Chinese state body floats ban on bitcoin mining April 10, 2019 A Chinese government body has proposed a ban on bitcoin mining. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Monday it was asking for public opinions on a list of industries it wants to encourage, restrict or eliminate. Read more: Bitcoin jumps back above $5,000 after hitting yearly high The list included cryptocurrency mining, [...]
Five fintech trends to watch in 2019 March 6, 2019 | City Talk There’s no shortage of stories on how tech breakthroughs will transform financial services, from changing the way we interact with our personal finances to threatening entire banking institutions with disruption. It can be difficult to predict exactly what this landscape will look like in the next few years, but most seem to agree that the [...]
Blockchain oil firm taps former JP Morgan director as new chief February 13, 2019 A firm that wants to reinvent commodities trading by using blockchain technology has hired a former energy trader from JP Morgan and Mercuria as its next chief executive. Vakt, which aims to eliminate paper-based trading and secure audit processes by putting it on the blockchain, has been backed by major oil firms such as Shell, Chevron [...]
Blockchain startup Chainalysis targets London with $30m raise from Accel February 12, 2019 Crypto compliance startup Chainalysis has raised $30m (£23.3m) from venture capital giant Accel to open an office in London's Soho. The US firm's series B round was supported by existing investor Benchmark, which upped its stake in the company after funding Chainalysis' $16m series A last year. Chainalysis said it will use the proceeds from the round to open [...]
What do you want to know about big data & AI in investment management? February 7, 2019 | City Talk A technological advance can impact — even transform — the global economy let alone a particular sector. The steam engine in the first industrial revolution, electricity in the second, and internet technology in the third fundamentally changed human history. Today, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) have the same transformative potential. When it comes to [...]
Central banks moving ‘cautiously’ towards digital currencies January 8, 2019 Around 70 per cent of central banks are researching how to use digital currencies, according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), however they are “proceeding cautiously” with plans. Almost a quarter of the 63 survey participants have or will soon have the authority to issue a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the research found. [...]
Crypto mining firm Bitmain hit with $5m class action lawsuit November 26, 2018 The world's largest cryptocurrency mining hardware-maker Bitmain is facing a class action lawsuit in California, which is seeking $5m (£3.9m) in damages over allegations of unauthorised mining. Filed by lead plaintiff Gor Gevorkyan in California this month, the suit has alleged Bitmain used power from its customers during the initial set-up of its ASIC mining device to mine currencies without their knowledge [...]
Crypto A.M. shines its spotlight on Coinweb November 6, 2018 2018, an evolutionary year for blockchain technology, has seen the growth of next generation blockchain projects all trying to solve issues of mass adoption surrounding usability, scalability and security. Projects focussed on mass adoption and ease of use are high on the agenda of developers and investors alike. Coinweb, founded in 2017, is building for [...]
As the internet approaches 50 years of life, authentication needs to evolve November 6, 2018 Monday 29th October marked the 49-year anniversary of the first ever internet transmission. As we head into the Internet’s 50th year, the problem of authentication has risen to the forefront of discussions about the state of the internet. With ubiquitous internet-based services like social media, mobile commerce, and increasingly, smart homes and connected cars, many [...]
The ICO landscape October 23, 2018 Last week we looked at how to assess the concept behind an ICO, but this week I want to “zoom out” a little, and talk about the competitive landscape in which ICOs are operating. It changes almost hourly, let alone daily, and it’s full of complexity, ambiguity, and contradiction. Sounds fun, right? For those blockchain [...]