United States regulator the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced cryptocurrency will form a priority for its internal examinations this year, according to a press release published on Feb. 12. The CFTC, which has released its examination priorities for the first time in 2019, will include various crypto-related aspects in its Division of Market …
The Institute of Decentralized Economics (IDE) has opened in London, the United Kingdom on Feb. 14, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph. The think tank, which is dedicated to the study of blockchain-based economic systems and their impact on existing institutions, is backed by fintech company Sweetbridge. It is purportedly designed to investigate …
Turkish police have arrested 24 people allegedly involved in a 13 million Turkish lira ($2.47 million) hack from an unnamed crypto firm in Istanbul, local government-backed media Daily Sabah reported on Feb. 12. Following a report of an alleged hack from a crypto-related company in Istanbul, the city police’s Cybercrime Department found that that stolen …
Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) has officially announced it will launch a new blockchain-based payment system, according to a press release published on Feb. 12. The world’s fifth-largest bank is working on the project in partnership with United States content delivery network Akamai, with the aim to launch in H1 2020. Dubbed the “Global …
Finance platform SDK.finance has partnered with Oracle to use the Oracle Blockchain Platform to improve payments processes and remove intermediaries. The partnership was announced in a press release published on Feb. 12. SDK.finance is a European-based fintech startup that offers a payment platform for banks and financial institutions. In 2015, the company was reportedly recognized …
Russian shipping logistics company Infotech Baltika will develop a blockchain-based system for the ports in which it operates, Russian maritime news outlet Morvesti reported on Feb. 11. To develop the blockchain-based solution, dubbed Edge.Port, the firm has partnered with Moscow-based blockchain startup Iconic. The network will reportedly allow participants in port activity to store all …
IBM has released its blockchain main net out of its data center located in Melbourne, Australia. This will purportedly allow their customers to run their applications on the company’s cloud, according to an article published on news outlet ZDNet on Feb 11. The IBM platform was built on Hyperledger Fabric. Hyperledger is a project that …
The Venezuelan government has introduced regulations for crypto remittances within the country, according to a decree published on Feb. 7 in the country’s official media outlet, Gaceta Oficial. According to the document, the National Superintendency of Crypto Assets and Related Activities (SUNACRIP) will now be responsible for taxation related to the sending and receiving of …
A cross-market platform called LH-Crypto says its service gives traders the opportunity to transact across a plethora of cryptocurrencies and 200 other financial instruments — including forex on fiat currencies, precious metals, shares and commodities. Its beta version also enables users to participate in margin trading — a feature that it says helps distinguish its ecosystem …
Top Stories This Week Facebook Reportedly Acquires Blockchain Startup in First Blockchain-Related Acquisition Social media network Facebook has reportedly acquired blockchain startup Chainspace in its first apparent blockchain-related acquisition. According to news outlet Cheddar, the acquisition is considered an “acquihire,” or an acquisition of a company made in order to get the skills or expertise …