Seven News | 13 March, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp is considering adopting the underlying technology behind bitcoin, known as the "blockchain," to create a digital cash and payment system for major currencies, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Bitcoin Magazine | 19 March, 2015

UK Government Funds Research in Digital Fintech and Promotes Firm Regulations

In November, the U.K. government launched a call for information on digital currencies, with a focus on their function as a payment method rather than as a speculative investment.

 

Bitcoin evangelist Andreas M Antonopoulos has appeared before the Australian Senate as part of an inquiry into the local treatment of digital currencies. The prominent bitcoin 'guru' made the case for bitcoin, saying that its unique architecture and payment mechanism had important implications for network access, innovation, privacy, individual empowerment, consumer protection and regulation.

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CoinDesk |  4 March, 2015

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 CoinDesk  |  5 March, 2015

Nearly all bitcoin miners have been transferring their rewards within 36 hours of obtaining them, researchers at New York University have found. Luqin Wang and Yong Liu's paper, an analysis on the "evolution" of pool mining, found that less than 1% of miners left their rewards untouched in 2012 and 2013.

 New Hampshire state legislature held a pair of hearings earlier this month that focused on how the state could create a means for residents to pay taxes and fees using bitcoin. Popular ideas include everything from the language barrier (limited access to Portuguese bitcoin resources) to past incidents with exchanges (the mystery surrounding Bitcoin Rain). However, the most likely culprit may be a lack of fundamentals in its market, according to one entrepreneur.

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CoinDesk  | 5 March, 2015

San Francisco-based Ripple Labs, the startup behind the digital payment network Ripple, has joined the International Payments Framework Association (IFPA). The Association, whose members include the likes of ACH, NACHA and SWIFT, provides rule sets, best practices and guidance on how to improve cross-border payments.

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CoinDesk | 12 March, 2015

Financial management specialist Intuit is expanding its PayByCoin product to Australia. Introduced in June, PayByCoin integrates bitcoin into the company's Intuit QuickBooks service, enabling its small business merchant network to accept bitcoin.

Bitcoin core developer Jeff Garzik's company Dunvegan Space Systems has inked a deal with its partner Deep Space Industries Inc., to put mini satellites into orbit. The idea of providing secure, remote backup of the digital currency's critical data in space was first disclosed nearly a year ago
 

China's craze for bitcoins has been well-documented over the past year, but a new report highlights just how dominant of a player the country is. About 80 percent of bitcoin volume is now driven by the Chinese yuan, according to data from Goldman Sachs.
 

Block Verify announced on March 6th that they have a partnership with a UK pharmaceutical company to begin ensure the validity of pharmaceuticals using the Blockchain. Block Verify, a blockchain-based anti-counterfeit solution, wants to have a global, positive social impact by using blockchain technology to "make the world more honest."