While CME Group is only planning to launch a test network with Bitcoin futures, Swiss bank Vontobel and financial company Leonteq Securities AG announced the release of derivatives, which allow earning both on growth and on the drop in the price of Bitcoin. Vontobel is the second largest supplier of complex integrated financial instruments in the country. The bank announced the launch of two types of mini-futures for Bitcoin.

The American operator of payment cards American Express in cooperation with the Spanish bank Santander UK, launched a new payment corridor between the US and the UK using the distributed network Ripple. RippleNet technology has enabled AmEx customers located in the United States and using US dollars to connect with Santander bank customers in the UK using British pounds sterling.

On November 15, the Chinese stock exchange OKCoin showed the value of the Bitcoin price above $ 15,000: on social networks, comments began to appear on the strange dynamics at OKCoin, the chart of which showed a 24.3 hour increase in Bitcoin at 123.21%, resulting in a new historic maximum of $ 15,151.

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Bitcoin futures on major stock and commodity exchanges are the hottest topic of the month. The other day CME Group said that the launch of contract trading Bitcoins is a matter of several weeks. This will allow large investors to speculate on the price of Bitcoin, not having the most crypto currency in the portfolio. Earlier CBOE - another Chicago exchange, a competitor to CME, reported on the preparation of the launch of the stock market Bitcoin. And now the British Man Group can become the next company that will launch Bitcoin futures.

New patent applications from MasterCard show that one of the largest credit card operators looks at the blockchain as a way to make the calculations more simple and quick. In a patent application published last week in the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the company describes a database on a blockchain that can instantly process payments, ensuring that sellers do not need to wait a few days to receive funds for their goods.

This week, the dispute between the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Coinbase again worsened as the magistrate in charge of the case accepted the IRS side. Last Thursday in California, the two organizations met in court to continue litigation over the controversial case, which began almost a year ago. At recent hearings, the IRS proposal for a tax audit of Coinbase customers was discussed, which used the platform from 2013 to 2015. At the last hearing, US Justice Jacqueline Scott Corley noted that she approves the arguments put forward by the IRS, and considers the verification justified.

Michael Novogratz, former head of the hedge fund of the Fortress Investment Group, who recently became a cryptocurrency investor, noted that he believes that institutional investors are only a few weeks from the mass adoption of Bitcoin and the Ethereum. 

Dragonchain, a blockchain-start-up company founded by Disney, managed to raise about $ 13.7 million with the help of the initial coin offering (ICO). As indicated on the project site, during the two-stage crowdsale 30 521 ETH and 622.47 BTC were collected. In the course of the pre-session, which began in August, the start-up managed to attract about 1.4 million dollars (152.25 BTC and 2357.53 ETH). The main stage of the token was completed at the end of last week.

The State Electric Power Company of China refutes rumors that they are cutting off miners in Sichuan province for mining Bitcoins. A few hours ago, a rumor was spread that the state grid of the country was going to cut off all those who are producing Bitcoins in Sichuan province from the power grids on the grounds that it is illegal activity. Sichuan has long been the main mining center in China. Since the province has a lot of hydroelectric power stations, due to this there is very cheap electricity. Many transfer their mining centers to Sichuan and sublet them.