Seemingly out of nowhere, a technology appears that changes the way people think about an established industry. Vested interests see it as a threat and become determined to ensure it does not undercut existing profit structures. Sounds like the synopsis of the story about bitcoin up to this point? Well, yes, but digital currency isn’t the first technology to meet the resistance of incumbent parties. … Continue reading Bitcoin News: Reviewing the Similarities Between Bitcoin and Napster

PayPal has announced partnerships with the three largest payment processors in the bitcoin space – BitPay, Coinbase and GoCoin. Though the online e-commerce pioneer stopped short of integrating bitcoin into its digital wallet or payment processing services directly, the move marks PayPal’s first formal offering to the bitcoin community. In a blog post penned by senior director of corporate strategy Scott Ellison, PayPal revealed that … Continue reading Bitcoin News: Paypal Enters Bitcoin Space

Belgium’s Federal Public Service Finance (FPS) has issued a new statement finding that domestic digital currency transactions are currently not subject to value-added tax (VAT). The ruling from the tax body was revealed in an email to local digital exchange Belgacoin, which was concerned it would need to pay VAT on digital currency trades. An FPS spokesperson confirmed that bitcoin transactions are currently exempt from … Continue reading Bitcoin News: Belgium Says Bitcoin Not Subject to VAT

Many of those at Geeks on a Beach, a recent tech event in the Philippines, agreed that, two years ago, there was nothing here in terms of a startup ecosystem. Today, it’s pretty clear there are several scenes: Cebu and Manila, to name the two biggest, as well as a comprehensive and very well connected tech scene. Why are the Philippines suddenly appearing on the … Continue reading Why Bitcoin Should Succeed In the Philippines

The big news from Crypto Valley Summit’s closing day was that the Isle of Man is currently considering whether to allow residents the ability to pay their government bills, including income and other taxes, with bitcoin. The announcement was made during the event’s closing speech by Chris Corlett, chief executive of the government’s Department of Economic Development, which is in charge of setting policy on … Continue reading Bitcoin News: A Look At Isle of Man Bitcoin Conference, As It Draws to A Close