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April Fools, Celebrity Scams, & Manipulated Markets: Bad Crypto News of the Week

Bitcoin seems to be settling happily above $6,000 and is currently just north of $6,500 again. Let’s hope we’ve seen the last of those $5,000 movements and we’re ready for a steady climb back to double figures before the halving in mid-May. It’s getting closer.In the meantime, the Federal Reserve now appears to have merged into the federal government. An opinion piece in Bloomberg has described how an alphabet soup of financial programs intended to help the economy through the current crisis is allowing the government to buy up securities

Talking Digital Future: Smart Cities

My journey into smart cities and their future development was a really big surprise, as the way I arrived there was not something that I had planned. I was working as the chief information officer for a company in Northern California called O'Reilly Media when I got a call from a headhunter who asked if I would consider being the chief information office for the City of Palo Alto. I can vividly remember — it was only about eight years ago — my feeling when she asked the question. The

Blockchain Provides Trusted Data to Counter Spread of Coronavirus

With each passing day, new data regarding the coronavirus pandemic is being brought to the public’s attention. From the number of cases in various regions to ever-changing safety procedures like wearing masks in public, COVID-19 data is clearly present, yet remains inconsistent.While a lack of accurate information may be frustrating on a personal level, ever-changing data is taking a toll on the health officials and researchers working effortlessly to help subdue the coronavirus crisis. To combat the issue, the San Francisco-based blockchain security company Hacera launched a data analytics platform

This Historically Accurate Pattern Suggests Epic Bitcoin Plunge to $3K

The short-term trend of the Bitcoin (BTC) price since its drop to $3700 shows an Elliot Wave pattern forming on lower time frames. While the pattern can reverse to a bullish trend, the declining volume of BTC suggests it is not likely.The Bitcoin price has been ranging in between $5,800 and $6,900, with an exception of a brief wick to $7,300 on April 3. BTC-USDT 4H chart. Source: TradingViewTechnical analysts say that the declining volume of Bitcoin put together with stagnant open interest in futures and the abrupt V-shape recovery of

IOTA Set for More Exposure on U.S Exchanges After New 2.0 CRC Rating

IOTA (MIOTA), the native token of the distributed ledger technology project led by the IOTA Foundation, could potentially be listed on more cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States in the coming weeks, Coinfomania has learned. The anticipated listing spree, which has already begun with a Bittrex Exchange listing earlier today, follows a recent rating report published by the Crypto Rating Council (CRC) on IOTA. The digital asset has until now been sparsely traded on U.S exchanges. The reason is that its properties and mode of initial distribution (a token sale)

Binance Shelters Against Job Losses During Global Pandemic

While global unemployment continues hitting new highs amid the coronavirus pandemic, the cryptocurrency industry is stepping in to shelter job losses, with some of the biggest companies in the space announcing their intention to hire new employees.Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has just announced that it is seeking to hire more than 100 new employees, despite the ongoing economic downturn.In an April 3 tweet, Binance invited people around the world to build a career in the Blockchain space, offering a crucial opportunity to “work from home” as global jurisdictions

Don’t Waste a Good Crisis: Opportunity During Coronavirus

“Don’t waste a good crisis.” It’s a helpful mantra for tough times. There will be much difficulty and suffering in the days ahead, yes, but also a magnificent opportunity to reinvent, rebrand, and rebuild. You may know of Geoffrey Moore, the author of the classic business book Crossing the Chasm. Here’s what he recently tweeted: From now until June, you have an opportunity to do something you wouldn’t normally do. It’s like a portal has opened up. This portal goes to another dimension, an alternate reality where you are somehow

South African National Blockchain Alliance Holds Online Launch

The South African National Blockchain Alliance carried out an online livestream launch while the country is in the midst of a 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The organization was due to be launched at the beginning of April in Johannesburg but had to be taken online as South Africa and the world tackles a global health crisis.The launch happened during a livestream on YouTube on April 3, which included a panel of speakers elaborating on how SANBA will help nurture blockchain-focused startups and companies that

Ripple Price Prediction: XRP/USD Prints a Bearish Pattern despite Touching $0.18 Level

XRP Price Prediction – April 3Ripple price technical picture is healthy but a rising wedge pattern could force a free-fall to $0.16.XRP/USD MarketKey Levels:Resistance levels: $0.21, $0.22, $0.23Support levels: $0.15, $0.14, $0.13XRPUSD – Daily ChartToday, XRP/USD impressively cleared the resistance at $0.18. The surge followed stability and brief consolidation above $0.17 level. However, XRP/USD is trading at $0.177 at the time of writing as the coin is losing 0.84% on the day. Meanwhile, the surge above $0.18 hit a wall at $0.183, giving way to selling pressure which forced the

As Malta Delays Regulatory Clarity, Fewer Firms Remain on ‘Blockchain Island’

It seems that Malta is becoming both less popular among and less populated with crypto firms. The European Union country attracted dozens of industry players in 2018 on the back of the “blockchain island” agenda championed by the local government, but the relevant framework has not yet proven to be effective. Meanwhile, the official rhetoric apparently started to shift away from the blockchain sector, as the government now aims to consolidate it with “other niche sectors.”Meanwhile, the Malta Financial Services Authority, continues to pluck out non-registered crypto agents — be

Blockchain Head at European Commission Explains Usefulness of DLT

The head of the digital innovation and blockchain unit at the European Commission (EC), Pēteris Zilgalvis, explained the concise benefits of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in an interview to The Banker, a subsidiary of the Financial Times. In the interview, published on April 3, Zilgalvis talked about the benefits and challenges of the technology.According to him, blockchain provides a powerful framework for data sharing, something that can't be done by normal databases:“We think that it presents an excellent technology for situations where different stakeholders need to collaborate but, due to

Google Chrome Leads the Pack, but Privacy-Oriented Browsers Gain Traction

In recent months, big-name players like Google and Apple have been going the extra mile to showcase their privacy features to the world. However, as most people are now aware, these multinational companies have business models that are centered around collecting and aggregating the data of their customers. In this regard, growing interest in privacy-first browsers like Brave clearly suggests a collective increase in internet users’ concern over how their personal information is being accumulated, stored and utilized on a day-to-day basis.Individuals all over the globe have become so accustomed to