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2014-10-15 06:46:27+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1254]}

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NY state says bitcoin software developers don't need license

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ny-state-says-bitcoin-software-064627064.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York will not require digital currency software developers to obtain a "BitLicense" to operate in the state, said Benjamin Lawksy, superintendent of financial services for the state of New York, on Tuesday. His comments came after New York extended the period for virtucal currency companies to comment on a set of proposed regulations, known as the "BitLicense" plan, that was unveiled by the state in July. The regulator aims to release a revised proposal by the end of October. "We are regulating financial intermediaries. We are not regulating software development," Lawsky said in a speech at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. "To clarify, we do not intend to regulate software as software or software development. For example, a software developer who creates and provides wallet software to customers for their own use will not need a license." The "BitLicense" plan is the first proposal by a state to create guidelines specifically for virtual currencies. It includes proposed rules on consumer protection, the prevention of money laundering, and cybersecurity. The most prominent virtual currency right now is bitcoin, often used as an investment or as a way to pay for goods and services online. Bitcoin prices have been extremely volatile - they fell as low as $275 on the BitStamp platform on October 5 and rose as high as $1,123 in December 2013. On Tuesday, bitcoin was quoted at $406.61. Lawsky said companies that are developing the latest platforms for virtual currencies will not need a license, nor will individual users. Banks, however, will not be exempt. "The banks we regulate cannot start providing virtual currency services without prior approval from DFS (Department of Financial Services), and they will be have to comply with any requirements that are otherwise imposed on virtual currency businesses," Lawsky said. (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss)

2014-10-15 11:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1600, 4394]}

{}

Myriad Interactive Media Inc. (MYRY) to develop state of the art Ebola tracking system

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/myriad-interactive-media-inc-myry-110000305.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Toronto, Ontario - Las Vegas, Nevada / ACCESSWIRE / October 15, 2014 / Myriad Interactive Media Inc. ( OTCQB: MYRY ),( XNG.BE ), ( XNG.F ), a global interactive media and development company has been retained by Mouse LLC to develop a new Ebola tracking system. "We are pleased to announce that we have been retained by Mouse, LLC to develop a scalable system to track EBOLA. The current Ebola outbreak continues to see new cases of infection and subsequent deaths which have been alarming to say the least.", said Myriad CEO Derek Ivany. "Now that the disease has penetrated America and other Western countries we see the need to build a system that provides real-time notifications to citizens and keeps them updated with what is going on with the disease," continued Ivany. Ebola Tracking System "The initial system will be developed for mobile devices, and the company has already initiated design and development ," said Myriad CEO Derek Ivany. Myriad has signed a contract with Mouse, LLC that will fully fund the project. "The company will earn 15% in royalties from any or all revenue sources that are developed from the application. Myriad will also perform ongoing maintenance and support services for the app. The Ebola tracking system will have several unique features that we cannot reveal at this time because of trade secrets. The company will provide a final announcement upon launch of the application and plans to initiate a marketing campaign.," continued Ivany CryptoCafe.com Sale "The company is pleased to announce that in a separate transaction we have sold the CryptoCafe.com Bitcoin platform to the same firm Mouse, LLC. Myriad has shifted focus to a handful of strategic projects and the Crypto Currency space is not one of our main focuses at this time. In the event that the sector rejuvenates new life we may explore introducing new technologies, but for the time being we will continue to focus on building forward key assets, introducing new revenue streams and eliminating debt. The transaction terms of the CryptoCafe.com sale will be reported on our 10K financial statements as a subsequent event upon filing," said Myriad CEO Derek Ivany. Story continues 10K Filing The company would like to notify investors that we are working diligently on our 10K and we plan to file as soon as we finish our final review which is in process. About Myriad Interactive Media, Inc.: Myriad Interactive Media is an interactive marketing and development firm based in Toronto, Canada. Myriad designs and develops corporate websites, enterprise applications and mobile apps. Myriad has developed several in house technologies which are 100% owned and operated by Myriad Interactive Media, Inc. Myriad Interactive Media Inc. is a public company quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol MYRY and on the Berlin exchange in Germany under the symbol XNG . For more information, please visit us in the USA at www.myriadim.com Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical information, this press release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to be materially different from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities law, the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or to revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available, new events occur or circumstances change in the future. Contacts: Myriad Interactive Media Inc. Find us on Twitter https://twitter.com/myriadsocial Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/myriadinteractivemedia Find us on Google+ https://plus.google.com/+Myriadim/ Contact Investor Relations (Email Preferred) Investor Relations: 1-800-427-1103 [email protected] Interactive XBRL Filings are available at: http://www.myriadim.com/investor-center.html Sell your unwanted stuff for Bitcoin http://www.cryptocafe.com SOURCE: Myriad Interactive Media Inc.

2014-10-15 12:00:24+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [3741]}

{}

IBM launches a type of data escrow in the cloud for the internet of things

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ibm-launches-type-data-escrow-120024926.html

Gigaom

http://gigaom.com/

IBM may have dithered with the wrong initial strategy when creating a business model for cloud computing, but it’s tackling the internet of things aggressively. On Wednesday it launched a new platform for building IoT-related apps. The platform is called IoT Foundation and the idea really sounds like a data escrow in the cloud where you can keep information and then ship it out to trusted parties as needed. (I am irked at IBM for trying to co-opt IoT Foundation as a legit name for a product. It’s like calling your NoSQL data store Big Data Platform or perhaps your cloud storage product Simple Storage Service.) The IoT Foundation product is part of IBM’s Bluemix platform as a service, which in turn runs on IBM’s SoftLayer cloud computing platform. For those not versed in cloud architecture, the Bluemix platform is IBM’s developer-friendly cloud comparing to Amazon’s Web Services. And think of the IoT Foundation as essentially a service to send device data and then later access that data for use in other business applications. So software running on your connected device authenticates the device data, encrypts it and sends it to an Informix database on Bluemix where it can then be linked to other services and applications via application programming interfaces. Developers also have a way to access and control the device via APIs, which means that if given permission, services can control what a device can do even if they didn’t manufacture the product. This might be useful if you are a washing machine maker and want to grant control to a utility to let it control appliances during a demand-response event. The utility can get access to the APIs to control the washer as well as permission from the washer’s maker and/or owner. All of that negotiation is written in software that’s mediated over the IoT Foundation platform. IBM will form a partner program for the IoT Foundation, along with a set of certified instructions, or “recipes,” for connecting devices, sensors and gateways from a variety of its partners. The partners are expected to include ARM , B&B Electronics, Elecsys, Intel , Multi-Tech Systems and Texas Instruments . It sounds remarkably similar to what Philips has built with Salesforce.com for gathering and accessing medical monitoring and patient data . Michael Curry, VP, IoT product development with IBM envisions developers being able to tie device data to services such as Twilio (for voice calls), IBM’s Watson (for cognitive computing), and more. In this way it’s a bit different from many of the other platforms out there, that exist primarily as a way to help companies manage the process of getting devices online, storing the data and servicing those devices. While you can perform some of these functions with IoT Foundation, this is about creating a way to perform constant negotiations for data and device access in a flexible and scalable way. Story continues That makes sense for the internet of things where the relationships between devices, their owners, the device manufacturers and service providers will be so complex that it will make sense to manage them in software as opposed to one-off contracts and physical access. IBM will offer this on a pay-as-you-go model, although pricing is not yet announced. Curry said it will be based on how chatty the devices are as opposed to the number of them. IoT Foundation is only part of IBM’s offerings around the internet of things. It’s a leader with the MQTT protocol that is used as a messaging layer between many devices, and has also contributed a graphical user interface called Node.red that helps people program interactions between devices visually. It’s even investigating using the blockchain technology that’s behind Bitcoin as part of a device-to-device mesh network , which IBM’s Paul Brody will actually discuss at our Structure Connect event next week. Curry points out that while, IoT Foundation is one platform, it’s only part of the overall architecture for the internet of things, which will require mesh networking at the edge, gateways near the edge and even significant intelligence in that gateway as well as cloud back-ends and services between clouds. I actually want to delve more into IBM’s gateway plans, because it seems every major IT vendor has an internet of things gateway to go along with their cloud and it seems a great place for some kind of vendor lock-in and control. Image copyright Tomasz Bidermann/Shutterstock . Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research: Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial . What the internet of things means for cleantech How IoT Can Deliver on Its Promise A field guide to web APIs More From paidContent.org Qualcomm to make a $2.5B bet on Bluetooth with CSR buy View comments

2014-10-15 13:00:00+00:00

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{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop Redesigned ecommerce Platform Opens in Beta

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-redesigned-ecommerce-platform-130000824.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 15, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), the operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.bitcoinshop.us , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, announced today the opening of its new 2.0 ecommerce platform for beta testing. The Beta test registration is open to the public at http://beta.btcs.com . Beta testers are encouraged to give feedback on front end user interface improvements, category and product presentations, page layout and workflow, and the checkout experience. The 2.0 beta ecommerce site offers over 2 million products and utilizes our "Intelligent Shopping Engine" to find consumers competitive prices on products from over 85 retailers. The site should allow beta testers to purchase products, make returns, and exchanges while shopping with bitcoins, dogecoins and litecoins. This is the first step as the Company prepares for the public debut of its 'from the ground up' redesign of its digital currency shopping platform. Charles Allen, CEO of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "As we prepare for the next evolution of our ecommerce marketplace, we want to ensure that we test every function, feature and process of this upgrade, as well as gather feedback from our customers, and supporters. Along with front end and back end improvements customers should see the platform's potential viability with any payment option including credit cards." About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate an ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 400 categories and over 140,000 items. All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View comments

2014-10-16 12:33:32+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1627]}

{}

Slyce Acquires Pounce - Single Swipe Payment Company

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/slyce-acquires-pounce-single-swipe-123332777.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct 16, 2014) - Editors Note: There is a photo and a video associated with this press release. Visual product search platform Slyce Inc. (TSX VENTURE:SLC)( 06O1.F ) today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of mobile commerce company BuyCode, Inc, for a total consideration of US$5 million in shares, in cash and earn-out incentives. BuyCode, Inc. is the Tel Aviv, Israel-based company that developed the Pounce image recognition-based shopping app. The Pounce app is available both directly to consumers and as a private label solution to retailers. As well as bolstering the suite of mobile shopping services Slyce is able provide to its retail customers, by acquiring a fully functioning consumer app and integrating its own advanced image recognition platform, Slyce will save significant development time and investment and fast track their B2C strategy. Slyce plans to roll out their consumer facing mobile shopping app - capable of recognizing real-world items and facilitating one click purchases - in Q4, 2014. Founded in 2012, Pounce is a mobile commerce app and platform which enables consumers to hover over product images with their smartphone's camera and, using image recognition, carry out frictionless one-click checkouts of the items they discover. An aspect of the proprietary Pounce software also believed to be highly disruptive is that it offers consumers the ability to seamlessly checkout items from multiple online retailers' commerce platforms after a single submission of their payment information. Additionally, Pounce supports seamless Bitcoin payments. Pounce has integrated its mobile payments technology with several of North America's largest retail brands including Lord & Taylor, Hudson's Bay and others and, through technology integration, is expected to fast track Slyce's consumer facing strategy whereby Slyce app users will be able to snap-to-purchase real-world products with one click. Story continues Slyce CEO Mark Elfenbein said of the acquisition, "We're incredibly excited to be acquiring both the technology and the immense talent that Pounce comes with. We are consistently looking to add and perfect the functionality we can offer major retailers with the Slyce visual search platform. Through integrating the technologies, we can offer our retail partners an almost seamless discovery-to-purchase process for their customers - whereby consumers can go from seeing an item in the real world to purchasing that item from the retailer's inventory in literally a few clicks." Pounce founder and CEO Avital Yachin will join the Slyce executive team. Avital, who was formerly head of Social Commerce for Sears Worldwide, brings over 15 years of product and e-commerce experience to the Company. Pounce raised seed funding from Entrée Capital, Gigi Levy and Plus Ventures. Avital said of the acquisition, "We're very proud of what we've created with Pounce over the last two years and are excited to join forces with Slyce at a time when mobile commerce is seeing explosive growth and SLYCE has an impressive adoption pipeline. Partnering is the natural step for us and we plan to help continue solidifying Slyce's position as the go-to provider of visual search for brands and retailers - a technology that, for the majority, has undoubtedly become a top priority." The aggregate purchase price paid and payable by Slyce for Pounce is comprised as follows: (i) US$1.16 million in cash paid on the Closing Date; (ii) US$1.5 million in Slyce common shares ("Common Shares") issued on the Closing Date at an issue price of CDN$0.53 per share (the "Share Price"), such that 3,092,592 Common Shares of Slyce have been issued; and (iii) up to US$2.34 million in Common Shares issued at the Share Price upon the achievement of certain integration and revenue milestones payable through year end 2016. The Common Shares that have been issued and that will be issued are and will be subject to all applicable securities and regulatory hold periods. The completion of the acquisition of Pounce was approved by the TSX-V and all requirements thereof have been fulfilled. The acquisition qualified as an expedited transaction pursuant to TSX-V policies, and did not therefore require shareholder approval. In addition to regulatory hold periods, Mr. Yachin will be subject to a voluntary lock-up agreement applicable to senior management comprised of a period of 720 days following the Closing Date and will be released in one-eighth tranches on the Closing Date and every 90 days thereafter until fully released. Pounce is available for download from the iTunes App Store at: https://itunes.apple.com/app/pounce-1-tap-ordering/id583704265?mt=8 About Slyce The Corporation is a visual search technology company based in Toronto, Ontario and is engaged in the business of providing advanced visual search software that allows consumers to purchase products at the moment they discover them - in the real-world and online. Slyce has developed an advanced visual search platform that integrates with retail brands and digital content providers to give their customers the ability to instantly discover and purchase products that inspire them by simply snapping photographs with their smartphones or 'clicking' images on either their smartphones (mobiles) or desktop web browsers. Slyce's strategy is to position itself as a pivotal player in the emerging visual web. Slyce will provide its technology to retailers, brands, app developers and digital publishers, enabling their apps to recognize products for instant purchase. Slyce will provide its technology in exchange for integration, licensing and per search fees, percentage sales splits and big data provision and analysis. Slyce is currently working with a growing list of fortune 1000 brands and companies as well as multiple innovative developers. Slyce is also listed on the Frankfurt exchange trading under ( 06O1.F ). For image download and further company information please click for the Slyce Media Kit. READER ADVISORY The TSX-V has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Statements in this joint press release contain forward-looking information including, without limitation, Slyce's business plan, strategy and related milestones, Slyce's suggestions of future outcomes, the future use and development of its technology, future customers and business partners, timing and completion of the Amalgamation, the Offering and ongoing corporate strategy and benefits of the Amalgamation. The words "will," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intent," "may," "project," "should," and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by Slyce. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Slyce. Slyce does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable securities laws. None of the information contained on, or connected to, Slyce's website is incorporated by reference herein. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to United States Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: www.marketwire.com/library/20140915-slyce_pounce800.jpg . To view the video associated with this press release, please visit the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJupFMy9Ugg .

2014-10-17 13:00:00+00:00

{"BTC": [1438, 1486, 1642, 1697, 1739, 1849]}

{}

Methes Energies Provides Business and Industry Update

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/methes-energies-provides-business-industry-130000806.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - Oct 17, 2014) - Methes Energies International Ltd. ( NASDAQ : MEIL ), a renewable energy company that offers an array of products and services to biodiesel fuel producers, is pleased to provide a business and industry update addressing issues relating to the biodiesel industry. Production : 22 railcars were shipped to clients since September 1 st , 2014 for a quantity of approximately 500,000 gallons. In light of current market conditions, Methes does not plan to enter into a formal contract for the remainder of the year but instead will opportunistically produce biodiesel for the spot market. The Company believes that this approach may provide for more upside if market conditions improve in the short term. Factors that the Company believes could affect market conditions and its business are discussed below. Renewable Volume Obligations ("RVOs") : The 2014 RVOs are 10 months overdue and have been with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget since August 2014. The timing of the official release remains unclear. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced late last year that it would keep the 2014 RVOs for biodiesel at the 2013 level of 1.28 billion gallons. There has been speculation over the last few months that the 2014 RVOs might in fact be increased. The Company believes that any increase in RVOs for 2014 would be positive for the biodiesel industry. Blender's Tax Credit ("BTC"): Industry players are optimistic that the BTC will be reintroduced retroactively, but the timing and certainty is still unclear. As of today, the Company has accumulated approximately $1 million in BTC value and would receive that money if and when the BTC is reintroduced retroactively. If the BTC was to be reintroduced it would provide a positive impact on biodiesel prices. The re-introduction of the BTC is supported by several policy makers in the U.S. Equipment Sales: The Company is still engaged with several potential clients for its new pre-treatment catalyst technology and its Denami processors. The sale cycle for its Denami processors is lengthy and typical of any similar equipment that requires in-depth evaluation of the chemical and engineering processes among other things. The Company is confident that it will soon be in a position to convert some of the potential clients it is working with into catalyst and equipment sales. Story continues Positive Balance Sheet Developments: Holders of loans totaling over $2.2 million have agreed to extend their maturities and repayment, allowing them to be reclassified into "Non-Current Liabilities" on the Company's Balance Sheet. These loans are now extended to April 2016 and allow the Company to continue to maintain maximum flexibility in order to respond to market opportunities. About Methes Energies International Ltd. Methes Energies International Ltd. is a renewable energy company that offers a variety of products and services to biodiesel fuel producers. Methes also offers biodiesel processors that are unique, truly compact, fully automated state-of-the-art and continuous flow that can run on a wide variety of feedstocks. Methes markets and sells biodiesel fuel produced at its showcase production facility in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and at its 13 MGY facility in Sombra, Ontario, to customers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as providing multiple biodiesel fuel solutions to its clientele. Among its services are selling commodities to its network of biodiesel producers, selling their biodiesel production and providing clients with proprietary software to operate and control their processors. Methes also remotely monitors the quality and characteristics of its clients' production, upgrades and repairs their processors and advises clients on adjusting their processes to use varying feedstock to improve the quality of their biodiesel. For more information, please visit www.methes.com . Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and financial performance. In some cases, you can identify these statements by words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "except," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," or "continue," the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on numerous assumptions involving judgments with respect to future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Company's control. There are or may be important factors that could cause our actual results to materially differ from our historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2013, filed on February 25, 2014, as amended, which is available at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov . The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon management's reasonable belief as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

2014-10-20 12:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1563, 1689, 3971, 4912]}

{"Bitcoin": [21]}

Bitnet Technologies, Bitcoin Payment Service Provider, Raises $14.5 Million in Series A Funding

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitnet-technologies-bitcoin-payment-provider-120000978.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 20, 2014) - Bitnet Technologies ( https://www.bitnet.io/ ), which provides a digital commerce platform designed to enable enterprise-scale merchants to accept bitcoin payments, today announced it has closed a $14.5 million Series A funding round led by Highland Capital Partners. In addition to Highland, new investors include Rakuten, the largest ecommerce site in Japan and one of the world's largest by sales. The funding comes as Bitnet launches its platform and builds teams for sales, marketing and customer support. Bitnet, currently with offices in San Francisco, California and Belfast, Northern Ireland, also plans to expand its physical presence into continental Europe and Asia. As part of the funding round, Peter Bell, Partner at Highland Capital Partners, will join Bitnet's board of directors. Founded in January 2014 by John McDonnell (CEO) and Stephen Mc Namara (CTO), Bitnet is comprised of 27 payments industry veterans with extensive technical and executive backgrounds at CyberSource and Visa. Bitnet's engineering, product, and business development team helped build and manage the world's largest payment gateway, CyberSource, which was sold to the world's largest payment network, Visa, for $2 billion in 2010. The promise of bitcoin interested Bitnet's founders as a universal payment network and currency designed for global ecommerce. In a world with credit card transaction fees hitting merchants' bottom lines and cross-border fees creating barriers to commerce, distributed trust systems like Bitcoin have the potential to disrupt established payment systems and offer significant benefits for merchants and consumers. Bitcoin is open-source and decentralized, with no issuing authority or centralized control, operating peer-to-peer through cash-like push transactions with no intermediary or clearing house required. For a low transaction fee (under 1%), Bitnet will provide merchants with guaranteed payment, instant global reach with no cross-border fees, no price volatility, and no fraud, risk or chargebacks. Story continues "John, Stephen, and the team they have assembled are the epitome of what we mean when we talk about partnering with innovative entrepreneurs who have the ambition to build disruptive, market-leading companies," said Peter Bell of Highland Capital Partners. "Bitnet is breaking down the barriers of digital currency transactions and has the potential to transform the way we exchange goods and services around the world." Bitnet differentiates itself among digital commerce platforms with a deep understanding, gained by the team over their years at CyberSource, of the needs of enterprise merchants, developers and partners, and by providing the technology that delivers the level of reliability and functionality they require. Businesses dealing with a high volume of payment transactions and complex back-end financial applications need a bitcoin payment platform that they can trust and depend on. Large retailers have already demonstrated demand for Bitnet's solution, which allows for the acceptance of bitcoin at scale with 99.999% reliability and without risk -- and is built to interface with the systems the retailers already have in place. "We are listening to the world's largest merchants," said John McDonnell, Co-Founder & CEO, Bitnet. "Many of these bigger companies have looked at existing solutions and have remained on the sidelines -- until now. With Bitnet, we're building the integrations, systems and technologies that multi-national retailers and travel companies need in order to accept bitcoin. Being scalable and integrating with existing payment systems and commerce platforms are what's important to them. Uptime is critical, as are integrated reporting and reconciliation capabilities. Bitnet removes the risk of accepting bitcoin, allowing merchants to take payments with zero liability -- no fraud, no chargebacks, and no false declines. Bitcoin is digital cash, and it's the first payment system specifically developed for the Internet. Merchants appreciate that, and they're understandably very excited." Bitnet's platform includes developer-focused RESTful hypermedia APIs and SDKs, an easy to implement hosted Checkout product and prebuilt integrations to key third party software systems. Bitnet will also offer advanced analytics with programmatic access to reports designed to help automate merchant reconciliation within their accounting and ERP systems. In addition to large retailers, Bitnet is working with financial institutions, payment service providers, international trade organizations and airlines to provide Bitnet's reliable, high-volume bitcoin payment acceptance solution. Along with Rakuten, co-investors in this Series A round include FinTech and crypto-currency experts: Webb Investment Network, founded by Maynard Webb (board member of Yahoo and Visa); Bitcoin Opportunity Corp. (Barry Silbert); Stephens Investment Management (Bart and Brad Stephens); Commerce Ventures (Dan Rosen); Buchanan Capital Management (Tad Buchanan); venture capitalist Stuart Peterson; Bill McKiernan, Bitnet chairman and founder of CyberSource; Carl Pascarella, former CEO of Visa; and Jack McDonnell, founder of TNS. About Bitnet Bitnet provides a digital commerce platform enabling enterprise-scale merchants to accept bitcoin payments. Bitnet's engineering, product, and business development team helped build and manage the world's largest payment gateway, CyberSource, which was sold to the world's largest payment network, Visa, for $2 billion in 2010. Bitnet has offices in San Francisco, California and Belfast, Northern Ireland. For more information visit https://www.bitnet.io . About Highland Capital Partners Founded in 1988, Highland Capital Partners is a global venture capital firm focused on putting the entrepreneur first. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston and Shanghai, Highland has raised over $3 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 225 companies, resulting in category-defining businesses across consumer and enterprise technology. Investments include 2U, Ask Jeeves, Bromium, Gigamon, Leap Motion, LevelUp, Lycos, MapQuest, Nebula, QD Vision, Qihoo 360, Quattro Wireless, RentJuice, Rent the Runway, Starent Networks, Sybase, Violin Memory, VistaPrint and WePay.

2014-10-20 13:12:54+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 529, 585, 1486, 1506], "BTC": [990]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop Announces Formation of Advisory Board

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-announces-formation-advisory-131254029.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 20, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, announced today the formation of its Advisory Board. The advisory members have been chosen based on their interest in, and understanding of, the digital currency industry. Each member brings an impressive career, credibility, extensive expertise and leadership to Bitcoin Shop. Charles Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "We are pleased to have established an esteemed Advisory Board. All our members are committed to supporting our customers, partners and shareholders by providing advice and leadership combined with access to their extensive global network." The Advisory Board consists of the following members: Name Affiliations Positions Margaux Avedisian EvotionMedia, LLC Founder David Bailey BTC Media, LLC Chief Executive Officer Patrick Cines College Cryptocurrency Network Director Carol Van Cleef Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Partner Bruce Fenton Atlantic Financial Inc Founder & Managing Director Jeremy Gardner College Cryptocurrency Network Co-founder & Executive Director Jason King Sean's Outpost Founder Will O'Brien BitGo, Inc Chief Executive Officer & Founder Jonathan Silverman Sator Square Partners, LLC Partner Changpeng Zhao OKCoin PTE LTD Chief Technical Officer About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-10-20 14:28:05+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [7363]}

{}

Is zero rating a net neutrality issue? Europe’s outgoing digital chief doesn’t think so

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/zero-rating-net-neutrality-issue-142805532.html

Gigaom

http://gigaom.com/

Last week Andrus Ansip, Europe’s incoming digital chief, used an “#AskAnsip” Twitter session to signal a commitment to net neutrality. However, he stayed quiet on the issue of so-called “zero rating,” a term that refers to the practice of carriers exempting certain services — like favored apps or certain music-streaming services — from counting towards their data caps. While many see zero rating as a net neutrality matter, Ansip’s predecessor, Neelie Kroes, has avoided giving any public opinions on the subject. However, that’s not to say Kroes has no opinion on the matter. Indeed, she appears to think zero rating isn’t a net neutrality issue at all. “Commercial promotion” I’ve seen a letter sent by Kroes’s office to Antonios Drossos, of management consultancy Rewheel, in May. As he wrote in a contribution to Gigaom in April, Drossos is a proponent of the idea that zero rating is a violation of net neutrality, because it favors carriers’ own apps or those of commercial partners over rival apps, “placing competing apps at a disadvantage.” Drossos had written to Kroes, arguing that the carriers’ zero-rating of Joyn messages was “a gross violation of net neutrality and potentially anti-competitive.” Kroes’s office disagreed, writing: We consider that such commercial practices do not pose a direct obstacle to end-user access to any online service or application on the basis of his/her internet subscription and as such would not be a violation of net neutrality. We must of course remain vigilant about potential anti-competitive practices, and it would be necessary to examine whether any consumer harm arises from such pricing practices. When asked about this letter, Kroes spokesman Ryan Heath told me that Kroes’s office regarded Joyn as a non-specialized service (upcoming net neutrality legislation says carriers can only give special treatment to “specialized services”) so Joyn is subject to standard net neutrality rules. However, he added: Story continues But as long as no other equivalent (competing) service is being blocked or degraded, and as long as there is strict transparency about the offer, then this is a commercial promotion no different to many others that we accept as part of the free market. But that commercial service is subject to the same legal constraints as others. Which is why it is correct that Vice President Kroes has not explicitly addressed the issue of zero rating publicly — for the very reason that it depends on the individual case involved. Joyn, of course, is pretty lightweight stuff, so even if it violates the principle of net neutrality, it’s unlikely to harm anyone greatly. Principles aside, the real problem with zero rating arises when we’re talking about high-volume services like video. If one video service is zero-rated and the carrier has a low data cap, then the user is clearly being steered towards the zero-rated service and discouraged from using a rival service. An hour of non-zero-rated, high-definition Netflix, for example, could wipe out an entire month’s data allowance if you only get 3GB a month, as many mobile users do. However, Heath wrote: If the service involved were to be a data-hungry one (such as your example of video) then the regulatory issue is not one of Net Neutrality but whether the bundling amounts to abuse of a dominant position or below-cost selling, which are competition law issues. Traditionally, anti-net neutrality behavior includes the blocking or throttling of rival services by the carrier, or the establishment of a “fast lane” where certain services get better treatment than others. I would argue that zero rating has the same effect as setting up a fast lane. The only real difference is that services shut out of a fast lane will become less attractive to users because they’re less reliable to use, while services shut out of the zero-rating framework become less attractive because they eat into the data cap. Net neutrality means different things to different people (which is one reason I believe the term should be abandoned in favor of something less mutable), but the end goal generally comes down to preserving a level playing field – making sure that carriers cannot disadvantage rivals to their own apps or to those of commercial partners. The aim is to ensure that a startup can offer a service without having it blocked due to entrenched interests. That makes net neutrality in general a competition issue of sorts – not just in the case of zero rating. Who’s watching? However, the European Commission’s competition department told Drossos that, if zero rating were to be tackled as a competition issue, it would have to be proven that the “operator has a dominant position or that collective dominance exists.” In Europe, hardly any carriers have market share of more than 50 percent, which is the bare minimum for establishing dominance. And, as Drossos suggested to me, “collective dominance” is practically impossible to prove. In other words, Kroes’s digital agenda department sees zero rating as a competition issue, but the competition department would set a very high bar for seriously looking at potential abuses — making it much harder to deal with the issue there than it would be in the context of net neutrality. There’s plenty of precedent for framing zero rating in net neutrality terms. German authorities freaked out at the net neutrality implications of Deutsche Telekom imposing caps on its home broadband while exempting its own IPTV services, and killed DT’s plans. Organizations like Access and the EFF have also argued that the zero rating of mobile services is a threat to the future of the open internet (even though it can also be used to introduce people to online services for the first time.) Chile bans zero rating under its strict net neutrality laws. That’s not to say it’s a clear-cut issue. Not everyone sees zero rating as a problematic trend, though even those who argue against preventative regulation, such as Disruptive Analysis’s Dean Bubley , expect the practice to become commonplace. Indeed, it is already fairly widespread in Europe – Rewheel reckons there are already 75 zero-rated mobile services on offer by European carriers, ranging from cloud storage to TV and movie streaming. The ill effects of zero rating are yet to be conclusively proven (Bubley pointed out to me that a lot depends on how much people actually take up these offers), but it would be nice to know that the European Commission really has its eye on the situation. To that end, it’s probably a good thing that Ansip (unlike Kroes) will have dominion over digital matters in both the European Commission’s digital economy and competition departments. That’s the sort of joined-up authority that Europe needs for complex matters such as this, as it will make it much harder to pass the buck between departments. It would still be nice to know what Ansip’s own take on zero rating is, though, and what course of action he would take if the practice is shown to cause harm to consumers and non-zero-rated services. After all, someone needs to be monitoring this situation, and one way or another that someone will be Ansip. Image copyright . Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research: Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial . Musical chairs in online and over-the-top video in the third quarter Bitcoin: why digital currency is the future financial system Who to watch in the growing European cloud market More From paidContent.org Is zero rating a net neutrality issue? Europe’s outgoing digital chief doesn’t think so

2014-10-20 14:40:39+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1044, 4428, 16246, 16420], "BTC": [1120, 15771, 16609]}

{"Bitcoin": [7]}

21 Top Bitcoin and Digital Currency Companies Endorse New Digital Framework for Digital Identity, Trust and Open Data

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/21-top-bitcoin-digital-currency-144039969.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwired - Oct 20, 2014) - MIT Media Lab Spin-Out ID3 Spearheads Group to Build an Open Source Secure and Trusted Platform to Advance Digital Currency Transactions Group to Advance Global, Industry-Wide Initiative Based on Windhover Principles ID3 (Institute for Data Driven Design), a research nonprofit founded out of the MIT Media Lab, today teamed with nearly two dozen leading digital currency firms to announce the Windhover Principles , a new principles-based framework collaboratively written with public and private stakeholders to ensure secure personal identity, trust and access to shared open data on the Internet. Key advocacy and support was generated by DATA (Digital Asset Transfer Authority) in building the coalition. The Windhover Principles are being implemented on an open source platform, foundationally based on ID3's contribution of its Open Mustard Seed (OMS) software platform. As the cornerstone of the new principles and framework, ID3 announced support from a wide range of digital currency and Bitcoin-related companies and individuals: BitPay , BitReserve , Bitstamp , BTC.sx , Coinsetter , DATA , Delta , Epiphyte , Erik Voorhees , Hub Culture Group/Ven Currency , LaunchKey , Personal , Personal Black Box , Ripple Labs , SnapSwap , Swarm , Trefoil Labs, Vaurum , Xapo , ZipZap and 37coins . The Windhover Principles for Digital Identity and Trust are deeply rooted in the belief that individuals should have control of their digital personal identities and personal data. Underlying this core value is the principle of ensuring innovation in trust and privacy. Concurrently, the industry group's support of transparent, proportionate and risk-based regulation will allow stakeholders to meaningfully leverage new technologies for enhanced governance, auditing and enforcement needs. Implementation of the core Windhover Principles on the inclusive OMS open source platform as a sustainable industry step, paired with MIT-designed Living Labs, underscores a results-driven ethos supported by the group of companies and supporters. Story continues Framing the issues, ID3 Chief Scientist and Co-founder Dr. Alex "Sandy" Pentland , Toshiba Chair Professor at the MIT Media Lab and co-lead of the Big Data and Personal Data & Privacy Initiatives at the World Economic Forum, said, "The Windhover Principles support my view that it is time for us all to take charge of our personal data. Technologies such as OpenPDS and ID3's Open Mustard Seed provide a new technical solution to a rapidly growing societal problem. Our work at MIT will continue to influence ID3 and the emerging industry-supported OMS open source project -- not only in technology, but also in method, as we assist in architecting MIT Living Labs test beds to understand and optimize these new solutions." OMS is a trusted compute platform for developing and deploying secure cloud applications to collect, compute on and share personal data. It enables the development and deployment of web apps in a secure, user-centric personal cloud. Just as the original HTML code gave rise to the World Wide Web and new types of bottom-up social communication and collaboration, OMS can be understood as a new "social stack" of protocols. The framework provides a stack of core technologies that work together to provide a high level of authentication, security and ease of use when sharing and collecting personal and environmental data. This enables the control of web-enabled devices, and engagement with others to aggregate information and view the results of applied computations via protected services. The Windhover Principles serve as the cornerstone of this framework. "The next phase of Internet growth requires a re-tooling, with identity and trust at the foundation, to bring the ownership and control of personal data back to the individual. Doing so will spawn a new stage of collaboration and open data exchange," said ID3 Managing Director Dan Harple , Internet pioneer, serial entrepreneur and MIT Entrepreneur in Residence. "The Windhover Principles, coupled with an inclusive open sourced Open Mustard Seed project and MIT-influenced Living Labs, are tremendously positive steps toward an industry-wide solution. Our vision for OMS is as an inclusive platform to transform how we, as collective Internet users, can take back our personal data, and share it in a trusted and secure way -- not only for Bitcoin and digital currency transactions, but for other data and media types as well." With the digital currency industry's support, ID3 and participating firms plan to iteratively test, implement and deploy granular technical solutions to trust, privacy and governance on the OMS open source platform. Leading digital currency firms are committed to future, collaborative development of legal and technical frameworks -- along with subject matter experts, government bodies and the private sector -- to implement the core Windhover Principles through rigorous testing in MIT-type Living Labs. Balancing regulatory requirements with the increasing need for privacy and secure identity is a core component of the Windhover Principles and OMS. "Illustrating how a new form of autonomous industry governance can emerge using open source methods to solve large systemic problems, this industry-wide collective includes some of the world's foremost thought leaders and innovators on today's Internet and their companies," said ID3 Co-founder and Executive Chairman Dr. John Clippinger , an internationally recognized research scientist at MIT Media Lab. "The increasing complexity of technical systems render effective and balanced regulation of identity and personal data -- including KYC (Know Your Customer) and risks of AML (Anti-Money Laundering) -- a deeply complex and rapidly changing global process that cannot be sustained by current governmental and private sector practices. New forms of engagement are needed by all stakeholders that combine innovative digital technologies with new regulatory practices and intensive testing to drive viable privacy -- and security-preserving solutions for the 21 st century." The Windhover Principles were collaboratively written by the industry group of companies and their advisors, and included dialog with financial regulators. "In Europe as well, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) requirements are getting stricter and stricter, and we will pretty soon run out of tools to deal with these requirements adequately and efficiently. The MIT/ID3 Platform, together with the Windhover Principles, constitute an excellent opportunity to build the AML/CTF tools we will need tomorrow whilst at the same time allowing individuals to have control over their personal data -- a key tenant of privacy," said Jean-Louis Schiltz, IT lawyer and Luxembourg's former Minister of Communications and Defense. "The advent of digital ledger technologies, when coupled with digital identities, has the potential to extend financial access to everyone in the world, rather than just those lucky enough to be banked," said Ripple Labs Chief Compliance Officer Karen Gifford . "For everyone, these new technologies better support security sought by law enforcement, trust sought by merchants and privacy rights of individual consumers. We're excited to be a part of ID3's initiative to build a global framework for identity as a value-added layer to the initial financial innovation started by virtual currencies." "The blockchain and other distributed technologies call on us to reimagine our existing world in ways that carefully balance public policy goals in the 21 st century world -- the global impact of the Internet on shifting norms of interaction and transaction presents serious challenges to traditional paradigms of the governance process and geographically localized regulatory regimes," said Constance Choi , founding board director of DATA and Seven Advisory, who advises a broad spectrum of entities and policymakers in the digital asset industry. "Policymakers and private industries are beginning to understand the opportunities in these complex dynamics and collaborative work is underway to ensure self-determination and inclusion, and increase trust and viability. This is at the heart of the Windhover Principles and the OMS reference platform." About ID3 ID3 is a research and educational nonprofit with a mission to develop a new social ecosystem of trusted, self-healing digital institutions. Addressing the severe structural limitations of existing institutions by empowering individuals to assert greater control over their data, online identities and authentication, the organization is committed to enabling the design and deployment of a new generation of trusted digital institutions and services globally. Additional information on ID3 is available at www.idcubed.org or by sending email to [email protected] . The Windhover Principles and Open Mustard Seed are trademarks of ID3. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. The Windhover Principles for Digital Identity, Trust and Data 1. Self-Sovereignty of Digital Identity and Personal Data: Individuals and groups should have control of their digital personal identities and personal data. Today we communicate, share and transact digitally over the Internet. Individuals who make use of the Internet for these purposes should have control over their digital identities, ensuring individual autonomy, trust in their communications and counter parties, as well as in the integrity of the data they share and transact with. Individuals, not social networks, governments, or corporations, should control their identity credentials and personal data. Control of one's identity and personal data means that people should have unfettered access to their personal data, the ability to verify attributes of their personal identity profiles, and the ability to prevent unauthorized public and private access. We support the collaborative open source development of systems that embody these principles and recognize the need to address the requirements of legacy regulatory mechanisms, including by evolving innovative digital technologies to improve privacy, governance and enforcement. 2. Proportionate Enforcement and Risk-Based Regulation: Enhancing / improving personal privacy while promoting effective governance and accommodating legitimate auditing and enforcement needs. We encourage innovation in identity, trust, security, and data technologies and policies to provide effective methods to address governance and enforcement concerns. Governance includes the concepts of transparency and accountability necessary to protect digital transactions from abuse. We believe these technologies can address public policy interests by enabling appropriate access and verification of identity data. Entities and individuals, acting on the basis of verifiable approvals, including due process and appropriate warrants, should be able to access such data through specific and auditable means. New and evolving digital technologies make it possible to protect an individual's privacy while providing authorized government access to customer identification, due diligence and transaction monitoring information for legally authorized needs. 3. Ensuring Innovation in Trust and Privacy: An effective, autonomous identity system reiteratively furthers trust, security, governance, accountability and privacy. Protecting privacy and fostering trust and governance are foundational Windhover Principles that support a fully functional identity system designed to collect and analyze data in a network in which identities are continuously and independently authenticated. These core principles are intended to foster development of more trustworthy, effective and resilient products and services to minimize the risks and costs of fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing and other criminal activity. 4. Open Source Collaboration and Continuous Innovation: An inclusive, open source methodology to build systems that embody these principles. Supporters of the Windhover Principles agree to cooperate to build systems that deliver these requirements and to participate in Living Labs to develop strong and innovative technical product solutions that interoperate to meet these challenges. PARTNER QUOTES "Hub Culture has been working with ID3 since 2013 to develop the first consumer application layer using Open Mustard Seed technology through the development of HubID, a unique identity product that enables members of the Hub Culture network to own and manage identity services. HubID represents a big step forward in new AML/KYC approaches, works globally with the Ven currency and features characteristics built with the Windhover Principles and other sustainable governance systems in mind." Stan Stalnaker, Founder and CEO, Hub Culture Group/Ven Currency and Impala "It's great to see MIT applying the bitcoin technology in new and novel ways. This project shows that it's possible to protect online privacy and, at the same time, provide tools that are effective at combating criminal abuse." Stephen Pair, Co-founder, President & CEO, BitPay "I couldn't be more excited to see the digital currency industry taking individual data rights, integrity and collaboration seriously. This marks a giant step forward for all of us and a great improvement over anything that exists in the traditional finance world." Joel Dietz, Founder & CEO, Swarm Corp. "These principles, and the growing voice in their support, are evidence of the positive steps we are gaining toward our ability to establish and benefit from personal data independence." Haluk Kulin, Founder & CEO, Personal BlackBox "Decentralized identity technology will allow the bitcoin industry to increase user privacy and create new paths for cheaper and more effective compliance. We are solving global regulatory issues with an ethical solution that simply works better." Jaron Lukasiewicz, CEO, Coinsetter "We are living in exciting times indeed. Technological innovations are enabling us to challenge and successfully redefine and reinvent old structures and paradigms. For the first time in history, it is today possible to transfer value over the Internet instantaneously, inexpensively, globally and securely, and to digitally and incorruptibly register assets and property titles around the globe. The ID3 project adds another fundamental component to our digital evolution as humans -- an unprecedented way to protect the human right to our privacy and identity. It is certainly one of the most exciting projects I have ever been involved with." Juan Llanos, Chief Transparency Officer, BitReserve "As a company that works so strongly toward providing privacy and security, LaunchKey is excited to be a part of the collaborative effort promoting these values as they have been embodied by the Windhover Principles." Yo Sub Kwon, Co-founder & COO, LaunchKey "We live in a time when the sophistication of international data thieves seems steps ahead of the best defenses of even our most well-resourced, rigorously audited, and locked-down organizations, both private sector and government, and the PII of possibly a majority of law-abiding Americans and many additional Internet users has been compromised and is now available on data black markets, while important classified military and national security data is in the hands of foreign powers. Our modern data security architecture is fundamentally flawed; hence, we applaud MIT's ambitious ID3 project to rethink how PII and sensitive data is compartmentalized and secured, and look forward to doing what we can to support and advance the project." Vaurum "We at BTC.sx believe in the Windhover Principles as it outlines an approach to give full control of an individual's personal data back to the person it belongs to. In a paradigm where personal data sharing is becoming a prominent part of our increasingly technology dependent culture, controlling the distribution of your most sensitive and secure data is becoming essential. We are seeing the growth of an industry that is being built on the intrinsically decentralised nature of Bitcoin's design. As a result, the fiduciary responsibilities of businesses operating in this space have never been more important. What ID3 is working on is a framework for Bitcoin businesses that work tirelessly to comply with AML/KYC responsibilities globally to conform whilst maintaining the integrity of their customers' user data." Joe Lee, Founder & CEO, BTC.sx "Identity is a key concern for our bank customers. For banks and other financial services companies, the complexity of KYC/AML and safeguarding customers' private information has been the number one barrier to providing services cost-effectively. This has effectively priced banks out of providing services to much of the world's population -- creating massive global unbanked population without access to basic banking services. This includes 10 million households in the US alone and many hundreds of million more globally." Edan Yago, CEO, Epiphyte "Online media properties and data brokers collect an unprecedented amount of information about consumers which could be easily abused. ZipZap fully supports the open source platform proposed by the ID3 team which lays out the groundwork to shift the control of personal information back to the individuals as the rightful owners, while not preventing legitimate commercial or government access. It provides a path for a perfect balance between the need to know and the need to protect a citizen's personal information." Alan Safahi, CEO, ZipZap Inc.

2014-10-21 07:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1669]}

{}

GoCoin, Ilixium Partner to Bring Digital Currency Payments to the iGaming Sector

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gocoin-ilixium-partner-bring-digital-070000032.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

BERLIN, GERMANY--(Marketwired - Oct 21, 2014) - Today at EiG2014 GoCoin announced a partnership with enterprise payment platform Ilixium preparing gaming operators to easily accept cryptocurrencies as an alternative to more costly payment methods. GoCoin is the first e-commerce payment solution designed to process bitcoin and emerging altcoins for gaming and other industries considered "high risk" by traditional payment networks. Together, the companies are providing a global online payment experience that drastically reduces cross-border fees and empowers the iGaming sector to swiftly adapt to the latest advancements in digital currency payments. "Gaming operators face constant pressure to reduce their cost per acquisition," said Eric Benz, EMEA director of operations at GoCoin. "Offering a low friction, low-cost payment option keeps players in the game, and by partnering with Ilixium, we are helping operators keep more of their profit margin and -- in many cases -- collect money that would otherwise be left on the proverbial table." "Partnering with GoCoin allows Ilixium to stay at the forefront of payment innovations, a competitive advantage we pass on directly to our clients," said Ian Nicholson, chief commercial officer at Ilixium. GoCoin's Eric Benz will be presenting GoCoin's iGaming strategy during "The Pitch" competition on Tuesday, October 21 at 2:40pm CEST at EiG. Attendees can vote via the EiG mobile app . Follow @GoCoin and #EiG14 for real-time updates. About GoCoin GoCoin is the first international payment platform for bitcoin and emerging digital currencies, making it easier than ever for online and retail merchants to accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin at checkout. GoCoin insulates merchant operators from the complexities and volatility of alt-currencies by settling transactions in the currency of their choice. Founded in July 2013, GoCoin is an international group of companies with offices in Singapore, London, Douglas, Boston and Santa Monica. For more information, please visit http://www.gocoin.com . About Ilixium Consumer Payment Outsourcing (CPO) with ILIXIUM. CPO is a new form of outsourcing introduced by ILIXIUM which allows a Business to pass customers who are ready to pay, over to ILIXIUM in order to complete the required payment for the goods/services requested. ILIXIUM will then manage all of the reconciliation, settlement and consolidate payment back to client. CPO is a turnkey managed service for clients which leverages all of the combined capabilities of ILIXIUM to provide a seamless service for both end customers and the client. For additional information, please visit https://www.ilixium.com

2014-10-21 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 470, 703, 854, 996, 1432, 1452]}

{"Bitcoin": [0, 32]}

Bitcoin Shop Successfully Mints Bitcoins

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-successfully-mints-bitcoins-130000518.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 21, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, today announced that through its previously disclosed partnership with Hashmaster Tech, LLC ("Hashmaster") its digital currency mining equipment is operational and minting bitcoins. On September 25, 2014, Bitcoin Shop purchased approximately $42,000 of bitcoin mining hardware for its mining efforts. While operating just 60% of the mining hardware during the initial implementation and testing period and for only one week of operation, Bitcoin Shop's mining efforts produced 2.62 bitcoins (net of all fees) valued at approximately $1,000 (based on an exchange rate of $382 per bitcoin). Bitcoin Shop has committed to invest another $60,000-$80,000 this month into its mining operations. Charles Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "Mining bitcoins is not an easy task and one that requires both technical and operational expertise. We are pleased with our initial results and anticipate having all of our recently purchased mining hardware online shortly. Moreover, we plan to rapidly scale our efforts in this business segment which we believe will not only fuel growth and drive revenue but also complement our other business lines." About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-10-21 17:33:45+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [360]}

{}

ETF Boot Camp: Moriarty Talks ETF Product Development

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/etf-boot-camp-moriarty-talks-173345358.html

ETF Trends

http://www.etftrends.com/

Kathleen Moriarty, partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, joined Asset TV’s Evan Cooper at ETF Trends’ inaugural ETF Boot Camp in New York to discuss trends in new ETF product development, including the possibility that active non-transparent ETFs could debut later this year. Moriarty, who is working with Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss to bring the Winkelvoss Bitcoin Trust to market, has been involved with ETFs since the industry’s infancy and helped bring the SPDR S&P 500 ETF ( SPY ) , the first U.S.-listed ETF and now the largest ETF in the world, to market. Regarding the cost structure of non-transparent active ETFs, Moriarty notes that issue depends on whether issuers of those products remain true to in-kind redemptions or use cash. In-kind redemptions limit broker and transaction costs. Watch the video below to see the full interview. To view past video interviews, visit our video section .

2014-10-22 10:50:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [168, 324, 493, 700, 772]}

{"Bitcoin": [22]}

CeX begins trading in Bitcoin at stores across the UK

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2014-10-22-cex-bitcoin.html

Engadget

https://www.engadget.com/

CeX Entertainment Exchange, Croydon, London CR0 Technology swap shop CeX has today become the first UK retailer with a far-flung high street presence to widely support Bitcoin . Earlier in the year, CeX briefly experimented with the cryptocurrency at one of its Glasgow locations, which also became home to Scotland's first Bitcoin ATM, shortly before it started supporting the virtual tender on its website. And from today, 32 CeX stores across the country will now happily accept payment in Bitcoin, as well as credit you in the cryptocurrency for anything you'd like to trade in. All being well, CeX plans to roll out support to more branches in due course, as well as install additional in-store Bitcoin ATMs at select locations -- because petty thieves can't live on Bitcoin alone now, can they? [Image credit: Kake Pugh/Flickr] View comments

2014-10-22 11:30:48+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [71, 1110, 1375, 1530, 1675, 1712, 1759, 1944]}

{"Bitcoin": [14]}

Europe-Listed Bitcoin ETF in the Works

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/europe-listed-bitcoin-etf-works-113048732.html

ETF Trends

http://www.etftrends.com/

Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss are still working to bring the Winkelvoss Bitcoin Trust to market. Now, a U.K.-based bitcoin exchange its eying the launch of its own bitcoin ETF, which would trade in Europe. Coinfloor, a London-based bitcoin broker, has filed plans to introduce a bitcoin ETF that would trade like a stock on Coinfloor’s exchange. Citing the Financial Times, Coindesk reports that Coinfloor’s bitcoin ETF would store bitcoins on “physical keys,” which would allow for investor access to the digital currency without the risks of direct ownership. Coinfloor says it is the only bitcoin exchange with 100% multi-signature cold storage, “meaning that all funds being deposited, withdrawn or held in our system remain safe in underground vaults,” according to the firm . The exchange accepts bitcoin trades in British pounds, euros, U.S. dollars and, due to a burgeoning bitcoin community in Poland, Polish zloty. Client funds are held in PKO BP, the largest bank in Poland, according to Coinfloor. News reports did not indicate how close Coinfloor is to launching its physically-backed bitcoin ETF. Bitcoin is a type of decentralized digital currency based on a peer-to-peer network and can be exchanged through computers internationally without a financial intermediary. The system was first introduced by developer Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. The SEC acknowledged Bitcoins can be considered currencies and therefore would fall under that agency’s regulatory purview. In May, a regulatory filing revealed the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust will trade on the Nasdaq. An updated filing showed the ETF will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker “COIN.” [Ticker Announced for Bitcoin ETF] Although the Winkelvoss Bitcoin Trust has yet to debut, SecondMarket’s Bitcoin Investment Trust (BIT) has been available to accredited investors. Barry Silbert, founder and chairman of SecondMarket Holdings Inc., aims to convert BIT into a publicly traded Bitcoin fund in the fourth quarter of this year. ETF Trends editorial team contributed to this post. The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.

2014-10-22 12:15:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [407]}

{}

Costas Inc. Has Entered Into a Letter Of Intent to Purchase 33% of Incryptex Inc.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/costas-inc-entered-letter-intent-121500913.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

CYPRESS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2014 / Costas Inc. (OTC Pink: CSSI) ( CSSI ) is pleased to announce their entering into a formal Letter of Intent to purchase 33% of Toronto-based Incryptex Ltd. www.incryptex.com Incryptex Ltd. is a digital currency processing platform. Incryptex will allow its global member base to participate in the processing, remittance, and exchange of digital currencies like Bitcoin. The use of proprietary systems exclusive to Incryptex provides Forex, Mining, and Payment Processing Solutions for these products. Incryptex's proprietary global banking partnerships, risk mitigation strategies, security, and compliance have positioned Incryptex to become a competitive player and service provider in the digital currency space in the US market as well as 132 countries worldwide. The Costas Inc. will be using their years of experience in trade on ICE, in conjunction with Incryptex' proprietary platform. This relationship will provide liquidity, transparency, and security to users worldwide on a user-friendly interface. The technology behind this new platform will open up trade products to users, facilitating their navigation, investment and transactions of crypto currencies globally. Safe Harbor Statement: The information you are accessing may include forward-looking statements related to our future growth, trends in our industry, our financial and or operational results, and our financial or operational performance. Such forward-looking statements are predictive in nature, and may be based on current expectations, forecasts or assumptions involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements themselves. Such forward-looking statements may, without limitation, be preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans", or similar expressions, or may employ such future or conditional verbs as "may", "will", "should" or "would", or may otherwise be indicated as forward-looking statements by grammatical construction, phrasing or context. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Story continues The risks and uncertainties referred to above include, but are not limited to: variability of operating results among periods; inability to retain or grow our business due to execution problems resulting from significant headcount reductions, plant closures and product transfer associated with major restructuring activities; the effects of price competition and other business and competitive factors generally affecting the EMS industry; the challenges of effectively managing our operations during uncertain economic conditions; our dependence on a limited number of customers; our dependence on industries affected by rapid technological change; the challenge of responding to lower-than-expected customer demand; our ability to successfully manage our international operations; and delays in the delivery and/or general availability of various components used in the manufacturing process. These and other risks and uncertainties and factors are discussed in the Company's various public filings at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, including our Form 20-F and subsequent reports on Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACT: Ashley Sansalone President [email protected] SOURCE: Costas, Inc.

2014-10-22 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 525, 1201, 2412, 2432]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop Officers and Directors Voluntarily Redeem Equity

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-officers-directors-voluntarily-130000235.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 22, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, announced today that all of its officers and directors have agreed to the redemption of an aggregate of 12,750,000 shares of their common stock to strengthen the Company's balance sheet and increase shareholder value. Charles Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "We believe bitcoin to be the first major use case of a globally decentralized peer-to-peer transaction database technology, often referred to as the 'Block chain'. We further believe that Block Chain technologies are the most disruptive developments since the invention of the internet. We believe the use of bitcoin has the potential to disrupt the payment processing industry dominated by companies such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express who collectively with other major processing companies have an estimated aggregate market capitalization of approximately $400 billion. Our management team believes this technology is not a passing fad. Bitcoin Shop is fully committed to being a pioneer and leader in the digital currency ecosystem. Our team is therefore willing to take any and all practical actions necessary to ensure our success and create shareholder value. In addition to redeeming a portion of our founders equity for the benefit of our public shareholders, as previously announced, management has also entered into lockup agreements for the majority of their remaining held equity until February 5, 2017." Details of Voluntary Actions Taken by Officers and Directors to date: All officers and directors voluntarily agreed to the Company's redemption of an aggregate of 12,750,000 shares of common stock for an aggregate payment of $2,491. In doing so, the Company will have further flexibility in continuing to strengthen its balance sheet and ultimately add shareholder value. During the third quarter of 2014, the Company exchanged 1,000,000 of its 1,875,000 outstanding warrants for an aggregate of 100,000 shares of the Company's common stock. As a result of the redemption and warrant exchange discussed above, each shareholder's ownership percent in the Company has increased by 9.12% on a fully diluted basis. Story continues About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its virtual currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-10-22 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [348, 508, 640, 991]}

{"Bitcoin": [61]}

Alternet Systems Partners With Wildcard Consulting to Launch Bitcoin Debit Card

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/alternet-systems-partners-wildcard-consulting-130000918.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - Oct 22, 2014) - Alternet Systems, Inc. ( OTCQB : ALYI ), a business to business facilitator for digital currency and mobile commerce services in the digital asset and virtual currency ecosystem, today announced the completion of a formal agreement with Wildcard Consulting Inc. ("Wildcard") to launch the first U.S. based Bitcoin debit card. Henryk Dabrowski, CEO of Alternet Systems, stated, "Access to digital currency via a debit or credit card is a key step in the evolution of Bitcoin and its integration with Fiat currencies such as the US Dollar. It is our intent to partner with major service providers of Bitcoin wallets and financial institutions to establish the distribution of our new card. Wildcard Consulting will be responsible for product development, technical integration and successful commercial deployment. Alternet Financial Services will focus exclusively on marketing and selling these services. We believe the time has come for holders of Bitcoin to be able to exchange their digital currency for other assets seamlessly." Wildcard now becomes Alternet's primary Strategic Product Design and Architecture firm tasked with building Alternet's entire suite of financial and payments products designed for Digital and Fiat currencies. The program will be the first of its kind in the U.S., and will be designed to operate in full compliance with Banking and Federal guidelines. The first product will allow the consumer to utilize their debit card for purchases with the option to access their bitcoins and other digital currencies. It will be the first platform capable of exchanging Digital and Fiat currencies, through accepted mechanisms, in a format that provides a path to immediate, ubiquitous acceptance. With this platform and the associated services it powers, any vendor can do business with a consumer spending digital currencies, and be paid accurately and securely in U.S. Dollars or any other currency. Story continues The Digital Currency Initiative begins with building a central platform that will be able to issue multiple-currency card products, as well as provide mobile payments apps, loyalty programs, banking, and other financial services designed to allow the secure, real-time interchange of Digital to Fiat currencies. Travis Dulaney, CEO of Wildcard Consulting commented, "We are excited to be selected as Alternet's Strategic Partner. The financial services and payments industries are currently in a healthy and necessary state of change. The opportunities for improvements in regulatory control, fraud protection and Adaptive Individual Intelligence ("Aii") are endless. Digital Currencies, are the key to the evolution of how we see and use financial instruments today. Alternet's platform will provide the infrastructure and products, to take advantage of this new digital frontier." About Alternet Systems, Inc.: Alternet Systems, Inc . is an enterprise accelerator company focused on the complementary, high-growth markets of Digital Currency, Mobile and Internet Commerce and Cyber-Security products and services. Through its subsidiaries, Alternet captures and converts extraordinary growth opportunities surrounding the explosion of newly adapted Internet technologies and platforms. More information about Alternet and its subsidiaries can be found at www.alternetsystems.com and by following the company on Twitter www.twitter.com/alternetsystems . About Wildcard Consulting: Wildcard Consulting is a mobile & payments product architectural firm dedicated to the evolution of the payments industry. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry providing leadership, strategic direction and innovation, Wildcard builds our clients' visions for their products and services, as they deal with an ever-changing financial services landscape. Wildcard designs, develops and implements payments products, banking and financial services systems and platforms for clients all over the world. For more information please visit www.wildcardconsulting.net . Safe Harbor Statement: Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

2014-10-22 13:38:41+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1589]}

{}

3 Things Apple Showed With Earnings

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-things-apple-showed-earnings-133841506.html

Benzinga

http://www.benzinga.com/

Nic Chahine says that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL ) showed investors three key things with this week’s earnings report. He’s Marketfy Maven and the owner of Create Income With Options Spreads , and he recently joined Benzinga’s #PreMarket Prep to talk about why he can’t go short on this stock. The first thing he said that Apple proved was that the company can sell as many iPhones as they can make and as fast as they can make them. Related Link: 'Flash Boys' Exchange's John Ramsay Talks Off-Exchange Trading “They sold a zillion iPhones,” he said. “That’s incredible.” Apple also demonstrated a good promise for new revenue streams, Chahine said. He added that ApplePay seems to have been well-received by all the people that have tried it. “Given they have so many users, it has a chance,” he said. “I don’t know what or how, but it’s a good promise for the future.” The third thing that stuck out to Chahine was that Apple "showed [it has] have strong buyers with convictions, and I'm talking about Tim Cook, himself." “Those three things tells me I can’t short this stock and I can choose to go long it cautiously,” he said. “The way I would do it is via credit put spreads.” Chahine also talked about Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO ) and International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM ). Check out his full interview here: Don’t forget to tune in to Benzinga’s #PreMarket Prep Monday-Friday 8-9:45 a.m. ET all of the premarket info, news and data needed to start the trading day. See more from Benzinga This Company Offers A Product Like Customizable, No-Fee ETFs Reggie Middleton On Why Bitcoin Is Valuable Presidium Capital's Greg Harmon Shares His Analysis on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Yahoo! Inc. © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

2014-10-22 20:38:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [0, 746], "BTC": [740, 789, 871, 1051, 1116, 1306, 1627, 1944, 2134, 2236]}

{"BTC": [59]}

Microelectronics Updates Phase Two Build Out Of 1 Petahash BTC Mining Facility

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microelectronics-updates-phase-two-build-203800004.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Bitcoin, Digital Currency, Cloud Servers, Cloud Computing MONARCH BAY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2014 / Microelectronics Technology Corporation (OTC Pink: MELY) ( MELY ) - The Company has been working toward a significant business development, however, has yet to complete negotiations at the time of this update. The company anticipates that there will be a conclusion to negotiations in the very near future and will disclose by press release the results. The Company is pleased to announce the current progress of the PHASE TWO build out. The Company has changed the schedule for the build out of PHASE TWO by delaying the delivery of the first grouping of five hundred of one thousand servers on order due to the recent softness in BTC - Bitcoin pricing. During the recent drop in BTC pricing, the company was able to re-negotiate the acquisition pricing for the BTC miners so that the net effect to the company resulted in over a 20% savings in acquisition costs. This savings is significant due to the size of the overall order of over 1000 BTC Mining servers. The company expects to receive the first 500 BTC Mining servers on or about November 15, 2014 with the additional 500 servers to arrive by year end. Certain delays are in effect due to the manufacturing schedule and back orders at the BTC Mining manufacturer. The Company has selected the model of server to be used for the phase two build out and is in the process of ordering one thousand units for the company's existing facility. The hash rate of each individual unit will be +/-1TH/s, which the thousand units will provide for a minimum 1 PH/s of new BTC mining hash rate. This will provide the company with a combine hash rate of 1.1 PH/s. BTCPOOLPARTY MINING POOL: The Company also reports that the BTCPOOLPARTY will be re-launched on or before November 15, 2014. This re-launch will coincide with the delivery dates for the first servers which will be added to the BTC POOLPARTY mining pool as they are deployed. Story continues The company has determined that after mining on the BTCPOOLPARTY from the date of August 25, 2014 and finding one block of 25 BTC that the pool requires significantly more hash rate to become a stable and consistently producing BTC mining pool. The company is making security changes and various other modifications which will allow the company to open the mining pool to outside individual miners with additional hash rate to contribute. https://www.btcpoolparty.com/ DEBT REDUCTION: The Company has retired from its balance sheet a total of $216,000.00 of 8% Convertible promissory notes issued to one its institutional investors Adar Bays LLC. The company is continuing to negotiate the reduction of outstanding debt on an ongoing basis in an effort to minimize dilution to the current share structure. Additional photos and video can be viewed at the company's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MELYPK Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey Company progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially and are subject to risk and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include without limitation: dependence on key personnel and suppliers; MELY's ability to commercialize its technology; ability to defend intellectual property; material and component costs; competition; economic conditions; consumer demand and product acceptance, and availability of growth capital. Additional considerations and risk factors are set forth in reports filed on Form 8-K and 10-K with the SEC and other filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements; historical information is not an indicator of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements CONTACT: Microelectronics Technology Co. President: Mr. Brett Everett 702-221-1938 [email protected] www.melypk.com www.dynamoservers.com SOURCE: Microelectronics Technology Company

2014-10-23 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 512, 796, 1126, 1561, 1581]}

{"Bitcoin": [0, 54]}

Bitcoin Shop Makes Additional Investment in Mining of Bitcoin

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-makes-additional-investment-130000324.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 23, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, today announced that, based on the previously released positive results of its initial mining efforts, the Company has purchased additional mining hardware through its partnership with Hashmaster Tech, LLC ("Hashmaster"). As previously announced, Bitcoin Shop's approximate $42,000 purchase of mining hardware produced 2.62 bitcoins (net of all fees) valued at approximately $1,000 (based on an exchange rate of $382 per bitcoin). This was based on one week of operation and 60% operational usage of its purchased mining hardware. Bitcoin Shop ordered 189 bitcoins (approximately $72,000) worth of additional mining hardware, which, once online, will almost triple its mining capacity. The Company anticipates that its newly purchased mining equipment will ship at the end of November and be mining shortly thereafter. Charles Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "We've indicated our plans to move rapidly into this business segment and today we made more progress towards that goal. Across the digital currency ecosystem we believe that mining can be successful and profitable with the right knowledge and infrastructure in place. We believe we can continue to drive revenue and shareholder value through growth in this segment which complements our core strategy." About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-10-24 13:10:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [437]}

{}

Myriad Interactive Media Inc. (MYRY) divests BTCTickers.com for 143% premium and moves Ebola tracking system into development

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/myriad-interactive-media-inc-myry-131000746.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Myriad Interactive Media Inc. (MYRY) divests BTCTickers.com for 143% premium and moves Ebola tracking system into development mode. Toronto, Ontario / ACCESSWIRE / October 24 2014 / Myriad Interactive Media Inc. ( OTC: MYRY ), ( XNG.BE ) a global interactive media and development company has sold BtcTickers.com for a 143% premium. "We are pleased to announce that we have been been offered a significant premium for our BtcTickers.com Bitcoin stock tracking website.", said Myriad CEO Derek Ivany. "We have sold the web asset to Ticker Logix, Inc. a firm we have completed many successful developments for in the past, and this completely divests our company from the crypto-currency space at this time" continued Ivany. Berlin Listing Update "The company would like to notify investors that we are looking into the notification of our shares being dropped from the Berlin stock exchange", said Myriad CEO Derek Ivany. "We are well aware of the situation and are weighing our options and what steps are necessary to continue with our quotation in Germany," continued Ivany. Ebola Tracking System Project Update "We are also pleased to announce that we have completed the majority of the critical designs required to begin coding on the new mobile application. We are now in development mode on the app and are moving at full speed", said Myriad CEO Derek Ivany. About Myriad Interactive Media, Inc.: Myriad Interactive Media is an interactive marketing and development firm based in Toronto, Canada. Myriad designs and develops corporate websites, enterprise applications and mobile apps. Myriad has developed several in house technologies which are 100% owned and operated by Myriad Interactive Media, Inc. Myriad Interactive Media Inc. is a public company quoted on the OTC Markets under the symbol MYRY and on the Berlin exchange in Germany under the symbol XNG. For more information, please visit us in the USA at http:// www.myriadim.com Forward-Looking Statements Story continues In addition to historical information, this press release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to be materially different from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities law, the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or to revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available, new events occur or circumstances change in the future. Contacts: Myriad Interactive Media Inc. Contact Investor Relations (Email Preferred) Investor Relations: 1-800-427-1103 [email protected] Interactive XBRL Filings are available at: http://www.myriadim.com/investor-center.html SOURCE : Myriad Interactive Media Inc.

2014-10-27 11:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 148, 355, 407, 662, 683, 999, 1011, 2427], "BTC": [1147]}

{"Bitcoin": [0, 34]}

Bitcoin Brands to Sponsor Detroit Bitcoin Expo

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-brands-sponsor-detroit-bitcoin-110000751.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Phoenix, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / October 27, 2014 / Bitcoin Brands Inc. ( CEHC ) announced that it is one of the presenting sponsors of tonight's Detroit Bitcoin Expo which takes place from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Westin Book Cadillac. The featured speakers are Tony Sakich from Bitpay and attorney Pamela Morgan, who provides legal and educational services on Bitcoin.The event is being produced by the Michigan Bitcoiners and open to the public. “We look forward to Detroit being a hub of bitcoin activity. It is exciting to be a part of an event that highlights the possibilities of bitcoin as a catalyst to the rebirth of Detroit,” added Peter Klamka President of Bitcoin Brands Inc. "Bitcoin is a technology poised to significantly improve the lives of people across the globe. Detroit and Windsor are communities of trailblazing innovators who anticipate aqthe positive benefits that will be provided to both cities." stated Daniel Bloch Cofounder of the College Cryptocurrency Network and Michigan Bitcoiners. Bitcoin Brands develops and markets consumer focused bitcoin products including payment services, tablets and ATMs. Contact: 1-844-VEND-BTC [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey Company progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially and are subject to risk and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include without limitation: dependence on key personnel and suppliers; changing regulations, ability to fund growth of equipment; material and component costs; bitcoin prices, competition; economic conditions; and consumer demand for bitcoin. Additional considerations and risk factors are set forth in reports filed with the SEC and other filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements; historical information is not an indicator of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements. Source: Bitcoin Brands Inc.

2014-10-27 12:00:00+00:00

{}

{"Bitcoin": [73]}

Bitnet Technologies Bringing Its Digital Commerce Platform for Accepting Bitcoin Payments to Money20/20

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitnet-technologies-bringing-digital-commerce-120000271.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - Oct 27, 2014) - Bitnet Technologies ( https://www.bitnet.io/ ), which provides a digital commerce platform designed to enable enterprise-scale merchants to accept bitcoin payments, today announced its participation at Money20/20 , the world's largest event enabling payments and financial services innovation for connected commerce. Money20/20 will be held November 2-5, 2014 at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bitnet is a sponsor of the event and will be exhibiting at booth #605. Bitnet will also speak on a panel along with partner CardinalCommerce as part of the "Retailers: What's In Store" track at Money20/20. The panel is titled "Bitnet & CardinalCommerce at the Leading Edge of E-Commerce," and will take place in room Juniper 1 at 10:35am on Wednesday, November 5. "Money20/20 has rapidly become the premier event for showcasing the latest innovations in payments and commerce," said John McDonnell, Co-Founder & CEO, Bitnet. "Bitnet is a proud sponsor of the event. We're excited to participate in the discussions that will help shape the future of fintech." For more information about the Money20/20, visit http://www.money2020.com . About Bitnet Bitnet provides a digital commerce platform enabling enterprise-scale merchants to accept digital currencies such as bitcoin as payment for goods and services. Bitnet's engineering, product, and business development team helped build and manage the world's largest payment gateway, CyberSource, which was sold to the world's largest payment network, Visa, for $2 billion in 2010. Bitnet has offices in San Francisco, California and Belfast, Northern Ireland. For more information visit https://www.bitnet.io . About Money20/20 Money20/20 is the world's largest event enabling payments and financial services innovation for connected commerce at the intersection of mobile, retail, marketing services, data and technology. With 7,000 attendees, including more than 600 CEOs, from over 2,250 companies and 60 countries, Money20/20 is critical to realizing the vision of disruptive ways in which consumers and businesses manage, spend and borrow money. The next Money20/20 will be held on Nov. 2-5, 2014 in Las Vegas, and will be preceded by the Money20/20 Hackathon, which runs Nov. 1-2. To learn more about Money20/20, visit www.money2020.com .

2014-10-28 03:24:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [18, 504, 743, 2049, 2641], "BTC": [2338, 3015, 3081]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Payment Company BitSend Launches GPS Check-in Cryptocurrency Checkcoin CKC

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-payment-company-bitsend-launches-032400334.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Netherlands based Bitcoin payment company BitSend has developed disruptive social cryptocurrency Checkcoin; geared to social media users who "check-in" at locations worldwide. Dronten, Netherlands / ACCESSWIRE / October 27, 2014 / "Checking in" at locations using social media throughout the day is a worldwide phenomenon, and several cryptocurrency enthusiasts in The Netherlands have created new cryptocurrency Checkcoin (CKC) targeting this trend. BitSend, the company behind Checkcoin specializes in Bitcoin payment processing solutions and making cryptocurrencies accessible to ordinary people worldwide. Over the last year the BitSend team has helped many merchants and businesses embrace cryptocurrency using both hardware and software Bitcoin payment solutions. Like other cryptocurrencies, Checkcoin is a blockchain based medium of exchange that is electronically created and stored. Checkcoin however has many more features: using Checkcoin Mobile users are able to reward each other by discovering great places around the globe . Locations and discoveries are created as "CheckPoints" with a gps-based geolocation created through their Checkpoint Platform. When someone else "checks in" at this location with their mobile phone, they are rewarded with Checkcoins. Checkcoin brings something new to the table. It's about discovering new places, exploring the world, and rewarding others for doing the same. For both a traveller setting off on a trip around the world, or a business owner looking for a new marketing tool to attract new customers - Checkcoin is the perfect companion. The following video illustrates the full potential of Checkcoin and its many uses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kToYtxFbXMY BitSend announced Checkcoin with an ICO (initial coin offering) hosted by cryptocurrency exchange C-Cex. People enjoy visiting new places, meeting new people and sharing new experiences - many shares of Checkcoins were sold. In less than a month all Checkcoins (14 million out of 100 million total) were sold for a total of 140 Bitcoin . These funds will be used for further development, testing and promotion of Checkcoin in future. Story continues While Checkcoin's ICO was held at C-Cex, several other cryptocurrency exchanges now list CKC trading pairs; including Bter, Cryptsy, Bittrex and Bleutrade listing CKC/BTC trading markets. Due to being listed on so many cryptocurrency exchanges, more people are learning about Checkcoin and CKC's market cap has been growing steadily to approximately $100 000 USD. Checkcoin is currently trading above the initial ICO price of a few months ago . Backed by an established Bitcoin company active in The Netherlands, and targeting disruptive social media and "check-in" trends: Checkcoin is a cryptocurrency with many plans for the future. The BitSend team is still actively developing Checkcoin core infrastructure - with Checkcoin Platform and Checkcoin Mobile currently scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2015. To trade Checkcoin and BTC please go to: https://www.bittrex.com/Market/Index?MarketName=BTC-CKC *This press release is for informational purposes only. Visit http://www.checkcoin.cc/ for more information. Contact Info Name: Maurice Organization: BitSend Phone: +31(0)321 75 04 59 Email: [email protected] Address: De Tjonger 22a, 8253 PZ, Dronten, Netherland SOURCE: BitSend

2014-10-28 05:07:18+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [221, 343, 502, 576, 823, 1162, 1377, 1629, 1779, 2753]}

{"Bitcoin": [27]}

Jason Brailow to Enter the Bitcoin Market

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jason-brailow-enter-bitcoin-market-050718066.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 28, 2014) - Founder and CEO of Advanced Global Concepts, based in one of Dubai's world-renowned buildings Burj Khalifa, Jason Brailow has announced his plans for entering the lucrative Bitcoin market. He and his team are in the process of building a high-performance exchange technology that will rival top Bitcoin exchanges while providing secure storage solutions to financial institutions, including banks, brokerages, hedge funds, trading firms, and FX dealers. Bitcoin is quickly growing into a widely accepted currency. Whereas daily Bitcoin transactions were in the 60,000s in April 2014, the number steadily increased to 80,000 transactions per day in October 2014. The all-time highest number of transactions (102,010) was recorded in December 2013. For financial institutions, Bitcoin is becoming one of the important components of the 21 st century's financial system. The technology behind this digital currency has the power to reduce systemic risk through its implementation of safety measures, which protect the payments system from unpredictable financial activities such as economy meltdowns. Introduction of Bitcoin has also favorably impacted the economic growth as financial institutions are generously compensated for serving as intermediaries by documenting amounts individuals have and owe. Understanding the value of Bitcoin and its effect on the financial sector, tech-savvy serial entrepreneur Jason Brailow is partnering with financial service providers around the world to avail the opportunity of partnering with his new system to run their own exchange and offer Bitcoins to their customer base. Brailow has developed a novel financial infrastructure, which aims to provide the safest and most secure storage for Bitcoin. Conventionally, digital wallets are either saved on computers or on cloud servers. A wallet on a computer can easily be deleted by accident or destroyed by viruses, while most cloud-based wallets are easy to hack into. Accustomed to implementing cutting-edge technology, Brailow has developed a processing system, which features the most innovative security measures. As a result, financial institutions will be able to deliver premium service without risking their reputations. Story continues Jason Brailow is a well-known serial entrepreneur worldwide, who has within a decade-time created dozens of successful start-ups, hundreds of Direct Marketing campaigns, and has been featured in top publications like Forbes, Tech Crunch, and Wired Magazine. Currently consulting for million-dollar enterprises through Advanced Global Concepts, Brailow relentlessly enjoys challenging himself and venturing into different markets. His latest endeavor before entering the Bitcoin market is within the real estate sector: a solar-powered smart home community in California. This state-of-the-art property promises to reduce homeowners' carbon footprint and costs while providing state of the art smart home technology. To learn more about Jason Brailow, visit: http://www.JasonBrailowNews.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/JasonBrailowUT LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrailow

2014-10-28 12:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1361]}

{}

Payza Lets New Merchants Process Payments Within Minutes of Opening an Account

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/payza-lets-merchants-process-payments-120000234.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

MONTREAL, QC and NEW YORK, NY and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Oct 28, 2014) - Payza, a global leader in online payment processing, has streamlined its process for allowing new business members to go from setting up a Payza account to accepting online payments. Under the new system, a merchant simply needs to sign up for a Payza business account, complete and submit the website review form, and integrate Payza's "Buy Now" button scripts into their website to start accepting payments. "Due diligence is very important at Payza, but with this process we feel we have struck the best balance between speed, simplicity, convenience and security," said Ferhan Patel, Director of Global Risk and Compliance. "Under the new procedure we've been able to go from not having an account to integrating fully functional Payza payment buttons on our test sites in under 15 minutes." The new process follows a clear trend at Payza to attract new merchants to the platform. In recent months Payza has expanded the number of industries they are able to serve by adding specific high risk segments. Payza has also added new business features including a guest checkout option, in-page checkout and top-up payments. "Making our customers happy, whether they have Personal or Business accounts, is our top priority. Our focus this year has been on innovation, from Bitcoin integration to unique security features to streamlining the checkout experience. This new process is yet another step in that direction for Payza," added Patel. About Payza Payza is a leading online payments technology platform used by licensed entities around the world. Payza's highly secure platform provides businesses and consumers with convenient and flexible solutions for sending and receiving payments worldwide. The company offers access to payment services in both traditional and emerging markets, as well as a host of tools and services including: fraud screening, dispute resolution, currency exchange, global payouts and disbursement services. With millions of members, Payza offers its services around the world in 21 currencies, and is proud to provide its merchants around the globe with a complete solution for accepting payments and managing their businesses. More information is available about Payza on its website, www.payza.com , Facebook , Twitter and the company's blog .

2014-10-28 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 1136, 1852, 2074, 2094]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop Opens Redesigned Ecommerce Platform to the Public in Beta

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-opens-redesigned-ecommerce-130000031.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 28, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, today announced the unrestricted beta opening of its new 2.0 ecommerce platform to the public. The 2.0 beta ecommerce site is now open to the public for testing at www.btcs.com . Beta testers are encouraged to give feedback on front end user interface improvements, category and product presentations, page layout and workflow, and the checkout experience. The 2.0 beta ecommerce site offers over 2 million products and utilizes its "Intelligent Shopping Engine" to find consumers competitive prices on products from over 85 retailers. The site allows beta testers to purchase products, make returns, and exchanges while shopping with bitcoins, dogecoins and litecoins. The company recently started its testing process with a private beta. This launch is the second step as the Company prepares for the replacement of its legacy ecommerce platform. Charles Allen, CEO of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "For an ecommerce platform to be viable it must stand on its own two feet. Therefore we made a decision in February this year to build an entirely new website, version 2.0, at www.btcs.com which utilizes our 'Intelligent Shopping Engine.' Our team has worked diligently on building this new 2.0 platform and, while it is still in beta, we believe this is a great milestone for our Company." According to Forrester Research, Inc. U.S. online retail product sales are estimated to be $260 billion for 2014 and the value of all bitcoins in circulation today is around 5 billion. The business model of the Company's legacy site didn't allow for payment by credit card. With a long view in mind, Bitcoin Shop plans to build a bridge to current payment methods such as credit cards to drive adoption and revenue on its new site The Company anticipates accepting credit cards after its 2.0 launch. Story continues About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our public beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-10-28 18:53:51+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [61, 130, 361, 560, 693, 791, 977, 1055, 1173, 1361, 1416, 1484, 1828, 2203, 2265, 2505, 2580, 2591, 2643, 2673, 2811, 3140, 3155, 3306, 3860, 3903, 4228, 4715]}

{"Bitcoin": [8]}

What Is Bitcoin? Just Ask Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-just-ask-robocoin-ceo-185351686.html

Benzinga

http://www.benzinga.com/

Earlier this year, Robocoin was the first company to install Bitcoin ATMs in the United States. Originally, customers could trade Bitcoin for cash and vice versa at the ATMs by using a virtual wallet on their smartphones. Robocoin recently came out with the Robocoin Wallet, a banking and remittance mobile application that makes it easy to create and manage a Bitcoin wallet. The company also currently has more than 40 Robocoin ATMs at different locations around the world, including in Japan, Australia and the Czech Republic. Related Link: Robocoin Brings Bitcoin ATMs To The United States Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley was kind enough to sit down with Benzinga and share his thoughts on why Bitcoin is valuable and what its future may hold. Not Like Other Crypto-Currencies BZ: What makes Bitcoin different than other crypto-currencies? JK: Other than the fact that it was the first and the best invention, the vast majorities of other crypto-currencies are really clones of Bitcoin with a slight derivation. They will basically take the source code of Bitcoin, because it's open source, and will apply a few different tweaks to it. But ultimately, the invention that is Bitcoin is so remarkable and so important. Really, what we are seeing now is companies like Robocoin, companies like Coinbase, that are really focused on building platforms on top of that Bitcoin protocol. Those platforms are what really make Bitcoin super, super useful. BZ: I’ve heard people say that because Bitcoin is programmable and that you can do things like create unbreakable contracts. Is that true? JK: Totally, that is the coolest part of it. It removes a lot of the necessary trust that was used back in the day. In order to execute a contract, you would need a third party to be the holder of the contract and make both people accountable. Bitcoin, basically allows people -- entrepreneurs -- the ability to program that functionality and the block chain -- the global ledger -- that is distributed and is actively updated by the world's largest super computing power, which is the mining pool, is what basically holds people accountable to the contract that they find. Story continues Unique Regulation BZ: How is Bitcoin regulated? JK: The way it really works right now with Bitcoin regulation -- it's kind of like, the on-ramp and off-ramp are both of the regulated parts. So basically, and this goes on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, but you have FinCEN, the financial crimes enforcement network, say that Bitcoin is a virtual currency. Because of that, they are going to regulate Bitcoin or Bitcoin companies that basically exchange cash with Bitcoin or [U.S. dollars] for Bitcoin. They are going to govern those as money service businesses or something along those lines. Related Link: Reggie Middleton On Why Bitcoin Is Valuable Now, what that means is that companies like Robocoin or whomever it may be, need to make sure that when -- Well, Robocoin is not a money service business. Let me just clarify that. The guys who buy our machines are operators, they are in the money service businesses because what they do is they buy cash for Bitcoin or buy Bitcoin for cash. That is their business. Operators, Producers And Consumers BZ: So the people who operate your machines are the ones who buy and sell Bitcoin? JK: Correct. They are the ones who operate these businesses, which means they have to adhere to anti-money laundering laws and know-your-customer compliance requirements. Really what that means, in a nutshell, is make sure you collect customer identification. Make sure your customers are not committing fraud and make sure that you have policies in place to avoid money laundering. Basically, what we don’t want is, we don’t want to facilitate money laundering. I don’t want people to take their cash acquired by illicit means and turn it into Bitcoin and then do other things with that Bitcoin. Ultimately, that is really a vast majority of regulations. It’s just making sure that companies are collecting proper information, keeping records on all of their customers and just doing a good job overall making sure that they are not doing deals with illicit, nefarious characters. Looking Ahead BZ: Do you think Bitcoin will ever replace our mainstream currencies or maybe just compete on the same level as them? JK: I think it offers a competing method for customers to engage in commerce. That’s really all it is. Ultimately, we live in America; we live in a capitalist society. Competition is good. Competition is great. Competition pushes everybody to gain to another level. I think that it is exciting. I think if you talk to anybody who is truly American and capitalist, they see the value in Bitcoin because competition is a good thing. See more from Benzinga Meridian's Jonathan Corpina Explains How Off-Exchange Trading Hurts Investors 5 More Of The Best Interviews From Benzinga's #PreMarket Prep Jeff deGraaf On What Happens When Quantitative Easing Ends © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

2014-10-29 04:44:48+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [538]}

{}

PRESS DIGEST- New York Times business news - Oct 29

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/press-digest-york-times-business-044448209.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

Oct 29 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. * General Motors Co hopes to invigorate sales of its slow-selling Chevrolet Volt by introducing a new version of the plug-in hybrid sedan next year, with more of its parts production taking place in Michigan. ( http://nyti.ms/1nOIyxo ) * Arthur Levitt Jr., the longest-serving chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, will serve as an adviser to BitPay, the Bitcoin payment processor, and Vaurum, an exchange for institutional investors. The moves were announced on Tuesday ( http://nyti.ms/ZYoCx0 ) * The possibility that JPMorgan Chase & Co would build a two-towered, $6.5 billion headquarters on the Far West Side of Manhattan streaked across the skyline in recent weeks, only to die quietly on Tuesday. Jamie Dimon, chairman of Chase, called Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday to say that the country's largest bank had decided to stay put on the East Side. ( http://nyti.ms/1FU29Cj ) * Three years ago, AT&T Inc warned smartphone customers with "unlimited" data plans that their connections might be slowed if they used a lot of data. On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission said AT&T's disclosure was deceptive because it was not specific enough. ( http://nyti.ms/1sAZl2E ) * The German lender Deutsche Bank announced a management shakeup Tuesday that will move the chief financial officer, Stefan Krause, to a newly created post and give his duties to a Goldman Sachs Group partner, Marcus Schenck. Deutsche Bank also named Christian Sewing to the management board with responsibility for legal affairs. In addition, Henry Ritchotte, Deutsche Bank's chief operating officer, will retain that title while overseeing an effort to improve the bank's information technology, including internet and mobile banking services. ( http://nyti.ms/1wEd1Qm ) (Compiled by Rishika Sadam in Bangalore)

2014-10-29 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 487, 741, 1362, 1666, 1686]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop First to Offer "Qlipter" Rotating Clip for Sale to Consumers From Kickstarter-Backed Lulabop Inc.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-first-offer-qlipter-130000733.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 29, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Lulabop Inc. ("Lulabop"), the maker of the "Qlipter" rotating clip hook, to be the first online distributor of the newly introduced product. The agreement also provides Bitcoin Shop exclusivity as the only ecommerce comparison website featuring the product until December 1, 2014 and the only digital currency related ecommerce website to sell the Qlipter through October 9, 2015. Charlie Kiser, Chief Marketing Officer of Bitcoin Shop commented, "We are excited to be able to offer our consumers the Qlipter. Crowdfunded companies like Lulabop are bringing some of the most innovative product designs to the market. By offering shoppers unique products they cannot find on any other comparisons websites, we hope to drive new users and shoppers to our website. Our belief is that the early adopters of crowdfunded projects will also be early adopters of digital currencies, and ultimately are an appropriate target market for our planned universal digital currency platform." See Video of the Qlipter here Mina Yoo, CEO of Lulabop commented, "Bitcoin Shop is expanding the audience we can sell to beyond the scope of our supporters from our Kickstarter project. We hope the Qlipter appeals to the same shoppers that appreciate a website that offers a combination of exclusive and unique products, as well as thoughtful comparison shopping." About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our public beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-10-29 16:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [285, 1724]}

{"Bitcoin": [14]}

GoCoin Powers Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin Payments for Shopify Merchants

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gocoin-powers-bitcoin-litecoin-dogecoin-160000968.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

SANTA MONICA, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 29, 2014) - GoCoin LLC, the first e-commerce payment solution for processing bitcoin and emerging digital currencies, today announced a partnership with Shopify to provide the company's 120,000+ retailers the option to accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin at checkout. Shopify is the leading commerce platform that allows anyone to easily sell online, in store, and everywhere in between. The U.S. Census Bureau reports e-commerce sales have increased 15.7% since the second quarter of 2013, and expects this number will continue to rise. As more consumers start making online purchases, successful e-retailers will be prepared with the latest alternative payment methods. "We're always looking for new technologies that will help our merchants run their businesses and increase sales," said Louis Kearns, Product Director, Integrations, Shopify. "The partnership with GoCoin provides anyone on our platform with the option to accept multiple cryptocurrencies." "Thousands of cryptocurrencies have entered the market since bitcoin's inception, and new altcoins are launched every day," says Steve Beauregard, co-founder and CEO of GoCoin. "GoCoin helps online merchants avoid shopping cart abandonment by quickly and easily offering the latest digital currencies as payment options." Shopify merchants interested in accepting cryptocurrency payments can go live with GoCoin in less than five minutes. For setup instructions, visit: http://help.gocoin.com/kb/shopify/shopify-integration About GoCoin GoCoin is the first international payment platform for bitcoin and emerging digital currencies, making it easier than ever for online and retail merchants to accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin at checkout. GoCoin insulates merchant operators from the complexities and volatility of alt-currencies by settling transactions in the currency of their choice. Founded in July 2013, GoCoin is an international group of companies with offices in Singapore, London, Douglas, Boston and Santa Monica. For more information, please visit http://www.gocoin.com . About Shopify Shopify is a commerce platform that allows anyone to easily sell online, at their retail location, and everywhere in between. Shopify offers a professional online storefront, a payment solution to accept credit cards, a point of sale system to power retail sales and a card reader to process credit card transactions through a mobile phone. Shopify currently powers over 120,000 retailers in 150 different countries, including: Tesla Motors, Gatorade, Google, Wikipedia, LA Lakers, CrossFit, Economist, Mozilla, Budweiser, and many more. Shopify was founded in 2006 and has received $122 million in funding from OMERS Ventures, Insight Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Georgian Partners. http://www.shopify.com .

2014-10-29 18:09:15+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [3701]}

{}

HP promises a fast, colorful 3D enterprise printer for 2016 that will cost…something

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hp-promises-fast-colorful-3d-180915144.html

Gigaom

http://gigaom.com/

After teasing it for more than a year , HP has finally revealed its very first 3D printer. We still don’t know what it will cost, though HP says the price will be competitive. We do know the company really has developed a new 3D printing technique that has the potential to be pretty fast. As promised, the printer is built for the enterprise. It’s a huge device the size of an office copy machine, so it’s definitely not about to fit on your desk. The “best in class total cost of ownership” HP is touting could still put its price tag at $100,000 or more. HP describes how the 3D printer works as “multi-jet fusion.” The printer deposits a layer of liquid plastic, followed by a coating that goes specifically where the plastic needs to fuse together. Multiple heads allow the printer to put down an entire layer in one sweep. Then the materials are heated to fuse them together into a solid. An object printed on the HP 3D printer. Photo by HP. It’s very much related to the inkjet technology that has been HP’s business for years . It also sounds a bit like 3D printing giant Stratasys’ PolyJet technology, which also uses multiple heads to deposit a liquid material. PolyJet printers use an ultraviolet light to cure the plastic. But HP stated that its printer has capabilities beyond what Stratasys’ model can do. HP says it can print in full color (Stratasys’ color machine can do up to 46 colors in a print, which is convincingly close to full color). It is supposedly 10 times faster than traditional fused deposition modeling, the technology most desktop 3D printers use, because it puts down an entire layer of material at once. More unusually, HP also says 3D printed objects can be designed to have parts with different properties. Texture, friction, strength and elasticity can all be tweaked. It can also print materials that are conductive or have different thermal properties, opening up interesting applications for printing electronics. If HP delivers on all of the features promised, it could become an easy choice for both small and large businesses. Printing faster with more control over the nature of what is printed solves a lot of problems people currently have with 3D printing. The quality it prints at isn’t any better than its rivals, but it’s high enough to make the printer attractive for both prototyping and small-batch manufacturing. Story continues The printer will be widely available not now, not next year, but in 2016. It’s possible that HP is timing its release to coincide with a jump in interest in 3D printing. Sales are projected to grow dramatically over the next few years; in March, Canalys projected $3.8 billion in sales this year, which will grow to $16.2 billion in 2018. A 2013 Gartner study found that while consumer 3D printers will sell by far the most units by 2017, enterprise printers will make up the bulk of revenue. HP plans to get its printer out to a few companies before 2016. Shapeways, which prints 3D objects on demand via an online marketplace, will debut the HP printer as an option for its customers. Shapeways uses top-of-the-line printers from many different companies to offer varied types of prints, so it’s interesting to see HP included. HP also revealed a computer called Sprout that scans 2D and 3D objects. Scanning is a huge complement to 3D printing, as it allows users to quickly digitize the real world. Objects can then be altered or repaired and then 3D printed. Sprout will cost $1,899. Image copyright HP . Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research: Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial . A market analysis of emerging technology interfaces The legal challenges and opportunities for 3D printing Bitcoin: why digital currency is the future financial system More From paidContent.org HP promises a fast, colorful 3D enterprise printer for 2016 that will cost…something

2014-10-30 04:10:00+00:00

{"BTC": [560]}

{}

Umbrella Cryptocurrency Insurance Now Includes Litecoin Coverage In A New Partnership With Poloniex

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/umbrella-cryptocurrency-insurance-now-includes-041000736.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Interim Goal for Umbrella-LTC Price Point is 1:1 with Litecoin Los Angeles, California / ACCESSWIRE / October 30, 2014 / Umbrella continues to make headway in the cryptocurrency space. Fresh off the release of their roadmap, Umbrella expands its insurance fund to cover Litecoin losses, an industry first. Originally designed as an insured cryptocurrency to be mined alongside Litecoin using merged-mining (AuxPOW), Umbrella now looks to insure Litecoin. The Litecoin insurance beta opens in November to Umbrella members. Umbrella members are anyone holding 1 BTC worth of Umbrella-LTC (ULTC), board members included. To insure Litecoin, simply purchase and hold a predetermined amount of Umbrella-LTC based on the amount of Litecoin being insured (see calculator). Umbrella-LTC purchase date must precede claim date. Claims can only be made against Umbrella certified exchanges like Poloniex. Since Umbrella operates on the basis of using a crypto asset to insure Litecoin, this one time premium may actually gain value. In the event a claim is opened clients would simply reimburse themselves for a profit. If a client’s premium has lost value, it can be turned in Umbrella Holdings for the agreed coverage amount (Payable in Litecoin). Full details of the program will be announced soon. Umbrella Holdings are proud to announce their latest partner, Poloniex. Poloniex was very open to the idea of safer, trustworthy cryptocurrency exchanges. They welcomed Umbrella Holdings and agreed to a full security audit compromising of webapp and network penetration tests. Starting immediately, Umbrella-LTC is insured against theft, hacks and insolvency when held on Poloniex. Litecoin losses will also be insured on Poloniex if clients hold an active policy and are part of the beta program. Umbrella is not insurance in the typical sense. The word is used loosely to help explain the concept. Umbrella uses the innovation of a crypto asset backed insurance system, or (CABI) for short. Half of each block reward is secured during the mining process and held as collateral for claims. Provided all the dotted lines have been signed, reimbursement is a painless process. After the beta ends, features will be fully automated and built into the wallet for a pain free experience. Story continues Beta launches in early November, look for the signup page on Umbrella Holding’s website shortly. About Umbrella: Umbrella solves one of the major problems of owning cryptocurrencies. If cryptocurrency is lost by an exchange due to a hack or insolvency, customer’s options are extremely limited in recovering their losses. Having asset protection in place by reducing risk exposure is a fundamental requirement in today’s financial markets. Wall Street has a variety of ways to deal with risk, from derivatives like options and futures, to more exotic offerings like forwards and swaps. It all comes down to minimizing risk; Umbrella makes this a seamless process. While Umbrella does not solve all the problems plaguing today’s cryptocurrencies or exchanges, they offer something no other cryptocurrency can: peace of mind. By definition, Umbrella means any kind of general protection. Umbrella-LTC is a merged-mined currency that is insured and scarce by design, a currency that is designed to be acquired and held like a contract. Umbrella believes these properties will lend itself to low volatility and a stable market price. They also believe this winning combination will lead to a good store of value. In the unregulated world of cryptocurrencies, few tools exist to protect the miners and traders who are the backbone of the industry; Umbrella intends to change this. To learn more please go to: http://umbrella.holdings/ See the Umbrella Holdings insurance premium calculator: http://calc.umbrella.holdings/ Umbrella-LTC now trades on Bittrex , Cryptsy , & Poloniex *This press release is for informational purposes only Visit http://umbrella.holdings/ for more information. Contact Info Name: Robert Murray Organization: Umbrella Holdings Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Umbrella Holdings

2014-10-30 04:15:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [109, 314, 391, 1452, 1976, 2559, 2829]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency Exchange Bitspark.io Launches Securing Cyberport Tech Incubator Seed Capital

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-exchange-bitspark-io-041500713.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

With $530 000 HKD of matching seed capital from Asian tech incubator Cyberport: Bitspark's recently launched Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange in open Beta features open source code, cryptographically verifiable audits and a commitment to transparency Hong Kong / ACCESSWIRE / October 30, 2014 / Hong Kong based Bitcoin company Bitspark Limited has announced the launch of its public Beta Bitcoin and cryptocurrency Exchange . Bitspark provides the ability for customers to trade multiple cryptocurrencies in a secure, mobile friendly and easy to use environment. Bitspark’s Exchange utilizes open source code, auditable reserves, support of many alt-coins and an intuitive API. Bitspark’s commitment to trust and transparency is underscored by their open codebase, cryptographically verifiable audits and backing of one of Asia’s largest tech incubators: the Cyberport. Bitspark has been refining the security, user experience and features of the Bitspark Exchange platform to meet customers high expectations and the public beta will enable the start-up to rapidly scale to meet demands. As a special launch promotion Bitspark’s cryptocurrency trading platform is launching with Zero trading fees for the first month. "With our beta launch we are offering support for six different coins, including new interesting cryptocurrencies that are trending at the moment… We’re all about providing a trustworthy and transparent company, especially in the Bitcoin space." "We really want to convey that we’re more than just an exchange, we’re transparent, and we offer more cryptocurrencies than the competition - and we’re going to be adding more every week," says George Harrap, CEO of Bitspark. Bitspark has launched a number of innovative cryptocurrency products with more under development. Along with the Bitspark Exchange, Bitspark’s Sparkpool mining platform is a profit based coin switching mining pool already available for public use. Currently, Bitspark is developing Bitcoin and cryptocurrency merchant payment gateways and remittance services. Bitspark seeks to capture the emerging cryptocurrency market in Asia particularly: leveraging their strong product suite, cutting edge transparency, and multi-faceted platform to link customers to the exciting global cryptocurrency markets with ease. Story continues About Bitspark: Bitspark is a cryptocurrency startup based out of Cyberport, Hong Kong and was one of the top scoring startups of the August batch of 130 companies who applied for funding. Bitspark is staffed by knowledgeable veterans in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies from a number of backgrounds - ranging from hardware and software engineering to marketing and management experience. Bitspark has a suite of innovative products targeting the cryptocurrency space and is currently developing and testing new Bitcoin and cryptocurrency services and tools. To learn more please go to: www.bitspark.io Bitspark Blog: http://blog.bitspark.io/ Bitspark Twitter: https://twitter.com/BitsparkBTC Bitspark Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BitsparkBTC Bitspark Google+: https://plus.google.com/+BitsparkIoBTC Visit https://bitspark.io/ for more information. Contact Info Name: George Harrap, CEO Organization: Bitspark Limited Phone: +852 3166 3800 Email: [email protected] Address: 100 Cyberport road, Cyberport, Hong Kong SOURCE: Bitspark Limited

2014-11-04 07:03:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [302, 493]}

{"Bitcoin": [61]}

ShitExpress will send poop in a box anywhere in exchange for Bitcoins

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2014-11-04-shitexpress-poop-in-a-box.html

Engadget

https://www.engadget.com/

Pooping Pony on Assateague Nat. Park Island... You can find absolutely anything on the internet, and services that send poop on your behalf to people who've incurred your hatred are old news . This new startup called ShitExpress, however, offers something its older rivals can't: the ability to accept Bitcoins for total anonymity. No credit card means no paper trail. And, if you take great care to make sure you browse the internet anonymously, nobody will find out it's your doing. For the Bitcoin equivalent of $17, the company will send horse manure (more types will be added in the future, as should be expected from a respected poop delivery service) anywhere in the world for you. That price includes packaging (you can choose to send it in a plain box or disguised as a fancy, expensive gift), shipping, a personalized letter and a message telling the recipient to be a better human being. When Motherboard's Jason Koebler sent an order to himself, he said the package was marked as a Halloween gag gift to pass customs. But, we'll bet an official from one of the stricter countries will open one to check it, only to come across a nasty surprise. [Image credit: Kristian Bjornard/Flickr ] View comments

2014-11-04 19:46:56+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [24, 197, 254, 948, 1068, 1442, 1566, 1783, 2408, 2429]}

{"Bitcoin": [11]}

Winklevoss Bitcoin Still Moving Through Regulatory Process

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/winklevoss-bitcoin-still-moving-regulatory-194656447.html

ETF Trends

http://www.etftrends.com/

Remember the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust? Arguably the most talked about exchange traded fund that has yet to come to market, twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss filed plans for the Winkelvoss Bitcoin Trust in mid-2013, but the ETF has yet to debut. Bitcoin enthusiasts looking to display their affinity for the digital currency via the ETF wrapper do not need to fret because the brothers assured investors that the ETF is “alive and well.” The comments were made in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Erik Schatzker from the Money 2020 conference in Las Vegas. “We’re still going through the regulatory process. Any ETF is a long process to get approved and, in this particular case, we’re dealing with a very innovative product, which is a digital asset which has not been done before,” Tyler Winklevoss told Schatzker. Importantly, they noted that there has been nothing to lead them to believe that the regulatory process for the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust is going any faster or slower than with a more traditional ETF. The brothers did note that the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust is being geared along the same lines as physically-backed commodities ETFs such as the SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) and the iShares Silver Trust ( SLV ). Those ETFs give investors exposure to an asset class, in those case gold and silver, without the ability to redeem shares of the trust for direct access to that asset. [Commodity, Currency Debate Swirls Around Bitcoin ETF] The brothers also told Schatzker that they remain long bitcoin and continue to control about 1% of the market. Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency based on a peer-to-peer network and can be exchanged through computers internationally without a financial intermediary. In May, a regulatory filing revealed the Winkelvoss Bitcoin Trust will trade on the Nasdaq. In July, an Form S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission reveled the ETF, assuming it comes to life, will trade under the ticker “COIN.” Story continues The trust’s sponsor is Math-Based Asset Services LLC, which was formed in mid-2013. The company will run the new benchmark, tracking bitcoin prices based on “qualified bitcoin exchange transaction data… over a trailing two-hour period,” according to the SEC filing. The brothers have also introduced the bitcoin index, or so-called Winkdex, which will also be used to price the value of assets held by the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust. [ New Bitcoin Index Due Out ] ETF Trends editorial team contributed to this post. Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of GLD. The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.

2014-11-04 23:00:13+00:00

{"BTC": [1135]}

{}

Your first trade for Wednesday

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-trade-wednesday-182613477.html

CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/

The " Fast Money " traders share their final trades of the day. Dan Nathan is a seller of GOOG ( GOOGL ). Steve Grasso is a buyer of NXPI ( NXPI ). Karen Finerman is a buyer of FL ( FL ). Brian Kelly is a seller of EWC (NYSE Arca: EWC). Jon Najarian is a buyer of KORS ( KORS ). Stephanie Link is a buyer of UN . Pete Najarian is a buyer of FL ( FL ). Jim Lebenthal is a buyer of SJT ( SJT ). Read More Stock market's 'a sucker trade': Pro Trader disclosure: On Nov. 4, 2014, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC's "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders: Karen Finerman is long BAC, C, FL, GM, GOOG, GOOGL, JPM, M, NNA, she is short SPY, her firm is long AAPL, BAC calls, PLCE, C, CMLS, FINL, FL, GOOG, GOOGL, JPM calls, M call spreads, MTW, NNA, SUNE, DIS, her firm is short AAPL calls, SPY, XRT, Karen Finerman is on the board of GrafTech International; Steve Grasso is long AAPL, CLVS, EVGN, FB, GDX, GOOGL, IMMR, KBH, KDUS, MBLY, MHY, MJNA, NVIV, POT, SO, TMUS, TWTR, YHOO, the firm is long ABX, APC, COH, GM, BLMN, JCP, TMUS, GE, AMD; Brian Kelly is long US dollar, TLT, BTC, CTRL calls, GLD calls, HYG puts, he is short EWA, EWG, EWQ, EWQ, EWZ, EWH, EWW, British Pound, Euro, Yen, Australia Dollar, Swiss Franc, XLE, XOP, SLV; Dan Nathan is long USO Jan 33/37 risk reversal (bullish), DIS April Put Spread, PEP Jan put spread, UAL Nov put spread, INTC Nov put spread, DIA Dec put spread, today he bought GOOGL Put Butterfly in Dec; Stephanie Link is long AAPL, AIG, AXP, BAC, CMI, DOW, ESV, ETN, FB, GE, GM, GOOGL, GS, JNJ, KMI, LEA, M, MCD, MSFT, PNRA, PVH, SBUX, STI, UTX, VALE, TWTR, WAG; Pete Najarian is long AAPL, BABA, BAC, BMY, INTC, LLY, MRK, TEVA, KKR, UA, SBUX, TGT, he is long calls AAL, AA, BAC, BRCM, CSX, DD, FL, GNRC, JPM, KO, GS, MS, UAL, EUO, RSX, SPY, XLF, SPLS, YHOO, he is short calls INTC, SBUX, UA; Jon Najarian is long ADI, AGO, AAL, AMAT, AMZN, AN, APC, AWAY, BABA, CBS, DOW, DPS, DRYS, EOG, FB, FRO, GPRO, EXC, GS, GM, HCN, KMX, KORS, MS, MSFT, NBR, PHM, RFMD, SPWR, SLXP, TNP, TWX, TXN, UH, WAG, WMB, XOM, XOP, he is long calls PRU, TWTR, he bought KORS today; Jim Lebenthal is long AAPL, CAT, IBM, MRK, PFE, BP, INTC, TGT, MPC; For Bob PeckAn affiliate of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. has received compensation for products or services other than investment banking services from the following company within the last 12 months: AMZN-US. The following company is a client of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and the firm has received or is entitled to receive compensation for investment banking services involving their securities within the last 12 months: JD-US. An affiliate of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. has received compensation for products or services other than investment banking services from the following company within the last 12 months: JD-US. The following company is a client of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and the firm has received or is entitled to receive compensation for investment banking services involving their securities within the last 12 months: BABA-US.

2014-11-05 12:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [48, 303, 839, 1180, 1200, 2242, 2729], "BTC": [2717]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Brands Announces First Payment Integration for Professional Athlete

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-brands-announces-first-payment-120000731.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Ann Arbor, MI / ACCESSWIRE / November 5, 2014 / Bitcoin Brands Inc ( OTC: CEHC ) today announced that it has completed the integration of bitcoin payment processing on a professional athlete's ecommerce site. UFC standout Ian McCall's www.unclecreepymma.com now accepts bitcoin. As a special promotion, Bitcoin Brands and Uncle Creepy are offering fans $5.00 off the purchase of his latest T-shirt, the UGCTT Worldwide edition, if purchased with bitcoin. Ian will be fighting this Saturday on Fox Sports 1 on UFC Fight Night which airs nationally beginning at 10:30 pm. Eastern. Ian is one of the first professional athletes in the world and the first MMA fighter to accept bitcoin on his website. Uncle Creepy joins world recognized brands like Dell, Overstock, and Expedia in offering consumers the ability to pay with digital currency. Bitcoin offers numerous advantages to merchants such a lower transaction fees, faster deposits, and no chargeback risk. "We are excited to enable bitcoin payments for a world class UFC athlete like Ian. Anyone selling something online can follow his example and enjoy the many benefits of accepting bitcoin," added Peter Klamka President of Bitcoin Brands Inc. Bitcoin Brands will continue to explore bitcoin integration services for other professional athletes, world recognized brands, and businesses in specific vertical markets. Online payments can be combined with tablets and an ATM for a complete bitcoin solution. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey Company progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially and are subject to risk and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include without limitation: dependence on key personnel and suppliers; changing regulations, network ; material and component costs; Bitcoin prices, economic conditions; and consumer demand for its services. Story continues Additional considerations and risk factors are set forth in reports filed with the SEC and other filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements; historical information is not an indicator of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements [email protected] 844-VEND-BTC SOURCE: Bitcoin Brands Inc

2014-11-06 13:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [209, 252, 452, 497, 556, 759, 777, 879, 1022, 1116, 1277, 1367]}

{"Bitcoin": [39]}

Payza Offers Members an Option to Sell Bitcoins

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/payza-offers-members-option-sell-130000249.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

MONTREAL, QC and NEW YORK, NY and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2014) - Payza, a global leader in online payment processing, announced that the company now offers a way for its members to sell Bitcoin, the popular virtual currency. The Bitcoin Deposit feature lets members instantly sell their bitcoins to fund their Payza accounts. In August, Payza became one of the first online payment processors and e-wallet platforms to integrate Bitcoin into their system when it introduced Bitcoin Withdrawals, a simple way for Payza members to buy Bitcoin. The company acted quickly to capitalize on the success of that feature. "This is an exciting day for Payza," said Ali Nizameddine, Executive Vice President, Product and Technology. "Our initial Bitcoin offering, Bitcoin Withdrawals, has been very well received so we looked for a way to move up the release of our Bitcoin Deposit feature. Payza members can now buy and sell bitcoins on our platform, quickly and easily." There are no added fees for Payza's Bitcoin Deposit method and the company offers a competitive exchange rate, in line with other Bitcoin exchangers according to Nizameddine. "We are always trying to give our members the greatest value in terms of service. Even though we are not strictly a Bitcoin exchange, we've found a way to offer this service at very competitive rates." The Bitcoin Deposit feature is available immediately to Payza members with verified accounts in most of the over 190 countries that Payza serves. About Payza Payza is a leading online payments technology platform used by licensed entities around the world. Payza's highly secure platform provides businesses and consumers with convenient and flexible solutions for sending and receiving payments worldwide. The company offers access to payment services in both traditional and emerging markets, as well as a host of tools and services including: fraud screening, dispute resolution, currency exchange, global payouts and disbursement services. With millions of members, Payza offers its services around the world in 21 currencies, and is proud to provide its merchants around the globe with a complete solution for accepting payments and managing their businesses. More information is available about Payza on its website, www.payza.com , Facebook , Twitter and the company's blog .

2014-11-06 17:04:02+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1309]}

{}

U.S. shuts down Silk Road 2.0 website, charges alleged owner

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-shuts-down-silk-road-162227011.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said Thursday they have shut down the successor website to Silk Road, an underground online drug marketplace, and charged its alleged operator with conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, computer hacking, money laundering and other crimes. Blake Benthall, 26, was arrested on Wednesday in San Francisco and was expected to make an initial court appearance in federal court there later on Thursday. The charges against Benthall carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. A lawyer for Benthall could not immediately be identified. Silk Road 2.0 was launched late last year, weeks after authorities had shuttered the original Silk Road website in October and arrested its alleged owner, Ross Ulbricht, who went by the online alias, Dread Pirate Roberts. “Let’s be clear – this Silk Road, in whatever form, is the road to prison," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office is prosecuting both cases, said in a statement. Benthall, known as “Defcon” online, became the operator of Silk Road 2.0 in December, one month after an unnamed co-conspirator launched the site, according to prosecutors. Silk Road 2.0 provided an online bazaar where users across the world could buy and sell drugs, computer hacking tools and other illicit items, using the digital currency Bitcoin as payment, authorities said. As of September, the site was generating at least $8 million a month in sales, they said. The government’s investigation included an undercover agent who was able to infiltrate the administrative staff of the website and interact directly with Benthall, prosecutors said. Ulbricht, 30, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in New York in January. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Bernadette Baum) View comments

2014-11-06 17:28:01+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [73, 521, 1381]}

{}

U.S. charges Texas man with running bitcoin Ponzi scheme

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-charges-texas-man-running-172801043.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A Texas man who operated Bitcoin Savings and Trust was charged on Thursday with bilking his investors, in what prosecutors called the first federal criminal securities fraud case arising from a bitcoin-related Ponzi scheme. Trendon Shavers, 32, of McKinney, Texas, was charged with misappropriating about 146,000 of the 764,000 bitcoin, then worth more than $4.5 million, that he raised from September 2011 to September 2012, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said. Bitcoin is a virtual currency that trades on the Internet, without the backing of any government or central bank. The criminal case follows a Sept. 18 order by a federal judge in Texas that Shavers and his company pay a total of $40.7 million comprising illegal profit, interest and fines in a related U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil lawsuit. Known online as "pirateat40," Shavers allegedly gained control of as much as 7 percent of the bitcoin market by promising investors up to 7 percent weekly interest, or 3,641 percent annualized, based on his ability to trade the currency. Instead, Shavers allegedly used new bitcoin to repay old investors, add to his account at the now-bankrupt Mt. Gox exchange, and fund expenses such a used BMW M5, casino visits and a $1,000 dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse in Las Vegas. About half the investors in Bitcoin Savings and Trust lost some or all of their investments, prosecutors said. "Trendon Shavers managed to combine financial and cyber fraud into a bitcoin Ponzi scheme that offered absurdly high interest payments, and ultimately cheated his investors out of their bitcoin investments," Bharara said in a statement. "This case, the first of its kind, should serve as a warning to those looking to make a quick buck with unsecured currency." Shavers was arrested at his home on Thursday and charged with securities fraud and wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine on the securities fraud count. Story continues He is expected to appear on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Sherman, Texas, and on Nov. 14 in federal court in Manhattan after the case is transferred. Shavers' lawyer could not immediately be identified. The federal public defender's office in Sherman had no immediate comment. Shavers did not immediately respond to an email request for comment. His ability to pay the SEC judgment is unclear. The cases are U.S. v. Shavers, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-mag-02465; and SEC v. Shavers et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, No. 13-00416. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)

2014-11-06 17:38:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [781]}

{}

FBI shuts down black market website Silk Road, arrests its owner (again)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2014-11-06-fbi-shuts-down-black-market-website-silk-road-arrests-its-owner.html

Engadget

https://www.engadget.com/

Just over a year after the feds shut down the original Silk Road , an online marketplace that offered anonymous drug and gun sales, they've apparently done the same to its successor. The FBI shut down Silk Road 2.0 and arrested its alleged founder, Blake Benthall, in San Francisco. Benthall is charged with crimes including conspiring to commit narcotics trafficking, computer hacking, trafficking in fake IDs, and money laundering. The FBI believes that the site was launched by a co-conspirator of "Dread Pirate Roberts" who founded the original website, but that Benthall took over control in late December of last year. Business Insider points out a Facebook page for Benthall listing him as a software engineer at SpaceX, while a Twitter profile is tagged "rocket scientist, Bitcoin dreamer." Like the original site, Silk Road 2.0 used Tor to hide its origins and operators, but the FBI says an undercover agent infiltrated the site's support staff and was able to communicate with Benthall directly that way. Update : SpaceX confirmed that a Blake Benthall did work for the company, but he is no longer with the firm. Update 2: The takedown was a part of Operation Onymous, which has knocked out a number of other darknet marketplaces and their alleged operators. Benthall, Blake Complaint by Ryan J. Reilly

2014-11-06 18:15:00+00:00

{"BTC": [6252]}

{}

Columbus International Inc. Agrees to Terms of Acquisition by CWC

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/columbus-international-inc-agrees-terms-181500526.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2014) - Columbus International Inc. The combined business will: Deliver broader, pro-consumer product offerings, improved services and service delivery Inject state of the art TV and next-generation broadband technology into CWC Deliver huge opportunities to the Business and Government sectors Provide rapid lead in fixed mobile convergence through a premier network platform Columbus International Inc. ("Columbus") has reached a conditional agreement, subject to customary regulatory approvals, to be acquired by Cable & Wireless Communications PLC ("CWC"). The proposed acquisition, valued at US$3.025bn, will enable the combined company to significantly accelerate growth, improve service delivery to customers in the region, offer customers a more comprehensive portfolio of high-quality products and services, and strengthen its position against larger competitors. The increased scale and capabilities of the combined company will provide the technical platform and financial capacity to help enable the combined company to drive greater innovation and expand its geographic footprint. The combination of the two companies is consistent with global industry trends, where convergence of fixed and mobile networks, increasing content consumption growth, and continuing development of online applications are driving requirements for high bandwidth, fixed line networks and TV capabilities. Operators in Europe and North America, as well as regional competitors, are acquiring and constructing networks that are capable of supporting ever-growing data needs along with new video capabilities. Columbus believes that the combined strengths of both companies will accelerate growth, provide the necessary scale to enhance the customer experience, and help to allow Columbus to achieve its goal to become the "Best service provider" and "Employer of Choice" in the region. Similarly, the combination of the two businesses supports CWC's new strategy and its four primary areas of focus: Drive Mobile Leadership; Accelerate Fixed-Mobile Convergence; Reinforce TV Offer; and Grow Business to Business and Business to Government sectors. This strategy is underpinned by their announced US$1.05billion Project Marlin capital investment program. Additionally, CWC believes that the combination of the two businesses will generate material operating cost and capital expenditure synergies. Story continues The proposed combination of Columbus' pay TV capabilities and next-generation, state-of-the-art fibre networks with CWC's region-leading mobile footprint and existing fixed line infrastructure will significantly expand product and service offerings for customers and also advance CWC's quad play ambitions. The combined business will also deliver the benefits of superior quality network infrastructure, fixed-mobile products and bundles, superior TV content at competitive rates, and a more attractive portfolio of products and services in the B2B and B2G segments. Columbus' president and ceo, Brendan Paddick commented that, "Together we will form a truly world-class company focused on our customers in the Caribbean, Central America and the Andean regions. Combining our businesses makes both companies stronger, faster and smarter in competing with larger competitors. The proposed transaction reinforces our commitment to transform connectivity in the region, to increase the attractiveness of the region to investors, to support the growth of the communities we serve by making them more globally accessible and to ensure that our customers always have access to the best products and services available." According to Phil Bentley, CWC's Chief Executive Officer: "This is a transaction that transforms CWC, providing a step-change in growth and returns. Columbus offers complementary TV, Broadband and B2B capabilities in complementary markets. Together, we will create the best-in-class quad-play offering in the region, delivered on a superior mobile, fibre and subsea network. This is a significant opportunity to better serve our customers and improve the ICT infrastructure of the communities in which we operate, whilst accelerating our strategy and delivering materially enhanced returns and synergy benefits." For both companies, the proposed acquisition will enable greater focus on the Caribbean, Andean and Latin American markets, a region that offers attractive growth. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC acted as financial advisors to Columbus. Cox & Palmer acted as lead legal counsel to Columbus, supported by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer together with Mills & Reeve (UK corporate and securities), Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler (bond and financing) and Bingham McCutchen (USA regulatory). About Columbus International Inc. Columbus International Inc. is a privately held diversified telecommunications company based in Barbados. The Company provides digital cable television, broadband Internet and digital landline telephony in Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Curacao under the brand name Flow and in Antigua under the brand name Karib Cable . Columbus also provides next generation connectivity and IT solutions, managed networking and cloud-based services under the brand Columbus Business Solutions . Through its subsidiary, Columbus Networks , the Company provides capacity and IP services, corporate data solutions and data centre services throughout 42 countries in the greater Caribbean, Central American and Andean region. Through its fully protected, ringed submarine fibre optic network spanning more than 42,300 km and its 38,000 km terrestrial fibre and coaxial network, Columbus' 3,150 plus professionals provide advanced telecom services to a diverse residential and corporate client base of over 700,000 customers. For more information visit www.columbus.co About Cable & Wireless Communications Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) is a full-service communications provider operating in 16 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Operating four leading businesses: - Cable and Wireless Panama , LIME, (the Caribbean excluding The Bahamas), BTC (The Bahamas) and Cable and Wireless Seychelles ; CWC offers mobile, broadband, TV, domestic and international fixed line services in most of our markets serving over 5.6m customers. CWC also provides premium data centre hosting, telecoms, domestic and international managed data network services and custom IT Service Solutions to businesses and governments through the new unit, Cable & Wireless Business Solutions. Our mission is to grow customer relationships and lifetime value by becoming #1 for Customer Service. We are the market leader in most products they offer and territories they serve. For more information visit: www.cwc.com

2014-11-06 19:43:25+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [66, 568, 1493]}

{}

Texan charged in first bitcoin securities fraud Ponzi case

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-charges-texas-man-running-bitcoin-ponzi-scheme-173148793--sector.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Texas man who operated Bitcoin Savings and Trust was charged on Thursday with bilking his investors, in what prosecutors called the first federal criminal securities fraud case arising from a bitcoin-related Ponzi scheme. Trendon Shavers, 32, of McKinney, Texas, was charged with misappropriating about 146,000 of the 764,000 bitcoin, then worth more than $4.5 million, that he raised from September 2011 to September 2012 by promising investors "absurdly high" interest rates, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said. Bitcoin is a virtual currency that trades on the Internet, without the backing of any government or central bank. The criminal case follows a Sept. 18 order by a federal judge in Texas that Shavers give up $40.7 million comprising illegal profit, interest and fines in a related U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil lawsuit. Known online as "pirateat40," Shavers allegedly gained control of as much as 7 percent of the bitcoin market by promising investors up to 7 percent weekly interest, or 3,641 percent annualized, based on his ability to trade the currency, and a promise that money could be withdrawn at any time. Instead, Shavers allegedly used new bitcoin to repay old investors, add to his account at the now-bankrupt Mt. Gox exchange, and fund expenses that included a used BMW M5 sedan, spa treatments, casino visits and a $1,000 dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse in Las Vegas. About half the investors in Bitcoin Savings and Trust, which was not incorporated and which Shavers ran by himself, lost some or all of their investments, prosecutors said. "Trendon Shavers managed to combine financial and cyber fraud into a bitcoin Ponzi scheme that offered absurdly high interest payments, and ultimately cheated his investors out of their bitcoin investments," Bharara said in a statement. "This case, the first of its kind, should serve as a warning to those looking to make a quick buck with unsecured currency." Shavers was charged with securities fraud and wire fraud, and faces up to 20 years in prison on each count if convicted. The defendant was arrested at his home on Thursday morning, and later made an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amos Mazzant in the northeastern Texas city of Sherman near the Oklahoma border. Shavers is expected to appear on Nov. 14 in federal court in Manhattan after his case is transferred. A lawyer for Shavers could not immediately be reached. Shavers did not immediately respond to an email request for comment. His ability to pay the SEC judgment was unclear. The cases are U.S. v. Shavers, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-mag-02465, and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, No. 14-mj-00355; and SEC v. Shavers et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, No. 13-00416. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)

2014-11-06 19:44:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [8806, 9001, 9032]}

{}

Reddit And Instagram Have A Thriving Marketplace For Fake IDs

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/reddit-instagram-thriving-marketplace-fake-194400500.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

Fake IDs Getty For bored teenagers looking to sneak into bars or clubs, buying an illegal fake ID has become scarily easy. They don't need to rely on friends of friends, scribbled instructions or shady meetings in back alleys. Now, the local fake ID vendor is just an Instagram post or Reddit comment away. Entire communities of people eager to buy or sell fake IDs have sprung up online. As well as a more hidden industry quietly existing on the deep web outside of the curious Google searches of teenagers, fake ID vendors have become so confident that they're promoting their products publicly. Reddit and Instagram did not respond to our requests for comment. We will update this story if we hear back from them. There's A Subreddit For Everything The Fake IDs subreddit is a community within Reddit where people can share links, accounts of their experience, and information about the purchase and creation of illegal fake IDs. Surprisingly, this isn't a new community soon to be stamped out by Reddit administrators. Instead, it has existed for nearly three years, with the first online archive of the community originating from January 2012. One fake ID vendor discussed on the subreddit is Ozzy Fake ID . On the group's website, they explain why they started selling fake IDs online: Growing up in Australia you all know the drill you’re friends with people older than you, hang out with them kick back until the time comes that they all want to go out clubbing or go to the casino, pub whatever it may be and you’re left behind babysitting the TV remote controller just to be sure it doesn’t run away. Well me and my best mate had enough and had to do something about it. We put our heads together and we knew we could do something about this problem. Ozzy Fake IDs website Ozzy Fake IDs On its website, Ozzy Fake ID directs users to search for the group on the fake ID subreddit, explaining "You will see that we are legit vendors." For many online fake ID vendors, online feedback and reviews are essential, and a clear sign that they aren't scammers. Sure enough, the fake ID subreddit has a thread on Ozzy Fake ID, and the general consensus is that the group is made up of unprofessional scammers. The most popular posts on the fake ID subreddit are helpful guides for people looking t0 sneak into bars with their assumed identity. One thread, " Bar Tips For Fake ID Users ," identifies a series of tactics that teenagers can use, including "Smile and greet bouncers," "Know your fake age," and "Don't get too fucked up." Another popular post is a guide to the multitude of fake ID vendors online. The ranking is controversial, however, and a user named iOracle, who works for Novelty IDs, expresses his disappointment that he is ranked far down the list: Story continues Reddit fake ID screenshot Reddit Replies came in from another Reddit user and even the competitor who was ranked higher than him, explaining why his products are considered superior: Reddit fake ID Reddit The subreddit's most upvoted post comes from a user claiming to be 12-years-old who want a fake ID to buy an 18-rated Xbox game. 12-year-old trying to buy fake ID on Reddit Reddit Reddit has even skyrocketed to the front page of Google, bringing its wealth of information on how to buy fake IDs to a large audience. A search for "Buy fake ID" on google.com shows the fake ID subreddit's " Comprehensive Fake ID Vendor Guide " post as the eighth result. Part of the Reddit post ranking as one of the top results for the popular Google search: Reddit fake ID vendor list Reddit Instagram Isn't Just For Photos Of Food Popular fake ID sellers often run promotions to raise their profile. One seller, Really Good Fakes, runs his promotions using Instagram. The promotion starts with a Reddit or Instagram post informing users that a certain amount of fake IDs will be given away using a secret code. Fake ID Instagram screenshot Instagram To see the code, people need to follow the fake ID seller's Instagram account before it is made private. That way, the code is kept within a small number of people. Surprisingly, most people use their personal Instagram accounts to interact with and follow the fake ID vendors. Their full names and employment details are often visible, along with the comments and queries directed toward the sellers of illegal fake IDs. But Instagram isn't just used to run promotions. Aware that the photo sharing app is popular amongst teenagers, fake ID vendors with names like Anonymous IDs, Planet Fakes and Top Notch Novelty often set up profiles on the site to advertise their products. A search for the hashtag #fakeid using Instagram browser Iconosquare shows that over 20,000 photos and videos on the site have been uploaded with the hashtag. Here are some of the results for the #fakeid search on Instagram, showing a seller promoting his products: Fake ID Instagram search Iconosquare Fake ID vendors on Instagram use some thoroughly modern promotional tactics. Photos are annotated with emoji to stand out to teenagers eager to sneak into their local bars. Images are also uploaded with hashtags such as #collegelife, #weekend, #party and #club, which means they'll appear alongside party snaps from other teenagers. Here's a typical promotional post from popular Instagram fake ID seller Anonymous IDs, which was uploaded to a public Instagram account: Fake ID promo photo on Instagram Instagram/Anonymous IDs And here's another post from the same Instagram account showing the states for which it can produce fake IDs: Fake ID Instagram photo state list Instagram/Anonymous IDs While there's certainly plenty of evidence that there are people soliciting for business on Reddit and Instagram, are people actually buying anything? After all, many internet black markets are filled with people selling things they have no intention on ever delivering. As The Daily Dot reports , the deep web has many sites claiming to offer assassinations, but there's no evidence that anyone has ever been killed from a deep web "hit." Hitman Network The Daily Dot But many people online have confessed to purchasing fake IDs through vendors who operate publicly through Reddit and Instagram. One Australian man, speaking to The Herald , claims to have purchased a fake ID after following a link found on Reddit. And on the popular Frat subreddit, two people claim to have used Instagram to buy fake ID: Frat screenshot buying fake ID Instagram Reddit Here's What You Actually Get Researchers at detox.net used the Fake ID subreddit to find a fake ID seller, and proceeded to purchase a fake ID. The card itself arrived in a DHL document parcel. It was hidden inside the middle page of an air conditioner instruction manual: Fake ID package stealth detox.net The product that was delivered was obviously fake, and bouncers they talked to informed them that it would not pass muster when trying to gain entry to a club. Here's a comparison of a real Florida driver's license card (top) compared with a fake card purchased from a vendor found on Reddit (bottom): Fake ID comparison detox.net So if the ID cards being sold by vendors listed on Reddit and Instagram don't work, where are the expert forgers selling their goods? Business Insider spoke with someone who has knowledge of the online black market for fake ID cards, and they directed us to a series of "deep web" marketplaces. Going Deeper The deep web is a collection of websites and servers that are inaccessible through normal web browsers. Instead, they are accessed using "Onion" links, a series of letters and numbers that form a URL that will only load through the anonymous web browser Tor. Perhaps the best known deep web marketplace, the Silk Road, was shut down by the FBI on October 2 2013. The FBI arrested 29-year-old Ross William Ulbricht in a San Francisco library, accusing him of running the site which served as a marketplace for the sale of drugs, fake IDs, and other illicit items. Silk Road seizure notice FBI Ulbricht was found to have ordered a collection of fake ID cards online. The New York Times reported that Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package of forged ID cards that Ulbricht had ordered through a deep web marketplace, likely the Silk Road. Ross Ulbricht fake ID United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of NY The market for fake ID cards didn't end with the closure of the Silk Road. Sellers moved to the other hidden marketplaces, and even returned to the Silk Road when a new version of the site, dubbed the Silk Road 2.0, went live in November 2013. In order to help its readers navigate the tricky world of deep web marketplaces, the fake ID community on Reddit has even created a detailed guide to downloading Tor, finding the hidden markets, and to purchasing and anonymizing Bitcoin. Once readers have done these steps, they're ready to hit the deep web and buy fake IDs. The Silk Road 2.0 has hundreds of listings for fake ID cards. Prices are listed in cryptocurrency Bitcoin rather than USD, since Bitcoin makes it far more difficult for law enforcement to track purchases. Fake ID listings on Silk Road 2.0 The Silk Road Deep web ID sellers show off the features that their fake ID cards come with. This Silk Road sellers shows that his cards include security features that show under UV lights, just like genuine ID cards: UV light back of fake ID card Silk Road The Silk Road Feedback and reviews are vital for deep web sellers. Without them, it's difficult for potential customers to know if the vendors are scammers or not. Fake ID sellers on the deep web often have pages filled with positive reviews. Just like Ozzy Fake ID, vendors encourage buyers to check their feedback before purchasing, confident that their track record speaks for itself. Fake ID review deep web Silk Road The Silk Road It's not just ID cards that are listed for sale on the deep web, though. Entire passports can be purchased online, although they are far more expensive. The C9 marketplace lists British passports for sale for $1,548.58. British passport for sale on C9 deep web marketplace C9 The internet's fake ID marketplace is enjoying somewhat of a boom period. It has realised that sites like Reddit and Instagram have no intention of cracking down on their established networks. The seizure of the Silk Road concerned professional forgers, but the plethora of other shady marketplaces, and the launch of the Silk Road 2.0, has shown them that the world of fake ID sales online is here to stay. More From Business Insider REPORT: Lyft Is Considering Expanding To London Police In Germany Are Trying To Stop Armed Warfare Between Rival File-Sharing Gangs German Retail Sales Fall Through The Floor View comments

2014-11-06 20:56:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2313, 2406, 2829, 10644]}

{}

FBI Arrests Former SpaceX Employee, Alleging He Ran The 'Deep Web' Drug Marketplace Silk Road 2.0

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fbi-arrests-former-spacex-employee-205600245.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

Blake Benthall Github/blakeeb The man the FBI alleges was a Silk Road 2.0 operator. The FBI and Europol have conducted a joint operation to take down the internet's thriving "deep web" drug marketplaces. The official FBI New York Twitter account confirmed on Thursday the seizure of Silk Road 2.0, saying that the site's alleged operator, Blake Benthall, was arrested in San Francisco on Wednesday. He now potentially faces life in prison, the FBI says. Benthall is a former employee of SpaceX, Elon Musk's private rocket company. SpaceX confirmed to Business Insider that an employee with that named worked at the company from Dec. 9, 2013 to Feb. 21, 2014. There are also reports that police have arrested a major online drug dealer in Ireland as part of what's being called Operation Onymous. Silk Road 2.0 was taken offline exactly one year after it went live on Nov. 6, 2013. Visitors to the deep web's drug marketplace have been met with an official police notice informing them of the site's seizure. Here's what people see when they try and access the Silk Road: Silk Road seized The Silk Road The FBI alleges in its complaint that Benthall's unencrypted computer contained "address lists for customers all over the world that will be of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies." Benthall is charged with one count of conspiring to commit narcotics trafficking, one count of conspiring to commit computer hacking, one count of conspiring to traffic in fraudulent identification documents, and one count of money-laundering conspiracy. He potentially faces life in prison. Here's the full criminal complaint against Benthall: During September and October, the DEA made purchases from the Silk Road, including 0.5 grams of heroin, two grams of cocaine, 120 micogrammes of LSD, and ten Oxycodone pills. Every one of those purchases was sent to a secret address in Manhattan and tested for illegal substances. The FBI claims that each purchase tested positive for drugs. Story continues In its criminal complaint, the FBI claims that by October 2014, the Silk Road 2.0 was processing $8 million in monthly sales. Additionally, the FBI claims that Benthall, using the online name "Defcon," contacted his support staff in September 2014 to say that an unknown hacker had stolen "all of the Bitcoins" from the marketplace. The FBI investigated the hack and claimed that $1,412,000 in Bitcoin had been stolen. In conversations with an undercover FBI officer, Benthall allegedly claimed that the Silk Road had over 150,000 monthly active users. "Defcon" expressed pride in that figure, going on to say, "That's why we have to save this thing." The FBI goes on to claim that the agency's undercover Silk Road account was paid for helping run the drug marketplace, receiving payments totalling $32,189 worth of Bitcoin. It seems that the Silk Road had an aggressive strategy to beat competing drug marketplaces. In the criminal complaint, the FBI claims that Defcon, the screen name of the person who ran the site, instructed his employees to try and poach "bulk vendors and high-volume vendors" from competitors. Elsewhere in the document, the FBI specifically references a tweet retweeted by Benthall on Nov. 7, the day after the Silk Road 2.0. was launched in 2013 : This is the retweet referenced by the FBI in the criminal complaint: Blake Benthall retweet Twitter/Blake Benthall A person identical in appearance to the person in the Twitter profile referenced in the FBI complaint also owns a Facebook account , where he lists his profession as a software engineer at SpaceX, Elon Musk's space-rocket development company based in California. Additionally, the FBI mentions Benthall's personal website in the complaint, which is referenced on his social-media profiles. The FBI cites Benthall's Github account in the indictment. Github is a code-sharing website for software developers. Blake Benthall Blake Benthall / LinkedIn Blake Benthall's LinkedIn profile photo. In the criminal complaint against Benthall, the FBI claims that investigators were part of the original conversation that took place during the launch phase of the site, and that they were granted moderator privileges on the drug marketplace's forum. Government investigators were able to find the Silk Road's servers in a foreign country, and briefly took them offline as they made a copy (known as an "image") of them. Sure enough, the site went down for a brief amount, and notification emails about the downtime were automatically sent to Benthall's personal email account. Additionally, Google handed over IP addresses to the FBI that tied Benthall's email account to the Silk Road server. The original Silk Road was seized by police on Oct. 2, 2013. Police arrested Ross William Ulbricht , the man accused of running the site, in a San Francisco library. European police have hinted that further shutdowns and arrests would occur . Operation Onymous, they say, will conclude within hours and will "disrupt global activity" on the deep web. Almost all the deep web's major drug marketplaces are offline, raising the possibility that the FBI has caused severe disruption to the online drug trade. Agora, Alpaca, BlueSky, C9, Hyrda, Pandora, and the Silk Road are all currently offline. blake benthall Blake Benthall / Twitter Blake Benthall's Twitter profile photo. Earlier today, one of the Silk Road's biggest drug dealers was arrested in Ireland, police claim. Ecstacy, LSD, and other drugs worth up to €180,000 were seized in a police raid, the Irish Examiner reports . Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene. The arrests are part of the same police operation that led to the seizure of the Silk Road. Here's the full text of the FBI press release: OPERATOR OF “SILK ROAD 2.0” WEBSITE CHARGED IN MANHATTAN FEDERAL COURT Silk Road 2.0, Launched in November 2013 After Its Predecessor Was Shut Down by Law Enforcement, Has Enabled Over 100,000 People to Buy and Sell Illegal Drugs Anonymously Over the Internet Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, George Venizelos, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Peter Edge, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the arrest of BLAKE BENTHALL, a/k/a “Defcon,” in connection with his operation and ownership of the Silk Road 2.0 website, a hidden website designed to enable its users to buy and sell illegal drugs and other unlawful goods and services anonymously and beyond the reach of law enforcement. BENTHALL was arrested yesterday in San Francisco, California. He will be presented later today in federal court in San Francisco before Magistrate Judge Jaqueline Scott Corley. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, Blake Benthall attempted to resurrect Silk Road, a secret website that law enforcement seized last year, by running Silk Road 2.0, a nearly identical criminal enterprise. Let’s be clear – this Silk Road, in whatever form, is the road to prison. Those looking to follow in the footsteps of alleged cybercriminals should understand that we will return as many times as necessary to shut down noxious online criminal bazaars. We don’t get tired.” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos said: “It’s been more than a year since the FBI made an arrest of the administrator of the black-market bazaar, Silk Road, and here we stand again, announcing the arrest of the creator and operator of Silk Road 2.0. Following a very close business model to the first, as alleged, Blake Benthall ran a website on the Tor network facilitating supposedly anonymous deals of drugs and illegal services generating millions of dollars in monthly sales. Benthall should have known that those who hide behind the keyboard will ultimately be found. The FBI worked with law enforcement partners here and abroad on this case and will continue to investigate and bring to prosecution those who seek to run similar black markets online.” HSI Executive Associate Director Peter Edge said: “Blake Benthall’s arrest ends his status as the alleged administrator of a website that allows illicit black-market activities to evolve and expand, and provides a safe haven for illegal vices. HSI will continue to work in partnership with its federal and international law enforcement partners around the world to hold criminals who use anonymous internet software for illegal activities who seek to hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to carry out illegal activities accountable for their actions.” According to the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: Since about December 2013, BENTHALL, a/k/a “Defcon,” has secretly owned and operated an underground website known as “Silk Road 2.0” – one of the most extensive, sophisticated, and widely used criminal marketplaces on the Internet today. The website has operated on the “Tor” network, a special network of computers on the Internet, distributed around the world, designed to conceal the true IP addresses of the computers on the network and thereby the identities of the network’s users. Since its launch in November 2013, Silk Road 2.0 has been used by thousands of drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to buyers throughout the world, as well as to launder millions of dollars generated by these unlawful transactions. As of September 2014, Silk Road 2.0 was generating sales of at least approximately $8 million per month and had approximately 150,000 active users. Silk Road 2.0 was created in the wake of the Government’s October 2013 seizure of the website known as “Silk Road” and the arrest of its alleged owner and operator, Ross William Ulbricht, a/k/a “Dread Pirate Roberts.” The original Silk Road website had been designed to enable people anywhere in the world to buy and sell illegal drugs and other illegal goods and services anonymously and beyond the reach of law enforcement. Before its seizure in October 2013, Silk Road was used extensively to facilitate such transactions. In November 2013, approximately five weeks after the Government shut down Silk Road and arrested Ulbricht, Silk Road 2.0 was launched. Designed to fill the void left by the Government’s seizure of Silk Road, Silk Road 2.0 was virtually identical to the original Silk Road website in the way it appeared and functioned. In particular, like its predecessor, Silk Road 2.0 operated exclusively on the “Tor” network and required all transactions to be paid for in Bitcoins in order to preserve its users’ anonymity and evade detection by law enforcement. Likewise, the offerings on Silk Road 2.0 consisted overwhelmingly of illegal drugs, which were openly advertised as such on the site. As of October 17, 2014, Silk Road 2.0 had over 13,000 listings for controlled substances, including, among others, 1,783 listings for “Psychedelics,” 1,697 listings for “Ecstasy,” 1,707 listings for “Cannabis,” and 379 listings for “Opioids.” Besides illegal narcotics, other illicit goods and services were openly advertised for sale on Silk Road 2.0 as well, including fraudulent identification documents and computer-hacking tools and services. When Silk Road 2.0 was launched, it was controlled for a short time by a co-conspirator using the same online moniker as that allegedly used by Ross Ulbricht in operating the original Silk Road website – “Dread Pirate Roberts.” In late December 2013, however, BENTHALL, using the moniker “Defcon,” took over administration of the site and has owned and operated it continuously since that time. In that role, BENTHALL has controlled and overseen all aspects of Silk Road 2.0, including, among other things: the computer infrastructure and programming code underlying the website; the terms of service and commission rates imposed on vendors and customers of the website; the small staff of online administrators and forum moderators who have assisted with the day-to-day operation of the website; and the massive profits generated from the operation of the illegal business. During the Government’s investigation, which was conducted jointly by the FBI and HSI, an HSI agent acting in an undercover capacity (the “HSI-UC”) successfully infiltrated the support staff involved in the administration of the Silk Road 2.0 website, and was given access to private, restricted areas of the site reserved for BENTHALL and his administrative staff. By doing so, the HSI-UC was able to interact directly with BENTHALL throughout his operation of the website. *** BENTHALL, 26, of San Francisco, California, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit narcotics trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiring to commit computer hacking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiring to traffic in fraudulent identification documents, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding joint efforts of the FBI and its New York Cyber Branch and HSI and its Cyber Crimes Center and Chicago-O’Hare Field Office. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which comprises agents and officers of the DEA, the Internal Revenue Service, the New York City Police Department, HSI, the New York State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, Office of Foreign Assets Control, and New York Department of Taxation. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section for its assistance and support, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division Office of International Affairs, and the law enforcement authorities of France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Mr. Bharara also noted that the investigation remains ongoing. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Serrin Turner, Timothy Howard, and Daniel Noble are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Graham is in charge of the forfeiture aspect of the case. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. NOW WATCH: 8 Tips For Google Search That Will Streamline Nearly Everything You Do More From Business Insider Here's Everything We Know About The Former SpaceX Engineer Who Allegedly Ran A 'Deep Web' Drug Marketplace How To Get Huge Portions At Chipotle Apple Products Are Under Attack By A Vicious New Malware Called 'WireLurker'

2014-11-06 22:29:53+00:00

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{"Bitcoin": [18]}

Glidera CEO: What Bitcoin Needs To Overcome Its Decline

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/glidera-ceo-bitcoin-needs-overcome-222953528.html

Benzinga

http://www.benzinga.com/

In the second half of 2013, Bitcoin made an unprecedented jump from the $70 level and passed $1,140 from July to December, an increase of more than 1,000 percent. Then, it dropped. Not as drastically as it popped, but the crypto-currency has been on a steady decline since that all-time high. While some will argue that Bitcoin was in a bubble that has now burst, there are still many who believe that there is a lot of potential growth in the crypto-currency. David Ripley is the founder and CEO of Glidera , a digital wallet for Bitcoin. Ripley was nice enough to take the time to answer a few questions for Benzinga on what Bitcoin needs to overcome this decline. Related Link: What Is Bitcoin? Just Ask Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley Reasons For The Decline BZ: What has caused the steady decline in Bitcoin since December 2013? Why is this happening? Are people losing faith in Bitcoin because of news events surrounding it? DR: This price movement pattern has actually repeated itself several times over the history of Bitcoin. By that I mean, a substantial price increase over a short period of time followed by a longer period of decline. Each time, the high reached during the price increase typically exceeds the previous high and the low reached during the decline stays above the previous lows. Despite the current period of price decline, real Bitcoin adoption races forward. We have seen significant adoption from new individuals and businesses this year. This growth yields a Bitcoin ecosystem that is substantially larger based on any metric you chose. We’re now at over 6.5 million wallets versus just over 1 million a year ago. We’re on our way to 100,000 merchants, and we were just at 10,000 last year with many $1 billion-plus revenue merchants adopting all in 2014. Potential For Growth BZ: What will it take for Bitcoin to grow? DR: Bitcoin offers a significantly compelling set of benefits relative to the existing financial services industry. Further, the core technology underlying Bitcoin’s distributed ledger allows the ability to store and transmit data without the need for trust in a third party. This can have an even greater impact beyond just financial services. Story continues Despite the potential, Bitcoin and distributed ledger technologies are still in their infancy. The consumer and business software and services that surround Bitcoin must continue getting easier and more secure. These new tools will provide a more compelling case for use by real users, which will ultimately drive even greater adoption. Show Me the Money: More Businesses Accepting Bitcoin as Currency - See more at: http://t.co/5L9g6rKnUV #bitcoin — Glidera (@GlideraInc) August 21, 2014 BZ: Is it possible for a crypto-currency to become mainstream? Why is Bitcoin different than other crypto-currencies? DR: Yes. Given crypto-currencies are still incredibly nascent, the reality of mainstream adoption is very much long term. However, crypto-currencies inherently possess the necessary properties to achieve mainstream adoption. Currency and money in general benefit from extremely powerful network effects, thus overcoming the network effect of legacy fiat currencies presents a significant challenge. Yet, if crypto-currencies continue along the current trajectory, it’s possible to see a path. Over 500 crypto-currencies exist. Some of the alternatives offer different properties than Bitcoin, such as different security algorithms or different transaction confirmation times. Yet, the majority of the alternative currencies are more similar than different. In these cases, Bitcoin’s greater adoption or network effect is actually what drives its differentiating value. Right now, the combined market capitalization of all alternative currencies is just one tenth the size of Bitcoin’s market cap. Down the road, the new “Bitcoin 2.0” decentralized networks, which offer more flexible platforms for application development, may offer differentiated benefits that allow them to succeed alongside Bitcoin. Challenges For The Future BZ: What challenges does Bitcoin face in its growth? DR: A number of challenges exist for Bitcoin as it continues to grow. As mentioned previously, better software and services for consumers and businesses must continue to evolve. Users must have several options for highly secure products and services that also have incredibly easy user interfaces. Any regulatory challenges will mostly impact where Bitcoin grows as opposed to affecting the end game. The volatility is also a challenge in the near term, but solutions will evolve to address that challenge as well. In the end, none of these challenges are insurmountable. The only true challenge for Bitcoin is whether or not it can remain fully decentralized. All of Bitcoin’s benefits depend upon its decentralized nature, so this must remain true regardless. BZ: Why is the path for Bitcoin less certain right now? What changed? DR: The path for Bitcoin does contain uncertainty given how ‘new’ it is. In some ways, the future may seem more uncertain now given the price decline over the past several months. However, the true certainty for Bitcoin is greater today than it was one month, one year, or two years ago. This is true due to the advancements in infrastructure and real adoption. We see Bitcoin making clear progress on many dimensions. There are still variables out there, but the certainty of Bitcoin’s success continues to grow. Image courtesy of Google Finance See more from Benzinga What Happened To The US Dollar After The End Of QE? Mixing Politics And Trading Is A No-No, This Analyst Says What's An IPO Mean For Ferrari? © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

2014-11-07 19:44:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [5198]}

{}

Your Must-Read Guide to Mobile Payments

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/must-read-guide-mobile-payments-194400086.html

The Fiscal Times

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/

When Apple introduced its new mobile payment service Apple Pay along with its iPhone 6 last month, it did so with the customary fanfare and media hoopla associated with all of its products. That put the spotlight on digital wallets and mobile payments, a conveniences that are becoming part of the retail experience for a growing number of technophile consumers. Apple was just the latest tech company to enter the fray (Google Wallet has been around for years) – but its high-profile launch and its close attention to security and the user experience may represent a tipping point for the public. Related: Why Alibaba’s Jack Ma Wants to Work with Apple Pay If you’re thinking about giving mobile payments a try next time you go shopping, here’s what you need to know: 1: You May Be in the Minority… for Now Despite all the focus on Apple Pay as well as other payment apps, most people are still reluctant to make the shift to mobile payments. Fewer than half of consumers have used their mobile phones to make a purchase, and the one in five who does doesn’t feel secure when doing so, according to Avangate , an e-commerce provider. That’s a large psychological hurdle that companies will have to overcome to make mobile payments go mainstream. From 2012 to 2013, the value of mobile payments at point of sale doubled to $1.59 billion, according to market research firm eMarketer , which projects the value of such transactions will double again this year; they predict transactions will skyrocket to more than $100 billion by 2018. 2: The War for Your Business Is Still Being Waged Apple was just the latest large company to jump into the virtual wallet business. It follows Google Wallet, which launched in 2011. Apple Pay is notable because of its partnerships with Visa and MasterCard as well as more than 200,000 retailers, including big names like McDonald’s and Disney . Anyone who already has a credit card associated with an iTunes account can use it to pay for goods and services via the new app. Story continues Related: Amazon Expands Middleman Role in Latest Online Payment Push E ven so, Apple’s entry into the field has also been met with resistance. Wal-Mart, CVS, and Rite Aid announced last week they would no longer accept Apple Pay because of its competition with CurrentC , their own mobile payment system. That system aims to eliminate credit card issuers entirely, by allowing consumers to use their phones to pay by debiting money directly from checking accounts or gift cards, while automatically getting credit for store loyalty programs. Meanwhile, Starbucks has proven that strong retail brands can be successful with a proprietary payment app of their own, and tech companies like OpenTable and Uber have eliminated the need for a physical transaction. Verizon and AT&T this week launched an app that works on Android and Window phones. Tech experts expect that just as most consumers carry multiple credit and loyalty cards in their wallets these days, consumers of the future will have a handful of apps on their smartphones allowing them to make different purchases in different ways. “It’s going to be quite a while before it consolidates,” says David Anders, director of product development for Protect Your Bubble, an insurance provider for ID theft, smartphones, and other items. 3: Some Apps Are More Secure Than You Think Given the high-profile credit card hacks at retailers like Home Depot and Target, and the proliferation of fraud and ID theft associated with online purchases, it’s understandable that consumers might be nervous about making purchases with a smartphone at retail stores. Related: Home Depot Says About 53 Million Email Addresses Stolen in Breach Surprise: Some of the newest methods are among the safest ways to spend money. Apple Pay, for example, uses an NFC (near-field communication) chip – the same technology used in credit cards in Europe – making it far more difficult for hackers to access. The number of retailers who participate in Apple Pay may grow next year, as new regulations require retailers to switch from magnetic strip readers to NFC technology. On top of that, the Apple Pay app uses tokenization to store consumers’ credit card information, which means the device does not store your actual credit card number, anyway. Earlier this year Starbucks had to update its mobile app because it was saving customers’ usernames, passwords and other personal information as plain text. That app still uses scannable QR codes, which are less secure, since they could be copied by fraudsters, says Deborah Baxley, principal, cards and payments at the Capgemini Financial Services. 4: You May End Up Spending More Than You Planned Studies have shown that consumers who pay for purchases with cash consistently spend less money than peers who use credit cards when buying. That’s because it’s easier for your brain to process the cost of something (and its impact on your bank account) when you’re counting out cold, hard cash and handing it to a cashier, rather than quickly swiping a piece of plastic. That effect could be diminished even further when transactions are boiled down to just a swipe on your phone. Related: Why Bitcoin Could Get a Boost from Apple Pay 5: It Won’t Replace Your Wallet – Yet Even with rapid advances in technology, the days when you can actually leave your wallet at home are still years away. It will be some time before mobile payments are universally accepted – and government agencies that issue identification cards and drivers’ licenses have yet to begin making the virtual switch. “It’s going to be quite a while before it consolidates,” says David Anders, director of product development for Protect Your Bubble, an insurance provider for ID theft, smartphones, and other items. Plus, you may really need that old backup wallet in case your smartphone runs out of battery life. Or falls in a puddle. Top Reads at The Fiscal Times: 7 Ways to Make the Most of Your 401(k) How to Really Fix Our Student Loan Debt Crisis This Could Be Your Last Shot to Refinance a Mortgage

2014-11-07 20:52:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [994]}

{}

'Dark market' websites seized in U.S., European busts

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-european-authorities-arrest-16-112002500.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

By Anthony Deutsch and Nate Raymond AMSTERDAM/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. and European authorities on Friday announced the seizure of more than 400 secret website addresses and arrests of 16 people in a sweep targeting black markets for drugs and other illegal services. The developments were announced a day after prosecutors in New York unveiled criminal charges against the alleged operator of underground online drug marketplace Silk Road 2.0. U.S. authorities called the global sweep the largest law enforcement action to date against illegal websites operating on the so-called Tor network, which lets users communicate anonymously by masking their IP addresses. Tor, which was created by U.S. Navy researchers to protect the anonymity of national security communications, is used by human rights activists, criminals and others looking to evade surveillance. Europol, in a statement, said U.S. and European cyber crime units, in a sweep across 18 countries, had netted $1 million worth of Bitcoin, the digital currency, 180,000 euros in cash, silver, gold and narcotics. The more than 400 websites and domains seized on Thursday existed on the Tor network and were used by dozens of online marketplaces where such things as child pornography, guns and murder-for-hire could be purchased, authorities said. Sixteen people operating illegal sites were arrested in addition to the defendant in the Silk Road 2.0 case, Europol added, without specifying the charges. "As illegal activity online becomes more prevalent, criminals can no longer expect that they can hide in the shadows of the 'dark web,'" Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. On Thursday, U.S. authorities said they had shut down Silk Road 2.0, a successor website to underground online drugs marketplace Silk Road. Blake Benthall, the alleged operator of Silk Road 2.0, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, computer hacking, money laundering and other crimes. Troels Oerting, head of Europol's cybercrime center, said the operation knocked out a significant part of the infrastructure for illegal online drugs and weapons trade in the countries involved. "We have also hit services on the Darknet using Tor where, for a long time, criminals have considered themselves beyond reach," he said. "We can now show that they are neither invisible nor untouchable." The websites had complete business models, Oerting said, and displayed what they sold, including drugs, weapons, stolen credit cards. "People paid, and they delivered by the mailman," Oerting said. "There was even a ranking system for reliable suppliers." (Reporting By Anthony Deutsch and Nate Raymond; Editing by Susan Fenton and Steve Orlofsky) View comments

2014-11-08 00:59:30+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1064, 1153, 2491]}

{}

Both Of The Men Accused Of Running The Silk Road Made The Exact Same Mistake

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/both-men-accused-running-silk-005930992.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

Blake Benthall and Ross Ulbricht Facebook Benthall (left) and Ulbricht, the two men accused of running the Silk Road The FBI arrested 26-year-old San Francisco tech worker Blake Benthall on Wednesday, accusing him of running the infamous deep web marketplace the Silk Road. But Benthall wasn't the founder of the site. Instead, his version of the Silk Road was often dubbed "Silk Road 2.0" to reflect the fact that it was a relaunched version of the original site. The first incarnation of the Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in October 2013, after alleged founder Ross Ulbricht was arrested in a San Francisco library. Court documents for the seizure of both the original Silk Road and the Silk Road 2.0 show that the site's two alleged operators made the same error that enabled authorities to link them to the site. Ross Ulbricht, the San Francisco resident accused of creating the original Silk Road, allegedly used a Silk Road user account which was registered to his personal email address. The [email protected] email account was also posted on the Bitcoin Talk forum as contact information for a poster looking to hire "an IT pro in the Bitcoin community." Ulbricht was caught in part due to the links between his personal Gmail account and other online accounts. It was trivially easy for investigators to string together usernames and IP addresses, with the help of information and IP logs obtained from Google. The records show that Ulbricht regularly logged into a VPN service in a San Francisco internet café. On the same days he was allegedly using the VPN to mask his web traffic to the Silk Road's administrative dashboard, Google's records showed that he also checked his personal Gmail account. After learning of the demise of his predecessor, surely the man behind the Silk Road 2.0 would take better care? It seems not. The FBI briefly took the Silk Road 2.0's servers offline in order to make a copy (known as an "image") of the site. Because of the way the hosting account was set up, it fired off a series of emails to a pre-determined address in order to detail the site's downtime. Those emails, the FBI claim, went to [email protected], the personal email account of the San Francisco web developer accused of running the site. Story continues Benthall used his personal email account to manage the web hosting account that the FBI says was used to keep the Silk Road 2.0 online. Additionally, he used that email address to create an account on a US-based Bitcoin exchange, and received his first transaction on the very day that the Silk Road 2.0 came online. As the Daily Dot reports, Google again turned over IP logs and account information, this time for Benthall's personal email account, to the FBI, revealing Benthall's name and location information. It was obvious who owned the account: The email address was [email protected], it was registered to "Blake Benthall," and IP logs show that it was accessed from Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe hotel rooms reserved under the name "Blake Benthall." There's no denying that Ulbricht and Benthall were clever men, after all, the FBI accuses them both of running a complex deep web marketplace. Both men are alleged to have used modern anonymity services, and took care to anonymize their currency movements online. But it was the simple mistake of using their personal email accounts for activities related to the Silk Road that made the FBI's job easy, and likely led directly to their capture. More From Business Insider More Details Emerge Of How Police Shut Down Over 400 Deep Web Marketplaces As Part Of 'Operation Onymous' Prosecutor: The Man Accused Of Running The Silk Road 2.0 Has 'Admitted To Everything' FBI Arrests Former SpaceX Employee, Alleging He Ran The 'Deep Web' Drug Marketplace Silk Road 2.0

2014-11-08 07:46:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [98, 445, 749, 1120, 1264, 1421, 1564, 1808, 1934, 2006, 2203, 2282, 2408, 2739]}

{"Bitcoin": [16]}

Jason Brailow's Bitcoin Project Receives $5 Million

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jason-brailows-bitcoin-project-receives-074600222.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 8, 2014) - Advanced Global Concepts' entry into the lucrative Bitcoin market recently a won a vote of confidence from New York's private equity scene when it received first round financing of $5 million. Under the leadership of founder and CEO Jason Brailow , Advanced Global Concepts is building a technologically advanced, high performance exchange that will set the standard for the increasingly important Bitcoin market. The exchange will count many of the world's most active and influential banks, brokerages, hedge funds, trading firms, and foreign exchange dealers among its client base. In order to achieve the industry-leading levels of stability and security that professional traders are demanding as Bitcoins continue to take a more prominent role in the world monetary markets, Advanced Global Concepts is constructing its own robust trading engine from the ground up. Jason Brailow further explains, "The Advanced Global Concepts system will include partners from the leading global financial services firms, which will enable them to run their own exchanges and offer Bitcoin trading to their customers." This project will allow the company and its partners to participate in and profit from the rapidly growing Bitcoin market, which some analysts are already labeling as a "disruptor" for the world's traditional currencies. The financial services sector is where the Bitcoin market will have its greatest effect. According to some estimates, payment systems may see as much as 20 percent of their volume go to Bitcoins. To put this in perspective, in the U.S. economy that would amount to as much as $3.4 trillion dollars. Along with its exchange, the team at Advanced Global Concepts has developed what will be the safest and most secure place to store Bitcoins with monumentally innovating security protocols to protect against the risk of attacks. The acceptance and growth of Bitcoins is clearly apparent in the financial world today. Not only are Bitcoins shaking up the currency world, they are having a huge impact on what would be considered traditional consumer and business transactions. Systems that allow employers to pay their staff in Bitcoins are being launched and mobile wallets that allow shoppers to pay with Bitcoins are available for all the major mobile operating systems. This is vividly apparent when charting the number of daily Bitcoin transactions. Only two years ago the number was below 10,000 per day, today the figure is often above 90,000 per day. Story continues With a wide-ranging background in business and technology startups, Jason Brailow brings the ideal skill set to the research, development, building, and launch of Advanced Global Concepts' Bitcoin exchange and storage project. He also knows what it takes to be successful in today's hyper-competitive global marketplace. One of his earlier projects, a direct marketing company, quickly gained an international reputation and shot up to number 184 on the Inc. 500 list. To learn more about Jason Brailow, visit: http://www.JasonBrailowNews.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/JasonBrailowUT LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrailow Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2715690

2014-11-08 14:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [3585]}

{}

This Startup Thinks Your Password Sucks -- And It's Doing Something About It

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/startup-thinks-password-sucks-doing-140000940.html

Entrepreneur

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

The password had its time and place. But as cybercriminals continue to get more sophisticated, Marc Boroditsky says that time and place isn't here or now. "If you look at the password, it's not even technology…it's a process that's left over from the horse and buggy era, and we're using it to protect our financial information, our health information, our online activities," he says, exasperated. "It was always inevitable that passwords would be replaced." As president and COO of Authy , Boroditsky's mission is to do just that: create a more secure sign-in standard for the masses. Authy, which was founded by security pro Daniel Palacio in 2011, is a free app that generates a continuously changing code on your mobile device, which you then enter after your password in order to gain access to any site you want to keep secure. Developers can add Authy's two-step authentication process to any website or mobile app simply by dropping a few lines of code into their system. Unlike main competitor Google, which provides free two-step authentication solutions to developers, Authy charges websites per authentication (Facebook, for example, is charged a fee every time someone uses Authy to sign into the social network). Related: For Extra Safety, You Can Now Access Gmail With a Physical Key The difference is in usability, according to Boroditsky. Google's system is complicated unless you know what you're doing; Authy is more plug and play. "There is no need to worry about how to register users, what happens when a user is authenticated…we take care of all of that. We've built a standalone service," he says, one that has been integrated into 5,700 apps to date. The company's target customers are medium-sized businesses that lack the resources and technical staff to develop their own security systems; it's already signed on some pretty big names, including Coinbase, Twitch and Cloudflare. For consumers, the process is easy: Simply download the Authy app onto your device of choice, and after typing your username and password into an Authy-integrated site such as Gmail, Facebook, Dropbox or Bank of America, Authy will send you a temporary code that you'll need to enter before gaining access. Story continues In September, just after news broke of Apple's iCloud leak, in which hackers stole sensitive personal photos from a long list of celebrities and posted them online , Authy announced that it had raised $3 million in Series A funding from investors including Box CEO Aaron Levie, Match.com CEO Sam Yagan, Winklevoss Capital, and Salesforce.com. The timing was darkly fortuitous. While it's obvious to Boroditsky – along with, he says, everyone else "in the tech forward part of the market" -- that the password has been dead for years, he's finally beginning to see the rumblings of acknowledgment from the general public. Related: 519 Million Reasons Why Your Financial Records Are in a Hacker's Hands The iCloud leak helped on this front. (The steady stream of reported breaches taking place at popular chain stores across the country hasn't hurt, either). "That's how security works, unfortunately," Boroditsky says. "It's a flaw of human nature not to anticipate, only to react." But consumers are learning from what they see played out in the headlines. Since the iCloud debacle, Boroditsky says his download volume increased by more than 100 percent. Currently, the company has more than 1 million users. Boroditsky predicts that a two-step verification sign-in will be standard protocol in less than three years. For highly sensitive transactions – Bitcoin exchanges or major ecommerce payment systems – it already is the norm, and he forecasts that mainstream sites will gradually follow suit, first by adding an optional two-step model and then, as consumers adopt, making it a mandatory requirement. Of course, his hope is that Authy will be working behind the scenes throughout. "Customers have said to me, 'I use two-factors anywhere I can,'" he says. "They recognize that a single string of letters and numbers is just not enough to protect what you do online anymore." Related: 'The Snappening' Really Happened: 100,000 Snapchat Photos and Videos Leak Online

2014-11-10 14:33:51+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [46, 84, 445, 1650, 1740, 1760]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop Management Voluntarily Cancels All Outstanding Options and Grants New Performance Based Options

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-management-voluntarily-cancels-143351300.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Nov 10, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, announced today that management has agreed to cancel all 6,201,472 currently outstanding options and grant new performance based options. Charles Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "This is yet another voluntary action taken by management to ensure we are building a performance based culture and aligning our interests with our shareholders. These incentives are based off of the Company's revenue, EBITDA and operating goals going forward. We are confident in our ability to achieve our performance based goals." Key members of management have been awarded the following performance based options which vest based on the criteria as set forth below: Executive 2015 2016 Charles Allen • 3.5m options vest if 2015 EBITDA is at least $500,000 and EBITDA per share is at least $0.003 • 5m options vest if 2016 EBITDA is at least $3,000,000 and EBITDA per share is at least $0.014 • 1m options vest if the Company is listed on NASDAQ or NYSE prior to December 31, 2016 Michal Handerhan • 250k options vest if 2015 EBITDA is at least $500,000 and EBITDA per share is at least $0.003 • 850k options vest upon the successful completion of various milestones on or prior to December 31, 2015 • 350km options vest if 2016 EBITDA is at least $3,000,000 and EBITDA per share is at least $0.014 • 1 million options vest if revenue of the Company's wholly owned subsidiary Bitcoinshop.us LLC for its 2016 fiscal year is at least $1,000,000 Total 4.6m 7.85m About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our public beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its virtual currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-11-11 04:03:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [33, 167, 298, 576, 804, 887, 1018, 1142, 1284, 1309, 1335, 1405, 1471, 1762, 2158], "BTC": [919]}

{"Bitcoin": [19]}

Btcxe.com Launches Bitcoin iPhone And Android App For Conversion And News

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/btcxe-com-launches-bitcoin-iphone-040300826.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Btcxe.com have launched a custom Bitcoin news and currency conversion app for Android users worldwide with an iPhone App coming soon. ACCESSWIRE / November 10, 2014 / Bitcoin application developers BTCxe.com have announced the launch of their new Android App and iPhone App coming soon – the BTCxe Bitcoin converter; complementing their already popular website www.btcxe.com . The launch of the App, announced this week, marks the first in a planned series of cryptocurrency related applications. BTCxe is described on the website as being "the easiest to use, most intuitive Bitcoin converter people will ever use, and the last one people will ever need." Developed using Meteor.js and Famo.us frameworks, BTCxe is elegant, responsive, and simple to use . With just a few taps users can quickly convert Bitcoin to the currency of their choice. The App also supports converting units of Bitcoin, making easy to convert BTC, mBTC and kBTC as well. Available for both Android and coming soon on iOS platforms, the BTCxe Bitcoin converter combines one-tap simplicity with other useful on-board features including: - Real time market updates via BitcoinAverage.com - Choose between 24-hour average price or last price - Ability to set default currency - One-click copy and paste - Latest Bitcoin news headlines - Bitcoin games -Buy / sell Bitcoin with one-click access to users favorite exchanges - Shop with Bitcoin via integration with Spendabit.com The web version of the Bitcoin Converter, available at BTCxe.com , is as simple to use as its mobile counterpart. It has all of the features of the mobile version and in addition features a handy widget that allows webmasters to quickly customize and embed a BTCxe converter directly onto their own website. BTCxe Bitcoin Converter currently supports conversion to AUD, BRL, CAD, CHF, CNY, EUR, GBP, HKD, IDR, ILS, MXN, NOK, NZD, PLN, RON, RUB, SEK, SGD, TRY, USD and ZAR currencies. Future updates will see the integration of additional currencies and many additional features by the dedicated development team behind btcxe.com . Story continues To learn more please go to: http://btcxe.com To download BTCxe Bitcoin Android App on Google Play please go to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.btcxe Follow BTCxe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/btcxecom Like BTCxe on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/btcxe Visit http://btcxe.com for more information. Contact Info Name: Gleb Bihanov Organization: BTCxe Email: [email protected] SOURCE: BTCxe

2014-11-11 14:45:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2469]}

{}

How the Sharing Economy is Booming Without Hurting the Environment

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sharing-economy-booming-without-hurting-144500425.html

Entrepreneur

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Share and share alike? The sharing economy isn’t just a way for you to save money—it can also save the environment. Uber, Lyft and others shave the number of cars on the road. Leftover and Food Runners claim they're finding a place for all of our wasted food. Listia helps you trade in all the items you don't use anymore and are cluttering up your house. AirBnB is a famous example of a sharing economy business. These companies help create a more organic approach to a green mindset, if you will forgive the pun. They appeal to many people because technology is making what they do easier and more cost-effective than it has been. Related: How Green Power Can Benefit Both Small Retailers and the Environment Maybe you don’t have a need for those Gucci shoes anymore, but you’re in the market for a new leather jacket. On some sites you can trade directly with someone, while on others you can trade in goods for credit that you can ultimately shop with. However, the person benefiting from this the most may be Mother Earth. Here’s how: 1. Minimizes manufacturing costs To manufacture a product, no matter how small or large, complex or simple, is taxing on the environment. Even that little mascara wand you just bought deepened your carbon footprint , all because of the resources it took to create it. When you trade and engage in the sharing economy, there are far fewer, or even zero, manufacturing costs. Unless an item is repurposed through a manufacturing process, every item in the world is only manufactured once. Why should only one person or business benefit from that manufacturing process? The production of the mascara wand made an impact on the Earth that cannot be undone. However, you can "even things out" by sharing, thrifting or buying used. You save money and there’s no additional manufacturing for you to get a product. Everybody wins. 2. Minimizes distribution costs There are environmental impacts when something is manufactured, as well as when it is distributed. The shipping and logistics involved in getting products from a manufacturer to various stores is intense. However, if you share locally there’s no need for a truck to drive long distances to deliver goods. If there are any transportation needs, they’re much less impactful. It’s kind of like opting into telecommuting for your shopping; you’re helping to make the world a less congested place. Story continues Related: The Future of the Sharing Economy Is a World Built Like Bitcoin 3. It lessens the need for consumption This technically isn’t true—but it does lessen the desire for more "new" consumption. Shopping addiction is a very real thing , and most people don’t consider the impact on the environment when they head to the mall. "There's a misconception that shopping is only fun and rewarding when you go to the physical store and buy things as new," says Listia CEO Gee Chuang. "However, thrifting and being frugal can be just as addictive, but it’s not as bad for the Earth. You’re getting your thrill out of helping the environment and saving money, not just on spending." 4. It brings awareness to green strategies Many sites catering to the sharing economy highlight how helpful it is to the environment. They’re educating users while also serving them. While there are many businesses that embrace green initiatives, it’s easy to put eco-friendliness at the forefront of sharing. There is no doubt that as humanity continues to have a large, and growing, impact on the environment, we will all have to pitch in to some extent to slow down or even reverse that trend. Whether it's using less water in your shower or on your lawn, buying an electric car or re-using someone else's mascara, the environment has become a bigger influence on what we purchase. Technology companies have joined the party, providing platforms that enable a greater attention to the environment. People are catching on. Related: Mobile + Sharing Economy + Internet of Things = the Coming Economic Boom

2014-11-11 18:23:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [517, 939, 1091, 1629, 3253]}

{}

Avra Inc. Announces its Plans to Enter Into The Cryptocurrency Market

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/avra-inc-announces-plans-enter-182300391.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Palo Alto, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 11, 2014 / Avra Inc. ( AVRN ) (the "Company") , is pleased to announce a change in its business direction with the Company now being focused on solutions in the cryptocurrency and digital currency markets, particularly the Company's palnned focus is in offering payment solutions to businesses worldwide. The Company's business model can be broken down into four distinct categories. They are as follows: 1) AvraPay: A complete, turn-key and painless way for merchants to accept Bitcoin as a form of Payment. 2) AvraATM: To promote usage and acceptance of digital currencies through the Company's planned network of ATMs 3) AvraTourism: To provide cryptocurrency payment processing solutions for merchants such as hotels, casinos, airlines, restaurants, and spas. 4) AvraNews: The Company plans to provide a news portal focusing on digital currency news. "The high level innovative technology such as Bitcoin will change how we make transactions and therefore we believe this is a once in a decade type game-changer. With more than 8 billion dollars of Bitcoins already in circulation worldwide, we believe that Avra can position itself to be a force in providing business solutions in this exciting space," said Avra's CEO, Steve Shepherd. "We're also excited to announce the launching of our new website www.avraworld.com which contains in depth information on our new products and services as well as corporate information, events and industry news." Avra's flagship product, "AvraPay" plans to allow businesses and merchants worldwide with the ability to accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The "AvraPay" solution hopes to provide a one stop shop for a business to accept cryptocurrencies. Our AvraATM solution, when developed will work with kiosk operators worldwide in order to facilitate the creation of bitcoin and altcoin ATMs. Avra will provide the software and facilities to convert a simple bill pay kiosk quickly and easily into a cryptocurrency ATM. Our very exciting AvraTourism will enable participating hotels, casino's, restaurants and other tourism related businesses to target the Billions of dollars held by cryptocurrency travelers. AvraNews will bring it together in one website portal publishing up to the minute stories, opinions, data, offers in the cryptocurrency markets, as well as sections devoted to the growth and investment opportunities through a virtual meeting place where investors can meet and conduct business with cryptocurrency companies looking to raise capital. "I am very optimistic with Avra's diverse business model along with the international buzz and interest in cryptocurrency that we are positioned to become a strong brand and industry leader in the cryptocurrency space," stated Avra's President-CEO, Steve Shepherd. Story continues For more information please visit www.avraworld.com . About Avra Inc. (the "Company") The Company is focused on solutions in the cryptocurrency and digital currency markets, particularly in offering payment solutions to businesses worldwide. The Company's business model can be broken down into four distinct categories. They are as follows: AvraPay: To develop a complete, turn-key and painless way for merchants to accept Bitcoin as Payment; AvraATM: To promote usage and acceptance of digital currencies through the Company's proposed network of ATMs; AvraTourism: To provide cryptocurrency payment processing solutions for merchants such as hotels and casinos; AvraNews: To provide a news portal focusing on digital currency news. For more information about the Company please visit our website at www.avraworld.com . Further information on the Company and its filings can be found at www.sec.gov . For further information, please contact: Avra Inc. 3790 El Camino Real, Suite # 291 Palo Alto, California 1-(844) 287-2462 Forward Looking Statements Some information in this document constitutes forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements, such as the closing of the share exchange agreement. The words “plan”, "forecast", "anticipates", "estimate", "project", "intend", "expect", "should", "believe", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements to differ from the future results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors are more fully discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to Avra Inc., herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by the above-mentioned cautionary statement. Avra Inc., disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this estimate, except as may be required by law. SOURCE: Avra Inc. View comments

2014-11-11 23:59:40+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2329]}

{}

This 3D printer is also a scanner and laser engraver

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3d-printer-scanner-laser-engraver-235940167.html

Gigaom

http://gigaom.com/

It’s a pretty awesome time to be a maker. There are desktop CNC machines, circuit printers, laser cutters and 3D printers, plus all kinds of microcontrollers to cheaply turn anything into a functional, connected device. The new FLUX machine, which went live on Kickstarter today, attempts to group some of those desktop devices into one without making you pay more. FLUX’s trick is a modular head that can be switched out to adapt it to different jobs. It can convert from a 3D printer to a laser engraver to a 3D scanner. And more applications are in the works, including food and ceramics 3D printing and unnamed ideas being worked on by FLUX’s partners. The FLUX printer’s head is modular, allowing it to be swapped out for different applications. I noted last year that combining 3D printers and scanners is an inevitable step. Few of us are qualified to scan a broken object, import it into a CAD program and stitch it back together before exporting it to a printer. But if a user can just set their broken object on the bed of a 3D printer and it takes care of the rest of the process, the technology becomes a lot more accessible. Scanning and 3D printing just go together. Integrating laser engraving into the mix is a bit more unusual. But it’s pretty useful to have both technologies at hand, as there are plenty of jobs better suited to a laser than a 3D printer. Last year I 3D printed a chess set and opted to make the board with a laser cutter , for example, and it saved a whole lot of time. It’s just another awesome tool to have available. An apple scanned and then 3D printed by FLUX. FLUX has some other neat features too, most notably its software. The company is advertising a 3D modeling system that allows you to create a 3D object by drawing a 2D picture. That’s a simple way to get your ideas onto the 3D printer without knowing much at all about 3D modeling. A FLUX machine will run you between $499 and $1,999 — not bad considering plenty of consumer 3D printers will run you several thousand dollars. They are expected to ship next summer. Story continues Photos by FLUX. Image copyright FLUX . Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research: Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial . A market analysis of emerging technology interfaces The legal challenges and opportunities for 3D printing Bitcoin: why digital currency is the future financial system More From paidContent.org Pinterest-LinkedIn investor Jeremy Levine makes his next unsexy bet: Gift cards

2014-11-12 01:26:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1945]}

{}

Qatar Vows To Be 'Creative' With Alcohol At 2022 World Cup But Offers No Guarantee

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/qatar-vows-creative-alcohol-2022-012600035.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

qatar world cup vote 2010 REUTERS/Christian Hartmann At this rate, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is going to be disaster unless a number of issues can be resolved. But according to Qatar's sports minister, there are no guarantees that solutions are coming. In an AP interview with John Leicester and Rob Harris , Qatar's sports minister, Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, was asked about a number of issues facing the World Cup including the sale of alcohol at stadiums and whether gay fans would be welcome. As of now, the minister would not guarantee that alcohol will be sold at World Cup stadiums, noting that alcohol is available in select hotels and that Qatar has a "system that people need to respect." The minister did concede that by bidding for the World Cup, Qatar needs to respect FIFA's rules and regulations, but would only says that he thinks Qatar "can be creative" in finding a solution. Brazil initially refused to sell alcohol during the matches of the 2014 World Cup, but eventually relented after pressure from FIFA . One of FIFA's biggest sponsors is Anheuser-Busch. World Cup Beer Budweiser Damir Sagolj/Reuters Another issue is Qatar's strict anti-gay laws. In 2010, FIFA president Sepp Blatter jokingly said gay men attending the World Cup in Qatar " should refrain from any sexual activities ." The minister called the issue "exactly like the alcohol question" again saying he thinks his country can be "creative" in finding a way to respect the fans but at the same time honoring "the essence of [Qatar's] culture." There is still plenty of time to find solutions, but it will be interesting to see how much leeway FIFA is willing to give. Sepp Blatter Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters Sepp Blatter (R) laughs with Mohamed Raouraoua, chairman of the Organising Committee for the FIFA Club World Cup More From Business Insider These Are The Secret Apps That Only Apple Employees Get To Use Apple Should Buy Tesla RAOUL PAL: Bitcoin Is Worth $1,000,000

2014-11-12 01:52:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1767]}

{}

The 10 Business Schools That Have Produced The Most Billionaires

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-business-schools-produced-most-015200816.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

harvard business school graduates Brian Snyder/Reuters Harvard Business Schools graduates celebrate upon receiving their diplomas. Harvard Business School has produced 64 billionaire alumni, the most by far of any graduate business school in the world, according to a new report from Wealth-X . There is a massive gap between Harvard and even the next highest ranked business school, Stanford University, which has 23 billionaire MBA alumni. No other university had more than 20 billionaire business school alumni. American universities dominated the business school alumni billionaires list, representing seven spots in the top 10. According to Wealth-X's report, nearly 50% of all billionaires with an MBA recieved their graduate degree from one of the 10 schools below. Wealth-X also recently released a report on schools with the most undergraduate alumni billionaires, with the University of Pennsylvania topping the list with 25 former student billionaires . Wealth-X president David Friedman told Business Insider that UPenn's billionaires represent successes in an array of fields , which suggests that the university isn't focused entirely on channeling students into financial services or technology. Here are the 10 business schools with the most billionaire alumni and how many alumni they have, via Wealth-X: Harvard University — 64 Stanford University — 23 Columbia University — 14 University of Pennsylvania — 12 University of Chicago — 10 INSEAD (Global) — 9 New York University — 7 International Institute for Management Development (Switzerland) — 5 University of Southern California — 5 London Business School (England) — 4 More From Business Insider These Are The Secret Apps That Only Apple Employees Get To Use Apple Should Buy Tesla RAOUL PAL: Bitcoin Is Worth $1,000,000

2014-11-12 05:22:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [3545]}

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The Weird Reason Why Video Games Are Released On Tuesdays

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/weird-reason-why-video-games-052200359.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 YouTube It wasn't easy being Sega in the 1980s and '90s. It had to compete with one of the best-known companies on the planet, Nintendo, which was responsible for bringing back the video game market from the dead. But Sega had some tricks up its sleeve. Namely, releasing a 16-bit console, the Genesis, before Nintendo could release its version, the Super Nintendo. Sega also had an amazing idea for how to hype up the sequel to its biggest game. The original "Sonic the Hedgehog" was released in 1991, and was an instant hit. When it was time for the sequel, which introduced Sonic's sidekick Tails to the world, Sega knew it needed to do more than just release the game. It needed to make an impact. In the book "Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation," which is based on more than 200 interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Blake Harris describes how Sega's crack marketing team of Al Nilsen and Madeline Schroeder decided to celebrate the launch. They needed something "Sonic-worthy." "We're going to start in Japan, move to Europe, and then end in the US," said Sega marketing director Nilsen to Schroeder, who was the project manager of "Sonic the Hedgehog." "No trucks, no boats: everything will be delivered by plane exactly one day before. ... we're going to have the world's first global launch, and in the process we're going to break every single sales record," said Nilsen. They kicked around a couple ideas about what day the global launch should be, and that's when Nilsen came up with an idea that possibly changed the way games were released and marketed ever after. "No, it should be Tuesday, and we'll call it Sonic 2sday," he said. Sonic 2sday landed on Nov. 24, 1992. Before then, video game release dates were all over the place, and retailers just got them when they got them. But Sonic 2sday implemented a method to the madness. Harris writes: ... the idea of a coordinated worldwide release might have seemed interesting but irrelevant. But the point of the global launch wasn't to dazzle with concept; the point was that the concept created connection. Story continues Normally, with games released at different stores on different days, customers couldn't help but feel like these things sort of fell out of thin air. But to know the exact date that something would be arriving, to have it circled on the calendar ahead of time, gave the gift of anticipation. ... It was a marketing ploy, yes, but it worked in the same self-fulfilling way as a blockbuster film did. They're not called "blockbusters" just because of their budgets; rather, it's because of the event-like, don't-be-left-out way that they are marketed, which makes people rush to the theater for the opening weekend, which then makes more people rush to the theater when they hear how big that opening weekend was. The art of the blockbuster is that it popularizes something before it even exists, and though Sonic 2 was still months away from completion, Sonic 2sday gave [former Sega North America CEO Tom Kalinske] and company an opportunity to unleash the biggest blockbuster the videogame world had ever seen. Releasing games on Tuesday is now the industry standard in the US, all thanks to a little video game punnery. But it's not the only industry to do so. Although they don't have Sonic 2sday to thank, most CD and DVD releases also happen on Tuesdays. More From Business Insider These Are The Secret Apps That Only Apple Employees Get To Use Apple Should Buy Tesla RAOUL PAL: Bitcoin Is Worth $1,000,000

2014-11-12 20:42:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [142, 248, 517, 634, 811, 891, 992, 1063]}

{"Bitcoin": [27]}

DailyDealy.net Now Accepts Bitcoin

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dailydealy-net-now-accepts-bitcoin-204200566.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov 12, 2014) - DailyDealy today announced that it will become the largest discount deals company to accept Bitcoin. As the first subscription model flash sale company to make this move, DailyDealy began accepting Bitcoin payments from customers starting last month. "We always want to deliver choice and convenience for our customers and that includes the method they use to buy the products they love," said Ralph Idema, DailyDealy Executive Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. "Bitcoin is becoming a preferred way for some people to transact and we want to accommodate those individuals. Adding Bitcoin as an accepted currency and method of payment is central to our strategy of being a leading edge company." DailyDealy has selected Coinbase as the payment processor for Bitcoin transactions with customers who choose to make purchase online with the Bitcoin wallet of their choice. DailyDealy will use Coinbase's Instant Exchange™ feature to exchange Bitcoin payments to U.S. dollars at the moment of the transaction. The Bitcoin payment option will be available for DailyDealy customers choosing to shop online. Customers will have the option to make any payment online via credit card, debit card or bank account. About DailyDealy.net: DailyDealy.net is changing the face of online shopping by offering the absolute lowest prices on the items consumers truly want and need. DailyDealy created the online flash sale business model as a new means to sell their brand name refurbished electronics and authentic vintage and closeout women's luxury goods to die for. Built solely off the power of spectacular discounts, DailyDealy has delighted its customers with high quality jewelry, electronics, housewares and more since its founding in 2014. DailyDealy is building a service-centric brand dedicated to keeping its customers excited, loyal, and constantly surprised by what they find, at prices that make purchasing a no brainer.

2014-11-13 14:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [168, 587, 910]}

{"Bitcoin": [71]}

Source Gold Corp. (SRGL) Completes Negotiations For the Acquisition of Bitcoin and Alt Coin Mining Platform and Related Technologies

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/source-gold-corp-srgl-completes-140000075.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / November 13, 2014 / Source Gold Corp: (OTC Pink: SRGL) ( SRGL ) ("the Company") is pleased to announce it has finalized negotiations to acquire Bitcoin and Alternative digital currency mining technology which will allow the company to enter into the digital currency mining arena. Subject to formal documentation, the company expects to close this transaction on or before November 21, 2014 "The company has completed negotiations after a significant delay in the process due to the valuation process." Stated company president Edward Aruda "The current price of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies has had a significant influence on the valuation of the technology the company is acquiring. We are very pleased that we have come to a successful end of negotiations and look to complete the acquisition by the end of next week." Acquisition negotiations were delayed due to the drop in Bitcoin pricing and the demand for crypto currencies or alt coins faded over the last few months. The company is satisfied that the business model is a profitable one and is now ready to complete the acquisition. The company will outline the terms and conditions of the acquisition at closing. The acquisition of the technology and financing commitment is subject to formal documentation which is being prepared. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Source Gold Corp. Mr. Eddie Aruda President Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on current facts and analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determined, and assumptions of management. Forward looking statements are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. Information concerning gold or other mineral reserve estimates may also be deemed to be forward looking statements, as it constitutes a prediction of what might be found to be present if and when a project is actually developed. Story continues Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors beyond the reasonable control of the Company. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include misinterpretation of data, inaccurate estimates of gold or mineral deposits, the uncertainty of the requirements demanded by environmental agencies, the Company's ability to raise financing for operations, breach by parties with whom we have contracted, inability to maintain qualified employees or consultants because of compensation or other issues, competition for equipment, inability to obtain drilling permits, potential delays or obstacles in drilling operations and interpreting data, the likelihood that no commercial quantities of gold or minerals are found or recoverable, and our ability to participate in the exploration of, and successful completion of development programs on all aforementioned prospects and leases. Additional information on risks for the Company can be found in filings on Edgar of other junior mineral exploration companies with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. This announcement may also contain information about adjacent properties on which we have no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. CONTACT: Source Gold Corp. [email protected] 200 S. Virginia Street Reno, NV 89501 Telephone - 775-398-3134 SOURCE: Source Gold Corp.

2014-11-13 15:22:46+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [587, 2228, 6605, 7014, 8911, 9228, 9388]}

{}

Forget currency, bitcoin's tech is the revolution

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/forget-currency-bitcoins-tech-revolution-152246115.html

CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/

Most people think of bitcoin , if they think about it at all, as a currency-a means of digital exchange, or perhaps a speculative investment. But forget everything you know, because the technology underlying bitcoin has the potential to be a much greater disruptive force than the cryptocurrency itself. Investors and technologists think the technology could replace huge aspects of the financial and insurance industries, and eventually even corporate management teams. In fact, big names like Google ( GOOGL ) and IBM ( IBM ) are reportedly already looking to invest in applications. "Bitcoin is a token, a currency, but that's not all it is. That's the first of many many applications of this blockchain technology," said Jeff Garzik, one of five bitcoin core developers who have taken over maintenance of the technology from mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto. "[Currency] is not the killer app, it's just the first app." How does it work? Meet the blockchain The central insight behind bitcoin is its innovative blockchain-a decentralized ledger that records every verified transaction. As it stands, proponents say it is the most secure record-keeping technology ever devised; each piece of information is stored on an immutable time-stamped list, which is then replicated on other servers across the globe. This chain lives in its entirety on hundreds of machines around the world-which helps ensure protection from corruption, technological or otherwise. The term "blockchain" comes from the way information is stored: New transactions are stored on a "block" of data, and each block uses code to refer back to the preceding chunk of information-thereby creating a chain. Within the world of bitcoin, the blockchain acts as a "register of deeds," according to Garzik. Read More Is Apple Pay a bitcoin killer? "I don't store bitcoins, I store private keys that show I own bitcoins," he said. "I don't actually send bitcoins, I just change the name on the deed." The blockchain is what gives bitcoin much of its appeal as a digital currency. Not only is it a global ledger that can confirm transactions in about 10 minutes, but it is also transparent and essentially unchangeable. Story continues What's next? 'The Great Bitcoin 2.0 Race' Beyond just money, it's the next series of applications that Garzik calls "the great bitcoin 2.0 race." Here's the basic idea: If the blockchain is able to securely contain the record of bitcoin transactions, then it should be able to hold any information with the same benefit. Also, the technology has been subjected to years of scrutiny by both enthusiasts and skeptics. Which leads to so-called "smart contracts." Here's an example: "Smart" loans could automatically adjust interest rates based on the financial performance of a borrower. The contract's code would need to include an automated observation of the key real world metrics-like the rate at which the borrower is paying off the loan. And while most commercial loans already have these provisions, they have to be manually reported and monitored, and enforcement may fall to the discretion of individual agents, or the courts, so the application of this technology would create major efficiencies.Read More 3 reasons Wall Street can't stay away from bitcoin "The potential to greatly reduce or even eliminate the need for litigation and courts may be the most attractive feature of smart contracts," wrote Houman B. Shadab, co-director of New York Law School's Center for Business and Financial Law. In a recent conference abstract, he added that the technology "in principle removes the potential for parties to have a dispute." A similar application would include "smart property," such as a digital asset (or one day even a real-world product like a car) that would turn off if the smart contract is ever breached. The car example, which was cited by several technologists, would likely require something akin to a self-driving feature to return it to a dealership. To be sure, similar technologies exist in other forms (Oracle's PeopleSoft offers similar functionality, for example) but the blockchain innovation is that it allows the system to work without a trusted third party, theoretically cutting costs. Still, some have their doubts (warning:link has NSFW language) that the value of a decentralized trust-less ledger is all that useful. Eventually, blockchain believers argue, smart contracts and property may replace company management to create a so-called decentralized autonomous organization-artificial intelligence that can churn out smart contracts for dealing with human customers and employees. At least some are dreaming even bigger, imagining that blockchain technology could completely change how we trade securities. The new Medici? When online retailer Overstock began accepting bitcoins in January, many in the crypto community cheered the move as an important step in the currency's eventual universal acceptance. What most didn't realize, though, is that buying goods is not all Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne has in mind. In an Oct. 6 announcement, Byrne revealed that he was planning a completely decentralized financial exchange using blockchain technology. Byrne, whose disdain of Wall Street is well documented, said he thinks this system will ultimately replace the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. "We can bring a technology to market that does everything that Wall Street does," he said. "We will have made the biggest financial disruption in 800 years." Harkening to the advent of modern banking in the Renaissance, Overstock has dubbed its project "Medici." Byrne said it may eventually replace retail as the primary focus of his company. Read More CNBC Explains: How to mine bitcoins on your own Marketing and bluster aside, Medici offers a clear value proposition: An equities or bonds exchange that cuts out the middlemen could offer greater efficiencies and cost-savings-and allow for the layman to more readily participate in the market. Although that task may seem daunting from a regulatory standpoint because it seeks to fully upend the current system, Byrne predicted he will be offering the first securities over his exchange in April as "early indications are actually quite positive" from regulators. Any new exchange will be examined closely by the Securities and Exchange Commission to make sure it satisfies regulatory requirements for fair trading and adequate disclosure, Shadab said. Also, the technological and regulatory hurdles facing Medici are not necessarily as trivial as Byrne thinks, said Charles Hoskinson, director of the Bitcoin Education Project, who has been involved with several blockchain projects. "From a technology perspective I think it's dumb, and from a regulatory perspective I think it's very risky," Hoskinson said, explaining that a decentralized system will probably not offer adequate regulatory oversight, and that storing every transaction on a blockchain is a needlessly resource-intensive strategy. Read More Bitcoin needs more consumer protection Byrne said he plans to issue a cryptosecurity called "O-coin" as the first on Medici. It would be "an approximation of the legal and common rights" of Overstock's common stock, but it would only be a small offering, he said. While the technological infrastructure for many of these applications have not been built yet, groups with names like Counterparty and Ethereum are now working to do just that. And while many of these developers have converted into foundations for the spread of their protocols, their work has reportedly attracted interest from tech investors. One source with knowledge of Ethereum's beginnings said that investment offers valued the project at about $500 million, and that Google Ventures was one of the interested parties. "That's a big number isn't it? That's an impressive number?" Ethereum Chief Communications Officer Stephan Tual said when asked about the figure, before adding that "I don't think the concept would work if we had accepted money." Google Ventures did not respond to a request for comment. Though major industry moves have yet to be announced, most in the space said they are confident that the "great bitcoin 2.0 race" is already fomenting significant corporate interest-including from the likes of IBM, which has publicly announced it is exploring blockchain as a way to connect an "Internet of things." Despite his anti-Wall Street rhetoric, Overstock's Byrne said major financial institutions are already exploring working with Medici. And a recent conference on blockchain tech regulation in New York featured a number of claims of major (but as-yet unannounced) partnerships. "We'll be talking about the pre-blockchain and post-blockchain way of doing business," said Sam Yilmaz, managing partner at Decentralized Applications Fund, reflecting on some of the uses discussed at the conference. Read More Bitcoin's 'BearWhale' and the future of a cryptocurrency But even those who aren't attending crypto conferences-those who do not count themselves among the bitcoin believers-may see the value of the blockchain (the Bank of England and the CIO of UBS have both commented recently on the potential of the technology). "Bitcoin is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, but the technology is utterly fascinating," said Jeffrey Robinson, author "BitCon: The Naked Truth about Bitcoin," which as the title suggests is a scathing indictment of the promises surrounding the digital currency. "Blockchain technology will change the world," he said.

2014-11-14 21:36:32+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [511]}

{}

David Tepper Bought Alibaba

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/david-tepper-bought-alibaba-213632667.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

David Tepper Bloomberg TV David Tepper David Tepper, founder of Appaloosa Management, bought 725,000 shares of Alibaba in the third quarter, according to government filings. The online retailed was recently spun out of Yahoo and made public in a massive IPO. Tepper, the highest paid hedge fund manager in 2013 taking home $3.5 billion, also lowered his stake in Apple and Citigroup. More From Business Insider REPORT: Bill Ackman Just Took A Huge Stake In An Animal Health Company And Shares Ripped RAOUL PAL: Bitcoin Is Worth $1,000,000 John Paulson's Event Fund Got Killed In October

2014-11-17 20:25:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [27], "BTC": [0, 12, 613, 1660]}

{}

Microelectronics Updates Server Delivery, Negotiating Long Term Debt Placement

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microelectronics-updates-server-delivery-negotiating-202500343.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

BTC Mining, BTC POOLPARTY, Bitcoin MONARCH BAY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 17 2014 / Microelectronics Technology Corporation (OTC Pink: MELY) ( MELY ) The company is pleased to announce it has entered into negotiations with a Licensed Underwriter for the purpose of raising 2 million dollars of long term debt. The purpose for the debt financing is for additional server acquisition and the restructuring of the dilutive debt the company currently holds on its balance sheet. The company anticipates finalizing these negotiations by months end. Previously announced: "The company expects to receive the first 500 BTC Mining servers on or about November 15, 2014 with the additional 500 servers to arrive by year end." As of this date the initial delivery of servers has been delayed by the manufacturer and the company has not received delivery of any new servers. The company had previously determined that it would utilize a different manufacturer than used initially, in order to save costs however reliable delivery remains an issue at this time. The company has not been able to establish a delivery date at this time although it is anticipated to receive delivery imminently. BTCPOOLPARTY Mining Pool: The Company reports that the BTCPOOLPARTY launch has been very successful. The pool has been tested under significant load and has performed in excess of the company's expectations. The company is currently developing an incentive program to attract additional miners to expand the pools hash rate. It is the companies target to attract a minimum of 3 Petahash or more hash rate which would provide enough hash rate for the BTCPOOLPARTY pool to find a BTC block on a daily basis. https://www.btcpoolparty.com/ Debt Reduction: Addition photos and video can be viewed at the company's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MELYPK Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey Company progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially and are subject to risk and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include without limitation: dependence on key personnel and suppliers; MELY's ability to commercialize its technology; ability to defend intellectual property; material and component costs; competition; economic conditions; consumer demand and product acceptance, and availability of growth capital. Story continues Additional considerations and risk factors are set forth in reports filed on Form 8-K and 10-K with the SEC and other filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements; historical information is not an indicator of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Microelectronics Technology Co. President: Mr. Brett Everett 702-221-1914 [email protected] www.melypk.com www.dynamoservers.com SOURCE: Microelectronics Technology Company

2014-11-17 21:13:52+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1837]}

{}

U.S. to auction 50,000 bitcoins seized in Silk Road case

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-auction-50-000-bitcoins-171243960.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Marshals Service said Monday it will auction 50,000 bitcoins seized during the prosecution of the alleged owner of Silk Road, an Internet black-market bazaar where authorities say illegal drugs and other goods could be bought. An online auction is scheduled for Dec. 4 for the bitcoins, valued at nearly $19.8 million. It would be the Marshals Service's second such auction following an earlier one in June for almost 30,000 bitcoins seized during the 2013 raid on Silk Road. The latest batch of bitcoins was found on computer hardware authorities said belonged to Ross Ulbricht, who prosecutors accuse of creating the underground website. Authorities say in pursuing the case, the government has recovered 173,991 bitcoins, including about 144,336 recovered from computer hardware belonging to Ulbricht seized at the time of his arrest. As part of a civil forfeiture proceeding, Ulbricht and the government in January reached a deal in which the bitcoins on his hardware would be sold, with the proceeds to be held pending the outcome of his case. Potential bidders for the 50,000 bitcoins, which will be offered in 20 blocks, must register by Dec. 1. Winners will be notified Dec. 5. The remaining 94,341 bitcoins from Ulbricht's hardware will be auctioned "in the coming months," said Lynne Donahue, a Marshals Service spokeswoman. The previous set of 29,655 bitcoins, which were recovered from Silk Road's servers, were won at auction by a single bidder, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper. Terms were not disclosed. Ulbricht, who prosecutors said was known online as "Dread Pirate Roberts," faces trial Jan. 5 on charges including conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, and continuing criminal enterprise. Ulbricht, 30, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer declined comment Monday. Bitcoin prices were up 1.79 percent Friday at $395.49 per coin, according to the digital currency news website CoinDesk. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish and Dan Grebler)

2014-11-17 23:11:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [0, 180, 677]}

{"Bitcoin": [32]}

US Marshals will auction 50,000 Bitcoins seized from Silk Road

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2014-11-17-us-auctions-silk-road-founder-bitcoins.html

Engadget

https://www.engadget.com/

Bitcoins Want a virtual piece of law enforcement history? You're about to get your chance. The US Marshal's Service is holding an auction on December 4th that will sell off 50,000 Bitcoins from Ross Ulbricht (aka Dread Pirate Roberts), the alleged founder of the black market website Silk Road . You'll need plenty of real-world cash to get your hands on this digital currency, though. The feds are selling the digital currency in batches of 2,000 to 3,000 coins, and you'll need to place a minimum $100,000 deposit by December 1st to claim one of them. Not exactly an impulse purchase, then. At least this isn't the last auction you'll see -- police seized a total of 144,000 Bitcoins in the Silk Road bust last year, and roughly half of them have yet to go on sale. [Image credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer]

2014-11-18 05:46:19+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1019]}

{}

PRESS DIGEST- New York Times business news - Nov 18

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/press-digest-york-times-business-054619521.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

Nov 18 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. * Federal prosecutors are wrestling with whether to file a civil fraud lawsuit against Angelo Mozilo, the former chief executive of Countrywide Financial, which was at the center of the subprime mortgage boom and bust, people briefed on the matter say. ( http://nyti.ms/1xK5wXK ) * Allergan Inc agreed on Monday to be acquired for $66 billion by Actavis Plc in a deal worth $219 a share in cash and stock. It would be the third-largest healthcare deal ever in the United States, according to Standard & Poor's Capital IQ. ( http://nyti.ms/1AaMrRS ) * SunEdison Inc and its publicly traded power plant subsidiary, TerraForm, said on Monday that they would buy First Wind, a leading developer and operator of wind farms, for $2.4 billion. ( http://nyti.ms/1xyT4MM ) * The United States Marshals Service announced on Monday that it would auction 50,000 Bitcoins, worth around $19 million, seized in connection with the now-defunct online bazaar Silk Road. ( http://nyti.ms/1xhoqq5 ) * Goldman Sachs Group Inc executives will again come in for a grilling at a congressional hearing this Thursday. Two of the bank's executives, along with executives from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Morgan Stanley, will appear at a hearing that will examine the role that Wall Street banks play in the commodities markets. ( http://nyti.ms/1uowpzh ) (Compiled by Rama Venkat Raman in Bangalore)

2014-11-18 19:44:46+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1632]}

{}

Organovo begins selling 3D printed liver tissue

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/organovo-begins-selling-3d-printed-194446024.html

Gigaom

http://gigaom.com/

In case you weren’t sure if we are living in the future, Organovo is here to remind you: The bioprinting company announced today that its 3D printed liver tissue is now commercially available , and pharmaceutical laboratories can begin using it to test if their early-stage drugs are toxic. The tissue is made from three types of cells found in the human liver. Liver cells need to be arranged in a very precise pattern or they don’t work. That means 3D tissue can give clearer results than the 2D collections of cells that labs currently use because the cells interact and mimic a full liver more convincingly. Organovo said it also makes the drug discovery process faster and, as a result, cheaper. Organovo prints its liver tissue with a machine that isn’t that far removed from the inkjet printers that can be found on a desktop. Needle-like nozzles lay down the cells in a precise pattern. The tissue can survive for up to 42 days while researchers expose it to exploratory drugs. Beyond liver tissue, Organovo is able to print everything from bone to blood vessels to heart tissue. It has longterm plans to 3D print entire organs, which could someday be implanted into a human. In the meantime, Organovo is focused on printing bits of tissue. It announced a partnership with the National Institutes of Health in January, in which it will print eye tissue for the study of disease advancement. Image copyright Organovo . Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research: Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial . A market analysis of emerging technology interfaces The legal challenges and opportunities for 3D printing Bitcoin: why digital currency is the future financial system More From paidContent.org Design now has to assume that objects evolve over time

2014-11-19 03:30:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2772], "BTC": [2842]}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Gaming Cryptocurrency HYPER Announces $100 Steam Competition Launches 10 Game Servers

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-gaming-cryptocurrency-hyper-announces-033000792.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Progressive gaming cryptocurrency Hyper is hosting a two week long competition enabling gamers to win $100 steam code, one of many competitions rewarding gamers and Hyper adopters worldwide. ACCESSWIRE / November 18, 2014 / Launched in May 2014 the HYPER development team now spans the globe with members in the US, Europe and Asia with HYPER currently trading on US based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex. The team is excited to announce a $100 steam game code competition running for 2 weeks that anyone can enter for the chance to win a $100 steam game code for free . HYPER runs many competitions on custom servers where players can win HYPER simply for playing Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Just Cause 2, Assetto Corsa racing, Rust and many more games . As solid additions to the HYPER ecosystem there are also many ways to spend and earn HYPER on the growing network of gaming servers. Beyond this, the team is also hard at work establishing HYPER core infrastructure such the HYPER Gaming Gateway, at Hypergg.com that is in open Alpha and launching soon. The HYPERGG will bring a professional face to the HYPER network of gaming servers and soon include a HYPER web wallet where anyone can start using HYPER easily and store their HYPER winnings from gaming. Console gamers will soon be able to enter monthly competitions at http://hypergg.com and win HYPER for playing their favorite Xbox and PS3 games . Current HYPER game servers and projects: – HYPER $100 steam game code competition: http://hypercrypto.com/forum/index.php?topic=298.0 – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive US and EU servers. – Counter-Strike US server – HYPER Assetto Corsa racing US and EU servers – HYPER Rust server – HYPER Minecraft pixelmon server – HYPER Eve Online Corporation – HYPERGG at Hypergg.com under development – HYPER Forum at http://hypercrypto.com/forum being redesigned – Main HYPER space MMO project that integrates the currency – Web shop with 10% discount on ANY steam game code coming soon. – Website at Hypercrypto.com/ is being redesigned – HYPER Federation website at http://hyper.cash – HYPER to be integrated into in-store and online merchant payments iPhone and Android App Casheer. – HYPER team in talks with top level cryptocurrency exchanges and payment providers of the gaming industry with more news to come soon. – See the overall HYPER ecosystem at the wiki http://hypercrypto.com/wiki Story continues With the ever growing network of gaming servers and competitions, team members spanning the globe, ongoing competitions such as the $100 steam game code competition, redesign of many key HYPER portals, and the many cryptocurrency gaming projects under development HYPER truly is the disruptive gaming cryptocurrency . To trade HYPER with Bitcoin please go to: https://www.bittrex.com/Market/Index?MarketName=BTC-HYPER Keep up with HYPER competitions and news on twitter: http://twitter.com/hypercrypto Official bitcointalk thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=624651.0 Official HYPER forum: http://hypercrypto.com/forum Official HYPER Wiki: http://hypercrypto.com/wiki For more information about us, please visit http://hypercrypto.com Contact Info: Name: HYPER Media Organization: HYPER Project SOURCE: HYPER Project

2014-11-19 17:01:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2056]}

{}

Bromium Research Reveals Sophisticated Crypto-Ransomware Menace

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bromium-research-reveals-sophisticated-crypto-170100073.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

CUPERTINO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 19, 2014) - Bromium®, Inc. , the pioneer and leader in transforming endpoint security using micro-virtualization, today announced the publication of "Understanding Crypto-ransomware," which analyzes the anatomy of an attack. The report dissects the sophisticated malware, which evades detection-based security solutions, such as antivirus, and leverages advanced encryption to encode enterprise file types until a ransom is paid, resulting in millions of dollars of losses. "Crypto-ransomware is a particularly devious attack because of its potential to cause financial losses and irreparable damage to organizations that cannot access critical files," said Rahul Kashyap, chief security architect, Bromium. "Crypto-ransomware lacks the subtlety of Trojan attacks that evade detection during infection, openly flaunting its compromise and demanding payment since antivirus is unable to reverse the process." "Understanding Crypto-ransomware" provides a comprehensive analysis for the most prevalent crypto-ransomware families uncovered in the wild. Bromium Labs reverse engineered each sample and executed it in a virtualized environment to observe its behavior. Key findings from "Understanding Crypto-ransomware" include: Crypto-ransomware Evolves to Target the Enterprise : Initially, crypto-ransomware focused on consumers, primarily targeting the sentimental value of image files. Over time, the number of file types targeted has increased nearly 200 percent, from 70 to 230, including a focus on business software file types. Crypto-ransomware Leverages Advanced Attack Techniques: Crypto-ransomware compromises are frequently caused by process injection, which may be delivered by malvertising . The process injection obfuscates code and covertly launches, rendering antivirus solutions ineffective. Anonymized Traffic and Payment Channels Hinder Investigation: Crypto-ransomware leverages encrypted traffic channels to communicate with command-and-control servers, shrouding their location. Payment is demanded in Bitcoin, which is less regulated and more anonymous than other currency. Advanced Encryption Techniques Stifle Code Crackers : Early crypto-ransomware flaws enabled researchers to reverse engineer a tool to recover files. As a result, crypto-ransomware has implemented advanced encryption algorithms that are nearly impossible to defeat. Story continues Download "Understanding Crypto-ransomware" at http://www.bromium.com/sites/default/files/bromium-report-ransomware.pdf About Bromium, Inc. Bromium is re-inventing enterprise security with its powerful new technology, micro-virtualization, which was designed to protect businesses from advanced malware by design, while simultaneously empowering users and delivering real-time threat intelligence to IT. Unlike traditional security methods, which rely on complex and ineffective detection techniques, Bromium protects against malware from the Web, email or USB devices, by automatically isolating each user-task at the endpoint in a hardware-isolated micro-VM, preventing theft or damage to any enterprise resource. Bromium's technological innovations have earned the company numerous industry awards. Bromium counts a rapidly growing set of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies as customers. www.bromium.com Follow Bromium on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bromium

2014-11-20 03:43:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [16, 2423, 2537, 2869, 3107]}

{"Bitcoin": [9]}

ZeusHash Bitcoin And Litecoin Cloud Mining Platform Announces Gridseed Partnership And Generous Thanksgiving Promotion

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/zeushash-bitcoin-litecoin-cloud-mining-034300409.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

Hong Kong based Bitcoin and Litecoin cloud mining provider ZeusHash has announced an exciting new partnership with Gridseed and is offering reduced cloud mining prices and giveaways to celebrate Thanksgiving Hong Kong / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2014 / After intensive top-level talks ZeusHash is excited to announce a new partnership with reliable Litecoin hashrate supplier Gridseed: one of the largest and most successful Scrypt miner producers in the world. This long-term strategic partnership will undoubtedly build the strongest alliance for Litecoin cloud hashing with the lowest prices - supported by the unbeatable success in developing Scrypt miners of both Gridseed and ZeusMiner. The partnership aims to provide customers with the best and most affordable Litecoin cloud hashing services in the world: "We will carry out in-depth and extensive cooperation in Scrypt hashrate delivery and also technology" Says Frank Lee, CEO of Gridseed. With the Scrypt-based hashrate provided by ZeusMiner and Gridseed, two giant Scrypt miner producers, ZeusHash is able to lower their overall costs gradually by introducing new and cheaper hashrates . Effective immediately maintenance fees will be cut to just $0.058 per Mh/s. From Nov. 17th to Nov. 27th which is Thanksgiving Day, ZeusHash are introducing a very attractive promotional price set. 1 to 9.9 Litecoin cloud mining Mh/s can be purchsed for $15.99 per Mh/s, 10-49.9 Mh/s can be bought for $13.99 per Mh/s, 50-399.9 Mh's can be bought for $12.99, 400-999.9 Mh/s can be purchased for $11.99 while greater than 1 Gh/s can be bought for just $10.99 per Mh/s . Since it's Thanksgiving, ZeusHash wants to give back to their previous customers. For those who bought any type or amount of Hashrate with ZeusHash before Nov. 17th, 2014 (GMT), during the promotion, they will win free HashBuffs. When previous clients make a new order, a random HashBuff will be allocated to their account and take affect immediately. It applies to customer's first 3 orders of Mh/s every day during the promotion. Story continues With their new partnership with Gridseed, ZeusHash are able to establish the strongest alliance ever in the cloud mining industry . More sustainable and cost-efficient cloud hashing power will be introduced to all ZeusHash users. About ZeusMiner and ZeusHash: Hong Kong based ZeusMiner is one of the largest distributors and retail sellers of Litecoin and Bitcoin ASIC mining hardware worldwide. With datacentres spanning the globe clients worldwide can also cloud mine Bitcoin and Litecoin with ZeusMiner's in-house cloud mining platform ZeusHash . Having recently announced partnerships with ASICMiner, Rockminer, XBTec last week and now Gridseed - ZeusMiner has also started to work with Bitmain and sell their innovative liquid cooled Antminer C1. ZeusHash offers reliable, scalable and affordable Bitcoin and Litecoin industry grade cloud mining infrastructure . Moving forward ZeusHash aims for more industry partnerships, continued scaling of mining infrastructure, and many more promotions – to continue to provide industry leading Bitcoin and Litecoin cloud mining. To learn more please go to: http://zeushash.com ZeusHash on Facebook: @ZeusHash ZeusHash on Twitter: @ZeusHash_Zeus For more information about us, please visit http://zeushash.com Contact Info: Name: Fei Hong Email: [email protected] Organization: ZeusHash Address: Shenzhen, China SOURCE: ZeusHash

2014-11-20 14:00:00+00:00

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{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin Shop to Donate a Portion of Its Ecommerce Gross Profits to Help Africare Fight Ebola

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-donate-portion-ecommerce-140000107.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Nov 20, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, today announced its plans to donate fifty percent (50%) of its ecommerce gross profits to Africare , a Washington, DC based non-profit organization, starting November 28, 2014 through December 31, 2014. Africare is currently fighting the spread of Ebola through various initiatives in West African communities, including strengthening local health care systems, supplying personal protective equipment and administering behavior change education to try to prevent the disease from spreading. Africare has raised over $50,000 to date towards their goal of $100,000 to help stop the current Ebola outbreak. Bitcoin Shop encourages customers to do their holiday shopping on its new 2.0 beta ecommerce platform or its legacy platform to help support the Company's donation. Bitcoin Shop will also be participating in Bitcoin Black Friday on November 28, 2014 and will have special deals on specific products for customers. Bitcoin Shop's beta site offers over 2 million products and utilizes its "Intelligent Shopping Engine" to find consumers competitive prices on products from over 85 retailers. Charles Allen, CEO of Bitcoin Shop, commented, "As part of the digital currency ecosystem we are happy to help support Africare and its efforts on the ground, working with communities affected by the disease in its fight against the spread of Ebola." Donors have helped Africare deliver $1.4 million in necessary medical supplies and reach more than 100,000 West Africans with Ebola behavior change messages. "Africare has empowered African communities to overcome disease time and again -- polio, river blindness, malaria and more," affirmed Africare President Darius Mans. "We know that with the right support, West Africans can contain Ebola and prevent future outbreaks, and we are grateful to Bitcoin Shop and its users for their commitment to Africare and the communities we partner with every day." Story continues About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our public beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine". All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. About Africare: Africare is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to addressing African development and policy issues by working in partnership with African people to build sustainable, healthy and productive communities. Since 1970, Africare has benefited tens of millions of men, women and children through thousands of projects across 36 countries in Africa by integrating our community-based core expertise with our technical specialties of Agriculture and Health, always prioritizing the cross-cutting themes of Economic Development; Nutrition; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; Women's Empowerment; and Youth Engagement. Visit http://www.africare.org for more information. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

2014-11-20 18:14:39+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [232, 2071, 2384]}

{}

Realcoin Rebrands as Tether and Enters Private Beta

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/realcoin-rebrands-tether-enters-private-181439863.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

HONG KONG, CHINA--(Marketwired - Nov 20, 2014) - Today Realcoin officially launched in private beta as Tether , the new way to move money online. Tether makes it possible for anyone to safely enjoy the speed and cost-savings of the Bitcoin blockchain for P2P transactions, online shopping and bill payment while using familiar currencies. To request an invite to the Tether private beta, visit www.tether.to The blockchain is a decentralized public ledger for exchanging value anywhere in the world without the added time and expense of banks or other third party intermediaries. To date, bitcoin and altcoins have been created for making blockchain transactions, but these emerging cryptocurrencies suffer from severe market volatility, rendering them impractical for mainstream daily use. Tether directly solves this problem by formatting government-issued currencies as standardized digital tokens for making worldwide transactions over the blockchain. The private beta currently supports USTether (US+), EuroTether (EU+), and YenTether (JP+). "While the blockchain shows great promise to more efficiently connect the world to banking, individuals are very hesitant to use bitcoin until we effectively end the volatility concern," said Reeve Collins, co-founder and CEO of Tether. "This is a critical step for mass adoption of this technology, and Tether is bridging the gap by bringing familiar currencies to the blockchain." The Tether platform is fully transparent and will be regularly audited. Every Tether+ token is backed 100% by its original currency, and can be redeemed at any time with no exposure to exchange risk. In addition, customers can access a real-time balance sheet of Tether's reserves, offering unprecedented access to the movement of assets and outstanding Tether+ in circulation. The company's industry-leading launch partners include: Bitfinex , the world's largest exchange for bitcoins and US dollars. GoCoin , the first international payment platform for bitcoin and other emerging cryptocurrencies ZenBox , the world's largest network of Bitcoin kiosks OmniWallet , a multi-currency bitcoin wallet, powered by Mastercoin HolyTransactions , a multi-currency bitcoin wallet Expresscoin , the fastest way to buy and sell cryptocurrency in the US Tether is actively seeking banks, digital currency exchanges, wallet builders, and related companies in the Bitcoin ecosystem to join its global network. For more information or to request an invite to the private beta, please visit www.tether.to About Tether Founded in May of 2014, Tether Holdings is a BVI holding company with operations in Hong Kong and the Isle of Man. To learn more, visit www.tether.to .

2014-11-20 22:30:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1027, 1174, 1256, 1352, 1544, 3563, 3616, 3951, 4300, 4561, 4814, 5002]}

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How Bitcoin Could Make Voter Fraud and Stolen Elections Impossible

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-could-voter-fraud-stolen-223000711.html

Entrepreneur

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

As Americans lined up to vote this month, it was a reminder that voting is a fundamental requirement for a functioning democracy. It enables individuals to express opinions on how they believe their country should be run and who should run it. This process can be an extremely difficult task, especially in larger countries such as India, as collecting votes for millions of people is far from simple. That being said, the voting techniques we use worldwide have barely changed over the last century, and are long overdue for an update. The primary problem with the antiquated methods come down to a single fundamental issue, centralization. Current voting methods require a large amount of human involvement, from poll workers, to vote counters, to the companies and engineers that design the voting machines. Then you have the oversight groups who employ individuals to oversee the election workers. Current voting methods are inefficient and expensive, susceptible to fraud and manipulation, and need to be vastly improved. Bitcoin technology can provide us with a new and improved voting system built from the ground up, a decentralized and secure alternative. Related: Bitcoin in 10 Years: 4 Predictions From SecondMarket's Barry Silbert At its core, Bitcoin is a decentralized and robust ledger secured by computers around the world that run the Bitcoin software. Think of it as a globally transparent accounting book, shared worldwide, that anyone can access and interface with. Through the concepts of game theory and cryptography, the Bitcoin protocol creates a financial incentive to secure its network. The way this incentive is structured, it ensures that no single party can manipulate the data that has been written into the ledger. This makes it superior to state sponsored alternatives, especially in countries with a history of corruption, since the ruling government is unable to manipulate any voting data stored on the ledger. By completely rethinking the voting process, we can solve many of the issues that plague the current system, while adding new and useful benefits. As it stands now, the majority of votes worldwide are pieces of paper. There is no way to audit paper votes without counting them all by hand, and there is no way for an individual voter to be sure their vote was counted. Every task that needs to be handled by a person is an opportunity for a mistake to be made or for fraud to be committed. On top of that, poll workers and vote counters can “stuff the ballot boxes” by adding paper votes themselves, a more common problem in less developed nations, but a concern in all countries. The only way to prevent that type of tampering is heavy oversight, which requires more workers and more cost. Story continues Electronic voting machines aim to reduce some of the inefficiencies and vulnerabilities of paper ballot voting machines, but introduce a whole new set of issues. These machines are made by private corporations and their source code is proprietary. Voters are forced to not only trust that the creators of the machine aren’t malevolent but also that they have created a secure platform, not susceptible to outside tampering. In this respect, the current class of electronic voting machines are actually a step backwards from paper ballots because they are much easier to tamper with and manipulate on a large scale. Since current machines are not inter-operable, with different companies running different software, it becomes a security and compliance quagmire. Related: Billionaire Entrepreneur Mark Cuban: 'Bitcoin Has No Shot as a Long-Term Digital Currency' Bitcoin technology offers a fundamentally different approach to vote collection with its decentralized and automated secure protocol. It solves the problems of both paper ballot and electronic voting machines, enabling a cost effective, efficient, open system that is easily audited by both individual voters and the entire community. Bitcoin technology can enable a system where every voter can verify that their vote was counted, see votes for different candidates/issues cast in real time, and be sure that there is no fraud or manipulation by election workers. Furthermore, the system would ensure that only registered voters are able to vote, without requiring a photo ID. Using Bitcoin technology, every registered voter would have their own key that would enable them to cast their vote, making it impossible for unregistered individuals to vote without one. On top of that, this system would cost magnitudes less than current methods. A Bitcoin based system can solve most of the issues that currently plague the voting process, without relying on legislation or any additional bureaucracy. Instead of recording votes on paper or in proprietary computer systems, we can record votes on the Bitcoin ledger, the block chain. It is essentially a tech based solution to a human and societal problem. A fair, efficient, and cost-effective voting system is finally possible. Related: Bitcoin Startups Get Their Own Silicon Valley Accelerator

2014-11-21 04:01:31+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [300, 3344, 3583]}

{}

DEMO Fall 2014 Conference Wraps Day Two of Launching New Startups -- and Crowned DEMO Gods

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/demo-fall-2014-conference-wraps-040131349.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 20, 2014) - DEMO Fall 2014 ( www.DEMO.com ) today welcomed the launch of another 20 technology products and services focused on solving real-life problems. The conference showcased a hand-selected group of entrepreneurs demonstrating new technologies in the areas of Bitcoin and personal finance, cloud, messaging and the Internet of Things, and setting the pace for future technology. Executives, founders, engineers and investors all gathered at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose to crown the DEMO Gods. DEMO God Award™ Winners The Fall DEMO God Awards are presented to the DEMO Fall companies that exhibit exceptional potential to thrive in the market while inspiring and stimulating the DEMO audience. Congratulations to the following companies that were honored with Fall DEMO God Awards during DEMO Fall 2014: The Work Cloud: Student Loans ( www.goslb.com ) Wearables & Hardware: Curb ( www.energycurb.com ) Mobile: PathSense ( www.pathsense.com ) Smart Data: Celect ( www.celect.net ) and Ghostery ( www.ghostery.com ) Traction Showcase Winner: Templafy ( www.templafy.com ) "We traveled the world, meeting with promising startups to look for solutions that harness emerging technology to tackle big problems," said DEMO executive producer Erick Schonfeld. "The core concept of creativity is looking at problems in new ways, and that is what we celebrated onstage at DEMO Fall." Speaker highlights of day two included key executives as well as "founder judges" who provided critiques and feedback to each demonstrating company: Scott Robinson, FinTech Director, Plug and Play Rick Yang, Principal, NEA Max Gazor, Venture Capital Investor, CRV John Lilly, Partner, Greylock Partners Angela Yochem, Global CIO, BDP International Kobie Fuller, Principal, Accel Partners Mara Lewis, Managing Director, Start Co. Shanna Tellerman, Partner, Google Ventures Jeremy Conrad, Founding Partner, Lemnos Labs Stephen Plumlee, Global Chief Operating Officer & EVP, R/GA Trae Vasallo, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Matt Rogers, Founder and Engineering, Nest Labs Keith Rabois, Partner, Khosla Ventures Hiten Shah, Co-Founder, KISSMetrics and Crazy Egg Deepak Aher, Head of Global Market Enablement, SAP Startup Focus Kaustav Mitra, Global VP, SAP Startup Focus Bradley Mossman, VP for Convergence CT Angela Yochem, Global CIO, BDP International Linda Kozlowski, VP, World Wide Operations, Evernote Jay Parekh, Director, Business Development, Braintree Emma Sinclair, Serial Entrepreneur and CEO, EnterpriseJungle Alison Berkley Wagonfeld, Operating Partner, Emergence Capital Kathleen Lord, VP, Sales & Customer Success, Relate IQ Peter Weed, General Manager, "Fast Growth Tech" Practice, McKinsey and Company Danielle Morrill, CEO & Cofounder, Mattermark Nir Eyal, Author, "Hooked"; Co-Founder, AdNectar Phillip Kahn, CEO, Fullpower Lior Ron, CVP, Product Management, Motorola Mobility Jeremy Conrad, Founding Partner, Lemnos Labs Dave McClure, Founding Partner, 500 Startups Tomasz Tunguz, Partner, Redpoint Ventures Eric Setton, Co-Founder, Enterprise Jungle Tien Tzuo, Founder and CEO, Zuora Steve Papa, Founder and Venture Capitalist, Parallel Wireless Thomas Debass, Managing Director, U.S. Department of State Story continues DEMO Fall Day Two elite group of demonstrators included: Bitcoin & Personal Finance Appzen , an ambient solution for T&E expense compliance and audit. Draft , a new online portfolio management company targeting Millennial investors. Hellobit , a money transfer (remittance) solution built on the Bitcoin network. Pavilion.io, a trustless exchange and automated escrow release mechanism for e-commerce sites. SmartContract, contract management that automatically verifies and executes itself, written as code into the blockchain and cryptographically signed. Obsidian, a digital currency trading platform with a US-banking partner. The Work Cloud AccuSure solves the challenging process of buying business insurance with a service that is free to businesses. Opstarts, an application for business forecasting, projections and scenario planning without spreadsheets. Student Loan Benefits has invented the 401(k) for student loans. It's a unique benefit that helps growing companies stand out and retain critical talent. Survmetrics Inc, an online survey platform. Venture360, a complete fund management platform to screen, close and track private investments. Messaging GlanceAt, Inc., a smart mobile email assistant that uses natural language processing. Kandid, a spontaneous photo-sharing app. Klink, a sales productivity solution that provides real-time customer intelligence. Lifebox, a Web and Android app that uses Q&A to stimulate personal storytelling and connect people in a richer way using digital technologies. MeshMe Inc., a peer-to-peer mobile messaging and location sharing application. Internet of Things BluVision Inc., a BluFi Bluetooth-to-WiFi gateway to power Internet of Things connectivity with built-in WiFi bridging iBeacon sensors to the Internet. The Iotera equipment tracker, the smallest, most efficient tracker designed to run on a new crowd-sourced wireless network. Measurence Inc, a SaaS, cloud-based dashboard that allows retailers A/B to test store window conversions, measure store traffic funnels and analyze retention rates. Seed, technology using Bluetooth Smart, a rapid prototyping kit that allows users to build connected products fast and easily. Yonomi, an app that quietly and automatically coordinates your Internet of Things at home. DEMO Global Launch Platform - DEMO Global Showcase DEMO gives both emerging and established companies from around the world the opportunity to showcase technologies in front of an audience that can expertly evaluate the potential of groundbreaking business plans poised to take enterprise solutions to the next level. DEMO Africa Winners : Chura, Jifunza, Nerve, PaySail Limited and SpacePointe Limited. DEMO Brasil Winners : Atmmos , Beats Brasil, Ez-Parking, Timokids, Lotebox and Softex. Wearable World Pavilion In partnership with Wearable World, DEMO Fall hosted a special pavilion exclusively to showcase wearable tech. Attendees voted for a "Wearable World Pavilion People's Choice" winner who delivered a 90 second pitch from the DEMO stage. The winner is in Home ( www.inhome.me ) DEMO Fall 2014 Sponsors The DEMO Fall 2014 sponsors included: Platinum Sponsors : Dell, McKinsey & Company, PayPal, Primary Data, SAP, SocialRadius, Sumo Logic, Toyota Financial Services and Zebra Technologies. Traction Showcase Sponsors : AutoBrain; CareLink360; CirrusPath; CloudLogix; Core Mobile, Inc.; CUBE; CultureSphere, Inc.; GreneRobotics; Ice-Breakrr; KoolTechs; Krystallize Technologies; Lineapple; PowWow, Inc.; PracTech; Sanovi; ScriptRock; Socure; SoftPlus (Momenteur); Templafy; VoxyPAD, Inc; and You Are A CEO. Gold Sponsors: Innovation Center Denmark, the CUBE at SiliconANGLE and Tivi. For the full list of sponsoring companies, please see the DEMO Sponsor page. Wearable World Inc. Partners: Ambit Networks, CreoPop, Tappio, Grush, InHome, Interface, Jabil, Jon Lou, Loopd, Playtabase, Secluded.io, Sensilk, Viawear and WIACTS. About the DEMO Conferences Produced by IDG, the DEMO conferences in the United States, China, Brazil, Russia and Vietnam focus on emerging technologies and new product innovations. The DEMO conferences have earned their reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow's cutting-edge technologies, and have served as launchpad events for companies such as Palm, E*Trade, Salesforce, WebEx, TiVo, VMware, Fusion-io and thousands of others, helping them to secure venture funding, establish critical business relationships, and influence early adopters. The DEMO Scholarship Partner Program, subsidized by corporate sponsorships, offers multiple scholarship opportunities to ensure that deserving entrepreneurs have the chance to introduce cutting-edge technological products at DEMO that might have otherwise gone undiscovered. To attend or apply to demo, please go to www.demo.com . Follow DEMO on Twitter: @demo Follow DEMO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DEMOconference Follow DEMO Blog: thedemoblog.com Follow IDG Enterprise on Twitter: @IDGEnterprise About International Data Group International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, IDG products and services reach an audience of more than 280 million technology buyers in 97 countries. IDG Communications' global media brands include ChannelWorld®, CIO®, CITEworld®, CSO®, Computerworld®, DEMO®, GamePro®, InfoWorld®, Macworld®, Network World®, PCWorld® and TechWorld®. IDG's media network features 460 websites, 200 mobile sites and apps and 200 print titles spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment, and video games worldwide. The IDG TechNetwork represents hundreds of independent websites in an ad network and exchange complementary to IDG's media brands. A recognized leader in conference and exhibition management, IDG produces more than 700 globally branded technology and entertainment conferences and events in 55 countries. International Data Corporation (IDC), a subsidiary of IDG, has more than 1,000 analysts who provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in more than 110 countries. Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com . Trademarks and registered trademarks are owned by International Data Group, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks of their respective companies. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

2014-11-21 08:56:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [56, 1680, 1961, 3394]}

{"Bitcoin": [6]}

First Bitcoin Capital Corp. relaunches digital currency exchange CoinQX.com in BETA, open for trading

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-bitcoin-capital-corp-relaunches-085600150.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

VANCOUVER, B.C. / ACCESSWIRE / November 21,2014 / First Bitcoin Capital Corp., ( OTCMarkets: BITCF) is pleased to announce that it has relaunched its digital currency exchange, CoinQX.com. Utilizing sophisticated crypto-currency trading technology, CoinQX.com is live and open for trading. CoinQX.com uses a proprietary platform that will allow account holders to securely trade any and all digital currencies. Digital currency traders are now able to register with CoinQX.com to begin trading securely with ease and efficiency. CoinQX.com is also a unique platform allowing users to trade any pairs of coins in any combination and allow anyone to add their own virtual currency. "CoinQX.com is on the cusp of becoming a global, unified, all-inclusive digital exchange that seeks to integrate a wide range of services for crypto-currency traders, both retail and institutional," the company said. The polished interface, designed with the user in mind, offers an easy-to-use, customizable platform, while still maintaining a robust, highly secured backend. For additional security measures, the company will also require traders to complete a two-step verification process for account login, withdrawals, deposits and other transactions. CoinQX.com also utilizes a "know your customer" or KYC verification process to protect sensitive trader information. The front-end suite will also provide traders with a comprehensive market view with advanced functionality including customizable market depth, time and sales, advanced charting with overlays, drawing tools, customizable time-frames and indicators and algorithmic trading. About the company: CoinQX.com is a project of First Bitcoin Capital Corp., a developing Canadian-based mining company currently holding gold mining concessions in Venezuela. The company entered the crypto-currency industry in the beginning of 2014.. It is the first vertically-integrated consolidation publicly traded company of the Bitcoin and crypto-currency marketplace. Story continues SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release includes various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which represent the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Statements containing expressions such as "believes," "anticipates," "intends," or "expects," used in the Company's press releases and in Disclosure Statements and Reports filed with the Over the Counter Markets through the OTC Disclosure and News Service are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurances that actual results will not differ materially from expected results. The Company cautions that these and similar statements included in this report are further qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. Contacts: [email protected] ; [email protected] SOURCE: First Bitcoin Capital Corp.

2014-11-24 12:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [504]}

{}

GAW Miners Announces Plans for Initial Coin Offering

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gaw-miners-announces-plans-initial-120000855.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

BLOOMFIELD, CT--(Marketwired - Nov 24, 2014) - GAW Miners , one of the world's foremost bitcoin mining hardware manufacturers and digital cloud mining providers, today announced its Initial Coin Offering (ICO) with the introduction of Paycoin™, a new cryptocurrency released alongside bitcoin to facilitate mass adoption and long-term valuation stability of this new digital currency. Positioned as the cryptocurrency of the future, Paycoin addresses all of the inherent shortcomings that have prevented Bitcoin from achieving mainstream adoption. PayCoin improves upon existing coins by producing a decentralized network structured to promote price stability, fast transaction times, and rich features for achieving widespread consumer and merchant adoption. Additionally, by employing a Hybrid-Flex Blockchain and Transaction Immutability coupled with the latest in cryptography and economic theory, GAW Miners is producing a digital currency fit for a global audience. Paycoin will be available to the public beginning January 2, 2015. "Although relatively new, cryptocurrency is shifting the economic paradigm and that is reason enough for traditional financial organizations to start taking this seriously," said co-founder and early investor, Stuart Fraser, Vice Chairman and partner, Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. "With the marrying of innovation, technology, finance and regulation -- I believe that cryptocurrency can provide a value proposition that has never before been contemplated in global commerce and thus has the real possibility of being a viable mainstream currency accepted by the masses around the globe." "Cryptocurrency is a young, disruptive technology that offers easier, faster and more secure transactions between individuals and merchants than any payment technology to date," said GAW Miners founder and CEO Josh Garza. "However all existing cryptocurrencies have failed to achieve an adoption path leading to mainstream use. This is the primary reason why we're introducing Paycoin via this ICO. Story continues "Because Paycoin carries with it the best features of bitcoin while making corrections where necessary to produce a coin network fit for global acceptance," Garza continued. "To be honest, changing the world economy from fiat to cryptocurrency requires enormous effort. A decentralized currency leaves behind no parties with a financial incentive to do the work needed in order to promote global adoption. Until now that is. Paycoin's ICO fills in the missing piece by supporting continual adoption efforts allowing us to be the first to both legitimize and bring cryptocurrency to the mass market," concluded Garza. About GAW Miners GAW Miners is the fastest growing bitcoin mining technology provider, offering a range of world-class bitcoin mining hardware and cloud-based solutions. This includes Digital Cloud Mining (DCM) solutions, which are offered under the Hashlet, HashletGenesis, HashletSolo and HashletPrime brands. GAW Miners' bitcoin mining technology is in use around the world. For more information visit: www.gawminers.com .

2014-11-26 03:37:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [17, 169, 320, 631, 864, 884, 1389, 1593, 1837, 1902, 2061, 2143, 2254, 2707, 2837]}

{"Bitcoin": [5]}

Huge Bitcoin Marketplace OneWallet.io Launches With Wide Range of Products

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/huge-bitcoin-marketplace-onewallet-io-033700814.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

CoinsForTech - a Bitcoin company that has processed over $600 000 USD of cryptocurrency transactions - has just announced the launch of their new online marketplace and Bitcoin wallet: OneWallet.io. Australia / ACCESSWIRE / November 25, 2014 / Australian based CoinsForTech has launched a remarkable shopping portal for Bitcoin users just in time for the Christmas holidays . An impressive amount of merchants have registered for the platform with most touting worldwide shipping and ultra-competitive pricing. Over 600 products are already available for purchase, ranging from electronics, fragrances, clothing, make-up, watches, Bitcoin miners and much more. The marketplace, OneWallet.io, boasts a similar business model to eBay and was created with the belief that buying and selling could be improved using a global, non-discriminatory payment system such as Bitcoin : "By using Bitcoin as the medium, we are significantly lowering the cost of trading internationally," said Lee Marburg, founder of OneWallet and CoinsForTech. "Our marketplace allows for buyers and sellers across the world to transact without worrying about exorbitant currency conversion costs or lengthy transaction times." OneWallet is closely tied to CoinsForTech, an electronics store which has processed over $500,000 worth of cryptocurrency orders to 56 countries . The founders quickly realized the power of Bitcoin combined with ecommerce and have built a platform specifically to boost this form of trade. The OneWallet marketplace offers an opportunity for 3rd party sellers to capitalize on the ever-growing Bitcoin economy. It's free to list goods for sale on the marketplace, with just a 2% fee is payable if the product successfully sells . Merchants can choose to auction their goods or list them at a fixed price. It has never been easier to earn Bitcoin by selling goods or services. Each registered user has a Bitcoin wallet generated for them, though they are not required to use this wallet when buying or selling on the marketplace. The integrated wallet allows for Bitcoin-beginners to sell goods and receive payment with minimal knowledge of the Bitcoin ecosystem. OneWallet aims to provide a relatively hands-off method for beginners to become involved in Bitcoin , as well as an avenue for them to spend it on popular goods and services. Story continues Comprehensive buyer protection is provided to all purchases from BusinessVerified merchants. OneWallet will ensure that the BusinessVerified merchant fulfils their end of the deal and refund the customer's money in full if they do not. With over 500 products listed by BusinessVerified sellers anyone can shop with confidence on OneWallet. The OneWallet Bitcoin Marketplace is a winner for both buyers and sellers , offering competitive prices, buyer protection and low selling fees. Bitcoin users worldwide can now enjoy conducting their online buying and selling easily in one place. For more information about us, please visit http://www.onewallet.io/ Contact Info: Name: Lee Marburg Email: [email protected] Organization: OneWallet.io SOURCE: OneWallet.io

2014-11-26 09:54:29+00:00

{}

{"Bitcoin": [0]}

Bitcoin exchange Kraken to help in Mt. Gox bankruptcy

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-exchange-kraken-help-mt-095429183.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

By Teppei Kasai TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. bitcoin exchange operator Payward Inc said on Wednesday it will work on retrieving some millions of dollars lost by Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, once the world's largest bitcoin exchange before it collapsed in bankruptcy this year. Kraken, Payward's bitcoin exchange, will assist Mt. Gox's Tokyo-court appointed trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi with investigating where the missing bitcoins are, along with eventually redistributing any found to creditors as part of a liquidation. The partnership between Payward and Mt. Gox was approved by the Tokyo district court on Wednesday. Kraken will not be paid for the arrangement but could win new clients as former account holders at Mt. Gox register to receive future distributions from the liquidation. "We hope to revive bitcoin's reputation and create a healthy market for it, ultimately leading to profit for us," Ayako Miyaguchi, managing director of Kraken's Japanese operations, told reporters. Once handling 80 percent of the world's bitcoin trades, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy in February in Tokyo after it lost 750,000 of its users' bitcoins and 100,000 of its own. Mark Karpeles, the 28 year-old French CEO of Mt. Gox, blamed hackers for the loss. The lost funds represented the equivalent of $480 million at the time of the bankruptcy filing. Mt. Gox also said $28 million were "missing" from its Japanese bank accounts. Karpeles later said he had recovered 200,000 of the lost bitcoins. The collapse of Mt. Gox was a setback for a five-year-old virtual currency that proponents see as a still-developing alternative to traditional money. Kraken, a San Francisco-based bitcoin exchange, announced in October that it was launching trading between bitcoin and the yen, saying it was the only major exchange to offer a dedicated bitcoin/yen order book. (Writing by Edwina Gibbs) View comments

2014-11-30 12:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1562]}

{}

Innovation: What It Really Takes to Market a Good Idea

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/innovation-really-takes-market-good-120000066.html

The Fiscal Times

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/

Management gurus who have long touted the value of teamwork and productive collaboration now have new evidence from journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson. In his new book The Innovators : How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution , Isaacson makes the case that the great digital transformation of our time has not been the creation of one or two solo geniuses tinkering away in a basement or a garage. Rather, the people who brought us the transistor, the personal computer, the Internet, Google, and the smartphone (among other things) collaborated creatively with others to innovate, execute and deliver their products, building on what went before them to advance technology. Related: The Sharing Economy Takes a Giant Step Forward Isaacson sees a very long tail. “I think we’ll have even more ways in the future to use technology for creative endeavors, such as writing narrative nonfiction collaboratively,” he said. “I crowd-sourced some of the chapters in my book, for example. I hope we'll be able to do more of that, with role-playing games, or interactive plays, or new forms of media.” He shared more thoughts in an interview: The Fiscal Times (TFT): How can commerce work better in the creative economy you describe? Walter Isaacson (WI) : I hope we’ll have a simpler, easier micropayment system on the Internet that doesn’t have to go through the antiquated financial and credit card systems we have, so that people can very simply pay small amounts to buy a song or be part of a play or game. I think Bitcoin is helping us create such an economy. TFT : In terms of privacy protection in an era of hacking, how do you see that improving? WI : Anybody who wants to can try to protect his or her personal data. Protections should be standard. But if you get so over-worried about privacy, you’ll end up not having innovation in health care or innovation in technology. Related: Sony Hacked Again. Who’s at Risk? TFT : Let’s discuss the economic promise of the digital revolution. Where do you see this going, and what are the pitfalls as well? Story continues WI: For 2,000 years people have been worried technology will put people out of work, that it will destroy jobs. I begin my book with Ada Lovelace, the pioneer computer programmer in the 1830s whose father, the poet Lord Byron, was a Luddite – literally. His only speech in the House of Lords was defending the followers of Ned Ludd, who smashed mechanical looms because he thought the looms would put weavers out of work. But Ada understood punch cards and looms would allow new forms of creativity, and she was right. People have always worried that technology would put us out of work and they’ve always been wrong, and they’ll be wrong today. You see all sorts of new jobs coming from creative economies and sharing economies today just because cell phones became smartphones. TFT : There are the challenges of execution when it comes to new technologies, of course. It’s not enough to have a great idea. WI : The people who are creating startups today are realizing that the hard part is not creating the initial idea – it’s creating a collaborative team that knows how to execute it. All the innovators I write about had a great vision but they knew that vision without execution was hallucination. So they found partners who were engineers, or business strategists, and they built a team that turned the personal computer, or Google, or Facebook, or anything we have today from being an idea into being a product. Even at Texas Instruments when they created transistors, they realized they needed a consumer product that would drive demand, so they created the transistor radio. Likewise, Steve Jobs knew how to create consumer demand when he created the iPod, the iPhone, or the iPad. Related: Steve Jobs’ Own Apple Computer Could Fetch $600K TFT : The “bad period of technology” was in the 1960s, you say. Why? WI: TV was the dominant medium then and people sat passively in front of it, consuming mindless products instead of being able to interact or pick and choose the type of innovation they wanted. Today, people get to express themselves. They get to choose the information they want and they get to interact with it. The value of this is truly glorious. TFT : You personally no longer watch television. Do you miss it? WI : Not at all. I can get what I want on my iPhone or my computer. I don't need a TV. I think the era of television is over. The era of television as the dominant way we consume media is ending. TFT : Technology and education are intertwined today. How do you see this progressing? WI: If I want to learn how an electric circuit works, I can take an online course. Students anywhere in the world can learn about American history on Khan Academy. The experimentation is very encouraging. We have EdX; we have Khan Academy. A few years ago, people thought online courses would heavily disrupt education, but, as usual, it takes a little bit longer than we thought for some of these transformations to happen. Today, teachers can tailor lessons to each kid in the classroom so that students learn at their own speed. By watching videos or doing lessons on their tablets, students can catch up or get ahead of others in the class. Technology allows for new ways of teaching and I think this will be a big story in the next decade. The model will be flipped. You will listen to the lectures at home on your devices – but do your “homework” with colleagues and teachers in class in a collaborative environment. Related: How Online Education Will Save Our Universities TFT : How will the American workplace change as well, beyond the ways it already has? WI : We thought technology would allow us to telecommute, but creativity is better in person. People like to be around other people. You’re seeing the migration into creative cities, rather than people living off on their own and telecommuting. People are moving to Austin or New Orleans or Brooklyn or San Francisco because they want to be around other creative people. TFT : So Marissa Mayer at Yahoo was right when she told workers to quit telecommuting and come to the office? WI : She made a good point. I don’t think technology was created to keep us apart. We’ll continue to have open workspaces, flexible hours and family-friendly policies, but I think the most creative companies are the ones that bring people together. Steve Jobs felt that way, too, because of the serendipitous improvisation that can result when people are together. That's why he designed the new headquarters for the Pixar movie studios the way he did, with an atrium in the middle so people would encounter others when they walked through it. One of his last creations was the plan for the Apple headquarters, a circle of rings with open workspaces surrounding a central courtyard area. When Intel created an open workspace with no corner offices or hierarchies – and today when you walk around the Googleplex or Bloomberg or Facebook and see people collaborating in big open spaces – the value of people being together physically is hard to overestimate. Most ideas are created collaboratively and they come from understanding the history before them and from people with a wide array of specialties. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: There Are Now 69,560 Americans Worth $30M or More Why Cord Cutters Should Care About Net Neutrality Cost-Saving Innovations Are a Boon to the Middle Class

2014-12-02 14:00:00+00:00

{"BTC": [2583]}

{}

Cable & Wireless Communications Selects Funambol to Power Caribbean's Premier Operator Personal Cloud Service

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cable-wireless-communications-selects-funambol-140000872.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

FOSTER CITY, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 2, 2014) - Funambol , the leading provider of white-label personal cloud solutions, today announced that LIME, the Caribbean's leading telecom, from Cable & Wireless Communications, is using Funambol to power the region's premier operator personal cloud service. LIME MyCloud automatically secures peoples' rich media and personal data in the cloud, syncs it across their mobile devices and computers, and enables content to be easily shared. LIME views its personal cloud service as highly important as their subscribers are extremely mobile and it is critical that their content always be secure and easily accessed. James McElvanna Group Product Director, Cable & Wireless Communications, said, "Our customers love to listen to music, take photos and watch video clips on the go, and LIME MyCloud will protect their most treasured files. Additionally, their lifestyle will only get more mobile as we launch 4G LTE mobile data and fibre to the home broadband services." LIME MyCloud is based on Funambol's solution for several reasons. As a white-label solution, LIME extends its brand via an innovative mobile service that strengthens customer loyalty. LIME liked how Funambol's aim was consistent with their goal of improving people's lives rather than just being another cloud storage service. They viewed the flexibility of the Funambol personal cloud as a major plus, as this enables LIME to offer a customized and differentiated solution. LIME also appreciated the speed at which the service could be deployed and Funambol's extensive track record of delivering high-quality mobile services. "Providing an innovative personal cloud service for highly mobile people presents unique challenges. Only a mobile solution that is time-tested in diverse conditions fits the bill," said Amit Chawla, Funambol CEO. "We are pleased that Cable & Wireless chose Funambol to power its personal cloud service and look forward to working with them to improve the digital life of their subscribers." Story continues About Funambol Funambol is the leading provider of white-label personal cloud solutions that have been deployed by mobile operators, device makers, content providers and system integrators. For more information, visit www.funambol.com . About Cable & Wireless Communications Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) is a full-service communications provider operating in 16 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Operating four leading businesses: - Cable and Wireless Panama , LIME, (the Caribbean excluding The Bahamas), BTC (The Bahamas) and Cable and Wireless Seychelles ; CWC offers mobile, broadband, TV, domestic and international fixed line services in most of our markets serving over 5.6m customers. CWC also provides premium data centre hosting, telecoms, domestic and international managed data network services and custom IT Service Solutions to businesses and governments through the new unit, Cable & Wireless Business Solutions. Our mission is to grow customer relationships and lifetime value by becoming #1 for Customer Service. We are the market leader in most products offered and territories served. For more information, visit www.cwc.com .

2014-12-02 22:00:39+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [4305, 4449]}

{}

Australia probes bitcoin crime links as currency craves legitimacy

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/australia-probes-bitcoin-crime-links-220039066.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - A top Australian law enforcement agency is investigating bitcoin's role in organized crime, a senior official said, just as politicians and financial regulators embrace the digital currency as a legitimate part of modern business. The investigation into bitcoin's crime links by one authority as others embrace it highlights the crossroads governments have reached as they struggle to regulate the five-year-old "cryptocurrency", a method of making anonymous payments which has surged in popularity around the world. Australian Crime Commission Executive Director Judy Lind revealed for the first time that investigators will monitor "misuse of virtual currencies to facilitate criminal activity" at a national and international level, under an operation named Project Longstrike. "We know that virtual currencies including bitcoin are used as payment methods to facilitate illicit trade on the darknet," Lind told Reuters in a statement, referring to a hidden part of the Internet where information can be shared anonymously and without revealing the location of its source. "Organized crime groups continue to make use of darknets to harbor trading in illicit commodities, including child exploitation material, illicit drugs and firearms, stolen credit card and identity data, and hacking techniques." Project Longstrike is just the latest example of Australia's determination to crack down on bitcoin-enabled crime. Last month, Australia said it extradited to the United States the alleged primary moderator of Silk Road, a website where people bought illegal drugs like heroin using bitcoins. In October, police seized Queensland state's first bitcoin automated teller machine five months after it opened, with media reporting police believed it was being used by a former motorcycle gang member to deal crystal methamphetamine. Regulators around the world are wary after the Mt Gox bitcoin exchange filed for bankruptcy in Tokyo earlier this year, saying it lost some 850,000 bitcoins - worth about $300 million at current prices - in a hacking attack. Like many countries, Japan has allowed bitcoin trading to continue without establishing a full set of rules on its legal status. U.S. authorities are yet to agree to cohesive laws, while the United Kingdom is seen as a world leader because it has classified bitcoins as a currency. Australian authorities are also trying to facilitate legal bitcoin trades in a country where use of the currency is exploding. Between its 23.6 million people, Australia has an estimated 7 percent of the $5 billion worth of bitcoins now circulating, with reports of online retailers, real estate agents and even pubs accepting bitcoin payments. Story continues The Australian Taxation Office has published a guide for bitcoin traders on how to declare their investments, and a parliamentary inquiry is trying to lay the groundwork for a broader regulatory approach to the digital currency. But David Glance, director of the University of Western Australia's Centre for Software Practice, said Australia appeared to be sending mixed messages. "Politicians singularly fail to understand what (the digital economy) is all about. They latch onto trends and buzzwords," he said, referring to the tax office guidelines and parliamentary inquiry. "There still isn't a problem that bitcoin solves, other than buying drugs," he added. Darknet sites including Silk Road and its successor Silk Road 2.0 did about $3 billion of turnover annually in the year to November, Glance said, equivalent to more than half the total bitcoins now in circulation. WILD WEST Senator Sam Dastyari, who is running the parliamentary inquiry, said bitcoins offered a way to "shake up" Australia's "stale" banking industry. A regulatory system is needed that policed crime without restricting the currency, he said. "There is going to be a place for some kind of digital-style currency. There is inevitability that it will play some kind of role," Dastyari said. "Do you go and start regulating it first, or wait for the IMF to do it first and come on board?" Australia could soon see the world's first direct share market listing of a virtual currency exchange, in a sign of how rapidly bitcoin businesses are entering the mainstream. Melbourne-based start-up Bitcoin Group hopes to raise A$20 million ($17 million) and plans to file a prospectus by Christmas which will not include financial forecasts. Bitcoin Group Chief Executive Officer Sam Lee compared the currency to the early "wild, wild west" days of the Internet, and shrugged off concerns that it mainly served as a vehicle for illegal transactions. "We've moved far beyond that now," he said. "We expect (bitcoin currency) to clean itself up as more capital and more smart people flow into the ecosystem." (Editing by Stephen Coates) View comments

2014-12-02 22:00:39+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [4289, 4433]}

{}

Australia probes bitcoin crime links as currency craves legitimacy

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/australia-probes-bitcoin-crime-links-currency-craves-legitimacy-065611676--sector.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - A top Australian law enforcement agency is investigating bitcoin's role in organized crime, a senior official said, just as politicians and financial regulators embrace the digital currency as a legitimate part of modern business. The investigation into bitcoin's crime links by one authority as others embrace it highlights the crossroads governments have reached as they struggle to regulate the five-year-old "cryptocurrency", a method of making anonymous payments which has surged in popularity around the world. Australian Crime Commission Executive Director Judy Lind revealed for the first time that investigators will monitor "misuse of virtual currencies to facilitate criminal activity" at a national and international level, under an operation named Project Longstrike. "We know that virtual currencies including bitcoin are used as payment methods to facilitate illicit trade on the darknet," Lind told Reuters in a statement, referring to a hidden part of the Internet where information can be shared anonymously and without revealing the location of its source. "Organized crime groups continue to make use of darknets to harbor trading in illicit commodities, including child exploitation material, illicit drugs and firearms, stolen credit card and identity data, and hacking techniques." Project Longstrike is just the latest example of Australia's determination to crack down on bitcoin-enabled crime. Last month, Australia said it extradited to the United States the alleged primary moderator of Silk Road, a website where people bought illegal drugs like heroin using bitcoins. In October, police seized Queensland state's first bitcoin automated teller machine five months after it opened, with media reporting police believed it was being used by a former motorcycle gang member to deal crystal methamphetamine. Regulators around the world are wary after the Mt Gox bitcoin exchange filed for bankruptcy in Tokyo earlier this year, saying it lost some 850,000 bitcoins - worth about $300 million at current prices - in a hacking attack. Like many countries, Japan has allowed bitcoin trading to continue without establishing a full set of rules on its legal status. U.S. authorities are yet to agree to cohesive laws, while the United Kingdom is seen as a world leader because it has classified bitcoins as a currency. Australian authorities are also trying to facilitate legal bitcoin trades in a country where use of the currency is exploding. Between its 23.6 million people, Australia has an estimated 7 percent of the $5 billion worth of bitcoins now circulating, with reports of online retailers, real estate agents and even pubs accepting bitcoin payments. The Australian Taxation Office has published a guide for bitcoin traders on how to declare their investments, and a parliamentary inquiry is trying to lay the groundwork for a broader regulatory approach to the digital currency. But David Glance, director of the University of Western Australia's Centre for Software Practice, said Australia appeared to be sending mixed messages. "Politicians singularly fail to understand what (the digital economy) is all about. They latch onto trends and buzzwords," he said, referring to the tax office guidelines and parliamentary inquiry. "There still isn't a problem that bitcoin solves, other than buying drugs," he added. Darknet sites including Silk Road and its successor Silk Road 2.0 did about $3 billion of turnover annually in the year to November, Glance said, equivalent to more than half the total bitcoins now in circulation. WILD WEST Senator Sam Dastyari, who is running the parliamentary inquiry, said bitcoins offered a way to "shake up" Australia's "stale" banking industry. A regulatory system is needed that policed crime without restricting the currency, he said. "There is going to be a place for some kind of digital-style currency. There is inevitability that it will play some kind of role," Dastyari said. "Do you go and start regulating it first, or wait for the IMF to do it first and come on board?" Australia could soon see the world's first direct share market listing of a virtual currency exchange, in a sign of how rapidly bitcoin businesses are entering the mainstream. Melbourne-based start-up Bitcoin Group hopes to raise A$20 million ($17 million) and plans to file a prospectus by Christmas which will not include financial forecasts. Bitcoin Group Chief Executive Officer Sam Lee compared the currency to the early "wild, wild west" days of the Internet, and shrugged off concerns that it mainly served as a vehicle for illegal transactions. "We've moved far beyond that now," he said. "We expect (bitcoin currency) to clean itself up as more capital and more smart people flow into the ecosystem." (Editing by Stephen Coates)

2014-12-02 22:00:39+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [4305, 4449]}

{}

Australia probes bitcoin crime links as currency craves legitimacy

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/australia-probes-bitcoin-crime-links-065611498.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - A top Australian law enforcement agency is investigating bitcoin's role in organized crime, a senior official said, just as politicians and financial regulators embrace the digital currency as a legitimate part of modern business. The investigation into bitcoin's crime links by one authority as others embrace it highlights the crossroads governments have reached as they struggle to regulate the five-year-old "cryptocurrency", a method of making anonymous payments which has surged in popularity around the world. Australian Crime Commission Executive Director Judy Lind revealed for the first time that investigators will monitor "misuse of virtual currencies to facilitate criminal activity" at a national and international level, under an operation named Project Longstrike. "We know that virtual currencies including bitcoin are used as payment methods to facilitate illicit trade on the darknet," Lind told Reuters in a statement, referring to a hidden part of the Internet where information can be shared anonymously and without revealing the location of its source. "Organized crime groups continue to make use of darknets to harbor trading in illicit commodities, including child exploitation material, illicit drugs and firearms, stolen credit card and identity data, and hacking techniques." Project Longstrike is just the latest example of Australia's determination to crack down on bitcoin-enabled crime. Last month, Australia said it extradited to the United States the alleged primary moderator of Silk Road, a website where people bought illegal drugs like heroin using bitcoins. In October, police seized Queensland state's first bitcoin automated teller machine five months after it opened, with media reporting police believed it was being used by a former motorcycle gang member to deal crystal methamphetamine. Regulators around the world are wary after the Mt Gox bitcoin exchange filed for bankruptcy in Tokyo earlier this year, saying it lost some 850,000 bitcoins - worth about $300 million at current prices - in a hacking attack. Like many countries, Japan has allowed bitcoin trading to continue without establishing a full set of rules on its legal status. U.S. authorities are yet to agree to cohesive laws, while the United Kingdom is seen as a world leader because it has classified bitcoins as a currency. Australian authorities are also trying to facilitate legal bitcoin trades in a country where use of the currency is exploding. Between its 23.6 million people, Australia has an estimated 7 percent of the $5 billion worth of bitcoins now circulating, with reports of online retailers, real estate agents and even pubs accepting bitcoin payments. Story continues The Australian Taxation Office has published a guide for bitcoin traders on how to declare their investments, and a parliamentary inquiry is trying to lay the groundwork for a broader regulatory approach to the digital currency. But David Glance, director of the University of Western Australia's Centre for Software Practice, said Australia appeared to be sending mixed messages. "Politicians singularly fail to understand what (the digital economy) is all about. They latch onto trends and buzzwords," he said, referring to the tax office guidelines and parliamentary inquiry. "There still isn't a problem that bitcoin solves, other than buying drugs," he added. Darknet sites including Silk Road and its successor Silk Road 2.0 did about $3 billion of turnover annually in the year to November, Glance said, equivalent to more than half the total bitcoins now in circulation. WILD WEST Senator Sam Dastyari, who is running the parliamentary inquiry, said bitcoins offered a way to "shake up" Australia's "stale" banking industry. A regulatory system is needed that policed crime without restricting the currency, he said. "There is going to be a place for some kind of digital-style currency. There is inevitability that it will play some kind of role," Dastyari said. "Do you go and start regulating it first, or wait for the IMF to do it first and come on board?" Australia could soon see the world's first direct share market listing of a virtual currency exchange, in a sign of how rapidly bitcoin businesses are entering the mainstream. Melbourne-based start-up Bitcoin Group hopes to raise A$20 million ($17 million) and plans to file a prospectus by Christmas which will not include financial forecasts. Bitcoin Group Chief Executive Officer Sam Lee compared the currency to the early "wild, wild west" days of the Internet, and shrugged off concerns that it mainly served as a vehicle for illegal transactions. "We've moved far beyond that now," he said. "We expect (bitcoin currency) to clean itself up as more capital and more smart people flow into the ecosystem." (Editing by Stephen Coates) View comments

2014-12-03 18:34:26+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [740, 1223, 1551]}

{}

A New Zealand Lawyer Used A 'Pizza Delivery Defence' In A Trial For Buying Drugs Online

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/zealand-lawyer-used-pizza-delivery-183426062.html

Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/

Pizza box Flickr/Jay Reed A lawyers claims buying drugs online is safer than ordering pizza. A New Zealand man appeared in court this week charged with buying drugs on the deep web. During the trial, his lawyer has come up with an interesting defence for buying drugs on the internet. The New Zealand Herald reports that Daniel Wayne Fowler, 23, plead guilty to importing a class B drug on Wednesday. New Zealand customs intercepted three packages sent to Fowler's address from Germany and Belgium, and found that they contained 201 Ecstasy pills and 16 grams of cannabis. During the trial, it emerged that Fowler had purchased the drugs online, visiting deep web drug marketplace the Silk Road and paying for them using the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Foster's lawyer Tudor Clee tried to convince the court that buying drugs on the internet wasn't a particularly serious crime. Here's one of his justifications: It's safer and easier to order the drugs — which are the subject of the charges before the court today — than it is to order a pizza. Choose the delivery location, choose the toppings and place the order. That's not completely true. Ordering drugs on the deep web involves downloading special software, purchasing Bitcoin, encrypting messages and generally having an understanding of how the internet works. You don't need any of that to buy pizza. Clee also said that buying drugs on the internet is safer than "walking down the local gang pad." That's a fair point, buying drugs on the street is pretty dangerous. Spending your hard-earned Bitcoin on drugs is pretty safe, the most dangerous thing that could happen is being sent a tainted batch of drugs. The court asked why Foster had ordered over 200 pills . Buying lots of drugs is a sign that he intended to sell them on, which carries a harsher sentence. Clee had an answer for that, too. He said that "it's not possible to buy five or six pills," pointing out that sellers only deal in large batches because that's the only way they can make a profit. More From Business Insider Silk Road smuggling 10 Of The Strangest Drug Laws In America The World's 2nd-Smartest Man Reveals The 'Brain Drugs' That He Thinks Make Him Smarter

2014-12-03 19:13:53+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [53, 517]}

{"Bitcoin": [54]}

Former Facebook Foes Prepare To Divulge On Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/former-facebook-foes-prepare-divulge-191353051.html

Benzinga

http://www.benzinga.com/

Not much has changed in the status of the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust over the last six months since Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss updated their SEC filing to reflect a commitment to trading on the NASDAQ exchange. This proposed ETF is designed to track a proprietary and newly established index of the renowned digital currency called the “ Winkdex. ” However, the twins (of Facebook fame), recently conducted an interview with ETF.com regarding the risks and opportunities of this first-of-its-kind fund. Related Link: Bitcoin ETF Inching Closer To Reality Winklevoss ETF Would Be Unlike Any Other The new ETF, if approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, will function similarly to the SPDR Gold Trust (ETF) (NYSE: GLD ) as a bitcoin repository that tracks a published index of daily price movement. The goal is to help bring this digital currency into the mainstream by helping establish regulations and more consistent trading across the global marketplace. The SEC appears to be taking its time to review this unique product to ensure it doesn’t pose significant structural risks to investors. The initial S-1 registration statement was filed July 1, 2013, and subsequent amendments have been updated on a regular basis since that date. The brothers acknowledged in the interview that investing in this new format does carry significant risks, including those that are unique to bitcoin itself. However, it can ultimately be beneficial for those that are interested in investing in bitcoins without the ability to access, store and protect them on their own. Two Years Of S-1 Updates And More Details To Come According to ETF.com, the Winklevoss twins will also be presenting additional details on their plans at the upcoming Inside ETFs conference in January. That may shed more light on the current status of the regulatory process, lessons learned in this pioneering effort and any follow up ETFs planned in the future. This should be one of the most closely watched ETFs moving through the regulatory process in years. Story continues See more from Benzinga New Month, New ETFs: November's Watchlist Includes Media, Gold And Emerging Market How Gold ETFs Sank After The End Of QE © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

2014-12-04 13:41:57+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1949, 2176]}

{}

U.S. begins largest auction of bitcoins seized in Silk Road bust

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-begins-largest-auction-bitcoins-seized-silk-road-134157062--finance.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

By Nate Raymond and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday began auctioning off 50,000 bitcoins seized during the prosecution of the alleged owner of Silk Road, an Internet black-market bazaar where authorities say drugs and other illegal goods could be bought. The six-hour online auction began at 8:00 a.m. EST (1300 GMT) for nearly $18.6 million (11.86 million pounds) worth of bitcoins, and the winning bidders will be notified Friday. It was the Marshals Service's second such auction following an earlier one in June for almost 30,000 bitcoins seized during the Silk Road raid in 2013. To date, the government has recovered 173,991 bitcoins while pursuing the case, including about 144,336 from computer hardware belonging to Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator of the underground website. As part of a civil forfeiture proceeding, Ulbricht and the government reached a deal in January in which the bitcoins on his hardware would be sold and the proceeds held, pending the outcome of his case. The remaining 94,341 bitcoins from Ulbricht's hardware will be auctioned in the coming months. Lynzey Donahue, a Marshals Service spokeswoman, said authorities "didn't want to flood the market" with too many bitcoins at once. The previous set of 29,655 bitcoins, which were recovered from Silk Road's servers, were won at auction by a single bidder, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper. Terms were not disclosed. Steven Englander, global head of G10 foreign exchange strategy at CitiFX, wrote in a note ahead of the auction that bidders this time "will likely lowball their bids relative to the current market price." "My expectation is that most bids will be aggressively to the downside in the hope of getting a post-Black Friday bargain," he wrote. Draper said Wednesday he would be among the bidders participating in the auction. Others who have said they will bid in the auction include the Bitcoin Investment Trust and Pantera Capital. Ulbricht, known online as "Dread Pirate Roberts," according to prosecutors, faces trial Jan. 5 on charges including conspiracy and narcotics trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty. Bitcoin prices were down 0.96 percent early Thursday at $371.37 per bitcoin, according to digital currency news website CoinDesk. (Additional reporting by Sarah McBride in San Francisco; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

2014-12-04 21:22:50+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1906, 2151]}

{}

U.S. auction of Silk Road bitcoins draws 27 bids

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-begins-largest-auction-bitcoins-seized-silk-road-134408797--finance.html

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/

By Nate Raymond and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday received more than two dozen bids for 50,000 bitcoins seized from the alleged owner of Silk Road, an Internet black-market bazaar on which authorities say drugs and other illegal goods could be bought. Lynzey Donahue, a Marshals Service spokeswoman, said the government had 11 registered bidders and 27 resulting bids. Winning bidders for the bitcoins, valued at $18.6 million, will be notified on Friday. It was the Marshals Service's second such auction following one in June for almost 30,000 bitcoins seized during a raid on Silk Road in 2013. To date, the government has recovered 173,991 bitcoins while pursuing the case, including 144,336 from computer hardware belonging to Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator of the underground website. As part of a civil forfeiture proceeding, Ulbricht and the government reached a deal in January under which the bitcoins on his hardware would be sold and the proceeds held, pending the outcome of his case. The remaining bitcoins from Ulbricht's hardware will be auctioned in the coming months. Donahue said authorities "didn't want to flood the market" with too many bitcoins at once. The previous auction of 29,655 bitcoins, which were recovered from Silk Road's servers, was won by a single bidder, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper. Terms were not disclosed. Steven Englander, global head of G10 foreign exchange strategy at CitiFX, wrote in a note ahead of the auction that bidders this time "will likely lowball their bids relative to the current market price." "My expectation is that most bids will be aggressively to the downside in the hope of getting a post-Black Friday bargain," he wrote. Draper said Wednesday he would be among the bidders participating in the auction. Others who have said they will bid in the auction include the Bitcoin Investment Trust and Pantera Capital. Ulbricht, known online as "Dread Pirate Roberts," according to prosecutors, faces trial Jan. 5 on charges including conspiracy, money laundering and narcotics trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty. Bitcoin prices were down 0.7 percent late Thursday at $372.81. The digital currency has lost roughly half its value so far this year. (Additional reporting by Sarah McBride in San Francisco; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Steve Orlofsky)

2014-12-04 21:22:50+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1906, 2151]}

{}

U.S. auction of Silk Road bitcoins draws 27 bids

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-begins-largest-auction-bitcoins-134408669.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

By Nate Raymond and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday received more than two dozen bids for 50,000 bitcoins seized from the alleged owner of Silk Road, an Internet black-market bazaar on which authorities say drugs and other illegal goods could be bought. Lynzey Donahue, a Marshals Service spokeswoman, said the government had 11 registered bidders and 27 resulting bids. Winning bidders for the bitcoins, valued at $18.6 million, will be notified on Friday. It was the Marshals Service's second such auction following one in June for almost 30,000 bitcoins seized during a raid on Silk Road in 2013. To date, the government has recovered 173,991 bitcoins while pursuing the case, including 144,336 from computer hardware belonging to Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator of the underground website. As part of a civil forfeiture proceeding, Ulbricht and the government reached a deal in January under which the bitcoins on his hardware would be sold and the proceeds held, pending the outcome of his case. The remaining bitcoins from Ulbricht's hardware will be auctioned in the coming months. Donahue said authorities "didn't want to flood the market" with too many bitcoins at once. The previous auction of 29,655 bitcoins, which were recovered from Silk Road's servers, was won by a single bidder, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper. Terms were not disclosed. Steven Englander, global head of G10 foreign exchange strategy at CitiFX, wrote in a note ahead of the auction that bidders this time "will likely lowball their bids relative to the current market price." "My expectation is that most bids will be aggressively to the downside in the hope of getting a post-Black Friday bargain," he wrote. Draper said Wednesday he would be among the bidders participating in the auction. Others who have said they will bid in the auction include the Bitcoin Investment Trust and Pantera Capital. Ulbricht, known online as "Dread Pirate Roberts," according to prosecutors, faces trial Jan. 5 on charges including conspiracy, money laundering and narcotics trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty. Bitcoin prices were down 0.7 percent late Thursday at $372.81. The digital currency has lost roughly half its value so far this year. (Additional reporting by Sarah McBride in San Francisco; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Steve Orlofsky)

2014-12-04 23:31:11+00:00

{"BTC": [795]}

{}

Your first trade for Friday

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-trade-friday-december-5-233111593.html

CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/

The " Fast Money " traders give their final trades of the day. Dan Nathan was a seller of UAL ( UAL ).Brian Kelly was a buyer ofSPY (Singapore Exchange: SPY-SG) puts.Karen Finerman was a buyer of SUNE ( SUNE ).Guy was a buyer of SWHC ( SWHC ). Trader disclosure: On Nov. 24, 2014, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC's "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders: Karen Finerman is long BABA, BAC, C, FINL, FL, GOOG, GOOGL, JPM, M, MTW, she is short SPY, her firm is long AAPL, ADT, BAC, PLCE, C, CMLS, FINL, FL, GOOG, GOOGL, GPS, JPM, M, MTW, SUNE, DIS, her firm is long calls BAC, C, JPM, GPS, her firm is short IYT, SPY, XRT, M calls, Karen Finerman is on the board of GrafTech International. Brian Kelly is long BBRY calls, US30Y, TLT, BTC, CTRL calls, GDX calls, HYG puts, QQQ puts, he is short EWA, EWG, EWQ, EWQ, EWZ, EWH, EWW, today he sold his position in US Dollar, covered his short positions in British Pound, Euro, Yen, Australia Dollar, Swiss Franc, and bought QQQ puts. Guy Adami is long CELG, EXAS, INTC, Guy Adami's wife, Linda Snow, works at Merck. Dan Nathan has long options in USO long Jan 33/37 risk reversal (bullish), DIS long April Put Spread, PEP long Jan put spread, DIA long Dec put spread, XRT long dec/jan put spread, GOOGL long Dec put fly, GM long June call spread, WYNN long dec/jan put spread. Northland Securities' Colin Rusch: Northland Securities makes a market in the subject company's security: TSLA, Northland Securities intends to seek compensation for investment banking services from the subject company in the next three months: TSLA.

2014-12-05 13:45:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [3264]}

{}

Avra Inc. Enters Letter of Intent With Mango Pay SRL to Launch Digital Currency in Carribbean

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/avra-inc-enters-letter-intent-134500466.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 5, 2014) - Avra, Inc. ( OTCQB : AVRN ) ("Avra" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce entry into a non-binding Letter of Intent (the "LOI") with Mango Pay SRL, an international company based in the Dominican Republic, providing consumers with instant electronic payment solutions for goods and services as well as money transfers. Founded in 2012, Mango Pay is a pioneer in the field of electronic payments via kiosks. The LOI aims to facilitate the possible development of a regional network of cryptocurrency ATM kiosks initially focused on bitcoin transactions and with a technical ability to provide additional digital currency offerings in the future. According to the terms of the LOI, Avra and Mango Pay intend to jointly develop a software based solution to be integrated initially into the 90 Mango self-service payment kiosks, providing an easy to use and as yet unrivalled service to regional markets, with a view to offering the same service globally through 2015. This new solution will allow bitcoin services without the necessity to invest in expensive hardware and offers clients the ability to purchase digital currency by inserting cash and receiving currency directly to their digital wallet or on a paper receipt. The Company intends to enter into a definitive agreement with Mango Pay once certain conditions are satisfied to start the project. "We are delighted by the prospect of working closely with one of the leaders in the kiosk sector in order to gain entry into this largely undeveloped market. We are thrilled to play a part in bringing new technologies to the consumer marketplace through a proposed initial trial at over 90 Mango Pay kiosks nationwide," states Steve Shepherd, CEO of Avra. In addition, Mr. Shepherd states, "Mango Pay has a strong regional brand and presence in the Dominican Republic, and they have the vision to see the potential that bitcoin has in this developing marketplace. The opportunity ranges from providing a decentralized currency combatting currency devaluation to allowing the unbanked to make internet purchases. The possibility for growth is truly significant." Story continues "Together, Mango Pay and Avra have the opportunity to bring new technologies to this fast moving market. Our vision is to provide a full service solution from our terminals, allowing our users to access their financial needs in one place. Our work with Avra will create an unprecedented service to the Dominican Republic and Avra will provide the perfect approach to bringing the vision to reality," said Vasiliy Smetanin, Mango Pay CEO. In light of this new partnership with the Company, and part of its global expansion strategy the Company will re-brand its URL and has registered the domain www.avraglobal.com . For more information please visit our current website and come back soon as we prepare to launch our all-new look at: www.avraglobal.com . About Avra, Inc. ( OTCQB : AVRN ) The Company is focused on solutions in the digital currency markets, particularly in offering payment solutions to businesses worldwide. The Company's business model can be divided into four distinct categories: AvraPay: to develop a complete, turn-key and painless way for merchants to accept Bitcoin as Payment; AvraATM: to promote usage and acceptance of digital currencies through the Company's proposed network of ATMs; AvraTourism: to provide cryptocurrency payment processing solutions for merchants such as hotels and casinos; AvraNews: to provide a news portal focusing on digital currency news. For more information about the Company please visit: www.avraglobal.com . About Mango Pay SRL Mango Pay SRL, an international company based in the Dominican Republic, provides consumers with instant electronic payment solutions for goods and services as well as money transfers. Founded in 2012, Mango Pay is a pioneer in the field of electronic payments via kiosks and the official international market representative for Elecsnet, created in 2000 and which operates a network of over 4000 centrally managed kiosks. The Elecsnet processing center is connected in real time to the billing systems of leading communications operators, providing instant access to customers with the payment services as well as the immediate ability to fund their personal accounts. The convenience of this service is truly unique and unprecedented: from any kiosk, it is possible for customers to fund any Visa card account in the world. Kiosks are located in all convenient locations: supermarkets, shopping malls, entertainment centers, cafes and restaurants, gas stations, universities and subway stations to name but a few, with the majority of kiosks functioning around the clock. To help customers locate the kiosk closest to them, an interactive map is provided via the company's website. For more information about the Company please visit their website at www.mango.do Additional information regarding Avra, Inc. and its filings can be found at www.sec.gov . Forward Looking Statements Some information in this document constitutes forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements, such as the closing of the share exchange agreement. The words "plan", "forecast", "anticipates", "estimate", "project", "intend", "expect", "should", "believe", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements to differ from the future results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors are more fully discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to Avra Inc., herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by the above-mentioned cautionary statement. Avra Inc., disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this estimate, except as may be required by law.

2014-12-05 14:00:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [45, 83, 721, 835, 855]}

{"Bitcoin": [0, 113]}

Bitcoin Shop CEO Charles Allen Interviewed on Bloomberg TV's 'Street Smart' to Discuss the U.S. Marshals Service Bitcoin Auction

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-shop-ceo-charles-allen-140000100.html

Marketwired

http://www.marketwired.com/

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - Dec 5, 2014) - Bitcoin Shop, Inc. ( OTCQB : BTCS ) ("Bitcoin Shop" or the "Company"), operator of the digital currency ecommerce marketplace www.btcs.com , which is undertaking the build-out of a universal digital currency ecosystem, today announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Charles Allen, was interviewed on Thursday, December 4, 2014 live on Bloomberg TV's Street Smart at 3:20 p.m. ET. The topic of the appearance was a discussion regarding the U.S. Marshals Service auction of 50,000 bitcoins. Street Smart online viewing details are as follows: Interview Date: Thursday, December 4, 2014 Network/Program: Bloomberg TV/Street Smart Interview Title: On the Auction Block: 50,000 Bitcoins Interview Link: http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2014-12-04/on-the-auction-block-50-000-bitcoins About Bitcoin Shop, Inc.: Bitcoin Shop, Inc. plans to build a universal digital currency platform with the goal of enabling users to engage in the digital currency ecosystem through one point of access. We currently operate our legacy ecommerce website ( www.bitcoinshop.us ) and are operating our public beta site ( www.btcs.com ) where consumers can purchase products using digital currency such as bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin, by searching through a selection of over 2 million items. We provide our customers competitive pricing options from over 85 retailers through our "Intelligent Shopping Engine." All ecommerce customer orders are fulfilled by third party vendors. We plan to use our ecommerce platform as a customer on-ramp for a broader digital currency platform. We have been actively partnering with strategic digital currency companies who have technologies, services or products that are complementary to our business strategy by making investments in them and integrating with them. Digital currencies use peer-to-peer networks to facilitate instant payments. They are categorized as cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography as a security measure. Digital currency issuances and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allow users to make verified transfers. Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its digital currency business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View comments

2014-12-05 17:29:54+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2452]}

{}

Shipping ETF Falls On Hard Times As Commodities Dip

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shipping-etf-falls-hard-times-172954370.html

Benzinga

http://www.benzinga.com/

Stocks involved in the shipping industry can be one way to play the transportation sector and global economic expansion theme. However, the continued collapse in worldwide commodity prices and economic uncertainty in Europe has sent prices of these companies lower in recent months. Both the United States Oil Fund LP (ETF) (NYSE: USO ) and United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (NYSE: UNG ) are trading near their lowest levels of the year and putting pressure on commodity suppliers. Fears over a reduction in demand for transport of bulk goods are likely one of the driving forces in this new down-trend in shipping stocks. Related Link: Commodity ETNs Not Crashing Guggenheim Shipping ETF The Guggenheim Shipping ETF (NYSE: SEA ) is the only industry-focused fund that tracks 26 companies engaged in the transport of goods and materials by sea. This ETF tracks the Dow Jones Global Shipping Index, which specifically excludes passenger stocks such as cruise ships. So far this year, SEA has lost more than 12 percent despite the persistent strength in other areas of the transportation sector. From a short-term perspective, this ETF is now off more than 17 percent from its recent August high and continues to show signs of distress. sea.png Comparison: iShares Transportation By comparison, the iShares Dow Jones Transport. Avg. (ETF) (NYSE: IYT ) has gained more than 25 percent over the same time frame. IYT focuses on domestic airline, railroad and trucking companies. Marine transport makes up just 8 percent of this broader index. SEA Is Global SEA is a truly global fund, with the United States only making up 23 percent of the total holdings. Other top country weightings include Denmark, Bermuda and Greece. The global shipping and resources conglomerate AP Moeller-Maersk A/S-B is the largest holding in this ETF, with more than 18 percent of the total asset allocation. Many of the underlying companies in SEA are high-dividend paying stocks, which combine to generate a current 30-day SEC yield of 3.83 percent. It’s worth noting that as the price of this ETF falls, the stated yield component will rise. While the current environment may not be supportive for the companies in SEA, a pickup in commodity prices may spur additional interest in this sector as a global value opportunity at some point in the future. Image credit: Official U.S. Navy Page, Flickr See more from Benzinga Former Facebook Foes Prepare To Divulge On Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF Retail, Energy And Switzerland ETFs To Watch This Week ETF Investors Have Much To Be Thankful For This Year © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. View comments

2014-12-05 19:15:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [570, 605], "BTC": [990]}

{}

Microelectronics BTCPOOLPARTY Receives CCN-Crypto Coins News Review

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microelectronics-btcpoolparty-receives-ccn-crypto-191500341.html

ACCESSWIRE

https://www.accesswire.com/

MONARCH BAY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2014 / Microelectronics Technology Corporation (OTC Pink: MELY) ( MELY ) The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the company has received a review of the BTCPOOLPARTY mining pool and the company's mining operation and future development plans. The article can found by following this link: http :// www.cryptocoinsnews.com/btc - pool - party - new - transparently - audited - publicly traded - us - bitcoin - mining - pool/ "This article is an endorsement of the company's business commitment to transparency in the Bitcoin industry in particular the Bitcoin mining pool industry" states company President Brett Everett. "The company feels that its own mining pool, www.BTCPOOLPARTY.com being the only openly transparent and third party audited mining pool, is setting a new standard among pool operation for the future. As an operator of a worldwide pool the company is aware of the expense required to program, develop, and operate a BTC Mining pool and is transparent in the 3% fee structure that will be charged by the pool to participate. It brings into question how all of the other ZERO FEE pools can actually operate without accumulating significant operating losses unless there is value derived from other operations of the pool without open disclosure to the miners participating in the pool." Open, Audited Transparency is at www.BTCPOOLPARTY.com . Server Acquisition: The company through Mr. Garavaglia, has ordered its first shipment of Spondoolies-Tech SP 20s. Each SP-20 produces 1.7 TH/s the company's initial order of 270 units providing 460 TH/s will ship mid-December. The company is preparing the Washington facility for installation upon receipt of the servers. Financing: The company has finalized its negotiations for a two million dollar long-term debt placement with a private placement agent. The company will be offering a 12% Convertible Preferred, convertible after 24 months into common shares of the company at a 30% discount to market of a lowest three day average bid price, based on a 5 day look back. This offering is currently in legal with expectations the company will be receiving subscriptions prior to months end. This financing will allow for the company to expand and accelerate its server acquisition for the new year. BTCPOOLPARTY Mining Pool: The company continues to develop and improve the BTCPOOLPARTY mining pool with the introduction of more detailed stats of the mining operations available over the next several days. https://www.BTCpoolparty.com Additional photos and videos can be viewed at the company's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MELYPK Story continues Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey Company progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially and are subject to risk and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include without limitation: dependence on key personnel and suppliers; MELY's ability to commercialize its technology; ability to defend intellectual property; material and component costs; competition; economic conditions; consumer demand and product acceptance, and availability of growth capital. Additional considerations and risk factors are set forth-in reports filed on Form 8-K and 10-K with the SEC and other filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements; historical information is not an indicator of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Microelectronics Technology Co. President: Mr. Brett Everett 702-221-1938 [email protected] www.melypk.com www.dynamoservers.com SOURCE: Microelectronics Technology Company View comments

2014-12-05 21:57:49+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [953]}

{}

Tim Draper wins part of U.S. 2nd bitcoin auction-Bloomberg

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tim-draper-wins-part-u-215749687.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

NEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Venture capitalist Tim Draper won part of the U.S. Marshals Service' auction of 50,000 bitcoins, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The news wire agency said the Draper, who bid on behalf of Draper Associates, successfully bid for 2,000 bitcoins at Thursday's auction. He did not disclose the price. On Thursday, the U.S. government auctioned the 50,000 bitcoins confiscated during the prosecution of the alleged owner of Silk Road, an Internet black-market bazaar where authorities say illegal drugs and other goods could be bought. It was the U.S. Marshals Service's second such auction following one in June for almost 30,000 bitcoins seized during a raid on Silk Road in 2013. Lynzey Donahue, a Marshals Service spokeswoman, said in a emailed statement that she cannot "confirm, deny or make any further announcements until the entire award process has concluded, including the completion of required financial transactions." Bitcoin prices were up 2.3 percent late Friday at $377.76 . (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Nate Raymond; Editing by David Gregorio)

2014-12-06 02:43:10+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1119, 1551]}

{}

Venture capitalist Tim Draper wins part of U.S. bitcoin auction

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/venture-capitalist-tim-draper-wins-024310389.html

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Venture capitalist Tim Draper won part of the U.S. Marshals Service' auction of 50,000 bitcoins, he said in an email Friday. Draper said he successfully bid on one lot, totaling 2,000 bitcoins, on behalf of Draper Associates. The move helps fulfill his plan to invest 300 bitcoins in every startup that participates in the current session of Boost, a program for bitcoin-related startups founded by his son, Adam Draper. Draper declined to disclose the price he paid. On Thursday, the U.S. government auctioned the 50,000 bitcoins confiscated during the prosecution of the alleged owner of Silk Road, an Internet black-market bazaar where authorities say illegal drugs and other goods could be bought. It was the U.S. Marshals Service's second such auction following one in June for almost 30,000 bitcoins seized during a raid on Silk Road in 2013. Lynzey Donahue, a Marshals Service spokeswoman, said in a emailed statement that she cannot "confirm, deny or make any further announcements until the entire award process has concluded, including the completion of required financial transactions." Bitcoin has declined in value throughout the year, leading to a school of thought that growth for the young currency has peaked. But Draper said he viewed the lower prices as a buying opportunity. "Good luck to the Luddites you have been talking to," he wrote. "In a year or two, they are going to wonder what happened." He added he planned to keep investing in bitcoin-related companies in fields such as accounting and retailing. Bitcoin prices were up 2.3 percent late Friday at $377.76. Draper's success at the auction was first reported by Bloomberg. (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Nate Raymond; Additional reporting by Sarah McBride in San Francisco; Editing by David Gregorio and Lisa Shumaker) View comments

2014-12-08 15:17:31+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [2345]}

{}

Best And Worst ETFs Of The Week Amid Santa Claus Rally

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-worst-etfs-week-amid-151731537.html

Benzinga

http://www.benzinga.com/

New all-time highs are becoming a reoccurring event on Wall Street as the first week of December ushered in continued strength in the equity markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is rapidly approaching the 18,000 level and continues to exhibit strong relative momentum as traders and investors ride this most recent Santa Claus rally. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE: DIA ), which tracks this blue chip index of 30 mega-cap stocks, finished slightly higher to end the week. The following ETFs represent a sample of the best- and worst-performing funds over the last five trading sessions. BEST: China A-Share Stocks Chinese stocks have finally awoken in 2014 as the Shanghai Composite Index capped its best weekly gains since 2009 . It appears that recent rate cuts in China have spurred renewed interest from foreign and domestic investors on the expectations of a pickup in economic activity. The Deutsche X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF (NYSE: ASHR ) tracks the 300 largest and most liquid A-Share equities in mainland China. This ETF was one of the first to offer direct access to this coveted market to U.S.-based investors. This week, ASHR gained more than 14 percent as this class-specific index soared. According to ETF.com , ASHR has attracted over $333 million in new assets this year and now has $717 million total under management. That spike is most likely due to the 40 percent total return this ETF has achieved in 2014, which has primarily come in just the last six weeks. WORST: Natural Gas Natural gas is once again making headlines as continued speculation in this liquid futures market has led to prices touching their lowest levels of the year this week. The United States Natural Gas Fund (NYSE: UNG ) tracks the daily price movement of front month natural gas futures and fell nearly 9 percent over the last five trading sessions. Natural gas has seen sharp moves in both directions this year, which has led to it being in the top and bottom of these weekly screens. This roller coaster action and enhanced volatility has provided traders with opportunities on both sides of the price action. Story continues See more from Benzinga Health Care ETFs Take Over Market Leadership Role Shipping ETF Falls On Hard Times As Commodities Dip Former Facebook Foes Prepare To Divulge On Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

2014-12-08 18:08:00+00:00

{"Bitcoin": [1043]}

{}

Bill Gates' 5 Favorite Books of 2014

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bill-gates-5-favorite-books-180819588.html

Entrepreneur

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Looking for an especially entrepreneurial gift idea this holiday season? Bill Gates has got you covered. In a brand new blog post , the billionaire inventor and philanthropist has shared his five favorite books of 2014 -- many of which touch on today’s prevailing economic issues and business trends. Gates calls Business Adventures by John Brooks, for instance, “the best business book I’ve ever read.” Given to Gates by Warren Buffett, the out-of-print collection of New Yorker articles from the 1960s hones in on different case studies -- price-fixing at General Electric, the flop of the Ford Edsel and missteps at Xerox, to name a few -- in order to teach greater strategic lessons. Gates also calls How Asia Works by Joe Studwell one of the best -- and most aptly-timed -- reads of 2014. As China recently surpassed the U.S. to become the world’s largest economy, Gates says the book aims to answer “why some of the continent’s countries [Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and China] grew so fast while others languished.” Related: Bill Gates: Bitcoin Is 'Better Than Currency' And it would be hard to compile any list of the best business books of the year without mentioning Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century -- which “sparked a fantastic global discussion this year about inequality,” Gates writes. While Gates does differ on certain “secondary points and policy prescriptions” offered by Piketty, he agrees with the book’s basic premise: “that inequality is a growing problem and governments should play a role in reducing it.” Rounding out Gates’ holiday reading list is Vaclav Smil’s Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization , which details “how our ability to make things with less material -- say, soda cans that need less aluminum -- makes them cheaper, which actually encourages more production.” Gates has also included his favorite novel of the year, The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simison, which is a love story. For the full rundown, check out his blog post here . Related: Bill Gates' Solution to Income Inequality