One of the best things about innovation is that you get to make up your own rules. In Mike Rotman’s case, creating a streaming, bitcoin-themed game show meant that he didn’t have to worry about pitching his idea to a network. Instead of running the gauntlet of TV industry gatekeepers, Rotman and his team simply…
It took Blockchain.info nearly two years to cross the threshold of having 500,000 user wallets. When the web-based wallet provider passed a million wallets in early January, it was seen as a huge milestone for the bitcoin community. Today, Blockchain blew past another marker with barely a mention: 1.5 million user wallets. Even with a…
In another sign of the slow, steady global adoption of bitcoin, Brazilian bitcoin exchange BitInvest has launched a pre-paid MasterCard powered by bitcoin deposits. The technology behind Coincard is nothing new, as the exchange simply deposits sold BTC to the debit card rather than a bank account, but it does represent another attempt to bridge…
Starting this year, virtual currency startups will finally have their own category in the annual Europas award show. Since 2009, the event has celebrated developments in technology and innovation, giving a rare opportunity for recognition for European programmers and tech entrepreneurs. Although the awards generally focus on Europe, in recent years prizes have also gone…
A bug in the code of popular bitcoin wallet MultiBit has sparked considerable debate about the reliability of the open-source wallet client. Several threads posted to Reddit in recent days have revealed a number of problematic glitches in MultiBit’s code, as well as a seeming reluctance on the part of the developer to address them….
Bitcoin ATM maker Robocoin gave a demonstration of their machine to lawmakers and media in Washington, D.C, yesterday. CEO Jordan Kelley hosted the event, answering questions from the press and helping several member of Congress and their staff buy small amounts of bitcoin with the two-way machine. Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) was among the first…
A new bitcoin ATM with point-of-sale functionality by German startup BitXatm was unveiled this week. Named the Sumo Pro, the ATM boasts an easy solution for merchants to would like to integrate bitcoin payments into their existing POS systems through a printable QR code. The ATM also has the ability to work with standard fiat…
Computer security specialists and IT managers the world over have been racing to implement emergency fixes today for the “Heartbleed” security flaw in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library. The bug allows an attacker to gather data in 64 kilobyte blocks, slowly gathering a wealth of theoretically encrypted data. Although the most likely targets of…
If there was a single roadblock to mainstream bitcoin adoption, it would be the limited point of sale (POS) options. Even for a relatively tech-savvy person, bitcoin transactions in their current form can be a little on the awkward side, involving smartphones, wireless connections, QR codes and confirmation delays. For the average person, swiping a…
Last year, Bitcoin Core developer Jeff Garzik began talking publicly about plans to launch a small commercial satellite to serve as an orbiting bitcoin node. The idea was to provide a one-to-many solution for peer-to-peer network attacks, such as Sybil attacks, which are likely to increase as bitcoin becomes more popular. Even with a relatively…