Management and technology consulting firm GreySpark has found that U.S. dollars are the most actively traded fiat currency against cryptocurrencies in a new study published September 4. The study focuses on the recent popularity of cryptocurrencies that went viral in late 2017, when Bitcoin’s (BTC) price peaked at $20,000. GreySpark experts found that crypto prices correlated with Google search interest. For instance, the fluctuation in the price of Bitcoin (BTC) between $19,000 and $20,000 corresponded with the record-breaking amount of searches for "Bitcoin" and "cryptocurrency", the study outlines. Correlation between crypto prices and Google search interest. Source: GreySpark.com Furthermore, the …

According to new research conducted by Initial Coin Offering (ICO) advisory firm Satis Group, the Bitcoin (BTC) price could potentially reach $98,000 in the next five years. The report written by Sherwin Dowlat and Michael Hodapp represents the fourth part of a five-part series covering the crypto space. The report states that, in terms of upward tendencies in cryptocurrencies over the next five years, BTC will reach reach $96,000, Monero (XMR) will reach $18,000, and Decred (DCR) will hit $535. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is forecasted to slump to $268, after it “[attempts] to inherit brand recognition and [provides] minimal technological …

Regulatory uncertainty and trust are major barriers to blockchain adoption among businesses, according to a study released August 27 by ‘Big Four’ auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). A new study entitled “Blockchain is here. What’s your next move?” conducted by PwC examined 600 executives in 15 countries on their development of blockchain and opinions about its potential. The countries participating in the survey included Australia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, the UAE, the U.K., and the U.S. Respondents ranked regulatory uncertainty, lack of trust among users, and ability to bring a network together as …

The Initial Coin Offering (ICO) market has more than doubled in a year according to ICORating’s ICO market report for the the second quarter of 2018, published August 8. ICORating is an independent rating agency that conducts independent analytical research evaluating ICOs and the ICO market. According to the report, ICOs in 2018 have already raised over $11 billion in investments, a figure which it purports is ten times larger than the sum of investments from ICOs in Q1-2 2017. ICORating reports that in Q2 2018, 827 projects raised over $8 billion in funding, compared to $3.3 billion in Q1 …

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Cointelegraph.com Blockchains and cryptocurrencies are still young. The ones in actual operation still have a range of teething problems and weaknesses, while they also lack the widespread adoption that would forcibly accelerate their development and provide an expanded testing ground for new technical solutions. There are, however, an increasing number of universities that have been opening groups, centers and laboratories dedicated to research into cryptocurrencies, and despite being young themselves, these promise to significantly advance the evolution of cryptocurrencies and blockchains. Yet, pure research …

China’s three major telecoms operators launched a blockchain research group, which has held its first meeting, local media outlet Fintech News reports July 23. The product of China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, the group involves a total of twenty experts from eight companies including Huawei, Union Mobile, and Financial Technology (UMF). The aim, an unnamed China Mobile official said, is to “build a trustworthy blockchain application team to explore the blockchain area.” “It's a solution in terms of order management, contract management and creation of use cases,” the official added. The telecoms group will reportedly seek to increase …

On July 9, a "Monetary Dialogue" session was held by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) of the European Parliament. It’s a quarterly conference that is directly interlinked with the European Central Bank (ECB): Every three months, the president of the ECB (or, occasionally, another representative) appears before the Committee to report on the state of monetary policy in the union. It is worth noting that the ECB has a complex relationship with cryptocurrencies, with its president declaring last year that it wasn’t “in their powers to prohibit and regulate them.” However, more recently, the ECB has …

Economic researchers at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy have identified digital currencies issued by a central bank as an opportunity for a more stable financial system, while at the same time rejecting cryptocurrencies, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reports today, June 27. The Kiel researchers distinguish digital or virtual currencies from cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in their report published on the 26th of June, which will serve as a guide to the "Monetary Dialogue" in the ECON Committee of the European Parliament. According to the report, cryptocurrencies do not constitute a viable alternative to traditional central bank currencies: “Currently, cryptocurrencies …

New York University and Google researchers who monitored the payment networks of cybercriminals announced that ransomware cases have increased significantly since 2016 and gradually becoming a multi-million business. They claimed that the crime is very profitable and that it is becoming a “vicious cycle” of ever-growing attacks. According to Google anti-abuse research lead, Elie Bursztein, the crime of ransomware is here to stay. “It’s a vicious cycle, the more money they make, the more aggressively they spread the malware.” Results Based on the study results, the criminal cyber industry, in general, has a promising future as shown by the amount …