The Bitcoin Blog

A town in Switzerland has begun to accept Bitcoin payments for certain city services. The northern town of Zug decided to allow Bitcoin payments earlier this month for public services as a part of a trial run. The municipality services will be capped at 200 francs worth of Bitcoin, and include services like public utilities. The trial run will extend through the end of 2016, and is intended to assess the long-term economic viability of accepting cryptocurrency for public services. Zug part of “crypto valley” The canton of Zug, where the town of Zug is located, is home to what is known as “crypto valley,” a geographical area home to many Bitcoin and blockchain-based startups. The area profits from a favorable business climate and includes companies prominent in the cryptocurrency world such as Xapo and ShapeShift. Mayor Dolfi Müller says: “We want to express our openness to new technologies…Our goal is to meet their [fi...

The controversies trailing the 2016 budget resurfaced yesterday as it was discovered that the federal government budgeted a whopping N39.41 billion only for the purchase of cars in this fiscal year. The huge sum seems to portray the government as being insincere with its earlier claim that the previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government was wasteful and the All Progressive Congress (APC) government was determined to prune high cost of governance to the barest minimum level. The 2016 budget contains mind- blowing figures which many had said implied that the government had no clear-cut roadmap to re-direct the economy of the country while others dismiss the claim of change as nothing but a ruse. THISDAY checks revealed last night that of the N39.41 billion budgeted for vehicles in 2016 budget, N29.41 billion of them is meant for the purchase of vehicles by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). It was also learnt that N24.38 billion of the N29.41 billion has bee...

The forecast about the impending death of the US Dollar is not a mirage. The following events (some of which have taken place) are great pointers to the fact that somewhere in the horizon the almighty Dollar will have to give way for something better, trusted and viable.  The events are worth emphasis, since each has enormous implications and fallout. Russia  jumped off the Petro-Dollar recycle wagon.  Their entire oil trade will not be kept in US Dollars. Instead, it will be exchanged immediately into Rubles. Expect some to be converted into RMB for their bilateral trade with China. The Russian action is an integral part of the demise of the Petro-Dollar. They react to US-led boycott. The Swiss removed the 120 Euro peg to their Franc currency.  For over three years their central bank had maintained a hoard of paper mache Euro currencies that accumulated perhaps as much as 800 billion Euros. It became unsustainable. They ran a long USDollar trade with ...

The US Dollar! Yes the almighty US Dollar.  I agree there is nothing to be gained celebrating the demise of another entity. But when that entity gradually progresses to the level of a nonentity then of course there is no hard feeling when you celebrate its demise. I have recently been kind of obsessed with the fact that historically all the "big" currencies (Fiat Money) eventually "die" after living out their life span. It has been reported in monetary circles that a new economic system (including new money) emerges after every forty years. This has got me wondering: This mighty dollar that the whole world focuses upon, how did it get to this position of dominance in international trade? How come countries that have strong economic fundamentals still keep the bulk of their reserves in the US Dollar? Is it the result of an unwritten global consensus or is it as a result of higher levels of manipulation whose power is/has now come to an end? The U...

This post is the first in a series of many that will enlighten us about this disrupting technology called Bitcoin. Below is a video that explains bitcoin in its simplest terms, highlighting its birth, the problems it strives to solve, its impact on our lives and its (and our) future. The video explains what bitcoin is to the ordinary man/woman on the street.    Do you want to know more about bitcoin? Send an email to julimbiru2@gmail.com

20. The Rich Love To Read 86 percent of people who turn out to be wealthy also love to read, as opposed to 26 percent of the poor. Jorge Luis Borges, a famous literary author, once imagined that paradise would turn out to be a sort of library. Borges understood much better than most that reading can create joy, a time of peace, the ability to enjoy adventure or exploration or to just a good story. All of these things create a better-rounded, more curious individual, and these are the types of people who tend to attract wealth and success in life. 19. Constantly Improve Knowledge 86 percent of those who are wealthy usually believe in ongoing educational self improvement, versus 5 percent of the poor. According to Bill O’Neill, publisher of Investor’s Business Daily, people who get promoted the most often tend to have a passion for life long learning. “They take responsibility and get things done,” he states. “They read a lot and get books on other CEOs. They also re...

We all know lack of sleep is harmful to our health -- sleep affects mood, increases risk of psychiatric disorders and depression, cardiovascular disease and lowers immune system health. Yet the stress of running a company and long working hours means entrepreneurs often find themselves functioning on little sleep. Evanston, Ill.-based sleep expert Dr. Lisa Shives says getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night is a critical component of entrepreneurs' business success. "Sleep affects our executive function; the area of the brain responsible for decision making, creative thinking, memory and reaction time," says Shives. Follow these seven sleep habits and dream your way to business success:  1. Avoid alcohol before bedtime. While alcohol may help you fall asleep, it will affect the quality of your slumber. "Sleep is lighter, you have less REM (the deepest stage of sleep)," says Shives. Alcohol can also wake you up in the middle of the night. "Many pe...