About author: Kieran Smith

Two months into the investigation of the Bitcoin extortion in India, the Crime Investigation Department has arrested seven constables from Amreli district in connection with the case. Arrests Made The original complaint was made by Bhatt, a builder based in Surat, who alleged that the Amreli police had kidnapped him and his partner Paladiya, and extorted over Rs 9 crore…

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SALT Lending offers a peer-to-peer lending platform that allows cryptocurrency holders to use their Bitcoin and Ethereum as collateral for loans. Blockchain technology benefits both lenders and borrowers on the platform by eliminating many of the complexities and inconveniences of traditional lending. Further, lenders can earn high interest even when the market is down, and borrowers can leverage their assets…

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Cryptojacking, the secret use of a computing device to mine cryptocurrency, has surged 629 percent in 2018, according to the latest report by computer security firm McAfee. A rise from 400,000 in Q4 2017 On average, five new threat samples were found every second in 2018 Q1, totaling 2.9 million. This represents a massive 629 percent growth in cryptojacking and…

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Businesses in Singapore are slashing electricity bills by up to 25 percent using the blockchain-based and AI driven platform, Electrify. The platform will be available for residential use and use in Japan and Australia later this year. Electrify: A New Blockchain-based Energy Platform The energy industry is perfectly situated to benefit from decentralization, according to Electrify’s co-founder and CEO, Julius…

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Despite being a remote volcanic island, the economic implications of the cryptocurrency mining sector are proving vulnerable for Iceland. Iceland’ Cryptocurrency Mining Industry The countries’ reliance on cryptocurrency mining is now something that “cannot be excluded as a risk factor,” says finance minister Bjarni Benediktsson, who has expressed concern that if the cryptocurrency boom was to end, then Iceland’s economy could…

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Dutch banking giant ING has released an economic report that shows more than a third of people (of those surveyed) think cryptocurrency is the future of online commerce, with a similar proportion indicating that they also think it is the future of investing. ING’s Bitcoin Optimism The report found one in ten Europeans are currently in possession of cryptocurrency, and…

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Speaking at the 2018 Crypto Valley Blockchain conference in Zug, Switzerland, on June 23, 2018, Thomas Moser voiced his doubts about the creation of an ‘e-franc’ Swiss bank crypto. Swiss Official Reveals Cryptocurrency Concerns Moser, a member of the Swiss National Bank’s board of governance, said that the initial interest had now passed, and central banks had become skeptical of…

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Cryptocurrency enthusiasts have long heralded the arrival of institutional money, but expressed concerns over the limitations of trading pairs and the controversy surrounding Tether. TrueUSD Finds Favor Over Tether The recent success of TrueUSD, however, suggests that fiat-backed cryptocurrencies could be the bridge that enables institutional investors to enter the space confidently. The fully-audited Tether competitor launched in March, fully…

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Nine months after inception, the Indian government is set to launch a blockchain project to be known as IndiaChain. India’s Blockchain Push This will operate as a platform primarily aimed at reducing fraud, speeding up the enforcement of contracts, increasing the transparency of transactions, and boosting the agricultural economy of the country. The blockchain network is the brainchild of NITI…

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John McAfee, the man behind the infamous uninstallable anti-virus software, has formed a partnership with hardware wallet company Bitfi to launch what he calls the “First Truly Unhackable and Open Source Crypto Wallet.” McAfee Collaborates with Bitfi to Produce a 100 Percent Secure, User-friendly Wallet This is a bold claim in the tech industry, but as an expert on cyber…

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