Diakont Receives Emerging Technology Award For Robotic Online Tank Floor Inspection Services – Robotics Tomorrow

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Diakont was presented with the Emerging Technology Award for their online robotic tank floor inspection technology during this years Global Tank Storage Awards, hosted by Tank Storage Magazine at the StocExpo Conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Diakont was presented with the Emerging Technology Award for their online robotic tank floor inspection technology during this year's Global Tank Storage Awards, hosted by Tank Storage Magazine at the StocExpo Conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Tank Storage Magazine is the leading industry publication dedicated to the bulk liquid storage sector.

Legacy methods of petroleum tank floor inspections conducted via human entry expose personnel to toxic substance and confined space hazards. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 166 confined space fatalities in 2017, as well as 531 fatalities due to harmful substance or environmental exposure. Diakont's robotic inspection services eliminate this risk, since the robots enter the tank instead of the personnel. The Diakont inspection robots incorporate multiple sensor arrays, including high-resolution ultrasonic, for conducting the structural examination as well as navigating and mapping the tank space.

Edward Petit de Mange, Managing Director for Diakont, was excited to accept this award on Diakont's behalf. "We are humbled by this honor because it affirms industry trust in this paradigm shift in inspection methodology. This technology is a game-changer for petroleum facility operators; allowing for more frequent inspections of these critical assets, at lower cost, while reducing environmental impact and increasing personnel and public safety."

The Emerging Technology Award is presented to a cutting-edge technology that allows forward-thinking storage terminals to keep pace with a rapidly changing working environment. Winners of this year's Global Tank Storage Awards were selected by a panel of executives and professionals from the global tank storage industry. Diakont was one of 11 awardees recognized at the ceremony in Rotterdam. The award-winning teams include CLH, Sprague Operating Resources, Toptech Systems, and more.

About Diakont

Diakont is a global technology company with a technical center based in Carlsbad, California, USA. The company's mission is to provide high-tech solutions that enhance the safety and economy of the most demanding applications. Diakont currently has a global workforce of over 1,300 highly-skilled professionals whose work supports the pipeline, energy generation, and manufacturing industries.

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Diakont Receives Emerging Technology Award For Robotic Online Tank Floor Inspection Services - Robotics Tomorrow

Medical Robotics Market Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin, Industry Analysis & Forecast by 2026 – 3rd Watch News

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In 2018, the market size of Medical Robotics Market is million US$ and it will reach million US$ in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2018; while in China, the market size is valued at xx million US$ and will increase to xx million US$ in 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during forecast period.

In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Medical Robotics .

This report studies the global market size of Medical Robotics , especially focuses on the key regions like United States, European Union, China, and other regions (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia).

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This study presents the Medical Robotics Market production, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (production, consumption, revenue and market share) by regions, type and applications. Medical Robotics history breakdown data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.

For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2014 to 2018.

In global Medical Robotics market, the following companies are covered:

The following manufacturers are covered:Intuitive surgicalAccuracy Inc.Stryker corporationHocoma AGMazor roboticsTitan MedicalHansen medical IncMedtech S.AKuka Roboter GmbHIrobot Corporation

Segment by RegionsNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapan

Segment by TypeSurgical RoboticsRehabilitation RoboticsTelepresence RoboticsOther

Segment by ApplicationHospitalClinic

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The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:

Chapter 1, to describe Medical Robotics product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and market risks.

Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Medical Robotics , with price, sales, revenue and global market share of Medical Robotics in 2017 and 2018.

Chapter 3, the Medical Robotics competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.

Chapter 4, the Medical Robotics breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales, revenue and growth by regions, from 2014 to 2018.

Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue and market share for key countries in the world, from 2014 to 2018.

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Chapter 10 and 11, to segment the sales by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2014 to 2018.

Chapter 12, Medical Robotics market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2024.

Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Medical Robotics sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.

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Medical Robotics Market Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin, Industry Analysis & Forecast by 2026 - 3rd Watch News

Satoshi Nakamoto – investopedia.com

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DEFINITION of Satoshi Nakamoto

The name used by the unknown creator of the protocol used in the bitcoin cryptocurrency. Satoshi Nakamoto is closely-associated with Bitcoin and the Bitcoin blockchain technology.

Satoshi Nakamoto is amongthe biggest pioneers of cryptocurrency.

Satoshi Nakamoto is considered the most enigmatic character in cryptocurrency. To date it is unclear if they area single person, or if the name is a moniker used by a group. What is known is that Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper in 2008 that jumpstarted the development of cryptocurrency.

The paper, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, described the use of a peer-to-peer network as a solution to the problem of double-spending. The problem that a digital currency or token can used in more than one transaction is not found in physical currencies since a physical bill or coin can, by its nature, only exist in one place at a single time. Since a digital currency does not exist in the physical space, using it in a transaction does not remove it from someones possession, at least not immediately.

Solutions to combating the double-spend problem had historically involved the use of trusted, third-party intermediaries that would verify whether a digital currency had already been spent by its holder. In most cases, third parties, such as banks, can effectively handle transactions without adding significant risk. However, this trust-based model still results in uncertainty. Removing the third-party could only be accomplished by building cryptography into transactions.

Nakamoto proposed a decentralized approach to transactions, ultimately culminating in the creation of blockchains. In a blockchain, timestamps for a transaction are added to the end of previous timestamps based on proof-of-work, creating a historical record that cannot be changed. As the blockchain increases in size as the number of transactions increase, it becomes more difficult for attackers to disrupt it. The blockchain records are kept secure because the amount of computational power required to reverse them discourages small scale attacks.

Satoshi Nakamoto was involved in the early days of bitcoin, working on the first version of the software in 2009. Communication to and from Nakamoto was conducted electronically, and the lack of personal and background details meant that it was impossible to find out the actual identity of Nakamoto. Nakamotos involvement with bitcointapered off in 2011; reportedly, the last correspondence anyone had with Nakamoto was in an email to anotherbitcoin developer saying that they had "moved on to other things."

The inability to put a face to the name has led to significant speculation as to Nakamotos identity, especially as cryptocurrencies increased in number, popularity, and notoriety. While their identity has not been uncovered, it is estimated that the value of bitcoins under Nakamoto'scontrol - which is thought to be about 1 million -may exceed $5 billion in value. Given that the maximum possible number of bitcoins generated is 21 million, Nakamoto, with about 5% of the total bitcoin holdings, would have considerable power over the market.

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Satoshi Nakamoto - investopedia.com

The History and Symbolism Behind Bitcoin’s Logo – Bitcoin Magazine

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Most of you reading this have only ever known Bitcoin by its current logo: that white, double-striped B superimposed on an orange circle.

Orange coin has become an internationally-recognizable symbol, but Bitcoin didnt come with this branding out of the box. As with almost every aspect of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto created a rudimentary logo in the protean days of the decentralized currency and the community iterated on it until this one stuck.

You truly old-school Bitcoin Maximalists will remember the evolutions in this design. And you also might recognize some of the mathematical symbolism that underpins Bitcoins logo.

For those of you who dont, heres a little history lesson and crash course on the design choice behind Bitcoins iconic emblem.

Bitcoin Core originally featured Bitcoins first-ever logo created by Satoshi: a gold coin with the initials BC inscribed on it. The nod to gold here shouldnt be overlooked (especially considering that some people think the digital gold comparison is some crazy notion cooked up by Bitcoin extremists when, in reality, Satoshi himself was thinking of Bitcoin in this way from the start).

OGs typically took to the logo well, though one or another would occasionally make suggestions to alter it on Bitcointalk. One of these suggestions involved using the Thai baht currency symbol () and designating the initials BTC as the official currency code.

The latter caught on more easily than the former. Using the Thai baht did prove to be a convenient stopgap before something else came along, though some insisted that using it would cause confusion.

But, it could have very well inspired Satoshi to add the dollar-stripes to Bitcoins design that make it so distinguishable today. On February 24, 2010, he introduced a new logo. It resembled the gold coin he had started with, but now the symbol inscribed in the middle had two vertical strokes and, unlike the Thai baht, these strokes did not cut clean through the B they only stuck out of its top and bottom and did not cross through the middle of the letter.

Reactions on Bitcointalk were mixed. Some felt it was still too similar to the baht, while others thought it was too dull.

Is this the official logo? one observer asked. I understand how difficult it can be to make something truly professional when you dont have the skills (which I dont) or the software (which I also dont) so Im not trying to be rude, but wouldnt it be better if we adopted somethingbetter? I really am not trying to be mean.

Official or not, this served as the predominant logo until the end of 2010, when a pseudonymous commentator named bitboy dropped their first message into Bitcointalk. Humbly, the user announced that they had just wanted to drop by to say hi and to share with you some of the graphics I have done.

These graphics were free to download and placed in the public domain. Bitboy utilized the B symbol Satoshi had refined but rendered it in white and placed it on a flat, bright orange circle, tilting the symbol so that it leaned to its right.

Best Bitcoin logos Ive seen so far! one user commented. This was the general consensus, evidenced by the fact that bitboys designs would become Bitcoins defacto branding for the next decade.

Indeed, the logo bitboy cooked up has become iconic. Even people who know nothing about bitcoin may recognize it as Bitcoins universal symbol. And, like the technology it represents, it was created pseudonymously without hope of profit.

One user commented in the thread about using the Thai baht as Bitcoins symbol that we should let [Bitcoins logo] evolve organically, like a word in a language, and not worry too much about it at the early stage.

November of 2010 was still a relatively early moment for bitboy to introduce what has become the official logo, but this user also got their wish: The logo did evolve organically.

And it was also imbued with its own intelligent design. Every aspect of the Bitcoin logo has mathematical rationale behind it; every corner was architected as much for practicality and form as it was for symbology and aesthetics.

These rationale are painstakingly documented (as well as the specific instructions on how to make a perfect BTC logo from scratch) in this Medium post. The author, Phil Wilson, had helped design both the second logo that Satoshi introduced in February 2010 and the orange one that we know today.

And the one we know today is riddled with symbols.

For example, the number eight pops up multiple times in the dimensions and geometry of Bitcoins design (e.g., the B is rotated clockwise 13.88 degrees more on this later). Per the internet language 1337, an eight resembles a B, which is short for Block, according to Wilson. Many of the patterns that went into creating the Bitcoin logos design, like the circles that eventually made up the B, contain the number eight. The dimensions of other shapes (like the rectangles in the design) had a length of 12.5 (or, one-eighth of 100, thus representing eight yet again).

Since eight is B, which stands for block in this symbology, each new pattern is like adding a new block to the logo. Everytime a shape is resized (as they were multiple times throughout the design process) this reflects the changing data size of each new block.

The trebuchet font thats used in the logo was inspired by the trebuchet catapult which was a favorite weapon of Wilsons in the Age of Empires computer game. By using the vertical strokes from the dollar sign in the Bitcoin design, Wilson wanted to give the impression that those lines are not actually from the Bitcoin symbol, but from the $ symbol thats been Stamped into the ground by Bitcoin an indication of Bitcoins monetary dominance.

The coin was colored orange for a practical as well as aesthetic purpose. In the words of Wilson, it had to be a color that could be printed/replicated on both websites and print media and one that would stand out against all [other currency/payment options].

The circle was chosen because, well, a coin makes sense and a circle is warm and friendly and continuous, endless, forever just like Bitcoin.

Now, for the question that most new people probably ask: Why is the B tilted to the right? Well, theres an explanation for that, too, and rather than butcher it, here it is straight from Wilsons keyboard:

14 came about by adding an infinite number of Bs together by dividing the previous value by 10. 12.5 + 1.25 + 0.125 + 0.0125 + 0.00125 + 0.000125 + 0.0000125 + 0.00000125 + 0.000000125 + 0.0000000125 + 0.00000000125 + 0.000000000125 This comes to about 13.888 repeating. When using a drawing program that rounds the rotation angle to the closest full percent, the angle becomes 14. The angle represents the blockchain progressing into the future forever.

And, finally, the logo for the internets native currency wouldnt be complete without a reference to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. In the logo, the orange circle is scaled to 525 percent to give it a precise diameter. Why is that? Naturally, because 525% is 12.5 x 42, according to Wilson; in other words, it is one-eigth of 100 times 42, which, according to the book, is the secret to the universe.

And why is the secret to the universe included in Bitcoins design?

This technology is supposed to be the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, Wilson explained.

Or, put less hyperbolically: Orange coin good.

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The History and Symbolism Behind Bitcoin's Logo - Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin can still be a safe haven, experts say – Decrypt

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Bitcoin was born 12 years ago at the height of the last global financial panic, and was positioned as a safe haven from the machinations of centralized banks. Indeed, its inventor, Satoshi Nakamoto, posted in its genesis block a newspaper headline about the British government being poised to bailout the banks a second time.

So now would seem to be a pretty good test of Nakamotos marvelous monetary machine. Hows it doing?

If the events of the past few days are any indicator, not well at all. Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum, have plummeted in line with the worlds stock markets. The industry saw a $26 billion loss in 24 hours, with nearly all cryptocurrencies experiencing double-digit losses. The meltdown in the crypto markets is every bit as bad as anything in the legacy finance world. (Well, perhaps not as bad as oil, which plummeted 27% today, after the collapse of Saudi Arabias oil-cutting alliance with Russia.

Was Satoshis whole blockchain-based vision just a mirage?

Not necessarily, say a number of economists and industry observers who spoke with Decrypt today. On the surface, the major blockchains appear to be roiled every bit as much as legacy financial markets. Yet, there may be reason for optimism. The meltdown could have been far worse, and funds will certainly start moving back into the more legitimate blockchains, as financial markets begin to stabilize, some say.

Most analysts believe that a safe haven is something investors can retreat to after the stormnot necessarily during it. When a fast-moving disaster settles in, investors try to immediately cover their short positions. That causes a nearly spontaneous hole in all markets, as investors big and small reflexively liquidate.

In times of extreme stress markets go haywire, models break, and traders are left with their instincts, Matthew Graham, CEO of investment firm Sino Global Capital told Decrypt.

But he emphasized that the expression in a crisis, all correlations go to one, popularized during the 1987 stock market crash, is open to interpretation: It is not meant to be a literal truth. Different types of assets will not necessarily move in lockstep.

Black Monday losses on major stocks, BTC is the green dot in the top right corner. (IMAGE: Reddit)

In a curious kind of way, the maturing of cryptomeaning its gradual acceptance by institutional investorshas made it vulnerable to the same forces as traditional markets.

You really can't expect it to behave in an uncorrelated fashion once "institutional money" owns it, since at that point it's just another thing to sell to raise cash,Joe Wiesenthal, business editor at Bloomberg, tweeted today. He said that correlation becomes inevitable for a time because disparate assets, some rapidly losing value, now share a common distressed owner.

Some say thats overthinking it a bit. Digital economist Paolo Tasca said that the crypto sell off was panic selling, plain and simple. No one really knows how much institutional investors had to do with it, versus Main Street retail investors.

Tasca, founder and executive director of the University College London Centre for Blockchain Technologies, pointed out that in the UK, as elsewhere, people are stocking up at the supermarkets as if preparing for a war. Rationing has been introduced, and anti-bacterial gel is selling on the black market for ten times the price.

People dont know what to do and they panic and draw liquidity from the market, he said. [Bitcoin is] anti cyclical so it should behave like a safe haven. But in this short period of hysteria, its likely that well see a lot of volatility. The volatility index is very high, he said.

Tasca also pointed out that in many cases, the fortunes of crypto companies are directly related to the same world as traditional finance markets. In other words, they are not islands unto themselves.

Ripples cryptocurrency XRP, for instance, is used in cross-border trading, and directly linked to fiat currencies. DeFi applications, which typically focus on peer-to-peer lending markets, are underpinned by stablecoins, and typically pegged to fiat currencies, such as the falling US dollar.

Not surprisingly, the funds currently deployed in DeFi smart contracts is also dropping fast, according to Mati Greenspan, founder of crypto analytics site Quantum Economics.

Total USD locked in DeFi. (IMAGE: Quantum Economics)

Its virtually certain that things will get worse before they get better. The extent of the Coronavirus is unknown, Likewise, we don't know whether, like the Spanish flu, it returns for a second, far more lethal season. For that and many other reasons, in the near term Tasca and others say that dabbling in crypto might seem as reckless as gambling with the rent money.

Hedge funds may want to reduce their exposure to the crypto market, which has higher volatility than the money market, Tasca said. In this period, they may prefer the money market rather than crypto market products."

Tej Parikh, Chief Economist, at the Institute of Directors, the UKs foremost organization for business leaders and entrepreneurs, agreed.

"The global economic shockwaves caused by the Coronavirus outbreak have jolted investors away from volatile equities, he told Decrypt. The very real, and uncertain, impacts of the pandemic on households and businesses will most likely see financiers run for traditional safe haven assets like gold and government bonds, while there will be some trepidation over how cryptocurrencies might perform, he said.

Edward Cartwright, Professor of Economics at De Montfort University, in the city of Leicester, UK doesn't believe that cryptocurrencies are a safe haven, but he told Decrypt that they may now seem less risky compared to the alternatives.

"If cryptocurrencies are seen as an asset that can insulate from the Coronavirus shock, and the almost inevitable slowdown in the world economy, then their price is going to go up," he said. "If, however, they are seen as avoidable risk at a time of uncertainty their price is going to go down. Evidence suggests that a recession makes investors less willing to take risks. So, I would not be expecting a flight to cryptocurrency. But, equally, I do not see any reason for a dramatic fall in price. "

Yet some say that once things settle down a bit, crypto could become a safe haven yet. We could be entering a transitionary period, with Bitcoin defining an asset class that behaves like a hybrid of technology stocks, and gold.

This is an insightful observation that I found true, especially during big market sell-off days when Bitcoin moves more with tech stocks then the gold-safe-haven trade, tweeted Gabor Gurbacs, CEO and digital asset strategist at VanEck/MVIS, a global asset manager.

Graham pointed out that the primary digital currencies actually fared surprisingly well this week.

In times of distress its only natural to have massive volatility, he said, noting that he was kind of pleased to see how bitcoin and ether performed in the meltdown. An unhealthy result would have been if BTC slipped below $6,000, he said.

Said Graham: With BTC and ETH still above the lows of late last year, at this point we see only a maturing asset class that is increasingly integrated with the rest of the financial world.

Even Tasca was somewhat bullish. "Generally, I think Bitcoin is still a safe haven. I dont think theres any reason to believe the contrary, he said. There is no signal that entering bear market or that the market will crash in 2020.

Volatility in the energy markets could impact the cost of mining, and, potentially, increase the concentration of mining pool capacity to keep business profitable, said Tasca. But the signs are that the evolution of Bitcoin will continue, despite some very rough times which may lie ahead.

Joseph Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum and CEO of ConsenSys, the Brooklyn-based incubator (which funds Decrypt), tended to shrug it off this week. In many ways, it was just another day in crypto.

The best way to express it: When the shit hits the fan, all correlations go to 1 or -1, Lubin said.

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Bitcoin can still be a safe haven, experts say - Decrypt

Bitcoin Is Back In Free Fall And Dropping FastHeres Why – Forbes

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Bitcoin has again begun moving lower, following broader financial markets down as investors count the cost of the spreading coronavirus.

The bitcoin price, which had found a temporary floor of just over $5,000 per bitcoin late last week, sunk to lows of $4,787 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange early this morning.

Bitcoin's latest fall comes as the U.S. Federal Reserve, working with the U.K., Japan, the eurozone, Canada, and Switzerland, tried to shore up financial markets with massive stimulusbut many feel the central banks haven't gone far enough and some have warned the bitcoin price could crash even further.

Bitcoin prices had stabilized over the weekend but have now begun sliding again.

The bitcoin price surged higher when the Fed yesterday announced it would cut interest rates to a target range of 0% to 0.25% and said it would begin quantitative easing to pump $700 billion worth of cash directly into the economy.

Bitcoin briefly jumped to almost $6,000 per bitcoin before falling back almost immediatelylosing almost 10% over the last 24-hour trading period.

Elsewhere on crypto markets, other major digital tokens fell alongside bitcoin with the likes of ethereum, Ripple's XRP, litecoin and bitcoin cash all losing between 5% and 12% over the same period.

"Crypto-asset markets again seem to be mirroring the actions of the traditional markets," said Simon Peters, analyst and bitcoin expert at brokerage eToro.

"However, fear is arguably a more dominant emotion than greed at the moment, because even with this stimulus, investors are still very worried about global economies grinding to a halt due to COVID-19."

U.S. equity futures and global stocks tumbled after the Fed made its historic move, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures each dropping to their out-of-hours trading limits of about 5% in out-of-hours trading.

"There can be no denying the Feds commitment to action but its dramatic move will initially stoke further debate as to whether the monetary medicine will work, on the economy or markets or both," said Russ Mould, investment director at stock broker AJ Bell.

Many senior figures in the bitcoin and cryptocurrency community have argued the Fed's bond-buying and interest rate cuts highlight bitcoin's superiority to traditional markets.

"The Fed just cut rates to zero and entered into QE again. Bitcoin was built for this moment," said Dan Held, U.S.-based bitcoin and crypto exchange Kraken's head of businesses development, via Twitter.

"Bitcoin is a hedge to this," cofounder of the U.S.-based Gemini bitcoin and crypto exchange, Tyler Winklevoss, said via Twitter.

The bitcoin price failed to be supported by the latest central bank measures to prop up the economy. ... [+]

"Bitcoin doesnt have a 'limit down' or 'circuit breakers' because it is a real market with a real clearing price," bitcoin and cryptocurrency expert and cofounder of the Satoshi Nakamoto Institute, Pierre Rochard, tweeted.

"Stocks and bonds are not real markets, they are Potemkin villages, their prices are highly manipulated and political."

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Bitcoin Is Back In Free Fall And Dropping FastHeres Why - Forbes

Three People Who Were Supposedly Bitcoin Founder Satoshi …

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One of the most enduring mysteries of bitcoin is that of its founder, Satoshi Nakamoto. Little is known about him. He essentially disappeared after releasing the bitcoin whitepaper.

Nakamotos importance to the bitcoin ecosystem goes beyond being a founder. He is a philosophical godhead of sorts and is frequently invoked in discussions relating to the future development of bitcoin. For example, each party in the bitcoin/bitcoin cash fork last year claimed to carry on Nakamotos original vision. The bitcoin founder also holds a large stash of his cryptocurrency worth $5.8 billion, according to a Time magazine article last year. Given that there will only be 21 million bitcoin in the future, Nakamotos holdings have the potential to significantly affect its price, if and when they are traded.

While there have been numerous efforts over the years, the search for Nakamoto has proved elusive. Several individuals have been uncovered or names proposed but none has been proven to be Nakamoto beyond doubt.

Here are three people who were supposed to be Satoshi Nakamoto.

This was, perhaps, the most high-profile revelation of bitcoins founder. Dorian Nakamoto was uncovered as Satoshi Nakamoto by Newsweek in a March 2014 article. Publication of the article caused a mini-hullabaloo in the crypto and wider tech community as this was the first time that a mainstream publication had attempted to find out the identity of bitcoins creator.

Newsweek claimed several similarities between Satoshi and Nakamoto. For example, both were supposed to have libertarian leanings and a Japanese connection. (Dorian, who graduated in physics from California Polytechnic and worked on classified defense projects, is Japanese-American). The articles author also claimed that Nakamoto told her that he was no longer involved with bitcoin and that he had turned it over to other people.

Nakamoto later denied the quote and claimed that he had misunderstood the question. He thought the Newsweek journalist was asking him about his previous work with Citibank.

The magazines biggest mistake was to publish a photograph of Nakamotos home. As several security experts pointed out, a cursory image search on the Internet easily revealed its exact location. While they did not believe that Dorian Nakamoto was bitcoins founder, the crypto community was aghast that the magazine had disclosed his details.

Still, the media circus was not without profit for Dorian Nakamoto. A fund set up for him raised 67 bitcoins. The fund was the bitcoin communitys way of saying thanks. He cashed the bitcoin last year and, according to one estimate, netted $273,000.

For the most part, individuals suspected of being Satoshi Nakamoto have denied the claim or remained silent. That has not been the case with Craig Wright, an Australian scientist. (See also: Has The Bitcoin Creator Been Found?)

Wright was introduced to the world at a Bitcoin Investors Conference in Las Vegas in 2015. When asked about his credentials, Wright claimed that he was a bit of everything and listed his degrees, including a Masters in statistics and two doctorates. He also said that he had been involved with bitcoin for a long time but he kept [his] head down. Subsequently, Wired magazine wrote a story featuring Wright, claiming strongest evidence yet of Satoshi Nakamotos true identity.

That evidence consisted of similarities in timestamps on Nakamotos blog entries and Wrights blog, leaked emails and correspondence with Wrights lawyer which referenced a P2P distributed ledger. Wright is also supposed to have provided direct proof of his involvement in one of the emails. I did my best to try and hide the fact that Ive been running bitcoin since 2009. By the end of this (a tax dispute with the Australian government), I think half the world is going to bloody know, he wrote. (See also: Craig Wright).

On the face of it, the proof seemed solid. But later articles doubted its veracity. For example, one of the articles questioned the validity of timestamps on Wrights blog. Another doubted his credentials. Slowly, but surely, evidence and facts emerged that unraveled the case for Wrights claim to being Nakamoto. Even Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin, who is otherwise reticent about politics in the cryptocurrency world, came out against Wright as Satoshi.

But Wright remains unfazed by the criticism and has parlayed the media attention to carve out a prominent role within the crypto community. He is currently leading the charge to split Bitcoin Cash, a fork of bitcoin. He is also chief scientist at nChain, a startup that is building a competitor to the original bitcoin.

Nick Szabo is a computer engineer and legal scholar. He invented smart contracts and Bit Gold, a precursor to bitcoin. (See also: Bit Gold).In a postdescribing BitGold, he wrote about a protocol whereby unforgeable costly bits could be created online with minimal dependence on trusted 3rd parties. This is similar to the bitcoin concept where a series of bits created by a network of computers without a leader verify and validate transactions. Several blogs and a book author have suggested that Szabos breadth of knowledge and technical chops make him a suitable candidate for being Satoshi Nakamoto. For example, British author compared Szabos writing style with those for Nakamoto and found similarities. The timezones in which the posts were written also match as do references to economist Carl Mengers work. What for me is a humdinger: Szabo actually worked for Chaums Digicash in the 1990s. I even found his old Digicash email address, writes Frisby.

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Three People Who Were Supposedly Bitcoin Founder Satoshi ...

Forced to ‘Work from Home’ due to Covid-19? Crypto Can Help – Bitcoinist

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The CoVid-19 pandemic led to pressures to work from home. Despite the price crash, the crypto economy has some positive examples.

For years, the crypto space has operated as a global, interconnected network of opinion leaders and developer teams. Bitcoin (BTC) appeared and spread through a loose forum community, and to this day, no one has met its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, in person. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and companies forcing their staff to stay indoors, work from home searches have suddenly exploded on Google, and remote work hashtags showed that regular business was behind the curve.

Over the years, crypto projects cropped up, tapping developer and marketing talent from across the globe. The crypto space turned out into a big work-from-home operation, where remote teams were the norm, rather than the exception.

Even in a bear market, crypto projects continue to operate, offering opportunities for passive income and community engagement.

Crypto startups have worked on use cases such as time monetization. Other projects already rode the wave, finding solutions for secure file sharing.

Whether the coronavirus pandemic will lead to more remote work is anyones guess. But the culture of distributed teams is gaining experience and technological solutions every day. All the while, BTC and other crypto coins have long ago broken the borders of payments, where banking systems still lack reach or are prohibitively expensive.

But crypto assets are not all about passive income or thinly veiled Ponzi schemes. Developer teams, if they ever worked in an office, were the first ones to be sent home and continue their productivity. For most open-source, distributed crypto projects, even the biggest ones, a remote team is the norm. Ethereum, a project that is instrumental to the crypto space, has been guided by a remote developer team.

crypto and ethereum developers working remotely

Blockchain is also, in itself, a technology for remote consensus and record-keeping. Added to the open-source ethos, the crypto space has given an example of how the knowledge economy can continue to work remotely.

Exchanges are also showing a model of working at all times, with a distributed team. The recent crypto crash was partly due to the fact that trading and transactions dont have any time limits, and are open 24/7. Trading is also possible to anyone, and although risky, has created trading opportunities despite geography. Even after the market slide, most exchanges mark significant activity.

What do you think about the latest work-from-home trend? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Images via Shutterstock, Twitter: @TheCashChucker, @RaistilinCrypto

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Forced to 'Work from Home' due to Covid-19? Crypto Can Help - Bitcoinist

The Race Is On To Become the World’s Digital Reserve Currency. Who Will Win? – Cryptonews

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Source: iStock/cmannphoto

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Keld van Schreven is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of KR1 plc, the London listed cryptocurrency and blockchain investment company.____

Central Banks are excited by Bitcoin's dramatic innovation, its blockchain technology and the potential for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC). However, they are also cautious as Bitcoin has a reputation as the badlands of financial services, used by drug dealers and money launderers, not upright citizens and certainly not central bankers.

So after the Bitcoin innovation what have been the catalysts for Central Banks to act? One word. Libra. Facebooks Libra caused Central Banks to panic around the world by announcing it would launch its own digital currency. Libra could become the global default crypto with two billion people having instant access to it just by having a Facebook account. Governments around the world threw their arms up in horror. France and India immediately banned it. Libra doubled governments efforts to respond to protect their interests. China reacted to the Libra launch quickly.

Libra has introduced a concept that will impact the traditional cross-border business and payment system, said former Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) Governor Zhou Xiaochuan.

China saw Libra as an American Imperial economic invasion and responded by fast-tracking its own digital currency known as digital currency electronic payment (DCEP) system. In the early days of digital currencies, the PBoC did not outlaw assets such as Bitcoin, but rampant speculation and wild price swings led China to implement a blanket ban on trading and new initial offerings of digital currencies. PBoC created a dedicated institute to explore a CBDC. China is well suited to a CBDC as most payments are now digital through apps operated by Alipay or Tencent.

The prize to get a functioning CBDC in a nation's economy is huge. The Bank of Englands own research suggests a 3% bump to GDP if you run a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), roughly the same boost to the economy as a big tax cut. The Bank of Englands recent whitepaper states there are plenty of benefits of CBDCs around interest rates, stimulus, and accountability. This is highly compelling.

Just like the Portuguese Escudo, Dutch Gulder, English Pound and U.S. dollar became global reserve currencies in their time, in paper terms, its now the turn of a digital currency to take the crown. This is the reason CBDCs are a hot topic. Whoever wins, wins big therefore justifying their Central Banks move to launch these currencies. While the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was up in front of Congress explaining himself and being blocked, the Chinese were quietly rifling through the whitepaper and making plans. This tension between America and China has resulted in a classic superpower slugging match with CBDCs.

Watch the latest reports by Block TV.

Where is the rest of the world? In fact, some of the worlds major central banks are already teaming up to assess potentially developing their own digital currencies. A group has been formed in order to share experience as they assess the potential cases for central bank digital currency in their home jurisdiction'. The body will be made up of the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank (ECB), the Riksbank, and the Swiss National Bank, along with the Bank for International Settlements. Noticeably absent from the group is the Peoples Bank of China and yes you guessed it America. The body forming is a great move. The reality is the group will move even slower than PBoC and Libra and these Central Banks may get left behind, and lose first-mover advantage.

The U.S.s Federal Reserve has so far largely distanced itself from the concept of a CBDC. In December, Treasury Secretary Steven Munchin said he and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell see no need for the U.S. to create a digital currency in the near future. Yet Powell has said the Fed is monitoring the activities of other central banks to identify potential benefits. There is further skepticism from Canada and the Netherlands The essence of the [distributed ledger technology] infrastructure is that no single party should be trusted enough, but dont we just trust a central bank to maintain the integrity of the global ledger? said Harro Boven, policy advisor in the payments policy department of the Dutch central bank. Satoshi Nakamoto, the legendary mysterious inventor of Bitcoin would say not.

In England, the debate around CBDCs intensified last year when the outgoing Bank of England Governor Mark Carney laid out a radical proposal for an overhaul of the global financial system that would eventually replace the dollar as a reserve with a Libra like CBDC currency. Carney felt fully justified to explore the possibilities. In Europe, the ECB policymakers have already discussed the idea of issuing their own CBDC. Christine Lagarde, the ECBs head, has long argued that central banks should consider the merits, which she believes include public goals such as financial inclusion, consumer protection, and payment privacy. In Sweden, they are moving quickly to adopt a CBDC Sveriges Riksbank, the central bank of Sweden, which recently announced a pilot for a digital krona, or e-krona and the main reason is to be ready for a cashless future.

But where does this leave Bitcoin and other non-CBDC cryptocurrencies in relation to several functioning CBDCs? Firstly, its a great endorsement for all of crypto, rubber stamping their benefits, although the paradox is that this endorses decentralization and control away from Central banks. Secondly, fully functioning CBDCs are a tide that will lift all crypto boats, many skeptics will get off the fence and invest time and money into crypto. CBDCs will create a new boom for Decentralised Finance (DeFi) services as these new CBDCs are digital and will interoperate with DeFi services, greatly increasing volumes. Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies are decentralized and not owned by a central organization and therefore inherently more trustworthy. Bitcoin was a response to the 2008 banking crisis and no casino bankers operate in Bitcoin.

But the ultimate question is - who would you trust, incorruptible decentralized currencies like Bitcoin, or centrally controlled and potentially co-opted Central Bank Digital Currencies?

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The Race Is On To Become the World's Digital Reserve Currency. Who Will Win? - Cryptonews

Ethereum Betting Now Launched By Cloudbet – TimesOfCasino

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Cloudbet, the online bitcoin casino platform is happy to announce the launch of Ethereum betting on its platform. The customers will now have a faster and cheaper alternative to Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash.

As per previous speculations, it is said that Bitcoin can be summarised as unforgeable digital scarcity. To keep up to this tag, Satoshi Nakamoto made certain compromises on the speed of transaction and on-chain scalability. It has further opened a lot of opportunities for new crypto variants, for example, Ethereum offers faster and economically feasible transactions. Moreover, the speed of the Ethereum transaction provides better advantages for betting at Cloudbet.

Cloudbet is well known for providing the customers with the easiest means to bet with Bitcoin and now with Ethereum. To bet with Ethereum the user has to make a Cloudbet account, then forward Ethereum to the Cloudbet wallet directly or through a smart contract.

Cloudbet is one of the very first Bitcoin sportsbook and casino operators in the crypto market. Cloudbet is completely licensed and regulated by satisfied customers in over 100 countries. Cloudbet aims to offer unbeatable value for many leagues, such as UCL, EPL, NBA, NFL. Cloudbet also has an exciting Bitcoin casino.

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Ethereum Betting Now Launched By Cloudbet - TimesOfCasino

The Cruise Industry Pressured Caribbean Islands Amid Coronavirus Concerns – The Intercept

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Sam Duncombe, head of the Bahamian environmental organization reEarth, looked on with concern Thursday as island authorities debated whether to allow passengers to disembark from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Braemar, the latest ship hit by the novel coronavirus. Duncombe is a longtime critic of the cruise industry and has led the fight against Disneys plan to build a private cruise port in an area recommended for marine-protected status, home to a fragile coral reef ecosystem. Cruise ships have repeatedly come under fire in the Bahamas for dumping sewage, food waste, plastic, and oil into the aqua waters. Duncombe doesnt trust the cruise industry to protect the islands from a health crisis any more than she trusts it to protect the environment.

The Dominican Republic turned away the Braemar at the end of February due to health officials concerns about flu-like symptoms reported on board. But in a move typical of an industry that tends to play island nations against one another, the cruise company called the decision an overreaction and found a friendly port in St. Maarten. Passengers disembarked and new ones filed on board.

From there, the Braemar headed to Cartagena, Colombia, where an American who disembarked became the first recorded coronavirus case in the city. Four crew members and one passenger tested positive on a stop in Curaao. Meanwhile, in Canada, Albertas chief medical officer revealed that a Braemar passenger had tested positive after returning home from the ship. As the crisis continued to unfold on board, Barbados turned the Braemar away, and it headed toward the Bahamas, the country whose flag the ship flies, home to one of the busiest Caribbean island cruise ports.

So far officials have not confirmed any coronavirus cases in the Bahamas, but Duncombe worries that the country is not ready for what could come. The hospital is already overwhelmed with normal sicknesses and problems that are happening, she said, noting that recovery after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian has been like molasses in the snow. We simply do not have the resources to be dealing with any kind of massive outbreak.

Late Thursday, to Duncombes relief, the Bahamian government announced that the Braemar would not be allowed to dock, and by Friday, Fred Olsen announced it would suspend cruises in the face of the crisis. This is odd for the industry. Theyre not used to ports standing up for themselves, said Ross Klein, a professor at Canadas Memorial University who studies maritime tourism. Typically, he added, the cruise industry says, If you dont like us, well go somewhere else.

Across the Caribbean, cruise lines have placed enormous pressure on governments to be allowed to continue to dock cruise ships, even when concerns about illness on board arise.

In Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos, Carnival Cruise Line, the namesake brand of Carnival Corporation, which controls about half the market share, threatened to pull its business after government officials attempted to stop ships carrying potentially sick passengers from docking in their ports or restricted which passengers could disembark. The three island governments were left to make critical public health decisions under threat from a corporation that holds enormous sway over island economies.

One of the ships turned out to be carrying the virus. On Friday, authorities in the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico announced that their first confirmed coronavirus patients had entered on the Costa Luminosa, a Carnival Corporation ship.

Only after news broke that the Cayman Islands would be forced to shut down one of its three hospitals because of worker exposure to a Costa Luminosa patient did the Cruise Lines International Association announce that its members would suspend operations in the U.S., cancelling many Caribbean cruises.

As Klein put it, Its an industry that tends to be arrogant. Its an industry that tends not to listen to consumers or listen to people providing feedback. The outcome, he said, is that theyre exporting illness.

Even after the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that Americans avoid cruise ships, and the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, cruise companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean continued offering bargain-basement deals and flexible cancellation plans incentivizing vacationers to keep cruising despite the risk of spreading the virus.

Emails leaked to the Miami New Times by a Norwegian Cruise Line employee showed a manager pressuring sales staff to lie to potential customers about the risk of the virus, telling them, for example, that the coronavirus can only survive in cold temperatures, so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise.

It was a dangerous form of crisis capitalism, considering that cruise lines had already been linked to multiple outbreaks. Some of the first Americans diagnosed with Covid-19 were aboard Carnival Corporations Diamond Princess, which sat off the coast of Japan for two weeks during a bungled quarantine effort carried out by low-paid workers who were not properly trained or given effective safety equipment. Eight people died, and around 700 caught the virus. Weeks later, Carnival Corporations Grand Princess idled for days off the coast of Oakland as 19 crew members and two passengers were diagnosed with the virus. The first coronavirus patient to die in California had previously disembarked from the same ship.

The cruise industry is one of a handful that the Trump administration has flagged as a potential recipient for special aid in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The industry is certainly struggling; share prices tumbled as passengers have canceled voyages. But its special treatment is also the result of the cruise lines intense lobbying efforts and close relationships with the Trump family. On Monday, the president told the press, Were working with them very, very strongly. We want them to travel.

Indeed, the crisis has displayed the strong-arming capability of an under-regulated industry that has a poor record on labor, the environment, and public health. And nowhere has cruise companies risky determination to stay afloat been felt more acutely than in the Caribbean.

Passengers onboard the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship in Cozumel, Mexico, on Feb. 27, 2020.

Photo: Jose Castillo/AFP via Getty Images

Puerto Ricos first coronavirus case came from an Italian tourist whose cruise ship, Carnival Corporations Costa Luminosa, had sparked a clash between Jamaican authorities and the cruise industry, after Jamaica refused to allow Italian passengers to disembark. Puerto Ricans have cried foul, criticizing their government for being less strict with the ship. However, Jamaicas move came at a price.

After learning that a crew member on the MSC Meraviglia was quarantined with flu-like symptoms, Jamaicas health minister turned the ship away on February 25. To the cruise industrys dismay, the Cayman Islands followed suit. A few days later, the Costa Luminosa approached Jamaicas shores. This time, government officials informed the company that guests from hard-hit Italy would not be allowed onshore.

Carnival Cruise Line had seen enough. The company, which has the same parent company as the Costa Luminosa, threatened to end its stops in Jamaica if the government didnt soften its hard line on coronavirus. Cruises account for nearly 1 percent of the countrys GDP, and the downturn in recent weeks has cost the economy $4 million. To show that it was serious, Carnival rerouted two ships away from Jamaica, and MSC also diverted a cruise. Carnival Cruise Line skipped the Cayman Islands, too.

Carnival Cruise Line threatened to end its stops in Jamaica if the government didnt soften its hard line on coronavirus.

While we are following all U.S. CDC and World Health Organization screening protocols and guidelines, we want to avoid any possibility of a visit to a destination where there is uncertainty or we risk being turned away, said Carnival in a statement to press at the time.

What were Jamaica and the Cayman Islands doing? They were just trying to enforce their own health codes. Carnival didnt like it, said Jim Walker, an attorney who created the blog Cruise Law News and represents clients suing cruise companies.

After a meeting with Carnival and MSC on March 6, Jamaican officials announced a deal in which the cruise lines would begin handing over the ships medical logs, including temperature readings and travel history. The companies also consented to stricter rules for passengers with a recent history of travel to the most impacted countries.

The same day, the government of Turks and Caicos declined to allow the Carnival Magic cruise to dock because several guests on board were exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Carnival was enormously frustrated. The company responded in the same way that it had to Jamaica, rerouting three cruises from Turks and Caicos as it entered discussions with the government.

Meanwhile, the Costa Luminosa sailed on, making stops in the Cayman Islands, Honduras, and Mexico. By March 8, the tourist from Italy had arrived in Puerto Rico. The island government had no notification from Carnival that anyone on board had presented coronavirus-like symptoms when 1,370 passengers and 410 crew members disembarked in Old San Juan. But after the woman was diagnosed with pneumonia by a ship doctor, she was rushed to a local hospital. Because she came from the heart of the pandemic in northern Italy, medical workers administered a Covid-19 test.

Of course, in another indication of the deep uncertainty that the pandemic has sown, Puerto Ricans only received the results of the Italian tourists Covid-19 test from the CDC on Friday night, a week after the patient was hospitalized. The news that the cruise passenger and her husband had tested positive broke hours after the Cayman Islands government announced that another Costa Luminosa traveler had become the first patient to test positive in the territory. He was hospitalized at Health City Cayman Islands after going into cardiac arrest but developed a dry cough after six days of treatment. Thirty medical workers who came into contact with him are now under quarantine, and the private hospital has decided to close for the next two weeks. The 68-year-old patient died Saturday morning.

Klein said the cruise industrys response to the crisis is business as usual. The cruise industry always wants ports to know, Were mobile, so if you get out of line, theres plenty of ports that will welcome us, he said.

The ships operate under flags of convenience, basing themselves in whatever nation gives them the best deal. They enjoy freedoms from many laws and controls, whether it be in the U.S. or a Caribbean island, said Klein.

One of the most important ways the industry is able to fleece Caribbean nations is via port fees, a tax per head on the passengers who disembark. Klein said the fees are often lower than what it costs for the islands to maintain the facilities the cruise companies demand. Caribbean islands have attempted to collectively demand fair fees, but so far, the industry has succeeded in a divide-and-conquer strategy that leaves all of the region at the behest of the corporations.

Many critics argue that the problems the ships bring arent worth the tourists they attract on shore. In many cases, cruise companies steer passengers toward excursions and shopping destinations that allow them to take a cut of profits.

The cruise industry always wants ports to know, Were mobile, so if you get out of line, theres plenty of ports that will welcome us.

The latest trend is cruises that bypass local communities entirely. Last month, Antigua and Barbuda signed an agreement with Royal Caribbean International to open a Royal Beach Club. A half mile of the Antiguan coast will be available exclusively to Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, away from the islands small businesses. It follows a model similar to the Disney project Duncombe opposes in the Bahamas.

On Thursday, the same day that five U.S. states announced that they would close all schools to limit the spread of the virus, Carnival Cruise Line told The Intercept that it would continue to operate, with a few new protocols. We have five departures scheduled for today and those sailings will depart this afternoon, spokesperson Vance Gulliksen said. Neither Carnival Corporation nor its Costa Cruises responded to requests for comment.

Although some major cruise companies suspended operations, including Carnival Corporations embattled Princess line, most waited until their handswere forced.

Even as news broke of the Cayman Islands hospital closing on Friday, a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association, Bari Golin-Blaugrund, reassured The Intercept in an email that the vast majority of the 272 ships in the Cruise Lines International Association fleet have been unaffected by this growing public health crisis, which we believe points to the effectiveness of our policies. He continued, We realize the situation is changing rapidly, and we are changing with it appropriately.

Within hours, the same organization announced its members would suspend all cruise operations at U.S. ports of call for 30 days. Trump issued a Twitter announcement soon afterward that Carnival Cruise Line and other major companies would be among those pausing operations. At my request, effective midnight tonight, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC have all agreed to suspend outbound cruises for thirty days. It is a great and important industry it will be kept that way! the president said.

Both Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands have suspended the entry of all cruises.

In a video message, Princesss President Jan Swartz assured customers that the health of guests, crew members, and the communities they visit are the companys No. 1 priority. She closed her message with a plea for vacationers to book a cruise now for the sake of the common good. We ask you to book a future Princess cruise to your dream destination as a sign of encouragement for our team; as a support to the people, companies, and communities who rely on us; as a vote of our collective faith that we will find solutions to address this virus together; and as a symbol to the world that the things that connect us are stronger than those that divide us.

Walker, the attorney, said he doesnt expect the coronavirus crisis to lead the industry to rethink its pressure tactics in the Caribbean. Do I see this as a moment where the cruise line industry is inherently going to make changes? No, I dont, he said. The business model is set.

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The Cruise Industry Pressured Caribbean Islands Amid Coronavirus Concerns - The Intercept

5 Trending Food Destinations in the Caribbean – Caribbean Journal

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Sitting under a palapa at the waters edge, dining on whole snapper glazed in unagi joined by a 2016 Astrid & Therese riesling, one begins to realize just how much the Caribbean culinary scene has changed in recent years.

Because experiences like the above arent unique anymore the regions gastronomic might has grown by leaps and bounds, with both a renewed appreciation for local cuisine (and sourcing) and a new injection of international styles and techniques.

It all adds up to what is a truly thriving food world in the Caribbean.

But certain destinations are setting the bar even higher, thanks to intrepid chefs, risk-taking restaurateurs and a good, old-fashioned love of fine food.

St Croix, US Virgin Islands Nowhere in the region is generating more culinary buzz right now than St Croix, the increasingly hip hotspot in the US Virgin Islands that has seen a full-fledged gastronomic boom, primarily in the historic downtown of Christiansted, where top eateries like Balter, Zion, Uptown Eatery, Too Chez and the islands Grande Dame, Savant, have all cultivated a vibrant food scene, along with an impressive craft cocktail culture ranging from Frank Robinsons BES Craft Cocktail Lounge and Rum and Wine to the islands first true tiki bar, Breakers Roar. Plainly, its the buzziest foodie destination in the Caribbean right now.

But its not limited to Christiansted: the west-coast town of Frederiksted is getting tastier, too, from the brand-new 7AF Asian fusion eatery to the beachy Louie & Nachos gastropub. A lot of the credit, too, goes to local Chef Digby Stridiron (and his newest venture, AMA at Cane Bay), who has helped tell the story of Crucian food to the world.

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5 Trending Food Destinations in the Caribbean - Caribbean Journal

Coronavirus-hit cruise ship in diplomatic scramble to find somewhere to dock – CNN

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(CNN) A transatlantic cruise ship carrying more than 600 passengers with at least five confirmed coronavirus cases on board has spent days searching for somewhere to dock after it was refused entry at multiple Caribbean ports.

British officials launched an intense diplomatic effort to find a country willing to take the MS Braemar, which belongs to the British company Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Twenty passengers and another 20 crew members, including a doctor, are in isolation after displaying influenza-like symptoms while traveling on the ship.

The Cuban government has now said it is willing to receive the ship and "comprehends the difficult situation these passengers find themselves in," a diplomatic source in Cuba told CNN.

Cuba said it would allow the ship to dock there out of "humanitarian concerns" and the need for "a shared effort to confront and stop the spread of the pandemic."

It is not yet clear when the ship may arrive in Cuba and where the infected passengers will be treated if the British government decides to send the ship to dock there.

The cruise ship was refused docking in Barbados on Thursday and the Bahamas on Friday.

The Braemar is anchored about 25 miles offshore in the Bahamas where it is resupplying with vital food, fuel and medications.

The vessel, which is carrying 682 passengers and 381 crew members, arrived in the Bahamas on Saturday. Authorities there were the latest to prevent the ship from docking but it was given permission to drop anchor southwest of Freeport.

"No other Caribbean ports were willing to accept the ship because of local sensitivities towards COVID-19 coronavirus," the company said in a statement.

A plan to allow the ship to sail back to the UK was ruled out on practical grounds due to the distance involved and the health of the passengers.

A Fred Olsen spokeswoman told CNN that all options on where to go were being considered, including returning to its starting point in Southampton in the UK.

"We are exploring a number of opportunities and working extremely hard to find a resolution," she said.

"The key thing for us is to get guests home as quickly and as safely as possible."

The passengers on the Braemar are predominantly British but also include Canadian, Australian, Belgian, Colombian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, New Zealand, Norwegian and Swedish citizens.

Keith Livingstone, whose wife Suzanne has been on board with a friend since February 12, has been keeping in touch with her as much as possible with unreliable internet connections.

"Whilst spirits are high the lack of information and any decision as to what may happen is beginning to concern," he told CNN from Northern Ireland. "The crew from the Captain down have been fantastic by all accounts but they seem to be as much in the dark as anyone.

"The lack of information is leading to speculation, which leads to rumors, which then become fact to some."

He said most passengers were elderly, which was "leading to anxiety levels rising the longer the situation is unresolved," adding: "The Voyage of the Damned continues."

Passengers have been advised to self-isolate and contact the ship's medical center if they felt unwell. The ship's bars and restaurants remain open. The UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office wrote to all British nationals on board on Saturday, advising them to follow the cruise firm's guidance. Two officials are in Freeport offering support to the Bahamian authorities.

"We are working intensively with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and the authorities in the region to urgently make arrangements to get British nationals safely home," the FCO told CNN in a statement. "The ship is being resupplied in the Bahamas. We are ensuring medical supplies are available -- including by funding resupply by helicopter."

The cruise line was unable to drop passengers on its Caribbean cruise in La Romana in the Dominican Republic on February 27 after a number of influenza-like cases on board were reported.

Instead, it made an unscheduled stop in St. Maarten on March 2 to allow passengers to disembark and take the cruise's charter flights back to the UK. New passengers boarded and the vessel set sail for Jamaica as it continued to the Western Caribbean and Central America. It was due to continue to Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Curacao, and reach Barbados on March 12.

On Monday, March 9, the company reported that two people who had been on the Braemar were diagnosed with the coronavirus after returning home. Six people reporting flu-like symptoms on the ship were tested, and five cases were confirmed on Wednesday -- four crew and one passenger -- with another inconclusive result.

The ship was unable to dock at the island of Curaao on Tuesday or Barbados on Thursday and changed course to the Bahamas, its flagged state, with the intention of allowing passengers to disembark there.

The captain told passengers in an announcement that he was in talks with local authorities and asked passengers to "bear with me in this incredibly frustrating time, where rumor is plentiful and facts are in short supply."

Peter Deer, managing director at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, on Sunday thanked Captain Jozo Glavic and his crew "for working so hard for so long in very challenging circumstances" and thanked passengers for their patience. "We have been working around the clock with the Bahamian authorities to get supplies on to the ship but it is taking longer than we expected to get the necessary clearances," he said.

Deer said the company had "acted on the best advice available" when it boarded passengers in St Maarten on March 2. "No one who joined the ship declared illness, and no passenger had traveled to a high-risk area nor been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 coronavirus.

"Anyone remaining on the ship had been in the Caribbean for at least 14 days and there had been no known instances of the virus in the region."

He said the flights from the Dominican Republic were authorized by the UK authorities and none of the passengers were quarantined on their return to the UK.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said it was addressing the "challenging and changing situation" from its headquarters in Ipswich, England, in consultation with authorities in the UK and the Bahamas. "This must be a very worrying time for our guests on board and their families," the company said, adding, "we find ourselves in an unprecedented situation."

The firm has canceled all cruises until May 23.

The Bahamas Ministry of Transport said in a statement that the "cruise ship will not be permitted to dock at any port in The Bahamas and no persons will be permitted to disembark the vessel" but said the government would "provide the Braemar with humanitarian assistance."

"They will be in The Bahamas for a short period while the ship is refueling and the Braemar will leave The Bahamas immediately thereafter.

"The Government of The Bahamas reaffirms its continued commitment to take action in the best interest of the public health and safety and well-being of the Bahamian people and residents of The Bahamas.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people who have contracted the coronavirus and who are at immediate risk."

Emma Reynolds wrote in London, Patrick Oppmann reported from Havana, Cuba. CNN's Leona Siaw and Alisha Ebrahimji also contributed to this report.

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Coronavirus-hit cruise ship in diplomatic scramble to find somewhere to dock - CNN

A Destination for All Ages in the Caribbean – TravelPulse

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The Dominican Republic is a geographically diverse, culturally rich oasis in the Caribbean that has something for everyone. From the powdery-sand beaches, long mountain regions, natural pools and dense jungles to the local arts, sports, music and shops there is a draw for every kind of traveler at any age.

As the second-largest country in the Caribbean, there is a wide range of activities in the Dominican Republic that will suit all generations. The beaches are a perfect place for parents and grandparents to relax with a drink in hand while kids can splash about in the calm waters or partake in a number of water sports.

The capital of Santo Domingo, meanwhile, is great for a daytime excursion, where adults can enjoy the shops and cafes while children will be stimulated by the citys lively atmosphere.

While there are general activities and sites that will appeal to all ages, the Dominican Republic is so big that there are plenty of pursuits for travelers with specific interests to enjoy with their families or companions. Athletes and sports fans can enjoy the seemingly infinite number of golf courses on the islands and the countrys favored sport, baseball. Explorers can experience their own adventures through scuba diving, caving, ziplining and hiking, all of which provide children-friendly options for families to participate in.

History buffs and scholars can peruse the islands many museums and theaters that exemplify the Dominican Republics culture. National parks can also be found all over the country, where nature-lovers can immerse themselves in the local flora and fauna.

Naturally, the Caribbean island is full of all-inclusive luxury resorts that make it difficult to leave. There are plenty of features at a Dominican resort for all guests to enjoy: pools, spa treatments, lounges, restaurants, nightclubs and special events for kids. With a majority of the countrys resorts settled on the pristine beaches, visitors are given all they need to enjoy their vacations with their loved ones.

The energetic island also hosts many events that welcome tourists to partake and enjoy. From fairs celebrating the arts to music festivals to sporting events, there are plenty of reasons for families and groups to leave their resorts to explore the beauty of the Dominican Republic.

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A Destination for All Ages in the Caribbean - TravelPulse

Punta Cana has 9 of the 20 best family resorts in the Caribbean – Dominican Today

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Nearly half of the best family resorts in the Caribbean are in the DR

Going on vacation to the Caribbean seemed to be an adults-only option overall, but resorts across the area cater to families.

Today, thousands of families are finding resorts in theDominican Republic(Punta Cana),Montego Bay, andTurks & Caicos, to name a few, which have amenities for children.

Therefore, below are 20 Caribbean resorts that are ideal for a family vacation with children, of which 9 are in Punta Cana.

The Grand Reserve At Paradisus Palma Real

The hotel has a fantastic family section with a childrens area that includes a trampoline and a climbing wall. In addition how much with a care service for the youngest.

Family Club At Barcelo Bavaro Palace

It allows guests to access all the comforts and facilities of the main resort, even if they stay in the family section, as well as other advantages for children.

The Family Club offers a smaller water park and drinks and snacks for children in the minibar of a family suite.

Eden Roc Cap Cana

The resort is ideal for families who want to get away from the crowds and enjoy a relaxing vacation with each other.Children can hang out at the Koko Kids Club, which is free for three hours.

Now Onyx Punta Cana

There are several activities that parents and children can enjoy with each other, including water sports and even spa treatments for children.All restaurants at Now Onyx Punta Cana have a childrens menu and parents will also find a childrens club if they want to enjoy a moment with other adults.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana

It accepts children up to three years of age and reviews have shown that children who have spent time at the community kids club still want to return day after day.The resort staff is great with younger kids and a mini disco will keep the kids entertained all night.

Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa

It has an amazing Explorers Club for kids, which gives parents their own time to enjoy the holidays.

Activities at Explorers Club include arts and crafts, a pirate ship water slide, storytelling, big-screen movies on the beach, and weekly camping adventures.

Grand Memories Splash Punta Cana

Multiple reviews have rated Grand Memories Splash Punta Cana five stars for its incredible activities for children.Parents have been excited about professional care while their kids are at the kids club while having a quiet time for themselves.

Also, you cant beat the water park, which is said to be the largest in the Caribbean.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana

It is where adults and children will find many things to do during the day.In fact, this all-inclusive resort is opening a Hard Rock Roxity Kids Club that will feature endless entertainment for children, including crafts, water games, and nature walks.

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana

The first resort of its kind in the Caribbean where there are amenities for children of all ages, such as the Aqua Nick playground, colorful water slides, and the chance to hang out with Nickelodeon characters over breakfast.

The other resorts that make up the list, according to TheTravel.com are:

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Village & Spas Sesame Street

Ocho Rios Resort & Golf Club Beaches

The Reef At Atlantis

Beaches Negril Resort & Spa

Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa

Marriotts Aruba Surf Club

Grace Bay Club

Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites

Carlisle Bay Antigua Beachfront Resort

Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino

Half Moon

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Punta Cana has 9 of the 20 best family resorts in the Caribbean - Dominican Today

The Best All-Inclusive Private-Island Destinations – Caribbean Journal

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At the best private-island all-inclusive destinations in the Caribbean, youll find the all-inclusive experience without all the crowds.

That means the comfort and convenience of all-inclusive in a luxurious, rarefied package, often in some of the most luxurious spots in the region.

While the details of all-inclusive programs can vary at these hidden-away retreats, theyll uniformly give you an experience you just cant find at other all-inclusive properties because privacy like this is the ultimate inclusion.

And whether youre on a secluded beach in Turks and Caicos or in the green hills of the BVI, you can find your perfect all-inclusive private island in the Caribbean. Here are our favorites.

Palm Island, The Grenadines No all-inclusive anywhere in the Caribbean can match the sheer romance and serenity at this legendary outpost in the heart of the Grenadines. This Elite Island Resorts signature gives travelers the ultimate castaway fantasy, with endless beaches, sparkling views and an eco-chic vibe that all adds up to a true bucket-list experience.

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The Best All-Inclusive Private-Island Destinations - Caribbean Journal

How the deadly coronavirus brought an industry to its knees: The ‘cruise lines 9/11’ – CNBC

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Members of media gather at the Diamond Princess cruise ship, operated by Carnival Corp., docked in Yokohama, Japan, on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020.

Toru Hanai | Bloomberg Getty Images

Jackie Ceren has seen a lot in 41 years working in the travel industry, but she's never seen anything like what's happened to the cruise industry since the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

Passengers have fallen ill and died as cruise ships become the sites of epidemics. In response, ports have denied vessels entry, travelers have canceled tripsandthe largest cruise companies in the world have suspended operations.

"I've only ever seen them close cruise ports for like hurricanes or earthquakes," said Ceren, a travel agent based out of Florida. "And I've been through SARS, Ebola, Swine Flu. I've seen it all."

Every booking she had has now canceled. "This is like a travel apocalypse," Ceren said.

Two of her clients were actually stuck at sea.Ray Cutro, 73, and his wife Arline ultimately made the decision to abort their four-month Viking cruise trip around the world.

They were just over two months in, Cutro said, and the ship was sailing around Australia trying to re-chart a course that avoided China, then the epicenter of the new coronavirus pandemic. It was the end of February, he said, and ports around Southeast Asia were turning the ship away, fearing a situation similar to that which occurred earlier in February when an outbreak spread aboard the Diamond Princess in Japan.

The captain called an all-hands meeting with the passengers, Cutro said, adding that the captain and company handled the situation well. The message was, "you can get off or you can stay on, but we don't know where we're going," Cutro recalled. His mind was already made up.

"We were fooling ourselves to stay," he said, so he and his wife flew home to Florida last week.

Cutro said he paid $100,000 for the four-month cruise that was supposed to be a celebration of him and his wife's 50th anniversary. The Viking Sun voyage was supposed to set a record for the longest continuous passenger cruise trip ever. Cutro said the company is compensating them for at least some of the trip, but the decision to cut the trip short wasn't easy, he said. As the virus continues to sweep across the world, he thinks he made the right decision.

"The whole world feels like a cruise ship now," he said.

It started with the Diamond Princess, a vessel operated by Carnival Corp.'s Princess Cruises. Its 3,700 passengers and crew were quarantined at a Japanese port on Feb. 4 after a previous guest, who didn't have any symptoms while aboard the ship, tested positive for the virusafter he returned to Hong Kong.More than 700 passengers and crew on the ship ultimately tested positive for the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, and at least 8 died. The Japanese government and other nations eventually evacuated their citizens from the vessel.

Another Carnival-owned ship, the Grand Princess, was forced to moor off the coast of California when 21 people tested positive for the virus. After several days, California officials brought the ship on Mondayto the Port of Oakland, where the last passengers disembarked Friday for transport to federal quarantine facilities. More than 1,000 crew remained aboard the ship, which is anchored in the bay.

Amid the rapid spread of the virus on ships and on-board quarantines, the State Department last week warned Americans against traveling by cruise ship.

"When the government came out and said don't go on anymore cruises, that was it. That was the death blow," Ceren said. "What they have created is fear."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is weighing cruise restrictions along the California coast as he awaits new federal guidelines for the industry. He said cruise operators should introduce aggressive requirements for travelers "at the peril of that industry collapsing."

The fallout from the deadly Princess Cruises fiasco wasn't limited to Carnival Corp. All three publicly traded cruise line companies, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, were left with little choice but to suspend voyages as the authorities threatened to crack down.

Their stocks have collapsed, leading the market's broader sell-off that saw the Dow lose over 20% of its value the past month.Carnival's stock has dropped by nearly 60% while Royal Caribbean and Norwegian have lost more than 70% of their value over the past 30 days.

Ceren compared the buckling of the cruise lines with the devastating impact of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the airline industry. The federal government shut airports after the attacks; passenger demand plummeted; and businesses suspended non-essential travel. According to Ceren, the coronavirus has been even worse for the cruise lines.

"Things happen, but nothing of this caliber," Ceren said. "This is worse than 9/11 when they were canceling flights all over the place. This is the cruise lines' 9/11."

Despite federal relief efforts, several major American airlines declared bankruptcy in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Ceren, however, predicts the cruise lines will recover. They have already dropped ticket prices to entice customers on trips once the pandemic is under control.

Both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruises have pulled on fresh lines of credit to weather the storm. Last week, Norwegian secured an additional revolving loan of $675 million and Royal announced it was increasing its revolving credit capacity by $550 million.

"These are extraordinary times and we are taking these steps to manage the company prudently and conservatively," Royal CEO Richard Fain said.

The increasing debt is nothing to be concerned about yet, said Colin Mansfield, director at Fitch Ratings, who has experience covering the cruise industry. He added that if the outbreak is just a near-term shock to the industry, they'll likely recover quickly once it's under control.

"The cruise companies really have a lot of tools at their disposal," Mansfield said, adding that cruise companies have a lot of flexibility in terms of reducing expenses to cover reduced cash flow.

"From that perspective having those options is a good thing," he continued. "It would really only be a bad thing if this ends up being a more long-term shock than is expected right now."

Customers, investors and authorities have a lot of questions about how Princesses Cruises was hit so hard by the virus and what it means for the the future of the cruise industry. Carnival Corp., so far, has few answers.

A company spokesman told CNBC that the cruise industry has taken proactive steps to provide a level of advanced screening, pre-boarding and on-ship health and safety protocols.

Leaders of the cruise industry including Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald, recently met with Vice President Mike Pence and health officials regarding steps forward.

"We want to work with the cruise line industry to ensure that when we come through this, that cruise lines and the medical services that are available for the passengers and all of the crew, that cruise lines are safer than ever before and can prosper for years to come," Vice President Mike Pence said Friday at a news briefing.

On Saturday, Pence even hinted that the cruise lines could receive financial assistance from the federal government.

But Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz admitted there remain a lot of unanswered questions.

"We've been asked, and we've asked ourselves, why COVID-19 seems to be impacting Princess so heavily," Swartz said. "We don't really know."

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How the deadly coronavirus brought an industry to its knees: The 'cruise lines 9/11' - CNBC

The 10 Best Pink Sand Beaches in the Caribbean – Caribbean Journal

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The spectacular beaches of the Caribbean remain the regions ultimate siren song for travelers. Theyre the reason we sit at our desks, dreaming of the islands, placing ourselves there, even just for a moment.

Theyre the essence of what makes the Caribbean the worlds most romantic destination.

And while the Caribbeans exotic white sands are unmatched around the world, if you dig deep enough you can find something rather special: pink sand.

Dotted around the Caribbean are some truly delightful little stretches of pink sand, which are typically the result of miniscule pink-and-red shells that once housed tiny organisms called foraminifera.

So where can you find these wonders? Take a journey with us around some of our favorite pink sand beaches in the Caribbean, from The Bahamas to Grenada.

Pink Sand Beach, Harbour Island The ultimate pink sand beach in the Caribbean, this three-mile-long stunner is a radiant shade of pink, endlessly wide, rimmed with some of the most beautiful boutique hotels in The Bahamas.

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The 10 Best Pink Sand Beaches in the Caribbean - Caribbean Journal

Why Royal Caribbean’s digital overhaul is safe from the coronavirus – Business Insider Nordic

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The coronavirus outbreak is having widespread impact across corporate America, but one of the hardest-hit segments is the cruise-ship industry.

On Sunday, the US State Department advised Americans to avoid traveling on cruise ships altogether because of the risk of infection. The warning comes as one cruise ship is docked outside Oakland, California, after at least 21 passengers on board tested positive for the virus.

Experts say the sector could lose significant revenue as a result. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase, for example, said the pandemic was creating "the toughest environment cruise operators have had to contend with in most of their histories."

The ramifications are so significant that President Donald Trump is considering a tax break for the industry, The Washington Post reported.

Despite the expected fallout, some tech leaders remain confident that the digital investments underway will be able to continue largely unabated.

At Royal Caribbean, Chief Digital Officer Jay Schneider says projects are chosen because they produce value for the organization whether that's reduced costs, growing revenue, or improving employee morale and that doesn't change in the face of an external threat.

"There are some things in our journey where the value has been squishy. During economic challenges, our job is to focus on the things that drive hard value," he told Business Insider. "And 98% of what we do I can attribute hard value to things where the investment yields a better outcome that we can measure. And as a result, there's no reason not to do it."

Reductions in funding for digital initiatives in the face of tougher economic conditions can also set companies back significantly, according to Schneider. "They cut too deep, and then they have a hole to fill in that they have to make up a year or two later," he added.

Schneider refers to Royal Caribbean's digital transformation as a "never-ending journey."

Among other things, the company is trying to digitize how it educates passengers on the safety features of a boat on the first day of travel a process that requires all customers' physical presence in a specified location. It also continually updates its application to make the onboard experience more seamless for customers, implementing features like digital room keys and remote control of the air conditioning in a cabin.

But many of the digital overhauls underway might not need major software investment. Instead, they are heavily reliant on organizational changes.

"It isn't just about software. For us, yes, it's software, but it's built on a system of process reengineering and thinking differently about the guest experience," Schneider said.

Royal Caribbean, for example, sought to transform how passengers boarded their ships at the start of trips. It implemented facial-recognition software and other applications to ease the process. But a major impediment had nothing to do with the technology.

Passengers were previously stopped nine times during the onboarding process, whether for security checks, directional cues, or other human interactions.

Royal Caribbean ended up reducing that to two instances: once for security and another for the last check on board the ship to make sure the right travelers were present.

While facial-recognition tools helped reduce that, it was largely a process of analyzing all the touch points and figuring out which were repetitive or could be eliminated.

Royal Caribbean is sure to be one of many companies that must struggle with evaluating investments in the face of economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus. But the reliance on both organizational changes and tech improvements show that progress can still be made even with tighter budgets.

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Why Royal Caribbean's digital overhaul is safe from the coronavirus - Business Insider Nordic

Canceled: Caribbean Night on the horizon at the Opera House – PenBayPilot.com

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Swaying palm trees, a Tiki hut, the joyful sound of steel drums, and flip flops are not typically the things one sees and hears in March, in Maine, in Boothbay Harbor. The exception is the annual Caribbean Night at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor featuring the band Pan Fried Steel on Saturday, March 21.

Over the past decade this night of island sounds, dancing and limbo contests, fruit punch and summer T-shirts has become a tradition and signaled the end of winter. Or at least it has help put an end to cabin fever and brought a bit of the Caribbean to the coast of Maine.

The dozens of steel drums that accompany the Pan Fried Steel band wherever they perform will fill the stage, playing everything from classical to contemporary. While ample seating is available, on this night a large dance floor is also open to those in shorts and sundresses, flip flops or barefoot, with or without sunglasses. The evening is as much concert as it is a party for all ages.

The Friends of the Opera House will have island-inspired desserts for sale, and the Tiki Hut will be serving beer, wine and Pan Fried Punch. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the music begins at 7.

Advance discounted tickets are $10 (all ages) and available directly from the Opera House box office at 86 Townsend Ave. or by calling 633-5159. Regular tickets are $15 and available online at boothbayoperahouse.com and at the door.

Dig out your summer togs and join in the fun tonight.

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Canceled: Caribbean Night on the horizon at the Opera House - PenBayPilot.com