Law enforcement authorities throughout Europe arrested over 800 individuals that allegedly were using an encrypted chat network to coordinate their illicit activities. 60,000 members EncroChat was using modified Android devices to provide its users “worry free secure communications”. BBC reports that EncoChat has about 60,000 users: “An estimated 60,000 people, among them up to 10,000 in Britain, subscribed to France-based EncroChat, which has now been taken down.” Authorities allege that the criminals were using the encrypted messaging service to coordinate illegal activities like the sale of drugs and weapons. However, it is not clear whether they allege that all the …

Online supporters have donated nearly $100,000 in cryptocurrency to white supremacist and alt-right activist Stefan Molyneux following his removal from YouTube for “fomenting violence and hatred.” After Molyneux posted a video to his Twitter account on June 29 stating YouTube had banned him from the platform, he issued a request for donations in cryptocurrency through his website. The alt-right figure lists addresses for Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ether (ETH), Dash (DASH), Skycoin (SKY), Dogecoin (DOGE) and Monero (XMR). As of press time, his supporters have sent 433 BCH, dozens small Bitcoin transactions of mostly 0.001 BTC or less, three …

As central bank digital currencies continue to be researched and tested by countries across the globe, it becomes more apparent that the United States dollar’s reign might be challenged once the concept is implemented on a regional scale. While most retail CBDCs focus on internal economic matters, some projects aim to facilitate trade relations within a specific region, forming a digital alternative to the greenback. The most eloquent example would be the East Asia cryptocurrency that was proposed earlier in June — a virtual asset backed by a basket of currencies including the Chinese yuan, Japanese yen, South Korean won …

As with most of the globetrotting crypto and blockchain set, I find myself grounded. Me, in my Manhattan apartment for the past several months, watching the COVID-19 pandemic grow out of control while systems break down in spectacular fashion and frighteningly few politicians provide effective leadership. Compounding the effects of the health crisis is the ensuing economic crisis, which has left historic levels of Americans unemployed and has wiped out entire industries. Many are wondering how the United States, one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world as well as the center of global innovation, managed to …

Chinese officials are reportedly planning to create an East Asia digital currency to assert more independence from the United States dollar and foster trade relations within the region. According to a recent Nikkei Asia report, 10 members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body, proposed creating a digital currency that would be backed by a basket of currencies including the Chinese yuan, Japanese yen, South Korean won and Hong Kong dollar. The article does not specify which blockchain the projected cryptocurrency would be based on. The proposal was reportedly put forward by Neil Shen, …

The pandemic has forced many companies to move their operations online. It has also brought the question of online voting to the forefront of conversation in the United States, which is facing an election year. According to a June 7 paper from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Michigan, Democracy Live’s popular online voting platform, OmniBallot, is vulnerable to vote manipulation. Many states have tried OmniBallot, which uses Amazon Web Services to lock in votes, but it has faced security issues. A more decentralized online voting is part of the solution to protect ballots, the researchers …

Jonathan Herzog is running for Congress in New York’s 10th district, and is counting on the support of the crypto community to push him past the incumbent of almost 30 years, Jerrold Nadler, in Democratic primaries. Herzog received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, an MBA from NYU Stern, and is currently on the leave of absence from the Harvard Law School. He was a founding member of Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign, from whom, admittedly, he borrowed a few ideas. He is running on a progressive platform — universal basic income (UBI), universal healthcare, publicly funded elections and national cryptocurrency regulation. …

Charles Hoskinson, the creator of Cardano (ADA), has described participating in cryptocurrency as an inherently political act. Speaking during an impromptu ask-me-anything on YouTube, Hoskinson asserted that crypto-driven fundamental disruptions to monetary relations will not come without struggle, placing the crypto phenomenon within the political arena. Hoskinson also urged members of the crypto community to take a stand against increasing regulatory moves to crack down on encryption. Crypto is inherently political In the AMA streamed on June 5, Charles Hoskinson proclaimed that “Crypto is a political movement.” "Crypto is as political as it gets,” he said. “We’re going to reinvent …

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of popular messaging app Telegram, has purportedly resumed his charity activity soon after terminating Telegram’s blockchain project. Known for philanthropic activity, including a $1 million donation to Wikipedia, Durov has donated 10 bitcoins (BTC) to a charity project in Russia. The coins are worth around $96,000 at time of publication. Donation will help people facing financial difficulties due to coronavirus The new donation intends to support a project backed by political activist, Yegor Zhukov — who established himself as a symbol of anti-Kremlin protests. The donated Bitcoin will be spent to help people facing financial …

A month after the massive $2 trillion stimulus bill passed and the U.S. Senate has approved a supplemental $484 billion aid package to help small businesses and hospitals get through the tough times. The package, which was the subject of frenetic negotiations over the past two weeks, allocates $380 billion towards small business loan programs, $75 billion to emergency funding for hospitals and $25 billion for disease testing. The legislation will be sent to the House later this week where it’s expected to receive bipartisan support. President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign the bill into law. Weeks of …

Rand Paul (R-KY) is the first U.S. senator to test positive for coronavirus. Paul also holds the distinction of becoming the first major U.S. politician to accept bitcoin donations in his 2016 presidential campaign. Libertarian views run in the family Rand Paul, like his father before him — Ron Paul, who ran for president as Libertarian in 1988, is known for his strong views on protecting individual freedoms. Dr. Paul is an outspoken critic of U.S. fiscal policy, tax policy, and the Federal Reserve as well as a notable supporter of cryptocurrency. Following in his father’s footsteps, Senator Paul has …

As fears of disinformation and election tampering take hold of citizens across the globe, many are left to wonder if there’s a solution that can quell voter concerns. A recent study by global communications firm Ketchum found growing distrust among individuals around voting machines (59%), issues with voter databases (60%), interference through technology (63%) and the influence of social media (61%). In the United States, this year’s Iowa Democratic Party caucuses left voters frustrated when a voting app resulted in incorrect and wholly unreliable results. Delays ensued, and a candidate prematurely proclaimed himself the winner, which led to questions as …