Romanian electric power transmission lines.
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The blockchain is creating new opportunities for the electricity sector. The December 2018 Energy Market Barometers looks at where experts think the technology is heading.
Canadian CEO Gerald Cotten died in December, taking to his grave the passwords to unlock his cryptocurrency clients’ millions.
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The CEO of a Canadian cryptocurrency company died recently, and took his passwords with him, leaving his clients high and dry. The debacle illustrates again that cryptocurrencies should be regulated.
For a small fee, anyone can post sensitive documents publicly on a blockchain.
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Chinese users have started posting sensitive materials, like documents of sexual assault, on the blockchain. But the government has taken its own steps to crack down on this practice.
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Academics from different disciplines come Head to Head in this series to tackle topical debates.
Blockchain technologies can empower people by allowing them more control over their user data.
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Blockchain technologies can support users in controlling access to their data through smart contracts that both empower and protect users.
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Bitcoin has been on a downward ride over the last year, steadily trading below US$4,000. It could get worse.
The Bitcoin bubble is perhaps the most extreme speculative bubble since the late 19th century.
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From a peak of US$19,783, Bitcoin’s value has fallen by 80%. What makes Bitcoin worth anything?
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Market volatility and value fluctuations are scaring some investors away from Bitcoin – but stablecoins could be one solution.
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New research suggests crypto-currencies aren’t technically property in common law jurisdictions.
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Bitcoin may have a large carbon footprint, but cleaner digital currencies aren’t going to prevent an environmental disaster.
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Satoshi Nakamoto proposed Bitcoin in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
The value of bitcoin gifts is subject to swift changes.
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Harvesting gains from digital money by giving some of it away can be better for donors than the nonprofits they support.
Cryptocurrencies even have their own investment companies.
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Bitcoin and other digital currencies have been running wild in recent years, soaring and then plunging in value. A few stories from The Conversation’s archive offer a glimpse into their world.
The Internet of Things could improve quality of life, but it will also consume vast amounts of electricity and boost greenhouse gas emissions.
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The Internet of Things is contributing to climate change. Innovation in computer design could help mitigate the problem.
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When you look carefully, the history of Bitcoin can be traced through five key narratives.
Computer servers mining bitcoin in Italy.
REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Bitcoin is often criticized for using up tons of energy. But its carbon footprint may not be that bad.
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Bitcoin needs regulation to bring it into the mainstream but this goes against its libertarian ideals.
What’s this digital token good for, anyway?
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Tokens, the next stage in the development of blockchain technologies, can help expand blockchains’ uses beyond simply exchanging money.
Part of IBM Research’s quantum computer.
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It is hard to predict when quantum computers will be strong and fast enough to crack the codes that keep bitcoin safe. But that day is coming.
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Blockchains and AI could play a key role in the decentralised energy systems of the future.