Decrypt logo
Decrypt logo
Scott Chipolina

Scott Chipolina

Scott worked at Decrypt from 2020 to 2021. He's an investigative journalist with a background in financial regulation. He previously worked for the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and holds a Masters’ degree from City University, London, in Investigative Journalism. His areas of interest include financial crime, social media misinformation and the regulation of cryptocurrencies.

Stories by Scott Chipolina

  • President Donald Trump. Photo: Shutterstock

    Trump Wants All Bitcoin Mined in the US—What Does That Mean for the Environment?

    The arrival of President Donald Trump’s second term has injected fresh momentum into the crypto industry, boosting Bitcoin to an all-time high of almost $109,000 and promising friendly policies for an industry typically accustomed to battling hard-line U.S. lawmakers and regulators. Bitcoin mining is also poised for a boom under President Trump, who last year promised to mine all remaining Bitcoin in the U.S. But despite his support for the sector, industry watchers suggest President Trump’s lai...

    NewsTechnology
    4 min read
    Scott Chipolina

  • What Is Cardano? Inside the Third-Generation Blockchain

    What is Cardano? Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain that builds on peer-reviewed research developed using a methodical, academic approach. It positions itself as a third-generation blockchain designed to improve upon the technology behind Bitcoin (first generation) and Ethereum (second generation) by addressing their scalability, security, and sustainability. With its focus on formal verification and peer-reviewed advancements, Cardano aims to provide a sustainable and interoperable blockcha...

    ExplainersThe Coins
    5 min read
    Scott Chipolina, Adriana Hamacher, Matt Hussey, Jason Nelson

  • What Are Crypto Futures? The Financial Derivatives Explained

    Want to learn more about crypto derivatives? Sign up for Decrypt’s upcoming webinar, “Unleashing the Power of Permissionless Markets with Vega Protocol,” on June 5! Crypto futures are a type of derivatives contract that enable investors to bet on the future price of a crypto asset such as Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH). Using futures contracts, investors attempt to take advantage of the high volatility of most cryptocurrencies. Let's use Bitcoin as an example of how they work. What are crypto f...

    ExplainersThe Landscape
    7 min read
    Scott Chipolina, Robert Stevens, Stephen Graves
  • Stablecoins. Image: Decrypt

    What Are Stablecoins and How Do You Use Them?

    Since their inception, cryptocurrencies have been considered particularly volatile investment instruments when it comes to their price. That's led to price jumps and crashes, preventing cryptocurrencies from being used for everyday goods and services in some cases, due to the risks for vendors and merchants. That's where stablecoins come in. The theory goes, if you create a currency that is 'pegged' or attached to a regular fiat currency like the US dollar or something else with a relatively sta...

  • Bitcoin quantum computing image from Decrypt

    Is Quantum Computing a Threat to Bitcoin?

    The strength of the Bitcoin network is based on very strong cryptography. But what if one day in the not-too-distant future, computers advanced to such a level that current cryptographic standards were no longer good enough? That's the promise and the danger of quantum computing, a technology that allows computers to utilize the rules of quantum physics to speed up calculations and process massive amounts of data at speeds that today’s computers are simply not capable of doing.  Right now, quant...

  • What Is USDT? Tether's Record-Breaking Stablecoin

    In May 2023, Tether’s USDT stablecoin hit an all-time high in market capitalization, surpassing its previous peak level of $83.355 billion in May 2022, according to CoinGecko data. Tether is currently the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization with a valuation of $83.6 billion, commanding 7.5% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization. To critics of cryptocurrencies—like China’s major payment institutions—this price volatility makes them poorly suited to being actual curre...

    ExplainersThe Coins
    8 min read
    Scott Chipolina, Matt Hussey

  • What Backs Bitcoin?

    Up until relatively recently (the last century or so), most ordinary paper currency and coinage was directly redeemable for gold. This is because many of the wealthiest countries followed the gold standard, a monetary system where governments tied a fixed exchange rate for national currency to gold. As part of this system, countries kept sufficient reserves of gold in their vaults to 100% back their circulating currency supply, ensuring currency-for-gold exchanges were always possible. However,...

  • Image: Decrypt

    What Are Decentralized Apps (Dapps)?

    The promise being offered by dapps, or decentralized apps, is that it might reduce the need for a middleman. What is a dapp (decentralized application)? Dapps are decentralized apps. They are like normal apps, and offer similar functions, but the key difference is that they are run on a peer-to-peer network, such as a blockchain, using smart contracts. As dapps are decentralized, they can’t be controlled by a single person or entity. Dapps also often have the following features: They are open-s...

    Courses
    5 min read
    Joseph O'Neill, Scott Chipolina, Matt Hussey
  • Image: Decrypt

    What are Decentralized Apps (Dapps)?

    It’s time to cut out the middleman. Why pay for a company to provide a ride-sharing service when you could use an app that connects drivers directly with riders and doesn’t take a cut? That's the promise being offered by dapps, or decentralized apps. Read on for an overview of what they are, how they work, some of the opportunities they present, and and the challenges these new types of applications face. What is a dapp (decentralized application)? Dapps are decentralized apps. They are like no...

    ExplainersThe Landscape
    5 min read
    Joseph O'Neill, Scott Chipolina, Matt Hussey
  • The IMF. Image: Shutterstock

    IMF Warns Russia Could Use Bitcoin Mining to Evade Sanctions

    The International Monetary Fund has said Russia could evade economic sanctions levied in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine by pivoting to cryptocurrency mining. The report specifically warns that Russia could martial its vast energy resources to power crypto mining and generate revenue. “Over time, sanctioned countries could also allocate more resources toward evading sanctions through mining. Mining for energy-intensive blockchains like Bitcoin can allow countries to monetize energy resources...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Image: Shutterstock

    U.S. Government Issues Alert on Malicious North Korean Crypto Activity

    The FBI, the U.S. Treasury Department, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have co-released a cybersecurity advisory on North Korean state-sponsored efforts targeting the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry.  “The U.S. government has observed North Korean cyber actors targeting a variety of organizations in the blockchain technology and cryptocurrency industry,” the report reads.  The report specifically cites several target areas of the industry, including exchanges,...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Bitcoin mining. Image: Shutterstock

    Greenidge Faces ‘Uphill Battle’ to Renew Bitcoin Mining Permit: Regulator

    Greenidge is facing an “uphill battle” to renew its Bitcoin mining permit, according to Basil Seggos, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in New York and per local news outlet WSKG.  “Our belief still stands that this is a facility that’s going to have an uphill battle complying with the law,” Seggos said.  The DEC Commissioner added a caveat to his statement, however, saying the regulator owed it to Greenidge to review what the company had submitted for a permit r...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • BTC and ETH. Image: Shutterstock

    Bitcoin Drops Below $40,000, Ethereum Falls Under $3,000 Yet Again

    Bitcoin and Ethereum have dropped below $40,000 and $3,000, after dipping below 4% and 5% respectively in the last 24 hours.  Currently priced at $38,962 and $2,904, respectively, the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap have been in a recent slump. In the last week, both cryptocurrencies have fallen by almost 8%. The latest series of price drops can likely be attributed to the mining industry, which has experienced several developments that may have put further pressure on prices.  Bitco...

    NewsMarkets
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Bitcoin and Ethereum. Image: Shutterstock.

    Bitcoin, Ethereum Down 8% Over the Week as Crypto Struggles

    Bitcoin and Ethereum—the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap—are down by approximately 8% over the last week.  Both cryptocurrencies, priced at $40,200 and just a tick over $3,000, are also edging closer to falling below landmark prices.  This already happened earlier this week, when Bitcoin and Ethereum fell by 15% and 14%, marking the first time each asset fell below $40,000 and $3,000 since mid-March. This price slump remains part and parcel of an ongoing market downturn in the broader...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Portugal. Image: Shutterstock

    Portugal Grants First Crypto License to Bison Bank

    The Banco de Portugal, the competent authority responsible for registering virtual asset service providers in Portugal, has granted a license to Bison Bank to act as the first crypto bank in the country. Per Portuguese media outlet Sapo, the bank has received authorization to launch Bison Digital Assets, the specific company which will conduct custodial and exchange services of cryptocurrencies.  Customers will reportedly be offered a “new and broader set of products and services that, in line w...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Amazon does not currently accept payments in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Image: Shutterstock

    Amazon Won't Support Crypto Payments Any Time Soon: CEO

    Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says Amazon is not close to adding support for cryptocurrency payments.  “We’re not probably close to adding crypto as a payment mechanism in our retail business, but I do believe over time that you’ll see crypto become bigger,” Jassy said.  But Jassy, who made the comments in a CNBC interview on Thursday, did say he thought it was "possible down the road" that Amazon could eventually sell NFTs.  Jassy’s crypto commentary comes amid recent speculation that Amazon might one...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Elon Musk. Image: Shutterstock

    Elon Musk Offers to Buy '100% of Twitter' for $43 Billion

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk has offered to purchase 100% of Twitter Inc. stock for $54.20 per share, at a total price of $43 billion, following his earlier purchase of a 9.2% stake in the social media giant. The offer was disclosed in an SEC filing, in which Musk stated that, "My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder." "Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it," Musk wrote. I made an offer https://t.co/VvreuPMeLu...

    NewsBusiness
    3 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • Thorchain is a DeFi protocol that connects different blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Image: Shutterstock

    Thorchain, Compound Lead DeFi Recovery With Double-Digit Gains

    Some decentralized finance (DeFi) assets are defying the broader crypto market slump with significant gains, including Thorchain and Compound.  THORchain (RUNE) is up over 17% in the last 24 hours, while Compound (COMP)—up 16% in the last day—has also gained over 11% in the last week.  Synthetix Network, a decentralized synthetic asset issuance protocol, is also surging, posting over 12% gains in the last day.  These price moves come amid a much more lethargic market for some of the industry’s b...

    NewsMarkets
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • London music venue KOKO. Image: Sam Neil/KOKO

    Luno Partners With London Music Venue KOKO As Crypto Moves Beyond Sports Deals

    Cryptocurrency platform Luno has partnered with KOKO, a storied music venue in London’s Camden. The partnership aims to empower an upcoming generation of artists and musicians by creating opportunities through blockchain and Web3 technology. In addition, a new space at KOKO’s venue—The Luno—will launch with a digital art gallery.  “KOKO is a cultural institution and for decades has used its stage to put the spotlight on emerging talent as well as some of the biggest acts in the world,” said Luno...

    NewsBusiness
    3 min read
    Scott Chipolina
  • The Nexo Card. Image: Nexo

    Nexo Partners with Mastercard, DiPocket to Launch Crypto Card

    Digital asset manager Nexo has partnered with global payments giant Mastercard to launch a Mastercard-backed crypto card in selected European markets.  Dubbed the Nexo Card, the card offers users a crypto-backed credit line, enabling cardholders to use their cryptocurrency as collateral, rather than selling it. To launch the card, Nexo has teamed up with DiPocket, which will act as Nexo’s card issuer for European markets.  In a release accompanying the announcement, Nexo co-founder and managing...

    NewsBusiness
    2 min read
    Scott Chipolina
Load More