Bitcoin (BTC) may only be ten years old, but it is about to match half the lifespan of the average fiat currency — while actually increasing in value. Average fiat dies in 27 years As Bitcoin statistician and commentator Willy Woo noted on Oct. 18, the largest cryptocurrency has been around 40% as long as the average government-issued currency. Woo was referencing a 2018 study by DollarDaze. Out of 775 fiat currencies past and present, researchers concluded the average lifespan is just 27 years. The longest-living fiat currency, the British pound sterling, has lost practically all its value since its …

⁠David Marcus, the head of Facebook’s forthcoming cryptocurrency wallet Calibra, said that he is a fan of Bitcoin (BTC) but it is totally different to the proposed Libra stablecoin. Bitcoin is digital gold, Marcus says In a Squawk Box interview on Oct. 16, Marcus stated that he has been looking at Bitcoin since 2012 and considers it to be akin to digital gold. When asked by Squawk Box co-host Joe Kernen if he owns any Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, Marcus did not answer directly but noted that he was an early fan of the major cryptocurrency. He said: “I’m a …

United States-based crypto exchange Coinbase has reinstated GBP transfers for its United Kingdom customers, according to an official announcement on Oct. 3. Coinbase has also added full support for five new crypto assets — Basic Attention Token (BAT), 0x (ZRX), Augur (REP), Stellar (XLM) and XRP — to GBP wallets, the exchange revealed the same day. Clearbank is reportedly Coinbase’s new banking partner Coinbase had initially rolled out GBP support in 2018 after being granted an e-money license for fiat currency operations from the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority. In parallel, it gained access to the UK’s Faster Payments Scheme (FPS) …

The Committee of Monetary Policy (COPOM) of Argentina’s Central Bank (BCRA) has announced it intends to increase the peso's monetary base by 2.5% per month for the next two months on Sept. 18. “To ensure monetary and financial stability” The move is meant to ensure monetary and financial stability. The bank believes that the inflation of the Argentine peso caused by depreciation suggests a reduction in real monetary supply. The new exchange rate also lets observers project a real demand for sustained money. The bank concludes that — given limited liquidity — it is necessary to update the originally established …

A crypto exchange says it has reached “dizzying heights” in the five years it has been in operation — attracting more than 3 million users and processing 2.9 billion Australian dollars ($2 billion) in fiat transactions. Zebpay, an Australia-based crypto exchange, is offering a stress-free experience and a clutter-free interface. On top of this, the business claims it has been incident-free since 2014 — an antidote to countless platforms that have fallen victim to devastating hacks, which have been shaking consumer confidence and putting funds at risk. The company offers support for six coins at present: Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), …

Over the course of the past few weeks, the global cryptocurrency community bore witness to two major announcements related to stablecoins — with the first being the launch of Paxos’s gold-backed Ethereum token, PAX Gold (PAXG), and the other being the release of Binance’s cryptocoin backed by the United States dollar (BUSD). Paxos, a global digital asset trust firm, announced the launch of its PAXG token via a press release a few days back. In the document, the firm claims that its product is the world’s first crypto asset to be fully redeemable in exchange for physical gold. Not only …

Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, one of the world’s richest people, likes blockchain but thinks that applying it to money is odd. “Someone needs to control currencies” In a Fortune interview on Sept. 17, Schwarzman expressed his negative stance to Bitcoin (BTC) — explaining that building money using blockchain technology is “pretty odd” and he does not have much interest in the cryptocurrency because it is hard to understand. The 72-year old billionaire blamed the decentralized character of Bitcoin, and said he was “raised in a world where someone needs to control currencies.” Bitcoin only encourages criminal behavior Schwarzman came out …

Major Bitcoin (BTC) bull Tim Draper now thinks that his own prediction that the Bitcoin price will hit $250,000 by 2022 may be understating the power of Bitcoin. Bitcoin price to grow with adoption In an interview with crypto news network Blocktv on Sept. 13, the famous American venture capital investor has once again expressed his bullish stance on Bitcoin, forecasting the soon-to-come mass global adoption that will push the price of Bitcoin higher. Draper stated in the interview: "$250,000 means that Bitcoin would then have about a 5% market share of the currency world and I think that maybe …

Portuguese police and Europol have seized funds worth €70,000 ($77,200) in what they describe as one of the most advanced counterfeiting operations ever seen. €1.3 million in fake notes sold since 2017 As Brazilian daily news outlet Sputnik and others reported on Sept. 10, law enforcement succeeded in bringing down the ring, which sold fake notes on the dark web in return for Bitcoin (BTC). In action since 2017, the operation created €1.3 million ($1.44 million) in fake money. The leader, from Portugal, was found and extradited from Colombia this week. According to police, the notes were some of the …

Grammy award-winning music artist Akon has rebuffed Bitcoin (BTC) naysayers who claim that the asset lacks intrinsic value. In a radio interview published on Sept. 10, Akon lambasted the perception that fiat currencies are any less vulnerable to this same critique, arguing that: “Nothing backs the dollar. The U.S. doesn’t have natural resources that back the dollar. What they do have is the military.” People give cryptocurrency value, not governments Akon — who has twelve Billboard Top Ten Hits to his name, including the popular single “Smack That” — spoke out during the interview in favor of decentralization and trustless …

With Britain reeling from a parliamentary showdown aimed at thwarting the government’s threat to pull the country out of Europe in a no-deal Brexit, Bitcoin (BTC) is relatively stable as compared with the British pound sterling. The United Kingdom’s liberal-leaning daily newspaper The Independent reported on Sept. 3 that Bitcoin has, amid the country’s parliamentary drama and the pound’s tribulations, by contrast, seen a solid and protracted period of growth. By press time, the top cryptocurrency is trading above $10,500 — up 8.36% on the week. The British pound, meanwhile, was at one point yesterday trading below $1.20 — a …

Disclaimer Sept. 4, 2019 4:06 p.m. UTC: This article previously stated that the Marshall Islands had launched its cryptocurrency. It has been amended to more accurately reflect the news development. An official from the Marshall Islands has published an essay explaining the country’s national cryptocurrency project ahead of the Invest: Asia 2019 conference. The issuance of the Marshallese sovereign (SOV) was discussed in an essay by The Honorable David Paul — Minister In-Assistance to the President and Environment of the Marshall Islands — published by Coindesk on Sept. 4. “Connected to the global financial system on its own terms” The …