Here’s What Is Going On In The World Of Cryptocurrencies Today

BestMeta, the World’s First Blockchain Based Ecosystem for Esports Talent, Launches Today (Gamasutra)
BestMeta, the first cryptocurrency based platform designed for the esports community, is revealed today. BestMeta aims to give the freedom of creative control back to the talent by providing esports personalities, shoutcasters and professional gamers with an unrestricted platform to connect with fans. The pioneering ecosystem offers a sustainable and transparent network for talent and consumers by utilising the power of Blockchain.

Bitcoin Tumbles Below $10,000, Half of Its Peak Value (Engadget.com)
Bitcoin has crashed to as low as $9,500, falling below $10,000 for the first time since November and neatly halving its December 19th peak of $19,000, according to Coinbase. It has declined steadily since CES 2018 started, thanks to reports that South Korea planned to clamp down on the cryptocurrency. If you hedged your bets with Ethereum, Ripple or Dogecoin, then that didn’t help either, as most virtual currencies have fallen precipitously since yesterday.

Copyright: mikkolem / 123RF Stock Photo

Cryptocurrency Crash Sees Suicide Hotline Appear On Reddit Forum, As Bitcoin Price Continues Slide (Newsweek)
Bitcoin and other virtual currencies have nearly halved in value since last month, prompting a popular cryptocurrency forum to offer suicide prevention support to any members who may have been impacted financially by the price crash. The cryptocurrency forum on Reddit, which has almost half a million subscribers, featured a post with links to the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as other suicide and mental health resources for people who live outside the United States.

Private Jet Company Now Accepting Bitcoin And Ethereum (CryptoDaily)
As Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies build their reputation, more and more companies and organisations are taking the leap and accepting digital coinage as payment for their goods and services. Most recent among these is TapJets, a company based in Houston, Texas, that hires private jets to its clients. Already innovators in their field, TapJets have developed an application for their customers to book their private jet instantly over their smartphone or other mobile device, and now have set foot into the altcoin arena, accepting payment in the major digital currencies, Ethereum and Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s Energy Usage is Huge – We Can’t Afford to Ignore It (The Guardian)
Bitcoin’s electricity usage is enormous. In November, the power consumed by the entire bitcoin network was estimated to be higher than that of the Republic of Ireland. Since then, its demands have only grown. It’s now on pace to use just over 42TWh of electricity in a year, placing it ahead of New Zealand and Hungary and just behind Peru, according to estimates from Digiconomist. That’s commensurate with CO2 emissions of 20 megatonnes – or roughly 1m transatlantic flights.