Coin Bros “THE MCAFEE EFFECT” (Official Music Video)

JP Morgan, Bank of America and Citigroup are banning customers from buying bitcoin on their credit cards

Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase. Thomson Reuters

• JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Citi are banning bitcoin purchases using their cards.
• Buying bitcoin on credit is higher risk than other transactions due to the high price volatility of cryptocurrencies.

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US banks are queueing up to stop customers from buying bitcoin using credit cards, as wild price swings continue on the biggest cryptocurrency.

JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America both said last night they will ban the practice, according to CNBC, which could leave customers chasing the big price rises which bitcoin has seen over the past year with big losses. Citigroup also joined in the ban, according to Bloomberg.

Credit card providers which allow transactions with cryptocurrency exchanges could be left exposed to higher risk than usual because of the massive volatility of the assets.

Bitcoin has seen its price surge by more than 700% over the past year, according to the OnchainFX website, but the last month has seen its dollar price fall by more than 40% as fears of what many economists have called a bubble spread.

Yesterday the price of bitcoin fell below the $8,000 mark for the first time since November, after rising almost as far as $20,000 in December, amid a broad fall in dollar values across the major cryptocurrencies.

Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JP Morgan, has been among the most prominent sceptics of digital currencies, infamously describing bitcoin as a “fraud.”

Yesterday Nouriel Roubini, a New York University economist who is credited with having predicted the financial crisis, said bitcoin is the “mother of all bubbles”, and added that he expects regulators around the world to crack down on the lightly regulated space in an interview with Bloomberg television.

Kvenland – Finland

Kvenland was the name given to the country now known as Finland and some of the surrounding areas. Little is known of the early kings of Kvenland except their names and the dates of their birth. King Fornjotur was the first Kvenland king born in 160 and died in 250. The people of Kvenland also mixed with the Scottish people in the northern Orkney Islands.

According to the Orkneyinga Saga, “There was a king called Fornjotur who ruled over Finland and Kvenland, the countries stretching to the east of what we call the Gulf of Bothnia, which lies opposite the White Sea. Fornjotur had three sons, Hler (whom we also call AEgir), a second called Logi and a third, Kari, the father of Frosti, who was in turn the father of Snaer the Old, the father of Thorri. He had two sons, Nor and Gor and a duaghter, Goi.” According to legend, Fornjotur was also the father of Karl, Hlessey, and Gmir. Nor founded Norway (Nor’s way) and Gor was known as the “Sea King”. Goi was abducted by Hrolf of Bjard, son of the giant Svadi. Nor challenged Hrolf for the return of his sister and the battle ended with Nor getting Hrolf’s sister for his wife and Hrolf keeping Goi as his wife. The Orkneyinga Saga goes on to say, “Earl Rognvald campaigned with King Harald Fine Hair who gave him charge of North More, South More and Romsdale. Earl Rognvald married Ragnhild, the daughter of Hrolf Nose, and it was their son, Hrolf, who conquered Normandy. This Hrolf was so big that no horse could carry him, which is why he was given the name Gongu-Hrolf. The earls of Rouen and the kings of England are descended from him.”

Kings of Kvenland

King Fornjotur Kvenland b. 160 Finland, d. 250 Finland

Children:

Karl Fornjotur Kvenland

King Kari Fornjotursson Kvenland

Logi Fornjotursson Kvenland

Hlessey Fornjotursson Kvenland

Hler Fornjotursson Kvenland

King Kari Fornjotur Kvenland b. 185 Finland, d. 209 Finland

Children:

Frosti Karasson Kvenland

King Frosti Karasson Kvenland b. 210 Finland, d. 239 Finland

Children:

Children: Siokul Frostasson Kvenland

Jokull Frostasson Kvenland

Jokull Frostasson Kvenland

Snaer Jokulsson Kvenland

King Jokull Frostasson Kvenland b. 240 Finland, d. 274 Finland

Children:

Snaie Jokulsson Kvenland

S Jokulsson Kvenland

Snaer Jokulsson Kvenland

Snaer Jokulsson Kvenland b. 275 Finland, d. 301 Raumsdal, Norway

Thorri Snaersson Kvenland b. 320 Raumsdal, Norway, d. 344 Raumsdal, Norway

Gorr Thorasson Kvenland b. 365 Raumsdal, Norway, d. 418 Raumsdal, Norway

Heytir Gorrsson Kvenland b. 425 Raumsdal, Norway, d. 499 Raumsdal, Norway

Svidri Heytsson Kvenland b. 600 Raumsdal, Norway, d. 649 Norway

Sveidi Svidrasson Kvenland b. 650 Raumsdal, Norway, d. 699 Raumsdal, Norway

Halfdan Sveidasson Kvenland b. 700 Oppland, Norway, d. 749 Oppland, Norway

Ivar Halfdansson Kvenland b. 770 Oppland, Norway, d. 824 Oppland, Norway

Eystein Glumra Ivarsson b. 800 Maer, Nord, Norway, d. 846 Maer, Nord, Norway

Rognvald I. Eysteinsson b. 830 Maer, Nord, Norway, d. 890 Orkney Islands, Scotland

Einar Rognvaldsson b. 852 Maer, Nord, Norway, d. Orkney Islands, Scotland

Thorfinn I Einarsson b. 890 Orkney Islands, Scotland, d. Mound, Hoxa, Scotland

Hlodver Thorfinnsson b. 924 Orkney, Scotland, d. 988 Hofn, Caithness, Scotland

Sigurd Hlodversson b. 960 Orkney, Scotland, d. 23 April 1013 Battle Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland

Brusi Sigurdsson b. 987 Orkney, Scotland, d. 1031 Orkney Islands, Scotland

Ragnvald Brusesson b. 1011 Orkney, Scotland, d. Dec. 1046 Papa Stronsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland

Robert De Brusse b. 1036 Carrick, Argyllshire, Scotland, d. 1031 Annan, Dumfries, Scotland

Adam Brus b. 1051 Carrick, Argyllshire, Scotland, d. 1081 Skelton Castle, Yorkshire, England

Robert Brus b. 1071 Skelton Castle, Yorkshire, England, d. 11 May 1141 Skelton, Yorkshire, England

Robert Brus b. 1103 Annandale, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, d. 1190 Annandale, Dumfrieshire, Scotland

William De Bruce b. 1142 Annandal, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, d. 1215 Annandale, Dumfrieshire, Scotland

Robert De Bruce b. 1164 Annandal, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, d. 1245 Saltre Abbey, Stilton, England

Robert Bruce b. 1210 Annandal, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, d. 1295 Priory, Lochmaben, Dumfrieshire, Scotland

Robert Bruce (6th Lord of Annandale) b. 1243 Annandal, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, d. 1304 Palestine, Jerusalem, Israel Married Marjorie Carrick b. 1255 Carrick, Soctland, d. 1292 Argyll, Scotland

Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, b. 11 July, 1274, d. 7 June, 1329, first and eldest child of Robert Bruce, 6th Lord of Annandale and Marjorie Carrick. 1295 he married his first wife, Isabella of Mar and they had one child, Marjorie Bruce, who later married Walter Stewart and their child was the future Robert II of Scotland. In 1302 he married his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh and the had the following children: David II, John, Matilda and Margaret. In 1316 he was also crowned King of Ireland and stated, “Whereas we and you and our people and your people, free since ancient times, share the same national ancestry and are urged to come together more eagerly and joyfully in friendship by a common language and by common custom, we have sent you our beloved kinsman, the bearers of this letter, to negotiate with you in our name and permanently strengthening and maintaining inviolate the special friendship between us and you, so that with God’s will our nation (nostra nacio) may be able to recover her ancient liberty.” In 1314 King Robert the Bruce secured independence from the British in the Battle of Bannockburn. He is buried at Dunfermline Abbey in Scotland. 

Bitcoin May Become Digital Equivalent of Gold – Blockchain Architect

The architect of a new advanced blockchain platform has revealed Russia’s role in the development of this new prospective technology, and shared his vision of cryptocurrencies’ future with Sputnik.

Alexander Borodich, creator of the Universa blockchain platform who paid a visit to the Russian House in Davos during the ongoing World Economic Forum, told Sputnik that “people believe that bitcoin may actually become the digital equivalent of gold.”

“The supply on the market is limited and, assuming that the trust in bitcoin does not decline, its price will continue to increase in the long run. Meanwhile the demand for bitcoin keeps growing,” Borodich explained.

© SPUTNIK/

Russia’s Leading Bank Opens Blockchain Lab Amid Cryptocurrency Fever

Borodich, founder and head of an IT company called Universa, has created a new blockchain protocol that can process up to 20,000 transactions per second (as compared to Etherum’s 15 transactions per second and Bitcoin’s 1-2 transactions per second), effectively debunking false assumptions about the high price and low speed of blockchain technology.

“I believe that blockchain is a new technological wave which will undoubtedly change our life. And this change will affect not just governments and companies but ordinary people as well,” he said.

He also pointed out that even though the future of cryptocurrencies may appear a bit uncertain at the moment, it will not affect the spread of the technology which created them.

“Blockchain is a technology. When dotcoms were collapsing in 2000, the Internet survived. And while dotcoms may be gone, large enterprises like Amazon, Google and Apple are still around,” Borodich said.

READ MORE: Major Payment Operator Will Bail On All Bitcoin Transactions by Late April

As blockchain technology becomes more and more popular, new cryptocurrencies may begin to emerge. For example, last year Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro heralded the creation of a cryptocurrency called the “petro,” with each of the 100 million coins being backed by a barrel of crude oil produced in Venezuela.
Russian Communications Minister Nikolay Nikoforov also proposed to begin issuing a new national cryptocurrency called the CryptoRuble.

As Borodich explained, Russia will eventually switch from paper money to a digital cryptocurrency though it’s as yet unclear what the latter will be backed by.

“In the case of Russia it may be oil or other national resources, for example; and in that case cryptorubles’ holders will know that their digital assets are worth something because oil has a certain price as well,” Borodich noted.

He added that “in 70 percent of instances, blockchain creators speak Russian,” underscoring the country’s growing role in the advancement of digital tech.

“Russia House,” the Russian official residence in Davos, opened its doors on January 23, 2018 during the 48th World Economic Forum, promoting Russian initiatives among the representatives of international business and political circles attending the gathering.

The views and opinions expressed by Alexander Borodich are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

—- support 81 —- red & white / SFFS

The Journey Continues: John McAfee Parts Ways With MGT Capital Investments

Many of the people that like to keep an eye on John McAfee were shocked and amazed by the announcement today that he will be parting ways with MGT Capital Investments, a company that he helped to infuse with a new mission and a new sense of purpose. I first wrote about MGT shortly after McAfee joined – I was among the majority that had never heard of this company, an obscure entity that had traded in a variety of enterprises down the years, from medical equipment to online gambling. Upon the news of McAfee’s contract, the stock price shot up from 25 cents to $5.00 overnight. Such was the instant power of bringing in John McAfee.

Also overnight, MGT pivoted to a dual focus – cybersecurity and mining Bitcoin. McAfee was to play a major role in both lines, laying out the vision for cybersecurity innovation while, at the same time, building crucial relationships that would be vital to MGT conducting successful and profitable mining operations. I remember these early days as a time of great optimism, and hearing McAfee talk about his vision inspired many people to invest in MGT stock. Now, nearly two years later, some people are wondering what changed. Why did things not go “according to plan” in a perfect ballet of unfolding elegance?

The answer, as with so many things, is that life intervened. I won’t mention mice or men, but it would be difficult to lay hands on a human being that has not had their most meticulous of plans derailed by the realities we are not in control over.

The story of MGT Capital Investments runs like so many of these human tales – it is a heady mix of stunning success intermingled with profound disappointments. In the short period since it’s rebirth, MGT has suffered an incredible string of setbacks. Delisting from the NYSE. Hostile investors and toxic financing. A lawsuit with Intel over using John McAfee’s name. Technology partners that did not deliver. You name it, chances are MGT has dealt with something like it over the last 2 years.

But make no mistake. Some of these outcomes were the fruit of calculated risk. Anyone that believes that both the board and company leadership did not know exactly who it was they were bringing on, and the risk that move entailed, is deluding themselves. And much of the hostility from “old Wall Street” has been directed at McAfee, his lifestyle, and the types of things he says and does. Freedom frightens many people, especially established people – and most especially when it is lived in plain sight. Because of this reality, for McAfee to see MGT blossom to it’s full potential, it is necessary that he step aside. And now that a solid foundation has been laid, he can do so without peril.

Participating in social media, I saw many shareholders lamenting the fact that they could not have John McAfee without also getting JOHN MCAFEE. Working on McAfee’s 2016 Presidential campaign, I encountered this attitude several times. Some new people would come in, with the best of intentions, and invariably wander on to the subject of how to De-McAfee John McAfee. They would describe, very neatly, all of the things they saw that he should do differently, and how he should do it.

One early conference call got as far as suggesting that McAfee only be allowed to speak on a delay behind the censor button of a staffer, at which point I felt the need to interject. So what you want is John McAfee without actually having to have John McAfee. Sorry, scutch… I get the feeling you all are going to be disappointed. And they were – every time.

And so it should be. It is the height of stupidity to believe that McAfee could have lived the life that he has, and done the things he has done, if he had forced himself to live under the dictates of others. Yes, he has the shine. Yes, people and even organizations want that. But no one gets to dictate the terms.

Perhaps the best evidence that MGT remains in good hands is that the management there realized this. They allowed McAfee to “do his thing” and, in doing so, helped cement a path over the bountiful obstacles and onto solid ground for success. While the fortunes of MGT may now be tied intimately with the future of Bitcoin and blockchain technology, I am a believer in the idea that these concepts are with us to stay. For those that also believe this, it is easy to have faith in the rapidly expanding mining juggernaut McAfee has helped to construct.

Often when there are two paths, life rather than preference dictates which is the best one to take. Cybersecurity is hard to do right and expensive as hell to develop. Good cybersecurity is even harder, and even more expensive. Companies spend billions on protection, and these companies still get hacked. One thing MGT has not enjoyed was access to a large supply of expendable cash. They invested what they could, but the rise of Bitcoin dictated that this was not the path to take. The duty of a public company is to be profitable, not to throw good money after bad in a difficult and competitive space.

So where does this leave John McAfee?

I cannot believe that it “leaves” him anywhere. It puts him where he belongs – back in his natural habitat as a free agent. Working on his campaign, and then later on a variety of projects and collaborations, I have formed my own image of the man. Many look at McAfee and see a madman, many a genius, and some both. Some see a cybersecurity legend, some a blockchain pioneer. But in my view McAfee is first, and foremost, an artist and a human being. And the world and life itself is his canvas. While he may joke about “toiling in obscurity” it takes far more imagination than I can muster to envision him in that condition.

All I can say to the world is – look out! McAfee is loose again. His mission: to create strange new worlds, to seek out new cryptocurrencies and new ICO’s, to boldly go where few humans dare to venture.

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‘The Biggest Theft in History’: What We Know So Far About the $530 Million Coincheck Hack

It’s official. Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck was hacked in what is believed to be the largest exchange theft ever carried out. This story is continually developing, but here’s what we know so far.

This Was the Largest Cryptocurrency Exchange Hack in History

In a press conference, Coincheck executives confirmed that the hackers absconded with more than 500 million NEM, worth approximately $530 million at the time of the hack, although Nikkei Veritas tweeted from the conference that the exact amount of funds stolen will not be known until officials conduct a detailed investigation.

The Coincheck hack supplanted Mt. Gox as the biggest cryptocurrency exchange hack in history. The Mt. Gox thief made off with approximately 850,000 bitcoins, worth roughly $450 million at the time.

Granted, the Mt. Gox hack was larger as a percentage of the total cryptocurrency market cap at the time of the theft, but in pure fiscal terms Coincheck now holds the infamous distinction of having been victim to the biggest cryptocurrency exchange hack in history.

As of the time of writing, the hacker had moved 300,000 XEM tokens to another address, and both addresses had been flagged with a mosaic warning other exchanges to not accept the funds.

Source: ournem.com

The Coincheck Hacker Only Breached the Exchange’s NEM Wallet

Coincheck executives said that the hack was isolated to Coincheck’s NEM wallet and that its other funds remain secure.

This brought to relief to many traders, as early reports made it appear as though the hacker had infiltrated multiple wallets. A Ripple ledger monitor flagged a $110 million XRP transaction sent from Coincheck to an unknown wallet that currently holds more than $3 billion worth of XRP.

Costin Raiu

✔@craiu

110 mil usd in #Ripple (XRP) were sent from the Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck to an unknown address. Hacking suspected. https://twitter.com/xrpl_monitor/status/956729169295024128 …

2:02 PM – Jan 26, 2018

•  5757 Replies

•  160160 Retweets

•  198198 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy

However, the transaction is now believed to have been a security measure taken by Coincheck following the infiltration of its NEM wallet.

NEM Foundation executives have stressed that the hack had nothing to do with the security of the XEM cryptocurrency itself and that the blame lies solely with Coincheck.

Coincheck Kept Way Too Much Money in Its Hot Wallets

As CCN reported, Coincheck executives admitted during the press conference that they kept that vast majority of their funds in “hot wallets,” which become vulnerable if hackers breach company servers.

Because hacks have become so common, reputable cryptocurrency exchanges keep the vast majority of their funds in “cold wallets,” which are stored offline and in secure locations.

Coincheck, however, said that “It was hard for us to manage cold wallet,” which is why the hack was so much larger than other recent cryptocurrency exchange thefts.

To make matters worse, Coincheck did not implement NEM’s multisignature smart contract system, which would have added an additional layer of security to the wallet.

NEM Doesn’t Plan to Fork to Recover the Stolen Funds

Because the hack comprised such a large percentage of the total number of XEM in circulation, there was immediate speculation that NEM would activate a hard fork to recover the funds from the hacker, as Ethereum did following the DAO theft in 2016.

However, Lon Wong, president of the NEM Foundation has said publicly that he opposes a fork.

Source: Twitter

In a statement, he reiterated that the hack occurred due to Coincheck’s “relaxed” security measures, not an inherent flaw in the NEM source code. Wong also encouraged cryptocurrency exchanges to take advantage of its multi-signature smart contract.

Coincheck Wants to Continue Operating — and Compensate its Customers

Finally, Coincheck executives stated that they intend to continue operating the exchange and will compensate customers for their losses, although they did not go into detail about what form this compensation will take.

Notably, though, Tokyo-based Bloomberg reporter Yuji Nakamura said that Coincheck had not yet received an exchange license from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA). The deadline was October, but the FSA had extended a grace period to the company.

Both the scale of the theft and the revelation of Coincheck’s inadequate security practices raises questions about whether the FSA will take action against the exchange — or perhaps even shutter it altogether.

This story is developing. Follow CCN for continued coverage of this situation.

Rollins Band – Starve

Type O Negative – I Don’t Wanna Be Me [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

 

Presidential Election – Finland 28.01.2018

GENERAL INFORMATION

Procedure for the election of the President of the Republic

According to the Finnish Constitution the President of the Republic is elected by a direct vote for a term of six years. The President shall be a native-born Finnish citizen. The same person may be elected President for no more than two consecutive terms of office.

The President is elected by a direct vote, if necessary in two rounds. Election day is the fourth Sunday of January. If one of the candidates receives more than half of the (approved) votes cast in the election, he/she is elected President. If none of the candidates has received a majority of the votes cast, a new election shall be held on the second Sunday after the first election between the two candidates who received most votes in the first election. The candidate receiving most votes in the second round is elected President. If only one candidate is nominated, he/she is appointed President without an election. The President assumes office on the first day of the month following the elections.

All the latest Presidents have been elected by direct elections in two rounds: President Martti Ahtisaari in 1994, President Tarja Halonen in 2000 and 2006 and President Sauli Niinistö in 2012. Before that the President was elected
– by Parliament in 1919 (President Ståhlberg) and 1946 (Paasikivi);
– by electors in 1925 (Relander), 1931 (Svinhufvud), 1937 (Kallio), 1950 (Paasikivi), 1956, 1962, 1968 and 1978 (Kekkonen), and in 1982 (Koivisto);
– by the electors of 1937 in 1940 and 1943 (Ryti);
– with a special enactment in 1944 (Mannerheim) and 1974 (Kekkonen); and
– through a combination of direct and electoral elections in 1988 (Koivisto).

Duties of the President

The highest State bodies in Finland are Parliament, the President of the Republic and the Government (Council of State). The legislative powers are exercised by the Parliament, which also decides on State finances. The governmental powers are exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government, the members of which shall have the confidence of the Parliament.

The duties of the President of the Republic are mainly related to foreign policy. The foreign policy of Finland is directed by the President of the Republic in co-operation with the Government. The Government is responsible for the national preparation of the decisions to be made in the European Union, and decides on the concomitant Finnish measures, unless the decision requires the approval of the Parliament.

The President of the Republic mainly takes his or her decisions on the proposal of the Government. The President appoints the Prime Minister on the proposal of the Parliament and other ministers on the proposal of the Prime Minister. The President of the Republic confirms the Acts adopted by the Parliament, and may, in particular cases, issue Decrees by virtue of a law enacted by the Parliament. The President of the Republic also appoints judges and highest-ranking State officials. In particular cases, the President may grant full or partial pardon from a penalty imposed by a court of law. The President of the Republic is the commander-in-chief of the defence forces. The President decides on matters of war and peace, with the consent of Parliament.