IBM develops blockchain system for banks
The company expects to process up to 60% of all cross-border payments in the South Pacific by early 2018. International technology company IBM has joined forces with blockchain startup Stellar and payments company KlickEx Group to enable high-speed cross-border payments for banks and other financial institutions. The aim of the payments process is to speed up clearances and settlements on a single network in real time. Blockchain, the technology behind bitcoin, is a revolutionary distributed-ledger technology that offers a secure and immediate way of transferring a range of data – more specifically, in this case, currency transactions. IBM’s solution is already active, processing live transactions across 12 different currency corridors […]
Mortgage fintech looks to blockchain for home loans
The CEO and founder of an online mortgage platform has revealed that the fintech is looking into how it can utilise blockchain to make the home loan contract process more efficient. Speaking at the Informa Credit Law Conference, Mandeep Sodhi, the CEO of HashChing, revealed that the platform was looking into the distributed ledger technology for mortgages. When asked by The Adviser what HashChing was using blockchain for, Mr Sodhi said: “We have been exploring blockchain in the home loan contract, smart contract space and securitisation as well. “It’s more in the future roadmap but mostly around how quickly can we exchange a contract – through smart contracts. But also, […]
Technology will shape financial services
Financial advisers must challenge themselves to see where technology can add value to their business models if they wish to remain relevant in the coming years. That was the key theme of a presentation delivered by futurist Chris Riddell at the 2017 Association of Financial Advisers National Adviser Conference which started on Wednesday at the Gold Coast. The rise of new technologies creating business efficiencies, particularly the significant potential offered by deploying blockchain, will be the biggest influencers on financial services over the next decade and those that don’t adopt will be left behind, Riddell said. While Riddell doesn’t think crypto-currencies will have any major impact on the financial services […]
From UNSW to Silicon Valley: young entrepreneur attracts major funding
One UNSW student’s experience with a startup company illustrates the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship and the value of programs like UNSW Startup Launch. Last year, UNSW Sydney Computer Science and Engineering student Stefan Qin was accepted into the University’s Startup Launch pre-accelerator program for high-potential founders with innovative startup ideas. His start-up, Dime, went on to win first prize at a Startup Launch pitch night, with a concept that used blockchain technology to significantly reduce the cost and time delay of foreign exchange transactions. Now, the 20-year-old has closed a $US3.18 million funding round for his new business, Virgil Capital, a global venture in cryptocurrency trading and investment management in […]
Stone & Chalk leads FinTech Hub
FinTech Victoria’s former founding CEO, Alan Tsen, is spearheading the operations of the new hub, which will provide free office and in-kind support for start-ups in the finance and technology industries. Stone & Chalk says the first phase of the hub will link start-ups to the national and international marketplace, offer mentorship, talent and investment across Melbourne and Sydney. Stone & Chalk has corporate partners including ANZ, NAB, Findex, Genworth and Liberty Financial. Mr Tsen said the hub would be a helpful boost for start-ups to tap into the national and global FinTech space. “Melbourne FinTechs have found it hard to access affordable space, as well as mentorship, talent, business […]
So what is an initial coin offering (ICO)?
An initial coin offering (ICO) is a concept that has been getting increased airplay in recent times, with estimates that more than $1 billion has been raised globally via ICOs. With some key decisions being made by regulators globally (including the US and China) – and with guidance from ASIC released last week – we thought it timely to provide an overview on the concept. So what is an ICO? ICOs generally operate as a blockchain-based funding process, allowing investors to use cryptocurrency (such as bitcoin or ether) to purchase coins or tokens relating to a specific product or project via the internet for a set period of time. The […]
DigitalX advises Power Ledger on Australia’s first Initial Coin Offering (ICO)
DigitalX Ltd advises that it has been engaged as an advisor to Blockchain energy trading company Power Ledger for its Initial Coin Offering (ICO). Following a pre-ICO or “Token Generation Event”, in which Power Ledger raised the equivalent of AUD$17 million of digital currency, Power Ledger is offering 140 million POWR tokens as part of the main sale. POWR tokens will effectively be auctioned to the public, generating interest from solar developers, renewable energy projects, retail investors and speculators. “DigitalX is quickly becoming a market leader for ICO advisory services and we are pleased to be able to work in a strategic role to the Power Ledger project. “Power Ledger […]
What is Bitcoin, and how does it work?
If you find the concept of Bitcoin confusing, you are not alone. The virtual currency has been a constant source of controversy, but it is still not well understood. On Tuesday, one Bitcoin was worth USD$4,394. Are Bitcoins those coins I see in photographs? No. Those coins are novelty items that newspapers used in photographs because they couldn’t find anything else to illustrate their stories about Bitcoin. A Bitcoin is a digital token — with no physical backing — that can be sent electronically from one user to another, anywhere in the world. A Bitcoin can be divided out to eight decimal places, so you can send someone 0.00000001 Bitcoins. […]
