South Korea’s Bitcoin Trading Volumes on LocalBitcoins Reach New Record Levels

Bitcoin (BTC) trading volumes in South Korea have recently reached new levels on peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange LocalBitcoins, according to charts on BTC statistics service Coin Dance.

According to the data, bitcoin weekly trading volumes have surged over the past two weeks, with the latest week recording a new high of around 219 million South-Korean won ($185,000).

Founded in Finland in 2012, LocalBitcoins offers over-the-counter trading of local currency for bitcoin and operates as a P2P trading platform. The Finnish crypto trading platform is especially popular in Latin America, with Venezuela and Colombia having reportedly accounted for 85% of LocalBitcoins's trading volumes by February 2019.

According to data from crypto analytics website Coinhills, the South-Korean won is one of the most popular national currencies trading against bitcoin. Accounting for around 20,000 btc ($173 million) in daily trading volumes against bitcoin, the won is ranked the third largest national currency traded versus BTC after the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.

In mid-April, major South Korean crypto exchange Coinnest started closing its services, which was reportedly a result of the extended 2018 bear market. Subsequently, Cointelegraph reported that the number of South Koreans buying cryptocurrency with fiat money has significantly increased, while the amount of crypto investment in 2018 surging by 64% over 2017.

Last week, LocalBitcoins banned Iranian residents from using its service, as the exchange purportedly had to restrict Iranian transactions to comply with financial regulations in Finland, as well as with the sanctions imposed by the United States.

China Releases New Crypto Rankings

China's Center for Information and Industry Development has released its latest rankings of 35 crypto projects that were evaluated over the past two months. While several top positions remain unchanged, Bitcoin has climbed up the overall ranking.

New Rankings From China
The Center for Information and Industry Development (CCID), under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, released the 12th update of its crypto project rankings Thursday. The number of projects evaluated was unchanged from the previous rankings published in March. The center also announced that starting this month the rankings will be adjusted every two months instead of monthly.

In addition to the overall ranking, the CCID published three others based on basic technology, applicability, and creativity sub-categories. EOS tops the list overall, followed by Tron, and Ethereum. The center started ranking Tron in February, debuting at number two overall and has remained at that position ever since. BTC now ranks 12th, up three places from the 15th place in the previous ranking. BCH has also improved, currently occupying the 29th spot overall, up from the 31st place previously.

"The results show that the world's three major Dapp platforms — EOS, Tron, and Ethereum — remain ranked in the top three, [and] the scores are 148.5, 144.1 and 136.6," the CCID wrote.

The center describes itself as "a first-class scientific research institution directly under the administration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China." The first crypto ranking was released in May last year. The assessment is carried out by the CCID (Qingdao) blockchain research institute, an entity established by the CCID, in collaboration with multiple organizations such as the CCID think tank and the China Software Evaluation Center. "The result of this assessment will allow the CCID group to provide better technical consulting services for government agencies, business enterprises, research institutes, and technology developers," the center previously explained.

Sub-Rankings
The overall ranking is based on the total index scores of 35 crypto projects. The total index of each crypto project is the weighted average of its three sub-indices: the basic technology index, the applicability index, and the creativity index. The basic technology sub-index accounts for 64% of the total index, while the applicability sub-index accounts for 20% and the creativity index 16%.

"The basic technology sub-index mainly assesses the level of technical realization of the public chain," the center described, adding that the key areas evaluated under this category "include the function, performance, safety and decentralization of the public chain." The top five crypto projects in this category are EOS, Tron, Steem, Bitshares, and Gxchain.

The creativity sub-index "focuses on continuous innovation in the public chain, including developer size, code updates, and code impact," the center detailed. In this category, the top five crypto projects are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Lisk, EOS and Tron.

The applicability sub-index "mainly evaluates the comprehensive level of public chain support for practical applications," the center continued. "The assessment includes four aspects: node deployment, wallet application, development support and application implementation." For this category, the top five crypto projects are Ethereum, Neo, Nebulas, Tron, and Ontology, which are unchanged from the previous ranking for this sub-category. "However, the data shows that the applicability indices of only 11 of the 35 public chains have increased, and the overall index has declined compared to the previous period," the CCID noted.

Dutchman arrested for alleged crypto mining fraud of $2.2 million

Dutch authorities arrested a 33-year-old businessperson for allegedly defrauding investors through a crypto mining fraud.

According to local reports, Dutch tax authority's investigative department, FIOD, made the arrest. The suspect was a director of two private limited companies, which he allegedly used for money laundering, fraud and forgery activities.

The man started his company back in 2017. Through the company, the suspect received money from investors who thought they were buying computers for buying bitcoins. The suspect collected about €2 million ($2.2 million) from the investors. Investors were promised returns of 0.3 Bitcoin Core (BTC) per month (about $2,389 at current prices). Investors became worried when they failed to get the returns or their mining computers.

Upon investigations, authorities discovered that the BTC mining machines were probably never even purchased. Initially, police had searched his house in November 2018 and discovered luxury goods such as bags, dirt bike, and shoes, and understand that he also used the money on motorbikes and gambling.

Notably, one of the suspect's BTC mining companies, Koniz Trading, was declared bankrupt last year after customers' accused him of fraud, according to reports by the NL Times.

The FIOD added that fighting money laundering is the priority for the government as it is one of the "serious" crimes in the country.

Earlier this year, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the nation's central bank, and the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets published a report that suggested that fiat-to-crypto exchanges and custody solution providers must be licensed as cryptocurrencies carry "high financial crime risks." In their report, these authorities explained:

"These risks must be addressed effectively, which can be achieved as a result of the international coordination of countermeasures that AMLD5 [the Fifth European Anti-Money Laundering Directive] provides."

Other countries, notably Malta, have already started to warn its investors on crypto fraud. Late last month, authorities in that country came out to issue guidelines that will help investors identify fraudulent crypto projects. This was done through a report released by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).

Among the issues addressed in the report, is the need for investors to protect themselves from engaging in suspicious projects, especially those that promise huge returns.

Israeli Court Rules Bitcoin Is an Asset

An Israeli court has ruled that bitcoin is an asset, confirming the central bank's stance. The case involves the country's tax authority and the founder of a blockchain startup who argues that profits from the sale of cryptocurrency should be tax-free. The court has ruled in favor of the tax authority, endorsing the central bank's definition of currency.

An Israeli central district court reportedly ruled in favor of the country's tax authority Monday, recognizing bitcoin as a financial asset and not a currency. Profits on its sale in Israel are therefore subject to capital gains tax.

Judge Shmuel Bornstein simultaneously rejected an appeal by the founder of a blockchain startup who argues that bitcoin should be considered a currency, so the proceeds from its sale should not be subject to taxation. Globes daily financial newspaper reported Tuesday:

The Central District Court in Lod accepted the tax authority's interpretation, and held that bitcoin is an asset and not a currency, and that the transaction in question is therefore taxable.

Emphasizing that the status of bitcoin is still undefined in the country, the judge stated in his ruling that "it was hard to envisage a result whereby bitcoin would be considered a currency for tax purposes in particular," the news outlet conveyed, noting that the case could reach the supreme court.

Itay Bracha, managing partner at Israeli law firm Bracha & Co. and the head of the firm's tax department, shared his thoughts with local daily business newspaper Calcalist. He said: "The ruling is a signal to all those who have yet to report cryptocurrency-related profits or based their actions on differing legal advice … The ruling is unequivocal, and since it is not new legalization but a judicial interpretation, it applies retroactively."

The Case
According to reports, the case involves Noam Copel, founder of blockchain startup DAV. "We're building a decentralized infrastructure to revolutionize the transportation industry on the blockchain," the company's website explains.

Globes reported that Copel bought BTC in 2011 and sold them in 2013 for a profit of approximately NIS 8.27 million (~$2.29 million). Asserting that his profits should not be subject to capital gains tax, he told the court:

Bitcoin should be classified as a foreign currency, and that his profits should be seen as exchange rate differences received by an individual not in the course of a business, and therefore should not be taxed.

However, the Israel Tax Authority disagreed, proclaiming that bitcoin is not a currency under the central bank's definition, so it cannot be a foreign currency as suggested by Copel. Instead, the agency claims that cryptocurrency falls under the definition of an asset, therefore profits on its sale are subject to capital gains tax. Monday's court ruling obligates Copel to pay tax of about NIS 3 million, the news outlet estimated.

Central Bank's Definition of Currency
The court accepted the tax authority's position that the definition of "currency" should be the one defined by the country's central bank which does not apply to crypto assets. The agency affirmed that bitcoin is not a currency from both accounting and economic aspects, stating that "its valuation is extremely volatile, any related investments carry high risk, its use is severely limited and restricted mostly to unlawful entities, and it is not used as a benchmark for value," Calcalist wrote.

Copel, on the other hand, believes that from both aforementioned aspects, "the trust users put in bitcoin and its use as both a payment method and to benchmark value means it should be considered a currency."

After listening to both sides of the argument, the judge rejected Copel's appeal and ruled that he "had failed to demonstrate that bitcoin met this definition [of currency], or that it represented a real alternative to coins and notes in any country," Globes described.

Bittax founder Gidi Bar Zakay, former Deputy Director of the Israel Tax Authority and currently director of the Israeli CPA Association, said that Monday's ruling was based on current law, elaborating:

In my view, what will ultimately determine whether bitcoin is a currency is the reality test. As soon as its use becomes widespread, the legislature will have to rewrite the law in such a way as to accommodate this.

He added that when that happens, "we shall all benefit from these technological and monetary developments and from the ability of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to serve as efficient, trustworthy, and widely accepted means of payment." He further opined: "the way to that lies through the regulator. If the enforcement agencies feel comfortable with the coin, and use blockchain analysis tools that make it possible to meet standards of money laundering prevention and tax avoidance prevention in a more reliable and efficient way than is the norm today, the road to it becoming a widespread means of payment will be open."

Cryptocurrency Taxation
The Israel Tax Authority has long considered cryptocurrency an asset subject to capital gains tax. In December last year, Calcalist reported that the agency had been cracking down on the unreported crypto earnings of hundreds of Israelis, sending notices to those whose activities raised suspicion. "The authority will continue to seek out unreported [crypto] earnings," said Eran Yaakov, the head of the Israel Tax Authority, in reply to the news outlet's request for comment. The publication explains:

Cryptocurrencies are not defined as a currency but as a financial asset in Israel. As such, trading in cryptocurrencies is subject to a capital gains tax of 25%-30% in the country.

In July last year, the tax authority reportedly reached an agreement on obtaining information on crypto transactions with Bits of Gold, an Israeli cryptocurrency exchange with about 50,000 users. The exchange will share information about traders who have made transactions of $50,000 or more over a 12-month period. The authority has also approached other platforms for the same purpose.

While Israeli law requires financial institutions to report fraudulent transactions and suspicious activities to the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority, sharing data with the tax authority is not mandatory. Tomer Niv, Chief Growth Officer at Bits of Gold, clarified that his exchange only transfers "the information we are required by law … in order to protect the privacy of customers on the one hand, and [comply with] the provisions of the law on the other."

Central Bank's Position and Global Standards
Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg, who served as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel from March 2014 to the end of February, said in January last year that the central bank had been studying cryptocurrency. However, she revealed that not much had been learned from other countries' regulations "since no regulator anywhere in the world had issued guidelines to the banking system on how to act in relation to customers' activity in virtual currencies," Reuters conveyed. She was further quoted as saying:

There is a real difficulty in issuing sweeping guidelines to the system regarding the proper way to estimate, manage, and monitor the risks inherent in such activity … Beyond the risks to the customer there are also compliance risks to the bank.

In December last year, Israel became a full member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental organization which focuses on developing policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. The FATF currently has 36 member jurisdictions and 2 regional organizations, including the European Commission. In February the organization urged its member countries to regulate crypto exchanges like commercial banks, elaborating:

For the purposes of applying the FATF recommendations, countries should consider virtual assets as property, proceeds, funds, funds or other assets, or other corresponding value.

SEC Commissioner Says Time Is Right for Bitcoin ETFs — 3 Funds Pending

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently reviewing three bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), one of which was filed last week to track the prices of two cryptocurrencies. An SEC commissioner said at the Consensus conference on Monday that the time is right for a bitcoin ETF, as the commission is due to make a decision on one of them next week.

At the Consensus 2019 conference in New York on Monday, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, also known as "crypto mom," discussed the regulatory environment for bitcoin ETFs. Expressing her dissatisfaction with the current law, she asserted that the SEC should do more to provide a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency including rules around safe harbor. Decrypt quoted her as saying:

I thought the time was right a year ago — even longer than that … My first chance to comment on it was a year ago … Certainly the time is right, but there are still questions floating around the SEC that need to be answered as much as possible by you all.

Peirce then encouraged the audience to write to the SEC to help them understand the market. One issue she noted was market manipulation, which "is a concern that people keep raising at the SEC," she shared. "Other issues like custody issues [also] come up a lot."

Her comments at Consensus echo her speech at the Securities Enforcement Forum which took place on May 9. "The problem is that the securities laws do not cease to operate as a new industry develops," she explained. "Consequently, individuals and companies in the industry must comply with our securities laws or risk becoming the subject of an enforcement action. It is therefore our duty as a regulator to provide the public with clear guidance as to how people can comply with our law. We have not yet fulfilled this duty." The commissioner additionally described:

It is not the SEC's overzealous action that has stifled the crypto industry, but its unwillingness to take meaningful action at all.

Peirce also expressed concern that the U.S. is falling behind other forward-thinking countries. "Our country has always been a country where innovation can really thrive," she opined Monday. "I worry that a lot of the activities are now happening offshore. I want the US to be the market for innovation."

The SEC staff recently issued a 14-page document detailing a framework to assist issuers with conducting a Howey analysis to evaluate whether token offerings are securities. It details features of an offering and actions by an issuer that could signal that the offering is likely a securities offering. Peirce expressed her worry, however, that this framework "could raise more questions and concerns than it answers."

The commissioner previously said she believes the SEC has no jurisdiction to look at the underlying asset when considering whether to approve a proposed rule change for an ETF. She has also emphasized that excessive regulation could hurt innovation such as cryptocurrency.

The SEC's Senior Advisor for Digital Assets and Innovation, Valerie Szczepanik, explained that the agency is moving slowly on cryptocurrency regulations and cryptocurrency-based products because it needs to be cautious. Szczepanik coordinates efforts across all SEC divisions and offices regarding the application of U.S. securities laws to emerging digital asset technologies and innovations, including cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings.

In his speech at the SEC Sparks conference on April 8, Chairman Jay Clayton said one of the areas the commission has focused its attention on due to heightened risks is "digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, coins, and tokens." At the Consensus Invest conference in November last year, he revealed the key upgrades he needed to see before the SEC could consider approving its first bitcoin ETF such as better market surveillance and safe custody of crypto assets.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton

Bitwise Bitcoin ETF: August 14

One of the proposals being reviewed by the SEC is for the listing and trading of shares issued by Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust filed by NYSE Arca Inc. on Jan. 28. This proposed rule change was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 15. On March 29, the SEC designated May 16 as the day to make its decision on this proposal. However, on May 7, the exchanged filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change, replacing the original one in its entirety. According to the amended registration statement filed with the SEC:

The trust will hold bitcoin … [and] will store its bitcoin in custody at a regulated third-party custodian, and will not use derivatives that may subject the trust to counterparty and credit risks.

Furthermore, the company explained that "the trust will not directly purchase or sell bitcoin. Instead, authorized participants will deliver bitcoin to the trust in exchange for shares of the trust, and the trust will deliver bitcoin to authorized participants when those authorized participants redeem shares of the trust."

The filing also details that "in seeking to ensure that the price of the trust's shares is reflective of the actual bitcoin market, the trust will value its shares daily based on prices drawn from ten bitcoin exchanges … [which] represent substantially all of the economically significant spot trading volume on bitcoin exchanges around the world."

On March 22, Bitwise tweeted clarifying that "The exact methodology largely mirrors the settlement pricing methodology of CME futures, which we believe has the correct construction." The company added that the exchanges are Binance, Bifinex, Bitflyer, Bitstamp, Bittrex, Coinbase Pro, Gemini, Itbit, Kraken, and Poloniex, noting that five of them "have implemented sophisticated market surveillance tools to prevent market manipulation and bad behavior."

Since the company filed an amendment, the commission began soliciting public comments on the new proposal on May 14. So far, 25 comments have been received on this proposal. Securities lawyer Jake Chervinsky remarked:

The new deadline is August 14. The SEC can delay one more time to a final deadline of October 13.

Vaneck Solidx Bitcoin ETF: May 21

The next proposal for a bitcoin ETF under review by the SEC is the high-profile Vaneck Solidx bitcoin ETF. Cboe BZX Exchange Inc. originally filed the proposed rule change to list and trade shares issued by the Vaneck Solidx Bitcoin Trust in June last year. However, it withdrew the proposal on Jan. 22 due to the U.S. government shutdown which affected the SEC.

The exchange refiled the proposed rule change for the same ETF on Jan. 30 which was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 20. On March 29, the commission extended the time period to review this ETF to May 21. At press time, 24 comments have been received for this new proposed rule change, far fewer than the 1,600 plus comments received for the previous filing that was withdrawn. The registration statement explains:

The investment objective of the trust is for the shares to reflect the performance of the price of bitcoin, less the expenses of the trust's operations.

This trust intends to achieve its objective by investing all of its assets substantially "in bitcoin traded primarily in the over-the-counter markets, and may also invest in bitcoin traded on domestic and international bitcoin exchanges," the filing states. "The trust will be responsible for custody of the trust's bitcoin."

Solidx Management Llc is the sponsor of the trust, with Delaware Trust Company as the trustee and the Bank of New York Mellon as the administrator and transfer agent. The bank will also serve as the custodian with respect to cash of the trust since it will occasionally hold cash for short periods in connection with the purchase and sale of bitcoin, and to pay trust expenses. Van Eck Securities Corporation will provide assistance in the marketing of the shares.

Crescent Crypto Index Fund: Just Filed

The third bitcoin ETF-related filing which the SEC is reviewing at press time is by the United States Commodity Index Funds Trust. The company filed a registration statement with the SEC on Thursday for Crescent Crypto Index Fund, sponsored by the United States Commodity Funds (USCF). It will be traded on the NYSE Arca stock exchange under the symbol XBET. According to the document:

The investment objective of XBET is for the daily changes in percentage terms of its per share net asset value to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the Crescent Crypto Core II Index (the 'CCINDX'), less XBET's expenses.

The new index seeks "to track the performance of a market capitalization weighted portfolio of bitcoin and ether," the company describes, noting that it "has limited history and is currently under development and subject to further input from the Crescent Crypto Index Committee." This index "is based on various inputs which may include price data from various third-party exchanges and markets."

The trust and fund are managed and controlled by USCF, a limited liability company that is registered as a commodity pool operator with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is a member of the National Futures Association. USCF will employ Crescent Crypto Manager Llc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent, as co-portfolio manager to XBET.

SEC Decision Timeline

Whenever a proposed rule change is filed with the SEC, it will be published in the Federal Register which serves as the key start date for the SEC's ETF approval timeline.

The proposal for the Vaneck Solidx ETF was filed on Jan. 30 and published in the Federal Register on Feb. 20. The Bitwise ETF proposal was filed on Jan. 28 and published in the Federal Register on Feb. 15. The rule change for the Crescent ETF has yet to be published in the Federal Register.

After the proposed rule change has been published in the Federal Register, Section 19(b)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act provides that "within 45 days of the publication of notice of the filing of a proposed rule change, or within such longer period up to 90 days … the commission shall either approve the proposed rule change, disapprove the proposed rule change, or institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved."

According to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the SEC can extend the time to make a decision on an ETF up to 240 days after the date of its publication in the Register. If the SEC has not made a decision after 240 days for any reasons, the ETF would be automatically approved.

However, Chervinsky explained that it is extremely unlikely the SEC will let such a decision go to automatic approval, noting that the SEC would likely have measures in place to avoid missing such important deadlines. Further, if a bitcoin ETF is automatically approved, it can easily be undone after the emergency that prevents the agency from making a proper decision is over. The lawyer elaborated:

The SEC doesn't have the power to extend the 240-day deadline. The statute absolutely prohibits any further delays.

As for the three proposals in consideration, the SEC is due to make a decision to either approve, deny, or delay its decision on the Vaneck Solidx bitcoin ETF proposal on May 21, having just delayed its decision on the proposal for the Bitwise bitcoin ETF. Chervinsky estimates that if the commission decides to further delay its decision on the Vaneck Solidx ETF, then the new decision date will be Aug. 19. The final dates after 240 days will be Oct. 13 for the Bitwise proposal and Oct. 18 for the Vaneck Solidx proposal. He also emphasized that the agency could ask the sponsors to withdraw and refile, which will start the clock all over again.

Crypto Spring Brings Strong Profits to Next-Generation and Older Mining Rigs

Over the last few weeks, cryptocurrency markets have been on a tear accumulating considerable gains following the notorious 'crypto winter.' Since the recent price hike this spring, mining digital assets with next-generation miners has allowed participants to secure significant gains and even older mining devices are turning a profit.

After the price of bitcoin core (BTC) and bitcoin cash (BCH) started seeing significant gains miners that process the SHA-256 algorithm have started to pull in decent profits. The trend has changed since last December when news.Bitcoin.com reported on how only five SHA256 miners were profiting at the time. Now a large majority of devices are doing quite well and according to data at an average of $0.10 per KWh the top ten most profitable miners are clearing more than $10-15 a day per unit.

The top 10 available SHA-256 miners and their 2019 profits per day. Picture shown is set at a rate of $0.10 per KWh.

This includes mining devices such as the Asicminer Pro (76TH/s), Antminer S17 (56TH/s), Innosilicon T3 (52TH/s), and the Bitfury Tardis (80TH/s). Moreover, if the miners are located in mainland China and are getting $0.04 per KWh then those using next-generation machines are pulling in $15-21 a day per unit. And now with the wet season in China, the cost of electricity in Sichuan can be as low as 0.08 yuan ($0.01), which means mining pools with high performing rigs can profit by $25+ a day per miner.

According to statistics, China is one of the cheapest places on the planet in 2019 to mine SHA-256 coins like BCH and BTC. This is followed by countries like India, Canada, and Russia, while countries like the U.S. and much of Europe have average electricity prices. The worst regions to mine in the world include Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and Italy as each country has around $0.15-0.30+ per KWh. In regions like China where cheap electricity is rampant, mining rig vendors who sell second-hand machines are selling a ton of older devices.

Three regions in the world that offer some of the cheapest electricity rate per KWh — China, Canada, and India.

Zhang Xilin, a mining equipment vendor in Huaqiang North detailed last week that "the price of second-hand mining rigs doubled." For instance, data shows that old Antminer S9s that pull in 13-14.5 TH/s will give a miner $0.25-0.50 per unit at 13 cents per KWh if the person was mining in the U.S. or Europe. And those profits exceed well over two thirds the global average if the mining operation is in Sichuan, China with a facility full of old S9s. In the U.S. there's been a lot of second market ASIC sales as well on sites like Craigslist and Ebay.

With crypto exchange rates up, even older generation mining rigs are pulling in a profit. Picture shown is set at a rate of $0.10 per KWh.

Obelisk & Cuckatoo Miners and 112 Profitable Devices

Mining rigs that mine the SHA256 algorithm processing either BTC or BCH, however, are not the most profitable miners today. Devices that mine coins like sia and grin are raking in much larger profits over the last month. For example, miners that can process the Obelisk or Cuckatoo31+ algorithm can manage to capture $30-50 a day per unit.

Some of the top mining rigs gathering the most profit process the Obelisk or Cuckatoo31+ algorithm. Picture shown is set at a rate of $0.10 per KWh.

Next generation miners who mine Obelisk and Cuckatoo which have been announced but haven't been manufactured yet could profit by $50-250 a day per unit. This includes devices like the Obelisk GRN1 Immersion (Oct. 2019), and the Innosilicon G32-1800 (Aug. 2019). An X11 miner like the Strong-U STU-U6 due to go on sale in July claims to offer 660 GH/s which is close to $40 a day per unit with an average electricity cost of about $0.10 per KWh.

At today's crypto exchange rates, 112 mining devices that are available to the public that mine various types of cryptocurrencies are at least profiting by $0.10 a day per unit, with electric costs at $0.10 per KWh. This includes a slew of much older Canaan, Bitmain, GMO, Bitfury, Innosilicon, and Ebang miners. A lot has changed since the low prices last year in November and December and when miners were tossing old mining devices to the curb or selling them for pennies on the dollar. At the moment the two top SHA-256 cryptocurrencies BCH and BTC have seen significant hashrate increases and it's likely due to the magnitude of fresh profit coming in.

Bitcoin in “large scale security breach”

Binance suffered a large scale security breach late today, according to a statement. Hackers managed to obtain API keys, two-factor-authentication codes and other information. In addition, 7,000 Bitcoin ($40 million) were withdrawn in a single transaction.

The hackers used multiple techniques, including phishing attacks and computer viruses to get at Binance and its hot wallets, where it keeps funds to manage the day-to-day operation of the exchange. The hackers were unable to access the Binance cold storage—the off-line wallets where the majority of funds are kept. Likewise, individual user wallets were not directly affected.

CZ Binance✔

@cz_binance

 Have to perform some unscheduled server maintenance that will impact deposits and withdrawals for a couple hours.  No need to FUD.  Funds are #safu.

Though trading will continue, the $40 million hack means Binance will halt withdrawals and deposits for a week, while performing a security audit.

According to the statement: "The hackers had the patience to wait, and execute well-orchestrated actions through multiple seemingly independent accounts at the most opportune time."

The company reported it that maintains an emergency fund for these eventualities, called Safu, which will be used to cover the stolen Bitcoin.

As has become usual in exchange hacks, the breach in was announced via an "unscheduled server maintenance" tweet.  That alarmed a number of Twitter users, who messaged CEO Changpeng Zhao, wondering if the exchange had been hacked.

Since the hack was revealed, the price of Binance Coin (BNB) fell eight percent to $19.88 but has since recovered to $21.

Responding to the security breach, CEO at blockchain analytics firm CipherTrace, Dave Jevans, said, "Binance responded quickly to the hack and was very transparent about the ordeal. It is a shining example in the industry of rapid response, full transparency and a solid financial model for reimbursing customers from hacks."

Jevans pointed out it was the second exchange hack using two-factor authentication this week, recommending a more stringent three-factor authentication. However this will be down to exchanges to implement.

Binance said it will undertake a security review to determine what went wrong and what can be fixed. While deposits and withdrawals will remain closed, trading will continue.

Reversing Your Unconfirmed Bitcoin Transactions

An unconfirmed bitcoin transaction occurs when a given transaction fails to receive a confirmation on the blockchain within 24 hours.

All bitcoin transactions must be confirmed by miners. They need a minimum of three confirmations to be considered fully confirmed.

There are two main reasons your bitcoin transaction may end up remaining unconfirmed.

If the transaction is very recent, you may need to wait a little longer before receiving confirmation. Currently, even at its very quickest, it takes at least 10 minutes to confirm a BTC transaction.

The fee for the transaction was not entirely included or was too low. One simple rule applies when it comes to bitcoin transactions: the smaller the amount, the lower its chances of a successful confirmation.

If you choose too minimal a transaction fee, it may not get confirmed by miners. If, after 24 hours, your transaction remains unconfirmed, here's what you need to do.

REVERSING YOUR UNCONFIRMED BITCOIN TRANSACTIONS

Make absolutely sure that your transaction is unconfirmed before taking action. To start with, that means waiting for at least 24 hours. If there's definitely no confirmation yet, use a block explorer like Blockchain.com to confirm that your TX is indeed unconfirmed.

As a public blockchain, it's very easy to track your bitcoin transaction. Simply enter your transaction ID and track it through the block explorer.

Remember that transactions need a minimum of three confirmations before they are fully confirmed. If you see that your transaction has one or two confirmations, you will have no choice but to wait until it is validated by a third miner. The process has already begun.

If there are zero confirmations, you can go ahead and cancel the transaction. There are two ways of going about this:

Use the Replace by Fee (RBF Protocol)

Use the higher fee Double-Spend transaction

The RBF Protocol allows you to broadcast your bitcoin transaction to the network a second time with a higher fee to ensure that it gets picked up by miners. This will cancel your previous transaction and essentially create a new one.

However, note that not many wallets support the RBF Protocol, so be sure to check that your chosen BTC wallet does. To use the RBF Protocol simply select the option when you set the transaction as you're sending out your bitcoin.

If RBF isn't an option due to the wallet you use, you'll need to go down the double spending route. This entails creating a new transaction the exact amount of the unconfirmed original. So, you basically just send the transaction again but select a higher fee this time.

ENSURING YOUR TRANSACTIONS ARE CONFIRMED

If you want to avoid this problem and ensure that your bitcoin transactions are confirmed each time, use the suggested TX fee setting found in most wallets. If you change it, you may choose a lower miner fee by accident that leads to an unconfirmed transaction.

Most wallets select the miner fee automatically to help you avoid waiting hours and hours for confirmation of your transaction and making sure it doesn't get stuck in the Bitcoin block.

JOHN MCAFEE SUMMONS CALVIN AYRE AFTER BITCOIN SV ‘CONMAN’ COMMENTS

US entrepreneur turned presidential candidate John McAfee has invited infamous Bitcoin SV supporter Calvin Ayre for a face-to-face meeting following accusations he was a "conman."

CRAIG WRIGHT TO MCAFEE: 'I WANT YOU IN COURT'

The latest episode in the ongoing drama involving Bitcoin SV proponents, McAfee announced on social media that he was staying meters away from Ayre's Antigua residence.

The summons comes after Craig Wright, one of the co-founders of Bitcoin SV who alleges it to be the 'real' Bitcoin, gave an interview to Australian media network Finder.

During the debate, which lasted over 90 minutes, Wright accused McAfee of "building a career out of being a conman."

"Please sue me, Mr. McAfee," he said, alluding to current mass lawsuit he and Ayre are orchestrating against anyone who disputes claims Wright created Bitcoin.

"…I want you in court."

While not addressing Wright directly, McAfee took issue with the content of the interview, demanding Ayre make use of his current whereabouts to argue his corner.

"I am right now staying less than a quarter of a mile from Craig's partner – Calvin Ayre. I strongly recommend that Craig stop by for a cup of tea so he can expound on that statement in person," he wrote on Twitter April 30.

BITCOIN SV'S MULTIFACETED WAR

As Bitcoinist reported, McAfee is currently in transit while attempting to direct his presidential campaign.

Frequently changing his location, the entrepreneur spends most of his time on a private boat as he flees US demands to face charges of tax evasion.

Ayre, who himself successfully managed to get US money laundering charges against him dropped in 2017, has yet to respond to the challenge.

Amid an ongoing publicity nightmare for the controversial Bitcoin SV, the altcoin has seen the bottom fall through its support over the past month as major cryptocurrency exchanges simultaneously withdrew support for it.

That decision is also tied to Wright's lawsuits and other behavior, which industry CEOs view as threatening and not in-keeping with the moral values notionally tied to decentralized cryptocurrency.

At press time, BSV/USD traded at around $53, almost exactly 1/100th of the Bitcoin price and just $10 above its all-time lows.

Last week, Yoshitaka Kitao, CEO of Japanese giant SBI Group, took a board member position at Ripple, having confirmed his own exchange would not support Bitcoin SV and cease dealing with its predecessor, Bitcoin Cash (BCH).

"Coins that regularly experience hard forks are ludicrous," he said, referring to the turbulent genesis of Bitcoin SV last November.

Wizsec Security Blames Coinlab After Mt. Gox Trustee Delays Proceedings

On April 25, the Mt. Gox civil rehabilitation trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi published a new announcement concerning the deadline for the rehabilitation plan. According to the letter sent to Mt. Gox creditors, Kobayashi has delayed the proceedings for another six months due to "undetermined" claims. Following the announcement, bitcoin security specialists Wizsec published a scathing critique of the Coinlab claim for US$16 billion and alleged that it was "the elephant in the room causing this delay."

Mt. Gox Civil Rehabilitation Proceedings Delayed Another 6 Months

The Mt. Gox proceedings have been delayed once again according to the court trustee's latest letter to creditors, which says claimants now have to wait until Oct. 28, 2019. Nobuaki Kobayashi detailed that it is "not possible at this moment to make appropriate provisions in a rehabilitation plan." Moreover, Kobayashi also mentioned the court still has to deal with "undetermined rehabilitation claims" and in light of the issue he filed a motion to seek an extension of the submission deadline.

"A large amount of rehabilitation claims that the rehabilitation trustee fully or partially disapproved remains undetermined for being subject to claim assessment procedures," the letter notes.

The latest letter from the Mt. Gox civil rehabilitation trustee follows the coordinator of the largest Mt. Gox legal team, Andy Pag's decision to resign from his position. Pag had decided to sell his Mt. Gox claim and explained that he believed a settlement could take years. The founder of Mt. Gox Legal addressed some issues he had with Mark Karpeles but said the main reason for the rehabilitation delay was because of Coinlab's claim. After the letter on April 25 from the court trustee, security researchers Wizsec published an editorial that lambastes Coinlab and its CEO Peter Vessenes over the enormous claim. Essentially, Wizsec describes how Coinlab justifies a $16 billion dollar claim that is over and above every claimant's filing. Wizsec's report states that the security researchers acquired a copy of the latest court petitions in order to get to the bottom of the situation.

The Elephant in the Room

Coinlab is a claimant because back in 2012 it allegedly made a deal with Tibanne, the parent company of Mt. Gox, with the hope of securing the rights to both U.S. and Canadian Mt. Gox customers. However, the deal never came to fruition and Coinlab sued Tibanne for $75 million and Tibanne attempted to sue them back. Then Mt. Gox went bankrupt and the Coinlab legal battle forged its way into bankruptcy proceedings and ultimately the rehabilitation process. Coinlab now wants $16 billion and Wizsec says it is because Coinlab is assuming Mt. Gox would have stayed in business for the last five years. "CoinLab [claims it] was unfairly robbed of revenue that they would have earned had the license agreement been fulfilled," Wizsec writes in the latest post.

"Here's where Coinlab's claim starts going off the rails," Wizsec states. "Coinlab reasons that since the agreement was for a term of 10 years, plus a strangely one-sided post-termination clause giving them continued revenue sharing for an additional 5 years after termination, CoinLab is actually owed a full 15 years of revenue on 25% of global trade volume." The security researcher's paper continues:

They're basing their claim on the assumption that the Mt. Gox collapse never happened, first extrapolating their 25% "share" of global trade volume all the way until present date, and then extrapolating the last 12 months worth of trading all the way to 2027 and taking "their cut" on trades that haven't even happened yet.

Wizsec says Coinlab has argued for the revenue Mt. Gox made before it went under and then calculated that "between March 2014 and September 2018 they are owed damages for lost revenue equal to global trade volume × 25%." According to Wizsec, the Coinlab claim extrapolates those numbers to the year 2027 as well and has also added legal fees and an extra $1,127,731,005 per year because the proceedings dragged out past 2018. The researchers' editorial also notes that the rehabilitation trustee has said the Coinlab claim is "impossible and completely groundless." Kobayashi appears to be fighting the claim, Wizsec notes, and he has shown no indication of compromise thus far according to the post. But the security researchers conclude that Peter Vessenes and Coinlab are not giving up so easy and plan to "exhaust every legal avenue."

"To continue to argue this frivolous claim at the direct expense of tens of thousands of people who actually lost their own money is utterly shameless," concludes Wizsec.

11 Cryptocurrency Initiatives Indian Government Has Taken

The Indian government has engaged in numerous crypto-related initiatives and projects while actively drafting the regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. Below are 11 crypto-specific initiatives that the government has been involved in.

Committee to Draft Crypto Law

An interministerial committee under the chairmanship of Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, has been constituted to draft the regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. Included on the committee are representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

The committee is "considering all aspects related to virtual currencies and crypto assets … including banning/regulating," according to the Finance Ministry's summary report released in March of the government's activities in 2018.

The legal framework for cryptocurrencies in India was expected to be finalized in July last year, but no framework has been announced so far. This has led to speculation about what the recommendations entail, such as the recent media report claiming that the bill entitled "Banning of Cryptocurrencies and Regulation of Official Digital Currencies Bill 2019" has already been circulated to relevant ministries for discussion. The Indian crypto community has urged the public not jump to conclusions as the media reports only cite anonymous sources on the matter.

Working With FATF and G20

India's "Department of Revenue has been actively involved in the working papers being developed by the FATF on various issues (such as virtual currency, proliferation financing among) which will act as guidance for the member countries," the Finance Ministry's summary report also reveals.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global standard-setting body created to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, told the G20 recently that it is updating policies on crypto regulation which will be presented at the G20 summit in June. India is a G20 country and will be attending the summit and participate in discussions about crypto regulation.

RBI Banking Restriction

In addition to several warnings about the risk of investing in cryptocurrencies, the RBI issued a circular on April 6 last year prohibiting regulated entities from dealing in cryptocurrencies or providing "services for facilitating any person or entity in dealing with or settling" cryptocurrencies. Financial institutions had three months to exit crypto-related relationships.

The RBI detailed that "Such services include maintaining accounts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual tokens, accepting them as collateral, opening accounts of exchanges dealing with them and transfer/receipt of money in accounts relating to purchase/sale" of cryptocurrencies.

While the banking restriction has hurt a number of local crypto businesses, some have found a solution to the ban in the exchange-escrowed peer-to-peer crypto trading model. Meanwhile, the Indian crypto community has been actively campaigning to end the ban.

Supreme Court Hearing

Multiple writ petitions have been filed with the Indian justice system to lift the RBI ban. They were scheduled to be heard by the supreme court since September last year but the case has been continually postponed. The next hearing date is July 23. The supreme court has also asked the government to submit a report of the regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.

Discussions at Blockchain Summit

In February, the Department of Science and Technology, the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Human Resources Development, and the Department of Information Technology gathered at Blockchain Summit India to discuss various crypto-related topics including regulation.

The event's fintech partner, Cashaa, announced afterward that the policymakers discussed how to speed up crypto regulation. "The regulation is planned to be implemented by end of financial tenure," Cashaa wrote, noting that ICOs and STOs were also discussed.

Potential Central Bank Digital Currency

Replying to the question asked by Lok Sabha whether the government is considering introducing its own national cryptocurrency "in place of bitcoins," the Ministry of Finance confirmed on Dec. 28 last year:

The inter-ministerial committee under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, is examining all issues, including the pros and cons of the introduction of an official digital currency in India.

SEBI Crypto Study Tour & Committee

In its 2017-18 annual report, SEBI revealed that it had "organised study tours to Financial Services Agency (FSA) Japan, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) UK and Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) Switzerland to study initial coin offerings and cryptocurrencies."

The regulator constituted the Committee on Financial and Regulatory Technologies on August 3, 2017, "In order to reap the opportunities provided by fintech" and "to deal with relevant risk and challenges," SEBI detailed. It also noted that new technology, including cryptocurrency, "is affecting financial markets through various channels." The committee is under the chairmanship of Shri T.V. Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal Global Education.

Cybercrime Unit for Crypto

India's Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a national cyber forensic lab and the Delhi Police's cybercrime unit called Cypad to help detect fraud online, including those involving cryptocurrency, as news.Bitcoin.com previously reported.

The national cyber forensic lab includes a crypto forensic unit. It is equipped with technology to recover data from damaged hard disks, perform cryptocurrency analysis, and ensure malware forensic data can be retrieved from 33,000 kinds of mobile phone models available on the market.

Working With Canada

Cryptocurrency was a major topic of discussion at the 16th meeting of the Canada-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism held in Ottawa on March 26 and 27. India's delegation was led by Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism from the Ministry of External Affairs, Shri Mahaveer Singhvi. The meeting involved senior representatives from both governments, according to a press release by the joint working group.

Among other items on the agenda, "The delegations reviewed efforts underway to address new and emerging challenges posed by virtual currencies," the announcement reads, adding that "The meetings concluded with agreement on a joint action plan" which includes "joint capacity building and information and technology sharing."

ICAI Report

A detailed study conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) "on accounting standards and disclosures of cryptocurrency in financial statements of companies" was requested by the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs in January last year, according to ICAI member Debashis Mitra. The institute, a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, went on to launch a course on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology for professional accountants in August last year.

RBI's Regulatory Sandbox

The RBI recently published a draft framework for a fintech regulatory sandbox that welcomes businesses and applications using smart contract blockchain technologies. However, the document also has "An indicative negative list" of products, services, activities, and technology "which may not be accepted for testing." The list includes cryptocurrency, crypto services, crypto trading, crypto investing, as well as settling in crypto assets. It also includes initial coin offerings and any products or services which have been banned by the government.

It should be noted that India is undergoing an election cycle and many decisions made by the current government administration could be null and void when the next administration takes office.