On The Web

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Tech

Softbank Completes Blockchain Test for Cross-Carrier Mobile Payments

September 12 2018

• in
• Blockchain

“Japanese telecoms giant Softbank Corp. has completed a blockchain proof-of-concept (PoC) that allows P2P mobile payments across different carriers. Softbank said on Wednesday the technology was developed in partnership with blockchain startup TBCASoft, as well as Synchronoss, a Nasdaq-listed firm that delivered a SMS-replacement communications protocol called Rich Communication Service (RCS) in Japan.”

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Companies

Programmable money: Will central banks take the lead? ExpertInsights@IBV

August 31 2018

• in
• Blockchain
• IBM

“The financial services industry is exploring the promise of blockchain technology. A variety of consortia, including the business-focused Digital Trade Chain Consortium and the technology-focused Hyperledger, have been having thoughtful discussions. These discussions and experimentation have given rise to collaborative pilots and private implementations. Some of these pilots have now matured into production systems. Many […]

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Tech

Bank of America Wants to Patent a Cryptocurrency Storage System

August 29 2018

• in
• Blockchain

“The patent, which specifically details how a computing device would manage blockchain encryption tags, is the continuation of a proposal for a cryptocurrency online vault storage system that Bank of America first began developing in 2014. The patent envisions a future in which cryptocurrency is widely adopted by the general public but that consumers still entrust their […]

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Domains

Ripple’s XRP Product xRapid May Go Live in the Next Month

September 18 2018

• in
• Blockchain

“xRapid is unique from Ripple’s other blockchain-based settlement system, xCurrent, in that it utilizes XRP and the XRP ledger in order to facilitate cheap and instant cross border transactions, with the product being specifically marketed towards banks and other financial institutions. The product allows a group, like a bank, to convert their fiat currency to XRP, […]

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Companies

Mastercard Patent Filings Tout Blockchain for Immutable Data Records

September 17 2018

• in
• Blockchain
• Mastercard

“In a series of largely similar patent applications published last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Mastercard outlines how a distributed ledger can be used to record “point-to-point transactions” as they are processed. This information can then be used by organizations or members of those organizations to create a log of items procured during the course of business.”

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Companies

IBM partners Stronghold for new digital stable coin

September 18 2018

• in
• Blockchain
• IBM

“International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N) is backing a new cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar, in a partnership with U.S.-based financial services provider Stronghold that adds stability to a sector known for its volatility, the companies said.”

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Providers

With  blockchain, financial institutions hope to  avoid scams in a  digital world

September 18 2018

• in
• Blockchain
• Financial institutions

“However, as data analytics becomes increasingly important for banks to extend their omnichannel reach, there is simultaneously the pressing need to protect consumer privacy, ensure transparency of transactions and prevent security breaches to avoid scams in a digital world. It is in this context that blockchain, the technology that powers cryptocurrencies such as the volatile bitcoin, […]

On The Wires

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Companies

Crowdz Selected for Barclays Techstars London Accelerator

August 21 2018

• in
• Barclays
• Blockchain

“The primary goal of Crowdz’s blockchain-based Smart Transaction Networks is to use the blockchain, along with the associated technologies of artificial intelligence, self-executing smart contracts, and IoT (Internet-of-Things) sensing, to accelerate business-commerce transactions within the $25 trillion global business-to-business commerce market from the current weeks or months to literally milliseconds.”

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Tech

Visa-Backed Blockchain Firm Embraces Stellar Cryptocurrency Via Merger

September 10 2018

• in
• Blockchain

“As part of the all-cash deal for an undisclosed amount, San Francisco-based Chain’s existing investors, including Visa, Nasdaq and Citi Ventures, will all receive a return on their investment, according to Chain co-founder Adam Ludwin.But from a larger perspective, the deal stands out for being some of the clearest evidence yet of the blurring of […]

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Tech

Metal Pay Launches With Peer-to-Peer Payments App That Rewards Users With Up to Five Percent Back in Cryptocurrency

September 17 2018

• in
• Blockchain

“Metallicus Inc., a blockchain-based payment processing platform, today announced the launch of its flagship product Metal Pay. Metal Pay allows people to instantly send money to friends, family and businesses with just a phone number and rewards them with some cryptocurrency for each transaction — think next-generation Venmo or Paypal. These rewards, called “Pop,” are delivered in Metal’s cryptocurrency […]