Author: Kelley N.

wagerr

Online Crypto Sportsbook and Gambling Platform Goes Beta

Posted on by Kelley N.

Wagerr, a new generation online cryptocurrency sportsbook and gambling platform has recently opened access to its 3.0 testnet in private beta, that is, this is now available to a small group of customers – 50 to be more precise. The expansion will allow the core group of valued users within the crypto community to test the company’s new 3.0 mainnet fork before it is finally released.

Wagerr’s new version 3.0 upgrade includes a complete redesign of the website interface and the backend betting protocol – these are meant to not only improve scalability but to also assist in making the overall system much more efficient than it was before.

More About Wagerr

Wagerr is a decentralized online gambling platform that touts itself as the blockchain for betting. The platform uses its native WGR token to facilitate payments made within the Wagerr ecosystem thus providing its users with fast, extremely affordable and effortless payouts – the token is a proof-of-stake coin which uses coin “weight” and a randomization system to calculate the chance of rewards staking. To provide its users with the highly secure and fair betting services it boasts of, Wagerr utilizes various forms of blockchain technology including master nodes and smart contracts. In addition to that, the gaming platform has recently made significant upgrades to its Oracle Masternode system.

Oracle master nodes use Application Specific Smart Contracts (ASSC) to ensure both stability and security on the network and this, in turn, provides platforms such as Wagerr with a secure and decentralized network that assists in keeping the sportsbooks updated while also verifying the bets made through the smart contracts. Moreover, the system includes a revenue model that allows the customers to make a bit of additional income through the Wager platform by becoming one of the masternodes on the Oracle system.

Lightning Spin Becomes First-Ever LApp to Sell

In other stories, Rui Gomes, the creator of Lightning Spin which is one of the pioneering Bitcoin Lightning Network’s pioneering lightning applications (Lapps) also recently announced that he was selling it. With the Lapp players “could pay 6¢ for a single spin, (1 BTC was around $6,000 back then) and withdraw your winnings in seconds — something that would be impossible with the fiat system and would be increasingly difficult on Bitcoin’s base layer.”

While very little details have been disclosed about the buyer of the gaming app, Gomes assured fans of the game that the new owners shared his vision and therefore they can expect the same features and perks as they did before.

swc-poker

SwC Poker: The World’s First True Bitcoin-Only Poker Game

Posted on by Kelley N.

As much as the crypto buzz may have dwindled a little over the last few months, there are still tons of innovative ideas being floated around and implemented in a bid to get both blockchain and digital currencies to be massively adopted. The use-cases have grown immensely but there is still a lot to be done in order to propel further growth which means that the industry needs all the help it can get. Fortunately, one of the industries that have been taking the concept of bitcoin and blockchain very seriously has been the gambling industry.

However, despite all the innovations in the crypto-gambling scene, most operators have been forced to keep one foot out of the fold – even though several online gambling websites have integrated crypto onto their platforms, very few of them have completely tokenized their services. Now, SwC Poker is changing the narrative by becoming the very first gambling service provider to go all in on bitcoin gambling with the tag line “No Banking, Only Bitcoin”.

Bitcoin 3.0

Launched in March 2015 following the shutdown of SealsWithClubs over some ethical issues, SwC Poker builds upon its predecessor’s ethos as well as data which included usernames and krill amounts. This basically means that some of the things that the site focuses on are anonymity, fast cashouts, and, of course, significantly low rakes. The concept of decentralization is also very important to the internet-based organization which has its server geographically distributed across the US hence its popularity among crypto enthusiasts and online poker players.

Moreover, in November last year, the company relaunched the amazing “Bitcoin Poker 3.0” and since then its customers have been treated to one of the most stable online poker experiences. Regardless of whichever device or operating system you may be using, the poker experience will be nothing short of exceptional.

Not only is the site now accessible from virtually anywhere in the world, but is also much easier to register on it and begin playing. As expected, in addition to a robust web-based client, the online poker platform also offers the users the luxury of downloading platform-specific software and apps – the experience is, fortunately, streamlined across all of the devices.

To register, all that is required is an email address but even though the site puts a lot of emphasis on anonymity, it also offers two-factor authentication for some important actions like making withdrawal or logging in.

Some of the other features that players should look forward to including 24/7 freerolls, a number of lucrative tournaments as well as the recently introduced Bad Beat Jackpot – the latter is a no-limit hold’em cash game that builds a jackpot fund using the normal rake amounts.

crypto-poker

Is BTC Gambling Still a Lucrative Investment Opportunity?

Posted on by Kelley N.

Bitcoin and digital currencies, in general, have become quite appealing as business prospects which was not the case just a couple of months back. Despite recent declines in the overall value of most digital currencies, the crypto industry is on a rather consistent upward trend. In many ways, the industry has seemingly gotten to the point where it can be said to be ripe for investment and exploration – a number of these are already underway. This is especially true for the gambling industry which is among the very first industries to adopt various crypto-related innovations. If history is anything is to go by, then this is a sign that crypto will be vital in the quest to boost returns for the gaming industry.

What 2019 Has in Store

Well, according to a number of experts, 2019 is going to be the year of next level application of bitcoin, and other digital currencies, in the gambling market. These projections mainly rely on the trends and forecasts for both markets that indicate several extensive changes that will come into effect by the second quarter of the year. This steady growth trend is expected to go on for the next two years with the areas expected to see the most changes being mobile gaming, sports betting and live online gaming.

Online casinos and online poker operators stand to reap the most from the integration of crypto technology and mainstream consumer technology. The trends indicated by these projections and forecasts are going to peak in 2019 which means that we might actually get to see fully-fledged applications taking advantage of the untapped potential of the crypto market. That said, it is safe to conclude that despite the ups and downs of the cryptocurrency space, it was always bound to rise above all that.

Blockchain Poker Tournaments

Last year we got to see the very first blockchain poker tournament that highlighted the three-day World Crypto Conference and was hosted by Las Vegas-based Aria casino. The tournament brought together live poker action that was powered by blockchain technology, making it the first to show off the full potential of blockchain and crypto technology in the gambling space. Poker players should expect more of these in 2019.

Prior to the inaugural blockchain poker tournament, there were already a number of established online poker brands including Virtue Poker that were already using decentralized smart contracts to manage their data. Even though the technology is still far from being perfected, players have grown to love the idea of their data and gaming application being managed by decentralized platforms primarily because the technology helps in reducing the possibility of site fixing and the use of poker bots.

cryptomining

Crypto Mining Businesses in Japan and China Close Up Shop

Posted on by Kelley N.

The world of crypto had its fair share of lows in 2018 and, even though it did not seem like it at the time, the effects of the year-long bear market of the last year affected much more than the prices of the digital currencies. Some of the worst-hit sectors were those that had a direct link to crypto, that is, related businesses such as large-scale mining businesses suffered greatly. This was primarily because the crypto market was beginning to become less appealing to some of the largest firms in the world and they began to slowly pull the plug on what were once some of the most lucrative operations in the industry.

China’s Bitmain to Pull the Plug

Crypto mining giant, Bitmain was once considered a titan in the digital currency mining business, not just in China but in the whole world as well. In fact, the company controlled close to 80 percent of all the hardware that was used in the generation of new digital currencies. Well, not anymore. The company is no longer as highly regarded as it was a short while back and there are even reports that it is planning to lay off between 50 and 80 percent of its staff. This is despite the fact Bitmain controls some of the largest mining pools on the planet and is the leading supplier of the mining equipment, both of which gave it significant control over the bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash networks.

Unfortunately, as the prices of the digital currencies continued to dwindle in 2018 and the level of difficulty in minting new digital coins remained high, there was a significant drop in profitability. As a result, a number of companies including Bitmain have chosen to exit the large-scale cryptocurrency mining business which is no longer viable since the cost of hardware and power is much higher than the value of the digital currencies that are mined.

The Situation in Japan

According to Japanese media, GMO, one of the country’s retail giants, is pulling out of the bitcoin mining hardware industry in Japan citing increased pressure on the profitability of the business due to increased hash rates and mining competition. The move, as it turns out, reportedly cost GMO a whopping 25 billion Yen. Despite exiting the crypto mining hardware business, GMO will still continue to mine and also plans to launch a cryptocurrency exchange in the near future.

Japanese e-commerce company DMM is also reportedly leaving the business through the closure of its crypto mining firm in Kanazawa. As expected, the company also cited declining profits as the main reason for the move. The company now intends to focus on its crypto exchange platform that has already achieved full regulatory and license status in Japan.

AriseBank's headquarters.

Hyperledger Adds New Members, AriseBank to Pay $2.7m

Posted on by Kelley N.

Blockchain solution Hyperledger has onboarded 12 new companies all of which come from the highest echelons of the business world. With Alibaba, Cloud, City and Deutsche Telekom now seeking the services of Hyperledger, the company’s own portfolio has grown significantly.

Hyperledger, the Future of All Ledgers

Hyperledger was founded back in 2016 for the purposes of providing blockchain-based distributed ledgers to heighten security and uphold the industry’s security standards. Developed by the Linux Foundation, the solution has enjoyed significant interest on the part of investors and as recent events demonstrate – corporate clients.

A number of new members were announced during the Hyperledger Global Forum which took place in Basel, Switzerland. The list is quite significant, with 12 new entities tying up with Hyperledger, from e-commerce platforms to banks and telecommunication services providers.

Alibaba Cloud, Citigroup, we.trade and others are all associated with the blockchain company. Coined by the Linux Foundation, it comes as no surprise that the company’s executive director, Brian Behlendorf, has stressed the importance of open source solutions to guarantee that blockchain technologies hit their intended mark. His opinion was shared by Citi’s Head of Innovation, Beth Devin.

We believe blockchain has the potential to drive new forms of efficiency and develop new markets, and are pleased to join the Hyperledger project to advance our exploration. – Beth Devin, Citi’s Head of Innovation

The banking sector is becoming increasingly aware of the potential of blockchain-driven solutions. Deutsche Bundesbank and Deutsche Boerse (DB) the country’s stock exchange, have both completed trials to implement the technologies.

AriseBank Founders to Pay $2.7m in Fines for Fraudulent ICOs

AriseBank has been fined to pay a $2.7-million settlement fine with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). A United States federal court has found the company guilty of misleading investors by setting up a fraudulent Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

The case began with the arrest of AriseBank CEO Jared Rice who was apprehended by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on November 28, 2018. Mr. Jared was arrested on charges that he had help set up the ICO that had cost investors $4 million.

According to investigators, Mr. Jared had promised potential customers that the bank would offer them “FDIC-insured accounts and traditional banking services, including Visa-brand credit and debit cards, in addition to cryptocurrency services.”

In simple words, Mr. Jared was promising his clients to bridge the gap between cryptocurrencies and traditional banking, making it possible to use crypto assets in the financial system without having to jump through unnecessary legal and technical hoops.

Mr. Jared and the former COO, Stanley Ford, could be fined $2,259,543 in disgorgement with additional prejudgment interest worth $68,423. Civil penalties have also been taken into account, including $184,767 per each person.

The SEC has been toughening its stance on crypto projects. Just recently, SEC issued a cease-and-desist letter to CoinAlpha Advisors LLC, which is managed by the namesake Falcon LP fund, slapping it with $50,000 in fines. The watchdog has been targeting a number of companies, paving the way for a future in which even crypto projects will have to answer to the law.

Asus Empowers Gamers with Crypto Mining Opportunity

Posted on by Kelley N.

The once pushed with unyielding persistence bitcoin hype has come to a halt. Be that as it may, Asus isn’t content to give the shrug of resignation just yet. The Taiwan-headquartered hardware giant has formed an interesting tie-up with Quantumcloud, bespeaking trust in the blockchain technology. The company is looking to buttress the optimization of idle GPU resources for the purpose of mining crypto coins.

At present, the idea of cryptocurrency still eludes many. Being one of the top dogs in the tech field, however, Asus seems to be privy to insider information not being intimidated by the plummeting exchange rates of all cryptocurrency. By all appearances, the company is not ready to close the book on the innovative payment method. Provided that the partnership with Quantumcloud is brought to fruition, the earnings will still be dependent on the everchanging crypto climate.

What’s Quantumcloud?

In a nutshell, Quantumcloud is a user-friendly secure service that will help you make money on the side. It doesn’t put additional stress on your GPU because it’s designed to intelligently utilize and optimize the excess computing power. In other words, Quantum Clouds makes use of your idle GPU resources to mine cryptocurrency.

Once set up, you can leave the app working in the background and it will do its magic. Especially convenient is the fact that it will automatically transfer any earnings to a WeChat or PayPal account of your choosing. As you may have guessed, this essentially means that you don’t have to register an account or share your personal data. All your sensitive data remains strictly confidential whichever option you choose between WeChat or PayPal.

The app has many great features including but not limited to One Click Sharing and Achievement Bonuses. Inarguably, the real winner is the full GDRP compliance, putting the software in a situation of trust with the sensible gamers. Every bit of the application is designed to be pursuant to the GDRP regulations, thus ensuring the security of all current and future users.

Asus’ Partnership with Quantumcloud Makes for a Streamlined GPU Mining

Jog your memory if you would – when was the last time you tried mining cryptocurrency? The idea of passive income never fails to excite our curiosity, but the execution all too often proves to be more difficult than expected. That’s about to change. With Quantumcloud’s comprehensive mining app, you can easily manage everything and monitor your progress. It comes with a bunch of tools like real-time stats, the already mentioned one-click sharing, you know – the works.

Piling up cash while playing computer games, sounds like a cushy job right? Don’t get super stoked about it. I can cite several reasons why you might not strike gold even if you are an ASUS graphic card owner, but I will mention just a few. Bitcoin has been around the block for a while now and the mining difficulty has vastly increased. Moreover, using GPU resources selectively isn’t going to be all that profitable at the end of the day. Even earning a substantial amount of money through ASIC nowadays is a tall order. So, there’s truth to TechRadar’s words saying that it will be best if you don’t quit your day job yet.

New Blockchain-Powered Video Game to Debut in Spring 2019

Posted on by Kelley N.

Poker and blockchain technology continue to become increasingly intertwined, we’re seeing this type of relationship extend to other areas of the gaming market. In fact, we could see a blockchain-powered video game in the near future – a unique project launched by Marguerite deCourcelle.

A Valuation Worth $13 Million

Earlier this month, Blockade Games raised $833,000 to spend developing its flagship game, Neon District, from a wide range of investors, including BlockTower Capital Partners and Horizon Digital. As a result of this fundraising, the company has acquired a $13 million valuation.

DeCourcelle is a well-known name in the cryptocurrency world. Over the years, he has created impressive fine art puzzles that reveal the keys to bitcoin and other cyptocurrency stashes worth over $1 million. His reputation and expertise is certainly the draw for investors, as well as the rest of the talent behind Blockade games – which includes professionals who have worked on Playstation 4’s Spiderman and World of Warcraft’s trading cards.

These artists and designers are coming together to create Neon District, an innovative video game powered by blockchain technology. It is an incredibly exciting idea, that is sure to change the face of the gaming world.

What Is Neon District?

Neon District is a cyberpunk roleplaying game that will be available to the public by May 2019. In the game’s narrative, the government is attempting to wipe out all previous signs of culture and independent thought by mandating preselected personalities. Anyone who refuses will be prosecuted or must go into hiding. As a player, you’re part of the rebellion, who crafts their own equipment and does battle with the powers that be to take back control.

It is an asset-based game but differs from other titles, as players’ assets become more valuable over time. This occurs as players gain experience, achieve special abilities and add enhancements to their characters. The history of assets if recorded on an appchain until a player moves them to the Ethereum mainnet. The assets use Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) from ERC721, which means that assets are unique and can never be repeated.

Although deCourcelle didn’t commit to cryptocurrencies being hidden throughout the new game, she did say, it might very well include some of her trademark puzzles with bitcoin rewards. The inclusion of “Age of Rust” creator Chris Loverme, who made one of the world’s first games with bitcoin rewards, also makes this very likely.

Neon District is definitely going to be a ground-breaking game, and we can’t wait to give it a go when it’s released in Spring 2019. There are over 8000 people signed up to Blockade’s mailing list so far, so we are in good company. As the game continues to receive more press, that number is sure to grow and Neon District is likely to have a thriving community of players upon its launch.

Floridians Now Have the Right to Vote on Poker Laws

Posted on by Kelley N.

The November midterm elections have come and gone, with Americans voting a wide range of issues. One of the most important bills affecting the poker world was Amendment 3, which offered voters in Florida the power to make big decisions about gambling laws. Now that the votes have been counted, Floridians have accepted that responsibility.

Yes on Amendment 3

One of the most important bills relating to poker in America was Florida’s Amendment 3, which would give voters the power to decide on any new gambling laws in the state. Leading up to the elections, it was a very contentious issues, as various forces attempted to sway voters either way.

Poker Alliance was one of the most vocal organizations, expressing its opposition to the bill. The group emailed over 30 000 members urging them to vote no on Amendment 3, stating that it would reduce competition in the state’s gambling market.

Its main argument was that the bill was backed by Seminole, which currently has a monopoly on Florida’s casino market, and Disney. With millions of dollars to spend and significant reasons to oppose gambling expansion in the state, the two parties could easily sway voters opinions – whereas voting no on Amendment 3 would leave the power with lawmakers who would be able to weigh any new gambling laws fairly.

Disney had already made it’s anti-gambling stance known and, now that the people of Florida can vote on gaming laws, the company may be able to sway towards a specific opinion. The Seminole Tribe has similar interests. Since the tribe is the only entity in the state with permission to offer casino games and poker, it would certainly want to keep things that way. Like Disney, Seminole has plenty of money to spend campaigning against any sort of gambling expansion and has the power to influence voters.

Giving Power Back to the Voters

However, this could be a good thing for gambling expansion in Florida. While Seminole and Disney are both very monied, there is the chance that neither group will be able to influence voters against the opening of new casinos and the expansion of online gambling.

After all, it is up to what the voters really want. As more state’s across America begin opening up their online poker markets, it’s likely that Florida residents will want in on the action. There’s no denying that online gaming regulation has the potential to bring in millions of tax dollars and create plenty of jobs.

So only time will tell exactly what kind of effect Amendment 3 will have on Florida’s poker industry. It really can go either way at this point, despite arguments that the bill will hinder the potential for any future expansion.

First-Ever Cryptocurrency Music Festival Held

Posted on by Kelley N.

Recently, we’ve seen plenty of firsts in the cryptocurrency market. We were thrilled to see the first-ever crypto-powered poker tournament, and now things are expanding even further with the launch of the first cryptocurrency music festival.

OMF – The First-Ever Crypto Music Festival

OMF, which was held in California’s Greek Theatre, was the first festival of its kind to run on blockchain technology. It even introduced its own form of cryptocurrency – the OMF Token. Attendants could purchase their tickets using cryptocurrency, as well as all sorts of goods that were available at the festival – while tokens were provided throughout the event that could be traded in for various items at the stalls.

Throughout the event, performers like Matt & Kim and Zedd, encouraged everyone to get on board with the cryptocurrency trend. The term ‘cryptocool’ was coined at the event.

3LAU was one of the biggest proponents of cryptocurrencym urging everyone to ‘get on the blockchain’. At the end of his set, a cannon shot out thousands of pieces of confetti printed with QR codes. They could be scanned on the OMF app and credited as coins that guests could use to purchase merchandise.

There are some big ideas behind all of this. Ideally, using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology could help to prevent ticket fraud and inflation – which are huge problems with regards to larger festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella.

Another Great Use for Cryptocurrency

It’s wonderful to see so many different industries ‘getting on the blockchain’. It is definitely invaluable technology. The organizers behind the event as well as the performs are passionate about enacting change.

“Those goals may sit on a distant horizon, but we need to start somewhere,”DJ 3LAU said in an interview with Forbes. “In year one, we’re enabling crypto payments for tickets and are giving all attendees their first ethereum paper wallet in the form of token cards.”

It definitely seems as though they did have quite a bit of success. There were over 8000 music fans in attendance, who made 2009 OMF payments while distributing over 60000 OMF tokens to guests.

Still, while the event was focused on promoting blockchain technology, it was more of a music festival than a PR push. Guests were thrilled with the selection of acts and, while they roster was considered a bit ‘random’, there were few complaints about the quality of the talent.

We hope that this is a trend that will continue into the future, as it is quite a novel way to enjoy a music festival. The use of blockchain also helps to solve a number of problems that the festival market is currently facing, so there is certainly plenty of room for music industry professionals to embrace this technology.

Bitcoin is 10 Years Old Today

Posted on by Kelley N.

Bitcoin is 10 Years Old Today

It seems like just yesterday that the innovative cryptocurrency called Bitcoin made its debut – but, it’s actually be a decade. Today, we celebrate the 10th birthday of bitcoin, which has made a significant impact on the world of finance.

The History of Bitcoin

It was in 2008 that that domain name bitcoin.org was registered. Then, on October 31, Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. It was sent out to a cryptography mailing list, describing a “system for electronic transactions without relying on trust”.

By the start of 2009, the bitcoin network was finally launched. The value of the first bitcoin transactions were determined by users on a bitcoin forum and one of the first transactions was used to indirectly purchase two pizzas from Papa John’s for 10 000 BTC.

In 2013, Coinbase became the first bitcoin-based payment processor. Within a month, the network sold $1 million worth of bitcoin at a cost of $22 each. Several companies even started accepting bitcoin as a method of payment, with OKCupid and Foodler putting it on the map.

The next year, we started seeing online gaming and casino companies starting to embrace bitcoin. Zynga announced it would begin accepting the cryptocurrency for the purchase of in-game assets while a few casinos in Las Vegas started doing the same. Through to 2017, there was a significant increase in the number of companies accept bitcoin as a form of payment.

Still Not a “Real” Currency

Perhaps the most surprising thing about bitcoin after 10 years is that it still isn’t a real currency. When the cryptocurrency made its debut, it was thought that it would eventually be embraced as an official way of making payments – but that simply isn’t the case.

According to finance experts, bitcoin is more akin to gold than it is to money. It is collected for its value and its rarity makes it previous. Investors trade it in order to profit from its increase in value over time. With a single bitcoin worth over $6000, it has become a very valuable commodity, especially for those who purchased it when it was just $1 10 years ago.

So, we have to wonder if bitcoin will ever become an accepted form of traditional currency. Experts believe that the bitcoin network is too technical for general consumers to understand, which means that banks and governments will have to step up and regulate the market – but that has yet to happen.

We seem to be getting close, though. Recently, Goldman Sachs has started to register clients for its brand-new bitcoin trading desk. With an official bank recognising the cryptocurrency, there is still hope that bitcoin will soon become an accepted and mainstream payment method for consumers around the world.

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Every one of our writers and editors on BitcoinPoker.us are either poker aficionados, Bitcoin enthusiasts or just plainly enjoys sharing awesome information for Bitcoin poker bonus deals. We are openly happy to share our passion for hunting bonuses and informing those about to embark on the journey of education, for after even a little reading, any player will be better off for it having the confidence to play poker without worrying about risks to your time, funds or entertainment. We’re always on the brink of the latest deals but if you spot any amazing bonus offers that we’ve missed which should be included, give us a nudge!

Gamble Responsibly

Despite our passion for poker, we deeply respect the rare but unavoidable issue of problem gambling and thus sincerely encourage you (and anyone you know that may show signs of gambling addiction) to moderate your gameplay and educate yourself on gambling addiction and steps to prevent what can be a perfectly healthy form of entertainment, spiralling into an unhealthy habit. There are fantastic institutions and organisations worldwide and accessible online or by phone that will provide excellent free advice and consultations around the clock.

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