AT&T now accepts Bitcoin. Is this what adoption looks like?
Telecom giant AT&T is one of several new companies to announce it will accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a payment option. Is this a sign of growing adoption or will these companies experience the same issues that have made cryptocurrencies a problematic payment solution to date?
Institutionalization of cryptoassets
This paper provides an overview of the crypto market, introduces the emerging tokenized economy, and identifies the key challenges to the adoption of crypto in the global financial services ecosystem. The paper also introduces KPMGs Cryptoasset Framework to help address these challenges. The framework underpins KPMGs crypto capabilities that have been developed through their work with crypto exchanges, start-ups, and large financial services organizations.
Building trust in government: Exploring the potential of blockchains
This report shares key insights on market adoption of blockchain solutions. It also explores what differentiates early adopters and how other government organizations can benefit from their blockchain explorations.
Segwit tackles short term Bitcoin blocksize problems, and helps long term scaling solution
The Bitcoin blockchain has long been touted as an alternative to legacy financial systems. Among a range of technological achievements, the peer to peer electronic cash system offers low fees and near instant transactions. However, the number of transactions processed by the network has been an ongoing source of contention.
Bitcoin Adoption Growing & Fundamentals Improving; Raising Price Projection
This report largely builds upon our previously published research. Investors that are less familiar with Bitcoin may find our initiation report for the Bitcoin Investment Trust helpful as it answers some basic background questions on Bitcoin and provides more information on the Bitcoin Investment Trust.
SWIFT report examines Bitcoin as a currency
The SWIFT Institute recently announced new research which “assesses whether the global financial community is accepting Bitcoin as a valid currency.” The research is based on a working paper first published in February 2015, “Virtual Currencies: Media of Exchange or Speculative Asset.”
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, HSBC, and IDA develop a blockchain prototype solution for trade finance
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML), HSBC, and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA) recently announced that they have jointly developed “a prototype solution built on Blockchain technology that could change the way businesses around the world trade with each other.”
‘Bottom line: Bitcoin bad, Blockchain better,’ claims Credit Suisse
Founded in 1856, Credit Suisse is a leading global private bank and wealth manager. The company reported $1.25 trillion under management in 2016, has operations in about 50 countries, and 47,180 employees from over 150 different nations.
Blockchain an ‘essential’ tech for CEOs, states PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is one of the world’s largest professional services firms in the world. With headquarters in London, the company operates in 157 countries, boasts 756 locations and employs 200,000 people. The company ended 2015 with global revenues reaching US $35.4b.
Decreasing relevance has consumers straying to bank alternatives, states Earnst & Young
British multinational professional services firm, Ernst & Young (EY), recently published its Bank Relevance Index (BRI). The data shows how banks’ "decreasing relevance has consumers straying to bank alternatives."
Moody’s new report identifies 25 top blockchain use cases, from a list of 120
Moody's Investors Service (MIS) recently released a detailed report that names 120 blockchain projects being explored by various companies. The bond credit rating business then offers 25 top use cases for blockchain technology.
JPMorgan Chase urges asset managers to adopt blockchain
JPMorgan Chase & Co, and an international management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman, recently released a guide encouraging blockchain technology adoption amongst asset managers: “The report is designed to serve as a guide to how the technology may evolve, the impact it may have on asset managers and the action they can take.”
Banks abandon the Caribbean, local bitcoin exchange experiences 33% increase in users every month since February
Smaller, poorer countries are being abandoned by big banks in an exodus commonly referred to as “de-risking” or “de-banking.” In the Caribbean, where many small countries with poorer populations reside close to each other, the problem is getting so bad that local businesses regularly have a hard time receiving remittances and paying suppliers outside of their own country, even when their trading partner is just the next island over.
Bain & Company urges banks to take action on distributed ledgers
Bain & Company recently published a 12-page brief about blockchain technology, “Distributed Ledgers in Payments: Beyond the Bitcoin Hype,” authored by four employees based in London.
UK Government pilot uses blockchain tech for welfare distribution
The UK Government recently unveiled that it is undergoing a blockchain technology pilot to implement “social welfare payments distribution trial for UK’s Department for Work and Pensions.” If the trial is successful, the underlying technology could be useful for everything from tax collection to sharing health records, according to a government report released in January.
Seafile accepts bitcoin after Paypal shenanigans
The open source cloud storage firm, Seafile, has dropped their primary payment processor, Paypal, and started using bitcoin as their preferred payment option.
