Weighing "grams"

Pitched as a game-changer for the cryptocurrency industry, Telegram's initial coin offering could be a lifesaver for the company.  

📨 📨 January 16, 2018 📨 📨  "Human nature is not black and white but black and grey."  ― Graham Greene Got this from a friend? SUBSCRIBE HERE THE FEATURE Big Money, Murky Governance: Kicking the Tires of Telegram's Token Sale Pitched as a game-changer for the cryptocurrency industry, Telegram's initial coin offering could be a lifesaver for the company. Launched in 2013 by Russian brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, the company has never executed on the vague proposals it has floated to monetize its messaging platform. And with hefty annual operating expenses ($70 million in 2017 alone, according to the token sale primer obtained by CoinDesk), Telegram has likely burned much of the Durovs' personal fortune, which is the project's sole known funding source, people familiar with the situation said. But if successful, the forthcoming sale of cryptographic tokens known as "grams" would leave Telegram flush again, with $1.2 billion. And if the tokens hold their value over time, the company would have a recurring source of funds from the 52 percent of the 500 billion total grams created that its new foundation is keeping. Those are big ifs, of course... Read the whole story Tweet Share Wait, there's more: France Creates Working Group for Cryptocurrency Regulation The French minister of the economy has announced the creation of a working group to develop cryptocurrency regulations. Blockchain Startup Cypherium Partners with IC3 for Scaling Research Cypherium, which provides a blockchain infrastructure, is partnering with research group IC3 to work on scaling solutions. Maersk, IBM Spin Off Blockchain Trade Platform Global shipping giant Maersk is spinning off its blockchain work with IBM in an effort to foster collaboration between competitors. Down 14 Percent: Bitcoin Charts Bearish Amid Asia Concerns Amid negative news flow, Bitcoin is taking a hit today and touching 3.5 week lows at the time of writing. UNICEF Wants to Fund Early Stage Blockchain Startups The United Nations Children's Fund is seeking to invest in early stage blockchain startups with the potential to help people across the globe. PBoC Official Calls for Wider Ban on Chinese Crypto Trading: Report The vice governor of China's central bank is reportedly seeking a wider ban on services related to cryptocurrency trading in the country. Big Money, Murky Governance: Kicking the Tires of Telegram's Token Sale In a market that emphasizes trustless systems, the Durov brothers are asking token investors to place a lot of trust in them and the Telegram team. Bitcoin's Price Just Dropped Over $1,300 in 1.5 Hours The price of a bitcoin just plummeted by over $1,300, as losses are seen across the wider cryptocurrency market. Swift Signs Agreement With 7 CSDs to Explore Blockchain for Post-Trade Swift formalizes another major blockchain project by signing a memorandum of understanding with seven Central Securities Depositories. ViaBTC Increases Cloud Mining Fee Citing China's Mining Resource Scarcity China's crypto mining pool ViaBTC increases its maintenance fee ratio for AntMiner S9 cloud mining contract, citing mining resource scarcity in China. 5 Blockchain Developments Coming in 2018 What's in store for blockchains in 2018? Infosys's Peter Loop offers a diverse selection of forecasts for the year ahead. Housing or Dotcom: Which Bubble Does Cryptocurrency Mania Resemble? It may be fair to compare what cryptocurrency and blockchains are going through to the 1990s dotcom bubble, but not to the 2000s housing bubble. Road to Innovation? Truck Giant Penske Joins Blockchain Group Penske Logistics has become the latest company to join the Blockchain in Transport Alliance. $400K: Hacker Makes Off With Stellar Lumens in BlackWallet Theft A hacker stole more than $400,000 in Stellar lumens after compromising the digital wallet provider BlackWallet. Go to CoinDesk BTC: $12,179.56 -10.35%  ETH: $1,118.18 -13.36% @8:08 EST - More price details 👋 CoinDesk is Hiring 👋 Come join our great team here in New York City! Copyright © 2018 CoinDesk, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you subscribed for updates on our website. Our mailing address is: CoinDesk 636 Avenue of the Americas New York City, NY 10011 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list