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While the Bitcoin price was on the decline for the second half of 2019, the reality is the crypto asset still roughly doubled in value over the course of the entire year. In fact, there were only two major cryptocurrencies that outperformed Bitcoin in 2019.

On Friday morning, Nexo co-founder Antoni Trenchev told Bloombergs Matt Miller why he thinks the Bitcoin price could continue to rise to the $50,000 mark in 2020.

I think that, very easily, we could see Bitcoin going up to $50,000 by the end of this year, said Trenchev.

Trenchevs Nexo platform allows users to borrow fiat currency against their cryptocurrency holdings. According to Nexos researchers and analysts, a massive rise in the Bitcoin price could occur due to the upcoming halving event. A halving event in Bitcoin is when the amount of Bitcoin generated by the network roughly every ten minutes is cut in half. This event takes place about every four years.

The last time this happened, Bitcoin rallied 4,000%, noted Trenchev.

Trenchev also pointed out that Bitcoin is mostly uncorrelated to the rest of the market, providing asymmetric returns for holders of the cryptocurrency.

Miller pointed out that Bitcoin hasnt grown much as a payment option since he tried to live on the digital currency for a Bloomberg investigative report back in 2012, but Trenchev claimed the main selling point of Bitcoin has evolved over the years.

The initial idea was: Were going to pay for coffees with Bitcoin, said Trenchev. But, obviously, that has failed to materialize. The narrative, now, that is much more persuasive is that Bitcoin is the new gold, and we see confirmation with the turmoil that we have this morning Bitcoin is rallying on par with gold.

Trenchev added that the Bitcoin price would reach the $50,000 level if the crypto asset is able to take hold of 10% of the current gold market. The Nexo co-founder claimed that, eventually, people will only be able to afford to buy satoshis rather than whole Bitcoins for their portfolios.

Members of the cryptocurrency industry are not the only ones who are aware of Bitcoins potential, as members of the United States Congress also envision a world where this technology could have a major impact on society. Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) has said Bitcoin has enormous long term value, while Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) is worried about the cryptocurrencys potential impact on the U.S. dollar as the major reserve currency in the world.

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Why The Bitcoin Price Could Hit $50,000 In 2020 - Forbes

As we turn our calendars to 2020, now is an opportune time to reflect on the year ahead. What does our financial future hold in store? With the S&P 500 booming, its difficult to imagine a shift toward alternative finance, but the landscape could change in a hurry.

Geopolitical and corporate forces are on a collision course, and our financial lives might be upended in an instant. From Chinas exploration of a digital yuan to Facebooks insistence on Libra (its own digital money), the worlds powers are gearing up to seize financial control. The question is, will it work? Simultaneously, legacy digital currenciesespecially the hundreds of cryptos that arose in 2017could fall by the wayside.

With that in mind, here are my predictions for digital money in 2020:

After a rejuvenating 2019, it appears bitcoin is on the rise once more. While its underlying market is virtually inscrutablebillions of dollars shuttle between traders in the black marketthere is one fundamental change on the horizon. Sometime in May, the bitcoin network will automatically reduce its block reward, the money paid to miners who secure the network.

While miners currently receive 12.5 bitcoins (market value: $87,000) for adding each new block of transactions, the network will programmatically adjust to provide a smaller payout, a reward of just 6.25 bitcoins. This reduction, which occurs every 210,000 blocks,is called the halving, or sometimes, the halvening.

The last time this happenedin July 2016, when the reward dropped from 25 bitcoins to 12.5 bitcoinsthe crypto market wasnt nearly as popular. Back then, bitcoin traded in the mid-$600s. Now, though, with greater attention on its contracting issuance rate and finite supply, bitcoins price could rocket up the charts. While some argue the halving is priced in (i.e., everybody knows its going to happen), others suspect the shrinking reward will make buying bitcoin more urgent.

Kicking a project while its down isnt my style. But with so little to show over the last three years, its hard say that ethers market cap ($14 billion) is justified. Arguably, if bitcoin ascends, it might take ether with it.

But if theres any rationality to crypto trading (hint: theres not) then ether should rightfully plunge. Perhaps Im locked into an outdated expectation that ether will be more than digital moneyits creators billed ethereum as a decentralized internet, a place where peer-to-peer platforms could flourish without corporations. From file storage to new-age lenders, ethereum was/is supposed to change everything. Maybe my prediction is colored by my disappointment. But, other than currency, there still isnt a provable use case for ethereumand as long as we have bitcoin, who needs another one? Its time for the market to reflect ethers bland reality.

Continuing with my hard-truths tour, I anticipate that Libra will not launch this yearat least not in anything close to the format Facebook initially promised.Can you even imagine Facebook launching a digital currency in a US election year? If Libra launched and was even remotely tied to election interference, there would be hell to pay.

Libra has already stained Facebooks reputation, showing that the company jumped on the blockchain bandwagon without much planning,and it (briefly) made regulators laser their focus on big tech. If Facebook moves forward, Id expect it to make Libra much less crypto and much more conventional financesomething like a Facebook debit card, not full-blown Facebook money. In my view, its much more likely Facebook will focus its effort on WhatsApp Payand hopefully, warding off fake news.

All right, its time to get bold. While theres been a lot of buzz about Chinas digital money experiments (link in Chinese), Id wager that this is the year when the country will actually release something to the public. The digital currency/electronic payments (DC/EP) plan has been years in the making, and I see little reason why China would continue to wait in the wings.

While I dont expect a complete rollout, China might begin limited tests of the DC/EP, perhaps with corporate partners. As the country makes its push onto the world stage and grapples with possible US sanctions, this centrally-planned effortcould shift the balance of financial power. And its something that few othershave the wherewithal to pull off.

Yes, there are challenges to be ironed out with a digital wallet system, but with the increasing desire for insights into citizen/consumer behavior, a digital currencyissued by and linked to the Peoples Bank of Chinawould provide exactly the leverage the country seeks. My guess would be that this happens in the middle of the year.

The quiet collapse of the blockchain industry hasnt made headlines. But projects are absolutely running out of moneyand patience. How long are programmers and community managers willing to work on something that doesnt ship? Or just doesnt make sense?

In 2020, I think lots of blockchain developersand especially researcherswill return to academia. Likewise, the hangers-on in the marketing machine will move on to the next hot thing. Perhaps cannabis or 5G?

Finally, Ill go out on a limb once more to say, I think the US Securities and Exchange Commission will finally approve a bitcoin exchange-traded fund. Realistically, theres little reason for the agency to hold it up any longer. Concerns about bitcoin market manipulation dont relate nearly enough to the financial product itself. Additionally, it seems, the competition from a bitcoin ETF would probably make private investment vehicles lower their fees.

Bits & Pieces

Please send news, tips, and your predictions to privatekey@qz.com. Todays Private Key was written byMatthew De Silvaand edited byKatie Palmer. Only rich people tell you not to talk about money.

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2020 predictions for bitcoin, Libra, and the digital yuan - Quartz

TEHRAN, IRAN - (ARCHIVE): A file photo dated September 18, 2016 shows Iranian Revolutionary Guards' ... [+] Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani during Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's meeting with Revolutionary Guards, in Tehran, Iran. The U.S. confirmed Thursday that it carried out a strike that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. The strike near Baghdad International Airport killed Soleimani, one of the most powerful commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, vice president of the Hashd al-Shaabi group, or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), local media reported. (Photo by Pool / Iranian Supreme Leader Press Office /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The bitcoin price got a shot in the arm as news came out last night that theU.S. assassinated Qassem Soleimani, head of the feared and formidable Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

As of this writing, the bitcoin price is up 4.74%, approaching $7,400. It is tempting to take this observation and assume that bitcoin will continue to climb as tensions between the two countries continue to ratchet upwards.

All of this feeds the narrative that bitcoin is a safe haven asset.

This may be true, and the price of bitcoin may continue to rise. However, the expected fallout will serve as a defining test of Bitcoins presumptive role as currency of last resort or the final port in the storm.

Soleimani was the Tip of the Iranian Spear

It is hard to overstate the impact of Soleimanis assassination. While few outside of Iran will mourn his passing, there is no denying the level of power and influence that he held in Iran and around the region as a whole.

Aveteran of the devastating decade-long Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, one which most people outside of the region have likely never heard of, Soleimani grew to become a glorified and almost mythical figure within Iran.

By leading the IRGC, he was a central player in virtually every major Iranian action in the region, including defense of the Assad Regime in Syria, securing Iranian influence in Iraq (lest the two countries ever go to war again), or supplying and supporting Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel. Some of his lesser-known activities included backing the Houthi rebels in Yemen and other groups across Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Taking out Soleimani was analogous to the U.S. losing a Secretary of Defense or National Security Advisor.

Map Strait of Hormuz and Persian gulf countries

A Stick of Dynamite into a Tinderbox

With this context, it is unsurprising thatJoe Biden likened the Soleimani assassination to tossing a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox. After all, while the world is surely better without Soleimani, nobody really knows what will happen next. All we do know is that the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameneivowed to take tough revenge against the U.S.

The anticipated response in and of itself should be enough to rattle markets and drive investors toward safe havens. Iranian-backed forces reach as far west as Turkey, south as Yemen, and east as Pakistan. If we take into account cyber or terrorist attacks, the entire world comes into play.

Further complicating the issue is the fact that this drama is playing out during a period of already heightened tensions in the region. U.S-Iranian relations were already poor following President Trumps withdrawal from the 2015 Iranian Nuclear Deal and application of his maximum pressure campaign against the country.

Arab Spring-esque protestshave also broken out across the region in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, and even Iran against causes such as income inequality or political freedom. In fact,Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul MahdiandLebanese Prime Minister Saad Haririboth resigned in recent months in response to their inability to calm the protests.

Plus, there is currently aproxy war playing out in Libyapitting Turkey and the United Nations against Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia, among others.

It is hard to think of a worse time in the region for someone to light a match.

What Comes Next

Iran is unlikely to provoke all-out war against the U.S., as Khamenei and the rest of the leadership in Tehran are well aware that the fighting will largely take place in their home country (Iran does not have conventional military means of reaching the U.S.).

More likely, they are going to leverage their proxies across the region to attack U.S. allies and soft targets as they seek to exact revenge. For instance, they could try a repeat of theirattack on Saudi oil infrastructure in September 2019or disrupt the transit of oil through theStrait of Hormuz(which accounts for 20%) of the global supply.

The U.S. is on heightened alert,is deploying thousands of troops back into the region, and the State Department asked all Americans toleave Iraq immediately.

Map of the Middle East with Saudi Arabia in focus with bullets draped across

Trial By Fire

If there ever was a time for bitcoin and crypto to prove itself, this is it.

Safe havens like bitcoin, gold, and U.S. treasuries are up, while emerging market currencies have seen their biggest fall since September 2019.

These broad trends will likely continue if tensions escalate and people will seek alternatives to preserve their wealth.

However, the story is not this simple.

For the bitcoin price to continue to climb in the face of this instability, it needs to prove its resiliency and relevancy in local market conditions. Put another way, it must demonstrate utility. This means that there need to be on-ramps to the network, consistent Internet access or dense mesh networks, and users must have ways to simultaneously maintain privacy (perhaps from governments), but still find counterparties for commerce. Leigh Cuen fromCoinDeskwrote an excellent piece detailing some of these challenges in emerging markets around the world.

Now, this may be too much to ask of bitcoin right now, as it remains in its infancy, but at the same time it is hard to imagine a better proving ground for crypto.

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U.S. Assassination Of A Major Iranian Official Poses An Unprecedented Test Of Bitcoins Role As A Safe Haven Asset - Forbes

Bitcoin price is climbing with a bullish angle above $7,000 against the US Dollar. BTC is likely to accelerate higher if it clears the $7,260 resistance.

Recently, there was a downside extension in bitcoin below the $7,100 and $7,000 support levels against the US Dollar. BTC price spiked towards the $6,880 support and traded to a new 2020 low at $6,863.

However, the bulls took a stand, resulting in a sharp upward move above the $7,000 resistance. Besides, there was a break above the $7,080 resistance area. More importantly, there was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance near $7,120 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair.

The pair spiked above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $7,530 high to $6,863 low. Though, the upward move was capped by the $7,260 resistance area.

Additionally, the price is facing hurdles near the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $7,530 high to $6,863 low. Bitcoin is currently correcting lower below $7,200.

On the downside, an initial support is near the $7,120 level and the broken trend line. The next major support is near the $7,080 level, below which the price is likely to resume its downtrend.

Conversely, the price might continue to rise above the $7,260 resistance. The next major resistance is near the $7,400 level. An intermediate resistance is the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $7,530 high to $6,863 low.

If the price continues to rise above $7,380 and $7,400, the next stop for the bulls may perhaps be $7,460 and $7,500. Any further gains could lead the price towards the $7,500 resistance area in the coming sessions.

Bitcoin Price

Looking at the chart, bitcoin price is reversing losses above $7,100 and the 100 hourly SMA. If there is another surge above $7,260, it will most likely confirm a trend change and a fresh increase towards $7,500.

Technical indicators:

Hourly MACD The MACD is currently gaining strength in the bullish zone.

Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) The RSI for BTC/USD is now well above the 50 level.

Major Support Levels $7,120 followed by $7,080.

Major Resistance Levels $7,260, $7,380 and $7,460.

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Bitcoin Just Reversed And Its Likely Heading $7,400 - newsBTC

Bitcoin Cash (BCH), a fork of Bitcoin and the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market map, has jumped in price by almost 14 percent within the last 24 hours.

BCH is now trading for right around $220 per coin, roughly a $20 jump from where it stood just yesterdayand a nearly $40 increase compared to two weeks ago.

Perhaps 2020 will prove to be a more positive year for Bitcoin Cash than the second half of 2019. Following a high of nearly $500 per coin during the summer, BCH has been on a steady decline ever since.

In mid-November, for example, the cryptocurrency led the market in terms of losses, along with its close crypto-cousin Bitcoin SV.

Nevertheless, Bitcoin Cash seems to be growing in popularity in regions such as Venezuela, where it is purportedly accepted by more shops and businesses than Bitcoin. So all hope for BCH hodlers isnt lost.

Meanwhile, crypto traders today are seeing green across the board. Bitcoin, for example, is up nearly 6 percent (possibly as a result of todays airstrike in Iran). Ethereum is up around 5 percent and trading at $133 per coin, and Bitcoin SV is up 10 percent and currently worth $102 per coin.

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Bitcoin Cash surges nearly 14 percent to close first week of 2020 - Yahoo Finance

Looking ahead to what we can expect by the new decades end, VC firm Andreessen Horowitz predicts that Bitcoin (BTC) is likely to be central to the monetization mechanisms that future online influencers will use.

In its Dec. 30 vignette of a highly automated future where food is tailored to an individuals microbiome and lifestyle in a roboticized kitchen, and VR and avatars are part and parcel of everyday business workflows Andreessen Horowitz writes that by 2030:

The influencer can reach hundreds of her fans instantaneously. In turn, the fans can get paid instantly for giving this feedback. They can choose to get paid in a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or Libra, or they can choose to get paid in Influencer Coin.

Andreessen Horowitz sees the role of private digital assets like its hypothetical Influencer Coin as being a way for online fans to secure a stake in an influencers rising popularity similar to the way start-up employees participate in their startups growth through equity.

In a less literary take on strategic technology trends for the new decade yet one that overlaps significantly with Andreessen Horowitz in its overall vision ComputerWeekly.com has identified blockchain, hyper-automation and artificial intelligence security as the key drivers of change.

In the future, true blockchain or blockchain complete will have the potential to transform industries, ComputerWeekly contributor Brian Burke wrote on Jan. 2, further predicting that the technology will be fully scalable by 2023.

Blockchain together with complementary technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) will expand the type of participants in decentralized and automated networks, Burke notes.

In the automotive industry, a smart sensor-equipped car could be able to negotiate insurance prices directly and automatically with an insurer using blockchain and IoT, for example.

More broadly, the report points to data privacy measures, increasingly democratized technology and distributed cloud computing as key parallel trends to blockchain in the coming decade.

On the cusp of the new year, ZenGo wallet CEO Ouriel Ohayon tweeted his joke-mode 2020 predictions. Swerving between the mock-apocalyptic and the sarcastic, he wrote:

Bitcoin will crash to sub-1000 USD; all hardware wallets will be hacked; Tron/XRP will become the most important cryptocurrency; Satoshi identity will be revealed and will be disappointing; Trump will stack sats on twitter; Lightning will have glorious adoption.

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Andreessen Horowitz: Bitcoin Will Usher in Influencer Coins by 2030 - Cointelegraph

The previous decade has been interesting from a financial point of view. Primarily the evolution of bitcoin is worth taking into account.

This remains one of the most modern forms of money to be introduced in the past 10 years.

It has to be said that bitcoins evolution has not been without setbacks.

In fact, there have been multiple key periods where bitcoin could have failed easily.

As Brian Armstrong explains, there have been five different bubbles.

Every bubble resulted in a massive bitcoin price decrease, yet the cryptocurrency bounced back fairly quickly.

To most, this is a clear indication of how strong bitcoin really is when it comes under increased scrutiny and pressure.

The bumpy ride of bitcoin has been well-documented by the media as well.

Volatility is the name of the game when getting involved in cryptocurrencies.

Unfortunately, this has also created a major downside for the cryptocurrency industry as a whole.

Many onlookers now view bitcoin and altcoins as speculative investments first and foremost.

However, that is how these assets are used more often than not.

The long-term game for cryptocurrency is still up for debate at this time.

It seems unlikely that the volatility will diminish, although that is not necessarily a bad thing either.

Image(s): Shutterstock.com

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Bitcoin Successfully Overcome 5 Bubbles in the Past Decade - The Merkle Hash

Bitcoin has one flaw: it is too transparent. Thats what Matt Odell, advisor to bitcoin payments company Bottle Pay and prominent bitcoiner, claimed yesterday, in a podcast hosted by Ministry of Nodes co-founder Stephan Livera.

Every problem has a solution, though. In this case, it means accepting the transparency of the Bitcoin blockchain and adapting to it by protecting your own financial privacy. If enough people do this, Odell argued, it could do wonders for the Bitcoin ecosystemand, potentially, its price.

I think Bitcoin becomes more valuable, becomes more resilient and robust long term if individual users practice financial privacy because that is the single biggest vulnerability that Bitcoin has today, he said.

One way of achieving financial privacy is by using mixing services. Mixing is a process where you anonymously swap bitcoin with some other anonymous person, making it harder for anyone trying to keep a birds eye view of the money shifting over the blockchain. But it's not without controversy.

The podcast focused on the relative merits and drawbacks of using mixing services to hide the transaction history of some bitcoin. While they do make it harder for blockchain analytics companies to track what's going on, if you use a mixing service you could be swapping your coins for stolen bitcoin, or bitcoin that had been used to fund a terrorist attack.

The issue had been raised by Trace Mayer, known for leading the proof of keys movementencouraging everyone to take their bitcoin off custodial walletswho had pointed out the downsides of using mixing services in recent interviews.

Odell defended mixing services, arguing they are akin to virtual private networks (VPNs), where individuals swap IP addresses to mask where they are accessing the Internet. Because these projects are to protect the average user, they have to protect all users, he argued. Theres no way to know whats a good user and a bad user. Because as soon as youre able to delineate whats a good user and a bad user, then you have centralization.

While Odell acknowledged that mixing services currently have low volumes, making them less effective, he said this proves people need to use them more frequently. In particular, he said that anyone using centralized exchanges would benefit from using them to counteract the amount of data the exchange is collecting about them.

However, exchanges are legally required to perform know-your-customer protocols on their users, and this can include using blockchain analytics companies to survey their users. Were everyone to start mixing their coins, it could lead to a crackdown by exchanges. Odell said, I think [Mayer] is right in that a lot of these exchanges will start blocking transactions with CoinJoin history. CoinJoin being a popular mixing service.

This could have wider implications for those wishing to look after their own bitcoin, Odell argued. If they say CoinJoin is illegal and youre trying to withdraw from, lets say CashApp, and you withdraw from CashApp, you go through the five hops and then it goes to CoinJoin, are they going to block your account for that? he asked, adding that if they do, that amounts to completely banning self custody.

Despite the drawbacks and a potential clash of heads in the future, Odell maintained that mixing services are key to protecting financial privacy when using Bitcoin. Financial privacy, he said, is the only thing separating ourselves from dystopian governments with the power to financially enslave us.

I look at the world today and I look at all my peers that are using Venmo and PayPal, all these credit cards, all these centralized payment processors and theyre basically exposing their whole lives not only to these companies but also to the governments that theyre affiliated with, he said. If you have an authoritarian come in, theyre going to use that against you.

Time to get those mixers running.

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Opinion: Bitcoins price will go up if everyone does this one thing - Decrypt

I have made a few dollars in BitcoinSV since I started paying to post on blockchain-based apps like Twetch. I have been investigating whether paying to post will shape the future of the social internet. But where can you spend your hard-earned Bitcoin?

With a lot of help from Twitter users @Street5Wall, $DiegoSV, and @BsvDevs, I have found a few places -- from the hundreds of online and physical stores where I can spend my virtual cryptocurrency and turn it into tangible goods. Here is a selection of vendors around the world where you can spend your cryptocurrency.

Adelline is a Korean cosmetics company that sells a range of beauty products and will ship internationally.

Las Vegas, NV-based Shiny Leaf produces skin and hair care products and a range of bath and body products. BitcoinSV is accepted amongst its other payment options.

AGRsicurezza is a business consultant, focusing on health and safety at work, training, and project management services. It accepts BitconSV payments.

Fivebucks is a global marketplace where vendors will design anything from logos to business cards and websites for an agreed fee. You can register your hand cash wallet $ID and transfer the cash over using Bitcoin.

North Greece-based Lord is an online fashion website that sells underwear to individuals and trade. It will accept a wide range of cryptocurrencies.

To invest in cryptocurrencies, the app Abraenables you to buy ad sell currencies, fund your cryptocurrency from your credit card account, or withdraw currencies to an external wallet.

Italia Clickis an international food distributor that embraces technologies such as Bitcoin and uses them to accept payments. In November, it added crypto to its payment options and will accept payment in several different cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin SV, Etherium, and Ripple. I can vouch for the deliciousness of the chocolate!

Crete-based 35North sells extra virgin olive oil from where the 35th parallel north crosses the mountains of Crete. Although its Twitter account states that FIAT and crypto payments are accepted, the online shop only offers the choice to pay by card or PayPal. You will need to make a special request for your crypto to be accepted via the online store.

Hot Hogs BBQ is a food truck in New Hampshire, which gets enthusiastic reviews from customers and won WMUR Best Barbecue in NH 2019. It accepts Bitcoin, dash, BitcoinSV, and Bitcoin cash for your BBQ, but hold fire before hot-footing it over to New Hampshire. Hot Hogs is now closed until the spring.

The Lucky Hot Dog is a food truck in Chicago serving dogs, burgers, beef, and chicken. Payment by Bitcoin, card, or cash.

The Yarron Valley Bottleshop in Australia accepts Bitcoin, amongst other payment methods for drinks. You do need to buy your alcohol in-store instead of online.

RPGStash offers MMORPG services and tradable video game items for Runescape, Fortnite, Tibia, Diablo 2, etc. It accepts Bitcoin as payment.

GamerAll offers skins, keys, and services for games such as Rust, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, Escape from Tarkov, and others. It also sells console and game titles and has over 100 ways to pay, including Bitcoin.

Medical device provider, Premier Medical Inc., has an enthusiastic president who supports Bitcoin payments for its medical products.

UK-based Performance Ticket Printers will print customized tickets for your event or membership organization and will accept cryptocurrency.

GPS Tracker Shop offers vehicle trackers and fleet tracker solutions for business, law enforcement surveillance, and family safety. It accepts BitcoinSV on its online store.

HostingSSi is a provider of web hosting, domains, VPNs, Streaming, and SSL Certificate focused on Venezuela and Latin America. It accepts Bitcoin and Litecoin payments, amongst others.

The Living Room of Satoshi is a crypto payments gateway in Australia that enables you to pay bills.

Lithuania-based Greitai is an online travel site, part of the Otravo group offering online airline tickets, hotels, and car rental searches. It offers cheap flights to England, Ireland, USA, Spain, Italy, France, etc.

There is a graphical map of vendors around the globe who accept Bitcoin and are marked with pushpins on the OnChain BSV/Maps site and the Satoshi Maps site. If you know of any vendors who accept Bitcoin SV, you can add your own marker to the map.

The Cryptwerk website has a list of services and vendors who accept Bitcoin across a range of offerings.

Agora has a marketplace selling Bitcoin related items, amongst others. ClassifiedSV is a Craiglist-like site allowing trading for goods and services using BitcoinSV.

There are many more outlets, and the list is growing daily. Which is your favorite Bitcoin vendor that we should know about?

inn

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From crypto currency to chocolate, where to spend your Bitcoin - ZDNet

2019 has been crucial to the emergence of the crypto-derivatives market. Many industry experts believe that this sector would soon replicate positive figures exhibited by the traditional market as crypto-derivatives become more and more popular with institutional traders and investors continue to jump into the bandwagon.

For a long time, the derivatives space was dominated by players like BitMEX. However, exchanges such as the Malta-based crypto-giant, Binance, have also gained a consistent foothold over the past year. According to Binance Researchs latest report titled, December Markets Overview published on 3 January 2020, Binance Futures have recorded consistent growth.

Source: Binance Research | Volume of Binance BTC/USDT perpetual futures contract and spot market [in USDT million]

The first major spike for both spot as well as Futures volume was noted in October 2019. This was during the same time when Bitcoin witnessed a sharp surge in its price from a low of around $7.4k to $9.6k within 48 hours. The next major high for BTC/USDT perpetual Futures volume was seen in November, a high which coincided with a short-lived price rebound. BTC spot volume, on the other hand, did not post a significant figure, despite a few minor surges since October.

The latest high in BTC/USDT Futures was occasioned with the king coins price rally from $6.6k on 19 December to $7.5k on 23 December.

Source: Binance Research | Volume of Binance ETH/USDT perpetual futures contract and spot market [in USDT million]

ETH/USDT perpetual contract markets displayed a median daily volume of $58.7 million while the spot market exhibited $32.9 million daily volume.

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Bitcoin, Ethereum Futures record stronger volumes than spot on Binance - AMBCrypto