South Korea taking steps to ban Bitcoin. The news shining a light on regulation of cryptocurrency, and ways government can and would step in. InfoTech's President and CEO Matti Kon explains the need for regulation for potential dangers in this space.
Kon explains that governments cracking down on the crypto space is not a new thing. What is different in this case is the amount of power and weight South Korea holds in the field. The obsession with cryptocurrency has hit strikingly high numbers. This meant the crypto industry took a hit after the South Korea news.
South Korea also has a high unemployment rate. For some in the country, the obsession spilled into an opportunity to bring in revenue.
On the negative side of crypto trading, Kon explains that cryptocurrencies do have ties to the dark web and dark activity. Cryptocurrency is helping to fund crime around the world.
James Whitley, Core Contributor at cypher, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the underlying factors that support a bounce-back for Bitcoin despite the token's recent slump.
Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, and one company says it has a solution. Runwise says it has updated the boiler and heating systems of thousands of buildings, and that its technology not only lowers carbon output but also saves landlords money. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder and COO of Runwise, joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Following sales tech startup Scratchpad raising $33 million in Series B Funding, CEO and co-founder Pouyan Salehi joined Cheddar to discuss how his company's software works to help salespeople with an all-in-one workspace, integrating with Salesforce to optimize notes, spreadsheets, and other relevant information so businesses can forecast and make the best decisions. "If you look at other crafts like artists, they'll have studios; chefs, they'll have kitchens; scientists will have labs, and we just asked, well, if you look at sales as a craft, why doesn't something exist that is designed solely for a salesperson?" Salehi said about his workspace app.
Google could be gearing up to release its own wearable device as rumors swirl about a potential smartwatch with the Pixel brand. Jon Prosser, the creator of Front Page Tech, who tweeted a possible leak about the product, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to discuss potential the benefits of it entering the same space as the Apple Watch. Prosser said, while he doesn't expect it to launch until at least 2023, the Pixel Watch will be "one of the most vital, most important wearables that we can have on the market," noting that it won't likely challenge Apple for much market share but will set the standard for other Android wearables to come.
Members of Congress have voted to advance a bill meant to address antitrust concerns related to tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. The 'American Innovation and Choice Online Act' is largely seen as one of the best chances for the government to reign in Big Tech's dominance
Seth Schachner, Managing Director StratAmericas; Digital Business Executive joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The Federal Reserve released its highly-anticipated research weighing the pros and cons of a digital dollar in the U.S. The report comes as economic rivals like china have already piloted their own central bank digital currencies. Edward Moya, Senior Market Analyst, The Americas, Oanda, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Verizon and AT&T officially launched their 5G wireless services Wednesday across the U.S. Despite pushback from U.S. airlines and the FAA over safety concerns, the telecom giants rolled out the next generation of wireless cellular technology, with speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G LTE. John Biggs, Editor, Tech Crunch joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
