuable service, but online-only banks can offer many of the same services with higher rates and lower fees
.
• Traditional Lenders vs. Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces: P2P lending marketplaces are growing much faster than traditional lenders—only time will tell if the banks strategy of creating their own small loan networks will be successful
.
• Traditional Asset Managers vs. Robo-Advisors: Robo-advisors like Betterment offer lower fees, lower minimums and solid returns to investors, but the much larger traditional asset managers are creating their own robo-products while providing the kind of handholding that high net worth clients are willing to pay handsomely for.

As you can see, this very fluid environment is creating winners and losers before your eyes…and it’s also creating the potential for new cost savings or growth opportunities for both you and your company.

After months of researching and reporting this important trend, Business Insider Intelligence has put together an essential briefing that explains the new landscape, identifies the ripest areas for disruption, and highlights the some of the most exciting new companies. These new players have the potential to become the next Visa, Paypal or Charles Schwab because they have the potential to transform important areas of the financial services industry like:

• Retail banking

• Lending and Financing

• Payments and Transfers
• 
Wealth and Asset Management

• Markets and Exchanges

• Insurance

• Blockchain Transactions


If you work in any of these sectors, it’s important for you to understand how the fintech revolution will change your business and possibly even your career. And if you’re employed in any part of the digital economy, you’ll want to know how you can exploit these new technologies to make your employer more efficient, flexible and profitable.       

Among the big picture insights you’ll get from this new report, titled The Fintech Ecosystem Report: Measuring the effects of technology on the entire financial services industry:

• Why financial technology is so disruptive to financial services—it will soon change the nature of almost every financial activity, from banking to payments to wealth management.
• The basic conflict will be between old firms and new—startups are re-imagining financial services processes from top to bottom, while incumbent financial services firms are trying to keep up with new products of their own.
• Both sides face serious obstacles—traditional banks and financial services firms are investing heavily in innovation, but leveraging their investments is difficult with so much invested in legacy systems and profit centers.
• Meanwhile, startups are struggling to navigate a rapidly-changing regulatory landscape and must scale up quickly with limited resources.
• The blockchain is a wild card that could completely overhaul financial services. Both major banks and startups around the world are exploring the technology behind the blockchain, which stores and records Bitcoin transactions. This technology could lower the cost of many financial activities to near-zero and could wipe away many traditional banking activities completely.

This exclusive report also:

• Explains the main growth drivers of the exploding fintech ecosystem.
• Frames the challenges and opportunities faced by incumbents and startups.
• Breaks down global and regional fintech investments, including which regions are the most significant and which are poised for the highest growth.
• Reveals which two financial services are garnering the most investment, and are therefore likely to be transformed first and fastest by fintech
• Explains why blockchain technology is critically important to banks and startups, and assesses which players stand to gain the most from it.
• Explores the financial sectors facing disruption and breaks them down in terms of investments, vulnerabilities and growth opportunities.
• And much more.

The Fintech Ecosystem Report: Measuring the effects of technology on the entire financial services industry is how you get the full story on the fintech revolution.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide to the fintech revolution, choose one of these options:

1. Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
2. Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the fast-moving world of financial technology.

Join the conversation about this story »

Microsoft's grand experiment in accepting Bitcoins as payment hasn't panned out, it seems. The company has quietly updated an FAQ to reveal that it no longer accepts the digital currency in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 devices. You can use an...