News

Ordinals: A common ground for Ethereum and Bitcoin maximalists?

Representing real-world assets on the Bitcoin blockchain is nothing new. Over a decade ago, projects like the Colored Coin protocol and Counterparty exchange proved Bitcoin could track items, not just units of currency, in a decentralized way. However, consensus issues prevented either project from gaining widespread adoption in the market. Ethereum quickly took over as…

Uncategorized

Can bitcoin be used for cross-border payments?

In 2008, an anonymous researcher (or team of researchers) called Satoshi Nakamoto published a nine-page research paper entitled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” The document, known as the Bitcoin white paper, presented a new type of digital currency that users could use to transact without relying on financial intermediaries. Soon, people around the world discovered that blockchain…

Uncategorized

Happy Genesis Block Day!

On January 3, 2009, the anonymous creator of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, launched the Genesis Block – the first block in the Bitcoin Blockchain. The event at the time wasn’t celebrated – it was arguably considered a blip in the long history of cryptography and digital currency – but today we know the Genesis Block was…

News

Kraken’s 2022 year in review

There has never been a dull moment in crypto, and this year was no exception.  In 2022, Kraken celebrated 11 years of our mission to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency so that you and the rest of the world can achieve financial freedom and inclusion. It’s been quite a ride. Our singular focus on this…

Uncategorized

Busting Crypto Myths: “Bitcoin is Destroying the Environment”

Bitcoin’s appetite for energy needs little discussion. For years it’s been a top-of-mind topic for regulators, a major concern among critics, and a frequently misreported feature of the protocol. The specific point of contention lies with bitcoin mining — a resource-intensive, cryptography-based competition that repeats approximately every ten minutes. Each winner is rewarded with transaction…

News

Bitcoin Taproot address now supported on Kraken

December 19, 2022 | News, Product We’re thrilled to announce that Kraken now supports withdrawals to Taproot (Bech32m) Bitcoin addresses! Taproot is an upgrade to the Bitcoin protocol that aims to improve the privacy and efficiency of the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency.  Taproot included three proposals — Schnorr, Taproot, and Tapscript — which delivered…

Uncategorized

Busting Crypto Myths: “Bitcoin is a Ponzi Scheme”

Over the last decade, countless critics have pointed the finger at Bitcoin as being nothing more than an intelligently-orchestrated Ponzi scheme. Detractors like Brazilian computer scientist Jorge Stolfi argue that the leading decentralized cryptocurrency bears all the hallmarks of a scam named after Italian swindler Charles Ponzi. The question whether or not cryptocurrency in general…