Briefly Bitcoin - 4/11/14: China, a bitcoin debit card & more

Your quick, select guide of bitcoin interest since the last time I posted this

China, it's not me, it's YOU (image: Irismightlikepink)

* Anyone else sick of China yet? I know I am. They're worse than that flake you tried to date in undergrad: Do you like us or not already?!? First bitcoin is banned, then it isn't. At this point, we really don't care - and wish the exchanges would stop (over)reacting to every little vacillation of the Chinese government. Your food and Wall is great, China, but we're just not that into you anymore.




* Please be real: A bitcoin-fueled debit card said to work with 90% of US ATMs? Just what we need to get the bitcoin millionaires to goose liquidity in the bitcoin economy.

Fiat: You now have my permission...to die

* An investor group wants to buy the tarnished Mt. Gox exchange for a symbolic 1 BTC. I'm not even sure "I'd buy that for a dollar!"


* Just a personal note here: With bitcoin hovering in the $400 price range, I'm all over this buying opportunity. If you believe in the long-term prospects of bitcoin, even just as a payment processing protocol, you should be, too (in my non-investment grade, unqualified opinion). We're just four months into 2014 and we've already seen tens of millions of investment dollars poured into bitcoin companies to make the cryptocurrency more accessible. As a wise man once said, "Now is not the time for fear..."


Got anything cool and bitcoin-y to share? Leave it in the comments below or email me at blacksinbitcoin@gmail.com!

Briefly Bitcoin - 2/1/14: Chicago Sun-Times micropayments, China & an NBA bitcoin bounty

Your select guide of bitcoin interest since the last time I posted this

* Want a snapshot of bitcoin legality around the world? Forbes has a quick rundown for you. Wait - the French love Jerry Lewis but hate on bitcoin? Quelle bizarre!


* Looks like the Chicago Sun-Times is going to be the first major city American paywall micropayments.
newspaper to experiment with


* Can't keep a good cryptocurrency down: Hong Kong gets a bitcoin exchange, hoping to entice mainland Chinese buyers spooked by the unclear Chinese central bank anti-bitcoin stance.


* Appears that professional NBA sportsbettor Haralabos Voulgaris is fed up with former NBA player/current ESPN color commentator Jon Barry. The challenge he laid at the feet of his 38,000+ followers:

Actually, I’ll give a reward of 10k to whoever creates the best Fire Jon Barry website. Contest runs from now till April 15th.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) February 1, 2014

Also - will be paid in bitcoin.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) February 1, 2014

The race is on! Read his Twitter feed from 9:36 to 10:05 PM Pacific Time Friday night to get the full details; he sounds serious. Now if only I knew how to code...

Got anything cool and bitcoin-y to share? Leave it in the comments below or email me at blacksinbitcoin@gmail.com!

Briefly Bitcoin - 1/27/14: TigerDirect, Bitcoin browser wallet app, China blocks cash & more

Your select guide of bitcoin interest since the last time I posted this

* TigerDirect now accepts bitcoin. This is a big deal because if you've ever searched for electronics on the internet, you came across one of TigerDirect's dirt-cheap deals. Shoot, even the laptop from which I'm typing this to you was bought on TigerDirect. This is kind of a big deal, you know.

* It's official because they said so: Bitcoin is now a word in the dictionary.


* Got a great idea to help improve bitcoin and/or the community? The Bitcoin Foundation wants to hear it - and fund your project.


* This will blow your socks off: A simple, in-browser app for Google Chrome that allows you to manage a bitcoin wallet! Check out the 3 minute demo below.




* Looks like you'll be able to safely and easily buy bitcoin for cash in 2014. ZipZap is starting off in the UK first, though.

* Not to sound alarmist or anything but China's prohibiting cash transfers for its three busiest days of the year. Yeah, let's just stop ATMs from spitting out cash around New Year's. Or, better yet, let's all just flock to bitcoin!


Got anything cool and bitcoin-y to share? Leave it in the comments below or email me at blacksinbitcoin@gmail.com!