Research into the top ten crypto deals in 2017 based on their investment returns (ROI) has revealed that on average each returned over 136,000 percent, according to data shared with Cointelegraph by Crypto Finance Conference (CFC) analysts July 27.

Out of all the crypto projects that raised a minimum of $1 million in 2017, IOTA (MIOTA) clinched a staggering 614,934 percent return for investors, sealing the top spot in the researchers’ rankings.

IOTA is an Internet of Things (IoT)-focused crypto platform that uses a so-called Tangle system. The protocol is different from blockchain, in that it does not use “blocks” or mining, but rather is built upon a directed acyclic graph (DAG) — a topologically ordered system in which different types of transactions run on different chains in the network simultaneously. CFC notes that the project is “expected to reach 75 billion connected devices by 2025.”

In second place is Nxt, a blockchain-powered, decentralized ecosystem that focuses on crowdfunding, governance, cloud services and digital asset exchange. Investors in the project’s native NXT token saw returns of over 500,000 percent.

Open-source blockchain platform Ethereum (ETH) — co-founded by Vitalik Buterin, who has characterized the project’s ambition as nothing short of becoming a “world computer” — ranks third, after bringing over 141,000 percent returns to its investors.

More, https://cointelegraph.com/news/top-10-crypto-deals-in-2017-returned-over-136-000-on-average-report-shows

Ripple sells $73.53 million in XRP amidst low volatility in Q2 2018

$73.53 million XRP sold
Ripple sales volume accounted for 0.125 percent of global XRP volume
Three billion XRP released out of cryptographic escrow, 2.7 billion XRP returned to escrow


In Q2 2018, the company sold $56.66 million XRP programmatically. This represented 0.125 percent, or 12.5 basis points of the total XRP volume traded globally in the second quarter.

In addition, XRP II, LLC — a Ripple subsidiary that is a registered and licensed money service business (MSB) — sold $16.87 million XRP in direct sales. In total, the company sold $73.53 million in Q2.

XRP was notably less volatile in Q2 and XRP’s 9.0 percent price decline was in line with bitcoin’s 8.2 percent decline. Despite the tepid environment, the company’s XRP sales proved to be a drop in the bucket of an XRP market that traded $45.35 billion.

More here, https://ripple.com/insights/q2-2018-xrp-markets-report/

It’s amazing to see a developer of another cryptocurrency commenting good concerning other cryptocurrencies instead of destroying their reputation to boost his/her own coin in the market.

This is no other person but the founder of Litecoin Charlie Lee who has said that he feels less pressure after he had sold all his Litecoins and is now concentrating on building it up.
In a recent news he said that everyone should try and own at least a Bitcoin since it could be a great asset in the future. His reason for selling the Litecoin in his possession is to focus on the development of Litecoin Rather than speculating on its value in the markets.
During the Asian Blockchain Summit held in Taiwan, he granted an interview about Cryptocurrencies, where he said that Bitcoin, litecoin and Xrp could be compared to gold, silver and diamond respectively.

You may want to read the full text here, https://zycrypto.com/charlie-lee-compares-bitcoin-to-gold-litecoin-to-silver-and-xrp-to-diamonds/

The U.S. Supreme Court equates money with freedom of speech. Now, The Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives is trying to determine whether or not Bitcoin is money. If so, should Bitcoin also be equated with freedom of speech?

Discuss.

Bitcoin is actually a widely accepted cryptocurrency on an international level. However, there are some nations that take exception to the risks that it poses, contending that its extremely volatile behavior and decentralized setup are a major threat to the prevailing monetary system. Now, could you share with us these nations that are officially opposed to the usage of Bitcoin within their shores?

After an extended decline, the bottom fishers are usually the buy leaders. This is the first indication that a change in trend is around the corner. For the past few months, Bitcoin’s dominance has been gradually climbing from just under 36 percent in early May to the current value of over 46 percent. This shows that while investors are staying away from the altcoins, they have been accumulating Bitcoin for some time.

So, which are the virtual currencies that are preparing for a rally?

According to Investopedia, Ripple is a technology that acts as both a cryptocurrency and a digital payment network for financial transactions. The coin for the cryptocurrency is pre-mined and labeled XRP. Ripple is more known for its digital payment protocol than its cryptocurrency, XRP. And it operates on an open source and peer-to-peer decentralized platform that allows for a seamless transfer of money in any form, whether USD, Yen, litecoin, or bitcoin.

What do you think of Ripple, guys? Is it the above-mentioned qualities of Ripple that makes it popular? Let's discuss.

A UK police department has sold 295 BTC which they say were legally seized from a drug dealer. The court ordered him to forfeit his crypto stored in a hardware wallet. The police reportedly get to keep 18.8% of the sale proceeds.

"Surrey Police has now become the first UK force to successfully seize bitcoin, convert it into sterling and be granted permission by a court to keep the cash for government and police coffers."

Using “powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act,” Surrey Police seized Teresko’s coins, the CPS revealed.

Citing BTC’s “extreme volatility and the risk of it being moved on or stolen,” the cops applied to the court to seize the coins and convert them into sterling, Surrey Live described. They convinced the judge that “bitcoin was a real thing that could be seized,” the news outlet wrote.

The CPS explained that it “applied to have the restrained bitcoins converted into pounds. The 295 bitcoins were then sold by Surrey Police through an approved bitcoin exchange.”

According to the Financial Times, the police “set up its own bitcoin wallet and then used an offshore exchange to transfer and convert” the seized BTC. The proceeds were then “transferred to a police bank account,” the publication added:

"Surrey Police gets to keep 18.8 percent of the proceeds of Teresko’s crimes — about £273,000 — which the force can use to top up its operating budget."

Do you think what the Government (the Police) did here is proper?  One commenter says, "Government can make illegal cash to legal but we can't do any illegal business. Just the rules... If the government does, its fair and justice, if any other does the same, they are criminals."

You may want to read the full story here, https://news.bitcoin.com/uk-police-seized-btc/