Bitcoin Breaches New Milestone by Smashing Past $5,000 Mark

Bitcoin Breaches New Milestone by Smashing Past $5,000 Mark

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Bitcoin surged to a fresh record Thursday as the enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies showed little sign of abating. The world’s largest cryptocurrency rose as much as 8.4 percent and was trading 7.9 percent higher at $5,209 as of 12:34 p.m. in London, resuming gains after a one-day break. As recently as December, bitcoin was trading at less than $1,000 dollars. Bitcoin tumbled below $4,000 last month after China’s central bank banned initial…

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What to Watch for as Wall Street Reports Third-Quarter Results

What to Watch for as Wall Street Reports Third-Quarter Results

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – What to make of the surge in cryptocurrencies? Will the Trump administration’s tax-overhaul proposals find traction anytime soon? The biggest U.S. banks are about to show how much those uncertainties, and the slide in market volatility, affected third-quarter results and the lenders’ outlooks. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. come first, on Thursday. Here are some likely takeaways: Trading Revenue Trading probably dropped from the same period a…

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Global Regulators Play Bitcoin Whack-a-Mole as Demand Explodes

Global Regulators Play Bitcoin Whack-a-Mole as Demand Explodes

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Regulators worldwide are finding that it’s incredibly hard to control the explosive growth of money tied to no nation. Russian President Vladimir Putin is the latest to call for regulation of cryptocurrencies, saying there are “serious risks” they can be used for money laundering or tax evasion. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has called for regulating digital money as securities, while central bank officials vowed to work with prosecutors to block websites…

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Swiss Secrecy Redux? Medieval Zug Bets on a Cryptocurrency Future

Swiss Secrecy Redux? Medieval Zug Bets on a Cryptocurrency Future

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) In May a devastating computer virus called WannaCry locked up the systems of carmakers, train operators, and even hospitals. The hackers demanded users pay to get their data back with the digital currency bitcoin. Some did, and when the cyber extortionists needed to swap tens of thousands of dollars worth of bitcoin in August, they turned toShapeShift, a digital currency exchange based in the lakeside town of Zug, Switzerland. Only part of the money…

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Putin Is Said to Hold First Meeting on Cryptocurrency Rules

Putin Is Said to Hold First Meeting on Cryptocurrency Rules

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – President Vladimir Putin is holding his first meeting with his top finance officials on cryptocurrencies as a debate rages on regulation of the instruments, according to four people with knowledge of the plans. Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina and Finance Minister Anton Siluanovare flying to Sochi to meet with the president and his economic aide, Andrey Belousov, Tuesday, the people said, asking not to be identified before the meeting. A firm decision on whether…

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Bitcoin’s Rise Happened in Shadows of Finance. Now Banks Want In

Bitcoin’s Rise Happened in Shadows of Finance. Now Banks Want In

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – At first, bitcoin was a way to make payments without banks. Now, with more than $100 billion stashed in digital currencies, banks are debating whether and how to get in on the action. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein tweeted Tuesday that his firm is examining the cryptocurrency. Other global investment banks are looking into facilitating trades of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to industry consultants. Bitcoin has surged more than 300…

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`Mind-Boggling’ Math Could Make Blockchain Work for Wall Street

`Mind-Boggling’ Math Could Make Blockchain Work for Wall Street

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – A major breakthrough in cryptography may have solved one of the biggest obstacles to using blockchain technology on Wall Street: keeping transaction data private. Known as a “zero-knowledge proof,” the new code will be included in an October 17 upgrade to the ethereum blockchain, adding a level of encryption that lets trades remain private. Previously, users were able to remain anonymous but transactions were verified by allowing everyone on the network…

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