Think ‘Heretical’ Thoughts: Mike Hearn tells Bitcoin Cash
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Early Bitcoin developer Mike Hearn isn’t coming back to the open-source community, but he does have some thoughts on what has transpired since he cut ties with the project in 2016. Hearn — who now develops distributed ledger technology (DLT) at banking consortium startup R3 — conversed at length about Bitcoin’s blocksize debate and its The post Think ‘Heretical’ Thoughts: Mike Hearn tells Bitcoin Cash appeared first on CCN |
First Lightning Network Wallet App Now Available via Google Play
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The Lightning Network’s first mobile app for Bitcoin’s mainnet is now available through Google Play. Known as the Eclair Wallet, the app was released on April 4, 2018, via French technology startup ACINQ, and is being offered specifically to Android users. Devices employing software version 5.0 or higher can send Lightning payments, which require significantly lower fees than the standard Bitcoin network. Transactions also happen much faster compared to on-chain confirmations. Describing the new product on GitHub, ACINQ wrote: “The Eclair Wallet is a next-generation, Lightning-ready Bitcoin wallet. It can be used as a regular Bitcoin wallet, and can also connect to the Lightning Network for cheap and instant payments. This software is based upon eclair [another Lightning implementation], and follows the Lightning Network standard.” The product’s release marks the latest in a long list of items that have come by way of the Lightning Network over the past several weeks. In March, for example, the protocol’s “first Lightning mainnet release,” known as Ind 0.4-beta, went live to widespread acclaim. Several other new tools have since entered the market by way of private developers, and an upcoming beta known as c-lightning is expected to be available relatively soon. The Lightning Network on Bitcoin is made possible in part due to Segregated Witness, the protocol upgrade that activated on Bitcoin last summer. The app’s popularity has also inspired users to request an iOS edition of the product. The wallet does, however, come with certain limitations. According to a description written by ACINQ, “Lightning channels are outbound only: you can pay with LN but you cannot receive or forward payments with this wallet.” It further states that if users wish to enjoy the full LN experience, they are advised to run a full Eclair node. The Lightning Network is described as a “peer-to-peer system” working as a “second-layer payment protocol” leveraging the security of Bitcoin’s blockchain to process (micro)payments. The Network’s scalability should allow it to process millions to billions of transactions per second across the network. Founded in 2014, ACINQ is based in Paris, and seeks to build “products and services for the Bitcoin ecosystem.” This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
The Nasdaq halts trading in 'blockchain' company Longfin after the SEC accused executives of selling $27 million in restricted shares (LFIN)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Trading in Longfin shares was halted by Nasdaq on Friday following news that the Security and Exchange Commission obtained a court order to freeze more than $27 million in trading proceeds that the agency believes the CEO and several associates gained by selling unauthorized stock in the company. According to the complaint, Longfin CEO and controlling shareholder Venkata Meenavalli issued more than 2 million unregistered and restricted shares to Andy Altahawi, the corporate secretary and director of Longfin. He also allegedly released tens of thousands of restricted shares to two other individuals, Dorababu Penumarthi and Suresh Tammineedi, who "illegally sold large blocks of their restricted Longfin shares to the public while the stock price was highly elevated," the SEC alleges. Representatives for the company did not immediately return a request for comment. The news comes as authorities are cracking down on shady operations and fraud within the booming blockchain and ICO market, and the allegations of the Longfin stock sales are likely to further damage investor confidence in the nascent market. Longfin's took off like a rocket and then plungedLongfin first incorporated in February 2017 as a self-described financial technology company, according to company filings. Longfin's "core technology platform," as it describes it, connects "global exchanges" and uses "artificial intelligence and deep machine learning to trade and hedge the risk in continuous time."
The company gained attention in December as one of the first companies to leverage bitcoin mania to skyrocket its company value. This pivot which came just days before the most infamous case of the Long Island Iced Tea company, which saved itself from getting kicked off the NASDAQ by changing its name to Long Island Blockchain, which propped up its slouching market cap. Longfin listed on the NASDAQ on December 13 — seven months after it first launched — and raised $5.7 million thanks to a provision in the Jump Start Our Business Startups Act of 2012, which lowered the barrier for young companies to join the public markets. Just two days before listing, the company acquired Ziddu.com, a startup which claimed to develop blockchain smart contracts for financial institutions. Longfin shares soared 2,400% in the early days of trading. Longfin's price has been tumultuous since that first week of trading, when shares spiked from an initial price of $5, to a high over $72. The share price hung around the $35 mark for a few months before spiking back up to $71 on March 23. By April 3, once the SEC's investigation was revealed, the stock crashed down to $9. Although Longfin described itslef as a blockchain company, details of its actual business and product remain unclear. From February to December 31, 2017, the company claimed $75 million in revenue — $66 million of which came from "physical commodity contracts," according to company filings. The company doesn't make clear what these physical commodities entail. In the same period, the company saw net losses of $26.37 million. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: How Jay-Z and Diddy used their fame to make millions off of 'cheap grapes' |
South Africans Instructed to Pay Tax on Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Earnings
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST South Africa has joined a growing list of countries that expect citizens to pay income tax on their cryptocurrency earnings. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) released a statement today, April 6, 2018, making it clear that, even though the country does not consider cryptocurrencies legal tender, you still have to pay taxes on the gains. That means that anyone who is paid for goods or services in bitcoin must declare that just as they would ordinary income. Also, traders who make money buying cryptocurrencies at a low and selling at a high will have to pay capital gains on any profits. Further, anyone who mines cryptocurrencies will have to pay taxes on the money they make as well. “The onus is on taxpayers to declare all cryptocurrency-related taxable income in the tax year in which it is received or accrued. Failure to do so could result in interest and penalties,” SARS said. SARS still has yet to make clear the value added tax (VAT) status of bitcoin. "The 2018 annual budget review indicates that the VAT treatment of cryptocurrencies will be reviewed. Pending policy clarity in this regard, SARS will not require VAT registration as a vendor for purposes of the supply of cryptocurrencies," SARS said. South Africa is not alone in taxing bitcoin. Many countries, including the U.S., Japan and South Korea, tax all gains arising from selling, trading and purchasing items with cryptocurrencies, as well as gains accrued through mining and chain-splits. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, bitcoin use has surged in South Africa amid political and economic instability in the country, where it can be used to transfer money without restriction due to sanctions or going through a bank. In the past, South Africa has taken an open-minded stance on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. In 2014, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) issued a position paper on virtual currencies where it declared that virtual currency has “no legal status or regulatory framework” and is, therefore, unregulated in South Africa. But in July 2017, SARB began to work with blockchain-based solutions provider Bankymoon to test out a number of new cryptocurrency regulations in the country. Read more about where countries around the world stand on cryptocurrency regulation in 2018 here. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
SEC Freezes $27 Million in Stock Trades From Blockchain Company Longfin
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST On April 6, 2018, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a court order to freeze $27 million in stock trades from Longfin Corp., a publicly traded blockchain technology company. According to the SEC’s official statement, the company's CEO and three other affiliates are under investigation for the illegal distribution and sale of restricted Longfin Corp. shares. Founded in December of 2017, the company went public with an IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange on the 13th of the same month. After acquiring Ziddu.com, a blockchain company that advertises itself as a solution for the global warehousing industry, Longfin’s stock soared 230 percent in a single day and 2,000 percent over the course of two days, driving its market cap up in excess of $3 billion. This price action drew the attention of more than just investors and cryptocurrency speculators. Shortly after the acquisition and subsequent price appreciation, the SEC launched an investigation into the matter, filing a sealed complaint with the New York state court system on April 4, 2018. With the complaint now unsealed and approved, the SEC has an order to freeze what it believes to be $27 million worth of illegally sold Longfin stock. Per the complaint, Longfin’s CEO and majority shareholder, Venkat Meenavalli, approved the distribution of over two million restricted, unregistered shares to Amro Izzelden Altahawi, Longfin’s director and corporate secretary. Dorababu Penumarthi and Suresh Tammineedi, two other Longfin affiliates, reportedly received some tens of thousands of shares, as well. According to the SEC, the three illegally sold their restricted shares on the public market when Longfin’s stock was on the rise. These sales violated federal securities laws, the SEC claims, which restrict company affiliates from publicly trading unregistered shares. “We acted quickly to prevent more than $27 million in alleged illicit trading profits from being transferred out of the country,” Robert Cohen, the SEC Enforcement Division’s cyber unit chief, said in regards to the freeze. “Preventing defendants from transferring this money offshore will ensure that these funds remain available as the case continues.” Longfin, along with Meenavalli, Altahawi, Penumarthi and Tammineedi are all charged with violating Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933. The SEC’s press release further states that the “complaint seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and penalties, among other relief.” The SEC’s total punitive response has not yet been decided as the investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
A $250 million asset manager wants to list a new fund that'll track the development of blockchain in China
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
The company behind one of the first blockchain exchange-traded funds is looking to list another blockchain-focused fund on the Nasdaq Stock Market, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider. California-based asset manager Reality Shares made headlines at the beginning of the year when it launched its blockchain fund, the Reality Shares Nasdaq NexGen Economy ETF. Now, the company, which manages $250 million, is trying to get clearance from regulators on a new blockchain fund that'll track companies based in China and Hong Kong that are working with blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. At this point, it is not clear what the fund's fees will be. The fund was "designed to measure the returns of companies that are committing material resources to developing, researching, supporting, innovating, or utilizing blockchain technology." China notably cracked down on cryptocurrencies in 2017, but the country has been supportive of blockchain innovation, experts have told Business Insider. Sebastian Quinn-Watson of Blockchain Global, for instance, says the market for blockchain in China is developing quickly. "Developers, founders, corporates, universities are all clamoring to build on, understand and develop use cases for blockchain," Quinn-Watson said. Notably, Pony Ma, the CEO of Tencent Holdings, said the tech giant is looking into blockchain technology, as reported by Coindesk. Also, China-based Sinochem recently completed its first gasoline shipment using the blockchain. The popularity of Reality Shares original blockchain fund, which ballooned to over $100 million just 10 days after launch, caught the attention of Wall Street observers. Some market watchers are skeptical about whether such a fund is a solid investment. For instance, UBS said in a note out to clients in January that blockchain is too nascent a technology to properly capture in a fund. "What we believe is important to consider when investing in a fund targeting an emerging industry is that, often times, pure-plays do not exist," the bank said. Since pure-play, publicly-traded blockchain companies that are fully built around and focused on the new technology don't really exist (yet), funds attempting to offer exposure to the space will invest in companies that are to some degree integrating blockchain into their infrastructure, even if their core businesses lie elsewhere. For example, Overstock, one of the companies included in Reality Shares blockchain ETF, has a venture arm - Medici Ventures - that invests in blockchain startups, but its main business is in e-commerce. The problem, according to UBS, is that blockchain won't have a meaningful impact on those businesses in the near-term. In fact, Overstock's Medici Ventures reported a loss of $22 million for 2017, the Wall Street Journal's Paul Vigna reported. SEE ALSO: Wall Street is raining on the red-hot blockchain ETF parade Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Wall Street is divided over whether stocks can storm back from their latest meltdown |
Chinese Private Equity Group Unites Blockchain and Investment Strategies
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST As cryptocurrencies continue to make their mark on the financial arena, many capital investment firms are looking to bring the power of the blockchain and traditional investment strategies together to give traders more opportunities in an adapting industry. Leading Chinese private equity group JD Capital is one of those firms. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in both Beijing and New York, the company holds $9 billion assets under management and claims to be the only Chinese private equity enterprise listed on a major stock exchange. Presently, JD Capital employs over 400 people and manages over 100 publicly-traded portfolio companies. In early 2017, JD Capital established its blockchain investment division, JLab. It has since participated in over 20 token sales in infrastructure, applications, exchanges and media verticals. JLab has also partnered with Huobi Labs to incubate new projects. JOne is JD Capital’s investment banking division, established to help blockchain companies with fundraising, community building and marketing. Among JOne’s many goals is accelerating the blockchain industry by connecting fintech portfolios with public chains. Examples include Jiedaibao, which is valued at over $10 billion and boasts over 100 million users. Balancing Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Business ModelsZhen Cao serves as JD Capital’s investment director and the North American representative of JLab. Before joining JD Capital in February of 2018, she was the founding member of Outpost Capital; she has worked on roughly 15 equity investments in virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, as well as deploying over $10 million into more than 20 pre-sales and crypto funds. “China has been very fast paced regarding blockchain development,” said Cao in an interview with Bitcoin Magazine. She added that the country is more open to blockchain applications and businesses than digital currencies. “They’ve already done a lot of implementation in finance, supply-chain management and medical insurance. China is supportive of blockchain development, and different cities are setting up blockchain incubation centers.” Despite what she considers to be solid growth over the last few years, Cao admits that the current environment in China still makes things challenging for cryptocurrency companies. “The government is not supportive of crypto fundraising models like ICOs, as they are trying to protect retail investors.” Last February, regulators began cracking down on trading platforms that allowed investors to trade on overseas exchanges. This move was preceded by a ban on all websites that involved or promoted initial coin offerings and token sales. A Global ApproachStrict laws surrounding virtual assets means that most companies need to think big from the very beginning and lay out any long-term plans for expansion before official launches can occur. “Thinking about globalization from day one is very important,” she said. According to Cao, JD Capital provided a 900 percent return on fund one during its primary market. The company is now looking to expand its secondary market team by recruiting individuals with extensive “blockchain development experience.” “JD Capital has always been an innovator in finance in China with a large range of different services,” Cao states. “The blockchain is a critical element of the future of finance.” She also mentions that the company is leveraging existing experience in public market trading and working to develop stronger trading strategies for its expanding list of clients. Lastly, executives are beginning work on public chains and new consensus mechanisms. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
CRYPTO INSIDER: George Soros wants to trade crypto
CRYPTO INSIDER: George Soros wants to trade crypto
How a Trade War With China Could Be 'Deadly' For U.S. Businesses
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Inc, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Young businesses including distilleries, manufacturers, and agriculture firms may struggle to absorb the costs associated with exporting their products overseas, experts suggest. The ripple effects could extend to other sectors. |
Fundstrat’s Tom Lee: Bitcoin Price Set to Rise In Late-April After Tax Day
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitcoin prices will probably climb after April 17, when Tax Day in the United States is over. That’s what Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee, a noted bitcoin bull, predicts. Lee said the recent drop in bitcoin’s price amid a flurry of sell-offs was partly caused by investors rabidly trying to sell off their cryptocurrency holdings to avoid The post Fundstrat’s Tom Lee: Bitcoin Price Set to Rise In Late-April After Tax Day appeared first on CCN |
Ripple's XRP cryptocurrency plunges to its lowest levels since December
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
The price of Ripple's XRP cryptocurrency declined 4.5% Friday, slumping to $0.459 per token, its lowest price since December 13, 2017, according to historical data from CoinMarketCap.com. The world's third-largest cryptocurrency is now trading a full 86% below its all-time high of $3.3153 per coin, reached in January, shortly before the market for all cryptocurrencies took a sharp turn. XRP has been subject to huge price fluctuations, many of which have been fueled by speculation on multiple occasions it may be added to Coinbase, one of the largest retail cryptocurrency exchanges. Bloomberg News on Wednesday reported that a Ripple executive tried to bribe both Coinbase and the Winklevoss-founded Gemini exchange to support XRP with a $1 million cash payment. Both exchanges declined. Outside of the speculative cryptocurrency investment markets, XRP powers Ripple's cross-border payment and liquidity products, like XRapid and RippleNet. The company has signed on big names including financial services firms like MoneyGram and American Express, as well as banks like Santander and RBC. "It would be helpful to think of Ripple as a corporation," Asheesh Birla, VP of product for Ripple, told Business Insider in January. "We make software products and we sell them to banks, payment providers like MoneyGram, just as an example." Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Wall Street's biggest bull explains why trade war fears are way overblown |
Billionaire George Soros is reportedly getting ready to dive into crypto
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
The investment fund founded by billionaire George Soros is preparing to dive into cryptocurrency trading, even though Soros himself previously described them as a "bubble," according to reports. Adam Fisher, who oversees global macroeconomic investing for Soros Fund Management, has gained internal approval to invest in and trade cryptocurrencies, according to Bloomberg, which said he hadn't yet made any bets on the digital coins. The move comes despite Soros' apparent distaste for cryptocurrencies as an investment. Earlier this year, at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Soros called cryptocurrencies a "typical bubble which is always based on some kind of misunderstanding." He added: "Bitcoin is not a currency. A currency is supposed to be a stable store of value. And a currency that can fluctuate twenty five percent in a day can’t be used, for instance, to pay wages because wages could drop twenty five percent in a day. So, it’s a speculation based on a misunderstanding." Soros is no longer involved in the day-to-day management of Soros Fund Management, so is unlikely to have been directly involved in the firm's decision to trade crypto. The fund, which started in 1969, is perhaps most famous for its massive bets against the British pound just before the Black Wednesday crisis in 1992 — when the UK dropped out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. The bets, which helped crash the currency, earned Soros the nickname "The Man Who Broke the Bank of England." Soros Fund Management is currently in charge of about $26 billion of assets. A spokesman for the fund declined to comment to Bloomberg. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Trade war fears are escalating — here's who has the most to lose |
New Protocol: Bitcoin Cash to Hard Fork in May 2018
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The lead developer of full-node client Bitcoin ABC Amaury Séchet has confirmed that Bitcoin Cash (BCH) will fork on May 15 to allow for bigger block sizes along with some other adjustments. Bitcoin ABC developers have also made the codebase for the client Bitcoin ABC 0.17.0 available for download ahead of the launch, with the … Continued The post New Protocol: Bitcoin Cash to Hard Fork in May 2018 appeared first on CCN |
The Japanese crypto exchange that was the victim of a $530 million heist is being taken over
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Coincheck, the Japanese cryptocurrency exchange that was hacked to the tune of $530 million in January, is being acquired by online brokerage Monex Group, Nikkei Asian Review reports. There is no word on how much the Japanese brokerage will pay for the embattled exchange, as "the exact form of the investment is still being finalized," according to Nikkei. Founding president Koichiro Wada and COO Yusuke Otsuka will step aside as part of a broad management reshuffling to appease regulators. Monex's COO Toshiko Katsuya will take over as president. The Coincheck heist was the largest hack yet of a cryptocurrency exchange, according to a recent study by JPMorgan. The bank estimates one-third of all bitcoin trading platforms have been compromised, with hackers stealing over $630 million worth of bitcoins. Coincheck is currently applying for a license from Japan's Financial Services Agency, which is now a requirement for all cryptocurrency exchanges in the country after a law was passed last spring. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Wall Street's biggest bull explains why trade war fears are way overblown |
Ripple struggles to get XRP on big US crypto exchanges
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Despite owning the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, XRP, Ripple has not been able to get its token listed on major US cryptocurrency exchanges. Ripple previously attempted to list XRP on both Coinbase and Gemini, and reportedly offered Gemini $1 million and Coinbase a loan of over $100 million in XRP in exchange for a listing — a relatively normal procedure for companies that want to list their cryptocurrencies with exchanges. Coinbase and Gemini are likely refusing to list XRP because the US has warned unlicensed exchanges not to list tokens that could be seen as securities, which XRP could be classified as, due to it being controlled by a single company. XRP would benefit considerably from representation on big US cryptocurrency exchanges. Even though XRP is one of the biggest cryptocurrencies on the market, there is still a considerable price difference between its value and those of Bitcoin and Ether. Listing on major US exchanges like Coinbase and Gemini would go a long way in boosting investor access to the token, and potentially its price. Moreover, XRP is likely loosing a lot of traction by not being represented on these platforms — after it became apparent that XRP would not be listed on Coinbase in January, its price dropped 20%, from $3.30 down to $2.65. This illustrates that investors are eagerly awaiting a US listing for XRP, and the shrinking of that possibility is unwelcome news for Ripple. However, the US isn't the only interesting market for XRP. Although listing on Coinbase or Gemini would very likely have a positive effect XRP's price, it may not be necessary for the cryptocurrency's survival. Coinbase's and Gemini's trading volumes are largely limited to USD and EUR, meaning that the Asian market is mainly unaffected by whether XRP is listed on those US exchanges or not. Therefore, if Ripple is unable to get XRP listed on more exchanges in the US in the future, it would potentially be wise to focus on other markets, like in Asia, to increase trading volumes for its token. Subscribe to an All-Access membership to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:
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Ripple struggles to get XRP on big US crypto exchanges
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Despite owning the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, XRP, Ripple has not been able to get its token listed on major US cryptocurrency exchanges. Ripple previously attempted to list XRP on both Coinbase and Gemini, and reportedly offered Gemini $1 million and Coinbase a loan of over $100 million in XRP in exchange for a listing — a relatively normal procedure for companies that want to list their cryptocurrencies with exchanges. Coinbase and Gemini are likely refusing to list XRP because the US has warned unlicensed exchanges not to list tokens that could be seen as securities, which XRP could be classified as, due to it being controlled by a single company. XRP would benefit considerably from representation on big US cryptocurrency exchanges. Even though XRP is one of the biggest cryptocurrencies on the market, there is still a considerable price difference between its value and those of Bitcoin and Ether. Listing on major US exchanges like Coinbase and Gemini would go a long way in boosting investor access to the token, and potentially its price. Moreover, XRP is likely loosing a lot of traction by not being represented on these platforms — after it became apparent that XRP would not be listed on Coinbase in January, its price dropped 20%, from $3.30 down to $2.65. This illustrates that investors are eagerly awaiting a US listing for XRP, and the shrinking of that possibility is unwelcome news for Ripple. However, the US isn't the only interesting market for XRP. Although listing on Coinbase or Gemini would very likely have a positive effect XRP's price, it may not be necessary for the cryptocurrency's survival. Coinbase's and Gemini's trading volumes are largely limited to USD and EUR, meaning that the Asian market is mainly unaffected by whether XRP is listed on those US exchanges or not. Therefore, if Ripple is unable to get XRP listed on more exchanges in the US in the future, it would potentially be wise to focus on other markets, like in Asia, to increase trading volumes for its token. Subscribe to an All-Access membership to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:
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Here comes the jobs report ...
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the March jobs report at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists forecast that employers added 185,000 nonfarm payrolls last month, according to Bloomberg. They predict the unemployment rate dipped to 4% from 4.1%, a first since 2000. The estimated number of payrolls would be nearly half of the 313,000 reported for February, partly because employers in construction and retail may not have repeated their hiring spree. "The payroll week was snowier and colder than usual, so we have to look for an additional adverse weather effect," said Pantheon Macroeconomics' Ian Shepherdson in a preview. Still, job growth this quarter is already off to a stronger start compared to last year, showing that many working-age people on the sidelines are getting jobs. The pace of wage growth will be all-important in Friday's report, as some employers continue to say they're not able to find skilled workers. Economists estimate that average hourly earnings increased by 0.3% month-on-month and 2.7% year-on-year. In a preview, Morgan Stanley economists pointed out that payday, the 15th of the month, fell within the BLS' survey week in March. In the past, such timing has injected some extra wage growth into the data, although it tends to be reversed when the BLS revises its numbers the following month. SEE ALSO: TOM LEE: There's a $25 billion reason bitcoin could stop plunging by mid-April Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Wall Street's biggest bull explains why trade war fears are way overblown |
10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, AMZN)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Here is what you need to know. Here comes the jobs report. The US economy is expected to have added 185,000 nonfarm jobs in March with the unemployment rate slipping to 4%, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Average hourly wages are expected to have grown 2.7% versus a year ago. Trump floats the possibility of tariffs on additional $100 billion in Chinese goods. A White House statement released Thursday said that in response to China's threat of retaliatory tariffs, President Donald Trump had instructed the US trade representative to consider additional tariffs on Chinese goods. The 'synchronized global economic recovery' just slowed down sharply. The JPMorgan-IHS Markit Global All-Industry Output Index fell to 53.3 in March, making for its lowest level in 16 months. Japanese wages are still going backward after inflation. Real wages fell 0.5% year-over-year in February, according to data released Friday by Japan's Labor Ministry. One of the smallest oil producers in the Middle East just announced its biggest discovery in decades. The island nation of Bahrain announced Wednesday that it discovered a shale reserve with at least 80 billion barrels of crude oil. There's a $25 billion reason bitcoin could stop plunging by mid-April. As Tax Day approaches, many bitcoin owners are selling their digital coins in exchange for dollars, and Fundstrat's Tom Lee says he thinks some of the selling pressure on the cryptocurrency will lift after the April 17 deadline. South Korea's former president is sentenced to 24 years in prison. In a nationally televised decision, former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was found guilty of abuse of power and coercion and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Trump says taking a serious look at policy options on Amazon. While speaking with reporters on a trip back to Washington, Trump said that the e-commerce behemoth was not operating on a level playing field and that the "sales-tax situation" would be examined soon by the Supreme Court, Reuters reports. HNA plans to dump at least some of its stake in Hilton. The Chinese conglomerate plans to sell at least some of its $6.3 billion stake in Hilton in an effort to pay down its heavy debt load, Reuters says. Stock markets around the world are lower. Japan's Nikkei (-0.36%) trailed in Asia, and Germany's DAX (-0.47%) lags in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open down 0.59% near 2,647. |
10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, AMZN)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Here is what you need to know. Here comes the jobs report. The US economy is expected to have added 185,000 nonfarm jobs in March as the unemployment rate slipped to 4%, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Average hourly wages are anticipated to have grown 2.7% versus a year ago. Trump floats the possibility of $100 billion in additional tariffs. "In light of China's unfair retaliation, I have instructed the [US Trade Representative] to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate under section 301 and, if so, to identify the products under which to impose such tariffs," a White House statement released Thursday said. The 'synchronized global economic recovery' just slowed down sharply. The JP Morgan-IHS Markit Global All-Industry Output Index fell to 53.3 in March, making for its lowest level in 16 months. Japanese wages are still going backwards after inflation. Real wages fell 0.5% year-over-year in February, according to data released Friday by Japan's Labor Ministry. One of the smallest oil producers in the Middle East just announced its biggest discovery in decades. The island nation of Bahrain announced Wednesday that it discovered a shale reserve with at least 80 billion barrels of crude oil. There's a $25 billion reason bitcoin could stop plunging by mid-April. As Tax Day approaches, many bitcoin owners are selling their digital coins in exchange for dollars, and Fundstrat’s Tom Lee says he thinks some of the selling pressure on the cryptocurrency will lift after the April 17 deadline. South Korea's former president is sentenced to 24 years in prison. In a nationally televised decision, former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was found guilty of abuse of power and coercion and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Trump says taking a serious look at policy options on Amazon. While speaking to reporters on a trip back to Washington, Trump said the e-commerce behemoth was not operating on a level playing field and that the "sales tax situation" was something that was going to be looked at soon by the Supreme Court, Reuters reports. HNA plans to dump at least some of its stake in Hilton. The Chinese conglomerate plans to sell at least some of its $6.3 billion stake in Hilton in an effort to pay down its heavy debt load, Reuters says. Stock markets around the world are lower. Japan's Nikkei (-0.36%) trailed in Asia and Germany's DAX (-0.47%) lags in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open down 0.59% near 2,647. |
Bitcoin Eyes $6K After Key Resistance Fails to Hold
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitcoin's retreat from the weekly highs may have set the tone for a drop to $6,000 over the next 24 hours. |
Cryptocurrency Market Dips Below $250 Billion, Bitcoin Price Struggles at $6,600
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitcoin is struggling to make its way out of the $6,000 region, and it has not been able to test the $7,500 mark since its corrective rally on April 4. The entire cryptocurrency market including both major and minor cryptocurrencies has fallen over the past 48 hours. Bitcoin’s Lack of Momentum Since its initial fall The post Cryptocurrency Market Dips Below $250 Billion, Bitcoin Price Struggles at $6,600 appeared first on CCN |
Imperfect Pictures: Bitcoin Lightning Images Aren't What They Seem
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST People love lightning network visualizers as a way to track the technology's growth, but the images produced might not be as trustworthy as they seem. |
Mike Hearn: Bitcoin Cash Is Repeating Bitcoin's Mistakes
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Early bitcoin developer Mike Hearn offered new insights into his outlook on the project and its rival implementations in a Reddit AMA Wednesday. |
SEC Quietly Puts Bitcoin ETF Proposals Back on the Table
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has quietly begun considering two Bitcoin ETF proposals, public documents show. According to SEC documents dated March 23, the agency has instituted formal proceedings to determine whether to approve a rule change that would allow NYSE Arca to list two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) proposed by fund provider ProShares. The post SEC Quietly Puts Bitcoin ETF Proposals Back on the Table appeared first on CCN |
Coinbase to Let Users Withdraw Funds from Bitcoin Forks
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Coinbase announced Thursday it would enable customers to withdraw bitcoin forks, though it is not adding any specific assets yet. |