With mainstream exchanges becoming progressively cumbersome due to privacy invasive policy and regulation, some crypto traders are switching to more private, face-to-face trading. While this route isn’t for everyone, and comes with unique risks, it does offer a very real solution to many of the problems plaguing mainstream exchanges currently. The goal of this breakdown is to provide a few best practices for safety and success when trading crypto in person.



For anyone that’s ever had their money frozen on an exchange, this question is a no-brainer. Since most exchange wallets are custodial, meaning the service itself holds and manages user funds centrally, one bug in the code, hack, or audit from a governmental regulatory agency could mean that you and your money are parted indefinitely. Stomach sinkers of this nature have occurred often enough that many, understandably, don’t want to run these risks anymore. Others are concerned about privacy and the security of their personal data and information. Trading in person via a non-custodial platform or otherwise lets traders hold funds until the very last second, and guarantees more control. Still, there are important things to be mindful of in order to trade safely and successfully.




To avoid getting scammed, set up, or potentially endangered, there are some time-tested best practices for trading face to face. The overarching one is simple, though: just use common sense.

Choose a trustworthy platform / trader

Maybe you know someone in your community who also uses cryptocurrencies. Perhaps a friend of a friend, or an acquaintance interested in getting into crypto, but they don’t know how. Online, reliable peer-to-peer platforms such as that currently offered at local.bitcoin.com are great places to start. Platforms that offer blind escrow, and end-to-end chat encryption are the safest bets. Whatever one’s approach, testing first and vetting for reliability is critical.

Using shoddy, unproven platforms or trading with strangers who’ve no reputation for being honest probably won’t end well. There are scammers as well as government agents on some p2p networks, and in real life, more than happy to ensnare even innocent, legal users of crypto for their own benefit.

Well-managed platforms will have a reputation system in place so users can verify which traders have completed the most trades successfully, and feedback features for rating their quality of service. Be sure to work out all the specifics of the trading process and procedure in clear detail on an encrypted chat application prior to meeting for the trade.


Meet in an open, highly visible public space

After working out the specifics of your deal, and providing only necessary information to the contact, meet in an open, highly visible space that is frequented by people but also provides enough serenity to conduct business. A well-lit coffee shop or popular meeting spot in view of the public can be a great place to conduct crypto trades. Trust your gut in meeting someone for the first time, and if anything “feels off,” don’t hesitate to politely back out.

Show me the money, discreetly

A great way to get scammed face to face is to send your bitcoins to the guy across the table and watch him run off without paying you. In this situation you could give chase (risky), yell, flail about, or call the cops, but you’re more than likely just SOL. Be sure the other person lets you see the money, gift cards, etc., first, before sending any coins.

Most respectable traders will place money on the table discreetly (in an envelope or book) so that it is within reach of both parties, and sudden moves to bolt are not likely to succeed. Once the tx has enough confirmations for the buyer’s liking, they should slide the money over and invite the other party to count it. If you are the one buying crypto be sure to make the seller feel at ease by setting up the trade similarly. Crypto-to-crypto deals require a bit more creativity perhaps, but having both devices in reach and openly in view can help.




There are limitless options for working out trustworthy trade arrangements, including step-by-step, fractional trades to test the waters on first meeting, PGP contracts making it difficult for a party to lie about the agreement after the fact, and verification via other contacts of a trader’s reputation. However, as mentioned earlier, the main thing is to trust your reason, and gut instinct. If some aspect of a crypto trade arrangement feels spooky or inconsistent, it’s more than okay to kick the deal and get out. More often than not, however, in person trades are fun, friendly experiences that can be a good way to get out of the typically isolated, smugly self-referential hell that is crypto Twitter, catching a breath of fresh air while stacking sats and building the bitcoin economy.




source https://news.bitcoin.com/how-to-trade-cr...on-safely/
by Graham Smith

Miner fees for many of the leading altcoins are at dangerously low levels. Data shows that the combined revenue generated by those operating the computer systems securing different altcoins was just hundreds of dollars or less over the last 24 hours.

The information was highlighted by Twitter user WhiteRabbit (@WhiteRabbitBTC). It shows that the fees generated by miners of Bitcoin SV (BSV), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and XRP were all less than $500 for the last 24 hours.


BCH and BSV Are Particularly Low Altcoins

Particularly low were the fees generated by Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV miners. At just $103.91 and $79.94 respectively, WhiteRabbit asks the question:

Quote:“When will BCH/LTC/BSV miners turn off their equipment.”

Quote:
WhiteRabbit@WhiteRabbitBTC



Miner fee state.  When will BCH/LTC/BSV miners turn off their equipment?




41
9:14 PM - Oct 17, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Of course, the fees don’t tell the full picture. Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, and Litecoin miners also receive block rewards in addition to the fees added to each transaction included in a block. Whilst these certainly offset the current low fees, the networks in question also systematically reduce the reward over time in what is known as halving events, which BeInCrypto has previously reported on.

One respondent to the above Tweet commented that there was already evidence of such a miner exodus occurring on the Litecoin network. Both mining difficulty and hash rate have been dropping since the LTC halving event earlier this summer. 
From more than 480 TH/s in early August, the network is now capable of producing just 252.5 TH/s. With fees struggling to subsidize the sudden drop in miner revenue the evidence suggests that many miners have left the network.



Energy Charges Are High

WhiteRabbit adds that using the popular Antminer L3++ to mine Litecoin requires an energy price of below $0.0232 per kWh. According to data from GlobalPetrolPrices.com, that makes mining with this particular unit unprofitable everywhere but Burma.

Meanwhile, using the mining calculator provided by WhatToMine.com, when mined with cutting edge hardware capable of producing 57 TH/s, Bitcoin SV stops being profitable when electricity prices rise to more than 11c per kWh. Whilst this does allow the cryptocurrency to be mined profitably in a lot more countries around the world, the calculator doesn’t take into account any cost of the hardware itself, the cost of land ownership, or any cooling that might be necessary as a result of running the high-powered system day and night. Clearly, 80 bucks in fee revenue spread across the network is going to do little to offset these necessary charges.




source https://beincrypto.com/altcoin-miners-ar...-low-fees/
by Rick D

⠀Stellar Lumens price :           $0.062
⠀Key XLM resistance levels :  $0.074, $0.083, $0.089
⠀Key XLM support levels :       $0.057, $0.052, $0.05


*Price at the time of writing

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Stellar Long Term Price Prediction: Bearish

Stellar Lumens XLM, -0.88% continues to trade below the September's high at $0.09 but has been relying on the $0.052 support over the past three weeks. Still, XLM is trading inside a descending wedge pattern for the past four months, bringing the market under bearish pressure.

Buy/Sell Stellar Lumens
How to buy Stellar Lumens on Binance

Considering the recent price growth, the price of XLM is slowly rising on the short-term and similarly nearing the wedge resistance at $0.074. A positive breakout could keep the price out of the wedge boundary to meet $0.083 at the red resistance line drawn from August 25, 2018. Touching the $0.089 is a complete bullish confirmation for the XLM which may take the price to $0.2 on the long-term. 

If a price rejection occurs at $0.074 resistance, the token is likely to continue the long-term bearish. Keeping eye on the $0.057, $0.052 and $0.050 support is important for now. 

The XLM market has recently found a key level at the RSI 50 which currently makes the market indecisive. The bulls should get stronger if the RSI can keep the trend above the mid-band. Adding to the positive move, MACD is attempting to swing to a positive zone to confirm that the bulls are in action.




Stellar Medium Term Price Prediction: Bullish

The price of XLM has seen a significant increase over the past few weeks, following the current swing high on the 4-hour chart. Meanwhile, the market is shaping in an ascending channel pattern. Currently, Stellar price is trading around the channel's lower boundary with a possible bounce back. 

We can expect the price to play at $0.066 - $0.068 resistance zones in the next swing high. However, a bearish surge could sharply slip the price to $0.058 and $0.054 support.

The technical indicators (RSI and MACD) are currently moving sideways - suggesting that the trading is currently indecisive, showing that XLM is waiting for the next move.Nevertheless, the significant direction of these indicators should provide the actual direction of the market.



Stellar Short Term Price Prediction: Neutral

Over the past few days, Stellar is carving a symmetrical triangle pattern on the hourly chart. This price formation mostly keeps traders in suspense of the incoming rally which is at times unpredictable. However, a bullish impulsive move is most likely to occur considering the prior bullish momentum before it halts in a triangle. The $0.067 and $0.068 may play out on the upside. 

Breaking low may turn XLM on a bearish reversal to $0.060 and $0.058 on the downside. In the same move, the RSI indicator shows that the bears are present, especially the MACD which is now negative. Still, we can say that the XLM trend remains neutral on the hourly chart.



Add XLM to Watchlist

Conclusion

Apart from staying in a bearish condition for the past months, the recent bullish regroup is still not strong enough to force the market out of the bear territory, yet to confirm ahead of $0.1. Meanwhile, the technical indicators have sent strong signals in the market with a shaky and indecisiveness. However, a clear cross above the red resistance is a strong signal for a long-term buy.





source https://coincodex.com/article/5601/stell...ast-weeks/
by Michael Fasogbon

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The Circle Is Complete

When we began our exploration of the evolution of money and its eventual arrival at the mathematical “discovery” of Bitcoin, we examined the simplest of all forms of trade: bartering.

Bartering offered the objectivity of purely market-based exchanging of goods holding intrinsic value to trading parties. It held the freedom of purely consensual trade without the need for intermediation. Yet, the bartering method was held back by the inconvenience of trading one thing for another, thus limiting the capacity for trade between parties with differing wants or needs.

Bartering was also held back as an ideal trading method due to its lack of portability, requiring vast shipments of unwieldy quantities of goods for the purposes of larger scale or distant trade between nations.

While early currencies like beaver pelts and seashells, to be eventually replaced by purer forms of money like electroneum and eventually the more refined and much harder money; gold, served a purpose as a means of exchange — and in gold’s case, a storage of value — practical limitations led to the inception of paper currencies or “flying money” that made trade far easier.

These currencies, time after time, fell victim to manipulation as governments and other economic powers struggled throughout history to prop up failing systems with easy money. Paper and digital currencies of today are facing this same problem, but a new innovation in the hardest form of money ever conceived, with all the advantages of the ancient barter system and the conveniences of modern currencies, is now available to the world.

Bitcoin is the completion of this full circle in the evolution of money.
 

 

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Small Steps

It bears mentioning that we are in the early, some might even say, infant, stages of this monetary development. This is a period of rapid change, great volatility, mistakes paired with learning, and exponential growth.

Many problems remain, from achieving true fungibility, to managing custody, to delivering true privacy. The fact that Bitcoin is pseudonymous in nature rather than anonymous means that certain bitcoins attached to particular addresses, associated with criminal behavior for example, may not in fact have the same fungibility as “clean” bitcoins might.

Custody remains an intimidating issue for many more casual users who are fearful of losing funds due to human error, such as losing seed phrases to private keys or incorrectly sending transactions.

Privacy also remains a concern, particularly as governments and banks in certain jurisdictions are doing their best to stem the tide of cryptocurrency adoption, especially in unstable or fragile economies.

This is the great advantage of a programmable decentralized money. While facing barriers of various kinds on multiple fronts, the technology continues to innovate. Developers across the world continue to contribute enormous quantities of brainpower to finding solutions that will only make blockchain technology stronger and more useful.

This is a young technology, only a decade old. The speed of maturation on this tiny timescale is stunning. New innovations like the Lightning Network, Schnorr signatures, Taproot, and a myriad of other proposed advancements will continue to improve the protocol’s speed, privacy, utility, and efficiency.

This is only possible with a decentralized force of innovators across the world contributing to the cause of development.
 

 
While Bitcoin already successfully acts as a storage and settlement layer for large exchanges of value, second-layer technologies like the Lightning Network enable virtually instantaneous transactions of smaller amounts — think buying a coffee — in the secured Bitcoin ecosystem.

Small steps in improving the network’s functionality can be innovated through various second-layer technologies, anchored to the hard money base layer of Bitcoin.

The possibilities for future innovations of technologies running on top of the Bitcoin protocol are virtually infinite, akin to the vast range of applications running atop the Internet today. 

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Hedging Against Disaster

At this stage of the game, with current conditions pointing to the possibilities of greater quantitative easing, inflation, and in many cases, hyperinflation, Bitcoin is becoming more attractive as a hedge against economic disaster.

While gold certainly has its place as such a hedge, as mentioned in Part Two, Bitcoin offers significant advantages. True custody, rather than reliance on papers that declare ownership, the ease of “capital flight” from failing economies, true scarcity as the hardest money ever conceived, and the aforementioned programmability distinguish Bitcoin from all other forms of money.

It is the best suited solution to protect against the failures of our deeply flawed global economy.
 

 

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Changing The Money Mindset

We live in a world that has been conditioned to spend, often well beyond monetary means. This is symptomatic of a Keynesian economic philosophy that lives and dies on an unsustainable and constant increase in spending habits from the population. The cure for recession is “stimulation”, accelerated in the past decade through the tool of quantitative easing that prints money ad infinitum, ex nihilo; infinitely, out of nothing. 

Bitcoin offers a change in mindset for every participant who holds or exchanges it. A gradual shift takes place in the mindset of such a user, from spending to saving, from excess to investment.

This is caused by a shift from short-to-long-term gratification, that manifests in the act of saving an asset with the goal of achieving greater returns in the future.

The current low-to-negative interest rate climate causes precisely the opposite effect, encouraging a preference for consuming rather than saving, living in perpetual debt, and spending without any concern for future implications.

This worldview extends globally to the enormously out-of-control spending practices on, for example, the irrationally expensive military industry, which must then enforce the fiat standard by any means necessary in order to maintain compliance between nations.

With easy money as the base layer for economies, notions of fiscal restraint are often merely a distraction, wielded by so-called conservatives to pander to voters, with no genuine intention to change the fundamental flaws of the system, benefiting the few at the cost of many. 

Thus, the change in mindset must take place in individuals who choose to exercise their ability to achieve monetary sovereignty.

Bitcoin, as a money that is freely traded and stored without the possibility of government interference, acts as such a tool, enabling an organic infiltration of the monetary system that cannot be stopped by any central power.

As this mindset spreads among populations, it only becomes stronger and more influential in changing the way money works as a free market entity, without the need for any form of coercion or heavy-handed control.

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True Capitalism Unleashed

Bitcoin as the first truly free-market money will unleash a form of capitalism that the world has never seen.

In such an economy, cronies and oligarchs can not persist since hard money prevents the acts of manipulation and control present in our current near-feudal system of monetary control.

Monopolies and duopolies will be challenged by new entities who, seeking to invest for the longer term, will innovate and produce in a competitive environment that sees the best products and services win favor from consumers.

Central banks and elite allies can no longer collude to hold the rest of the economy hostage when they are unable to hold the reins of money production, instead being forced to play on a “level field”, competing along with the rest of the population.

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The Great Shift To Satoshis

Such a shift appears enormous, and perhaps even impossible, but it is not as far-fetched as once imagined. It is often argued that it was far more difficult for Bitcoin to move from zero to something in value than it was for it to move from $1,000 to $20,000.

This recognition of monetary value first took place in 2009 when Martti Malmi, “a Finnish developer that helped Satoshi work on Bitcoin, sold 5050 Bitcoins for $5.02. This gave 1 Bitcoin the value of $0.0009.” (From 99Bitcoins)
From this point forward, bitcoins have held some quantity of free market value, albeit with significant volatility due to the relatively small size of the market and the enormously rapid growth in popularity of the digital asset.

As this market continues to grow, Bitcoin gradually spreads to more users and continues its infiltration as the new base layer for money. Being the hardest money to ever exist, it may indeed act as the new metric of money.

Just as the metric system —  a mathematically objective and scientific system of measurement — eventually grew and was adopted as the most popular standard for much of the world, the satoshi, the smallest increment of value in Bitcoin, can be used as a standard for the measurement of value that is more objective than any other form of money.

This shift in mentality is a step forward from the arbitrary comparisons between fiat currencies that hold no free-market or objective value between economies. Unlike the metric system, this form of measurement will not need to be officially adopted or enforced by central powers in order to grow in utility, instead spreading freely via market forces.

Bitcoin offers a sound money solution that was abandoned entirely at the inception of fiat currency.

Offering objective, purely market-based money that allows for trustless and permissionless trade between parties, Bitcoin establishes a new standard that democratizes money in a manner that was not possible until its creation.

This transformative revolution is silent; moving forward merely through the simple act of free exchange between any who wish to participate as it unfolds.




source https://cryptobriefing.com/why-bitcoin-n...-adoption/
by Darren Kleine

It would be considered illegal if you had to print the US dollar bills, or Pounds or Euros. It’s an offense punishable by the law. But with digital currencies – cryptocurrencies- mining (which is likened to printing paper notes) is legal, and there are a lot of ways to mine these cryptocurrencies.

This article reviews the best platforms which are highly rated by users with no scam records as of today. But before you get started with any of these platforms, ensure you have educated yourself well on the art of mining.

To know which cryptocurrency is profitable to mine, we recommend the website WhatToMine.

There are various ways one can mine cryptocurrencies including; solo mining (mining for yourself), joining a pool of miners, and lastly, you can have people mine for you with their computer resource.


What is MinerGate?

MinerGate was founded on the 24th of March, 2014 and was the first mining pool for cryptocurrencies. It supports PPS and PPLNS payment modes.

At MinerGate, people use their computers to add hashing power (strength of their computers based on hardware configuration) together with other miners globally. The software is openly downloadable, and it instantly allows users to start mining selected cryptocurrencies immediately, helping to eliminate the complexity of mining.

While MinerGate is simple to use, there are a lot of complicated algorithms going on in the background. It boasts a simple to use interface which allows users to set up in just a few clicks and the software is ready to make the full use of your hardware based on how much you want to dedicate.

MinerGate, in turn, shares the rewards based on how much input everyone is committing. This is a way to boost your passive income, by putting your computer to work especially when it’s not in use.

Let’s review some of the best alternatives to MinerGate.


14 Best MinerGate Alternatives


Cudo Miner



Cudo Miner is a cryptocurrency mining platform that allows users to conduct automated mining. The software turns idle or wasted computing power into crypto without impacting the usability or performance of a user’s machine. The software makes use of a user’s spare computer capacity to generate income for them or their business.

The software is free to install and reduces manual configuration and intervention by up to 95% however, without losing profitability. The software is accessible through a desktop application and a dedicated Web Console for remote management and monitoring the mining activity.

When in use, the software is invisible and fades to the background whenever one is using their machine. However, when the machine is idle, the software comes to life and turns the unused computer power into income.

The software is fully automated and optimized for-profit and the highest performance on Linux, Windows, and CudoOS. Also, it’s suitable for all miners no matter their level of experience.

Getting Started On Cudo Miner

1. Visit the official website and click sign up and download. The software supports Windows 7 or later (x64), Ubuntu 18.04, macOS 10.9+, and CudoOS.
   
2. Create an account or if you already have one login by entering your username and password.
   
3. Proceed to enter your Name and Username which will be displayed in the Cudo portal and on the Cudo Miner Application. Click save to continue.
   
4. Verify your email and log in to download the software.
   
5. On the onboarding screen, choose the setting you would like to get started with. You can opt to enable Third Party Miners to download closed source miners. However, the company warns that even though they try their best to ensure they are safe, they are not responsible for any issues that may be caused by them.
   
6. The settings tab allows users to go back and change any setting from the onboarding screen.
   
7. Then click enable, and the software will benchmark. This can take up to five minutes, so sit back and relax.
   
8. Users will find the devices menu useful. It expands for each device to display drivers and hardware installed, benchmark results, current mining status, and GPU health data including temperature and wattage.
   
9. The transactions tab located in the web console allows users to withdraw funds. One can choose their payout coin within the settings menu. The withdrawal process is easy, and all one has to do is click on withdraw funds and enter their wallet address.
   
10. The platform also allows users to earn more by referring friends.
    

MultiMiner



This one is for the newbies, those that are entirely new to the concept of cryptocurrencies. If you fall into this group, mining Bitcoin on your own can be a little daunting. The fact that the majority of the mining utilities available today are command-line based makes things a little bit difficult.

MultiMiner is one of the easiest-to-use Bitcoin mining software. It’s a desktop application that boasts an impressive array of features. It’s available for all popular PC operating systems including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

The software allows users to switch between different mining devices i.e., ASICs and FPGAs on different cryptocurrencies like BTC and LTC without any difficulties. The software uses the underlying mining engine to detect available mining hardware and lets the user choose the crypto coins they would like to mine.

The software also has many advanced features such as the ability to remotely monitor and control other MultiMiner rigs 
and also automatic detection of network devices.

Being an open-source project, the software is compatible with many mining devices, including HashBuster Micro, Block Erupter, and BFL/Bitforce.


Honey Miner

The HoneyMiner is a more profitable approach to mining cryptocurrencies rather than spending a whole lot but by simply using any PC with a reasonable processing CPU or GPU power.

To start mining, users can easily download and gain access to the sophisticated mining software built by Stax Digital, owners of the HoneyMiner platform.



The mining software is now available to Windows and MAC users.

It takes just a moment to set up the cryptocurrency mining process. All that’s needed is a valid email address, and a password is automatically generated for the user to commence mining.

What’s more, the platform eliminates the process of figuring out the most profitable cryptocurrencies to mine at any giving time. The software identifies that for itself and adjusts itself profit by taking part in the blockchain evolution.

Coins mined had been configured to be converted into bitcoin, guaranteeing an increase in user balance day-by-day. This platform will not only profit those who are into mining for the first time, with the HoneyMiner Pro, established miners are also able to use this platform to mine way more profitably.

Need to know how much profit you can make over time mining with the HoneyMiner? Click here.


NiceHash



NiceHash is one of the largest cloud cryptocurrency mining marketplace. It’s where users trade their computing power to miners who want to create cryptocurrencies. They also allow users to mine themselves using any hashing algorithm. 

NiceHash charges a 3% fee and miners get their payouts in Bitcoin. Click here for more information on how to get started.

NiceHash, towards the end of 2017, confirmed they were hacked. A total of 4,736 bitcoins which was more than $74 million at the time was lost in the attack.

NiceHash was quick to confirm the event and also informed the public about the swift action they took in investigating the incident.

Things have since returned to normal with NiceHash sorting out all their users and have implemented stronger measures to prevent future attacks.


MiningPoolHub



MiningPoolHub is a multi-pool mining platform which has the auto trading system that automatically converts your mined cryptocurrencies into another for payout purposes. Meaning you can mine Litecoin for instance, and get paid in Ethereum.

There are a whole lot of cryptocurrencies that can be mined on the MiningPoolHub platform. Visit MiningPoolHub official website to know more and process of getting started. This is one of the oldest and most respectable websites.


Kryptex



This is a place to sell your computer processing power. Kryptex mines cryptocurrencies and pays you in bitcoins or real-world money. They’ve made things pretty simple, all you need do is to put Kryptex to work, and you get paid. What you earn on Kryptex depends on the processing power of your computer hardware. You can visit Kryptex website to get started.


Winminer



We did a review about the Winminer in this article: Top 3 Best User-Friendly Alternatives To NiceHash, you might want to check that out.

WinMiner makes use of your unused computing power and turns that into cash. It makes your PC work for you 100% of the time instead of being 90% idle. The simple-to-use application just requires that you put on your PC and it’ll do the rest on its own. Like Airbnb is for homeowners, Winminer generates income for computer owners. Click here to know more.


Prohashing



Prohashing is a multipool scrypt platform with good payout. You can use Prohashing to mine multiple scrypt coins based on profitability. They take mining further by merge mining at the same time to increase profits. Scrypt mining is currently a high profitability mining with margins higher than shaa256 and Prohashing seems to be doing good in this regard. You can visit their site to know more.


Coinimp



Coinimp is a JavaScript program miner used to mine Monero (a cryptocurrency). This script can be easily embedded into a website/page, this allows users/visitors to your site mine Monero (XMR) in their browsers for you while searching, reading an article or streaming a video. This is an excellent alternative to placing ads all around the page that distracts users most times. You get to earn for every resource you put on your site with their CPU power. For more information, visit here.


Crypto-loot



Crypto-loot is another JavaScript program for your website. The miner allows you to embed a Monero (XMR) miner into your site. It has no interface for its own. It’s a good practice to notify your users what’s going on when they are on your page. Visit their official website to know about the Crypto-loot.


P2pool



P2pool is a decentralized Bitcoin mining pool. It works by creating a peer-to-peer network of miners. Users have the opportunity to choose if they want to mine on a private or public node. Fees to be paid depends on a selected node by the miner and transaction fee on this platform is shared. A list of public P2pool nodes can be found here: http://p2pool.co/.


Gridcash



Gridcash offers a cryptocurrency mining service to website owners converting site visitors to miners through their web browser. Site owners will earn an income as long as visitors stay on the page. In three easy steps, you are set to start making some cryptocurrencies. Click here to get started.


MegaMiner

MegaMiner is an auto algorithm and pool switching mining software program that’s based on multipool miner with different features. The MegaMiner is a windows miner; it’s not available to other users with other operating systems for now. You can see the requirements for running this program on this thread on Bitcointalk. The miner is downloadable from their GitHub page.


MultiPoolMiner

MultiPoolMiner is a monitor for crypto mining pools in real-time to find profitable machines. The MultiPoolMiner gives you the access to control any miner that’s available via command line. The MultiPoolMiner is a multi-cryptocurrency, smart mining pool that helps users mine over 30 cryptocurrencies. Download the MultiPoolMiner from GitHub.


Final thoughts

Now that you are aware of all the available options out there, it’s up to you to make a decision. However, ensure you choose one of the miners above and not more as this can overwhelm your machine. Also, ensure that your machine is of a high standard to avoid damage and ensure you earn more.

Finally, consider your withdrawal options when mining. You don’t want to mine, and your coins are of no use. The essence is to mine and convert them into real cash that’s is spendable, unless you want to purchase an item online with your mined coins.







source https://usethebitcoin.com/minergate/
by Jide Idowu

This Canadian Thanksgiving, one of my relatives asked me an odd yet interesting question — what happens to your Bitcoin when you die? Do you inherit it, or is it lost to the Ether (haha, I know) forever?

At the time, I didn’t have an answer. Knowing my own security protocols for my cryptocurrency, my untimely death would leave my family without access to the limited holdings I have. I can assume it’s likely much the same for readers of this article, who presumably use Ledgers and Trezors to keep their digital assets safe from any attacker.

However, a prominent Bitcoin startup is looking to aid this dilemma, which they called “one of the biggest unsolved problems in Bitcoin.”


Meet Casa Covenant

Bitcoin has forever revolutionized how your money works. It is the first technology that allows one to “become their own bank”, meaning that consumers can be responsible for their financial sovereignty, not a third-party like banks that are inherently susceptible to financial collapse, corruption, and so on and so forth.

While this “be your own bank” characteristic of Bitcoin has its benefits for sure (just look to Cyprus earlier this decade or Hong Kong now), there is a problem: inheritance. As outlined earlier, most cryptocurrency security systems today disallow or disincentivize inheritance solutions, as they pose extra risks to the safety of your coin.

On Wednesday, cryptocurrency hardware and services provider Casa revealed the fittingly-named “Casa Covenant” to tackle the pressing question of what happens to your precious Bitcoin when you pass on.

This system, put simply, “allows you to securely pass on your bitcoin to whomever you designate, while minimizing the risk that someone can steal these funds in advance of your death.”

Quote:
Casa@CasaHODL


Announcing Casa Covenant!

A Bitcoin Inheritance Service that solves the question:

“What happens to my bitcoin when I die?”https://blog.keys.casa/announcing-casa-covenant-bitcoin-inheritance-service-and-protocol/ …

Casa Covenant: Bitcoin Inheritance Service and Protocol
Casa Covenant is a Bitcoin inheritance service and protocol that allows you to securely pass on your bitcoin while minimizing theft risk.
blog.keys.casa


677
10:12 PM - Oct 16, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

According to a blog post outlining this solution, Covenant will use multi-signature technology, which will add a key to Casa’s existing 3-of-5 Key Shield product to make it a 3-of-6 setup. “This [additional] key is activated after clients start the inheritance planning process with Casa, and it’s held by a client’s estate lawyer,” the post explained.

When a client passes away, the Estate lawyer Key, Casa’s Recovery Key, and a Safety Deposit Box Key can be accessed (after the proper legal steps), thus allowing for transactions to be sent.

In other words, this system only works if there is valid proof of a client’s death, if the proper legal requirements are followed, and if the correct individuals have knowledge of Casa Covenant.


A Very Pertinent Solution

The release of this solution comes after a series of high-profile crypto deaths that left lots of cryptocurrencies unaccounted for.

The most notable of these is the case of QuadrigaCX, once Canada’s top Bitcoin exchange that folded in early-2019 after its chief executive purportedly suddenly died in India due to a disease.

While the details of the case are still widely contested — more information is released on the matter every week or two as the case is ongoing — it is known that the death of CEO Gerald Cotten left users without access to their Bitcoin, Ethereum, and so on. Cotten died with the private keys to his exchange’s funds on his laptop, which only he has access to.

Some reports say the cryptocurrency affected is valued at $150 million; others say less than $10 million. Regardless, QuadrigaCX’s unfortunate collapse goes to show inheritance solutions are needed for Bitcoin, especially to ensure that more conservative investors feel comfortable throwing thousands at this space.





source https://blockonomi.com/inheriting-bitcoin-casa/
by Nick Chong

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If you’ve got a few thousand satoshis burning a hole in your wallet, the darknet beckons. There’s no obligation to spend a single sat while scouring the darker recesses of the web, but it’s nice to know that should you get the urge, your crypto’s good. There are few certainties when shopping on darknet markets (DNMs), but acceptance of BTC, XMR, and other leading cryptos is a given. Here’s a snapshot of what the current crop of darknet markets has to offer.



Although darknet markets are under increased threat from law enforcement, business continues to boom. Every time a darknet market is taken down, a new head of the Hydra springs up in its place. Dark.fail lists around 20 DNMs, as well as forums and other darknet resources. A cornucopia of forbidden pleasures is but a Tor connection away, but as with all endeavors that involve dabbling in gray or black markets, discretion is advised. Intrepid bitcoiners eager to indulge in a little retail therapy can boot up their browser and mosey down any of the following bazaars.




Reliance on any single DNM is unwise, as you never know when a site might be busted, backdoored, DDoSed into oblivion, or head for the exits. That said, at this point in time, Empire is the DNM leader by some distance. It’s got almost 40,000 listings for drugs alone and has a thriving ecosystem of vendors and customers who congregate on darknet forums like Dread. Empire’s a little over a year old, but you wouldn’t think it to look at the size of the place. Its subdread board of over 8,000 users vastly exceeds that of any other DNM. If there’s one criticism of Empire, it’s that it’s often offline. That’s the trouble with being the king: everyone wants to topple you.



Grey Market is one of the newer DNMs, making its online debut in mid-2019. Despite its youth, it already boasts over 450 vendors and some 4,700 products, from cannabis vape oil to goods aimed at those with a stronger constitution. As a wallet-less market, there’s no need to deposit funds before you can shop. For every order, you dispatch coins from a wallet you already control to a newly generated address. In theory, this ensures better security for users. Grey Market accepts BTC and XMR and has a 10-tier EXP (experience) structure for vendors.



Cannazon’s logo gives a good indication of the sort of products it offers, with kush lovers well catered for. Like Grey Market, the accepted currencies here are BTC and XMR and there’s a multisig escrow system which is standard with DNMs. Cannazon has been operating since mid-2016, which is practically forever in the world of darknet markets. One good thing about Cannazon is that they vet vendors pretty hard to ensure a high level of product and service and there are 15 vendor tiers. Unlike Grey Market, Cannazon will not ship to or from the U.S.



Cryptonia cares about security. That’s why, as soon as you alight on the site, you’re bludgeoned with reassurances: 

“Cryptonia features the most secure 2/3 Bitcoin Multisig implementation of any market, a transparent wallet-less escrow system” and so forth. XMR and BTC are the accepted cryptocurrencies, and though the UX isn’t a strong point, the thousands of product listings more than compensate.



Whatever your poison, you’ll find it on Tochka. This DNM, which has been operating since 2014, offers a seven-day escrow system and two-of-three multisig. BTC, XMR, and LTC are the favored currencies. Over 6,800 products are on sale at the time of writing, from just under 600 vendors: everything from seeds and edibles to viagra and growth hormone. 

Interestingly, Tochka has joined forced with DNMAvengers, a forum dedicated to reducing harm and spreading awareness via testing of products suspected of containing adulterants. What’s more, the site allows dead drops, should customers wish to subtly pick up their wares from a prearranged location.


With over 10,000 listings for drugs alone, Apollon can’t be accused of scrimping on choice. It accepts a good selection of cryptocurrencies too: bitcoin cash as well as BTC, XMR, and LTC. It’s a traditional direct deposit market, so you need to fund your wallet address and wait for the deposit to clear before you can order. There’s nothing novel about Apollon, but that’s okay. The mere existence of multiple DNMs, no matter how generic, lessens the likelihood of them all becoming unavailable at once.


Needless to say, if you do decide to avail yourself of any of the aforementioned darknet markets – or any others not included in this list – keep your opsec on point and exercise caution at every pass.




source https://news.bitcoin.com/6-darknet-marke...o-curious/
by Kai Sedgwick

• Stellar drops by 4.27%; touches 0.062 USD.
  
  
• It is likely to find the next resistance at 0.064 USD.
  

Stellar (XLM) has advanced its struggle for the second day with a decline of 4.27% over the last 24 hours. The value against USD has now touched 0.062 USD. It has shown three major price swings while ranging between 0.065 USD and 0.062 USD.


XLM to USD Price Analysis:


Stellar’s first swing started at the very opening and over the next 6 hours and 35 minutes, it was down to 0.062017 USD after a 4.88% loss. It was followed by a hike of 2.98% that added 0.001850 USD to place the value at 0.063869 USD.

The last variation happened between 19:14 UTC and 02:16 UTC today. As the value weakened towards the closing of the day, the last swing took 0.001 USD away from the value and pushed it to 0.062436 USD.

The market capitalization of XLM was also hit by yesterday’s sluggish market. Over the last 24 hours, the market capitalization has been down to 1.266 billion USD from 1.276 billion USD.


XLM Price Prediction:

The current price of XLM is at 0.062411 USD and the 50 days average stands at 0.062031 USD. The 20 days average is currently at 0.061494 USD. The current value is 0.61% and 1.49% more than the 50 days average and 20 days average respectively. XLM’s next halt may come at 0.064 USD.


Resistance and Support Levels:

   





source https://www.cryptonewsz.com/stellar-cont...-27/47805/
by Ruti Vora

QUICK TAKE

• The Block reviews the BitBox02, the second edition of the flagship BitBox cryptocurrency hardware wallet from Shift Cryptosecurity
  
• The BitBox02 has two versions: A multi-coin device and a Bitcoin-only device
  
• The device has a unique UX/UI for its users and takes a very forward-looking approach to its design
  

Disclosure: Shift Cryptosecurity, the creators of BitBox, sent The Block the BitBox02 devices that are reviewed in this article.

The Block is beginning a new series in which we will offer "first impression" reviews of products in the cryptocurrency industry; this article is the first in that series. As supporters of hardware devices, it is always exciting to test out the innovative and distinct products produced by manufacturers in this industry.

To be clear, I am not a security expert or engineer, so reviews considering those aspects will be left to those better suited to write them. For The Block's series of reviews, we will approach products from the perspective of an everyday consumer, where we do have significant experience in. Let's jump in!

BitBox02 is the second version of Shift Cryptosecurity’s flagship Digital BitBox (now called BitBox01) cryptocurrency hardware wallet. While Shift Cryptosecurity opted for an extremely minimalist approach (the device was the size of a large thumb and had no screens) when making BitBox01, the team has launched a much larger device with a clean design and a screen with BitBox02. In addition to their multi-coin support, Shift Cryptosecurity also launched a Bitcoin-only version of the BitBox02. A spokesperson tells me there was an internal push from the team to build the device and that Bitcoin-dedicated hardware reduces the device's attack surface.

The BitBox02 device came in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag and, unlike the bags Coldcard wallets come in, can’t be opened with your bare hands. This approach, one would imagine, lowers the chance of a supply-chain attack, so out came the scissors.


HARDWARE


The BitBox02 packaging

After opening the package, we are presented with a three-flap box containing the BitBox02 and a number of accessories.


The BitBox02 packaging

Below is a picture of the items:


The BitBox02 content

The numbered items include:

1. Manual
   
2. Stickers
   
3. USB-C extension cable
   
4. 8GB SanDisk microSD card
   
5. USB-C to USB-A adapter
   
6. Lanyards
   
7. The BitBox02 with a rubber cover
   

Below is a picture of the BitBox02


The BitBox02

We also took a picture of the device with a Ledger Nano X for comparison purposes.


The BitBox02 with a Ledger Nano X

As mentioned earlier, unlike its predecessor, the BitBox02 has a screen. The resolution is 1,28 x 64 pixels according to the company, which is similar to the Ledger Nano X. The screen is also a huge fingerprint magnet.

As an owner of one of the newer MacBook Pros, I felt immediate satisfaction after realizing BitBox02 was built with USB-C support. Having to always pull out an Apple dongle whenever you want to use a Ledger or Trezor with your USB-C only laptop can be very annoying. It’s good that the Shift Cryptosecurity team is taking a forward-looking approach with their products.

On that topic, one of the first things that immediately confused me was the extension cord (#3) that came with the box. I couldn’t figure out why it was necessary, considering you can just attach the USB-A adapter directly to the BitBox02. 

Then, I actually started using the device plugged directly into my laptop, and I realized why the cord was necessary. But more on that later.

Another annoying experience was having to deal with the microSD card slot. Shift Cryptosecurity said that they fixed some issues after feedback from their beta users, but I still find plugging the card into the slot much more difficult than doing the same for Coldcard. There are times where I would miss the slot just by a little and wouldn’t be able to lock the card in.

Software

At the time of publishing, the BitBox02 is only usable with the native BitBox desktop app. However, I was told by the team that it was working on adding Electrum support. The native desktop app offers support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

To use the app, users are initially required to plug in their microSD card. Unlike other hardware devices, BitBox02 backs up a user’s private keys directly onto the microSD card, so they don’t have to manually write down their 24 words. Users can still access the words in the desktop app if they ever feel the need to. Long-time BitBox users are used to this process as are some Coldcard users. If you are moving from Ledger or Trezor, however, you might feel a sense of anxiety at not being able to physically hold a rectangular piece of paper or a metal plate embedded with your private keys.

Here is where we also experience BitBox02’s quirky user experience and its touch sensors. Unlike any device I’ve ever seen, BitBox02 has built-in touch sensors that users must interact with to use the device. The main motions are tapping for selections and a sort of pinching for confirming. While I found these sensors fun and unique, my colleague called it “damn annoying.” We both agree the pinch move was cool.


The tap function of the BitBox02

This is also where the extension cord comes in. As you can see in the GIF above, a plugged-in BitBox02 on a flat surface leaves little room to tap. This would lead to the device, at times, not receiving the signals to input characters.


The hold/pinch function of the BitBox02

Once a user has selected their password to unlock the device, they are presented with a dashboard with the Bitcoin app shown by default.


The BitBox desktop app

Users can then click the “manage device” settings to change between fiat currencies they want the app to display and the cryptocurrencies they want to interact with. Currently, the multi-coin BitBox02 has support for Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and six ERC-20 tokens (USDT, LINK, BAT, MKR, ZRX, DAI).

As a note, Ethereum and ERC-20 support are currently in beta-mode with Shift Cryptosecurity recommending users keep a small amount in these wallets until they come out of beta, so BitBox02 is not exactly an Ethereum-friendly wallet. The Shift Cryptosecurity team did tell me that Ethereum support will come out of beta mode when they feel that their users are happy with its usability. Shift Cryptosecurity plans on adding MyEtherWallet support for the device as well.


CONCLUSION

While Shift Cryptosecurity and the BitBox have been around for a while, they have yet to receive the same amount of mindshare obtained by the likes of Ledger, Trezor, and even Coldcard. While the BitBox02 might not be a newbie wallet, its unique spin on user-interface and forward-looking approach make it, at the very least, a piece of hardware that cryptocurrency holders should consider.





source https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/4367...w-bitbox02
by Steven Zheng

Stellar (XLM) price is dealing with the bearish trend. However, the day started with a bullish trend and the market was indicating positive signs. Gradually, the price started moving down and now it is trading around $0.062.

The market is marking volatility since the beginning of the month. Despite the heavy fluctuation in the price, Stellar is booking moderate profit. In the last seven days, XLM touched a high at $0.065527and a low at $0.059033.


XLM to USD Price Analysis:


Yesterday, the price started trading around $0.067. There was a slight drop and further a massive jump. The counters reached $0.0649 from $0.0610 by 6.34%. Then again, there was a moderate drop of 1.49% that brought the price to $0.0640. With a few ups and downs, the day ended at $0.0652 marking an intraday price movement of 5.56%. Today, the coin is recording a notable fall as the price counters moved from $0.0652 to $0.0617

Stellar is a volatile coin. The recent movement has been quite stable for XLM. We are anticipating that Stellar would need some time to gain back its momentum. Well, alongside there are also anticipations that Stellar would go up and help the traders draw profit.

For intraday traders, Stellar Lumens is indicating a dull day ahead. The price is heading towards the immediate support level. Here’s the chart:

   

The best-suited way to earn profit in Stellar is to invest in the short-term. It would help the traders draw maximum profit.




source https://www.cryptonewsz.com/stellar-pric...ent/47344/
by Ruti Vora

John McAfee has launched the beta version of a decentralized exchange (DEX) running on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain. The privacy-focused DEX, McAfeedex, does not have any restrictions, “no name, no document, no document, no email, no bank info.” DEX will support any ERC-20 token and anybody can list their token on it.

Quote:
John McAfee

✔@officialmcafee


This is a beta version of http://McAfeedex.com  coming today. The beta only supports coins on the Ethereum Blockchain. Additional blockchains will be added to the full release. For now any ERC20 token or any coin based on Ethereum's blockchain may be listed by anyone for free.

400
7:55 PM - Oct 7, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

This opens a whole new world of freedom for anybody trading any crypto, irrespective of identity, region, regulation. We at Altcoin Buzz will take you through a tour of DEX.

Log In

• Open https://mcafeedex.com/ in your browser.
  

• Immediately after you log in this pops up. Whitelisting enables you to trade on the platform without any fees.
  

• Go to the top right and click on Select Account — New account
  

• Once you click on New account, you will receive your Ethereum Address and Private Key. Keep your private key somewhere safe. Do not share with others.
  

• Once you click OK, you are logged in. See your Ethereum address on the Top Right Corner.
  

 
Security Set-Up

Before looking into other features, let’s check the security set up first.

• In case you accidentally log out, you can always import your account
  

• Use your Ethereum address and saved Private Key to import account.
  

• You can export your Private Key anytime and keep it safe
  

• You can also use your Ledger Nano S, to do transactions securely.
  

 DEX

• I can log in from 2 accounts and switch between them.
  

• Whitelist Checker
  

• The whitelist checker takes you to the SwitchDex platform where you can check if your Ethereum address is whitelisted.
  

• The Balance Tab
  

• Add Token – This option is for companies to add their coin for free in the DEX.
  

Trade

• The DEX has the following pairs: ETH, DAI, WBTC, TUSD
  

• When we checked recently, there was not much volume in the BTC/ ETH Pair
  

Reviewing the Orderbook

So, we moved to an Orderbook which has volume. We selected the ESH/ETH trading pair.



Let us look into a buy scenario

• The order price shows the last traded price and not the lowest sell price
  

• If I manually click on the lowest sale price, it takes the entire volume and the price. It does not actually insert the price in my buy box (like other exchanges)
  

• So, I will manually insert the lowest sale price (you can also decide your own buy price) and click on buy ESH.
  

No transfer from the main account to trading account needed (like on IDEX)



It should come up in the order.

• The actual amount will be shown in my balances. (In this example, we have not made an actual purchase, hence balance is zero)
  

• You can withdraw whenever needed.
  

 
Our Take:

Though  http://McAfeedex.com looks like his own website, it’s actually a portal of Switch Dex

• DEX Looks clean and easy to use;
  
  
• User Interface needs some sharpening – with the headers in the buy and sell orders not coming up;
  
  
• Page scroll function is not complete;
  
  
• DEX is slow and should pick up over time;
  
  
• BTC trading pair is not present’
  
  
• Not much volume right now. It should pick up with time;
  
  
• Backend security looks fine as it has overcome repeated DDOS attacks.
  

Even though it is not a stretch to say that security for cryptocurrencies and the overall security of cryptocurrency wallets has increased since they became popular in 2017 following the cryptocurrency boom, there are still a large number of instances where customer’s accounts and crypto wallets have been compromised, leading to losses for both businesses and consumers. Let’s review some of the biggest crypto wallet scandals of 2019:

Quote:

“Firstly, two of the most important things to be sure of when practicing good security is to avoid clicking on unknown, or suspicious links. Scam emails and cloned websites are becoming more commonplace in this sector and they can be very convincing.

Also, you should never share your private keys for any reason and if a third party demands your private key for any reason, you should avoid them. Finally, you should always back up your crypto wallet in case of an event where you destroy or lose your device. When choosing a location for this backup, it should be safe and ideally offline.”




source https://cryptodaily.co.uk/2019/10/the-bi...ls-of-2019
by Asaf Fybish

Today I aim at looking at some of the toughest bugs Bitcoin had to deal with, why did they happen, what went wrong and how they were mitigated

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, being introduced to the world by the anonymous developer or group of developers that go by the name Satoshi Nakamoto.

BTC has had a long history of ups and downs, some of which were quite good for the community as it allowed folk to further accumulate additional Bitcoin. Others, however, almost destroyed the original crypto.

Today I aim at looking at some of the toughest bugs Bitcoin developers had to deal with, why did they happen, what went wrong and how they were mitigated.

I will do my best to keep things simple and not technical.

Ready to hear some of the most disturbing stories surrounding Bitcoin?



How bugs happen

Software is created through scripts. In Bitcoin, the original version was programmed in a low-assembly language called ‘c++’.

Even though developers, especially in the open-source world, make tons of runs at the code, some bugs tend to happen. This may be due to changes that make some functions incompatible with the new code, due to errors in the new code or even due to functions that do stuff they shouldn’t.

Whatever the reason may be, you must realise that Bitcoin, being open-source software, is also prone to some bugs and errors. Even though most issues are easily fixed (BTC is lucky enough to have top-notch devs looking at it), sometimes bugs that arise may cause unforeseeable problems.

Below I will look into the top three bugs and errors that almost led to Bitcoin’s demise.


Bug 1: OP_LSHIFT crash

One of the original instructions that you could run in the scripting language was OP_LSHIFT which would shift a number a certain set of places to the left. It was discovered that when using OP_LSHIFT on some machines, processing the transaction would cause the machine to crash.

The way that this bug works is that you would simply make an evil transaction and send it to a bitcoin node, effectively causing the node to crash.

The way developers fixed the bug was to invalidate certain functions, making the script return ‘false’ – essentially not running the program (the transaction).


Bug 2: Inflation error

Inflation bugs allow you to print more money. It’s almost like you are able to become a central bank within the Bitcoin protocol.

The code that originated the problem was about adding up all the outputs and all the inputs in the transaction. You subtract all the inputs from the outputs, and if you got a negative number then that meant your outputs were greater than your inputs.

Basically an inflation bug is caused by an overflow, as in when the absolute value of the number is too high for the computer to represent it.

So this allowed the user to print money, and this bug was exploited on main net. Billions of BTC were produced.

To solve the issue the code was patched and every miner switched to a new fork, using the last block before the exploit. In essence, there was a hard-fork of the Bitcoin code.


Bug 3: Netsplit

The netsplit bug exploits the fact that you can have two alternative blocks with different transactions in it, that hash to the same value.

This doesn’t mean the hash value is broken. It means that there are two blocks, with different transactions that collide, which have the same hash.

This bug has an easy fix. Miners simply need to eventually reject one of the blocks, making those transactions invalid.
Collisions may happen, and are known to happen, to a certain extent. One of the worst times there were two valid blockchains for around eight blocks. Meaning some miners were mining one chain, while others were mining a different chain.

These splits may happen but eventually get resolved, as one of the chains will get more work done and replace the other.




source https://coinrivet.com/the-bugs-that-almo...d-bitcoin/
by Pedro Febrero