Original author: Stan Higgins
Coin News
Original author: Dan Palmer
Original author: Dan Palmer
Patrick Oualid, MonoprixCoinDesk recently reported on attempts to raise the understanding of digital currencies in France. InnoCherche, a France-based think tank dedicated to fostering innovation in the country, held an event composed of seven of its peer organisations earlier this month as part of a discussion that touched on some of the biggest digital trends, including digital currencies.A representative of the organisation indicated afterwards that the panel members were not very educated about bitcoin, and that he had to defend against the spectre of now-bankrupt bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox and the perception that digital currency exchanges are unsafe for the general consumer.About MonoprixMonoprix opened its first store in the French city of Rouen in 1938. It now has a presence in 85% of French towns and combines food retailing with hardware, clothing, household items and gifts. A subsidiary of the Casino Group, the company had over 300 stores across France as of 2008, according to online sources.As for its future plans for digital currencies, Monoprix plans to be bitcoin ready on its web store by the end of 2014, said Oualid, adding:“In this way, if the [bitcoin explosion] occurs in 2015, we are ready.”Note: The interview material was sourced via an informal translation and has been edited for clarity and readability.Monoprix image via Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.comFrancemerchantsMonoprixPatrick OualidpaymentsOriginal author: Dan Palmer
Logo form of B⃦, a common symbol used for bitcoin. Source: Bitcoin WikiHaving a symbol in Unicode form means it would work in different fonts and formats and would help to better convey the cryptocurrency to the masses in various forms of media.There has been community discussion to get B⃦ used in conjunction with the Unicode Consortium, with a Bitcoin Wiki resource devoted to it.However, since the Unicode Consortium already accepts Ƀ, it could be an easier path to adoption since there are no standardization roadblocks in the way.Differing viewpointsCoinDesk asked several people in the bitcoin industry their views on the Ƀ symbol – and reactions were mixed. Sean Neville is the chief technology officer of Circle, a company focused on consumer adoption of bitcoin. Neville said:“I’m not a huge fan of that actual symbol, but I think it’s a pretty neat idea.”Adam Draper, founder of startup accelerator Boost VC, said that there’s nothing wrong with the bitcoin symbol used today: ”What’s wrong with the double dashed B?”John Light, who organizes cryptocurrency meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area, sees the marketing potential for using something already accepted by the Unicode Consortium:“I think it’s a good branding move – open source, no currency symbol conflicts, available as a font.”Community consensusThe community that has developed around bitcoin is what has helped it grow and any decision-making on what bitcoin’s official symbol should be will require its direction.The abbreviation BTC has been adopted as a simple, yet unofficial acronym for bitcoin. And the ISO 4217 standard has taken steps towards making XBT an official currency code, even though many, like the IRS, still don’t consider bitcoin a currency.Setting standards for bitcoin are important to maintaining its legitimacy, but a consensus on this particular subject of bitcoin’s Unicode symbol has not been made yet.So, what’s the right choice - B⃦ or Ƀ? Share your views in the comments below.LamassuTip4CommitUnicodeZeroBlockOriginal author: Daniel Cawrey
Original author: Jon Southurst
Original author: Nermin Hajdarbegovic
The second and final day of the Inside Bitcoins NYC conference took place on 8th April at the Javits Center in Manhattan, and built further on themes discussed in the conference’s informative first day.Though the topics that were discussed ranged from decentralized autonomous corporations (DACs) to merchant adoption of digital currencies, the conversation frequently returned to the issue of regulation, and a particular focus was given to Wall Street’s involvement with bitcoin through institutional investments.
Wall Street debates the fair value of bitcoinThe opening keynote for day two of Inside Bitcoins NYC featured a panel of speakers who work on Wall Street. Panelists like SecondMarket Founder and CEO Barry Silbert and Wedbush Securities’ Managing Director Gil Luria provided insight on how bitcoin is viewed by the big players in New York’s financial district.“@Wedbush has decided to embrace bitcoin [...] and we plan to continue being involved.” – @gilluria at bitcoinconf — CoinDesk (@coindesk) April 8, 2014Throughout the morning, Bloomberg’s World Stock Index was cited as an influencing factor regarding institutions on Wall Street ultimately investing in bitcoin.Dan Morehead, CEO of Pantera Capital, weighed in on the subject during a panel entitled “Birth of a New Asset Class: The Institutional Investor View on Bitcoin”:“The reality is that there’s a lot of people on Wall Street who won’t trade in something that’s not on Bloomberg. It may be arbitrary, but it’s the truth.”This stance seemed to be echoed by panel members during the opening keynote; Luria also referenced Bloomberg’s stock index and shared some news that received an audibly warm response from the room:“I called my Bloomberg rep to ask when they’d start quoting bitcoin. The answer was soon.” – @gilluria of @Wedbush#bitcoinconf — CoinDesk (@coindesk) April 8, 2014After telling the audience that in the world of Wall Street, “if it’s on Bloomberg, then it’s real”, Luria continued to postulate the fair market value of bitcoin, concluding with a prediction that received a mixed response from panelists and attendees.Said Luria:“I think that if a lot things happen right, the price could reach $500,000 to $1m per bitcoin.”Among the factors that need to “happen right” for this valuation to be realized: regulation.The topic of governmental regulation pervaded the discussion about Wall Street’s involvement with bitcoin, and even became the primary focus of a seemingly less-related panel titled “Creating and Funding the Next 100 Great Bitcoin Companies.”Regulation steals the show
While there was a vocal minority of attendees in opposition of the regulation of digital currencies, it was evident that most people in attendance have warmed up to the notion that some level of governmental regulation is inevitable for bitcoin to be sustainable long term.Texas Congressman Steve Stockman took the microphone and was immediately met with applause from the room.Rep. Stockman surprised the crowd with an announcement regarding the IRS’ recent classification of bitcoin as property, which was a hotly debated topic throughout the conference:BREAKING: Texas Congressman Steve Stockman will introduce a bill that will “take bitcoin out of the IRS’ hands, reclassify it as currency” — CoinDesk (@coindesk) April 8, 2014Rep. Stockman continued to say that he values the feedback of the bitcoin community, and reassured the crowded room that his office works to serve the public – including the bitcoin community – and not the other way around.A “learning curve” for regulatorsOne of the more poignant talks of the day was delivered by John G. Collins, who serves as a professional staff member on the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.Collins works as an advisor to US Senator Tom Carper, and he opened his lecture with a refreshing level of transparency, telling attendees that he hopes to learn more from the bitcoin community so that “when [members of Congress] do make decisions, they’re thoughtful and informed.”“[It’s not realistic] to expect an entire financial institution [like bitcoin] to avoid any type of regulation.”Referring to the technical and financial complexities that underlie bitcoin and other digital currencies, Collins admitted that public policy in the US can often move at a slow pace, and said that it’s natural for there “to be a learning curve in the government, and for there to be a lot of questions”.Collins explained the fundamental challenge that the US government faces in dealing with bitcoin: the government is concerned about consumer protection and doesn’t want to “chase [their] tails on the law enforcement side”, but regulators also want to avoid stifling innovation and driving jobs and capital overseas.An emphasis was placed on fostering collaboration between the bitcoin community and regulators. Collins conceded that “regulators only know as much as [the community is] willing to educate them about”, but asserted that the bitcoin community needs to acknowledge the politcal, legal and consumer protection issues that cause concern for regulators.Moving forwardThe general tolerance of regulation among attendees of Inside Bitcoins NYC signals what many consider to be the next phase in bitcoin’s penetration into mainstream adoption.With institutional investors from Wall Street showing interest in bitcoin, a higher caliber of entrepreneurs entering the scene and a general warming up to regulators, Inside Bitcoins NYC made it clear that the digital currency industry is quickly maturing, and as such, it demands to be taken seriously.Images via Tom SharkeyBarry SilbertconferencesInside Bitcoins
Wall Street debates the fair value of bitcoinThe opening keynote for day two of Inside Bitcoins NYC featured a panel of speakers who work on Wall Street. Panelists like SecondMarket Founder and CEO Barry Silbert and Wedbush Securities’ Managing Director Gil Luria provided insight on how bitcoin is viewed by the big players in New York’s financial district.“@Wedbush has decided to embrace bitcoin [...] and we plan to continue being involved.” – @gilluria at bitcoinconf — CoinDesk (@coindesk) April 8, 2014Throughout the morning, Bloomberg’s World Stock Index was cited as an influencing factor regarding institutions on Wall Street ultimately investing in bitcoin.Dan Morehead, CEO of Pantera Capital, weighed in on the subject during a panel entitled “Birth of a New Asset Class: The Institutional Investor View on Bitcoin”:“The reality is that there’s a lot of people on Wall Street who won’t trade in something that’s not on Bloomberg. It may be arbitrary, but it’s the truth.”This stance seemed to be echoed by panel members during the opening keynote; Luria also referenced Bloomberg’s stock index and shared some news that received an audibly warm response from the room:“I called my Bloomberg rep to ask when they’d start quoting bitcoin. The answer was soon.” – @gilluria of @Wedbush#bitcoinconf — CoinDesk (@coindesk) April 8, 2014After telling the audience that in the world of Wall Street, “if it’s on Bloomberg, then it’s real”, Luria continued to postulate the fair market value of bitcoin, concluding with a prediction that received a mixed response from panelists and attendees.Said Luria:“I think that if a lot things happen right, the price could reach $500,000 to $1m per bitcoin.”Among the factors that need to “happen right” for this valuation to be realized: regulation.The topic of governmental regulation pervaded the discussion about Wall Street’s involvement with bitcoin, and even became the primary focus of a seemingly less-related panel titled “Creating and Funding the Next 100 Great Bitcoin Companies.”Regulation steals the showWhile there was a vocal minority of attendees in opposition of the regulation of digital currencies, it was evident that most people in attendance have warmed up to the notion that some level of governmental regulation is inevitable for bitcoin to be sustainable long term.Texas Congressman Steve Stockman took the microphone and was immediately met with applause from the room.Rep. Stockman surprised the crowd with an announcement regarding the IRS’ recent classification of bitcoin as property, which was a hotly debated topic throughout the conference:BREAKING: Texas Congressman Steve Stockman will introduce a bill that will “take bitcoin out of the IRS’ hands, reclassify it as currency” — CoinDesk (@coindesk) April 8, 2014Rep. Stockman continued to say that he values the feedback of the bitcoin community, and reassured the crowded room that his office works to serve the public – including the bitcoin community – and not the other way around.A “learning curve” for regulatorsOne of the more poignant talks of the day was delivered by John G. Collins, who serves as a professional staff member on the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.Collins works as an advisor to US Senator Tom Carper, and he opened his lecture with a refreshing level of transparency, telling attendees that he hopes to learn more from the bitcoin community so that “when [members of Congress] do make decisions, they’re thoughtful and informed.”“[It’s not realistic] to expect an entire financial institution [like bitcoin] to avoid any type of regulation.”Referring to the technical and financial complexities that underlie bitcoin and other digital currencies, Collins admitted that public policy in the US can often move at a slow pace, and said that it’s natural for there “to be a learning curve in the government, and for there to be a lot of questions”.Collins explained the fundamental challenge that the US government faces in dealing with bitcoin: the government is concerned about consumer protection and doesn’t want to “chase [their] tails on the law enforcement side”, but regulators also want to avoid stifling innovation and driving jobs and capital overseas.An emphasis was placed on fostering collaboration between the bitcoin community and regulators. Collins conceded that “regulators only know as much as [the community is] willing to educate them about”, but asserted that the bitcoin community needs to acknowledge the politcal, legal and consumer protection issues that cause concern for regulators.Moving forwardThe general tolerance of regulation among attendees of Inside Bitcoins NYC signals what many consider to be the next phase in bitcoin’s penetration into mainstream adoption.With institutional investors from Wall Street showing interest in bitcoin, a higher caliber of entrepreneurs entering the scene and a general warming up to regulators, Inside Bitcoins NYC made it clear that the digital currency industry is quickly maturing, and as such, it demands to be taken seriously.Images via Tom SharkeyBarry SilbertconferencesInside BitcoinsOriginal author: Tom Sharkey