The Crypto Report
Tech giant Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) is at it again, filing yet another cryptocurrency-related patent.
Intel filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for energy-efficient Bitcoin mining, according to a CoIntelegraph report.
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The patent describes a hardware accelerator that could reduce energy for Bitcoin mining by up to 15%.
Intel has reportedly filed a total of 89 blockchain-related patents, second only to Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), which holds 90 patents.
In other crypto mining news, mining giant Bitmain has launched a crypto index for investors.
“The index is developed to provide institutional and retail investors with transparent, timely, methodology-based, and investable benchmark of the most active cryptocurrencies traded globally,” stated Bitmain.
The Bitmain Crypto Index tracks the performance of 17 of the top cryptocurrencies and is shown in US dollars, as per a CoinDesk report.
The Bitmain Big 10 Index tracks the 10 top cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash.
The index offers a real-time spot price as well as a once-daily reference price at 10:00 am Hong Kong time.
The Cann Report
More than 115 people die from opioid overdoses in the US every day, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Counties with medical marijuana programs are seeing lower rates of opioid overdoses, according to a new study published by economic professors Julio Garin, R. Vincent Pohl and Rhet Smith.
READ: Harvest One Cannabis posts record revenue, enjoying boost from Dream Water subsidiary
The study evaluated opioid overdoses statistics between 2009 and 2015 in states with medical marijuana programs and then compared the rate of death between counties that had dispensaries and those that did not, as per a Civilized report.
"While legalizing medical cannabis is not associated with lower levels of opioid overdose mortality, the presence of dispensaries has a large negative impact on the number of opioid-related deaths,” according to the report.
A challenge for dispensaries has been finding financial institutions willing to take their business.
Credit Union 1 in Anchorage, Alaska has launched a pilot program to serve the state’s marijuana business, as per a Marijuana Business Daily report.
“Since 2014, when marijuana was legalized in Alaska, the lack of financial services for MRBs has flooded local streets with cash, resulting in a community safety issue,” stated the credit union.
The credit union has a team in place to monitor the accounts for compliance.
Contact Lenore Fedow at lenore@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow her on Twitter: @LenoreMariee