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. […]
Fitbit Pay launches with ANZ, CBA and NAB
Forget having to carry your card in your sports bra whenever you go for a run or figuring out where to stash your wallet the next time you go for a swim. Fitbit is the latest company to jump on the contactless payments bandwagon with the recent launch of Fitbit Pay. And today, it has announced a massive partnership with Aussie banking giants ANZ, CBA and NAB that will kick off next Monday. Fitbit has also confirmed that it’s in talks with Westpac, Bendigo Bank, St.George and some other regional banks for future partnerships. Available with the new Fitbit Ionic smartwatch, customers of the three big banks can link their […]
Bitcoin is beyond government control
Bitcoin has surged more than 33 per cent from Friday’s wave of panic selling, suggesting the cryptocurrency is becoming more and more immune to government intervention. After news broke that Chinese regulators were shutting down all exchanges on the mainland, the price of the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency plummeted over 40 per cent and dragged the price to a low of $US2,981 ($3741). Citing the lack of licensing and regulation, authorities gave the major exchanges operating in China 10 days to close their doors. As of Friday, the last exchange ceased trading and Bitcoin sustained heavy selling. However, over the weekend, exchanges throughout the rest of the world picked up […]
FlashFX first off the block to use blockchain for international money transfers and launch into Asia
Foreign exchange digital currency provider, FlashFX, announces it is the first Australian company to receive an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) from Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to transfer money internationally using blockchain technology. The FlashFX infrastructure is built on the Ripple distributed ledger technology using their real time currency settlement and payment network. “FlashFX is designed to revolutionise the way everyone makes international money transfers,” says Chief Enabling Officer, Nicolas Steiger. “We purpose built the platform to move money overseas securely, quickly, cheaply and with more control for consumers. “Blockchain offers a cryptographically secure end-to-end payment flow and records all transacted information. Being regulated by ASIC adds that […]
Mastercard partners with Fitbit for contactless wearable payments
Fitbit and Mastercard have partnered to give fitness enthusiasts the ability to make contactless payments with their wearable. Owners of Fitbit’s new smartwatch model Ionic, will be able to add eligible cards and make payments in Australia later this year. “Consumers today are expecting technology to help them accomplish life’s daily tasks with as few steps or clicks as possible,” said Kiki Del Valle, senior vice president, commerce for every device, Mastercard. “By adding payment capabilities to a Fitbit device, Mastercard cardholders who are already on-the-go can easily buy what they need without having to bring their wallet with them.” According to a PwC report last year, more than half […]
expensemanager delivers accounts payable automation software for the SME’s
expensemanager helps businesses to automate each step of their expense, receipt and invoice management process with clever cloud software.
Blockchain solutions provider DigitalX seeks to slash costs via Minority Holder Sale
Through the minority holder sale, DigitalX hopes to cut the administrative costs associated with maintaining a large number of very small holdings. Australian Blockchain technology company DigitalX Ltd (ASX:DCC) is seeking to reduce costs stemming from maintaining a grand number of small shareholdings. In a filing with the ASX, the company has unveiled its plans to conduct a minority holder share sale of parcels of shares with a market value of less than $500. Let’s note that a “marketable parcel” is a parcel of shares with a market value of not less than $500. DigitalX notes that it “values all its shareholders, however it incurs significant administration costs maintaining such […]
International payments the winning application for blockchain
Start-ups and banking institutions around the world are investing heavily in blockchain and on paper it seems like the perfect solution to fixing banking systems, which often times lag behind current technology trends and in some cases were created before the internet. But, it’s never as simple as it seems. As a refresher, a blockchain are a decentralised, secure, digital ledgers that can be used to record many different types of information. First developed as the architecture behind the popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin, it allows for real-time transfers and a dramatic reduction in transfer fees. Theoretically, blockchain should be the perfect solution to the cumbersome process of international payments in particular. […]
