5 Top Crypto News Stories of 2018

A year ago, bitcoin bulls and analysts were riding high as prices surged. Some hoped that the cryptocurrency would reach US$50,000 — but alas, that turned out to be a pipe dream.

The digital currency was sitting at around US$17,838 this time last year, and since then it has dropped down to about US$4,000 to the delight of bitcoin skeptics and gold bulls like Peter Schiff.

The likes of ripple, ethereum and more have suffered the same fate. But even though these bubbles have popped, many still believe that cryptocurrencies and blockchain are the way of the future.

Let’s start by reviewing where we’ve been this year to get a glimpse of how the industry unfolded. Over the last 12 months, the Investing News Network has written countless crypto-related stories. Continue reading to see the five crypto news stories that received the most attention from our audience this year. If you missed them when they were first published, check them out now.

1. Goldman Sachs-backed Circle Launches its Own Cryptocurrency

Our top crypto news article of the year is this piece on Circle’s launch of its own cryptocurrency. Circle is backed by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), among other large investors, and it released its coin in May of this year. The coin is tied to the US dollar, which Circle says is a vital component that differentiates it from other cryptocurrencies on the market. Why is this important? Continue reading for Circle’s explanation.  

2. Jeffrey Christian and Kerry Lutz Talk Gold and Cryptocurrencies

Next on our top crypto news stories list is a piece written in February on a webinar hosted by OM Partners and featuring the Financial Survival Network’s Kerry Lutz, and Jeffrey Christian, managing partner at CPM Group. The two compared cryptocurrencies to gold in the talk, and Lutz actually predicted the burst of the bitcoin bubble.

Lutz also discussed the volatility of cryptos and whether the International Monetary Fund should regulate them in order to foster greater stability. While Christian agreed with Lutz in many regards, he forecasted a different long-term outcome for cryptos. What did he predict? Click here to find out.

3. 1 in 10 Canadians Plan on Buying Cryptocurrencies This Year, Survey Shows

Next in crypto news was this article on a study by Caddle that revealed 10 percent of Millennials in Canada intended to buy cryptocurrencies in 2018. Caddle is a mobile shopping app that gives users discounts in exchange for completing surveys, and this was one of them.

While that sentiment may have changed as the year pressed on and cryptos like bitcoin crashed, there’s still a good chance that many Canadians are either still holding cryptos, or are relatively open to owning cryptocurrencies in the future.

4. Anthony Di Iorio on Potential for Governments Regulating Blockchain Technologies

Our fourth-most-popular crypto news story is a video interview with Anthony Di lorio, co-founder of ethereum and founder of Jaxx and Decentral.

In this January interview at the Cantech Investment Conference, Di lorio talks about whether governments are likely to begin adopting cryptocurrencies, and how Jaxx will be a new interface for blockchain that will make it accessible and easy to understand for the average Joe. For more on what Di lorio had to say, watch the video below or click here.

5. Cryptocurrencies are a “Big Deal,” Says KPMG Report

Closing out our list of top crypto stories of the year is a report by KPMG that details the potential for cryptocurrencies to radically change the financial industry. While this type of bullish sentiment might have been expected earlier in the year, prior to the bitcoin crash, this report came out in Q4.

KPMG is undeterred by crypto bubbles and continues to see digital currencies as the future. It does, however, give a series of recommendations as to how cryptocurrencies could be better stabilized and adopted. Read on to find out what they are.

Based on these crypto news stories, where do you think the industry is headed in 2019?

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Securities Disclosure: I, Amanda Kay, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.