This week, Bitcoin bites the bullet in China, while in Australia an upcoming IPO will mark a maturing of the daily deals industry in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Whatapp is still going strong in India, a Philippine startup gets validation for helping locals find jobs, and puppies make their debut on Uber in Taiwan.
Saiyai, Minh and Paul’s pick: Chinese government says bitcoin cannot be used as currency
Paul: And they would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for that meddling government. The country that has led Bitcoin’s rise in recent months has just announced financial and payment institutions cannot accept Bitcoin in China, among other restrictions. As a result, bitcoins’ trading price took a heavy blow.
Minh: What can I say? I’m a sucker for Bitcoin news. For me, it’s sad news for the currency, which continues to hover around $1,000. But I personally don’t think this is going to stop Bitcoin’s progress. The beauty of Bitcoin is it doesn’t require the approval of a government to keep it going. That’s why it’s special. In other news, are we finally onto who Satoshi Nakamoto is? Click this link, we may have cracked the mysterious cryptocurrency inventor.
Saiyai: The Chinese government took a similar but more forgiving step as compared to the Bank of Thailand, which announced that Bitcoin cannot be used nor traded inside the country back in August.
Gwen’s pick: Patrick Grove’s iBuy to acquire Dealguru, raise $33 million through IPO in Australia
A significant piece news that bookends the daily deals era of Southeast Asia’s startup journey. The consolidation signifies that daily deals has entered a mature phase, and the exits could mean a new infusion of cash into the startup ecosystem soon.
Terence and Phoebe’s pick: Philippine startup Kalibrr raises $1.9 million, creates recruitment platform for outsourcing industry
Terence: Kalibrr is one of the most promising startups to come out of the Philippines. It’s bottom line is to help Filipinos find employment – a meaningful mission.
Phoebe: Whenever a Philippine startup gets funding, it’s big news in the country. It’s a sign that investors are now looking into the potential of the country. Add the fact that Kalibrr taps on the growing BPO industry in the country, it means that it can get really big, too.
Josh’s pick: WhatsApp has 30 million active users in India, up 5 million from last month
Those who gaze in awe at Line’s skyrocketing revenues shouldn’t write off WhatsApp – in India, it’s been accumulating five million active users each month. In other WhatsApp news, the company inked its second carrier partnership in India, and in a move that likely will bring Facebook to it knees, recently introduced a ‘share to WhatsApp’ button on the BuzzFeed iOS app. WhatsApp might not be postering the world with billboard ads, but it’s still fighting for attention, quietly.
Willis, Dewi, and Andre’ pick: It’s official: Ken and Andrew have exited Kaskus
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