Block Network

October 13, 2020

European Central Bank seeks public input on digital euro

A digital euro would not replace cash, but complement it, says the European Central Bank. The European Central Bank launched a public consultation on a potential digital euro on Oct. 12. Developments on the central bank digital currency front in the Eurozone have picked up pace amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the central bank has framed […]

Major P2P crypto platform LocalBitcoins is blocked in Russia

LocalBitcoins’ website has been blacklisted in one of its key markets. LocalBitcoins, a major peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange, is no longer available in Russia without using additional tools like a VPN.LocalBitcoins.net is officially blacklisted in Russia as local telecom regulator Roskomnadzor placed the URL on a register of platforms disseminating prohibited information.According to official data, the […]

Bank of Russia issues consultation paper on digital ruble

Russia’s central bank says that the digital ruble can be an “additional form of money alongside cash and non-cash.” Russian financial authorities have confirmed the government’s purported plans to issue the central bank digital currency, or CBDC.On Oct. 13, the Bank of Russia released a consultation paper on the development of the digital Russian ruble. In […]

Competition for global crypto derivatives market dominance heats up

Despite Binance recording the highest crypto derivatives volume in September, OKEx seems to be fighting back. At the start of October, the crypto market was faced with extremely tumultuous financial conditions, thanks in large part to the recent filings against BitMEX, which saw the company’s top brass being indicted by the United States Commodity Futures […]

IBM blockchain powers new app to help firms reopen amid pandemic

IBM’s new blockchain-based COVID-19 application puts privacy first. A new application powered by the IBM blockchain aims to help people around the world return to physical encounters amid the coronavirus pandemic.IBM Watson Health, a healthcare-focused arm of tech giant IBM, is launching IBM Digital Health Pass, a blockchain-based app to support global organizations and companies […]

Blockchain can add $1.76 trillion to global GDP by 2030, says report

A PwC report estimates that blockchain technology will make up 1.4% of the global economy. A new PwC study found that blockchain technology through its wide range of use cases will potentially add $1.76 trillion to the global gross domestic product in the next 10 years. It would make 1.4% of the global GDP in […]

Bitcoin price dump ‘not going to happen’ as whales stay off exchanges

The post-BitMEX trading arena is not skewed to selling despite BTC/USD nearing $11,500, CryptoQuant data shows. A Bitcoin (BTC) sell-off and associated price fall are “not going to happen,” a well-known the CEO of a well-known analytics tool has said.In a tweet on Oct. 12, Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant, noted that average inflows […]

Regrets — Ripple’s CTO sold 40,000 Ether for just $1 each

Ripple’s David Schwartz has revealed that he sold 40,000 Ether at $1 each as part of a risk management plan made with his spouse in 2012. Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, has revealed that he and his wife decided to make a “derisking plan” for their crypto investments in 2012 — resulting in eight-figures […]

Billionaire UK newspaper owner calls DeFi technology ‘revolutionary’

UK media boss and former banker Alexander Lebedev, has revealed he is looking to launch a decentralized finance-powered “bank 2.0.” Alexander Lebedev, the owner of U.K. newspapers Evening Standard and The Independent, along with  Russian publication Novaya Gazeta, has spoken glowingly of the potential for cryptocurrency and smart contracts to revolutionize finance.In an extensive 1800 […]

800K BitBay users face 2nd unscheduled outage this year

BitBay went down at approximately 4:28 PM UTC today. Estonia-based cryptocurrency exchange BitBay went offline for almost two hours on Monday without explanation.According to a tweet posted by BitBay on Oct. 12, the exchange went down at approximately 4:28 PM (UTC) today before resuming trading at 6:10 PM. BitBay posted an update before it had […]