Bitcoin (CCC:BTC) is certainly the best-known cryptocurrency and the largest by market cap, but that doesnt necessarily make it the best choice.

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The cryptocurrency market has become an exciting topic among many investors. Starting around 2017, cryptocurrency returns made the headlines in many countries as participants wondered which would be the best cryptocurrency to own in the long run.

Nowadays, many investors are nervous about broader equity markets future over the next several years. Central banks are using various tools to provide liquidity in the markets.

We hear about national debt levels piling up and interest levels going down to record low levels. Therefore a large number of investors are looking at cryptocurrencies and wondering if a similar overzealousness may once again manifest in 2020 or beyond?

If you also believe that these payment platforms may have a potential run-up in price in the near future, then you may want to do further research on which cryptocurrency should be on your radar screen. A basic internet search will list thousands of cryptocurrencies.

Lets take a closer look.

As Bitcoin remains the poster-child for the industry, many investors still feel it is possibly the best cryptocurrency to own.

Each investor would need in-depth research to decide what may be best for their portfolio. However, today Id like to discuss how the BTC price moves in more detail. Bitcoin was invented in 2009 by an anonymous founder (or group of founders) using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

In the 2010s consumers increasingly began to appreciate that cryptocurrencies could enable users to exchange virtual payments for goods and services. The fact that they do not require a central trusted authority (such as a government) has contributed to the allure.

Every time I look at a Bitcoin price chart, I immediately notice continuous peaks and troughs as well as choppiness. In other words, soon after it looks like its ready to make new highs, the price plummets.

For example, in 2017, the price soared from under $1,000 to nearly $20,000. But it then fell below $7,000. By November 2018, it was below $4,000. Then in June 2019, Bitcoin was over $10,000.

Yet in early January 2020, Bitcoin was back around $7,000. As broader stock markets began falling in February, Bitcoin hovered around $9,000. By mid-March, it dropped to the $5,000 level.

As global stock indices and individual share prices began recovering from their multi-year lows seen at the end of March, the Bitcoin price also began an ascent. On 8 May, it was shy of $10,000. Then the next few days proved extremely volatile as the cryptocurrency went through its third halving on May 11. On that day, the price went briefly below $8,300.

InvestorPlacesJosh Enomoto has recently written in detail about Bitcoins halving. He highlights that Very roughly, halving correlates to a reverse stock split or share buybacks.

On 18 May, as I write, the price is hovering around $9,600.

However, there are several alternatives to bitcoin that many investors watch. For example, you may want to do due diligence on Ether and Ripple, two of the large market cap cryptocurrencies. However, please note that due to the volatility of this market, their capitalizations change frequently and often by large amounts. And each currency has a slightly different make-up.

Ether (CCC:ETH), is the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network, which was launched in 2015 as a programmable blockchain.

Ethereums website highlights that, Like other blockchains, Ethereum has a native cryptocurrency called Ether (ETH). ETH is digital money. If youve heard of Bitcoin, ETH has many of the same features. It is purely digital, and can be sent to anyone anywhere in the world instantly. The supply of ETH isnt controlled by any government or company it is decentralized, and it is scarce.

From humble beginnings in early 2016 around $2.5, the ETH price almost hit $1,100 in Jan. 2018. Now, it is hovering at around $210.

Ripple (CCC:XRP) was also one of the best-performing cryptocurrencies of 2017. It still has one of the highest market caps. Its website describes XRP as, a digital asset built for payments. It is the native digital asset on the XRP Ledgeran open-source, permissionless and decentralized blockchain technology that can settle transactions in 3-5 seconds.

XRPs best days were also in 2017 and early Jan. 2018, when it reached an all-time high of $2.7751. Now, it is hovering at around $0.1997.

Amid such wild price swings, the debate over the value and the future of many cryptocurrencies rumbles on. Yet everyone agrees on how volatile the industry is. And that choppiness may make these cryptocurrencies a day traders dream and a long-term investors nightmare.

Investing the hard-earned cash (that you may want to grow for retirement years) in the highly volatile cryptocurrency market may not necessarily be for everyone, but you may still want to keep abreast of the developments in the industry as well as in the technology behind cryptocurrencies.

There may be a way to have the best of both worlds through both owning a cryptocurrency and potentially buying blockchain-relevant shares. Cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, which can be described as a digital ledger, acting like a spreadsheet.

In the future, blockchain applications are likely to have an increased impact on agriculture, asset management, insurance, healthcare, retail, and supply chain management, to name a few areas.

Therefore for retail investors, companies that work with blockchain technology may also be appropriate businesses to do due diligence on. Their shares may potentially be worthy additions to long-term portfolios.

For example, theEnergy Web Foundation is working with energy giants, including BP(NYSE:BP) and Royal Dutch Shell(NYSE:RDS.A), to explore how blockchain technology can be used in the energy sector.

Several big pharma and biotechnology companies, such as AbbVie(NYSE:ABBV), Pfizer(NYSE:PFE) andGlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), have been collaborating to promote and cut the cost of drug discovery through increased use of blockchains.

Some global banks and financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase(NYSE:JPM), HSBC Holdings(NYSE:HSBC) and Visa (NYSE:V), are researching the potential use of blockchain-based banking solutions.

Grocery stores and food manufacturers, such as Walmart(NYSE:WMT)and Unilever(NYSE:UN), are exploring how blockchain could help them keep track of food in the supply chain.

Put another way, I expect to hear the word blockchain more often in the near future. And Many public and private companies will likely to embrace this new technology.

The cryptocurrency market has evolved at an unprecedented speed since Bitcoin came into existence in 2009. Until then, gold was the only real option when it came to fiat-currency alternatives. Gold is not printed by any central bank. It also has intrinsic value. Blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies has added a new dimension to non-fiat currencies.

Cryptocurrency went mainstream in 2017 as the price of bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency skyrocketed. Since then many see BTC as the best cryptocurrency to own.

Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones regards bitcoin as a top bet for a hedge against post-pandemic inflation. If you agree with him as well as other analysts that the post-coronavirus world may be good for the price of cryptocurrencies, then you may want to include Bitcoin or a basket of cryptocurrencies in your portfolio, too.

TezcanGecgilhas worked in investment management for over two decades in the U.S. and U.K. In addition to formal higher education in the field, shehasalso completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Her passion is for options trading based on technical analysis of fundamentally strong companies. She especially enjoys setting up weekly covered calls for income generation.As of this writing, Tezcan Gecgil did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Excerpt from:

Bitcoin the Best Cryptocurrency, but There Are Safer Blockchain Buys - InvestorPlace

It is widely believed that the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors are almost exclusively male-dominated. However, a report released by CoinMarketCap on April 30 suggests otherwise. According to analysts, the number of women in the cryptocurrency industry increased by 43.24% in the first quarter of 2020.

Below is a breakdown of key factors that contributed to this record growth and why the numbers vary from region to region.

A study published in December by Bitcoin (BTC) fund operator Grayscale showed that 43% of investors interested in Bitcoin are women up from 13% last year and this number is actively growing.

As global financial conditions tightened, many people began to invest in real estate, gold and cryptocurrencies. Assuming that females tend to be more pessimistic than males about the global economy, their confidence in cryptocurrency could significantly increase in 2020. As such, many women found a safe haven in digital assets.

Meanwhile, for others, cryptocurrencies became a promising investment. Blockchain entrepreneur Nisa Amoils pointed to the attractive investment opportunities of the market as one of the main reasons behind the growing interest of women toward digital money, telling Cointelegraph:

Women can get more income through trading, investing and virtual spending of Bitcoin. And the token economy can democratize access to capital through, for instance, security token offerings.

Many trading platforms have already seen an increase in cryptocurrency demand. For example, in March, digital currency exchange Coinbase noted the surge of deposits made by U.S. residents in the amount of $1,200 exactly the same size as the coronavirus stimulus checks issued by the United States government.

At the same time, Bitcoin has doubled in value over the past two months, which, coupled with the recent halving event, has caused a stir around cryptocurrencies. Here, women have been just as competent as men. In particular, according to Grayscale, 49.8% of women predicted that Bitcoins limited emission would lead to its price growth in the future.

The growth of the Bitcoin price as well as the investment attractiveness of digital money in general have contributed to an increase in the number of women in cryptocurrency exchanges. Thus, for example, cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb Global reported to Cointelegraph that the company witnessed a 30% growth in the number of its female users in 2020. Its vice president Vincent Poon explained that todays women use digital money to hedge their funds, although not all trade proactively:

I think women usually are less reserved when it comes to investing Bitcoin due to the technical piece of it and the volatility of the Bitcoin. I think they just are trying to diversify or hedge the portfolio and start looking at Bitcoin as alternate investment due to losing confidence in the traditional securities or economy as a whole during the pandemic. More women open accounts but not necessary trading though. They are exploring.

Cointelegraph found out that the number of female users has grown between 22% and 160% on the majority of top crypto exchanges since the beginning of the year. Notably, digital assets exchanges CEX.io and EXMO saw the same increase in the number of female users as Bithumb Global.

Alexander Kravets, CEO of CEX.io U.S., shared the latest statistics with Cointelegraph: As part of our overall user base, CEX.IO has seen a 26.86% growth of the female user segment from Q1 to Q2 of 2020. Maria Stankevich, head of business development at EXMO, told Cointelegraph that the biggest growth occurred in the number of women aged 1824 and 3544. She added:

We noticed that sometimes the other family members of VIP traders started to trade. Probably it is connected with the fact that they want to gain some new skills.

United Kingdom-based crypto exchange CoinCorner revealed that the share of women among its users is now 14.7%, with a 47% increase in the number of female sign ups occurring in Q1 2020. Joanne Goldy, marketing specialist at CoinCorner, commented to Cointelegraph: In the first five years at CoinCorner, we saw limited interest from female audiences, with sign ups slowly rising from 10% to 14% over that period.

Meanwhile, OKCoin reported an even higher influx of women to its services. Hong Fang, CEO of the exchange, told Cointelegraph that there was an 80% increase in female traffic in Q1 2020, with 50% of these female users being net new users. She added that 40% of them were aged 25 to 34.

Taking the cake was Bitfinex, with a record 162% growth rate of new female users this year so far. Joe Morgan, the exchanges senior public relations manager, told Cointelegraph:

This growth clearly demonstrates an increasing interest in digital assets among women. As to why women are choosing to set up accounts with Bitfinex, perhaps this can in part be attributed to the diverse and inclusive nature of the business.

The slow but steady adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies could also contribute to an increasing number of women wishing to include this innovation in their everyday lives. In March, financial platform 2gether revealed that 23% of its app users are women aged between 26 to 45 and of different professions such as accountants, lawyers and economists. As the report points out, today female users spend cryptocurrency in the same way as they would spend their fiat money.

Additionally, Terra another crypto payment operator reported that 74% of its users are women in their late 30s and early 40s who paid with digital assets for clothes, coffee and other everyday goods. The statistics suggest that not only women who are millennials and geeks but also those without technical expertise or education have also begun to use cryptocurrencies.

CoinMarketCap data show that womens involvement in the crypto industry can also depend on geographic factors. For instance, the number of cryptocurrency users in the U.S. and Europe the regions with the highest level of demand for digital money has increased by 50% since the beginning of the year. The trend has been proved by the statistics released by 2gether, revealing that European women using digital currencies are mainly millennials and Gen Xers aged between 26 to 45 years old.

At the same time, some individual countries showed an increase of more than 100% in the number of female crypto users, according to CoinMarketCap. In Europe, for example, Greece stands out most, with a record growth of 163.67%. Nikolaos Kostopoulos, market adoption and partnerships officer at Harmony, noted economic and labor factors as the main reasons behind the increased number of women in the Greek crypto market, telling Cointelegraph:

The Greek economy was showing steady signs of improvement (post the pandemic crisis), while the job market was flourishing. This new wave of young professionals were actively seeking mediums to identify alternative investments. [...] Similarly, blockchain is among the skills on high-demand, especially along with the consulting and IT firms. The Greek IT industry is also experiencing more and more women joining, with similar trends in the technical & engineering academic institutions.

In onboarded women to the crypto space, Greece is followed by Romania with 125.09%, Portugal with 89.95%, Ukraine with 86.68% and the Czech Republic with 85.6%. In some of these countries, the growth can be linked to economic factors such as low gross domestic product and a high level of unemployment, while active development in the IT sector was a major driver in others.

Alyona Karpinskaya, CEO and founder of a Ukraine-based public relations agency PR-Blockchain, expanded upon this point to Cointelegraph, asserting that the sharp increase in Ukrainian womens interest in cryptocurrencies can be attributed to an increased number of IT companies and technologically educated women in the country. According to the data of 2019, the number of women working in Ukrainian IT sector increased by 62% compared to 2017, she said. The global financial crisis could also contribute to this influx, according to Karpinskaya:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global quarantine, more than 53% of Ukrainian IT companies experienced loss of customers, which in turn could lead to significant financial losses and the need for specialists to search for alternative financial opportunities.

When it comes to female crypto users in Asian countries, Indonesia demonstrated the biggest progress, with an 88.92% increase in the number of women interested in digital money. Further north, in South Korea a country making big steps toward crypto legalization women in 2020 are reportedly spending more crypto on shopping than ever.

Meanwhile, in Latin America, Argentina seems to be the country making the biggest strides in the involvement of women in the digital technology industry, with a 98% increase in the number of female cryptocurrency holders. Walter Salama, founder and chief operating officer of Argentina-based mining company BitPatagonia, noted a growing number of Argentinian women engaged in the IT sector as one of the reasons behind this spike:

Argentina has an excellent world position regarding entrepreneurship, and ratio of unicorns by country. Women of this generation [aged to 65+] are leading many ventures. [...] Regarding the Blockchain ecosystem and Cryptocurrencies, in Argentina there are many women who are investing in projects and early adopters of Bitcoin.

The other two Latin American countries showing the largest increase in women in the crypto industry were Colombia with 82.03% and Venezuela with 80.23%. Among the possible reasons behind this growth are high inflation, restrictions on foreign exchange transactions and lack of local peoples confidence in the national currency.

Related: Interest in Bitcoin Spikes Worldwide During COVID-19 Crisis

At the same time, Africa and China demonstrated a negative trend in the number of women interested in cryptocurrencies, with the latter facing a significant reduction in the growth rate of female users in 2020. Analysts are attributing this to the coronavirus pandemic and the Chinese governments negative stance on digital money.

In the world of cryptocurrencies, there have been more women not only trading digital money but also entering roles traditionally dominated by men, including analysts, developers and company leads. At the same time, statistics show that blockchain companies founded by women can successfully compete with those run by men.

Large crypto companies such as Bancor and Binance are vivid examples of this, the former co-founded by Galia Benartzi and both with 40% to 50% of employees being women. Another crypto exchange, Huobi counting over 1,300 employees appointed Ciara Sun as the companys first female executive.

Related: Women in Blockchain: Has Gender Distribution Come to the Crypto Market?

More and more female representatives are coming to the crypto market following the successful examples of other women, according to OKCoins Hong Fang. He said: We are seeing more female startup founders and thought leaders enter crypto. Naturally this has had a positive impact on attracting more female users to crypto platforms.

The growing number of female participants and speakers at crypto conferences is clear proof of this. Christophe Ozcan, an organizer for the Paris Blockchain Summit, told Cointelegraph that the number of women participating in the conference doubled over the last year:

We have shown on our previous event in Paris Blockchain Summit a female growth of 56% as attendees and 22% growth as Speakers compare to our first edition on 2018.

Ozcan added that the average age of female participants was 33 years, meaning that more mature attendees are getting interested in cryptocurrencies. Confirming this trend, Eman Pulis, CEO of the Malta AI & Blockchain Summit, noted a low level of gender inequality in the cryptocurrency sector: Female participation across all levels in Emerging Tech has been very encouraging, both in terms of quantity and quality delegates are engaging and speakers are enlightening.

Alyona Karpinskaya agreed that the lack of gender discrimination fostered the growth of the number of women engaged in cryptocurrency activities. Therefore, 2020 appears to be the year for women empowerment and gender equality more than ever before.

However, the question remains: Will women who have recently entered the cryptocurrency market be effectively onboarded into the space? Hsin-Ju Chuang, whose Dystopia Labs educates people in blockchain, explained to Cointelegraph why a surge of the number of females in the industry doesnt necessarily mean that all of them will become professional crypto users. Chuang also noted the importance of providing further education:

Now that there are more women at the top of the funnel, are education organizations able (and actively trying) to reach out to them, educate, and bring them deeper down the rabbit hole? Ie. transform them from being a speculator into an active network participant?

See the original post:

The Number of Women in Crypto and Blockchain Is Skyrocketing in 2020 - Cointelegraph

PUNE, May 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global blockchain market is set to gain momentum from the rising emphasis of the prominent companies towards investments in research centers to develop and implement blockchain technology in their operations. Besides, the government and public authorities are showing more interest in gaining regulatory and research approvals for their products. This information is given by Fortune Business Insights in an upcoming report, titled, Blockchain Technology Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis by Product Type (Vertical Solutions, Blockchain-as-a-Service), Deployment, Industry Vertical (BFSI, Energy & Utilities, Government, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Telecom, Media & Ent., Retail & Consumer Goods, Travel and Transportation), and Regional Forecast 2018-2025. The report further states that the blockchain technology market size stood at USD 1.64 billion in 2017, and is projected to reach USD 21.07 billion by the end of 2025, thereby exhibiting a CAGR of 38.4% during the forecast period.

This Report Answers the Following Questions:

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An Overview of the Impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market.

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Drivers & Restraints-

Rising Usage of Bitcoins & IoT Solutions to Accelerate Growth

Blockchain technology helps users in building secure and stable records by utilizing timestamps and cryptography. It also offers a state-of-the-art version of the digital payment system. It does not require any central mediator and hence, the users are able to take part in peer-to-peer transactions efficiently. Additionally, the increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and Bitcoins, as well as high demand for crypto currencies would augment the blockchain technology market growth during the forthcoming years.

Segment-

BFSI Segment to Exhibit Steady Growth Stoked by High Demand for Faster Transactions

Based on industry vertical, the market is categorized into travel & transportation, retail & consumer goods, telecom, media, & entertainment, manufacturing, healthcare & life sciences, BFSI, government, and energy & utilities. Out of these, the BFSI segment held 41% blockchain technology market share in 2017. The industry is presently facing a major challenge of cyber-attacks and fraud. To battle these challenges, reputed companies, such as Deloitte and Microsoft Azure are mainly engaging in the deployment of blockchain-as-a-service offerings. In the developing economies, industry giants are enhancing the penetration of Proof of Concept solutions. Apart from this, the increasing demand for transparent and quicker transaction methods would propel the growth of this segment in the near future.

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Regional Analysis-

North America to Lead Backed by Rising Alliances between Organizations

The market is regionally segregated into Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and North America. Amongst these, North America procured USD 820 million revenue in 2017 and is expected to lead throughout the forecast period. This growth is attributable to the rising partnerships and alliances between key service providers and organizations in the U.S. They are doing so to deploy blockchain technology efficiently. Europe, on the other hand, is set to experience considerable growth backed by the dominance of prominent manufacturing companies in this region. Asia Pacific would grow moderately by exhibiting a high CAGR on account of the rising investment in countries such as Korea, China, and Japan by financial technology firms.

Competitive Landscape-

Key Players Aim to Launch New Solutions to Strengthen Their Positions

IBM is considered to be one of the dominant companies with the highest share in the market. It is mainly aiming to restore its strategy to refine the accessibility of its products. Some of the other companies are also aiming to surge their share by conducting research and development activities to launch new blockchain technology-equipped products. Below is one of the key industry developments:

List of Key Companies Operating in the Blockchain Technology Market. They are as follows:

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Detailed Table of Content

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Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Component (Tool and Service), By Application (Smart Contracts, Supply Chain Management, Payments, Governance, Risk, and Compliance Management), By Industry (BFSI, Energy & Utilities, Government, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Telecom, Media & Entertainment, Retail & Consumer Goods), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Blockchain in Retail Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Component (Platform, Services), By Provider (Application and solution provider, Middleware provider Infrastructure, Protocol Provider), By Organization Size (Large Enterprises, Small & Medium Enterprises) Others and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Blockchain in Energy Utilities Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Offerings (Vertical Solutions, Blockchain-as-a-Service), By Deployment (Proof of Concept, Pilot, and Production) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Blockchain in BFSI Market Size, Share And Global Trend By Type (Private Blockchain, Public Blockchain, Consortium Blockchain), By Application (Smart Contracts, Security, Trade Finance, Digital Currency, Record Keeping, GRC Management, Identity Management and Fraud Detection), And Geography Forecast Till 2026

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Blockchain Technology Market to Reach USD 21.07 Billion by 2025; Investments in Development of Research Centers to Aid Growth: Fortune Business...

Agtech startup Agri10x is planning to better connect small-scale farmers to global buyers by using blockchain to cut out the middleman.

As cited in local news source Business Standard, the company announced Tuesday it had entered into a partnership with the Indian government to help remote farmers sell their produce on the market in a bid to generate fairer value.

"Indian farmers have been the unsung heroes of the Indian economy and we wanted to ensure that they get easy access to a global marketplace to sell their produce directly, without any middlemen" CEO of Agri10x Pankajj Ghode said in a statement.

The partnership provides Agri10x access to the government's national common service centres (CSCs), which would enable rural and remote farming communities to register on the company's blockchain platform through what the projects calls village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs).

Under the existing model, farmers engage with middlemen to sell their produce, who then find an appropriate buyer for the farmer in a particular market. Agri10x hopes its business model will help smaller farmers connect to more buyers without the need to squeeze profit margins from engaging in the middleman process.

Another potential benefit is that farmers would receive timely payment in full through the use of smart contracts, as third parties causing delays in the process would be eliminated. Blockchain technology can also assist in collecting real-time data to manage harvests effectively, the company said in a previous blog post.

Agri10x CTO Sundeep Bose said the platform would help farmers better understand the fair value of their crops and get an equitable price of their produce directly, from both local and global buyers.

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.

The rest is here:

Blockchain Firm Partners With Indian Government to Boost Earnings for Farmers - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kahala Biosciences LLC, an Irvine-based COVID-19 testing and tracking company, and technology partner Rymedi, Inc., a Greenville, South Carolina-based developer of blockchain-based protocols and solutions for complex life sciences and pharmaceuticals, today announced the ADIONA COVID-19 antibody testing platform, the first system available in the U.S. that integrates antibody testing with a blockchain-based smartphone software application to bring predictability and traceability to COVID-19 antibody testing. Antibody testing is used to determine if someone has been previously infected with the COVID-19 virus and may have developed immunity.

The ADIONA platform combines a rapid point-of-care antibody (IgG/IgM) test performed using a simple finger stick with an end-to-end blockchain solution. The platform is designed to authenticate each test kit from manufacturer to patient, ensure patient privacy via encrypted data, prevent results tampering and data loss, allow instant access to their test result from the cloud and, ultimately, enable symptom tracking.

The combination of accurate and widely available testing with tracking or tracing platforms has been identified as a best practice to counter and ultimately contain the spread of COVID-19.1 According to Scientists To Stop COVID-19, a group of top U.S. scientists and business leaders collaborating with the federal government, the tenets of restoring our society and economy include frequent testing for the virus, antibody testing and daily certification of symptoms.2

Authentication and reliability of antibody testing has been an issue as it has been introduced to this country, said Kahala Biosciences CEO Francis Duhay, MD. We are focused on ensuring the quality and scalability of our antibody test, and to that end, have created a proprietary, first-of-its-kind, secure platform that will ensure the authenticity of our products making their way to healthcare professionals and the patients for which they care. Beyond that, and perhaps more important to restarting our country, our platform technology will serve as a virtual clearinghouse to centralize protected, tamper-proof patient test results, which facilitates decision-making between employer and employee, so no other identification or testing is required to certify employee COVID-19 status. We believe this end-to-end, point-of-care platform addresses all the requirements to enable employers to bring their employees safely back to work on a broad scale.

Our blockchain-enabled technology builds trust into the very fabric of the integrated solution, said Rymedi CEO David Stefanich. From the quality of test kits, to the integrity of data, to the security of private data, we will provide healthcare providers, employers, patients, regulators and public health officials with a solution that supports critical decision-making in order to protect patient and public health and safety.

The technology behind the ADIONA platform incorporates a mobile device application for real-time test results and geolocation reporting, as well as cryptographically secured QR codes to verify the authenticity of kits, reagents and test results. Blockchain-enabled data management provides predictive analytics to better anticipate and respond to disease outbreaks, while fully complying with HIPAA, GDPR and cGxP requirements.

In practical use, the ADIONA platform enables the patient to confidentially input health information and receive a personalized QR code prior to testing. The QR code is used to track them through the testing process, and allows them to depart immediately after their finger-prick test and receive their private test results to their phone within 15 minutes. All information about the test manufacturer, shipping, user health and personal information, payment, time and location of testing, and results will be accessible on the patients phone secured by blockchain technology. This information will not only be important to employers in checking employee health status with the employees permission, but will also be useful for regional tracking of disease trends while protecting individual patient privacy.

Future capabilities of the platform include point-of-care testing from home or work outside of a healthcare environment, and symptom tracking via a daily digital questionnaire completed on a smartphone app that assesses risk.

About Kahala Biosciences LLC

Irvine, California-based Kahala Biosciences LLC empowers employers to bring their employees safely back to the workplace by providing an end-to-end solution that facilitates rapid diagnostic testing for all employees, as well as those at high risk of contracting or transmitting the virus (health care workers). Kahala is a portfolio company of Koa Accel, a hyper-accelerator transforming life-saving medical device ideas into vibrant commercial ventures.

About Rymedi, Inc.

Rymedi exists to help the healthcare industry collaborate and create value across silos. With technology designed for the highest global regulations, Rymedi enables companies across the healthcare ecosystem to more effectively capture, track and share data for smarter, faster health impact and improved patient outcomes.

1. https://healthpolicy.duke.edu/sites/default/files/atoms/files/covid-19_surveillance_roadmap_final.pdf 2. https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/Scientists_to_Stop_COVID19_2020_04_23_FINAL.pdf

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ADIONA COVID-19 Antibody Test Platform Becomes First U.S. Solution to Marry Antibody Testing and Blockchain Technology - Business Wire

With more than 4.6 million infections, 300 thousand deaths and counting caused by COVID-19, national governments, healthcare systems regardless of region and continent have been scrambling to respond to it, and the pandemic has highlighted the increasing demand for digital technologies to replace our old way of communication. VeChain is at the frontier of this digital transformation, solving the problems of the management of healthcare data by utilizing solutions powered by blockchain technology.

With the aim of enabling digital transformation in the healthcare sector, VeChain, together with I-Dante co-developed a blockchain-enabled medical data management platform namedThe E-NewHealthLife. Mediterranean Hospital ofCyprus, a hospital under the General Healthcare System of the Republic ofCyprus(GHS) is the first hospital to adopt this application.

Recommended AI News: Duality Technologies Researchers Accelerate Privacy-Enhanced Collaboration on Genomic Data

Healthcare System AdvancementThere have been efforts to modernize the technological infrastructure in the healthcare sector, but the problems include the administrative and technical difficulties ofpooling data from different digital systems, the increasing cost, and the balance of health imperatives and privacy concerns, have greatly hampered the efforts. This dilemma has led to an urgent need for a low-cost yet highly-efficient digital solution.

With proven advantages in terms of secured data storage and efficient information sharing between multiple parties, blockchain technology has emerged as the best option in hand.

Blockchainized Actions In Response To The ChallengesThere is a strong and urgent demand to deliver better and more efficient healthcare solutions that can achieve excellent patient-centric healthcare provision, secured data sharing, while complying with regulations on the use and sharing of patient data, which is solved in this case by the introduction of theE-NewHealthLife Web Appin the Emergency Department of the hospital as the first phase of this project.

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Powered byVeChain ToolChain, the Digital Healthcare Passport is an encrypted NFC Card that can be assigned to any patient of the hospital. The NFC Cards will allow the patients to identify themselves automatically at the Emergency Room registration desk, check their queue on mobile phone, manage their own medical records safely with theE-NewHealthLife Web App.

The blockchain powered application can serve both the hospitals internally and also end users. As The E-NewHealthLife fully complies with the GDPR (EUs General Data Protection Regulation), the App enables the owner to have complete control over their profile and medical records. Data can only be shared to 3rd parties with the permission of the owner.

Bridging Trust In The Healthcare SectorBlockchain is being posited as the next frontier in healthcare that will help solve the industrys interoperability challenges. According to a report byBIS Research, the global healthcare market spending and investment on blockchain-based technologies is expected to hit$5.61 billionby 2025. The adoption of blockchain technology could save the healthcare industry up to$100$150 billionper year by 2025.

Based on concrete cases of multi party collaboration in various industries, VeChain has been accumulating experience in bridging trust and bringing in transparency into business while being compliant with local authorities and regulators. Given the huge potential of blockchain technology in the medical and healthcare sector, VeChain will continue to develop solutions for all stakeholders and pursue more opportunities in the near future.

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VeChain and I-Dante Partnered to Create Blockchain Enabled DM Platform - AiThority

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SpendEdge has been monitoring the global blockchain technology market and the market is poised to experience spend growth of over than USD 2,405 billion between 2017-2021 at a CAGR of over 61%. Request free sample pages.

COVID-19 Impact Assessment and Market Insights

SpendEdges reports now include an in-depth complimentary analysis of the COVID-19 impact on procurement and latest market data to help your company overcome sourcing challenges. Our Global Blockchain Technology Procurement market Intelligence Report offers actionable procurement intelligence insights, sourcing strategies, and action plans to mitigate risks arising out of the current pandemic situation. The insights offered by our reports will help procurement professionals streamline supply chain operations and gain insights in the best procurement practices to mitigate losses.

To stay on top of latest trends and supply market information, check out SpendEdges knowledge center on COVID-19 impact assessment.

Insights into the market price trends

Pricing models that buyers must implement while entering into a contract with suppliers

Subscription-based pricing is the most widely adopted pricing model in the blockchain technology industry.

Insights into strategies that will help buyers optimize their procurement spend

Some of the top Global blockchain technology market suppliers enlisted in this report

This Global blockchain technology market procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

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COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Analysis | Global Blockchain Technology Procurement market Intelligence Report Identifies Pricing Models and Their...

Groupe Renault has identified some 20 projects to deploy blockchain technology. These projects concern, in particular, the traceability of financial transactions and communication with equipment manufacturers and the sales network. Some of these will be deployed soon.

For Groupe Renault, blockchain has to be used as a collaborative, multi-company digital tool within the automotive sector, thereby becoming a source of increased productivity and collective intelligence. For the customer, for example, it makes it possible to certify the repair and maintenance information on a vehicle when it is resold.

Groupe Renault also consider blockchain as a vector for the transformation of the automotive industry.

Groupe Renault has been working on blockchain technology since 2015. First appearing in finance, while respecting the ownership of the data items, it allowed real-time networked transactions that are secure since there is no risk of falsification.

In the blockchain, any new item of information will not overwrite an existing item. Rather, it is written to a new digital record known as a block. This block is verified by the networks machines via algorithms that check, especially, the legitimacy of the issuer and the quality of the data. Once validated, the block joins the chain of unalterable blocks, hence the name, blockchain.

A car manufacturer, its suppliers, its parts manufacturers and its customers are all ecosystems in which the need for fast, transparent, joined-up information is crucial. Blockchain technology is an opportunity to move from the traditional customer-supplier relationship to a more sustainable partnership relationship.

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Groupe Renault working on ~20 blockchain projects - Green Car Congress

Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the major equity clearing and settlement services provider, has launched two projects to provide a new framework for asset digitalization and tokenization. Dubbed Ion and Whitney, the new initiatives aim to improve post-trade settlement in the public and private markets.

For traditional market makers who rely on its core clearing and settlement processes, DTCCs Ion is a proof-of-concept project that could help bring a stronger understanding of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and the application of asset digitalisation.

The Most Diverse Audience to Date at FMLS 2020 Where Finance Meets Innovation

DTCC hopes global post-trading standards for crypto assets will ensure stable transaction settlement. The company, which processes $1.7 quadrillion worth of securities transactions annually, said its currently engaging with the industry to assess market demand.

Project Ion is about working with the industry to further the value proposition on accelerated settlement leveraging new capabilities such as DLT and tokenized securities, and to learn how DTCC can best deploy these technologies to deliver additional value to clients and the industry, sais Murray Pozmanter, head of clearing agency services and global operations and client services at DTCC.

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As for its Project Whitney, DTCC expects it to cater to private markets that have been ripe for increased levels of automation and lack much of the infrastructure that has supported the public markets for decades.

Project Whitney presents an exciting opportunity to leverage emerging technologies and develop completely new solutions from the ground up, said Jennifer Peve, managing director, business innovation at DTCC.

The member-owned market utility has been experimenting with blockchain for three years, focused on creating more efficient capital markets. In 2017, it unveiled a project in partnership with Axoni, IBM and R3 to introduce the proof of concept for settling credit derivatives.

DTCC operates trade repositories across the globe. In the US, it supports trade reporting to the CFTC through its US swap data repository (SDR). DTCC also operates a trade repository approved by the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA). DTCCs centralized platform provides its clients with the ability to report trades only once and seamlessly meet regulatory requirements tomultiple jurisdictions.

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DTCC Further Experiments with Blockchain in Asset Tokenization - Finance Magnates

A new report from Guidehouse Insights provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from electric vehicle (EV) charging and integration applications through 2029.

Traditional energy stakeholders increasingly are experimenting with blockchain technology. Whether in house or in partnership with an industry consortium or energy blockchain startup, EV charging and integration use cases have emerged as technologically sound and feasible within the regulatory and technical constraints of the energy system.

According to the new report, the combined market for blockchain-based EV charging and grid integration is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2029 at a 77.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

The potential for blockchain technology as a positive force in EV charging and integration, and in mobility and transportation overall, should not be underestimated. Beyond contributing efficiencies to the information management layer of EV charging and integration solutions, blockchain technology can enable owners of EVs to take advantage of new revenue streams in the form of peer-to-peer charging applications and grid services.

Johnathon de Villier, research analyst with Guidehouse Insights

According to the report, EV charging and integration use cases for blockchain technology benefit from clear technological objectives and a straightforward development roadmap. This roadmap begins with one-way charging services and grows in complexity toward the full integration of EVs into the grid as distributed assets capable of responding to grid signals and providing auxiliary services such as frequency regulation and demand response.

The report, Market Data: Blockchain-Enabled EV Charging and Integration, provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from EV charging and integration applications between 2020 and 2029. Forecasts cover five global regions and three industry segments: home charging (including a separate subsegment for peer-to-peer charging), public charging, and fleet charging. It concludes with recommendations for actions that vendors and service providers can take to accelerate the development and deployment of blockchain-based EV solutions.

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Guidehouse Insights: blockchain-based EV charging & grid integration market to show 78% CAGR from 2020-2029 - Green Car Congress

Tech Stocks

By Brian M. Reiser

Originally posted December 20, 2019

Updated on January 13 at 9:11 am

If tech stocks or cryptocurrency are areas of interest for you, you may have considered looking into blockchain stocks as well. After all, blockchain technology is truly revolutionizing how people can account for, store and protect their data. And even as interest in bitcoin has waned, blockchain continues to remain a strong contender as one of the most important technologies going forward. Other technologies of note will include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, the cloud and several others.

Before I get into the list of the best blockchain stocks to watch for 2020, lets take a look at what, exactly, blockchain technology is and why its going to be huge.

To understand why blockchain stocks could be major moneymakers in the future, you need to understand the very basics of the technology. At its most fundamental level, blockchain technology is a type of system for keeping records or information.

A block on the blockchain is a set of digital information or records that are stored together. It can be information of any kind. For a basic example, lets imagine it is a record of several Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) stock transactions. In this example, every time some Apple stock is sold, a new transaction is added to the block. And each transaction contains information about who bought and sold the stock, the date, time, and at what price the shares were sold.

After a number of transactions, the block is finished and is given what is known as a hash code. The hash is a unique identifier that tags the block. Think of it as the blocks digital fingerprint.

Once completed, this block gets connected to a new block, forming a chain of blocks. Hence the name blockchain. The blockchain is the complete chain of blocks of information in the system.

The information in the blocks is stored in cryptographic code. And heres a key point the blockchain is not stored on one centralized computer or database, nor is it in the possession of any one owner.

The blockchain is often called a distributed ledger because it replicates itself on each and every computer, or node, in the network.

Now in contrast, think of a spreadsheet or perhaps a database. Or even a paper ledger of transactions. These are all tools you can you use to keep track of information (like transactions).

There are several significant problems with such systems. For starters, lets say I am the owner of the ledger or the database. What is to stop me from falsifying my own data or cooking the books?

If Im the one with sole control over the ledger, it becomes easy for me to commit fraud. And speaking of fraud, heres another problem: Whats to prevent an external hacker from coming in and changing or deleting data in my database?

In order to falsify the data on the blockchain, an owner or a hacker would need to simultaneously hack information in every single block on every single computer where the information is replicated. In the case of bitcoins blockchain system, that would be millions of computers.

The sheer amount of computing power you would need to hack such a system makes such a possibility prohibitive. Thats the safety and security of the blockchain network. Its as unhackable as you can get right now.

The transparency, immutability and security of blockchain technology makes it attractive for use in a variety of different cases far beyond cryptocurrencies. It can be used in everything from stock trading to food safety to healthcare data security.

In fact, the World Economic Forum projects blockchain will store 10% of global GDP within the next decade. It could save the finance industry billions of dollars by cutting out middlemen. And it can be used to better manage supply chains and trace contaminated foods back to their sources.

The improvements in speed and security could be revolutionary as transaction times and trade costs decrease. You could even use blockchain to track property ownership in less developed nations and prevent concert or sports ticket counterfeiting right here in the United States.

Virtually any situation where transactional information needs to be securely stored is a prime candidate to benefit from blockchain technology. And with so much opportunity out there for growth, there is immeasurable opportunity for you to profit from the coming revolution.

So how do you play blockchain as an investor on the markets?

Whether you have been looking for an alternative to direct investment in cryptocurrency or seeking an opportunity in blockchain itself, there are a variety of ways to play it

If youve been interested in investing in bitcoin but feel nervous about direct investment, investing in blockchain technology is an attractive alternative. But blockchain technology is promising in its own right.

The technologys cost and speed efficiencies, along with its transparency and security, will likely lead many companies to adopt the technology. Getting in on blockchain stocks now is a great way to be in on the ground floor when the technology really takes off. Brian M. Reiser,Investment U Contributing Writer

To keep getting the best coverage of blockchain, artificial intelligence and other tech stocks, make sure to subscribe to our free daily e-letter in the signup box below.

Brian M. Reiser has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a concentration in finance from the School of Management at Binghamton University.

He also holds a B.A. in philosophy from Columbia University and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of South Florida.

His primary interests at Investment U include personal finance, debt, tech stocks and more.

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3 Blockchain Stocks to Watch in 2020 - Investment U

Timely and widespread dissemination of resources and information related to pathogenic threats plays a critical role in outbreak recognition, research, containment, and mitigation (1, 2), as stakeholders from government, public health (PH), industry, and academia seek to implement interventions and develop vaccines, diagnostics, and drugs (3). But there are ersistent barriers to sharing and cooperative research and development (R&D) in the context of epidemics, rooted in a lack of trust in confidentiality and reciprocity (4, 5), ambiguity over resource ownership (6), and conflicting public, private, and academic incentives (24, 6). Here, we suggest how recent advances in blockchain and related technologies can enable decentralized mechanisms to help break down these systemic and largely nontechnological barriers. These mechanisms resolve scalability, energy consumption, and security concerns of early blockchain models and may be applied to underpin and interconnect, rather than supersede or conflict with existing, well-established systems and practices for storing, sharing, and governing resources.

As opposed to centralized databases that are maintained by a single party, a blockchain involves an infrastructure of different parties (nodes), each maintaining an identical copy of a distributed ledger. Once time-stamped into the ledger, records cannot be altered or removed unnoticed, owing to cryptographic data-structuring. A one-way algorithm processes data into cryptographic identifiers (hash codes), which are unique for an input value, that is, the algorithm will have a different output if the input is altered in any way. There is no way to reconstruct underlying data content from a hash code. In a blockchain, the hash code of the preceding record is included in the new record before hashing and time-stamping it, making the ledger evolve as a chained, time-stamped record-keeping system that is tamper-resistant by design: The hash of an altered ledger will deviate from the hash of the consensually verified ledger as maintained by the rest of the nodes. Hence, blockchains enable proof of the existence of specific data objects and their content at specific points in time while data itself may remain concealed. This distributed infrastructure offers a common and inviolable source of records that can be verified by (permitted) network entities, removing the necessity of having a mutually trusted, centralized intermediary for verification and record-keeping of exchanges.

Outbreak R&D depends on access to pathogen samples, data, and information, which are shared through physical collections of microbial and viral cultures (biobanks), open-access or restricted genetic sequence databases, or ad hoc peer-to-peer exchanges, and often only after having been shared through scientific publishing or patenting. The following barriers hamper timely and widespread sharing through these systems.

Rapid international cooperation during outbreaks is challenged by a lack of trust in reciprocity, with countries fearing unfair sharing of benefits arising from the use of their local resources by foreign parties. A prominent example arose in 2006, when the Indonesian government denied foreign access to H5N1 influenza samples because of concerns about the unaffordability of resulting vaccines (4). Such concerns underlie the Nagoya Protocol (NP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which stipulates that access to genetic resources must be preceded by consent from providing countries and (bilateral) agreements on access and benefit-sharing (ABS). Users are responsible for tracing rights holders to negotiate and obtain certificates and permits for any sample (5). Partial implementation, lack of transparency in national legislations, and divergent interpretations of rights and obligations under the NP can delay this process (6) and thus, for example, obstruct the validation of diagnostics (7). The NP's central information system, the ABS Clearing-House, lacks a complete picture of national ABS conditions (5). Moreover, the commercial nature and prospects of R&D are hard to determine ex ante, complicating ABS negotiations. Reliable mechanisms for tracking resources and access to those resources across storage systems are lacking (8) but called for to (temporarily) suspend negotiations, rapidly share, and allow for formalizing intent retrospectively. If the NP's scope is expanded to include genetic sequence data (GSD)as currently debatedfree sharing and rapid exchanges or data risk additional obstruction (2, 5).

Timely sharing of data and information on emerging pathogens can be frustrated by individual (competitive) interests, reinforced by systemic incentives (2, 6). Researchers have an incentive to publish peer-reviewed papers and demonstrate scientific priority (2, 9). Preprint platforms and close interactions between publishers and the PH community accelerate dissemination timelines but can still delay sharing until raw data or materials have been analyzed and processed unilaterally into publishable formats. Governments and researchers lack trust in reciprocity for shared resources and especially for GSD, because reliable mechanisms to track access and use across (public and private) systems remain absent (8). Even in the presence of designated portals hosted by PH authorities, lack of trust in database security and confidentiality can keep researchers from sharing (6). Closed data hubs developed for fast sharing offer limited means for managing and monitoring access of individual resources on a case-by-case basis (9). For severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequences, a closed hub was created under the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) that controls access and prohibits redistribution. Commercial aspirations can also cause sharing delays, as patent incentives impede open dissemination before patent applications are drafted and submitted (6). Reluctance in sharing is further explained by data sensitivity. Countries may fear impaired trade and tourism, and criticism on the appropriateness of measures taken (6). Source tracing or data triangulation can unintentionally lead to the identification of affected regions or individuals (2, 10). Furthermore, actors risk infringing on ethical and legal frameworks (e.g., the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation), especially once outbreak emergencies and any data privacy exemptions have expired.

Competition between labs can lead to fragmentation of intellectual property rights (IPRs) over GSD-based inventions and to time-consuming legal procedures to determine who has priority for each claim (3). Uncertain ownership rights translate into uncertain accessibility and affordability of building-block resources, subsequently delaying investments by downstream developers (3). For Middle East respiratory syndromecoronavirus (MERS-CoV), conflicts over ownership delayed sharing, leading to persistent knowledge gaps on viral origins and transmission dynamics and hampering the development of vaccines and treatments (11). Yet, IPRs remain an important incentive for necessary industry investment in high-risk R&D to develop and produce diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics (3).

Blockchain could help address root causes by underpinning the outbreak R&D ecosystem as a common, privacy-preserving, inviolable, and verifiable layer for records of objects and identities (e.g., resources, individuals, and organizations), rules (e.g., access permissions and ABS provisions), and events (e.g., access and benefit-sharing). Some have expressed concern about the cost and sustainability of implementing blockchain systems, but advanced models have appeared that do not rely on energy-guzzling algorithms to operate the distributed ledger and assure the integrity of its records. For instance, the necessary software and servers to implement a blockchain network can be hosted by a consortium of known, reputable, and preappointed authority node operators (ANOs), and network access can be restricted to permitted entities (i.e., those registered in the system and holding the right permissions). Such a federated, permissioned network model offers superior scalability, sustainability, and options for confidentiality as compared to permissionless systems such as the Bitcoin or public Ethereum blockchains. Current open-source technologies exist that allow for integration with traditional database management systems and appear fit for cost-effective and compatible prototyping and implementation of an outbreak R&D blockchain infrastructure (ORBI). We discuss key concepts and features of a possible ORBI [elaborated on in the supplementary materials (SM)].

An ORBI would enable actors to anchor hashed records of their digital or physical resources to establish time-stamped proof of their existence, integrity, and (scientific) priority in the blockchain. Records themselves would be kept in an off-chain repository (9) and include indexing metadata (i.e., fields that systematically describe the resource, for example, pathogenic properties, provenance, and ownership) to enable querying and analysis by permitted entities only. Records would also include hashes of and pointers to the underlying resources themselves, which could be stored in any existing storage service. Depending on the preferences of resource providers (e.g., desired level of confidentiality), these may be open-access repositories [e.g., of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC)] or restricted systems (e.g., private encrypted data vaults or semi-open platforms like GISAID).

Data privacy and sensitivity concerns would be addressed through decentralized identity and access management: Only entities that can cryptographically authenticate with a decentralized identifier (DID) that meets the right conditions are granted permission to discover and/or access records and underlying resources. DIDs are globally unique identifiers that are registered on the blockchain for all network entities (e.g., individuals, organizations, devices, resources, or any other digital or physical objects). DIDs contain no personally identifiable information, can point to external locations (e.g., storage services or other service end points), and enable universal authentication of identities and their attributes (e.g., qualifications, permissions, or other credentials). Required credentials or other access conditions can be controlled by resource providers to meet (confidentiality) requirements of any applicable ethical or legal (IPR) framework. Conditions would be deployed through smart contracts: blockchain-registered scripts that can trigger an action (e.g., grant access) on recording conditionally relevant events (e.g., authenticating with the required credentials) (9, 12). These mechanisms could incentivize actors to rapidly time-stamp recordsespecially when contributions by data collectors and repositories would become adopted into the norms for scientific attribution or claiming ownership of inventions. Next to records of samples and sequences, researchers could register analyzed data before writing and publishing (preprint) papers. PH centers could register raw epidemiological datasets before analyzing and processing into aggregated country-level reports, enabling integrated analyses by authorized entities or analysis support when centers are heavily burdened during a PH crisis. The mechanisms would offer actors fine-grained control over exposure, for example, enabling instant selective disclosure of sensitive data to supranational coordinating bodies only, offering a head start while countries prepare their official public response and measures.

ILLUSTRATION: LUCKYSTEP/SHUTTERSTOCK

As suggested by MiPasa, a recent multistakeholder initiative for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance, blockchain-facilitated sharing can feed into improved and accelerated analyses of PH data, a use case for which blockchain has also been considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States on a national level. This use case can be extended to enhance resource sharing and collaboration among public, private, and academic actors throughout the outbreak R&D chain.

DIDs offer decentralized control over identity attributes and service end points, complementing and integrating key (centralized) tools for resource traceabilitynotably the INSDC's accession number for sequences, digital object identifiers for publications, and the internationally recognized certificate of compliance (IRCC) for NP access permits. Existing identifiers could be attributed to a DID hosted in the common ORBI to establish stable links, addressing fragmentation and redundancy issues of the current system (8) and reducing administrative burden.

Paired with a time-stamped audit log, DIDs and smart contractcoordinated permissions would enable a reliable tracking system for both resources and access events across storage systems (8). Access interfaces can be offered for existing database management systems and their users who want to verify identities and permissions on the blockchain (12), allowing data to be stored as before but increasing monitoring options. Access events would be recorded to shape an immutable audit trail (i.e., who accesses what and under which conditions). Such a shared identity and access management system enables secure interconnections between storage systems that are currently siloed or only integrated at national or regional levels (2, 8). Although unintended circulations outside the tracking system (e.g., offline) are hard to rule out completely, blockchain mechanisms offer to strengthen the chain of custody tool kit of existing systems. They offer verifiable records (e.g., all parties with unique access keys) should disputes arise and be resolved under any existing legal framework, reducing reluctance to share and bringing data resources within the scope of NP principles of fair ABS (8). Foul play would be further discouraged when disclosing audit trails becomes expected in GSD-based publishing and patenting.

Smart contracts would be applied to automate identification and authorization processes, accelerating, easing, and reducing transaction costs of compliance procedures. For instance, contracts could generate (and record) a unique access key for network entities on signing for the required ABS provisions, or trigger ABS obligations (e.g., payment) on recording actual access. This would enable users to demonstrate and assert compliance for both public and protected resources without the current administrative burden, substantially reducing sharing timelines. Blockchain prohibits unilateral changes to deployed smart contracts, clarifying and enforcing permissions, rights, and obligations for network entities. With the DIDs and audit log, the system could rebuild trust in agreements being upheld, incentivizing the input of resources.

Though smart contracts would allow for bilateral terms and conditions, a lack of alignment and harmonization in ABS provisions would impede the efficiency of an ORBI. Progress by governments and PH authorities on defining the scope, alignment, and harmonization of governance structures, and especially legal global frameworks, thus remains crucial (1, 5). An ORBI offers to facilitate policy implementation and promote compliance by translating best practicessuch as the standardized material transfer agreements for research and commercial use under the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Frameworkinto a certified library of smart contract templates, along with user interface components to modify the values of prespecified template attributes. In the Indonesian H5N1 case, such a system could have assisted in granting prompt access for entities involved in a noncommercial response while triggering conditional ABS provisions for any commercial follow-up.

Blockchain could further contribute to trust and reciprocity by mapping contributors and their agreements throughout the outbreak R&D chain, avoiding time-consuming procedures for clarifying ownership such as those that were needed during the MERS-CoV emergency (11). R&D records could be stored in a repository that is optimized for directed acyclic graphs, which allows related records to be linked, capturing the evolution of R&D branches over time. A similar mechanism is applied by GitHub and finds support in recent literature (13). The audit log would affirm appropriate links and rightful contributions, and foul play could be further discouraged by algorithmically identifying probable links based on record metadata (probabilistic graphical modeling). Graphs may even assist in consolidating IPRs over ensuing inventions when smart contracts that define how to equitably distribute ownership among contributors are properly designed, certified, and offered in the system as configurable templates. These could coordinate auditable distribution of arising benefits (e.g., royalties) to all contributorsfrom those who register samples to those committing evidence of scientific value and/or patentability, and all stakeholders in between. In response to SARS, aggregating all fair contributors into a single patent-holding consortium (a patent pool) could have reduced risks for licensees and accelerated follow-on R&D (3). R&D graphs could thus support complex multistakeholder networks such as the WHO's R&D Blueprint and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in prioritizing R&D while respecting individual ownership, by recording public and private contributions that can be accounted for retrospectively.

Key concepts we have discussed have been explored in recent efforts (9, 12, 13) and fit with existing open-source technologies (see SM). However, designing and implementing an ORBI-like system raises sociopolitical, legal, and technical issues that need effective resolution. Political willingness and involvement of stakeholders at the global governance level (e.g., WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Organisation for Animal Health, World Intellectual Property Organization, and CBD) will be essential for aligning with existing (legal) frameworks and procedures and for coordinating pilots demonstrating system functioning in (simulated) practice. Adopting a multistakeholder governance model analogous to the Global Health Security Agenda, embodied by a dedicated steering group (SG) that includes a fair, global representation of acknowledged stakeholders, seems promising (see SM). An SG could oversee the appointment of ANOs and facilitate in-system design, implementation, and promotion through technical and policy working groups. Standardization of key enabling technologies (e.g., through the International Organization for Standardization, World Wide Web Consortium, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and interfaces with existing storage systems (e.g., INSDC, GISAID, and COMPARE) will determine success and sustainability, as will intuitive user clients and graphical user interfaces (2). Increased restrictions on sharing through strengthened access control could emerge but seem unlikely because this may conflict with legal obligations under the International Health Regulations and principles of cooperation, transparency, and openness. Finally, blockchain is not a panacea. Efforts to address market failures and regional capacity building to improve R&D are essential for long-term preparedness (14, 15).

Acknowledgments: We acknowledge M. Koopmans, K. Hamilton Duffy, N. Klomp, J. Laros, M. Kroon, J. Flach, R. van der Waal, and anonymous referees for discussion and feedback. M.B.W. and C.S.R. contributed equally to this work. M.B.W., L.H.M.B., and E.C. codevelop blockchain-based solutions for clinical trials (Triall). C.S.R. and G.B.H. codevelop a European platform for detecting and analyzing outbreaks (COMPARE). M.M. is the applicant of a patent on managing IPRs using blockchain.

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Blockchain-facilitated sharing to advance outbreak R&D - Science Magazine

Enterprise blockchain isnt dead, but survival has meant more collaboration and some smart pivots.

That was the prevailing sentiment in the enterprise-focused corners of this weeks Consensus: Distributed conference.

Back in 2015, a large amount of hype was generated as whole industries, starting with finance, began espousing the technology behind bitcoin, which would transform business processes and herald a global technological upgrade.

A recalibration of expectation followed as the technology entered Gartners infamous trough of disillusionment. There was also a narrowing down of the space into three quite separate enterprise-focused blockchain networks: R3 Corda, Hyperledger and enterprise Ethereum.

But these days, we are starting to see players putting their tribal instincts aside often by necessity.

For instance, Kaleido, the blockchain cloud service backed by ConsenSys, revealed a partnership Tuesday with R3 to run on the latters Corda network. Enterprise Ethereum and R3 Corda have always been rivals and such a collaboration would have been unthinkable a year ago. (Tuesdays reporting also revealed Kaleido had been spun out of the ConsenSys mothership in early April.)

Its no secret ConsenSys has been undergoing cuts, including being forced to shutter operations in the Philippines late last year. Thats where Kaleido was involved in the i2i payments and remittance project with UnionBank.

R3 does not miss an opportunity and could now be in the frame to poach the i2i project from Ethereum. Asked if this was the plan during a workshop at Consensus: Distributed, R3 co-founder Todd MacDonald admitted he liked the i2i project but would not be drawn further.

Kaleido CEO Steve Cerveny went on to say the i2i project was alive and well.

The successful pivot

Interoperability is a concept often spoken of as though its a mountain top on some distant horizon.

However, Hyperledger, the Linux Foundations blockchain factory, announced this week a new DLT integration protocol called Cactus, a pluggable way of connecting multiple blockchain ledgers, including Hyperledger Besu, Hyperledger Fabric, Corda and Quorum.

Hyperledger Executive Director Brian Behlendorf commented that smaller firms might do better by switching away from building their own ledgers and focus instead on creating software that will run across other blockchains.

Take a lesson from seminal blockchain firm Digital Asset, Behlendorf said, which has successfully pivoted with the DAML smart contract language that runs across multiple systems.

I suspect a lot of these companies, especially the smaller ones that are less flush with cash and frankly who isnt these days will probably follow moves like Digital Asset has made, Behlendorf said in an interview.

A similar approach has been taken by Skuchain, as an early player in the trade finance blockchain space. Skuchain has teamed up with the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) to create a new digital standard, the Distributed Ledger Payment Commitment (DLPC). The new DLPC standard is now finding its feet on Corda following a deal with R3 last month.

Skuchain was on a panel at Consensus to showcase some $50 million worth of COVID-19 relief PPE consignments to the U.S. that have been shunted across its platform with HSBC. Asked if this meant Skuchain was now interoperating with R3s other trade finance networks such as the multi-bank consortium Marco Polo, Skuchain founder Srinivasan Sriram said, Not quite yet.

Mastercard and Libra

Mastercard was also at Consensus, showing off its own enterprise blockchain chops and exploring ways to leverage its vast reach into the retail sector. The card companys blockchain bid: a food track-and-trace platform built by Envisible and Wholechain.

Mastercard spun up its own blockchain solution rather than use something from Hyperledger or a variation of Ethereum, demonstrating a retrenchment towards more of a can do attitude.

On the subject of leaving the Libra Association last October, Mastercard Labs EVP Ken Moore said the company is keeping a close eye on the progress of the Libra project as it enters a new phase of regulatory appeasement.

We just have to be careful how our brand is perceived by global regulators, Moore said, suggesting that rejoining Libra was not out of the question.

Salesforce monopoly

Other enterprise highlights at Consensus included the pairing of platform giant Salesforce with platform giant killer Dfinity.

Dfinity CEO Dominic Williams wants to tear up the enterprise playbook and start over with an Internet Computer protocol, reminiscent of the early world computer ambitions of the Ethereum Foundation.

Dfinity, which created in January an open version of LinkedIn called LinkedUp, has also been engineering Sales Machine, a completely decentralized version of Salesforce a company Williams referred to as a ravenous monopoly.

Adam Caplan, Salesforces blockchain and emerging technology lead, kept a cool head, saying the tech giant was sticking to its mission of innovating on behalf of its 150,000 customers.

Also looking to shake up big business: John Wolpert of ConsenSys and Paul Brody of EYs interesting Baseline protocol, which uses the public Ethereum blockchain as an immutable shared record of big companies procurement efforts.

Brody pointed out that enterprise blockchains have not scaled well because nobody wants to join someone elses private network. Most enterprise blockchain efforts have an average of 1.5 members, he said. Another data point on consortiums being a particularly human problem.

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.

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Staying Alive: Why the World of Enterprise Blockchain Has Turned to Collaborations - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

Top Shelf

On Wednesday we learnedless than a 1% of the totalsuspicious activityreportsfiled with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network since 2013 were crypto-related.

Speaking at a workshop on FATF's Travel Rule,FinCEN Director Kenneth Blanco said the financial watchdog uses these reports to map out IP and wallet addresses that are linked to potential criminals.Other speakers pointed out such regulations may violatethe Fourth Amendment, which protects against surveillance without cause.

You're readingBlockchain Bites: Consensus Editiona twice daily roundup of all the notable news out of Consensus: Distributed. You can sign up for this, and all of CoinDesk'snewsletters here.

The debate between privacy and transparency is likely to continue today, with two workshops dedicated to reading blockchain data. Stream thefull day of events here.

Here is what CoinDesks Head of ResearchNoelle Achesonlooks forward to today:

Weve all heard the gentle warnings to pace ourselves at the beginning of a marathon. Yet, so many of us treat marathons like sprints anyway. Consensus: Distributed is no different, and there was so much going on over the first couple of days that pacing ourselves just wasnt an appealing option.

Today, we have deep dives into token standardization, hosted by our content partners the IEEE, and into blockchain use cases, hosted by the World Economic Forum. Christine Kim and Galen Moore from CoinDesk Research host sessions on crypto metrics and market data. You think crypto charts are confusing? These talks will make them less so.

We also have insight from enterprise executives, consortium leaders and industry economists about the sectors challenges and opportunities, and how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted efforts. And well hear from our partners Huobi and Abu Dhabi Global Market on crypto market evolution and building digital financial services.

Keep your energy up itll be worth it!

What To Watch

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET Joining Forces on Token Standardization - Hosted by IEEEFigures from Microsoft, Securitize, R3 Corda, Hedera Hashgraph and Digital Asset, among others, will appear during this program dedicated to the wide world of token issuance.9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Research Hub: Workshopping Famous MetricsCoin Metrics Nic Carter is joined by other data experts from Glassnodes, Amberdata and BurgerCrypto.com to discuss transparency and the metrics that rule the crypto economy.11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Research Hub: How To Read Crypto Market DataSimilar in theme to the program above, this panel will host Skew, Kaiko and Delphi Digital executives in a discussion about reading the ledgers.12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Going Live: Vicarious Learning for Blockchain Deployment - Hosted by World Economic ForumWEFs Sheila Warren returns for another star-studded affair to discuss the World Economic Forums trials and errors with blockchain technology. Featuring notables from InBev, Deloitte and the Ethereum Foundation.2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Enterprise Blockchain: The Path to MonetizationEnterprise blockchain isnt dead. Salesforce, IBM, EY, ING Bank and Tradelens authorities will stream a discussion about their companies forays into capitalizing on distributive technologies.

The CoinDesk 50

The CoinDesk 50is an annual list celebrating the most important organizations in crypto. We've been announcing five nominees per day, and have highlightedBinance,Cosmos,Brave,Bitmain,MakerDAO,Besuand thePeoples Bank of Chinaas particularly noteworthy. Today we honor Silvergate Bank.You can read thefull list here.

CoinDesk COVID Response

#NYBWGivesCoinDesk has joined Gitcoin, The Giving Block and Ethereal Summit to support charities helping communities in difficult times. We're raising $100,000 and giving you a voice through the quadratic funding model.Learn how it worksand how to donate.

In addition,New York-based abstract artist Mr. Star Citycreated an original piece of artwork, shown above, as a part of Consensus: Distributed. The art, inspired by love, unity and technology, will be up for auction this week. Follow@coindeskon Twitter to find out how to bid the proceeds will go to the same cause.

Consensus Magazine

Generation CryptoFreelance journalist Jess Klein writes about an emerging psychographic of people who see the world through the lens of decentralization. In a series of eight profiles, Klein examines Generation Crypto, a diffuse grouping of people of all ages, races and sexes, bound together as children of Satoshi.

SpankChain's Ameen Soleimaniis the subject of thisexcerpted profile. Read thefull series here.

It was only February when the founder of the blockchain sex worker platform SpankChain, Ameen Soleimani, helped throw a coronavirus-themed party at an Airbnb-ed church during the ETHDenver conference in Colorado drinking Corona beers with his shitcoin trading friends, protocol developers, and bitcoin OGs but it feels like a lifetime ago.

It was weeks before several of the conferences attendees went on to EthCC in Paris and got infected with the coronavirus, and one week before Soleimani convinced his mom to take a mass shopping trip to Costco to prepare for a lockdown in California that hadnt started yet. I probably could have done more to raise awareness and make people take it seriously, he says of the church party.

But still, he was prepared. In addition to the Costco trip, he stockpiled drugs including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine both under testing to see how effective they could be in treating COVID-19 patients, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against using them at home and even bought an oxygen tank. On the off-chance my mom is dying of coronavirus Id rather have an oxygen concentrator than $400, he reasons.

A couple months out from moving out of the apartment hed shared with SpankChain co-Founder Wills de Vogelaere in Los Angeless Venice Beach, Soleimani has been isolating at an Ethereum friends mansion in West Hollywood. The friend isnt there its just Soleimani, two other friends, a heated pool and a steam room. I sort of hit the quarantine jackpot, he says.

Like many others in his industry, Soleimani was able to prepare so thoroughly thanks to a combination of a global network and shared prepper mentalities. Ive been in a Telegram Doomsday Prepper group for, like, a month and a half, he says, where members share raw feeds from doctors Twitters and the like. It turns out to be better intel, a lot of the time, than if you listen to the World Health Organization.

Being a young entrepreneur in the crypto space generally means avoiding the establishment ethos for a more progressive outlook. For instance, Soleimani posted his first porn video to PornHub back in January. Starring him and SpankChain adviser/adult film star Brenna Sparks, it features the pair role playing as themselves (a boss hooking up with his sexy adviser). It took a year for Soleimani to muster the courage to post it online but he has no regrets its helping normalize the stigmatized industry his company operates in, he figures.

The old guard is like: Hes ruined his career, hes fucked, nobody will take him seriously, says Soleimani. Meanwhile, younger people in the space found the move iconic and admirable.

Soleimani sees this divide as indicative of business culture moving forward, particularly in the crypto space. Eventually the old people will die, the rules will go with them and newer generations will set the cultural norms, he said in February. As entrepreneurs, its part of our role to bring those new concepts into the world.

In light of the pandemic, this makes for an exceptionally bleak and insensitive take. But in a world where people are only dressing from the waist up for conference calls, rolling with changing cultural norms has become inevitable.

Money Reimagined

Is bitcoin the answer for a global monetary system not longer served by the dollar standard? Airing Friday, May 15, episode 3 of The Breakdown: Money Reimagined examines bitcoin and permissionless stablecoins, both of which are forcing the global monetary system to examine deeply ingrained beliefs.

The Breakdown: Money Reimagined is a podcast crossover micro-series exploring the battle for the future of money in the context of a post COVID-19 world. The four-part podcast features over a dozen voices including Consensus: Distributed speakers Niall Ferguson, Nic Carter and Michael Casey. New episodes air Fridays on the CoinDesk Podcast Network. Subscribe here.

How to Use Brella

To access all of the deeper cuts available through Consensus: Distributed,you'll need to log in through Brella, our virtual conferencing platform.You can create an account through Gmail, LinkedIn, Facebook or set one up manually onBrella. Your profile will be the way you match and network with others. As soon as you're set up, youll be directed to a dashboard showing other registrants.

Brella is easy to use and has a number of features to help you through this virtual experience. There are multiple tracks of simultaneous programming happening inside Brella. Youll also be able to browse the entire agenda, bookmark sessions and build your own schedule.

Brella is a great networking tool as well, be sure to check out some of the social features available in-page, and reach out to the people and organizations that pique your interest.Celo, for one, is hiring. So is IOV Labs.

Market Intel

Many Ether Whales Might Be Leaving for BitcoinWhile ethers (ETH) price has risen by nearly 50% this year, the number of addresses holding large amounts of the currency, popularly known as whales, has declined significantly. The seven-day average of the number of unique addresses holding 10,000 ethers or more fell to 1,050 on Tuesday. That's the lowest level since January 2019, according to data provided by the blockchain intelligence firm Glassnode.

Media Diet

Fund Manager Got NY BitLicense 11 Months After Hiring Its ArchitectBenjamin Lawsky, the former financial regulator whocreated New Yorks BitLicensein 2015, joined New York Digital Investment Group Asset Advisory LLC (NYDIG) nearly a year before the bitcoin fund manager applied for, and received, that license.

Reddit Rolls Out Community Points on Ethereum to Incentivize Positive BehaviorThe social platform has expanded its "community points" trial, offering users a way to earn a "piece of their favorite communities,"built on top of the Ethereum blockchain.

History Has Repeated: F2Pool Explains Message in Last Block Before Bitcoin HalvingUshering in bitcoin's third "halving," mining pool F2Pool rooted a message into the blockchain that will now reside there forever. Preceded by a fish emoji signifying the company's logo, the mining pool added the text to a headline from The New York Times: "NYTimes 09/Apr/2020 With $2.3T Injection, Fed's Plan Far Exceeds 2008 Rescue,"echoing the message Satoshi Nakamoto left on Bitcoins genesis block.

Who Won #CryptoTwitter?

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.

Read the rest here:

What To Watch at Consensus: Distributed Day 4 - IBM and the World Economic Forum - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monsoon Blockchain Corporation, Asias premier blockchain company, has worked with the worlds largest insurance broker and risk adviser, Marsh. This signifies a major move for the blockchain and insurance and risk management sectors globally.

Monsoon will work with Marsh to offer a range of risk management and risk transfer solutions for digital assets and investments. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with risk solutions and advisory services.

SinChee Saw, Director of Partnerships at Monsoon Blockchain Asia, said: There has been a net expansion of insurance capacity available for digital asset risks in the past twelve months and the insurance and risk management programs and risk advisory offered with the Monsoon solution is supported by insurance markets with superior financial strength ratings. The amount of overall capacity will depend on a risk-by-risk basis. That said, there is up to $1 billion USD in potential insurance capacity available across the specie, financial institutions, and insurance markets.

We are delighted to work with Marsh, who is transforming the Insurance and Risk Management industries using the Blockchain, Monsoon CEO Dr. Donald Basile added.

Monsoon Blockchain Corporation is focused on innovative cloud solutions in the blockchain ecosystem. Dr. Donald Basile, its CEO and founder, is the former CEO of Fusion IO, a company known for playing a major role in implementing the cloud systems at Apple and Facebook as well as partnerships with HP, IBM, and Dell. Recently, Monsoon Blockchain added advisory board members Ken Goldman, President of Hillspire (Eric Schmidts family office), and former CFO of Yahoo and Fortinet, and Xiaoma Lu, former Dalian Wanda Investments CEO and former board member of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange to their team.

Marsh is the worlds leading insurance broker and risk adviser. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data driven risk solutions and advisory services. Marsh is a business of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With annual revenue approaching USD $17 billion and 76,000 colleagues worldwide, MMC is comprised of four market-leading businesses: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman.

Read more:

Monsoon Blockchain to Revolutionize Next Generation of Fin Tech in US and Asia - Business Wire

Grant Thornton has released inter.x, a blockchain platform for managing intercompany transactions. The firm has implemented the new platform in-house, but it is also available to clients to manage dealings between financial entities of a business, which account for 30 to 40 percent of the global economy.

Inter.x delivers real-time data-analytics dashboards that monitor these intercompany transactions, including transfer-pricing compliance and treasury management. Grant Thornton approaches new technology by looking at the global business problems its clients are facing, according to chief transformation officer Jamie Fowler. The business problem here had to do with intercompany transactions, particularly for our multinational clients, she said. They were having difficulty making sure both sides of the intercompany transactions matched, they were properly accounted for, and that they could feel assured they were good.

Fowler explained that although intercompany transactions seem easy, they are the fifth largest cause of financial restatements. We find that a lot of our clients dont have extra personnel to make sure these transactions flow properly through their ERP systems and are correct.

The inter.x solution integrates with a businesss ERP systems, aggregates data, and then creates an end-to-end workflow that behaves as a single transaction. This allows companies to recognize and make immediate decisions rather than waiting until a monthly or annual accounting cycle.

Because it is built on a blockchain, inter.x allows users to track and account for intercompany transactions with an audit trail that is immutable that is, the integrity of the audit data persists over time. The result is a permanent and unforgeable audit trail for transaction information.

The response from treasury management has been the most interesting, Fowler noted. I think because its just really hard to get our arms around everything these days during the pandemic, organizations are struggling to make sure they get every part of their response right. Cash is moving so quickly, changes are happening quickly, and cash needs are at the forefront of everybodys thought process right now.

For more information, visit gt.com/interx.

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Grant Thornton introduces blockchain platform for managing intercompany transactions - Accounting Today

Were not even halfway through the first full day of Consensus: Distributed and the world may never be the same.

The most ambitious conference of its kind kicked off with CoinDesk TV, a full 24 hours of programming featuring European central bankers, former CFTC chairmen and celebrity guests including Akon and Michelle Phan.

You're reading Blockchain Bites: Consensus Edition a twice daily roundup of all the notable news out of Consensuse Distributed. You can sign up for this, and all of CoinDesk's newsletters here.

History is being made elsewhere, too, with the Bitcoin networks third programmable halving going off without a hitch.

Bitcoin halved: Here's what that means

CoinDesks Wolfie Zhaobreaks it down:

Miners racing on the network to compete for freshly minted bitcoin produced the 630,000th block at 19:23 UTC on May 11, which triggered the programmed halving event, marking the currency's third halving in its 11-year history.

The first block in the new 6.25-bitcoin-per-block mining cycle was mined and relayed by China-based Antpool, the fourth-largest mining pool by total computing power.

In an homage to Satoshi Nakamoto's iconic "brink of a second bailout" message in the 2009 genesis block, f2pool, which mined the 629,999th block (the last before the halving), embedded a reference to the current financial crisis: "NYTimes 09/Apr/2020 With $2.3T Injection, Feds Plan Far Exceeds 2008 Rescue.

The immediate implication after the third halving is that the newly minted bitcoin in a day will fall from 1,800 to 900 units. That would also mean mining operators will see their daily total revenue at bitcoin's current price of $8600 reduced from $15 million to $8 million.

As such, it has been expected the computing power connected to the Bitcoin network will fall significantly after the halving as the revenue decrease will squeeze out those miner operators who lack efficient resources to cut their electricity costs.

Three halving-related events worth knowing about

A once-in-four-years event deserves a celebration:

The keynote

This morning we heard from influential economist Carlota Perez, who broke down her theory of tech revolutions driven by boom and bust cycles.

She was joined by Placeholders Chris Burniske and they discussed automating administrative infrastructure as a way to modernize the state.

Competing sides: The privacy of money

European Central Bank executive Yves Mersch saidEuropes central bank is looking into CBDCs. A retail CBDC, accessible to all, would be a game changer, and is now a primary area of research.

Mersch said a eurozone CBDC could be based on a digital token circulated "in a decentralized manner," without a central ledger.

Other economic leaders arent so attracted by the possibility of taking all cash digital through the central bank. Avantis Caitlyn Long said CBDCs could be turned into a surveillance tool and as a way to exert undue economic pressure on citizens.

Former U.S. Treasury SecretaryLawrence Summers isnt worried about a privacy-corroding CBDC proposal.He thinks there may be too much privacy associated with government-issued cash already.

In a world of inordinate tax evasion, trillions of dollars of laundered money around corruption and the drug trade, the last objective of government policy should be the promotion of anonymity with respect to large financial transactions, Summers said.

Inside Consensus: Distributed

Joon Wong was one of the heavy lifters that made today such a success. One of the first CoinDesk employees, back when the company was still London-based, Joon knows the crypto industry inside and out. Hes now running programming for our events. Heres what he has to say about the first day ofConsensus: Distributed:

Consensus has always been about convening the disparate fields that make up the cryptocurrency industry. The first edition of Consensus, which I started in 2015, was the first time a major global bank Citi got publicly involved with blockchain technologies. This sixth edition of Consensus, held virtually, was no different.

We saw a member of the European Central Bank's executive board announce that the institution would investigate retail digital currencies; we watched our own conference inside a virtual conference center within Decentraland; and we heard from the influential economist of technology Carlota Perez about her views on blockchain technologies for the first time.

And that's not to mention the slew of figures from the mainstream who have been increasingly drawn to our world: beauty mogul and YouTube pioneer Michelle Phan; NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie; electronic music sensations The Chainsmokers.

Consensus can only convene this breadth of speakers because of the underlying robustness of this industry. And if this year's speaker lineup is any indication, the business is in rude health.

How to use Brella

To access all of the deeper cuts available through Consensus: Distributed,you'll need to login through Brella, our virtual conferencing platform.

You can create an account through Gmail, LinkedIn, Facebook or set one up manually onBrella. Your profile will be the way you match and network with others. As soon as you're set up, youll be directed to a dashboard showing other registrants.

Brella is easy to use and has a number of features to help you through this virtual experience. There are multiple tracks of simultaneous programming happening inside Brella. Youll also be able to browse the entire agenda, bookmark sessions and build your own schedule.

The best backgrounds of Consensus: Distributed

Wild horses are the way to go when you live in Wyoming.

Peep Erik FIATSUX Voorhees' vanity plates.

The CoinDesk 50

26. The Peoples Bank of ChinaChina leads in the world in the development of national digital currencies. While other central banks are talking about CBDCs, the Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) is already trialling its toolkit. Just recently,screenshots emergedof a digital yuan interface being piloted at the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), one of four state-owned banking giants. That PBoC is first to the CBDC starting line is not surprising. It has been working on the project forsix years. Meanwhile, Chinas government has made blockchain a national priority in several directions, including the recently launchedBlockchain Services Network(BSN), which is now being piloted in Chinese cities and along its Digital Silk Road trade routes.FULL STORY

The CoinDesk 50is a selection of the most innovative and consequential projects in crypto/blockchain. See the other nominees here.Well announce more tomorrow.

A tour of Cryptovoxels

This afternoon I took a guided tour of crypto art hanging across galleries in Cryptovoxels. One of the most inspiring and innovative sub-economies within crypto, blockchain-based artworks are proving their value in a time when most museums are shuttered.

Here are some of my favorite installations, and where to find them.

These three photos are all part ofNisslas CryptoWiener Art Gallery found in Cryptovoxels at 304E,137N.

Welcome to Skeenees Skull Gallery (202E,347S)

Media diet

Hedge Fund Pioneer Paul Tudor Jones Says He Holds 1%-2% of Assets in BitcoinSpeaking to CNBC in an interview on Monday, Paul Tudor Jones II expressed some concerns with bitcoin, but he still praised its potential, when confirming his allocation in crypto. Theres very little trust in it [bitcoin]," he said. However, were watching the birthing of a store of value, and whether that succeeds or not only time will tell."

Vitalik Buterin Says Much-Delayed Ethereum 2.0 Still on Track for July LaunchEthereums creator said the Ethereum 2.0 protocol upgrade, which will change the consensus mechanism to proof-of-stake (PoS),is well on its way to launchingsometime in July. Sometimes known as Serenity, the update has long been subject to delays, with July a target date for developers since the beginning of the year.

Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Phan Invest in Lollis $3M Seed RoundThe$3 million seed roundwith Phan and Ashton Kutchers VC firm, Sound Ventures, marks roughly $5.4 million in total capital raised by Lolli so far. Pathfinder, the early-stage investment arm of Peter Thiels Founders Fund, led this recent round with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Craft Ventures and Digital Currency Group, CoinDesks parent company.

Zcash Alliance Aims to Bring Privacy Tech to Bitcoin, Cosmos and EthereumTheElectric Coin Company (ECC) announced Monday the launch of the Zcash Developers Alliance(ZDA), an invite-only working group that includes the Lightning Network startup Bolt Labs, the cross-chain technology startup Thesis, the Ethereum conglomerate ConsenSys and two leading startups working on the Cosmos project, Agoric and Iqlusion, just to name a few.

Binance.US Launches OTC Trading Desk for Large TradesThe feature will allow users of Binances US affiliate to process orders worth $10,000 or more directlybetween customers, off of the normal exchanges order book. Catherine Coley, CEO of Binance America, said the launch comes at an opportune time for large value traders given increasing interest in bitcoin from well-known investors, such as hedge fund pioneer Paul Tudor Jones II.

ErisX Announces Launch of First U.S. Ether Futures ContractsThe new contracts, thefirst futures contracts for the second-largest cryptocurrencyby market cap in the U.S., will begin trading effective immediately, ErisX announced. The move comes a few days after ErisX announced it had received a virtual currency license from the New York Department of Financial Services, and would begin offering trading services in what is the nation's most stringent regulatory regime.

Crypto.com Lands Record $360M Insurance Cover for Offline Bitcoin VaultsThecrypto finance platform accessed the coverthrough institutional custody provider Ledger Vault, which offers $150 million of pooled insurance cover to clients, and Lloyds of London underwriter Arch Insurance.

CME Says Volume Surge Shows Strong Institutional Interest Before Bitcoin HalvingIn a note sent out late on Sunday, the derivatives exchange saida strong "ramp up" in volumes over the past week showed institutional investors were getting exposureto bitcoin, most likely in preparation ahead of the supply-cutting event. CME said 844 unique accounts have begun trading bitcoin derivatives since the start of 2020 more than double the number of new market entrants compared to the same period last year.

Who Won #CryptoTwitter?

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.

More here:

Blockchain Bites: Making Sense of the Halving, Consensus Distributed's First Day - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Blockchain Market by Component (Platform and Services), Provider (Application, Middleware, and Infrastructure), Type (Private, Public, and Hybrid), Organization Size, Application Area (BFSI, Government, IT & Telecom), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global blockchain market size is expected to grow from USD 3.0 billion in 2020 to USD 39.7 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 67.3% during the forecast period.

Various factors, such as increasing venture capital funding and investments in the blockchain technology, growing need to simplify business processes and create business transparency and immutability, reduction in operational cost, and increasing popularity of blockchain technology in retail and supply chain management are expected to drive the market. However, uncertain regulatory and compliance environment and limited availability of technical skillsets for implementing the blockchain technology may restrain the blockchain market growth.

Based on application area, the retail and eCommerce segment to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on application area, the retail and eCommerce segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the blockchain market during the forecast period. Retail and eCommerce organizations are making huge investments to enhance customer experience. The use of blockchain payments in the retail and eCommerce industry has increased during COVID-19 as several end-users are opting for use of cryptocurrency over conventional payment options. The blockchain technology is progressively elevating the customer experience. With positive customer experience, retail and eCommerce businesses are expected to achieve customer loyalty. The blockchain technology enables retailers to use smart contracts for settling any conflict related to customers without any intervention of the court.

Based on organization size, the large enterprises segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period

Based on organization size, the large enterprises segment is expected to hold a larger market size in the blockchain market during the forecast period. The availability of sufficient capital and other resources to incorporate newer technologies is expected to enable large enterprises to take the lead in the market. Another factor that contributes to a higher market share of large enterprises in the blockchain market is the high investments in R&D activities to develop best-fit technology to enhance an organization's business efficiency.

Among regions, North America to account for the largest market share, whereas Asia Pacific (APAC) to grow at the highest CAGR

North America is estimated to hold the largest market size and dominate the global blockchain market in 2020, as the region is an early adopter of the blockchain technology. North America is considered the most advanced region in terms of technology adoption and infrastructure. The regional presence of key industry players offering blockchain technology solutions is the main factor driving the North American blockchain market.

Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Several new startups in APAC have entered the blockchain market and started developing blockchain solutions. Investors are investing in startups that are helping these small firms innovate the blockchain technology. The integration of the blockchain technology to transform business processes in the developing countries of APAC could boost the blockchain market growth in APAC.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Restraints

Opportunities

Challenges

Companies Profiled

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d82edm

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Blockchain Market by Component, Provider, Type, Organization Size, Application Area and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are evaluating the use of blockchain for transactive energy using hardware in the laboratorys Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF).

Distributing grid operational decision-making is revolutionary. Its really like somebody in the 1980s expounding on the economic opportunity of the Internet. Everyone would have laughed at you. Thats kind of whats happening right now with blockchain applicationsthe foundational tools for another technology revolution are emerging, and this could be one of them.

Dane Christensen, a mechanical engineer in NRELs Residential Buildings Research Group and a principal investigator on a blockchain pilot project

Blockchain serves as a distributed digital record of actions agreed and performed by multiple parties. Blockchains primary value is providing mathematical proof about the state of data, so that different parties to a transaction can agree on the outcome even if they do not know or trust each other. Though commonly associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, blockchain technology can be used with virtually any type of transaction involving digital ownership in real time. These technologies rely on established cryptography and consensus mechanisms to ensure transactions remain secure, and an entire industry has emerged to apply blockchain technology in resolving real-world challenges.

Potential opportunities abound for the use of blockchain in the energy sector. The Congressional Research Service last year noted increasing interest among producers of distributed energy resources (DERs)such as rooftop solarto sell electricity to neighbors. Congress public policy research arm predicted that if this approach proves practical and economical, blockchain technology could alter the manner in which electricity customers and producers interact.

Today, utilities use complex software platforms called an energy management system (EMS) and advanced distribution management system (ADMS) to manage the demand, supply, and reliable delivery of electricity on the power grid. But it is difficult to scale EMS and ADMS to interoperate transactions between thousands of homes, let alone the millions of connected devices in use in those homes.

When you have hundreds of thousands or millions of devices out there that want to interact, you face a significant trust challenge. Trust between devices can only be achieved through methods that verify and enable proof that each system does what it said it was going to do. With blockchain, we may have a path to achieve secure, trusted communications between players without a need for central control.

Tony Markel, a senior engineer in the Energy Systems Cyber-Physical Security Research Group at NREL

An illustration of two connected homes sharing electricity. Source: NREL.

Hardware in the ESIF used to simulate actual homes proved key to showing how blockchain technology can enable peer-to-peer energy transactions.

NREL researchers conducted experiments to learn what could happen when two homes were connected via a blockchain with the ability for one to sell excess solar power to another. This required two blockchain transactions: a secure transmission of data about the amount of energy generated, and a payment to the seller.

Central to this research is an NREL-developed software solution called foresee. As a secure home automation system, foresee coordinates the operation of connected appliances, home batteries, and rooftop solar, satisfying homeowner values and preferences along with utility grid needs.

NRELs software uses algorithms that learn each home, and its occupants schedules and patterns, so foresee can predict future energy consumption in homes. Thus, foresee enables highly accurate predictions of comfort needs, energy costs, environmental impacts, and grid service availability by leveraging machine-learning algorithms, advanced data analytics, and physics-based modeling and simulation to derive data-driven appliance models and usage patterns.

In the blockchain experiment, foresee alerted the second home when it would be cheaper to buy renewable energy from its neighbor rather than paying the utilitys charges, then used a digital currency to complete the transaction. The demonstration showed the ability to automatically match energy generation and demand between these two homes.

The results highlighted the path for future research. Notably, Dylan Cutler, principal investigator on the project, pointed out, the use of blockchain in the energy markets will require an examination of grid reliability and resiliency and cybersecurity concerns. One area Cutlers initial research did not consider was the role a utility would play in peer-to-peer energy transactions, and that is something he said a future study must consider.

Cutler, a senior researcher in NRELs Integrated Applications Center, said the emergence of blockchain technology requires a newly designed market. While the common assumption of blockchain is the end user holds sway over the distributed control of energy, in reality it is likely that electric power utilities will at minimum be responsible for coordinating these neighborly transactions.

NREL is building on this work to study the benefits for building owners and utilities. Using a blockchain-based market technology, the research centers on the operation of the electrical grid as homes and businesses continue to adopt rooftop solar generation, battery storage, electric vehicles, and smart appliances. The laboratorys partners are Exelon Corporation, a utility based in Chicago, and Energy Web Foundation, which develops open source blockchain software solutions.

Christensen and Sivasathya Pradha Balamurugan, NRELs co-principal investigators on the project, said the use of blockchain would allow increased coordination between utilities and customers to achieve mutual benefits. Electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar and wind that customers cannot use can be diverted to the grid, but there are limits. Feederswhich carry voltage from a substation to transformerswere not designed for the bidirectional flow of electricity.

There will soon be feeders in the US where if you plug in one more electric car, you could damage transformers or activate safety cutoffs because were reaching the limits of the capacity of the distribution grid. Utilities are very interested in how to manage electric service without having to up-size all the grid equipment. Coordination of buildings energy use is a way to keep costs down, make better use of distributed generation, and improve reliability of the power grid.

Dane Christensen

Using NRELs ESIF systems, the research team is examining how blockchain-based energy markets can allow buildings to coordinate within a distribution feeder, under appropriate constraints defined by the utility. In particular, the team will explore how a blockchain-based approach to digital identity can help utilities verify the attributes and the operations of distributed energy resources in their territory.

The project goal is to allow high levels of solar and flexible loads to be installed in buildings, while eliminating the occurrence of energy backfeed into the bulk power grid. If successful, this will allow building owners and utilities to work together to accelerate adoption of advanced energy technologies. It may also unlock new opportunities for customers with solar or storage assets to earn money or lower their bills by providing grid services.

By relying on blockchain, Christensen said, utilities could integrate many different types of DER with core operational tools (such as EMS and ADMS software) securely and efficiently.

Traditionally, integrating new resources into the grid comes at a substantial cost for a utility. A large part of that cost is driven by custom and manual processes for different DER types. Every feeder is different. Every home is different. As more renewables are adopted, as more electric vehicles are adopted, continuous expert engineering has to be done.

Dane Christensen

The engineering to ensure one feeder operates efficiently and effectively in balancing supply and demand does not necessarily translate to another feeder. What blockchain allows, Christensen said, is a scalable solution that you can easily set up on another feeder because it can be self-customizing.

NREL and Exelon said a utility can use the findings of the new blockchain research to make a case for allowing a pilot project.

BLOSEM. NREL has also embarked on a two-year effort with other national laboratories to accelerate the use of blockchain in the energy sector. A new collaborative effort called Blockchain for Optimized Security and Energy Management (BLOSEM) intends to develop the architecture and infrastructure so that utilities can safely explore the technology.

NRELs initial role in BLOSEM expands on the laboratorys previous accomplishments, with additional simulations planned to expand the use of blockchain. The National Energy Technology Laboratory is the lead organization on the project, with Ames Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory also part of the research team. The Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium is funding BLOSEM. US Department of Energy offices funding this project include the Office of Fossil Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

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NREL researchers evaluating blockchain for transactive energy applications - Green Car Congress

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new report from Guidehouse Insights provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from electric vehicle (EV) charging and integration applications through 2029.

More and more traditional energy stakeholders are experimenting with blockchain technology. Whether in house or in partnership with an industry consortium or energy blockchain startup, EV charging and integration use cases have emerged as technologically sound and feasible within the regulatory and technical constraints of the energy system. According to a new Guidehouse Insights report, the combined market for blockchain-based EV charging and grid integration is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2029 at a 77.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

The potential for blockchain technology as a positive force in EV charging and integration, and in mobility and transportation overall, should not be underestimated, says Johnathon de Villier, research analyst with Guidehouse Insights. Beyond contributing efficiencies to the information management layer of EV charging and integration solutions, blockchain technology can enable owners of EVs to take advantage of new revenue streams in the form of peer-to-peer charging applications and grid services.

According to the report, EV charging and integration use cases for blockchain technology benefit from clear technological objectives and a straightforward development roadmap. This roadmap begins with one-way charging services and grows in complexity toward the full integration of EVs into the grid as distributed assets capable of responding to grid signals and providing auxiliary services such as frequency regulation and demand response.

The report, Market Data: Blockchain-Enabled EV Charging and Integration, provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from EV charging and integration applications between 2020 and 2029. Forecasts cover five global regions and three industry segments: home charging (including a separate subsegment for peer-to-peer charging), public charging, and fleet charging. It concludes with recommendations for actions that vendors and service providers can take to accelerate the development and deployment of blockchain-based EV solutions. An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Guidehouse Insights website.

About Guidehouse Insights

Guidehouse Insights, the dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, provides research, data, and benchmarking services for todays rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. Our insights are built on in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The teams research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research, and demand assessment, paired with a deep examination of technology trends, to provide a comprehensive view of emerging resilient infrastructure systems. Additional information about Guidehouse Insights can be found at http://www.guidehouseinsights.com.

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. We help clients address their toughest challenges with a focus on markets and clients facing transformational change, technology-driven innovation and significant regulatory pressure. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and technology/analytics services, we help clients create scalable, innovative solutions that prepare them for future growth and success. Headquartered in Washington DC, the company has more than 7,000 professionals in more than 50 locations. Guidehouse is led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit: http://www.guidehouse.com.

* The information contained in this press release concerning the report, Market Data: Blockchain-Enabled EV Charging and Integration, is a summary and reflects the current expectations of Guidehouse Insights based on market data and trend analysis. Market predictions and expectations are inherently uncertain and actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release or the report. Please refer to the full report for a complete understanding of the assumptions underlying the reports conclusions and the methodologies used to create the report. Neither Guidehouse Insights nor Guidehouse undertakes any obligation to update any of the information contained in this press release or the report.

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Guidehouse Insights Report Shows Blockchain-Based EV Charging & Grid Integration Market Is Expected to Experience a 78% Compound Annual Growth...