BTC

My MetaMask Chrome Extension Wallet was hacked. The ETH is gone forever. Even though I can clearly see that address of the wallet that stole it, there's nothing I can do to get it back. I'm just writing this blog post as a warning for anyone who thinks keeping more than a few hundred dollars in a "hot wallet" is a good idea. I always keep a small amount of ETH in my MetaMask wallet to buy virtual goods and NFTs and game tokens, etc. I have been aware that the wallet was vulnerable to attack, but this hack is remarkable. They must have figured out my password – which is hard to do. Here's a chronicle of the events. I'll keep it updated. Continue Reading →

At the annual Gobble Gobble Wobble 5K run, a family-friendly “Turkey Trot” event that brings the community together to get their “tailfeathers moving,” there were a bunch of retail booths selling food, local produce, homemade goods, and arts & crafts. This year, each local artisan had an easy way for you to purchase with a credit card as well as an easily accessible eCommerce site. Three years ago, this was an all-cash shopping zone. This year (if you knew where to look), customer experience, customer service, customer relationship management (CRM), and relatively sophisticated data-gathering were on full display. Which made me wonder about the impact Web 3 and decentralized finance might have on future Gobble Wobblers. Continue Reading →

During an upgrade to the Compound platform, a bug caused the system to transfer close to $90 million in COMP (their cryptocurrency) to random users. In a desperate tweet, Compound’s CEO begged the users to give the money back. He threatened to dox the users. (That’s a slang term for making user identities public or, in this case, reporting them to the IRS.) Then offered a 10 percent reward for “doing the right thing.” Continue Reading →

China has declared all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies illegal and is issuing a nationwide ban on cryptocurrency mining. Does this make crypto illegal in China? Not exactly. What does this mean for the crypto markets worldwide? What about the US? How will US crypto be regulated? Are cryptocurrencies considered securities? What about other digital assets? Welcome to the crazy, confused world of crypto regulation. Continue Reading →

Are you wondering why it is taking so long for blockchain to become as ubiquitous as AI or IoT? One of the biggest stumbling blocks (pardon the pun) is that Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and the vast majority of other blockchains are proprietary ecosystems (walled gardens) that cannot easily share data or exchange value with other blockchains. This is not a new problem, but there are new, well-funded solutions emerging with exciting roadmaps that point to explosive growth in the near-term. Here’s a quick overview of some projects that have my attention. Continue Reading →

AMC Entertainment chairman-CEO Adam Aron tweeted that in addition to Bitcoin (BTC), the chain will expand its crypto acceptance plans to include Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) for U.S. movie tickets and concessions ordered online by the end of the year, which again raises a very personal question: How do I feel about buying a slice of pizza and a Diet Coke with four (4) bitcoins back in April 2011? Continue Reading →

"El Salvador just bought 200 new coins," President Nayib Bukele tweeted on Monday night. "We now hold 400 #bitcoin". Wow. This is both amazing and insane. Continue Reading →

AMC Entertainment chairman-CEO Adam Aron said the chain will be technologically equipped to start accepting Bitcoin payments for U.S. movie tickets and concessions ordered online by the end of the year, which raises a very personal question: How do I feel about buying a slice of pizza and a Diet Coke with four (4) bitcoins back in April 2011? Continue Reading →

Bitcoin crashed hard this weekend, and the selloff doesn't seem to be turning around too quickly this morning. The crypto markets have been unusually volatile recently, and a contributing factor may be the Chinese government's serious crackdown on bitcoin mining operations. Continue Reading →

The crypto markets got hammered over fears that the FBI had recovered the ransom Colonial Pipeline paid in bitcoin (true), and, therefore, all crypto can be easily hacked (false). The FUD is still rampant, and the depth and breath of misinformation and misunderstanding about the hackability of cryptocurrency is profound. Continue Reading →