New Platform Answers the Question: Who's Really Behind That ICO?
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST With crypto scams running rampant across the globe, Human Trust Protocol, aka Hub, is joining hands with Civic, a blockchain identification service provider, to verify users via know-your-client (KYC) data gathered from the Civic secure identity platform (SIP). The new project entitled ICO Hub is an algorithmic ICO rating service that adds identity verification as a central rating factor: Hub representatives will now be able to identify ICO project team members and organizers to ensure a platform’s authenticity before investors step in. Launched by LinkedIn’s original CTO and co-founder Eric Ly, Hub works to establish blockchain histories and reputations by granting users blockchain-specific tokens which they can then add to a platform’s reputation data, thereby building its online market presence. Civic seeks to grant consumers a say in whether their identities are used in real-time by providing low-cost, on-demand and secure identity verification technology that boosts transparency and legitimacy in the crypto space. Civic uses a decentralized structure with biometrics on mobile devices, and provides multi-factor authentication without usernames, passwords, physical tokens or third-party involvement. ICO Hub is built on a specific rating system. ICOs will ultimately receive “trust scores” based on the authenticity of their organizers’ claims and users’ outcome predictions. In a statement, founder and CEO Eric Ly explained, “At Hub, our objective is to help users develop and manage their reputation data and incentivize meaningful and authentic interactions online through our human trust protocol. Civic’s secure and private ecosystem that enables decentralized, reusable KYC is a perfect fit, and gives our protocol users another means to bolster their reputation histories.” CTO and co-founder of Civic Jonathan Smith told Bitcoin Magazine that the Wall Street Journal recently analyzed over 1,400 digital coin offerings, and found that roughly 20 percent of them engage in some sort of fraud, from plagiarized investor documents to fake executive teams. “Within the coin offerings analyzed by the Journal, nearly $1 billion was poured into fraudulent investments, and so far, investors have claimed losses of up to $273 million,” he states. Both Civic and Hub believe their collaboration on ICO Hub will contribute to lasting trust in the blockchain space, boost users’ credentials on neighboring platforms, and improve transaction efficiency. “ICO Hub is the first algorithmic ICO rating system that, unlike qualitative analysis-based rating systems, will help companies more towards self-regulation,” Smith said. “In a time where crypto projects are under constant scrutiny, it will help users stake tokens and predict the outcomes of ICO projects, instead of relying on social and github signals. Having a strong ID verification service integrated in the algorithmic evaluation will enable Hub to significantly reduce the risks related to impersonation and fake personas that have plagued ICOs and allowed fraudsters to run off with money undetected.” Regulators have consistently worked to crackdown on fraudulent ICO projects. Last February, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a string of subpoenas to several ICO organizers, believing they were in violation of recent securities laws, and speaking with CNBC last November, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin commented that most ICOs are fake, and have no intention of offering anything valid to their investors. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
Bitcoin Price Analysis: Breakdown of Consolidation Tests Bullish Resolve
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST In the previous BTC-USD market analysis, we discussed a macro pattern forming, called a “symmetrical triangle.” A symmetrical triangle (shown in red) is a directionally agnostic consolidation pattern. Until this weekend, the market hadn’t decided whether it was going to break up or break down out of the pattern. Over the weekend, the bitcoin market saw a very strong push on very high volume through the bottom support of the triangle:
The implications of this consolidation pattern breaking down have potentially devastating ramifications for the crypto market across the board. With patterns like a symmetrical triangle, there is a measured move that will give insight into a potential price target that will play out upon the breakout. In our case the measured move is a staggering $5,500 move. If the triangle had broken to the top, we could have expected to see a $5,500 move to the top. However, since we broke to the bottom of this pattern, we could potentially be heading for prices ranging from $1,500 - $3,000. Whether that target becomes fully realized remains to be seen, but those prices are not out of the question. When we look at current support levels that may impede the downward motion, a few tests need to be broken before the full-fledged bearish pressure really begins to manifest in the market. Our previous low at $6,450 was the lower boundary of an accumulation trading range that caused the market to make a very sizeable rally, testing the $10,000 range. Breaking this price level would undoubtedly send a cascade of stop-market orders, as this is a line-in-the-sand-type of price level: It’s where the bears previously decided they would no longer sell below that range and where the bulls decided it was a good entry point for long positions. If the $6,450 price levels fail to hold up the market, the next immediate test will be the v-bottom we saw back in February that tested the lower $6,000s. There was a very high level of buyer interest at that level, and it was a level where aggressive short sellers covered and caused a rally. If we manage to break that level, we enter a high likelihood of deeper tests of market support where we will need to zoom out even further on our market view:
If we draw out the Fibonacci retracement set for this entire parabolic run-up, we see a potentially strong level of support around the 78% retracement (the $4,500 range). Historic parabolic run-ups have, at maximum, retraced to the 78% range before ultimately bottoming. To me, this area is a strong zone of observation and not necessarily a zone of action as the price target of the aforementioned symmetrical triangle is well below that. It’s very important to keep in mind this is all hypothetical and contingent upon the market response to the various support levels. At the time of this article, we are currently testing the strength of the first, initial, crucial support level. Summary:
Trading and investing in digital assets like bitcoin and ether is highly speculative and comes with many risks. This analysis is for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Statements and financial information on Bitcoin Magazine and BTC Media related sites do not necessarily reflect the opinion of BTC Media and should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation to buy, sell or hold. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
Figure 1: BTC-USD, 12-Hour Candles, Symmetrical Triangle Breakdown
Figure 2: BTCUSD, 1 Day Candles, Fibonacci Retracement ValuesNewsflash: Ethereum Price Dips Below $500 as Bitcoin Nears Year-to-Date Low
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The cryptocurrency market took another downward turn on Tuesday, driving the ethereum price below $500 and the bitcoin price one step closer to its year-to-date low. The majority of large cryptocurrencies had entered the day on a slight upswing, enabling them to regain a small amount of the ground that they lost when “Bloody Sunday” The post Newsflash: Ethereum Price Dips Below $500 as Bitcoin Nears Year-to-Date Low appeared first on CCN |
Bitcoin's Price Slides Below $6.5K to Hit 70-Day Low
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The price of bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, fell to its lowest point since April 1 on Tuesday. |
CRYPTO INSIDER: Coinbase is adding a new cryptocurrency
CRYPTO INSIDER: Coinbase is adding a new cryptocurrency
CRYPTO INSIDER: Coinbase is adding a new cryptocurrency
CRYPTO INSIDER: Coinbase is adding a new cryptocurrency
CRYPTO INSIDER: Coinbase is adding a new cryptocurrency
CRYPTO INSIDER: Coinbase is adding a new cryptocurrency
Colombian Banks Shut Down Buda Crypto Exchange Accounts
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Colombian banks have closed all the accounts of South American cryptocurrency exchange Buda.com without warning or explanation. The company experienced a similar issue in Chile some months back, where several banks decided to close its account along with those of several other exchanges. According to local news, the move by the Colombian banks was unexpected, and the banks didn’t disclose why it was closing the accounts. Buda.com sent an email to its customers where it explained the problems it was facing which were affecting withdrawals. The exchange said the closure of its accounts was sudden which affects the company’s operations and its users seeking to access their funds in Colombian pesos. Buda.com CEO Alejandro Beltrán said the closed accounts were domiciled with Bancolombia, BBVA and Davivienda. Buda.com started noticing irregularities on the Bancolombia platform before bank officials told the exchange its account had been closed. The move by the banks might be linked to an internal circular from the Colombian Financial Superintendent wherein banks were advised not to interact with crypto platforms. Beltrán, however, believes the circular was a recommendation to the banks, not an order. Other Colombian exchanges such as BitINKA and Panda Exchange haven't reported any issues with the banks. A day before the banks closed Buda.com's accounts, the Colombian Senate held a session on the potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Senator Navarro Wolff, who convened the Third Senate Committee, stated that blockchain technology can be beneficial to the country in the areas of finance, electoral systems and management of public contracts. But Wolff also stipulated, "Regulation is required to protect the consumer and the user." This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
Why Coinbase Added Ethereum Classic Ahead of Ripple & Other Tokens
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Coinbase, the biggest cryptocurrency exchange, brokerage, and wallet based in the US, integrated Ethereum Classic on June 12 ahead of other major cryptocurrencies such as Ripple and EOS. The community was taken aback by the abrupt decision of Coinbase to add ETC to its platform, given that it is the 18th most valuable cryptocurrency in The post Why Coinbase Added Ethereum Classic Ahead of Ripple & Other Tokens appeared first on CCN |
Cryptocurrency Market Inches Near $300 Billion in Gloomy Outlook
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The cryptocurrency market has slightly rebounded by about 2 percent, from $290 to $296 billion, as major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum increased by 1 to 3 percent in value. Still, the market is demonstrating a bearish trend and shorts on exchanges like Bitfinex have surged by large margins over the past week. Bear Cycle The post Cryptocurrency Market Inches Near $300 Billion in Gloomy Outlook appeared first on CCN |
Coinbase is adding another cryptocurrency to its platform
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Coinbase has plans to add Ethereum Classic (ETC) to its platform, expanding its offerings to five different digital currencies. Currently, Coinbase supports bitcoin, litecoin, bitcoin cash, and ethereum. Ethereum Classic was created as the result of a hard fork in ethereum following a June 2016 hack in a smart complex system called the Decentralized Autonomous Organization. Coinbase has plans to roll out the process of adding ETC over the next few months. According to a blog post, the company says customers can track the addition of ETC through its pubic-facing APIs. The successful addition of the currency will be followed by a public launch date, Coinbase said. This emphasis in transparency regarding the addition of ETC is the direct result of allegations that Coinbase staff benefitted from insider trading following the addition of bitcoin cash in December. Coinbase was subsequently hit with a lawsuit that alleges the company's surprise launch of bitcoin cash cost investors around $5 million. Following the news that ETC would be added to Coinbase, the currency spiked 25% in value. |
Coinbase is adding another cryptocurrency to its platform
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Coinbase has plans to add Ethereum Classic (ETC) to its platform, expanding its offerings to five different digital currencies. Currently, Coinbase supports bitcoin, litecoin, bitcoin cash, and ethereum. Ethereum Classic was created as the result of a hard fork in ethereum following a June 2016 hack in a smart complex system called the Decentralized Autonomous Organization. Coinbase has plans to roll out the process of adding ETC over the next few months. According to a blog post, the company says customers can track the addition of ETC through its pubic-facing APIs. The successful addition of the currency will be followed by a public launch date, Coinbase said. This emphasis in transparency regarding the addition of ETC is the direct result of allegations that Coinbase staff benefitted from insider trading following the addition of bitcoin cash in December. Coinbase was subsequently hit with a lawsuit that alleges the company's surprise launch of bitcoin cash cost investors around $5 million. Following the news that ETC would be added to Coinbase, the currency spiked 25% in value. |
Ethereum cofounder: Blockchain has the same 'dynamics' as the dotcom boom and bust
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
"This technology is so profound, it's going to do so many amazing things for economic, social, and political systems worldwide," Joseph Lubin said. "We've really no concern that the ecosystem or the technology is in real danger." Speaking at MoneyConf in Dublin on Tuesday, Lubin said: "If you look at the dotcom boom and bust, there were so many of the same issues back then. So much money invested, lots of money lost, lots of failing projects. And what happened was a profound global transformation in how we operate on the planet. "There was a tremendous amount of creative destruction in the dotcom era that laid the foundation and taught all of us how to build an effective internet, an effective world wide web, and really transform society. I think that we will see dynamics like that in place in the blockchain space." Asked if blockchain would be as disruptive the dotcom boom and bust — which saw the Nasdaq crash 70% at its lowest point — Lubin said: "Orders of magnitude more disruptive. "We try to stay away from the 'r' world — revolutionary — and instead use the 'e' word [evolution], because we're doing a tremendous amount of work with corporations and governments to enable them to be more efficient, to enable them to try new business models, to enable them to, effectively, reduce rent-seeking behaviours and build better systems for their consumers. "We're also building lots of startups that are directly trying to disrupt. Somewhere between those two approaches, I think we'll find a happy medium where it does become evolutionary and we all settle on building better systems together." Lubin helped to develop the ethereum network in 2014. Ether, the digital currency that powers the network, is today worth over $50 billion and is the second biggest cryptocurrency behind bitcoin. The ethereum network has been used to launch most "initial coin offerings," a new form of fundraising activity where startups mint their own cryptocurrencies to raise cash. Over $10 billion has been raised through the method over the past 18 months. However, the sector has been hit by scams and fraudulent projects. Lubin acknowledged that there are bad actors in the space but said: "That's just the nature of human activity, unfortunately. For thousands of years, people have been taking advantage of naive consumers with information asymmetries. That is exacerbated in our ecosystem." He said the US Securities and Exchange Commission is "absolutely" right to take action against fraudulent projects and said the regulator is actually more permissive of the sector behind closed doors. "Our perspective on America is probably more positive than what you see in the news," Lubin said. "I think, very effectively, regulators use those mechanisms to scare people into behaving properly. Journalists love to write those kinds of stories so it's really magnified. "We actually see a very progressive, constructive environment in the United States and we see a similar, maybe even more progressive, environment in Europe." Lubin said the fraudulent projects don't threaten the success of the whole blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Lubin was speaking during a press conference at MoneyConf to publicise the opening a new office for his company ConsenSys in Dublin. DON'T MISS: CHANOS: 'The last thing I’d want to own is bitcoin if the grid goes down' NEXT UP: Blockchain is a 'pixie dust' fad, and its benefits in finance are 'little to nothing' Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 80% of startup money goes to 3 states — here's what one visionary is doing to help spread the wealth |
CFTC calls for crypto exchanges to share trading data
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has demanded that several cryptocurrency exchanges — Bitstamp, Coinbase, itBit, and Kraken — share data about trading activity to determine whether any manipulation is affecting the crypto market, according to The Wall Street Journal.
While the CFTC investigation is still in early stages, it shows that regulators are taking a serious interest in bringing crypto exchanges under their oversight. In particular, the CFTC is looking into whether the market is being impacted by trading schemes like spoofing, or when traders enter large orders to artificially increase prices. The CFTC investigation was sparked by a dispute over CME Group's request for similar information. CME introduced Bitcoin futures, which allow users to bet on the future price of the asset, in December 2017. As the futures are based on the average of the price of Bitcoin at the four exchanges, CME asked them to share trading data in January when its first contract was ready to be settled. The exchanges argued that it would be too intrusive to comply with this request, and ended up providing the CME with data only for a couple of hours and a few market participants. The CFTC, which regulates CME, is not happy with this arrangement, and has thus decided to take matters into its own hands to get more insight into the trades happening on those exchanges, which affect many people investing in the currencies, as well as the futures linked to them. This move could bring greater legitimacy to the crypto space as a whole. The CFTC asking for this data will likely yield better results than a company like CME asking for it, as exchanges need to comply with demands from regulators to be able to continue to operate. This is good news for CME and others that offer cryptocurrency-related products because it will help ensure that pricing for their products is accurate and trading activity isn't manipulated. Also, crypto exchanges will probably benefit, as more regulation will likely boost customer confidence and trust. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:
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Ethereum Classic Price Soars 20 Percent after Coinbase Teases ETC Listing
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The ethereum classic price rose by more than 20 percent after US cryptocurrency exchange operator Coinbase announced that it would begin rolling out ETC support later this year. Coinbase to List Ethereum Classic (ETC) Coinbase announced on Monday that ethereum classic would become the fifth cryptoasset to be listed on the firm’s platforms, joining bitcoin, … Continued The post Ethereum Classic Price Soars 20 Percent after Coinbase Teases ETC Listing appeared first on CCN |
Dead Cat Bounce? Bitcoin May Struggle to Hold Above $7K
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST A corrective rally may lift bitcoin over $7,000, but holding on to gains won't be easy, the technical charts suggest. |
LA Trader ‘Bitcoin Maven’ Faces Jail Time for LocalBitcoins Activity
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST A Los Angeles trader on LocalBitcoins who goes by the name “Bitcoin Maven” is facing up to 30 months in prison for running an illegal money transmitting business. NBC Los Angeles claims fifty-year-old Theresa Tetley made at least $300,000 a year trading on the platform, with a transaction volume of $6 million to $9.5 Million between … Continued The post LA Trader ‘Bitcoin Maven’ Faces Jail Time for LocalBitcoins Activity appeared first on CCN |