CLibertyC

It’s Jury Appreciation Day!

"Although the right to a jury trial is guaranteed by the American Constitution, it has been under a relentless attack over the years. Most Americans are unaware that 95 percent of the cases in our criminal justice system never go to trial. And, in the few cases that do go to trial, jurors are typically misled about their prerogative to acquit (“jury nullification”). In November, Cato will be re-releasing an e-book, Jury Nullification: The Evolution of a Doctrine, by Clay Conrad. Glenn Reynolds reviewed the initial publication here. Let me take this opportunity to report on several positive developments that will help to revive the doctrine of jury nullification in American law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIt’s Jury Appreciation Day!

Internet Governance Meltdown II: The Unilateral Right to Amend

"The U.S. government was one of the only commentators to express unqualified endorsement of the proposed changes in the registry agreement. And it was pressure from law enforcement interests promoted by the U.S. government that also led to the troubles in negotiating the RAA. We see accountability and responsibility for policy making migrating further and further away from the individuals and organizations who participate in ICANN’s bottom up process, and towards state actors and ICANN staff. A key contributor to this migration is the idea of a monarchical ability of the authorities to discern 'the public interest' and impose rules, top down, on the public itself to pursue that 'public interest.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInternet Governance Meltdown II: The Unilateral Right to Amend

Sudden spike of Tor users likely caused by one “massive” botnet

"Researchers have found a new theory to explain the sudden spike in computers using the Tor anonymity network: a massive botnet that was recently updated to use Tor to communicate with its mothership. Making a C&C server a Tor hidden service makes sense from an attacker's perspective. Tor makes it much harder for white hats and law enforcement officers to identify the malware operators and to shut down the server. Instead of connecting to a registered IP address, an infected machine connects to a pseudo address such as vtipk3.onion that is hard—if not impossible—to trace. Researchers have been predicting that botnets would adopt Tor protocols since at least 2010." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSudden spike of Tor users likely caused by one “massive” botnet

Bitcoin Exchange Berlin Is Bringing Digital Currency to Market

"While there was beer, it was less of a bar environment and more of a full-fledged street market. There was stuff perched up on crates, other products in a shopping cart. The DJ spun reggae records that kept the vibe chill and quiet. Business cards were exchanged, while others had their contact info on stamps to save paper. What makes this Berlin series different than the open air exchanges in New York, for example, is that people were actually buying and selling products, on top of the typical bitcoin exchange. Also, there were girls. And it was arty." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin Exchange Berlin Is Bringing Digital Currency to Market

Making Rent With Bitcoins and Rentalutions

"Rentalutions, a Chicago based company is bringing the relationship between landlords and tenants into the digital age. Established April of 2012 in Chicago by Ryan Coon, Laurence Jankelow, and Dylan Lingelbach, Rentalutions aims to streamline the traditionally old school rent payment process. The service, which ranges from $5 to $150 a month, allows landlords to view credit reports and background checks, collect rent online, and to create and sign leases. As for tenants, they are able to make online rent payments and request maintenance services. The twist? Rentalutions is the first of its kind to enable tenants to pay their rent in bitcoins." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMaking Rent With Bitcoins and Rentalutions

Bitcoin entrepreneur Voorhees doubles down in Panama City

"Erik Voorhees, the man who founded Bitcoin casino SatoshiDice for 45 Bitcoin and sold it a year later for $11.5 million worth of the currency is doubling down on the industry. Although Voorhees isn’t publicizing how much of the 126,315 Bitcoins he personally earned, he is investing them in startups tied to the virtual currency rather than cashing in the coins. At the moment, Voorhees is in Panama City running his new company, Coinapult, launched in April 2012, that lets users send Bitcoin via email or SMS. 'We moved down here because our target market is the developing nations, and the unbanked population (which is massive),' he wrote." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin entrepreneur Voorhees doubles down in Panama City

Bank Advisor: ‘Should Your Bank Do Business With Bitcoin?’

"One New York virtual currency exchange, Bitfloor, closed its doors in April after Capital One Financial Corp. closed its account. PNC closed the accounts of FastCash4Bitcoins in the spring, preventing them from receiving wire transfers. In August, Commonwealth Bank, one of the largest Australian Banks, closed the accounts of CoinJar. In the growing Bitcoin economy, the banking relationship is a key factor in survival, growth and success. Not all Bitcoin companies are the same, and there’s no reason a compliant Bitcoin company shouldn’t be able to get banking services. Here are factors to consider if a Bitcoin company seeks a relationship with your bank." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBank Advisor: ‘Should Your Bank Do Business With Bitcoin?’

Bitcoin’s dilemma: go mainstream, or stay radical?

"Bitcoin enthusiasts and libertarians the world over are in a state of confusion about the slowness with which the outside world is catching on to their new way of exchanging money. But regulators and lawmakers are now, very gradually, realising they need to do something about this growing beast, even if they don't quite know what that something is. If the 'teenage band' gets signed on a 'mainstream label' then it will inevitably stray into more commercially minded territory. However, if the managers of the labels are not listening closely or do not like what they hear, perhaps this period of underground innovation will continue." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin’s dilemma: go mainstream, or stay radical?

Federal Election Commission rules requested on Bitcoin campaign donations

"Coming soon to a political campaign near you: Bitcoin donations? The Federal Election Commission is poised to determine rules governing donations made in Bitcoins and how they apply to political campaigns. 'As increasing numbers of individuals trade in Bitcoin, political parties and candidates also wish to accept and spend this new currency,' Dan Backer of DB Capitol Strategies wrote in the request. The request lays out 24 technical questions for the FEC regarding the use of Bitcoin as political contributions. Backer told POLITICO that he expects that by 2014, many federal candidates will be interested in accepting the currency — and that many donors will demand it." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFederal Election Commission rules requested on Bitcoin campaign donations

UK downplays talk of regulating Bitcoin

"Reports the U.K. is 'actively considering' regulating the virtual currency Bitcoin are exaggerated, the country's financial watchdog has said. The FCA said on Thursday it was simply 'keeping an eye' on Bitcoin developments, rather than actively considering regulation. 'Whilst the FCA does not regulate Bitcoins, businesses providing services related to Bitcoins or other digital currencies should consider whether they are carrying on regulated activities,' a FCA spokesperson said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUK downplays talk of regulating Bitcoin