In the company’s most recent 10-K filing to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), chipmaker AMD officially recognized the impact of cryptocurrency mining on their company’s bottom line. GPU-based mining has been a cornerstone of cryptocurrency economy from its earliest days, but chip manufacturers and designers have typically been reluctant to recognize mining as a […]
Is the global cryptocurrency market ready for a token from a major e-commerce company? Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Rakuten CEO Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani announced that his company plans to launch a new blockchain-powered payment system called Rakuten Coin. While the company isn’t well-known in the U.S., Rakuten is easily one of […]
Peer-to-peer payments startup Circle announced yesterday that it has acquired Boston-based cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex. According to multiple reports, Circle is paying around $400 million for the exchange, which has been in operation since 2014. The sale also brings Goldman Sachs one step closer to becoming a major player in the cryptocurrency world, as the financial […]
With electricity costs averaging between 3-to-4 cents per kilowatt-hour — roughly half the average cost in the U.S. — the northern Oregon town of The Dalles is primed to become a regional hotspot for cryptocurrency mining. As reported this week by regional newspaper Willamette Week, the city’s access to inexpensive energy has already attracted one […]
According to a tweet from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the country’s oil-backed Petro cryptocurrency has raised $735 million on its first day. Sales of the highly controversial token began on Tuesday with deeply discounted sales (as much as 60%) to select investors. A larger-scale public sale slated for next month. If true, the launch would […]
As blockchain technology becomes increasingly commonplace, lawmakers at the state level are increasingly examining how their governments should regulate distributed ledger and token-based business activity. Two recently proposed state laws — one in California, and the other in Wyoming — would provide much-needed legal clarity and protections for blockchain-based operations in the U.S., perhaps even […]
The blockchain is an undeniably ingenious invention – the brainchild of a person known by the pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto, one of the most promising new technologies for the future. The technology at the heart of bitcoin and other virtual currencies, blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently […]
It’s no secret that cryptocurrency mining operations live or die by the costs of electricity. Mining hardware is notoriously expensive to operate profitably, and those costs are expected to skyrocket as new mining facilities open all over the globe. With ready access to abundant — and cheap — hydroelectric power, the Canadian province of Quebec […]
For Ripple’s true believers, today is a very good day. Two major financial players — Western Union and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) — recently revealed pilot programs using the Ripple’s xCurrent settlement system. Although Ripple already has similar programs with dozens of other banks and money transfer companies, SAMA and Western Union are […]
Over the past several years, the nation of Iceland has become a hotbed of activity for cryptocurrency mining. With a naturally cold climate (averaging just under 60°F in summer) and ready access to cheap geothermal electricity, the island nation is often seen as an ideal location for large bitcoin mining facilities. As in most countries, […]