Crypto News, August 15 2018: Green Day



Highlights: Lisk 1.0, Intel SGX vulnerability, AT&T sued and PlayBoy suing.

Lisk Core 1.0 Launch

Source: Lisk

Lisk Core 1.0 is ready for mainnet, with an anticipated launch date of August 29, 2018. The update is a near-complete rewrite, including a new API and p2p layer, but most of the features are relatively unchanged.

Lightning Network Implementation for Zcash

Source: CoinDesk/

Computer scientist Dr. Ayo Akinyele has published BOLT to Github, a Zcash implementation of the lightning network with enhanced privacy protocols. BOLT does support bidirectional payment channels, though activation will require a soft fork. Dr. Akinyele also plans to evolve the code into a privacy extension for the lightning network.

New Intel SGX Vulnerability

Source: Foreshadow Attack

A new vulnerability has been found in the Intel SGX processors, potentially allowing for the theft of sensitive data. According to the source link above detailing the attack, there appear to be software patches in place to address the issue. However, this is not the first, nor is it likely to be the last, security issue found with these CPUs, and some blockchains - like EdenChain, for example - rely heavily on the security of this technology.

Obelisk Looks to Remove Bitmain from Siachain

Source: CoinDesk

Obelisk, a hardware mining production company, has proposed code to hard fork Siachain in order to render rival producer Bitmain’s ASICs incompatible with the chain. The Siachain developers appear to be supportive of the fork, following a trend of companies (like Monero, notably) who have implemented solutions to remove Bitmain products from their chains as concern about its business interests have grown.

Insurance Reporting on the IBM Blockchain

Source: CoinDesk

The American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) has announced the open Insurance Data Link (openIDL) system, a new reporting tool built on using IBM’s Hyperledger Fabric. The openIDL system will automate the data collection and consolidation process involved in providing ratings for insurance carriers to state agencies.

Binance Academy Launch

Source: Binance

The Binance Academy is live! It is a collection of educational materials, like YouTube videos, related to the blockchain space. They’re also hiring for various positions - check out the openings, or submit some content, at the source linked above.

LINE Announces Subsidiary

Source: LineCorp

LINE has announced the creation of a subsidiary, “unblock ventures,” which will be a corporate venture fund. The fund is worth $10 million and will be used to “boost development and drive adoption” of cryptocurrencies.

Prime Trust Announces ERC-20 Custody

Source: CoinDesk

Prime Trust, a Nevada-based financial firm involved in various stablecoins, is expected to announce custody services for Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens later next week. Prime Trust began offering cold storage for Bitcoin in July.

AT&T Sued Over Crypto Theft

Source: ChainState

Transform Group CEO Michael Terpin is suing AT&T for “gross negligence and fraud” to the tune of $224 million. Terpin alleges that a loss of three million coins in January 2018 was due to AT&T’s failure to take sufficient measures against SIM fraud, by which attackers gain access to a user’s phone number and then use it to unlock accounts.

Playboy Sues Blockchain Tech Company

Source: LA Times

Playboy is suing the tech company charged with incorporating the blockchain and cryptocurrency payments into its digital presence. Alleging fraud and breach-of-contract, Playboy claims that Global Blockchain Technologies (GBT) failed to uphold an agreement to integrate Vice Token onto its websites. GBT, for its part, has called the lawsuit “frivolous.”

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Written content adapted/edited by @thepinkfreudian.