Australian regulator trials Blockchain to Automate Transaction Reporting
An Australian financial regulator is trialing blockchain technology to automate reporting of cross-border transactions by institutions. ZDNet reported Sunday that the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has partnered with the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne to build a prototype for the trial. The two partners will specifically examine how blockchain and smart contracts, as well as other technologies, can help entities such as banks to automate reporting of international funds transfer instructions (IFTIs) to the regulator. Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act mandates that institutions or specific categories of individuals involved in a cross-border transfer of funds – including payer, sender and beneficiary institution – must report […]
The Samsung Galaxy S10 has a cryptocurrency wallet built in
Samsung is one of the first major smartphone makers to include a cryptocurrency wallet in its latest flagship Galaxy S10 phones. The wallet lets users store bitcoin, Ethereum, and a beauty-related cryptocurrency called Cosmo Coin. It’s a cold storage wallet, meaning it’s not connected to the internet. The Galaxy S10 phones also support select decentralized apps (“Dapps”). Currently, Samsung’s main Dapp that’s available is called Cosmee, and it lets users earn Cosmo tokens in exchange for leaving beauty reviews in the app. Cosmochain, the South Korean blockchain startup behind Cosmee, describes its app to The Verge as a blockchain-powered beauty review app — the blockchain is supposed to be a […]
Bitcoin – The Future of Money
Technology has changed the world around us, penetrating into our daily lives to such an extent that it’s now difficult to imagine the world without it. The financial industry has been particularly impacted by digital advances, going from banknotes to credit cards to Bitcoin in just a few decades. But is Bitcoin really the future of money? Or is it just a fad destined to go away when some other form of electronic cash appears? To answer these questions, we must first take a closer look at the evolution of money to see its possible future. The Evolution of Money The evolution of money is long and winding, but most […]
40-50 banks expected to use Stellar (XLM) use in coming months
Put Tuesday 1.40am (UTC) on 19 March in your calendar of major Stellar Lumens events. Speaking to Finder at IBM Think 2019, IBM head of blockchain Jesse Lund revealed that 40-50 banks are expected to join the Stellar-based IBM World Wire service in the near future. “We’ve got a launch announcement coming out soon… we’re going to be supporting more than 50 countries out of the gate, 30-40 currencies, and enough market makers to drag along 30 or 40 banks, so we’ll have a significant portion of the world covered,” he explained. Several banks have already confirmed that they plan to issue digital assets, including stablecoins of their own, through […]
ICO Submission to the Australian Treasury – Why ICO should stand for “Illegal Coin Offering”
By Aleksandar Svetski, CEO of Amber Labs Preface This article is an extension to a submission the authors have made to the Australian Treasury during their information-gathering process. We believe it’s critical for people to better understand what really happened during this mania, the skewed incentives that resulted and the ramifications of this blind excess. The ultimate aim is to help ensure something this deranged does not happen in a space with so much promise. Please also note: Rory and myself are both 100% for free markets, choice and people’s right to do what they want — so this is not some request for socialist compensation. This is an exposé. The goal […]
Hut34 goes live with world’s first Google-powered Ethereum wallet and enhanced wallet-as-a-service offering
The Hut34 team has gone live with the world’s first Google powered cryptocurrency wallet. With a single click, users can securely, quickly and easily access their Ethereum and cryptocurrency tokens via their own Google credentials. The Hut34 Wallet beta launched late 2018 and since then a raft of exciting new features and functionality have been added to ease the public adoption of emergent token economies. “We are excited about the future applications of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, but as it stands access to and using the technology is too hard and time consuming. Only the highly motivated are willing to cross the pain threshold to enter the space,” says Tim McNamara, […]
The differences between cryptocurrencies, virtual, and digital currencies
Rife with complex terminology, the world of cryptocurrency can be daunting at the best of times, but things got even more confusing last week when JPMorgan announced the launch of its own coin, which many argued was a digital currency – possibly a stablecoin – but most definitely not a cryptocurrency. With this in mind, Hard Fork put together a primer on the differences between cryptocurrencies, digital, and virtual currencies – three terms that are often used indiscriminately but don’t actually mean the same thing. Defining digital currencies Digital currency is the blanket term used to describe all electronic money, that includes both virtual currency and cryptocurrency. It can be regulated […]
PlayChip lists on IDEX
PlayChip’s listing on IDEX is its fourth listing in less than three weeks, following its successful listing on Australia’s first regulated cryptocurrency exchange, Independent Reserve, in late January. The token is also listed on top ten exchange HitBTC and LATOKEN. The PlayXchange, the economic centre of PlayChip’s online gaming ecosystem, has had over 12,000 registrations since its inception in December of last year. The PlayChip was also integrated into online fantasy sports gaming platform, PlayUp, in January, where it can be used to enter daily fantasy challenges in numerous global sporting events. The PlayChip is expected to integrate into two additional gaming platforms in the coming months. In Q2 of […]
