中國挖掘比特幣新疆占 35%,外國投資者:拒買「血幣」
近日除了有「新疆棉」抵制事件,也出現罷買「新疆比特幣」。有大學研究指出,2019 年 10 月至 2020 年 4 月,中國占全球「挖礦」量 65%,新疆挖礦量就占中國 35.76%。
據劍橋大學發表的比特幣電子消息指數(Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index),2019 年 10 月至 2020 年 4 月,中國占全球「挖礦」量 65%,新疆就占了 35.76%。
(Source:Bitcoin Mining Map)
CNBC 報導, 加拿大著名基金經理 Kevin O’Leary 表示,4 月初宣布擬只把 3% 資產配置在比特幣,他表明不會買「中國血幣」,只會購買用潔淨能源開採的 clean coin。他提及當地加密貨幣開採活動由「燃煤能源」支撐,因此他估計很多投資機構都會做同樣抉擇,拒買 Made in China 的比特幣,同時更重視挖掘加密貨幣的可持續發展。
比特幣等加密貨幣特色在於「公開帳本」及可追溯性,只要檢視每單位比特幣帳本及開採活動的 IP 網址,理論上可確認所有比特幣「原產地」,技術上並非不可行。
(本文由 Unwire HK 授權轉載;首圖來源:shutterstock)
用1萬枚比特幣購買兩塊披薩的交易雙方,後續都怎麼了?
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加密貨幣領域的圈內人或多或少都聽說過比特幣披薩日的由來,也對拉斯洛·漢耶茲(Laszlo Hanyecz)這個名字略有耳聞。在很多人眼裡這位在2010年5月用一萬枚比特幣購買兩份披薩的程式設計師是錯過上億元的倒楣鬼,是世上最悲情的吃貨,但現實中,拉斯洛本人似乎完全沒有將隨意花掉價值上億元比特幣這件事放在心上。
可能很多人不瞭解,拉斯洛·漢耶茲是比特幣網路最早使用GPU挖礦的礦工。
對於當時日產上千枚BTC的Laszlo來說,這一萬枚比特幣或許不算什麼。雖然我們不知道這位早期玩家持有多少比特幣,是否有在比特幣大漲時獲利;但每當記者和網友問起 拉斯洛會不會為那10000 BTC感到後悔的時候 「他總是雲淡風輕地說,「不會」。
相較於大部分人以為的懊惱和後悔,拉斯洛更喜歡用有趣來形容這次經歷。「我認為能以這種方式成為比特幣早期歷史的一部分,感覺很不錯」, 2018年拉斯洛接受採訪時說道,「我還在論壇上幫人們提供技術支援,將比特幣帶到MacOS上, 幫助修復系統漏洞等等。我一直推廣人們使用比特幣,用它買披薩只是其中一種方法。沒想到的是,它會變得這樣受歡迎」。
而據說購買披薩並不是拉斯洛唯一一次豪爽花掉大額比特幣的經歷;他曾經在比特幣價格漲至1 美元的時候,將自己手上所有的比特幣賣掉,並以此購置了一台新電腦。
就像拉斯洛沒有因為早期花掉巨額比特幣而後悔, 故事的另一位主人翁,披薩的提供者、那一萬枚比特幣的接收者也沒有因為獲得這筆意外之財而狂喜。
這位當時與拉斯洛同齡的19歲少年傑瑞米·史特迪文特(Jeremy Sturdivant),在獲得這筆比特幣之後沒多久,就 將其兌換為法幣,來了一次說走就走的旅遊; 而剩下的零頭則用來購買電腦遊戲。和拉斯洛相似,傑瑞米沒有將持有比特幣視為投資,他們更傾向於將其當作貨幣在使用。傑瑞米向記者聊起這件往事的時候說,「當時我確實很容易成 為百萬富翁,但我認為在披薩交易時的心態更為重要,不是要獲得一筆投資,而是以貨幣的形式使用它。雖然位於我家附近的商店不接受加密貨幣支付,但我發現自己經常在網路服務中使用BTC」,除此之外,我還在做一些獨立合約工作的時候,選擇比特幣、萊特幣甚至是狗狗幣等等加密貨幣作為結帳手段。
與比特幣的相遇或許沒有讓兩位早期參與者致富;但按照兩人的說法,這次交易給他們的生活帶去了不少的樂趣和驚喜;同時也給為密領域留下了值得紀念和傳頌的故事。
Bitcoin tops $60,000: will we see another 2017-style rally ahead?
Prices of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, bitcoin , regained the $60,000 level on Saturday after trading sideways since the start of the month. At 12.10 pm IST, the digital asset traded at $60,675.87, up 4.5%, while ethereum was 4.7% higher at $2,173.63.
After six-straight months of double-digit returns in bitcoin (BTC), volatility fell in the crypto market over the past few weeks. However, experts say that there are signs of a significant move on the horizon.
During 2017, bitcoin had a low of $777.76 and a high of $19,497.40 during the course of the year. So far this year, the world’s oldest cryptocurrency is up 109%.
Institutional demand and the passing of a $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief package in the US helped lift bitcoin by 30% in March 2021. According to Kraken Intelligence, with April being, on average, the second-best performing month, one could expect bitcoin to finish higher and thus tie for the longest winning streak since the cryptocurrency’s inception.
Historical data indicates that the second quarter of the calendar year is typically a positive yielding quarter for both bitcoin and ethereum. Since 2011, BTC has returned, on average, 256% in 2Q while ETH has returned, on average, 141% when looking as far back as 2016.
With the exception of the second quarter of 2018, bitcoin has always generated a positive return in 2Q and has an average return of 256%.
Given bitcoin’s March-end price of $58,786 and assuming it closes 256% higher in the second quarter of 2021, one could expect it to trade at roughly $209,000 as of 1 July 2021. Using the median second-quarter return of 39.5%, a more appropriate statistical measure, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency would stand at approximately $82,000.
According to Kraken, should we see history repeat and ethereum advances 141% in the second quarter, the price of the world’s second-biggest cryptocurrency would be $4,643. Using the median 2Q return of 71%, this figure would come in at $3,281.
Meanwhile, during March, bitcoin’s steady uptrend resulted in volatility falling nearly 40 percentage points month-on-month to finish the month at 63%, a near three-month low. The lack of market volatility resulted in trading volumes falling 5% and hitting a year-to-date low of roughly $255 billion.
Considering that April is, on average, 21 percentage points more volatile than March and is the second-best performing month behind November, one could expect a resurgence of market volatility to influence bitcoin’s price.
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