The United States SOCOM has outlined how it views Bitcoin, admitting to monitoring and tracking transactions. A proposal for a decentralized local dark market has been published aiming to use the blockchain itself to share offers and requests for purchases. T-Mobile Poland installs its own BTM and much more news for March 30.
United States Special Operation Command tracking BTC transactions linked to extremists
The Director of the Transnational Threats Division of the US SOCOM has explained how his organization takes the potential for cryptocurrencies to become a method of funding extremist violent groups very seriously. Speaking in an interview with the Tampa Tribune, Director Joshua Potter outlined the threat he sees Bitcoin as potentially playing.
“Crypto is a different animal. Crypto, or so-called virtual currency, is an electronic statement of value that is difficult to intercept and difficult to identify. It is an emerging technology that U.S. Special Operations Command is looking at very seriously.”
Decentralized dark market proposed using the blockchain as its basis
A user, on the same mailing list previously used by Satoshi Nakamoto to discuss the early details of Bitcoin, has published a proposal for a decentralized dark market based on the blockchain. Consisting of a client and protocol, Drop Zone is designed to connect buyers and sellers within a defined geographical distance.
“Once a buyer finds a good in a defined relative proximity, a secure communication channel is opened between the parties on the Bitcoin test network (‘testnet’). Once negotiations are complete, the buyer sends payment to the seller via the address listed on the Bitcoin mainnet.”
T-Mobile Poland installs a BTM
Teaming up with Bitcoinomat, T-Mobile Poland has installed a BTM in its technology center in Warsaw. The mobile phone network made headlines when it previously allowed bitcoin topups for its mobile customers. The BTM will allow customers to top up their Bitcoin wallets, potentially to buy more phone credit.
Charlie Shrem tweets about heading off to prison
Following his 2014 conviction for “aiding and abetting unlicensed money transmission” Charlie Shrem has tweeted that he is now off to begin his two year prison sentence. The conviction is related to US$1 million of funds that were transferred via his unlicensed BitInstant service to the Silk Road.
Caribbean exchange Bitt raises US$1.5 million to help the region's ‘underbanked’
Raising US$1.5 million from Trinidad and Tobago investment group Avatar Capital, Carribean based exchange Bitt is looking to expand its operation offering currency exchange and remittance services to those without conventional bank accounts. The service claims to be fully compliant with local AML and KYC regulations. Oliver Gale, Bitt’s CFO, said:
“With a team of financial experts, IT network security engineers, cryptographers, and software developers from around the world, as well as banking facilities and asset liquidity spanning many major international fiat currencies, Bitt is poised to become the leading digital currency exchange in the Caribbean region.”
A new Bitcoin ‘Embassy’ announced for Houston Texas
A group called Texas Coinitiative is preparing to launch a bitcoin hub in downtown Houston Texas, aimed at raising awareness of the cryptocurrency and promoting its use among local businesses. The hub also aims to unite the twelve local digital currency startups operating in the city.
“This embassy building in Houston has been provided by Cryptospaces and Bitcoin consulting company FinalHash and it is labelled as an incubator/co-working space dedicated to Bitcoin and technical start ups. The plans are ambitious because in addition to providing a meeting space and facilities, there are plans for a Bitcoin ATM"
First Global Credit seeks to ride the price downturn
Seeking to beat the trend of the bitcoin price tumble we've seen the last few weeks, crypto market trading platform First Global Credit is seeking a new way to make BTC profits whilst waiting for a long term price increase. Allowing users to use the value of their bitcoin as collateral for investing in over 50 international markets such as the FTSE 100, the service allows users a chance to profit even when the BTC price falls. The company is currently running a free to enter competition.
“The Super Bitcoin Trader Competition uses a demonstration version of First Global Credit's Active Trader Service, which accurately simulates a live trading situation. Everyone participating in the competition gets 100 synthetic Bitcoins and access to over 50 fast moving markets using live prices and fee structures. The goal of the competition is to find the most talented trader capable of making the most of their 100 synthetic Bitcoin collateral. The winner of the competition is provided with a fully funded live trading account with 20 BTC worth of trading value to start with.”
ChangeTip adds Disqus to its supported networks
Microtipping service ChangeTip has added Disqus to its network of supported sites. Now users of the service (including the Cointelegraph comments below) can name check and tip other users with ChangeTip’s commands.
“Disqus is ChangeTip's tenth supported network, following the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Google+ (with YouTube), GitHub, Reddit and more. Tipping with ChangeTip has given rise to trends likeTipping Tuesday, in which Bitcoin users introduce non-users to cryptocurrency by sending them friendly micropayments.”
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