Day: January 29, 2018

MARK.SPACE, a social interaction platform that utilizes the VR and 3D technologies, is looking to make VR accessible to all social layers in full functionality with the incorporation of blockchain. This project’s vision is to deliver an easy tool to create and launch any VR/3D project quickly without spending a fortune.  

29th January, 2018

Blockchain-powered 3D and VR open source platform for creation and integration of spaces and objects, MARK.SPACE is now making strong inroads in the rapidly evolving world of Virtual Reality. The project’s recently launched token crowdsale campaign has already caught the attention of the investors and VR enthusiasts from all corners of the world.

There is no denying the fact that VR is an incredible technology with unlimited possibilities. However, in terms of content production and usability, this technology can be rather complicated for most of the potential users. Moreover, so far, the need for expensive specialized equipment has restricted the growth of VR audiences.

MARK.SPACE looks to overcome these barriers by developing and implementing a user-friendly tool to quickly create and launch all types of VR/3D projects. Most importantly, all projects created on this open source platform can be accessed from the commonly used  devices such as a PCs, laptops, tablets or smartphones through any web-browser, or using a VR-headset.  The ultimate goal of the project is to create an economy that would enhance, complement and, ultimately replace the existing online economy by merging virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and cryptocurrencies into a fully functional ecosystem.

The MARK.SPACE ecosystem comprises of multiple VR units, each of which can be linked directly to its own top-level domain. All transactions involving these units are recorded on the blockchain to guarantee property right to the units. All unit owners will be able to buy, sell or rent their units to others by executing smart contracts on the platform. All transactions within the platform can be completed using an internal currency called the MARK token (MRK). This utility token allows users to sell and buy VR spaces and objects, consume various goods and use services, pay salaries to their employees and to buy ads to promote their businesses through MARK.SPACE.

Unlike the other existing VR platforms, MARK.SPACE makes it possible to visit the virtual spaces without pre-registering or paying any membership fees. The platform currently offers four thematic districts, viz. shopping, business, residential, and community. These districts allow users to visit virtualized copies of actual fashion boutiques, offices, apartments and fan-clubs. It also presents lucrative commercial opportunities for the business-owners or freelancers to create a stream of income, and productize processes by turning virtual services into sold goods. The platform’s demo is currently available online at https://demo.mark.space/

In the recent months, MARK.SPACE has garnered much attention at some of the most renowned blockchain technology events and conferences all over the world. During the World Blockchain Summit in Dubai, the MARK.SPACE team had the opportunity to meet key representatives of the financial and real estate sectors, and Science institutes.  The team has also pitched the platform to a major architecture firm while attending the CryptoBazar event in Hong Kong.  In November 2017, Jaguar Land Rover Russia has decided to collaborate with MARK.SPACE to integrate JLR products and services to the platform’s VR system.  

Headquartered in Singapore, MARK.SPACE is the brainchild of a team of experts with a wealth of experience in a wide range of industries and functional areas. This team has invested more than two years and more than $5m of personal funds to bring MARK.SPACE to its present stage.

Highlighting their development plan, a senior spokesperson from MARK.SPACE mentioned, “After the Token sale, our prototype will be further enhanced to improve the functionality. The goal is to achieve full decentralization for the benefit of both users and those providing computational capacity and storage resources. This will enable rich functionality from the platform.”  

More about MARK.SPACE can be found at https://mark.space/

About MARK.SPACE:  

MARK.SPACE is a new generation of the Internet: compatible websites that, on the one hand are independent (since they have their own domain) and on the other are united by a common transaction and accounting system on the Blockchain and a global search engine. In addition, any user can visit and even have his own the 3D / VR / AR (virtual reality / augmented reality) space inside the universe MARK.SPACE for free.

Contact: Utushkin Vladislav, CMO MARK.SPACE

Website: http://mark.space/

Email: [email protected]

This is a sponsored press release and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or views held by any employees of The Merkle. This is not investment, trading, or gambling advice. Always conduct your own independent research.

Pre-ICO Campaign on January 30

Eroiy, a blockchain-based incognito payment method for the adult entertainment industry, is all set to start its pre-ICO campaign on January 30. This revolutionary business ecosystem will address a wide range of customer requirements in the industry, including data protection, anonymity, protection from financial fraud, low transaction costs and payment convenience.

January 29, 2018

Blockchain technology startup Eroiy is pleased to announce the company will start its pre-ICO crowdsale campaign on January 30, 2018. It has also been disclosed that the company’s ICO campaign will start on March 1, following the end of the pre-ICO phase. All details related to Eroiy’s crowdfunding initiatives are now available at https://www.eroiy.io/

Eroiy was created with the vision of solving a series of problems the adult entertainment industry has faced over the years. The most useful feature of this platform is that it allows anonymous transactions on top of eliminating financial middlemen and their associated fees. Discretion while paying for online adult content has been a long-standing demand for both customers and merchants of the adult entertainment industry. By meeting this demand, Eroiy is looking to bring about a radical change in the global adult entertainment market, which is currently worth almost $100 billion. Apart from anonymity, Eroiy also offers benefits such as data protection, financial fraud protection, low transaction costs, and the convenience of one-click payment.

Eroiy will also make lives easier for merchants and service providers through low transaction costs, a limitation on the potential charge-backs, protection from data piracy and financial fraud, and complete independence from credit card companies. Use of multiple payment methods makes it mandatory for them to develop an intricate infrastructure to ensure streamline transactions. Utilizing cryptocurrency as the solution, Eroiy fulfils their ever-increasing need for a decentralized payment alternative.

Based on the NEM blockchain protocol, Eroiy is safe, cost-efficient, fast, and allows users to execute smart contracts. The ecosystem comprises of the EroiyCoin, the Eroiy eWallet, the Eroiy-Xchange, and an Eroiy Crypto Debit Card. The company claims the Eroiy eWallet is a one-of-a-kind solution for convenient, anonymous and cost-efficient payments of online content and merchandise.

Eroiy is the brainchild of a team with a wealth of experience and numerous key contacts in the adult entertainment industry. The organization’s CEO, Markus Steffen, has worked as a Director and Partner, delivering effective business solutions for over fifteen years. The advisory body of Eroiy comprises of many seasoned professionals from different fields, such as e-commerce, online marketing, event monetization, risk management, finance, law, and cryptocurrencies.  

“The adult entertainment industry is already known for innovation, and it is now time for it to adopt cryptocurrencies,” says Markus Steffen, the CEO of Eroiy. “Through the introduction of Eroiy, we have the possibility to enhance trust and discretion in the business. It is the only way for the market to develop, take its next steps, and increase its social acceptance. Whether for end users, merchants or token-buyers, Eroiy is there to help individuals unfold improvidently.”

The Eroiy Corporation has already managed to build a chain of adult entertainment companies that are ready to accept Eroiy as their payment system. Agreements for key collaborations with the industry’s leading marketing, media, and trade fair companies have also been initiated.  While recently attending the XBiz and InterNext trade shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas respectively, the company has received tremendous response from the major players in the industry. The overall concept of Eroiy was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the general participants. As a result, there are numerous upcoming collaborations with highly experienced business partners that are perfect for the project’s advancement and implementation.

EroiyCoins sold during the upcoming ICO will immediately be distributed to the provided address inside the EroiyCoin Client Area and be made visible and accessible at the Eroiy eWallet. Key details related to this crowdsale campaign are mentioned below.

Pre-ICO: Starts on January 30 and Ends on February 28

ICO:  Starts on March 1 and ends on March 31

Pre-ICO starting price: 1 Eroiy for $0.08

ICO starting price: 1 Eroiy for $0.12

Maximum Eroiy produced: 2 billion

Maximum Eroiy for sale: 1.2 billion

Fundraising goal: $48 million

Minimum purchase: 100 Eroiy  

Purchase methods: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, XEM, and fiat currencies such as US Dollar, Euro, and Swiss Franc.

More details can be found at https://www.eroiy.io/files/whitepaper.pdf

About Eroiy: Eroiy is a blockchain-based cryptocurrency designed specifically as an incognito payment alternative in the adult entertainment industry. The beauty of it is that it allows for anonymous transactions and is independent of the financial middlemen and their associated fees. This revolutionary development promises to be a gamechanger for the approximately USD 100 billion adult entertainment market worldwide.

Contact: Walter Hasenclever, PR Director

Website: https://www.eroiy.io/

Email: [email protected]

This is a sponsored press release and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or views held by any employees of The Merkle. This is not investment, trading, or gambling advice. Always conduct your own independent research.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a paper which claims that Bitcoin Cash is the original Bitcoin chain. The provocative statement was published in a larger document about blockchain technology entitled “NISTIR 8202 – Blockchain Technology Overview”. It was penned by NIST’s Dylan Yaga and Peter Mell with assistance from G2’s Nik Roby and Scarfone’s Karen Scarfone.

The paper itself attempts to provide solid definitions of concepts surrounding blockchain technology. These include aspects of the innovative data storage technique such as hardforks. Whilst the 57 page document is largely straightforward and non-controversial, the same cannot be said for the section on Bitcoin Cash.

NISTIR 8202 reads:

“In July 2017, approximately 80 to 90 percent of the Bitcoin computing power voted to incorporate Segregated Witness (SegWit, where transactions are split into two segments: transactional data, and signature data), which made it possible to reduce the amount of data being verified in each block. Signature data can account for up to 65 percent of a transaction block, so a change in how signatures are implemented could be useful. When SegWit was activated, it caused a hard fork, and all the mining nodes and users who did not want to change started calling the original Bitcoin blockchain Bitcoin Cash (BCC). Technically, Bitcoin is a fork and Bitcoin Cash is the original blockchain. When the hard fork occurred, people had access to the same amount of coins on Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.”

The NIST paper has been prepared as an introduction to blockchain technology. It states that it will go “beyond the hype” to deliver basic yet important information to those not familiar with the space. The NIST have also released a blurb about the document. It reads:

“This publication is intended to provide a high-level technical overview of blockchain technology. It discusses its application for electronic currency as well as broader uses. The document looks at different categories and approaches for different blockchain platforms.”

The NIST paper has also been presented publicly for comments. Naturally, with such a heated debate within the cryptocurrency community both before and after the hardfork which created Bitcoin Cash last August, it’s likely that Bitcoin maximalists and all those hostile to BCH will present an onslaught of responses to refute the statement’s made by NIST. The deadline to submit feedback for those outraged, bemused, or confused is February 23, 2018.

For those unaware, Bitcoin Cash was created as a potential solution for the ongoing scaling debate within the Bitcoin community. For many, Bitcoin was to serve as a means of exchange and given its surge in popularity, it was unable to perform this role efficiently. As fees and transaction times increased, a proposed change to the original code sought to increase the capacity of each block within the blockchain.

However, the majority of the community disagreed with such a response to the issue of providing more transactions per second. Since there was a divide within the miners who validate transactions on the network, two competing cryptocurrencies emerged from the fallout of last August. These have become known as Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Even despite competing parties being free to go their own way and take the technology where they feel it should, there is still bitter resentment between the two.

The post NIST: Bitcoin Cash is the Original Bitcoin Chain appeared first on NewsBTC.

With quite a bit of emphasis put on the value of the crypto-currencies, or some would say the lack thereof, and the regulatory oversight on the offering of such crypto-currencies to the public, namely the process called Initial Coin Offering (ICO), the risks of market abuse have been far less discussed.

One of China’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges has been bought by an unnamed Hong Kong investment group. According to a statement by BTCC today, the buyout aims to help develop an international facing platform, expanding the company’s remit outside of China.

Senior Vice President of BTCC Mining Pool, Denver Zhao, said:

 “We now have the resources to more fully realise our vision of safeguarding and stabilising digital currencies’ blockchains… Going forward, we’ll provide better, fairer, more transparent, and more comprehensive mining services to our customers worldwide.”

Such a change in company direction has likely been driven by the recent crackdown on cryptocurrency products and services within China. The nation, which was once one of the largest markets for digital currencies, has moved to a more hostile stance against the space in recent months. Their offensive has largely focused on initial coin offerings, as well as mining and exchanges.

With such an unsure environment, it’s no surprise that BTCC have made the decision to move operations elsewhere. The founder of the company, Bobby Lee, stated:

“Today’s acquisition is an incredible milestone for BTCC that validates all of our hard work over the past few years. I’m very excited about the resources this gives BTCC to move faster and aggressively grow our businesses in 2018 and beyond”.

Founded in 2011, BTCC was China’s first Bitcoin exchange. However, according to today’s statement, they will now focus their three major products on a more global market. These are their mining pool, BTCC Pool, their cryptocurrency wallet, Mobi, and their USD Exchange. Bloomberg report that it will be Denver Zhao, Mark Ma, and Aaron Choi who will lead each respectively.

The statement from BTCC included an optimistic outlook for the company’s future by Bobby Lee:

“I’m excited about this new chapter in BTCC’s future — the acquisition poises us for success in 2018 and beyond,” Lee said. “The resources we’ll gain and the new set of experienced and talented executives we’ll have joining the BTCC team give us impetus to lead every segment of the digital currency ecosystem, including the pool, payments, and exchange businesses.”

At present, scant details are known about the acquisition. Despite his appearance at Blockchain London on January 23, Bobby Lee and company are yet to disclose either the figure or the name of the company who have decided to take on BTCC.

The post Major Chinese Exchange Platform Looks Towards International Market appeared first on NewsBTC.

According to local media reports, Australia’s Brisbane Airport has revealed plans to make it the world’s first cryptocurrency friendly airport, partnering with store owners within terminal premises to accept payments in cryptocurrencies. The next time travelers land or take a flight, they will be able to make payments at the stores, kiosks, and coffee shops using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, and Steem.

To make this happen, the airport is teaming up with TravelByBit. TravelByBit allows travelers to pay digitally using the company’s mobile payment platform. The partnership further reinforces Brisbane Airport’s aim to support local businesses and become a leader in the airport digital innovation space. Such a move will also improve the passenger experience and educate more people on the real-world uses of cryptocurrencies in day to day living.

As some governments across the world have been tightening regulations and laws surrounding mining and trading cryptocurrencies, it appears as if Australia is trying to go the other way, fostering development and growth. According to Roel Hellemons, General Manager of Strategic Developments at Brisbane Airport, it makes sense for the airport to start accepting digital payments as the number of people holding and trading cryptocurrency increases.

Across Brisbane — albiet, until now, not in the airport itself — TravelByBit has already partnered with a network of merchants: From air travel, to lodging, and the food industry, the company boasts several partners on board willing to accept cryptocurrencies. In fact, Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley has also been labeled as a “Crypto Valley” by locals, as more than 20 merchants in this area recognize virtual payments. According to Hellemons:

“Many people around the world have made money investing in cryptocurrencies and a lot of these people travel internationally, so it makes sense to offer a digital currency experience within our terminals.”

CEO of TravelByBit, Caleb Yeoh, said,

“We are building a genuine use case for cryptocurrencies in the tourism industry. The application of digital currencies in this sector makes a lot of sense.” He further added that: “Whenever you travel overseas you have to deal with multiple currencies and you never know what exchange rates the banks are charging you. Here at TravelByBit, we are promoting the Bitcoin travel movement. Digital currency for world-wide travel. It’s simple, safe and there’s no bank fees.”

The post Australia’s Brisbane Airport to Become World’s First Crypto Friendly appeared first on NewsBTC.

The London Football Exchange (LFE) has unveiled plans to launch its own cryptocurrency, intended to permit a “fan-driven football community,” providing members with the opportunity to take part in various club and fan experiences.

Cryptocurrency Combined with Fan Loyalty

LFE engagement services will include LFE Points, a blockchain-enabled loyalty, paired with a reward and offers platform. More specifically, members will benefit through special discounts, exclusive offers, rewards, and other incentives only available to LFE token holders. The more LFE token holders engage with their favourite clubs and leagues, the more LFE Points they will receive.

CEO Charles Pittar had the following to say about his organization’s endeavour:

“Our vision is to allow football clubs to take advantage of the token funding economy for their financing needs by providing them with a tokenized financing infrastructure which involves token design and issuance services.”

The platform will use the Ripple and Stellar networks to support token issuance, trades, and transfers. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are all accepted as part of the token sale. Bank transfers of British Pounds, Euros, U.S. Dollars, Australian Dollars, and Swiss Francs will also be accepted.

ICO – By a Football Exchange

As part of its Initial Token Offering, LFE will generate a total of 4 billion tokens with 2.4 billion tokens made available for general sale. The tokens will be priced at $0.20, which equates to a fundraising goal of approximately $350 million. The pre-sales run from January 15th to February 11th, with the public sale taking place directly afterwards, from February 12th to May 20th.

Advising the launch is law firm CMS. Sam Robinson, a partner at CMS, said: “It is very exciting to advise LFE on establishing a business that is aiming to have an impact on the entire football industry using blockchain technology. Adding: “As a firm, CMS has a particular focus on FinTech and we are delighted to be able to support businesses like LFE that are at the cutting edge of regulation and technology.”

Worldwide Participation

LFE has revealed that discussions are already underway with over 50 clubs, including Premier League Clubs and teams throughout Europe, the United States, and Australia. For the clubs, the LFE tokens aim to help them eliminate the antiquated ticketing technology from legacy operators that mean they pay fees ranging from 5% to 8% in commission based on the value of tickets sold.

The initiative from LFE comes about a week after CashBet announced what was described as a “landmark partnership” with English Premier League football club Arsenal FC, prior to an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) of its new cryptocurrency, CashBet Coin. It made CashBet Coin the North London club’s exclusive and official Blockchain Partner.

The post London Football Exchange Launches Own Cryptocurrency Running On Ripple And Stellar appeared first on NewsBTC.

Blockchain technology was heralded as the revolution for everything, the next wave in technology, yet, 10 years on and there is still little real use for it. #OP-ED

“We need microsurgery on this new economy. We don’t need a chainsaw.” Don Tapscott at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Blockchain, regulations, and what John Lennon, Donald Trump and ponies have to do with the digital economy. #INTERVIEW

Security firm TrendMicro stated in a new report that Google’s DoubleClick ad services were used to distribute cryptocurrency mining malware.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

On December 3, 2017, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro announced plans to create a national cryptocurrency called the ‘Petro’ that will be backed by the country’s natural resources, most notably its substantial oil reserves. Currently, Venezuela is facing  US government led sanctions that make moving money through international banks difficult — and Maduro believes a government-backed cryptocurrency will allow the Venezuelan government to regain control over its finances.

On January 29 the longstanding Chinese bitcoin company BTCC has announced it was acquired by a Hong Kong-based investment fund. The company explains its pivoting away from China so the business can grow more “aggressively” in 2018.

Also read: AIER Researchers: Bitcoin’s Price Moves with News

A Hong Kong Investment Fund Acquires BTCC

The company BTCC formally known as BTC China was founded in 2011 by the entrepreneur Bobby Lee, and it was China’s first domestic bitcoin exchange. In 2014 the exchange held the world second largest bitcoin trade volume among all the trading platforms worldwide that year. However, at the beginning of 2017, the country’s central bank stopped mainland exchanges from trading cryptocurrencies with the national tender the renminbi. Most exchanges then re-positioned themselves internationally in other areas where the political climate is more friendly towards digital assets. Now BTCC is being acquired by an unnamed Hong Kong investment fund which intends to expand the company to all seven continents.

“Today’s acquisition is an incredible milestone for BTCC that validates all of our hard work over the past few years,” Bobby Lee, the co-founder of BTCC said in a press release sent to news.Bitcoin.com.  

I’m very excited about the resources this gives BTCC to move faster and aggressively grow our businesses in 2018 and beyond. This will give us impetus to lead every segment of the digital currency ecosystem, including the pool, payments, and exchange businesses.

BTCC Will Focus On International Expansion

According to the company, the business will focus all its attention on its international markets, and its three products including the BTCC mining pool, Mobi, and its USD Exchange. The trading platform will be operated by Aaron Choi, Mark Ma, and Denver Zhao. BTCC details that Ma has a strong background with the firm Alibaba and other fintech companies, and they expect the executive to push their products globally.          

“Mobi, the global multi-currency wallet that we introduced in March 2017, now has customers from over 180+ countries,” Ma, the vice president of BTCC Mobi said in a statement.  

The capital injection we received today gives us a boost towards reaching our goal to grab a dominant market share in the payments and digital currency industries of each of those countries.

The move marks the last of the top mainland exchanges in China to re-position themselves in more friendlier territories. The other leading Chinese exchanges Huobi, and Okcoin have already moved abroad. BTCC’s business also has a mining pool which captures 3.6 percent of the bitcoin core network’s hashrate at the time of plublication. 

“We’re humbled that we were able to acquire BTCC — the company has an unparalleled brand and reputation, and we look forward to taking it greater heights of success internationally,” Calvin Cheng, a former Singaporean parliamentarian, and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader who advises the Hong Kong blockchain investment fund, told news.Bitcoin.com.

What do you think about the Hong Kong investment fund acquiring BTCC? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Images via Youtube, Pixabay, BTCC, and Blockchain.info.

Not up to date on the news? Listen to This Week in Bitcoin, a podcast updated each Friday.

The post Hong Kong Fund Acquires Chinese Mining Powerhouse BTCC appeared first on Bitcoin News.