Samuel Haig

News Reporter

Samuel Haig is a journalist who has been completely obsessed with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency since 2012. Samuel lives in Tasmania, Australia, where he attended the University of Tasmania and majored in political science and journalism, media and communications. Samuel has written about the dialectics of decentralization and is also a kangaroo riding enthusiast.

Articles by Author

Business Exchanges ICO

tZERO Opened Its Doors to Non-Accredited Investors, but Their Options Are Still Limited

TZERO has announced that its securities tokens (TZROP) are now allowed to be traded among non-accredited investors, however, the platform offers limited functionality.
Mining

Ukrainian Secret Service Bust Cryptocurrency Mining Farm in Nuclear Plant

Ukrainian cryptocurrency miners are expected to enjoy a reduction in electricity prices, following an announcement that the country’s government has agreed to change energy prices charged to industrial consumers during a meeting yesterday.
Exchanges Regulation

New York Court Asserts Jurisdiction Over Bitfinex Proceedings

On Aug. 19, New York Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen rejected Bitfinex and Tether’s motion to dismiss the case filed against the companies by the New York Attorney General (NYAG) based on purported lack of jurisdiction.
Exchanges

Coinone’s CGEX Crypto Exchange to Shut Down Next Month

Malta-based CGEX, a cryptocurrency exchange opened by South Korea’s Coinone, will shut down next month following less than one year of operations.
Business

Small New York Bank Seeks Cryptocurrency Clients

Quontic Bank, a small financial institution based in New York City, is seeking to position itself as a crypto-friendly bank.
Blockchain Ripple Stablecoins

South Korean Conglomerate to Use Ripple Fork for Stablecoin-Powered Donations Platform

The major South Korean conglomerate, SK Holdings C&C, has announced that it has forked Ripple to create a donation platform that supports a stablecoin pegged to the Korean won and a utility token.
Bitcoin ($BTC) Mining

Maltese Court Mandates Refund for Noisy, Expensive Bitcoin Mining Machine

A retailer of bitcoin mining hardware in Malta has been ordered to refund a client who found that a miner purchased from the company found the unit to consume more electricity than they had expected.
Exchanges

Binance KYC Documents Allegedly Stolen From ‘Insider’ Who Helped Hackers

The hacker claiming to have accessed tens-of-thousands of know-your-customer (KYC) documents originating from Binance claims to have obtained the stolen documents by hacking an “insider” who facilitated the breach in May which saw 7,000 BTC stolen from the exchange.
Stablecoins

318 USDT Wallets Reportedly Hold Over 80% of the Stablecoin’s Supply

According to data provided by Coin Metrics, tether (USDT) ownership is extremely concentrated, with 318 wallets holding roughly 80% of the total circulating USDT supply.
Regulation

British Tax Authorities Targets Cryptocurrency Traders Looking for Tax Evaders

Britain’s tax regulator, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), is reportedly placing pressure on cryptocurrency exchanges to reveal the identities of transaction histories of customers.
Bitcoin ($BTC)

Elliptic Publishes Data Set of 200,000 Bitcoin Transfers to Help Detect Illicit Use

On August 2, London-based blockchain analytics provider, Elliptic, published what it claims comprises the “world’s largest set of labeled transaction data publicly available on any cryptocurrency,” including approximately 4,075 payment flows identified as being illegal in nature. 
Latest

Walmart’s Stablecoin Won’t Compete With Bitcoin, CoinCorner CEO Says

The announcement that Walmart has filed a patent for a USD-pegged stablecoin has been met with a markedly stifled reaction when contrasted with the seemingly fiery reaction to Facebook’s planned stablecoin, ‘Libra’.
Business

Bitmain Reportedly Lost $625 Million by March, Expects Q4 Turnaround

Bitmain reportedly posted a $625 million loss for the first two months of 2019. The company is anticipating that the poor performance will be offset by a flood of demand for its 7nm miners during the fourth quarter.
Altcoins Exchanges

Decred Publishes Documentation for Atomic Swap-Powered DEX

Decred has published the specifications for its upcoming decentralized exchange (DEX). The Decred DEX will execute trades using atomic swaps.
Mining Regulation

Truck Carrying 117 Cryptocurrency Miners Seized in Iran

Iranian police have seized a truck carrying over 100 cryptocurrency miners. Despite recently legitimizing crypto mining as an authorized activity, the Iranian regime is yet to issue any licenses for importing mining hardware.
Politics

UK Judge Dismisses Craig Wright’s Libel Lawsuit Against Roger Ver

A U.K. judge has dismissed Craig Wright’s libel suit against Roger Ver due to lack of jurisdiction.
Bitcoin ($BTC) Business

CFTC Claims It Hasn’t Approved LedgerX’s Launch of Physically-Settled Bitcoin Futures

On August 1, the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) requested that LedgerX retract the company’s claim that it had launched the first physically-settled bitcoin (BTC) futures contracts in the United States (U.S.) as of July 31.
Altcoins

Huobi Wallet Announces It’ll Be a Tezos (XTZ) Baker

The multi-currency wallet offered by cryptocurrency exchange Huobi, HuobiWallet, has announced that it will soon provide support for Tezos (XTZ).
Altcoins Bitcoin ($BTC)

Bitpanda Survey: One in Five Crypto Investors Are Women

An extensive survey of nearly 5,000 cryptocurrency holders spanning 17 European countries has found that one in five crypto investors are female, signaling greater diversity within the virtual currency sector than previously presumed.
Exchanges

Rain Becomes First Regulated Cryptocurrency Exchange in the Middle East

The day of Rain.bh’s launch, Jul 31, 2019, also saw the company became the first Middle Eastern cryptocurrency exchange to obtain regulatory licensing to operate within the region

Overstock to Pay Shareholders Dividend in tZERO Security Tokens

Online retailer and early adopter of cryptocurrency, Overstock.com (OSTK), has announced that it will pay shareholders dividends in the form of the security tokens of its affiliate, tZero.

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Adds Crypto Wallet App From Phone Rival Pundi X

Pundi X has announced a partnership with Samsung, despite the two companies comprising rival manufacturers of blockchain smartphones.

Importer of Bitmain Bitcoin Miners Faces Criminal Investigation for Allegedly Underpaying Customs Fees

The Russian Federal Customs Service has opened a criminal investigation into an importer of Bitmain miners for allegedly failing to pay $1.2 million customs fees.

Bitfinex and Tether Have Already Spent Over $500,000 in Legal Battle With NYAG

The law firms representing crypto exchange Bitfinex and stablecoin issuer Tether in their ongoing legal battle with the New York Attorney General’s (NYAG) office, have written a letter revealing that the firms have already spent over $500,000 on document procurement alone.

Russian-Chinese OTC Tether Trade Worth Over $10 Million a Day

Russian traders are selling millions of dollars worth of Tether (USDT) to Chinese buyers daily. USDT reportedly gained popularity over Bitcoin (BTC) as a means to bypass China’s strict capital control acts in 2018 after BTC prices plummeted.

Kraken Acquires Crypto Portfolio Manager Interchange

On July 31, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken announced that it had acquired Interchange – an enterprise crypto asset management service provider.

Educational Non-Profit Seeks $2 Million for Blockchain Literacy Programs in Pakistan and the Bahamas

CryptoChicks, the educational non-profit organization founded by Natalia Ameline, the mother of Ethereum’s creator Vitalik Buterin, is seeking to raise $2 million to develop long term programs to bolster blockchain literacy among women and youth in Pakistan and the Bahamas.

Andrew Ridenour Leaves Coinbase for CFTC

Coinbase’s product counsel for institutional products, Andrew Ridenour, has become the latest executive to part ways with the company.

200-Year-Old Austrian Company Launches Crypto Hardware Wallet

A 200-year-old company in Austria has launched a cryptocurrency hardware wallet targetting businesses.

Iran Officially Legalizes Cryptocurrency Mining

The Islamic Republic of Iran has authorized cryptocurrency mining as a legitimate industrial activity.

PwC Predits Goods and Sales Tax Exemption Will Bolster Singapore’s Crypto Sector

Multinational professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), has praised Singapore’s move to exempt cryptocurrencies and digital tokens from sales tax when used to pay for goods and services, arguing that such will bolster the city-state as a regional virtual currency hub.

Galaxy Digital Granted Broker-Dealer License by FINRA

On July 24, Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd announced that it had been granted a broker-dealer license by independent United States (U.S.) securities regulator, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

$50,000: Ontario Securities Regulator Settles With ICO Promoter CoinLaunch

On July 22, Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has reached a settlement agreement with cryptocurrency firm CoinLaunch Corp regarding the company’s promotion of unregistered initial coin offerings.

Greek Billionaire Launches Cannabis Cryptocurrency, Exchange, and Bank

On July 25, a Swiss-based consortium led by Greek billionaire Alkiviades David, Swissx, has launched the Swissx Bank of Cannabis, with the bank seeking to facilitate legal cannabis transactions across the emerging global market.

Bitcoin Suisse ‘Highest BTC Trade Ever’ Over 4,000 Metres Above Sea Level

On July 17, an almost 70-person team led by Swiss cryptocurrency company Bitcoin Suisse conducted a BTC trade atop the Breithorn Mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy.

Brazilian City Starts Accepting Bitcoin Payments for Public Transport

On July 25 it was reported that users of the public transportation system in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará, will soon be able to purchase transportation tickets using Bitcoin.

Cardano Creator Describes Libra as “Sputnik Moment” for Crypto

In a recent interview, the founder of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson, described the emergence of Facebook’s planned virtual currency ‘Libra’ as signposting the erosion of the centralized legacy financial system in the face of increasing global adoption of distributed ledger technologies.

Transparency of Binance Charity Foundation Called Into Question

A report published by CoinDesk has brought into question the transparency of the Binance Charity Foundation (BCF).

Alleged BitMarkets Co-Owner Found Dead

On July 25, 44-year-old Tobiasz Niemiro, the alleged co-owner of the defunct Polish cryptocurrency exchange BitMarket, was found dead in his home province of Olsztyn, Poland.

Man Charged for $2 Million Worth of Unlicensed Bitcoin Sales

A man from Monmouth County, New Jersey who sold more than $2 million worth of Bitcoin through a private website was indicted by a federal grand jury for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business on July 24.

Despite Kidney Stones and Warren Buffet Lunch Cancellation, Justin Sun Attends Tron Party

On July 25, the chief executive officer of Tron, Justin Sun, attended a party to celebrate the first anniversary of Tron’s acquisition of file-sharing platform BitTorrent, despite having canceled the highly-hyped lunch meeting between himself and business magnate Warren Buffet that had been scheduled for the same day.

Russia Mulls Cryptocurrency Use in Arms Sales

The Russian Engineering Union (‘SoyuzMash’) has requested that the Central Bank of Russia consider exploring distributed ledger technology as a potential means of exchange for arms deals with foreign customers.

$100 Million Indictment Filed Against BTC-E and Alexander Vinnik

On July 25, a civil lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California, indicting defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e and its executive Alexander Vinnik for alleged violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.

Monex Moves to Join Libra Association

Japanese financial services company and owner of the Coincheck crypto asset exchange, Monex Group, has filed an application to join the Libra Association – the consortium that will operate and develop Facebook’s proposed ‘Libra’ cryptocurrency alongside the social media giant.

New York Times to Track Photojournalism Using Blockchain

The New York Times Company has announced that it is working on a project that seeks to combat fake news using IBM’s blockchain platform, IBM Garage.

Malware Threatens to Turn Search Engine into Crypto Mining Botnet

Cybersecurity firm Trend Micro has discovered a new malware strain that threatens to turn the enterprise search engine Elasticsearch into a cryptocurrency mining botnet capable of being used in a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

Facebook May Still Launch Its Cryptocurrency Libra Without U.S. Approval

Despite Facebook’s recent assurance to United States (U.S.) lawmakers that it will not launch Libra without having “fully addressed regulatory concerns,” the company appears unwilling to discuss whether it will consider launching Libra in an alternative jurisdiction.

NYDFS Announces New Division to Oversee Crypto Licensing

The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced the creation it’s new Research and Innovation Division on July 23. The division will be tasked with overseeing the licensing of cryptocurrency businesses in the state.

Judge Rejects AT&Ts Motion to Dismiss $224 Mln Lawsuit

A Los Angeles federal judge has ruled that AT&T Mobility can be held to answer a lawsuit from a customer who was lost $24 million worth of cryptocurrency when he became the victim of SIM-swapping.

A.S. Roma Partners With Socios to Conduct “Fan Token Offering”

Italian Professional football club, Associazione Sportiva Roma (A.S. Roma), has announced that it will launch an “official Fan Token” in partnership with Socios.

Indian Government Committee Recommends Total Ban on “Private Cryptocurrencies”

An Indian inter-ministerial committee (IMC) has recently suggested a blanket ban on all privacy-centric cryptocurrencies in the country.

IOST Partners With Eastern European Crowdfunding Platform Bloomstarter

The IOST Foundation has announced a partnership with leading Eastern European crowdfunding platform, Boomstarter. The deal will see IOST integrated as a crowdfunding currency on the platform, while Boomstarter will act as a Partner Node to the IOST network.

ECB Official: Libra Will Not Launch Without Addressing Oversight Concerns

Benoit Coeure, a member of the Executive Board European Central Bank (ECB) board member, has asserted that Facebook’s planned virtual currency ‘Libra’ will not launch until regulatory concerns have been addressed.

Mercedes’ Parent Firm Partners With DLT Provider to Develop Vehicle-Based Hardware Wallet

German multinational automotive corporation, Daimler AG, has partnered with European blockchain startup Riddle & Code to develop a hardware wallet solution for cars.

Circle to Base International Operations From New Bermudan Entity

Peer-to-peer payments technology company, Circle, has announced that it has become the first major cryptocurrency exchange to receive a digital assets business license in Bermuda. The company will now use its Bermuda operations as a new base for its international operations.

Purported Former Cryptopia Developer Claims Hack Was an Inside Job

An article purportedly written by a former Cryptopia developer has speculated that the hack that devastated the exchange during January 2019 may have comprised an inside job.

BitMEX: Outflows Have Been Exceeding Inflows Since News of CFTC Investigation Broke

During 24 hours between July 19 and July 20, London-based blockchain analysis firm TokenAnalyst reported that the largest cryptocurrency exchange, BitMEX, had seen outflowed seven times greater than its inflows. The news came shortly after it was reported that the United States (U.S.) Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is investigating the cryptocurrency derivatives exchange.

Iran Moves to Authorize Cryptocurrency Mining With New Pricing Scheme

The Iranian Economic Commission is reportedly finalizing a pricing scheme for electricity consumed to mine cryptocurrencies.

IMF Predicts Stablecoins Will Challenge Cash and Bank Deposits

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has published a paper launching a new series of work seeking to “provide insight into the intersection of technology and the global economy.”

Binance Plans Launch of Fiat-to-Cryptocurrency Exchange in South Korea

Leading crypto exchange Binance is rumored to be planning the launch crypto-to-fiat exchange in South Korea.

Most Read

How IMF’s $1.4B Deal With El Salvador, If Approved, Could Jeopardize Bitcoin’s Role as Legal Tender

  • 19 Dec 2024

The Fed Cuts Rates as Expected, but Hawkish 2025 Outlook Hits Crypto and U.S. Stocks Hard

  • 18 Dec 2024

XRP Surges to 3rd Place, Up 370% Since Trump’s Win, as Ripple’s RLUSD Gets Ready for Dec. 17 Launch

  • 16 Dec 2024

Michael Saylor’s Relentless Focus on Bitcoin Lands His Firm in the Nasdaq-100 Index

  • 14 Dec 2024

VanEck’s Crypto Crystal Ball: Investment Giant’s Top 10 Predictions for 2025

  • 13 Dec 2024