Deals, Investments & M&As
US Bank CEOs Are Likely 'Very Afraid' Of Bitcoin, Says Wealth Advisor
Stacey Yuen - CNBC
CEOs of U.S. banks are likely "very afraid" of bitcoin, according to a wealth advisor.
FAO: Rainer Michael Preiss, executive director at Taurus Wealth Advisors: "Of course, if you run a very large U.S. bank, most probably you are afraid of blockchain and bitcoin".
We voted this guy the “man of the week” because he had the “balls” (pardon my French) to say in public what many others won’t…
This is obvious, especially after latest declarations and government actions across the world...
DNT: Yeah, he certainly had the balls to say it….but the banks have also some kind of “balls”..when it’s about crypto’s: ”Great balls of fire” ..You know Jerry Lee Lewis song: “You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain...”. This verse suits perfectly.
YC Wants To Let People Invest In Its Startups Through The Blockchain
Ingrid Lunden - TechCrunch
ICOs are emerging as a route for startups to raise money from a wide pool of investors through cryptocurrency networks. Now, one of the biggest and best-known accelerators in the world is mulling a way to use cryptocurrency networks and the blockchain to help get more people involved in backing their cohorts, according to its president.
FAO: Still, Sam Altman has mixed feelings about the ICO phenomenon...
Billionaire CEO Taizo Son Predicts That ICOs Will Come To Dominate Fundraising
Saheli Roy Choudhury - CNBC
Japanese billionaire investor thinks that, with time, the so-called initial coin offerings (ICOs) will become one of the "greatest major methods" for start-ups to raise funds in the future.
FAO: No mixed feelings for Taizo Son, a Japanese billionaire investor.
*More content in this section on our Blockchain Daily News website.
Cryptocurrencies
Ethereum Upgrade Byzantium Is Live, Verifies First ZK-Snark Proof
Jon Buck - The Cryptocurrency
Byzantium, the first half of the Metropolis hard fork development upgrade on the Ethereum network, has gone live. The announcement of the action was posted by Ethereum founder via Twitter.
FAO: Apparently Buterin noted that Byzantium verified its first zk-snark proof, indicating the potential for zero-knowledge proofs. The zk-snark proof is the only truly anonymous transaction.
Vendors
How Banks And Financial Institutions Are Implementing Blockchain Technology
Andrew Meola - Business Insider
Banks are exploring blockchain technology for several reasons, primarily cost savings and efficiency.
FAO: Some more findings from BI Intelligence’s two detailed reports on the blockchain: The Blockchain in the IoT Report and The Blockchain in Banking Report. You need to pay in order to access them.
BitPeople
CFTC Chair Giancarlo: Embracing Blockchain Is in the 'National Interest'
Aaron Stanley - CoinDesk
While the blockchain industry has been encouraging regulators and government agencies to embrace the technology for years, this acknowledgment might have more oomph behind it
FAO: Mark Giancarlo’s words, I think we can definitely expect some changes in the future…
J. Christopher Giancarlo, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC): "Everything we do has been digitized. The one thing that has not yet been digitized is regulation. We're still very much an analog regulator of digital markets."
Regulation
‘It’s war’ ... Cryptocurrency Advocate Warns Of Looming Conflict With Sovereign Governments
Amanda Lee, Sidney Leng - SCMP
Cybersecurity visionary John McAfee says battle lines are being drawn between libertarian ‘fugitives’ and sovereign governments seeking to place curbs on virtual currencies.
FAO: Of course there’s “war”. And because we have a “quote day” today here’s another great one from Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher who lived in ancient China.
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Other news
Australia's Securities Watchdog Might Run Its Own Blockchain Nodes
Nikhilesh De - CoinDesk
Australia Cites Blockchain In 'Digital Economy' Strategy Launch
Rachel Rose O'Leary - CoinDesk
Australia's government is plotting an ambitious new Digital Economy initiative, citing the country's previous work with blockchain and its future potential in a new public consultation call.
FAO: We have been hit with a lot of stories from Australia this week. The country has already designed a full agenda in fintech and blockchain and its ambition will certainly be of help in achieving most of its goals.
Why The U.S. And Russia Are Fighting Over A Suspected Cybercriminal From Greece
Conor Gaffey - Newsweek
As if there wasn’t enough tension in the relationship between the United States and Russia, the two countries are now battling over the extradition of a Russian national accused of various crimes from Greece.
FAO: Talks about Alexander Vinnik, arrested in Greece in July (reported here).
FAO: Florin Adrian Oprea, Editor-in-chief Blockchain Daily News
DNT: Decebal Nicolaie Todarita, Editor Blockchain Daily News
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