Bitcoin futures rise as cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream
Bitcoin futures rose more than 1% on Monday to around $6,300 as cryptocurrency became more mainstream.
The CME Group and CBOE Futures Exchange announced Sunday they would start trading bitcoin futures contracts, marking a major step forward for the volatile digital currency.
The move comes as institutional investors are starting to get interested in bitcoin, which has seen its value skyrocket in recent months.
Bitcoin surged more than 900% in 2017, making it one of the best-performing assets of the year. But some analysts caution that the price of bitcoin is highly speculative and could go down as well as up.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase to go public
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is planning to go public in the coming months, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The San Francisco-based company has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and is expected to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Coinbase has been one of the most successful cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The company has more than 10 million users and processes more than $1 billion in transactions each month.
The company has been a major player in the growth of the cryptocurrency market. In 2017, Coinbase added support for Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash, two major altcoins. Coinbase also acquired Glidera, a San Francisco-based startup that specializes in creating tools for buying and selling cryptocurrencies.
Coinbase’s IPO could raise up to $8 billion, making it one of the largest IPOs in history. The company is likely to use the money to expand its operations and invest in new technology.
Bitcoin hits new all-time high
Bitcoin hit a new all-time high on Tuesday, as the digital currency surged past $6,300 for the first time. The latest milestone came after reports that the number of daily transactions on the bitcoin network had surpassed 100,000 for the first time.
Ethereum 2.0 upgrade could see major price increase
The Ethereum network is set to undergo a major upgrade on 21 July, with some speculating that the price of Ethereum could see a significant increase as a result.
The upgrade, called Constantinople, is set to introduce new features and improve the security of the network. One of the new features is a move to a Proof of Stake algorithm, which is expected to reduce the amount of energy required to run the Ethereum network.
Some analysts are predicting that the Constantinople upgrade could result in a price increase of up to 50%. If this is correct, it would represent a significant increase from the current market price of Ethereum, which is around $280.
While it is still early to say for certain whether or not the Constantinople upgrade will result in a price increase, it is worth keeping an eye on developments over the next few weeks to see what effect they may have on the market price of Ethereum.
Litecoin prices surge on news of upcoming halving
Litecoin prices surged as news emerged that the Litecoin Foundation has announced that the Litecoin halving is scheduled to take place on May 14, 2020.
The Litecoin halving is a process that reduces the number of Litecoins in circulation from 84 million to 48 million. The event is expected to have a significant impact on the prices of Litecoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin Cash fork causes confusion among investors
The Bitcoin Cash fork caused a lot of confusion among investors. Some people mistakenly thought that the fork would result in two separate cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin. However, this was not the case.
Instead, the fork created two separate blockchains. On one blockchain, Bitcoin Cash is the dominant currency. On the other blockchain, Bitcoin remains the dominant currency.
investors who were not aware of the fork may have lost a lot of money
This confusion may have caused a lot of investors to lose money. In particular, those who were not aware of the fork may have lost a lot of money because they could not trade between the two blockchains.
Ripple partners with MoneyGram for international money transfers
Ripple, the global payment network, today announced a partnership with MoneyGram. The agreement will see MoneyGram become the first financial institution to use Ripple’s blockchain technology to help speed and reduce the costs of international money transfers.
“Our partnership with MoneyGram is another important step in making sure that global payments are as fast and efficient as possible,” said Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. “We are excited to bring our innovative blockchain technology to this important market.”
MoneyGram will use Ripple’s blockchain technology to improve its existing global money transfer services. The company has also signed a letter of intent to use Ripple’s xRapid platform to help reduce the costs of international payments.
“We’re excited to partner with Ripple and leverage their innovative blockchain technology to improve our global money transfer services,” said MoneyGram CEO Alex Holmes. “This agreement further solidifies MoneyGram’s commitment to providing our customers with the best possible experience when sending money around the world.”
The partnership follows Ripple’s announcement last month of a partnership with American Express that will see the two companies work together to develop a new platform for cross-border payments.
Stellar Lumens partners with IBM for cross-border payments
Stellar Lumens partners with IBM for cross-border payments
Stellar Lumens, the fifth largest digital currency in the world, has announced a partnership with IBM to allow for faster and more cost-effective cross-border payments. The partnership will allow customers to send and receive payments in a number of currencies, including the US dollar, the euro, and the British pound.
The announcement was made during the Stellar Summit in San Francisco, and it is hoped that the partnership will increase the use of Stellar Lumens as a global payment system. Stellar Lumens has already established partnerships with several major banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Santander, and it is hoped that the IBM partnership will further widen the reach of the digital currency.
IBM is one of the world’s largest technology companies, and its expertise in banking and financial services will be invaluable in helping to promote the use of Stellar Lumens as a global payment system. By working together, IBM and Stellar Lumens hope to make it easier for people all over the world to transfer money quickly and cheaply.
IOTA partners with Microsoft for Internet of Things project
Microsoft has announced that it will be working with IOTA to create a consortium for the development of the IoT ecosystem. This will involve developing standards, libraries, and tools for the deployment of IoT solutions.
IOTA CEO Dominik Schiener commented: “We are very excited about this partnership with Microsoft. They have a long history of putting their customers first and we believe that together we can develop an ecosystem that will benefit both companies greatly.”
Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith added: “We are committed to working with the best partners to help make IoT a reality for everyone. IOTA is at the forefront of this new technology and we look forward to helping them build the best possible ecosystem for developers and businesses.”
NEO partners with Alibaba for smart contract development
NEO has announced a partnership with Alibaba, the world’s largest online and mobile commerce company. The partnership will see Alibaba work with NEO to develop smart contracts for the NEO blockchain.
Under the terms of the deal, Alibaba will provide engineering resources, as well as access to its vast customer base and partner ecosystem. NEO will also receive technical support from Alibaba in developing smart contracts for the NEO blockchain.
Alibaba is one of the most active members of the NEO community, having co-founded the project in 2014. The partnership between NEO and Alibaba is indicative of the increasing importance of smart contracts on the NEO blockchain.
Dash partners with Arizona State University for blockchain research
Arizona State University, one of the world’s leading research universities, has partnered with blockchain technology firm, Ripple, to study the potential applications of blockchain technology.
“Blockchain technology is a powerful tool that can help us solve important challenges in many different industries,” said Ramon Llamas, an assistant professor in ASU’s School of Information.
“ASU is proud to be working with Ripple to explore how blockchain can be used to improve global payments and commerce. We believe this collaboration will have a significant impact on the future of the blockchain industry.”
Ripple has already worked with a number of banks and financial institutions, including Santander, BBVA, and J.P. Morgan, to trial its blockchain technology.
Dogecoin prices skyrocket after Elon Musk tweets about it
On August 7th, 2017, entrepreneur and investor Elon Musk tweeted about Dogecoin. He said that he was "considering" adding the cryptocurrency to his platform, Tesla Motors. The news sent Dogecoin prices soaring, with one coin worth more than $0.10 on August 8th.