Current Bitcoin Price: $6473 (as of 8:00 AM PST)

The market has receded marginally today, with Bitcoin and Ethereum both down by fractions of a percent and XRP down more than 2%. It’s not all red though, as a handful of currencies in the top-20 have managed to hold their own over the last 24 hours (including Stellar, Litecoin, and Monero).

A big mover today is Decred, which has shot up more than 25% today to take the 26th position on the capitalization-sorted charts.

Top Bitcoin & Crypto News Stories for 23rd October 2018

Bakkt to launch December 12

Bakkt is the much awaited cryptocurrency trading platform, headed up by members of the globally renowned ICE network, that enthusiasts hope will open the floodgates for larger investors.

News has come out today that the Bakkt platform is set to launch in less than six weeks, on December 12th. Let’s see how the market builds towards that date!

HTC announces blockchain phone

HTC is a Taiwanese tech company known especially for its smartphones. While they might not rival the likes of Apple and Samsung, HTC are a favorite in the budget conscious market share.

The company has just announced the world’s first blockchain phone — the EXODUS — which will feature a built-in wallet and can only be bought using Bitcoin or Ethereum.

CyberMiles wins community contest

Last month, a cryptocurrency contest dubbed BattleBracketz was launched, wherein community members would vote for their favorite cryptocurrency in a certain head-to-head match-up, eventually revealing the most popular coin of the 16 starting entries.

The winner of this contest has been announced — it’s CyberMiles — which took the throne having beaten NANO in the final round.