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What Is the Token Wizard?

TheMerkle ICO Token WizardWhether or not the world needs more solutions to make ICOs easier to organize remains a topic of substantial debate. The folks at POA Network are convinced that there is a dire need for a streamlined venture in this regard. Their new Token Wizard makes it a matter of a few clicks to create new token sales and the associated contracts. It’s an intriguing solution, but it’s not necessarily what people are looking for. The Token Wizard Explained Looking over its website, it’s apparent that POA Network wants to become one of the platforms which people use to create initial coin offerings and

TheMerkle ICO Token Wizard

Whether or not the world needs more solutions to make ICOs easier to organize remains a topic of substantial debate. The folks at POA Network are convinced that there is a dire need for a streamlined venture in this regard. Their new Token Wizard makes it a matter of a few clicks to create new token sales and the associated contracts. It’s an intriguing solution, but it’s not necessarily what people are looking for.

The Token Wizard Explained

Looking over its website, it’s apparent that POA Network wants to become one of the platforms which people use to create initial coin offerings and generate the associated tokens. To that end, the company has introduced the Token Wizard, a client-side solution to create token and crowdsale contracts in a few clicks.

All of the contracts will be published on the Ethereum blockchain and verifiable on Etherscan. Even though the tool is incredibly convenient, it remains to be seen whether there will be an interest in these features. It is pretty easy to set up a token sale, as users can select their strategy, set up tokens, set up the crowdsale parameters, publish the code, and have a crowdsale page generated on their behalf automatically. It is an all-in-one solution, which seemingly offers all of the convenience anyone could ever ask for.

It is also worth mentioning that the contracts are based on those of TokenMarket, which helps legitimize this platform a bit more. With the help of a web-based GUI, most ICO projects should be up and running within a matter of minutes. It is evident that solutions such as the Token Wizard will only boost the number of initial coin offerings out there in the future. It is doubtful a lot of people are looking forward to such a development, though.

As we have learned, a lot of ICO projects don’t know anything about proper security or how to deal with issues when they arise. With this third-party solution, it is highly improbable that companies will start to focus on security, as they will assume the Token Wizard will handle everything on their behalf.

It is that type of attitude which is hurting the ICO industry quite a bit right now. Several projects have had funds stolen, websites altered, or issues encountered with their smart contracts. Proper preparation for potentially raising millions of dollars should always be the number one priority.

That doesn’t mean the Token Wizard won’t be popular in the future, though. With the initial coin offering industry still firing on all cylinders, it will be interesting to see what the future holds in this regard. We can only hope to see more ICOs with a strong focus on security and less reliance on third-party solutions. At the same time, trusted third-party services may introduce a lot of positive changes for this industry. 

Bitcoin Mining’s Carbon Footprint Is Blown out of Proportion

TheMerkle_Bitcoin MiningIt appears there is a lot of misinformation on the internet when it comes to cryptocurrencies and the associated electricity usage. More specifically, most sources claim Bitcoin mining uses a lot of energy, which is absolutely correct. However, it seems the situation is being blown out of proportion completely. The Truth About Cryptocurrency Mining According to the infographic below, there are a lot of things regarding cryptocurrency mining which people need to take into account. It is true that Bitcoin mining requires a lot of electricity in general, but it is pretty much impossible for this industry to use more electricity than any other sector

TheMerkle_Bitcoin Mining

It appears there is a lot of misinformation on the internet when it comes to cryptocurrencies and the associated electricity usage. More specifically, most sources claim Bitcoin mining uses a lot of energy, which is absolutely correct. However, it seems the situation is being blown out of proportion completely.

The Truth About Cryptocurrency Mining

According to the infographic below, there are a lot of things regarding cryptocurrency mining which people need to take into account. It is true that Bitcoin mining requires a lot of electricity in general, but it is pretty much impossible for this industry to use more electricity than any other sector in the near future. As of right now, Bitcoin mining uses around 0.14% of all global electricity, which makes it a non-factor in the grand scheme of things.

It seems most of the present misinformation comes from a recent Digiconomist report which discussed cryptocurrency mining. It claimed that Bitcoin mining requires as much energy as does the country of Singapore. That amount was said to be sufficient to power over 4 million households, which seems a bit exaggerated. Since there is insufficient data to determine how much electricity is actually being used, a lot of assumptions are being made.

Moreover, a British website claims that Bitcoin mining energy consumption will surpass that of the entire United States in 2019. Considering that the former’s current electricity usage is on par with the country of Singapore, it would take a lot of effort to use as much energy as the United States. With most of these assumptions being based on the information provided by Digiconomist, it is evident there is a lot of bias against Bitcoin mining as of right now.

Unfortunately, it will be rather difficult to get rid of this factually incorrect information. It is impossible to make any accurate estimates until more information is shared with the public. Since no one manages Bitcoin or its mining, misinformation will always reign supreme.

Other factors influencing the electricity usage of Bitcoin mining are often overlooked as well. More specifically, there is the price volatility, which will likely dissuade a lot of people from mining Bitcoin in the future. Secondly, more and more Bitcoin mining firms are flocking to renewable energy solutions, which will alleviate a lot of the problems associated with the energy usage. Furthermore, the Chinese government will limit the amount of electricity supplied to Bitcoin miners, which will have some interesting consequences as well.

For the time being, we will have to wait and see how things evolve in the Bitcoin mining industry. There is an active effort in place to reduce the carbon footprint of this particular industry, although it will take a while for any of these efforts to pay off. Developments in the Bitcoin world will also help alleviate most concerns, ranging from scaling solutions to renewable energy solutions and so much more.

A Major Dutch Bank Is Considering a Cryptocurrency Wallet for Its Customers

Rabobank, a major Dutch multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is considering the possibility of integrating a cryptocurrency wallet within its online banking system.Considered to be a global …

A Major Dutch Bank Is Considering a Cryptocurrency Wallet for Its Customers

Rabobank, a major Dutch multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is considering the possibility of integrating a cryptocurrency wallet within its online banking system.

Considered to be a global leader in food and agriculture financing and sustainability-oriented banking, Rabobank is among the 25 largest financial institutions in the world in terms of Tier 1 capital. The bank serves more than 7 million Dutch individual and corporate clients, offering a full range of financial services. Globally, the Rabobank group operates in 44 countries.

Rabobit, a Rabobank project currently in its conceptual development and market research phase, would allow the bank’s customers to store cryptocurrencies in a wallet hosted by Rabobank, within the bank’s secure online banking environment. Users would be able to store fiat and cryptocurrencies in one place and access all their funds through one bank account, which can send and receive both fiat and cryptocurrencies. The Rabobit wallet would be integrated with the Rabobank apps.

A Rabobank news release (in Dutch) reveals that Rabobit is part of Rabobank’s internal Moonshot acceleration program. In this program, employees of the bank propose innovative ideas, and the best ideas are tested for interest among customers. A shortlist of Moonshot ideas will be compiled in early March 2018. In mid-June, some Moonshot ideas will be selected to be developed into products or services.

Rabobit is one of 22 ideas considered for further development. The idea is currently in a preliminary customer survey phase: Rabobank employees are evaluating public interest in Rabobit with client interviews, both in person (street research) and online, and investigating the risks associated with the use of cryptocurrencies. The Rabobank news release emphasizes that there is not yet an official decision to implement Rabobit.

Regardless of the eventual outcome of Rabobank’s selection project, the very fact that the bank is considering issuing a cryptocurrency wallet is significant. It’s also worth noting that Rabobank has previously expressed a negative position on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. “Ownership and value transfer are completely anonymous and evade supervision by third parties, such as a government,” said a Rabobank representative just last month. “Which means that cryptocurrency does not meet the highest standards of compliance set by Rabobank.”

An official Rabobank page titled “Cryptocurrency, or the future of payments” is more open to cryptocurrencies. “We are seeing only the beginning of a new phenomenon that, according to the experts and investors, can be compared to the mid-1990s when the internet took off,” noted Roel Steenbergen, who works in Rabobank IT’s innovation arm. “We see this as more of an opportunity than a threat.” Steenbergen added that the old and the new world will have to find each other, and cryptocurrency will exist alongside the other forms of money we are familiar with.

It isn’t surprising that different opinions co-exist in large institutions like Rabobank, where emerging technologies always have both champions and detractors. However, should Rabobank eventually give an official green light to the Rabobit project and implement the cryptocurrency wallet, and should Rabobit become popular among the bank’s customers, it’s possible that other major banks could consider implementing similar cryptocurrency options of their own.

Rabobank image by Donald Trung – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

Bitcoin Thieves Beware: Super Secure Wallet-Maker Casa Raises $2 Million – Forbes

ForbesBitcoin Thieves Beware: Super Secure Wallet-Maker Casa Raises $2 MillionForbesCasa, a six-month-old startup that helps consumers securely store cryptocurrencies, has launched its first product and raised $2.1 million in new investment. Venture ca…


Forbes

Bitcoin Thieves Beware: Super Secure Wallet-Maker Casa Raises $2 Million
Forbes
Casa, a six-month-old startup that helps consumers securely store cryptocurrencies, has launched its first product and raised $2.1 million in new investment. Venture capital firms Lerer Hippeau, Compound and Boost VC participated in the financing round ...

The US Government Wants to Keep $5.5 Million in Seized Bitcoin – CoinDesk

CoinDeskThe US Government Wants to Keep $5.5 Million in Seized BitcoinCoinDeskThe U.S. government is eyeing the potential confiscation of 500 bitcoin seized from four individuals charged with creating fake identification documents. According to an anno…


CoinDesk

The US Government Wants to Keep $5.5 Million in Seized Bitcoin
CoinDesk
The U.S. government is eyeing the potential confiscation of 500 bitcoin seized from four individuals charged with creating fake identification documents. According to an announcement from the Department of Justice in Ohio, the four individuals - three ...

What Is GameCredits?

TheMerkle GameCreditsEven though Bitcoin will be the world’s leading cryptocurrency for quite some time to come, there are other competing solutions to keep an eye on. GameCredits is an intriguing initiative which will target the gaming community worldwide. This $100 billion industry can benefit a lot from cryptocurrencies in many ways, assuming the team’s plan is executed properly. The Purpose of GameCredits With so many people enjoying video games through various mediums, it is only normal that cryptocurrency projects would want to pay attention to this market moving forward. GameCredits is a project and a currency which lets gamers and developers buy and sell games

TheMerkle GameCredits

Even though Bitcoin will be the world’s leading cryptocurrency for quite some time to come, there are other competing solutions to keep an eye on. GameCredits is an intriguing initiative which will target the gaming community worldwide. This $100 billion industry can benefit a lot from cryptocurrencies in many ways, assuming the team’s plan is executed properly.

The Purpose of GameCredits

With so many people enjoying video games through various mediums, it is only normal that cryptocurrency projects would want to pay attention to this market moving forward. GameCredits is a project and a currency which lets gamers and developers buy and sell games and in-game content quickly and safely. Moreover, it removes the need for credit cards and other payment methods subject to chargebacks.

How Will it Work Exactly?

There are quite a few aspects to GameCredits which people may want to take note of. First of all, the virtual goods currently being sold are subject to a lot of fraud. Since GameCredits is based on blockchain technology, all transactions are permanent and the risk of fraud is removed altogether. For both merchants and consumers, that is a more than welcome change.

Secondly, GameCredits transactions can be performed in an anonymous manner. This lets gamers enjoy their favorite games without having to worry about privacy. Given Bitcoin’s pseudonymity, it cannot provide any degree of anonymity as of right now, and GameCredits may be able to make a positive impact in this area. As for this project’s transaction speed, money can exchange hands in 60 hours or less, which includes the full settlement of transactions in fiat currency.

To store and spend GameCredits properly, there is the GWallet feature. This web wallet service exists to provide users with optimal convenience, but it is also available for download as a desktop client. This wallet makes it pretty easy to complete transactions. There is also a separate desktop client in beta, which focuses on combining mining, saving, and purchasing items with GameCredits.

What is the GAME Token?

As one would expect, the GameCredits ecosystem has its own token. In this case, that token goes by the name of GAME. It will allow users to purchase games in this ecosystem, will make in-game payments more seamless for developers, and will increase the overall value of games incorporating this new currency. It is also possible that GAME will make an impact in the eSports sector moving forward.

The Road Ahead for GameCredits

It seems the immediate future of GameCredits will mainly revolve around further developing the MobileGO ecosystem. This particular venture is designed to support the gaming sector as a whole, yet it pays special attention to eSports. It is also a smart token which comes with its own set of perks and advantages, including peer-to-peer match play and decentralized gaming tournaments. 

Education Ecosystem Announces Token Exchange Listings and Chance to Win Three Tesla Model S Cars

Education Ecosystem (LiveEdu) has announced that their Education token will be issued to crowdsale contributors and also listed on exchanges this week. Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Article CEO, Dr. Michael J. Garbade had this to say, “As ICO contributors know, due to legal restrictions we could not start work with centralized exchange listings until our ICO Round I was closed. This issue slowed us down but we have made progress with the help of our advisors. We have already closed deals with three exchanges where Education tokens will be listed, namely Bibox, Gate.io and Exchange 3. Exchange 3 will

Education Ecosystem (LiveEdu) has announced that their Education token will be issued to crowdsale contributors and also listed on exchanges this week.

Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Article

CEO, Dr. Michael J. Garbade had this to say, “As ICO contributors know, due to legal restrictions we could not start work with centralized exchange listings until our ICO Round I was closed. This issue slowed us down but we have made progress with the help of our advisors. We have already closed deals with three exchanges where Education tokens will be listed, namely Bibox, Gate.io and Exchange 3. Exchange 3 will announce the listing themselves due to their policy. Our goal after these three listings is to get listed on two Tier 1 exchanges with whom we are currently in discussion. All of these exchanges will list Education tokens with ETH and BTC pairs.”

Gate.io will list Education tokens on Thursday, March 1, 2018 and Bibox on Friday, March 2, 2018. Both Gate.io and Bibox will give away a Tesla Model S and Education tokens if you participate in the trading and deposit competitions. You can be the owner of a brand new Tesla. Apart from the five centralized exchanges above, you can also trade Education tokens soon on Etherdelta, IDEX, Liqui, and Tidex.

Token name: Education

Symbol : LEDU or EDU

Token address: 0x5b26C5D0772E5bbaC8b3182AE9a13f9BB2D03765

Decimals: 8

Internal Ecosystem Competition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXHAoIrYTE *embed video*

The Education Ecosystem is also running their own internal community competition where people can participate and win prizes.

1st Prize : Tesla Model S

2nd Prize: 50,000 Education tokens

3rd Prize: 50 Nano Ledger S Hardware wallets

4th Prize: Education token cups, tote bags, etc.

Read more about how to enter this competition in their blog article for a chance to win one of the prizes.

About Education Ecosystem

Education Ecosystem (LiveEdu) is a decentralized learning ecosystem that teaches people how to build complete products in future technological fields. They are building the YouTube for online education and professional development. You can also describe their ecosystem as the next-generation Lynda.com. Unlike existing online education platforms, LiveEdu is not focused on beginners, but mainly intermediates to experts. People learn on LiveEdu by watching how peers build real projects and can also download all project resources and files. The new LiveEdu platform is set to launch in 2018 and will start with eight main topics which encompasses several subcategories: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Game Development, Data Science, Cryptocurrencies, Programming, Design, and Augmented and Virtual Reality.

Project creators in the Education Ecosystem will build 10,000 projects for these topics. In 2019, the ecosystem will be opened for all topics. For now LiveEdu is an app blockchain company and using ERC20 smart contracts, but in 2021 LiveEdu will build its own protocol. Simply put LiveEdu is building the Steemit for professional development and targeting the $306 billion professional development market.

Website and Social Media

Website: https://tokensale.liveedu.tv/

Whitepaper: https://tokensale.liveedu.tv/static/docs/LiveEdu-white-paper.pdf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/edu_coins

Telegram: https://t.me/educoins

Bitcoin faces regulatory crackdown, Bank of England warns – The Guardian


The Guardian

Bitcoin faces regulatory crackdown, Bank of England warns
The Guardian
The Bank of England has warned that bitcoin faces a regulatory crackdown, warning that “inherently risky” cryptocurrencies are failing to fulfil their most basic function as money. Mark Carney, the Bank’s governor, used a speech in London on Friday to
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney: Bitcoin is heading for a ‘pretty brutal reckoning’Business Insider
Bitcoin is failing as a currency and must be held to higher standards, says CarneyTelegraph.co.uk
Bitcoin price LIVE: BTC needs to hit $15k to signal it is ‘back in business’Express.co.uk
Daily Mail –The Sun
all 66 news articles »

The Guardian

Bitcoin faces regulatory crackdown, Bank of England warns
The Guardian
The Bank of England has warned that bitcoin faces a regulatory crackdown, warning that “inherently risky” cryptocurrencies are failing to fulfil their most basic function as money. Mark Carney, the Bank's governor, used a speech in London on Friday to ...
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney: Bitcoin is heading for a 'pretty brutal reckoning'Business Insider
Bitcoin is failing as a currency and must be held to higher standards, says CarneyTelegraph.co.uk
Bitcoin price LIVE: BTC needs to hit $15k to signal it is 'back in business'Express.co.uk
Daily Mail -The Sun
all 66 news articles »