Cointelegraph brings us news that a web platform advertising itself as an "escrow service" has been put up for auction (archived). In this press release, the service BTCrow advertises a claims it is the first and most trusted platform while further disclosing it has been sold before. Of course trust isn't a transitive property and attaches to people rather than platforms so any remaining users of the BTCrow service would be well advised to escape the platform while they still can.
Two Milestones Passing On Bitcoin Blockchain
The Bitcoin network will see two significant milestones pass on the Bitcoin blockchain. The first is the mining of the 15 millionth coin leaving only a maximum of 6 million more Bitcoins to be acquired through subsidy for mining new blocks. The 14 millionth coin was mined back in March and represented two thirds of all Bitcoin to ever exist having been mined. The second milestone is the imminent commitment of the hundred millionth Bitcoin transaction to the blockchain.
CoinBase Bug Bonanza
In late 2012 Coinbase was cultured by startup incubator, YCombinator on a plate of Thayer-Martin agar with the "mission" of "Becoming the Paypal of Bitcoin." The company seems to have had some success on the surveillance side of their mission by tracing user transactions and a slew of ex-customers who claim to have been banned with minimal explanation – a problem Coinbase seems to have despite their penitent userbase. Of special note here is Coinbase's security outsourcing that frequently results in vulnerabilities. Continue reading
US DO"J" Stops Sharing Bounty Of Theft With Locals
Today it was declared that the United States Department of "Justice" would cease to share value acquired through asset forfeiture and other forms of theft with local "law enforcement" agencies under the Equitable Sharing Program (archived). The program allowed local gangs incorporated as "law enforcement" agencies choose to partner with the DO"J" and receive federal assistance in seizing assets alleged to be connected with drug activity, even in spite of the demonstrable criminal innocence of parties from whom the assets were stolen. Through the Equitable Sharing Program local partners could receive up to 80% of the proceeds of their joint larceny. The Do"J" blames budget cuts for forcing its hand in suspending the program and insists the suspension will be temporary. It is unknown how many other perks presently enjoyed by local "law enforcement" gangs for cooperating with federal agencies will find themselves eroded in the near future.
Dark Horse Brian Forde Tops CoinDesk's 2015 Influencer List
In the CoinDesk ranking of "most influential" people "in Bitcoin and Blockchain" allegedly determined through a reader vote, dark horse candidate Brian Forde won by coming in second only to obligatory first place winner Satoshi Nakamoto (archived). Forde is the director of MIT's Digital Currency Initiative, the Ford Edsel (archived) of organizations orbiting and trying to subvert Bitcoin.
Forde's tenure at the MIT Digital Currency Initiative precedes that of Gavin Andresen by only a week with Forde arriving on April 15th while Gavin joined up a week later. Prior to arriving in this corner of the MIT Media lab Forde worked in the White House for the Hussein Bahamas administration where as per his MIT biography: Continue reading
Judge Nevin Dawson: Dotcom Can Be Extradited To United States
New Zealand District Court Judge Nevin Dawson has ruled that Kim Dotcom can be extradited to the United States (archived). Dotcom's extradition hearing began in September with Dotcom finally presenting his defense back in October. Dotcom plans to appeal the decision and has in the past received markedly more favorable outcomes from New Zealand appellate courts, including a rebuke of the asset forfeitures imposed upon him. The lower courts however have consistently ruled in a manner favorable to the United States Department of "Justice" which seeks to prosecute Dotcom in spite of Dotcom having never been a United States Person under any reasonable definition. Dotcom and his alleged co defendants will continue to reside in New Zealand on bail while the Appeal moves forward, but because this ruling "increased their flight risk" they now have to comply with more onerous demands including twice weekly reports at police stations.
Desperate United States Revives Plutonium-238 Production
Oak Ridge National Laboratory operated by the United States Department of Energy has issued a press release announcing the resumption of Plutonium-238 production in the United States (archived). Since the United States ceased production in the late 1980's they have filled their appetite for the isotope through foreign purchases supplemented by their dwindling stockpile. The increasingly frosty relationships between the United States and developed countries that maintained Plutionium-238 production capability has forced the United States into independently producing the material again at great cost. Plutonium-238 is used as a radio thermal power source in medical and space related applications. The ongoing decline of relations between the United States and the developed world is likely to continue injuring the ability of the United States government to participate in international markets.
Clinton Sells Nuking Math
As the steak warm flystruck hamburger meat that is 2016 United States Presidential election continues its multi-year sizzle on the grill of public opinion, leading candidates from both sides of the divide are hustling hard for clicks, likes, headlines, and anything else that their analysts can measure. Continue reading
Payment Card Industry Clings To SSLv3 And TLS 1.0 For Two More Years
Yesterday the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) announced it has decided to extend its deadline for the fiat payment card industry to abandon SSL version 3 and TLS version 1.0 all the way into June of 2018 (archived). Back in April they had tried to set a June 2016 deadline parties handling fiat payment cards to move up to at least TLS version 1.1 or higher in light of POODLE, SHA1 weakness, and other protocol level attacks. General Manager Stephen Orfei of the PCI SSC blames "business issues" for the extension. These extra two years create the potential for massive fraud involving intercepted payment card information, but massive fraud is an inherent part of the fiat system.
CMU Tor Attack Implicated In Mannion Arrest
In one of the more bizarre stories arising out of Operation Onymous and the Silk Road 2 takedown, Neil Mannion who was initially arrested back in November 2014, released, had news of his arrest retracted, was rearrested, and was now sentenced to six and a half years in prison has recently been fingered as a victim (archived) of Carnegie Mellon University's attack on the Tor network. The hazards of using the Tor Network for safety critical communications have been addressed previously on Qntra.