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What is quantum computing and why does the future of Earth depend on it? – Alphr

Computing power is reaching a crisis point. If we continue to follow a trend in place since computers were introduced, by 2040 we will not have the capability to power all of the machines in the world. Unless we can crack quantum computing.

Quantum computers promise faster speeds and stronger security than their classical counterpart and scientists have been striving to create a quantum computer for decades. But what is quantum computing and why have we not achieved it yet?

Quantum computing differs to classical computing in one fundamental way the way information is stored. Quantum computing makes the most of a strange property of quantum mechanics, called superposition. It means one unit can hold much more information than the equivalent in classical computing.

In computing, information is stored in bits in either the state 1 or 0, like a light switch either turned on or off. By contrast, in quantum computing the unit of information can be 1 or 0, or a superposition of the two states.

Think of it like a sphere, with a 1 written at the north pole and a 0 at the south. A classical bit can be found at either pole, but a quantum bit, or qubit, could be found on any point on the surface of the sphere.

Quantum bits that can be on and off at the same time, provide a revolutionary high-performance paradigm where information is stored and processed more efficiently," Dr Kuei-Lin Chiu, who researches quantum mechanical behaviour of materials at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Alphr.

The ability to store a much greater amount of information in one unit means quantum computing has the potential to be faster and more energy efficient than computers we use today. So why is it so hard to achieve?

Qubits, the backbone of a quantum computer, are tricky to make and, once made, are even harder to control; scientists must get them to interact in specific ways that would work in a quantum computer.

Researchers have tried using superconducting materials, ions held in ion traps or individual neutral atoms, as well as molecules of varying complexity to build them. But, making them hold onto quantum information for a long time is proving difficult.

In recent research, scientists at MIT devised a new approach, using a cluster of simple molecules made of just two atoms as qubits.

We are using ultracold molecules as qubits Professor Martin Zwierlein, lead author of the paper told Alphr. Molecules have long been proposed as a carrier of quantum information, with very advantageous properties over other systems like atoms, ions, superconducting qubits etc.

Here we show for the first time that you can store such quantum information for extended periods of time in a gas of ultracold molecules. Of course, an eventual quantum computer will have to also make calculations, i.e. have the qubits interact with each other to realise so-called gates. But first, you need to show that you can even hold on to quantum information, and thats what we have done.

The qubits created were found to be capable of holding onto the quantum information for longer than previous attempts, but still only for one second. This might sound short, but it is "in fact on the order of a thousand times longer than a comparable experiment that has been done" explained Zwierlein.

It is not just qubits, however. Scientists also need to work out what to make the quantum computing chips out of.

Chius paper, published earlier this year, found ultra-thin layers of materials could form the basis for a quantum computing chip. The interesting thing about this research is how we choose the right material, find out its unique properties and use its advantage to build a suitable qubit, Chiu, told Alphr.

Moores Law predicts that the density of transistors on silicon chips doubleapproximately every 18 months, Chiu told Alphr. However, these progressively shrunken transistors will eventually reach a small scale where quantum mechanics play an important role.

Moores Law, which Chiu referred to, is a computing term developed by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1970. It states that the overall processing power for computers doubles about every two years. As Chiu states, the density of the chips decreases a problem that quantum computing chips can potentially answer.

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What is quantum computing and why does the future of Earth depend on it? - Alphr

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The Age of Quantum Computers is upon us! – Gizbot

The first electronic computer that was ever invented was the Turing Machine developed in 1936 which was a bulky device that had a size of a room and had very limited operations. By 1977 full-scale computers capable of complex computation and data processing started shipping in from companies including Apple and Commodore. In 1984 Mac came up with unrivaled GUI in color display. In 1989 first hand held computer from Atari surface. IBM was first among its competitors to come up with a touchscreen device back in 1992. The first iPhone came to life in the year 2000. We are currently in 2017 and we now have thousands of devices around us that are constantly functioning to make our lives better and comfortable.

No, I am not giving you a flashback of the computer innovation through years. I would rather suggest you give attention to the dates of the aforementioned line of events. It is surprising how far we have come and in less than 100 years.

Technology is like a set of endless dominoes toppling one after the other. So if you think we are too far ahead and there is nothing more that the world of computers can offer us, let me tell you something about the Quantum Computers.

Quantum Computers make direct use of quantum-mechanical phenomena to perform operations on data. They are different from binary digital electronic computers that use transistors. Conventional computing uses binary algorithm whereas quantum computation uses quantum bits.

The development of quantum computers is still in the process although theoretical and practical research is being carried out make the technology more and more useable. Several national governments and military agencies are already funding quantum computing research to develop quantum computers.

To give you a better perspective of what a Quantum Computer actually is, consider this fact, Once Quantum Computers are developed to their full-scale efficiency you will have laptops that perform as fast as today's super computers.

Full-scale quantum computing is yet a simulation or rather an imagination. Commercialization of Quantum Computers is a dream far ahead of us and to be honest, a normal consumer has practically no use of such fast computing.

Super computers have been developed to study and create complex and gigantic models such as running the simulation of the World's weather, molecular dynamics or simulating cosmic events. Such models use complicated equations and hence the super computers. Imagine all that power in your PC and you have nothing more to do with it than run Crysis or Modern Battlefield on it.

Quantum computers will take away the bulky size of super computers but what purpose will they serve for a normal consumer is an unexplored territory.

You will have to wait until 2050 to actually get your hands on quantum computing. Experts believe that by 2020 Quantum Computers will find a physical shape to exist in. The 2030s and 2040 will give them a use in a feasible form factor at research centers that currently use super computers.

2050 will mark their rise and by that time who knows even kids might find molecular dynamics an interesting topic to give time to.

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Encryption is for ‘Real People’ – Human Rights Watch

WhatsApp and Facebook messenger icons are seen on an iPhone in Manchester , Britain March 27, 2017.

In a recent op-ed, United Kingdom Home Secretary Amber Rudd argued strong encryption was thwarting the governments ability to monitor terrorists and criminals. Rudd expressed skepticism about the need for end-to-end encryption, reasoning that real people dont prioritize security in their technology. Who uses WhatsApp because it is end-to-end encrypted, rather than because it is an incredibly user-friendly and cheap way of staying in touch with friends and family? she wrote.

The answer is simple: I do, along with broad swaths of the human rights movement and many other people around the world.

Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. We rely heavily on networks of local NGO partners, witnesses, and victims, often located in closed societies where surveillance is pervasive. End-to-end encryption built into apps like WhatsApp shields our communications with these networks from abusive regimes and is a critical tool for ensuring we do not put contacts at risk of reprisal. Simply put, if we cant guarantee the security of our communications, we cant do our work. For that reason, every guide on digital security, including one previously funded by the UK, recommends the use of encrypted apps.

Who else uses end-to-end encryption? The list is long. Peaceful pro-democracy and reform activists in places like Hong Kong, Turkey, Central Africa, and across the Middle East. LGBT people living in countries where their sexual orientation is criminalized. Whistleblowers who reveal governmental or corporate malfeasance. Journalists everywhere trying to protect their sources.

Add to that list diplomats and government officials, including some in the UK parliament and Foreign Office. Or doctors, lawyers, and business people discussing sensitive and confidential information.

However, the home secretarys question itself indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of modern cybersecurity threats and the harms of undermining encryption. It doesnt matter whether WhatsApps 1.2 billion users in 180 countries are using the app out of convenience or concern for security. End-to-end encryption protects all of them students, pensioners, consumers, ordinary tax-paying citizens from cybercriminals and identify thieves. As information security experts, former Five Eyes intelligence officials, and even Europol have warned, any attempt to enable surveillance by compromising encryption will broadly undermine cybersecurity for all users. And the bad guys will simply find other encrypted alternatives that are made outside the UK and not subject to its laws.

The good news: Rudd said the UK government has no intention of banning end-to-end encryption. This is a welcome statement as the government continues to interpret the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, which contains provisions requiring Internet companies to take undefined practicable steps to provide data in unencrypted form.

But the home secretary then pivots to suggest that tech companies should give them access to unencrypted information anyway by working with governments through confidential conversations. What Rudd ultimately seeks is unclear. By definition, if communications are encrypted end-to-end, companies cannot access them.

Regardless, these conversations cannot happen out of public sight. The real people who make up the public have a right to know if the government has subverted the security of the tools many rely on every day.

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Telegram messaging app strikes deal with Indonesia on encryption – Digital Trends


Aljazeera.com
Telegram messaging app strikes deal with Indonesia on encryption
Digital Trends
End-to-end encryption used to be the domain of particular messaging apps built with it in mind, like Signal and Telegram. Eventually, the feature made its way to more mainstream-focused apps, like WhatsApp and Allo. Although regular users can now enjoy ...
Indonesia lifts threat to ban encrypted app TelegramNew Jersey Herald
Indonesia to lift ban on Telegram appAljazeera.com

all 27 news articles »

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We don’t want to ban encryption, but our inability to see what terrorists are plotting undermines our security – Telegraph.co.uk

Awful terror attacks this year have confirmed again how terrorists use internet platforms to spread their vile ideology, and to inspire and to plan their acts of violence.

Nearly every plot we uncover has a digital element to it. Go online and you will find your own do-it-yourself jihad at the click of a mouse. The tentacles of Daesh (Isil) recruiters in Syria reach back to the laptops in the bedrooms of boys and increasingly girls in our towns and cities up and down the country. The purveyors of far-Right extremism pump out their brand of hate across the globe, without ever leaving home.

The scale of what is happening cannot be downplayed. Before he mowed down the innocents on Westminster Bridge and stabbed Pc Keith Palmer, Khalid Masood is thought to have watched extremist videos. Daesh claim to have created 11,000 new social media accounts in May alone. Our analysis shows that three-quarters...

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We don't want to ban encryption, but our inability to see what terrorists are plotting undermines our security - Telegraph.co.uk

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Real people don’t need encryption – Fudzilla

Tory minister thinks it is not for the prols who want to be spied on

UK home secretary Amber Rudd has called on messaging apps like WhatsApp to ditch end-to-end encryption, arguing that it aids terrorists.

Rudd said technology companies were not doing enough to beat "the enemy" on the internet.

Encryption tools used by messaging apps had become a "problem", she added. Rudd is meeting with representatives from Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and others at a counter-terrorism forum in San Francisco. Tuesday's summit is the first gathering of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, an organisation set up by the major companies in the wake of recent terror attacks.

In a joint statement, the companies taking part said they were co-operating to "substantially disrupt terrorists' ability to use the internet in furthering their causes, while also respecting human rights."

In an op-ed, she described a group of people she called real people. Real people apparently prefer ease of use and a multitude of features to perfect, unbreakable security. Real people dont use WhatsApp because it is end-to-end encrypted but because it is an incredibly user-friendly and cheap way of staying in touch with friends and family.

She claimed even companies were constantly making trade-offs between security and 'usability,' so why should real people have encryption.

As the private school educated daughter of a stock broker who was once hired as an aristocracy co-ordinator for the movie business and director of two Bahamas based asset management companies, Rudd would know a lot about what real people need.

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Ex-NSA boss questions encrypted message access laws proposed by Malcolm Turnbull – ABC Online

Updated August 02, 2017 09:02:09

The Federal Government's bid to force tech companies to reveal terrorists' secret conversations could be unachievable, according to the former deputy director of the US National Security Agency (NSA).

Chris Inglis had a 28-year career with the NSA and now advises private companies on how to detect Edward Snowden-style leakers within their ranks.

He told the ABC the Turnbull Government's bid to access encrypted messages sent by terrorists and other criminals is to be admired, but the technology may prove problematic.

"I don't know how feasible it is to achieve the kind of access the Government might want to have under the rule of law, the technology is tough to get exactly right," Mr Inglis told the ABC.

"But the Government is honour-bound to try to pursue both the defence of individual rights and collective security."

Encrypted messages affect close to 90 per cent of ASIO's priority cases and the laws would be modelled on Britain's Investigative Powers Act, which obliges companies to cooperate.

Technology experts, like adjunct professor at the Centre for Internet Safety Nigel Phair, have questioned how these laws would really work.

"From a technical perspective we are looking at very high-end computing power that makes it really, really difficult to decrypt a message on the fly, it's just not a simple process," he said.

Facebook has already indicated it will resist the Government's laws, saying weakening encryption for intelligence agencies would mean weakening it for everyone.

"Because of the way end-to-end encryption works, we can't read the contents of individual encrypted messages," a spokesman said.

But Mr Inglis said technology companies would not need to create a so-called backdoor to messages, but rather allow intelligence agencies to exploit vulnerabilities.

The NSA was criticised in May after it was revealed it knew about a vulnerability in Microsoft's system, but exploited it rather than reporting it to the company.

"Here's the dirty little secret: most of these devices already have what might be technically described as a backdoor their update mechanisms, their patch mechanisms," he said.

"My read on what you are trying to do is to put that issue on the table and say, 'we are not going to create backdoors, but we are going to try and use the capabilities that already exist'."

Mr Inglis said the Australian Government was pushing for legal powers the US Government had not called for.

"We have not had as rich a debate as what I sense is going on in Australia," he said.

"The Government by and large has not stepped in and directed that we are either going to seek a solution, we are still trying to find a voluntary way forward."

When Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the legislation, he noted strong libertarian tendencies of US-based technology companies.

Mr Inglis said Australia was "in the middle of the pack" when it came to cyber security planning.

"You are currently working through how to balance individual privacy the defence of liberty as well as we would say in the states and the pursuit of collective security," he said.

"No-one is exempt from the threats that are traversing across the cyber space at this moment in time."

Topics:science-and-technology,defence-and-national-security,security-intelligence,information-and-communication,turnbull-malcolm,government-and-politics,australia,united-states

First posted August 01, 2017 04:44:23

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Is a cryptocurrency like a stock? This is what the SEC says …

When it comes to regulation, what exactly is a cryptocurrency?

Is it a currency? Is it a piece of software? Is it more like an equity? And if it is an equity, does that mean it should be regulated like any other security?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently weighed in

How regulators like the SEC define and treat cryptocurrencies is important because it affects both the value of cryptocurrencies, and how likely it is that blockchain technology will thrive in a particular jurisdiction.

For example, if a countrys regulatory body decides that cryptocurrencies should be banned, then this will drag down prices (depending on the size of the country) and blockchain technology companies will avoid setting up shop or investing there they wont feel welcome.

The SEC has been notably quiet on the subject of cryptocurrencies. Other regulatory bodies and governments, primarily in Asia, have been extremely proactive in outlining how they will treat and regulate bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as an asset class.

In May, I told you that the SEC would eventually step into this market. Especially as the financial stakes increase.

Now, it looks like the SEC is on the ball.

Earlier this week, the SEC issued the results of an investigative report into the details surrounding a cryptocurrency initial coin offering (ICO) called the DAO in the first half of 2016.

An ICO is when a new cryptocurrency token is offered for sale to the public, similar to an initial public offering (IPO) in the stock market.

The DAO intended to be a fully decentralised cryptocurrency venture capital fund. It would raise money (in the form of a cryptocurrency called ether), issuing DAO tokens in return. It would then allocate those raised ether funds to various business ventures by way of voting amongst the DAO token holders.

The DAO raised US$150 million worth of ether from some 11,000 investors. But then disaster struck. Despite assertions that the DAOs code had been analysed by one of the worlds leading security audit companies and that no stone was left unturned during those five whole days of security analysis, DAO was hacked. US$50 million of ether was stolen.

The SECs investigative report wasnt about trying to identify the culprit behind the attack. Instead, it was focused on whether or not DAO tokens constituted a security (that is, a stock) and should therefore be regulated under existing securities laws.

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The straightforward answer is maybe. The fact is, every cryptocurrency token has its own attributes.

As the SEC report put it;

U.S. federal securities law may apply to various activities, including distributed ledger technology, depending on the particular facts and circumstances, without regard to the form of the organization or technology used to effectuate a particular [cryptocurrency] offer or sale.

In other words, it just depends. But on what?

To answer that, we turn to the Howey Test, which was created by the Supreme Court as a means of determining whether certain transactions qualify as investment contracts.

[The test refers to a precedent from a case the SEC levied against Florida companies W. J. Howey Co. and Howey-in-the-Hills Service, Inc. that sought to determine whether or not a particular land-related deal constituted an investment contract under the Securities Act of 1933.]

If certain transactions meet the criteria, then they are deemed securities and subject to a raft of regulatory requirements.

Without going through all the checks, Ill just include some of the pertinent ones that the SEC included in its report.

So, investing money (cryptocurrencies included) in a token with an expectation of profit (dividend or simple value increase) derived from the managerial efforts of other people points to a cryptocurrency being a security, and that its required to be regulated as such.

The report was a warning. The SEC stated that charges would not be brought against anybody involved with the DAO. But that the report serves to caution the industry and market participants.

Given that there are no charges to be brought against the DAO, its likely that existing cryptocurrencies are safe from securities regulation for now, although that wont be the case for long. The primary focus of the SEC will be newcomers to the market, with the starting point being the Howey Test criteria, some of which are listed above.

There has been little to no impact on the broader cryptocurrency market from this report from the SEC. As someone whos personally been involved in the cryptocurrency token distribution process, the Howey Test is already a key component of any legal diligence on a cryptocurrency.

However, some cryptocurrencies are flying a little too close to the sun, especially those that specify dividend-style payouts for token holders. The SEC is very clear that just because something is virtual, it doesnt exempt it from being a security.

And when cryptocurrencies inevitably start falling under SEC jurisdiction, investors (particularly U.S. investors) will need to ensure that whatever they are buying is compliant with U.S. securities laws.

So you shouldnt invest in cyrptocurrencies on the assumption that they arent (or wont ever) be deemed securities. And when you evaluate different blockchain companies that issue their own cryptocurrencies, check the characteristics against those Howey Test criteria.

SEC regulation was always expected to occur sooner or later, and this SEC report didnt contain anything out of the ordinary it really just reiterated the criteria with which cyrptocurrencies will be measured with when it comes to regulation.

But I suspect we will start to see more global cryptocurrency offerings that specifically prohibit U.S. investors because nobody likes having to deal with U.S. regulations if they can avoid it.

Still, I dont envision this having any big impacts on general cryptocurrency prices in the immediate future.

Good investing,

Tama

P.S.We recently put together a free report on cryptocurrencies. Inside, youll learn why we still think you should buy bitcoin today and exactly how to buy it, move it and store it. You can download it at absolutely no chargeby clicking here.

Tama Churchouse spent nearly a decade creating and selling financial derivatives for a global investment bank in Hong Kong. As Lead Analyst he brings technical expertise across the entire asset class spectrum, from equities and index products, to interest rates and credit.

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Bitcoin has split in two, so you can have double the cryptocurrency – The Verge

A little after 8AM ET today, Bitcoin was split into Bitcoin Cash, an alternative cryptocurrency, in a chain split that had been anticipated for months. The split, called a hard fork, comes out of a bitcoin groups desire to combat high transaction fees and a bitcoin size limit that made mining larger blocks invalid.

This has a nuanced implication for Bitcoin owners. If you own Bitcoin and control your private keys, the same private keys can be used to spend your newly minted Bitcoin Cash.

If you own Bitcoin but dont control the keys, then it depends on whether youve chosen to keep your bitcoins on a Bitcoin Cash-friendly platform or digital wallet. Each platform is treating the new Bitcoin Cash differently. To enjoy this extra currency, you should check with your platform and wallet to see what the company policy is.

As a prelude to the split, Bitcoin trading platforms like CEX.io suspended Bitcoin withdrawals beforehand. CEX.io will allow both cryptocurrencies and split the coins for its customers. CEX.io chief marketing officer Eugene Kovalyk says, Whether we will list Bitcoin Cash as a new trading pair depends on the demand. If demand is big we should consider adding it definitely...No one should lose Bitcoin Cash on our platform.

Meanwhile, the worlds most popular cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, has rejected the new Bitcoin Cash to some customers chagrin. It argues that their systems cant support Bitcoin Cash without a major system rework that is currently not worth the unknown value of Bitcoin Cash. A spokeswoman for CoinBase says, If this decision were to change in the future and Coinbase was to access Bitcoin Cash, we would distribute Bitcoin Cash to customers associated with Bitcoin balances at the time of the fork. Coinbase would not keep the Bitcoin Cash associated with customer Bitcoin balances. The exchange allowed a brief window of time before August 1st for users who wished to access Bitcoin cash to withdraw their funds from Coinbase.

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New Bitcoin regulations shake up Washington state’s cryptocurrency industry – GeekWire

BigStock Image / Inked Pixels

Bitcoin has been gradually shedding its reputation as a fringe investment, as its value zig-zags into the stratosphere, and it becomes accepted by businesses such as Expedia and Microsoft. But while financiers have been paying more and more attention to cryptocurrencies, so have state governments.

On July 23, Washington became the latest state to regulate the digital currency market, ostensibly to protect consumers. The bill establishing the regulations, passed by the state legislature in April, has prompted both scorn and praise within the cryptocurrency community, and has led some Bitcoin-related businesses to shut down their Washington operations rather than comply.

The bills primary targets are digital exchanges, which allow customers to trade and deposit their Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other currencies. Every exchange with Washington customers must now operate under the states money transmitter laws, which have traditionally applied to businesses like Western Union. That includes an obligation to be licensed by the states Department of Financial Institutions, and to maintain virtual currency reserves equal to the funds they retain on behalf of customers.

In addition, exchanges must agree to third-party security audits of their systems, and post surety bonds of between $10,000 and $550,000, which work as security deposits in the event customers deserve compensation from an exchange.

We had these old regulations for money transmitters in the state, and they were clearly meant for older business models, said Charles Clark, who helped craft the new laws at the Department of Financial Institutions. The virtual currency industry had issue with that. This gives them some clarification and guidance.

Shortly after the regulations were signed into law, exchanges such as Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Kraken, and Poloniex pulled out of the state, and informed Washington customers they needed to take their business elsewhere. In a statement, Kraken said that while revenue continues to grow, operating costs have become prohibitive, primarily due to the high cost of continuing to meet the regulatory compliance requirements imposed by the state. Unfortunately it has become impractical for us to operate in Washington and we must discontinue service for all residents.

Others have taken to Reddit to respond to the regulations, accusing Washington of having a cryptohating legislature and being a very sorry state for any forward-thinking, technology enthusiast individual to reside in.

Clark said hes followed the online conversation and the news of exchange closures. He downplayed the fallout, noting that Washington issued a regulatory guidance paper on virtual currencies in 2014, and that new regulations are similar to those found in states like New York or North Carolina.

This legislation shouldnt have come as a surprise at all, said Clark.

Washingtons new policies were formed through discussions with a range of cryptocurrency industry groups, licensees, trade associations, the Chamber of Digital Commerce, and companies involved in the space, Clark said.

One of the companies participating in these discussions was Coinme, which operates Bitcoin ATMs in Washington, provides wallet services and facilitates the exchange of virtual currencies in 18 states and internationally. Coinme CEO Neil Bergquist praised Washington states approach, calling Washington a leader among the 50 states on regulating virtual currencies, and early on the draw in providing guidance to companies. He predicted the exchanges leaving the state wouldnt make too many waves.

As long as there are still some (exchanges) standing at the end of it, I think it will have a somewhat minimal impact on consumers, said Bergquist, who pointed out that the largest exchange, Coinbase, is still operating in Washington.

The cryptocurrency industry has been a boon to the state economy, Bergquist said, creating high-paying jobs and a number of new millionaires in recent years. But even as it gains in popularity, its still confusing and arcane to many government officials. Lawmakers must recognize the gaps in their knowledge, he said, or risk squashing innovation.

There are some states whose approach is unfortunate, and some are doing a better job because they actually do the work to understand it, Bergquist said. Its important that regulators, entrepreneurs, and customers are all part of that dialogue.

Where some governments have addressed the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry with regulations, others have taken a different approach. This past June, for example, Montana awarded a $416,000 grant to a Bitcoin mining firm, and Nevada passed a law specifically prohibiting Bitcoin transactions from being taxed.

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