1. Bitcoin [BTC] smashes $8000 on the back of Bakkt’s Bitcoin Futures contract launch in July
Bitcoin [BTC], the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has made significant recovery from its 2018 lows and smashed through another important benchmark by trading above $8000 on top exchanges.
The coin made this break-through right after two major developments. Microsoft announced the launch of a decentralized project, Ion, on Bitcoin blockchain; CEO of Bakkt, Kelly Loefller announced that the Bitcoin futures contract is anticipated to launch in July this year on Federal regulated exchanges.
[Source: AMBCrypto] ✩✩✩✩✩
2. EBAY ADS TELL WORLD IT WILL (FINALLY) ACCEPT ‘VIRTUAL CURRENCY’
Cryptocurrency users were celebrating fresh rumors about a major adoption push this week after hints suggested eBay might accept Bitcoin and altcoins. According to photographs of marketing material from the ongoing Consensus 2019 conference in New York, eBay, which has 180 million users, is actively pursuing crypto payments.
[Source: Bitcoinist] ✩✩✩✩✩
3. Microsoft unveils decentralized identity protocol that works atop the Bitcoin blockchain
Microsoft introduced a new open-source protocol on Monday that is designed to hurdle performance issues when trying to use blockchain networks to verify identity at scale.
ION, or Identify Overlay Network, is based on an earlier blockchain project built by Microsoft and several partners called Sidetree. ION runs on the Bitcoin blockchain and makes it possible to verify a much higher number of identity verification requests than current blockchain systems — valued for their decentralized nature — can handle using current technology, Microsoft’s Daniel Buchner, senior program manager for Microsoft Identity Division, said in a blog post.
[Source: Geekwire] ✩✩✩✩✩
4. South Korean Internet Giant Kakao’s Blockchain Platform to Launch in June
Ground X, the blockchain arm of South Korean internet giant Kakao Corp, has announced the launch date of its own blockchain platform, a Cointelegraph correspondent learned at Consensus 2019 on May 13.
Per the announcement, the Klaytn mainnet will launch on June 27, 2019, and will purportedly be a major driver of blockchain adoption in the country. Kakao has a 96% market share in South Korea, with a presence in messaging, gaming, content services, financial services and mobility services.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩✩
5. Huge! Amazon-Owned Whole Foods Buoys Crypto by Accepting Bitcoin
There’s no shortage of possible catalysts behind the spike in the bitcoin price is. You can now add Jeff Bezos’ Amazon to the list. Whole Foods, which is owned by the e-commerce behemoth, is now accepting bitcoin as a payment method. The mind-blowing development was made possible thanks to a deal between payments startup Flexa and Gemini, the latter of which is the crypto exchange launched by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
[Source: CCN] ✩✩✩✩
6. Cardano (ADA) Founder Teams Up With Polymath to Launch Security Token
Charles Hoskinson appears to be a busy man in cryptocurrency.
In addition to being one of the original co-founder’s of second ranked cryptocurrency Ethereum, Hoskinson is the founder of Cardano (ADA) and CEO of Inside Outside Hong Kong (IOHK). Now, the prolific crypto developer has announced a partnership with Polymath to launch the world’s first security token blockchain.
[Source: EthereumWorldNews] ✩✩✩✩
7. XRP Surges as Stuttgart Börse Lists XRP and Litecoin Based ETNs
Börse Stuttgart (SWB), the second-largest stock exchange in Germany, has listed XRP and Litecoin-traded notes (ETNs). Issued through XBT Provider, the ETNs can now be traded against the Swedish krona (SEK) and euro (EUR).
[Source: Coinspeaker] ✩✩✩✩
8. SEC’s Crypto Czar Says Exchanges That List IEOs May Face Legal Risks
Certain exchanges that facilitate initial exchange offerings (IEOs) may be breaking U.S. securities laws, a top Securities and Exchange Commission official has said.
Speaking Monday at CoinDesk’s Consensus 2019 conference in New York, Valerie Szczepanik, the SEC’s senior advisor for digital assets and innovation, said cryptocurrency exchanges that facilitate token sales for a fee likely meet the legal definition of securities dealers if the issuer or any of the buyers are based in the U.S.
[Source: Coindesk] ✩✩✩✩
9. TRON Foundation Co-Founder and CTO Leaves Project, Alleging Excessive Centralization
Lucien Chen — the former chief technical officer (CTO) and co-founder of blockchain protocol Tron (TRX) — has announced he is leaving the project, claiming it has become excessively centralized and strayed from its founding principles. Chen revealed his decision in a Medium blog post published on May 10.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩
10. ethereum Consortium Launches New Enterprise Tools With Input From Microsoft, Intel
Member-driven blockchain standards organization the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) has released two new specifications aiming to accelerate and enhance blockchain implementation for enterprises. The news was shared with Cointelegraph in two press releases on May 13.
[Source: Cointelegraph] ✩✩✩
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