money

In Argentina, there’s a gorgeous apartment for sale and it only costs 409 Bitcoins

"Argentina is dangerously nearing another economic collapse, and few have forgotten the country’s crippling default in 2001 that prompted a flash devaluation of the Argentine peso, which effectively halved the country’s wealth. If Argentina defaults on its debt again, which could happen very soon, no one wants to be caught off-guard. So, Argentines are scrambling to store their wealth in anything but the volatile Argentine peso. That’s where Bitcoin comes in." Continue reading →

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Bitcoin Comes To SWIFT

"The dichotomy between EU and U.S. approaches to e-money becomes even more apparent when one looks at the uniformity of the EU e-Money and Payment Services Directives versus the almost hostile FinCEN guidance on virtual currencies and the incomprehensible patchwork of state money transmitter laws. Because of this, I estimate that the EU currently enjoys at least a five-year head start over its U.S. brethren in accommodating evolving payments efforts. The U.S seems content to extinguish innovations like e-Gold in an effort to maintain complete control over money businesses and to project dollar hegemony within its borders." Continue reading →

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Julian Assange on Bitcoins and Gold

"Bitcoin actually has the balance and incentives right, and that is why it is starting to take off. No central nodes. It is all point to point. One does not need to trust any central mint. If we look at traditional currencies such as gold, we can see that they have sort of interesting properties that make them valuable as a medium of exchange. Of all metals it is the easiest to chop up into fine segments. You can test relatively easily whether it is true or whether it is fake. You can take chopped up segments and you can put them back together by melting the gold. You can take it and put it in the ground and it is not going to decay like apples or steaks." Continue reading →

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BitPremier Sells Luxury Goods For Bitcoin

"We've found a guy who claims to be putting his Trump Soho condo up for sale. And he will only take payment in Bitcoin. Later today, he will advertise the property exclusively on BitPremier, the first-ever online Bitcoin exchange exclusively for luxury goods. The site launches today. We recently spoke by phone with BitPremier founder Alan Silbert, who also serves as a VP for GE Capital, about the goals for BitPremier. He said purchasing options for people who own lots of Bitcoin have thus far been limited. Along with the choice condo, the site will also launch with a Bahamas villa, a Leroy Neiman artwork, and a high-end watch. A Ferrari and Mercedes are also imminent." Continue reading →

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Reporting from Bitcoin Conference 2013

"All attending the first Bitcoin 2013 conference in Silicon Valley are considering it a success. There are more than 1,000 attendees and the entrance fee to the event is $350.00. At one booth, Bitcoins were being sold for cash with no ID checks. Walk up to the booth lay down your money and buy your bitcoins. The money was piling up. The less 'corporate,' the more renegade seemed to be the operators and the more willing these operators seemed to be willing to challenge the government. One corporate type said to me that virtual currencies are in their infancy and that lawsuits, fighting and jail time for some will occur before the crypto-currency world becomes more defined." Continue reading →

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‘Bitcoin threatens economic monopoly, bolsters free speech’

"Bitcoin threatens both the financial elite’s monopoly over the economy and the online web of payment systems which have been used as a tool to crack down on free speech on the Internet, Amir Taaki, a bitcoin software developer, told RT. The US government has never hidden the fact that it is closely watching the virtual currency, which international regulators have thus far failed to keep a lid on. But while banks and governments have treated the Bitcoin payment system as an 'existential threat' to current financial system, Taaki argues that the virtual currency epitomizes real free trade and is a necessary tool to maximize the benefits of a free and open market." Continue reading →

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Bitcoin facing bank backlash in Canada too

"Virtex, based in Calgary, is an online market that matches Bitcoin buyers with sellers, with about $13-million of trades under its belt. But earlier this month Royal Bank of Canada quietly informed Mr. David that it would no longer do business with his company. 'They shut down our account without any reason,' said Mr. David, an ebullient entrepreneur with a background in technology companies. 'They just said we have the right to refuse service to whomever we wish.' For whatever reason, many in Canada's small but fast growing Bitcoin community are suddenly dealing with the same problem: The banks are shutting down the accounts of businesses that deal in it." Continue reading →

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Dutch firm Eliantie offers staff holiday pay in bitcoins

"An ICT recruitment firm based in the Netherlands is offering its employees holiday pay in the form of bitcoins, according to Dutch news sources. Eliantie announced in a press release today that staff members will receive their vacation pay in bitcoins, the news site NU reported. The company has reportedly been mining bitcoins since 2010, and has now amassed enough of the digital currency to begin using it for holiday pay. Eliantie employees were initially reluctant to accept bitcoins, reported the Dutch-language publication Automation Guide. Following several informational meetings, however, 'they are almost all convinced of the benefits,' it reported." Continue reading →

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Bitcoin Hardware Wallet: Alpha Software Demonstration

"This is a demonstration of the alpha version of my Bitcoin Hardware Wallet, code-named the Bitcoin Titan. All of the necessary features are implemented and working correctly. The software is undergoing final polish and testing. The first board spin is underway. Obviously, excuse the crude graphics and wonky font; those will be cleaned up during the polishing." Continue reading →

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