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By Matthew Sparkes The value of bitcoin rose on the expectation that it might gain traction during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images Cryptocurrencies are playing a role on both sides of the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Their ability to cross borders regardless of rules or regulations is helping … Read more
The adoption of cryptocurrency as legal tender by El Salvador’s government has attracted enthusiastic tourists, concern from financial institutions and scorn from locals Technology 1 March 2022 By Luke Taylor A store owner in surfing hotspot El Zonte, now known as Bitcoin Beach JOSE CABEZAS/REUTERS/Alamy “Fifty cents for a pupusa,” says Carolina Reyes, a food … Read more
Bitstamp, Europe’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, says it has handed over information on some of its customers to the UK’s intelligence agencies, MI5 and MI6 Technology 25 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Bitcoin has a variety of uses Mete Caner Arican/Alamy The UK’s intelligence agencies have asked Europe’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Bitstamp, to hand over information … Read more
As more money pours into cryptocurrency crimes and scams, government agencies are increasingly cracking down, as the launch of dedicated Department of Justice and FBI enforcement teams demonstrates Technology | Analysis 18 February 2022 By Chris Stokel-Walker Bitcoin is just one of many cryptocurrencies Shutterstock/Coyz0 Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin have continued to rise in profile, … Read more
Bitcoin is a digital currency which operates free of any central control or the oversight of banks or governments. Instead it relies on peer-to-peer software and cryptography. A public ledger records all bitcoin transactions and copies are held on servers around the world. Anyone with a spare computer can set up one of these servers, … Read more
The Central American country’s experimental adoption of bitcoin has been beset by problems including identity theft and missing funds. Now the system is being relaunched with a US company providing the infrastructure Technology 3 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes A vendor holds a sign showing that bitcoin is accepted at a store in San Salvador … Read more
Bitcoin is theoretically vulnerable to being cracked by quantum computers, but calculations show they would need to be a million times larger than those that exist today Technology 25 January 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Bitcoin could one day be threatened by quantum computers – but not yet blackdovfx/Getty Images Quantum computers would need to become … Read more
The second largest bitcoin mining nation in the world has cut off internet access, slashing the amount of computing power dedicated to the cryptocurrency Technology 7 January 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Riot police gather to block demonstrators during a protest in Almaty, Kazakhstan Vladimir Tretyakov/AP/Shutterstock Nationwide internet outages in Kazakhstan amid civil unrest have knocked … Read more
By Matthew Sparkes Bitcoin has no physical form, so is hard to track 2017 Getty Images POLICE forces across the UK have seized bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies valued at almost a third of a billion pounds during criminal investigations, New Scientist can reveal. But this figure may be only a tiny fraction of the illicit … Read more
El Salvador’s attempt to become the world’s first state to adopt bitcoin as legal tender hits another stumbling block as hundreds of citizens claim that funds are disappearing from their accounts Technology 23 December 2021 By Matthew Sparkes El Salvador adopted bitcoin as legal tender on 7 September Rodrigo Sura/EFE/Alamy Live Hundreds of Salvadorans claim … Read more