By Jenny Lynton

Bitcoin (BTC) has recently unveiled some exciting developments that signal the coin is expanding into new innovative frontiers, from the launch of a state-of-the-art Bitcoin city to some new education initiatives. These initiatives seem to give weight to the recent endorsement from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak that ‘only bitcoin is pure digital gold…and I totally buy into that.’

Speaking on CNBC Wozniak said he prefers Bitcoin over other altcoins as it is ‘mathematically defined’ and ‘growing naturally’ He went on to declare that ‘the internet is going to have a native currency, so let’s help it happen. I don’t know if it will be bitcoin, but I hope it will be’.

With this in mind, we tapped into the CoinWatch Platform and News Sentiment features to gain some deeper insights into what’s in store for this volatile coin.

Bitcoin’s Status

Bitcoin has become a master at keeping spectators on their toes, and the past few weeks have been filled with the usual suspense-filled drama. While the coin steamed ahead to $8,419 on May 20, its value sharply plunged to a bearish $7,118 on May 28. According to CoinWatch, the coin is now trading back up at $7,619- boosted by the developments covered below.

Upcoming Launch of Bitcoin City

One of the most sensational headliners to surface this week is the news that the foundations are being laid for Slovenia’s largest shopping destination to be transformed into a ‘genuine Bitcoin City.’ The sprawling 475,000 square meter shopping complex is already branded ‘BTC City’ and currently holds around 500 retail shops.

Owner BTC Company hailed how the ground-breaking complex is ‘the first of its kind in the world to provide its visitors, consumers and business partners with an ecosystem that will develop and integrate advanced technologies based on state-of-the-art approaches (Blockchain, AI, Virtual reality (VR), Augmented reality (AR), Machine Learning (ML) and the world of cryptocurrencies’. The company hopes the City will ‘create an open society which will enable users to pursue their missions as well as develop their business environments in line with their wishes, needs, and operating policies.’

There are already signs that this vision is taking hold. Fintech startup Eligma recently rolled out a point-of-sale system for various BTC city retailers, as part of the plan to convert the complex into ‘a business and shopping ecosystem based on blockchain, AI, and cryptocurrencies’. There are also reports that consumers can already use the Elipay wallet to pay with bitcoin in some areas, as well as the integration of crypto ATMs, a Blockchain Think Tank and the ‘biggest crypto mining rig in Slovenia.’

On the PR front, Slovenian Prime Minister, Miro Cerar recently visited the complex as part of the Beyond 4.0 international conference on digital society and blockchain and even bought some coffee with Bitcoin.

This futuristic city indicates that BTC will become more of a physical reality than a digital concept and that can feature in daily life as a tradeable currency. Will the City represent the next step towards Bitcoin’s global domination? Only time will tell.

Bitcoin Takes Argentina

Hot on the heels of ‘Bitcoin City’, reports have surfaced of another phase in Bitcoin’s Global coin domination – with a whistle-stop Bitcoin tour of Argentina. Dubbed ‘Bitcoineta’, the pioneering campaign will see a Bitcoin branded mini-van tour local villages and towns throughout the country. The Bitcoin-tour is part of the concerted effort to raise awareness of cryptocurrencies in general and spread education about Bitcoin to local and remote communities.

The campaign is spearheaded by two non-profit organizations Bitcoin Argentina and Bitcoin Americana and the Project Founder Gabriel Kurman said the idea behind the tour is ‘to reach each village and town in the country and show people how they can take advantage of cryptocurrencies’. The van is also equipped with a projector to show educational movies and presentations and extra supplies, as Kurman believes this is just the first stop before the campaign takes the whole of Latin America.

Bitcoin Launches Trading Educational Platform Bitcoin.live

In yet another step in a fresh direction, Bitcoin has announced the launch of Bitcoin.live, a brand-new Trading Education Platform. The idea behind the platform is to provide crypto-investors with key educational tools and the chance to learn the tricks of the trade from some key industry analysts and experts.

The platform is designed to equip crypto-traders with some basic knowledge of the industry and the essential tools to ‘boost their portfolios’. Subscribers will have access to a rich collection of educational content as well as live events, expert analysts, forums, blog posts webinars, detailed reports and a vibrant community.

Bitcoin.live Founder, Bob Loukas believes the platform fills a crucial gap in the market, especially as a recent report from eToro found that most ‘crypto-traders are novices with little investing experience’. Loukas emphasized how ‘the interest shown by traders, investors showed us that there’s a real need within the industry for the service we are now providing. Our experts are gearing up and filling the platform with the key advice to end the uncertainty around cryptos. We cannot wait to see the platform flourish and witness our subscribers succeed within this blooming market.”