Category Crypto Currency

Blockchain tech enters the energy sector

The realm of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies is expanding exponentially. So much so that regular companies and huge multinationals are now looking towards applying the tech to improve their business operations, increase productivity, and reduce unnecessary expenses. The energy sector is slowly embracing the latest hot tech and oil giant Shell is making moves to integrate blockchain systems into its operations. Foray into energy It was reported this week that London based blockchain startup, Applied Blockchain, has secured investments from Shell Trading International Ltd and Calibrate Partners LLP for minority stakes in the company. The fintech company which was started in 2015 develops blockchain applications focusing on distributed ledger technology and smart contracts. This is its first entry into the energy sector and it already has clients from the telecoms, banking, automotive, manufacturing, and aerospace industries. According to the company website Applied Blockchain founder and CEO, Adi Ben-Ari, said; “Our experience as one of the earliest companies delivering blockchain solutions into production for both start-ups and corporates has provided us with a unique perspective on the value, and challenges, associated with the technology in the real world. The investments and partnerships will accelerate our growth and enable us to deploy our solutions to a truly global business ecosystem.” Energy giants are already embracing the technology and according to a Reuters report a consortium involving BP, Shell, and Statoil is already working on the development of a blockchain based energy commodity trading platform. According to Johan Krebbers, Shell Global Solutions International CTO; “Blockchain applications have huge potential to shake up how we do things in the energy industry from streamlining process, to simplifying how we work with our suppliers and serve our customers. Investing in Applied Blockchain is part of our commitment to use digitalisation to create value in our core business and develop new business models.” Venture capitalists Shell was not the only corporation to invest in the Canary Wharf based blockchain startup. They were joined by venture capitalists Calibrate whose fund manager said; “We believe in the long-term promise and process innovation that blockchain brings and believe Applied Blockchain is strategically positioned to lead in this space. We are particularly excited to partner with Shell and Applied Blockchain to innovate in commodity trading.” Blockchain and crypto solutions will be increasingly sought as companies latch on to the potential that immutable distributed ledger technology can offer. This can only further the already fired up cryptocurrency industry to even higher levels and greater global adoption. The post Blockchain tech enters the energy sector appeared first on NewsBTC.

Bitcoin Price Weekly Analysis – Can BTC/USD Capitalize Further?

Key Points Bitcoin price formed a major bottom at the $9096 low and recovered well against the US Dollar. The BTC/USD pair is currently attempting to settle above two bearish trend lines with resistance at $12,250 on the 4-hours chart (data feed from SimpleFX). The price must settle above the $12800 level to gain upside momentum in the near term. Bitcoin price is gaining momentum above $11,500 against the US Dollar. BTC/USD is trading with a positive bias and it looks set to break the $12,800 resistance. Bitcoin Price Resistance After a major decline, bitcoin price was able to find buyers below the $10,000 level against the US Dollar. A low was formed at $9096 from where an upside recovery was initiated. The price moved higher and was able to trade above the $10,000 resistance. There was a break above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the last decline from the $14,219 high to $9096 low. There are many positive signs on the chart above $11,000. More importantly, the price is above the 50% Fib retracement level of the last decline from the $14,219 high to $9096 low. At the moment, the BTC/USD pair is currently attempting to settle above two bearish trend lines with resistance at $12,250 on the 4-hours chart. It is positive sign above $12,000. However, the pair has to settle above the $12,800 level to gain upside momentum. Moreover, the price should clear the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the last decline from the $14,219 high to $9096 low at $13,010. Overall, it looks like the pair is around a crucial juncture below $13,000. Should bitcoin succeeds in moving above $13,000, there could be more gains in the near term above $15,000. Looking at the technical indicators: 4-hours MACD – The MACD is now slowly moving in the bullish zone. 4-hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI is just above the 50 level and is moving down slowly. Major Support Level – $11,000 Major Resistance Level – $13,000 Charts courtesy – SimpleFX The post Bitcoin Price Weekly Analysis – Can BTC/USD Capitalize Further? appeared first on NewsBTC.

Ethereum Price Weekly Analysis – Can ETH/USD Overcome This?

Key Highlights ETH price is trading nicely above the $1000 level and is moving positively against the US Dollar. There is a monster bearish trend line acting as a resistance at $1150 on the 4-hours chart of ETH/USD (data feed via SimpleFX). The pair has to settle above $1150 and the 100 simple moving average (4-hours) to gain traction. Ethereum price has recovered nicely against the US Dollar and Bitcoin. ETH/USD now has to break the $1150 and $1180 level to gain further momentum. Ethereum Price Resistance There was a slow and steady recovery initiated from the $750 swing low in ETH price against the US Dollar. The price gained traction and was able to move above the $900 resistance level. There was also a break above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the last decline from the $1415 high to $753 low. There are many positive signs on the chart above $1000. However, the price is currently facing a major upside barrier near $1150 and $1180. There is a monster bearish trend line acting as a resistance at $1150 on the 4-hours chart of ETH/USD. The trend line resistance at $1150 is also near the 100 simple moving average (4-hours). Moreover, the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the last decline from the $1415 high to $753 low is at $1162. Therefore, there are many resistances on the upside around the $1150-1180 levels. Once there is a break and close above $1180, there can be more gains in the near term. The next major resistance would be the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the last decline from the $1415 high to $753 low at $1259. On the downside, an initial support is at $1000. However, the most important support is now forming at $900. 4-hours MACD – The MACD is about to move back in the bullish zone. 4-hours RSI – The RSI is currently just above the 50 level. Major Support Level – $1000 Major Resistance Level – $1180 Charts courtesy – SimpleFX The post Ethereum Price Weekly Analysis – Can ETH/USD Overcome This? appeared first on NewsBTC.

Bitcoin Cash Price Weekly Analysis – BCH/USD Facing Uphill Task

Key Points Bitcoin cash price started an upside correction from the $1340 swing low against the US Dollar. There was a break above a major bearish trend line with resistance at $1800 on the 4-hours chart of BCH/USD (data feed from Kraken). The pair is now facing a couple of important resistance levels such as $2200 and $2300. Bitcoin cash price has recovered nicely above $1600 against the US Dollar. BCH/USD must clear the $2200-2300 hurdle for more gains in the near term. Bitcoin Cash Price Resistance This past week, there was a recovery initiated bitcoin cash price from the $1500 swing low against the US Dollar. The price moved higher and was able to trade above the $1700 and $1800 resistance levels. There was also a break above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the last drop from the $2960 high to $1340 low. It opened the doors for more gains and the price was able to move above the $1900 level. During the upside move, there was a break above a major bearish trend line with resistance at $1800 on the 4-hours chart of BCH/USD. It helped buyers in pushing the price toward $2000. However, there is a crucial resistance around the $2200 and $2300 level. Both $2200 and $2300 levels provided support earlier, and now they may act as a resistance. Moreover, the 50% Fib retracement level of the last drop from the $2960 high to $1340 low is around $2150. All these resistances are major barriers for an upside push toward $2500. On the downside, there are a few supports such as $1800. $1600 and $1500. Any downside reaction will most likely find support at $1500. Looking at the technical indicators: 4-hours MACD – The MACD for BCH/USD is slowly moving in the bullish zone. 4-hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Level – $1500 Major Resistance Level – $2200 Charts courtesy – Trading View, Kraken The post Bitcoin Cash Price Weekly Analysis – BCH/USD Facing Uphill Task appeared first on NewsBTC.

WooCommerce Store Owners Will Soon get Another Plugin to Accept Bitcoin Cash

Altcoins often struggle in the retailer adoption department. That is only normal, as most retailers want nothing to do with cryptocurrency. Especially complicated solutions are absolutely unacceptable in this regard. Anyone with an interest in Bitcoin Cash can soon accept such payments through a new WooCommerce extension. It is not the first of such plugins, but more competition can only be considered to be a good thing. Integrating cryptocurrency payments into WooCommerce has become a lot easier in recent years. Various plugins exist to do so when it comes to Bitcoin. For altcoins, there is a bit more work involved in most cases. A new extension for Bitcoin Cash payments will come to market in the next day or so. It offers a lot of functionality for e-commerce store owners to benefit from. There are other plugins which offer similar functionality, though. It never hurts to check out different solutions which try to achieve the same goal. More Ways to Accept Bitcoin Cash Payments This new plugin offers an API to take orders paid in Bitcoin Cash. It works similar to using PayPal or BitPay, as store owners will be notified if the transaction is confirmed. It is possible to set up zero-confirmation transaction times. That is always somewhat risky, but the extension can be fully customized in this regard.. Moreover, the merchant will see all orders in the backend as they are placed in real-time. It is a valuable addition to promote Bitcoin Cash adoption among WooCommerce users. Whether or not a lot of retailers will use this solution, has yet to be determined. There is certainly a lot of positive momentum for Bitcoin Cash as we speak. It’s a cheaper and more efficient form of Bitcoin. Moreover, it is also a rather valuable altcoin, which makes it rather appealing to accept as a payment method. This plugin is seemingly the first which has a native callback for transaction confirmations as well. An interesting development, as improvements like these are always welcome. It would be great to see more merchants experiment with different cryptocurrencies. This ecosystem is about so much more than just Bitcoin or even Bitcoin Cash. With global availability and rather fast payments -in most cases – cryptocurrencies should be preferable compared to payment cards. Right now, that is not the case. Plugins like this one may help turn the tide in the long run, though. An interesting future lies ahead for Bitcoin Cash, that much is certain. Header image courtesy of Shutterstock The post WooCommerce Store Owners Will Soon get Another Plugin to Accept Bitcoin Cash appeared first on NewsBTC.

Lightning Network can Restore Bitcoin’s Former Glory

Bitcoin users all over the world have high expectations for the Lightning Network. This technology is not close to being production ready, though. Several users have conducted some LN tests on the Bitcoin testnet. So far, these tests yield some great results. Low fees and fast transactions are everything Bitcoin doesn’t have right now. It is an interesting development to keep an eye on. It is evident the Lightning Network will spur a lot of debates moving forward. For the Bitcoin ecosystem, scalability has been a big problem for many years. High fees and slow transactions have become the new normal. It is not an ideal situation for the world’s leading cryptocurrency whatsoever. In fact, it has caused a lot of friction in the cryptocurrency industry as a whole. The Lightning Network needs to hit the main net soon rather than later. Lightning Network Tests Yield Positive Results For now, one can test LN functionality on the Bitcoin testnet. It seems the technology delivers on its initial promise. Fast confirmations and extremely low fees are what everyone is looking for. Unfortunately, that is impossible to come by when using regular Bitcoin transactions. It is evident a scaling solution needs to be put in place as soon as possible. Bitcoin used to be rather cheap to use, but things have gone awry some time ago. Hello @lightning! Just made first Lightning payment on Bitcoin testnet. Amazing. confirmed in 2 seconds, paid 0.000001 in fees (would be 1 cent on BTC mainnet). Similar feeling of amazement to the first time I sent a bitcoin years ago. — Michael Landau (@mikeland86) January 19, 2018 It is evident the LN technology will help Bitcoin scale first and foremost. Whether or not it will be too late by then, remains to be seen. Bitcoin has lost a fair bit of its appeal in recent months. There is a growing list of altcoins which are cheaper and faster to use. Litecoin is a good example of how this can be achieved with relative ease. Then again, Bitcoin is still the top cryptocurrency in the world. It is also regaining some of its lost value as we speak, which is a positive sign. What the future holds for Bitcoin, remains to be determined. The Lightning Network can bring much-needed relief to this network in the future. It is unclear when LN will effectively hit the main net, though. These successful trials are a positive sign. Using it in a real-life situation is something else entirely, though. If the Lightning Network fails to fulfill people’s expectations, things will not be pretty whatsoever. Bitcoin won’t disappear, but it’s not the currency people want it to be. Header image courtesy of Shutterstock The post Lightning Network can Restore Bitcoin’s Former Glory appeared first on NewsBTC.

Blockchain is making way for all companies

Everyone has had a genius business idea at some point or another. Most ideas come from looking around and identifying ways life could be made better. That’s the ground-level of creating a successful enterprise. However, as good as an idea may be, there is a lot that needs to be done before it can become a reality. Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Article Several technical and time-consuming steps need to be fulfilled to get a project out of the paper and into the real world. These often require skills and a financial investment that could refrain people from setting up their own company. Can you imagine a world where those things are not a barrier in the way of great innovation? It was bearing those constraints in mind that Titanium Blockchain Infrastructure Services (TBIS) created a solution that will not only revolutionize the Internet but will also change dramatically the way companies operate, and facilitate the creation of new enterprises. Enterprise-oriented solutions Titanium is offering a solution that runs IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) on its own dedicated Ethereum Blockchain. The system allows clients to set up an enterprise level infrastructure from anywhere, through any device. Using an intuitive platform, users can get virtualized routers, firewalls, servers, storage and databases for their companies. Besides being the easiest and quickest way to put together those infrastructures, this is also the most efficient, safest and cheapest solution available for companies. As it runs on the Ethereum Blockchain, the system is immune to DDoS and other address specific attacks. It is also prepared to maximise uptime of all devices, applications and services, by running autonomous “healing” actions when faults are detected. If any device falters, the operation will be transferred to a network of redundant nodes. ICO still going As a way of paying for the services that it supplies, TBIS has created the BAR token, which can be purchased on the ongoing ICO, the first ever to be Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) and Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited. BAR is being sold at an exchange rate that is pegged to the USD value of ETH. The ICO has been launched on Jan. 1, 2018, and it should go on for approximately 60 days unless the hard cap is reached before that time frame. Of the 60 mln BAR that have been created, only 35 mln (60 percent) will be sold. BAR will be a deflationary currency. No more tokens are going to be created in the future and all unsold tokens will be burned. The team The project is being developed by an experienced team of experts in fields like Blockchain Technology, Business Management, and Internet Network Infrastructure Management. Leading it is Michael Stollaire, who is no stranger to the business since he has founded EHI, a technology consultancy specializing in Enterprise Infrastructure Management. Besides his expertise, Mr. Stollaire is bringing with him a strong client portfolio, which includes small and medium enterprises, as well as household names like Apple, Microsoft, Intel, PayPal, or General Electric.

Fire Lotto: An Awesome Blockchain-Based Lottery, Token Presale Underway

Fire Lotto is a revolutionary lottery that uses the Ethereum smart contracts to create a transparent and trustworthy system. The platform offers huge jackpots and fast payouts, greatly benefitting players on the platform. Fire Lotto is a blockchain-based lottery platform that blends new-age technology with tried and tested conventional systems to create a familiar yet superior offering. The platform offers attractive payouts, with a whopping 70% of the funds collected from ticket sales being collected in a prize pool. The initial prize pool has a size of $1 million. The Fire Lotto prize pool is not limited to $1 million and can soon increase by multiple folds, depending on the number of players buying tickets. If there is no winner the end of any draw, the prize pool will be rolled over to the next draw. It will continue until there is a winner. The platform adopts a transparent payout process and the use of Ethereum smart contracts eliminate the possibility of fraud. All winnings will be paid almost instantaneously from the prize pool. How it differs from Other Such Projects The objective of this projective is to create a fair lottery, accessible to anyone in any part of the world. They will ensure that the prize pool is large, and the payouts are fast. The autonomous platform cryptographically stores all the data and records on a public, decentralized blockchain. It implements a Random Number Generation (RNG) method based on Bitcoin decentralized protocol to ensure fool-proof fair interaction on the platform. Details of the Token Sale The token sale will take place in several stages: The private presale started on December 15, 2017, and ended on January 15, 2018. The pre-ICO started from January 15, 2018, and will last until February 15, 2018. The ICO will be launched on March 15, 2018, and end on April 15, 2018. 100 million tokens are to be released by the developers. Of this, 77 million will be offered at the ICO. Important Facts about the Lottery It is a decentralized platform will everything based on ETH smart contracts It will start with 4 lottery games Winnings are paid automatically after every draw The starting price for lottery tickets is $2 More lottery games will be added in future The token symbol is FLOT How does it Work? To participate, users can choose the “draw lottery” or the “instant lottery”. The instant lottery is a wheel of fortune that that has 21 numbers. Bets range from 0.007 ETH upward with coefficients ranging from 2 to 20. If the player guesses correctly, the bet will be multiplied by the chosen coefficient. For draw lottery, there are three types — 5 of 36, 4 of 20, and 6 of 45. Players will get to pick one, buy a ticket, and guess the numbers. The draws take place every 6 hours. The winnings are based on the numbers guessed correctly. More information about Fire Lotto and its ongoing crowdsale is available at – https://firelotto.io/ Media Contact : info@firelotto.com The post Fire Lotto: An Awesome Blockchain-Based Lottery, Token Presale Underway appeared first on NewsBTC.

Drone Saves Two Children from Drowning in Australia

Drone technology has always been intriguing to industry experts and enthusiasts alike. In fact, it seems the idea of using drones in the real world may finally become a lot more appealing in the near future. Over in Australia, two lifeguards have successfully used a drone to rescue two swimmers. It is widely considered to be the world’s first success for this specific technology. It is good to see drones get some positive attention, as most of the media headlines are always rather negative. Drone to the Rescue in Australia When someone starts a discussion on drones, the conversation will eventually turn to mass surveillance at some point. That is not entirely surprising, as most people consider drones to be flying devices with cameras mounted at the bottom. Capturing and recording real-time pictures and videos have become a major appeal as far as these devices are concerned, even though they are also considered to be rather privacy-invasive by the average consumer. It’s not all bad when it comes to drones conducting surveillance, though. In Australia, for example, two young swimmers were recently rescued by a drone. That’s not because the drone hoisted them out of the water, mind you, but the flying device played a critical role in the operation. Two teenagers were seemingly struggling with the current at Lennox Head Beach in New South Wales. After a passerby alerted the lifeguards, they deployed a Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver drone, which comes with an inflatable float for swimmers to cling to. No one ever hopes to have to deploy this technology in a life-or-death situation, but the proof is in the pudding. Thanks to the quick deployment of this float, the two boys were able to be rescued by the lifeguards. In fact, both children managed to swim back to shore with the help of this float, which just goes to show how valuable this technology can be. Both youngsters were extremely exhausted but suffered no injuries, other than getting a good scare. It is good to see the Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver drones making positive headlines in this regard. Sources claim this was a “world first” rescue operation carried out by a drone. Whether that is entirely true may be subject to debate. Regardless, no one can deny that the drone was a key player in ensuring both swimmers made it out of the water alive. It was able to deploy the float far quicker than lifeguards would have been able to reach the swimmers. From that perspective alone, the technology clearly works as advertised. We can only hope it doesn’t have to be deployed too often in the future. Considering that death by drowning is still a very real problem in Australia, these drones can be pivotal in saving more human lives. Australia is a notorious place when it comes to swimming incidents, mainly because people tend to swim outside of the designated areas. When that happens, it only takes one strong current to tug them away from the beach. Swimming against the tide is a very difficult endeavor, even for trained athletes. If such swimmers are not rescued quickly, they will eventually drown. A total of 291 people lost their lives due to drowning between July 2016 and July 2017. For the time being, Westpac’s parent company has not issued any official comments on this incident. It is evident the Little Ripper Lifesaver is an interesting piece of technology which may make a big impact on a global basis. We can only hope to see drones make more positive headlines in this regard. Technology can be useful when it is deployed correctly, rather than used for mass surveillance or political agendas.