Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) are not new to the sports industry. Some NBA teams began accepting BTC as payment for tickets as early as 2014. Since then, the relationship between sports and crypto has been rapidly evolving. Today, a firm that claims to be the world’s first ever crypto exchange for sport tokens has rolled out trading for its first sports-focused coin. Chiliz.net, a Singapore-based sports blockchain venture and crypto exchange, has listed Juventus Fan Token (JUV), a blockchain token released by Italian professional soccer club, Juventus, in collaboration with sport-focused token platform Socios.com. Chiliz CEO says that Chiliz token …

In recent years, Google-owned video-sharing platform YouTube deleted and banned an array of cryptocurrency-related channels. The platform’s policy has driven cryptocurrency enthusiasts to look for decentralized alternatives to YouTube, which allow users to skirt censorship and even incentivize them with their own tokens. In a YouTube video published on April 1, a channel dubbed Bitcoin for Beginners reviewed some of the decentralized YouTube alternatives. When choosing the most relevant platforms, the channel host took into account their usability, track records and user interface as major criteria. Among the most popular decentralized video sharing platforms, the author noted LBRY, Bitchute, BitTube, …

Amid global coronavirus fears and plunging mainstream markets, Bitcoin (BTC) trading has remained largely unchanged, according to CMT Digital head of trading and business development, Brad Koeppen. “Bitcoin trading has not been that different,” Koeppen told Cointelegraph in a March 31 email. “Volatility and volumes saw an uptick as BTC sold off with the traditional markets but high volatility is nothing new in Bitcoin.” Koeppen also referenced the problems seen on exchanges around the time of Bitcoin’s massive drop between March 11 and 13, noting that this is “nothing new” in the crypto space. Has Bitcoin decoupled from traditional markets? …

Some authorities think current traditional market instability lies behind Bitcoin’s (BTC) recent plunge, while others feel the alleged PlusToken scam is the cause. Bill Herrmann, CEO of alternative investment banking firm Wilshire Phoenix, believes Bitcoin’s recent bearishness is simply due to traditional market instability. “The recent drop in the price of bitcoin is a result of the sudden and fierce decline among most asset-classes over the last several weeks,” he told Cointelegraph, adding: “In times of extreme volatility, which is often followed by panic — most retail investors, whether it’s Bitcoin or in equities, sell first and ask questions later. …

One of the latest episode of "The Simpsons" aired has just aired featuring Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory appearing as a guest star to explain cryptocurrencies and how a blockchain works. In the song and dance predicts cryptocurrency to be the future money, the animated ledger states: "Each day I'm closer, to being the cash of the future. Not in your wallet, I'm in your computer! At the end of Jim’s talk, there is a subliminal message on screen. It further explains how cryptocurrencies work, part of which says: "Using the word "cryptocurrency" repeatedly while defining cryptocurrency makes it …

As global blockchain adoption is accelerating, countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are forecasted to massively increase their spending on the tech in the next few years. According to a new report by United States-based market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), governments across MEA will see a 400% surge in their investment to blockchain-based solutions in four years. MEA to increase blockchain spending from $21 million in 2019 to $105 million by 2023 Issued on Feb. 12, the IDC report outlines that blockchain tech is increasingly growing its share in digital transformation initiatives in the MEA region. …

Malta-based sports blockchain venture Chiliz is launching a cryptocurrency exchange for sports and entertainment tokens. In a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Jan. 23, Chiliz detailed that the new exchange — Chiliz.net — will roll out in February after the beginning of Fan Token Offerings for all of the Socios.com partner teams . Socios.com is a tokenized fan-voting platform for sports powered by Chiliz tokens (CHZ). Chiliz.net will be fully integrated with Socios.com, enabling users to transfer their fan tokens from a Socios wallet to the exchange, and vice versa. Chiliz and Socios.com CEO Alexandre Dreyfus claimed that Chiliz.net …

Fans of Italian professional soccer club Juventus have used the Socios platform to vote on the song to be played when they score a goal in their home stadium. The voting marked the first-ever poll held on Socios, a tokenized fan-voting platform for sports, and a real use-case of the team’s branded token JUV, according to a Jan. 6 blog post. Following the poll initiated in December, fans have chosen Song 2 by Blur as the new song which will play at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium every time the team scores a goal. Giving a voice to fans around the world …

Slovenia-based crypto payment infrastructure provider aims to boost cryptocurrency adoption through its global expansion. GoCrypto, a merchant-oriented upgrade of Eligma’s crypto payments solution Elipay, is targeting expansion into more countries around the world. The plans follow recent contribution into the project, in which Eligma secured 4 million euros (roughly $4.4 million) from Bitcoin.com and Swiss-based Pangea Blockchain Fund. With the objective to make GoCrypto a global payment scheme that connects cryptocurrency owners, wallets, merchants and cashier systems to enable instant crypto payments, the company’s point-of-sale solution is currently available in nine countries. Initially starting from Slovenia and Croatia, Eligma has …

The Bitcoin (BTC) subreddit has seen a remarkable increase in its number of subscribers since the cryptocurrency’s price spike last summer. Cypherpunk and proclaimed Bitcoin maximalist Jameson Lopp posted a tweet on Dec. 23, saying “the rate of new subscribers to the /r/bitcoin subreddit accelerated after the exchange rate jumped this summer. It grew in size by 222,000 users - 22% growth in 2019.” At the beginning of 2019, the subreddit broke a milestone of 1 million subscribers, which means that it has added more than 200,000 new members over the past year. /r/bitcoin subreddit subscribers number chart. Source: Twitter …

A group of 10 major global oil and gas firms including heavy-hitters like Chevron and Shell has successfully digitized industry balloting using blockchain. The Oil & Gas Blockchain Consortium (OOC) successfully piloted a blockchain-based system for Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) balloting in partnership with Canadian technology provider GuildOne. According to an announcement on Dec. 18, the AFE balloting proof-of-concept (PoC) is the first initiative of its kind and intends to allow participants to send ballots and make elections digitally using blockchain technology. Digitizing conventional paper-based processes As noted in the report, AFEs are used in the oil and gas industry …

Recently, Canada’s central bank has been leading working groups with global partners exploring a blockchain future. Their crypto presence has soared with Ernst & Young’s announcement that it is using Toronto to test its public government expenditure blockchain. But what is the cryptocurrency landscape currently like in Canada? The history of crypto in Canada may seem as volatile as a token with a small market cap, yet mainstream use and adoption have been on a consistent incline since 2013, when Canadians started pushing mainstream adoption. Now, the Canadian government is leading working groups. What else has the country been up …