As countries like China and Sweden rush to develop digital currencies, the U.S. can afford to take its time.
Ban All Ransomware Payments, in Bitcoin or Otherwise
The U.S. Treasury Department has outlawed certain ransomware payments. If it was serious, it would go further, says our columnist.
Maker DAO’s Embrace of Centralized Stablecoins Offers Risks and Rewards
MakerDAO’s ingestion of centralized stablecoins may help maintain a $ peg. But it could also invite more regulatory scrutiny.
The Standard About to Revolutionize Payments
Changing the standard way financial institutions communicate changes everything.
You Think Crypto Isn’t Ready to Be Money? Consider the Coin Shortage
If the United States had a digital dollar, we wouldn’t need to worry about a lack of coins at retailers like Target and Kroger.
What Bitcoin Can Learn From Gold About Staying ‘Clean’
A proposal to adapt gold’s “good delivery” system to bitcoin, with the aim of bringing more investors into the market and boosting liquidity.
Central Banks Are Privacy Providers of Last Resort
If central banks issue digital currencies, they’ll be thrown into a debate about financial privacy in the modern era. Is that what they want?
Bitcoin Has American Mindshare But Few Users
The results from the Federal Reserve’s annual Survey of Consumer Choice are in: Most people know of bitcoin, few are using it.
How Bitcoin Is Like Ham Radio
Bitcoin is decentralized, good in an emergency, supported by passionate fans and not likely ever to see mainstream adoption, says our columnist.
Venezuela Is a Testing Ground for Digital Dollarization (and Zelle Doesn’t Like It)
With their economy crumbling from hyperinflation, Venezuelans are finding new workarounds to get hold of digital dollars.
The $10B Stablecoin Industry Has a Fraud Problem It’s Not Addressing
If stablecoins are used for apparently illegal activity, should issuers step in to stop it? So far, they’ve been reluctant to do so, says our columnist.
Winners and Losers in the US’s $1,200 Check Blitz
Wealth and age determine when and how 250 million Americans get their stimulus payments, says our columnist J.P. Koning.
Why MakerDAO Should Consider Negative Interest Rates for Dai
To keep dai near its $1 peg, the Maker community should consider negative interest rates. The cost to users may be worth it, says columnist J. P. Koning.
Zero Interest Rates Could Hamper the Stablecoin Business
Negative interest rates will force stablecoins to look at their fee structures and cut costs. Only the fittest will survive, says our columnist.
Bitcoin’s Ransomware Problem Won’t Go Away
By the end of 2019, at least $128 million in bitcoin had been paid to ransomware hackers. That’s not good optics for a payment system.
Lightning Solves Bitcoin’s Speed Problem, But Watch Out for Fraudsters
Lightning-based fiat-bitcoin systems could popularize crypto payments, as long as fraud and bitcoin’s non-reversibility don’t get in the way.
Lessons From the First Digital Gold Boom
Long before crypto, there was digital gold. The boom of the mid-1990s has echoes for today.