WALLET LAUNCH: At exactly 12:29 EST on Thursday, a crypto wallet built by developers at SpaceChain hurtled into the stratosphere aboard a Falcon 9 rocket to become the first active bitcoin node on the International Space Station. For SpaceChain, the launch is the first step towards building out a robust, decentralized blockchain infrastructure high above the Earth. Full story
STELLAR TORCH: Stellar has been passing around its own version of bitcoin’s lightning torch to show how easy it is to move money around on the proof-of-stake blockchain. "I wanted something to bring the community together," Wouter Arkink, Stellar torch's instigator, said. "There's a lot of people building, but you need something that is fun and connecting at the same time." Full story
SECURITY LOOPHOLE: Micah Zoltu, an independent software developer, published a blog post on Monday describing a hypothetical attack on MakerDAO that, he claims, could empty all the ether from the system. Though the attack could only be carried out by “whales” with up to $25 million in crypto, it demonstrates a problem with Maker's governance, the researcher says. Full story
ADDED OPTIONS: Three months after launching its long-anticipated physically settled bitcoin futures product, the Intercontinental Exchange’s Bakkt has gone live with its bitcoin options and cash-settled futures contracts. Bakkt said Monday that it's using its physically settled bitcoin contracts as a benchmark to support the new products, which were both announced in recent weeks. Full story
ABRUPT CLOSURE: HBUS, the U.S. affiliate of the Huobi Group exchange, announced Monday it would cease operations in the coming weeks. The company will halt trading services on Dec. 15, while customers have until Jan. 31 to withdraw all assets. The firm offered little explanation for its decision. Full story
GLOOM FOR GOLD: Bitcoin's first golden cross on the weekly chart for over three years is unlikely to attract buyers with broader market conditions still pessimistic. The cryptocurrency risks falling to $7,087, having faced rejection at a bearish hurdle near $7,550. On the higher side, a lower high of $7,870 is the level to beat for the bulls. Full story
BTC IN SPACE: High above any state’s jurisdiction and beyond the reach of physical hardware hacks, SpaceChain launched the first active bitcoin node on the international space station. CoinDesk’s Danny Nelson traveled down to Cape Canaveral to speak with CEO Zee Zheng about the company’s space-based blockchain. Watch now
Block space