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Hedging Bitcoin Mining Investments with Network Difficulty Futures

“One of the primary risks for a bitcoin miner is the time required to obtain hardware and the notion that with an exponentially growing bitcoin network, every extra delay dramatically affects the ROI of the would-be miner. Entering into a futures contract could mitigate a significant amount of that risk. One place to find such products is iCBIT, a bitcoin and bitcoin derivatives exchange. Those who buy a contract would benefit if the network difficulty increases more than expected by the expiration date and those who sell a contract would benefit if the network difficulty increases less than expected.” Continue reading →

Khan Academy now accepts bitcoin donations

“Khan Academy is a non-profit aimed at providing a free, world-class education for people everywhere. They offer free online educational materials (e.g., instructional videos, practice exercises, dashboard analytics, teacher tools) that support personalized education for users of all ages. They have lessons on topics including math, science, finance, history, and even bitcoin. When you donate, you’ll even earn a special badge on your Khan Academy profile.” Continue reading →

The True Value of Bitcoin

“As a digital asset, the first widely adopted use of bitcoin was as a safe and secure store and transfer mechanism for fiat currency value. This is how most people think of and use Bitcoin today, as a substitute for money, but it is an inadequate classification. Bitcoin replaces the traditional chain of title in property law. The bitcoin protocol secures a party’s interest in an asset in an identifiable and secure manner, and provides a transparent set of rules and enforcement mechanisms so that all parties are held equally accountable. It does all this without any reliance on financial, regulatory, or judicial authorities. Truly, bitcoin is code as law.” Continue reading →

Doubt Grows in Reforms of Rajoy Government in Spain

“The reorganization of Spain’s financial sector is seen as the most important part of the reforms introduced by conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to overcome his country’s economic and debt crises. But whether the plan will succeed remains uncertain, as real estate prices continue to slide amid continued concerns over the country’s financial institutions. A corruption scandal surrounding Luis Bárcenas, the former treasurer of the governing People’s Party party, is a reminder to Spaniards of how a group of political and economic elites has taken the country to the brink of ruin.” Continue reading →

Bitcoin is NOT illegal in Thailand?

“‘I can confirm that Bitcoin is not illegal [in Thailand],’ says BTCXpert and former Bank of Thailand employee Frankie Bishop. An official announcement on Bitcoin has yet to be made by the Bank of Thailand, and none of the Thai media channels report any such announcement. The Bank of Thailand does not decide the legality of Bitcoin. Any regulations on crypto-currencies in Thailand will need to go through its formal process like Bitcoin does in other countries. None of the ‘Roles and Responsbilities’ listed by the Bank of Thailand give it authority to determine the legal status of any currency.” Continue reading →

Three Telling Stories, One Disruptive Company

“FreedomPop is different. It’s aimed at providing wireless Internet access for free. More specifically, its so-called Freemium service gives consumers the first 500 MB free. Once you have the physical product, there are no contracts and no bills. It’s just free. You can use it to turn your iPod into an iPhone or facetime by setting up an internet hot spot… for free. All you need to sign up is get a 4G USB stick, or a variety of other hardware pieces, and you can set up your own hotspot wherever you go. No more Comcast… or hammers. Within the next few months, FreedomPop will begin selling refurbished phones.” Continue reading →

Britain set to ban Google Glass for drivers

“Google Glass is the highest profile product in a wave of new wearable technologies, promising to display everything from restaurant reviews to directions and allow automated video and photos wherever we go. But a spokesman for the department told Stuff, a gadget magazine, that the device could distract drivers while they are behind the wheel, defining Glass as a similar distraction to a mobile phone. Since a ban on using mobile phones while driving was introduced in 2003, more than one million drivers have been convicted – typically issued with a £60 fixed penalty notice and three points on their driver’s licence.” Continue reading →

Controversial study finds that big and famous hospitals aren’t always the best for surgery

“The group used two measures: the percentage of Medicare patients who died in the hospital during or after their surgery, and the percentage who stayed in the hospital longer than expected based on standards of care for their condition. Both are indicators of complications and overall quality of care, said Dr John Santa, medical director of Consumer Reports Health. Many nationally renowned hospitals earned only mediocre ratings. The Cleveland Clinic, some Mayo Clinic hospitals in Minnesota, and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore rated no better than midway between ‘better’ and ‘worse’, worse than many small hospitals.” Continue reading →