Bitcoin fell below the $9,000 mark on Thursday (March 22), CNBC reported. The drop came as news surfaced that Japanese regulators were scrutinizing cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin was trading at $8,505.18 as of 4:24 a.m., according to CoinDesk.
And Chinese eCommerce retailer JD.com plans to roll out a new blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) platform, CoinDesk reported. The new service will include blockchain tools for developers of a wide range of apps that serve a variety of needs, from supply chain data tracking to insurance fraud prevention.
In security news, Symantec found that reports of cryptojacking have jumped 8,500 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, The Verge reported. Of all the online attacks that were blocked in December, nearly one quarter – or 24 percent – were considered to be instances of cryptojacking.
And a new chatbot named Ben can trade bitcoin, TechCrunch reported. While Ben offers users the ability to buy and sell bitcoin, he can also teach them about cryptocurrency and can read industry news.
In other news, Binance said that Japan’s Financial Services Authority (JFSA) has not told the company to shut down its cryptocurrency exchange operations in the country despite rumors to the contrary, The Next Web reported. “We are in constructive dialogs with Japan FSA, and have not received any mandates,” the company’s CEO said in a tweet.
And, in an effort to raise funds from small investors, Mexico’s Amar Hidroponia is selling digital currency backed by habanero chilis. Each coin, which is dubbed Agrocoin, is backed by a square meter of habanero production, Bloomberg reported. The coins come at a cost of 500 pesos, or about $27.
In the U.K., the British government is planning on creating a new cryptocurrency task force, The Next Web reported. “[The] new task force will help the U.K. to manage the risks around crypto assets, as well as harnessing the potential benefits of the underlying technology,” U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said in an announcement.
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