Blockchain payments startup Circle is now offering no-cost cross-border transactions to its users, the firm said today.Customers based in the US, much of Europe and the UK won't have to pay fees or mark-ups on foreign currency exchanges as part of the roll-out of the startup's service upgrade.The firm also said it is now offering "instant" transactions for users that send funds between those countries."Consumers will not have to pay fees or foreign exchange mark-ups on payments sent to or from the US, UK and more than a dozen European countries," Circle explained in a statement."Payments can now be sent between US dollars, British pound sterling or Euros instantly and there are no fees at all and zero FX markup on exchange rates if sent using Circle."The upgrade comes months after Circle pivoted away from its bitcoin buying and selling services, though at the time the startup said it still planned to use blockchain behind the scenes.In a blog post detailing the service upgrades, Circle credited its Spark platform as helping trim the associated transaction costs.

The post also revealed that Circle's trading operation has been working in a number of digital currency markets, including bitcoin and ether, as well as undisclosed tokens distributed in initial coin offerings, or ICOs."We actively make markets on nearly all major exchanges globally, and provide significant scale in over-the-counter (OTC) trading with large natural buyers and sellers of crypto assets," the startup said.bitcoin cafe hamburg"The growth is significant – last month (May 2017) Circle directly traded over $800m in crypto assets."ethereum 1080 tiDisclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Circle.litecoin best gpuEuros and dollars image via Shutterstock The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies.bitcoin marketplace drugs

In our series of articles on how to buy bitcoin in Asia, we previously covered how to buy bitcoin in Malaysia.We will now look at how to buy bitcoin in Singapore.This tiny island-state is one of the most developed countries in Asia and has many Bitcoin exchanges despite its small population.With clear guidelines from regulators, Singapore has become a hub for Bitcoin startups to establish a presence.ethereum linux miningThe Association of Crypto-Currency Enterprises and Start-ups, Singapore (ACCESS) plays a role in fostering the development of the Bitcoin ecosystem on this nation.bitcoin armory for macIf you would like to read more about the Bitcoin landscape in Singapore, TwoBitIdiot recently published "Bitcoin in Singapore".site fiable bitcoinCoinbase announced in September 2015 that it is launching services in Singapore.reddit bitcoin mining pool

Coinbase makes it really simple to open a bitcoin wallet and buy your first bitcoin.It integrates directly with your bank account to make purchases seamless.Coinbase is founded by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam.Brian used to be a software engineer in AirBnB while Fred used to be a trader in Goldman Sachs before they both founded Coinbase.Coinbase has raised over US$106 million in venture capital funding from several notable investors such as New York Stock Exchange, BBVA Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures.ethereum keeps going upUse this link and purchase S$100 worth of bitcoin to get an additional free S$10 worth of bitcoin from Coinbase!CoinHako is the first Bitcoin startup in Asia to be picked by Silicon Valley-based incubator Boost VC, an incubator focused on accelerating Bitcoin companies.Founded by Yusho Liu and Gerry Eng, Coin Hako has been called “the best company coming out of Singapore” by Adam Draper, CEO of Boost VC.

After realizing how hard it is to buy bitcoin locally, Liu and Eng have made their objective clear - to bridge the gap between Bitcoin and the non tech-savvy users.Buying and selling Bitcoin via CoinHako is nearly instantaneous with a local Singapore bank account.CoinHako charges a 1.9% commission fee for each trade.Use the COINGECKO promo code to get discounted trading fees of 0.7%.Luno (previously known as BitX) is one of the latest exchanges to offer bitcoin buying/selling services in Singapore.Founded in January 2013, Luno focuses on emerging markets across Africa & Asia.In July 2015, Luno raised a US$4 million Series A funding round from Naspers, a South African media conglomerate and Digital Currency Group.In December 2015, Luno raised a further funding round from Venturra Capital, a South East Asian focused VC firm based in Indonesia.Luno has slick iOS and Android apps for users and are currently charging 0% promotional buying/selling fees for BTC/SGD trades.Coin Republic is Singapore’s premier bitcoin brokering service.

Founder, David Moskowitz used to also run the first cash out capable bitcoin vending machine in Singapore.Coin Republic's pricing is transparent with no hidden spreads.A straight commission is charged on trades where the bitcoin buy/sell price is determined by the exchanges that Coin Republic uses to buy and sell with.David has written an article explaining how bitcoin brokers charge fees.itBit brings Bitcoin exchange in Singapore to a whole new level by offering a global platform for trading bitcoin in USD, SGD and EUR to investors and traders.Mainly targeting the financial industry, itBit wants to provide a platform for investors to reach out and utilize Bitcoin innovatively.For enhanced security, there is a withdrawal holding period for all withdrawals in both bitcoin and Fiat currency.It is something to keep in mind, if withdrawal urgency is of concern when using itBit.The co-founders of itBit, Richmond Teo and Jason Melo, bring to the table their vast experience in financial services.

The company received USD3.25 million in funding from Canaan Partners, RRE Ventures, Liberty City Ventures and notable angel investors, Jay W. Jordan II and Ben Davenport.Antony Lewis, the director of business development at itBit and also current President of ACCESS has written extensively on cryptocurrencies such as this article comparing Ripple to the Hawala network.Run by Dealworks Pte Ltd, FYB-SG is the first and oldest Bitcoin exchange in Singapore.FYB-SG boasts easy and transparent transactions, with their open Order Book feature giving customers full transparency.They also feature low trade fees of only 0.6%, along with instant bitcoin withdrawals and SGD Deposit/Withdrawals via local banks.Founder, Luv Khemani believes that cryptocurrencies are here to stay and sees the free market as the best way to determine the value of bitcoin.CRXzone, incorporated in Singapore as Intellect Market Pte.was founded in February 2014.Customers can trade bitcoin, litecoin and dogecoin on the platform.

CEO, Pawan Kumar has 25-year experience in the IT industry and has been involved in digital payment networks since the E-gold days.CRXzone separates itself from the other Singapore-based exchanges by providing several unique funding options such as OKPAY, Egopay and PerfectMoney on top of bank transfers.For additional security, withdrawals are processed manually by a member of the staff.provided Singapore with its first Bitcoin Vending Machine at Citylink Mall.Bitcoin Exchange, co-founded by Zann Kwan, has large plans for outfitting South East Asia with Bitcoin Vending Machines.The machine at Citylink Mall has been moved to Chinatown/Kreta Ayer at WorkLOR, 531 Upper Cross Street, Hong Lim Complex, #03-11, Singapore 050531.Bitcoin ATMs is the fastest way for beginners to obtain small amounts of bitcoin as all one needs to do is insert cash into the machine and provide a QR code Bitcoin address.There is no registration or bank transfers required and the transaction can be completed instantly.