Missed this week’s top blockchain/crypto stories? Check out our quick round-up

Only one place to start this week’s round-up…

Bitcoin Cash hard fork officially happens

Some excellent analysis from Nawaz Sulemanji here.

Another senior ECB figure blasts ‘evil’ Bitcoin

“Bitcoin was an extremely clever idea. Sadly, not every clever idea is a good idea…Few remember that Satoshi embedded the genesis block with a Times headline from January 2009 about UK banks’ bailout. In more ways than one, Bitcoin is the evil spawn of the financial crisis,” says European Central Bank Executive Board member Benoit Coeure.

Evil? Shurely shome mishtake?

‘The People’s Exchange’ KuCoin lands major funding

Singapore-based crypto exchange KuCoin raises $20 million in a Series A funding round headed up by IDG Capital, Matrix Partners and Neo Global Capital.

Bail Bloc initiative makes US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announcement

Jay Ryu departs Draper Athena for HBUS

HBUS, the exclusive US strategic partner of digital currency marketplace, Huobi, appoints Jay Ryu as Vice President of Corporate Development.

Ryu previously served as the Venture Capital Director at Draper Athena, where he led technology investments across Silicon Valley, Asia, and the Middle East, while working with portfolio companies on operational and strategic initiatives.

“Bitcoin was an extremely clever idea. Sadly, not every clever idea is a good idea” Benoit Coeure

London Block Exchange claims a little bit of crypto history

The London Block Exchange (LBX) mints what is dubbed as ‘the first crypto-pound’, (or stablecoin to the likes of you and I) LBX Peg.

The flippening is upon us as Ripple overtakes Ethereum’s market cap

Ripple (XRP) became the second largest cryptocurrency in terms of market-cap this week, overtaking Ethereum after a brutal sell-off.

IMF’s Christine Lagarde tackles changing nature of money

Lagarde puts forward the case for central bank digital currencies.

Oxfam greenlights rice supply chain blockchain project

It has officially launched its BlocRice solution in Cambodia.

Blockchain underpins Singles’ Day success for JD.com

Transaction volume on JD.com reached a record RMB 159.8 billion (approximately $23 billion) from 1st to 11th November, during its Singles’ Day shopping festival.

“There is a noticeable shift in China toward quality over price, which we see in the growing numbers of consumers who are willing to pay more for branded and imported goods,” said Lei Xu, CMO of JD.com and CEO of JD Mall.

“By establishing trust with consumers and brands, thanks to our zero-tolerance policy toward fakes and our innovations in areas such as blockchain traceability for product safety, we are in a unique position to meet that demand.”