Ukraine to Set Up Working Group on Cryptocurrency Regulation (Cryptovest.com)
The government of Ukraine is forming a working group which will be tasked with developing proposals for cryptocurrency regulation. As per a statement issued by the government, the formation of the working group was proposed at a meeting of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center. Meeting attendees noted that there were multiple problems associated with the unregulated circulation of digital currencies in Ukraine. The decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, coupled with their anonymity and the lack of both external and internal regulation, meant that they could be used in potentially illicit activities, such as the purchase of drugs and weapons, and terrorism financing (especially in occupied territories).
Bitcoin Price LIVE: Ripple Returns to $2 as Bitcoin Suffers Electric SHOCK (Express.co.uk)
After threats of a ban in South Korea, problems at the Microsoft store and news that Ripple signed a partnership with rival ripple, it has been a week to forget for bitcoin. However… “Lightning will mark the biggest ever change to bitcoin’s workings and use potential,” read more here. The coin price is down at $13,866 (£10,142). Ethereum is $1,281 (£937). Ripple is at $2.08.
New Data Shows Coinbase May Be Spamming The Bitcoin Network (Bitcoinist.com)
As the company continues to suffer technical outages due to high demand, its effect on the Bitcoin mempool has become the source of renewed calls for SegWit as a priority. “You need to batch your outgoing transactions,” Twitter user Civ Ekonom wrote in response to Coinbase’s latest reported system breakdown. You are ALONE spamming the network. If you would use segwit and batch all outgoing transactions the mempool would be EMPTY.
Japan Has A New Cryptocurrency-Themed J-Pop Band (The Verge)
If you prefer your J-pop bands to be a little bit more blockchain-y, we’ve got some great news! A new J-pop girl group from Japan is capitalizing on the recent hype surrounding bitcoin and singing about cryptocurrencies, as spotted by Quartz. The group’s name is Kasotsuka Shojo, which translates as Virtual Currency Girls. Each one of the eight members represents a different cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Cardano. The women are outfitted in maid dresses and lucha libre-style masks that denote the currency they represent.
No Cryptocurrency Ban: South Korea Backtracks After Wave of Criticism (RT.com)
There will be no cryptocurrency trading ban in the short-term in South Korea, the Finance Ministry said on Friday. The announcement contradicts an earlier statement from the Ministry of Justice, which had prompted a mass sell-off. “All government ministries agree on the need for a government response to an overheating in cryptocurrency speculation and for a degree of regulation,” FInance Minister Kim Dong-yeon told reporters, as quoted by the news agency Yonhap. “The issue of banning exchanges that the justice minister talked about yesterday is a proposal by the Justice Ministry and it needs more coordination among ministries,” Kim added.
