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Opera now supports in-browser crypto purchases with Apple Pay
Opera has just made it a bit easier to purchase cryptocurrency. The browser -- which was the first to include a built-in crypto wallet -- is now letting users in the US and Scandinavian countries buy Bitcoin and Ethereum using a debit card or Apple Pay.
Crypto expert arrested for allegedly helping North Korea evade sanctions
North Korea has long been accused of using cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions, but the US is now accusing a man of giving the country some help American law enforcement has arrested crypto expert and Ethereum project member Virgil Griffith for allegedly providing North Korea with information on how cryptocurrency and blockchain tech could help the isolated nation evade US sanctions. He presented at a crypto conference in Pyongyang despite being denied permission to travel to North Korea, and reportedly discussed how the country could "launder money" and otherwise skirt trade barriers. There were several North Korean officials in the audience who asked him questions, according to the Justice Department.
Thieves took $49 million in Ethereum from a crypto exchange
The string of recent cryptocurrency thefts isn't stopping any time soon. South Korean crypto exchange Upbit has confirmed that 342,000 Etherium coins, worth about $49 million, were transferred from its wallet to an "anonymous wallet" (read: a thief) on November 27th. The exchange quickly suspended all crypto deposits and withdrawals and moved all assets to offline wallets that couldn't be attacked. Upbit said it would "immediately" replace the missing Ethereum with its own assets, but that it would take two weeks before deposits and withdrawals would resume -- if you were depending on that virtual money, you might be in trouble.
UNICEF now takes bitcoin and ether donations
UNICEF, the United Nations' charity that helps underserved children around the world, now accepts donations in bitcoin and ether. As the first UN organization to embrace cryptocurrencies, UNICEF and the recipients of its funding will benefit from the lack of fees that result from money being transferred overseas. Plus, donors will presumably be able to see how their contributions are disbursed to various initiatives.
Venezuela reportedly wants its central bank to hold bitcoin
Venezuela may not just be using its own cryptocurrency to dodge the consequences of international sanctions. Bloomberg tipsters say the country's central bank is testing the possibility of holding on to cryptocurrencies in order to help the state-controlled oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA. The firm reportedly has troves of bitcoin and ethereum, and moving that money to the central bank might let it pay suppliers and avoid "potential blocks" from conventional channels that would come with either direct crypto payments or regular money.
Consensual phishing: How to crack your half-forgotten crypto password
Phil Dougherty has a side hustle as a friendly hacker. By day, he's a software developer at the University of Wisconsin, building free educational games and conducting research on the ways people play them. Meanwhile, back at home, Dougherty is the shepherd of a program that's constantly running down ways to break into other people's cryptocurrency wallets. Dougherty works with folks who have lost, forgotten or incorrectly written down their Ethereum passwords, locking themselves out of their wallets and forfeiting the digital cash that's lurking within. These people are, essentially, shit out of luck. There's no customer support hotline for Ethereum, no security questions to answer, no "Forgot password?" link.
Pay with crypto at Whole Foods, Gamestop and other retailers
It's been difficult to spend cryptocurrencies at retail due to the technical and regulatory headaches associated with it, but that might not be an issue at some stores in the near future. Flexa has launched a payment network and a companion iOS app, Spedn, that should let you spend digital currency at major retailers like Baskin Robbins, Gamestop and Whole Foods. You just bring up a barcode at the register and the merchant scans it in -- if they don't directly accept crypto, the payment network converts your funds into conventional money in real time.
E*Trade may offer trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum
Cryptocurrency traders might soon have an important ally. A Bloomberg source claims E*Trade is in the midst of work to enable trading cryptocurrencies, starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum. It would think about adding other currencies going forward, according to the tipster. It's not certain exactly when trading would open.
HTC's blockchain phone can now be bought with real money
HTC is taking its blockchain phone a little more mainstream. Today, the company has announced that the Exodus 1 can be purchased for 750 US dollars. That's right, traditional money. The kind that can be used in any store across the United States. Until now, the beleaguered phone manufacturer has only accepted Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Litecoin (LTC) as tender. Presumably, that was a choice (and not just a lame marketing stunt) to ensure early adopters were open-minded crypto enthusiasts. In addition to USD, the company is adding the Ethereum-powered Binance Coin (BNB) as a way to acquire the niche handset.
Samsung Galaxy S10 leak hints at cryptocurrency wallet
Samsung' Galaxy S10 appears to have leaked again, but this time the big deal is what's on screen. Gregory Blake and Ben Geskin claim to have leaked images of a Samsung Blockchain KeyStore that would serve as a cryptocurrency wallet, whether you're bringing over an existing wallet or starting fresh. The imagery only shows it supporting Ethereum, but SamMobile noted that its sources also anticipated support for Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and ERC20.
Bitcoin plummets to its lowest value in over a year
Bitcoin has plummeted to below $5,000, its lowest value in over a year, amid drops for the world's leading cryptocurrencies. Its value currently stands at $4,463 (as of 04:32AM ET), while its losses for the past week now total 16 percent and more than 65 percent for the year, according to CoinDesk.
HTC's blockchain phone can only be bought with cryptocurrency
If the idea of a HTC blockchain phone drives you wild, we've got good news: the "Exodus 1" is now available to pre-order -- it ships in December. But you can only buy it online for 0.15 bitcoins or 4.78 ether tokens, or roughly $960. (Not exactly cheap for an extremely niche device.)
China busts World Cup gambling ring pulling $1.5 billion in crypto bets
Officials in China have busted a World Cup gambling ring that took in over 10 billion yuan (nearly $1.5 billion) in cryptocurrency bets, reports the South China Morning Post. Six individuals allegedly connected to a dark web-based crime syndicate have been arrested and authorities have seized cryptocurrencies found in their possession worth over 10 million yuan. In a statement, police in the Guangdong province said that gambling platform they ran accepted bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin.
Opera tests an in-browser cryptocurrency wallet on Android
Opera is embracing the cryptocurrency movement by testing an Ethereum wallet in its Android mobile browser. It makes Opera the first major browser to add a built-in crypto wallet. You can import an existing wallet or create a new one, and it allows you to send and receive money directly in the browser, as well as make online purchases where merchants support crypto transactions.
Sacramento Kings will mine cryptocurrency to support good causes
The Sacramento Kings have a history of experimenting with cutting-edge tech, and now they're using it to better their community. The basketball team plans to mine Ethereum in an arena-based data center as part of a new MiningForGood initative. The cryptocurrency they'll generate will help Sacramento-based causes, starting with the Build Black Coalition helping local black residents with technology education and workforce development. It's reportedly the first team anywhere to mine digital money.
Price manipulation caused Bitcoin's huge 2017 surge, researchers say
Bitcoin soared to enormous heights late last year to over $19,000 for a single digital coin. Researchers now say that the digital currency Tether was used to inflate the value of bitcoin late last year. Indeed, a blockchain analysis showed that a tiny number of Tether-backed transactions caused about half of bitcoin's massive surge in value from March 2017 through March 2018.
HTC's 'Exodus' blockchain phone is made for a decentralized future
Just as HTC is gearing up for the launch of its next flagship smartphone come May 23rd, today it made a surprising announcement: it's also making a blockchain phone dubbed "Exodus" on the side. There aren't any specifics about this privacy-focused Android device just yet, but it will feature a universal wallet supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dfinity, Lightning Networks plus other cryptocurrency protocols. The company is aiming to "double and triple the number of nodes of Ethereum and Bitcoin" through its Exodus units, while delivering decentralized applications (DApp) to more consumers.
Coinbase bug could have let anyone give themselves free ether
Cryptocurrency exchanges have had a fair share of justified criticism. They can be high-value targets for criminals, easy to hide from the IRS and easily affected by tech issues. Luckily, thanks to a bug report by financial security outfit VI Company, a nasty bug in Coinbase's cryptocurrency system has been found and fixed. The researchers found that users could add unlimited ether to their Coinbase account with some simple, easily replicated steps.
Qarnot’s wall-mounted heater doubles as a crypto-mining rig
As a student, I used to joke that my Xbox 360 doubled as the flat's central heating system. A few hours of Red Dead Redemption and boom, I could slip under the covers and fall asleep without an icy-cold mist forming around my breath. Qarnot, however, isn't joking about its new QC-1 "crypto heater." That's right, the startup is promoting its first crypto-mining rig on the inevitable warmth that its innards will produce. Generating Bitcoin and other "digital gold" requires expensive electricity, so why not save some money by heating your home at the same time? That's the pitch, anyway.
Robinhood's commission-free cryptocurrency trading is live
The zero-fee stock trading app, Robinhood, announced its plan to enable users to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum last month. Now the company is making good on its promises. Starting today, Robinhood is rolling out access to trade the two cryptocurrencies in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana and New Hampshire, with plans to expand to many more states later.
