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Mainstream ICOs may have finally arrived. The much anticipated token sale for social messaging giant Kik, which is today offering buyers the chance to purchase tokens that will power future apps on its platform, launched at 9 a.m. EST, drawing upwards of $70 million in its first few hours. Data from the ethereum blockchain indicates Kik has so far raised more than 3.2 million ether (worth about $71 million at press time) in upwards of 8,000 transactions (not all of which have confirmed) through 12 p.m. EST. More than 17,000 buyers have registered to participate in the sale, which will be conducted in two parts. In total, Kik is looking to raise a total of $125 million through the ICO, though it's already raised $50 million from the private sale of its token, called Kin, to institutional investors. Going forward, the remaining tokens are to be sold in two parts: today's sale allows investors to purchase up to 15.2 ETH in Kin tokens, with any remaining to

The ether-bitcoin exchange rate (ETH/BTC) could be preparing for a breakout. At press time, ether is trading at 0.07165 BTC  (about $310), with the cross-cryptocurrency exchange rate coming off a recent low of 0.0655 BTC ($284) on August 15. Yet, as it is widely believed that ethereum's main purpose is to serve as the launchpad for decentralized applications , the platform's cryptocurrency could emerge as one to watch in the months ahead. Ethereum developers have now set September 18 as a date for Byzantium Testnet launch. The first of two phases in the platform's coming 'Metropolis' update , it's likely to see better ethereum applications created and distributed more widely. Given a potential increase in usability, it's possible ether could extend its already impressive year-to-date gains. At one point of time in June, ether-US dollar exchange rate was up 2,800%. However, while the ETH/USD pair has been kind to traders so far this year, price

      STEPS TO RECEIVE ARTHUR HAYES FREE MOON COINS EVERY 5MINUTES.   STEP 1 OWN AN EMAIL ADDRESS   This is the very first thing to own and keep ready in order to start. An email is an electronic mail through which an individual receives mails from different activated services, through a personal address. An example of an email address is (example@gmail.com) (example@yahoo.com) If you do not have an email address, please visit any of this links on your web browser to create an email address. (http://www.gmail.com) or (http://www.yahoomail.com) Note: Please provide a valid email address; because every withdrawal shall first be confirmed through this email before it is proccessed. STEP 2 REGISTER ON COINPOT   Now, you shall register onto Coinpot with your valid email address. Register through this link: http://www.coinpot.co Note: This is the bank to which all your earnings are saved until withdrawal time. Coinpot is a coin wallet that saves three different

The U.K.'s chief financial markets regulator has helped develop a new app using blockchain consortium R3's Corda distributed ledger platform. Announced today, the prototype – focused on the reporting of mortgage transactions – was revealed to have been built with input from the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and another unnamed banking institution. The app allows regulators to see real-time updates, with receipts being created for mortgage transactions as they are conducted. That the FCA would be interested in technology that could enhance its oversight is perhaps unsurprising. To date, the FCA has welcomed a number of startups into its regulatory "sandbox," which allows for the testing of financial products and services in a limited setting. Last year, FCA director of strategy Chris Woodward said that blockchain was one technology that the agency was considering for possible applications. "[This

In the coming war between digital currencies, which side will your money be on? If that question sounds crazy, meet Arthur Hayes, a former CitiGroup trader who runs BitMEX, a Hong Kong-based crypto exchange that allows eye-bulging leverage – up to 100 times – when buying and selling cryptocurrency derivatives. Not just another Wall Street veteran, Hayes may also be one of the industry's biggest bitcoin bulls. It's a bold claim, but you might agree if you saw his newsletter – a regular synthesis of cryptocurrency news, gangster quotes, GIFs and end-of-the-world premonitions. In fact, Hayes thinks blockchain is lighting a fuse that will ignite open combat between "true cryptocurrencies" (like bitcoin) and a new "digital fiat" controlled by central banks. These two parallel currency systems are the inevitable outcome of his core investing thesis: "A digital society needs digital cash." In other words, bitcoin has brought the wor

The withdrawal of funds from stocks and precious metals has coincided with the massive price increase of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It seems that investors have realized that Bitcoin is a more stable ‘store of value’ investment than gold. CNBC has reported that the stock market has seen the largest withdrawal rate since 2004, with more than $30 bln being taken out of the markets over the past 10 weeks. The major withdrawal also included a huge abandoning of precious metals. Precious metals at loss Private client allocation to precious metals has seen a massive reduction, with portfolios holding 10 percent in 2013 being reduced to below two percent in recent weeks. (source: BofA Merrill Lynch Global Investment Strategy, EPFR Global) The precious metals investment decline has coincided with a removal of funds from the stock market overall, with investors choosing to pull back from the market, though the market continues to post gains. Concerns abo