Image of The Day, 10 of October: Gizmodo, Reuters, Forbes and Others
We're presenting "the image of the day". Bitnewstoday.com has chosen the most important news about the digital economy and virtual currencies. Only the most valuable stories from only the trusted sources. Each and every event from this list will change the world of the digital economy either way. The most important stories of this day in the most indicative quotes are below!
1. BLOCKCHAIN FOR LIFE (Gizmodo)
Walmart patented a cart that reads your pulse and temperature
Per Vice, the retail giant, has filed a patent for shopping carts that could potentially host a range of sensors that would track shoppers throughout the store.
According to the patent, which is titled “System And Method For A Biometric Feedback Cart Handle,” the carts could feature sensors capable of monitoring a shopper’s heart rate, temperature, “force being applied to the shopping cart handle,” and current cart-pushing speed, as well as track the weight of the items stored in the carts and their locations in a store. As Vice noted, the patent also mentions the possibility of including a “pulse oximeter,” a device for non-invasively measuring oxygen saturation in a person’s bloodstream.
2. BELIVE IN JAPAN (The Next Web)
Coinbase confident — Japan will let it sell cryptocurrency by 2019
Japan’s tough stance on cryptocurrencies may be a mood killer for most businesses, but Coinbase is loving it. In fact, the company believes the increased scrutiny in the country gives Coinbase an advantage over other cryptocurrency businesses.
“The Japanese government is more focused on security. That is good for us,” Coinbase’s chief policy officer Mike Lempres told Nikkei Asian Reviewin in a recent interview in Tokyo. Lempres further added that the talks of obtaining a license are “going well” with the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and they are expecting the license by next year. “We are… committed to getting it done. It will certainly be in 2019.”
3. WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS (Forbes)
Binance conquered the cryptocurrency world with help of a utility token
Cryptocurrency exchanges have become key points of access to the entire ecosystem. They are the initial point of entry for most investors and users of these digital assets, and as such, they are big business, and also fiercely competitive.
However, there is one name that sits a top all of these — Binance. Binance is still not two years old and yet it has launched itself quickly to the top of the cryptocurrency exchange tree with some innovative decisions, as well as a native utility token that hits a lot of the right notes for its users. The Binance Coin (BNB) has been a major part as to why Binance has succeeded as much as it has in such a short time. The token was introduced for a small, but significant reason, and from there, its utility and worth has exploded almost as much as the exchange itself.
4. BIG BOOTY (Reuters)
Cryptocurrency theft hits nearly $1 billion in first nine months
Theft of cryptocurrencies through hacking of exchanges and trading platforms soared to $927 million in the first nine months of the year, up nearly 250 percent from the level seen in 2017, according to a report from U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Cipher Trace released on Wednesday.
The report, which looks at criminal activity and money laundering in the digital currency market, also showed a steadily growing number of smaller thefts in the $20-60 million range, totaling $173 million in the third quarter. Digital currencies stolen from exchanges in 2017 totaled just $266 million, according to a previous report from CipherTrace.
5. A PUSH TO OLYMPUS (Daily Hodl)
Push to make XRP official crypto of the 2020 Olympics soars past 12,000 signatures
In his bid to make XRP the official cryptocurrency of the 2020 Olympic games, Japan resident Ken Takahashi has exceeded expectations. His original goal on Change.org was to secure 7,500 signatures, but the petition has recently blown right by that and currently has over 12,000 signatures with a new goal of 15,000.
Takahashi argues the need for a cryptocurrency at the Olympics in his post: “As tourists stream into the country, demand for the local currency skyrockets, causing long lines at currency exchanges, as seen at past events like Beijing 2008 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. Confusing exchange rates and language barriers further complicate the problem. We believe that the fast transaction times and security of Ripple Lab’s XRP cryptocurrency would be a great contribution towards solving this problem.”
6. BRAVE NEW WORLD (Financial Magnates)
Bye-bye ICOs, Hello STOs!
The ICO market boomed, and with it, thousands of retail investors joined the cryptocurrency space for the first time. However, just as quickly as the ‘revolution’ had come, it began to wane. Clampdowns by regulators, an increase in self-regulation, and the revelation of many fraudulent or botched products changed the ICO market forever.
Indeed, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton began to crack down more seriously on the ICO space near the end of 2017, when the Commission started to target companies who were selling their tokens as utilities rather than securities. The first company that the Commission went after was Munchee, a blockchain-based restaurant review app that was shut down in December for this very reason; the company was forced to return funds to investors.
7. COMMODITY BASED BLOCKCHAIN (Bloomberg)
Blockchain tech coming to commodity markets
The blockchain is coming to commodity markets, Blythe Masters told guests at the London Metal Exchange annual dinner this week. The virtual ledger technology underlying cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin promises greater confidentiality, fewer paper exchanges, better provenance and a boost in productivity, the former JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive said in a speech at the gathering Tuesday night.
“Blockchain technology has the potential to impact mining industry supply chains profoundly,” Masters said. There are “tens if not hundreds” of projects under way.
8. MUCH NEEDED BREAK (Forbes)
Ethereum co-founder set to take the stage for SXSW keynote
Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin has been announced as the keynote speaker at the legendary Texas conglomerate festival SXSW, something likely to give ethereum and cryptocurrency a sizable exposure boost.
Lubin, who was earlier this month revealed by Forbes to be investing heavily in a former competitor, founded blockchain platform ethereum along with Vitalik Buterin, and has since become one of the most recognizable and trusted voices in the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain.
9. ABC OF TROLLING (The Next Web)
Google mocks miners, says cryptocurrency “isn’t real money”
As if it hadn’t already given cryptocurrency enthusiasts enough reasons to hate it, Google has now taken a dig at the usefulness of cryptocurrencies. In a recent advertisement for its call screening service, the search engine giant mocked cryptocurrency’s high electricity consumption – and then went on to say that “it is not real money.”
It all starts when one of the characters in the ad receives a message from his electricity provider, informing him his bill is very high. “Well, cryptocurrency mining takes a lot of energy,” the character argues. Then another character chimes in: “Cryptocurrency… that money isn’t real.”
10. BUNCH OF CRIMINALS! (Daily Hodl)
AARP defines Bitcoin as a “bunch of computer code” for criminals
AARP, a US-based interest group that advocates for social change, just shared its definition of Bitcoin: “A bunch of computer code that a bunch of criminals, idealists and speculators agree is worth ‘real’ money. Sadly, its real-money value swings widely, making it impractical except for criminals, idealists and speculators.” Formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, AARP stated mission is “empowering people to choose how they live as they age.”
The organization’s characterization of Bitcoin is part of an ongoing narrative about the world’s number one cryptocurrency. Released in 2009, Bitcoin was first popularized by its use on Silk Road, a now-defunct website best known for selling illegal drugs.