UBS FinTech Innovation manager bullish on cryptocurrency, discusses Bitcoin Supremacy
The banker who runs UBS bank’s FinTech innovation lab ponders the Supremacy of the currency Bitcoin in his latest writing, showing an unusually bullish position on cryptocurrencies for a banker.
Microsoft now offering several Blockchains as a Service at Azure
Microsoft’s web service suite Azure has been gathering partners lately in the bitcoin space, namely the many startups that offer their own private blockchains to banks, including Ethereum and Ripple.
The blockchain attracts interest from former White House officials
Former White House officials have been recruited into blockchain related roles and are commenting on the potential for future disruption.
SWIFT explores solving the correspondent banking problem with the blockchain
SWIFT targets R3 CEV with its new global payments innovation initiative that includes exploring the use of the blockchain to enhance correspondent banking services. Correspondent banking accounts for 67% of SWIFT’s total payments.
The benefits outweigh the costs of holding bitcoins for the Central Bank of Barbados
Two prominent economists in Barbados have published a paper, aimed at the Central Bank of their country, that makes a very compelling argument for holding bitcoin reserves, showing why such a course of action has far more upside than downside for the debt-ridden country.
BitGo’s Key Recovery Service protocol offers familiarity and new security options
A new security protocol for web wallet providers has been published, and it encourages a whole new industry of third party private key holding services to exist. The open-source protocol for this has even been included in BitGo's wallet creation process already.
The Netherlands’ ‘best department store’ now accepts bitcoin
FonQ.nl, a subsidiary of the Netherlands’ second largest online retailer, recently won the best department store category in a competition sponsored by AN AMBRO, and now accepts bitcoin for all payments.
Transparency issues in the music industry could be solved by blockchain technology
The music industry faces a growing issue of transparency, and specifically royalty distribution. Blockchain companies are coming together with artists, and perhaps forming the future landscape of music.
Plutus intends to bridge bitcoin’s merchant gap
With the bold claim that users will be able to “Tap & Pay using Bitcoin at any NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal on the planet,” Plutus appears to be on track to bridge the majority of the merchant gap for bitcoin users, removing one of the largest remaining hurdles for bitcoin adoption.
Europe, Russia and the US weigh in on ISIL bitcoin use
Following the recent attacks in Europe, Bitcoin has been linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Bank of Canada contemplating negative interest rates, powered by e-money, or bitcoin
An increasing number of European nations, including Sweden and England, have announced their long-term strategies to implement negative interest rates.
Financial Institutions flock to blockchain technology, while bitcoin divides opinions
While the banking community continues to investigate, and invest, in blockchain technology companies, the original blockchain application, bitcoin, appears to be a divisive issue that banks are compelled to avoid.
BitHalo offers ‘unbreakable’ blockchain smart contracts
David Zimbeck's Halo may be the purest, peer to peer, cryptographically secure and enforceable Smart Contract yet to be made available for international businesses.
Visa’s blockchain use sets example for DocuSign’s 50 million users
Credit Card giant Visa introduces the bitcoin blockchain to DocuSign in order to team up on a smart contract app intended for in-car automobile leasing and payments.
Venezuela’s economy is crumbling, while bitcoin volume is on the rise
Venezuela’s economy is crumbling. The local currency, the Bolivar, continues to lose value, year after year. The annual inflation rate has surpassed 100%, and the country cannot afford basic imports.
W3C includes bitcoin in new standards and tools for web checkout processes
The World Wide Web Consortium is establishing a set of standardized APIs to streamline the online checkout process across all browsers by next year, and Bitcoin payments will be among the payment options built in.
