A Ph.D. dissertation On Scalability of Blockchain Technologies has become the most downloaded dissertation at Cornell University in the past eight years. The paper was penned by Adem Efe Gencer in 2017, under the direction of computer scientists Emin Gün Sirer and Robbert van Renesse. When the university asked Sirer about the paper, he praised the work: “Dr. Gencer’s thesis represents a tour de force in the burgeoning area of blockchains and cryptocurrencies. It unveiled a brand new consensus protocol, improving upon Satoshi Nakamoto’s highly successful protocol that powers Bitcoin.” He…
Day: October 14, 2020
Blockchain health apps privatize COVID-19 data but security is a concern
New procedures are being implemented as the world slowly begins to reopen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While temperature checks and mandatory face masks have become the new normal, the world is also witnessing the rise of digital health apps, or “health passports.” Many of these applications serve as a solution to trace individuals’ whereabouts or to store COVID-19 test results, which can then be presented to officials during travel or gatherings to show proof-of-health. While innovative, privacy and regulatory concerns have been expressed with digital solutions designed to trace…
Square buys $50m BTC. Google bets on EOS blockchain. CBDCs ramp up
In this issue Why did Square acquire US$50 million in bitcoin? Google Cloud joins Block.one network Digital currency initiatives advance globally In China: central bank pushes 50,000 people to spend new e-RMB; Hong Kong as DCEP’s sandbox Funding spotlight: betting on cryptocurrency in India From the Editor’s Desk Dear Reader, What’s happening in this part of the world, where Forkast sits in Asia? A lot. In its latest effort to push mainstream adoption for the e-RMB, China is handing out 50,000 digital “red packets.” Why is this significant? The red…
Bitcoin Fractal Predicts Price Will Soon Slip Below $10,000
Bitcoin has dropped slightly since the highs it set on Monday near $11,750. As of this article’s writing, the leading cryptocurrency changes hands for $11,400, a few percent shy of those highs. While the cryptocurrency remains in a positive position on a daily and weekly scale, an analyst fears a stronger correction. He recently shared a key fractal analysis suggesting that the cryptocurrency could soon drop under $11,000, which has acted as a key support. The fractal further predicts that Bitcoin will continue its descent. Related Reading: Here’s Why Ethereum’s…