A report on central bank digital currencies has found that 61% of institutions don’t think a blockchain is necessary due to low efficiency gains during trials. IBM Survey Finds That Central Banks Won’t Be Introducing CBDCs in Near-Term The report was conducted by IBM and the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF). The survey,…
In recent months, an increasing number of engineers and developers announced that they are leaving established Silicon Valley tech companies in search for new opportunities in the world of blockchain and crypto. Firms like Facebook, Apple, Google, Netflix, and Amazon are all viewed as target companies for most engineers. However, even these giants are rapidly…
Aijt Pai, U.S. FCC Chair, has said it’s a challenge to level the playing field between emerging technologies, including blockchain, and not disadvantage any of them. US Telecoms Regulator Studies How to Evolve Blockchain The chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – the government agency in charge of regulating radio, television, wire, satellite, and…
A research and development division at Sony has unveiled a new contactless cryptocurrency hardware wallet for cold storage, which could indicate the consumer electronics giant may be eyeing a bigger move into the cryptocurrency space. Sony Computer Science Lab Preparing Contactless Crypto Wallet The research and development arm of Japan-based Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Science…
Amid Mastercard’s unexpected push for a patent outlining “fractional reserve” banking for crypto assets, the CEO of Visa has claimed that cryptocurrencies aren’t a pertinent threat to the stability of legacy financial systems. Al Kelly: Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency Aren’t Immediate Threats To Visa Months after claiming that the “sun has set” on Bitcoin and crypto assets,…
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Nasdaq a patent for a blockchain-powered newswire service. The platform aims to use smart contracts to incorporate encryption and workflow features as well as maintaining a log that becomes more difficult to change over time. Nasdaq Gets Patent for Blockchain Newswire to Solve Gaps in Audit…
U.K.-based startup SETL was granted a license from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, the French financial watchdog, to run a blockchain-powered central securities depository (CSD). Blockchain Settlement Startup Promises to Help Cut Collateral Held up in Payment Systems As one of Europe’s biggest securities settlement systems, France will be at the forefront of “market plumbing” processes, where…
Singapore-based crypto exchange, Huobi, will be launching a subsidiary called Huobi Mena in Dubai. The new center will become a regional headquarters as Huobi goes on to its expansion drive in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia according to a recent blog post. The blockchain ecosystem, according to Huobi Mena co-founder Mohit Davar, will…
Canadian IT giant CGI has announced a pilot program in partnership with the National Bank of Canada and Skuchain, a supply chain financial solution powered by distributed ledger technology. The project will aim to improve and streamline the negotiation of complex conditional agreements used by banks for securing financial transactions. National Bank of Canada, CGI,…
Medici Ventures, the wholly-owned blockchain subsidiary of Overstock.com, was the sole investor at the Series A funding round of blockchain-powered social network Minds with an investment of $6 million. Blockchain Social Network Minds Raises $6 Million from Overstock.com’s Medici Ventures in Series A Round The previous seed round in 2013, and equity crowdfunding in 2017,…