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<p>Week of April 28 - May 4th 2019.</p>
<p>Once again we see major developments in the world of Blockchain. Crypto Spring is coming!</p>
<p><strong>1. US tax payers get refunds in BTC</strong></p>
<p>A thawing of the war between decentralization and the fed? Perhaps. Income tax payers in the U.S. now have the option to receive their federal and state refunds in bitcoin. <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/us-income-tax-payers-can-now-get-refunds-in-bitcoin">MORE></a></p>
<p><strong>2. Square BTC revenue $65M in Q1</strong></p>
<p>As always improvements to USER EXPERIENCE and making Crypto SIMPLE are what will propel this technology to mass adoption. Payments company Square reported its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, revealing strong growth in bitcoin sales through its Cash app. <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/squares-bitcoin-revenue-jumped-to-65-5-million-in-q1-its-highest-ever">MORE></a></p>
<p><strong>3. AWS launches blockchain service</strong></p>
<p>As I have said in <a href="https://online.colum.edu/about/instructors/gordon-meyer/">my course</a>, with the 'Big 5' adopting Blockchain - why are you waiting? After announcing that they were launching a managed blockchain service late last year, Amazon Web Services is now opening that service for general availability. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/30/aws-opens-up-its-managed-blockchain-as-a-service-to-everybody/?yptr=yahoo">MORE></a></p>
<p><strong>4. Bitfinex launching $1B token sale</strong></p>
<p>Last week, Dovey Wan, the founding partner of Primitive Ventures, revealed that Bitfinex was planning to raise $1 billion through the sale of company-branded crypto tokens and an on-platform initial coin offering, more commonly referred to as an IEO. <a href="https://ethereumworldnews.com/crypto-exchange-bitfinex-looks-to-raise-1b-with-ieo/">MORE></a></p>
<p><strong>5. Bakkt acquires custody company</strong></p>
<p>Crypto exchange Bakkt is stepping up its game in becoming a serious player in the bitcoin exchange business. <a href="https://medium.com/bakkt-blog/custody-at-our-core-15f6b26d16d6">MORE></a></p>
<p><strong>6. Nasdaq data adding XRP index</strong></p>
<p>Stock exchange operator Nasdaq is adding yet another cryptocurrency index – this time for the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency, XRP. <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nasdaq-adding-index-xrp-cryptocurrency-090022134.html">MORE></a></p>
<p><strong>7. Dtube video explaining Blockchain?</strong></p>
<p>Have you seen EngineBloc Founder and Chief Strategist Gordon Meyer's Video explainer? Check it out<strong> </strong><a href="https://d.tube/#!/v/gordonmeyer/owjw6be3"><strong>HERE</strong></a></p>
<p><strong>8. My Blockchain for Business course launched this week.</strong> </p>
<p>The next semester is just 8 weeks away - are you up to speed on Blockchain? <a href="https://online.colum.edu/about/instructors/gordon-meyer/">LEARN MORE></a></p>
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<p><strong>About Gordon Meyer</strong></p>
<p>Gordon Meyer has spent more than 20 years working with marketing companies and advertisers including SiriusXM, J. Walter Thompson and Razorfish. In 2018, he co-founded an agency, <a href="https://www.enginebloc.co/">EngineBloc</a>, serving technology-oriented brands. Next Reality News listed Meyer in 2018 on its list 30 People to Watch in Augmented Reality, and think tank Brand Innovators named him in 2015 to its list Top 40 under 40 Brand Marketers. Meyer teaches <a href="https://online.colum.edu/course/blockchain-for-business/">Blockchain at Columbia College at Chicago Online</a> and has appeared on NPR’s “All Tech Considered” and in publications including Forbes, CMO.com, The Chicago Tribune and Inc. Meyer sits on the Board of Advisors for BWG Strategy, an invite-only network for senior executives across technology, media and telecom.</p>
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<p><strong>Please upvote, share, and </strong><a href="https://steemit.com/@gordonmeyer"><strong>FOLLOW ME</strong></a><strong>. Thanks!</strong></p>
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