Bitcoin Daily: QuadrigaCX’s Crypto Moves To EY; Samsung Unveils Smartphone With Built-In Crypto Key

Feds Investigating Quadriga’s Crypto Mystery

Most of the wallet contents from digital currency exchange QuadrigaCX have reportedly been sent to Ernst & Young (EY), a monitor appointed by the court for the company, CoinDesk reported. Through the crypto transfer, 51 bitcoins, 33 Bitcoin Cash tokens, 822 Litecoin tokens, 2,000 Bitcoin Gold tokens and 951 Ether were sent to the professional services firm. According to a court document, “The monitor will hold the cryptocurrency in cold storage, pending further order of the court.” The outlet also reported that it “appears” the individual wallets each made a test transaction ahead of the movement of most of the funds.

In other news, Telefónica plans to experiment with a system based on blockchain technology, enabling individuals to benefit from their personal information, CoinDesk reported. At first, the pilot will focus on data from Movistar users in Uruguay, and the company “will serve as a notary” to verify information that customers will offer via a marketplace from Wibson. Telefónica Chief Innovation Officer Gonzalo Martín-Villa said in an announcement, “Blockchain not only allows us to work with new business models related to personal data. It gives us the opportunity to add a trust layer to operations, and design new disruptive services.”

Samsung announced on Wednesday (Feb. 20) that a new smartphone would have a built-in digital currency feature, MarketWatch reported. The smartphone, Galaxy S10, is set to hit the market in late April, and will be priced just under $900. The tech company said in a press release that the smartphone “is built with defense-grade Samsung Knox, as well as a secure storage backed by hardware, which houses your private [crypto] keys for blockchain-enabled mobile services.”

On another note, the County Auditors’ Association of Ohio (CAAO) is forming a group to study the application of blockchain technology on real estate transactions, CoinDesk reported. The organization has teamed up with Ohio startup SafeChain, which will serve as a technical partner. CAAO President and Stark County Auditor Alan Harold said in an announcement posted on the SafeChain website, “The goal of this working group is to consider how county auditors can be forward-thinking to improve the taxpayer experience in conveying and transferring real property.”