Darknet market vendors are selling stolen personal documents online for 10 cents each. If illicit data markets can flourish, then compliant ones can too, and the growth of the Lightning Network provides a glimpse into what sort of infrastructure the next generation of (legitimate) data vendors can look forward to using.
From #reckless to Wumbology: Lightning Network’s Infrastructural Build Out
"While Lightning started out #reckless (indicating that upon 2018’s launch it was still immature and funds could be lost), the proposal to increase channel limits represents a major step in the maturity of the network."
A darknet vendor is allegedly selling images and data associated with crypto exchange identity verification processes
"A user going by the name of 'ExploitDOT' is allegedly selling 100,000 personal documents that were used to comply with the know-your-customer (KYC) regulations on cryptocurrency exchanges, as first reported by CCN. He posted the sale on July 17, 2018 on a sub-community (DNMAds) of Dread, which is a hidden Reddit-like community that operates on darknets such as Tor and 'provides a platform for open community discussion without as much censorship and limitations.'"
Lightning Network Keeps Growing
The Lightning Network universe keeps expanding at an exponential rate. 🚀⚡️🌌
— A v B ⚡ (@ArminVanBitcoin) January 20, 2019
Nodes: 5,500+
Channels: 20,800+
Capacity: ~ $2 Million USD
#Bitcoin #LightningNetwork pic.twitter.com/AOM0lnwxKF
China’s Xi Warns Party of ‘Serious Dangers’ as Risks Mount
"'The party is facing long-term and complex tests in terms of maintaining long-term rule, reform and opening-up, a market-driven economy, and within the external environment,' Xi said, according to Xinhua. 'The party is facing sharp and serious dangers of a slackness in spirit, lack of ability, distance from the people, and being passive and corrupt. This is an overall judgment based on the actual situation.'"
Beyond the doomsday economics of “proof-of-work” in cryptocurrencies
"The conclusions are, first, that Bitcoin counterfeiting via “double-spending” attacks is inherently profitable, making payment finality based on
proof-of-work extremely expensive. Second, the transaction market cannot generate an adequate level of “mining” income via fees as users free-ride on the fees of other transactions in a block and in the
subsequent blockchain."
Bitcoin's Near Zero Correlations
Bitcoin’s use as a store of value hinges on negative/neutral correlations with other asset classes.
— Yassine Elmandjra (@yassineARK) January 14, 2019
Below are some updated numbers showing Bitcoin’s near-zero correlations.
Yet another compelling indication of Bitcoin as the ultimate hedge. pic.twitter.com/eXalxvBOtn
DID YOU KNOW: Hacking #Bitcoin with a 51% attack would require spending around $5.5M per day on electricity (if the cost of electricity is $0.05 per kWh). This is just the energy cost, the necessary equipment would cost billions. #WednesdayWisdom 💡 pic.twitter.com/GW01HiPpXv
— Bitstamp (@Bitstamp) January 9, 2019
Are Crypto Lending And Institutional Custody Good For Crypto? First Principles
"Financialization is, therefore, a dicey process. But it is absolutely necessary. Without it, society cannot optimize the investment of saved resources across people, places and time. Consequently, for Bitcoin, responsible financialization will involve finding ways to lend bitcoin without corrupting it by creating more claims to bitcoin than there are bitcoins."
In-Game Lightning Transactions
Paying for ingame stuff and see the result within one second. #LightningNetwork #LND #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/ZLgqTzZ4eF
— PenguinShooter LN Game⚡ (@BR_Robin) January 19, 2019
With cell service crippled, Puerto Ricans look skyward for a signal
"A week after Hurricane Maria came ashore as the most powerful storm to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, knocking out its electric grid, 90.9 percent of cell phone sites on the island remain out of commission, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. For miles, cell phones deliver one frustrating message: 'No Service.'"