CoinDesk Podcast Network

ICO Guidance in "Plain English"

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to clarify when and how cryptocurrencies may be classified as securities, and will do so in "plain English." The chairman of Deltec Bank & Trust says a widely scrutinized letter about stablecoin issuer Tether's account at the Bahamas-based institution is "authentic." Switzerland's Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is giving tough guidance to banks wanting to trade in crypto assets. A little-known ethereum project call...

Kik Growth

Tether's Scribble

Tether, the company behind the controversial stablecoin of the same name, published a letter purporting to be from Deltec Bank and Trust Limited today, confirming that it has about $1.8 billion in its account as of October 31. However, the letter - dated November 1 - does not have a name attached to it, and the signature is essentially a curve. Coinbase’s head of trading, Hunter Merghart, has resigned after just six months on the job, according to individuals familiar with the situation. ...

Lost Crypto?

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance has frozen accounts that received more than 93,000 ether from two wallets indirectly linked to the troubled Russian exchange WEX. Former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen has been gifted a small amount of bitcoin. The Indian government is considering imposing a ban on what it calls "private cryptocurrencies" in the country. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has teamed up with distributed ledger startup Digital Asset to develop a bloc...

Jail Time

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has just announced $300 million in new funding The developer that formalized the code underlying most initial coin offerings (ICOs) – ethereum's ERC-20 token standard – has proposed a new approach in a bid to make the funding schemes more safe for would-be investors A 21-year-old bitcoin trader from California has pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmission business and now faces a maximum of five years in prison. Bitcoin's (BT...

Bitstamp Acquired

Cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp has been acquired by NXMH, an investment firm based in Belgium and owned by South Korean conglomerate NXC The Korean government made waves last year when it moved to ban initial coin offerings from taking place in the country. Blockchain payments startup Ripple Labs has hired former Google executive Amir Sarhangi as its vice president of products. After nearly two weeks stagnating at around $6,400, bitcoin has finally made a move – to the downside. Cryp...

Bitcoin Backed

In January, a new token is being launched on the ethereum blockchain that will be backed one-for-one by bitcoin. An advisory committee to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) believes the agency should provide clearer guidelines on how cryptocurrency transactions may be taxed. An arbitration body in China has ruled that despite the country's central bank ban on cryptocurrency trading, bitcoin should still be legally protected as a property with economic values. Shipping giant Maers...

Bitmain's IPO Woes

Parties solicited to invest in the pre-initial public offering (IPO) funding round for Bitmain Technologies, Ltd., the leading maker of cryptocurrency mining software and hardware, received pitch decks falsely suggesting the company had secured financial backing from Digital Sky Technologies Global and GIC Private Limited. One of the oldest software wallet providers in the cryptocurrency industry is launching its first hardware product. Announced Thursday, Blockchain has partnered with har...

A Freshman 51% Attack

Police in the Indian city of Bangalore have seized an ATM just weeks after it was set up by local cryptocurrency exchange Unocoin. A college freshman is coming after your cryptocurrency – but not to steal your coins, just to prove that someone could do so pretty easily. The Financial Services Agency, also known as the FSA, Japan's finance regulator, has formally approved a cryptocurrency exchange association as a self-regulating industry body. Over a million dollars' worth of bitcoin ...

Coinbase supports Circle

Crypto exchange Coinbase announced support for the Circle-issued stablecoin Tuesday. The newest commissioner with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission met with representatives from money manager VanEck and blockchain startup SolidX earlier this month to discuss a bitcoin-based exchange-traded fund (ETF). A decade after launching its first Android device, global consumer tech giant HTC is officially releasing its first blockchain-enabled phone. Months after its debut, the cryptoc...

Hello Regulator, Please Give Me Number Nine

Transaction fees on monero have fallen sharply after last Thursday's system-wide software update. An Australian securities regulator shuts down an ICO project planning to raise as much as $50 million. Not to be outdone, the U.S. SEC has suspended the trading of shares for a company which claimed to be offering an ICO that was registered with the regulator. Accenture says it has created an "interoperability node" that houses the rules of four major enterprise platforms. San Francisco-bas...

North Korea's Half-Billion-Dollar Hacks

A new report indicates that an infamous North Korean hacking group has managed to steal over half a billion dollars in cryptocurrencies. Ethereum's next hard fork will be postponed until early 2019, developers said Friday. Binance looks to add more stablecoins. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might make it easier for fintech startups to navigate legal waters. A global money-laundering watchdog will begin publishing rules for international cryptocurrency regulation by...

Rupees for Stablecoins

A clampdown on cryptocurrency by Indian regulators is forcing one exchange in that country to go to great lengths to do business. The U.S. Marshals have announced a plan to auction off nearly $4.3 million worth of bitcoin next month. Clients of the defunct crypto exchange Mt. Gox must submit claims for trapped funds by October 22. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with blockchain startup Coil as part of its mission to provide payment services for the unbanked....

Just $7 Million Short

Trading bots appear to have gamed a big token announcement from Coinbase. Binance teams up with Chainalysis to monitor cryptocurrency transactions in real-time. A senior U.S. official made a big statement on blockchain-based smart contracts this week. Amazon Web Services' China division is partnering with public blockchain project Qtum. The ICO for Civil’s blockchain-for-journalism has officially failed. Late Confirmation is a CoinDesk production. For more information, visit www.Coi...

Stablecoins Gone Wild

The Gemini dollar (GUSD) soared above $1 to a high of $1.19 Tuesday, just a day after competing stablecoin Tether (USDT) dropped to an 18-month low. Crypto exchange Bitfinex announced a new process for depositing fiat currency, a move that came after the platform halted the service in recent days. Singapore-based crypto exchange Huobi will list 4 US dollar-pegged coins some time this week. A new startup called the Paradigm Foundation has secured $1 million in equity seed as it hopes to u...

Fidelity Goes Crypto

Financial services provider Fidelity Investments is launching a cryptocurrency trading and storage platform. The price of the tether stablecoin (USDT) fell to an 18-month low Monday, and rumors are swirling. But it's not all bad news for stablecoins: Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange OKEx has announced that it is adding four U.S. dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies to its platform for trading. Blockchain startup Adhara has secured $15 million in new funding from Consensys, the ethereum...

Ex-Trump Advisor Joins Blockchain Startup

Bithumb, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea by trading volume, has been sold. Ethereum's next system-wide upgrade is on track for November release, according to coders. Gary Cohn, once the chief economic advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, has just joined a blockchain startup called Spring Labs. U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair J. Christopher Giancarlo says that an influx of institutional investors to the cryptocurrency markets may help the space "matur...

Twitter Promotes an Elon Impostor

Coinbase will add the 0x protocol token to its professional trading platform, Coinbase Pro. It's the first ERC-20 token to get a place on the platform. A region in Northern Syria is looking to cryptocurrency as a way to overcome economic sanctions. Crypto giveaway scams featuring Elon Musk impostors are common on Twitter, but on Thursday they went to new heights, with a promoted tweet from a verified account. The Securities and Exchange Commission moves against an initial coin offering a...

Life in the Sidechain

Three years in the making, bitcoin's first sidechain, called "Liquid", is now live. The Financial Stability Board says that cryptocurrencies and digital assets are not currently a threat to global financial stability. The Securities and Exchange Commission goes after an alleged pump-and-dump scheme involving a $100 million ICO. Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini hires another Wall street executive Blockchain finance firm Clearmatics Technologies raises over $12 million in a Series A...

Spanked By Hackers

The Persian Gulf may get its first cryptocurrency exchange licensed by a central bank. A cryptocurrency investment fund in Switzerland receives a license from the nation's financial markets regulator. Blockchain startup Bitwala is aiming to launch Germany's first "blockchain bank account." SpankChain, a cryptocurrency project focused on the adult industry, has suffered a breach that saw almost $40,000 in ethereum (ETH) stolen. Japanese IT giant GMO Internet is jumping into the race to l...

Crypto: Don’t Leave Venezuela Without It

French supermarket giant Carrefour joins an IBM Blockchain program. An ICO on bitcoin? If start-up RSK has its way, it could happen. Controversial exchange Bitfinex attempts to disprove rumors of insolvency. Stealth startup Good Money plans to launch of crypto wallet with the help of "mega-bloggers." Hope Floyd's available! Venezuelan citizens must now purchase passports using the Petro, the nation's oil-backed cryptocurrency. Late Confirmation is a CoinDesk production made in collab...

Yale Going Crypto?

Yale University reportedly invested $400 million in crypto fund. SEC is looking for more comments on rejected bitcoin ETFs. Miner making multi-million bet on Ethereum staying Proof-of-Work. Celsius has over 10,000 users earning interest on crypto. Fortnite Cheat has bitcoin-targeting malware. Late Confirmation is a CoinDesk production made in collaboration with The Podglomerate. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privac...

Spies and Bribes

The EOS community is having its first voting fraud scandal. The U.S. Department of Justice charged seven alleged Russian intelligence agents with using cryptocurrencies to fund undercover operations across the world. An ICE official says that his agency tracks cryptocurrency conversions in its investigations. The co-organizer of the first-ever Crypto Springs conference says, “nothing is decentralized”. A French start-up receives $1.7 million to develop the Lightning Network. Late Co...

Gemini Gets Insured

A critical exploit originally found in bitcoin’s code was patched last month before criminals could act on it. But it now appears there were some victims. IBM claims to have found a way to reduce the energy consumption needed on proof-of-work blockchains. This week RIpple was out in full force at its Swell conference. Crypto exchange Gemini announced that from now on the digital assets it holds in custody will be covered by the insurance company Aon. A new Congressional bill dubbed Bloc...

Diplomas and Decentralization

CoinDesk has released a list of the top universities that offer courses on blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Former president Bill Clinton spoke at Ripple’s Swell conference in San Francisco on Monday. Clinton expressed concern about "disparity of access" to new technologies like blockchain. A new marketplace for crypto collectibles offers to sell them in bundles. Venture capitalist invested almost four times more in blockchain projects this year. CoinDesk researcher Peter Ryan discuss...

Hyperledger + EEA = ?

Hyperledger and Enterprise Ethereum Alliance join forces. -- Three companies are now using Ripple’s xRapid in real life. -- Researchers say that Ether’s price plunge didn’t hit ICOs. -- Blockchain is praised at the U.N. General Assembly. -- Montana nearly banned crypto mining in a single county.  Host Marc Hochstein has the latest. Late Confirmation is a CoinDesk production made in collaboration with The Podglomerate. For more information, visit www.CoinDesk.com See Priv...

Regulators, Dapps, and $1 Trillion

BitGo CEO Mike Belshe looks ahead to the the problem of securing a trillion dollar cryptocurrency wallet. — Decentralized exchange Everbloom is looking to become a certified broker-dealer in the U.S. — U.S. regulators brought charges against securities swap platform 1broker and its CEO Patrick Brunner for violating federal law. — Shares in the publicly listed blockchain tech and consultancy firm DigitalX have slumped after it revealed it is facing a legal claim in an Australia...

Bitmain Sails High

Bitmain’s IPO filing reveals that it’s doing well despite the bear market. -AND- If you bet that the SEC would delay its bitcoin ETF decision again, you’re a winner. -ALSO- In a biting op-ed on CoinDesk.com, former EY employee Angus Champion de Crespigny writes that permissioned blockchains may have no real business benefit. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk editor Marc Hochstein investor Jalak Jobanputra on blockchain's progress in the developing world and advancing women's participatio...

Coinbase Rolls Out the Welcome Mat

Coinbase is gearing up to rapidly expand the range of crypto assets it lists. -AND- A new Ethereum scaling solution is out, and will be ready sooner than any other technologies aimed at scaling the second largest blockchain so far. -ALSO- Mining hardware manufacturer Bitmain has officially filed for an IPO, providing new business details in the process. -ADDITIONALLY- Cryptocurrency representatives mingled with at least one Congressman at a D.C. event on Tuesday. But regulator...

Do You Really Need a Blockchain for That? Concordia Annual Summit Special - Part 2

We traveled to the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City and spoke to four leading voices in the blockchain world, asking each one: how useful is a blockchain, anyway? Hear answers from investor Jalak Jobanputra, Microsoft's Yorke Rhodes, attorney Preston Byrne, and Hyperledger's Brian Behlendorf in conversation with host Marc Hochstein. Thanks to our sponsors! Said Business School, University of Oxford Oxford Fintech Programme Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme Late Co...

Concordia Annual Summit Special - Part 1

On a special episode of Late Confirmation, we visit the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City, where a broad range of thinkers and creators from different fields gather alongside the UN General Assembly. In this episode, we sit down with four notable attendees from the blockchain sphere and ask them each one question: Where is blockchain tech on the hype cycle? The Gartner hype cycle, for those who don’t know, tracks the expectations of a new technology over time. Developing tec...

Cody Wilson Arrested in Taiwan

A new research paper claims that tether has had no meaningful impact on the price of bitcoin. -AND- Bitmain unveils another ASIC, but it’s light on detailed specifications. -ALSO- 3D-printed gun creator and bitcoin advocate Cody Wilson has been arrested in Taiwan following charges from U.S. police that he paid for sex with a minor. -ADDITIONALLY- Independent software developer Alexey Ak-who-nov has built a new tech solution for ethereum that may use significantly less disk spa...

The Cypherpunk’s Elixxir

Cryptocurrency exchanges react furiously to a new report from the New York Attorney General’s office. -AND- Another Japanese exchange loses millions of dollars to hackers. -ALSO- Cypherpunk veteran David Chaum has a new coin: Elixxir. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk research analyst Peter Ryan joins host Marc Hochstein to discuss the latest statistics on blockchain venture capital and ICOs. Recorded September 20, 2018 in New York, NY. Thanks to our sponsors! Said Business School, Uni...

New York, the Jealous Ex?

Banking giant PNC has adopted Ripple’s technology for cross border payments -AND- Leaders at R3 believe that enterprise blockchain industry will soon see consolidation. -ALSO- Binance says it will launch a cryptocurrency exchange on (almost) every continent. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk editor Stan Higgins joins host Bailey Reutzel to discuss a newly released report from the New York Attorney General’s office following an inquiry into the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges. R...

Bitcoin in Palestine

Another stablecoin?! Yes, believe it or not. This time, it’s a token anchored to the Japanese yen. -AND- Kyber Network is adapting the technology beneath its decentralized exchange to allow merchants to accept payments in any ethereum token.  -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk reporter Leigh Cuen joins host Bailey Reutzel to discuss the use of bitcoin by Palestinians, and the remaining hurdles to cryptocurrency adoption in the Palestinian Territories. Recorded September 18, 2018 in New Yo...

Court Hodls Lambo

Cloudflare says it's made it easier to access the InterPlanetary File System or IPFS. -AND- Bancor partners with EOS for a new cross-chain product. -ALSO- A U.S. district court ruled to seize the assets and property of Alexandre Cazes, the deceased Canadian who allegedly was behind the darknet marketplace AlphaBay. Among that property? A 2013 Lamborhini Aventador. -DON’T MISS- MIT Media Lab’s Michael Casey joins host Marc Hochstein to discuss the inverse relationship between ...

Blockchain Convict, Shard Time

IBM and Hacera launch a crypto “yellow pages.” -AND- R3’s CordaCon event draws big crowds as rumors swirl about the company’s cash crunch. -ALSO- GAW Miners founder Josh Garza has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to a wire fraud charge. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Rachel Rose O’Leary joins host Marc Hochstein to discuss recent developments on ethereum’s road to becoming scalable. Recorded September 14, 2018 in New York, NY. Thanks to our sponsors! S...

Wall Street <3 Crypto?

FOAM’s decentralized world map is now live. -AND- BitGo just launched its own regulated custodian for crypto assets. -ALSO- 10 years after Lehman: Bitcoin and wall street are closer than ever. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Christine Kim joins host Bailey Reutzel to discuss ethereum's next major upgrade, Constantinople. Recorded September 13, 2018 in New York, NY. Thanks to our sponsors! Said Business School, University of Oxford Oxford Fintech Programme Oxford Blockchain Strate...

Get Out of Jail Free Token

A bitcoin mining company called Bitewei is being hailed as a new rival to Bitmain. -AND- Yet another stablecoin has been unveiled, this time from blockchain startup Carbon. -ALSO- The CEO of OKCoin has been released from police custody after speaking with investigators regarding alleged bitcoin futures manipulation. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Leigh Cuen joins host Stan Higgins to discuss the launch of new crypto wallet Jaxx. Recorded September 12, 2018 in New York, NY. Thanks ...

Soccer Team Gets Crypto, SEC Doles Out Penalties

The SEC hits crypto asset fund and “ICO superstore” with penalties in a double whammy. -AND- Ethereum developers are hard at work on new ways to fend off ASICs. -ALSO- Le crypto is coming for French sports fans in the form of a new cryptocurrency for a major Parisian soccer team. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s editor-in-chief Pete Rizzo joins host Marc Hochstein to discuss the week’s biggest news: the combination of Stellar and Chain to form Interstellar. Recorded September 11, 201...

WeChat vs. Bitmain

Interstellar is born. The long-awaited union of Chain and Lightyear.io has delivered a new company. -AND- The WeChat crackdown on cryptocurrency-related accounts continues! This week’s victim: mining giant Bitmain. -ALSO- More stablecoins! No fewer than two companies announced new crypto tokens pegged to the US dollar. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Brady Dale joins host Bailey Reutzel to discuss new information about BitTorrent’s acquisition by Tron founder Justin Sun. Recorded Sep...

The End of the ICO Era

The era of big ticket ICOs may be over, at least according to some cryptocurrency industry observers. -AND- The pioneer of the proof-of-stake consensus system wants to get into… hardware? -ALSO- Crypto payments firm Wyre has acquired a smart contract startup originally backed by investor Tim Draper. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Nikhilesh De joins host Marc Hochstein to discuss new developments in the EOS network that may be welcome news for developers. Recorded September 7, 2018 ...

Blood in the Water

Officials in China want to use blockchain to track the movements of paroled convicts. Maybe Chinese ICO backers will get to use blockchain after all? -AND- IBM is working with a blockchain organization that believes personal data ownership is a human right. -ALSO- Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told Congress this week that the social media platform is looking at blockchain technology for potential fraud prevention. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk researcher Peter Ryan joins host Stan Higgins t...

R3jected

Good news out of China? The People’s Bank of China’s digital currency researchers are expanding. -AND- Ripio is expanding its crypto-powered loan offering across South America. -ALSO- R3’s attempt to take over a “settlement coin” project didn’t quite work out. -TODAY'S GUEST- CoinDesk’s Brady Dale joins host Marc Hochstein to discuss a $43 million plan by Civic to boost its user base. Recorded September 5, 2018 in New York, NY. Thanks to our sponsors! Said Business School, ...

NEO Wanted BitTorrent

A new paper co-authored by Vitalik Buterin proposes to solve the network’s “free rider” problem. -AND- The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has pushed back the launch of a blockchain replacement for the decades-old CHESS clearing and settlement system. -ALSO- EOS developers are shelling out big bucks to pay for network resources. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Annaliese Milano joins host Bailey Reutzel to discuss new details about BitTorrent’s acquisition by Tron founder Justin S...

An Apple a Day Keeps the War Riders Away

Developers move to change the economics of the Ethereum blockchain. -AND- Messaging giant LINE launches a live blockchain and plans to issue 1 billion of its own tokens. -ALSO- Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten will buy cryptocurrency exchange Everybody’s Bitcoin, and its plans don’t end there. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Brady Dale joins host Bailey Reutzel to discuss a decision by Coinbase to remove the crypto collectible game War Riders from its iOS app. Do Apple’s rules ban no...

If You Give A Mouse a Bitcoin...

Ethereum’s biggest test is fast approaching, and an important decision regarding issuance is up in the air. -AND- Secret contracts provider Enigma has signed eight partners to test its service at launch. -ALSO- Bitcoin mining juggernaut Bitmain is coming to Ethereum, and possibly other blockchains. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk researcher Peter Ryan joins host Nikhilesh De to discuss forks, airdrops, and the five possible forks heading for Bitcoin Cash. Recorded August 30, 2018 in Ne...

Blintzes on the Blockchain

Binance backs $32 million funding for a new stablecoin from the creator of a billion-dollar Korean online commerce site. -AND- After the acquisition of BitTorrent, Tron’s founder Justin Sun also acquired a share in the Chia Network, a new protocol developed by a BitTorrent co-founder. -ALSO- Hong Kong is tweaking its immigration policies to attract blockchain professionals from all over the world. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s Anna Baydakoba joins host Stan Higgins to discuss how th...

Officer, I'd Like To Report An ICO

Lloyd's of London, the centuries-old insurance marketplace, is quietly providing cover against the theft of cryptocurrencies. -AND- China is encouraging its citizens to report illegal token sales. -ALSO- Crypto exchange Huobi wants to buy a public company. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk researcher Peter Ryan joins host Nikhilesh De to discuss Bitcoin’s changing fees and what it means for the future of the cryptocurrency. Recorded August 28, 2018 in New York, NY. Thanks to our sponso...

EOS The World Turns

A blockchain project spearheaded by NEX Group is facing questions over its future. -AND- One of the biggest airlines in Russia has piloted a blockchain system for collecting data on plane refueling. -ALSO- Chinese search giant Baidu moves to censor some of the crypto discussions taking place on its Reddit-like platform. -DON’T MISS- CoinDesk’s David Floyd joins host Stan Higgins to discuss EOS’s long-promised voting system, which could determine the fate of an account worth $3...