FEB 25 DIGEST: First 2-Way BTM in Poland, Tails Adds Bitcoin Wallet

Poland welcomes its first two-way Bitcoin ATM in Warsaw, Magic's new Bitcoin concierge service, Tails implements Electrum Bitcoin client, industry insiders hire major ad agency to rebuild Bitcoin image, altcoin community challenges Coinbase CEO to public debate, and more news that happened on February 25.

Poland Gets First Two-Way Bitcoin ATM

Bitcoinomat.pl announces the first two-way Bitcoin ATM in Poland, a BitXATM device located at Five Restaurant, Grzybowska 5 street, in the city center of Warsaw.

The machine allows users to buy and sell bitcoins anonymously in less than a minute, and was installed with the help of Polish Bitcoin startup Midgar.

Bitcoinomat.pl is a project aiming to create the largest network of Bitcoin ATMs in Poland and abroad. The collective helped set up the first Bitcoin ATM in the country in December 2014, at Bobby Burger.

Interview: Synereo, Next Gen Decentralized Social Network

Dor Konforty, CEO of Synereo, a next gen decentralized social network, discussed the future of social media. An excerpt:

"Facebook was a necessary catalyst in the evolution of the Internet. It has gotten us to where we are today, where there are more than 1.5 billion social network users worldwide.

Synereo is the natural next step. The fundamental assumption of Synereo is that users have full reign over their online social experience."

Read the full interview.

Bitcoin and Magic

Magic, a Bitcoin concierge service, allows US residents to get anything (legal) delivered on demand, all payable with Bitcoin.

One needs to send the word "Magic" to +1 (408) 217-1721 anywhere in the US, and if the item is available for purchase, Magic will deliver it to your door, while charging roughly a 10% fee.

Bitcoin Insiders Hires Avant-Garde Ad Agency

In order to rebuild Bitcoin's reputation among the larger public, a group of Bitcoin insiders that includes the Bitcoin Foundation, BitFury, BitGo and Tally Capital, hired TheAudience, one of the world's largest multi-channel publishers of social and digital content, to highlight the positive aspects of the digital currency.

Oliver Lucket, co-founder of TheAudience, stated:

"We’re digital storytellers and want to help Bitcoin companies convey the positive change they’re capable of bringing to the world — from new fraud-proof voting mechanisms to affordable remittance payments, to banking services for the disenfranchised."

Altcoin Community Challenges Coinbase CEO to Public Debate

Following the recent tweet from Coinbase co-founder and CEO, Brian Armstrong, stating that "Ripple, Stellar, and Altcoins are all a distraction," members of the crypto community have requested a public debate on this matter.

Yesterday, Andrew Vegetabile, director of the Litecoin Association, sent the following tweet, inviting Armstrong to debate on a radio show:

@brian_armstrong Care to discuss on a radio show the legitimacy of alts with me since you seem so convinced there is no future for them?

— TheMage (@TheRealMage) February 24, 2015

Speaking with Cointelegraph, Vegetabile stated:

"I feel that if a CEO is so bold as to make a statement and attempt to shut down all other markets he should be able to back up his assertions."

Following his public request to Armstrong, Vegetabile said he had not received respond from the CEO, but added that he was "fairly eager to talk to him and educate him on the importance of [altcoins]."

Tails Adds Bitcoin Wallet

The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails), a security-focused operating system, announces an upcoming release of version 1.3 that includes the Electrum Bitcoin client and allows users to persist their wallet.

Tails commented on the new feature:

"Electrum is one such client that does not require downloading any of the blockchain, and therefore should work well in live systems like Tails."

Tails invites interested parties to test the first release candidate for the upcoming version.

BTCJam Launches New 'Refinancing Loan' Feature

BTCJam, a global peer-to-peer lending network powered by Bitcoin, announces it had added a new feature "Refinancing Loan," enabling borrowers to restructure their current debt under different terms.

If a borrower decides to refinance a loan, the new loan amount will be set to guarantee the repayment of this loan. BTCJam explains:

"A refinance loan is a special type of loan that cannot be activated by the borrower.  The funds raised for this loan are sent directly to the investors of the previous loan."

Europol: Growing Use of 'Virtual Currencies' for Online Crimes

A new report issued by Europol's European Cybercrime Center (EC3), suggests that criminals that are sexually exploiting children online "are becoming more entrepreneurial with these technological developments and profiting financially."

The report further noted that there has been an increasing use of "virtual currencies," notably Bitcoin, for illicit purposes:

"There is a clear shift from traditional credit card payments to the ones providing the most anonymity, namely alternative payment options, including virtual currency. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) analyses point to money transfers and Bitcoin as the most recommended payment methods offered by new brands identified within the Website Brand Project."

Opinion: Boston Fed Researchers ‘Bullish’ on Bitcoin

In an interview with CoinDesk, Boston Fed researchers Stephanie Lo and J Christina Wang, said they remain "bullish on Bitcoin as a technology," noting that the digital currency was emerging as a cost-effective tool for online shopping.

The researchers stated:

"One major advantage of Bitcoin is its low transaction cost to the user once he or she has set up wallet accounts, but it is useful to the recipient only if Bitcoin is accepted in most of the places he or she shops, and assuming merchants don't charge much of a premium for using Bitcoin."

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