With MtGox effectively dead, Bitcoin can now enter the third stage of evolution, explains BitGo CEO Will O'Brien in an extensive essay. More »
Erik Voorhees, a respected Bitcoin entrepreneur who created SatoshiDice and now runs Coinapult, shares his views about MtGox and the future of Bitcoin. More »
Hollywood could learn a lot from Silk Road 2 about heightening stakes and creating suspense in this epic whodunnit thriller where 4000 bitcoins were stolen! More »
In this extensive video, Bitcoin Leah interviews Brock Pierce, Alan Meckler, Sam Cole, and companies including BitGo, GoCoin, Lamassu and more. More »
Inside Bitcoins NYC Keynote: Is Bitcoin the New Financial Order?
Charlie Shrem Calls Bitcoin the Currency of the Future, Wants to Grow the Bitcoin Ecosystem
In his morning keynote at the Inside Bitcoins conference in New York City, 23 year-old Charlie Shrem described Bitcoin as spurring a paradigm shift in the financial sector. Shrem is Vice Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation and CEO of BitInstant.
The growth of Bitcoin—the digital currency that allows for feeless and instantly settled transactions–is directly related to wider acceptance by traditional retailers, assuring the security of transactions and combatting some of the less than favorable press that Bitcoin has garnered.
However, the growth of Bitcoin is also dependent on entrepreneurs like Charlie. Once laughed out of every venture capitalist’s office in New York City, Charlie Shrem convinced his mother to take out her life savings in order to start BitInstant, which solved the problem of “how do you buy bitcoins?” Today, as a result of Shrem’s efforts, you can walk into any 7/11 and buy Bitcoin in addition to your daily coffee or Slurpee. Later the famous, or infamous, Winklevoss twins invested in the startup.
Shrem’s latest endeavor is named Bitcoin Wireless, whose aim is to allow for the exchange of mobile airtime minutes as a currency (reminiscent of the virtues of mobile transaction pioneer M-Pesa).
Another innovation cited by Shrem in his talk was that of the Harvey brothers out of New Hampshire, who are launching the first Bitcoin ATM network; the ATM’s will allow for virtually instant cash-for-bitcoin exchanges.
With so much optimism and innovation surrounding Bitcoin, Charlie Shrem was quick to also point out some less rosy realities. Bitcoin has reputational issues to address; while these are due to Bitcoin’s “early days” when the currency’s environment was akin to the “Wild Wild West” and have been amplified by some members of the media, these issues are very real.
Next, is the issue of how Bitcoin might play with respect to traditional banks and financial institutions. In his talk, Shrem was hopeful that Bitcoin would one day be harmoniously incorporated into the traditional banking system, co-existing alongside credit cards, cheques and other more traditional instruments of financial transactions.
On the net, does Bitcoin’s future look bright? According to Shrem, “Bitcoin is doing to the world what Email did to snail mail.”
Authored by Michael Smouha and Ronan Murphy, Contributors to On Bitcoin
Conference photo tweeted by @saumvaish
Bank of Thailand Advises That Various Bitcoin Actvities Are Illegal
Bank of Thailand Officials Call Bitcoin Activities Illegal
Thailand-based Bitcoin Co. Ltd. issued an alarming release today, asserting that senior members of the Bank of Thailand advised the company that various Bitcoin trading activities are illegal in Thailand.
The company runs an exchange, allowing users to buy and sell Bitcoin, and has suspended operations after the guidance by the Bank of Thailand.
Below is the full release.
Trading suspended due to Bank of Thailand advisement
July 29, 2013
During the past several months Bitcoin Co. Ltd., in Thailand, has been in the process of registering with the various Thai government agencies in order to operate in a lawful manner. Included in this due diligence was to reach out to the Bank of Thailand, the governing body that regulates financial transactions in Thailand, and ask for guidance as to any applicable licenses in buying and selling bitcoins.
Initially the Bank of Thailand had bypassed the company’s money exchange license on the basis that Bitcoin was not a currency, however the company was invited back, on July 29th, 2013, to participant in a conference about how Bitcoin works in general, and business operations of Bitcoin Co. Ltd. The conference was held with about 15 members of the Bank of Thailand in attendance. During this conference directors of Bitcoin Co. Ltd. gave a presentation about the workings of Bitcoin, the benefits of Bitcoin, incite into the company’s operations and future implications of Bitcoin.
At the conclusion of the meeting senior members of the Foreign Exchange Administration and Policy Department advised that due to lack of existing applicable laws, capital controls and the fact that Bitcoin straddles multiple financial facets the following Bitcoin activities are illegal in Thailand:
- Buying Bitcoins
- Selling Bitcoins
- Buying any goods or services in exchange for Bitcoins
- Selling any goods or services for Bitcoins
- Sending Bitcoins to anyone located outside of Thailand
- Receiving Bitcoins from anyone located outside of Thailand
Based on such a broad and encompassing advisement, Bitcoin Co. Ltd. therefore has no choice but to suspend operations until such as time that the laws in Thailand are updated to account for the existance of Bitcoin. The Bank of Thailand has said they will further consider the issue, but did not give any specific timeline.
Top Bitcoin News Last Week: Ponzi Scheme, Gambling, Payments, and More
Bitcoin News
A roundup of the top Bitcoin news from July 22 to July 28.
Tuesday, July 23
Wednesday, July 24
Saturday, July 27
Bitbetex Jumps on the Bitcoin Gambling Bandwagon After SatoshiDice Exit
Bitbetex Launches Bitcoin Betting Exchange
Last week, Bitcoin gambling site SatoshiDice exited for $11.5 million. Now there’s a perceived gold rush for the next phase in Bitcoin gambling.
Enter Bitbetex
Bitbetex is a bitcoin betting exchange where members can trade bets with one-another on almost anything with a definitive outcome.
Tony Hatchett, who built Bitbetex, told Coindesk about his choice to focus on Bitcoin, “Generally, fees of around 3% would need to be paid to a payment facilitator but Bitcoin allows us to remove that overhead completely. Secondly, Bitcoin is globally accessible, which allows us to match a bet from someone in the UK to a bet placed by someone in the US for example. No complicated currency conversions are needed.”
The site is currently in beta. Visit Bitbetex to sign up.
CC image by sincerelyhiten
Win a Free Ticket to Inside Bitcoins Conference in NYC on July 30!
On Bitcoin is Giving Away a Ticket to Inside Bitcoins Conference
Inside Bitcoins NYC is taking place next week, and is attracting leading experts from the Bitcoin space.
On Bitcoin is giving away a ticket to the conference!
How to Win a Ticket to the Conference
To win a free ticket to the conference, sign up for the On Bitcoin newsletter on the side panel of this site and send us an email at team@onbitcoin.com with subject “Inside Bitcoins” to confirm your entry. We will be selecting one winner at midnight PT on Sunday, July 28, and will notify you by email.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep a close watch on future giveaways.
About Inside Bitcoins Conference
You’ll hear from 20 Bitcoin experts on topics including The VC Take on Bitcoin, Bitcoin Boom: The Business Adoption of Bitcoin, Bitcoin and Freedom of Speech, Rethinking Content Monetization with Bitcoin, Legal and Regulatory Issues Facing Virtual Currency Businesses, and more. View the full program here.
The event will also feature AlphaPoint and CoinMKT as exhibitors, and the evening’s drinks reception provides the ideal forum to network with like-minded peers. Developers, entrepreneurs, investors, finance professionals, bankers, consultants, lawyers, security solution providers, data and payment processors, and online retailers will all be present.
Charlie Shrem, Vice Chairman, Bitcoinfoundation.org and Chief Executive Officer of BITINSTANT, will deliver the keynote presentation, while additional speakers include Tuur Demeester, Author of MacroTrends, Chris Larsen, CEO & Co-Founder of OpenCoin, Jared Kenna, Founder & CEO of Tradehill, and Manu Sporny, Founder & CEO of Digital Bazaar. View the full speaker list.
