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July 3, 2015- In This Issue:

  
Europeans Flock to Bitcoin Amid Greek Crisis

As Greece reaches a crisis of epic proportions, many Europeans are looking to put their money elsewhere. In addition to commodities and other government-issued currencies, bitcoin is seeing an uptick in volume.

 

"Volumes in the last 48 hours have been about 300% higher than they have been," said Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of Coinbase, about bitcoin transactions in Europe this week. They are "becoming aware of what it really means to have money in their bank account."

 

The value of bitcoin is up over 10% since Friday, according to the NYSE Bitcoin Index. One bitcoin was valued at $266.24 dollars on Tuesday.

 

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Having My Mind Changed About Bitcoin: How Dr. Shapiro Did It

As I walked around TechCrunch Disrupt NYC recently, I was bombarded with messaging, product demos and pitches.

 

Until I met a young lady who didn't know I was a tech journo. She had one goal, after I announced that "Bitcoin isn't my thing." To change my mind.

 

It didn't matter who I was nor what I did. She saw me as a challenge. To change one mind at a time.

 

And she did it discretely with diplomacy and gentility; almost lovingly. The things she was saying made so much sense and were made in the context of appreciation for innovation while trying to infect me with her passion about Bitcoin.

 

Her name was Melanie Shapiro and she's the founder & CEO of Bitcoin' company, Case Wallet Inc. which is based in Rochester, New York. Case offers what TechCrunch called "an insanely secure Bitcoin hardware wallet."

 

Dr. Shapiro is no slouch. In full possession of an MBA and Ph.D. in Management and Marketing, Shapiro talks excitedly and very genuinely about Bitcoin.


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Blythe Masters to Advice Bitcoin Trade Group

Blythe Masters, the former JPMorgan Chase executive, has joined the advisory board of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, a Bitcoin trade association created to represent the young industry's interests in Washington.

 

Masters sits at the helm of blockchain technology startup Digital Asset Holdings, where she became the CEO in March.

 

The chamber, founded by former journalist and legislative analyst Perianne Boring, "is serving an important role in helping build the regulatory framework for the digital asset community," Masters said in a press release.

 

The investment banking veteran said she would help the group with "advocating polices that promote public trust and confidence in financial infrastructure and fostering the deployment of new technologies to reduce risk and settlement latency." [Editor's note: Masters and Boring will be among the speakers at American Banker's Digital Currencies + the Blockchain event in New York on July 28.]

 

Masters spent 27 years at JPMorgan Chase, where she held a number of leadership positions, most recently as the head of its global commodities unit from 2007 to 2014. She has also been the CFO of its investment bank and held various roles managing credit risk at the megabank.


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UK's Largest Bitcoin Exchange Launches Coinfloor Market

London ' s bitcoin exchange launches the world ' s first exchange-backed peer to peer bitcoin marketplace, connecting consumers and investors with professional bitcoin brokers. 

 

Coinfloor is announcing the launch of the world's first broker based bitcoin marketplace. Coinfloor Market offers UK retail investors and consumers the ability to buy bitcoins and gain exposure to digital currency innovation in a secure environment.

 

The announcement follows an event in London, where Coinfloor met with the UK's top bitcoin brokers in order to further adoption of the currency. The 21 founding members of Coinfloor Market signed a pledge committing to create a safe and accessible marketplace for bitcoin. The resulting Bitcoin Brokers' Agreement closely mirrors the Buttonwood Agreement that formed the foundation of the New York Stock Exchange, which initially faced similar challenges to today's bitcoin marketplaces.

 

Coinfloor CEO, Mark Lamb said, "Our founding members are key to the success of Coinfloor Market. Just as the NYSE was committed to a decentralised network of brokers backed by a centralised exchange, Coinfloor is the first institution in the Bitcoin industry to mirror this proven model."

 

Historically, investors and consumers looking to buy bitcoins in the UK have been deterred by the need to send funds internationally, deal with exchange rate risk and manage their own storage security. Coinfloor simplifies this process for bitcoin buyers by providing a direct and personal interface to a vetted Coinfloor Market Broker with local banking facilities. Prices are streamed directly from Coinfloor Exchange, which has grown to become the world's most liquid bitcoin to Sterling exchange. Bitcoins purchased on Coinfloor Market are automatically stored in Coinfloor's custodianship service which provides 100% cold storage, securing bitcoins with multiple encrypted keys stored in underground vaults.


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