Bitcoin has increased in value, new products have been released, regulations around the world are starting to tighten up and some industry leaders have even been on the run! 2019 has been a busy year so far in the world of cryptocurrency, and we’ve reported on some of the leading stories you need to know. In case you’ve missed any of it, we’ve rounded up the five biggest cryptocurrency news articles from Q1 2019 below.

John McAfee goes on the run from US authorities

After being indicted by the US authorities for tax fraud, John McAfee and his wife Janice, went on the run. In an exclusive interview for a Coin Rivet article in the Daily Express, John McAfee hit back against charges laid against him. Whilst travelling in an unknown location, Mr McAfee explained the reasons behind the IRS charges – mainly focusing on his refusal to pay taxes.

During the interview, he also explained the important role of cryptocurrencies and the fear it is instilling in governments.

“Now, cryptocurrency is coming – it’s out of the box and privacy coins are here. Governments can see what’s coming and it terrifies them. Governments will not be able to collect taxes when everyone is using privacy coins.

“Governments will disappear as we know them because they will not be able to fund their excess. It’s a good thing. For the first time in human history it will be given financial freedom.”

Since this news story broke, we also had the opportunity to do a video interview with Mr McAfee, which you can watch here.

DigiByte teams up with Block 30 Labs

2019 is shaping up to be a great year for DigiByte. Having recently announced that the California-based Block 30 Labs is will be a partner at the first DigiByte Global Summit taking place this month, we can expect big things!

DigiByte’s founder – Jared Tate – said teaming up with Block 30 represented a huge milestone. “The full ecosystem vision of BLOCK 30 Labs is a perfect match for the vision of where we want to go with DigiAssets moving forward,” he said.

Together, the companies will explore the adoption of blockchain technologies in a more bespoke manner.

To find out what’s in store for DigiByte, and to discover the speakers who will be appearing at their huge event, read the full story here.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been buying $10,000 worth of Bitcoin per week

Despite the bear market, Jack Dorsey has been exceeding his weekly buy limit for Bitcoin. He could know longer participate in the #StackingSats social media movement, and he had already exceeded his limit on the Cash app. This limit is $10,000.

So, even though the markets were quite quiet at the start of the year, it goes to show that people still have faith in the power of cryptocurrency. Dorsey has been known for his involvement in the Lightning Torch experiment, too.

Read the full story about Jack Dorsey’s Bitcoin purchases.

QuadrigaCX plot thickens as cold wallets are found to be ’empty’

Above all else, who could forget the story about the demise of QuadrigaCX CEO, Gerald Cotton? He was reportedly the only person who had the private keys to access the exchange’s funds. As a result, $190 million worth of funds were lost.

This led to the launch of an investigation, with the intention to recover as many funds as possible. However, it was easier said than done as it appears five out of the six cold wallets used for story have been empty since April 2018.

You can unravel the mystery of this news, including what Ernst & Young had to say, by reading the story in full.

London stock exchange invests in world’s first cryptocurrency bond

Back in February, The London Stock Exchange Group invested in blockchain start-up Nivaura. This start-up endeavours to issue corporate bonds, loans, and equities in a more efficient manner.

The start up has huge plans to launch a digital investment banking platform for a variety of financial institutions.

There has always been a reluctance for banks and financial institutions to take cryptocurrency adoption seriously, but this investment could mark a change in mindset. This blockchain solution could see banks remove intermediaries involved in issuance of assets, and slash the time taken from issuance to market by up to 80%.

To discover the other financial bodies that are taking a new approach to crypto, read the full story here.

We’re always reporting on the most recent and most important cryptocurrency news. Keep up-to-date with the industry by reading Coin Rivet!