A lawmaker from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia is speaking out against bitcoin and other digital currencies on the grounds the technology is part of a US plot to undermine the country’s efforts internationally. The comments, made by MP Andrei Svintsov, came during remarks addressing the ongoing debate in Russia over whether bitcoin and […]

A new bitcoin derivatives trading platform called Crypto Facilities has launched in London, backed by a pair of co-founders with longtime experience in the City’s traditional financial markets. Crypto Facilities currently lets customers trade just one instrument, a forward contract on the bitcoin price. It currently offers the contract with three expiry dates. A trader […]

A two-day event that brought together representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat has ended with agreement that member states draft a formal report on virtual currencies. The main intergovernmental body behind the Commonwealth of Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat represents 53 states, mainly in the developing world. The final report will be presented at the Commonwealth Heads […]

CoinSpark has released a new version of its protocol that allows users to send private messages tied to bitcoin transactions, effectively allowing its technology to be used for more commercial, notarized transactions. The second major update from the asset transfer protocol launched in September, CoinSpark 2.0 will enable a broad range of applications based on […]

Bitstamp is to simplify its fee schedule next month, a move that will reduce costs for the “vast majority” of clients, according to the company. The Slovenia-based bitcoin exchange said that the revised charges will go live on 2nd March. The new fee system, which groups market participants according to the amount of dollars traded over a 30-day period, […]