Cryptocurrency Malware will Pop Up in ‘Most Unexpected Places’ in 2018, Researchers Say (TheNextWeb.com)
One of the more unfortunate trends that shaped up as a result of the massive blockchain boom last year was the sudden proliferation of crypto-jacking scripts – malware designed to steal your CPU power to surreptitiously mine cryptocurrency. And new research suggests the trend is here to stay in 2018. A study conducted by ad-blocking service AdGuard indicates that so-called crypto-jacking threats will likely continue “to be found in the most unexpected places” over the course of this year. Previous AdGuard research had discovered that there are over 33,000 infected websites on the internet, accumulating a total of one billion visits and over $150,000 in mining rewards.
Ripple Signs Major Deal with Saudia Arabia’s Central Bank (Bitcoinist.com)
Ripple, the third largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has been on a tear lately, and it has now signed a significant deal with Saudi Arabia’s central bank. Ripple Rapidly Gaining Traction: Ripple continues to make inroads into the traditional financial sector. It has recently announced a massive deal with the UAE Exchange and a major partnership with Lianlian International. Additionally, Banco Santander is set to roll out Ripple payments in Q1, and just today came the news that Western Union will begin testing XRP transfers.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Paymium Launches Blockchainio The European Cryptocurrency Trading Platform (Mondovisione.com)
Pioneer in Bitcoin marketplaces, Paymium launches Blockchain.io, the new European cryptocurrency trading platform. Created in 2011, Paymium is also the first “exchange” which is compliant with the requirements of the European regulations on payment service providers. By creating Blockchain.io, Paymium wants to offer new investors a bridge between the different blockchains where exchanges can take place safely and transparently.
New TrickBot Banking Trojan Variant is Targeting Cryptocurrency Exchanges (Siliconangle.com)
Prolific banking trojan TrickBot has taken on a new challenge, with a new variant detected now targeting cryptocurrency exchanges. The new version, detected by IBM Corp.’s X-Force security research team, follows the path of previous variants in using web injections to steal the target asset. But where previously the target asset was only credit card transactions, the new variant also targets bitcoin at the point it’s purchased. “In the normal payment scenario, the user looking to buy coins provides their public Bitcoin wallet address and the amount of bitcoin to purchase,” the researchers explained in a blog post today.
Why Bitcoin and Cryptos Are Surging Again (III.co.uk)
After stalling at around $8,500 and having difficulty breaching resistance at $9,000, bitcoin (BTC) has now surmounted that test to trade sharply higher at $9,700, up 15% in the past week, according to US exchange Coinbase. Fears about the impact of a looming clampdown by regulators around the world on the cryptocurrency sector are clearly dissipating. As was seen in previous regulatory tightening phases, the fears, first greeted by selling, come to be reinterpreted as positive developments for a maturing marketplace that needs to broaden its base of investors, as it seeks to attract mainstream retail investors and institutional buyers.
Coinbase Launches Bitcoin Tool for Shops and Businesses to Accept Cryptocurrency Payments (CityAM.com)
Having trouble spending your bitcoin? Despite the cryptocurrency boom, using it to pay for goods is far from mainstream. But there’s one startup that is looking to change that. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has launched a new tool to make it easier for shops and other businesses to accept payments directly in bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin and more. “Coinbase Commerce is a new service that enables merchants to accept multiple cryptocurrencies directly into a user-controlled wallet. Our mission at Coinbase is to create an open financial system, so we’ve designed this solution to serve merchants worldwide,” the company said in an update.
Surging Litecoin Is Leading the Crypto Price Recovery (CoinDesk.com)
The crypto market recovery is looking stronger by the day, and litecoin is leading the way. As of writing, the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies stands at $466 billion – its highest level since Feb. 2, and a 68 percent rise from the low of $276 billion seen on Feb. 6. The sharp recovery could be associated with chart factors (oversold conditions) and the U.S. Senate’s cautiously optimistic response to calls for stricter regulations, or it could indicate the markets have digested the negative news flow out of China and South Korea.
Edge Launches Multi-asset Wallet with SegWit Support for Bitcoin and Litecoin (EconoTimes.com)
Cryptocurrency wallet provider Edge has announced that its multi-asset wallet is now available for download on iOS and Android. Previously Airbitz, Edge said that the launch is the result of over a year of intense development and follows over three months in a limited release beta. Similar to the Airbitz Wallet, the Edge Wallet utilizes the company’s open source “Edge Security” architecture. According to the official release, Edge ships with native support for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Augur REP, and Wings tokens. It also includes support for Segregated Witness (SegWit) transactions for both Bitcoin and Litecoin.
Russia’s First Blockchain School Launches in Moscow (Cryptovest.com)
Russia has its first blockchain school, with classes scheduled to begin next month. The establishment will focus on the technical aspects of the Ethereum blockchain. The first blockchain school in Russia has opened in Moscow’s Phystechpark, a tech hub for human capital and business development. The course program will focus on the technical aspects of blockchain rather than business-related elements and use cases. The first lesson will be held on March 1, 2018.
Tether is Minting Ethereum-Based Tokens (FinanceMagnates.com)
Tether has been facing a lot of criticism due to its opaque business model. Yet, without clarifying the present issues with its currency chest, the company is releasing new tokens pegged to the US dollar and the Euro. The freshly minted tokens accumulated in two Ethereum wallets and are supposedly intended to boost the trading services on the Ethfinix platform.
Marathon Patent Group Expands Cryptocurrency Mining Operations with Opening of Second Facility in Canada (Globenewswire.com)
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:MARA) (“Marathon” or the “Company”), today announced that the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary Marathon Crypto Mining, Inc., has executed a lease for 26,700 square feet of a 48,600 square foot purpose-built facility in Quebec. As our operations grow, we have the option to lease the entire building. The facility is expected to be completed by month end when the Company anticipates putting its recently purchased 1,400 Bitmain’s Antminer S9 miners (“Antminer S9s”) into production.
