GPU giant Nvidia plans to release a processor designed for mining cryptocurrency Ethereum, and will put artificial limits on how effective its future GPUs are at mining. The first in the Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP) series will focus on Ether mining, used to make the Ethereum cryptocurrency possible, and is set to release in March. CMP chips will not do graphics processing, Nvidia said. Unlike gaming-focused GeForce GPUs, they also lack display outputs, enabling improved airflow while mining so they can be more densely packed. CMPs also have a lower…
Read MoreBlockchain firm aims to build crypto city in Nevada desert
CEO Jeffrey Berns says the smart city could incorporate digital currency payments for goods and services as well as records on the blockchain. Blockchain incubator and investment firm Blockchains LLC is stepping up its plans to build a smart city in the Nevada desert east of Reno. In an interview with the Associated Press released Saturday, Blockchains CEO Jeffrey Berns said he had asked the state of Nevada to let him form a local government on the 67,000 acres the firm owns in Storey County. If his petition is successful,…
Read MoreEthereum 2.0 set to undergo first hard fork upgrade
The first Ethereum 2.0 hard fork is aimed to be a general test before introducing deeper changes. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a plan on Monday for the first hard fork of the new Ethereum 2.0 Beacon Chain, tentatively named HF1. The hard fork would allow the developers to introduce several key upgrades to the recently launched Beacon Chain, which would also serve as a useful test for deeper changes in the future. The biggest practical change is the support for light clients — nodes that would have minimal resource…
Read MoreVerge of disaster: 200 days transactions wiped from blockchain
Verge has been hit by a huge blockchain reorganization, resulting in more than six months worth of transactions and balances vanishing. However, devs claim it can be fixed. Privacy-focused blockchain network Verge (XVG) has experienced a significant block reorganization, replacing transactions dating as far back as July 2020. Despite being described as potentially “the deepest reorg that has ever taken place in a top 100 cryptocurrency,” analysts are yet to confirm that the incident comprised a coordinated attack. Coinmetrics COO Antoine Le Calvez was one of the first to notice…
Read MoreTesla allocates 7.7% of gross cash to Bitcoin
Breaking down Tesla’s Bitcoin purchase reveals the emergence of a new corporate whale. Tesla (TSLA) sent shockwaves across the financial markets Monday after a United States Securities and Exchange Commission filing confirmed that the electric vehicle maker has added Bitcoin (BTC) to its balance sheet. Tesla’s latest Form 10-K filing for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2020 shows a $1.5 billion allocation to Bitcoin. As Bitwise researcher David Lawant points out, Tesla’s BItcoin exposure represents roughly 7.7% of its gross cash position. He derives those figures from Tesla’s cash…
Read MoreStellar Development Foundation invests $5M in blockchain payments firm Wyre
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has made its first investment in 2021, investing $5 million in cryptocurrency payments company Wyre. The Foundation believes the investment will provide a wide variety of payment application programming interfaces (APIs) to fintech applications on the Stellar blockchain network. Wyre is a natural fit In its press release announcing the investment, the Foundation described that bringing Wyre to the Stellar ecosystem will create key payment infrastructure for companies operating on the network. It will also enable relationships connecting international financial systems, the Foundation stated. Denelle…
Read MoreBitcoiners use mining rigs as heaters as temperatures drop
Bitcoiners mining cryptocurrency at home this winter have been staving off freezing temperatures by putting them to good use as heaters. According to the Wall Street Journal, crypto miners in France and the United States report their overall heating costs have dropped — even if the temperature in their homes often gets far above what they’d prefer. Thomas Smith, a photographer based in California, has been using mining rigs to heat his home since at least 2019. He’s also been exploring some novel uses, including employing the miners to warm…
Read MoreMitsubishi and Tokyo Tech create blockchain system for P2P energy trading
Mitsubishi Electric has teamed up with researchers from the prestigious Japanese university, Tokyo Tech, to jointly design a blockchain-based trading system that can support more flexible, peer-to-peer energy trading. Announced on Jan. 18, the new system is intended to support the efficient use of surplus electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources. In particular, it is hoped that the trading system can ensure that at any given moment, there will be the maximum available amount of surplus electricity accessible on the market for consumers. Peer-to-peer energy trading set-ups allow…
Read MoreSomeone Wants to Pay $7,777 for Elon Musk’s Dogecoin Tweet
Valuables is a service that lets you put up cryptocurrency to “own” tweets as NFTs. Elon’s “One word: Doge” is up for grabs. Tesla founder Elon Musk is no stranger to posting silly things on Twitter. He’s used the platform to mock public safety precautions connected with the pandemic, and to inadvertently(?) depress the value of his own company’s stock. He’s also tweeted from time to time about the niche cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which is based on the popular “doge” meme. His posts have significantly influenced the price of the coin.…
Read MoreMr Beast becomes a verified Brave browser publisher
Jimmy Donaldson, aka “Mr Beast,” a prominent YouTuber boasting 50.2 million subscribers and 8.5 billion total views, now owns a verified Brave browser account — potentially exposing some of his enormous audience to virtual currency. Donaldson is not new to crypto and is believed to have made a considerable amount of money via cryptocurrency investments. The star previously hosted videos discussing crypto before his channel exploded in popularity and he reportedly purchased a $100,000 car using his crypto profits. However, his account was later purged of all content relating to…
Read MoreCanaan releases liquid-cooled A1066I Bitcoin miner
Canaan, one of the earliest manufacturers of Bitcoin (BTC) ASIC miners, has released the Avalon Immersion Cooling Miner A1066I, a device designed to be liquid-cooled. Unlike traditional air-cooled devices and common types of liquid cooling for enthusiast PCs, the A1066I’s electrical components are submerged in a special dielectric fluid that carries heat away directly from the boards. Dielectric fluids are specially engineered to insulate the components and avoid the corrosion damage and short-circuiting that would occur with standard water or other types of fluids. This is also different from liquid…
Read MoreDfinity quietly launched the ‘Internet Computer’ mainnet last month
After several years of research and development and numerous breakthroughs in cryptography and computer science, Dfinity launched the mainnet of its “Internet Computer” on Dec. 18. The Internet Computer promises to be the first blockchain computer running at web speed with unbounded capacity. It achieves this speed through something called Chain Key Technology, which splits calls to smart contracts into two types: update calls and query calls. Update calls are finalized in one to two seconds, based on the time it takes for new blocks to be produced. However, query…
Read MoreThe Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Stellar Development Foundation announce partnership to facilitate development of the virtual assets ecosystem
On December 28, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation, within which they will work on the development of a strategy for virtual assets in Ukraine. Under the Memorandum, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and SDF will work to develop a modern virtual asset market infrastructure and enhance Ukraine’s status as an innovative digital country in the financial market in Eastern Europe. “The Ministry of Digital Transformation is working on creating the legal environment for the development…
Read MoreSynthetix co-founder’s siblings reveal blockchain game project
A fledgling blockchain-based game project called Illuvium has already managed to attract support from major industry backers — a development owed in part to the fact that Illuvium co-founders Kieran and Aaron Warwick are the brothers of Kain Warwick, the co-founder of decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Synthetix. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Kieran Warwick clarified that development work has only been underway since September, and that the “two years” refers to the length of time Kain had been badgering Kieran to re-enter crypto full time. “I left to found a…
Read MoreBitcoin hits $24K
Bitcoin hits a fresh all-time high of $24,210 on Coinbase as volatility ensures the weekend bulls are not yet done. Bitcoin (BTC) set a new all-time high on Dec. 19 as markets continued to deliver surprises in weekend trading. Data from Cointelegraph Markets and Tradingview showed BTC/USD just eclipsing its record level set this week, reaching $24,210 on Coinbase before reversing. Volatility was high as the previous all-time high of $23,777 just gave way before resistance kicked in once again. According to exchange orderbook data, sellers are ready at $24,000,…
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