A Bitcoin (BTC) experiment on the Isle of Man involving the Lightning Network, 25 schoolchildren and the promise of a milkshake has yielded interesting results. At Willaston School on the Isle of Man (a British Crown Dependency nestled between the United Kingdom and Ireland), 25 6-year-old students, one teacher and one teaching assistant participated in the light-hearted Bitcoin study. MSW, a data analyst at CoinCorner, told Cointelegraph that he visited the school to discuss job opportunities and to inspire the kids, discussing his own career path, which spans nuclear reactor study, data analytics and now, Bitcoin. Inevitably, the talk delved …

The Lightning Network (LN) just got a bit faster, as the suitably named Bolt Card now enables Bitcoin (BTC) enthusiasts to pay for goods and services using contactless technology. A data analyst at the company behind the card, CoinCorner, took the Bolt card on a trial run on the Isle of Man, a British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea. “MSW” — as he is known — tapped to pay at more than eight point-of-sale (PoS) devices during his lunchtime investigation. It worked like this: For any PoS device showing a Lightning invoice, MSW simply hovered the NFC-enabled Bolt Card …

An advisory body for the self-governing British dependency Isle of Man (IoM) has launched a hub to promote the development of blockchain, fintech news agency FStech reports on Feb. 5. As a key decision maker for the economic growth of the IoM, Digital Isle of Man initiated the formation of the Blockchain Office, a global blockchain hub to provide a favorable environment for the development of blockchain projects. Along with founding the Blockchain Office, the government executive agency has also launched an Isle of Man Sandbox in order to guide blockchain businesses through the existing and future regulatory frameworks in …

Japan's largest Internet company Rakuten Inc. has started to accept Bitcoin as a payment option on its American portal Rakuten.com, MasterCard describes cryptocurrencies as an innovative competitor, and more top stories for March 17. Japan’s Rakuten becomes largest E-Commerce Business to accept Bitcoin Japan's largest Internet company Rakuten Inc. started to accept Bitcoin as a payment option on its American portal Rakuten.com. The company said this first integration should be followed closely by other global marketplaces integrations, including its German and Austrian e-commerce portals. Yaz Iida, President of Rakuten USA, said: “Rakuten’s mission is to empower the world through the …

Nearly 200 entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, private sector representatives and governmental officials were convened last week for the Crypto Valley Summit 2014 in the Isle of Man to share their points of views on numerous topics involving digital currencies and discuss the opportunities and challenges that is facing the industry. The two-day event took place on the island from September 17 to 18 and gathered leading industry entrepreneurs from all over the world including the Founders of GoCoin, Steve Beauregard and Brock Pierce, the CEO of Counting House, Paul Davis, the CEO of Instabil, Jason Field, and the CEO of BankToTheFuture, Simon …

UK Bitcoin and gold exchange Netagio has confirmed its successful ISAE 3000 audit, becoming the first Bitcoin entity in the industry to achieve the distinction. The audit, which was conducted May 26 by professional services firm BDO LLP, means that Netagio is officially in compliance with standards set out by International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) “to ensure the quality of assurance work, including report verification as well as assurance on corporate governance, internal compliance, and other areas central to corporate responsibility,” a statement released today reads. The only UK registered exchange offering trading in Bitcoin, gold and GBP, …

Update (Sept 18): Meanwhile, two providers have stepped into the picture announcing a solution to the CTS bailout. At the Crypto Valley Summit, a hosted on the isle and arranged prior to the news, payment processing merchant Counting House stated its ability to offer banking services to its cryptocurrency firms. “The great news is we have a new banking solution lined up for the island’s businesses, and they should be able to continue their endeavors unabated,” CEO Paul Davis told local radio station Energy FM. Davis did not go into further detail on the proposal, but Counting House’s experience in …