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Crypto Newsletter

Below is a collection of every Crypto Newsletter article by The Information.
Crypto Newsletter
crypto

What I Learned Covering Crypto

By Jon Victor · Aug. 28, 2019 12:05 PM PDT · 2 comments
This will be my last edition of the crypto newsletter. I'm leaving The Information to take some time off and then go back to school. It has been a joy to dig into these topics each week—and even better to hear from you along the way. The newsletter will be back soon after a short hiatus.  To cap off my time covering crypto,... This will be my last edition of the crypto newsletter. I'm leaving The Information to take...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
facebook crypto

Why Binance Stands a Chance Against Facebook

By Jon Victor · Aug. 21, 2019 12:01 PM PDT
Crypto exchanges located outside the U.S. have maneuvered to avoid being subject to rules by U.S. financial regulators and law enforcement agencies, as I described last week. Now, we have one more data point to add to that conversation: A New York judge rejected Bitfinex’s claim that the New York attorney general’s office, which is... Crypto exchanges located outside the U.S. have maneuvered to avoid being subject to rules by U.S....
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
policy startups

Exchange Rules Spark Conflict

By Jon Victor · Aug. 14, 2019 12:29 PM PDT
I was monitoring bitcoin’s price on Wednesday morning, as investors dumped stocks after government bond prices warned of a potential U.S. recession. The idea that bitcoin is untethered to any traditional assets, making it a good investment in times of market uncertainty, has gained traction in recent months. But the jury is still out on... I was monitoring bitcoin’s price on Wednesday morning, as investors dumped stocks after...
Mike Sullivan
Another Rival for Coinbase, Gemini
By Jon Victor · July 31, 2019 12:20 PM PDT
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
startups crypto

Another Rival for Coinbase, Gemini

By Jon Victor · July 31, 2019 12:20 PM PDT
Crypto went to Washington yet again this week. This time, Congress was exploring whether it should pass new laws to govern the industry. Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, which recently moved some operations offshore, told lawmakers at the hearing that uncertainty around regulation is prompting crypto companies to leave the U.S.His comments echoed... Crypto went to Washington yet again this week. This time, Congress was exploring whether it...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
startups crypto

Lawsuit Alleges Financial Irregularities at Token

By Jon Victor · July 24, 2019 12:04 PM PDT
A highly anticipated lunch between Warren Buffett and members of the crypto industry was postponed this week, in dramatic fashion. Justin Sun, the creator of the Tron blockchain, made waves last month when he won a charity auction for the chance to dine with the Oracle of Omaha. The waves spread when, earlier this week, Mr. Sun unexpectedly... A highly anticipated lunch between Warren Buffett and members of the crypto industry was...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
policy crypto

Lawmakers Grapple With How to Rein In Libra

By Jon Victor · July 17, 2019 1:11 PM PDT
Greetings from Washington, D.C. The price of bitcoin took a slight hit this week, after Facebook’s David Marcus testified at two hearings on Capitol Hill about the social media giant’s plans for Libra. Mr. Marcus, whom we profiled this week, fielded questions on a variety of topics, from how Facebook would stop Libra from being used... Greetings from Washington, D.C. The price of bitcoin took a slight hit this week, after...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
policy crypto

Lawmakers to Grill Facebook on Libra Plans

By Jon Victor and Ashley Gold · July 10, 2019 12:18 PM PDT
Get ready for another deluge of Libra headlines. The head of Facebook’s crypto project, David Marcus, is set to testify before Congress twice next week, in hearings that are shaping up to be contentious.Some House lawmakers already have asked Facebook to halt all work on Libra until after the hearings, but the company not surprisingly... Get ready for another deluge of Libra headlines. The head of Facebook’s crypto project,...
Mike Sullivan
What Gemini’s Expansion Means
By Jon Victor · July 3, 2019 12:18 PM PDT · 1 comment
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
startups crypto

What Gemini’s Expansion Means

By Jon Victor · July 3, 2019 12:18 PM PDT · 1 comment
It turns out last week’s rally was short-lived, with bitcoin pulling back after reaching as high as $13,500. People in the industry I’ve spoken with are still mindful of last year’s plunge, and say they would rather see the market gain steam more gradually. “Once a new base is formed, prices are likely to move... It turns out last week’s rally was short-lived, with bitcoin pulling back after reaching as...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
crypto facebook

Blockchain Developers Are Leery of Libra

By Jon Victor · June 26, 2019 12:23 PM PDT
It has been a while since crypto markets have had a week like this one. By Wednesday afternoon, Bitcoin had topped $13,000, up from around $9,000 as it rides a wave of optimism following Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency announcement. This week, we take a look at an aspect of the Libra plan that has received less attention: whether... It has been a while since crypto markets have had a week like this one. By Wednesday afternoon,...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
crypto facebook

What We Still Don’t Know About Libra

By Jon Victor · June 19, 2019 12:42 PM PDT
Facebook’s big announcement yesterday about its new Libra cryptocurrency answered some questions we all had about the project. It also triggered many new ones.On The Information’s conference call following Facebook’s big reveal, a lot of subscribers focused in on a potentially fundamental conflict: whether the interests of... Facebook’s big announcement yesterday about its new Libra cryptocurrency answered some...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
venture capital crypto

Venture Investors Remain Skittish

By Jon Victor · June 12, 2019 12:06 PM PDT
Bitcoin’s price has been on a quiet tear this year, but it looks like investors remain gun-shy after getting burned by crypto’s big drop in early 2018. We take a closer look at that below. Also this week, the spotlight continues to be on Facebook’s crypto plans, as the industry awaits the expected June 18 release of its token... Bitcoin’s price has been on a quiet tear this year, but it looks like investors remain...
Mike Sullivan
EOS Creator Expands Into Social Media
By Jon Victor · June 5, 2019 1:12 PM PDT
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter

EOS Creator Expands Into Social Media

By Jon Victor · June 5, 2019 1:12 PM PDT
It should surprise no one that the winner of a charity auction for a lunch with Warren Buffett was a crypto entrepreneur who hopes to sell the investing legend on crypto’s merits. Justin Sun, founder of the blockchain Tron, will donate $4.6 million for the chance to discuss the potential uses he sees for Tron’s cryptocurrency.... It should surprise no one that the winner of a charity auction for a lunch with Warren Buffett...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
policy crypto

Kik Stakes New Path to Fight Crypto Regulation

By Jon Victor · May 29, 2019 12:00 PM PDT
Facebook’s stablecoin will reportedly launch early next year, and Facebook executives are already busy courting regulators in the various countries where they plan to launch the token. The process could take a while—selling officials on the idea of a single global currency issued by a private company probably won’t be easy.... Facebook’s stablecoin will reportedly launch early next year, and Facebook executives are...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
crypto

Bonds on the Blockchain

By Jon Victor · May 22, 2019 12:02 PM PDT
It seems that bitcoin’s run-up has some staying power, with its price holding steady this week at about $8,000. But that doesn’t mean all crypto companies are fully back on their feet. Circle confirmed Tuesday that it was laying off about 10% of its staff, citing new market conditions and an unfavorable regulatory environment for... It seems that bitcoin’s run-up has some staying power, with its price holding steady this...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
startups crypto

Can Crypto Crack the Retail Market?

By Jon Victor · May 15, 2019 12:00 PM PDT
Greetings from day three of Consensus, where the mood has grown increasingly celebratory after bitcoin broke $8,000 for the first time in almost a year on Tuesday. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been rallying for the last two weeks, and some have speculated that investors could be using crypto as a hedge against the capital markets,... Greetings from day three of Consensus, where the mood has grown increasingly celebratory after...
Mike Sullivan
Consensus Attendance Drop-Off Creates Hurdles for CoinDesk
By Jon Victor · May 8, 2019 12:01 PM PDT
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
media/telecom crypto

Consensus Attendance Drop-Off Creates Hurdles for CoinDesk

By Jon Victor · May 8, 2019 12:01 PM PDT
As the crypto industry’s movers and shakers head to New York for the annual Consensus conference next week, I sat down with Kevin Worth, CEO of CoinDesk, the crypto news and data provider that organizes Consensus, to talk about how the weaker crypto market is weighing on the conference and on CoinDesk’s overall business. While down... As the crypto industry’s movers and shakers head to New York for the annual Consensus...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
crypto

Bitfinex Explores New Token Sale After Tether Trouble

By Jon Victor · May 1, 2019 12:25 PM PDT
What do you do if you don’t have enough cash in reserve to back up the tokens you issued? If you are Bitfinex, your answer might be: Create a new token to sell. The exchange is on the defensive this week after the New York attorney general accused it of covering up $850 million in lost funds. Bitfinex is weighing a fundraising that, if... What do you do if you don’t have enough cash in reserve to back up the tokens you issued?...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
startups crypto

Binance Chain’s Beginning

By Jon Victor · April 24, 2019 12:02 PM PDT
We still don’t know that much about Binance’s new blockchain, but that hasn’t stopped the crypto world from buzzing about it since it launched this week. For the most part, what has people excited about Binance Chain is that crypto startups can run their tokens on the network. That raises the possibility that the new blockchain... We still don’t know that much about Binance’s new blockchain, but that hasn’t...
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
asia crypto

Asia’s New Crypto Trading Platform

By Shai Oster and Jon Victor · April 17, 2019 12:40 PM PDT
Binance’s CEO might be the most powerful person in crypto. This week, he sent a token’s price plunging when he announced that the exchange would remove Bitcoin SV, in response to the token’s most prominent backer’s repeated (and widely disbelieved) claims that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin’s creator. Other... Binance’s CEO might be the most powerful person in crypto. This week, he sent a...
Mike Sullivan
No Rush to No-Action Letters
By Jon Victor · April 10, 2019 12:16 PM PDT
Mike Sullivan
Crypto Newsletter
policy crypto

No Rush to No-Action Letters

By Jon Victor · April 10, 2019 12:16 PM PDT
The past week has been big for regulation: Crypto lawyers have been hard at work trying to determine whether the SEC’s “plain English” guidance on ICOs clarifies things or just muddies them further. And in Washington, D.C., Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, reintroduced a bill that seeks to exempt tokens from securities laws.... The past week has been big for regulation: Crypto lawyers have been hard at work trying to...