All Things Alt: Altcoins for Amagi and New Features for Viacoin

Bullion dealer Amagi Metals has inked a new partnership with digital currency payments processor GoCoin.

Viacoin integrates CHECKLOCKTIMEVERIFY. The viacoin project is integrating CHECKLOCKTIMEVERIFY, an opcode proposed for bitcoin by core developer Peter Todd that opens the door to trustless escrow, hub-and-spoke micropayment networks and other potential applications.

In conversation with CoinDesk, both Todd and viacoin developer BTCDrak suggested that the altcoin's network is a worthwhile testing ground for the opcode.

A new crowdfunding platform called BlockTrust has launched from the archcoin community that utilizes the ClearingHouse protocol to notarize project certifications on the viacoin blockchain.

BlockTrust, which launched on 18th December, is being pitched as a secure solution for those looking to crowdfund new altcoin projects and potential investors looking to support these initiatives.

While there are currently no projects listed on the main page, according to the announcement, BlockTrust will host a crowdsale for SendChat, a crypto messaging app with its own altcoin, in early January.

CoinDesk spoke to archcoin developer Edgar Soares, who said that BlockTrust can help reduce the risk for investors who are interested in crowdsales but are concerned about projects that lose value or prove to be fraudulent.

As much as 2.5m opalcoins were stolen in the attack, accoring to that project's development team.

In an interview with CoinTelegraph, one of the lead developers for opalcoin explained that the opalcoin team wanted to avoid damaging the viability of the altcoin's blockchain, and that in the future more stringent controls will be put in place when new wallets are distributed.

What's in a name? For cryptocurrency developers, the name of a coin can be the deciding factor in whether or not the altcoin project even takes off, let alone appeals to traders, miners and, in rare cases, the others who will actually use the coin.