Bitcoin News Roundup – 25 Apr.2015
Posted by: DeepDotWeb
April 25, 2015
Recapping the week’s biggest Bitcoins stories from around the web.
A New Jersey policeman is charged with receiving embezzled property after allegedly selling stolen cryptocurrency apparatus. As Emily Spaven of CoinDesk reports,Vincent Saggese of Plainfield Police Department has met with an undercover investigator of Somerset Prosecutor’s Office to negotiate the sale of bitcoin mining equipment. Saggese has allegedly accepted $250 from the undercover agent.
Coinmate.io, a newly-launched UK bitcoin exchange started operations on April 15th. As Drew Cordell of Bitcoinist writes, Coinmate.io features USD/bitcoin trading as well as deposits and withdrawals in Euros Czech Korunas and Polish Zlotys. The new European bitcoin exchange aims to provide quality exchange trading and a high level of security to bitcoin users.
Digital Wolrd Ventures (DWV) is Perth’s newly-launched bitcoin exchange. As Peter Clarke of Bitcoin Vox reports, DWV aims to raise bitcoin awareness by targeting consumers across Australia willing to trade bitcoin with the Australian dollar (AUD) and by approaching the right banking partners. The transactions will be made via AlphaPointglobal exchange network.
SurBTC, the Chilean bitcoin exchange gets governmental support. As Maria Santos of 99bitcoins writes, although the newly-launched exchange has faced resistance form the banking system, it has been supported by the Chilean government.SurBTC has received$40,000 as part of a state initiative to boost startups. SurBTC’sCEO and co-founder, Guillermo Torrealba, this is an “extraordinary validation.”
Tennessee governor will soon be eligible to accept donations in bitcoins. As Stan Higgins of Coin Desk writes,the Tennessee House Bill 701, which was passed on 20th April in the House of Representatives, allows political contributions in digital currency.The bill will be effective upon approval by the Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam.
Regulation
itBit, the global bitcoin exchange, seeks for ways to accommodate bitcoin trading for U.S. investors.Lauren Tara LaCapra or Reuters reports that itBitfiled for a banking license in New York aiming to expand its business globally as well as capitalizing on the growth of different financial services. According to CEO Charles “Chad” Cascarilla “Some highly publicized failures and potentially illegal activity have focused attention on virtual currencies and have highlighted the need for a sound regulatory framework for virtual currencies.” Upon approval, itBit will become the first bitcoin exchange to be regulated as a banking institution in the United States.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) scrutinizes the use of blockchain technology for financial assets. As Diana Ngo of Coin Telegraph writes, after six months of uninterrupted observation, ESMA has issued a call for evidence asking market participants to submit their feedback on the use of cryptocurrency technology on investments.ESMA seeks to investigate if the digital currency can be used as a means of payment for investment transactions.
Taxes
Bitcoin transactions are VAT-exempted in Spain. As Jeffrey Maxim of Bitcoin Magazine writes, Spain implements the EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC acknowledgingthat “virtual currencies, such as bitcoin, work as a means of payment and, considering its features, shall be considered under the concept ‘other negotiable instruments,’ so its transmission is both liable and exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT).” The bitcoin VAT exemption may abolish double taxation on cryptocurrency transactions.
Payments
Following partnership with Bitpay, global online payment platform NETELLER joins forces with Coinimal to accept bitcoin deposits. As JP Buntinx of Digital Money Times writes, Coinimal, the European digital currency platform has a huge customer base around the world. By adding the NETELLER on their platform, they facilitate instant deposits and withdrawals for millions of customers. The partnership is seen as setting the base for future collaborations between online payment platforms and bitcoin-related services.
Taringa!, Argentina’s largest social network, favors the bitcoin. As Sarah Jennof NewsBtc reports, Taringa! hasannounced that it will compensate users in bitcoins in exchange for posting content on its platform by joining forces with the US-based bitcoin service provider, Xapo. Facebook’s rival in Latin America has a customer base of nearly to 75 million active users and continues to expand its reach in the region.
Updated: 2015-04-25