Earlier this year, nearly every device with an Intel CPU was affected by the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities. The two vulnerabilities allowed hackers and malicious actors to steal passwords and sensitive information from devices, by accessing the memory and secrets of programs on the operating system of devices.

Meltdown, easier to exploit than Spectre, breaks the basic isolation between user applications and the operating system of devices, leaving memory and private data vulnerable to attacks. Spectre, more difficult to exploit but also harder to detect, allows malicious actors to trick error-free programs to leak secrets, leading sensitive data to be released.

In January, Oleg Andreev, the protocol architect at blockchain company Chain, stated that proof-of-stake (PoS) is an "incompetent" idea because when major vulnerabilities like Meltdown and Spectre are exploited, private keys stored locally in memory are retrievable. When private keys are lost, attackers can easily reallocate massive amounts of funds, getting ahold of the stake and obtaining the ability to attack the PoS blockchain.

"Meltdown/Spectre is why Proof-of-Stake is an incompetent idea: PoS authors ask for an unforgivable amount of money to sit in the online wallets that actively generate signatures," said Andreev.

Last month, almost immediately after Meltdown / Spectre were discovered and utilized to exploit devices, Particl introduced its Cold Staking safeguards, that prevent locally stored private keys of being vulnerable to attacks.

"Particl Cold Staking safeguards your wallet's private keys, and thus your PART, by using a script (contract) between an online staking node and an offline wallet. Both wallets have unique private keys, meaning that if/when the online staking node is exploited by Meltdown/Spectre with a memory leak only the private keys of the node are stolen. If setup properly, the staking node should have 0 PART — thereby eliminating the threat of theft and protecting the PART in your wallet kept offline and secure," explained the Particl development team.

If Particl Cold Staking safeguards are activated and integrated, even when Meltdown / Spectre exploits successfully leave the operating system of devices vulnerable to attacks and the private key from memory is obtained, attackers cannot steal or reallocate funds because staking nodes carry a 0 PART balance. Which means, even if hackers gain access to the locally stored private keys, funds cannot be stolen and remain safe.

"If the Meltdown/Spectre exploit is used on a machine running a Particl Staking Node an attacker could retrieve the private key from memory but it would be of no use since staking nodes typically carry a 0 PART balance," the Particl development team added.

The Particl Cold Staking also prevents quantum computer attacks, disallowing attackers with a quantum computer to obtain a private key from a public key, due to the integration of multiple quantum-resistant one-way hash functions.

Conclusively, the security in Particl prevent two major attacks in Meltdown / Spectre and quantum computer attacks from affecting a PoS blockchain.

Mexico's bill to regulate fintech institutions including cryptocurrency exchanges is expected to become law within "weeks," according to local crypto exchange ISBIT. Daniel Luévano, the exchange's director of operations, shared with news.Bitcoin.com what to expect from the new law, citing a leaked document he obtained from the recent meeting of regulators.

Changing Mexico's Crypto Landscape

Sneak Peek: Mexico's Regulations for Crypto Exchanges Expected in 'Weeks'Mexico's Chamber of Deputies will soon vote on the bill to regulate the country's fintech institutions including cryptocurrency exchanges, which the Senate has already approved.

The bill "establishes a regulatory framework that regulates the platforms (called Financial Technology Institutions or ITFs)" which includes crypto exchanges, the document states. "The bill recognizes two types of ITFs: collective financing institutions and electronic payment fund institutions."

Sneak Peek: Mexico's Regulations for Crypto Exchanges Expected in 'Weeks'News.Bitcoin.com (BC): Does the bill legalize bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?

Daniel Luévano (DL): Bitcoin and other cryptos will not be legal tender. However, ITFs that the Bank of Mexico gives consent [to] will be allowed to operate with them.

BC: Can people legally use cryptocurrencies to pay for goods and services?

DL: Yes, they can!

BC: What are the most important changes brought about by the bill?

DL: Financial institutions will be able to operate with virtual assets, but also, they are allowed to invest in ITFs. ITFs will be constantly audited; everything must be transparent to regulators and consumers. AML/CFT [anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism] practices will be a really important requirement for exchanges.

BC: What major changes to the existing Mexican crypto ecosystem will result from the bill?

DL: Changes in the Mexican financial ecosystem? Huge ones.

ITFs will be considered just as important as banks. All trade finance companies will be operating with them.

Only 44% of people in Mexico have a bank account, while the rest only use cash. The amount of money and transactions that can migrate to crypto and its technology is huge.

Licensing & Approved Crypto

Sneak Peek: Mexico's Regulations for Crypto Exchanges Expected in 'Weeks'BC: What is the role of the Bank of Mexico with respect to the crypto market going forward?

DL: They are more than open to keep new technologies [and] strengthen the Mexican financial ecosystem. They don't want to lose control of things they still don't understand widely, that's why the Bank of Mexico will decide which virtual assets can be operated in the Mexican territory.

BC: Are crypto exchanges now required to get a license from the Bank of Mexico? What kind of authorization do they need?

DL:

BC: Are there restrictions on what cryptocurrencies are approved in the bill?

DL: The Bank of Mexico will decide which ones [cryptocurrencies] are allowed to be listed on the exchanges.

They will decide according to Article 30 [which states that] "Bank of Mexico will take into account, among other characteristics, the public acceptance (its use, the trade of it, the storage, and the volume of transaction), other jurisdictions' acceptance, other agreements, mechanisms, rules or protocols that allow to create, identify, partition, and control the replication of these assets."

Penalties

BC: What are the penalties for non-compliance?

DL: The penalties are applicable only for the ITFs in case they don't comply or they don't follow the law. If you don't have the authorization, the penalty is from 30k UMA to 150k UMA, according to Article 104 I. 1 UMA (Unit of Measurement and Update) = 80.6 MXN = 4.27 USD.

BC: When will this bill become law? And how long do exchanges have to comply?

DL: The bill will become law in the following weeks, as soon as the Chamber of Deputies votes for it.

After a few days of positive cryptocurrency momentum, it seems the markets may turn bearish as we head into the weekend. Such a  turn of events is anything but surprising, as we have seen some very solid gains all week long. Even though the mood is souring, the Bitcoin Cash price is still making some major gains. With a 10.78% increase over the past 24 hours, it seems things look pretty good.

SOLID BITCOIN CASH PRICE GAINS HAVE ARRIVED

Even though most cryptocurrency enthusiasts and speculators only focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum, the ecosystem is about so much more than just two currencies. While not everyone is convinced Bitcoin Cash is here to stay, it has become evident this altcoin has a more than loyal following. Additionally, we see various service providers and retailers switch from Bitcoin payments to Bitcoin Cash in recent months.

All of this is also impacting the Bitcoin Cash price. With the rough start of 218 seemingly behind us, it is time to look toward the future. In the case of the Bitcoin Cash price, the future seems to rest somewhere above a $1,500 valuation. As the Bitcoin Cash price surpassed this $1,5000 threshold a few hours ago, it seems evident the road to $2,000 will be long and hard. It is not impossible to overcome, mind you.

These solid price gains are the direct result of an increase in USD value. Thanks to Bitcoin's uptrend, the Bitcoin Cash price has gained 10.78% in USD value over the past 24 hours. However, BCH also managed to gain on Bitcoin itself, resulting in a 9.19% increase in the BCH/BTC ratio. With Bitcoin Cash back above 0.15 BTC, it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves in the coming weeks. Reaching a new all-time high price will not happen anytime soon, though.

With $849.976m in 24-hour trading volume, the demand to buy BCH seemingly outweighs the desire to sell. All cryptocurrency speculators want to maximize their profits at all times and the current trend indicates we may see a Bitcoin Cash price of $1,750 before the week is over. Even so, this trading volume is a lot lower compared to what we have seen in recent days, as BCH usually generates close to $2bn in volume on a good day. This current price increase seemingly doesn't impact the volume in a positive manner.

OKEx is the leading exchange when looking at the BCH trading volume. Their lead over Upbit is just $1.3m, though, and these two exchanges will one-up one another throughout most of the day. OKEx is also in third place with their USDT trading pair. The first non-Korean fiat currency pair comes in the form of Bitfinex's BCH/USD market, followed by the GDAX BCH/USD market. All things considered, things look pretty promising for Bitcoin Cash, even though the momentum can turn bearish at any moment now.

It is unclear what the rest of today and the weekend will bring in terms of the Bitcoin Cash price. With all markets suffering from a bearish fever right now, it is possible Bitcoin Cash will elude the bears' grasp, for the time being. Assuming that is the case, a Bitcoin Cash price of $1,750 by Sunday afternoon is not entirely impossible. If the markets were to turn bearish, however, the decline may go as deep as $1,325. An interesting weekend lies ahead, that much is rather evident.

As all cryptocurrency markets show a sign of life again, things are looking pretty good all across the board. So far, the Lisk price has seen some positive changes over the past week. Even though there was a big dip along the way, the overall trend seems to be intact right now. With the current Lisk price of $23.83, things are looking rather interesting for this particular altcoin. Maintaining a positive trend will prove to be difficult in the long run, though.

It is quite interesting to see how things evolve in the world of cryptocurrencies. More specifically, we have seen several weeks of negative pressure, but things are certainly heading in the right direction once again. Even the Lisk price is noting some solid gains, as this particular altcoin has been on the rise for quite some time now. With a solid 16.83% gain over the past 24 hours, the Lisk price is making up a lot of lost ground in quick succession. All of this is achieved despite a rather low trading volume, though.

While the current Lisk price momentum appears to be positive, the past week has been subject to a massive dip as well. A few days ago, the LSK price went from $23.5 all the way to $12 in quick succession. Considering how Bitcoin and other currencies saw losses of up to 45% during this time, that is no big surprise whatsoever. In fact, the Lisk price lost nearly 50% of its value as well, indicating the currency is just following the general trend of major cryptocurrencies right now.

With a solid 16.83% gain in USD value and a 13.56% increase in the LSK/BTC ratio over the past 24 hours, things are looking pretty good for Lisk right now. While this results in solid Lisk price gains as of right now, it is certainly possible the momentum will turn against most cryptocurrencies again in the near future. With such strong gains in just 24 hours, it seems a small correction will become apparent in the coming weeks hours and days.

One thing to keep in mind is how Lisk has virtually no trading volume to speak of. Although $78.21m in 24-hour trading volume is not all that bad, it is a rather disappointing number first and foremost. Especially given the current Lisk price, one would expect there to be an even bigger interest in LSK, things are not adding up by the look of things. It is possible we will see a bigger interest in Lisk over the next few days, especially if this Lisk price trend continues at this rate.

Most of the Lisk trading volume comes from Upbit, which is quickly becoming the go-to exchange for most altcoins right now. Bittrex is in second place, with a marginal difference compared to both Upbit and CoinEgg in third place. It is good to see the current volume being spread out a bit across multiple trading platforms. Binance is barely in the top five right now and they value Lisk nearly three dollars lower. An interesting trend well worth keeping an eye on.

For the time being, it remains unclear what the future will hold for the Lisk price. So far, the uptrend is in place, but the cryptocurrency markets remain extremely volatile first and foremost. It is evident interesting things are bound to happen in the next few hours and days, but no one knows for sure if it will be a positive or negative outcome. Always take profits whenever the opportunity arises, as any gains can be wiped out extremely quickly in this industry.

The crypto markets have been having an interesting week to put it mildly. Seas of red and deep cuts have had the vultures circling, the weak hands folding, and the naysayers expending their lifetime's allocation of "I told you so's". While the last two weeks have been painful for anyone who bought bitcoin in December or ripple in January, they've been welcomed by many as "a necessary correction" and an opportunity to pick up cheap coins.

Flash Sale for a Limited Time Only

Ripple.

At times of sudden upward or downward movements, market psychology is fascinating to watch. The giddy highs of December, when crypto traders found themselves stupidly rich and refreshing their portfolio apps in disbelief, feel like a lifetime ago. Only three weeks ago CNBC were shilling $3 ripple and a token designed for the global dental industry had a billion dollar market cap. Something had to give, and when it did, it was inevitable which coins would bear the brunt of the collapse.

It's bitcoin which has attracted the apocalyptic headlines though. As the market leader and the "face" of cryptocurrency, it earns the praise in good times and bears the scorn in bad times. And right now, for many crypto investors, it is the worst of times. For those with short memories and shallow pockets, the past week has taken its toll, both financially and emotionally. But for crypto believers who got in before 2017's peak mania, the current cycle is nothing to be alarmed at.

For one thing, they got into crypto before it was all about money, and thus don't measure its success by its dollar value. And for another, they've seen it all before and know not to confuse current pain with terminal illness. The crypto markets will bounce back, and when they do, the recovery will likely be strong and sudden. Quite when that feat occurs though is anyone's guess. When mass panic sets in, TA and FA go out the window and emotions reign supreme.

Iron Hands Show Their Might

Just as times of oppression spawn the best protest music, art, and culture, bear markets spawn the best memes. Morbid humor has been in plentiful supply on crypto trading forums of late complete with the obligatory "pink wojak" reaction images and talk of seeking new employment. While jokes about burger flipping remain little more than that at this stage, the Lambo dreams have been put on hold for now. "I unironically sent an email to my ex manager this morning," confessed one forum user. "I feel like a total idiot and she didn't respond yet". Crypto Feels, which displays a scrolling page of red markets against a sombre orchestral soundtrack, is beautiful in its bleakness at times like these.

It's hard to find a capable performer in the cryptocurrency market right now. Even ETH, which had weathered the worst of the storm this week, has succumbed to the red tidal wave, dropping 30% in the past 24 hours. The less said about ripple (-40%), the better. Sites such as Coincodex chart the market movements in real time and for anyone who's all in altcoins, it's not a pretty sight. For those watching from the sidelines – either because they've yet to buy in or because they've long since switched to tethers – the slump is an extremely comfortable one to observe.

Speaking of tethers, they're by no means the only cause of the market capitulation and may not even be a major cause (the truth is no one knows). It would be fair to say that the lingering uncertainty surrounding the solvency of Tether and the U.S. subpoena of its records aren't helping. While some people have praised pseudonymous critic Bitfinexed, who first shone a spotlight on the company, others are deeply critical.

Tethering for Dear Life

The Cryptocurrency Markets Are Having an Interesting WeekIt has been speculated that Bitfinex and Tether may be solvent but may also be engaged in dubious financial practises due to banking issues or other reasons. The companies aren't headquartered in the U.S., so can't be shut down by U.S. regulators, but exchanges such as Kraken and Bittrex, which are reliant on tethers, are within their reach. It has also been speculated that events as diverse as a regulatory "raid" on Coincheck's Japanese HQ and the Chinese New Year are to blame for the tumbling markets.

For all the hysteria, schadenfreude, and obligatory FUD, it is worth noting that the cryptocurrency markets, currently valued at around $350 billion, were worth just $200 billion as recently as November. What goes up must come down, and when the capitulation gives way to consolidation, iron hands will begin to rebuild and reaccumulate.