Data from Google Trends’ search analytics resource indicates that internet googling of ‘bitcoin’ (BTC) is approaching a monthly high as of today, June 24. According to the data, searches for bitcoin are continuing their ascent in the week after the unveiling of Facebook’s new cryptocurrency and blockchain-powered financial infrastructure project, Libra, even as searches for Libra itself have tapered off since June 18 — the date the white paper for the forthcoming token was published. Google trends data for search terms ‘bitcoin’ vs. ‘libra.’ As of June 24 2019 As Cointelegraph noted yesterday, from a wider perspective, the number of …

Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin said that Facebook’s Libra token is like “a centralized wolf in a decentralized sheep’s clothing” in an article published on tech news outlet Quartz on June 21. The social media giant released the white paper for a its cryptocurrency dubbed Libra earlier this month to mixed reviews from experts in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries and concern from government regulators. In his article, Lubin notes that Libra’s white paper describes feelings common among many in the cryptocurrency community. It states that “sending money across the globe should be as simple and inexpensive as sending a message …

Coming every Sunday, the Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions, and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week Four big reasons bitcoin’s price will probably not stop at $20K this time Bitcoin crossed $11,000 in under 24 hours after breaking the important level of $10,000 on Friday, ETH hit a 10-month high, while crypto markets see solid green by the end of the week. Cointelegraph explores the main factors driving the rally …

Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Philip Lowe, cautions that Facebook’s announced virtual currency—Libra—may not attain mainstream usage in the near future, according to a report by Bloomberg on June 20 The report quotes Lowe as follows regarding Libra: “There’s a lot of water under the bridge before Facebook’s proposal becomes something we’re using all the time [...] There are a lot of regulatory issues that need to be addressed and they’ve got to make sure there’s a solid business case, so we’ve got to be careful before we jump to conclusions.” Lowe reportedly also criticized the top …

Bitcoin (BTC), and XRP, the third biggest coin by market cap, are not competitors, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse claimed in a Fortune interview on June 20. In the interview, Garlinghouse outlined the key difference of two major cryptocurrencies, arguing that bitcoin is a store of value or “digital gold,” while XRP is a “bridge currency” that enables an efficient solution for fiat-to-fiat transfers. As such, Garlinghouse cited the difference between bitcoin and XRP in terms of transactions costs, claiming that Ripple can do a transaction for a tiny fraction of a cent while a bitcoin transactions costs roughly $2.30 on …

A G7 taskforce is being created to examine how central banks can regulate cryptocurrencies such as Facebook’s libra, Reuters reported on June 21. Francois Villeroy de Galhau, the governor of France’s central bank, said: “We want to combine being open to innovation with firmness on regulation. This is in everyone’s interest.” Although Paris has said it is not against Facebook creating a financial instrument, it vehemently opposes libra becoming a sovereign currency. Concerns have been raised over how to ensure cryptocurrencies comply with anti-money laundering laws, consumer protection rules and other regulatory matters. The G7 taskforce is going to be …

CNBC’s Joe Kernen claims he is being treated “like a god” on Twitter following a June 19 interview on Squawk Box where he questioned whether Facebook’s libra is a cryptocurrency. In the clip, posted by a bitcoin (BTC) advocate, Kernen said libra “doesn’t excite me at all” and argued that blockchain networks used by major coins add inherent value. Describing the libra, he added: “This is just based on the dollar. I don’t understand it — is it called a cryptocurrency? Well it’s not.” Crypto enthusiasts praised Kernen for his remarks — and said it marked a turning point as …

United Kingdom-based trading platform eToro has conducted a successful trial of issuing tokenized assets on Facebook’s Libra protocol. The company confirmed the results in a blog post on June 20. According to a Github repository detailing its activities, eToroX, the firm’s recently-launched innovation and research offshoot, managed to debut its eToken on Libra. eToken is the technology behind eToro’s tokenized assets, with researchers explaining they wished to test Libra’s current capabilities in the first week of its existence. “By exploring Libra’s capabilities, and using Move IR (the intermediary representative layer of what will eventually be the final programming language), they …

Facebook has been in the news quite often over the past few years — and usually for all the wrong reasons. The social media giant has been lambasted over its privacy practices, its seemingly anti-consumer stance and even an apparent investor revolt in which shareholders voted (albeit symbolically) to remove Mark Zuckerberg from the board of directors. However, the company’s most recent announcement that it is launching a digital currency appears to be finally turning the tide for Facebook. The new coin, dubbed Libra, is a stablecoin of sorts, though it functions much differently than currencies like tether. Additionally, Facebook …

Facebook has released its much anticipated white paper for the cryptocurrency Libra. The initial reviews of the highly secretive mega-project are mixed, to say the least. Before taking a look at responses across the cryptosphere, let’s have a quick recap of the Facebook proposal. The Libra coin proposal Libra is designed to be a global currency that aims to simplify cross-border micropayments and remittances enabled by its own blockchain, the Libra Blockchain. As excerpt from the white paper reads: “Just as people can use their phones to message friends anywhere in the world today, with Libra, the same can be …

Facebook’s newly announced cryptocurrency, libra, may not be available in India due to the current ban of blockchain-based currency transactions, as stated in a report by local publication The Economic Times on June 20. Citing people familiar with the matter, the report says that the social media giant has not applied for approval with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate its digital currency in the country. As Cointelegraph reported yesterday, a Facebook spokesperson has underlined that Facebook’s digital wallet, Calibra, “won’t be available in U.S.-sanctioned countries or countries that ban cryptocurrencies,” potentially preventing its use in some of …

Amazon would only consider discussing the creation of its own cryptocurrency like Facebook’s Libra in several years’ time, a senior executive said at a conference on June 10. Speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Finance 2019 event, Patrick Gaulthier, vice president of Amazon Pay, said the kind of value transfer system Facebook unveiled this week was a step too far in the current climate. “It’s fresh, it’s speculative; at Amazon, we don’t really deal with the speculative, in the now,” he said. Facebook continues to cause a stir in cryptocurrency, financial and government circles in the wake of the first publicity material …