Liechtenstein citizens to be able to buy cryptocurrencies directly from the bank
One of Liechtenstein’s largest banks has announced that it will be allowing customers to buy cryptocurrency directly from it. Purchased cryptocurrencies will be stored by the bank in a cold wallet, and right now direct investments are being allowed in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Ripple.
How Oracles connect Smart Contracts to the real world
Oracles are an often overlooked, but critical piece of the Ethereum network. They are trusted data feeds that feed information directly into smart contracts, allowing Smart Contracts to store more data off-chain and improving performance across the network. In order for Smart Contracts to become commonplace in the future, Oracles will be needed in order to scale effectively.
Gibraltar Exchange claims 200 ICOs are waiting to launch on GBX
The world’s first true blockchain exchange recently revealed that over 200 ICOs are waiting to launch on its platform, nearly equaling the number of ICOs launched in all of last year. As part of listing, applicants will have to go through a rigorous application process and have their whitepapers approved by the exchange before going live.
Twitter co-founder declares that Bitcoin is poised to become “the world’s single currency”
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey made headlines this week for pronouncing that Bitcoin will likely gain global currency status in under a decade, if current trends continue. The comments come on the heels of the news that Dorsey’s startup Square may be preparing for a foray into cryptocurrencies in the near future.
The United Nations is fighting hunger with blockchain technology
The UN’s World Food Program has launched a new initiative called Building Blocks, which leverages blockchain technology to facilitate faster, more secure cash payments to aid recipients. The technology, which is using Ethereum, helps the WFP put all of its hunger aid recipient banks on the blockchain, streamlining the entire donation process for all.
Britain is forming a crypto task force to foster fintech innovation
As the UK gears up for Brexit, the country has just launched a crypto task force aimed at regulating and encouraging development of the crypto industry within the country, made up of the Bank of England and the UK’s chief financial regulator. The crypto task force will also be collaborating with the government’s recently-launched fintech sandbox on key initiatives.
Edward Snowden just revealed a secret document showing how the NSA tracks Bitcoin usage
The NSA whistleblower recently revealed that the NSA has been secretly monitoring Bitcoin for years, and that it’s analyzing transactions on the blockchain as a way to identify potential money laundering and terrorist financing activities. This surveillance is conducted through a piece of Oakster software that purportedly offers users additional privacy online.
Google is developing proprietary blockchain platform to help it win in the cloud
Google is reportedly developing a proprietary distributed ledger using blockchain technology that will be integrated into its suite of enterprise products. Such technology would give enterprise customers peace of mind that their data is safe, and it could potentially be licensed out to Google’s content partners as well.
Blockchain Capital has just raised $150m for its newest investment fund
Already one of the world’s largest crypto VC funds, Blockchain Capital has announced that it just raised $150m for its new investment fund, which will be focused on making more sizable investments in promising crypto startups. After the recent funding round, the firm now has over $250m under management. |
