Bitcoin is prominent as Electronic Payments International lists the most popular tweets on payments tech in July 2020, based on data from GlobalData’s Influencer Platform.

The top tweets were chosen from influencers as tracked by GlobalData’s Influencer Platform, which is based on a scientific process that works on pre-defined parameters. Influencers are selected after a deep analysis of the influencer’s relevance, network strength, engagement, and leading discussions on new and emerging trends.

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Top tweets on payments tech in July 2020

1. Cameron Winklevoss’ tweet on FBI inquiry into Twitter hack

Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange, shared an article on the FBI’s investigations into a hack into Twitter and a related Bitcoin scam including well known persons such as Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Barack Obama.

The article notes that the hack was carried out with the help of a Twitter insider to check the vulnerabilities of the social media network. Hackers took over various Twitter accounts to carry out a Bitcoin scam that promised followers to double their money if they transferred funds to a bitcoin account.

Username: Cameron Winklevoss

Twitter handle: @winklevoss

Retweets: 370

Likes: 1992

2. Tyler Winklevoss’ tweet on the impact of the pandemic

Tyler Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, tweeted that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed the world into the future by hastening the adoption of various technologies that would have otherwise taken years.

Winklevoss noted that the pandemic led to the decline in offline retail and increased the uptake of streaming and social media services. He added that the pandemic also exposed the structural problems with fiat, increase in debt-to-GDP ratios, and the possibility of hyperinflation, all of which may lead to the increase in adoption of bitcoin.

Username: Tyler Winklevoss

Twitter handle: @tylerwinklevoss

Retweets: 298

Likes: 1414

3. Jameson Lopp’s tweet on US banks offering crypto custody services

Jameson Lopp, co-founder of Casa, shared an article on approval granted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for nationally chartered banks in the US to offer crypto custody services. The move comes as the OCC recognises that the financial markets are becoming technologically advanced and there is a need for banks to incorporate these technologies to service the customers.

Majority of the banks in the US are wary of providing such services due to the reputational and compliance risks associated with cryptocurrencies. The new approval granted by the OCC allows banks to provide services to cryptocurrency businesses although they are required to manage the risks and comply with the laws.

Username: Jameson Lopp

Twitter handle: @lopp

Retweets: 200

Likes: 1211

4. Balaji S. Srinivasan’s tweet on China’s plans to implement blockchain-based government

Balaji S. Srinivasan, an angel investor and entrepreneur, shared an article on China’s plans to develop a blockchain-based programmable government. China plans to develop a unified framework based on blockchain technology for digital governance. The framework will enable data-sharing between government agencies and businesses, while allowing collaboration among different departments and regions.

The new announcement is part of China’s plans to become a global hub for blockchain technology by 2022. The country will support blockchain start-ups and develop blockchain development parks, as part of its plans.

Username:  balajis

Twitter handle: @balajis

Retweets: 231

Likes: 700

5. Vitalik Buterin tweet on cyber attack on Bitcoin Gold

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, tweeted on how 51% of attack on Bitcoin Gold is prevented by a user-activated soft fork, which acts as a check point and prevents an attack on the chain. The tweet was in reference to an attempted attack on Bitcoin Gold, in which an attacker rented hash power from Nicehash, a mining service provider, to build an alternative chain thereby creating a new transaction history for the network

The attack was detected early on by Bitcoin Gold’s team and mining pools were alerted about the attack. Buterin added that in such attacks, the attacker will lose millions of dollars due to slashings or inactivity leak.

Username: vitalik.eth

Twitter handle: @VitalikButerin

Retweets: 142

Likes: 714

6. Andreas M. Antonopoulos’ tweet on hacks on cryptocurrency related accounts

Andreas M. Antonopoulos, a Bitcoin advocate and entrepreneur, tweeted on how the hack on Twitter targeted cryptocurrency related accounts. He added that it is not because they are less secure but rather the attacks are happening because the cryptocurrency industry is immediately monetised.

Antonopoulos added that hacking crypto companies is similar to robbing banks because of the presence of money.

Username: Andreas

Twitter handle: @aantonop

Retweets: 160

Likes: 577

7. Jimmy Song’s tweet comparing bitcoin and other coins

Jimmy Song, a Bitcoin educator and entrepreneur, tweeted on the difference between Bitcoin and other coins. He noted that Bitcoin aimed at ending the Federal Reserve by creating a fixed and credible monetary policy.

Song added that every other coins aim to end the Federal Reserve by creating a centralised organisation that performs the same functions as the Federal Reserve but is controlled by different people.

Username: Jimmy Song

Twitter handle: @jimmysong

Retweets: 121

Likes: 523

8. Manuel Araoz’s tweet on OpenAI’s GPT-3

Manuel Araoz, a Bitcoin and blockchain expert, shared an article on OpenAI’s, an artificial intelligence research and development company, third generation language prediction model named GPT-3.

GPT-3 allows computers to produce random sentences of the same length and grammatical structure as that in a given body of text. The predicted sentences from the model were published on a forum and attracted a lot of attention. Araoz added that the model can be used by amateurs to develop similar models and adapt them for different purposes.

The article posted by Araoz was itself fully written by GPT-3 displaying the power of the model.

Username: Manuel Araoz

Twitter handle: @maraoz

Retweets: 67

Likes: 360

9. Barry Silbert’s tweet on rise in institutional demand for bitcoin

Barry Silbert, founder/CEO of Digital Currency Group, shared an article on the increase in institutional demand for Bitcoin amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Grayscale, a Bitcoin and crypto-asset managing company, reported the biggest-ever capital inflows of approximately $1bn during the second quarter.

Institutional investors including hedge funds accounted for 84% of investments during the quarter compared to 81% for the trailing 12 months. The surge in demand is attributed to the stimulus packages announced by the government to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Bitcoin’s verifiable scarcity may help investors build a stronger portfolio amid the pandemic, the article added.

Username: Barry Silbert

Twitter handle: @barrysilbert

Retweets: 54

Likes: 182

10. Roger Ver’s tweet on bitcoin protocol development

Roger Ver, an investor and promoter of bitcoin, tweeted a list of top companies investing in bitcoin protocol development. The list includes Blockstream, Lightning Labs, Square Crypto, MIT DCI, Chaincode and DG Lab among others.

Ver noted that products from these companies are required only if Bitcoin is not allowed to scale on the chain. He added that no one should be surprised that Bitcoin was not allowed to scale.

Username: Roger Ver

Twitter handle: @rogerkver

Retweets: 35

Likes: 139