Tag Archives: Blockchain

Is the room half full or half empty for blockchain property enterprises? (© Keystone / Christian Beutler) Our regular analysis of developments in the world of fintech and Crypto Nation. Property has for some time been hailed as prime real estate for blockchain disruption. The incorruptible ledger will replace mountains of paperwork while interested parties will have a sovereign claim to validate transactions in property sales. We are also told that smart contracts...

Different aspects of the Libra proposal that various authors have emphasized: Jameson Lopp on OneZero: A “database of programmable resources;” Move; “[p]erhaps the network as a whole can switch to proof of stake, but in order for the stablecoin peg/basket to be maintained, some set of entities must keep a bridge open to the traditional financial system. This will be a persistent point of centralized control via the Libra Association”; not a blockchain, the “data structure of the ledger...

Hackathons are high-octane events that challenge teams to provide solutions using technology More than 200 hackers from 19 countries converged on Switzerland at the weekend to take part in the Swiss Blockchain Hackathon. Participants were challenged to come up with blockchain innovations in a variety of sectors as diverse as finance, logistics and agriculture. Switzerland has hosted numerous hackathons over the past few...

[embedded content] Mainstream analysts and market bulls have some powerful numbers on their side: government-published unemployment figures remain low, America just had the best first quarter of a year for stocks since 1998, and the U.S. dollar is still the world’s reserve currency. But is all of this really indicative of a strong economy and a sustainable market, or is it just an illusion? You have a right to know the truth, so Portfolio Wealth Global just published a powerful interview...

The company is in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings handled by the Zug bankruptcy office. An investigation by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has revealed the that Zug-based cryptocurrency venture Envion unlawfully received deposits from at least 37,000 investors. Envion unlawfully accepted over CHF90 million ($90.5 million) in its Initial Coin Offering (ICO) without the necessary statutory...

In the FT, Robert Armstrong reports about the new “JPM coin” launched by JP Morgan. “JPM Coins” will be transferable over a blockchain between the accounts of the bank’s corporate clients, who will purchase and redeem them for dollars at a fixed 1:1 ratio, making them “stablecoins” in the crypto-jargon. The technology will facilitate near-instantaneous settlement of these money transfers and will, according to the bank, mitigate counterparty risk. According to my reading, the coins are...

In the FT, Robert Armstrong reports about the new “JPM coin” launched by JP Morgan. “JPM Coins” will be transferable over a blockchain between the accounts of the bank’s corporate clients, who will purchase and redeem them for dollars at a fixed 1:1 ratio, making them “stablecoins” in the crypto-jargon. The technology will facilitate near-instantaneous settlement of these money transfers and will, according to the bank, mitigate counterparty risk. According to my reading, the coins are...

The state-owned Swiss telecoms operator has branched out into blockchain technology. Daniel Haudenschild has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Swisscom Blockchain with immediate effect. The state-owned telecommunications group gave no reason for the shock move by the top manager and shareholder of its blockchain advisory unit. News of Haudenshild’s departure clearly came out of the blue for the Swiss blockchain...

Die Unabhängigkeitspartei up! hat die Vor- und Nachteile von traditionellen Wahlsystemen und E-Voting verglichen. Wir sind zum Schluss gekommen, dass ein dezentralisiertes, blockchain-basiertes System die Vorteile von beiden Modellen verbinden und so ein sichereres, effizienteres System ermöglichen könnte. Wir haben unsere Überlegungen in einem Positionspapier zusammengefasst.

The booming Swiss blockchain sector continues to grow: over 600 companies and institutions are now located in the ‘Crypto Nation’ and neighbouring Liechtenstein, according to recently-released data. The industry employs around 3,000 people in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as many more abroad, says investment group Crypto Valley Venture Capitalexternal link (CV VC). Taken together, the top 50 blockchain...