Tag: ETH

RBC Report: Crypto and Blockchain Could Unlock $10 Trillion Market

A research analyst at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) sees cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and decentralization as a potential $10 trillion ecosystem. In a new report released Wednesday, Mitch Steves, an equities analyst with RBC's Capital Markets subsidiary, laid out his bull case for why the future of transactional services will ultimately be decentralized. "While the cryptocurrency space has many risks, the opportunity appears vast with constant technology updates," he wrote. Though startups that enable cryptocurrency protocols to serve as decentralized alternatives to proprietary services or as a means of transmitting remittances have garnered the most interest throughout the ecosystem's formative years, Steves argues that the protocol…

Read more

$10 Million: Ethereum.com Domain Name Up for Sale

Fancy owning the domain name Ethereum.com? Better start counting the pennies. According to Bloomberg, the high-value domain has now been listed for sale on the Uniregistry marketplace for "around $10 million." Commenting on the news, domain investor Ammar Kubba told the news source that cryptocurrency is the "biggest trend" in the domain industry, and that related domains have grown in value "much much faster than other names." Kubba added that, just a few months ago, he paid $800 for the InsideCoins.com domain, and that it had already tripled in value. Ron Jackson, editor and publisher of Domain Name Journal, told Bloomberg that the recent "unfettered euphoria" around cryptocurrencies like…

Read more

Ethereum to ICOs: You’re Doing It Wrong

"Grotesque" might not be the word you'd think ethereum developers would ascribe to today's ICO scene. But that's exactly how some of the platform's ardent supporters described the current state of affairs. At Devcon3 in Cancun, Mexico, last week, developers were decidedly unenthusiastic when approached for thoughts about the new funding method, some going so far as to allege that many projects that use it to raise money are little more than "scams." Even Fabian Vogelstellar, the developer behind the technology standard that helped make ethereum tokens so easy to launch, was keen to join the ranks of ICO critics, echoing remarks made by a colorful cast of…

Read more

Hello Moon: Ethereum Developers Launch Lightweight Dapp Browser

Despite the booming token market based on its technology, ethereum isn't deviating from its stated goal of becoming a "world computer." In a move that showcases developers are still prioritizing the creation of so-called distributed applications (dapps), a new version of Mist, the original browser designed for ethereum apps, made its debut at Devcon today. Demoed at the Cancun conference, Moon, or Mist-light, is a browser-based rewrite of the software meant to perform similar tasks to the desktop version, though in a way that doesn't require downloading. Much like Mist, Moon isn't only a browser, it provides an interface for dapp development. Users can visit an…

Read more

Smarter Bug Bounties? Hydra Codes Creative Solution for Ethereum Theft

Can the right alignment of incentives encourage better blockchain bug reporting? That's the goal of Hydra, a new effort funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and designed by a team of researchers including Lorenz Breidenbach, Phil Daian and Ari Juels from Cornell, and Florian Tramer from Stanford. Announced today at ethereum's annual developer conference, Devcon3, the Hydra project is novel in that its contracts aim to automatically and programmatically offer those who report a bug higher rewards than they'd get if they exploited one. In this way, if a user's smart contract hack would result in a reward of 100 tokens, Hydra would pay…

Read more

Ethereum’s Gavin Wood Is Calling for More ‘Conservative’ Hard Forks

Etheruem's blockchain may now be in the process of upgrading to new software – but that doesn't mean notable developers aren't reflecting on the process that was. For example, while the update appears to have been successful, at least one provider of ethereumsoftware notably struggled with preparations for the rollout. As reported by CoinDesk, UK-based Parity Technologies, used by nearly 25 percent of the network, was beset with bugs through the weekend, a development that spurred speculation about last-minute delays. But while that specter has been avoided, Parity founder and CTO Gavin Wood is now speaking out on the issues, citing the upgrade process as one that is rife with "lessons to…

Read more

Ethereum Startup ConsenSys Hires IBM, Oracle Execs in Expansion Push

New York-based ethereum development startup ConsenSys has revealed a number of new hires, including several IBM employees and the former CEO of South Africa's central securities depository (CSD). ConsenSys announced today that John Wolpert, former global blockchain offering director, will work to advance the startup's product and venture efforts. Monica Singer, who left Strate this summer after working for the CSD since the late 1990s, is set to serve as its "Blockchain Ambassador" with a focus on financial markets. "I am so happy to have joined such an amazing team," Singer said in an emailed statement. Wolpert and Singer are among the twenty hires unveiled today. The startup…

Read more

Bitcoin-Ethereum Atomic Swap Code Now Open Source

A team of cryptocurrency startup developers is open-sourcing technology that enables trustless trading between the bitcoin and ethereum blockchains. Now available on GitHub, the code has already been used to execute what startup Altcoin Exchange claims is the first so-called "atomic swap" between the largest cryptocurrencies by market value. As a result of the release, a now larger community of developers can play around with and build on top of the code. For example, using Altcoin Exchange's tech, developers can lock ether tokens in an ethereum smart contract that specifies the funds will only be sent if an equal amount of bitcoin is sent to a bitcoin address during…

Read more

Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin Co-Authors Plan for Interactive ICO Protocol

A new white paper has been published detailing a potentially transformative protocol for initial coin offerings (ICOs). The protocol, which would seek to produce an "equilibrium" between capped and uncapped token sales, represents a collaborative effort between ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and developer Jason Teutsch, the creator of smart contract scalability project TrueBit. In the white paper, released today, the authors detail a system by which an ICO could respond to the actions of buyers. Specifically, buyers would submit a valuation table via a smart contract that would enable them to make purchases dynamically relative to a real-time valuation. More simply, the new ICO protocol would give buyers the option to withdraw investment…

Read more

Ethereum’s ERC-20 Token Standard Has Been Formalized

The standard that governs how new cryptographic tokens can be launched on top of the ethereum blockchain has been been finalized. Revealed today by the open-source project's developer team, the ERC-20 standard establishes a common set of rules for tokens issued via ethereum smart contracts, and currently serves as the basis for the many tokens that have been released through initial coin offerings (ICOs). The standard has now been formalized on the ethereum GitHub page, meaning that going forward, all tokens built on ethereum should conform to the standard. ERC-20 was previously unenforced, but it had been readily adopted by token developers since its introduction in late 2015. The standard ensures that…

Read more

Jaguar-Backed Blockchain Startup Wants to Trade Tokens for Transport Data

A UK-based startup has announced an ethereum-powered platform aimed to reward users for sharing their transport data. DOVU, which reportedly already has notable investors on board, plans to create a secure environment for individuals and companies to share any data relating to mobility – such as location, distance traveled and weather conditions. According to TechCrunch, the startup has already received an undisclosed amount of funding from InMotion Ventures, an investment arm of automaker Jaguar Land Rover, and Creative England, a fund backed by the U.K. government for the support of creative industries. The data collected will be used to create more efficient services, such as combining "car data with insurance data to…

Read more

Making Sense of Cryptoeconomics

Josh Stark (@0xstark) is a member of Ledger Labs and Blockgeeks Lab, a blockchain co-creation company in Toronto, Canada. In this CoinDesk opinion piece, Stark argues that the term "cryptoeconomics" is widely misunderstood, despite being a crucial concept needed to understand and analyze the blockchain industry. A few months ago Parker Thompson, a well known Silicon Valley VC, tweeted that "the concept of crypto-economics is stupid. It's economics. Inventing your own word is just an excuse to ignore well-understood concepts." The term "cryptoeconomics" causes a lot of confusion and people are often unclear on what it is supposed to mean. The word itself can be misleading, as it suggests that there…

Read more

Nvidia CEO: Cryptocurrencies Are ‘Here to Stay’

Nvidia is riding high on the boom in cryptocurrency mining, according to the graphics card (GPU) manufacturer. Revealed yesterday, the California-based company's second-quarter earnings were up 56 percent year over year, with its GPU division taking in $1.9 billion during the second quarter – a rise of 59 percent compared to the same period in 2016. Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang struck a bullish tone about the prospects for selling to would-be miners, telling VentureBeat: "Cryptocurrency and blockchain are here to stay. Over time, it will become quite large. It is very clear that new currencies will come to market. It’s clear the GPU is fantastic at cryptography. The GPU is…

Read more

Daimler’s €100 Million Ethereum Bond Is Bigger Than Mercedes-Benz

When the manufacturing company behind Mercedes-Benz issued its first blockchain bond last month, it did something that impacts much more than just a single automobile brand. As revealed to CoinDesk, the €100m bond, issued on a private version of the ethereum blockchainsignals the first step in a much larger plan by Daimler AG to explore the technology. But it's the type of bond – called a Schuldschein – that gives the project a truly global scale. Since the financial crisis of 2008, this German version of a private placement has seen an explosion of use around the world, now totaling more than €20bn annually. But while Daimler itself says…

Read more

Asus Announces New Graphics Cards Focused on Cryptocurrency Mining

One of the world's largest technology hardware makers has announced new graphics cards (GPUs) aimed at the cryptocurrency mining market. Taiwan-based manufacturer Asus revaeled the Mining RX 470 and Mining P106, which were designed to handle the energy and heat intensive process of mining. Though not expressly pitched as such, the release is undoubtedly aimed at capturing some of the interest in mining ethereum. Bitcoin mining, by comparison, has evolved to a stage in which application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs, are required to compete. Cryptocurrency mining is a process by which new transaction blocks are added to the distributed network. When this happens, new blockchain tokens are introduced to the system and awarded…

Read more

Power to the User: Accenture & Microsoft Are Changing Identity with Ethereum

Centralized ways of proving identity may soon have an expiration date. A lofty claim, perhaps, but the idea is arguably bolstered by the launch this week of a functioning blockchain prototype this week built by Microsoft and Accenture. The technology could one day allow users to accumulate verified information about their identity in a profile they control. Instead of permanently handing over that information to a university, a healthcare provider or a potential employer, the owner of the identity could choose exactly who gets access to what data – and for how long. The global head of Accenture's capital markets blockchain practice, David Treat, explained in the first live demo…

Read more

How Blockchain Tech Could Move Self-Driving Cars Into the Fast Lane

A future with autonomous vehicles is fast approaching – and with it, the idea that blockchain could connect automobiles and other Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices is getting its fair share of attention. Even though smart houses (where doors, thermostats and appliances are connected to the internet for added functionality) may have seemed more trendy a year ago, blockchain startups are becoming drawn to the potential of connected cars. "Timing is everything," said John Gerryts, co-founder and CEO at Oaken. "Now is the perfect time to begin building this stuff out."   Read more: https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-move-self-driving-cars-fast-lane/  

Read more

Regulating Ethereum? EU Parliament Weighs Blockchain’s Big Issues

"When and how should governments intervene?" With that question, MEP Jakob von Weizsäcker kicked off a session of discussion yesterday held at the European Parliament (EP) and centered on the future of blockchain regulation in the 28-nation economic bloc. The "Spotlight on Blockchain" workshop, hosted jointly by the European Parliament and the European Commission, gathered representatives from across the blockchain sector to discuss use cases and platform security. Part of the program of the Blockchain Observatory, a formal fact-finding initiative launched in April and funded with €500,000, the aim was to cautiously approach the who, what and why of blockchain legislation.   Read more: https://www.coindesk.com/regulating-ethereum-eu-parliament-weighs-blockchains-big-issues/  

Read more

Former Coinbase Engineer Launches Ethereum Search Engine

A former software engineer for cryptocurrency exchange startup Coinbase has launched a new search engine for ethereum, the second largest blockchain platform by market cap. Created by Antonio Juliano, dubbed Weipoint and unveiled in a Medium post, the tool is designed to provide a means to search for, say, a smart contract underlying a particular project or token. Though unrelated, the release comes days after Coinbase itself revealed that it is testing an app called Token, which will act as both wallet and browser for ethereum apps. According to Juliano, Weipoint will eventually act as a decentralized application (or DApp) browser as well, with planned functionality for other ethereum-based resources.  …

Read more

Is $40 the New Floor for Ethereum’s Ether Tokens?

Ether prices have been hovering above $40 per coin as of late, indicating significant support for that price, according to several analysts. Since 22nd March, ether, the cryptocurrency powering the decentralized application platform ethereum, has traded above this particular level. During this time, ether has risen past $50 more than once, reaching as much as $53.78 on 29th March, according to CoinMarketCap. So far this year, the cryptocurrency has increased in value fivefold – from roughly $10 to $50. Amid this continued strength, Joe Lee, founder and CEO of bitcoin derivatives platform Magnr, told CoinDesk that $40 appears to be a price ethereum users are happy with. Charles Hayter, founder and CEO of…

Read more

Building ‘The Blockchain’: Developers Aren’t Giving Up on Big Ambitions

Even as bitcoin's block size debate rages on, enterprising developers are looking beyond the infighting to focus attention on what's ahead.Adem Efe Gencer is one such developer. A research assistant at Cornell University's center for blockchain and cryptocurrencies, he believes blockchain technologies will come to be used on a broad scale to track everything from land records to deeds, fine arts and even precious metals. But as Gencer explained, if we put each each and every asset on its own blockchain, we risk splitting the mining power that secures these transactions and their history. Putting everything on one blockchain, he countered, will lead to cluttering. So, how…

Read more

Decentralized…what does it mean that?

What is a Decentralized Application? What is Bitcoin? Internet users don't have sole control over the data they share on today's websites. Ethereum is unique in that it attempts to wield the blockchain as a way to correct what its designers believe is a problematic part of the internet's design. It's like a “decentralized appstore” where anyone can publish their unstoppable apps (dapps), which unlike today’s apps (think Gmail or Uber) don’t require a middleman to function or to manage a user’s information. Dapps connect users and providers directly. One example is to use this design for a decentralized Twitter that’s resistant to censorship. Once…

Read more

WHAT is CARCO hub?

CARCO is a set of thematic content intended for drivers as well as a wide range of other users. It’s built on social platform interface where users connect, interact and share experiences. A payment system “Carcopay« based on Ethereum blockchain is added to the core of communication interface, which enables payment for individual services within the CARCO system and outside the system with real time conversion of CryptoCurrency to desired currency like USD, EUR, RUB, CNY, JPY etc. In addition to social content, all services that are required by drivers will be available to users and will be possible to use with CarcoBonus. A specific segment of…

Read more