Training Courses
For details of Blockchain / Distributed Ledger Technology online training, take a look at the published courses provided by B9Lab:
B9LAB WEBSITE
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NEWS
Academia
28 Aug 2017 - In a “ground-breaking” experiment conducted in collaboration with the Toronto Stock Exchange (TMX), National Physical Laboratory, and consultancy firm Z/Yen, researchers from the Strathclyde Business School time-stamped financial stock trades using atomic clocks, and recorded the trades directly on a distributed ledger.
The ‘Atomic Ledger‘ project recorded over 20 million transactions, time stamping them all with Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC). They were recorded over three hours of trading to the ChainZy distributed ledger system – a time stamping engine created by the team using Z/Yen’s technology.
http://digit.fyi/blockchain-breakthrough-university-strathclyde/
Asset Management
29 Aug 2017 - Dianrong and FinEX Asia announced the launch of Asia's first financial technology (fintech) asset management platform. FinEX Asia was established in 2017 to connect Asian investors with US consumer lending assets, such as credit card loans. FinEX Asia combines its risk management expertise with Dianrong's advanced fintech capabilities to give Asian investors access to a diverse and attractive portfolio of U.S. consumer lending assets. FinEX Asia's fintech solutions offer advanced risk modeling capabilities, blockchain data security, performance monitoring, and secondary marketplace liquidity.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dianrong-and-finex-asia-launch-asias-first-fintech-asset-management-platform-300511296.html
Banking
21 Aug 2017 - Synaps, a joint venture between Ipreo and Symbiont, used the latter’s smart contact technology in an experiment in the first quarter of the year with a group of 19 banks and asset managers drawn together by Credit Suisse that focused on servicing and settlement in the $1 trillion secondary market for US loans.
https://www.euromoney.com/article/b14djmk97srdh5/blockchain-set-to-transform-loan-trading-and-collateral-markets
22 Aug 2017 – A group of banks led by Credit Suisse is eyeing the launch of a commercial platform for blockchain-based syndicated loans. The group involved finished the second phase of their testing in March. Conceptually, the test envisions a syndicated loan market – in which multiple lenders pool their capital for individual borrowers – built on blockchain. The group hopes the technology can reduce barriers between counterparts, reducing both time and cost in making the necessary capital available.
https://www.coindesk.com/credit-suisse-could-be-using-smart-contracts-in-production-next-year/
29 Aug 2017 – Lithuanian Digital fintech solution platform, Bankera has set out with a goal to disrupt the financial service industry by developing a blockchain based banking service capable of offering innovative banking solutions while reducing the number of counterparties. The solution will also lower the cost of banking for end consumers. Bankera is currently in a fundraising phase and is preparing for a pre-ICO sale of its Banker tokens, starting 28th Aug. The presale will take place on SpectroCoin, where customers can currently try the minimum viable product.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bankera-announces-pre-ico-details-for-its-revolutionary-blockchain-based-regulated-bank-300510539.html
03 Sept 2017 - Ten of the world's biggest banks are now part of a project to create a new digital currency for financial markets. Barclays, Credit Suisse, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, HSBC, MUFG and State Street have joined the "utility settlement coin" project launched by Swiss banking giant UBS.
https://sputniknews.com/business/201709031057049475-new-cryptocurrency-banks/
Central Banks
18 Aug 2017 - The Bank of England (BoE) has released a report suggesting that distributed ledger technology (DLT) may be a disruptive force to the securities settlement industry, and arguing that, in the absence of regulation, monopolization is likely to occur.
The report, titled "Staff Working Paper No. 670: The Economics of Distributed Ledger Technology for Securities Settlement," detailed the current ecosystem of post-trade processes facilitated by central security depositories (CSDs), including notary functions, account maintenance, and settlement. It also broke down the various processes of blockchain and distributed ledger technology as they relate to securities settlement, including trustless consensus mechanisms, executable distributed code contracts, and access rights for public and private blockchains.
https://www.ethnews.com/bank-of-england-issues-report-on-securities-settlement-through-distributed-ledger-and-blockchain-technology
26 Aug 2017 - In an effort to streamline their banking services and push Papua New Guinea (PNG) forward as an emerging marketplace, the country’s central bank has outlined a plan for Blockchain technology integration. PNG Central Bank has started Blockchain trials and has formed a PNG Digital Commerce and Cryptocurrency Association.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/central-bank-of-papua-new-guinea-embraces-blockchain-in-effort-to-help-unbanked
29 Aug 2017 - Banco de la República Colombia, the South American nation's central bank, has made an agreement with software company R3 to test its distributed ledger technology, Corda. Banco de la República Colombia becomes the latest member to join the more than 80 financial institutions worldwide that are today part of the consortium.
https://www.coindesk.com/columbian-central-bank-test-r3-distributed-ledger-software/
04 Sept 2017 - The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), founded in the 1990s by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is looking to create a range of banking-related services on top of the tech.
https://www.coindesk.com/central-bank-backed-group-plans-blockchain-platform-launch-india/
Commodities Exchanges
23 Aug 2017 - SpotChain is introducing blockchain technology to their latest platform. Traders around the world transact, authenticate, and verify in real-time, instantaneously, without 3rd party controllers and interventions.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spotoptions-brainchild-spotchain-ready-to-make-headlines-641536973.html
24 Aug 2017 – Malaysian World Crypto Gold (WGC) was founded by a closed group of Gold Traders in Asia who had invested to create blockchain 3.0 with smart consensus to store and trade gold among themselves, all fully automated on the blockchain. Eventually the popularity of WCG increases and spreads out to more users who would like to store gold without the need to hold on to the physical object, or they would exchange for its equivalent value with the holders or vaults, currently mostly in various parts of Asia. The traction has increased and extent actively in its distribution.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-crypto-gold-wcg-is-proud-to-announce-the-release-of-its-white-paper-in-conjunction-with-its-sponsorship-of-start-up-societies-d10e-summit-300508914.html
24 Aug 2017 - Venture capital firm Coinsilium has launched new Gibraltar-based company Terrastream, which is expected to fund applications in the precious metals and natural resources extractive industries. The new company is focused on building a blockchain-powered platform to provide token-based alternative funding solutions and expected to comply with the country’s proposed distributed ledger technology (DLT) regulatory framework.
http://www.mining-technology.com/news/newscoinsilium-forms-new-company-to-fund-blockchain-applications-in-mining-sector-5908762
Content/Media
22 Aug 2017 - Blockchain startup Prover implements blockchain technology to verify the authenticity of video. The platform allows users to quickly and easily check the video for reliability, making it valuable for a variety of applications including verification of customers for banks, making video-contracts and more.
http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/08/25/prover-worlds-first-video-verification-service-blockchain-announces-initial-token-sale/
27 Aug 2017 - Billionaire tech investor and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is backing a company developing an Ethereum blockchain-based platform that claims to be the future of online communications. Called the “Mercury Protocol,” the blockchain platform uses distributed record-keeping and a token system that supposedly protects privacy while also encouraging positive contributions in place of trolling. On the privacy side, the platform is claimed to protect user privacy and security thanks to Ethereum blockchain’s ability to anonymize a user’s identity. Behavioural data on the platform won’t be linked to individuals, meaning that it has less value to advertisers.
https://siliconangle.com/blog/2017/08/27/mark-cuban-backs-company-developing-blockchain-based-messaging-platform/
28 Aug 2017 – Not actually a blockchain project, but relevant nonetheless. ChineseInvestors.com a financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors, announced plans to launch the first Chinese daily video news broadcast from the NYSE covering digital currency and blockchain technology. The videos will be produced by Wall Street Multimedia, an independent news agency located in the NYSE. The broadcasts, anticipated to begin airing in October, will provide timely information and exclusive analysis regarding all aspects of the emerging digital currency world, including specific cryptocurrencies, such as 'bitcoin' and 'ethereum', industry trends, price movement, blockchain technology, sector-related stocks and ETFs, etc.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chineseinvestorscom-inc-announces-plans-to-launch-the-first-chinese-daily-video-news-broadcast-from-the-nyse-covering-cryptocurrency-and-blockchain-technology-641989113.html
29 Aug 2017 - Kik Interactive, the creator of the popular chat platform Kik announced Kin's upcoming token distribution event (TDE) will commence on 12th Sept. Kik also announced it has successfully closed a presale round of US$50 million to select accredited investors, including Blockchain Capital, Pantera Capital, and Polychain Capital. Kik will look to raise a total of US$125 million through its token sale. Kik is creating Kin as an ERC20 token on the Ethereum blockchain that will be integrated into Kik as the primary transaction currency. With millions of users, Kik hopes to drive mainstream consumer adoption of Kin, potentially making it the most adopted and used cryptocurrency in the world. Eventually, Kin will create a decentralized ecosystem of digital services through the Kin Rewards Engine, an innovative cryptoeconomic structure intended to promote the use of Kin as a common currency, that will be administered by the Kin Foundation.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kik-announces-highly-anticipated-token-distribution-event-300511074.html
30 Aug 2017 - Rakugo, a new digital publishing platform that helps content creators monetize and copyright their work, is raising funds via the sale of the Rakugo Seed Token. Its copyright management system enables publishers to tokenize their work and issue content as a rare digital asset. This is done by leveraging Ethereum blockchain technology which will let users freely trade content as tokens on a market or exchange.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/announcing-the-launch-of-rakugo-a-revolutionary-digital-publishing--content-tokenization-platform-300511465.html
Crypto-Exchange
29 Aug 2017 - Malaysia’s secondary market is likely to adopt blockchain technology within two years to offer an alternative digital platform for market players, including those who plan to go for an initial public offering (IPO) to trade in an entirely new market. Neuroware.io co-founder/chief technology officer, Ruben Tan, said with the implementation of blockchain, a digital infrastructure which was deemed as the “internet of trust”, it would enable more different asset classes to be traded on it.
http://www.theborneopost.com/2017/08/29/secondary-mart-will-soon-adopt-blockchain-tech/
02 Sept 2017 - The Moscow Stock Exchange has announced that it is developing a platform to enable cryptocurrency trading. In a press conference, exchange representatives stated that people will be able to purchase cryptos, and also invest in a variety of crypto based financial instruments such as exchange traded funds (ETF) and derivatives. The Moscow Stock Exchange is the largest financial exchange in Russia, and one of the ten largest in the world.
https://www.crypto-news.net/moscow-stock-exchange-preparing-for-crypto-trading-as-russia-considers-regulation/
Cyber Security
26 Aug 2017 - Online guide platform wikiHow and the Blockchain startup Civic are partnering up in their bid to bolster users’ login security. Under the collaboration, users of wikiHow will be able to swap out their old login methods for Civic’s mobile App. According to Civic, wikiHow users who use its app can avoid the pitfalls of handling passwords and usernames that are vulnerable to cyber theft.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/online-how-to-platform-partners-with-blockchain-startup-to-boost-user-security
Data Exchange
24 Aug 2017 - Datum is a Hong Kong based start-up company working on turning the current model on its head by allowing anyone with a mobile phone to safely and securely share their data. Users will be paid by a blockchain distributed model in the form of a token, aptly named DAT. DAT tokens will be exchangeable for hard currency or cashed out for gift vouchers from companies such as Amazon, Alibaba and others.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/datum-returns-data-ownership-to-individuals-300508480.html
Derivatives
31 Aug 2017 - Securities token platform Polymath is scheduled to launch Oct. 1. Based on blockchain and smart contract technology, the platform automates a token sale’s legal and technical requirements while allowing digital tokens to represent shares in traditional assets like private equity, stocks, debentures, commodities, VC funds, real estate, royalties and insurance.
http://www.banklesstimes.com/2017/08/31/polymath-to-bring-securities-to-the-blockchain/
Education
13 Aug 2017 - Japanese electronics firm Sony has partnered with IBM to develop a new educational platform that employs Blockchain technology in securing and sharing student records. The platform will enable educators to exchange information on student progress and achievements.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/sony-partners-with-ibm-to-use-blockchain-in-student-data-management
Energy
26 Aug 2017 - An Australian company is introducing its own version of bitcoin that will let homeowners and businesses sell excess energy generated from their rooftop solar panels to neighbours, without a middleman taking a cut. Perth-based Power Ledger today will offer 100mn so-called “power tokens” for sale at 8.8 US cents apiece, with a $25,000 cap to discourage large entities from controlling the market.
http://www.gulf-times.com/story/561658/Virtual-currency-may-boost-Australia-s-grassroots-
2 Sept 2017 - Preparations are underway to test a blockchain-enabled "smart grid." as part
of the Fukushima prefectural government's support program for experimenting with renewable energy-related technologies.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Blockchain-manged-energy-grid-to-be-tested-in-Fukushima
Finance
21 Aug 2017 - A new credit union service organization (CUSO) called CULedger LLC has formed to provide credit unions with shared ledger technology. CULedger is a credit union industry initiative that uses blockchain technology to develop innovative applications of distributed ledger technology.
https://financialregnews.com/new-culedger-credit-union-service-organization-looking-investors/
Fleet Management
21 Aug 2017 - Fleet Complete has joined Blockchain in Trucking Alliance (BiTA) – a consortium for the adoption, education and development of a standard framework around Blockchain in the trucking industry – as a service charter member. The consortium comprises a diverse group of partners that will work together to establish best practices and protocols around Blockchain applications. The group will also work towards educating the market and encourage Blockchain use in the trucking industry.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fleet-complete-first-among-telematics-service-providers-to-join-blockchain-in-trucking-alliance-bita-641309483.html
Food
22 Aug 2017 - Nestle, Unilever, Tyson Foods and other large food and retail companies have joined IBM’s project to explore how blockchain technology can help track food supply chains and improve safety. A total of 10 companies said they will share data and run trials with IBM, including Kroger Co, Dole Food, McCormick & Company, Golden State Foods, Driscoll’s Inc and McLane Co. Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) also is participating and has worked with IBM since October to track the movement of food products.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ibm-retailers-blockchain-idUSKCN1B21B1
29 Aug 2017 - Burger King Russia’s adoption of Waves Platform for its loyalty program shows that Distributed Ledger Technology could one day become as mainstream as burgers and fries. Fast food giant Burger King Russia has announced its new blockchain loyalty program, hosted on the Waves platform. Whoppercoin – named after the outlet’s flagship Whopper Sandwich burger – will be used to reward customers for their purchases, and can be used to buy burgers in return when enough have been accrued.
https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2017/08/121186-whoppercoin-paying-burger-king-moscow-using-waves-platforms-distributed-ledger-technology/
Gambling
26 Aug 2017 - POWER FANS is a blockchain-based prediction market platform designed for sports industry, it is backed by gedoumi.com – a leading Chinese boxing website with over 3 million online users. With senior blockchain developers inside the team that has more than 4 years experience on graphene toolkit and Bitshares, POWER FANS estimates will be able to release the first version within the next 4-6 months and the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) will be held on September 5 on major Chinese ICO platforms: ico.info and 91ICO.
http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/08/26/power-fans-sport-prediction-blockchain-platform-launching-ico/
27 Aug 2017 – Moscow based Cash Poker Pro has announced a crowdsale (ICO) for its online gambling solution using blockchain. The team behind Cash Poker Pro is comprised of veterans in the gambling industry, with over a decade of experience offering solutions to brick-and-mortar gambling industry. They also have about three years of experience dealing with the poker industry, which is being put to use in this new project.
http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/08/27/cash-poker-pro-ico-live/
Gaming
21 Aug 2017 – Not a blockchain project in its own right, but CalvinAyre.com has acquired cryptocurrency news site Coingeek.com. CalvinAyre.com was set up to address fake news in the gaming industry. The plan is for CalvinAyre.com to continue to cover Bitcoin news as it relates to the gaming industry.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/calvinayrecom-acquires-coingeekcom-641286343.html
23 Aug 2017 - BLOCKv enables a new ecosystem and economy for interactive digital goods on blockchain that are imbued with real-world value and can be bought, sold, collected, traded, owned and redeemed. This new asset class can be experienced across all digital environments and bridges the gap between digital and physical worlds. For the first time, digital goods are now finite in quantity and can be trusted to be secure and immune to fraud. Obtainable from almost anywhere, the objects can be acquired across traditional and social media, physical locations, online exchanges, mobile devices, and virtual and augmented reality environments.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blockv-launches-development-platform-to-build-smart-experiential-assets-for-the-next-generation-digital-goods-economy-300508247.html
30 Aug 2017 – Polish based Kinguin.net, will expand its existing marketplace solutions. Project includes trading capabilities for game and in-game items by building and integrating a trading platform using the latest technologies: Ethereum blockchain network, smart contracts and decentralized apps. This will enhance the ability for gamers to buy, sell trade games including in-game items safely.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kinguin-to-offer-decentralized-game-trading-platform-built-on-blockchain-technology-642250333.html
27 Aug 2017 - Cash Poker Pro, an innovative online gambling solutions company has come up with an innovative blockchain based project and has announced a crowdsale. Cash Poker Pro is a modern, online poker room with state-of-the art technology, including a secure network structure and a mechanism for fast and confidential money transfers, all based on the distributed ledger. The Cash Poker Pro poker rooms will be fueled by platform’s native CASH tokens. The decentralized online poker room being created by the company comes along with a reliable, trustworthy random number generator (RNG) that is partly based on blockchain technology. The cryptocurrency technology further enables the platform to facilitate fast and anonymous fund deposit and withdrawals. In addition, Cash Poker Pro looks forward to integrating the poker room into popular messaging applications like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook messenger and others.
http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/08/27/cash-poker-pro-ico-live/
Government
USA
1 Sept 2017 - The U.S. government has awarded a $100,000 grant to a group of researchers looking to apply blockchain to public library systems. The Institute of Museum and Library Services was founded in the mid-'90s, with the aim of providing federal support to libraries and museums.
https://www.coindesk.com/librarychain-us-government-grants-100k-new-blockchain-research/
4 Sept 2017 - The Illinois Blockchain Initiative has announced its intention to create a secure, ‘self-sovereign’ identity for Illinois citizens during the birth registration process. In partnership with Evernym, an identity solutions provider Evernym, it will use leveraging distributed ledger technology to provide secure digital identity solutions. The concept will augment work from the W3C’s Verifiable Claims Task Force and use the Sovrin Foundation’s distributed identity ledger.
https://www.enterprisetimes.co.uk/2017/09/04/your-birth-registered-on-a-blockchain/
Healthcare
24 Aug 2017 - San Fran based doc.ai announced the launch of its advanced natural language processing technology platform using the blockchain to timestamp its datasets and decentralize artificial intelligence. Envisioned and built by bright minds from Stanford and Cambridge Universities, doc.ai is well-positioned to help healthcare companies improve patients' care and experience by creating the most advanced natural language dialog system that generates insights from combined medical data.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/docai-announces-first-blockchain-enabled-natural-language-processing-platform-for-quantified-biology-300508942.html
ICO Platforms
24 Aug 2017 - Oceanlabs, located in Belgium, is a project aimed at building simple and easy applications on top of the Waves blockchain. Blockchain data as it stands is raw and difficult to decipher. Bitcoin has a vast range of third party applications simplifying the blockchain for normal users. Waves, a platform specifically built for token issuance and crowdfunding, is growing at a rapid pace and there is an increasing demand for these applications.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oceanlab-the-first-european-technical-incubator-for-the-blockchain-has-launched-its-initial-coin-offering-ico-allowing-users-to-be-part-of-the-project-and-to-benefit-from-its-success-300508898.html
30 Aug 2017 - CrowdWiz.io, a fully decentralized crowd wisdom powered investment platform, announces today the launch of its Initial Coin Offering (ICO), which will take place in mid September. CrowdWiz is powered by Krypton Software, a division of leading fintech software company, TRADOLOGIC. The proceeds from the ICO will be collected and used to form the general pool of funding money for the platform. Using the wisdom of the crowd, users will use the WIZ token to vote on a specific asset, in effect using crowdsourced information to fund certain projects.
http://www.the-blockchain.com/2017/08/30/crowdwiz-decentralized-crowd-wisdom-investment-platform-announces-ico/
Identity Management
23 Aug 2017 - Working alongside global tech giant Microsoft and ethereum-focused startup ConsenSys, Brazil's Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management is piloting a blockchain identity application. Leveraging technology provided by ConsenSys affiliate project uPort – a "self-sovereign"' identity system built on ethereum that allows users access and control over their own data – the agency is testing how the technology could be used to verify the legitimacy of personal documents.
https://www.coindesk.com/brazils-ministry-planning-testing-blockchain-identity-tech/
Insurance
23 Aug 2017 - Fosun Group is investing in Shanghai Distributed Technologies Co Ltd, the company behind the Onchain blockchain project. Founded in the 1990s, Fosun has become a major force in China's finance space. Fosun also has operations in the mining, insurance and technology sectors, among others.
https://www.coindesk.com/chinas-fosun-group-buys-stake-blockchain-startup/
25 Aug 2017 – A spinoff from R3, DrumG is in the process of incorporating in Bermuda. The technology enterprise is likely to have some staff based on the island to run back-office functions. It will build blockchain applications for the financial industry, and it sees opportunities to do business with Bermuda’s insurance and reinsurance sector.
http://mobile.royalgazette.com/business/article/20170825/blockchain-sector-firm-to-set-up-on-island&template=mobileart
25 Aug 2017 – I mentioned Umbrella Coin in the last edition of this newsletter. It launched its crowdsale on August 20, 2017, has already raised close to $436,000 worth of ETH. UmbrellaCoin intends to raise a total of 100,000 ETH (~$30 million) by the end of September 20, 2017.
http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/08/25/umbrellacoin-ico-live-raises-436k-four-days/
29 Aug 2017 – Following its less than smooth ICO, currently London-based, InsureX has rebranded itself as iXLedger. The official reason given for rebranding was that having the word “Insure” in the brand name was causing problems with prospective customers and regulators. It has also announced a strategic partnership with GenRe, whose Chief Underwriting Officer of Life business is an advisor to iXLedger.
https://www.ixledger.com/2017/08/ixledger-and-gen-re-announce-strategic-collaboration/
29 Aug 2017 - Blockchain insurance consortium B3i has revealed new details about its blockchain smart contract prototype, revealing a plan to remove insurance brokers from the equation. Internally described as "Codex 1," the prototype is designed to automate many of the processes involved in trading insurance-linked securities currently fulfilled by brokers. The prototype does this by giving the insurance companies seeking reinsurance, and the reinsurance companies that serve them, access to the same, cryptographically secure distributed ledger. As a consequence the “removing the broker” headline has featured strongly in the insurance press.
https://www.coindesk.com/world-without-brokers-insurance-consortium-reveals-codex-1-blockchain/
31 Aug 2017 - Pineapple, an insurtech startup based in Johannesburg, has secured seed funding of R5.2 million from Lireas Holdings, the strategic investment arm of Hannover-Re Group Africa, in return for a minority shareholding. Formerly Amyti, Pineapple claims to be South Africa’s first peer-to-peer insurer and the world’s first fully-functioning decentralised insurer. It said that the funding will assist the company in bringing its insurance offering to market.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/banking/195688/joburg-startup-pineapple-secures-r5-2-million-to-shake-up-insurance-in-sa/
IoT
03 Sept 2017 - WaltonChain aims to create a “genuine, believable, traceable business model with totally shared data and transparent information.” And wil lnik in with IoT. The project held its ICO in July and most activities are scheduled over the next two years.
https://themerkle.com/what-is-waltonchain/
Logistics/Supply Chain
23 Aug 2017 - Pacific International Lines (PIL), PSA International and IBM have agreed to collaborate on a blockchain proof of concept for supply chains. PSA is the privatised port operator of Hong Kong and PIL is a shipping company, while IBM has been involved in many of the trade and supply chain explorations in blockchain thus far.
https://www.gtreview.com/news/asia/singapore-heavyweights-to-team-up-on-blockchain/
28 Aug 2017 - TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Has announced its participation in a Consortium to develop trade data sharing platform using blockchain technology in which NTT DATA Corporation serves as the administrative office. The consortium is comprised of 14 trade-related companies such as banking, insurance, total logistics providers and export/import companies.
http://www.mol.co.jp/en/pr/2017/17059.html
30 Aug 2017 - A successful pilot program delivered by logistics technology company Marine Transport International (MTI) demonstrates that the logistics industry will see improved connectivity, efficiency and security thanks to blockchain. MTI, in conjunction with Agility Sciences, have today released a whitepaper detailing the deployment of their Container Streams system in a supply chain environment. The results of the pilot have been verified by scientists at the University of Copenhagen and maritime technology leads at Blockchain Labs for Open Collaboration (BLOC).
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blockchain-system-successfully-deployed-to-revolutionise-the-logistics-industry-642213333.html
Music
22 Aug 2017 - Dot Blockchain Media Inc. ("dotBC"), announced that it has selected the Linux Foundation's Hyperledger Sawtooth as the platform for recording its content rights registry for the media industries. Hyperledger Sawtooth is an open-source blockchain framework originally contributed to the Linux Foundation by Intel. dotBC's announcement is a key advancement in the development of its blockchain initiative to bring clarity and transparency to the complex data, rights and payment issues in today's music and media industries.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dot-blockchain-media-advances-music-rights-transparency-with-intel-technology-and-hyperledger-sawtooth-blockchain-300507343.html
Real Estate
29 Aug 2017 – In South Korea, Proof began as a platform for trading fractions of property, but has since grown to include company equity, community currencies, and securitized debt instruments. It has now initiated the pre-sale of its digital currency and raised over USD$1M in Ether, averaging USD$50K to USD$100K in daily contributions. This period is set to end in mid-September or once the USD$3M pre-ICO fundraising limit is reached. On October 8th, Proof will initiate its public sale, or ICO, in which there are no minimum contribution limits.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3466330
30 Aug 2017 - In an effort to create a decentralized real estate data and listings platform, REXMLS just launched their first token sale. They hit the market selling REX Tokens at an exchange of 1,000 tokens to one ETH. As of August 11, ethereum is trading at $301, up 2,480% from a year prior. EXMLS hit a major speed bump in their recent initial coin offering (ICO), losing $1.33 million worth of ethereum coins by sending coins to an incorrect address.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2017/08/30/despite-initial-rexmls-loss-blockchain-has-arrived-for-real-estate/#27344118175b
Recruitment
22 Aug 2017 - Blockchain TV is a full-service digital agency and studio supporting companies in the crypto-currency industry through the power of storytelling. Crypto Consultant is the industry's premier consultancy, specializing in helping blockchain start-ups navigate through the ICO process.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hirematch---the-first-decentralized-employment-recruiting-platform-announces-strategic-partnership-with-blockchain-tv-and-crypto-consultant-inc-300507655.html
Remittance
30 Aug 2017 - A major UAE forex and remittance house is in the process of partnering FinTech firm Ripple for real-time cross border payments using blockchain technology. A report by regional publication Arabian Business has revealed that UAE Exchange, one of the region’s earliest remittance operators with some 800 offices across 31 countries, is looking to partner San Francisco-based FinTech firm Ripple to facilitate instant international money transfers.
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/uae-remittance-giant-taps-ripple-instant-blockchain-international-payments/
Transport
25 Aug 2017 – The Blockchain in Trucking Alliance, BiTA, has been formed to develop common standards around blockchain applications in the trucking industry. Charter members of BiTA include: Convoy, PS Logistics, US Xpress, McLeod Software, TransRisk, Triumph Business Capital and 10-4 Systems Inc., according to BiTA. Another 70 or so companies have expressed strong interest in joining.
http://www.ttnews.com/articles/blockchain-group-formed-advance-use-digital-ledger
25 Aug 2017 - DOVU, the global marketplace for transport data, announces its token sale, scheduled for 3 Oct, 2017. The project aims to create a distributed marketplace for the give and take of transport-related APIs, fuelled by the DOV token. DOVU is pioneering a digital economy for the mobility sector. The DOVU system works by creating a distributed marketplace for transport data. Vehicle Hire, Insurance Companies, Ride-sharing and others across the mobility sector can connect to DOVU to create a giant network of transport-related data resources.
https://news.bitcoin.com/pr-dovu-blockchain-powered-mobility-backed-inmotion-ventures-powered-jaguar-land-rover/
Regulators
CHINA
29 Aug 2017 - Regulators in China are discussing a plan to possibly suspend all initial coin offerings (ICOs) within the country, reports say.
According to Tencent Finance, regulators proposed an action plan in a meeting on August 18 hosted by the financial market department of the People's Bank of China (PBoC), the country's central bank. Officials from China's insurance, securities and bank regulatory body also attended.
https://www.coindesk.com/reports-chinas-regulators-consider-suspending-icos/
02 Sept 2017 – Just a few days after noting the above, regulators in China including PBC, CSRC and NIFA have held several internal meetings to discuss the best approach to regulate this emerging token creation events.
Current proposals refer to approaches like controlling ICO scale control, enhancing information disclosure, regulating digital currencies and issuing risk warning.
https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2017/09/121379-china-weiyangx-fintech-review-46/
IMF
26 Aug 2017 - The International Monetary Fund has issued its report on developments within the financial technology (Fintech) industry. They placed particular focus on the rapidly growing cross-border payments industry. The report offers recommendations on how to effectively regulate distributed ledger technology (DLT) and the digital currencies that use it.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/imf-issues-recommendations-on-regulating-distributed-ledger-technology
USA
SEC
30 Aug 2017 – Investors need to watch out for fraudsters when investing in initial coin offerings (ICO), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/want-to-make-money-on-an-initial-coin-offering-beware-the-risks-says-sec/
Platform News
Hyperledger
22 Aug 2017 - A proof-of-concept called Sawtooth Ethereum, or "Seth" for short, has been completed. The proof-of-concept looks to enable the use of ethereum smart contracts on Hyperledger Sawtooth, Intel's addition to the Linux-led consortium's code.
https://www.coindesk.com/hyperledger-blockchain-consortium-reveals-sawtooth-ethereum-tech/
29 Aug 2017 – Three more organisations have joined the movement with the announcement of BTS, Oracle, and The Patientory Foundation. Hyperledger incubates eight business blockchain and distributed ledger technologies including Hyperledger Sawtooth, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Iroha and Hyperledger Indy, among others.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyperledger-adds-3-new-members-300510584.html
New protocols/designs
22 Aug 2017 - The "ICON" development team launched their Demo Day on 3rd Aug. The main purpose of the Demo Day was to opensource the ICON code and share the current progress of the project. ICON also provided public coding sessions to everyone who participated in the event. ICON is an interconnecting blockchain network that connects independent blockchains without additional intermediaries. Various blockchains can communicate with each other on the ICON platform. By connecting separately existing blockchains, ICON aims to become the largest blockchain network in the world.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icon-blockchain-launches-code-on-demo-day-300507564.html
30 Aug 2017 - As blockchains begin to gain in popularity, a need is developing to enable them to communicate with one another. That would require a networking infrastructure to facilitate that communication, and that’s precisely what Nuco, a Toronto-based startup is trying to do with the release of the Aion blockchain network.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/30/nucos-aion-network-provides-a-way-to-communicate-between-multiple-blockchains/?ncid=mobilenavtrend
Consultancy News
EY
30 Aug 2017 – EY has announced that it is launching a blockchain based system that will enable companies or groups of individuals to more easily share ownership of vehicles and access to cars and trucks. EY could deploy the system, called Tesseract, in a test with an unnamed partner within the next quarter, EY partner John Simlett told Reuters in an interview.
https://venturebeat.com/2017/08/30/blockchain-technology-expands-beyond-cryptocurrency-and-into-car-sharing-and-mobility-services/
Special Interest Groups/Consortia
14 Aug 2017 - Helium is a digital currency and global payments network. It is creating a new digital ecosystem that increases security for blockchain networks while spurring innovation and commerce.
The Helium network will be launching this September with the creation of the Helium Blockchain Alliance. The Alliance will act as a governing body to help spur innovation within the construction and infrastructure industries through blockchain adoption. Helium’s focus is to help take the world of complex supply chains and on-board them into the blockchain technology, increasing security, communication and transparency while reducing costs
http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/08/14/helium-bring-complex-global-supply-chains-onto-blockchain-launching/
28 Aug 2017 - Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payments platform UTRUST has announced its corporate membership in Crypto Valley – Swiss blockchain technology incubator, as Pre ICO launches 28th August. Crypto Valley is a blockchain analog to Silicon Valley, where some of the leading internet technologies and multibillion-dollar businesses were born. Based in Zug, Switzerland, the Crypto Valley Association is an independent organization that enjoys government support.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/utrust-joins-blockchain-consortium-crypto-valley-in-switzerland-ethereum-pre-ico-monday-28th-august-300510326.html
30 Aug 2017 - Russia has stepped up its plans to exploit the potential of distributed ledger technology (DLT) with the announcement that state-owned bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) is to open a blockchain research centre in Moscow. The centre will be based at the Headquartered at the National University of Science and Technology in Moscow and will be a central part of the Russian government's broader digital initiative, a project that was reportedly initiated at the behest of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/31014/russian-bank-opens-blockchain-research-centre
31 Aug 2017 - Microsoft announced it has joined the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Contracts (IC3), comprised of faculty members at Cornell University, Cornell Tech, UC Berkeley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Technion. IC3 and Microsoft will work together to make the financial system more flexible, transparent, and secure by researching blockchain applications for enterprise adoption. Other industry partners include IBM, Intel, Fidelity Labs, and Digital Asset. IC3 continues to receive funding from a three-year $3 million National Science Foundation grant issued in 2015.
https://www.ethnews.com/microsoft-joins-ic3-to-advance-work-on-blockchain-infrastructure
ICO Top score
Nothing of interest leaps out for this issue, aside from the sudden cancellation of many ICO’s as announcements from regulators sink in.
Opinions & Thought Leadership
20 Aug 2017 - Blockchain: Every Company is at Risk of Being Disrupted by a Trusted Version of Itself
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/blockchain-every-company-is-at-risk-of-being-disrupted_us_5999c0fbe4b033e0fbdec544
21 Aug 2017 - Reputation Pays: How Blockchain Is Monetizing Human Ability
https://cointelegraph.com/news/reputation-pays-how-blockchain-is-monetizing-human-ability
25 Aug 2017 - Why initial coin offerings are exploding – and how companies can avoid the landmines
https://siliconangle.com/blog/2017/08/25/initial-coin-offerings-exploding-companies-can-avoid-landmines/
27 Aug 2017 - Bitcoin Blockchain Analysis Could Fight Sex Trafficking: UC Berkeley PhD Research
https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-blockchain-analysis-could-fight-sex-trafficking-uc-berkeley-phd-research
28 Aug 2017 - Why Only Initial? Worldcore Aims to Use ICO to Conquer Blockchain Competitors
https://cointelegraph.com/news/why-only-initial-worldcore-aims-to-use-ico-to-conquer-blockchain-competitors
28 Aug 2017 - In Legal, Blockchain Is The New Black
http://abovethelaw.com/2017/08/in-legal-blockchain-is-the-new-black/
28 Aug 2017 - 3 New Ways A Popular Peer-to-Peer Marketplace App Uses Blockchain To Revolutionize E-Commerce
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/3-new-ways-a-popular-peer-to-peer-marketplace-app-uses_us_59a42402e4b0d0ef9f1c1594
28 Aug 2017 - Blockchain: from e-government to open government
https://governmentnews.com.au/2017/08/blockchain-e-government-open-government/
29 Aug 2017 - For Blockchain To Work In Ad Tech, We Need To Be Honest About Its Challenges
https://adexchanger.com/data-driven-thinking/blockchain-work-ad-tech-need-honest-challenges/
29 Aug 2017 - Blockchain ‘will help shipping firms resist cyberattacks’
http://www.fruitnet.com/fpj/article/173237/blockchain-will-help-us-defend-against-cyberattacks
29 Aug 2017 - CIOs Are Turning to Blockchain Technology
http://www.cioinsight.com/security/cios-are-turning-to-blockchain-technology.html
29 Aug 2017 - How blockchain technology could revolutionise the insurance industry
http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2017/08/could-blockchain-technology-revolutionise-the-insurance-industry/
30 Aug 2017 - Central Banks Can’t Ignore the Cryptocurrency Boom
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/cryptocurrencies-are-new-barbarians-at-the-gate-of-central-banks
30 Aug 2017 - Will Blockchain Change The Way We Invest?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/omribarzilay/2017/08/30/will-blockchain-change-the-way-we-invest/#3e702ac55585
30 Aug 2017 - Hedge funds are cashing in on bitcoin mania — there are now 50 dedicated to cryptocurrencies
http://uk.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-price-surge-leads-to-growth-in-hedge-funds-2017-8?r=US&IR=T
31 Aug 2017 - Latest Blockchain Fundings in Southeast Asia
http://fintechnews.sg/11177/blockchain/latest-blockchain-fundings-southeast-asia/
31 Aug 2017 - How blockchain is going to change accounting forever
https://due.com/blog/blockchain-to-change-accounting-forever/
31 Aug 2017 - Dubai Goes Blockchain to Become Fintech Hub for The East
https://cointelegraph.com/news/dubai-goes-blockchain-to-become-fintech-hub-for-the-east
31 Aug 2017 - Nvidia is set to dominate the next wave of blockchain technology
http://uk.businessinsider.com/nvidia-stock-price-is-set-to-dominate-the-next-wave-of-blockchain-technology-2017-8?r=US&IR=T
1 Sept 2017 - These Startups Are Using Blockchain To Change Digital Banking In India
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suparnadutt/2017/09/01/blockchain-is-slowly-changing-digital-banking-in-india-thanks-to-these-startups/#69cc95454a17
3 Sept 2017 - Smart Contract A Blockchain Innovation for Non-Techies
https://codeburst.io/smart-contract-a-blockchain-innovation-for-non-techies-d3e65233cf4e
3 Sept 2017 - A Web Of Interoperable Blockchain Platforms
https://www.ethnews.com/a-web-of-interoperable-blockchain-platforms
3 Sept 2017 - 5 Reasons the UN Is Jumping on the Blockchain Bandwagon
https://singularityhub.com/2017/09/03/the-united-nations-and-the-ethereum-blockchain/
4 Sept 2017 - Reining in cypherpunks and the wild token ride
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/banking-finance/reining-in-cypherpunks-and-the-wild-token-ride
Useful resources
Community
There are a number of forums, chats, groups etc. that you may find of interest:
Team Crypto - To discuss cryptocurrencies, exchanges, wallets, prices, etc:
https://t.me/TeamCrypto_Official
Team Crypto Gigs – Looking for a new role or are you a startup seeking to recruit ?
https://t.me/TeamCrypto_Gigs
Team Mining – Interested in mining rigs, pools, techniques?
https://t.me/teammining
Team ICO - All about Initial Coin Offerings:
https://t.me/TeamICO_Official
ICO Meetup London – We’re planning to host physical events and webinars
https://www.meetup.com/ICO-Meetup-London/
Training
For details of Blockchain / Distributed Ledger Technology online training, take a look at the published courses provided by B9Lab: https://academy.b9lab.com/?afmc=25
DISTLYTICS
Does your organisation have a Blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology strategy? Does the board and senior managers even know what the technology is and how it could affect your business, your customers, competitors and the market? I provide bespoke training, consultancy and insight to organisations across multiple industries and have access to a global talent pool of expertise. Please let me know if you would like more details by emailing me at gnuttall@distlytics.com .
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