The blockchain/crypto week in numbers

$163 million…Ripple reports that revenue from the sale of the digital asset XRP more than doubled during the last quarter compared to Q2 2018.

It sold $163 million “amidst rising volatility and volume in Q3 2018”. This was up from $75.53 million in the second quarter.

$1.4 billion…MarketandMarkets has released a report revealing the crypto market will grow 6.18% annually to $1.4 billion by 2024.

$450,000…Aussie police have arrested a woman who allegedly ripped off $450,000 (£348,700) worth of Ripple (XRP)by hacking into a 56-year old man’s computer and taking control of his cryptocurrency account.

“A growing number of major institutional and retail investors, as well as financial institutions and regulators, amongst others, understand that cryptocurrencies are the future of money. As such, the market will have grown beyond recognition when Bitcoin celebrates its 20th anniversary”

£50,000…London-based blockchain lab, StateZero Labs, is opening its doors to its first cohort in January 2019.

The aim is to find, fund and support startup founders utilising blockchain technology to tackle real-world problems (e.g. ensuring provenance of pharmaceuticals, luxury items, art goods etc., excluding crypto).

Those selected to be in the first cohort, which will run for three months, will each receive up to £50,000 in the form of an equity free grant, cost-free office space, mentoring and one-to-one technical support from blockchain developers to learn how to utilise StateZero Labs’ PLUG blockchain technology.

$62 million…Algorand, a blockchain startup founded by MIT professor and Turing Award winner Silvio Micali, has announced the closure of a $62 million equity investment round, involving the likes of Pillar Venture Capital and Union Square Ventures.

50…Blockchain powered e-commerce payments and ID venture, Nuggets, has been included in the Fintech Power 50.

5,000%…Bitcoin’s crypto crown is starting to slip, with the overall market on track to expand by at least 5,000% in the next 10 years.

That’s the view of Nigel Green, founder and CEO of financial advisory organisation, deVere Group, speaking a week ahead of the 10th anniversary of Satoshi Nakamoto’s release of the Bitcoin whitepaper.

300%…Demand for blockchain technology engineers has grown exponentially globally, according to Glassdoor. In the US alone, unfilled blockchain-related jobs have increased 300% yearly.

Having been caught out laundering €200 billion of criminally tainted cash, Danske Bank presents an interesting use case for blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.

$6 million…Crypto social network, Minds, has landed a $6 million Series A investment from Medici Ventures, the blockchain subsidiary of US online retailer, Overstock.

$19.5 million…Institutional crypto trading platform Caspian’s private and public token sale has closed ahead of schedule, with the company reaching its hard cap of $19.5 million. It had been intended as a 48 hour sale, but closed within 24 hours.

$50 million…Australian company Global Tech Exchange says that its Initial Coin Offering (ICO) has ceased in accordance with Australia Securities Investments Commission (ASIC) requirements.

The Brisbane-based venture had been looking to raise between $10 and $50 million for the creation of a cryptocurrency trading platform, with the token sale running until 10^th December.

$15.9 million…Roy Niederhoffer, President of R.G. Niederhoffer Capital Management, is selling a 10,720-square-foot, 32-foot-wide mansion. The house, situated in New York, is listed for $15.9 million, with Niederhoffer accepting either cash or the equivalent in Bitcoin.

$5.5 million…Smart contract security venture Synthetic Minds has raised $5.5 million in a round involving blockchain investment fund Pantera Capital and Khosla Ventures.

“The original digital asset, Bitcoin, was an anti-establishment reaction to the 2008 financial crisis. Regulation makes this tool of revolution a part of the system they’re trying to overthrow. When there are no rules, certain groups can profit from the chaos”

3,000…Bidooh has landed contracts to operate its blockchain-based facial analysis billboard platform on live advertising screens across Eastern Europe.

The two deals, secured from partners based in the Czech Republic and Romania, cover an initial allocation of approximately 300 screens and target a roll-out of 3,000 screens over a three-year period. 27 screens are currently live in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Balkans contract, generating over one million direct interactions in the last 30 days.