Brain drain

🍂 🍂 November 6, 2017 🍂 🍂 "People change and forget to tell each other." – Lillian Hellman Got this from a friend? SUBSCRIBE HERE THE FEATURE MIT Media Lab Director: ICOs Are 'Attracting the Wrong People' Another dot-com bubble? While the idea that this comparison is apt for the cryptocurrency market has certainly been embraced by the financial mainstream, new remarks by long-time technologist Joi Ito gave a rare view of how this concern is shared among blockchain believers as well. In a talk at the Scaling Bitcoin conference series, the head of MIT's Media Lab, home of the university's Digital Currency Initiative, went so far as to speculate that this might be the case given the prevalence of what he described as easy money in the market. Ito's remarks would appear boilerplate if they weren't so impassioned – and timely given the recent migrations around the industry. Indeed, he went so far as to decry ICOs as a distraction, going so far as to say he wouldn't want to be involved in such projects at this "period in history." In this way, Ito suggested he's waiting for a shakeout, one that can let the true tinkerers build in peace, forge relationships and solve the hard problems before the next wave. As Ito's talk kindly reminds us, it may be the boring times – not the boom times – when the best work gets done. Read the whole story Tweet Share ⭐ COINDESK SPONSOR ⭐ BitClave is using blockchain to eliminate ad service middlemen and create a direct connection between businesses and customers. On the BitClave Active Search Ecosystem, customers control their identity, decide who has access to their data and are "paid" each time businesses "use" their data to make them offers. Learn more!   Wait, there's more: Bitcoin Price Fades After Spike to New Record High Following yet another record high at the weekend, bitcoin is trading on the back foot today. Bitcoin Startup RSK to Launch Smart Contracts Sidechain in 2017 RSK's effort to bring ethereum-like smart contracts to the bitcoin blockchain could go live in 2017, its lead developer has told CoinDesk. Pop Star Bjork to Accept Cryptocurrency Payments for New Album Icelandic music star Bjork is partnering with British startup Blockpool to let fans pay with cryptocurrencies for her forthcoming album "Utopia." Price of Success? Bitcoin Faces New Pressure in a Multi-Coin World Day two of a popular bitcoin developer conference saw evidence the technical community is perhaps being challenged by larger changes in blockchain. IBM Pitches Blockchain to British Columbia for Pot Supply Chains IBM has provided feedback to the government of British Columbia promoting the use of blockchain technology in the legal distribution of cannabis. UBS Chief Economist Compares Bitcoin to Tulip Mania UBS chief global economist Paul Donovan has compared bitcoin to the Netherland's 1600s tulip crisis, but noted he was a fan of blockchain technology. ETF Firms File to Create Blockchain Investment Products Two companies filed partial prospectuses to launch blockchain-related exchange-traded funds in the last week. Why Segwit2x Is Doomed to Fail Developer Ariel Deschapell argues that the Segwit2x bitcoin fork is a broken attempt to change bitcoin, and that it's destined to fail. MIT Media Lab Director: ICOs Are 'Attracting the Wrong People' MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito is joining the ranks of outspoken critics who believe the market for blockchain-based tokens is overheated. Hold the Fork: No 2x But Everything Else Goes at Scaling Bitcoin Event Day one of Scaling Bitcoin 2017 presented a change of pace for an event that grew out of the network's technical contention. Vatican Address to Highlight Bitcoin Use in Slave Trade The Vatican is soon to host an address on how bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are being used in the modern-day slave trade. To be held today at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) in the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, the talk by Bank of Montreal senior manager Joseph Mari is to provide […] Zk-Snarks Everywhere: Ethereum Privacy Tech Hits Tipping Point New advances in cryptography are propelling privacy on ethereum forward, as evidenced by talks and panels at the project's Devcon conference this week. China's Bitcoin Exchanges Are Shifting Business Models Following China's crackdown on trading against the yuan, some of the country's major bitcoin exchanges are now shifting to the OTC market. Trust No One: Ethereum Smart Contract Security Is Advancing Security is a concern for ethereum as it continues to grow, and many think the best way to stay ahead is to always be on guard. 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