Month: October 2018

New Zealand Gov’t-Backed Institute Issues Grant to Crypto Wallet and Trading Service

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  New Zealand’s state-backed innovation institute Callaghan Innovation awarded a $330,000 grant to a local crypto wallet and trading service, according to a press release published Tuesday, Oct. 30. Callaghan Innovation issued an “R&D Project Grant” to local crypto wallet and trading platform Vimba, a rebranded version of former MyCryptoSaver. Following the grant, the crypto startup is reportedly set to expand its offerings, as well as to list more cryptocurrencies and enable multi-signature crypto wallets. R&D Project Grants are a type of co-funding for a research and development project. A…

Brazilian Bitcoin Exchange Wins Banking Standoff, Has Account Reopened

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Bitcoin Max, a Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange, has recently seen two banks in the country, Santander and Banco do Brasil, reopen its accounts following preliminary decisions made by Brazil’s Federal District Court. They reportedly reopened the exchange’s accounts to avoid paying fines. Banks Reopen Crypto Exchange Accounts According to local news outlet Portal do Bitcoin, failing to comply would have cost Santander up to $1,350 and Banco do Brasil up to $5,400. Speaking to the outlet, Bitcoin Max’s attorney Leonardo Ranna reportedly revealed its bank accounts “have been restored,” along with…

Chinese Retail Giant JD.com Launches Blockchain Research Lab

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Chinese retail giant JD.com is further gaining a foothold in blockchain technology by launching a research lab for blockchain in partnership with two technology institutes, according to an announcement published Oct. 30. Jingdong Group (JD.com) is a leading Chinese e-commerce company, controlling roughly 30 percent of the business-to-consumer online market in China with 314 million active users, according to Financial Times. The company focuses on implementation of new technologies in e-commerce, delivery services, and finance. Per the announcement, JD has collaborated with the Ying Wu College of Computing at the…

Storj Launches Version 3 of Its Decentralized Cloud Storage Platform

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On October 30, 2018, Storj Labs released a public alpha for their version 3 (V3) platform –– enabling developers and companies to test their decentralized cloud storage solution. The team also shared an updated white paper featuring their latest research on decentralized and distributed systems in cloud storage. Decentralized Cloud Storage Refresher Decentralized cloud storage solutions like Storj enable users to securely store their data on decentralized clouds utilizing peer-to-peer networks instead of storing their information on the servers of large corporations. This model works like an Airbnb for data;…

BlockFi Announces Global Expansion of Its Crypto-Backed Loan Services

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Galaxy Capital–backed BlockFiis taking its loan services to the global stage. According to a statement shared with Bitcoin Magazine, the platform is expanding its services to an international audience. This expansion will add to its offerings in 46 states of the United States, something that required “quite a bit of work,” according to CEO Zac Prince “There were a few things we need to do, primarily in regards to lending licenses at the state level, which has gone really well. So we’re now live in 46 states in the U.S.,…

Telefónica and Rivetz Add Civic’s Identity Verification for Mobile Users

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Civic has entered into a tripartite agreement with cybersecurity protection solution company, Rivetz, and Telefónica’s cybersecurity unit, ElevenPaths, to provide secure identity verification that incorporates added hardware protections for mobile users. With presence in five countries, Civic uses blockchain technology to secure and protect the transfer of personal information, while allowing people to decide how they share their information. In correspondence with Bitcoin Magazine, Steven Sprague, CEO of Rivetz, called Civic’s integration into the partnership as a “pivotal step toward providing the digital identity we need in today’s world.” In…

Bytom Is Connecting Physical and Digital Assets

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Assets of all stripes have long been recognized for their value in building wealth, paying debts and meeting both short- and long-term commitments. But now, with the exponential growth of computing power and big data, the value of strictly digital assets has all but eclipsed the traditional physical assets that were long the cornerstone of personal wealth. As such, there is a growing need for projects that can connect the worlds of traditional physical assets and cutting-edge digital ones, thus providing the best of both worlds. A key player in…

Crypto Platform Coinbase Secures $300 Million in Series E Funding Round

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Popular cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has raised a fresh $300 million in a Series E financing round, bringing the company valuation to $8 billion. Coinbase plans to use the funding to “accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrencies,” as it plans to remain the “entry-point into crypto” for millions of investors, according to a published blog post. The new investment round was led by investment firm Tiger Global with Y Combinator Continuity and Andreessen Horowitz, with others participating. In August 2017, Coinbase was valued at $1.6 billion, after receiving a $100 million from…

Distributed Dialogues: Political Censorship in China

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On the latest episode of Season 2 of Distributed Dialogues, the hosts took a deep dive into the state of political repression in the People’s Republic of China. Interviewing experts and dissidents at the Oslo Freedom Festival, this thorough examination of Chinese political life combines insight and research with the real, lived experiences of people in the nation. The podcast episode compared two people’s interactions with the state machines of China, one of whom was a U.S. citizen working as a journalist in China, the other a Chinese dissident made…

Standardized Specifications for Enterprise Version of Ethereum Announced

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On October 29, 2018, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) announced in Prague at DevCon 4 two new software specifications that will help businesses standardize future code developments on an enterprise version of the Ethereum blockchain. The first specification, Client Specification V2, defines the implementation requirements for Enterprise Ethereum clients, including interfaces to the external-facing components of Enterprise Ethereum and how they are intended to be used. The standardization of performance, permissioning and privacy demands of enterprise deployments are viewed as a necessary step by the EEA in order to help…