Blog Archive

20 January 2021 By Lilly Harvey

Bitcoin node count hits new all-time high

Amid increasing distrust of custodial solutions and recent upgrades to Bitcoin Core, more Bitcoiners are starting to run their own nodes. The number of Bitcoin nodes is at an all-time high, with 11,558 reachable nodes currently active, according to Bitnodes.io. Another Bitcoin network statistics tracker, coin.dance, calculates the total number of Bitcoin nodes at 11,613, which is just above the previous high of 11,250 set one year ago this month. ... Read more

18 January 2021 By Dominic Robinson

The Ethereum network is being turbocharged by layer-two solutions

With Ethereum transaction fees still high, more layer-two powered platforms are emerging. The number of decentralized exchanges running layer-two solutions is growing as the Ethereum network struggles to keep up with its own popularity. ... Read more

16 January 2021 By Evan Fitzgerald

Ripple CEO answers 5 key questions about the SEC lawsuit

Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse has responded to some of the community’s concerns surrounding the SEC’s $1.3 billion lawsuit against the firm. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has revealed the firm unsuccessfully attempted to settle its securities violation lawsuit with the SEC, and slammed the “regulatory chaos” around cryptocurrencies. ... Read more

14 January 2021 By Lilly Harvey

Ethereum layer-two network to offer batched Tether payments

Hermez, an Ethereum scaling solution, has partnered with Tether to offer cheaper USDT transactions via zk-Rollups. Popular stablecoin Tether (USDT) is the first token to go live on the Hermez layer-two network, the company announced on Monday. ... Read more

12 January 2021 By Lilly Harvey

Tesla’s crypto-friendly CEO is now the richest man in the world

His last reported Bitcoin holdings were 0.25 BTC. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has surpassed the net worth of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. “Elon Musk has become the world's richest person, as his net worth crossed $185bn (£136bn),” the BBC reported on Thursday. ... Read more

10 January 2021 By Dominic Robinson

Google searches for 'Ethereum' hit all-time high

Not many crypto search terms have come close to their peaks in spite of the new bull market, but Ethereum is a notable exception. More people are searching for the word “Ethereum” now than ever before in its history. Google Trends reveals that the number of Google searches currently being performed for “Ethereum” is at an all-time high, eclipsing search interest during the height of the last ETH bull run. ... Read more

8 January 2021 By Lilly Harvey

OCC greenlights national banks to run nodes and stablecoin networks

Monday evening, the Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency told national banks that they are allowed to run independent nodes for distributed ledger networks. Referring to of independent node verification networks, the OCC's interpretive letter says that banks "may use new technologies, including INVNs and related stablecoins, to perform bank-permissible functions, such as payment activities." ... Read more

6 January 2021 By Lilly Harvey

Crypto-friendly app cautions users to 'reassess' XRP holdings

Revolut, a crypto-friendly trading app, is reportedly issuing a strong warning to its customers regarding buying and selling XRP. According to news outlet The Irish Times, the fintech firm recently sent out a notice to its customers saying it was still possible for the firm to delist or restrict trading on XRP with little or no notice. Revolut warned users that their funds could effectively be stuck without the means to sell tokens even if the price falls to zero “in a worst-case scenario.” ... Read more

4 January 2021 By Evan Fitzgerald

Relax, Tether won’t be targeted by SEC, says Bitfinex CTO

Paolo Ardoino says Tether hasn't done anything to warrant any additional investigations from the SEC. Paolo Ardoino, the outspoken chief technology officer of Bitfinex, took to Twitter this week to dispel concerns that Tether could be the next target of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. ... Read more

2 January 2021 By Dominic Robinson

Dash announces new update, social payment wallet enters testnet

Dash Core Group has announced the release of new updates for the Dash platform as well as the DashPay smartphone wallet app. Dash has moved development work on the v0.17 update of its platform to the testnet phase, according to an announcement released on Wednesday. Back in July 2020, Cointelegraph reported that the Dash Core Group was looking to release the platform testnet before the end of the year. ... Read more

29 December 2020 By Lilly Harvey

WEF tests tracking carbon emissions with blockchain technology

A new proof-of-concept shows how blockchain increases value across the supply chain. The World Economic Forum is progressing with its blockchain-based project tracking of greenhouse gas emissions. ... Read more

27 December 2020 By Evan Fitzgerald

Riot Blockchain buys 15K Bitmain Antminers, expects 65% hash rate increase

Nasdaq-listed crypto firm Riot Blockchain purchases additional 15,000 Antminers from Bitmain for $35 million. Riot Blockchain, a Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency mining company, has inked another deal with Chinese mining giant Bitmain to buy 15,000 Antminers. According to a Dec. 21 announcement, the Colorado-based firm expects the new purchase will contribute a 65% increase to its total Bitcoin (BTC) mining hash rate. ... Read more

25 December 2020 By Dominic Robinson

UK investment manager shifts allocation to Bitcoin from gold in ‘defensive move’

The institutional flood into BTC continues. A United Kingdom-based investment manager has added Bitcoin (BTC) to its portfolio, underscoring the ongoing institutional shift toward digital assets. Ruffer Investment Company Limited, an investment manager with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange, has disclosed its new Bitcoin strategy. ... Read more

23 December 2020 By Dominic Robinson

SEC set to sue Ripple with XRP in the crosshairs

Despite the company's protestations, it appears the SEC is the latest in a long line of plaintiffs. Ripple will be sued by the United States Security and Exchange Commission for allegedly selling unlicensed securities in the form of XRP tokens, according to Fortune. ... Read more

21 December 2020 By Evan Fitzgerald

Shock survey suggests most investors think Bitcoin won’t top $50K by 2030

A survey from Genesis Mining has found that most Bitcoin investors aren't expecting a $50,000 BTC price in 2030 — although 3.5% of respondents tipped prices exceeding $500,000. British Virgin Islands-based institutional mining platform, Genesis Mining, has published the findings from a survey of 1,000 current and former U.S.-based Bitcoin investors — two-thirds of whom believe BTC is a better long-term store of value than the dollar. ... Read more

19 December 2020 By Lilly Harvey

Former JPMorgan exec joins Ripple's board

CEO Brad Garlinghouse said O’Connor’s experience would help Ripple build “a more inclusive financial system.” Sandie O’Connor, the former chief regulatory affairs officer at banking giant JPMorgan Chase, is joining Ripple’s board of directors. ... Read more