Must-reads for October 4, 2018: TD Ameritrade finds futures in crypto, Manhattan real estate goes blockchain, North Korean crypto hackers starve Canadians

Stock brokerage giant TD Ameritrade bets on a new cryptocurrency exchange (CNBC)
TD Ameritrade is getting into the crypto trading business by investing in ErisX, a crypto spot and futures exchange. “The crypto exchange is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a prerequisite for investing, [head of TD’s futures and FX trading JB] Mackenzie said. Certain aspects of the ErisX offering are still pending regulatory approval, a TD Ameritrade spokesperson said,” reports CNBC’s Kate Rooney.

A First For Manhattan: $30M Real Estate Property Tokenized With Blockchain (Forbes)
An East Village condo project is trying to get financing by turning to the Ethereum blockchain, because if there’s ever a marriage that should happen, it’s between all the terrible people in Manhattan real estate and all the terrible people in crypto.

Hackers demand bitcoin ransom in cyberattack on big Canadian restaurants (CBC)
Canadian fast food restaurant operator Recipe Unlimited has been hit by suspected North Korean hackers. Some of its store locations—which include Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, Milestones, Kelseys, Montana’s, Bier Markt, and East Side Mario’s—were even forced to shut down because their systems were disabled. The bandits are demanding to be paid in bitcoin, with 0.50 BTC extra charged per day in late fees (giving the lie to the assertion that bitcoin is different than banks). Just a month ago, a town in Ontario was subjected to a similar attack. This is enough to get Canadians almost perturbed.

Across China: Savor the best: cutting-edge tech perfects crab, autumn delicacy (Xinhua)

Interesting news for blockchain technology is bad news for crustaceans: “Renowned for producing China’s best freshwater crabs, Yangcheng Lake in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province introduced intelligent logistics and blockchain technology this year to ensure freshness and authenticity of the autumn delicacy,” write China’s official news agency, Xinhua. “Customers can also scan the code on the products to verify their authenticity and get all the information they need.”