An App Alpha Version Allows Creating Collectible Ethereum Tokens

Maria Rodríguez
-
0
An App Alpha Version Allows Creating Collectible Ethereum Tokens

This platform will also allow managing the tokens of different smart contracts

In just 30 seconds, Ethereum users can create smart contracts for collectible tokens ERC-721, through the decentralized application (DApp) Mintable, which was launched on Saturday, December 1st.

The application developed by Zach Burks offers in a single service the possibility of managing non-fungible tokens belonging to various types of smart contracts, as well as creating new collectible tokens.

According to Burks, Mintable is a DApp whose development took four months initially. In a matter of seconds, it allows to create tokens and that its developers maintain the right of ownership and the access to them. The token generator service is free in its alpha version.

According to Burks, almost all existing ERC-721s can be managed and transferred through Mintable. Additionally, the app also navigates in other smart contracts of non-fungible tokens.

To access Mintable, users need to have the Metamask extension in any web browser, an extension that serves as a bridge to the chain of Ethereum blocks.

Burks points out that while Mintable can be used to view and search information from any browser, without requiring a wallet from connected ethers, the latter does need to send transactions. In this regard, he noted that Mintable has compatibility with services such as Coinbase.

The entertainment sector is one of the most used by Ethereum’s blockchain, with the creation of collectible tokens for games inside and outside blockchain. Sports stars have been interested in this and CryptoKitties is a classic example of other Apps that use tokens, which even got to congest the Ethereum network, due to its high demand.

Hobby of collectibles

Collectible tokens, which can represent letters, characters, and even physical objects, are codes on Ethereum’s blockchain that demonstrate the property of a user on a particular item, whether digital or physical. This property can be exchanged between users through a transaction, which can be displayed in the respective intelligent contract, through a block browser.

It should be noted that collectible tokens are those of the ERC-721 standard, and that each game which uses these Ethereum tokens creates smart contracts. The latter can be developed to manage property transactions or as a new project built on blockchain.

Moreover, there is a standard of fungible tokens in Ethereum, along with the ERC-721, called ERC-20 that is used to create new cryptoactives. Similarly, it is used as a means of exchange in projects built on Ethereum, such as Augur and Aeternity.

A new non-fungible standard, the ERC-1190, was proposed to manage property licenses and creation of works of art in the Ethereum blockchain. This, unlike the ERC-721, allows to exchange the creative and the property license.

Some of the most popular Ethereum’s tokens are ERC20 (for new startups), EOS, Tron (TRX), Icon (ICX) and OmiseGo (OMG). There are several tokens that can be used with Ethereum, which are different from ether, which is the native currency of the Ethereum blockchain.

Tokens represent digital assets that can have a variety of attached values. They can represent assets such as coupons, promissory notes or even objects in the real world. In this way, tokens are smart contracts that make use of the Ethereum blockchain.

Among the blockchain community, there is a large group that believes Ethereum will have the largest market capitalization. This is due to its long-term scaling solutions, which include a transition from mining based on the proof-of-work algorithm to proof-of-stake mining.

That transition will allow Ethereum to have a drastically lower environmental footprint compared to Bitcoin and other test systems. The use, acquisition, and creation of tokens also make this platform attractive.

By María Rodríguez

Gazprombank Partners with Avaloq and Metaco to Provide Crypto Services

Andres Chavez
-
0
Gazprombank Partners with Avaloq and Metaco to Provide Crypto Services

Banks and other financial institutions are identifying new opportunities in crypto markets. Of course, to successfully provide crypto related services, there is the need to have proper infrastructure, technologies, and other resources at hand.

Gazprombank, which is a Swiss financial institution, is the latest bank to spot the potential gains of offering related services to its clientele. According to an Avaloq press release, Gazprombank established an alliance with the fintech firm and with Metaco; a crypto services company.

An Integrated Crypto Assets Network

The intention of the partnership is for Gazprombank to offer crypto services to its customer’s catalog, keeping up with the current times. The expertise of Metaco, known around the industry for being a top crypto custody solution provider, and the help of Avaloq will serve as the foundation for Gazprombank to set up an integrated crypto asset network destined for banks and wealth managers.

Gazprombank is one of the most prominent banks in Switzerland. It administrates about CHF 3.1 billion in total assets, which equals roughly $3.12 billion. The primary goal of the system is to manage “client portfolios across all asset classes, including cryptocurrencies.”

According to the press release, this is not the first time that Avaloq collaborates with the Swiss financial institution. “Gazprombank (Switzerland) Ltd, which is already an Avaloq client, aims to offer a cryptocurrency service to its clients in mid-2019.”

The bank wants to provide simplicity for users that need to perform transactions involving crypto assets. When the system is ready to be put in place, sometime in the middle of next year, customers will be able to perform all crypto-related operations, including buying, selling, and transferring, without needing a crypto wallet or managing a private key.

One of Metaco’s primary offerings to the alliance is the Hardware Security Module. The report explains that the tool can make sure to provide “a military security solution for storing private keys and managing wallets and operations” with support for multiple signatures.

A little Bit more about Gazprombank

Gazprombank, the one based in Switzerland and engaging with crypto offerings, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian giants Gazprombank (JSC). It is regulated by the FINMA, which is the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.

The bank got its name in 2010 following its acquisition by the Russian giants. It offers the usual banking services both in Switzerland and outside of it.

Other Banks are Experimenting with Blockchain Technology

Fortunately, other banks have adopted a similar approach and are now engaging not only with crypto solutions but also with the blockchain technology. In recent days, American company Signature Bank got the NYDFS (Department of Financial Services of New York) green light to deploy its digital platform, which is based on the blockchain.

Another perfect example of the crypto and blockchain fever migrating to the banking sector is the news coming from Brazil this week, where the most influential and powerful private owned bank, Itau Unibanco, established a pact with Standard Chartered (UK-based) to power small loans through a blockchain-based platform.

By Andres Chavez

 

BTC’s Collapse Continues as it Returns to the $3,400 Range; ETH Falls Below $100

Andres Chavez
-
0
BTC’s Collapse Continues as it Returns to the $3,400 Range; ETH Falls Below $100

Thursday, December 6th was not a very kind day for most of the top 20 cryptocurrencies according to their market cap. The market, despite speculation that it can recover or fall even further, has failed to provide signs of optimism for investors around the world.

Bitcoin (BTC) is still struggling to surpass the $4,000 threshold, being valued at $3,416.64 at the time of writing this article. Said number represents an astonishing 9.88 percent drop in the last 24 hours. It saw a high of $3,887, but it refuses to go up, raising concern levels among the crypto community.

Ethereum Keeps Losing Traction

However, the most noteworthy development on Thursday was the performance of Ethereum. ETH reached another low, falling to $86.15 at the time of the present writing. That number represents an incredible 15.49 percent value drop in the last day, as ETH holders are left wondering what is happening with the coin behavior.

When the latest crypto collapse occurred on November 14th, ETH was hovering in the $210 range. Even sadder is the value that it showed on January when the crypto markets were at their peak: then, ETH was exchanging hands at $1,377.72.

A few weeks have passed since Ethereum lost its place as the world’s top altcoin by market cap, given that Ripple (XRP) now firmly occupies the spot.

Market behavior

Bitcoin keeps going down, and with it, most of the top altcoins are following a similar path. Ripple, now the second biggest digital asset in the planet, is trading in the range of $0,302, a 10.49 percent drop in the last 24 hours. Its market cap is $12.7 billion, a number that surpasses Ethereum’s $8.93 billion.

Stellar experienced over 16 percent losses in the day and is now trading at $0.113. Meanwhile, Bitcoin Cash continues to fall apart following the November 15’s a hard fork: the ABC blockchain’s asset is worth $104.07, and as actually surpasses by Bitcoin SV, the other “side” of the BCH so-called “hash war” actors.

Moreover, Bitcoin SV experienced a fantastic behavior on the last 24 hours, gaining 19.10 percent of the value and exchanging hands at precisely $107.33. It is important to highlight that its market cap ($1.87 billion) is now actually bigger than Bitcoin ABC ($1.82 billion.)

Speaking about the hash war, Cointelegraph reports that United American Corp, a Florida-located entity, filed a lawsuit against Bitmain, Kraken, Bitcoin.com, and Roger Ver, saying that they used “unfair methods of competition” that harmed UnitedCorp and other stakeholders.

In addition, the United American Corp. explains that when the hard fork took place, several entities used “rented hashing” to take control of the network, with the intention of favoring the adoption of Bitcoin ABC.

Daily Losers

Other daily losers were EOS (21.71 percent,) Litecoin (12.09 percent,) Tron (9.91 percent,) Cardano (14.24 percent,) Monero, Binance Coin, IOTA, NEM, ZCash, Dash, NEO, Ethereum Classic, Dogecoin, Maker, VeChain, Bitcoin Gold, and others.

The total market cap of cryptocurrencies keeps going down and is now $107 billion. Despite its recent price drop, Bitcoin dominance is stronger than ever, with 55 percent of the market.

By Andres Chavez

Dave Kleiman and Craig Wright: the Men behind ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’

Andres Chavez
-
0
Dave Kleiman and Craig Wright: the Men behind ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’

Dave Kleiman and Craig Wright are recognized within the cryptocurrency industry as the two most important people behind Bitcoin’s rise to prominence. They are, allegedly, the ones behind the widely famous and controversial “Satoshi Nakamoto” pseudonym.

The two were friends and collaborators. One of them, Wright, is alive and in the midst of a “hash war” between Bitcoin “Satoshi Version”, or SV, and Bitcoin ABC, the two new blockchains in which Bitcoin Cash (BCH) recently split. The other one, Kleiman, died in 2013, but his memory and contributions to the cryptography and computer forensics sciences live forever.

Dave Kleiman: the Genius of IT Security

Kleiman lived a colorful life that came to a bitter end due to a long, gruesome illness: MRSA. He was an army veteran, a cryptography and IT security expert with an obsession for computer forensics; he was very important to the creation of today’s most valuable digital asset: Bitcoin.

In the same vein, he was born in 1967 and was obsessed with computers and technology since he was very young. He had a stint in the US Army, specifically as a helicopter technician, which started in 1986 and ended when he was honorably discharged. After leaving the army, he was left paraplegic after a motorcycle accident in 1995.

Seeing himself in a wheelchair, his interest in computers increased, becoming quite the expert in secure network infrastructures. He often spoke in conferences and contributed to security newsletters and websites.

Additionally, he represented several computer security companies and organizations, among them are the International Association of Counter-Terrorism and Security Professionals (IACSP), International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), Network and Systems Professionals Association (NaSPA), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), Anti-Terrorism Accreditation Board (ATAB), and ASIS International. He also represented the FBI InfraGard.

MRSA really gave Kleiman a hard time. He was admitted into a hospital in 2010, and from that point on, he was frequently entering and leaving medical facilities because of MRSA infected sores.

Approximately two weeks before his death, Kleiman’s attitude changed. All his life, he was generous, kind, and respectful, but at that time, he had become deeply unhappy, bitter, and often confrontational. In 2013, when he unexpectedly left his hospital, he called his close friend and business partner Patrick Paige to make him aware. “They have decided to release you, have they? That’s great,” Paige asked. “No,” Kleiman responded. “I told the doctors to go and fuck themselves.”

A few days later, precisely on April 26th, 2013, Dave Kleiman passed away in his home. The scene in which he was found was sad and grotesque: the smell was powerful, his body was decomposing, there were blood and fecal matter in his wheelchair and while there also was a loaded gun, no ammo cases were found. His death was ruled as a natural one, caused by heart failure due to the MRSA.

Craig Wright: A Life of Controversy, Computers, and a Game-changing Project

Meanwhile, Craig Steven Wright was born in October 1970, in Australia. He is a businessman and computer scientist and has anointed himself several times as one of the minds behind Bitcoin and the Satoshi Nakamoto nickname.

Wright forged a successful career in information technology, a field that saw him work with OzEmail, K-Mart, the Australian Securities Exchange, and Mahindra & Mahindra. He was also responsible for designing the architecture for what is possibly the world’s first online casino, Lasseter’s Online, in 1999.

Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence Group, a tech firm, had him as its CEO. He founded crypto company DeMorgan Ltd and Panopticrypt, a computer forensics enterprise. In the spring of 2016, Craig said he was Satoshi Nakamoto, a claim that has been proven, dismissed, and proved again in a tiresome give and take.

Dave and Craig knew each other for ten years, from 2003 at an online cryptography forum. They were heavily interested in cybersecurity, digital forensics, and the future of money, which were the right ingredients for creating what was to come: Bitcoin.

Bitcoin: A Revolutionary Adventure

After Wright claimed in private that he and Kleiman had been part of the team that invented Bitcoin, the world’s focus turned to the origin of Satoshi Nakamoto and the cryptocurrency. The question remains: if Kleiman was indeed a main character in its creation, why did not his banking account reflected it in some way?

At the time of his death, his home was in foreclosure, and there are more “comfortable” hospitals in Miami than the VA Medical Center. It seems like Kleiman was entitled to a significant amount of money, and in2013, Bitcoin was already successful.

If Kleiman did in fact had to do with Bitcoin’s creation, he did his work before his 2010 hospitalization, because the world’s leading crypto asset was in the works in 2008 and up and running since 2009. It all fits.

Actually, according to Gizmodo, Wright asked Kleiman for help in an email, months before the publication of Bitcoin’s whitepaper. “I need your help editing a paper I am going to release later this year. I have been working on a new form of electronic money. Bit cash, Bitcoin…” it reads. “You are always there for me Dave. I want you to be a part of it all.”

Gizmodo had access to documents, apparently an unfinished draft of a trust contract, in which Wright entrusted Kleiman with 1.1 million Bitcoins in 2011. The pact established that the funds were to be returned to Wright in the future, and Kleiman’s honorability may have been the most obvious reason behind his failure to access money that did not belong to him.

Five years after Dave’s death, his state started a lawsuit at the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Wright, over the rights to $5,118,266,427.50 worth of BTC. The document states that Wright defrauded Kleiman of bitcoins and intellectual property rights.

Bitcoin may be battered today. After all, it has collapsed from $19,000 in January to all the way down to $3,435.86 today at last check. But make no mistake: Bitcoin is one of the truly great creations of the 21st century, and it still holds the potential to be, in every sense of the word, the future of money.

By Andres Chavez

 

COMPLAINT AND JURY DEMAND

Six Projects Won the Blockchain for Humanity Awards

Maria Rodríguez
-
0
Six Projects Won the Blockchain for Humanity Awards

The idea is to support six or eight projects which seek to generate a positive impact. This is the second edition

The organization Blockchain for Humanity (b4H) announced the winners of the second edition of the awards that bear the same name, created to promote blockchain projects that generate positive social change. The announcement took place during the LaBitconf 2018 event, which is celebrated in Santiago (Chile) from this December 5th.

Blockchain4Humanity is an international not-for-profit foundation that recognizes supports, receives donations and provides funding for organizations using blockchain technology to bring a positive change to humanity.

“We believe that responsibly designed blockchain solutions can unlock transformative change in society and improve the lives of billions of people worldwide. At the nexus of a blockchain revolution, we strive toward a socially inclusive positive sum game”.

The b4H awards were attended by about 40 entrepreneurs who develop projects based on cryptoactive technology: blockchain technology. From this group, 15 projects were nominated, which were evaluated by a panel of experts. On this occasion, the LaBitconf audience also participated to choose their favorite project to award a prize from the community.

In this second edition, three entrepreneurs won the “Dreamers” category, corresponding to projects in the early phase, that is, those that are beginning. Three others won the “Shapers” category, which corresponds to those that are already generating social impact.

The Winners

A group of young people from Frankfurt School, who developed an investment platform for social impact projects, are some of the people who won The Dreamer category.

The students of Frankfurt developed the startup called Crypto Development Fund (CDF), which allows international investors to finance companies with social impact in developing countries.

Simon Scholz, co-founder of the project, pointed out that the use of blockchain technology makes it possible to make money transfer to developing countries more efficient and faster. CDF also received the award given by the LaBitconf community.

Another winning startup is Cripto Concierge, an educational project to teach merchants and users to perform transactions with cryptocurrencies. One of the objectives of this group is to support the Venezuelan refugees who are on the border with Colombia.

The procedure of this plan is to provide training to the participants, who receive incentives in critical subjects, who can then spend their money on food and medicine in the businesses that take part in the project. The initial goal is to achieve 50% adoption between stores and users.

Waba Network is the name of the third awarded project, which is of Argentine origin. It is a startup that created two networks based on the blockchain. The first is called MonedaPar.com and allows facilitating sales and access to credits of 800 micro-SMEs. The second is Discoin, a payment network that allows La Plata citizens to buy locally in 40 stores.

The winners in the Dreamers category will receive financial support, guidance, and advice from the Decentralized Altruistic Community (DAC) b4H built on the Giveth platform to make the projects come true.

In the Shapers category, the winners were the Helperbit donation platform, the TYKN digital identity project, and the startup focused on social inclusion DIDI.

The b4H first edition was held in Bogotá, Colombia. The organization emerged in 2017 with the support of Blockchain4Goodrocks, Bitcoin Argentina and RSK Labs. The community is attentive to the date for the 2019 edition.

By María Rodríguez

G-20 Studies the Cryptoactives Impact on the International Tax System

Maria Rodríguez
-
0
G-20 Studies the Cryptoactives Impact on the International Tax System

Cryptocurrencies are increasingly accepted in different countries, bringing with them the economy digitalization. They present proposals to prevent money laundering

In a document rest the agreements reached by the countries which form part of the G-20 group, such as Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom, which met recently in a summit held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The final declaration points out that the way forward is global regulation and the creation of new tax policies. The group of industrialized and emerging nations affirms that it will promote a regulation to “address the impacts of the economy digitalization, including the tax system”.

The presidents of these countries, in points 25 and 26 of the final document, highlight that “an open and resilient financial system, based on agreed international standards, is crucial to support sustainable growth”.

The agreement contemplates monitoring the financial system to avoid possible risks and “emerging vulnerabilities”. Regarding taxes, the group will have the task of finding a consensus on the possible impacts of the economy digitalization on the international tax system, with an update in 2019 and a final report for 2020.

The foregoing means that these States are in search of a transformation in their tax policies to involve the cryptoactives in them jointly and on a global scale.

“We will intensify efforts to ensure that the potential benefits of technology in the financial sector can be realized while mitigating risks. We will regulate cryptoactives to combat money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, in accordance with the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) standards and considering other responses as necessary”, the statement said.

The statement shows that countries try to regulate a disruptive technology using molds of the traditional economy and national currencies, which, according to analysts, do not fit with the geometry of distributed accounting technology (DLT).

The second aspect to be highlighted is that, although the legislation on cryptoactives is very different in each country, the generalized attitude of the G-20 is to accept them, but following established guidelines. In countries such as China, Russia, Mexico, Japan, and the United States, for example, the cryptocurrency trade is handled very differently.

But the declaration of the G-20 is in accordance with what was announced by institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has said that cryptoactives will, most likely, be regulated on a global scale.

Against smuggling

Regarding money laundering and terrorist financing that is currently observed, the reference to the FATF has to do with the Financial Action Task Force against money laundering, an organization that has been working with the IMF for 20 years to prevent this type of crime.

It is important to remember that in March 2017, experts from the United Kingdom stated that there is no relationship between the world of cryptocurrencies and terrorism. In addition, an ex-analyst from the CIA explained that, in any case, terrorists prefer cash over cryptocurrencies in order to remain anonymous.

While these discussions take place in different summits, blockchain technology is still in development. The crypto market moves billions of dollars around the world and is expected to grow over the years.

By María Rodríguez

 

1...1,6011,6021,603...1,654Page 1,602 of 1,654