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Founded in June of 2012, Coinbase is a digital currency wallet and platform where merchants and consumers can transact with new digital currencies like bitcoin and ethereum. We're based in San Francisco, California.

Bitcoin is the world's most widely used alternative currency with a total market cap of approximately $10 billion. The bitcoin network is made up of thousands of computers run by individuals all over the world.

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Bitcoin & Ethereum are changing how we use and think about money. Coinbase, the most trusted company in the space, is looking for you to join our rapidly growing team.

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Bitcoin & Ethereum are changing how we use and think about money. Coinbase, the most trusted company in the space, is looking for you to join our rapidly growing team.

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We make Bitcoin & Ethereum easy to use, strive to be the trusted brand in the space, and have built the world's leading platform for Bitcoin and Ethereum integration.

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Keza, the mobile app that allows any Bitcoin holder worldwide to invest in stocks and bonds, is to be resurrected after its acquisition by Philippines company Satoshi Citadel Industries (SCI).

Also read:Shapeshift Transforms KeepKey Hardware Wallet into an Exchange

The move will see Keza developed closer physically to its initial key target market: amateur investors in emerging economies. According to its website, a relaunch is imminent and interested parties are invited to sign up for notification when its available.

SCI CEO John Bailon told Bitcoin.com he had been a user of the original app, and had been blown away by the initial concept. At the time, SCI was even mulling something similar for its own ecosystem. He said:

We thought it was the best execution of the idea, from design to how simple it has made the experience of investing for new users [] It was a no-brainer for us when the opportunity to take over the project was presented to us.

Bailon said he assumed the original developers had places like the Philippines in mind when creating the app, as the country presented the best fit for such a revolutionary product.

Keza earned much praise in its initial development and beta period earlier this year, raising over $350,000 in seed funding including that of Barry Silberts Digital Currency Group (DCG)and angel investor Jason Calacanis.

Its innovative concept appeared to demonstrate what Bitcoin was fundamentally all about opening up financial and investment opportunities to those who wanted to participate, but were stymied by barriers in the existing financial system.

It was available to anyone in the world except US residents.

Keza signed up 2,000 iOS users for a beta test, but then in April announced abruptly that it was closing down for unspecified reasons, and returned all testers funds (including any profits earned).

Bailon added that Filipinos in particular would be excited to be able to finally participate in a global investment arena.

Were very in tune with technology and international news, and being able to take part in it has brought a lot of interest into Keza. I think Ive never had so many inquiries for a product we havent launched.

Original co-founder Simon Burns had said Kezas mission was to expand access of financial services to every corner of the globe, allowing any budding investor from Lagos, Istanbul or Toronto to invest in a global portfolio of stocks and bonds.

The simple app allowed investors to choose one of three portfolios depending on risk level: Conservative, Moderate or Aggressive. A tracking chart then showed how each users investment was performing.

The original Keza had investment partners who acted as custodians for the Bitcoin and placed the investments, though all investments remained denominated in Bitcoin (and were thus subject to price fluctuations).

Satoshi Citadel Industries is one of the oldest and largest Bitcoin companies in the Philippines, and has become known for its range of products which test key use cases for Bitcoin particularly in developing/emerging economies.

It operates Bitcoin remittance service Rebit.ph, exchange BuyBitcoin.ph, payment processor Bitmarket.ph and the upcoming wallet/social media app bitbit.

If youre not a US resident, will you be signing up for the relaunched Keza? Does the Bitcoin world need more services like this?

Images courtesy ofWikimedia Commons,techinasia.com, Keza

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Popular Bitcoin Investing App Keza to Relaunch

Buying actual bitcoins has proven dangerous, to say the least. Just look at the unbelievable turbulence in Bitcoin prices -- the currency's value shot up 6,000% in one year before collapsing in value -- and the alleged fraud at the Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange that led many investors to lose money.

In theory, an exchange-traded fund, or ETF, that mirrors the price of Bitcoin would offer a somewhat safer alternative. Think: something akin to SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD), which tracks gold prices.

But no Bitcoin ETFs have been created. An effort by the twins Cameron and Tyle Winklevoss to do just that has been waiting two years to receive approval from regulators. The Securities and Exchange Commission is still trying to figure out how to define and oversee Bitcoin.

This week, ARK Investment Management announced a full embrace of the digital currency. Its ARK Web x.0 ETF (ARKW) became the first ETF to invest in bitcoins.

"Current prices present an attractive entry point for our investors," Cathie Wood, ARK's founder and chief investment officer, said in a statement.

But before taking a leap, it would be smart to read the fine print of the ETF, which trades under the ticker symbol "ARKW."

First, it's not a pure play on Bitcoin. Even though it announced the Bitcoin play, the ETF is actually an investment in what it calls disruptive technologies. The crypto currency represents just a slice of its holdings, packaged along with Netflix (NFLX, Tech30), LinkedIn (LNKD, Tech30) and athenahealth (ATHN), a cloud-based provider of electronic health records.

Related: Chinese gamblers are all about Bitcoin trading

It's investing in pink sheet security, not actual Bitcoin

Second, the ARK ETF is not actually investing directly in bitcoins. It's buying shares of something called the Bitcoin Investment Trust. Most people haven't even heard of that.

That trust started trading in May on the pink sheets under the ticker symbol "GBTC." It's got a market valuation of under $40 million and very little trading volume.

The pink sheets, also known as the over-the-counter market, provide less transparency and oversight from regulators. They're like a Wild West alternative to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.

"Pink sheets are where most investors aren't willing to tread," said Matt Hougan, CEO of ETF.com, a research firm.

GrayScale, which sponsored the Bitcoin trust, defended the decision to list on the pink sheets and noted that a number of major foreign companies such as Adidas (ADDDF) and Roche (RHHBF) list their U.S. shares there.

Related: Winklevoss twins say Bitcoin will explode beyond $1 trillion

Spotty track record at mirroring Bitcoin

Another problem is that the investment hasn't really mirrored the price of Bitcoin, which defeats the purpose. At times the trust's shares have spiked or surged -- even though underlying Bitcoin prices were relatively calm.

"You're not really getting Bitcoin here. You're getting a Bitcoin derivative that kind of tracks the price of Bitcoin -- but not really well," said Hougan. "There are a bunch of leaps of faith in that chain of command."

The ETF company brushed away these concerns, suggesting that price volatility is actually a good sign.

Another risk for the investment is regulatory. The trust warns investors in disclosure documents that its future may be jeopardized by looming regulation from the SEC.

Related: Former fed in Silk Road case stole $820,000 in bitcoins

Bitcoin is not for the faint of heart

All of this is on top of the inherent risk that goes into investing in anything that has volatility of Bitcoin.

Founded in 2009, Bitcoin burst onto the financial scene this decade as investors looked for an alternative to traditional currencies. Prices skyrocketed more than 6,000% in 2013 before peaking at nearly $1,250.

And then prices collapsed, losing two-thirds of their value last year alone. While Bitcoin has actually calmed down a lot lately, it's still down 27% this year to $230 apiece.

Related: Greeks rushed to Bitcoin as Grexit loomed

CNNMoney (New York) September 18, 2015: 11:53 AM ET

Read more:
There's a new way to invest in Bitcoin -- But buyer beware ...

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Learn about Bitcoin. This short animated video is an introduction to Bitcoin made possible with donations of time and money from the Bitcoin community.

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Special thanks to: - Donators for the Bitcoin Animated Movie Bounty - Bitcoin users and miners around the world - Everyone from #bitcoin-dev and #bitcoin-otc on Freenode for help with the technical side and history of Bitcoin - Gavin Andresen and Mike Hearn for reviewing the script - Greg, Steve, Dan and Jasmin who provided their professional help and insights for free - All of our friends, family and random strangers who took the time to read the script and provide feedback

Credits: Voice - Chris Rice (www.ricevoice.com) Motion Graphics - Fabian Rhle (fabianruehle.tumblr.com) Music/Sound Design - Christian Barth (www.akkord-arbeiter.de) Production - Stefan Thomas

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What is Bitcoin? (v1)

Bitcoin and free speech should go hand in hand, but not all internet-based platforms are planning to let just anything slip by without repercussions. While there is a certain need to tone down user comments and discussions at times, publicly censoring Bitcoin discussions because moderators can, is taking things a few steps too far. By the look of things, the Bitcoin subReddit is undergoing some moderator changes for the umpteenth time.

Also read: In Depth Interview With Lyn Ulbricht: Family, Activism, and Justice

It is a public secret that the level of free speech over at the Bitcoin subReddit is only extending to a select few posters, whereas everyone else will regularly see posts downvoted or deleted without obvious reason. These shenanigans have been going on for quite some time, and despite public outrage from the Reddit community, things are getting progressively worse.

Users are being shadowbanned left, right, and center on the Bitcoin subReddit, simply because their opinions do not match those of the moderators in charge. Furthermore, the recent heated debate on Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin XT development caused more shadowbans in a week compared to the total amount of bans issued for as long as the subReddit exists.

While there is a clear need for moderation on the Bitcoin subReddit at certain times, restricting free speech altogether is not the right course of action. Several moderators, who are often labeled as Theymos lackies or even Theymos cronies are always at the forefront of controversial bans, post removals and downvoted comments.

There was a sliver of light at the end of this long and dark tunnel, as some of the older moderators started being more active on the Bitcoin subReddit. Unfortunately, not all of them are being kept around for too long, depending on how well they behave in terms of siding with other moderators. Some people like to kiss ass, whereas others do not, this is simply the way the world works today.

Should an /r/Bitcoin moderator find himself in the latter category, chances are very real to see moderator status being taken away by Theymos himself. A recent post on Reddit, started by user hardleft121, details how his moderator privileges were taken away by Theymos. Admittedly, hardleft121 also indicates this wasnt exactly what he had expected, as he felt he did not pull his weight. But what is most important: hardleft121 clearly states being a moderator on this subReddit is far from fun.

In a clear show of disrespect, Theymos decided to remove moderator privileges from a loyal Reddit contributor who even donated Bitcoins to clean up this mess in the first place. This is not the first time Bitcoin funds is being poorly managed by Theymos and his group of thugs, as he is sitting on a lot of Bitcoins originally contributed to the Bitcointalk forums for upgrades and expansion. Neither of those has happened in an effective manner, despite minor tweaks over the years.

A large part of the Bitcoin Reddit community recognizes hardleft121 as one of the true spirits of what this subReddit should have been. However, the reality is a far cry away from what /r/Bitcoin should be all about, as moderators enforce people to push the agenda of Theymos, rather than creating an open platform where free speech reigns supreme.

The worst part about this whole ordeal is how moderators are removed without prior warning. One day, a /r/Bitcoin moderator wakes up, logs into Reddit, and sees a message saying they have been removed from the team. No warnings, no further explanation, nothing at all. Being kicked to the curb is a saying that comes to mind rather quickly.

This is not the first time the Bitcoin subReddit is under scrutiny by the Bitcoin community. Just a few weeks ago, censorship started rearing its ugly head once again, as Theymos and consorts started removing any posts related to Bitcoin XT. While the /r/Bitcoin moderators are entitled to their opinion, they should by no means enforce it upon the entire Reddit community.

What are your thoughts on the old guard of /r/Bitcoin moderators being removed from power? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Reddit

Images courtesy of Reddit, Shutterstock, Theplanetd

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Respected /r/Bitcoin Moderators Being Removed By Theymos