Binance has announced it will delist controversial cryptocurrency Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BitcoinSV).
The confirmation came via a blog post , in which it detailed its processes for ensuring projects meet its “high level of standards”.
“Based on our most recent reviews, we have decided to delist and cease trading on all trading pairs for the following coin on 2019/04/22 at 10:00 AM UTC,” wrote Binance, before naming BitcoinSV as the only project to be delisted.
Binance explained factors including quality of development activity and public communication, evidence of unethical and fraudulent conduct, and contribution to a healthy and sustainable cryptocurrency ecosystem were considered before making this decision.
“ When a coin or token no longer meets this standard, or the industry changes, we conduct a more in-depth review and potentially delist it. We believe this best protects all of our users,” it said.
The Bitcoin community has been dealing with some fresh furore , after pseudonymous Twitter user “hodlonaut” was threatened with legal action since disputing the legitimacy of nChain’s chief scientist Craig Wright , one of the lead brains behind the BitcoinSV cryptocurrency.
After Bitcoiners banded together to support hodlonaut’s legal defense, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao warned BitcoinSV proponents he had the power to remove the cryptocurrency from his exchange service if he so desired.
As it turns out, he did desire, and the markets have responded already. The price of BitcoinSV immediately dropped 7 percent , from $70 to $65.
Did you know? Hard Fork has its own stage at TNW2019 , our tech conference in Amsterdam. Check it out .
IBM’s blockchain course in India attracted more students than it can handle
When IBM announced a free online blockchain course for Indian students in June, it probably didn’t anticipate the response it would get. The inaugural edition of the course – titled “Blockchain Architecture Design and Use Cases” – has seen more than 21,000 registrations.
In fact, the course has proved to be so popular that it can barely keep up with the demand. In an email sent to course participants today, the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) revealed that the unexpected interest in the course has created a backlog of registrations on IBM’s website. The cause is students trying to sign up for the IBM blockchain starter program as part of their coursework.
Hard Fork has since obtained a copy of the email, here is what it said:
IBM is offering the 12-week course in collaboration with National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning ( NPTEL), a popular elearning platform in India. The course is taught by Praveen Jayachandran, Blockchain and Smart Contracts researcher at IBM India, and Sandip Chakraborty, a professor at IIT Guwahati.
There has been a rising interest towards blockchain technology among students due to increased employment opportunities in the sector. A recent survey conducted by cryptocurrency exchange desk Coinbase found that nearly half of the world’s top universities are now teaching courses on blockchain technology.
We have reached out to IBM for a comment. If we get a response, we’ll update the story.
Twitter says the Bitcoin scam wave came from third-party app
Twitter has confirmed the series of cryptocurrency-related hackings on its platform originated from a third-party software provider – and not its own system.
In an email to Hard Fork, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed attackers exploited a third-party marketing solution to blast fake Bitcoin giveaway links from a slew of verified accounts , including Google and Target.
Twitter refrained from naming the app in question.
The confirmation comes only days after a number of high-profile public figures and brands – including Google and retail giant Target – got their accounts breached to propagate malicious cryptocurrency giveaway links.
While Target initially suggested attackers had inappropriately accessed its Twitter account to push the Bitcoin scam to its almost two-million audience, it later backtracked its statement.
Contrary to its previous statements, the retailer clarified that hackers never directly accessed its Twitter account. Rather, Target told Hard Fork the hackers managed to post the malicious tweets by leveraging a third-party marketing app, authorized to post content on Target’s behalf.
The confirmation the hackings originated from a third-party app explains how the attackers managed to run the Bitcoin giveaway scam at such a large scale – and in such an organized manner.
Earlier this week, Twitter told Hard Fork it is working closely with affected companies in order to resolve the situation. Ironically, moments later Google’s G Suite account posted a malicious Bitcoin giveaway link.
