Darknet ICO, Bitmain Infighting, Calls for Cotten to Be Exhumed: Hodler's Digest, Dec. 9-15

Hodler's Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week.

Russia: Darknet marketplace plans $146 million ICO for global expansionNow here's a surreal story: The biggest darknet marketplace in Russia has unveiled plans to raise $146 million in an initial coin offering - a token sale that would be almost certainly illegal.

Wu Jihan resurfaces as Bitmain CEO after co-founder is forced outInfighting at the Beijing-based mining giant Bitmain has reached a fever pitch.

The company's co-founder, tech billionaire Wu Jihan, has unexpectedly resurfaced as CEO. Fellow co-founder Micree Zhan Ketuan claims he was removed as a legal representative of Bitmain without his consent, with Wu sending out an email announcing he had decided to dismiss all of Zhan's roles effective immediately.

In the aftermath of the boardroom drama, Zhan said he felt like he had been stabbed in the back "By those partners you trusted and brothers you thought with." Striking a note of defiance, he added: "Bitmain is our child. I will fight for her till the end with legal weapons. I won't allow those who want to plot against Bitmain to succeed. If someone wants a war, we will give them one."

In its announcement, the company said: "Convinced of the major transformation challenge carried by the blockchain for the entire industry, Napoleon AM got quickly interested in the financial potential of what intrinsically emanates from public blockchains, digital assets."

"Bitmain is our child. I will fight for her till the end with legal weapons. I won't allow those who want to plot against Bitmain to succeed. If someone wants a war, we will give them one."

Prediction of the WeekSilk Road darknet marketplace founder: BTC will reach $100,000 in 2020This week's prediction comes from behind bars.

Best Cointelegraph FeaturesFrom health care to mining, Central Asia stays on the blockchain beatThe seven "-stan" countries of Central and South Asia - Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - haven't shied away from cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Soccer teams like Juventus look to score with blockchain pushWhy are so many soccer clubs gravitating toward the use of blockchain technology? Shiraz Jagati has been taking a look.