The most popular and least popular Bitcoin companies in 2015

If you look at the outlook for Bitcoin at the end of 2014, you will definitely be disappointed: some people believe that "investing in Bitcoin is one of the worst investments in 2014", and some people speculate that " the legend of investing in Bitcoin may end in 2015";

However, if we look at the outlook for Bitcoin at the end of 2015, we will definitely feel excited : some people lament that "Bitcoin has made a comeback to become the strongest currency", while others bluntly say that " Bitcoin will continue to be favorable in 2016."

People always say, "Time will give the best answer."

On the occasion of the New Year, OKCoin, the world's largest Bitcoin trading platform by trading volume, launches the 2015 Bitcoin industry red and black list to review Bitcoin's 2015 with you .

l   Blacklist:

1. Bitcoin got off to a bad start at the beginning of the new year ( January 2015 )

At the beginning of the year, Bitcoin continued to fall. On January 14 , Bitcoin experienced a shocking straight-down process, falling 25% in 20 minutes and falling below the previously maintained $200 mark, which also brought the price of Bitcoin to its lowest price in 15 months. At the same time, the Chinese Bitcoin market also experienced drastic fluctuations, and the price of Bitcoin once fell below 1,000 yuan.

The rapid decline in Bitcoin prices was both a result of reduced market confidence and, in turn, further reduced market confidence, which caused Bitcoin prices to remain sluggish throughout the first half of 2015, before recovering at the end of the year.

2. Bitcoin extortion virus targets “rich people” ( May 2015 )

A Bitcoin extortion virus called " CTB-Locker" has spread explosively at home and abroad. The virus encrypts user computer files remotely and extorts ransom from users. User files can only be opened after the ransom is paid. Anti-virus experts said that the virus cannot be cracked at home and abroad at present, and the only way is to pay 3 Bitcoins to the other party.

According to foreign media reports, the originator of the virus is Russian hacker Bogachev, who is wanted by the FBI for the highest bounty for cyber criminals and has not yet been brought to justice.

Although Bitcoin has nothing to do with the virus itself, it has once again become an accomplice to crime in the form of ransom. The same situation also occurred in the kidnapping case of Hong Kong tycoon Huang Yukun, when the kidnappers also demanded a ransom in "Bitcoin".

Obviously, Bitcoin's privacy and high liquidity in the black market have attracted criminals. Just as pornographic websites that wander on the edge of morality once promoted Internet technology innovation, hackers and lawbreakers wandering on the edge of the law are also invisibly promoting the popularization of Bitcoin. However, such "popularization" has seriously reduced the reputation of Bitcoin in the minds of the government and the public...

3. New York State releases final version of BitLicense regulatory framework ( June 2015 )

In the early morning of June 4 , the New York Department of Financial Services ( NYDFS ) released the final version of the digital currency company regulatory framework BitLicense .

The regulatory framework cannot become law until the bill is published in the New York State Register. This version of the Bitlicense was officially launched after nearly two years of investigation and debate.

The agency's director later explained that approval is not required for every software update or venture capital investment in a business, and that the bill only applies to "financial intermediary" companies, not software providers.

Government regulation has always been the sword of Damocles hanging over Bitcoin, which may make some non-governmentalists unhappy. However, given the current situation, regulation is inevitable, and in the regulatory trend throughout 2015, the government's attitude is obviously much friendlier than in 2014. We all know that accepting new things always takes a process, especially for those subversive new things, this process will be even longer. The tortuous process cannot cover up the bright future. Since the road is still there, why not keep going?

4. CEO of the largest Bitcoin trading platform was arrested for alleged embezzlement ( August 2015 )

On August 1, Japanese police arrested Mark Kalple, former CEO of Mt. Gox, the largest Bitcoin trading platform , on suspicion of being involved in a series of business frauds.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Kalple is suspected of accessing Mt. Gox's computer system "without permission" in February 2013 and manipulating data to increase his cash account by approximately $1 million.

Previously, the company announced on February 28, 2014 that it had filed for bankruptcy protection at the Tokyo District Court in Japan. The reason for the bankruptcy was that 850,000 bitcoins on the platform were stolen due to system defects and hacker attacks, resulting in a loss of approximately $467 million . Now it seems that there is another reason.

Does Bitcoin, which advocates freedom, have a place for dictatorship? We often regard people who believe in Bitcoin as revolutionaries who advocate freedom, but we all know that a fortress is most easily breached from the inside...

5. Bitcoin and money laundering scandal ( late 2015 )

As a digital currency, Bitcoin has always been entangled with rumors of money laundering. After a year of silence, at the end of 2015, two things pushed such rumors to the forefront of public opinion.

Event 1: After the Paris terrorist attack, an anonymous hacker group called GhostSec claimed that its members found a Bitcoin wallet in the hands of IS on the IS network , which contained Bitcoin worth about 3 million US dollars.

Event 2: The pyramid scheme organization MMM used Bitcoin for transactions. It was found that nearly 2.9 million Bitcoins were traded in the exposed Bitcoin account of MMM alone . Based on a rough calculation based on the current price of 2,500 yuan per Bitcoin , its total value exceeds 7 billion yuan.

These two incidents can't help but remind people of the banned anonymous online black market, Silk Road , which used Bitcoin for illegal transactions.

In the future, the entanglement between digital currency and money laundering may continue...

l   Red list:

1. New York Stock Exchange launches Bitcoin Index NYXBT ( May 2015 )

On May 19, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced the official launch of the NYSE Bitcoin Index (NYXBT) , which is the world's first known Bitcoin index calculated and published by a stock exchange.

It is reported that the current price data of the NYSE Bitcoin Index comes from Coinbase, a San Francisco Bitcoin exchange . The NYSE said it will continue to review other Bitcoin exchanges to see if they meet the criteria for entering the index.

In addition, earlier this year, Nasdaq, the world's largest stock exchange, also made its first foray into the Bitcoin field, announcing a partnership with Bitcoin startup Noble Markets.

Today, Wall Street, as the global financial center, is increasingly interested in Bitcoin, which may bring Bitcoin to the mainstream.

2. Bitcoin becomes a commodity in the US ( September 2015 )

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) released a document on September 17 , which for the first time reasonably defined Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as commodities, classifying them on an equal footing with crude oil or wheat. This means that Bitcoin futures and options must comply with CFTC regulations and be regulated, and trading activities must comply with all commodity derivatives market rules.

If there is any improper behavior such as market manipulation, the CFTC will be able to punish it. If you want to operate a bitcoin derivatives trading platform, then the company needs to register, just like CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) does.

Bitcoin has been officially recognized by the United States, the world's largest economy. Even though this recognition will create certain obstacles for the industry at the regulatory level, we still firmly believe that this is of great significance to the long-term development of the industry.

3. EU Court of Justice rules that Bitcoin transactions will be exempt from VAT ( October 2015 )

On October 22 , the European Court of Justice ruled that transactions in Bitcoin and other virtual currencies will be exempt from value-added tax ( VAT ). Europe's highest judicial body believes that Bitcoin and other alternative currencies should be treated the same as traditional currencies.

This decision is a major victory for the Bitcoin trading community, because it means that they will not have to pay taxes on virtual currency transactions in the future, which lays the foundation for low-cost Bitcoin transactions within the EU. Most importantly, Bitcoin has received the same treatment as traditional currencies, at least in terms of value-added tax.

4. Bitcoin price breaks 3,000 yuan mark again after one year ( November 2015 )

The market data of Bitcoin trading platform OKCoin shows that after rising all the way, the price of Bitcoin broke the 3,000 yuan mark again on November 4 after a year. The highest price of the day reached 3,350 yuan per unit, setting a new high since September last year.

As we all know, Bitcoin became famous in 2013 due to its explosive speculation, and the price of Bitcoin reached 8,000 yuan per coin that year. However, due to the crackdown by Chinese regulators, the price of Bitcoin fell sharply, and even fell below 1,000 yuan per coin at the beginning of this year .

For many Bitcoin players, they seem to have experienced as much joy as pain. After the price of Bitcoin hit the bottom at the beginning of this year, the rebound near the end of the year is particularly exciting. Blockchain technology is valued and government regulation is becoming more friendly. The price rebound at the end of this year seems to be just the beginning. Many analysts believe that the price of Bitcoin will continue to rise in 2016.

Our ambition is still there, our passion is still strong, let’s set off again in 2016!

5. Bitcoin’s real developer and operator exposed ( December 2015 )

On December 8, the US magazine Wired said that "Satoshi Nakamoto" is actually a fake name, and the real developer and operator of Bitcoin is Craig Steven Wright, a 45-year-old Australian information security expert. The magazine said that they came to this conclusion through several pieces of evidence: for example, the IP address of Wright's email is the same as the IP address of "Satoshi Nakamoto" in the past ; for another example, they analyzed several articles Wright had written on his blog in the past and concluded that he developed Bitcoin...

In addition, the US magazine Newsweek claimed in March last year that a 64-year-old Japanese-American named "Satoshi Nakamoto" at birth was the inventor of Bitcoin, but this was denied by the person involved.

Bitcoin, which boasts anonymity, and the inventor of Bitcoin, whose real identity is difficult to identify, seem to be a match made in heaven. In fact, what does the real identity of the inventor of Bitcoin matter to Bitcoin enthusiasts? This curiosity actually reflects a common psychological state among Bitcoin enthusiasts - doubt. Is Bitcoin a conspiracy of a group of people? Will Bitcoin fail under the crackdown or regulation of the government? What is the future of Bitcoin? Perhaps the rumored father of Bitcoin is the person most likely to give the answer to the above questions. But in fact, the answer is already in the heart of every Bitcoin believer...

We were glorious in 2013 , we were confused in 2014, and we regained our confidence in 2015.

2016 ? Difficulties may still exist, but they are just footnotes to the dream.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…

For those who have ideals, the world is theirs.