Survey: Bitcoin Investors Won't Sell Until Price Nears $200k
https://www.coindesk.com/survey-plurality-of-bitcoin-users-think-it-can-change-world/

New survey data highlights the ideological – and economic – factors driving some investors to purchase bitcoin.

YouTube Stars Can Now Earn Brave's Browser Tokens
https://www.coindesk.com/youtube-brave-browser-earn-bat-tokens/

The ad-blocking browser provides YouTubers with an alternative monetization strategy in a year of aggravation with the video site's ad-killing bots.

Japan Blasts Crypto Exchange Execs in First-Ever License Rejection

https://www.coindesk.com/japan-blasts-crypto-exchange-execs-first-ever-license-rejection/

'Dungeon Defenders' Game Maker to Integrate Blockchain In Sequel

https://www.coindesk.com/dungeon-defenders-creator-will-integrate-blockchain-in-its-sequel/

'Just Beware' Is All Jamie Dimon Will Say About Bitcoin

https://www.coindesk.com/just-beware-jamie-dimon-will-say-bitcoin/

SEC Chairman: Cryptocurrencies Like Bitcoin Are Not Securities, but Most ICOs Are
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/sec-chairman-cryptocurrencies-bitcoin-are-not-securities-most-icos-are/

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Jay Clayton states that the SEC will not be bending the rules anytime soon when it comes to cryptocurrencies and that while bitcoin remains a commodity (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/06/06/sec-chairman-cryptocurrencies-like-bitcoin--not-securities.html), all initial coin offering (ICO) tokens — or coins offered through a fundraising process — classify as securities.
“We are not going to do any violence to the traditional definition of a security that has worked for a long time,” he explained to CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/06/sec-chairman-clayton-says-agency-wont-change-definition-of-a-security.html). “There’s no need to change the definition. A token, a digital asset, where I give you my money and you go off and make a venture, and in return for giving you my money I say ‘you can get a return’[;] that is a security and we can regulate that. We regulate the offering of that security and regulate the trading of that security.” The fight has been ongoing since April of this year, when the Venture Capital Working Group (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/venture-capital-working-group-seeks-select-cryptocurrency-safe-harbor/) — an association of lawyers, traders and crypto enthusiasts alike — gathered to meet with the SEC and assist regulators in viewing virtual currencies as “utility tokens” rather than securities. Utility tokens often garner more practical uses than securities and allow customers direct access to a company’s products or services. While utilities are generally exempt from SEC rules, securities, on the other hand, often represent stakes in a company’s offerings. Users can garner capital or profit by investing in securities, which makes them subject to strict regulatory scrutiny. One of the biggest questions crypto-investors have had is whether ether — the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency — would fall under this category. In its earliest days, ether (https://coincenter.org/entry/no-ether-is-not-a-security)was originally offered (https://coincenter.org/entry/no-ether-is-not-a-security) as a presale (now ICO) token, but it has since become highly decentralized, which could potentially bar it from “security status.” Clayton says that contrary to popular belief, the SEC is willing to assist ICOs to enter a plane of legitimacy, granted their organizers are willing to comply with the organization’s rules. “If you have an ICO or a stock, and you want to sell it in a private placement, follow the private placement rules,” he explained. “If you want to do any IPO with a token, come see us.” Nigel Greene — CEO and founder of the investment firm deVere Group — says Clayton’s stance on ICOs and cryptocurrencies is a positive sign (http://www.securitieslendingtimes.com/securitieslendingnews/industryarticle.php?article_id=222181) that digital assets are becoming more mainstream. “The SEC is right to insist that the digital coins, such as bitcoin, which are replacement for sovereign currencies, such as the dollar, sterling, yen and euro, are not securities,” he said. “I believe the SEC is also right that tokens — which [Clayton] did not name — that act as digital assets are securities. This clarification by the SEC removes some of the uncertainty that has been swirling around the crypto sector and serves to strengthen the overall proposition of many major cryptocurrencies. The SEC’s invaluable and far-sighted work in this area once again highlights how many governments, central banks and regulators around the world are all now recognizing the scale and potential of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.”



This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/).

Jason Attar Takes Cryptocurrency to the Big Screen in New Mockumentary
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/jason-attar-takes-cryptocurrency-big-screen-new-mockumentary/

Shot over 35 days on the streets of Peckham in the U.K., KevCoin: The Movie is filmed in a mockumentary style, with many real people playing themselves and being co-opted into the film. The plot centers around Kevin Powder as he attempts to build his own cryptocurrency, which he can use to fund his latest movie idea and boost its reputation.Attar told Bitcoin Magazine,  “This is the second of three films. We want the next film to be shot in Detroit, where Kevin finds real people to create the world’s biggest crypto-party to end all parties. We will only do this if we find suitable cash resources to film the project. Ideally, the funds will come from how we develop KevCoin in the future, and possibly doing some kind of fundraising involving our token.”Indeed, lead actor Attar is already looking ahead to the next movie in the series. “We do, in fact, have one very strong idea around this already, and depending on the success of this project, we could possibly start this next phase in 2019. It is all dependent on making KevCoin: The Movie work and learning from it. We’re merely experimenting at this point, but we will start to firm up our plans in the near future for a platform that connects audiences to independent films in a social way.”KevCoin: The MovieThe story begins when Kevin’s girlfriend, Bianca, finally breaks it off after months of instability. Finding himself in between homes and looking to start fresh, Kevin gets his hands on a small camper van and heads out to the nearby city of Peckham, a gritty southeast region of London stuffed with nightclubs, bars and other seedy hangouts. During this time, Kevin decides to take his love of science fiction to a new level by creating his own fantasy film, which he’ll call The Day Peckham Stood Still. Unfortunately, the movie industry is tougher than it looks, and not everyone’s enthused by his idea, leaving Kevin to find a new route to fund his project. It isn’t long before he gets the idea to build a trillion-dollar token — a path that bears more foul-ups than fortune. The focus of the film is KevCoin, a real cryptocurrency built on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC20 token. The film’s premiere is set for Wednesday, June 27, 2018, in London, after which it will be released directly to the crypto community the following day. Those interested in seeing the film can visit kevcointhemovie.com (http://kevcointhemovie.com/) to view a live stream. Audiences can also download and keep the film for $5. Fiat and crypto (naturally) are accepted, and each purchase entitles the buyer to roughly 5,000 KevCoins. Visitors will also have access to film-related merchandise that they can purchase to garner more tokens, thus theoretically boosting its appeal and establishing it as a real-world virtual asset.Creating a Social Filmmaking Network via Crypto Attar has been performing in improvised comedy for over two decades. His big-screen debut came three years ago with the release of his film One Night in Powder, though Attar has numerous television credits to his name including Marshal’s Law and Spaced. He’s been intrigued by cryptocurrency ever since his first bitcoin purchase from a hacker at a London railway, and he believes it can empower the film industry in ways traditional financing and crowdfunding can’t.“This is just the start of the crypto revolution,” said Attar. “There is still so much space within this environment to try new things. We know there are already entertainment-based tokens vying for space, but we feel we might be able to develop a social filmmaking network via crypto and the blockchain.“We think the idea that you involve the audience at the earliest opportunity in the filmmaking process leads to the audience feeling they have a real stake in the project, and thus they become advocates and part of the journey.”





https://vimeo.com/272752823

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/).

NYDFS Chief Defends State Regulator's Crypto Approach

https://www.coindesk.com/nydfs-chief-defends-state-regulators-crypto-approach/

Putin: Russia Should Explore Blockchain to Avoid Finance 'Limitations'

https://www.coindesk.com/putin-russia-explore-blockchain-avoid-finance-limitations/

Cryptomining Applications Suspended in Quebec
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/cryptomining-applications-suspended-quebec/

Canada’s Quebec province has announced that it will be suspending all approvals (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-quebec-halts-cryptocurrency-mining-projects-as-it-considers/) for new digital currency-mining projects so officials can consider deeper restrictions and potential energy price hikes.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency-mining operations in Canada are largely powered by Hydro Quebec. Representatives of the company are asking that the total amount of energy made available to digital currency miners be limited to 500 megawatts. While this is enough energy to run a “single aluminum smelting plant,” it’s a small portion of the 17,000 megawatts miners in Quebec originally asked for.The enterprise is also asking for respective price increases on all energy consumed by cryptocurrency miners. This is to guarantee that Hydro Quebec maximizes its annual revenue while being able to maintain present power rates for residents and standard businesses.In a statement (https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/canada-quebec-province-halts-crypto-mining-projects-reuters-201806071656), Hydro Quebec Distribution President Eric Filion explained, “We are asking the province’s energy board to quickly determine how much it should charge digital currency miners, and how much energy should be allocated to the industry while addressing the need to maximize revenues and job creation.”Since early January, Canada has been a serious hotspot for cryptocurrency (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-bitcoin-quebec/canadas-hydro-quebec-unable-to-meet-demand-from-digital-currency-miners-idUSKBN1F82QH) mining projects from China, South Korea and neighboring regions looking to take advantage (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/energy-company-hydro-quebec-looks-attract-bitcoin-miners/) of the country’s low energy prices and stable government. According to spokesman Marc-Antoine Pouliot, many of these miners are rewarded with the energy they need to mine digital currencies in exchange for investing in Hydro Quebec’s transmission network, thus boosting the company’s reputation and position in Canada’s power sector.But problems are forming on the horizon. Hydro Quebec now says it doesn’t have the energy sources it needs to power every project that comes its way.“We won’t be able to power all the projects that we’re receiving,” Pouliot explains. “This is evolving very rapidly, so we have to be prudent.”While turning away potential business is a hard decision, Pouliot says Quebec’s energy ministry needs time to examine the situation and set new roles for the industry before things get out of hand. Minister Pierre Moreau states that the province now aims to establish new guidelines that (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-bitcoin-quebec/canadas-quebec-halts-crypto-mining-projects-may-raise-fees-idUSKCN1J31Q5) will bring in the “best among the companies” and push Canada to the head of the cryptomarketing arena.The decision to halt new approvals arrives just one week after Quebec (https://bcfocus.com/news/quebec-govt-to-lift-moratorium-on-energy-sale-to-cryptocurrency-miners/10800/) lifted a moratorium that banned energy companies from supplying electricity to cryptocurrency-mining projects. The ban was first implemented in March, though Canada later expressed concern over “missing the boat” on crypto and decided it would work with mining companies if they could set different energy prices for miners and cut off electricity to their operations once the power grid was stretched to the maximum capacity.Pouliot stated, “Having interruptible customers during these critical periods makes it possible to connect more. [Hydro Quebec’s mandate] is to ensure the implementation of cryptocurrencies in Quebec by maximizing economic benefits and ensuring the stability of our electricity supply.”



This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/).

Bitcoin Miner Aspires to Launch Largest Crypto Mining Facility in the U.S.
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/bitcoin-miner-aspires-launch-largest-mining-facility-us/

Coinmint (https://www.coinmint.io/), a cloud mining service provider, has confirmed it will go ahead with its proposed plan to open a cryptocurrency mining plant in an abandoned smelter previously used by Alcoa, in Massena, New York.
In a statement published online (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-largest-digital-currency-data-center-commences-operations-300659812.html), the company said it will repurpose the 1,300-acre, 435-megawatt site into the biggest cryptocurrency mining plant in the world. The move, which was approved in February (https://www.nypa.gov/-/media/nypa/documents/document-library/notices-and-agendas/trustees013018.pdf), will see the mining service invest up to $700 million and the creation of 150 jobs in the coming months.The company remains unfazed by the slump in bitcoin prices, which has seen a drop of almost 50 percent this year, according to data from Coinmarketcap (https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/bitcoin/).In correspondence with Bitcoin Magazine, Coinmint CTO Prieur Leary said, “Current bitcoin prices affect the value proposition. That being said, we are very comfortable with current metrics, given our technology and infrastructure.”Coinmint sees upstate New York as the perfect environment for them to set up shop. Operations have begun at the complex through Coinmint’s wholly owned subsidiary North Country Data Center Corporation, and the facility is expected to be at full capacity within 12 months.The company believes this move will impact the crypto industry in a positive way. Leary went further by saying that “given the current concentration of digital currency data centers in Asia, launching the largest of such facilit[ies] in the U.S. makes a bold statement that the West is active within the industry and is a driver of growth and innovation within the space.”New York is not known for being friendly to crypto companies or to miners, but as Steven O’Shaughnessy, Massena’s town supervisor, remarked in a local interview (http://www.wwnytv.com/story/37398396/bitcoin-miner-plans-to-locate-in-massena-employ-150), “Our main marketing point is that we have cheap, reliable power.”Mining is a power-hungry activity that has been getting a lot of attention lately.In May, an expert panel met at a mining conference to discuss the implications of high energy consumption among miners (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/first-bitcoin-mining-conference-hashes-over-high-cost-energy/) worldwide, where they refuted the notion that energy devoted to proof-of-work operations is a wasteful by-product of cryptocurrency mining.




This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/).

Registration for Dfinity's 'Biggest Airdrop Ever' Is Closing Soon

https://www.coindesk.com/registration-dfinitys-biggest-airdrop-ever-closing-soon/

Blockchain's Once-Feared 51% Attack Is Now Becoming Regular

https://www.coindesk.com/blockchains-feared-51-attack-now-becoming-regular/

Alibaba Affiliate Boosts Blockchain Tech In $14 Billion New Funding

https://www.coindesk.com/alibaba-affiliate-boosts-blockchain-tech-in-14-billion-new-fund/