Video: Roundup of This Week’s Bitcoin News 16th May 2014

We took a break from Bitcoin2014 to bring you the digital currency news highlights of the past week.

AccessTimeIconMay 16, 2014 at 4:36 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 11, 2021 at 10:46 a.m. UTC

Hello from the Bitcoin2014 Conference in sunny and windy (sorry about the audio!) Amsterdam.

While more than 1,100 bitcoin enthusiasts were travelling to the Netherlands this week, other exciting news was still brewing in the bitcoin world. Here are three of the biggest headlines:

BitPay raises $30m in Series A funding

Atlanta-based bitcoin merchant processor BitPay raised a record-breaking $30m in a funding round – the largest-ever for a company in the bitcoin space. In this funding round, BitPay was backed by a star-studded investor group, including Yahoo founder Jerry Yang’s AME Cloud Ventures and PayPal Founder Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Virgin Galactic’s Sir Richard Branson also pledged support.

eBay CEO is 'actively considering' bitcoin integration

eBay CEO John Danahoe revealed that his company is considering bitcoin integration with PayPal. This is not the first time Danahoe has expressed interest in the digital currency – last year he suggested his company was looking into bitcoin, but the latest statements are more official.

Circle launches as a worldwide bitcoin banking service

Circle has revealed its plans for bringing bitcoin to the mainstream market. This Boston startup now offers itself as a place where you can easily store bitcoin and make purchases with it. It is also positioning itself as an ultra secure platform and is offering $10-worth of bitcoin to all new users.

All of these companies and many more are here at Bitcoin2014 in Amsterdam. Keep an eye out for many exciting stories and follow @CoinDesk on Twitter for live updates from the sessions.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.