Although we understand the intentions associated with the tightening of regulations on bitcoin in New York (cough, cough, Mt. Gox), we think things are going too far already. Our favorite quote..."We recognize that not everyone in the virtual currency community will be pleased about the prospect of a new regulatory framework." What a great start....

                                                  Full story here --> http://bit.ly/1nkdRO0

After the debacle of having (nearly) all Mt. Gox held Bitcoins stolen, disgraced owner Mark Karpeles plans to help repay investors by selling the rights to one of his domains, www.bitcoins.com. Our favorite quote..."The site is being sold off by Texas-based Heritage Auctions; Texas is where Mt. Gox filed bankruptcy in the U.S.. Heritage Auctions and Karpeles are hoping it will go for at least $750,000."
 
                                                                                        Full story here --> http://onforb.es/1lStaZu

Researches from Cornell University recently revealed that a mining collective called Ghash.io is currently behind over 50% of Bitcoin mining power.

                                  Full story here --> http://bit.ly/1wCI5ia

As the news-cycle hype has died down surrounding Bitcoin, we are excited to see a company as large as Dish Network proudly declaring their intentions to accept the e-currency. Our favorite quote..."Starting in the third quarter, Dish Network announced this morning, it will accept bitcoin payments from its customers."

                                   Full story here --> http://onforb.es/1nxVWWc

A U.S. judge recently ordered bankrupt Mt. Gox owner Mark Karpeles to attend a hearing in court regarding the firm's collapse. Our favorite quote..."MtGox's founder has refused a US court's demand that he testify this week about the collapse of what was the world's biggest Bitcoin exchange."

                                                                   Full story here --> http://bbc.in/1qYch2E

After the disastrous Mt. Gox closing resulting in the loss/theft of over 500,000 Bitcoins, the Bitcoin community is once again worried over the latest potential security risk. Our favorite quote..."A new version of the Bitcoin Core, 0.9.1, just dropped and it features improved security for wallets."

                                                   Full story here --> http://tcrn.ch/1mXMxWn

In an interesting development, now bankrupt Bitcoin exchange Mt Gox. has 'found' 200,000 Bitcoins. The coins were believed to have been stolen earlier in the year when roughly 850,000 Bitcoins were stolen from the company forcing  them to file for bankruptcy protection.  Our favorite quote..."[The Theft] amounts to about 7% of all the bitcoins in existence."


                                                               Full story here  --> http://bbc.in/1d6a8Ro

The state of New York is encouraging businesses to submit proposals to set up regulated 'exchanges' for virtual currencies such as Bitcoin. Our favorite quote of the article comes from Benjamin Lawsky, New York's superintendent of financial services. "The fact is that virtual currencies are unlikely to disappear entirely...The recent problems at Mt Gox and other firms further demonstrate the urgent need for stronger oversight of virtual currency exchanges...As such, turning a blind eye and failing to put in place guardrails for virtual currency firms while consumers use that product is simply not a tenable strategy for regulators."     

                                                                                               Full story here --> http://bbc.in/1dQkjYs

Mark Karpeles, boss of bankrupt trading platform Mt. Gox, has had his Reddit and personal blog hacked resulting in his information being stolen.  The hackers appear to be upset Bitcoin investors who want to see communications, documents and other information regarding the recent loss of $465 million worth of Bitcoins. Our favorite quote from the article..."It's time that MtGox got the Bitcoin community's wrath instead of [the] Bitcoin community getting Goxed..." 

                                                            Full story here --> http://bbc.in/NWMk7f

In honor of NSA document 'revealer' Edward Snowden, start-up mobile carrier FreedomPop has released their 'Privacy Phone'- a Samsung Galaxy SII tweaked to be highly secure. $189 for the phone + $10/month (payable anonymously through Bitcoin). Our favorite part of the article..."We do not claim that it is NSA-proof. However, FreedomPop does not store users' communications metadata and does not accept over-the-air Android updates."

                                                                                                 Full story here -->  http://bit.ly/O0dnhR
                                           

To the shock, disappointment and even anger of many in the Bitcoin community, the alleged creator of the crypto-currency Bitcoin has been revealed by Newsweek after a two month investigation.  Our favorite quote from the article..."Really immature journalism at best. A mistake that might cost someone their life at worst.”  

                                                Full story here ---> http://onforb.es/1fJBIV0

Congressman Jared Polis makes the point that the exact arguments against Bitcoin (i.e. safety & regulations) can also be said for the American Dollar. Our favorite quote from the article..."All told it is a rather clever way to reveal some of the hypocrisy surrounding the ban on Bitcoin. At the very least, it’ll continue an important debate."  

                                         Full story here --> http://tcrn.ch/1q7pgBB

Despite his arrest on charges for money laundering, former Bitcoin Foundation board member Charlie Shrem had plenty of things to say at a Texas Bitcoin Conference in Austin, Texas recently. Our favorite quote  "This is something completely new in the history of human communication and Bitcoin is one of the largest socio-economic experiments human kind has ever seen." 

                                            Full story here -->  http://onforb.es/1gTtYfD

 We just had a chance to look at an assessment of Bitcoin’s value going forward from a top 3 financial services providers' report.

SUMMARY POINTS:

-They believe Bitcoin can become a major means of payment for online spending and that they could also emerge as a serious competitor to traditional money providers such as Western Union.

-They believe that although Bitcoin has been associated with underworld activities including aiding in avoiding high taxes, the fact that all Bitcoin transactions are publicly available and has a unique code-transaction history will ultimately deter underworld use.

Great read on the evolution of digital currency regulations. What will happen with other e-currencies? http://bit.ly/1iPVzDL #bitcoins #nsa