Digital currencies

The stratospheric rise of bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and other cryptocurrencies in recent months may be only the beginning.

With so much uncertainty, the only thing that's clear is how different the sector may look a year from now. Here's an overview of the leading trends in technology that will impact payments and banking in 2018.

With so much uncertainty, the only thing that's clear is how different the sector may look a year from now. Here's an overview of the leading trends in technology that will impact banking in 2018.

Bitcoin has passed $13,000 in value. The spike has many people wondering about the future of the digital currency.

Rapid changes in the cryptocurrency's valuation make it hard to properly price content purchases according to Steam.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said "bitcoin is successful only because of its potential for circumvention, lack of oversight."

Japan’s bitFlyer is expanding to the American market, even as U.S. banks remain wary of cryptocurrencies.

Judge says he will move quickly on who should head the agency; group allegedly overcharged hundreds of clients.

The digital-currency startup, which markets software to banks, appears keen to signal that it wants to play by the rules.

Brian Behlendorf, leader of the Linux Foundation's effort to establish standards for blockchain, likens the invention of cryptocurrencies to the moon launch and says banks, open-source developers and others are working to make the underlying technology commercially viable.

Beyond the initial coin offerings — a fundraising process, similar to an IPO, in which blockchain companies sell crypto tokens instead of shares — and myriad science projects, is there anything substantive occurring with blockchain?

As the digital currency skyrockets there are plenty of opinions on the sustainability of the rally.

The speculation around bitcoin is the "very definition of a bubble," Credit Suisse Chief Executive Officer Tidjane Thiam said as the currency exceeded $7,000 for the first time.

As more startups turn to initial coin offerings to raise capital, financial institutions will seek reassurance that their blockchain and other fintech partners are aboveboard.

The bank consortium is going directly after the business of its former partner Ripple in the middle of their legal battle over an option for digital currency worth $1 billion.

A “neat” or “cool” idea may have garnered attention at the end of 2016, but the market has advanced to the point where a solid business idea that either addresses an unmet need and/or creates a significant cost savings is required to stand out from the crowd, writes Mariam Nishanian, a representative of Dentacoin.

Metronome, the brainchild of Jeff Garzik, may appeal to banks as the world's first "cross-chain" cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrencies will not gain widespread traction with corporations and governments as long as there remain crucial questions about their volatility, risk, volume and shadowy affiliations.

It is often difficult to imagine how something will disrupt an industry because it may seem that the industry is already functioning with no problems. But there are inefficiencies that may not be apparent, writes Mariam Nishanian, a representative for Dentacoin.

Trading on Friday afternoon pushed the cryptocurrency's market capitalization above $100 billion for the first time ever.