Australian citizen Katherine Nguyen has pleaded guilty to stealing $450,000 in XRP — over 100,000 tokens — in January 2018. Local news channel 7News Sydney reported the latest about the case on Aug. 23. According to the report, Nguyen hacked into the email account of a man with the same last name. She then proceeded to steal all of his XRP, before unlocking his account two days later. Police reportedly investigated the theft for 10 months before locating and arresting her. Nguyen has since pleaded guilty to the theft, for which she will reportedly face jail time. A special hearing …

More than 7,000 people have signed a new petition against drafted cash restrictions in Australia, different drafts of which include and exclude digital currencies from proposed limits. Earlier this week, Robert Barwick, director at the Citizens Electoral Council of Australia, initiated a petition against the proposed "Currency (Restrictions on the Use of Cash) Bill 2019" recently introduced as an explanatory draft by Australia’s parliament. The drafted bill specifically proposes banning cash transactions over 10,000 AUD ($6,900), including transactions involving digital currencies. Preventing cash usage in illicit activities? The impetus for the bill purportedly lies in the government’s desire to prevent …

Energy-focused blockchain startup Power Ledger has extended its peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading trial into its next phase in the Australian city of Fremantle. In a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Aug. 21, Power Ledger revealed the continuation of its P2P solar power trading trial aimed at tracking rooftop solar energy traded between households in Fremantle. The households participating in the project can set their own energy prices in the market. ‘50,000 transactions per month’ The testing — which is a collaborative effort between Power Ledger, Curtin University, energy generating company Synergy, electricity network operator Western Power and energy services …

The Winklevoss twins’ crypto exchange and custodian Gemini is expanding to Australia, enabling residents of the country to use its platform to buy, sell and store crypto. Australian residents can now download the Gemini mobile app on iOS or Android to trade major cryptocurrencies, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Aug. 21. The list of supported digital coins includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC) and Zcash (ZEC). While Gemini supports six cryptos, its stablecoin Gemini dollar (GUSD) is not supported in Australia, according to its website. Gemini coverage Apart from Australia, Gemini currently …

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is currently prototyping blockchain tokens meant to enable landowners, environmental groups, developers and governments to invest in sustainable development. Commonwealth Bank’s “BioTokens” The bank announced in a press release published on Aug. 21 that it is working on “BioTokens,” enabling sustainable investments co-developed with BioDiversity Solutions Australia. Per the report, the project is part of broader developments meant to support regional businesses across the country — and enable the creation of crypto assets representing biodiversity credits for New South Wales Government’s Biodiversity Offsets Scheme. The government project — introduced in 2017 — requires companies to …

The Australian Tax Office has issued warning letters to 18,000 Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) for concentrating too much investment in one asset class. Under Australian law it is illegal to use more than 90% of retirement funds on a single class, such as property or cryptocurrency, as reported by local news outlet, Micky, Aug. 16. Legally obliged to diversify your retirement portfolio An SMSF involves an individual taking charge of their own retirement fund investment decisions, rather than relying on a professional fund manager. It is a major growth area for cryptocurrency businesses in the country, with a combined …

Australian energy technology company Power Ledger and Japanese Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) have completed a joint trial of a blockchain-based system for post-FIT (feed-in tariff) surplus power in Osaka. P2P transaction of surplus power In an announcement published on Aug. 12, Power Ledger revealed the test completion of a peer-to-peer system demonstrating benefits for post-FIT surplus power in the Japanese city of Osaka. The system purportedly enabled KEPCO to conduct a P2P transaction of surplus power autonomously and automatically, which included settlements with digital currency. Fumiaki Ishida, KEPCO representative general manager, commented on the development: “Although there are still …

Public enterprise blockchain platform VeChain has partnered with Autralian winemaker Penfolds to release a case of blockchain-encrypted wine bottles for sale, as part of its Wine Traceability Platform (WTP) initiative. More specifically, the launch of Penfolds Bin 407 in July marks the beginning of VeChain’s WTP phase 2, per a press release from VeChain on Aug. 6. The bottles from this case are reportedly available at the Waigaoqiao International Alcohol Exhibition & Trading Center, D.I.G.’s Flagship Store and the Sen Lan Shang Du in Pudong New District. As per the press release, each bottle inside Bin 407 comes attached with …

Blockchain startup Lumachain has received $2.4 million in public funding from Main Sequence Ventures, a $165.6 million venture capital fund backed by the Australian government and the federal Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Lumachain’s newly-received funds will go toward staffing fees as well as international expansion, according to a report by local financial news periodical the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on July 29. Lumachain reportedly uses blockchain technology to track and trace the condition and whereabouts of food products along the supply chain in real time. According to Lumachain’s website, founder Jamila Gordon says the goal of her blockchain …

Australia’s government has delivered supportive statements on cryptocurrency as it looks to exclude the sector from new restrictions on cash payments. In an explanatory memorandum issued late last week, the country’s treasury said it wished to ban cash payments for goods and services which exceeded 10,000 AUD ($6,900). However, a number of exclusions would apply, including transactions involving what it describes as digital currencies. The reason, lawmakers state, is in order to prevent the disappearance of such currencies from the local economy, which in turn would lead to a block on freedom to innovate. The memorandum reads: “Digital currency is …

Curtin University, the largest university in Western Australia with over 58,00 students, announced the launch of a cryptocurrency PhD program on July 23, 2019. Curtin University Accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum The Cryptocurrency PhD Scholarship Fund will allow companies and individuals to help PhD students studying blockchain, cybersecurity and data analytics through cryptocurrency funding. Focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, the higher education program will be entirely funded through bitcoin or ethereum, which school officials say will help popularize cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Curtin University Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Excellence Professor Garry Allison notes the fund is a good opportunity for …

Until recently, cryptocurrency debit cards appeared to fall short of expectations. Despite many failed efforts in recent years, crypto debit cards are enjoying a second wind thanks to a surge in crypto prices over the summer. With some of the crypto world’s biggest names launching crypto debit cards, Cointelegraph takes a look at the latest updates in the burgeoning payments sector. What are cryptocurrency debit cards and how do they work? Cryptocurrency debit cards are almost exactly the same as the bank card you carry around every day in your wallet, except for the fact that you can use them …