SecondMarket Hosts Bitcoin Talk for Professional Women’s Network

Last night about 80 New York women of varied experience with the bitcoin industry met at SecondMarket’s headquarters for what was effectively the largest women’s bitcoin meetup, at least in the US city.

Computer Giant Dell Now Accepts Bitcoin

Multinational computer technology specialist Dell has announced it is now accepting bitcoin through a partnership with Coinbase.

Chain’s iOS API Provides Fingerprint Authorisation for Bitcoin Apps

Chain has released a demo iOS app with a new feature it says is the future of bitcoin on mobile devices – the ability to send bitcoin using fingerprint recognition technology.

New Bitcoin Poll Shows Bubble Fears Among Investors

A new poll from Bloomberg has shed more light on the perception of bitcoin among professionals in the world of traditional finance.

Report: Mobile Industry Should Embrace Bitcoin or Get Left Behind

Mobile operators need to prepare for the shift to digital currencies if they want to remain competitive. That is the takeaway from a report published by European consultancy firm Reply, which also urges the mobile industry to avoid past mistakes.

South Africa’s PayFast Enables Bitcoin for 30,000 Merchants

There is more good news from South Africa as major payment gateway PayFast enables bitcoin access to over 30,000 online merchants, adding it as a payment option to its platform.

Australian Lawyers, Bitcoin Groups Call for Clarity on Regulation

Lawyers and bitcoin groups in Australia are joining those in other countries in calling for greater clarity on bitcoin regulation, allowing clearer direction for both businesses and consumers on how to conduct their affairs in a digital currency economy.

Bitcoin Industry Leaders Sound Off on New York BitLicense Proposal

The release of the New York Department of Financial Services’ (NYDFS) proposed regulatory framework for bitcoin companies operating in New York has brought mixed reaction within the digital currency industry.

BitPay Launches Facebook App for Easy Bitcoin Sharing

Georgia-based bitcoin merchant processing specialist BitPay has announced a new tool aimed at spreading bitcoin adoption through popular social network Facebook.

Called Get Bits, the Facebook application allows users an easy way to trade bitcoin in-person by helping to arrange meetings between friends on the network.

South African E-Commerce Giant Takealot Launches Bitcoin Support

Takealot, one of South Africa’s largest e-commerce companies, has announced that it is now leveraging online payment processor PayFast’s service to accept bitcoin payments.

Low-Cost Cell Service RingPlus Accepts Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin

A low-cost US mobile cell service provider is partnering with digital currency merchant gateway GoCoin to provide support for bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin.

Dutch Legal Service Given Authority to Confiscate Bitcoins

A criminal justice service based in the Netherlands has been granted the power to confiscate digital currency holdings.

Pittsburgh: Bitcoin Too Unstable for Local Tax Payments

Earlier this week a report surfaced suggesting that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was considering accepting bitcoin as part of a bid to improve the ability of residents to pay local taxes, fines and fees.

Sandman Hotel Group Now Accepts Bitcoin Reservations

Vancouver-based Sandman Hotel Group has started accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for room reservations.

New York Reveals BitLicense Framework for Bitcoin Businesses

The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has released its long-anticipated list of proposed rules and regulations that will be required for New York-based bitcoin businesses.

Bitcoin Features in Latest FinCEN Suspicious Activity Report

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has published a new Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) analysis and, notably, the bulletin covers bitcoin.

CheapAir Tops $1.5 Million in Total Bitcoin Sales

California-based online travel booking website CheapAir.com has announced that it has completed more than $1.5m in bitcoin sales on flights, hotels and Amtrak bookings via its platform.

Online Education Platform Skilljar Embraces Bitcoin

Skilljar, a tech company that specialises in enabling third parties to deliver online training courses, has started accepting bitcoin payments.

World Bank Report: Bitcoin is a ‘Naturally Occurring’ Ponzi

A recently published World Bank policy research working paper on Ponzi schemes mentions bitcoin as a “naturally occurring Ponzi”, clarifying that it has nothing to do with deliberate Ponzi schemes, as some bitcoin critics have claimed.

Andreessen Horowitz Leads Bitcoin Startup TradeBlock’s $2.8 Million Funding

Online cryptocurrency data and research provider TradeBlock has raised $2.8m in funding as part of a new investment round led by Andreessen Horowitz that also included SecondMarket CEO Barry Silbert, Devonshire Investors and FinTech Collective.