Ep. 16. Eth and Bitcoin forks, Bitcoin all-time high and Ripple vs R3

This week Bitcoin has gone the the moon! So what's the story behind its new all time high price? And how might the long courtship between Wall Street and Bitcoin have played a part in the story? The guys take a look at the JP Morgan messaging on Bitcoin, including Jamie Dimon's views. We cover news from both Swell and Sibos, the pseudonymous nature of Bitcoin and how SWIFT intend to respond to the changing payments landscape. PLus, how is IBM using cryptocurrency in cross-border payments? Colin explains why open blockchains might be the canary in the coalmine and, while the People's Bank of China Digital Currency Director calls for a centralised state cryptocurrency, Simon asks whether it's really possible to have a true cryptocurrency that's centralised. Plus, what can all this mean for a possible CryptoRuble? We return to the story of the legal battle between R3 and Ripple to find out who's in the ascendancy, and the guys discuss how Digital Asset Holdings intend to use the $40m series B funding they raised recently. And of course, we also revisit Segwit2x for an update on its progress, and discuss Ethereum's own Byznatium fork. Plus, interviews with Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director of the Hyperledger Project within the Linux Foundation, and Paul Worrall, founder of Zonafide. We hope you enjoy the show - don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Want to join the conversation on all the topics discussed? Tweet the show @bchaininsider or read more about the news stories and add your own thoughts at fintechinsidernews.com. And if you really love the show, why not leave us a review on iTunes? Special Guests: Brian Behlendorf and Paul Worrall. Sponsored By: Links: $5,800: Bitcoin Price Hits New Record High - CoinDesk This Is the Week Wall Street Went Nuts Over Cryptocurrencies - Bloomberg JPMorgan's Dimon betting on blockchain even as he calls bitcoin stupid JPMorgan CFO dials back Dimon's bitcoin criticism | Article [AMP] | Reuters Bernanke at Ripple Event: Blockchain Has 'Obvious' Benefits in Payments - CoinDesk Sibos Highlights Swift's Complicated Relationship With Blockchain - CoinDesk IBM's Stellar Move: Tech Giant Uses Cryptocurrency in Cross-Border Payments - CoinDesk PBoC Digital Currency Director Calls for Centralized State Cryptocurrency - CoinDesk Russia may soon issue its own official blockchain-based currency, the CryptoRuble | TechCrunch R3 And Ripple’s Legal Battle To Move To San Francisco And New York - ETHNews.com Digital Asset raises $40M for its blockchain-based financial platform - SiliconANGLE BitGo is a weird company : Bitcoin (1) Jameson Lopp on Twitter: "Dear anonymous coward who just sent dozens of cops w/ rifles to my house w/a false hostage situation report: I am not so easily intimidated." SegWit2x NYA Status Coin Dance | SegWit2x Blocks (historical) Summary Are Public Blockchain Systems Unlicensed Money Services Businesses in Disguise? – Rules of the Game Ethereum Executes Byzantium Blockchain Software Upgrade - CoinDesk A house has been bought on the blockchain for the first time | New Scientist Someone Just Lost $70,000 in a Failed ICO Purchase Attempt New cryptocurrency finds unlikely fan in Harry Redknapp | Technology | The Guardian