Bitcoin has surged despite a split among users. Benoit Tessier / Reuters
Bitcoin has surged despite a split among users. Benoit Tessier / Reuters

Bitcoin surges to record as split fails to ruffle feathers



Bitcoin extended gains to a record, ignoring a split in the cryptocurrency over its future.

The digital exchange rate jumped as much as 16 per cent from Friday to an unprecedented US$3,292.41, even after bitcoin’s division last week. The debate has revolved around how to upgrade its underlying technology, with a group of developers backing a solution called SegWit2x against miners - some of whom have created an offshoot called Bitcoin Cash - who want to increase the size of data blocks more drastically.

“The miner-orchestrated hard fork has had limited traction and will not impact the price or future development of bitcoin,” said Aurelien Menant, the chief executive  of Gatecoin, a cryptocurrency exchange in Hong Kong, referring to the split. “The activation of SegWit is a significant milestone in bitcoin’s technological evolution.”

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Read more:

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UAE investors caught up in Bitcoin and Bar Works financial scams

Bitcoin: to invest or not?

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At the heart of the dispute is an issue that has dogged bitcoin’s development: as its popularity grew, transactions slowed because of a cap on the amount of data processed by the blockchain. Under SegWit2x, some of that data will be moved off the main network while block sizes will be doubled to 2 megabytes in November - a quarter of that for Bitcoin Cash. While the first step of SegWit2x has been locked in and the technology will probably be adopted at some point in August, infighting could disrupt the transition.

The price of Bitcoin Cash has plummeted 62 per cent from a record high reached last week to $274, CoinMarketCap data show, bolstering the appeal of its older cousin. For now, Bitcoin Cash still pales in comparison to the original asset: the former has a capitalisation of $4 billion, compared with the latter’s $53bn, according to CoinMarketCap.

“The scaling debate is not over yet,” Ms Menant added. “The promised 2 MB block size increase due in November in accordance with the SegWit2x agreement may still be rejected by certain stakeholders.”

* Bloomberg

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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The specs

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Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm

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Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)

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Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

* JP Morgan Private Bank 

The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5


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