Apple reveals 20 games it loved over the past 20 years

To celebrate the end of the decade, Apple is looking back on some of its favourite games from the past 20 years.

“Each of these games has reinvented a beloved classic for mobile, introduced a narrative or style that changed the way we thought of gaming, or even led to a cultural phenomenon bigger than the game itself,” according to Apple.

Here are the 20 games:

1. Mario Kart Tour (2019)

Nintendo brings its popular Mario Kart racing game to mobile for the first time ever.

Download for free here.

2. Alto’s Odyssey (2018)

The sequel to Alto’s Adventure adds to the endless snowboarding action will wall-riding mechanics, falling platforms, balloon bouncing and more.

It’s worth noting that Team Alto, a developer based in part in Toronto, worked on the game.

Download for $6.99 CAD here.

3. Fortnite (2018)

Notably, the mobile version of Epic Games’ Fortnite is identical to its console and PC counterpart, giving players the same massively popular battle royale experience all across the board.

Download for free here.

4. FIFA Soccer (2018)

Electronic Arts brings the full FIFA Soccer experience to mobile, letting you live out your soccer fantasies on the go.

Download for free here.

5. The Sims Mobile (2017)

Based on 2014’s The Sims 4, The Sims Mobile brings Electronic Arts’ acclaimed Sims life simulation experience to mobile.

Download for free here.

6. Fallout Shelter (2015)

Based on Bethesda’s Fallout RPGs, Fallout Shelter has players building and managing their own Vault.

It’s worth noting that Montreal-based Behaviour Interactive helped develop the game.

Download for free here.

7. Florence (2018)

Developer Mountains takes you on a roller coaster of emotions in this game about the highs and lows of love.

Buy for $3.99 here.

8. RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch (2017)

Design crazy coasters and customize rides with just a few taps of the screen.

It’s worth noting that Montreal-based Nvizzio Creations developed the game.

Download here.

9. Angry Birds 2 (2015)

Rovio’s sequel to its original bird-slingshotting puzzle game introduces multi-stage levels.

Download for free here.

10. Fruit Ninja (2010)

Become the Fruit Ninja and slice and dice as much fruit as possible in Halfbrick’s original mobile game.

Download for free here.

11. Elder Scrolls: Blades (2019 early access)

Bethesda brings its fantasy-RPG series to mobile in this full-fledged experience filled with quests, character customization and multiplayer.

Download for free here.

12. Real Racing 3 (2013)

The sequel to Electronic Arts’ 2010 racer Real Racing 2 offers 45 circuits at 20 real-world locations and more than 250 licensed cars from 33 manufacturers, including Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Ford and Ferrari.

Download for free.

13. Candy Crush Soda Saga (2014)

This entry in King’s iconic match-three series focuses on the challenge of rising soda and new unique candies.

Download for free here.

14. Journey (originally released 2012, came to iOS in 2019)

Thatgamecompany’s emotional adventure game follows an unnamed robed figure as they travel through a dangerous-yet-beautiful land.

Download for $6.99 here.

15. Lemmings (2018)

Sony-owned Sad Puppy offers up a mobile-friendly version of the classic ’90s puzzle-platformer.

Download for free here.

16. Splitter Critters (2018)

Guide aliens back to their spaceship by bringing faraway platforms together, creating floating swimming pools and avoiding deadly lasers.

It’s worth noting that Vancouver-based RAC7 developed the game.

Download Splitter Critters for $3.99 here.

17. Crossy Road (2014)

Developer Hipster Whale takes the concept of classic road-crossing game Frogger and applies it to a chicken.

Download for free here.

18. Hearthstone (2014)

Experience Blizzard’s ever-popular digital card collecting game on the go.

Download for free here.

19. Lara Croft Go (2015)

Square Enix Montreal delivers a mobile-friendly entry in the long-running Tomb Raider franchise in this turn-based puzzle game.

Download for $6.99 here.

20. Threes! (2014)

Flex your math skills by piece together the perfect sums in the puzzler from Sirvo.

Download for $8.49 here.

What are your favourite mobile games of the past 20 years? Let us know in the comments!

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Etoro CEO Yoni Assia on Reaching 12 Million Users and Why Cryptos Are a Gateway to Stocks

Yoni Assia is the CEO and founder of multi-asset trading platform Etoro. The brokerage firm, which enjoys a high profile within the cryptosphere, enables digital assets such as BTC and BCH to be traded alongside stocks, ETFs, and commodities. Juxtaposed between the traditional and crypto investment realms, Etoro has a unique insight into the health of the industry. In an interview with news.Bitcoin.com, Yoni Assia shared his thoughts on what traders can expect in 2020.

Also read: Bitcoin’s Next Decade Will Be Shaped by Derivatives

2019 Was a Year of Diversification for Etoro

“We launched commission-free stocks trading this year and we’ve seen a flurry of new and existing trading platforms following suit and axing commission,” begins Yoni Assia. “This is important to attract new investors; people who are often put off from investing because of the cost. It’s also a boon to existing Etoro customers trading cryptocurrencies on the platform. One in 10 of people who came to us to trade crypto in 2017 and 2018 subsequently went on to diversify into stocks trading. This all helps normalize the view of crypto assets.” He continues:

On the crypto side, for those who are more experienced traders, we launched eToroX, our regulated crypto exchange earlier this year, providing them with a secure platform to trade crypto and tokenized assets on the blockchain.

Acquisitions were a major trend for crypto exchanges this year, with Circle offloading Poloniex, before itself being acquired by Kraken. Binance took up a stake in derivatives exchange FTX, meanwhile, and Coinbase divested itself of Earn.com. Etoro was not exempted from this M&A flurry either, acquiring Firmo in March. The Danish business provides a platform that enables exchanges to execute smart financial contracts across various assets, including crypto derivatives, and across all major blockchains.

Then, explains Yoni Assia, “In November we acquired Delta, the crypto portfolio tracker app, which will help investors make better decisions around their crypto assets by providing tools such as portfolio tracking and pricing data.”

12 Million Users and Counting

In 2019, Etoro surpassed 12 million registered users in over 100 territories, including the U.S., which the social trading platform entered this year on a mandate to “make trading, investing and managing money easy for everyone,” according to Assia. Here, it finds itself going up against rivals such as millennial investor favorite Robinhood.

When asked about the greatest challenges Etoro encountered this year, Assia cites issues that will be familiar to all exchange operators: “the volatility of prices, and recently, questions around the security of assets on exchanges.” However, he claims that “a lot of people who joined us in 2017 at the peak of crypto’s popularity have stayed and this year have diversified into other areas such as stocks,” noting that “Crypto assets are often a gateway to investing for many people on the Etoro platform. We always say invest in the brands you love, so IPOs such as Uber have helped attract more investors.”

Multi-asset exchanges such as Etoro, which offer cryptocurrencies alongside stocks and commodities, are also duty bound to educate, given that many of their users have no previous experience of such instruments. “Not only are we providing them with a place to trade, we also ensure they have access to information to help them make informed decisions about their trading behavior,” acknowledges Assia.

Yoni Assia

“We provide regular analysis of price performance, changes and events in the sector, while reassuring them about the safety of Etoro as a regulated platform. Etoro is profitable and we use that profit to develop more services for our customers, broadening the offering to create a platform that people can use to manage and invest their money to suit their needs, with a wide range of assets to choose from, beyond cryptocurrencies.”

Crypto Taxation and Resolutions for 2020

This year, it was reported that tax agencies such as the IRS and HMRC have been contacting cryptocurrency exchanges to bulk request information on customer activity. When asked whether Etoro had fielded any such approaches, its CEO had this to say:

We have been required by tax agencies in the jurisdictions where we operate to provide information on our customers and as a responsible, regulated business, we have done this. We firmly believe that tax harmonization of crypto assets is a precursor to regulation, which is much needed to bring security to consumers and confidence to regulators. 2020 will be a coming of age for crypto assets.

It will also be a coming of age for Etoro if Yoni Assia’s predictions come to pass. According to the company’s founder and CEO, “Etoro is on track to launch a debit card, more details of which will follow in 2020.” He also asserts that “We believe the future of financial services lies in the tokenization of investable assets,” and tips Etoro to focus its energies here in the coming year.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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Did you know you can verify any unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction with our Bitcoin Block Explorer tool? Simply complete a Bitcoin address search to view it on the blockchain. Plus, visit our Bitcoin Charts to see what’s happening in the industry.

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MCMC Announces 5G Spectrum Bands; Expects 5G Commercial Rollout To Begin In Q3 2020

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has announced the first set of spectrum bands that will be used for the 5G rollout in Malaysia. Referred to as the pioneer 5G spectrum bands, they come in three different bands.

Interesting enough, the 700MHz and 3.5GHz (specifically 3.4GHhz to 3.6GHz) bands will be allocated to one particular consortium that consisted of multiple companies, instead of awarding them to individual companies. MCMC believes that this approach will lead to better optimization of costs, infrastructure, and resources.

For starters, 2x30MHz of 700MHz and 100MHz of 3.5GHz will be available through tender process in Q1 2020 while the rest will be assigned later. On another hand, the 26/28GHz (24.9GHz to 28.1GHz) spectrum bands will be awarded in two different manners.

Specifically, four blocks of 400Mhz from 24.9GHz to 26.5GHz will be provided through tender process which will also takes place in Q1 2020. MCMC will also assign four blocks of 400MHz from 26.5GHz to 28.1GHz bands which are meant for localized and private network on first-come first-served basis at a later date.

MCMC now expects that the commercial rollout of 5G in Malaysia will begin in Q3 2020 which is much earlier than the original 2021 timeline. Looks like 2020 is going to be the year of 5G in Malaysia after all.

(Source: MCMC – [pdf])

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Shruti Shekar’s favourite things of 2019

It’s been, a very, very, very, long year and I’d like to let you all know that I have felt like Kim Kardashian in the gif below all year long.

But before I head back to bed and end the decade in the comfort of it, I wanted to share some of my favourite things from 2019.

Reporting live on TV

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for me and I couldn’t be more grateful.

But hands down, right off the bat, I would have to say my favourite thing that happened in 2019 was fulfilling my lifelong dream of reporting on TV.

I have wanted to be a journalist since I was eight and I have always wanted to be on TV. On January 23rd, I made my TV debut on CTV News reporting about Huawei.

Throughout the year, I made appearances on Global News and capped my year by appearing on CBC News.

I have never felt so fulfilled and proud of myself. I encourage you to never stop dreaming and working towards your goals.

Apple Watch

I really wasn’t sure whether I wanted to get a smartwatch. For a very long time, I contemplated whether or not it would have any value to my life and my daily routine.

In September, I got the Apple Watch Series 5 and it forever changed my entire lifestyle. I am so grateful that I get to track my workouts, see how I am improving, or what I can do better. It has become such an integral part of my existence.

Read more about my entire journey with the watch here.

Ride Cycle Club

Continuing on with the theme of health, I should note that I have always been a health-conscious person. I eat very healthily, I love working out and I love seeing how my body changes and what it is capable of.

One intention I had this year was to be able to work out seven days a week. I also knew that I wanted to really get better at cardio.

In April, I joined a spin studio called Ride Cycle Club and it changed my entire life.

In November, I completed a month-long intense challenge that was part of the studio and I saw how my body changed and how strong it became.

Favourite book of 2019

I tried to take part in the 50 book challenge this year and unfortunately, I only made it to 30. I am still proud I was able to read all the books I did, but there was one book that forever will stand out for me.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell was hands down my favourite book of this year. I read it at the start of the year and to this day I can’t stop thinking about it. I have recommended it to so many people, who in turn, have also told me they can’t stop thinking about how twisted and amazing the book is.

The book is about a mother who suffers a lot when her child goes missing. In her quest to uncover what happened to her child, she begins a relationship with a man and soon discovers many hidden secrets.

Favourite shows in 2019

I honestly couldn’t tell you what one show was my favourite this year, so here’s a list.

In no particular order, below are my top 10 favourite shows from the past year:

Don’t F***k with Cats
Mindhunter season 2
Russian Doll
The Witcher
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
Big Mouth
Chernobyl
Money Heist
Dead to Me
Broken

Favourite telecom stories

I wanted to end my favourites list with, of course, my top telecom stories from the past year.

Once again, I can’t tell you one particular story that really was my favourite because there was a lot that happened this year.

So I’m going to cheat a bit and link my top telecom stories from the past year. The list encompasses the stories that I heavily worked on and were some of my favourite stories to write about.

My year started with a bang reporting on news on Huawei and it ended with news regarding scam phone calls growing in the country.

In between all of that, I wrote a lot about security breaches, social media, and news coming out of the CRTC.

This year was also my first time fully covering the federal election with respect to any stories that are technology or telecom related.

With that, I want to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year. I hope that you build your list of intentions for 2020 and consciously make an effort to fulfill them.

Make every day count, be humble and always stay positive.

The post Shruti Shekar’s favourite things of 2019 appeared first on MobileSyrup.

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Veriblock Captured Close to 60% of BTC’s OP Return Transactions in 2019

During the course of 2019, the most used BTC-based OP_Return protocol, Veriblock, outshined Omni Layer outputs. According to statistics, Veriblock captured 57% of BTC’s OP_Return outputs in 2019. Ever since the protocol’s opcodes started dominating, a number of BTC influencers called the outputs “abuse” and “spam.”

Also Read: Central Bank Gold Hoarding Hits 50-Year High

Veriblock Captured a Majority of the BTC-Based OP_Return Outputs in 2019

2019 was an interesting year and a slew of blockchains saw a bunch of statistical changes. One specific data point observed this year was the consumption of OP_Return transactions processed on the BTC blockchain. Prior to the start of the year, the Omni Layer Protocol, the project that issues tether (USDT), captured most of the OP_Returns. But this year, the stablecoin firm Tether started migrating a great number of USDT to other chains including Ethereum, Tron, and Algorand. The company moved roughly half the activity of USDT into the Ethereum network. Currently, there is 2.2 billion USDT now using the ERC20 standard and another 12% of USDT is held on Tron using the TRC20 standard. These migrations have made it so the Omni Layer Protocol using the BTC chain for data is handling fewer USDT transactions per day.

Most of the USDT activity now takes place on Ethereum and close to 12% is now held on Tron.

The Veriblock project is another network that leverages the BTC chain’s OP_Return transactions in order to create a proof-of-proof (PoP) consensus system. Basically, Veriblock uses BTC’s security model to tether a snapshot of an altcoin’s blockchain into BTC’s ledger. A mixture of OP_Return transactions and other methods are utilized to embed the alternative blockchain’s data. During the first week of 2019, on January 5, Casa CTO Jameson Lopp noticed that OP_Returns stemming from Veriblock were outpacing all the other forms of OP_Return transactions. At the time, a few BTC supporters called the Veriblock project “spam” or “garbage” and Lopp said the idea was “inefficient.” Then months later in September, the project sparked controversy once again when BTC developer Luke Jr said the Veriblock project was consuming too many Segwit bech32 transactions. At the time, the Veriblock project told the crypto-community it had transitioned to using Segregated Witness (Segwit).

Small block advocates got very upset with Veriblock’s operations writing odd blog posts about “Transaction Eugenics” that week and Luke Jr once again argued that developers should consider reducing the block size to 300 kilobytes. Coldcard founder Rodolfo Novak agreed with the Bitcoin Core developer’s assessment and Luke Jr emphasized that “denying the problem won’t fix it — reducing block sizes might.” Now that 2019 is coming to an end, BTC proponents once again have discovered that Veriblock outputs have dominated the OP_Returns on the BTC chain all year. On December 29, Lopp again shared data in regard to the OP_Return trend and tweeted:

Omni Layer was displaced as the most-used OP_Return protocol in 2019 as Veriblock was used to create 57% of new OP_Return outputs.

The Hatred Toward Veriblock Operations Swells

The news still upsets BTC supporters who dislike Veriblock’s operations and a number of influencers have bad things to say about the project. This past week, Bitrefill representative John Carvalho called Veriblock a “scam,” while many other BTC pundits continued to show strong adversity toward Veriblock. “Veriblock is like a malicious parasite that is raping the bitcoin network daily without returning any benefits,” one person replied to Carvalho’s scam comment on Twitter.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) supporters also commented on Veriblock dominating BTC’s OP_Return outputs. “So between Omni and Veriblock, the OP_Return usage on BTC is pretty insignificant — Still, the Segwit usage and the OP_Return usage climbs to new record highs,” software developer Jonathan Silverblood tweeted. Silverblood added:

I wonder how much of BTC network activity is still peer-to-peer-electronic-cash.

BTC had 28.2 million OP_Return-based transactions in 2019 and 57% were Veriblock transactions.

Lopp also tweeted a list of OP_Return statistics the following day, which indicated BTC-based OP_Return (data anchor) outputs have been rising exponentially. In 2014, there were 13,000 OP_Returns and in 2016 the number jumped above 1 million. OP_Returns on BTC doubled in 2017 and then jumped 6X in 2018. In 2019, thanks to Veriblock and the rest of the data anchor operations there were 28.2 million OP_Return-based transactions processed. Of course, a number of BTC supporters are confident that projects like Veriblock will someday be priced out by higher network fees.

“I’m fairly certain the explosion of OP_Return transactions in 2019 came from Veriblock,” said Wayne Vaughan CEO of the project Tierion. “I don’t think [Veriblock’s] usage model will survive future transaction fee price increases.”

What do you think about Veriblock dominating most of the BTC-based OP_Return transactions in 2019? Do you think projects like Veriblock should be allowed to anchor data to the BTC chain in a permissionless manner? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any ideas, concepts, content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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Image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Blockchain.com, Wiki Commons, and Coin Dance.

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‘Survival will be our first priority,’ says Huawei rotating chairman in NYE letter

Huawei rotating chairman Eric Xu estimates the company will report annual revenue of $122 billion (about $158 billion CAD) in 2019, despite being on the U.S. ban list.

In his New Year’s Eve message to employees, Xu said this was an 18 percent year-on-year increase, but still, they are “lower than our initial projections.”

“Our carrier business has been leading the commercial rollout of 5G networks worldwide, and our enterprise business continues to lay the foundations for digital transformation of our customers across industries,” Xu wrote.

He noted that in the past year 240 million smartphone units shipped throughout the year.

Xu thanked Huawei employees in the note for the accomplishments, despite being banned by the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued the ban in May, which prevented Huawei from working with any U.S.-based company. Shortly after Google pulled its business from the company and indicated future phones would not have access to Google services. In June, the Commerce Department in the U.S. lifted the ban slightly and thereafter began issuing conditional licences to some companies to be able to work with Huawei.

The U.S. alleges that Huawei uses backdoors and spyware in its equipment to spy on citizens and provide information to the Chinese government. It has also charged Huawei, it’s CFO Meng Wanzhou and its subsidiary Skycom 13 counts of bank and wire fraud. These allegations have yet to be proven in court and Huawei denies them.

“The external environment is becoming more complicated than ever, and downward pressure on the global economy has intensified. In the long term, the U.S. government will continue to suppress the development of leading technology – a challenging environment for Huawei to survive and thrive.

“Moving forward, we will leverage our strengths in information and communications technology to enable the digital transformation of all industries, and ultimately bring digital to every person, vehicle, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world,” Xu wrote.

Xu states that in 2020 the company is expected to remain on the U.S.’ Entity List and notes that it won’t grow as much as it did in the first half of 2019.

“It’s going to be a difficult year for us. We will have nothing to rely on but the hard work of our people, as well as the ongoing trust and support of our customers and partners,” he said. “Survival will be our first priority.”

Xu pushed in the letter that in 2020, the company needs to focus on building out Huawei Mobile Services to “ensure that we can keep selling our smartphones in overseas markets, and support the innovation of our application partners.”

Source: Huawei

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The My Limit tracks your Blood Alcohol Content additional without hardware

The new ‘My Limit’ app lets users estimate and track their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) in real-time without needing hardware.

The app was created to help prevent drunk driving by letting users monitor their BAC levels and warn them not to drive if it’s too high.

The app uses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety guidelines and lets users input the type of drink, how much they drank and the alcohol percentage of the drink.

Additionally, the app will let users know how long it’ll be before they become sober. There is also a drink counter, and the ability to track drinking history over.

My Limit is available to download on iOS and Android users 18 and older.

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Bitcoin’s Next Decade Will Be Shaped by Derivatives

The last five years have been a test phase for bitcoin derivatives, which began tentatively when Bitmex eased into life in 2014. Now, as the cryptoconomy prepares to enter a new decade, derivatives products will play a pivotal role in price discovery. 2020 will be a big year for bitcoin and for the futures markets where billions of dollars will be won and lost, and the next bull market will begin.

Also read: South Korea Imposes $69M Tax Obligation on Crypto Exchange Bithumb

A Year of Bitcoin Derivatives Is Dawning

In 2019, crypto futures volumes approached those of spot trading. In 2020, futures are on course to blow right past spot levels and keep on trucking. The success of derivatives platforms Binance Futures and Bitmex, as well as new products from the likes of FTX, Dydx, and Synthetix, has convinced many that 2020 could be the Year of Derivatives. And U.S. regulators are lending credence to the notion: Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the independent regulator that governs the country’s futures and options markets, recently hinted that it could approve a new crypto-based derivative product backed by Ethereum in the course of 2020.

Out-of-the-box products serve to attract new players and new capital to the crypto derivatives market. But will the spate of novel products capture sufficient volume and play a role in shaping bitcoin’s price action in the coming year? And if so, who stands to benefit most?

A Flurry of Derivatives Developments

Singapore exchange Bybit is planning to move into Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and Spanish markets, Okex’s new USDT-margined Perpetual Swap Trading is likely to gain traction, and decentralized derivatives products are expected to see broader usage as defi adoption continues. Synthetix – the second largest defi app in the Ethereum ecosystem – has just announced a partnership with Chainlink, meaning it no longer needs to rely on centralized price feeds for its derivatives trading mechanism.

Today’s traders are now spoilt for choice, with bitcoin futures trading platforms feeding their appetite for high leverage on an array of digital assets. Traders aren’t limited to BTC and ETH, either: they can long or short altcoins such as cardano, enjin, tomo, and stellar if they’re feeling bold. Improved fiat-crypto gateways, such as Plutus’ virtual bank account and debit card, have also increased the appeal of derivatives exchanges to retail investors, who are no longer locked into tether (USDT). Enhanced crypto-fiat conversion means traders can spend or reinvest their profits without needing to jump through multiple hoops.

US Futures Markets Heat Up

In terms of institutional interest in bitcoin futures, the U.S., where much of the innovation is happening, will dictate matters. One platform seeking to play a major role is Bakkt, which launched bitcoin options and cash-settled futures in the U.S. at the tail-end of 2019. While the former is the first regulated bitcoin futures contract rubber-stamped by the CFTC, the latter will initially be available via the ICE Futures Singapore exchange. In December, open interest on Bakkt bitcoin futures reached an all-time high of $6.5 million – and with the ascension of CEO Kelly Loeffler to the U.S. Senate, the next 12 months are shaping up to be interesting.

Bakkt isn’t the only platform contributing to a market that has evolved greatly since traders first sought to profit from falling prices during the 2018 downturn. Binance’s bitcoin derivatives surpassed the volumes of its spot offering at various times in 2019, leading the juggernaut to invest an undisclosed sum in derivatives platform FTX. This after it had already acquired spot and derivatives exchange JEX, a move which enabled Binance to add options and futures to its platform.

Speaking of bitcoin derivatives, CME Group’s Tim McCourt recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of the exchange’s operations in this field. In a short article noting the market’s “forward curve,” he revealed that CME had traded over 2.4 million contracts with a notional value exceeding $92 billion from 12.5 million BTC. Some speculate that the growing interest of trading exchanges like Bakkt and CME stems from reduced BTC volatility in comparison to previous years. In any case, the preponderance of such platforms gives derivatives traders plenty of options.

Competition Is Getting Fierce

As derivatives players vie for market share, battlegrounds are coming into clearer focus. Blade, the San Francisco-based exchange supported by Silicon Valley venture capitalists, just announced its commitment to zero-fee trading – a flagrant affront to perpetual swap titan Bitmex. UMA’s Bitdex specification also presents a possible route to non-custodial perpetual swaps, though more work is required to develop this concept.

So what does all this surging activity mean for bitcoin’s price? According to Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer of Coinshares, the growth of the crypto derivatives market means that bitcoin’s price is becoming less relevant – which will keep it in check even after the halving. Demirors believes that bitcoin’s evolution into an investable asset will, in effect, decouple its price from both its value and supply and demand. With the crypto derivatives market coming to wider attention, a greater number of investors may also choose to hedge their positions via derivatives to manage price risk, leading to less volatility.

All told, the bitcoin derivatives market looks to be in rude health, even if it remains small when compared to other commodities markets. For one thing, traditional investors are likely to be enticed into crypto as a consequence of their familiarity, since derivatives are routinely used in regular financial markets. In fact, a great many institutional traders have thus far been reluctant to engage with crypto due to a paucity of tools to hedge trades and manage risk. 2020, then, and the decade it heads should bring greater leverage for crypto derivatives, including those in the defi ecosystem, greater liquidity, and greater competition from players old and new.

Do you think derivatives markets will dictate bitcoin’s price action in 2020? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Did you know you can verify any unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction with our Bitcoin Block Explorer tool? Simply complete a Bitcoin address search to view it on the blockchain. Plus, visit our Bitcoin Charts to see what’s happening in the industry.

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Check out these Netflix Originals coming to Canada in January 2020

Each month, Netflix adds new original content to its platform.

This January new seasons of Sex Education and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch will be coming to service.

This list is curated for Canadians that primarily use Netflix for its original content. If you’re looking for all of the shows and movies coming to Netflix, click here.

January 1st

• Ghost Stories
• Messiah
• Nisman: Death of a Prosecutor
• Spinning Out
• The Circle

January 2nd

• Sex, Explained: Limited Series
• Thieves of the Wood

January 3rd

• All the Freckles in the World

January 4th

• Go! Go! Cory Carson

January 10th

• AJ and the Queen
• Giri/Haji
• Harvey Girls Forever!: season 4
• The Inbestigators: season 2
• Medical Police
• Scissor Seven
• Titans: season 2
• Until Dawn

January 13th

• The Healing Powers of Dude

January 14th

• Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

January 15th

• Grace and Frankie: season 6
• Quien a hierro mata

January 17th

• Ares
• Hip-Hop Evolution: season 4
• Sex Education: season 2
• Tyler Perry’s A Fall from Grace
• Vivir dos veces
• Wer Kaan, der kann!

January 20th

• Family Reunion: part 2

January 21st

• Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty
• Word Party: season 4

January 22nd

• Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak — Netflix Documentary 

January 23rd

• The Ghost Bride
• October Faction
• Saint Seiya: Knights of Zodiac: season 1 / Part 2

January 24th

• A Sun
• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: part 3
• The Ranch: The final season
• Rise of Empires: Ottoman
• You Cannot Hide (No te puedes esconder)

January 26th

• Vir Das: For India

January 28th

• Alex Fernandez: El mejor comediante del mundo

January 29th

• Freres Ennemies
• Next in Fashion
• Night on Earth
• Omniscient

January 30th

• Ainori Love Wagon: African Journey
• The Stranger

January 31st

• 37 Seconds
• Bojack Horseman: season 6 (part B)
• Diablero: season 2
• I Am A Killer: season 2
• Luna Nera
• Ragnarok
• Uncut Gems

The post Check out these Netflix Originals coming to Canada in January 2020 appeared first on MobileSyrup.

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Netflix Botched Release Of The Witcher Series’ Hit Song “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher”

It’s been more than a week since Netflix released its adaptation of The Witcher series, and for those who’ve binged it, you’re undoubtedly privvy to the show’s catchy song “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher”, sung by Jaskier (played by Joey Batey). You’re also probably wondering to yourself: why isn’t the song available on Spotify, Apple Music, or Google?

The answer to that question is, to our surprise, remarkably simple; Netflix has not officially released it. As if the wait wasn’t excruciating enough, Sonya Belousova – one of the composers for The Witcher’s soundtrack – told her fans in an Instagram post the internet streaming service still isn’t giving an ETA for it.

So far, the only way that we are able to listen to “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher” on relatively official level is via a post on the composer’s Soundcloud page. Of course, it surprises no one that you can also find multiple postings of the song on YouTube, and all of varying quality.

Despite mixed reviews, Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher has proven itself to be a success, both among fans and newcomers of the series. A week after its release, Steam reported a surge of interest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, This includes gamers who already the own the game downloading and replaying it, as well as people purchasing the title for the first time.

Ultimately, we sure do hope Netflix releases the soundtrack soon. After it would be a shame if users on the popular music streaming services had no way of hearing of how Jaskier was attacked with masterful deceit, had his lute broken, and his teeth kicked in. Well, that and how we don’t think it’s fair that Batey had the song stuck in his head for eight months straight.

(Source: Soundcloud, The Verge // Image: The Verge)

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Realme 5i To Launch In Vietnam On 6 January 2020

Realme has been rolling out a variety of Realme 5 smartphones with the standard, Pro, and 5s variants released in 2019. The company will be adding a fourth addition to the series, the Realme 5i, on 6 January 2020.

The announcement of the phone’s launch was revealed by in a Facebook post by Realme Vietnam. However, the company has not officially revealed any details of the Realme 5i but images, specifications, and pricing of the phone can already be found on Vietnamese retailer FTPShop’s website.

The website lists the smartphone to feature similar specs and design with the standard Realme 5, but with one minor difference. Instead of sporting a 13MP selfie camera, the 5i variant is equipped with an 8MP sensor. FTPShop also revealed that the Realme 5i is priced at VND4.29 million (~RM758).

Seeing that Realme has not officially launched the phone yet, the phone’s listing on FTPShop’s website may not be accurate. Regardless, we’ll eventually find out more about the Realme 5i when it is fully unveiled next week.

(Source: Realme Vietnam / FPTShop.)

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Struggling for New Year’s resolution ideas? Digital detox apps could inspire you

Pixel 4 vs iPhone 11

It’s that time of the year again. As if January wasn’t going to be enough of a pain, it’s time to field near-constant questions about how you’re going to improve yourself in 2020. Yep, it’s time to pick a New Year’s resolution!

If you’re struggling for ideas, you could just do the same half-arsed thing as everyone else. However, I’d recommend turning to your phone for inspiration. Before you stop me, saying that you spend too much time on your mobile already, that’s exactly what I’m getting at.

There are apps out there that show exactly how many hours and minutes you’ve been spending on your phone and its various apps.

They can also tally up things like how many times you’ve picked up or unlocked your phone, and the number of notifications you receive over the course of a day.

For Android users, the big one is Google’s Digital Wellbeing app, while Apple’s Screen Time serves pretty much the same purpose for iPhone users. There are also plenty of third-party options out there too.

While you probably already know which apps you’ve been wasting far too much time on, there’s nothing like seeing your exact usage stats in black and white.

And what you do with these insights is up to you.

Both Digital Wellbeing and Screen Time allow you to set limits on apps, notifications and calls, in order to make your phone a bit less distracting.

For instance, if you want to spend less time using social media apps (it’s always social media apps), you can set a maximum amount of time you spend using the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Once you hit that limit, you’ll lose access to them for the day − unless of course you then craftily change your digital wellbeing settings.

Or you could take matters into your own hands. Spend too much time on Instagram? You could try to go cold turkey and delete the app.

Can’t put your phone down at bedtime? You could buy a clock and leave your mobile in a different room at night.

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Opinion: 5 things the PS5 needs to beat Xbox Series X in Christmas 2020

Now that 2019 is almost behind us, console gamers will be looking to games and peripherals to satisfy their appetites in the coming year, and they are going to have the PS5 and Xbox Series X to choose between.

The choice is a big one and there are a whole host of reasons to choose one over the over and you’re going to have to decide which one is right for you.

Xbox has a lot of momentum right now – with the success of Xbox Game Pass and the prospect of Project xCloud.

However, PlayStation has plenty of points in its favour too and this console race seems like it might be the closest yet. Here’s what the PS5 needs to secure the win against the Xbox Series X.

1. Harness current exclusives and create new ones

PlayStation’s current ace in the hole is its range of exclusives. The PS4 generation has seen the likes of Bloodborne, Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War, Persona 5, Uncharted 4 and Horizon Zero Dawn all emerge as some of the best and most talked about games of the last eight years. Sony even as The Last of Us Part 2 left to come.

The Xbox One has been left in the dust when it comes to console exclusives and, therefore, this is a key battleground for the next generation. PlayStation needs to continue this success – whether it’s via sequels to the aforementioned hits or developing new blockbusters.

Related: Best PS5 games

One area where both console manufacturers could look to for exclusive supremacy is multiplayer. Multiplayer is yet to be a key battleground for exclusivity but just imagine if games like Overwatch or Fortnite had been a PlayStation or Xbox exclusive – that could’ve changed the game.

2. Turbocharge PS Now

While the PlayStation’s exclusive prowess feels like one of the big hitters for Sony, Xbox’s lies in its cloud and subscription-based offerings.

Xbox Game Pass has taken off – the service has given players access to a wide range of downloadable titles for a low monthly fee. The service hasn’t been stuck with the lesser-known games either. Xbox Game Pass has included games like The Outer Worlds, Metro Exodus, Gears 5 and many more.

Then there’s Project xCloud. Xbox hasn’t been shy about promoting its upcoming cloud streaming service and touting how important it will be for the next generation – even announcing the service will likely come bundled in with Xbox Game Pass in some form.

Conversely, PS Now feels like a forgotten asset for Sony. With PS Now, PlayStation got into the streaming game super early and you can still use it today – PS Now acts as a hybrid service of downloadable and streamable games, which is likely what Xbox Game Pass has yet to become. So, why does PlayStation seem so far behind in that regard?

The PS Now library isn’t currently as bad as one might think – given how much it has been overlooked by Sony and customers alike. However, it doesn’t offer newer flagship games in the same way Xbox Game Pass does. Sony’s Jim Ryan pointed towards the value of its exclusives as a reason for this but this might have to change.

For streaming, PS Now has yet to prove its chops and many seem to forget it exists. PlayStation 5 could benefit from a complete PS Now relaunch to really showcase any improvements Sony intends to make. At the moment it looks highly unlikely that Sony can compete with Xbox on this front – especially given Microsoft’s scale and cloud business.

Related: Best Xbox Series X games

3. Take VR and run with it

Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently crushed the dreams of any Xbox fans hoping for a virtual reality product for the Xbox Series X. The Xbox One choose now to enter this space while the PlayStation 4 saw the introduction of the PSVR.

The PSVR has tough competition in the more affordable VR space – especially from the Oculus Quest. However, if PlayStation really believes VR is a worthwhile medium then Xbox has already taken itself out of the race. 

Making the PlayStation 5, the destination for console VR gaming will be easy but PlayStation needs to prove the value of console VR itself – whether it’s by investing in VR exclusives or improving the hardware (such as a fully wireless design).

4. Embrace ecosystems

Smart assistants and smart home tech aren’t for everyone but it’s hard to deny how widespread they’ve become.

The more the PlayStation 5 is able to be integrated with your home ecosystem, the more convenient and natural purchase it will seem for many.

Timers are shown on the display

Unfortunately for PlayStation, the Xbox One is currently beating the PS4 in these stakes – already offering support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. 

Microsoft’s computing know-how is obviously far ahead of Sony’s and, therefore, it may be hard for the PlayStation 5 to catch up in this area. However, all is not lost. 

While Sony should work on bringing seamless smart assistant integration to the console, an improved PlayStation 5 mobile app that allows various controls via your smartphone could also be an appealing addition.

5. Return to the Indie scene

From the PlayStation home consoles themselves to the PSP and the PS Vita, Sony used to provide a haven for indie games developers – not so much with the PlayStation 4 (a point which Engadget dissected during the heart of the PS4 era).

The PC has long been the destination for indie games and this will likely remain the case but, when it comes to “bigger” indie games, the Xbox One has really stepped up.

PlayStation 4 players have missed out on titles like Cuphead and, until recently, the honking hit Untitled Goose Game – which is now making its way to Sony’s current console.

This problem feels like one that PlayStation started to recognise a couple of years ago and has already worked to fix. Games like Hollow Knight, Celeste and Dead Cells have all been available on the PS4 over recent years. Early in the current-gen console cycle, we may never have seen the game about the mischievous goose come to the PS4.

Sony’s investment in a PlayStation 5 indie scene may be a delicate balancing act. Our first and possibly most important point in this piece was future success with exclusives. Many PlayStation exclusives are big-budget smashes and Sony can’t put its money everywhere – no matter how much we wish it could.

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