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The latest amendment to the filing for a proposed Bitcoin ETF demonstrates how seriously traditional financial institutions are taking cryptocurrencies.

The latest amendment to the filing for a proposed Bitcoin ETF demonstrates how seriously traditional financial institutions are taking cryptocurrencies.

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The post Segregated Witness: Coming to a Bitcoin Core near You appeared first on CryptoCoinsNews.

While several implementations of the much-anticipated Lightning Network have emerged, new specifications could bridge these splintered projects.

Source

David Golumbia, an assistant professor in the Department of English at Virginia Commonwealth University, an aspiring political pundit, and...

The post Review: "The Politics of Bitcoin" Offers a Flawed and Misleading Partisan View appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

As last week’s Scaling Bitcoin workshops came to an end and its attendees returned home, the main task for 12 of Bitcoin’s prominent...

The post After Scaling Bitcoin, a Lightning Winter Release Is Now Within Reach appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

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The post Factom Chairman on Bitcoin: “The Sooner We Fork The Better” appeared first on CryptoCoinsNews.

The world of fashion met the world of blockchain technology at Shanghai’s Fashion Week. When independent, trendy fashion label Babyghost...

The post BabyGhost and VeChain: Fashion on the Blockchain appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

[…]

The post This is the Definitive Crypto Hardware Bitcoin Wallet appeared first on CryptoCoinsNews.

The ECB said that digital currencies like bitcoin pose a potential threat to its ability to manage monetary policy.

Source

Dave Lutz, head of Exchange Traded Funds at JonesTrading, has a quick overview of what traders are talking about on Tuesday.

In brief:

• Futures are rising from the lowest level in one month. 
• Netflix is ripping higher, up 19% after big beats on earnings and subscriber growth. 
• The consumer price index and homebuilder sentiment are on the data calender. Intel and Yahoo are among the major companies that will report earnings after the closing bell. 

Here's Lutz:

Good Morning!  Spoos trying to bounce from 1M lows, with Futures up 50bp in early action – While focus remains on earnings (FANG Ripper led by NFLX may be tempered by losses in IBM), a sharp bounce in the commodity complex is helping risk appetite.  In Europe, the DAX is up 1.1% as Miners lead gains and the Banks break above the 200dma.  Consumer is mixed as Luxury split between Burberry and Remy #s.  The FTSE is lagging a bit as the Pound gets more upward mojo, and volumes across the continent are pacing slightly light to trend.   In Asia, Shanghai rallied over 1%, and those “B” shares recovered almost ½ of yesterday’s whack - Nifty50 reclaimed the crucial level of 8,600 - Nikkei gained 40bp as the yen softened back above $/Y104 - Aussie up 40bp as Miners and Banks outperform, while Philippines jumped nearly 3% ahead of Duerte’s trip to China. 

A sharp bid for Bunds and Treasuries remain, pressing the US 10YY back to the 200dma and yesterday’s lows.   The DXY continues to pull back from 7month peaks despite a Fresh Renminbi Low, as the Aussie $ popped on hawkish tone from Stevens – the ECB lending survey supported Euro, and GBP rallying as UK Inflation comes in hotter.  With the weaker $, Commodities are up across the board as steel rises in Asia, helping Base Metals like Zinc, Platinum and Nickel, while Copper continues to lag.  WTI is up 1% and close to yesterday’s highs as we await API tonight, while Natty continues to advance, gaining 1.2%.   Softs are all lower across the board. 

Ahead of us today, we get US CPI, along with “Real Average Weekly Earnings” at 8:30 - Bank of England Bond-Buying Operation Results post at 9:50, just ahead of the US NAHB Housing Market Index at 10.  At 4pm we get Total Net TIC Flows from the US Treasury – Just ahead of that API data for Crude at 4:30 - Overall Supplies Seen Increasing 2.1M, With Gasoline Stocks dropping 1.125M (Bloomies) - Genscape looking for a Cushing draw -2.4M, Plains All American Pipeline outage blamed.  Earnings are heavy on Tech post-close, with INTC, CREE, LLTC and YHOO among others.

SEE ALSO: Wall Street's consensus for America's most urgent economic issue

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: FEMA is tracking Hurricane Matthew using the 'Waffle House Index'

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The post Epik Domain Name Operator/Marketplace Accepts Bitcoin appeared first on CryptoCoinsNews.

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Oliver Bussman, ex-CIO of UBS and vocal advocate of blockchain, believes it will be some time before we see widespread adoption of the technology by banks, according to an article published by theFinancial Times.

Here are the key points from his argument: 

• Successful live implementations involve only a handful of banks. Bushman points to the example of Ripple, which has a market-ready, blockchain-based platform that banks can use to conduct cross-border transactions. It enables transfers to be processed in hours, rather than the days legacy systems take — but so far only 12 of the top 50 global banks have signed up to join Ripple's network. As Bussman points out, that's a long way off the 8000+ financial institutions that use SWIFT’s electronic messaging system to carry out transactions. 
• Blockchain-related regulation is still in its infancy. Many regulators, including the UK’s FCA and Singapore’s MAS, have set up sandboxes that enable banks to experiment with blockchain-based products without fear that they might break the rules. But these are test environments, and the regulation that would likely be required before banks could handle customer data or money using blockchain-based systems still seems a long way off, according to Bussman. This is because of the rigorous testing needed to inform such regulation.
• The battle for security isn’t yet won. Banks will want to know their blockchain-based platforms are secure before they even consider rolling them out to customers. This will take time, as in-depth testing will have to take place. Banks will then have to get approval from involved departments including legal, risk and compliance, and bank management, likely causing further delays, according to Bussman. And being able to ensure security is still uncertain, even for the biggest and oldest blockchain platforms. Ethereum recently suffered a month-long DDOS attack, and $60 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from an Ethereal-based cryptocurrency account in June.  

Bussman believes nonfinancial industries will adopt blockchain technology widely first. He expects to see substantial progress in the use of blockchain in specific financial use cases like cross-border payments and trade finance over the next one to two years, but believes that sectors such as healthcare and real estate will adopt the technology industry-wide first. We are inclined to agree, especially as many smaller banks are likely more concerned with profitability and rolling out basic digital services than with implementing blockchain. 

Blockchain technology, which is best known for powering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is gaining steam among finance firms because of its potential to streamline processes and increase efficiency. The technology could cut costs by up to $20 billion annually by 2022, according to Santander.

That's because blockchain, which operates as a distributed ledger, has the ability to allow multiple parties to transfer and store sensitive information in a space that’s secure, permanent, anonymous, and easily accessible. That could simplify paper-heavy, expensive, or logistically complicated financial systems, like remittances and cross-border transfer, shareholder management and ownership exchange, and securities trading, to name a few. And outside of finance, governments and the music industry are investigating the technology’s potential to simplify record-keeping.

As a result, venture capital firms and financial institutions alike are pouring investment into finding, developing, and testing blockchain use cases. Over 50 major financial institutions are involved with collaborative blockchain startups, have begun researching the technology in-house, or have helped fund startups with products rooted in blockchain. 

Jaime Toplin, research associate for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on blockchain technology that explains how blockchain works, why it has the potential to provide a watershed moment for the financial industry, and the different ways it could be put into practice in the coming years.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Spending on capital markets applications of blockchain is expected to grow at a 52% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2019, according to Aite Group, to reach $400 million that year.
• Banks and major financial institutions are working both collaboratively and independently to develop blockchain tech. Over 50 major financial institutions are involved with collaborative blockchain startups, like R3 CEV or Chain. And many are investing in the technology on their own as well.
• Putting blockchain to use for real-world transactions is likely not that far off. If working groups' tests are successful, firms could be using it to transact real value as early as the end of this year and we could see widespread industry application within the next few years. 

In full, the report:

• Examines the funding increases that are pouring into blockchain
• Assesses why blockchain is becoming so popular and what factors are driving up increased research and development
• Explains in full how blockchain technology work and what assets make it valuable and vulnerable
• Identifies pain points in the financial industry and profiles how various firms are using blockchain to solve them
• Demonstrates the challenges to mainstream adoption and their potential solutions

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, 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 blockchain technology.

Join the conversation about this story »

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

Oliver Bussman, ex-CIO of UBS and vocal advocate of blockchain, believes it will be some time before we see widespread adoption of the technology by banks, according to an article published by theFinancial Times.

Here are the key points from his argument: 

• Successful live implementations involve only a handful of banks. Bushman points to the example of Ripple, which has a market-ready, blockchain-based platform that banks can use to conduct cross-border transactions. It enables transfers to be processed in hours, rather than the days legacy systems take — but so far only 12 of the top 50 global banks have signed up to join Ripple's network. As Bussman points out, that's a long way off the 8000+ financial institutions that use SWIFT’s electronic messaging system to carry out transactions. 
• Blockchain-related regulation is still in its infancy. Many regulators, including the UK’s FCA and Singapore’s MAS, have set up sandboxes that enable banks to experiment with blockchain-based products without fear that they might break the rules. But these are test environments, and the regulation that would likely be required before banks could handle customer data or money using blockchain-based systems still seems a long way off, according to Bussman. This is because of the rigorous testing needed to inform such regulation.
• The battle for security isn’t yet won. Banks will want to know their blockchain-based platforms are secure before they even consider rolling them out to customers. This will take time, as in-depth testing will have to take place. Banks will then have to get approval from involved departments including legal, risk and compliance, and bank management, likely causing further delays, according to Bussman. And being able to ensure security is still uncertain, even for the biggest and oldest blockchain platforms. Ethereum recently suffered a month-long DDOS attack, and $60 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from an Ethereal-based cryptocurrency account in June.  

Bussman believes nonfinancial industries will adopt blockchain technology widely first. He expects to see substantial progress in the use of blockchain in specific financial use cases like cross-border payments and trade finance over the next one to two years, but believes that sectors such as healthcare and real estate will adopt the technology industry-wide first. We are inclined to agree, especially as many smaller banks are likely more concerned with profitability and rolling out basic digital services than with implementing blockchain. 

Blockchain technology, which is best known for powering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is gaining steam among finance firms because of its potential to streamline processes and increase efficiency. The technology could cut costs by up to $20 billion annually by 2022, according to Santander.

That's because blockchain, which operates as a distributed ledger, has the ability to allow multiple parties to transfer and store sensitive information in a space that’s secure, permanent, anonymous, and easily accessible. That could simplify paper-heavy, expensive, or logistically complicated financial systems, like remittances and cross-border transfer, shareholder management and ownership exchange, and securities trading, to name a few. And outside of finance, governments and the music industry are investigating the technology’s potential to simplify record-keeping.

As a result, venture capital firms and financial institutions alike are pouring investment into finding, developing, and testing blockchain use cases. Over 50 major financial institutions are involved with collaborative blockchain startups, have begun researching the technology in-house, or have helped fund startups with products rooted in blockchain. 

Jaime Toplin, research associate for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on blockchain technology that explains how blockchain works, why it has the potential to provide a watershed moment for the financial industry, and the different ways it could be put into practice in the coming years.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Spending on capital markets applications of blockchain is expected to grow at a 52% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2019, according to Aite Group, to reach $400 million that year.
• Banks and major financial institutions are working both collaboratively and independently to develop blockchain tech. Over 50 major financial institutions are involved with collaborative blockchain startups, like R3 CEV or Chain. And many are investing in the technology on their own as well.
• Putting blockchain to use for real-world transactions is likely not that far off. If working groups' tests are successful, firms could be using it to transact real value as early as the end of this year and we could see widespread industry application within the next few years. 

In full, the report:

• Examines the funding increases that are pouring into blockchain
• Assesses why blockchain is becoming so popular and what factors are driving up increased research and development
• Explains in full how blockchain technology work and what assets make it valuable and vulnerable
• Identifies pain points in the financial industry and profiles how various firms are using blockchain to solve them
• Demonstrates the challenges to mainstream adoption and their potential solutions

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, 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 blockchain technology.

Join the conversation about this story »

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Payments Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

In its Q3 2016 earnings report, Citigroup noted ongoing gains from the acquisition of the US Costco store card portfolio, which it purchased from American Express in June. 

The Costco portfolio has led to increased card revenue. There was a 15% increase in Citi-branded cards revenue, which reached $2.2 billion in Q3. The bank considers this to be a partial reflection of the Costco portfolio gains. 

That growth points to ongoing engagement, which Costco was already seeing in Q2 2016. 

• Citigroup reported $5.7 billion in purchases made on Citi Costco cards in just three-and-a-half weeks at the end of Q2 2016. Sixty-six percent of those sales occurred outside of Costco stores. For context, Costco's Amex cards accounted for $80 billion in 2015, which would equate to roughly $5.4 billion spent in three-and-a-half weeks on average.
• And Costco customers are interested in the card.  Since the shift in June, Costco said that 1.1 million members have applied for the new card and 730,000 accounts have been activated. With the card offering a strong rewards program, which includes better cash-back options for Costco purchases, this could result in increased volume for the store, as shoppers are incentivized to spend.

The gains from the Costco portfolio offer Citi a new way to acquire and engage customers. Costco is likely getting a boost from consumers who are clearly interested in the relatively new Visa Citi card, which offers users a strong rewards program, giving them incentive to shop more often and spend more.

Unfortunately for the bank, these reward programs come at an added cost, though this will likely be offset by the increase in usage and volume growth of its card. If Costco continues to be a steady customer acquisition channel and volume source, Citi could further solidify its position as a major US issuer. 

Costco and Citigroup have become one small piece of the broader payments ecosystem, which has swelled to include merchants, issuers, gateways, and more. 

Evan Bakker and John Heggestuen, analysts at BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, have compiled a detailed report on the payments ecosystem that drills into the industry to explain how a broad range of transactions are processed, including prepaid and store cards, as well as revealing which types of companies are in the best and worst position to capitalize on the latest industry trends.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• 2016 will be a watershed year for the payments industry. Payments companies are improving security, expanding their mobile offerings, and building commerce capabilities that will give consumers a more compelling reason to make purchases using digital devices.
• Payments is an extremely complex industry. To understand the next big digital opportunity lies, it's critical to understand how the traditional credit- and debit-processing chain works and what roles acquirers, processors, issuing banks, card networks, independent sales organizations, gateways, and software and hardware providers play.
• Alternative technologies could disrupt the processing ecosystem. Devices ranging from refrigerators to smartwatches now feature payment capabilities, which will spur changes in consumer payment behaviors. Likewise, blockchain technology, the protocol that underlies Bitcoin, could one day change how consumer card payments are verified.

In full, the report:

• Uncovers the key themes and trends affecting the payments industry in 2016 and beyond.
• Gives a detailed description of the stakeholders involved in a payment transaction, along with hardware and software providers.
• Offers diagrams and infographics explaining how card transactions are processed and which players are involved in each step.
• Provides charts on our latest forecasts, key company growth, survey results, and more.
• Analyzes the alternative technologies, including blockchain, which could further disrupt the ecosystem.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, 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 payments ecosystem.

Join the conversation about this story »