This website lets you earn cryptocurrency by picking World Cup winners
With the 2018 World Cup tournament looming, a new website called Cryptocup allows users to earn cryptocurrency by predicting the winners of the 64-team tournament, earning tokens for each game they select, with those tokens being thrown into a pot that will be awarded to the winner. Tokens can be sold on the crypto market as well.
Hackers prove how powerful computers can cheat Bitcoin and blockchain
A 51 percent attack on the ZenCash cryptocurrency shows that proof-of-work blockchains like Bitcoin are vulnerable to large-scale computing power. As just one of several recent attacks, it's possible that those behind it are growing bolder and more ambitious with their targets.
What is Bitcoin?
What is Bitcoin? It's a question that many recent investors might struggle to answer effectively because cryptocurrencies are a whole world unto themselves. Getting your head around the basics is important if you want to know what you're getting into before buying buying into the latest crypto-craze.
What’s the point of a blockchain phone? We asked an expert
We cut through the hype and look at the reasons behind the current wave of blockchain phones, what they can do, and what they might be do in the future. You’ll find out what exactly what a blockchain phone is, how it can handle crypto assets, and who might want to buy one.
Age-verification tech could usher in vending machines for beer and weed
Ever dreamed about being able to get an ice cold beer from a conveniently placed vending machine? One of the problems with this idea is how customers prove that they're of drinking age. San Francisco-based startup Civic thinks that it's come up with the perfect solution.
Blockchain technology may help secure the nuclear weapons of the future
The future of the world could one day rest on the shoulders of Blockchain technology, if DARPA research shows it as effective as a protective measure.
Microsoft and Intel unite to bring blockchain to businesses
Intel and Microsoft are working together to bring blockchain into the workplace, and it's contingent on Coco Framework.
CryptoKitties lets you buy, sell, breed virtual cats using real digital currency
What would happen if you crossed Pokémon with Bitcoin? You’d probably end up with something like CryptoKitties on the Ethereum blockchain.
How a blockchain-based digital photo notary is fighting fraud and fake news
Truepic is an image authentication company that’s taking a high-tech approach to fighting fraud and fake news, verifying images at the point of capture and securely encoding them in the blockchain.
Guns N’ Roses alum Matt Sorum rocks beyond blockchain to fight labels, YouTube
Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum spoke with Digital Trends about his upcoming, salacious autobiography, as well as Artbit, the crypto platform he's behind.
City of Austin is hoping the blockchain can help protect the homeless
Austin is seeking to use the tech behind Bitcoin to help solve some of the issues that its homeless population faces.
Quantum mechanics could save the blockchain from quantum computers
A new type of 'quantum blockchain' that effectively acts like a time machine could make it possible to avoid the problem faced by developers when quantum computers can easily break traditional encryption systems. Such a system could, in theory, protect blockchain platforms like Bitcoin in the future.
Miner One takes Bitcoin mining to new heights with space mission
Miner One launched a new initial coin offering (ICO) campaign that sent the Space Miner One cryptocurrency mining rig to space to mine for bitcoin. Miner One expects to raise $10 million as part of its ICO to build a cryptocurrency mining center in Sweden and share the benefits with investors.
Volition is a blockchain-powered collectible card game that you print at home
Developed by veterans of The Spoils, Volition is a collectible card game from Cryptogogue that uses blockchain technology. It lets players customize their play with upgrades, augments, and customized fan art. It will even have its own cryptocurrency, using miners to discover new cards and booster packs.
A German bank is using Bitcoin to handle international loans
A German bank, Bitbond, is using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to facilitate international loans. The bank's founder believes that Bitcoin can make for quicker and more affordable loans while lowering the risk of falling victim to cryptocurrency volatility.
Why Mastercard is ripping a page from Bitcoin’s book
Mastercard wants to use the inherent security of blockchain to make money more intuitive and less hackable. Its new blockchain patents seeks to put an end to credit card skimmers. Regardless of what you think about cryptocurrency, the largest financial institutions are transforming real money to be more like it every day.
Giant wind farm in Morocco will help mine cryptocurrency, conserve energy
One of the windiest parts of Morocco is set to get a $2 billion, 900MW wind farm power plant, which could help power eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining in a more environmentally friendly way. Here's what is being planned -- and why this is an important step for the future.
The HTC Exodus smartphone: Here’s everything we know
HTC has released another smartphone, and this time it's geared toward blockchain technology. Known as the HTC Exodus, the smartphone is designed to support cryptocurrencies and decentralization of data. The phone has finally been released, and you can buy it in either real money or in Bitcoin.
The affordable HTC Exodus 1s puts a full Bitcoin node in your pocket
The newly announced HTC Exodus 1s is a cheaper version of the Exodus 1 that's capable of putting a full Bitcoin node in your pocket. The device is a pretty basic Android smartphone, so the fact it has a built-in hardware wallet is the unique selling point. Owners can buy, sell, trade, lend, and more.
Future JPEGs could use blockchain to flag fakes, and A.I. for smaller file sizes
What if blockchain-protected metadata could help any application identify a faked or stolen photo? The JPEG organization is exploring that possibility.
With this browser, ads can’t steal your attention — they have to pay you for it
The creator of Javascript and founder of Mozilla, Brendan Eich, thinks he has a blockchain-based solution. It’s secure, private, technologically advanced and, best of all, ensures everyone involved in online ads receives payment – including you.
For better or worse, blockchain birth certificates are officially here
The first baby to have their birth certificate officially recorded on the blockchain has been registered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Because we're totally living in the future, don't you know? Here's what it could mean for the next generation of record-keeping as we know it.
Thanks to iris scanning, refugees can get the food they need at a glance
For humanitarian organizations trying to deliver aid to refugees, the lack of identification can be a quagmire. The United Nations' World Food Programme has deployed a technological solution, using iris scanning and Blockchain to help refugees get food quickly and easily.
Sirin Labs Finney review
The Sirin Labs Finney phone is to cryptocurrency what the iPhone is to Apple Pay. It facilitates the payment, processing, and exchanging of cryptocurrencies on a smartphone, and surprisingly does it in a user-friendly way. However, does that mean you should rush out and buy one? We’ve tried the phone out.
Microsoft Azure Blockchain signs J.P. Morgan for Ethereum smart contract system
If you've wanted to run blockchain apps through the cloud but were wary of the complexities of integration, Microsoft is here to help. Its new Azure Blockchain Service streamlines ledger creation through the Ethereum Protocol and is already attracting major customers like J.P. Morgan and its Quorum platform.
Bosch plans to harness the power of Blockchain for its next refrigerator
Here's a gimmick: a refrigerator powered by blockchain. German electronics company Bosch is teaming up with Austrian energy firm Wien Energie to create a refrigerator that runs on blockchain. The appliance will give users more control over where their power comes from and how much their fridge consumes.
Blockchain is overhyped, but it’s also perfect for California’s drought problem
A prolonged drought left California parched, and years of unregulated groundwater use exacerbated the damage. Now, with aquifers sinking, the state is looking for ways to manage groundwater, and a group of researchers is trying a combination of two exciting technologies: the internet of things and Blockchain.
Blockchain could ensure the integrity of scientific research trials
Scientific misconduct is more than just a problem within academia. The falsifying of results can have real-world consequences and undermine the credibility of science. Now a group of researchers has proposed making research data more trustworthy and less susceptible to manipulation using blockchain.
Russia goes all-in on buzzwords, builds solar-powered blockchain drone boat
A new Russian solar-powered drone boat is designed to take smart sensor readings and save them to the Ethereum blockchain. That might sound like buzzword bingo, but it's doing it for a good reason: To keep tabs on water pollution in one of the world's largest reservoirs.
As Amazon turns up the volume on streaming, Spotify should shudder
Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and others are all looking to capitalize on the popularity of streaming music. But, as Spotify's quarterly revenue has shown, it's nearly impossible to make a profit under the current structure. Could major tech companies like Amazon be primed for a streaming take-over?
‘Blockchain gaming’ startup gets $16 million in Series A funding
A new gaming startup, Mythical Games, has raised $16 million in Series A funding to work on their concept of blockchain gaming. The aim is for the startup to develop games for the PC, console, and mobile markets which use the blockchain for the distribution and tracking of in-game items.
Crazy vending machine swaps computer art for your permanent selfie
Coder artist Matthias Dörfelt has created a camera-equipped vending machine called Face Trade, which promises to swap unique prints of computer-generated faces for the rights to upload your selfie onto the main Ethereum blockchain. Here's what it says about privacy in 2018.
Google bets on blockchain technology with two new Google Cloud partnerships
Google will support distributed ledger technology, aka blockchain, on the Google Cloud Platform. The reveal arrives by way of the company’s announcement regarding the Google Cloud Next ’18 conference in San Francisco. Google will have a 50-minute session talking about developing blockchain apps.
Sirin Labs’ crypto-phone could change the way we pay
If blockchain technology, tokens, hot and cold wallets, and all the other cryptocurrency buzzwords have put you off learning about and using this fascinating technology, Sirin Labs is making the phone for you. It’s called the Finney, and it wants to make cryptocurrency as easy as Apple Pay.