Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash to Include Bigger Integers and Native Introspection in Upcoming Upgrade

10/05/2022 by Idelto Editor

Bitcoin Cash is preparing to include two significant improvements in its upcoming upgrade. Programmed to happen on May 15, the Bitcoin Cash Improvement Proposals (CHIPs) approved to be included are CHIP-2021-03, which brings bigger script integers to the chain, and CHIP-2021-02, which has to do with the activation of native introspection opcodes, directed to simplify the writing of smart contracts called covenants.

Bitcoin Cash Prepares Contract Focused Upgrade

A new upgrade is on the horizon in the new one-year Bitcoin Cash upgrade schedule, modified from its previous six-month cycle during last year’s upgrade. This time, the improvements to be included in the Bitcoin Cash blockchain were decided using CHIPs, Bitcoin Cash Improvement Proposals, that allow for public discussion of the community on the proposed upgrades. This new MO was also approved during last year’s upgrade, which happened on May 15th, 2021.

The improvements this year are directed to improve performance and ease the way of programmers into writing covenants, which are smart contracts that enact rules on how funds can be used in a transaction. The two CHIPS included in this upgrade aim to allow covenants to be more precise and more useful, extending their functionality.

CHIPs Explained

The first CHIP to be applied in BCH’s upgrade is CHIP-2021-03, which introduces bigger script integers to the chain. The specification states that bigger, 64-bit integers will be allowed, and these integers will be able to be multiplied directly in code. This will improve the functionality of these contracts by allowing programmers to harness more value without having to design workarounds, also reducing redundancy and transaction sizes.

CHIP-2021-02, which enables native introspection opcodes, will also allow programmers to take information from the same transaction they are working on to include them in any covenant. This means that programmers will be able to queue information from transactions using different, new opcodes. The implementation of this CHIP aims to reduce the complexity of the code in covenants and to allow new use cases to arise due to the new functions provided by the opcodes.

On the upgrade, Jonathan Silverblood, a developer involved in the proposal of the two CHIPs to be implemented, stated:

Before this upgrade, anyone who wanted to build smart contracts could not multiply two numbers in code. They needed to understand how to (ab)use the transaction signing mechanics in order to check who is being paid, and how much. After this, we got a solid base to build on.

Normal Bitcoin Cash users will not have to make any changes to support this upgrade. Node operators will have to upgrade to the latest version of their node software to avoid service interruptions.

What do you think about the upcoming Bitcoin Cash network upgrade? Tell us in the comments section below.

Tracker Shows Close to 3,000 Crypto ATMs Were Installed in 2022’s First Quarter

02/04/2022 by Idelto Editor

During the last 12 months, there’s been an exponential number of cryptocurrency automated teller machines (ATMs) installed as data shows that 20,000 crypto ATMs were installed last year. This year machines are still being installed in great numbers and since December 30, there have been 2,759 machines added to the list of 36,659 crypto ATMs worldwide.

Crypto ATM Installations Jump More Than 8% Since December 30

Today, according to the crypto ATM tracker coinatmradar.com, there’s approximately 36,659 crypto ATMs hosted in 76 different countries. Crypto ATM numbers have grown significantly over the years, and 2021 saw the largest annual increase so far, with more than 20,000 machines added during the year.

As the first quarter of 2022 has come to an end, data from coinatmradar.com indicates there are 36,659 crypto ATMs available. On December 30, 2021, Bitcoin.com News reported that there were 33,900 crypto ATMs, which means that over the last 93 days, 2,759 crypto ATMs have been installed across the globe.

That’s an 8.13% increase since December 30, and currently, there are 612 operators managing the 36,659 machines. Operators include Bitcoin Depot, Coin Cloud, Coinflip, and Bitcoin of America. Additionally, there are 43 crypto ATM producers with manufacturers like Genesiscoin, General Bytes, Bitaccess, Coinsource, Bitstop, and more.

The Manufacturer Genesis Coin, the Operator Bitcoin Depot, and the US Lead the Pack in Terms of Crypto ATM Activity

The top operator in terms of the most crypto ATMs is Bitcoin Depot with 7,001 installed worldwide. Coin Cloud is the second-largest operator with 5,198 crypto ATMs in operation. While Bitcoin Depot commands 19.1% of the 36,659 machines installed, Coin Cloud captures 14.2%.

Coinatmradar.com also shows a map of where all the crypto ATMs are located and what type of crypto asset the machines support. For instance, crypto ATMs support bitcoin, ethereum, bitcoin cash, litecoin, dash, monero, zcash, dogecoin, tether, and xrp.

The crypto ATM tracker site also shows that most of the machines are located in the United States, as the country hosts 32,623 crypto ATMs. The country with the second-largest number of crypto ATMs is Canada with 2,439 locations. The U.S. and Canada are followed by Spain (225), El Salvador (204), Poland (180), and Switzerland (147).

As far as crypto ATM installations by manufacturer, Genesis Coin commands 41.6% of the world’s share of crypto ATMs installed. General Bytes is the second leading manufacturer in terms of crypto ATM installations, with 21.4% of the global share. Genesis Coin and General Bytes are followed by Bitaccess (15.2%), Coinsource (5.3%), Bitstop (4.6%), Bytefederal (3.7%), and “other” manufacturers (8.2%).

What do you think about the number of crypto ATMs worldwide today and the increase during the first quarter? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Member of St. Maarten’s Parliament Plans to Have His Entire Salary Paid in Bitcoin Cash

19/03/2022 by Idelto Editor

On Saturday, the leader of the United People’s Party and member of St. Maarten’s Parliament, Rolando Brison, announced that he’s become the first elected official to request his entire salary paid in bitcoin cash. Brison believes St. Maarten can be the “Crypto Capital of the Caribbean,” as long as his country continues to embrace blockchain technology and cryptocurrency solutions.

MP Wants St. Maarten to Become the ‘Crypto Capital of the Caribbean’

While El Salvador is known for its bitcoin tender law, the Caribbean has become a hotbed for cryptocurrency adoption and more specifically with bitcoin cash (BCH). Data from map.bitcoin.com shows there are currently hundreds of merchants in the Caribbean accepting BCH for goods and services. On March 19, a member of St. Maarten’s Parliament and the leader of the United People’s Party (UP Party St. Maarten), Rolando Brison, announced that he is receiving his entire salary in bitcoin cash (BCH).

The government official believes that St. Maarten should continue its path toward delving “into the ever-growing cryptocurrency phenomenon.” Brison insisted during his announcement that he has requested St. Maarten’s finance minister Ardwell Irion to update him on plans for using blockchain technology in government. “I believe St. Maarten has a chance to be the ‘Crypto Capital of the Caribbean’ if we continue to innovate and embrace cryptocurrency and all the benefits of blockchain technology,” Brison explained in a statement on Saturday.

Brison Is ‘Exploring Legislation in Order to Make Bitcoin Cash Legal Tender in St. Maarten’

On Twitter, the St. Maarten elected official told his followers that he was the first member of the government to get his entire salary in crypto asset payments. “Today I become to first elected official in the world to have his entire salary paid in bitcoin cash, as our country moves more and more to making use of cryptocurrency and blockchain,” Brison tweeted. “Thanks [Roger Ver] for the guidance in making St Maarten the Crypto Capital of the Caribbean,” the St. Maarten UP Party leader added.

During the announcement, Brison noted that during a conference last year, St. Maarten’s finance minister said that crypto and blockchain adoption was a priority area to research. Brison remarked that he appreciated the finance minister’s ideas of moving toward innovation. The UP Party leader said that the next important step was to introduce cryptocurrency and blockchain legislation.

“While we need to improve our legacy forms of commercial banking by means of my proposed consumer banking legislation, we simultaneously need create legislation to make cryptocurrency transactions even more effective and worthwhile in St. Maarten,” Brison explained. The member of St. Maarten’s Parliament added that he has started to explore legislation to make bitcoin cash (BCH) legal tender in the country. Furthermore, Brison aims to get BCH and non-fungible token (NFT) transactions exempt from St. Maarten’s capital gains tax.

“The concept of ‘Money’ has been experiencing and will continue to experience a wave of innovation,” the St. Maarten elected official added. “This innovation comes as we as a country and as Parliamentarians are faced with more questions on how to adapt our local currency and (E)commerce for a digital world. Fortunately, the answer lies right in front of us – Bitcoin Cash.”

What do you think about the St. Maarten UP Party leader and Parliament member Rolando Brison getting his entire salary paid in bitcoin cash? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Streaming Service Sling TV Adds Crypto Payment Support for Monthly Subscriptions

22/02/2022 by Idelto Editor

The American streaming television service Sling TV has announced the company is now accepting cryptocurrency payments from customers paying their monthly subscriptions. Sling TV detailed the company is leveraging the crypto payment provider Bitpay and will accept seven different cryptocurrencies and five stablecoins.

Sling TV to Accept Crypto Assets for Monthly subscription Services

Sling TV LLC, has revealed that it has partnered with the Atlanta-based cryptocurrency payments provider Bitpay and will accept a variety of crypto assets for monthly subscription payments. Sling is a streaming television service provider that offers a selection of channels competing cable providers do not. The company is a subsidiary of Dish Network, the direct-broadcast satellite provider that also accepts crypto payments for subscription services. Data from cordcuttersnews.com indicates that Sling surpassed 2.55 million subscribers in September 2021.

By offering over-the-top (OTT)-originated services via web browsers, smart TVs, digital media players, Sling says it offers different benefits. Accepting crypto exemplifies the company’s desire to bring “choice and convenience to its check-out process,” Sling’s announcement notes. Sling television monthly subscribers can pay for their subscription with bitcoin (BTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), ethereum (ETH), wrapped bitcoin (WBTC), dogecoin (DOGE), and litecoin (LTC). Additionally, Sling clients can opt to pay with the stablecoins GUSD, USDC, USDP, DAI, and BUSD.

Sling TV’s announcement says:

Beginning this week, Sling TV subscribers can use cryptocurrency to pay for their monthly subscription. Through the payment provider Bitpay, users can now select and pay for their favorite digital streaming service with their preferred digital currency – whether it’s bitcoin, ethereum or dogecoin.

The streaming television service Sling follows a slew of companies adding crypto payment support during the last 12 months. Over the last year, well known brands such as Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP), Sheetz convenience stores, Phillips Auction House, Verifone, Sotheby’s, RM Sotheby’s, American Residential Warranty (ARW), and Tifon gas stations have added crypto payment support. In mid-January this year, a survey conducted by Visa indicates that one in four businesses polled planned to accept crypto payments this year.

Currently, Sling TV customers with an existing monthly subscription can pay with digital currencies. New users have to pay with a traditional payment method one time and then the next month the crypto payment option will be made available to the monthly subscriber. “Sling customers can only make one monthly, manual payment with Bitpay, but will have the choice to prepay for one to six months at a time,” Sling’s summary of the new payment system concludes.

What do you think about Sling TV accepting crypto assets for monthly subscription payments? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Trudeau Warns Truckers Government Will ‘Respond With Whatever It Takes,’ 2 Freedom Convoy Crypto Fundraisers Reach Goals

12/02/2022 by Idelto Editor

The truckers Freedom Convoy in Canada continues even after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned the truckers the government is ready to “respond with whatever it takes.” Furthermore, an Ontario judge on Friday ordered protestors to end the blockade at Ambassador Bridge, and TD Bank gave around a million dollars donated to the Freedom Convoy to the Canadian court. Meanwhile, two cryptocurrency fundraisers have successfully completed and Canadian officials are aware of these efforts.

Trudeau Warns Freedom Convoy Participants Could Face ‘Real Consequences’ if They Don’t Leave

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s had enough of the protestors and he’s warned participants that they could face “real consequences” if they don’t pack it up. “Today, I shared a clear message to those taking part in illegal blockades and occupations: We’ve heard you. But there are consequences for breaking the law, and those consequences are becoming increasingly severe. It’s time to go home to your communities,” Trudeau further explained at a press conference.

According to reports, the Biden administration is being briefed regularly about the protests in Canada and Trudeau tweeted that he’s been in touch with U.S. president Joe Biden. “Today, @POTUS Biden and I spoke about the illegal blockades at the border,” the Canadian Prime Minister wrote. “I updated him on the situation, and we discussed the American and global influence on the protests. We agreed that, for the security of people and our economies, these blockades cannot continue.”

Judge Orders Protestors to Leave Ambassador Bridge, TD Bank Hands Over a Million Dollars in Non-Refunded Donations to Ontario Court

Four days ago, Bitcoin.com News reported on the trucker’s Freedom Convoy, as thousands of protestors have been occupying the streets of Ottawa protesting the vaccine mandates. The report further noted that day, protestors moved toward the Ambassador Bridge, which is the busiest border crossing in North America. The bridge blockade had just started and traffic started to pile up near the bridge on I-75 and the service drive into Detroit, Michigan. 24 hours ago, an Ontario judge on Friday ordered protestors to vacate the Ambassador Bridge. The judge gave them until 7 p.m. that evening, so protesters could have time to pack up and leave.

However, the occupation did not end and the Freedom Convoy participants have continued to protest during the weekend. Furthermore, after Gofundme shut down the Freedom Convoy’s fundraiser, around $1 million of non-refunded funds were handed over to the court by TD Bank. TD Bank told Toronto’s CTV News that it would surrender the money to the court system in Ontario. Despite the the moves by Gofundme and TD Bank, another fundraising platform called Givesendgo explained it would not comply with the Ontario court’s demands.

“Know this. Canada has absolutely ZERO jurisdiction over how we manage our funds here at Givesendgo,” the company said on Twitter. “All funds for EVERY campaign on Givesendgo flow directly to the recipients of those campaigns.”

‘The Grasp of Tyrants Is Waning:’ 2 Crypto Funds Successfully Raise Close to $1 Million in Censorship-Resistant Digital Assets

Meanwhile, two cryptocurrency funds have successfully completed their goals, as one fundraiser has raised 100 bitcoin cash (BCH) and another raised 21 bitcoin (BTC). 29 contributors donated the bitcoin cash worth over $32K today, using current BCH exchange rates.

The BTC fundraiser for 21 bitcoin went over the goal amount, with 21.75133856 BTC worth $932K raised by 5,318 contributors. One contributor donated 5 BTC worth more than $214K at press time, and wrote:

The grasp of tyrants is waning.

Reports from Toronto’s CTV News indicate that Canadian officials are well aware of the cryptocurrency crowdfunding efforts dedicated to the Freedom Convoy’s truckers. Documents filed in an Ontario court, verify Ottawa Police are monitoring the cryptocurrency fundraising techniques. One officer in Canada reportedly spoke about the crypto fundraising in an affidavit. Erica Pimentel of Queens University explained to Toronto’s CTV News reporter Jon Woodward that the crypto fundraising could very well become a mainstay.

“I think bitcoin is going to become the currency of social movements. And they are going to be playing international whack-a-mole trying to stand in the way of those transactions,” Pimentel remarked to Woodward during her interview.

Reports published at 2 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, February 12, 2022, indicate that the Canadian police have started to “remove” protestors from blocking the Ambassador Bridge. NBC News’ reporters Henry Austin, David K. Li and Tim Stelloh note the “tense standoff appeared to be dissolving peacefully.”

“The Windsor Police & its policing partners have commenced enforcement at and near the Ambassador Bridge,” the police said. “We urge all demonstrators to act lawfully & peacefully. Commuters are still being asked to avoid the areas affected by the demonstrations at this time.”

Toronto’s CTV News reporter Tom Yun explained on Saturday afternoon that members of the “Ottawa convoy remain defiant.” Yun further added that police in Ottawa are expecting a “surge of trucks, vehicles and people to join the approximately 400 vehicles in the downtown core on Saturday.” Additionally, the Canadian government is reportedly dealing with a convoy prepping to protest in Toronto. The CTV News reporter concluded by disclosing that Freedom Convoy supporters have congregated in Montreal, New Brunswick, Emerson, Man. and Coutts, Alta as well.

What do you think about the ongoing trucker’s Freedom Convoy and the crypto fundraisers? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.