Institutional investment is increasingly being seen as the future of crypto trading, with both Binance and Bittrex launching their own dedicated over-the-counter (OTC) desks in January. The desk launches come after Morgan Stanley published a bullish report in November, showing a strong pattern of institutional investment for Bitcoin. The latest developments indicate that some of the world’s largest exchanges are receiving increased demand from institutional investors, for whom OTC represents a lucrative opportunity. Cointelegraph takes a look at the latest launches and OTC news. Binance launches dedicated OTC desk On Jan. 23, the number-one ranked cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced the …

United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex will launch an over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk on Monday, according to statement shared with Cointelegraph on Jan. 14. The latest major exchange to enter the OTC market, Bittrex will offer investors the same raft of around 200 crypto assets currently available on its standard platform. OTC trading has become an increasingly popular option for institutional investors looking to perform large-volume trades. Fellow U.S. exchange Bitfinex opened its own platform in 2016, while the country’s largest player Coinbase is currently in the process of rolling out its product. Financial technology company Circle, meanwhile, revealed last week …

There are over 2,000 different coins in existence right now, each with their own unique characteristics, uses and communities, while there are masses of different blockchains, platforms and exchanges — all of which answer to competing needs and values. On the one hand, this profusion is one of the key driving forces behind innovation in the crypto sphere. But on the other, it arguably acts as a block against widespread adoption, as the lack of unified standards means that some morally questionable endeavors give the rest a bad name. The past year has seen an intensifying push toward producing international …

Bittrex International is launching a digital trading platform that will feature a “streamlined” token approval process and focus on international customers, the company’s blog revealed Monday, Oct. 29. As per the release, new tokens will be approved and listed on the platform “within weeks instead of months.” The new platform will operate within the regulatory framework established by the E.U. and Maltese Government, using Malta’s Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFA) in particular. In 12 months the company is planning to apply to the Malta Financial Services Authority to become a regulated virtual financial asset exchange. Previously branded Bittrex Malta, the …

The number of digital asset exchanges has exceeded 200. Many offer different functions, exchange fees and niches that give them a competitive edge. With so many choices, it’s hard for a novice cryptocurrency trader to pick an exchange, and it can also be tricky for more experienced traders to decide where they’ll move to next. CoinSwitch.co is a cryptocurrency exchange aggregator site backed by venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. CoinSwitch provides vital information for new and experienced users, and acts as a gateway to many reputable cryptocurrency exchanges for traders. Also, with CoinSwitch, users can launch a customized cryptocurrency exchange …

Crypto exchange Bittrex is set to delist Bitcoin Gold (BTG), a hard fork of Bitcoin (BTC), by Sept.14, after details of an $18 million hack of the BTG network in May emerged this week. How unexpected was this announcement coming from the exchange, and what are the chances for BTG now that it has found itself in the midst of yet another scandal? “One CPU one vote” ideology: How Bitcoin Gold was created Bitcoin Gold (BTG) is a hard fork of Bitcoin (BTC). It splintered off the original blockchain on Oct. 24 2017, at a block height 491,407. The project …

Crypto exchange Bittrex will delist Bitcoin Gold (BTG), a hard fork of Bitcoin (BTC), by September 14 following an $18 million hack of the BTG network in May, The Next Web reported September 3. Founded in 2017, the hard fork cryptocurrency Bitcoin Gold has suffered a “double-spending” hacking attack that reportedly allowed the unknown hijackers to take control of more than 51 percent of the BTG hashrate. The attack, which reportedly started on May 18, 2018, has managed to amass more than $18 million in Bitcoin Gold from various exchanges, including Bittrex. Following the hack, the Bitcoin Gold team explained …

Bittrex, one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges worldwide, has recently invested in Malta-based blockchain company Palladium, local news outlet Times of Malta reports September 2. The U.S.-based Bittrex, now the 18th top crypto exchange by total average trade volume, has bought a 10 percent share in Palladium. In July, Palladium had announced plans to distribute $150 million in tokens in the world’s “first” Initial Convertible Coin Offering (ICCO) in partnership with Bittrex and Unikrn eSports bookmaker, scheduled to begin on July 25. Current shareholders of Palladium include Investar Holding and Unikrn, which own 85 and 15 percent of the company …

Police in California have arrested an alleged hacker who stole Bitcoin (BTC) totalling more than $1 million by hijacking cellphones, investigative cybercrime blog Krebs on Security reported Wednesday, August 22. Citing a police report, the publication reveals Xzavyer Narvaez, 19, used “SIM swapping,” a technique also known as a “port out scam,” to reportedly steal cryptocurrency from victims’ devices. Over a period of several years, Narvaez and another suspect already under arrest used the funds to buy items such as luxury sports cars. From March to June 2018 alone, Narvaez’s account on cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex processed 157 BTC (around $1,009,000). …

Crypto exchanges Gemini, Bitstamp, Bittrex, and bitFlyer USA have announced the creation of a self-regulatory organization for digital commodities, such as cryptocurrencies, Business Insider reports August 20. The new group, dubbed “Virtual Commodity Association Working Group,” aims to help large-scale investors get more comfortable with the crypto market, work on formulating industry standards, and “be a precursor to the formation of a self-regulatory organization for digital commodities like [B]itcoin and [E]thereum” Business Insider reports. The first meeting of the newly created association is set to take place in September this year. Business Insider quotes its source as explaining the kinds …

Ripple has added three cryptocurrency exchanges to its cross-border payments settlement product, according to a press release published August 16. Ripple has partnered with U.S.-based Bittrex, Mexican Bitso, and Philippine Coins.Ph cryptocurrency trading platforms within its initiative to build a “healthy” ecosystem of digital asset exchange. The new partners will enable Ripple’s xRapid payments solution to move between XRP and U.S. dollars, Mexican pesos, and Philippine pesos respectively. Ripple explained the operational principle like this: “A financial institution (FI) that has an account with Bittrex would initiate a payment in U.S. dollars via xRapid, which instantly converts into XRP on …

Cryptocurrency exchange and wallet service Bittrex has announced plans to launch U.S. dollar (USD) trading pairs for two new cryptocurrencies, according to an official announcement published August 8. Per the announcement, Bittrex is looking to expand its fiat markets to Ethereum Classic (ETC) and Ripple (XRP) on August 20. The new trading pairs will be added to already listed dollar markets for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), and TrueUSD (TUSD). The company says that it will continue gradually adding tokens to its USD markets, using a “phased approach” for USD trading. Bittrex further explained that it takes a gradual …