The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is seeking to oversee stablecoin projects like Facebook's controversial stablecoin Libra. In an official proposal to the Senate published on Jan. 20, APRA submitted a possible regulatory framework dedicated to fintech and regulatory technology (regtech) covering topics ranging from digital wallets to data protection. The proposed framework, “is intended not only to be fit for purpose for the current financial system but also be able to accommodate future developments and technological advances, such as proposals for global stablecoin eco-systems that have been the subject of significant attention in recent months.” Overall, APRA admits that …

The cryptocurrency sector has many criticisms. One is that it can appear impenetrable to newcomers. Another is that it is probably easier to lose money investing in crypto than in most other areas of finance. What’s more, these issues can combine to create a lucrative environment for hackers with nefarious intentions. Chrome browser extension makes a stink By virtue of the fluctuations and hype that influence the markets, investors are often highly motivated to buy certain cryptocurrencies. Regardless of their background, all face the same initial hurdles: Where to buy the cryptocurrency and where to store it? Due in part …

After Google removed Ethereum-based decentralized application (DApp) browser MetaMask from its Android application store, Apple may now force Coinbase to remove the DApp browser feature from its crypto wallet application. According to a Reddit post published on Dec. 28, United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase warned its users that in order to comply with Apple’s mobile App Store policy, it might be forced to remove the DApp browser feature from its wallet application. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong commented on the post: “Coinbase CEO here. This is really unfortunate to see. Apple seems to be eliminating usage of Dapps from the App …

The music streaming industry has come a long way since the old days of Napster and the first-ever downloadable music. The new technology that was the internet, combined with faster download speeds, made music sharing possible. Since those early days, regulations and structure have provided a way for companies to monetize digital content while protecting it and putting new technology to work. As the industry evolved, a few major platforms exploded into the market. These early growth leaders received huge boosts as users began tossing out their CDs and flocking to media services. However, those early days have come to …

Apple has no intention to follow Facebook in creating its own digital currency, the company’s CEO Tim Cook has said. Cook “not comfortable” about firms creating money Speaking in an interview with French media magazine Les Echos on Oct. 4, Tim Cook poured cold water on the idea that Apple could release its own currency tokens. “No,” he said when asked about the possibility, continuing: “I truly think currency should remain in the hands of the state. I’m not comfortable with the idea that a private entity can create a modern currency.” His comments strike a notably different tone to …

Coming every Sunday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week Ripple transfers 500 million XRP from its escrow wallet Ripple turned heads this week when data from Whale Alert suggested the fintech startup has transferred 500 million XRP tokens from its escrow wallet — funds worth $130 million. This isn’t the first time that the California-based company has executed such an enormous transaction, and some …

Jennifer Bailey, the vice president of Apple’s payments service, Apple Pay, said that the company sees potential in cryptocurrencies. CNN reported on Sept. 5 that Bailey told the outlet’s chief business correspondent Christine Romans at a private event in San Francisco: “We're watching cryptocurrency. [...] We think it's interesting. We think it has interesting long-term potential.” A shot in the arm for crypto Apple’s interest in cryptocurrencies follows a similar widely-covered move announced by the social media giant Facebook, which announced its Libra cryptocurrency in June. CNN quotes Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, commenting: “This would be a …

Cybersecurity company McAfee Labs has released its August 2019 threat report, which notes an increase in cryptojacking campaigns and ransomware attacks in Q1 2019. Cryptojacking on the rise McAfee Labs posted their report on the company’s website on Aug. 28. According to the report, crypto jacking — installing and running a cryptocurrency miner without user permission — has been on the rise, with a 29% increase in crypto jacking campaigns in Q1 2019. Additionally, the company discovered new malware families for both Microsoft Windows and Apple users. One crypto jacking campaign they discovered was PsMiner — a crypto jacker for …

TSMC, the world’s largest independent semiconductor foundry and chip supplier for Bitmain, is facing multiple lawsuits from its competitor GlobalFoundries (GF). Alleged patent infringement GF, the second biggest semiconductor foundry by sales after TSMC, filed several lawsuits in the United States and Germany, accusing Taiwanese TSMC of infringing on 16 GF patents, according to an official GF statement on Aug. 26. In the lawsuits, the California-based company seeks orders to ban TSMC from importing semiconductors produced with its technology to the United States and Germany, with GF claiming that importation of infringing Taiwanese semiconductors is unlawful. Additionally, GF is seeking …

Major file sharing company BitTorrent, a subsidiary of blockchain company Tron, is going to internally test its blockchain-based live streaming platform in Q3 2019. Platform overview BitTorrent announced the news in an official blog post on Aug. 27. According to the announcement, the streaming platform — called BitTorrent Live (BLive) — supports live video content and an instant messaging service. Additionally, its underlying system reportedly contains a top user chart and a user relationship feature. BitTorrent intends to roll out BLive in alpha, beta and full versions from Q3 2019 to Q1 2020. The current alpha version features a small …

Major global crypto exchange Binance has got its iOS application listed on the Apple App Store. In a blog post on Aug. 19, the exchange announced that the Binance iOS App (V1.7.1) has returned to the App Store. Prior to the official announcement, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao revealed the news in a tweet on Aug. 17, stressing that the process of getting listed on the App Store was tough and probably harder than getting listed on Binance, due to a number of rules and procedures. Delay complaints The app’s recent return to the Apple App Store was preceded by a …

According to the Apple Card Customer agreement, users will not be permitted to buy cryptocurrencies using the company’s upcoming credit card service. Goldman Sachs published the agreement on July 2, according to a report by Reuters on the same day. As per the report, American tech giant Apple is releasing the Apple Card in partnership with investment banking company Goldman Sachs as part of a broader business plan to bring in more revenue through service offerings. According to the card’s customer agreement, cryptocurrency purchases fall under the heading of cash advances or cash-like transactions: “‘Cash Advance and Cash Equivalents’ means …