There’s never a dull moment on the Coin Rivet newsdesk. Blockchain and cryptocurrency news is breaking all the time around the world, and we’re here to make sure you hear it first.
We’ve assembled some of the finest journalists in the business to guarantee an assurance that you’re only getting the news and information that we’ve checked and reported thoroughly and accurately.
If it’s come through the Coin Rivet newsdesk you know it can be trusted!
So, here are the editorial highlights of the week, brought to you by the editorial director Darren Parkin – one of the UK’s most experienced journalists. See his credentials here.
Right then, here’s your starter for ten…
Malta Blockchain Summit registers more than 250 developers chasing €50k Hackathon prize
I have been accused of banging on about Malta quite a bit, but there are so many terrific stories coming out of the Malta Blockchain Summit, which we’re going to in November. Plus there’s the excitement of the great John McAfee headlining – we’re hoping for an exclusive interview!
For now though, you’ll have to content yourself with this little tale about 250 developers who have signed up to the summit’s ‘Hackathon’. €50k for the winner? I’m no hacker, but I’m certainly an old hack – does that get me a shot at the bounty?
Wait a second. This is Bob Flores – formerly one of the most senior officials in the CIA. What a story! To see one of the world’s most important security chiefs now working in blockchain and crypto is fantastic.
Let’s also not ignore the Zimmer-clutching elephant in the room here. I’ve said time and time again that blockchain and crypto have no barriers – culture, religion, sex or age. Bob’s no spring chicken, and the world he grew up in only existed in black and white, yet here he is starting a new career with some of the world’s latest technology. Blockchain is for everyone!
I’ve picked this out not just because it’s a well-told story by Coin Rivet editor Scott Thompson (you can read Scott’s profile here), but also because it’s hugely significant. Alibaba has filed a raft of blockchain patents lately, so I think they’re a huge player in this field that should be watched closely.
Also, fair play to Ma for his reasons to bow out now. Spreading some of that wealth is a great thing, and certainly in the true spirit of the blockchain movement. I’d love to know how much he spends on skin care too, because there’s no way that man’s 54 – he looks younger than my son, and he had his first day at school this week!
People cup their ears and listen when Vitalik Buterin speaks. Why? Because he knows what he’s talking about. I think everything he says has story potential, and that’s why this has to be in this week’s editorial picks.
For many people (myself included), Ethereum is possibly as close to perfection as any cryptocurrency can get right now. So Vitalik must be doing something right. That’s why you have to pay attention when he talks. Not that he talks that much, or is entirely traceable. Hey! Vitalik! We really want to interview you for Coin Rivet sometime. Call me, yes?
This can’t be ignored as a big story. It really is. Probably much bigger than we realise. This is a 114-year-old banking institution. If they say crypto is the future, others will follow.
This story reminds me of my later days in newspapers. It was a time when we had embraced the impending dominance of the internet. Daily papers like mine were still heavily reliant upon print sales to pay everyone’s wages but we all feared being left behind by the digital revolution.
It was as if all daily newspaper editors were stood with their toes gingerly touching an imaginary chalk line that no one dared to cross. There came a point when someone had to be the first to step across the line. I went to the directors and said I wanted to be the first – I wanted to think big and jump headlong into a place where all newspapers became digital operations.
Sadly, the feeling was that I had crossed a much different line. They were too afraid of losing the already-dwindling print sales and we missed a massive opportunity to be first-to-market in an area where most newspapers have now missed the boat entirely.
But that ship hasn’t quite sailed yet for the world’s banking institutions. That’s why I punched the air when I saw the mighty EF Hutton daring to be the first. Yes! Someone had the balls and the backing to dare to step over that chalk line. Just watch the rest follow suit now, even if they are in EF Hutton’s wake.
Crypto seems to be making its way on to the football pitch in a big way. We had, of course, the investments of Pablo Dana last week, and here we are with one of the world’s biggest football clubs – PSG. Another developing story that we’ll keep a close eye on.
Football fans love to have a high engagement level with their club – it’s kind of what being a real football fan is about. You’re not just interested in what happens at 3pm on a Saturday (or whatever ridiculous time and day you find yourself on the terraces just to placate the whims of the Sky cameras – apologies, I digress), you genuinely want to know how much money the board has, and what they’re spending it on.
This delivers that engagement level – even if it does feel a little bit like a football manager computer game at first!
Anyone in blockchain and crypto who doesn’t recognise this as one of the biggest stories of the week should have a rethink about being in blockchain and crypto. This is a huge step towards adoption.
A fairly similar tale to the Nasdaq story, but this had me rubbing my hands together. Okay, so the FCA hasn’t exactly thrown its arms around crypto, but it has put a candle in the window and left the door ajar.
Moreover, the FCA now has dialogue with the Bank of England and The Treasury. This is a big, big step and it certainly raised a few eyebrows and smiles around the Coin Rivet newsroom.
Yes, it’s another one of those stories that slips under most news radars, but everyone on our news floor agreed this is a major step forward for blockchain technology.
Direct payments via mobile. It’s all kind of been done before with various degrees of success, but this is a massive step towards taking the middleman out of the equation. You know, those rotters who like to stand between transactions like some medieval toll gate demanding cash because you happen to be passing through. Imagine a highwayman dressed in Western Union overalls… that’s the sort of picture I’m trying to create.
My middle finger rigidly salutes Western Union in honour of this fine article.
It’s a good job we only publish in digital because if this was on a printed page I would have ripped it out of the paper, thrown it onto the newsroom floor and jumped up and down on it shouting “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” And that’s what makes it a good story.
The best stories are always the ones that involve people – not places, football clubs or animals (unless they’re cute and fluffy – people love cute and fluffy animal stories). And this is what makes this news – the crazy people involved who we would all try to like a little bit more if they could just zip up their pie holes more often.
I hate the fact these people exist, but this story has important news value because of what it highlights – the fact that there are groups out there exploiting loopholes in crypto technology to do bad things.
We got a little bit of stick for publishing this. The argument was that we were casting a light on their dark practices. I agree to some extent, but I think that concern is outweighed by the fact we are also throwing the spotlight at people who are – unwittingly or otherwise – allowing these animals to do this.
For the record, we held this story back for 48 hours while I personally approached Monero for their take on it. I thought it was only right they had the opportunity to have a say.
I’ll call them out here and now. They didn’t respond. Shame on them. And the fact I delivered that sentence without resorting to industrial language is quite remarkable considering how angry this makes me.
Just look at that number and say it loud in Dr Evil’s voice… “ONE TRILLION DOLLARS!”. If the WEF says that’s what adoption of distributed ledger technologies can deliver, then they mean it. What are we waiting for?
Seriously though, how are you going to stop thinking about Dr Evil now? And I’ll bet you quarter of an Ethereum you actually put your little finger to the corner of your mouth and say “ONE TRILLION DOLLARS” at some point over the next few hours.
It’s some story though, isn’t it? Great work by Olivier Acuna. If you want to see Olivier’s profile and more of his work, click here.
Well, that’s it from the Coin Rivet newsroom for now. We need to get our heads down and crack on the weekend news which will be brought to you by Helen Carter – yet another vastly experience British journalist who’s work has graced the halls of the Guardian, the News of the World, and the BBC. She’s now part of the Coin Rivet team. You can find out more about Helen here.
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