Latest Blockchain News: Finextra Research

Facebook acqui-hires Chainspace team for blockchain push

Facebook has reignited speculation about its plans in the payments space by aqui-hiring the team behind London-based blockchain startup Chainspace.

05 February 2019

News/Blockchain

Cryptoexchange assets locked after founder dies

Operators of Canada's biggest cryptoexchange are unable to access more than £100m in reserves after its founder died taking the passwords and recovery codes with him.

05 February 2019

News/Blockchain

SEC seeks help on blockchain data

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is inviting bids from firms that can build a tool that lets it review data from the most widely used blockchain ledgers in order to help it monitor risk and compliance, and inform policy, related to cryptocurrencies.

05 February 2019

News/inclusion

ECB's Cœuré touts faster payments to promote financial inclusion

Boosting financial inclusion in developing markets will require work to broaden access to payment services, possibly through the creation of infrastructure modelled on Europe's new Target Instant Payment Settlement (Tips) and, in the longer term, the introduction of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), says ECB executive board member Benoît Cœuré.

01 February 2019

News/Blockchain

Swift to open gpi gateway to R3 blockchain

Interbank co-operative Swift is to conduct a proof-of-concept trial to link its gpi network to the Corda platform of enterprise blockchain consortium R3.

30 January 2019

News/Blockchain

IHS Markit invests in Cobalt

IHS Markit has taken a minority stake in blockchain-based post-trade processing network Cobalt, embedding its MarkitSERV operation deeper into currency trading back offices.

30 January 2019

News/Blockchain

R3 and SBI Holdings form Japan blockchain JV

Financial services group SBI Holdings is setting up a joint venture with R3 to push the distributed ledger technology specialist's Corda platform in Japan.

30 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Marshall Islands to deliver physical 'notes' for digital currency circulation

Swiss startup Tangem has won a contract to issue physical 'banknotes' for the Republic of the Marshall Islands decentralised digital national currency.

30 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Deutsche Bourse increases stake in HQLAx ahead of go-live

Deutsche Bourse has increased its stake in HQLAx, the liquidity and collateral management outfit with which it is building a blockchain-based front-to-back operating model for securities lending.

29 January 2019

News/Blockchain

CULedger raises $10m for DLT-based digital ID system

CULedger, a consortium of American credit unions exploring potential use cases for distributed ledger technology, has hit its $10 million Series A funding round target.

29 January 2019

News/Blockchain

PNC and IBM back health insurers' blockchain project

PNC Bank and IBM have joined a consortium trialling the use of blockchain technology to boost efficiency and cut costs in the healthcare industry.

28 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Galaxy S10 leak suggests built-in cryptocurrency wallet

Samsung's soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S10 could come with an in-house cryptocurrency wallet, leaked screenshots suggest.

25 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Jamaica Stock Exchange digital currency trading pilot gets thumbs up

Following a successful live digital currency trading pilot, the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) has set its sights on listing security tokens.

25 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Nasdaq and Citi invest in blockchain outfit Symbiont

Symbiont, a startup working to bring blockchain technology to capital markets, has raised $20 million in a Series B funding round led by Nasdaq Ventures and joined by Citi.

23 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Digital Garage and Blockstream test yen-pegged stablecoin

Blockchain infrastructure outfit Blockstream is joining forces with Japanese tech player Digital Garage and FS firm Tokyo Tanshi on a new venture building bitcoin and blockchain tools for the Japanese institutional market, beginning with a yen-pegged stablecoin.

23 January 2019

News/Blockchain

ING signs five-year licencing deal with R3

ING has agreed a five-year deal with R3 for an unlimited number of Corda Enterprise licenses, with the aim of encouraging the adoption of CorDapps across the business.

22 January 2019

News/regulation

Dutch authorities call for crypto exchange licensing regime

The Dutch central bank and financial services regulator say that the country must introduce a licensing regime for crypto exchanges and wallet providers in order to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

21 January 2019

News/Blockchain

ING joins group using blockchain to shake up mining and metals sector

Dutch banking giant ING has joined a consortium, including IBM and mining tech firm MineHub, that is looking to tap blockchain technology in the high-value global mining and metals supply chain.

17 January 2019

News/Blockchain

HSBC uses DLT to settle $250bn of FX transactions

HSBC says its use of distributed ledger technology over the last year to settle more than three million foreign exchange transactions has proved a big hit.

15 January 2019

News/Blockchain

Monerium raises $2m seed round to issue e-money on blockchain

Monerium, an Icelandic startup planning to issue asset-backed, redeemable, and regulated e-money on blockchains through a licensed institution, has raised $2 million in a seed funding round.

14 January 2019