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Weekend Roundup from Cointelegraph

To say these are unprecedented times is an understatement. Global Central Banks are using every single monetary policy tool at their disposal to try and fight the forces of deflation and this has resulted in currency wars. In fact, 15 central banks have eased monetary policy in one way or another this year. Since this is a global economy each move made has far reaching affects upon all nations and their abilities to control the imbalances being caused by central bank brute force.

Ross Ulbricht – the man who 12 strangers recently deemed to be rightful property of the state – is set to spend the rest of his otherwise productive life in a cage. But if you’re interested in the future of cryptocurrency, whether or not Ross really ran the successful Silk Road website is beside the point.

The 2014 Survey of Bitcoin Polling, was released earlier this week by the Bitcoin Knowledge, Use, and Opinion (BitKOU) project. The report suggests that lower-income populations are more likely to adopt Bitcoin, and recommends greater effort on building knowledge and trust among general publics.

A decentralized exchanged called BitSquare has launched a campaign on the decentralized crowdfunding app Lighthouse. Its campaign is simultaneously an example of how powerful decentralized crowdfunding is, and how difficult running a successful campaign is.

Bitcoin Daily Digest about bitcoin friendly marijuana dispensers, ‘Bitcoin Credit-Checks’, Bitcoin performance 2014, Coinbase in North Carolina, gold and maybe bitcoin are only safe long term investments, Android Bitcoin Wallet, Peter Todd, GPG maintainer Werner Koch, Overstock’s decentralized stock market project, Ripple and Stellar

In perhaps one of the more surprising interview statements from the banking industry, ex-CEO of UBS and Credit Suisse Oswald Gruebel has openly voiced his support for Bitcoin and distrust of fiat currency.

Some of the folks at BitPay have just released the stats of 2014’s Bitcoin performance – the numbers that get less fanfare than the price, but are no less indicative of the currency’s prospects.

A group of computer science students and professors from Trinity College Dublin are working on some interesting Bitcoin projects. In an attempt to tackle and reduce fraud, they are combing the blockchain in search of patterns.

Both bitcoin and cannabis history was made in Seattle as the first vending machines to dispense marijuana debuted Tuesday.

Ross Ulbricht found guilty at Silk Road trial, New York’s BitLicense bill re-emerges after public consultation, Italy clarifies Bitcoin’s legal status, BitPay claims over 100,000 merchants now accept Bitcoin, and a lot more that happened on February 4.

A new bill proposed in New Hampshire could obligate the state treasury to draw up plans to accept Bitcoin as payment for taxes.

Italy’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), an organ of the Central Bank in charge of combating money laundering and terrorist financing, issued a statement warning digital currency businesses to stay vigilant regarding suspicious activities due to the lack of AML/KYC requirements for Italian companies.

Ross Ulbricht is the man behind the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts”, known to be the creator and owner of the digital black market Silk Road. On February 4, 2015, he was found guilty on all seven federal charges, and faces up to a lifetime in prison.

After an initial 90-day public comment period, New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has released the latest edition of its BitLicense proposals.

In the run up to his appearance at the Virtual Crypto Summit, Cointelegraph spoke to Roger Ver who said 2015 will be the year Bitcoin integrates with the traditional finance system, the Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF probably won’t be the first and more.

Education and bitcoin seem to be on a roll. First, there was Canada’s McGill University students receiving free bitcoins and bitcoin education. Next, there was a Princeton professor giving free Bitcoin classes in a virtual classroom.

Jon Matonis and Roger Ver on the solutions Bitcoin offers to the gaming industry, Bitreserve’s Halsey Minor announces new customer, and ‘decentralized gaming’ with Credits.

Darkleaks’ black market for data, Inside Bitcoins coming to Berlin, 600 merchants in Austria started selling Bitcoin over night, BitPay partnering with Adyen, and much more news that happened on February 4.

Chinese exchange OKCoin is looking to develop a stronger community and will be multiplying initiatives both locally and on social media to raise Bitcoin awareness and promote its brand within the industry, Emily Shanahan, international marketing manager at OKCoin, told Cointelegraph.

Large European companies may eye Bitcoin as an option for securing their data and keeping it private from the United States, reports the Logistics Viewpoints blog.

The operator of Austria’s first Bitcoin ATM, Coinfinity, has unveiled a voucher scheme enabling Bitcoin to be purchased from over 600 merchants nationwide.

Continuing the largest Bitcoin event series worldwide, Inside Bitcoins is headed to Berlin March 5-6, 2015 with Cointelegraph as the official media sponsor.

The future of the African economy is closely connected to digital money. The potential and opportunities of using cryptocurrencies on the continent will be the focus of a special event, organized by ON21 in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Center, where thought leaders in entrepreneurship, finance, and nascent digital currency systems will gather in New York City on February 4.

Another week, another chance to catch up with the best Cointelegraph news in the most entertaining of ways thanks to MadBitcoins.

The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) announces new digital currency features, including the so-called “World of Bitcoin” exhibit showcase, at industry’s major event, Transact 15.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation just released the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B. It features 1 GB of RAM and will perform “at least 6x” faster than the previous model, the B+. It sells for about US$35 and can be bought for bitcoin.

Facebook, Spotify, and Airbnb are among thousands of merchants who may accept Bitcoin after Bitpay’s integration with giant payment processor Adyen.

Andreas Antonopoulos blocked from being an expert witness at the Silk Road trial, Bitpay proposes new protocol to create zero-confirmation instant payments, Capetown to host first Afircan Bitcoin conference and much more news that happened on February 2.

Swedish Bitcoin mining outfit KnCMiner has announced closure of a US$15million series B funding round led by Accel Partners, as well as existing and private investors.