Blockchain Insider Podcast by 11:FS

First up, this week's big news that Circle (backed by none other than Goldman-Sachs) have acquired crypto exchange Poloniex. Is this Wallstreet's 'in' to Crypto? Moving on to some regulatory news, NYC lawmakers claim that they are 'open' to revisiting the BitLicense regulation. What kind of impact would a reform have on the market and on blockchain innovation? From Lawmakers to Lawbreakers, Craig Wright, who's infamously claimed to be Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, is being sued for a whopping $10 billion! Next, R3 pilots blockchain trade finance platform with global banks-aiming to develop a "fully interoperable" open-source trade finance network built with their distributed ledger technology (DLT) product Corda. The blockchain space has largely been male dominated in recent years, however the NY times has rightly voiced the opinions of many brilliant female minds in the industry. Their title "Women in Cryptocurrencies Push Back Against ‘Blockchain Bros'" was widely shared, a quote that stuck out to us was “Women always question if they’re qualified-but look at these clowns around us.” ICO's just don't go away and Germany’s financial regulator BaFIN issues a letter titled "Supervisory classification of tokens or cryptocurrencies underlying so-called Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) as financial instruments according to securities supervision laws". So. Many. Words. Next, the Venezuelan president has apparently asked central banks to mine their national cryptocurrency. If you though a country having a petrol backed token was strange enough, just imagine their banks mining it? As always, on stories we didn't have time to cover: Elliott Management, a $34 billion hedge fund, described cryptocurrencies as 'one of the most brilliant scams in history', the Tezos board is reorganized and 50 cent admits in a bankruptcy document that he never actually owned any bitcoin. Right Fifty, whatever you say. And if you enjoyed our tweet of the week why not send us your best tweets? See if you can make it on to the show! We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Frank Müller and Marcus Treacher.Links: Bitcoin News: Circle Buys Poloniex in Big Cryptocurrency Deal | Fortune New York Lawmakers Open to Revisiting the BitLicense - CoinDesk 'Satoshi' Craig Wright Is Being Sued for $10 Billion - CoinDesk R3 Pilots Blockchain Trade Finance Platform with Global Banks - CoinDesk Women in Cryptocurrencies Push Back Against ‘Blockchain Bros’ - The New York Times For Women in Cryptocurrency, a New Effort to Grow Their Ranks | WIRED Regulators mount up – BaFin provides further guidance on ICOs 46% of Last Year’s ICOs Have Failed Already - Bitcoin News Venezuelan President Asks Banks to Mine Cryptocurrency | Fortune Bitcoin 'one of the most brilliant scams in history,' says Elliott Management - Business Insider Tezos Board reorganized - Tezos Foundation 50 Cent admits in bankruptcy document that he never actually owned any bitcoin

First up on today's show from CNBC, the US government is nowhere near regulating Bitcoin. Rob Joyce emphasised the need to better understand the cryptocurrencies and our team discuss how this has been greeted positively by the trader community especially. Next, Ellen Degeneres compares Bitcoin to a Goat (I know) to her rather large audience. Even though the price hasn't been as exciting for speculators recently, Bitcoin is still mainstream and won't go away! Back to regulation, Switzerland's FINMA has released ICO guidelines and in the US the CFTC Chief has said the states should tread lightly on Crypto exchanges. Keeping with ICO's, Telegram have raised $850 million so far for their billion dollar ICO. The mass frenzy has seen many keep a keen eye on Telegram, some with less positive sentiments. Charles Noyas of Pantera Capital wasn't keen on this massive ICO. He described the project's 132-page technical whitepaper as "essentially a wishlist of things they want to have, and how it will work assuming that their wishlist doesn't crash and burn." Damning to say the least... Vitalik Buterin the father of Ethereum has tweeted a warning to his followers stating that "traditional assets" are a safer place to hold your live savings. He caught quite a lot of hate in the comments, but is this the way more blockchain figureheads should be acting in the crypto space? Bitcoin is mainstream but it's position in asset classes is still not obvious. Divorce lawyers are finding this out the hard way and a UK based firm have claimed that they are dealing with multi-million dollar cases over centring around cryptocurrency assets. Moving on- are Atari about to have their Kodak moment? The game-makers who created Pacman are planning an ICO because..it's 2018? On to Bitcoin mining- with China cracking down, where is the best place to mine Bitcoin? Apparently Venezuela is the cheapest place to mine the cryptocurrency whereas South Korea was found to be the most expensive. Finally, we follow up on dark pools after last week's episode, as a $30 million ICO could pave way for huge crypto traders. As always there's so much news out there and we can't cover it all, so we had some stories we just couldn't squeeze in. These include: Ethereum Dev Yoichi Hirai Steps Away From Role As EIP Editor, Citi Bank and Credit Agricole buy a stake in SETL and R3 are training DLT lawyers. In today's episode we also bring you an interview with Patrick Berarducci and Matt Corva from Consensys about Brooklyn Project. Exciting stuff! We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Matt Corva and Patrick Berarducci.Links: US government is nowhere close to regulating bitcoin, White House cybersecurity czar says Ellen DeGeneres on Bitcoin: It's 'Either Worth $20K or Nothing' CFTC Chief: US Should Tread Lightly on Crypto Exchanges Secretive messaging app Telegram is selling a $2 billion crypto dream — but skeptics smell a 'ploy' Ethereum founder warns cryptocurrencies 'could drop to near zero at any time' Divorcing couples may clash over Bitcoin Game Maker Atari Is Planning to Launch Its Own Cryptocurrency 🎮👾 With China Cracking Down, Where To Mine Bitcoin Instead? Into the Dark Pool: $30 Million ICO Could Pave Way for Huge Crypto Trades

Simon and Sara (no Colin this week) tackle the week's news stories Kicking off with the biggest story: France and Germany's crackdown on crypto. France and Germany have put it to the G20 that the time has come to regulate IPOs and bitcoin. In a join statement they say they are aiming to: Build a common understanding on the nature of tokens Monitor the implications on market stability Find better protections for non professional investors Adopt a common approach on anti money laundering Simon and Sara share their views on this one. The second story this week covers JPMorgan Chase's report that, despite Jamie Dimon's infamous comments to the contrary, states that crypto is unlikely to disappear. Our third biggest story is Binance's denial of their hack, despite claims and particularly tweets from John McAfee. This brings the team to discuss the impact of sentimentality and drama on the market's volatility. Even if a hack isn't real, if headlines are written claiming it has been, it still has an impact. Sara and Simon also take on Ledger Nano's vulnerability to cyber attacks; Russians arrested for mining bitcoin, the Winkelvoss' latest bitcoin predictions, Litecoin's release of LitePay, Venezuela's backing of Petro, and bitcoin's popularity on the dark web. Simon also speaks to Blythe Masters, all about Digital Asset Holdings, the differences between assets and currencies and how to get involved in the digital asset market. We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Blythe Masters and Sara Feenan.Links: France and Germany demand Bitcoin clampdown  Criminals hide 'billions' in crypto-cash - Europol - BBC News IMF Chief Lagarde: Global Cryptocurrency Regulation Is 'Inevitable' - CoinDesk Crypto ‘Unlikely To Disappear’, Says Internal Report A... | News | Cointelegraph DVn_3Z5VMAA_AFg.jpg (1028×1200) Binance Vs. McAfee: Hack Rumors Controversy | News | Cointelegraph All Ledger hardware wallets vulnerable to man in the middle attack Russians arrested for 'mining bitcoin' at nuclear facility | World news | The Guardian Winklevoss Twins: Bitcoin Has Potential To Grow At Lea... | News | Cointelegraph Will LitePay Be the Game Changer that Takes Cryptocurrency Mainstream? - Nasdaq.com Venezuela to Officially Propose Crypto Backed Petro to OPEC Litecoin, Monero Popular With Criminals Tired of Bitcoin | Fortune UAE Exchange signs deal with fintech Ripple for international payments - Business Insider Into the Dark Pool: $30 Million ICO Could Pave Way for Huge Crypto Trades - CoinDesk CME to Patent System for Seamless Blockchain Rule Changes - CoinDesk

In this episode, Simon, Colin and guest Sara Feenan dissect the week's news and we have a fantastic interview from Jameson Lopp! Kicking off with the biggest story of the... year? The market be down: prices have tumbled 50% from all time highs, is this a disaster or must what goes up, always come back down? Lloyds have banned customers buying bitcoin on credit cards. Is this sensible or over-protecting of customers, and also protecting themselves? Colin and Sara say you should never buy crypto on credit card, for the risks involved, never invest your money if you don't have it in the first place - the price falling shows how much people can lose. They also talk regulation as the SEC and the CFTC begin to give testimony, the State of Wyoming tries to ring fence token sales out of securities law, and Canadian regulators approve their first Blockchain ETF. Does the Wired article "The Big ICO Swindle" mean the tech purists have turned their back on ICOs? Colin thinks no one has every done anything meaningful from an ICO, excepting Ethereum. Can you think of any examples? @Bchaininsider if so. GSass is back with a vengeance when it comes to the Puerto Rico "bitcoin bros" in their crypto "utopia', Colin does not hold back his opinions on this one! Additionally, one of Colin's 2018 predictions seems to be coming into fruition as Enterprise blockchain finally seems to be breaking out, and everyone is very enthusiastic about this, are the tools developers have been working on finally coming to the fore? And finally UNICEF asks PC gamers to mine Ethereum and donate to Syrian children - while well meaning, is anyone actually doing this? The team discuss. We also speak to Jameson Lopp, a massive presence in the Bitcoin and Blockchain world, software engineer at BitGo, creator of statoshi.info and founder of bitcoinsig.com. We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Jameson Lopp and Sara Feenan.Links: The Crypto Market Is Down Over 50% from 2018 Highs - CoinDesk Lloyds bans customers buying bitcoin on credit card What to Expect When CFTC, SEC Chiefs Talk Crypto With Congress - CoinDesk US State Senators Introduce Bill Exempting Tokens From Securities Laws Canada: Regulators Approve Country’s First Blockchain ETF Bitcoin, Blockchain, and the Trouble with ICOs | WIRED Making a Crypto Utopia in Puerto Rico - The New York Times ‘Bitcoin is my potential pension’: What’s driving people in Kentucky to join the craze - The Washington Post Compliance officers sweat as cryptocurrency trades go mainstream Enterprise Blockchain May Be Ready for Its Breakout - CoinDesk Evernym and R3 pair Sovrin ID with Corda tech Different Approaches to Ethereum Identity Standards Dark web users are easy to unmask through their bitcoin use | New Scientist UNICEF Asks PC Gamers To Mine Ethereum And Donate To S... | News | Cointelegraph BTC Is a Fork of Bitcoin Cash, Says US Govt Standards Agency NIST - Bitsonline Qtum Launches ‘First Ever’ Blockchain Node Into Space | News | Cointelegraph RMG: Royal Mint Gold on a blockchain

After the market beatdown, Simon and Colin dissect the sustainability of current prices and how much longer regulators will stand idly by whilst pump and dumps continue to happen. Our first story comes from Coindesk, talking about the price action where Bitcoin 'defended' the $11,000 mark. Conversely, the Evening Standard came out with a story claiming investors were swapping their bitcoin for physical gold- are people actually swapping digital gold for it's physical counterpart? Staying with Bitcoin (shock, horror), Forbes claim that criminals are dropping BTC for other cryptocurrencies due to expensive, lengthy transactions. Criminals are apparently preferring more private coins. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase recorded $1 Billion in revenue! The exchange exploded in 2017, so it's no surprise that it's booked such lofty numbers as the interest in cryptocurrencies continues to grow. Moving on and more from Coindesk, regulators gon' regulate as the SEC outlines reasons for reluctance to list cryptocurrency ETF's. Next, Shell has just made its first investment in blockchain with UK startup Applied Blockchain, and we have the pleasure of bringing you a soundbite from CEO Adi Ben-Ari! He explains what Applied Blockchain do, and how it's easy for Developers/Engineers to 'see through' certain crypto projects. Staying with large companies sticking their hands in the blockchain pie, IBM and Maersk form new blockchain company for international cargo which will automate paperwork for shipping across international borders. And lastly, Swift have signed an agreement with 7CSD's to explore blockchain post trade processes. Although no specific details have been leaked, Swift have claimed that the agreement is more exploratory in its nature. One to watch. We also bring you interviews with bitFlyer's CEO and founder Yuzo Kano and COO Andy Bryant, as the largest Japanese cryptocurrency exchange comes to Europe! Please do make sure to listen to the last 2 minutes for some great Orca/Whale related gags as Simon, Colin and the production team are struck by a giggling disease. We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Adi Ben-Ari, Andy Bryant, and Yuzo Kano.Links: Bitcoin Defends $11,000 Mark and Eyes Move Higher - CoinDesk Bitcoin price plummet sees investors swap cryptocurrency for solid gold | London Evening Standard Bitcoin: Crooks Drop Bitcoin for Monero Cryptocurrency | Fortune Bitcoin broker Coinbase booked $1 billion in revenue last year  - Recode SEC Outlines Reasons for Reluctance to List Cryptocurrency ETFs - CoinDesk Shell just made its first investment in blockchain with UK startup Applied Blockchain | City A.M. IBM, Maersk Form New Blockchain Company for International Cargo Swift Signs Agreement With 7 CSDs to Explore Blockchain for Post-Trade - CoinDesk

On today's show, we just had to start with crypto price bloodbath January has brought. Simon and Colin dissect rumours of centralised exchanges being banned in China & South Korea, as winter comes for crypto markets. Next, Mike Novagratz makes a '$400m bet' attempting to form a giant crypto merchant bank. Novagratz (who went big on both Bitcoin & Ethereum early) had plans for a crypto hedge fund which were cancelled in the past, so it remains to be seen what happens with this project. Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum founder, is another blockchain personality in the news today, who left VC firm Fenbushi Capital. Drama is never far from the cryptocurrency ecosystem and Tron, a Chinese crypto project has been accused of plagiarism with regards to their whitepaper. Translation issue? Or is there more in this story? ICO's were most certainly hot in 2017 and chat app Telegram hopes to raise up to $1.2 billion in an ICO. How will ICO's develop in 2018? The explore what could happen with that regard, but it seems initial coin offerings will still be a prevalent in 2018. Kraking on, Kraken, the world's 5th largest cryptocurrency exchange is back after a troublesome upgrade. Many speculated that some of the upgrades were un-professional with fears surfacing that some money could be lost. Sticking with exchanges, we discuss Binance-the fastest growing 'unicorn' in the crypto-currency world which has now surpassed a $1 billion valuation less than 6 months after launching. Truly extraordinary! Last but not least, we bring you interviews with two Ryan's! We were spoilt today as Ryan Shea came on the show to discuss Blockstack, a new internet for decentralized apps. The second Ryan, Ryan Selkis- came on to discuss his interesting blog titled 'I see You XRP' discussing all things Ripple, XRP and what's happening in the markets. We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Ryan Selkis and Ryan Shea.Links: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, cryptocurrency prices fall on January 16 - Business Insider Michael Novogratz $400 Million Bet: Form Giant Crypto Merchant Bank Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has left VC firm Fenbushi Capital Tron’s Whitepaper is Copied, Plagiarized Telegram plans multi-billion dollar ICO for chat cryptocurrency Kraken Exchange Is Back Online After Troublesome System Upgrade Binance: the fastest profitable unicorn in history?

We begin this week's news by discussing Mark Zuckerberg's interest in decentralisation, as he made it his 'challenge of the year' to study how it could 'fix' Facebook. Speaking of Zuck, XRP (Ripple's crypto-currency) had an incredible run up peaking at over $3.80, making Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen actually wealthier than Mark Zuckerberg for a short period of time. This massive run saw Ripple monetarily become the second largest crypto asset in terms of market cap, so, as you can imagine Simon and Colin discussed the project at great length! Regulators are always a hot topic in the crypto sphere and this week was no different as Texas regulators ordered Bitconnect to cancel their token sale. We also saw Visa drop their cryptocurrency backed debit cards due to violation of operating regulations, which had users scrambling. Tying into 'dropping users', Bittrex, Binance and Bitfinex all halted new user sign ups due to incredible demand. Binance in particular claimed that they were seeing over 250,000 new users a day at one point, this enormous volume evidently reflecting the current rush of retail investors into the crypto space. Could these issues give decentralised exchanges an important role to play in 2018? Next, the Bank of England drops plans for its own cryptocurrency, fearing instability. Government backed cryptocurrencies stories really started surfacing in 2017, and it seems 2018 is no different. Moving on to some stranger news, we discuss Dentacoin- a dentistry based cryptocurrency that shot up 900%. Does this reinforce fears that the crypto market is in bubble territory? As always there's an array of topics we didn't have time to discuss including: Qtum - the next big thing?, Bitcoin Miners Shifting Outside China Amid Clampdown and What crypto didn’t give us in 2017. We also bring you an interview with Nordea's Head of Blockchain and DLT, Ville Sointu. We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guest: Ville Sointu.Links: Mark Zuckerberg’s personal challenge is all about fixing Facebook before it implodes Rise of Bitcoin Competitor Ripple Creates Wealth to Rival Zuckerberg I See You, $XRP BitConnect handed a cease and desist order from Texas Securities Board Bitcoin card providers cancel services with zero notice Binance, Bitfinex, Bittrex Temporarily Say No to New Users Bank Of England Drops Plans For Its Own Cryptocurrency, Fearing Instability Dentacoin: Dental Crypto Bringing Smiles to Investors

Welcome to the very first show of 2018! We kick off the year with a bang, including some of the biggest stories from the holiday season, our predictions for 2018 and an interview with Peter Rizzo, Editor at Coindesk. First up on the first show of 2018 we take a look at Blockchain and crypto predictions for the year to come. Why will this be the year that institutional investors really get involved? Will 2018 be the year that web 3.0 takes off? How will ICOs evolve through 2018, and will pump and dump syndicates come under regulatory scrutiny? Check out Simon's 2018 blog right here. Next, it's fast-becoming a weekly feature, it's the cryptocurrency prices piece. On its 9th birthday, we ask how high Bitcoin can really go? Plus, Ether brings in the new year with a record high, and who are the crypto Billionaires getting rich from Ripple's XRP? Is it really true that nobody has come up with a use case for Blockchain in ten years? And is current technology simply the first stage in a wave of change that will take place over the next 10 to 20 years? 10 points to Colin, who, just two days into 2018, has already nailed one of his predictions for the year. So why has the ECB's Yves Mersch called Bitcoin a major threat to financial stability? Next in the news, we discuss how the US has closed a crypto loophole, and whether this will hit the market. What's up with Revolut? Or rather, what's up with Revolut crypto rates? How do they apply and how do they compare to other options? This week we're also very lucky to hear from Pete Rizzo, Editor at Coindesk, a leading industry news source. Pete explains how Coindesk went about curating 2017's Most Influential list and how they aimed to reach a consensus on the most influential players in DLT in 2017. And we didn't have time to talk about: whether Israel's central bank is considering digital currency; Putin's view on a possible CryptoRouble; and Blockchain's impact on the NHS. Check out the links below for all the stories we've discussed today. Missing out on the conversation? Tweet the show @bchaininsider or to read more about the news stories and have your say visit fintechinsidernews.com.Special Guest: Pete Rizzo.Links: 2018 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Outlook: Expert Blo... | News | Cointelegraph 2018 Blockchain Predictions - Are YOU Ready? - 11:FS Bitcoin: How High Can Bitcoin's Price Go in 2018? | Fortune Over $900: Ether Starts 2018 at All-Time Price High - CoinDesk Meet The Crypto Billionaires Getting Rich From Ripple's XRP Ten years in, nobody has come up with a use for blockchain What you really need to know about Revolut Crypto rates Putin Investigating 'Cryptorouble' as Way to Avoid Western Sanctions John Mann MP: Bitcoin's blockchain technology could have huge impact on how the NHS works Most Influential 2017 Archives - CoinDesk ECB's Yves Mersch Calls Bitcoin a 'Major Threat' to Financial Stability Goldman Sees Crypto, Credit Shadowing Robust 2018 U.S. Economy Cryptocurrency Investors Lose Major Tax Break Under New U.S. Tax Code Israel central bank mulls issuing digital currency for faster payments Hooters Franchisee Surges 41% on Cryptocurrency Rewards Program

As it's the Christmas break we are not here this week! But instead of the usual news overview we're giving you an interview-only special show, featuring Tim Swanson and Somil Goyal from new smart contracts start up Adjoint. Tim and Colin look back at the last year in blockchain and cryptoassets and give their predictions for 2018. Somil tells Colin all about Adjoint and what their first year in industry has looked like and what their plans for growth are in 2018 and the years to come. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all our listeners! We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider and if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes?Special Guests: Somil Goyal and Tim Swanson.

G-Sass is back in France this week but that won't stop him joining Simon for this week's installment of the news show. First up this week, the guys explore the implications of competition in the crypto futures space, as the CME launches its contract to compete with CBOE. Bringing the cryto debate firmly into the mainstream, we discuss the French finance minister's intervention, urging a debate at the G20. Plus, why has Keanu Reeves spoken out over Bitcoin and what does it mean for the future of cryptoassets? Why has Bill Miller's hedge fun put half its money in Bitcoin and what could his strategy be? Plus, has Bitcoin really become the biggest bubble the world has ever seen? The guys also discuss the nature of Bitcoin - is it a commodity? - and is the price totally fictional or is it really related to something? Our very own Pete Townsend, 11:FS Asset Management Lead, joins us this week to break down Vanguard's plan to adopt blockchain technology. We discuss the Gnosis Dutch exchange - do check out the blog post here - and finally, Cardano, the "Ethereum of Japan" has jumped into the top six cryptocurrencies by market cap of USD $12bn. So what's all the fuss about and is it really as secure as bitcoin? And we didn't have time to discuss: Loopring's decentralized exchange and open protocol; HODL - why the only good bitcoin advice is four years old; and, once again, CryptoKitties. And to finish up this week, we bring you interviews with Mark Jeffrey from Guardian Circle and Paul Forrest from MBN Solutions. We hope you enjoy the show and, as ever, don't forget to subscribe. Missing out on the conversation? Tweet the show @bchaininsider or to read more about the news stories and have your say visit fintechinsidernews.com.Special Guests: Mark Jeffrey and Paul Forrest.