CoinDesk — Leader in blockchain news.

Kik, SEC Propose $5M Settlement Over $100M ICO, Ending Yearlong Battle

Danny Nelson Nikhilesh DeOct 20, 2020

Kik will pay $5 million in penalties as part of a proposed settlement with the SEC, which sued the messaging app last year.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin Price Breaches $12K for First Time Since August

Muyao ShenOct 20, 2020

Bitcoin prices had to overcome a large number of sell orders to break above $12,000.

Opinion

CBDCs Mean Evolution, Not Revolution

Benoit CoeureOct 20, 2020

Central bank digital currencies can help create a more inclusive financial system, says the innovation chief at the Bank for International Settlements.

Eth 2.0

Validators Drop Off Ethereum 2.0 Testnets as Mainnet Release Looms

William FoxleyOct 20, 2020

Participation on both the Zinken and Medalla testnets has fallen as developers prepare for the deposit contract’s release.

MicroStrategy

‘Garbage’ Market Data Is Holding Bitcoin Back: MicroStrategy CEO

Zack VoellOct 20, 2020

Saylor said the bitcoin market needs high-quality data, in an interview Tuesday.

Crypto News

Blockchain Bites: Bitcoin and the BSA, Signature Deposit Growth, Darknet Crypto Donors

Daniel KuhnOct 20, 2020

Here's all the news people are talking about in crypto today.

Corda

R3 Corda Network Set to Go DeFi With XDC Digital Currency

Ian AllisonOct 20, 2020

A group of former bankers building on R3’s public Corda Network is touting the first digital currency for that ecosystem, dubbed XDC.

HOPR

Binance-Backed Privacy Mavens Release Tokenomic Lynchpin: ‘Proof-of-Relay’

Ian AllisonOct 20, 2020

Rewards gathered on the testnet will be made available when HOPR tokens launch on the live mainnet later this year.

Podcasts

How Strong Is Bitcoin’s Push Above $12,000?

Nathaniel WhittemoreOct 20, 2020

Who has the most recent bitcoin move right, the bulls or the bears?

Opinion

The US Risks Getting Left Behind on CBDCs

JP Schnapper-Casteras Misha GuttentagOct 20, 2020

The Federal Reserve's “wait and see” approach to digital currency could deprive the U.S. of important fiscal and monetary tools as its rivals move ahead.

Most Influential

Who Was Crypto’s Most Influential in 2020? Vote Now

CoinDeskOct 20, 2020

CoinDesk's Most Influential list highlights those who helped advance the crypto and blockchain industries, in spite of this year's tragedies.

privacycoin

Zcoin Employs Burn-and-Redeem Privacy Model, Offering Alternative to Coinjoins

Benjamin PowersOct 20, 2020

The Lelantus protocol, launched on privacy coin Zcoin’s testnet, lets users redeem partial amounts of a total coin burn rather than all of it at once.

DeFi

With COMP Below $100, a Look Back at the ‘DeFi Summer’ It Sparked

Brady DaleOct 20, 2020

Compound's governance token, COMP, fell below $100 early Tuesday. The DeFi token kicked off the yield farming craze way back in June.

CoinDesk

Read CoinDesk’s New, Expanded Ethics Policy

Marc HochsteinSep 24, 2020

As part of our ongoing efforts to be maximally transparent and accountable to readers, CoinDesk has substantially updated and expanded its ethics policy.

Scams

Scammers Are Forging CoinDesk Emails – Here’s How to Protect Yourself

Pete PachalJul 29, 2020

Scammers are forging CoinDesk newsletters in phishing emails. Here’s how to spot them and protect yourself.

Recent

Stimulus

US House Speaker ‘Optimistic’ About Reaching a Stimulus Pact: Reports

Kevin ReynoldsOct 20, 2020

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she is “optimistic” after the Trump administration made concessions on coronavirus testing and tracing ahead of a Tuesday evening deadline.

Banking

Signature Bank Gains $1B Deposits in Q3, With Notable Growth From Stablecoin Issuers

Nathan DiCamilloOct 20, 2020

Deposits at crypto-friendly Signature Bank grew by $4.11 billion, an 8% increase, in the third quarter of 2020.

Blockchain Domains

.Crypto Domain Owners Can Now Be Verified With Twitter Accounts for Safer Payments

Sebastian SinclairOct 20, 2020

The Twitter authentication service lets .crypto domain holders verify address ownership via the MyEtherWallet app.

First Mover

First Mover: Monero Leads Privacy-Coin Rally as Bitcoin Trips on Path to $12K

Omkar GodboleBradley KeounSebastian SinclairOct 20, 2020

Monero, zcash and other privacy coins, a type of digital token that provides users with enhanced anonymity, are surging in cryptocurrency markets.

Hackers

Charity Turns Down Bitcoin Donation From Darkside Hackers

Daniel PalmerOct 20, 2020

Hackers who handed out cryptocurrency donations to charities are having a hard time in their bid to "make the world a better place."

Markets

Bitcoin Closes on $12K but a Wall of Sell Orders Awaits: Analyst

Omkar GodboleOct 20, 2020

Bitcoin is on the rise toward $12,000 but may face a stiff challenge to cross the price hurdle.

Governance

Uniswap’s First Governance Vote Ends in Ironic Failure

Sebastian SinclairOct 20, 2020

The vote had been intended to decide whether or not to reduce the threshold required to make and pass proposals on the DeFi protocol.

CBDCs

Japan’s LINE Launches CBDC Development Platform: Report

Daniel PalmerOct 20, 2020

LINE reportedly said it has several "major" Asian nations in discussions over using the CBDC platform.

Australia

Blockchain-Based Trading System Steps Closer to ASX Access

Daniel PalmerOct 20, 2020

The National Stock Exchange of Australia is now in talks with Australia's securities regulator to finalize access for its DLT system to ASX Clear, it said.

Recent

Stimulus

Pelosi, Mnuchin Edge Closer to a Stimulus Deal; Agreement Won’t Guarantee Passage

Kevin ReynoldsOct 19, 2020

"The Speaker continues to hope that, by the end of the day Tuesday, we will have clarity on whether we will be able to pass a bill before the election," her spokeswoman tweeted.

Market Wrap

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Bounces to $11.8K; Over 10K BTC Locked in Harvest Finance

Daniel CawreyOct 19, 2020

Bitcoin’s price tested $11,800 Monday as investors continue to put BTC into new DeFi protocols.

Room 77

Closing Time for Bitcoin’s Iconic Room 77 – ‘And That’s OK,’ Says Owner

Colin HarperOct 19, 2020

Room 77 originally opened as a side project, until Bitcoin came and made it an icon. Now, the first bar to ever accept bitcoin is closing.

Podcasts

A New ‘Bretton Woods’ Moment?

Nathaniel WhittemoreOct 19, 2020

The IMF has said it’s time to re-evaluate the global economic order, but what does that really mean?

Bitcoin Mixers

FinCEN Fines Bitcoin-Mixing CEO $60M in Landmark Crackdown on Helix, Coin Ninja

Danny NelsonOct 19, 2020

Larry Dean Harmon ran the first bitcoin mixing services targeted with criminal allegations by U.S. authorities.

Monero

Cryptographers Are Always Going to Be ‘One Step Ahead’ of Regulators: Monero’s Spagni

Omkar GodboleOct 19, 2020

Privacy protocols have become the focal point of regulators and law enforcement agencies when the race among central banks to launch sovereign digital currencies is heating up.

Hacking

US Alleges Top Russian Cyber Hackers Tried to Cover Digital Tracks With Bitcoin

Danny NelsonOct 19, 2020

The cyberhackers used bitcoin to cover their ties to critical hacking campaign "infrastructure" such as servers and domain names, according to an indictment unsealed Monday by U.S. prosecutors.