Cryptocurrency Electricity Requirements Surpasses Annual Energy Consumption of Few Nations – newsBTC

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

The increasing energy consumption by cryptocurrency mining operations has surpassed the energy requirements of many smaller nations. Read more...

While some continue to praise Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as the beginning of the new world order, there are some who believe that the very digital currencies might spell doom by accelerating global warming. The dissent against Bitcoin and other PoW based cryptocurrencies is fueled by the extent of mining operations. As the mining hardware continues to become more powerful, the mining difficulty rises proportionally to maintain a constant emission of new tokens.

An increase in mining difficulty also means increasing energy requirements. According to reports, the recent rise in Ethereum value has led to an increased interest among the cryptocurrency community members. Many people have taken up Ethereum mining using graphic processors.

The increasing demand for graphics processors has not only caused a scarcity of GPUs in the market. It has, in turn, increased the energy consumption. According to reports, the total energy consumed by the Bitcoin network has risen to 14.54 terawatt hours (TWh) per year. The energy requirement is expected to further grow with the growth of the community.

It puts the total amount of energy required to process each Bitcoin transaction at 163 kWh, equivalent to the amount of energy used by an average household in the United States for five and a half days. A further extrapolation puts the electricity consumption of Bitcoin network to be equivalent to the overall annual energy consumption of Turkmenistan, that ranks 81 in energy consumption ranking on a global scale.

While Bitcoin network takes the first place when it comes to overall energy consumption, Ethereum isnt far behind. According to the report, the total annual electricity requirement for Ethereum mining is equivalent to that of Moldova (with an energy consumption ranking on 120) at 4.69 TWh. Each Ether transaction uses an average of 49 kWh, which is equivalent to one and a half days worth of electricity for an average US household.

The upcoming Bitcoin scalability options and Ethereums impending switch from Proof of Work to Hybrid Proof of Stake algorithm may lead to a significant reduction in the electricity consumption trends.

More here:
Cryptocurrency Electricity Requirements Surpasses Annual Energy Consumption of Few Nations - newsBTC

U.S. CFTC Approves Blockchain Startup LedgerX As Cryptocurrency … – CryptoCoinsNews

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has granted LedgerX LLC registration as a swap execution facility (SEF), making it the first federally regulated SEF allowed to offer clearing services and a trading facility for options based on digital currency for the institutional market.

LedgerX plans to list and clear fully collateralized, physically settled options on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. SEFs operate under the CFTCs regulatory oversight for the trading of swaps.

Following a review of the LedgerX application, the CFTC determined that LedgerX complied with the necessary regulations.

LedgerX also must not list an intended-to-be-cleared swap until it has a clearing agreement with a registered derivative clearing organization, according to the CFTC. LedgerX also must not list a swap not intended to be cleared until it submits revisions of its rulebook and other pertinent materials to provide for the execution of uncleared swaps.

There now are 25 SEFs registered with the CFTC.

Also read: CFTC to discuss blockchain for derivatives, taps LedgerXs Chou as advisor

LedgerX received an investment from Miami International Holdings Inc. (MIH) in December. MIH invested in LedgerXs parent company, Ledger Holdings, and received a 10-year, exclusive global right to license equity or fixed income products related to digital currencies developed by LedgerX and to develop its own equity or fixed income derivatives based on such LedgerX products to be listed on MIAX Options and MIAX PEARL, MIHs second options exchange.

The CFTC previously appointed Paul L. Chou, CEO and founder of LedgerX, as a bitcoin trading expert to its technical advisory committee. The committee advises the CFTC on the impact of technology innovations for the securities market and financial services, along with the regulatory and legislative response to the growing use of technology in the markets. Committee members include representatives of financial intermediaries, traders, futures exchanges, self-regulatory organizations and market participants.

The CFTC officially recognized bitcoin as a commodity in September of 2015 when it took an enforcement action against a bitcoin operator for being unlicensed. That action marked the most significant bitcoin regulatory move in the U.S., along with the New York State BitLicense, also enacted in 2015.

Featured image from Shutterstock.

View original post here:
U.S. CFTC Approves Blockchain Startup LedgerX As Cryptocurrency ... - CryptoCoinsNews

Who is Julian Assange and why have Swedish prosecutors dropped their rape case against the Wikileaks founder? – The Sun

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange has been repeatedly visited by pal Pamela Anderson in the Ecuadorian Embassy in Londonas he prepares to leave after Sweden dropped sexual assault allegations against him.

Heres thelowdown on Assanges efforts to avoid extradition to Sweden and his relationship with former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson.

PA:Press Association

Assange was in Sweden in August 2010 to speak at a conference when he met two women and had sex with them.

They later accused him of rape and molestation and Assange was questioned but never charged over the claims.

On November 20 after he had left the country, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Assanges arrest.

He gave himself up a week later and appeared before a judge in Westminster before being released on bail after his supporters paid 240,000 in cash and sureties.

Legal arguments continued until June 2012, when Swedish prosecutors called for him to be extradited something his lawyers were against in case he was sent to the US.

On June 19, 2012, he fled bail and applied for asylum in Ecuador, through the embassy in Knightsbridge.

The Ecuadorian authorities stated that he could remain as long as he wishes.

Assange was granted asylum in August that year but if he had set foot outside the building, Britain would have deported him to Sweden.

After pursuing the rape allegations for seven years, Swedens director of public prosecutions Marianne Nyhas decided to drop the case because theres no possibility of arresting him in the foreseeable future.

The prosecutor filed a request to the Stockholm District Court to revoke the arrest warrant.

At this point, all possibilities to conduct the investigation are exhausted, said Marianne Ny.

In order to proceed with the case, Julian Assange would have to be formally notified of the criminal suspicions against him.

We cannot expect to receive assistance from Ecuador regarding this.

Therefore the investigation is discontinued.

If he, at a later date, makes himself available, I will be able to decide to resume the investigation immediately.

Shortly after the announcement on May 19 Assange posted a picture of himself smiling on Twitter.

But theMet Police were quick to warn Assange: Well still arrest you.

Scotland Yard said they were obliged to execute an arrest warrant of Assange, which remains outstanding from when he failed to attend Westminster Court on June 29 2012.

Assanges mum Christine has called on Aussie PM Malcom Turnbull to press British authorities to allow her son safe passage to Ecuador.

Twitter / @JulianAssange

The 45-year-old is an Australian native who spearheaded the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks to expose the inner workings of governments, military and trade deals around the world.

Assange is a hacker, freedom of information advocate and a self-confessed political refugee.

He was born in Queensland in 1971 and attended the citys Central university where he studied programming, mathematics and physics.

Assange has a software designer son called Daniel with ex-wife Teresa.

Getty Images

Wikileaks was set up in 2006 to allow whistle-blowers to release anonymous documents.

The site - and Assange - became household names when Chelsea Manning leaked information about the US military.

One of the leaks was a video called Collateral Murder, which showed unarmed Iraqis being gunned down by American helicopters.

Assange has since been involved in the publication of material exposing toxic waste dumping on the ivory coast, Scientology manuals and Guantanamo Bay detention camp procedures.

At one point there were five major films about Wikileaks in development with one, The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch, released in 2013.

Most recently, Wikileaks claimed UK government helped CIA hack Samsung Smart TVs and turn them into "microphones".

It has been reported that TV viewers were stalked by a virus in their set called the Weeping Angel.

Software was also allegedly developed by the CIA to hack into peoples smartphones, computers and cars.

It claimed the papers dubbed Vault 7 expose how a sinister TV surveillance program was developed by UK and US spy chiefs.

Getty Images

Baywatch star Pamela Anderson whose close friendship with Wikileaks founder Assange has set tongues wagging has visited Assange at the embassy repeatedly.

It comes two weeks after the 49-year-old actress wrote a cringe-worthy online love letter to sexy Assange calling for world leaders to help set him free.

Pamela, 49, was introduced to Assange by Vivienne Westwood in August 2014, and sought advice from him about her animal rights charity.

She has since been pictured entering the building on six occasions.

On Anderson, Assange has said: "Shes an attractive person with an attractive personality and whip smart. Shes no idiot at all, she psychologically very savvy."

Asked if he was in love with Pam, he added: "Well I mean I like her, shes great. Im not gonna go into private details."

In an interview with Australian hosts Kyle and Jackie O Pamela pretty much confirmed their relationship saying: It was never the intention to become romantic.

"It was just to join forces to do something important. Things happen for sure.

In March she published a blog post in which she praised Assange and what he was doing.

She said: "Julian is trying to free the world by educating it. It is a romantic struggle.

"I love him for his."

AP:Associated Press

The Aussie has been visited byLady Gaga, Eric Cantona and Yoko Ono, and several times byPamelaover the past few months.

Assange had to have his internet access cut off to stop him interfering in the US presidential election.

Wikileaks published thousands of emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign in the final weeks of the race for the White House.

Assange defended the publication, denying links with Russia and claims that his website was trying to influence the US vote.

He also has a cat for company, which has its own dedicated Twitter account @EmbassyCat.

-A previous version of this story said that Assange had sex with two men who later accused him of rape. In actual fact they were women. The story was corrected on 10th March.

Read the original here:
Who is Julian Assange and why have Swedish prosecutors dropped their rape case against the Wikileaks founder? - The Sun

Data Center Security: How Cloud Services Keep Your Files Safe – Cloudwards

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

Cloud technology has changed the way we use computers, moving our software and data to the cloud instead of installed on our own devices. We worry less about our files knowing they are stored safely in a data center, encrypted and secure, spread across multiple drives for redundancy.

But what about the data centers themselves? Many people are concerned about privacy ever since Edward Snowden lifted the veil on NSA spying, let alone the threat of cybercrime, so how are cloud services protecting your data?

To answer that question, lets first take a look at what data centers are. You probably imagine a room full of computers and though thats not incorrect, its likely a little different than you might imagine.

Thats one of Googles many data centers. The company is very transparent when it comes to their data centers, revealing as much as they can without compromising security. They have such centers across the world to both ensure redundancy in the case of an outage and also to provide reliable connections to users irrespective of geographical location.

A data center is a centralized location for IT infrastructure, whether privately owned, for a companys internal IT needs, or whether it provides public services and infrastructure, such as Amazons Web Services. As you can imagine, centralizing all this equipment is risky without the proper precautions.

Data centers typically require at least the following to keep data safe:

Environmental controls: these are necessary to keep equipment cool, since a room full of high-powered technology generates an incredible amount of heat. Excess heat can lead to equipment failures and shorten the lifespan of server components.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS): in the event of a power outage, servers and other equipment must keep running to meet the data centers SLA, or service-level agreement. UPS units and backup generators can keep servers running until power is restored.

Security systems: to ensure the security and privacy of customers, data centers employ a wide range of security measures to prevent unauthorized access, including biometric access measures, locked server cages, surveillance systems, multiple forms of identification and some go so far as using mantraps a small room that connects an unsecured area to the secure data center.

Though those first two are worthy of their own respective articles, let us focus on security for now.

Though compiling a full list is practically impossible, these are the most common security measures you can find in any given secure data center.

One of the first lines of defense in any security plan is adequate surveillance. For starters, cameras installed around the perimeter of a data center are used to watch for suspicious activity. Inside, video surveillance acts as a record in the event of a security incident, while metal detectors ensure that hardware is not snuck into or out of the facility.

Most data centers will employ security guards inside the facility, but some such as Google and Apple have security guards that routinely patrol both the interior and exterior of their facilities.

Though it is unlikely that anyone will try and take a data center by storm, some companies arm their guards, further securing the premises.

Data centers are typically one of two styles depending on function and the needed security: single-purpose, or multipurpose. Multipurpose data centers are less secure, as they have other employees on site besides those responsible for the data center itself. They may contain adjacent offices for the business and arent usually used for sensitive data or infrastructure.

Secure data centers are built strictly for the purpose of housing IT infrastructure and are designed accordingly. Typically they are removed from the road, keeping a buffer zone around the site, including crash-proof barriers and security patrols.

Most do not have exterior windows and if they do they are typically made of bulletproof glass. Fire exits open strictly to the outside and there are a limited number of entry points, usually a front entrance and a loading area.

The interior is designed to separate the main data center area from any other rooms, such as a break room, entrance lobby or restrooms. Security increases the closer you get to the heart of the data center, requiring multiple forms of identification or access control.

Only authorized personnel should be allowed in these secured areas, where the servers, routers and other equipment live. To prevent unauthorized individuals from waltzing in and out with customer data or installing malicious hardware, data centers employ a wide array of access controls throughout a data center.

Google, for example, uses custom-designed electronic access cards and the closer you get to the data center floor the more sophisticated the authorization protocols get. The heart of the data center is only accessible via a security corridor that uses multifactor access control with badges and biometrics, with less than one percent of Google employees ever stepping foot inside the data center.

Mantraps are often employed to limit access to authorized individuals and prevent an criminals from tailgating, the practice of following someone closely to gain unauthorized entry to a secure area. Typically, a mantrap is a set of two doors with an airlock in the middle.

Both doors of a mantrap require authentication, such as a biometric lock or keycard, and only one door can open at a time. The area is kept under surveillance so that guards can identify any issues or stop someone from proceeding further.

Scales are used to measure visitors, and are sensitive enough to weigh someone and determine if someone leaving is heavier than they were upon entering, indicating they might be sneaking out stolen hardware. If the scale detects a difference, the door refuses to open and requires a security guard to bypass the locking mechanism.

For sensitive servers and equipment, separate rooms and cages or cabinets are used to segregate sensitive equipment from non-sensitive servers. Companies such as Iron Mountain allow customers to request CCTV cameras in the cage as well as custom fencing materials and other features, if needed.

This is just a few of the many countermeasures employed by data centers. Google goes so far as to build their own custom servers from the ground up, removing unnecessary hardware or features to reduce the attack surface. No one else has the servers that Google uses.

Other data centers may employ similar custom solutions, and dont disclose other security systems or countermeasures they employ to reduce the possibility of compromise. Security is, after all, serious business.

Hacking, malware and spyware are the obvious threats to your data, but few people stop to think of the physical aspect of IT security. Data centers take security to a whole new level. They are costly businesses to run and their entire purpose is to keep IT infrastructure up and running 24/7, secured from any and all possible threats.

Now that you know the measures companies take to protect their servers, you can worry a little less about storing data in the cloud. The biggest weak spot in cloud computing is user errors, so take some time to learn how to create a strong password and learn how to encrypt your data, including texts and emails.

Thank you for reading and please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Originally posted here:
Data Center Security: How Cloud Services Keep Your Files Safe - Cloudwards

The time is now for a public debate over cryptography policy – ZDNet

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

Video: Broaching the security and privacy implications of the data age

Cybersecurity in an IoT and Mobile World

The technology world has spent so much of the past two decades focused on innovation that security has often been an afterthought. Learn how and why it is finally changing.

Last week, the "Five Eyes" nations of Australia, Canada, the UK, the US and New Zealand took part in their annual meeting on counterterrorism, intelligence-sharing and cybersecurity. While cryptography, particularly ways law enforcement could get around it in the interest of fighting crime, was expected to be a major part of the agenda, an official communication issued following the meeting hardly mentions cryptography, and does so in fairly bland, noncommittal terms:

Encryption can severely undermine public safety efforts by impeding lawful access to the content of communications during investigations into serious crimes, including terrorism. To address these issues, we committed to develop our engagement with communications and technology companies to explore shared solutions while upholding cybersecurity and individual rights and freedoms.

This vaguely worded commitment does little to advance an important issue, says Constellation Research VP and principal analyst Steve Wilson. "A genuine crypto policy debate needs to be had, and needs to be seen to be had," Wilson says.

The 1990s saw widespread debate over cryptography, one that didn't really have a winner, Wilson notes. "Most cryptographers said that encryption should be commercially available, that export controls were counterproductive, that government control was futile and that our enemies would roll their own," he says. While these points were not necessarily accepted by governments, there did come a detente whereby access to cryptographic technologies was freed up.

Today the argument has moved to new fronts. In the US, the FBI's demand that Apple create a backdoor allowing access to an alleged terrorist's iPhone prompted strong pushback from the company and public. (The Bureau ultimately hired outside help to crack the phone.)

"There are strong technical arguments that forcing exceptional access mechanisms into encryption algorithms will weaken the systems, making them more vulnerable to criminal attack," Wilson says. "But the arguments are difficult and technical. Most lay people, lawmakers include, continue to harbor naive visions of how encryption works, which leads to presumptions that cyber lock-picking is doable. Backdoors make encryption vulnerable by design and that's a bad thing."

However, civil libertarians and technologists shouldn't reject the governments' desires out of hand, Wilson says. Points to consider:

"I'm not a good enough cryptographer or social scientist to know the answers, but I do know the right people to ask," Wilson says. "I know that we need to ventilate these issues, engage the experts and trust their answers, if we are to move on without too many further distractions."

24/7 Access to Constellation InsightsSubscribe today for unrestricted access to expert analyst views on breaking news.

See more here:
The time is now for a public debate over cryptography policy - ZDNet

Julian Assange Joins Trump’s War on CNN – Bloomberg

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

Convenient timing for Assange to care about privacy.

Julian Assange has had it with CNN. Since July 4, the founder of WikiLeaks has tweeted 14 times in support of Donald Trump's latest battle with the media: Gif-Gate.

Like many controversies in Washington these days, this one involves a tweet. Last week Trump tweeted a gif that portrayed him putting fake wrestling moves on a body with the CNN logo for its head.

Assange's interest in this is all about CNN's response. On July 5, the network's master internet sleuth, Andrew Kaczynski, tracked down the Reddit user who came up with the Trump-CNN wrestling video. But because the maker apologized on the forum, CNN decided not to name him. That said, "CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change."

That last sentence has inspired some pearl clutching among Trump's supporters. The alt-right has accused CNN of blackmailing some poor Reddit user who just likes trolling the media.

Now it should go without saying that this is a very thin reed. According to CNN, the Reddit user voluntarily apologized for the gif and other memes that were racist and anti-Semitic. Also, CNN never threatened to disclose reams of private information on the Reddit user, just his name. But such is the nature of these social media kerfuffles in the age of Trump. Both sides try to maximize grievance. CNN accuses the president of inciting violence. Trump's supporters accuse CNN of mafia tactics.

What's interesting here is how Assange responded. "When Trump goes low CNN goes lower: threatens to dox artist behind CNN head video if he makes fun of them again," he tweeted, referring to the online tactic of posting someone's personal details on the web. For two days, Assange continued along these lines, speculating that CNN may have even violated the law in "censoring" this "artist."

Doxxing, as it's known, usually applies to an online persona who wishes to remain anonymous. But the concept is closely related to the kind of thing Assange himself has been doing since he founded WikiLeaks, publishing the private communications of public figures.

Methinks the WikiLeaker doth protest too much. After all, Assange's organization posted the personal emails of John Podesta, Neera Tanden and other Democrats. And while some of those emails had legitimate news value, most of them didn't. Did the public really have a right to know Podesta's risotto recipe?

The hacked emails WikiLeaks disclosed last year are different from the State Department cables provided to the organization by Chelsea Manning. While some of those cables endangered U.S. government sources in dangerous places, government documents in our republic belong to the people. The same cannot be said for the personal emails of Democratic operatives, who are exercising their right to political participation.

Assange is hardly alone as a participant in this new threat to online privacy. I wrote articles based on the hacked emails WikiLeaks published, as have many other journalists. Anonymous, the online hacker group, has doxxed people before as well. But Assange, as an advocate for radical transparency, has done much to usher in this new era.

And this new era should trouble us. In the 20th century, the state was the greatest threat to the individual's privacy. But in the internet era, where so much of our lives is online, this threat has democratized. Individuals today pose a threat to privacy in a way we used to think was the sole province of the NSA and FBI. At any moment, an email, text or browsing history could be hacked and posted on the web for all to see. In an instant, our private lives can become public.

More recently, foreign governments have become threats to our privacy. Four U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Russia orchestrated a campaign to advantage Trump in the election through hacking and leaking the emails of leading Democrats. The Russians used this tactic in 2014 in combination with their special forces, when RT, the Kremlin-funded network, would post audio recordings of U.S. diplomats.

We are already starting to see imitators. Wall Street Journal reporter Jay Solomon lost his job because emails and texts were leaked to the Associated Press that made it appear that he sought a business relationship with one of his sources. Solomon has said he never entered into such a relationship. On the eve of the Gulf crisis over Qatar, the Emirati ambassador to Washington had his Hotmail account hacked and his emails posted on the web.

Clear thinking from leading voices in business, economics, politics, foreign affairs, culture, and more.

Share the View

None of this is to say that there is not news value to some of these disclosures. It's always a balance. The problem is that people like Assange never cared about this balance until now. For years he believed the public's right to know outweighed the privacy rights of his victims. Today he argues the privacy of an online troll outweighs the public's right to know who exactly is making the memes the president tweets in his war against CNN.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story: Eli Lake at elake1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Philip Gray at philipgray@bloomberg.net

Follow this link:
Julian Assange Joins Trump's War on CNN - Bloomberg

Pamela Anderson stuns in a figure-hugging red dress while paying a visit to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange – AOL

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

Aol.com Editors

Jul 7th 2017 12:43PM

What a babe!

Pamela Anderson looked gorgeous in a Bridget Bardot-inspired ensemble on Thursday while paying a visit to her dear friend WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday.

The 50-year-old supermodel showcased her bombshell curves in a figure-hugging red, plaid dress that hit just above her knees. Pamela made sure to put her best assets on display in the classy, yet sexy, ensemble -- a sweetheart neckline showed off her cleavage while a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps elongated her toned stems.

43 PHOTOS

Pamela Anderson's stylish 2017

See Gallery

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 06: Pamela Anderson seen taking a vegan lunch to her friend Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy on July 6, 2017 in London, England. Pamela was in St Tropez earlier this week opening up her new vegan restaurant, 'La Table du Marche by Pamela'. (Photo by Neil Mockford/GC Images)

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - JUNE 18: Pamela Anderson attends the cocktail party of the 57th Monte Carlo TV Festival at the Monaco Palace on June 18, 2017 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by TV Festival-Olivier Huitel/ PLS Pool/Getty Images)

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - JUNE 16: Pamela Anderson arrives at the Opening Ceremony of the 57th Monte Carlo TV Festival and World premier of Absentia Serie on June 16, 2017 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Tony Barson/FilmMagic)

OLBIA, ITALY - JUNE 17: Pamela Anderson attends The Costa Smeralda Invitational Gala Dinner at Cala di Volpe Hotel - Costa Smeralda on June 17, 2017 in Olbia, Italy. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images for Professional Sports Group)

OLBIA, ITALY - JUNE 17: Pamela Anderson attends The Costa Smeralda Invitational Gala Dinner at Cala di Volpe Hotel - Costa Smeralda on June 17, 2017 in Olbia, Italy. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images for Professional Sports Group)

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JUNE 14: Pamela Anderson attends the Global Gift Gala for The Diana Award, hosted by Earl Spencer at Althorp House on June 14, 2017 in Northampton, England. (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Global Gift Gala)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JUNE 10: Pamela Anderson attends Shepherd Conservation Society's 40th Anniversary Gala For The Oceans at Montage Beverly Hills on June 10, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/WireImage)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JUNE 10: Actress Pamela Anderson attends the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's 40th Anniversary Gala for the oceans at The Montage Hotel of Beverly Hills on June 10, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 10: Pamela Anderson is seen on June 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by GP/Star Max/GC Images)

MARBELLA, SPAIN - MAY 27: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Actress Pamela Anderson attends the official opening of new summer hot spot 'Playa Padre' in Cable Beach on May 27, 2017 in Marbella, Spain. The exclusive beach club offer a new exciting experience to Marbella social scene and is also committed to donating a percentage of its benefits to Casa Global Gift, a social project of the town of Marbella that supports children founded by Maria Bravo. (Photo by fotopress/Getty Images)

MARBELLA, SPAIN - MAY 27: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Pamela Anderson attends the official opening of new summer hot spot 'Playa Padre' in Cable Baach on May 27, 2017 in Marbella, Spain. The exclusive beach club offer a new exciting experience to Marbella social scene and is also committed to donating a percentage of its benefits to Casa Global Gift, a social project of the town of Marbella that supports children founded by Maria Bravo. (Photo by Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images)

MONACO - MAY 26: Actress Pamela Anderson attends the Amber Lounge Fashion Monaco 2017 at Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel on May 26, 2017 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

CAP D'ANTIBES, FRANCE - MAY 23: Pamela Anderson attends the de Grisogono 'Love On The Rocks' party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 23, 2017 in Cap d'Antibes, France. (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images )

CAP D'ANTIBES, FRANCE - MAY 23: Paris Hilton (L) and Pamela Anderson attend the de Grisogono 'Love On The Rocks' party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 23, 2017 in Cap d'Antibes, France. (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images )

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 20: Pamela Anderson attends the '120 Battements Par Minutes (120 Beats Per Minute)' screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Tony Barson/FilmMagic)

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 22: Pamela Anderson attends The Harmonist Party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at on May 22, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 22: Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Castro and Pamela Anderson attend The Harmonist Gala Event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Club Albane on May 22, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 16: Actress Pamela Anderson attends Global Gift Gala 2017 at Hotel George V on May 16, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Laurent Viteur/WireImage)

MIAMI, FL - MAY 13: Pamela Anderson attends the world premiere of Paramount Pictures film 'Baywatch' at South Beach on May 13, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 16: Actress Pamela Anderson attends the 'Global Gift, the Eva Foundation' Gala : Photocall at Hotel George V on May 16, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FL - MAY 13: Pamela Anderson attends Paramount Pictures' World Premiere of 'Baywatch'on May 13, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Pamela Anderson attends the Stella McCartney show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2017/2018 on March 6, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 04: Pamela Anderson arrives at the Vivienne Westwood show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2017/2018 on March 4, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pierre Suu/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Pamela Anderson leaving Sushi Samba restaurant on February 28, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by GORC/GC Images)

HIDE CAPTION

SHOW CAPTION

She pulled back her signature blonde locks into a low bun while barely wearing any makeup. Anderson flashed smile with her retro sunnies hiding most of her face as she walked into the Ecuadorian Embassy.

The former "Baywatch" star has been dodging rumors about her romantic relationship with Assange for the past couple of months, but her most recent visit has raised many eyebrows. The interaction comes just days after she spent time with French footballer Adil Rami. She's remained silent on whether she is seeing Rami romantically, as well.

When Pamela isn't making headlines for her romantic life, she's been turning heads for her fashion. The blonde beauty has stepped out in one show-stopping look after another, and she shows no signs of slowing down!

In particular, Anderson stole the show in several elegant looks at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival back in May. She looked nearly unrecognizable at the "120 Beats Per Minute" premiere in an incredibly unexpected, demure look. Check out the slideshow above for photos of her stylish year!

82 PHOTOS

Pamela Anderson through the years

See Gallery

(Original Caption) Malibu, California: Pamela Anderson at television's Baywatch Celebrities Surfing Event. (Photo by Steve Starr/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

(Original Caption) Malibu, California: Pamela Anderson on the beach during television's Baywatch Celebrities Surfing Event. (Photo by Steve Starr/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson at the Playboy Mansion in Bel Air, California (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 22: Actress Pamela Anderson attends the 35th Annual 'Hollywood Stars Night' Celebrity Baseball Game on August 22, 1992 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

134339 03: Pamela Anderson poses August 25, 1992 on Malibu Beach, CA. Anderson is a model and actress playing a role in the tv show Baywatch. (Photo by Barry King/Liaison)

134339 05: Pamela Anderson poses August 25, 1992 for photographers at Malibu Beach, CA. Anderson is a model and actress playing a role in the tv show Baywatch. (Photo by Barry King/Liaison)

Pamela Anderson (Photo by S. Granitz/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson and son Brandon during Motley Crue Puts Hands in Cement in RockWalk at Guitar Center in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by S. Granitz/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson (Photo by Steve Granitz Archive/WireImage)

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO -- Episode 1268 -- Pictured: (l-r) Actress Pamela Anderson during an interview with host Jay Leno on November 21, 1997 -- (Photo by: Margaret Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson (Photo by Ke.Mazur/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson (Photo by S. Granitz/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson smiling in a scene from the film 'Shooting Star', 1998. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson, 'H a r a l d S c h m i d t - Show'; SAT.1- Show, 100053, Promi, (Photo by Peter Bischoff/Getty Images)

Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson during The 27th Annual American Music Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

01/15/00. Culver City, CA. Pamela Anderson Lee with her kids Brandon & Dylan attending the Mtv's BALL2K a new interactive, futuristic game based on the skills of baseball. Photo by Brenda Chase Online USA Inc.

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO -- Episode 1787 -- Pictured: (l-r) Actress Pamela Anderson during an interview with host Jay Leno on February 28, 2000 -- (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

David LaChapelle, Pamela Anderson and Elizabeth Hurley (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

April 2000: Canadian actor Pamela Anderson Lee smiles as she signs autographs at the Internet World 2000 event, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, April 5-7, 2000. She is wearing a black midriff top and a rhinestone choker. Her armband tattoo of barbed wire is visible. (Photo by Chris Bergman/Fotos International/Getty Images)

E367078 04/04/2000 West Hollywood, CA. Pamela Anderson Lee arrives at Red Herring''s LA launch party held at Chateau Marmont. Photo by Chris Weeks/Liaison

NO BELGIUM, NO FINLAND, NO FRANCE, NO GERMANY, NO GREECE, NO HOLLAND, NO ITALY, NO JAPAN, NO MALAYSIA, NO MEXICO, NO NEW ZEALAND, NO NORWAY, NO POLAND, NO SPAIN, NO SWEDEN. E367170 March 31, 2000. Los Angeles, CA. 'V.I.P.' star Pamela Anderson at Staples Center for the Lakers game. MANDATORY CREDIT: Tom Hauck/Allsport/Online USA, Inc.

Pamela Anderson during Pamela Anderson Lee and Natalie Raitano Pull the Switch at the Celebstreet.com Internet World Spring 2000 Trade Show Booth at LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC Studios in Los Angeles, Ca., Friday, Sept. 21, 2001. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Kid Rock & Pamela Anderson during 'Spankin New Music Week' on MTV's 'TRL' - November 9, 2001 at MTV's Time Square Studio in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock during PETA Event at Waldorf Astoria in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

Pamela Anderson and sons (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 13: Pamela Anderson & Kid Rock attending the 2001 MTV; Video Music Awards @ Lincoln Center, New York City (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

399369 12: Actress Pamela Lee and Kid Rock attend the 29th Annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium January 9, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 15: Pamela Anderson, National Television Awards 2002, Royal Albert Hall, London (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)

HAWTHORNE, CA - OCTOBER 27: Musician Kid Rock and actress Pamela Anderson attend the American Liver Foundation's S.O.S. ride to raise money for Hepatitis C research on October 27, 2002 in Hawthorne, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson during Pamela Anderson Signs Copies of her New Book 'Star: A Novel' at Barnes and Noble - Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 21: Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson attend Marquee Sundance 2005 Party Friday at Lean Cuisine Lounge in Marquee on January 21, 2005 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chance Yeh /Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson at Motorola Lodge during 2005 Park City - Motorola Lodge in Park City, Utah, United States. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson and David LaChapelle at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 5: Photographer David LaChapelle and actress Pamela Anderson attend the launch party for 'Blue Magazine,' a new luxury lifestyle publication at Concorde Lounge on February 5, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson during MAGIC Marketplace 2005 - Opening Day at The Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 16: Model/actress Pamela Anderson pulls the handle on a slot machine in her name sake at The Palms Resort Casino in on Feburary 16, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Bryan Haraway/Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NY - MAY 19: (L-R) Pamela Anderson, Valentino Garavani and Lindsay Lohan attend Valentino Fragrance Launch 'Valentino V' at the Four Seasons in New York at Four Seasons Restaurant on May 19, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson (Host of Fashion Cares) at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson (Host of Fashion Cares) during 2005 Viva Glam Fashion Cares Sponsored by M.A.C. Cosmetics at Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)

Read the original post:
Pamela Anderson stuns in a figure-hugging red dress while paying a visit to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange - AOL

Killing ‘Cryptocurrency’: Why It’s Time to Retire the Term – CoinDesk – CoinDesk

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

Tim Enneking ismanaging director at Crypto Asset Management, which overseesCrypto Asset Fund, a regulated US cryptocurrency trading fund.

In this opinion piece,Enneking argues thatthe term "cryptocurrencies" is now outdated, and that new terminology is needed to describe the innovationsbeing imagined and built in the blockchain industry.

No, that headline is not a mistake.

Its not the cryptocurrencies themselves that should be killed off, but rather the term (hence the quotation marks). Labeling everything going on in the crypto world (space, ecosystem, universe: pick one) "currencies" is dead, pass, OBE You get the idea.

Two questions logically arise: First, why is the term dead and, second, if it's dead, what should replace it?

As to the first, that's easy. There are two problems with applying the phrase "cryptocurrency" to what's going on in the space traditionally known by that name. First, the "coins" are acting less and less like coins and more and more like something else, perhaps equities.

In fact, for my fund, we divide the cryptocurrency space into "blue chips,""large caps,""mid caps,""small caps,""pennies," ("penny coins" seemed redundant) and "NLT" ("no longer traded").

(Now, before you think I am trying to tout my fund, please realize that we decided to name it "Crypto Asset Fund" for the same reasons as those I'm citing here.For the record, my prior fund was indeed called the "Crypto Currency Fund" so we are following the same evolution as the crypto ecosystem itself.)

Related to this shift is the fact that, when bitcoin was effectively the only game in town, aficionados touted it as a "dollar replacement", or at least a supplement but the target was clearly displacing, to one degree or another, fiat currencies. Now, however, with the emphasis on blockchain, ethereum contracts, Ripple bank transfers, etc, etc, cryptocurrenciesare becoming more a transaction enabler than the transaction itself. Their use as currencies, per se, is clearly decreasing.

So, cryptocurrencies are rapidly migrating away from being a medium of exchange (one of probably the most critical of the purposes of a "currency") into enablers of exchanges.

ICOs, tokens, tethers, exchange lending, the (slowly) growing crypto-derivatives market: all reinforce the strong secular shift of cryptocurrencies to crypto "assets."

Which leads us directly to the second question: What should we call all this stuff?

We have voted with our pens and opted for "assets" a nice, all-encompassing fiat word that is sufficiently vague to cover just about everything that might happen in the crypto space.

Why does this matter? Because perception is reality. If we want to attract more investors and users to the crypto universe, then we need those investors to quickly and easily understand what the space offers. Mislabeling (or, at least, too narrowly labeling) the space doesn't help. The name also inevitably affects how those of us already in the space view it, and ourselves, as well.

Labels matter.

A real-life example: CNBC asked me to appear live on Capital Connection out of Singapore(the interview took place and was broadcast July 5) and to recommend "three cryptocurrencies". I declined to do so, countering with three much more varied investments in the crypto space: one lower risk (whatever that might mean), one moderate risk and one higher risk.

The first is lending (fixed income), the second is a coin (equities) and the third is an ICO (IPO or alts). The italicized terms are the fiat equivalent of these three investments, which, by no coincidence, cover the three "legs" of the typical fiat investment "stool."

So, lets move to a much more accurate characterization of the space, ecosystem, universe, whatever (do I sense another opinion piecein the offing?) and call the sector (!) were working in "crypto assets" or even just "crypto", shall we?

I'd argue it makes much more sense.

Disclosure:CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, whichhas an ownership stake in Ripple.

Funeral candles image via Shutterstock

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk strives to offer an open platform for dialogue and discussion on all things blockchain by encouraging contributed articles. As such, the opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of CoinDesk.

For more details on how you can submit an opinion or analysis article, view our Editorial Collaboration Guide or email [emailprotected].

Here is the original post:
Killing 'Cryptocurrency': Why It's Time to Retire the Term - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

New ICO Promises Mainstream Adoption of Cryptocurrencies – HuffPost

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, while potentially transformative on the macro level, are hard for most people to adopt on the micro-level. Indeed, the opportunities created by Bitcoin and its underlying technologyblockchainare only being used by 8-10 million people (1% of the worlds population), and a significant share of that number comprises government entities, stock exchanges, banks, financial services firms, and startups.

For the large majority of people, the technology is hard to grasp, and the cryptocurrency is difficult to mine given the hard-earned cryptographical skill set needed to mine it. Bitcoin and Ethereum are relatively popular cryptocurrencies, but with new digital wallets with no instruction manuals and no single platform to centralize trading for the everyday consumer, progress towards full integration of the currency in world economies remains slow. Yet, as with many affairs in the world of financial services, there may be hopeand it comes from Switzerland.

Corion, a unified, unregulated, decentralized, mobile cryptocurrency platform operating on the Ethereum Classic blockchain, is underway in its Initial Coin Offering (ICO). The offering, which will close on July 30, will pay out between 3-25% bonus to participants, with early birds earning 0.2% daily during the offering and service providers generating between 5-10x more return on existing 0-2.5% coin supply growth in the medium term.

The ICO gives both service providers and consumers the opportunity to invest in a new cryptocurrency that allows them to help build the Corion ecosystem, a multifunctional platform allowing businesses and individuals to transact between each other on the Corion platform, which provides and hosts secure, convenient, and real-time financial transactions between members using Corion coin.

The main pain point within the overall blockchain environment Corion seeks to alleviate is that the current collection of cryptocurrencies operate in centralized and debt-based contexts. The value of these cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin with its various and controversial hard forks over the last few years, are volatile, with Ethereum being held up as Bitcoins potential yet uncertain successor. Driving such volatility is the scarcity-based value of cryptocurrencywith only so many cryptographers and developers able to mine and distribute it, demand simply isnt part of the equation here. And, with only 1% of the worlds population actively using any such currency right now, theres just not the level of adoption present to transition it from short-term, speculative income for a majority of people.

Corions main goal is to create a blockchain-based, decentralized cryptocurrency ecosystem driving demand based on coin rewards and benchmarking against current fiat currencies. The ecosystem, accessible through the Corion platform, would focus cryptocurrency into mainstream usage, taking it from short-term speculative income to continuous passive income through community management. More, Corion consists of separate smart contracts, implemented in Solidity language for maximum transparency and trust.

Corion has created an ecosystem and suite of services that rival emerging blockchain services offered by bulge-bracket banks like Citi and BNY Mellon, integrating payment, finance, and trading functionalities on its singular mobile platform, accessible by any user. At the same time, Corions developers are working B2B to increase the total user base of all cryptocurrencies, something no company has done until now. This innovative business model encourages cross-currency exchange, and inter-wallet and inter-platform cooperation and synergy.

To facilitate the transition of cryptocurrencies to mainstream use that Corion looks to achieve, the Corion platform features seven unique features to humanize the cryptocurrency experience for the average user. These features include a marketplace that promotes commerce, a stable cryptocurrency to promote mainstream use, a reward system for users based on Schelling points which allows users to grow their coins, a multifunctional wallet that operates as the main interface of the platform, and more.

Currently, the battle for cryptocurrency supremacy is ongoing. Corion enters with high aspirations, and well have to keep watch to see if this innovative platform can change the crypto world.

The Morning Email

Wake up to the day's most important news.

Visit link:
New ICO Promises Mainstream Adoption of Cryptocurrencies - HuffPost

China and Japan Are Largely Responsible for the Current Success of Cryptocurrency – Futurism

Posted on July 8, 2017 by admin

In BriefThe adoption of digital currencies on both the individual andinstitutional level in China and Japan is propellingcryptocurrencies to ever greater heights. However, some are stillskeptical that they are the finance systems of the future due totheir current volatility. China and Japans Crypto Craze

The age of cryptocurrencies is upon us, and two countries in particular have been instrumental in their stratospheric rise: China and Japan.

Cryptocurrencies have become popular in China due to the governments stringent control of the yuan a power they occasionally exercise by artificially devaluing the currency for trading purposes. With private wealth in China growing, affluent individuals have found a more stable and accessible alternative to the yuan in cryptocurrencies.

Additionally, China has an abundance of cheap energy and hardware, which facilitates crypto mining (the process throughwhich new blocks in the blockchain are created and transactions are verified). Chinese exchanges runmining poolsto generate these blocks, and these efforts constitute 60 percent of Bitcoins total hashrate (the speed at which Bitcoin operations are completed).

Japan got its foot in the cryptocurrency door at the beginning of 2017 when the market in China experienced an institutional and systematic crackdown, with the most potent measure being a ban on all cryptocurrency withdrawals. This caused an increase in Japans trading volume, which grew from one percent to as high as six percent.

Cryptocurrency adoption was further amplified by currency turbulence in the country. Quantitive easing lead to extremely low interest rates, which have occasionally even become negative, meaning that it costs an individual to save money. As in China, cryptocurrencies therefore became viewed as a more stable asset than the native currency, so morepeople have chosen to invest and store their money in them.

The final piece in the cryptocurrency success puzzle for both countries is increasing institutional acceptance. In China, this takes the form of the countrys Royal Mint, which has invested resources and money into digitizing the yuan and promoting blockchain technology. Japan, meanwhile, began accepting payments in stores using cryptocurrencies earlier this year, and its three largest banks MUFJ, Mizuho, and SMBC have all backed the countrys largest Bitcoin exchange, bitFlyer.

The enthusiasm with which China and Japan have embraced cryptocurrency systems has contributed totheir worldwide success. Virtual currencies have become more popular and valuable than the vast majority of people could have anticipated upontheir inception around a decade ago. The value of a single bitcoin has risen from roughly $0.00075 to $2,500, and the market cap for all cryptocurrencies has exceed $100 billion.

The success of cryptocurrencies is also reflected in their increasing adoption by formal institutions. Wall Street is making moves to start using cryptocurrency systems by next year, a Swiss town called Zug has begun to accept payments in bitcoins, and the Gemini Trust in New York has been licensed to trade ether.

However, some worrying news concerning cryptocurrencies has emerged as well. Recently, in spite of claims that the systems are highly secure, hacks have lead to personal information being leakedand exchanges have been robbed, one to the tune of$79 million.

In addition, while cryptocurrencies may be more stable assets than the native currency in Japan and China, they are not absolutely stable. In fact, they are currently far from it, and though prices continue to rise, rapid drops are not uncommon, and public opinion can have a major impact on value.

Mark Cuban illustrated the issue perfectly when he took to Twitter to assert that Bitcoin wasnt a currency, its valuation dropped rapidly. Even more recently, Ethereum lost $4 billion worth of market value when a bogus story that its founder, Vitalik Buterin, had died in a car crash was published on 4chan.

Cryptocurrencies are clearly on the rise, and due to their successes, they can no longer be dismissed as a niche monetary system. The pertinent question is will this rise will lead to the worldwide adoption of an entirely new currency and finance system?