Powers On… The battle for digital asset supremacy and the consequences of U.S. capitulation

Why is the U.S. dragging its heels on crypto and blockchain regulation, as the rest of the world forges ahead with financial innovation?

Reuters: Gary Gensler, MIT blockchain professor and Obama’s CFTC chair, to head Biden SEC

Gensler taught a course on “blockchain technology’s potential use — by entrepreneurs and incumbents — to change the world of money and finance.”

UK Judge Rejects US Extradition Requests for Julian Assange, Wikileaks Holds $800K in Crypto

On Monday, a British judge rejected the U.S. request to extradite the Australian editor, publisher, and activist Julian Assange. Following the U.K. judge’s decision, the current president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has offered Assange political asylum in the country. Meanwhile, Wikileaks has gathered hundreds of thousands of dollars in crypto-asset donations since the… Continue reading UK Judge Rejects US Extradition Requests for Julian Assange, Wikileaks Holds $800K in Crypto

Rep. Soto seeks to create office to ‘coordinate’ Federal use of blockchain tech

The dedicated office would oversee “all non-defense related deployment and activities related to blockchain technology within the Federal Government.”

Core Scientific Buys Over 58,000 Bitmain S19 Antminers to Expand Its Hosting Fleet in North America

A major North American blockchain hosting provider announced its expansion by ordering over 58,000 additional S19 Series Antminers, as part of an agreement arranged with the Chinese mining hardware manufacturer. US Contract Miner Core Scientific Arranges Purchase of Over 58,000 Bitmain S19 Antminers According to the announcement , Bitmain’s deal expects to facilitate Core Scientific… Continue reading Core Scientific Buys Over 58,000 Bitmain S19 Antminers to Expand Its Hosting Fleet in North America

Coinbase Launches Cryptocurrency Visa Card in the US

U.S. customers can now apply for the Coinbase Visa, a card that allows users to spend digital assets anywhere Visa is accepted. In addition to the U.S. launch, Coinbase cardholders will be able to earn up to 4% back in stellar or 1% back in bitcoin. A while back, the San Francisco-based cryptocurrency firm Coinbase… Continue reading Coinbase Launches Cryptocurrency Visa Card in the US

US Consumers Flock To the First Mastercard Branded BitPay Card

New data from BitPay shows that American consumers are flocking to load the first Mastercard branded BitPay card with top digital assets. The popular cryptocurrency payment services provider debuted the new card in June 2020 and the company’s transactions reached a new high in July. The data also shows how crypto cards usage is changing,… Continue reading US Consumers Flock To the First Mastercard Branded BitPay Card

The Moss Piglet Dilemma: Paypal Bans Payments to Merchants Using the Word ‘Tardigrade’

The popular payment provider Paypal has been known for cutting off a number of merchants and organizations over the years. This week, the public found out that Paypal has been censoring merchants that sell items related to the name “tardigrade” just because a Balkan arms dealer uses the same name. The story shows just how… Continue reading The Moss Piglet Dilemma: Paypal Bans Payments to Merchants Using the Word ‘Tardigrade’

The Bitcoin Network Now Consumes 7 Nuclear Plants Worth of Power

The SHA256 hashrate that secures the Bitcoin network has grown massively during the last few years, as Bitcoin’s processing power has touched all-time highs in 2020. Moreover, the gigawatts of electrical consumption powering industrial bitcoin mining today consumes as much as seven nuclear power plants. Bitcoin mining is a process where groups of miners compete… Continue reading The Bitcoin Network Now Consumes 7 Nuclear Plants Worth of Power

$2K per Month for Every American: Andrew Yang Begs Congress to Pass Basic Income

While most of the U.S. remains on lockdown, a few states across the nation are starting to open up businesses and lift restrictions. Meanwhile, politicians on the left have been trying to push a universal basic income (UBI) package through Congress, in order to give Americans in need a monthly check. This week, former U.S.… Continue reading $2K per Month for Every American: Andrew Yang Begs Congress to Pass Basic Income