Even though the cryptocurrency industry is not new to ups and downs, 2019 has turned out to be the year with the most surprising reveals. The long-lasting bear market of 2018 moved market analysts to call it the year of regulatory reckoning, leaving many jurisdictions uncertain about how to treat cryptocurrencies. However, 2019 also turned out to be the year of the comeback, as big tech giants like Facebook moved from banning crypto to embracing it. Escalating global events such as the trade war between the United States and China have shifted investors’ point of view on the utility of …

In 2019, we witnessed crypto regulations leave the domain of stuffy legal pontification and enter the realm of geopolitics (as a stuffy legal pontificator, I have mixed feelings about this). We saw President Trump tweet about crypto regulations, as well as powerful international organizations express their agenda on how crypto should be regulated. We saw bold, forward-looking moves from smaller nations play out, and crypto-schizophrenic China plant its flag somewhere on the cryptomoon, though we still don’t know on which side. These actions illustrate the global regulatory landscape evolving along the contours of the legacy international financial order inherited from …

Disappointment isn’t always a bad thing. It can be a spur, motivating one to work harder to meet expectations and goals. It is in this spirit that Cointelegraph informally surveyed members of the crypto community about this past year’s unfulfilled industry promises. Here are some of 2019’s biggest disappointments: Adoption missing? Where are the giant blockchain or crypto projects — enterprises that seize the imagination, rivet the public’s attention, and quiet the crypto skeptics? As Nouriel Roubini noted last year, “[Blockchain] still has only one application: cryptocurrencies.” Many in the industry are still waiting. As Lanre Sarumi, CEO of crypto …

One of the impediments to the adoption of blockchain and crypto technologies in the world are the regulations governing their introduction into the world of business. The constantly changing nature of the legal framework and the fear of being caught up in legal disputes with regulatory authorities, especially the tax ones, is forcing most small- and medium-sized businesses across the globe to work with blockchain from the shadows. Nonetheless, many experts believe the year 2019 has seen a significant improvement in many countries in regard to blockchain regulation, with the attitude toward digital money shifting dramatically in recent years. This …

2019 was, without a doubt, a milestone for crypto taxation. Countries around the world realized cryptocurrencies are here to stay and adjusted their crypto tax policies as a result. This year alone, several countries have been busy establishing and amending crypto tax legislation. Governments around the world have published updated guidance, changed crypto tax rules, and used crypto tax benefits to attract high-net individuals, while some even banned crypto completely. Looking at the crypto tax legislation worldwide in 2019, one thing is apparent: No one can deny crypto tax anymore. Crypto is considered an asset and is therefore taxable. Whether …

A new year heralds the opportunity for a new beginning. The start of a new life cycle. As the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, the year 2019 will be dealt a fatal blow by old father time, a cold-hearted act of destruction that would inspire Thanos himself. Soon, all that will remain of 2019 will be a handful of dust. For many cultures around the world, the New Year is a time celebrated with gifts. Here’s how anyone can spend their crypto like an oligarch this festive season. Luxury goods So, you’ve bought Bitcoin, managed to prevail the treacherous …

The United States Bitcoin (BTC) derivatives market witnessed a slew of developments in 2019 as “old players” set trading volume records and “new players” introduced novel market products. After months of regulatory maneuvering, Bakkt finally launched and has gone on to post record Bitcoin futures trading volumes. Several platforms have also obtained Swap Execution Facility licenses from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission as the crypto derivatives arena in the country expanded throughout 2019. One of the 19 CFTC-licensed platforms, Tassat, said the approval is a preliminary step to the company listing physically settled Bitcoin derivatives for institutional clients. Overall, …

Last month, the value of Bitcoin (BTC) nosedived to around the $6,500 mark after having stayed above the $8,000 threshold for a considerable period before that. This downturn showcased Bitcoin’s worst market performance over the past seven months — with the flagship crypto asset’s last stoop below the $6,500 mark occurring in May. However, even with this aforementioned reversal in BTC’s fortunes, data available on Google Trends suggests that global interest in the premier cryptocurrency seems to increase every time the asset witnesses sudden price movements — positive or negative. Also, it bears mentioning that last month, the term “Bitcoin” …

As the end of the year draws closer, discussing what the future holds for the crypto industry becomes increasingly relevant. In particular, how global financial and technological trends will affect the adoption of cryptocurrencies in the coming year. Despite the critics, the number of industry experts and crypto enthusiasts who foresee a promising future for cryptocurrencies has been on the rise. Institutional investors are now paying more attention to crypto-related projects and products, and universities have even started to offer courses on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Now, talks of how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things …

Since the start of 2019, the crypto market has been on the receiving end of an insane amount of financial volatility. For example, in January, the total market capitalization of this burgeoning sector was around $130 billion. However, by July, the market at large had witnessed an influx of bullish momentum that pushed the total capitalization value of this space to a whopping $373 billion. Following this period, the aforementioned bull run proceeded to subside quite a bit, with the market now hovering a tad under the $200 billion threshold. A few cryptocurrencies maintained a strong financial standing all year …

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get your holiday shopping out of the way for good. And while online retail giants such as Amazon and eBay have made online purchasing wonderfully simple for the average person, they do not really cater to a growing population of individuals who are looking to use their crypto for digital payment purposes. While a number of startups have entered this space over the last three to four years due to issues relating to market volatility, certain remaining setbacks need to be tackled before the sector can really flourish. But …

This article was updated to reflect that Bitrue has now acknowledged the hack of its platform. Throughout the past six months, seven crypto exchanges have reportedly seen large-scale hacking attacks to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, with the most recent platform to suffer a security breach being GateHub. As the global crypto exchange market continues to see an increasing number of security breaches leading to the loss of user funds, investors may become reluctant to rely on centralized exchanges to store funds. Bitrue hack The month of June was characterized by two unfortunate cryptocurrency thefts. On June …