Bitcoin

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., sent a letter to two virtual currency trade associations on Thursday asking them what their members are doing to prevent hate groups from using cryptocurrencies to finance themselves.

S&P lowers the bank’s rating to A-minus following Federal Reserve sanctions on growth; 13 are arrested after alleging defrauding banks of $530 million over seven years.

Like similar bans on using credit cards to buy stock and derivatives, banks would rather people use credit cards for other purposes than buying bitcoin, writes Alfred Duncan, a lecturer at the University of Kent.

Customers are now getting slapped with “cash advance” charges when using credit cards to buy Bitcoin and other virtual currencies.

The heads of the Securities and Exchange and Commodity Futures Trading commissions said they are not ignoring the fast-growing cryptocurrency sector and they have some oversight powers. But they indicated that they might need more.

Shares drop nearly twice as much as other bank stocks and the broader market; agency denies it’s looking to end the investigation into last year’s data breach.

The blockchains that likely prove the most durable and widely used will likely be those that have most effectively developed scalable protocols, writes Xiahong Lin, founder of Bodhi.

Bitcoin declined for a fifth day, breaking below $7,500 and leading other digital tokens lower, as Lloyds Banking Group Plc joined a growing number of big credit-card issuers halting purchases of cryptocurrencies on their cards.

The bank’s assets are capped at their current level of $1.95 trillion; Citi, JPM and B of A will no longer allow bitcoin purchases on their credit cards.

Success with blockchain does not depend on new technology alone. It requires bringing together experts in people, process and technology to simplify complex processes and apply tested methods to the new technical landscape, writes Michael Goodman, senior director of data and analytics for NTT Data Services.

The nation’s two largest banks don't want the credit risk associated with the transactions.

Mastercard Inc. doesn’t traffic in cryptocurrencies, but it’s benefiting from them just the same.

The South Asian nation’s income tax officials had started investigations into transactions at various illegal bitcoin exchanges in December, soon after the country’s central bank cautioned users about potential risks.

Appeals court says single director is constitutional; the CFTC is rethinking policies because of bitcoin.

Square Inc. shares climbed after Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said the company is introducing Bitcoin trading for almost all users of its cash payments app, signaling support for the volatile cryptocurrency.

Regulatory scrutiny of Tether and Bitfinex is spooking investors, though others argue the industry remains strong.

The Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck says roughly $400 million of the digital currency NEM was stolen. If banks and others are to invest in the digital-asset industry, it will have to do better.

SEC, CFTC heads say cyber markets “show little or no regard” for regulation; Dimon and Blankfein say president’s policies help the economy and their businesses.

Now that bitcoin's market spike has made the alternative currency a household name, it's linked to wild market swings, bubble-level valuations and onerous fees, with the most obvious fixes likely furthering bitcoin's problems rather than solving them.

Alipay and WeChat have become so common in China that many tourists are finding it difficult to pay for goods and services without the apps, writes Mike Ward, CRO and CEO of North America for WorldFirst.