Weekly Review

China

From China to Cyberspace: Bitcoin’s Year in Review

It's a legal requirement for journalists to write an end-of-year roundup, and John Law is nothing if not law-abiding.

Markets  ·  31 December 2013
China

Tulips, Pigs and Eternal Graffiti: Bitcoin’s Colourful Week

This week John Law grapples with Tulip Mania, block chain graffiti and the murky world of FUD.

Markets  ·  20 December 2013
Dogecoin

Patent Nonsense, Coinbase Futures, and Who’s a Good Doggie? You Are!

JP Morgan causes a stir, re-presents old cryptocurrency patent, Coinbase receives $25m investment, while John Law digs for dogecoins.

Tech  ·  13 December 2013
BTC-e

Questions for Cash, Chains of Command, and with this Coin, I Thee Rob

John Law ponders BTC-e's credentials, block chain security and hiding bitcoins from divorce lawyers in his weekly review.

Markets  ·  6 December 2013
Bitstamp

No Hiding Place in Bitcoin, Real Mining for Virtual Cash, and the Wrong Sort of Fun

As the highest-value bitcoin transaction occurs, a Welsh resident searches a landfill for his £4m hard drive.

Markets  ·  29 November 2013
China

Bitcoin: here to stay but not immune from terrible ideas

If you want to say when bitcoin got big, you could do a lot worse than picking this week.

Markets  ·  22 November 2013
Crime

Lock Up Your Lucre, the Best Democracy Bitcoins Can Buy, and Liquid Asset Conversion

John Law advises keeping your bitcoin safe, ponders bitcoin funding for political parties and recommends drinking wine (responsibly).

Policy & regulation  ·  15 November 2013
PayPal

Bitcoin price could be highway robbery, PayPal’s quandary, and how to stop a nasty rumour

John Law is no stranger to hold 'em ups, even cryptocurrency ones.

Markets  ·  8 November 2013
Circle

Big names’ big bitcoin bet, bugs bite bright idea, and forgetful fjord fellow finds fame

Circle receives $9m, a major flaw is detected in Namecoin and a forgetful Norwegian gets rich.

Business  ·  1 November 2013
News

The downside of up, a miner problem, and robot overlords – ahoy!

BTC price increases are not always good, a cryptocurrency arms race approaches, and bitcoin robots will rule the world.

Markets  ·  25 October 2013
News

Chinese whispers, Chinese hackers and Chinese goats

John Law examines the impact of recent DDoS attacks, Baidu, and Google Glass on the bitcoin world.

Markets  ·  18 October 2013
Capital One

Remote control, rank craziness and revolution 2.0

John Law's week in bitcoin: coffee commerce, Capital One chocolate coins, and UK Silk Road users arrested.

Markets  ·  11 October 2013
News

Sex, drugs and racks of beef

Now Silk Road is offline, why not spend your spare bitcoins on ethically farmed beef and erotic bitcoin novels?

Markets  ·  4 October 2013
News

Earn it, stash it, fritter it away: bitcoin’s role in the journey of life

Do cryptosalaries and bitcoin gambling mirror early hunter-gatherer lifestyles? And how relevant are Dark Wallet's ideals, really?

Markets  ·  27 September 2013
Crime

Anonymous iPhone hacking and bitcoin’s three most important letters

As a consensus forms over the ISO code for bitcoin, John Law is perplexed by Apple's lack of wallets.

Policy & regulation  ·  20 September 2013