Day: July 10, 2017

The post Bitcoin Price Analysis: Bear Markets Test Crucial Support Levels appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

Publicly traded bitcoin startup BTCS is planning to create a portfolio of digital assets, its CEO told shareholders in a new letter.

Source

The media and entertainment industry is moving on from print and regular audio-visual media to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), offering a more immersive experience to the customers. While there is a lot of interest surrounding VR/AR applications, the industry is still in its nascent stages with a majority of the users falling … Continue reading Content Coin Presents the Benefit of Blockchain Technology to VR/AR Industry

The post Content Coin Presents the Benefit of Blockchain Technology to VR/AR Industry appeared first on NEWSBTC.

One of the greatest computer innovations everyone seems to be eyeing lately is Quantum Computing. In essence, quantum computing exploits quantum mechanics to perform computational tasks far quicker than a traditional computer can. This means that some aspects of Bitcoin could possibly be vulnerable, but how much do we need to worry?

Quantum Computing Might Crack Public-Private Keypairs

Research and development into quantum computing is accelerating, and the results are both interesting and worrying. Recently MIT scientists built a 5 atom quantum computer which threatens the very foundations of modern computer cryptography. The scientists behind the project are confident that their computer will put today’s encryption to shame.

This means that public key encryption which keeps much of Bitcoin secure, could be under threat. If a quantum computer was to be large enough and powerful enough, it could drastically reduce the amount of computational effort needed to discover private keys from public keys. As we all know, the moment private keys are compromised then any coins under control of that key are as good as gone.

How Worried Do We Have To Be?

Well, surprisingly we do not need to be cashing out our Bitcoin anytime soon. Even this most recent development in quantum computing is a long way away from a computer large enough to threaten public key encryption. However, once quantum computers are large enough to take public keys on, the Bitcoin community will have already developed and implemented a solution to protect coins and the network.

Right now Bitcoin actually has a little bit of quantum resistance built into it. As long as users are changing addresses with every new transaction -which is obviously recommended- then they mitigate the exposure their private keys to being cracked. The speed with which a quantum computer would need to break that key is insane for now as well. It would have to crack the key up between the time the transaction is signed and when it is packaged into a block. We are a long way from quantum computers working that quickly.

Bitcoin could also implement softfork changes which would update keys to be far more secure and quantum resistant. Currently Lamport signatures are the most favored but do suffer some down sides. They would be incredibly long and have a finite amount of times a transaction can be signed with one key. The latter may help individuals become better with address reuse, but it could be frustrating to some users. Regardless, the likelihood that the Bitcoin community will be able to come up with a solution before the entire network is under attack is pretty high.

Does This Threaten Satoshi’s “Fortune?”

There is an interesting opportunity though that such a softfork would create. The original coins held by Satoshi Nakamoto, if unmoved by the time the network was securing itself against quantum computing, would either be threatened or moved. This means that someone could potentially steal Satoshi’s fortune or force Satoshi to make a move. Either of these things would be huge developments for the Bitcoin community. It would either prove the continued existence of the coin’s god or show that no one is above being robbed.

NewsBTC: Genesis Mining recently entered the Indian market. How has the response been so far? Marco Streng: Fantastic!   Apart from the fact that India has quickly grown to be a top market for us, we have been very happy to see the volume, maturity, and engagement grow on our Social Media, website & customer … Continue reading NewsBTC In Conversation with Marco Streng, Genesis Mining Co-Founder & CEO

The post NewsBTC In Conversation with Marco Streng, Genesis Mining Co-Founder & CEO appeared first on NEWSBTC.

The last few years have witnessed a paradigm shift with the advent of ICOs, funding technology-driven blockchain startups. Their decentralized model of self-financing through community participation has benefitted both the investors and the owners. However, over the past couple of months, we have observed that the absence of any standard process regarding a crowdsale has … Continue reading MCAP Labs- A serious step towards standardization of cryptocurrency world

The post MCAP Labs- A serious step towards standardization of cryptocurrency world appeared first on NEWSBTC.

Some ICOs and Pre-ICOs perform better than others. A revolutionary blockchain based game and virtual world token called NEVERDIE has done well for itself with its ICO and Pre-ICO sale. It has raised over $2,000,000 and it does not show many signs of stopping, since its ICO still has about twenty-one days left to attract new investments.

Not All ICOs Are Created Equal

We have spoken at length about how many ICOs are just looking to turn a quick buck, or have mediocre Whitepapers. This is not the case with NEVERDIE, which is a completely unique and interesting idea. Investors seem to have agreed and put their Ether into this project.

To date, 8,420 Ether have been raised to support this project during its ICO. This is just over $2 million at the time of writing. About 10 million NEVERDIE coins have been issued and 495,000 Teleport coins have been issued as well. These two coins will provide a complete Ethereum blockchain governance system which will empower players to shape the future of the virtual world and facilitate an amiable relationship between the developers and the players.

Owners of the NEVERDIE tokens have a few things they can utilize them for currently. One is voting. This project is focused on ensuring a democratic space for both players and developers. Token holders can vote on proposals and elections within the virtual worlds.

NEVERDIE coin (NDC) holders also can also start up a Virtual Reality (VR) business with their NDC to create opportunities to earn real cash through gamified jobs. NDC can also be spent to fund new developments in the worlds to create even more VR jobs and earn revenue from those.

Finally, NDC can be exchanged for other cryptocurrencies like how many alt-traders operate today. The Alpha wallet is live so anyone who holds these coins can have quick and easy access to their digital investment.

Coins can be purchased as their ICO is ongoing, but NEVERDIE is also hosting bounties. This is a system that rewards players and individuals for helping spread information about the project via various tasks. One of the “hot bounties” is making a youtube video discussing what NEVERDIE is. Others include following NEVERDIE on social media, sharing news about the project, and adding banners to Twitch streamers’ pages.  All of the bounties will be paid after the completion of the ICO.

The successful raising of over $2 million is due in no small part to the uniqueness of this project. It is a game, it is a cryptocurrency, it is a virtual world, and it is a place where gamified work takes place.

Check out the project here: https://neverdie.com/index.html

This is a sponsored post and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions or any employees at the Merkle. This is not investment or trading advice, always conduct your own independent research.

The chief executive of the now-defunct bitcoin exchange Mt Gox is set to appear in court this week.

Source

Seeing unique ideas in the sea of ICOs this summer is refreshing, and eye-catching. Anything that attempts to eloquently bring traditional investors into cryptocurrnecies is also particularly worth taking a look at, since traditional investors and traders may bring a large amount of capital into the cryptocurrency market with them. One is called Target Coin, which will allow investors to capitalize on the rise of blockchain technology while generating returns.

What is Target Coin (TGTCoin)?

TGTCoin is trying to make it easier for traditional investors to come over to cryptocurrencies by helping mitigate the risk and overcoming the technical barriers to entry which some investors may struggle with. It is only open to new investments during its rounds of ICOs and is a closed-end fund built on smart contracts. Their main goal is to deliver risk adjusted returns to their investors during both highs and lows in the market, while eliminating the most common barriers for traditional investors to participate in the cryptocurerncy markets.

The project issues tokens built on profit-sharing smart contracts. These contracts allow token holders to collect 75% quarterly profits, and an extra 0.75% bonus payout to performance payouts. These bonuses are unique to Target Coin. It is the only cryptocurrency fund in the world to pay out bonuses to its investors. This incentive should be appealing to many investors. 10% of quarterly profits will be reinvested into the fund to grow the project and add more value.

Target Coin also is the first fund ever to use its performance fees to buy back its own coins. This should make investors feel confident in their investments and grow that confidence more over time. Seeing a fund and a project buy back its own coins, not only taking investors money and issuing them, demonstrates the project’s own faith in what they do. When projects are confident in their own product, investors also feel more comfortable.

They also are working on creating something called TARGET-X, which will be an in-house business intelligence system for investors to get the real time data on the portfolio, participate in intelligence briefings, see the trade signals of other investors on the market, and have access to research articles. Access to this level of business and market intelligence can be a game changer for any investor. This is what separates smart positions and moves on the market and literally guessing. Knowledge of the market and of portfolios is the key to success when it comes to investing.

TargetCoin’s website: https://www.tgtcoins.com/

This is a sponsored post. This is not investment or trading advice. Always do your own due diligence and conduct independent research.

Japanese energy conglomerate TEPCO has invested in in blockchain startup Conjoule’s €4.5m funding round.

Source

Tesla has made a name for itself with its luxury electric vehicles capable of incredible things. These cars look sleek, are fully electric, are incredibly safe, and can even drive themselves. One historical issue with them is price. However, Tesla’s first affordable model, the Model 3, just rolled off the production line. High-end electric cars are now in the reach of the middle class.

Increasingly Affordable Electric Cars

One of Tesla’s largest problems before the Model 3 was the sheer cost of its vehicles. Most average Americans were unable to purchase the two vehicles they made. The Model S is a costly $69,200 and the Model X is $83,700. Considering that federal minimum wage puts full time workers at an average of about $15,000 a year, the entire middle to lower class market was unable to be reached by Tesla.

That is changing, and fast. The Tesla Model 3 is targeting the middle class market. This car only costs $35,000. That is just about half as much as the next higher model. If this sort of trend continues -though it would not be halved each time as that is unsustainable-, their next iteration may very well be in the grasp of lower income households as well.

So What Do You Get for $35,000?

Do not let this price tag fool you, this car boasts impressive specs. The Model 3 will be able to go for 215 miles per full charge. To give you some perspective, that means the Model 3 can drive from New York City to Philadelphia and back on one charge. While some combustion engines might get you further on one tank of gas, this range beats any other electric car in its price range.

This is not some weak motor barely capable of going 30 mph. In fact, the Model 3 can go from 0 to 60 mph is under 6 seconds. For a $35,000 car, this is insane. But some of its sports car like performance does not mean its drivers and passengers have to sacrifice space. It can seat 5 people comfortably. The autopilot hardware is also a feature on this vehicle. So if you ever have dreamed of a self driving car but your budget is a bit tight, you might be able to finally get one.

The popularity and hype around this car does mean any new buyers will have to wait though. Currently consumers have to reserve their Tesla Model 3, and delivery of them may be as late as mid 2018. For individuals who have cars that can hold out for at least another year may not see that as too much of an issue, but the literal year long delay can be off putting for many.

With All Electric Cars, We Need to Address the National Grid

Regardless of when consumers finally get their Model 3s, the trend is clear: cheap electric cars are coming and soon everyone will own one. Because of this, I truly think that the US needs to update its electrical grid so that the demand of everyone owning electric cars does not overwhelm the grid. Also the point of electric cars from an environmental point of view is lost when up to 60% of the grid is still powered by fossil fuels.

The post This Is HODL.voting: Voting With Your Bitcoins but Better appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.