Top tech startup news stories you need to know this Thursday, July 5

Good morning! Here are some of the top tech startup news stories for today, Thursday, July 5.

Shenzhen startup Blackview unveils an ‘uncrackable’ walkie talkie phone. China-based startup Blackview just unveils the “most uncrackable” phone yet. Currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo — where it’s already met its $20,000 goal nine times over — the Blackview BV9500 Pro is said to have passed the MIL-STD-910G, a U.S. military standard test for endurance, which means the phone can be dropped from over ten feet, withstand pressure/weight of up to 300 pounds and sustain extreme temperatures without damage.

Wall Street’s Tom Lee cuts his year-end bitcoin price target by about 20% to $20,000. Back in March, we wrote about Tom Lee, when he predicted that Bitcoin would reach $25,000 by the end of 2018. Now, one of the most respected Wall Street analysts, is lowering his expectation. In an interview with CNBC, Tom Lee cuts his year-end bitcoin price target by about 20% of his previous estimate, to now $20,000. Tom Lee is the only major Wall Street strategist to issue bitcoin price targets. He told CNBC on Thursday he expects the world’s most popular cryptocurrency to be $20,000 price by the end of the year. We’ll continue to keep an eye on Bitcoin, which is currently at just $6,600.

Singapore-based New Era Energy is aiming to wipe out Blockchain’s carbon footprint. Singapore-based New Era Energy has developed a blockchain-based framework called Carbon Grid Protocol that is intended to help other blockchain players offset emissions. In the case of bitcoin, these are estimated to equal more than 500 kilos of carbon dioxide per transaction. New Era Energy is planning to open up carbon credit markets by making them more transparent and accountable, while removing the need for intermediaries such as brokers or funds.

Outdoor startup Flowfold partners with clothing and outdoor recreation equipment giant L.L.Bean. Outdoor startup Flowfold, an eight full-time employees and yearly sales “in the low seven figures,” just strike a deal with L.L. Bean. The company just announced a partnership agreement with L.L. Bean where the two companies work together to develop a new line of U.S.-made minimalist outdoor gear. The Portland, Maine Flowfold was founded in 2011. The startup builds minimalist gear for everyday adventures. Drawing on the legacy of Maine craftsmanship, they pair carefully refined techniques with innovative materials and designs.

Blockchain startup Buglab.io offers $2 million worth of tokens to secure crypto exchanges, in cybersecurity contests. Buglab, a cybersecurity penetration testing on the Ethereum Blockchain startup, is offering cryptocurrency exchanges entry for its upcoming penetration testing contests. Buglab will be giving away $2,000,000 in BGL tokens to cybersecurity researchers participating in the contests. Buglab uses the power of Ethereum to enable attainable, versatile, and reliable penetration testing for digital enterprise solutions.