Blockchain files a complaint against a cryptocurrency exchange, launching ICO next week

Blockchain, a cryptocurrency company,

announced on their official Twitter that they have filed a complaint against Blockchaindotio, a cryptocurrency exchange, for using their name and promoting false information to users. According to the blog report, Blockchaindotio is a cryptocurrency launched by Paymuim, a company which focuses on providing services for Bitcoin. However, it is stated that the company which was popular for running Instawallet is rebranding itself since they lost their customers funds to a hack.

In the year of 2013, Paymuim claimed that Instawallet was compromised due to a hack and that the customers’ coins were stolen from the platform. The platform also stated that they have filed a complaint with the police. This falls in the same timeframe as that of Mt. Gox hack, the biggest cryptocurrency hack in the space.

However, the announcement of the hack eventually resulted in many stating that the platform was running a scam and are falsely claiming that they were hacked. This is because the platform failed to show any evidence related to the police report despite the community asking for it several times. Reportedly, the company has not completely paid off the claims made by their customers.

Blockchain claims that the platform is rebranding itself in order to conceal the allegations of scam. The blog further stated the company is falsely claiming that they have registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] for their Initial Coin Offering [ICO]. The ICO is going to be launched in next week on 27th September 2018. This would result in the investors being unable to trade the token publicly. Moreover, the report also stated that there is no evidence regarding the ICO being regulated by the French ACPR.

Blockchain stated that they are particularly concerned about the company has rebranded to a name which is similar to theirs and that it has already led to a lot of confusion in the market. They stated that the similarities which both the companies share include the domain name, the color of the portal, logo, and the tagline. Blockchain further stated that there have been several people questing them about the ICO.

Blockchain said:

“Blockchain is not doing an ICO. When we inspected blockchain.io’s social media and Telegram channels, we discovered that many more people had assumed that blockchain.io was Blockchain.”

They further added:

“To protect our users and maintain the trust we’ve worked so hard to build, we’ve had to take action. Today we filed a complaint in US federal court. We’ll file more complaints in other courts if we need to and we will continue to fight false and misleading statements that endanger the crypto community.”

Article Produced By
Priya

Priya is a full-time member of the reporting team at AMBCrypto. She is a finance major with one year of writing experience. She has not held any value in Bitcoin or other currencies.

https://ambcrypto.com/blockchain-files-a-complaint-against-a-cryptocurrency-exchange-launching-ico-next-week/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

How to use AirDrop

AirDrop makes sending files to Apple devices easy — here's how

Like many features native to iOS and MacOS,

AirDrop is both quick and easy. Similar to sending files via text and email, you can use the cross-platform utility to send photos, videos, songs, and even robust PDF files. This is particularly handy when you are in close proximity to the person you’d like to send your file to, as AirDrop only works when users are near one another.

The feature uses a Bluetooth connection to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network between your iOS and MacOS devices and uses encryption to obfuscate your files. You can access it from directly within Photos, Notes, Safari, Contacts, and Maps too, without having to navigate to a different screen or copy and paste the information. Learn how to use AirDrop and it could become your best friend for file transfers.

Accessing AirDrop on iOS

Apple reconfigured the Control Center in iOS 11, making AirDrop less accessible than it once was. Thankfully, the feature is still easy to access.

Step 1: Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to reveal the Control Center. If using an iPhone X, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the display.

Step 2: Locate the upper-left box, which contains Airplane Mode, Bluetooth, and other connectivity controls. Make sure both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on.

Step 3: Perform a 3D Touch or hold down on any of the aforementioned icons. This will expand the box, and reveal additional controls like AirDrop.

Step 4: Tap the AirDrop button to open the quick settings menu. Here, you will be able to set your ability to send and receive files via AirDrop.

Note: If you see “Receiving Off” and can’t seem to change it, go to “Settings,” then “General,” and finally “Restrictions,” and ensure the AirDrop feature is toggled on

Using AirDrop on iOS

Using AirDrop on iOS is easy. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the file, photo, or other piece of content you’d like to share.

Step 2: Tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner of your device’s display. The feature’s icon will depict a box with an arrow pointing upward.

Step 3: Directly below the image or piece of content, you should see a list of available devices. Tap the name of the device with which you wish to share.

Step 4: Once accepted, “sent” will appear under the device name.

AirDrop on MacOS

AirDrop works just as well on MacOS as it does on iOS. Here’s how to take full advantage of it.

Step 1: Open “Finder” from the Dock.

Step 2: If you don’t see it in the lefthand sidebar, you can find it from the menu bar. Just select “Go” and then “AirDrop.”

Step 3: The AirDrop window will show you all nearby devices that can accept your files and documents. Drag what you want to send on to the intended recipient, and drop it to begin the transfer.

Alternatively, you can open the file you want to send and click the share button — it looks like a rectangle with an up arrow pointing out of it. Choose “AirDrop” from the sharing options and then choose a recipient to send the file to them.

Accepting or declining an AirDrop transfer

Sending a piece of content via AirDrop is easy, as is accepting or declining an AirDrop transfer. But it is a little different depending on which platform you’re using. If someone sends a file or photo to you using AirDrop, an alert will appear on your screen with a preview of said content. You’ll need to accept it to complete the transfer. On iOS, you can tap the “Accept” button that pops up in the center of your screen. On MacOS, you’ll need to look to the AirDrop window, or at the notification in the top corner.

Selecting “Accept” will open the app that corresponds with the file (Photos, for instance), whereas tapping “Decline” will cancel the transfer. Keep in mind that if you’re sharing content with yourself via AirDrop, you won’t see an option to accept or decline an AirDrop transfer; the content will automatically transfer between your devices, assuming both are signed in using the same Apple ID.

Making sense of AirDrop’s quick settings

Once you have access the quick settings menu, you’ll be presented with three options:

Receiving Off: This blocks your device from receiving any and all AirDrop requests.
Contacts Only: This makes it so only your contacts can see your device.
Everyone: This allows all nearby iOS users who are using AirDrop to share files with you.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble transferring content between devices, double check that both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on. This applies to each device, as AirDrop only works when both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled. If that doesn’t solve the issue, ensure you’re not using your iPhone or iPad as a personal hot spot. To do so, go to “Settings,” then “Cellular,” followed by “Personal Hotspot,” and ensure the slider beside the feature is toggled off.

If none of the above solve the issue, make sure the two devices are within range of one another. AirDrop will not work if either user is out of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range. Also, if the person you’re attempting to share your content with has AirDrop set to Contacts Only, and your information is not saved in their contacts, make sure they toggle their AirDrop configuration to receive AirDrop content from “Everyone.”

Article Produced By
Jon Martindale

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-use-airdrop/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

SEC Director Vows âMore Substantial’ Enforcement Against Illegal ICOs

SEC Director Vows ‘More Substantial’ Enforcement Against Illegal ICOs

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

co-director of enforcement Stephanie Avakian mentioned in a Sept. 20 speech that the regulatory agency is most likely going to recommend “more substantial remedies” against those who fail to follow proper initial coin offering (ICO) registration requirements in the future

According to a transcript of the speech posted on the SEC’s website, Avakian articulated the specific set of principals that guide the agency’s decision-making when it comes to regulation, and then delved into how the SEC was tackling in “misconduct” in the ICO and virtual asset space.

Balancing The Risks and Rewards of ICOs

In the speech, Avarkian mentioned that the “novelty of ICOs” and the possible “utility of the underlying blockchain” makes these types of offerings exciting for certain investors. However, she noted the market “exuberance” for ICOs can mask the reality that they are “often high-risk investments,” since they could lack viable products, have flawed business models, or just simply be “outright frauds.” According to Avarkian, the SEC has tried to be cognizant about how to deal with ICOs registration cases that are not fraudulent. The agency wants to affirm valid ways to raise money while still making sure investors can enjoy the legal protections already in place.

She noted that the agency has issued a number of public statements to inform investors about concerning activity in the ICO space, particularity highlighting one last November that discussed the rise in ICO promotion by celebrities and other public figures. Avarkian said the “anecdotal evidence” in the wake of the announcement pointed to a “dramatic decline” in the amount of celebrity-endorsed ICOs. Overall, Avarkian said any issues related to ICOs and cryptoassets must be in the crosshairs of the Division of Enforcement, and pointed out that current work related to the space and other cyber-related issues was already “paying dividends.”

Staying Active On The Cryptocurrency Front

The recent speech by Stephanie Avakian seemingly caps off what has been a busy week for the SEC when it comes to virtual currency. The regulatory agency also said on Thursday that they are starting a formal review process for the bitcoin ETF proposed by VanEck and SolidX. The proposed ETF has made headlines since it would hold actual vitcoin in lieu of virtual currency futures contracts, and would maintain “comprehensive insurance” to safeguard investors against loss or theft of the bitcoin.

Just a couple of days before, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, often referred to as “CryptoMom,” asserted that the government should not hold back new products from coming out in the cryptocurrency market due to the perceived weaknesses associated with bitcoin.

Article Produced By
ICO News

https://www.ccn.com/sec-director-vows-more-substantial-enforcement-against-illegal-icos/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

How to Use AirDrop on Your iPhone

Learn how to AirDrop from your iPhone to your Mac or other devices

AirDrop lets you share photos, documents, and other files wirelessly

with other nearby AirDrop users. It's the easiest way to share files with other iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers without having to rely on file transfer methods like email or cloud storage services. Once you enable AirDrop on your iPhone, you can accept files from other AirDrop-enabled devices around you. There are multiple ways to enable AirDrop on your phone depending on who you want to be able to see your phone when they try to AirDrop files.

Which Apps Support AirDrop?

Many of the pre-installed apps that come with the iOS can be used with AirDrop. This includes Photos, Notes, Safari, Contacts, and Maps. This means you can share things like photos and videos, websites, address book entries, text files, and much more. Some third-party apps support AirDrop, too, to let you share their content. However, it's up to each developer to include AirDrop support in their apps, so not everything you download from the App Store will work with AirDrop.

AirDrop Requirements

An iPhone 5 or newer, a 5th generation iPod touch or newer, an iPad mini, or 4th generation iPad or newer
iOS 7 or higher
A Mac from 2012 or later
A Mac running OS X Yosemite (10.10) or higher
Another iOS or Mac user with an AirDrop-compatible device
Bluetooth turned on
Connection to a ??Wi-Fi network
The person you want to share content with must be nearby (AirDrop doesn't work over the internet)

How to Enable AirDrop on Your iPhone

To use AirDrop, you have to make sure the settings are set up correctly, which you can do in the Settings app. Some versions of iOS work a little differently, though, so you might need to follow the second set of steps below.

Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap AirDrop.
Choose an appropriate setting:
1. Receiving Off disables your phone from receiving AirDrop requests, so nearby devices will not see your phone when they attempt to share files. However, you can still send files to others.
2. Contacts Only lets you use AirDrop only with people in your address book. This gives you the most privacy but also limits the number of people who can share files with you.
3. Everyone does just what it says: lets everyone around you attempt to share files with you over AirDrop.

If you don't have these settings on your phone, then you have an older iOS version, but you can still turn on AirDrop.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center.
Tap the AirDrop button.
1. This button should be in the middle, next to the AirPlay Mirroring button.
Choose who you want to be able to see your phone.

How to Share Over AirDrop

With AirDrop turned on, you can use it to share content from any app that supports it.

Open the app that has the content you want to share.
1. For example, open the built-in Photos app to share pictures or videos you've saved to your phone.
Select the file you want to share over AirDrop.
1. If the app supports it, AirDrop lets you share multiple files at once. In the Photos app, for example, select multiple images or videos.
Tap the action box, identified by a rectangle with an arrow coming out of it.
Tap the device you want to share the content with.
1. Icons of all the nearby AirDrop-enabled devices are shown in the Tap to share with AirDrop section.

After you send the content over AirDrop, there's nothing left for you to do but wait for the other user to accept the transfer. You'll see a "Waiting…" message in the meantime, and then "Sending" during the transfer, followed by "Sent" once they receive your file(s). If the other user declines your AirDrop request, you'll see a red "Declined" message instead.

How to Accept or Decline an AirDrop Transfer

When someone else sends you data over AirDrop, a window pops up with a small preview of the content. You have two options: Accept or Decline. If you tap Accept, the file(s) will be saved to your device and/or opened in the appropriate app. For example, accepting a transfer of images over AirDrop will save the photos to your phone and then open them in the Photos app, URLs will launch in the Safari browser, etc. If you tap Decline, the transfer is canceled and the other user will be told that you declined the request.

Note: If you're sharing a file with a device that's logged in with the same Apple ID you're logged in with, that device will not be shown the Accept or Decline pop-up message. Since both devices are assumed to be your own, the transfer is accepted automatically.

AirDrop Troubleshooting

If AirDrop doesn't work, there's a good chance that you've not enabled it from the settings (see item No. 1 above), or that you have but you've only set sharing to contacts, and the person who's trying to send you something is not in your address book.However, if you've already checked those settings, and so has the other user, but AirDrop still doesn't work, there are a few troubleshooting tips you can try.

Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: AirDrop requires that both you and the other person have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
Disable Your Personal Hotspot: If you're using a Personal Hotspot while trying to also use AirDrop, disable it. AirDrop doesn't work simultaneously with hotspots.
Move Closer: AirDrop is based on Bluetooth, so it has Bluetooth's range limitations. Move within about two dozen feet (preferably closer) of the person you're sharing files with.

Article Produced By
Sam Costello

"I'm fascinated by and enthusiastic about technology. I value technology that helps people and makes our lives better, that improves our time and our relationships. When assessing a new technology or writing about how to perform a task, I take a human-centered approach that focuses on helping people do things better."

https://www.lifewire.com/use-airdrop-on-iphone-1999205

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

China’s Central Bank Warns Investors of ICO, Crypto Risks

China's Central Bank Warns Investors of ICO, Crypto Risks

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC),

has today, September 18, issued a new public notice “reminding” investors of the risks associated with Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and crypto trading. The notice, released from the bank’s headquarters in Shanghai, reiterates the severe line that has been adopted by the country’s Office for Special Remediation of Internet Financial Risks, which first introduced a blanket ban on ICOs in September 2017. Today’s notice censures the “unauthorized” and “illegal” ICO financing model for posing a “serious disruption” to the “economic, financial and

social order”:

“[ICOs are] suspected of illegally selling tokens, illegally issuing securities, illegal criminal activities, financial fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities.”

The PBoC has today hailed the successes of the country’s stringent restrictions that have targeted ICOs and a broad spectrum of crypto-related activities to date,

claiming that:

“[T]he global share of domestic virtual currency transactions has dropped from the initial 90% to less than 5%, effectively avoiding the virtual currency bubble caused by skyrocketing global virtual currency prices in the second half of last year in China’s financial market. The impact has been highly recognized by the community.”

Nonetheless, the bank recognizes that several challenges remain, notably the prevalence of offshore exchanges that are used by investors to circumvent the mainland ban. The PBoC notes that the Office for Special Remediation of Internet Financial Risks has now adopted a series of targeted measures, including blocking up to 124 IP address suspected of providing a gateway to domestic crypto traders.

It further points to redoubled efforts to “clean-up” payment channels and strengthen monitoring and inspection mechanisms, noting that around 3,000 accounts have already been closed as a result of increased oversight. Lastly the notice outlines recent measures undertaken to counter the circulation of crypto “hype” materials. As previously reported, on August 25 the PBoC had already issued a fresh risk alert against “illegal” ICOs, warning that blockchain and the idea of “financial innovation” are being used to lure investors as a “gimmick” that conceals essentially fraudulent Ponzi schemes.

This summer has seen an onslaught of toughened anti-crypto measures from Beijing, which have included a ban on commercial venues from hosting crypto-related events in certain districts. Alongside ‘offline’ measures, China’s tech titans – Chinese ‘Google’ Baidu, Alipay’s Alibaba and WeChat-developer Tencent – have all tightened their monitoring and acted to ban accounts suspected of engaging in or propagating crypto and even blockchain related activities.

Article Produced By
Marie Huillet

Marie Huillet is an independent filmmaker, with a background in journalism and publishing. Nomadic by nature, she’s lived in five different countries this decade. She’s fascinated by Blockchain technologies’ potential to reshape all aspects of our lives.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/not-high-performance-tradeshift-ceo-prudent-on-blockchain-supply-chain-potential

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

The best Airdrop-friendly Cryptocurrency Exchanges

The best Airdrop-friendly Cryptocurrency Exchanges

Cryptocurrency Airdrop is a great way to get acquainted

with the Project and get some free Tokens. For over a year now Cryptocurrency Airdrops have been quite popular, many people have gained diverse Airdrop Tokens, this blog is about the best exchanges to trade your Tokens. ICO’s often illustrate their roadmap in a creative way, but is very useful to use as a reference point in selling the tokens from their Airdrop, essentially allowing the ICO to show their true worth. Once you have decided to sell your Airdrop tokens, it is time to select an Exchange. To find where the tokens are traded, you can use coinmarketcap.com.

As of June 20th according to coinmarketcap, Binance offers their customers to trade over 357 different crypto markets. Not is Binance only a large Exchange, it is also user-friendly in managing your assets and performing the trades. There is a limit in daily trading volume as usual, which can be increased by performing a KYC. A few examples of Airdrop tokens that are currently traded on Binance: BRD Token, Waves & Aelf. Another advantage of using Binance is that some Airdrops are automatically supported. For example, holders of EOS who keep their EOS on their Binance account will automatically be eligible for IQ, DAC & EON Airdrops!

Another user-friendly cryptocurrency exchange, KuCoin, is known to list trading pairs of tokens manufactured by quality ICO’s. If one of your Airdrop Token is listed on KuCoin, it is a good idea to hold them. Oyster did an Airdrop some time ago with AirdropAlert where PRL tokens were distributed. PRL tokens are traded on KuCoin and holders of PRL tokens were given SHL tokens (another Airdrop by Oyster, but new application). If you held PRL tokens on KuCoin, you’ve gotten SHL tokens automatically! Including other reasons, this explains why KuCoin is popular among Airdrop Hunters.

Supporting over 240 cryptocurrency trading pairs, Huobi is definitely one of the exchanges where you will be able to trade your Airdrop tokens first. Huobi is a Chinese cryptocurrency, tokens based on the Neo blockchain (Nep-5 Tokens) are therefore more likely to be listed on Huobi first. Huobi is based in Beijing, China and is founded in 2013, Huobi targets their audience whom are based in China. Most locals in China know what a Bitcoin is and have heard of the blockchain technology. Airdrops are referred to as ”candies”, it is very probable that tokens from Chinese/Asian ICO’s are listed on Huobi, which is why Huobi is selected as one of the feasible Cryptocurrency Exchanges to trade your Airdrop Tokens.

Compared to the previously mentioned cryptocurrency exchanges, EtherDelta distinguishes itself by representing a decentralized trading platform for Ether and tokens based on the Ethereum blockchain (ERC-20). This means that no single server or person owns the exchange or its service. Using EtherDelta is done by submiting your private key and allowing you to place orders directly from your wallet. Downside of this is that there are phishing websites imitating EtherDelta, you don’t want to give them your private key! Since most Airdrops are essentially Tokens based on the Ethereum blockchain, EtherDelta is an excellent choice to sell your tokens.

Article Produced By
Airdrop Alert

https://www.airdropalert.com/icoreview/best-exchanges-for-airdrops/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Federal Judge Applies Long-Established Securities Law to ICOs

Federal Judge Applies Long-Established Securities Law to ICOs

Does a decades-old securities law apply to an initial coin offering (ICO)? In a case that represents the first time securities laws have been applied to cryptocurrencies, a district judge says it may. On September 11, 2018, in a district courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, Judge Raymond Dearie ruled that two ICOs were securities, based on established laws that govern the financial instruments. His decision does not imply that all ICOs are securities, but that simply calling a token a “currency” does not preclude it from being classified as a security.

Turning back a few pages, in October 2017, businessman Maksim Zaslavskiy was accused of misleading investors in two separate ICOs. He raised about $300,000 in a cryptocurrency called REcoin, which he claimed was backed by real estate, and a cryptocurrency called Diamond, which he claimed was backed by diamonds. In truth, no real estate nor diamonds backed either of the coins, and Zaslavskiy was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy and two counts of securities fraud — charges that carry up to five years in jail and a fine. Zaslavskiy moved to have the charges dismissed. He argued that his ICOs were not securities, but “the exchange of one currency for another,” and that securities laws are too “unconstitutionally vague” to be applied to his case.

Cornell law professor Robert Hockett calls the insistence that the laws are vague a “Hail Mary.” “It is a fallback argument,” he told Bitcoin Magazine. “At first the defendant says the law is clear in that it clearly does not apply, but then he effectively says, ‘I have no way of knowing what I can do because the law is unclear.’” Judge Dearie found the laws clear enough. He pointed out that laws are meant to be interpreted flexibly. He then went on to determine that the two ICOs in question were “investment contracts” by applying the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, one of the most important pieces of legislation governing securities, and the Howey Test, a checklist regulators use to determine if an asset is a security.

Specifically, the Howey Test determines that a transaction represents an investment contract if "a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits solely from the efforts of the promoter or a third party." According to case documents, Judge Dearie found that REcoin and Diamond investors “undoubtedly expected to receive profits in their investments.” In his arguments, Judge Dearie also referenced the DAO Report, an investigative report issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in July 2017 claiming that tokens sold on an Ethereum-based investment fund were securities, and public statements made by SEC Chairman Jay Clayton on cryptocurrencies and ICOs in December 2017. At that time, Clayton noted that “simply calling something a ‘currency’ or a currency-based product does not mean that it is not a security.”

“Combined with statements the SEC chairman made previously, yesterday’s decision lends further credence to what many of us believe, which is that offered coins will count as investment contracts and hence securities,” said Hockett. “The SEC has made noises that ICOs were securities, but up until now, there has been no official legal ruling declaring they were.” The case still has to go to trial and, ultimately, it will be up to a jury to decide whether the ICO in question was a security. Still, Hockett said: “I really doubt an appellate court will overturn the district court’s ruling.”

ICOs have been a major source of controversy in the crypto space. So far, about $20 billion has been raised in ICOs, most of that in the last two years. In a talk at MIT in April 2018, Gary Gensler, former chairman of the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), another regulatory body that has weighed in on ICOs, noted “significant noncompliance” with securities laws in the cryptocurrency space. “Many initial coin offerings, probably well over a thousand, many crypto exchanges, probably 100 to 200, are basically operating outside of U.S. law,” he said.

Article Produced By
Amy Castor

Amy Castor is a full-time freelance writer and researcher who enthusiastically follows Bitcoin and Ethereum. She has been writing about technology for nearly two decades. You can follow her @girlandgrowl on Twitter.

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/federal-judge-applies-long-established-securities-law-icos/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

What’s a Cryptocurrency Airdrop? A Beginner’s Guide

What’s an Airdrop?

Have you ever noticed an unexpected increase in your cryptocurrency wallet and didn’t know where the free coins came from? That, my friend, is most likely the result of an airdrop. Hoorah for free money! Airdrops can be delivered in a variety of ways, including forks (e.g. Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Diamond), ICO purchases (e.g.Raiden Network), and freebies (e.g. Binance gifting customers with 500 free TRX). Sometimes an airdrop will occur if a team behind the blockchain project decides to give away “free” tokens to the cryptocurrency community.

One of the most well-known examples of an airdrop is when a hard fork of Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, gave current Bitcoin holders an equivalent amount of Bitcoin Cash. At the time of the airdrop, if you were holding 0.4 Bitcoin, you were one of the many lucky receivers of 0.4 Bitcoin Cash. With Bitcoin Cash currently valued at $2,469.36 USD, that sounds like a pretty sweet deal!

Why do Airdrops Occur?

However, a big question still remains. Why does this happen, and why would a team decide to give away valuable tokens? Think about it this way. When you’re walking down the aisle of your favorite grocery store and employees are offering you samples of food to try, you may take a quick peek to analyze what the food is to decide if you want to try it. You take a bite, and it sure is delicious. The employee offering you the free sample then says “if you like it, you can find it in aisle 5 on the left-hand side”. From that single nibble, you may just go and buy the product.

In marketing, awareness is often one of the initial steps in a buyer’s journey. As with the grocery store example, psychology plays a crucial role in the aspects of an airdrop, as a buyer is much more likely to purchase a product they are familiar with than a product they know nothing about. Therefore, those in charge of distributing the tokens see an airdrop as a key opportunity to give you a taste of their tokens. Compared to alternate forms of costly advertising (such as Facebook Ads), airdrops are often a more effective approach to showcasing coins.

How Can I Inform Myself About an Upcoming Airdrop?

Many sites and online groups are dedicated to informing users of upcoming, past, and active airdrops. Icodrops and Airdropalert, for example, show a list of upcoming airdrops. They also advise you on how many days are left before they take place and what currency you need to hold at the time of each one to receive the coins. Another way to inform yourself of an airdrop is to simply keep up to date with the various social media accounts of each project.

That being said, often times, airdrops are surprises (unless you work with the project’s team). In other circumstances, an airdrop will be announced ahead of time and will have a different set of rules for receiving the tokens. The rules designated to an airdrop are decided on by the project’s team. This explains the differences in airdrop strategies. As of now, there are no standard implementation rules on how airdrops need to be designed. We may see official regulation on how they can occur if the government steps in.

A token airdrop currently underway is one from the ShipChain project. Their strategy is a bit more complicated than just holding a certain currency in your wallet and receiving free tokens. According to their website, “eligible” airdrop receivers will get the tokens in their respective wallets around March, as long as they follow these guidelines:

Be an “active member of our Telegram group. An ‘active member’ means anyone that is a member of our Telegram community before the airdrop signup process is complete, which is two weeks from the Jan 15th start date.”
“Pass KYC/AML (Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering). This is a simple form we will have you fill out, it will be emailed to you within 1-3 weeks of completing this registration.”
“Have a valid ERC20 non-exchange wallet.”

What Wallets Do I Need?

Usually, airdrops occur on the Ethereum or Bitcoin blockchain and all you need is an account on an exchange. However, those in charge of the airdrop will sometimes state a specific wallet that’s needed such as an “ERC20 non-exchange wallet”. If you’re new to cryptocurrency, you may not know what this exactly means and that’s ok, we’re here to help.

What ShipChain means by a non-exchange wallet is simply a wallet that isn’t located on exchange sites such Binance or Coinbase. Reputable non-exchange wallets include Exodus and Jaxx. For a detailed list of wallets, feel free to visit our Bitcoin Wallet guide. The article also includes ways to safely store your tokens and the advantages/disadvantages of using different types of wallets. An ERC-20 wallet simply means any wallet that supports the Ethereum blockchain system. Some tokens follow Bitcoin protocol, some follow Ethereum, etc. Therefore, it’s important to have a wallet that allows you to store ERC-20 tokens if that’s what the airdrop guidelines call for. MyEtherWallet (MEW) is a popular ERC-20 wallet.

Final Recommendations

Most importantly, make sure you are visiting the official site of the project when researching airdrops. A good way to filter out scam sites is to visit the official social media pages and find a post which links you back to their website. As stated before, the cryptocurrency market is currently unregulated and the potential for fraud and coin theft is high. Reputable blockchain projects will not ask you for private wallet information beyond your wallet’s public address. Never give out your private keys to ICOs who claim to “need it” for your airdrop to be delivered. Identity theft and hacking attempts are prevalent in the cryptocurrency community, and you do not want to be a victim when proper measures can be taken.

Article Produced By
Erin Gorsline

https://coincentral.com/cryptocurrency-airdrop/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Cryptocurrency Airdrop Information

What is a crypto airdrop?

Currently the most commen crypto airdrops require a few simple social media task. These projects use an airdrop as a marketing campaign. Examples of this format are Shivom, TraXion and Sandblock. A Hardfork is a less common, but well known way to do an airdrop. At a certain block number a chain Hard fork's in to two separate chains. if both chains get miner and community support you now have 2 separate coins! The most famous examples of this are Bitcoin Cash & Ethereum Classic.

How do I get free crypto?

Every airdrop has a different set of rules. Currently new airdrops require retweets on Twitter, usually you need a minimum amount of followers. Make sure you have active social media accounts to be eligible for these free crypto tokens.
Most airdrops of today require to join their Telegram group so make sure to download the Telegram app.

Other possible requirements are:

Reddit
Facebook
Medium
Youtube
Slack & Discord
Linkedin

Check your wallets regularly to see if you received surprise airdrops. Platforms like Waves or Komodo have delivered airdrops for Waves or Komodo holders without any announcement.

Why do ICO's give away free tokens?

If you're not paying for the product, you are the product. With doing an airdrop the project creates awareness about their ICO or token. It brings people to the project that otherwise would not have owned or heard about it. It could lead to token price appreciation, since people value a token they own higher than a token they don't own. This is called the endowment effect.

Airdrops create a community/network of people who own the tokens. If you would list the token distribution after an ICO in a pie graph, a large part of the pie is still owned by the Dev's or project. Another large part is owned by people who joined a pre-sale. And a reasonable part is owned by people who invested in the ICO. An airdrop adds an extra slice to the pie and that slice will have the most people in it.

An airdrop also plants a seed. When you look at Coinmarketcap you will see a list of thousand coins. Just on page one you can see 100 coins listed. However if you have or had a coin that name is still in your brain. The seed is planted and whenever you check Coinmarketcap and scroll down, the name of the free e-Coin will jump out and people will check how it is doing. If they see an article that the free e-Token is doing well or bad, they are more likely to click it if they own it or previously have owned it. It's just like advertising!

Where do I sell my airdrops?

So now you have free crypto, what do you do? Many coins that do airdrops are PRE-ICO or just finished their ICO. This often means it is not traded yet on the bigger exchanges. You can check out our exchange page to see where you can best sell your crypto airdrops. We suggest you make an account at all exchanges we listed so you can easily sell and receive your crypto airdrops.

We hope you receive as many airdrops as possible and that they increase in value over time. Many projects that are now top 40 coins have done airdrops in their early stages, like NEM, DECRED & Ripple. You don't need to immediately sell your free crypto, there is nothing wrong with being a HODLer.

What are the exclusive airdrops?

Exclusive airdrops are only for AirdropAlert.com subscribers. We host special airdrops in collaboration with ICO’s. We are responsible for the registration, distribution and promotion of these airdrops. We have hosted Exclusive airdrops for over 20 ICO's and will bring you more in the near future. Are you an ICO that wants to do an Exclusive airdrop with us?

How do I keep my cryptocurrency safe?

The safest way to store your airdrops are hardware & cold storage wallets. These wallets store your coins offline, and therefore protect them from being hacked. There are a number of hardware wallets available. Not all cryptocurrency can be stored in hardware wallets. We advise you to store your crypto in wallets where you control your private keys. You don't want your free crypto to be stolen!

To avoid scams we have a few general rules:

Never give your private keys!
Use 2 Factor Authentication on your wallets
Be careful downloading wallets of smaller project, possibly use a Virtual machine.
Never click on links redirecting to wallets
Don’t use your main email address to apply for airdrops
Don’t re-use your passwords when you register on a website
Don’t send small amounts of crypto to receive your airdrop

Earn a bounty by alerting us of scams

We strive to keep our website free of scam projects. Our team provides research behind each coin we list. However it is still possible we miss a scam project. Recently some projects changed their google form asking for private keys after we list them on our website. We award people with $5 worth in Ethereum if you email us about a scam on our website under upcoming or active airdrops. Help us to keep the site clean and prevent other people to be a victim of a scam.

What does the star rating and estimated value of the airdrops mean?

We rate the airdrops based on the ICO/token, website, social media, Bitcointalk thread and our experience dealing with over a thousand new airdrops.

***** The star rating:
**** Excellent, a must join
*** Good airdrop, estimated value medium-high
** Legitimate airdrop, estimated value low
*Join at your own risk

If an airdrop is not listed on our website it did not pass the approval of our analyst. This means that the risk of a scam is too high to promote through our platform. Airdrops that are not listed on our website are not eligible for our scam boun.

List your airdrop!

Do you want to list your airdrop on AirdropAlert.com? Please note that listing on AirdropAlert is free. Because we have a very long queue of pending Airdrops to be listed on AirdropAlert it might take several days for your Airdrop to be published. If you want your Airdrop to be reviewed before others, apply for Priority application.

Article Produced By
Airdrop Alert

https://airdropalert.com/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

U.S. Judge Rules That ICOs are Covered by Securities Laws

A U.S. District Judge in Brooklyn has delivered a landmark judgement

with far-reaching implications for the initial coin offering (ICO) market. Judge Raymond Dearie of the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York today ruled that U.S. securities laws cover ICO token sales.The ruling came in a case against a fraudulent ICO promoter Maksim Zaslavskiy, whom prosecutors are looking to bring up on fraud charges for defrauding investors of more than $300,000 from a scam ICO called REcoin.

REcoin ICO Scam

In Sept. 2017, CCN reported that the SEC charged Zaslavskiy and two of his companies with defrauding investors through a number of ICO scams including REcoin. REcoin was marketed to investors as being backed by real estate and diamond assets which in actual fact did not exist. In a pioneering ruling, Judge Dearie refused to dismiss the case against Zaslavskiy, whose lawyers earlier pled for dismissal on the basis that the ICOs in question were currencies and not securities, placing them outside the jurisdiction of the SEC Act.

An excerpt from today’s hearing file reads:

“He [Zaslavskiy] argues that the securities laws are unconstitutionality vague as applied. The Government, meanwhile, asserts that the investments made in REcoin and Diamond were “investment contracts,” and thus “securities,” […] and that these laws are not unconstitutionally vague.”

Judge Dearie’s ruling on this matter was that an ICO is indeed a security for the purposes of federal criminal law, which is what prosecutors have argued since last year.

Implications of Dearie’s Ruling

The SEC claims the REcoin ICO scammed investors out of $300,000. Dearie has become the first judge to deliver a ruling that places ICOs firmly within the jurisdiction of securities regulators, and this could potentially have important implications for the ICO market by creating a precedent for future cases. While the CFTC has had some successes tackling fraudulent crypto offerings within its space, the SEC — which has long said that it has jurisdiction over most ICOs — had not yet established this authority in court.

An excerpt from Judge Dearie’s ruling reads:

“Zaslavskiy’s contrary characterizations are plainly insufficient to by pass regulatory and criminal enforcement of the securities laws. Because the indictment is sufficient under the Constitution and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and because the law under which Zaslavskiy is charged is not unconstitutionally vague as applied, Zaslavskiy’s motion is denied. The case will proceed to trial.”

While the ruling comes as a boost for prosecutors, the it is by no means a final word on the matter. In his comments, Judge Dearie noted that the ultimate decision rests with a jury and that Zaslavskiy’s lawyers can in fact still present the argument contesting the jurisdiction of securities laws to the jury.

Article Produced By
ICO News

https://www.ccn.com/u-s-judge-rules-that-icos-are-covered-by-securities-laws/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden