Latest Blockchain News: Finextra Research

UBS wins big bank backing for Utility Settlement Coin concept

BNY Mellon, Deutsche Bank, Icap and Santander have joined with UBS and Clearmatics to advance the Utility Settlement Coin, an asset-backed digital cash instrument implemented on distributed ledger technology.

24 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Japanese bank consortium to build new payments network with SBI Ripple Asia

A consortium of 15 Japanese banks are to work with blockchain joint venture SBI Ripple Asia, to build a new payments platform promising round-the-clock real-time settlement for cross-border and domestic funds transfers.

23 August 2016

News/Blockchain

BofE advertises for digital currencies research lead

The Bank of England is advertising for an economic research lead at its digital currencies team as it steps up its investigation into a central bank-issued 'Britcoin'.

19 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Rakuten establishes blockchain lab in Belfast

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten is to open a blockchain development lab in Belfast to cater for its expanding portfolio of investments in the fintech arena.

18 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Transaction confidentiality tops blockchain security concern for banks

Financial services firms are still concerned about distributed ledger technology security, with transaction confidentiality a particular worry, according to a new report from Greenwich Associates.

17 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Global fintech funding hits plateau

Following the explosion in funding last year, fintech is experiencing a "plateau" in 2016 amid investor concern about high valuations, a lack of significant IPO exits and macro-economic factors, says a new report from KPMG and CB Insights.

17 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Former Traiana chief to launch blockchain-based post-trade platform

A 'blockchain inspired' post-trade peer-to-peer network co-founded by the former CEO of Traiana Andy Coyne, is to commence beta testing with eight institutional FX market participants following successful proof-of-concept trials.

17 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Blockchain to become 'beating heart' of financial system

Blockchain technology will fundamentally alter the way financial institutions do business, according to a report from the World Economic Forum.

12 August 2016

News/Blockchain

ING pairs startups with inhouse pitches for accelerator

ING is pairing four external startups with two inhouse teams selected from an innovation bootcamp for its next global accelerator programme

12 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Bank consortia look to distributed ledgers and smart contracts to rewire trade finance

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, HSBC and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore have claimed success in demonstrating the application of distributed ledgers to replace paper-based Letters of Credit in trade finance transactions.

10 August 2016

News/Blockchain

US Marshals to auction off $1.6m in Bitcoin

The United States Marshals Service is set to auction off 2700 Bitcoin, currently worth around $1.6 million, that were obtained during various cases related to the Silk Road dark web marketplace.

09 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Bitcoin and blockchain pose little risk to payments giants - Credit Suisse

Visa, MasterCard, WorldPay and others in the payments sector can relax: Bitcoin will remain a niche player and blockchain technology poses little risk, according to a new report from Credit Suisse, which has less comforting news for Swift.

05 August 2016

News/Blockchain

SEB invests in blockchain payments outfit Coinify

Swedish banking giant SEB has joined a $4 million Series A funding round for Danish blockchain payment service provider Coinify.

03 August 2016

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Elliptic and LexisNexis bring bank-grade AML to Bitcoin

Blockchain intelligence outfit Elliptic is teaming up with LexisNexis Risk Solutions to bring what they claim is bank-grade risk management to Bitcoin.

03 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Thomson Reuters joins R3 blockchain consortium

The bank-backed R3 blockchain consortium has expanded its partnership network to the market data business, recruiting Thomson Reuters as a new member.

02 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Propel invests in bitcoin-based browser platform Brave Software

Propel Ventures, the $250 million venture fund established by BBVA, has participated in a $4.5 million seed round for Brave Software, a startup reinventing the browser for speed, privacy and micropayments.

02 August 2016

News/Blockchain

Groupe BPCE agrees to buy Fidor

German digital challenger bank Fidor is being bought by France's Groupe BPCE. Fidor will continue to operate as an independent business following the acquisition, terms of which have not been disclosed.

28 July 2016

News/Blockchain

Florida judge rules Bitcoin is not money

A US judge has ruled that bitcoin is not money, dismissing money-laundering charges against a man accused of selling the virtual currency to undercover detectives.

26 July 2016

News/Blockchain

Blockchain consortium to open London office

In a further post-Brexit boost to the UK's fintech sector, a New York-based blockchain consortium is to open a London office.

26 July 2016

News/Blockchain

Finextra paper explores blockchain as an enabler of operational resilience

Distributed ledger technology could help with damage limitation in the event of service disruptions, as the paper ‘How to get a head on operational resilience’ discusses.

25 July 2016