Bitcoin

Retailers were already skeptical about letting customers pay with bitcoin before the cryptocurrency’s price underwent an astronomical rally this year. That rapid surge hasn’t made them any more accepting. In fact, it may have done the opposite.

Agency rule would make it easier to sue banks, but Congressional Republicans likely to fight it; Trump nominates Randal Quarles as Fed’s vice chair for supervision.

Apologies to those yearning for escapism, but it is hard to escape turmoil — in financial services, in the economy and in civilization — in this year’s reading list. That said, these weighty topics promise to stimulate the mind: How AI will disrupt employment; dystopian imaginings and real-life histories of societal shifts; the necessity of collaboration; bitcoin’s path from obscurity to relevance; the need for leaders to make sacrifices; and more. Recommendations are courtesy of American Banker readers, editorial staff and BankThink contributors.

Cash machine makers are working to make them work with, not against, smartphones; prices of digital currencies crashed on Monday, possibly sparked by a hoax that an Ethereum co-founder had died.

Host Brett King talks to Bill Barhydt of Abra and Shachar Bialick of Curve.

One of the best early bitcoin companies, Blockchain survived a period marked by scandals and shutdowns to become a market leader and attract new investment for expansion.

Bitcoin, and the blockchain system that powers it, is one of several virtual currencies and the value of one bitcoin skyrocketed more than 300 percent in the last year.

Vinny Lingham, founder and CEO of Civic, discusses the froth in cryptocurrency markets, the mania for "initial coin offerings," the right way to do token sales, the future of digital identity and the banking system's security failings.

The exchange is adding Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Dash, Monero, Zcash and dozens of other cryptocurrencies in exchange for U.S. dollars.

The Wall Street Journal enumerates the reasons why President Trump needs to fire the CFPB director; the bitcoin market is sharply divided over whether it’s a currency or a store of value.

Bank, former executives said to have used Qatar money to avoid financial crisis bailout; Senator wants the Fed to use its power to oust board members over fake accounts scandal.

For digital-marketing agency Cooperatize.com, taking bitcoin for payment in 2014 was easy enough. All co-founder Roger Wu had to do was obtain a digital wallet. The number of transactions the New York-based firm has made since? Zero.

Readers chime in on the GSE conservatorships, bitcoin’s future, regulatory relief for regional banks, a recent Supreme Court ruling on debt collection, and more.

Bitcoin sank as much as 19 percent, putting the digital currency on pace for its worst week since January 2015, as volatility climbs following a record-setting surge in the price.

While Morgan Stanley is high on the blockchain technology that underpins bitcoin, analysts at the investment bank are a bit more cautious when it comes to the surge in the price of the virtual currency.

Cannabis companies are turning to the world's most popular digital currency in an effort to get rid of all that cash.

The world needs faster and cheaper international payments, but more than that it needs censorship-resistant ways to transact.

The legal marijuana market has had difficulty establishing banking relationships, given the disparities in local and federal regulation of cannabis sales. SinglePoint Inc. is developing a bitcoin-based option to address this concern.

Spain's largest bank to pay a little over a dollar to save troubled domestic rival Banco Popular; House finance committee says CFPB director dragged his feet on Wells phony accounts scandal.

Dan Morehead’s Pantera Capital Management, which calls itself the first U.S. bitcoin investment firm, is buying other digital coins.