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EscrowBytes, Now Sell Videos for Bitcoin



Digitsy Inc. has announced that it is launching a cloud based service EscrowBytes which is going to enable any person with a cell phone to make money selling videos to news organizations around the world. Now the posters won’t need a credit card or bank account to get paid as they will get paid before buyer gets the video.

The company says that the users just need to upload a video and the rest of the work will be done by EscrowBytes. In the announcement Digitsy says that EscrowBytes responds to the growing need for real-time video news at the same time employing worldwide reach of Bitcoin payment transactions.

In the announcement it has also emerged that the new service reduces the risk of fraud for both buyers and sellers of a digital asset. Nonetheless, as a trusted third party, EscrowBytes stores digital video files uploaded by a seller and releases those files to the buyer only after payment is confirmed; thus, it ensures that the uploader gets the money first.

Talking about the latest launch of the service Alex Solonchev, CEO of Digitsy Inc. said that the key enabler for this business model is Bitcoin, an open digital currency which removes social and economic barriers between sellers and buyers of potentially politically charged videos. He also admitted that increasing maturity of the digital currency technology allows the firm to unlock business prospects in remote markets never previously thought possible.

Monetization of Video Made Possible for Uploaders

A lot of time Uploaders don’t get any money for their digital assets; however, with EscrowBytes this won’t be the situation as they can get the money for the videos. Moreover, as ever increasing popularity of mobile video creates demand for monetization opportunities for people witnessing a newsworthy event, this is the time for creating digital assets.

Social media has disrupted the mainstream media as they see their competitive advantage diminishing. The participatory nature of social media enables the end users has their say in the events and news. Bringing both sides together EscrowBytes service allows news organizations to focus on core value of professional journalism.
Digitsy Inc. claims that it is combining its advanced video processing capabilities with targeted messaging technology and the ability to manage Bitcoin payments. This measure according to the firm makes it a leader in the digital escrow services for global video market.


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KeepKey Launches USB Bitcoin Wallet




Bitcoin storage expert KeepKey has began the shipping of its flagship hardware wallet, which reportedly enables users to store funds offline.

The new Bitcoin wallet, which is now available for $239, claims to protect users’ Bitcoin from notorious virtual attacks through a stable security protocol. KeepKey’s founder Darin Stanchfield further compared their security features to those offered by big banks, and stated:

“Our guiding principle is to empower individuals and organizations with bank-grade bitcoin security. This is what our device does, and it is simple to use. Other products that are available require a high level of sophistication to operate. With KeepKey, it is very difficult to do the wrong thing.”

According to KeepKey’s press release, their wallet allows users to enjoy the full ownership of their private keys, without relying on third party custodians. These keys, while being generated, are never shared with the attached computer; instead, the wallet requires manual inputs from users to approve Bitcoin transactions.

“The user approves the transaction with a confirmation button on the device,” the press release explained. “The signed transaction is then sent to the connected computer and transmitted to the bitcoin network.”

Users are also required to install a native Google Chrome extension on their browser. The KeepKey Bitcoin wallet is also compatible with popular wallets including Electrum and MultiBit.

Other Similar Bitcoin Products

KeepKey’s USB Bitcoin wallet, however attractive it may look, is still a latecomer in the growing digital currency hardware market. Earlier, Ledger has also launched a multisig Bitcoin wallet that can be plugged into the computer through a USB. It costs around $39 in retail markets. Another Bitcoin hardware company Satoshi Labs has launched Trezor hardware wallet that allows users to circumvent third party custodians.

Very recently, a New York-based company Case has also raised around $2.25 million to create a biometric Bitcoin wallet. This product is available for pre-order.


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Mike Tyson Brands His Name on Bitcoin ATM Machines

Former heavyweight champion and renowned movie personality Mike Tyson has branded his name and face on a line of Bitcoin ATM machines.

Bitcoin Direct, the company behind the creation and distribution of Mike Tyson Bitcoin ATMs, meanwhile inaugurated the first version of the machine at a Las Vegas-based hotel. It also admitted that it planning to launch around 100 more Mike Tyson Bitcoin ATMs in different parts of the United States.

Tyson, who was also available at the time of launch, expressed his excitement with the Bitcoin project, stating how he feels honored to be the one to carry a torch for Bitcoin. He, alongside Bitcoin Direct, hoped that their marketing strategy will create enough buzz to create more space for Bitcoin adoption on mainstream levels.

“The Mike Tyson Bitcoin ATM should help introduce bitcoin, the digital currency formerly seen as only used by the tech savvy, to the consumer and broaden its availability and appeal to the general public,” stated Peter Klamka, the CEO of Bitcoin Direct. “The Mike Tyson Bitcoin ATM offers consumers a convenient, secure, reputable, automated and economical method of purchasing bitcoin for cash.”

This, perhaps, is the first time when a sports personality — with an outreach to over millions of people around the globe — has stepped up to endorse a digital currency brand. The news has been hailed by a noticeable majority of Bitcoin community for its PR-rich strategy to promote the digital currency. Despite of its escalation to the mainstream, a common man’s perception towards Bitcoin is still negative — at least in most cases.

The association of a personality like Mike Tyson with a Bitcoin project indeed promises to wash off such doubts.


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News that Strengthen Cryptocurrency (XLIX)

Greece Tightens Capital Control Laws

The Greek authorities announced new measures to strengthen capital controls. According to the available reports, the new laws will be stricter for public servants and pensioners. By drastically limiting the withdrawal of cash and force using debit cards, authorities hope to stop tax evasion carried out through the use of “false cash registers.”

Feds Unlikely to Raise Interest Rates in 2015

The odds that the Federal Reserve (the US central bank) interest rates will rise in 2015 are reduced to new evidence of an anemic economy. Futures markets estimate that the possibility of a hike this month is almost zero and consider that there is a 1 in 3 chance of that happening later this year.

Feds Might Introduce Negative Rates amid Next Crisis

William Dudley, the president of New York Federal Reserve office, has stated that he is willing to introduce negative interest rates would there be a economic crisis. It is the same option which the Federal Reserve had rejected during the 2008’s recession. However, Dudley referred to Europe as his prime inspiration to introduce negative interest rates at affordable costs.


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USDJPY has been climbing recently but a reversal pattern just formed, indicating that a downtrend might be next. Price made a double top pattern on the 4-hour time frame and is currently testing the neckline at the 122.50 minor psychological level, with a downside break likely to confirm the selloff.

The chart pattern is approximately 100 pips in height so the resulting breakdown could be of the same size. However, the 100 SMA is above the longer-term 200 SMA, which means that the uptrend could still carry on.
Meanwhile, stochastic is on the move up so buying pressure is still present. Similarly, RSI is heading higher so price might follow suit. In that case, a move back to the tops or beyond could be seen.

USDJPY Fundamental Factors

Event risks for this setup include the release of Japanese spending and inflation reports in today’s Asian trading session. Another decline in household spending and CPI readings are expected, although the BOJ has specified that they’re not looking to expand their easing program anytime soon.

Stronger than expected data could support the BOJ’s confident stance, pushing USDJPY below the neckline support and possibly until the 121.50 handle. US traders are off on the Thanksgiving holidays, which suggests that there might not be enough support for the Greenback.

In addition, the lack of liquidity could simply keep this pair inside its current consolidation pattern before volatility picks up again when US traders return on Monday.

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AUDUSD recently made a strong downside break from its ascending trend line connecting the recent lows on the 4-hour time frame. This suggests that a reversal is in order, after price completes its pullback to the broken support.

The broken trend line coincides with the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level on the latest swing high and low. If this keeps gains in check, price could resume its drop to the swing low at .7170 or much lower.

The area of interest also lines up with the moving averages, which might add an extra layer of resistance. In addition, the 100 SMA crossed below the 200 SMA to indicate that a downtrend is brewing.

Stochastic is already heading down from the overbought zone, which suggests that buyers are taking a break and letting sellers take over from here. RSI is also pointing south and AUDUSD might follow suit.

AUDUSD Fundamental Factors

Event risks for this trade setup include the US retail sales release on Friday’s US trading session, although stronger consumer spending numbers are expected. Jobs data from Australia actually surprised to the upside but the reliability of the results have been in question for quite some time so the gains weren’t sustained.

Earlier in the week, China printed downbeat trade figures, reflecting a decline in domestic demand. This could mean lower shipments of raw material products from Australia, possibly weighing on the country’s export levels.

In addition, iron ore prices have fallen to record lows, signaling weaker revenues for Australia’s exporters. Further commodity price declines could keep weighing on the Australian dollar and overall risk sentiment.

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USDJPY previously broke below a consolidation pattern visible on its 4-hour time frame then dipped to a low of 120.30 before showing signs of a retracement. Using the Fibonacci retracement tool on the latest swing high and low shows that the broken support lines up with the 61.8% Fib.

This also coincides with the 122.50 minor psychological mark and the moving averages, which usually hold as dynamic inflection points. The 100 SMA appears to be crossing below the longer-term 200 SMA already so the path of least resistance is to the downside.
Stochastic is already indicating overbought conditions so buyers might need to take a break and let sellers take over. Meanwhile, RSI is still making its way up so there may be a bit of buying pressure left before the oscillator reaches the overbought zone.

USDJPY Fundamental Factors

Fed policymakers decided to hike interest rates as expected to 0.50% while at the same time upgrading growth and employment estimates for 2016. Fed head Yellen expressed confidence in US fundamentals during her press conference and didn’t sound too cautious.
Now that the FOMC statement has already played out, market watchers can turn their attention to the BOJ monetary policy statement on Friday. No actual changes are expected but the yen could react to any potential changes in rhetoric.
Data from Japan has been coming in line with expectations recently so it’s likely that the BOJ would retain their optimistic stance. Still, any hint of dovishness could be bearish for the yen and possibly allow USDJPY to break past the Fib levels.


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Dragons.tl Ensures Instant Bitcoin Withdrawals and Deposits



Renowned and reputed Bitcoin gaming platform Dragons.tl has ensured a smooth transaction experience to its player-base.
The casino, according to its creator Andrew Tepper, brings one of the easiest methods of depositing and withdrawing funds. While the players’ accounts are always compatible with accepting and dispatching amounts in Bitcoin, it also enables credit card-based cash-outs and buy-ins.

The alternative method is specifically created to suit players that are not familiar with the ways Bitcoin functions. Dragons.tl — therefore — simply acts as a mediator while cashing in and cashing out credit card payments for Bitcoins. This further reflects the casino’s seriousness about protecting players from online frauds, as it has dutifully installed reliable fraud detection protocols to detect and deter security breaches.

But being a dedicated Bitcoin-centric model, Dragons.tl openly asks players to use the digital currency as their primary method of depositing and withdrawing funds, while believing other methods to be costlier and slower. The casino has also introduced a specific section on their website to explain the ins-and-outs of Bitcoin.

“We have to pay the credit card gateway their fees (about 3.5% cashing in and 3.5% cashing out), buying Bitcoins on your behalf (1%) and then selling them (1%),” said Tepper. “We also set aside 3% for credit card fraud.”

The man further reminded players operation through a non-UK MasterCard would have to pay 20 EUR more to get their winnings to their accounts. He, however, promised that this fees will be waived for Dragons.tl’s best players.

About Dragons.tl:

Dragon’s Tale is unlike any other online casino game in the market. So there might be a learning curve for those not used to navigating an MMORPG. Since Dragon’s Tale is an immensely social game, simply asking other players or taking on a mentor, might help guide you to the answer faster.

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Mentor New Players at Dragons.tl and Earn Bitcoin Rewards



The move, according to Dragons.tl’s official wiki guide, aims at introducing extra incomes for advance level players. It also introduces novices a method to understand the ins-and-outs of their MMORPG platform, where they learn from the professionals without risking their funds.

“When players reach Level 5, they can become a mentor, and teach Students about Dragon’s Tale,” the website said. “In return, they’ll get a percentage of their wagers added to their Dragon’s Treasures. Their mentor’s mentor also earns a percentage of DT from the house in the same way as their mentor does. This happens for 8 levels/generations of students e.g. students, students students etc.”

The reason why players at Dragons.tl might need a dedicated mentor is because of the platform’s skill requirements. It is an unlikely casino — the one which replaced roulettes, card tables, etc with an island waiting to be dig for spitting out hidden Bitcoins. In this scenario, having an expert player near your online avatar always helps.

Dragons.tl meanwhile urges new players to choose only those mentors who, they believe, will be able to provide help when needed. The novices are therefore recommended to settle their contracts with experts firsthand. It adds:
“Don’t choose a mentor who has a generous DT split if he is not helpful, not online during hours you usually play or if you personally don’t like him.”

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USD
The US dollar is on relatively strong footing this week, especially since the Fed recently started its rate hike cycle and data from the US came in mostly stronger than expected. The ISM manufacturing PMI is up for release today and a rise from 48.6 to 49.1 is eyed. Stronger than expected data could mean more gains for the dollar, especially if the jobs component indicates a gain.
The euro is struggling to stay afloat ahead of event risks this week, as another round of bleak data could spur expectations of additional ECB easing. For today, the German preliminary CPI and Spanish manufacturing PMI is lined up while tomorrow has the euro zone flash CPI estimates.

GBP
The pound suffered a sharp selloff at the start of this week’s trading, with traders likely pricing in downbeat reports from the UK. The manufacturing PMI is due today and a small rise from 52.7 to 52.8 is expected. Net lending to individuals and mortgage approvals data are also lined up.
The franc is coming off a very weak performance last week and has gapped lower against most of its peers at the start of Monday’s trading. Swiss manufacturing PMI is due today and a rise from 49.7 to 50.2 is eyed, likely providing a bit of support for the Swiss currency.
Data from Japan came in mixed over the past couple of weeks but the yen is currently being weighed down by the BOJ’s surprise decision to expand its ETF purchase program. The national core CPI printed a flat reading while household spending and retail sales indicated sharper than expected declines.

Commodity Currencies (AUD, NZD, CAD)
The comdolls were off to a weak start this week when China printed a weaker than expected manufacturing PMI from Caixin. The government figures released last week indicated small improvements but traders appear to be placing more credibility on the non-official figures. Australian commodity prices are due next and the New Zealand GDT auction is scheduled tomorrow.

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