Home invaders used machete, Toblerone to rob a man of his Bitcoin

September 3, 2024 Coin Telegraph

NFT artist raises $140K for cancer support charity

September 29, 2023 Coin Telegraph

NFT artist raises 0K for cancer support charity

The funds raised from the event will help 4,000 people impacted by cancer and locals who need immediate and vital support.

A nonfungible token (NFT) artist raised nearly $140,000 (114,000 British pounds) from an art event in Edinburgh, Scotland to support cancer treatment.

Maggie’s Edinburgh — an institution dedicated to free cancer treatment — received 114,000 pounds from Trevor Jones, a popular crypto artist from Scotland, who raised funds at a charity exhibition and auction at an annual Web3 Castle Party near Paris.

According to Maggie’s Edinburgh Fundraising, the funds collected by Jones amounted to the highest single donation from an art event recorded in the Edinburgh Center’s 27-year history. A spokesperson representing Maggie’s Edinburgh attributed the success to “the support and enthusiasm of the NFT art community.”

*Cancer patient (right) being able to live a normal life owing to philanthropic initiatives. Source: maggies.org*

The total money raised from the fundraiser will go toward helping 4,000 people impacted by cancer and locals who need vital support. The exhibition held at Château de Vallery near Paris saw participation from 30 artists. Speaking about the event, Jones stated:

“The funds raised (from NFT artists) will make a huge difference and will go to support services for those affected by a cancer diagnosis — patients and their families. This is certainly a wonderful way to remember such a beloved artist, also taken by this disease.”

Ever since NFTs got mainstream attention in 2021, the sub-ecosystem has helped the community contribute to several philanthropic initiatives.

From supporting mental health and protecting war victims to aiding the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) initiatives, NFT and cryptocurrency investors have contributed to helping global society.

Moreover, the United States Federal Election Commission approved using NFTs as a campaign fundraising incentive last year. Major brands, such as Coca-Cola and the Singapore Red Cross, and government bodies have previously opted for NFT and crypto donations to fuel various philanthropic initiatives.

Magazine: Blockchain detectives: Mt. Gox collapse saw birth of Chainalysis

UK forms Bitcoin Policy org to boost BTC education and adoption

April 13, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Bank of England

A Bitcoin-only policy organization in the United Kingdom seeks to steer a course for greater levels of Bitcoin adoption.

God save our gracious coin, long live the coin. A team of entrepreneurs, environmentalists and Bitcoin (BTC) advocates have assembled to back Bitcoin in Britain.

The Bitcoin Policy U.K. (BPUK) unites stakeholders, policymakers, environmentalists, tax specialists, Bitcoin experts and miners to “Unlock the potential of Bitcoin” in Britain, and explore how the decentralized currency’s burgeoning industry could benefit U.K. households, businesses, and communities.

The BPUK’s primary objectives are to drive investment, both generate and prepare students for the Bitcoin jobs of the future, raise awareness and education, while also exploring the use of wasted and stranded energy resources for Bitcoin mining.

Head of policy, Freddie New, told Cointelegraph that “The genesis of this project was the Bitcoin Collective Conference in Edinburgh.” The Bitcoin Collective conference was the U.K.’s largest Bitcoin conference, taking place in the autumn 2022.

*Bitcoin advocates Natalie Brunell, Lawrence Lepard, Greg Foss and Jeff Booth on stage at the Bitcoin Collective in 2022. Source: Bitcoin Collective*

New told Cointelegraph via email that most of the team had been working on Bitcoin advocacy in one way or another before the conference, "But coming together like this will enable us to formalize these efforts and focus on three key related areas." He continued:

“Getting clear and correct information on Bitcoin to policymakers and regulators, highlighting the environmental and sustainability benefits of the mining industry, and collating and providing educational resources for the next generation of Bitcoiners.”

Some of the advisers and board members are familiar to Cointelegraph readers. Author and journalist DecentraSuze, whose son recently introduced Bitcoin to the classroom, is a director, while Jordan Walker, co-founder of the UK Bitcoin Collective, and Mark Morton are advisers. Morton's Bitcoin mining company, Scilling Digital Mining, was featured in a recent Cointelegraph mini-documentary:

Walker told Cointelegraph that the BPUK is an important piece of the collective puzzle to drive Bitcoin education in the U.K.:

"It’s time for the UK to step up when it comes to embracing new technologies such as Bitcoin otherwise we risk getting left behind."

New told Cointelegraph that the BPUK is not-for-profit. To operate, it hopes to raise funds through the community, tapping into the growing trend of funding projects with Satoshis, or small amounts of BTC, via the Lightning Network, a layer-2 instant payment solution built atop Bitcoin.

Part of the team’s mission is to locate and harness renewable, wasted, or stranded energy across the U.K., New explained.

“We're working […] To identify potential sites for sustainable mining, and our aim is to develop some small mining installations to use as 'proof of concept' sites.

He continued with the plan: "We can then invite British policymakers to these sites so they can see mines in action and hopefully understand more about the industry's potential to mitigate vented methane, provide demand response for renewable grids, or simply act as a customer for energy that is otherwise wasted.”

*The bagpiper procession that brought the Bitcoin Collective conference to a close. Source: YouTube*

The U.K. has burgeoning renewable energy sources but lacks in hash rate (a measure of the Bitcoin protocol’s security). According to the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance, the U.K. supports 0.23% of the global monthly hash rate, compared to the U.S.'s 37.84%.

This is partly due to electricity costs in the U.K. exceeding that of the U.S. and Asia, but also due to Bitcoin mining awareness, or a lack thereof in the U.K. Moreover, legacy media platforms have taken aim at the Bitcoin mining industry in recent years — the Guardian critiqued Bitcoin as "digital beef" instead of "digital gold."

*A heat map of the monthly Bitcoin Mining hashrate. The U.K. is light orange, at 0.23%. Source: CCAF*

The BPUK highlights that in light of the U.K.’s departure from the European Union, it could develop a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency regime separate from that of MiCA in Europe. The European Parliamentary Committee on Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA), may threaten Bitcoin mining on the continent.

BPUK cofounder, Krista Edmunds, took inspiration from El Salvador’s decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. Edmunds explained:

"The U.K. has an immense opportunity to become one of the first jurisdictions globally to embrace Bitcoin. We have seen what is possible in El Salvador, which is experiencing huge gains due to its forward-thinking approach to Bitcoin. The U.K. can secure a similar competitive advantage, and we hope to support the British people in making that happen."

On the governmental side, the policy group will have an opportunity to educate and inform. Lisa Cameron, a Member of Parliament and Chairperson of The Crypto and Digital Assets All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), told Cointelegraph in an interview last year: “We are on a learning curve and it’s just very, very important because the U.K. government has a policy vision that the U.K. will become an international hub of cryptocurrency and digital assets.” She added that there was some confusion surrounding Bitcoin, CBDCs and cryptocurrency.

*Cointelegraph's Joe Hall speaks to MP Lisa Cameron in Edinburgh.*

As a Bitcoin-only organization, director New explains that, ultimately, the BPUK seeks to “make sure that Bitcoin is included in the government's proposals, if not at the front and center."

LinksDAO wins bid to buy its first golf course, says CEO

March 17, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Adam Besvinick

The successful bid comes a month after 88.6% of LinksDAO token holders voted in favor of putting in a “compelling offer” for the golf course in its governance vote.

The decentralized autonomous organization (DAO)-operated golf startup, LinksDAO is primed to become the new owner of the Spey Bay Golf Club in Scotland after successfully winning a bid to buy the course initially listed for just over $900,000.

After winning the bid, the DAO has entered into an exclusivity agreement with the vendor and will look to formally close the deal in early April.

We won the bid.

WE'RE BUYING A GOLF COURSE!!!
— Links (@LinksDAO) March 16, 2023

In the meantime, the DAO is undergoing its “due diligence” phase before it officially puts pen to paper, CEO Jim Daily said in a Twitter Spaces eveon March 16.

While the initial listing was a tick over $900,000, a report from Golf Digest suggested the final sale price is expected to be higher. Links CEO Daily said that they’re not planning on revealing the purchase price until the contract is signed.

LinksDAO put in the highest offer over “several other potential buyers,” the report added.

LinksDAO — self-described as a “global group of golf enthusiasts” that is on a mission to build the “world’s greatest golf community” — put in the bid following a community vote that saw 88.6% of 4,300 LinksDAO members vote in favor of putting in an offer.

If the deal closes, it would be the DAO’s first golf course purchase.

We've entered into an exclusivity agreement to purchase Spey Bay Golf Course on the Moray coast of northern Scotland! Thank you to @GolfDigest for covering the purchase. Read more https://t.co/rAcfrvJsIe
— Links (@LinksDAO) March 16, 2023

The DAO is still “working through the details” of the course membership structure and hasn’t confirmed what benefits would be provided to LinksDAO token holders who wish to access the golf course.

As for the state of the golf course right now, Besvinick described it as “playable.”

“It’s good, it’s going to be getting a lot better soon and we think it’s going to be great by this time or springtime next year.”

If the deal is closed, Besvinick said that the DAO would keep the course open until it starts renovations.

Links is seeking advice from several architects to remodel the golf course, because it has “suffered from weather and erosion issues over recent decades,” head of strategy Adam Besvinick explained in the Twitter Spaces.

“Improved maintenance will elevate this site significantly,” he added.

Daily and Besvinick explained in its community proposal to purchase the course that the high ceiling to low price ratio of the Scottish course made it “too special to ignore.”

“Even a price triple the ‘guide price’ would be cheaper than most mediocre courses we have assessed thus far in the U.S.”

Cointelegraph reached out to Links for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

The UK’s largest Bitcoin conference comes to Scotland

July 12, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

Over 800 attendees are set to attend the United Kingdom’s largest international Bitcoin conference in Edinburgh, Scotland on Oct. 21.

The bear market won’t scuttle Bitcoin’s (BTC) adoption plans in the United Kingdom. From Oct. 21–22 this year, internationally recognized Bitcoin experts, authors and content creators will take part in the United Kingdom’s largest Bitcoin conference to date.

Organized by the Bitcoin Collective, a newly formed Bitcoin company, and in partnership with Bitcoin and crypto exchange OKX, the event takes place at the Assembly Rooms on Edinburgh’s George Street.

*Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city. Source: Telegraph.co.uk*

Jordan Walker, CEO of the Bitcoin Collective, told Cointelegraph, “the conference is solely Bitcoin related, as this is our focus as we aim to inform and educate the collective.” In the press release, Walker added:

“However, it’s not about buying or investing in Bitcoin, that’s a whole different discussion. Our focus is on education, so make sure to bring a notebook and pen!”

Speakers include Jeff Booth, author of The Price of Tomorrow, Greg Foss, Validus Power Corp strategist, Natalie Brunell, host of Coin Stories, and Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3. Booth told Cointelegraph that he’s “excited to meet fellow Bitcoiners and others just starting their journey in Scotland:”

“With a protocol level technology such as Bitcoin emerging and the confusion around it and what it means for the future, in-person events such as the Edinburgh conference are critical in broadening the awareness that Bitcoin is for everyone.’

The conference upholds education, community, inclusivity and open dialogue as defining principles. According to Haider Rafique, chief marketing officer at OKX, the conference “is just what the Bitcoin industry in the UK needs—the community itself rising up to say this is what we’re about, and this is why you should care.”

*The conference venue, the Assembly Rooms on George Street. Source: Google*

As Walker makes clear in the Bitcoin Collective podcast, the conference should serve as a catalyst for Bitcoin adoption in Scotland, while it “aims to capture as many diverse participants as possible both on and off the stage.” Bitcoin Collective operations director Lucy-Rose Walker explained that “Bitcoin is for all, and does not differentiate between gender, race or religion.”

Scotland’s capital, affectionately known as “Auld Reekie” to locals, is Scotland’s second-largest city. With a population of almost 500,000, it makes it slightly smaller than Glasgow. But, it more than compensates in history, architecture and music. Edinburgh attracts more cultural and historical events than Glasgow, including the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Hogmanay (among the world’s largest New Year’s celebrations).

There were fledgling signs of Bitcoin adoption in Edinburgh throughout 2021, although the conference would hope to make waves in terms of nationwide adoption. Across the border in England, grassroots adoption stories are spreading while the Isle of Man — a British Crown Dependency — is fast becoming a “Bitcoin Island.”

British Bitcoiners feature among the speakers as Peter McCormack, podcaster behind What Bitcoin Did, Allen Farrington, author of Bitcoin is Venice, and Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner, have been announced as speakers to date. The conference is the inaugural Bitcoin Collective conference, with locations for the following years yet to be announced.

Pensioners Pay Scottish Roofing Company in Cryptocurrency

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Scottish Music School Now Supports Crypto Payments for Tuition

March 31, 2021 Bitcoin.com

Scottish music school accepts cryptocurrency as payment for lessons

March 30, 2021 Coin Telegraph

Bitcoin Payments

An Edinburgh music school will begin to accept tuition payments in the form of cryptocurrency.

A Scottish music school will begin accepting cryptocurrency for tuition payments following demand from students, it was announced this week. The Morningside School of Music in Edinburgh said it was responding to suggestions from adult pupils in the school, many of whom now work in the city’s burgeoning fintech sector.

Morningside’s director, Linda Boyd, said the school had previously used cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) to make business purchases and could see the utility in accepting it as a form of payment.

She said, “We sometimes use things like Bitcoin to pay for goods for the school, so we know how fast and easy it is and want our music students to be able to do the same.”

Boyd said the school’s decision to accept cryptocurrency was an example of a small business following the recent example set by large businesses, adding that it simply represented a viable alternative payment method.

“Some larger companies across the world are already doing this, so it’s just a matter of time before smaller businesses like ours start doing the same. It’s just about giving our customers another way of paying and making life easier for them.”

Boyd referenced the capital city’s growing fintech industry, noting that many requests for the school to accept cryptocurrency came from people working in that industry.

“Edinburgh’s got a big fintech industry and many of our pupils work or study in that sector, so for them this is a perfectly natural way to pay,” Boyd said.

The financial technology industry has been on an upward trajectory in Edinburgh since 2019. FinTech Scotland, which operates in conjunction with Edinburgh University, was recently awarded a 22.5 million euro ($30.9 million) grant to establish a Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence in the city, in recognition of its status as a prominent national fintech cluster.

Boyd said cryptocurrency payments for a range of goods and services would become commonplace in the near future.

“Cryptocurrency is here to stay and will eventually become a routine way for people to pay for services of all descriptions,” she said.

Scotland

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