blockchain identity solutions for government deloitte and attest NEWS REGULATORS 

Deloitte Joins Startup Attest to Push Blockchain Identity Solutions for Governments

The world’s largest professional services network, also known as one of the ‘Big Four’, Deloitte has partnered with blockchain startup company Attest Inc. to develop and push blockchain identity solutions for Governments. According to a press release on Monday by Deloitte, it will collaborate with the Chicago-based blockchain startup to develop a digital identity offering for its impressive list of Governmental clients, based on Attest‘s existing products. Founded in March 2018 by Cab Morris and Jennifer O’Rourke, two former employees of the Illinois State’s governing office, and leaders of its blockchain initiatives, Attest‘s shared…

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oracle blockchain supply chain FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

Software Giant Oracle Rolls Out Blockchain Supply Chain Apps Using Hyperledger

One of the world’s biggest software companies, Oracle has released four new blockchain supply chain apps based on Hyperledger Fabric technology, designed to reduce the barriers for businesses to adopt blockchain technology. Integrating nascent technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) with blockchain, Oracle aims to provide increased transparency and improved traceability to supply chain management systems. The new business-ready product entitled ‘Oracle Blockchain Applications Cloud’ provides a suite of applications (apps) that intend to make it easy for businesses to integrate blockchain supply chain systems.  Oracle’s Senior…

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blockchain medical data platform FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

BlackBerry Set to Launch Blockchain Medical Data Platform with Swiss Startup ONEBIO

Global technology giant and former smartphone behemoth, BlackBerry announces the launch of a blockchain medical data platform in partnership with Swiss-based startup ONEBIO. BlackBerry, a company that once controlled 50 percent of the global smartphone marketplace, is now turning its attention to security with the launch of its new Enterprise of Things (EoT) platform BlackBerry Spark. According to a release, together with technology developed by ONEBIO, the new blockchain medical data platform aims to create an “ultra-secure” ecosystem for patients, labs and healthcare providers. Utilising the BlackBerry network operation center (NOC)…

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NEWS REGULATORS 

Ofcom Wins Almost $1 Million to Develop a UK Blockchain Phone Number System

The U.K.’s telecommunications regulatory authority, Office of Communications (Ofcom) has received close to $1 million (£700,000 Sterling) to develop a national blockchain phone number system. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, setup by the government in 2016, has awarded the grant to Ofcom as part of its £10 million Regulators’ Pioneer Fund.  As stated in a press release on Friday, the Business Secretary MP (member of Parliament), Greg Clark said the project will: “further strengthen our regulatory system and ensure that it keeps pace with the innovation and technological…

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worlds biggest blockchain consortiums BCTECH NEWS 

Worlds Biggest Blockchain Consortiums Ethereum’s EEA and Hyperledger Join Forces

In an unprecedented move, two of the worlds biggest blockchain consortiums, Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) and Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Project have joined forces to excel the adoption of blockchain technology in the enterprise sector. Announced in a jointly authored news release by Hyperledger Executive Director, Brian Behlendorf, and EEA Executive Director, Ron Resnick, the two confirmed that they have agreed to collaborate and are formally joining each other’s organisations as Associate Members, stating: “The collaboration between our organisations will further accelerate adoption of blockchain technologies for business.” The EEA, launched in early 2017,…

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Walmart tells suppliers to use IBM blockchain FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

Worlds Largest Retailer Walmart Tells Suppliers to Use IBM Blockchain Food Trust

The world’s largest retailer, both by revenue and by employee count, Walmart tells suppliers to use IBM Blockchain Food Trust platform, beginning with its leafy green producers in the U.S. Announced in a press release on Monday, the mandate which also includes Walmart’s retail warehouse Sam’s Club, requires all relevant suppliers to be fully integrated a year from now, making it one of the biggest commercial uses of blockchain technology. Utilising IBM’s distributed ledger technology that is permission-based, the company aims to expedite the traceability of contaminated foods, Matt Smith…

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FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

UK’s Biggest Port Operator Exploring Blockchain Shipping Solutions Across 21 Ports

UK’s biggest port operator, Associated British Ports begins exploring blockchain shipping solutions across its 21 UK ports, in partnership with logistics software service provider Marine Transport International (MTI). ABP, which carries out 25 percent of the cargo shipments in Great Britain, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MTI to pilot shipments using blockchain technology.  Commercial Director at ABP, Jens Skibsted Nielsen stated: “We handle almost 100 million tons of cargo across all sectors every year, so we are a significant gateway for our customers’ supply chains,” According to a report by the…

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r3 chorum venture studio FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

RBS Blockchain Team Jumps Ship to Start R3 Chorum Venture Studio Project

Members of Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) blockchain team have announced that they are leaving to launch an R3 Chorum venture studio, a project that aims to do for Corda what ConsenSys is doing for Ethereum. Richard Crook, former head of the RBS innovation team has made the move, taking with him engineers Mark Simpson, Ben Wyeth and Farzad Pezeshkpour. Crook and his team were responsible for developing the Cordite token project on R3‘s Corda platform, which RBS led in a bid to create a generic crypto asset blockchain system for the banking…

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NEWS REGULATORS 

Blockchain Browser Brave Files Complaints Against Google Ads Data Collection Practices

Developed by Mozilla co-founder and Javascript creator, Brendan Eich, the blockchain browser Brave files complaints against Google advertisement (ads) data collection practices in the UK and Ireland.   Together with Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group, and Michael Veale of University College London, Brave’s chief policy officer Johnny Ryan filed formal complaints with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner and the U.K. Information Commissioner. Brave, an open-source blockchain browser that blocks ads and website trackers, cited that the way Google and the advertising technology (adtech) industry publish personalised online ads…

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blockchain land registry solutions NEWS REGULATORS 

UK’s Property Regulator Enlists R3’s Corda for Blockchain Land Registry Solutions

R3 CEO, David Rutter announced on Thursday at London’s CordaCon annual gathering, that the U.K. government has selected R3’s Corda to develop blockchain land registry solutions. The U.K. government‘s HM Land Registry (HMLR), which safeguards land and property ownership worth over £4 trillion, including approximately £1 trillion of mortgages, aims to explore how to make the house buying process in the UK faster, simpler and more transparent. The appointment comes as part of the second phase of HMLR’s research and development project, entitled ‘Digital Street’.  The HMLR’s website states: “The point of…

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blockchain to fight fake news NEWS REGULATORS 

Social Media Giant Twitter Looking into Blockchain to Fight Fake News Says CEO Dorsey

Jack Dorsey, CEO of the social media giant Twitter, testified before a U.S. Congressional committee on Wednesday, confirming that Twitter is considering the use of blockchain to fight fake news and prevent online scams. U.S. Congress is currently probing into the potential political bias among tech giants Twitter, Google and Facebook, questioning CEO’s such as Dorsey and Zuckerberg of Facebook, to identify what steps they are taking to prevent future election meddling. Doris Matsui, a representative of California, questioned Dorsey during a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing about user…

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global blockchain patent rankings FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

Alibaba and IBM Top the Leader Board for Global Blockchain Patent Rankings

Tech giants Alibaba and IBM top the leader board for global blockchain patent rankings, according to a new report by iPR Daily, a global technology media outlet that specialises in intellectual property (IP) ecosystems. The research, published on Friday by iPR Daily, ranks entities by patents filed.  It stated that it consolidated data as of August 10 from across China, the EU, America, Japan and South Korea, consulting the International Patent System from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The report shows that the Chinese internet giant Alibaba managed to seal the top position with its 90 patent applications focused on blockchain-related…

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blockchain insurance data platform NEWS REGULATORS 

Major US Insurance Advisory AAIS and IBM Pilot Blockchain Insurance Data Platform

One of only two major ‘rating bureaus’ in the US, the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), has partnered with IBM to launch a blockchain insurance data platform. Entitled Insurance Data Link (openIDL), it aims to simplify regulatory reporting for insurance carriers, which currently requires time-consuming data calls across various parties. Several major US insurers are being on-boarded, and AAIS is reported to be targeting carriers and organisations of “every size and configuration”.

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first ever blockchain bond - world bank NEWS REGULATORS 

World Bank and CBA to Issue First Blockchain Bond with Ethereum and Microsoft

In a major announcement, the World Bank is preparing to issue the first blockchain bond to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on a private Ethereum-based blockchain, which will run on Microsoft Azure’s cloud platform. Currently, the World Bank issues between US$50-US$60 billion annually in bonds for sustainable development. It says that blockchain technology has the potential to “help simplify raising capital and trading securities; improve operational efficiencies; and enhance regulatory oversight”

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aidtech worlds first blockchain baby BCTECH NEWS 

World’s First Blockchain Baby is Registered for Care with AID:Tech and PharmAccess

Startup blockchain aid organisation AID:Tech makes history by registering the world’s first blockchain baby in Tanzania, in partnership with Dutch organisation PharmAccess, in an effort to improve access to healthcare throughout Africa. Entitled Chain of Trust (CoT), the project has already attracted a flurry of investment from Techstars, Enterprise Ireland, SGI Innovate, and angel investor, Jason Calacanis. Named by the United Nations as a Sustainable Development Goal Pioneer, AID:Tech is now looking to launch their own Transparency as a Service Token (TaaST).

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blockchain for the aerospace industry FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

Accenture Partners with Thales to Launch Blockchain for the Aerospace Industry

Consulting giant, Accenture has partnered with a major global defence firm, Thales, to launch a blockchain that aims to secure and streamline aerospace and defence (A&D) supply chains. Accenture report that “86% of A&D companies expect to integrate blockchain technology into their corporate systems by 2021”. As prime contractor for advanced air and missile defence capabilities to NATO forces, Thales’ launching this blockchain for the aerospace industry, marks a potential “game changing innovation for this sector”.

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FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

Telecom Giants Telefonica, Telstra, Colt and BT Trial Blockchain with Startup Clear

Major global telcos including Telefonica, Telstra, Colt and BT trial blockchain with startup company Clear to complete a live international PoC, that aims to dramatically reduce both time and costs for the telecom industry. In March, Colt and PCCW Global carried out the first PoC trial that successfully reduced inter-carrier settlement time from hundreds of man-hours per month to less than a minute. “Intercarrier settlement is an area where fraud costs $17 billion annually for operators”

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nhs blockchain platform guardtime FTSE / NASDAQ NEWS 

UK NHS Blockchain Platform for up to 30 million Patients launches with Guardtime

Software security company, Guardtime has launched a UK NHS blockchain platform, offering 30 million British patients instant access to their primary care information using a smartphone. In partnership with Instant Access Medical and Healthcare Gateway, the MyPCR platform interfaces with all three major UK NHS GP platforms, enabling GPs to develop ‘care pathways’ that can be monitored by both patient and healthcare personnel, with a greater aim of improved medication adherence for potential savings of at least £800 million.

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NEWS REGULATORS 

U.K. Law Commission Researching Law Reform for Use of Blockchain Smart Contracts

Further to the release of a report, the U.K. Law Commission, has begun a formal project researching into law reform for use of blockchain smart contracts in the British legal ecosystem. The agency, set up by Parliament, has dentifyied blockchain technology as a significant area that is seeing uptake, especially in the financial services world. With finance and banking being one of it’s top industries in the UK, and London the world’s largest financial centre. The commission has stated the necessity of reform to remain competitive for enterprise.

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coinbase launches crypto gift cards NEWS REGULATORS 

Coinbase Launches Crypto Gift Cards for Major Retailers in Partnership with WeGift

One of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Coinbase launches crypto gift cards for its European customers, enabling them to purchase goods and services using their crypto assets with over 120 major brands including Amazon, Tesco, M&S, Thomas Cook and Uber. The new feature comes a few months after securing an e-money license from the UK’s financial regulator. Partnering with digital gift card startup WeGift, customers can convert upto $5000 per day of their cryptocurrency stored in their Coinbase wallets into gift cards.

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