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The problem of privacy and security on the internet is becoming increasingly important. To ensure privacy, traditional centralized solutions can be used along with innovative ones blockchain-powered decentralized tools.

Today there is a rapid growth of decentralized applications (DApps) that are becoming more user-friendly and reaching a high level of functionality. In particular, DApps that can be installed on a hi-tech gadget to increase privacy can be demanded in the market. However, to better understand how the market changes and to predict trends for the near future, its important to look at last years statistics.

Growing threats mean growing demand

Generally speaking, at present three groups are engaged in guerrilla warfare over privacy and internet anonymity. These are government agencies, cybercriminals (hackers) and ordinary internet users, who sometimes intentionally or accidentally provide Facebook with all the personal information, and then complain to Facebook about it.

Unfortunately, sometimes its the users who are the source of their own troubles regular use of simple and popular passwords becomes the reason for hacking social media accounts and emails.

The level of concern is growing, so is internet literacy. Services like Last Pass can make life a lot easier. However, the question arises: how secure is centralized password storage? The answer will be given when addressing the topic of decentralization.

User concern is growing

These statistics reflect the number of internet users worldwide by region (Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, BRICS countries, etc.) that are increasingly concerned about internet privacy, especially when comparing the data with the last year numbers. As can be seen in the graph, 39% of European users were much more concerned about their privacy on the Internet than a year ago. Overall, 53% of internet users worldwide agreed that a year ago they were less worried about this issue.

Meanwhile, lets not forget about the responsibility of every internet user to society and remember that privacy and confidentiality do not imply lawlessness and permissiveness. Governments must remember that protection of the rights of one group of people cannot be done through infringing on the rights of others. If drug dealers used Bitcoin in the past, this does not mean that all Bitcoin enthusiasts do the same. However, such precedents undoubtedly cast a shadow over the entire community.

J.R. Forsyth, founder of Onfo, a blockchain project based on the network mining model, believes that the social aspect is very important for the security of the internet in general and data in particular. He said,

The social responsibility of everyone is a criterion for the development of society and demonstrates its involvement in social processes. Without a doubt, this is exactly what will allow us to improve many mechanics, whether its the issue of user privacy and data security or network marketing systems.

In general, the concern is understandable. Threats to personal data security have grown in connection with technological advances in the 21st century. Now there is a movement towards a more open, transparent and secure use of the internet, as well as towards active actions to protect personal data. For example, many users opt for VPN, TOR and sometimes use them together as a comprehensive security system.

VPN is easy

A virtual private network (VPN) is a tunnel infrastructure between two messages. A VPN essentially gives the user an IP address different from the one that is originally used. It looks as if the user is online from a different geographic location. This is especially useful for accessing censored or inaccessible sites in some countries. Notably, while most VPNs are designed to provide security and privacy, there are still centralized issues that need to be addressed when using traditional VPN services.

Centralized private networks

Traditional VPN servers are hosted by a particular company which controls all the data. These servers are controlled by a commercial organization that charges subscription and bandwidth fees. Even worse, local regulations permit the disclosure of subscriber data. This means that there is a high probability that these companies also store the users personal data. As a result, no central server is secure and can be vulnerable to hackers. Thus, when using centralized VPNs, it is difficult to claim that privacy and security are enhanced.

Decentralized private networks

A decentralized VPN doesnt depend on a single centralized server. That is why such a system becomes more fair, secure and confidential. The way that data is written to the blockchain embodies the very meaning of decentralization.

Basically, a decentralized VPN combines the traffic of many computers and exchanges data using a peer-to-peer system. Thus, each computer acts as a server.

Decentralized VPNs can be built using blockchain technologies significantly increasing their security.

The fact is that blockchain technology allows network nodes to make decisions that affect VPNs. This means that decentralized VPNs cannot be hacked since it requires each network node to be hacked for getting access to the system.

By the way, if you are thinking of VPN integration but cant choose among the number of tools that are available now, it is worth paying attention to the ranking of the safest and most convenient VPNs in 2020.

Not only the internet

The subject of security and confidentiality is extremely extensive. For example, cellular communications is also an area with a number of vulnerabilities. Today the community is witnessing the growth of private communications startups that offer solutions aimed at maintaining the confidentiality of phone calls and internet connections as a part of the GSM system (Global System for Mobile Communications).

Simply put, it is about private cellular companies. Among services offered by such companies are a ban on tracking user location; random routing; outgoing call number substitution; anonymous communication with followers; modification of voice messages and/or voice; a virtual phone number rent for incoming calls, etc.

However, users should always remember that everyday use of VPN connection will be much more expensive than the use of services offered by traditional mobile operators. Besides, it is not entirely clear how law enforcement agencies will react to the popularization of the VPN tools.

The future of internet privacy

To date, the protection from digital giants control can only be avoided by completely disappearing from digital space. The question is whether it is possible in the current conditions without loss of quality and speed of communication, service, and life in general.

Given that more than 50% of Americans think that surveillance of their gadgets by intelligence agencies for no apparent reason is unacceptable, there is no better time than now to think about privacy while you still have it.

In order not to jeopardize your data, a blockchain-based decentralized VPN is the smartest way to securely communicate on the network thanks to the magnitude of the potential security and reliability available with this technology. Since the information is not stored in one central place, hacking becomes practically impossible for cybercriminals. After all, when information is recorded in a blockchain network, it cannot be modified or deleted. Thus, unauthorized access is excluded.

Traditional communication networks are based on centralized servers. The user needs only to exclude a centralized server from this chain to make his personal communication truly private for everyone.

This is no longer just a theory and technology of the future. Decentralized VPNs, devoid of the disadvantages of centralization, are available already now. For example, in the fourth quarter of 2019, the first decentralized VPN was released by Tachyon and now is available on MacOS, Google Play and iOS. The secret lies in a decentralized distribution and processing of data by servers that are distributed around the world and operated by different people.

Another example is Debrief solution aimed at improving security and privacy in the B2B segment. It is noteworthy that it was founded by Jeff Pulver, co-founder ofFree World Dialup and Vonage, among other companies, who gave the world the opportunity to use WhatsApp and Telegram messengers for free.

In addition to these solutions, more than 2,217 active DApps are available on the market, of which more than half (1,445) were developed in 2019. According to Dapp.com, there are about 1.4 million active DApp users and more than a million of them are new users, that is, they have never used any DApps before. Perhaps these figures clearly demonstrate the growing interest in decentralized solutions around the world.

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Blockchain and Decentralization Are the Future of Network Security and Privacy - The Daily Hodl

The United States House of Representatives is considering sending a direct subsidy to American citizens. The subsidy is part of a stimulus package announced by the US government to counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy. While the bill is still being debated, it considers the issuance of a digital dollar.

The draft law provides that theUS government could provide up to $2,000 for the countrys weaker citizens and $1,000 for minors. To ensure that citizens receive the money, the bill proposes to create a system of digital wallets that can receive the digital dollar. The traditional markets and the crypto market responded positively to the announcement and the US governments stimulus package. However, the US government was criticized for raising a record $2.2 trillion in new government debt for this purpose, while the measure still has to be approved by Congress.

The members of parliament behind the proposal already have projects in the pipeline that could implement the issuance of a digital dollar. According to Forbes, the Hyperledger Consortium and its eThaler project could be the perfect solution. The eThaler project will allow the issuance of a digital central bank digital currency (CBDC) on the Ethereum blockchain.

Among others, the consulting companies Accenture and InfoSys and the Itau Bank in Brazil are working on the project. The group is developing on the basis of Hyperledger Besu, an enterprise version of Ethereum developed by ConsenSys. Commenting on the idea, Hyperledger chairman Vipin Bharathan said:

Thats a significant step, and I argue that such crisis situations always produce new ideas, and acceptance of new ideas, that will live on long after the coronavirus has burned through the world.

Furthermore, eThaler has also implemented the Token Taxonomy Framework (TTF) emission system and is compliant with the ERC-1155 token standard. Unlike other Ethereums ERC-20 standard, ERC-1155 is a standard that supports multiple types of tokens. For example, a central bank could use it to mint fungible digital dollars or bonds. In addition, the GitHub site of the project reveals:

A fiduciary token will remove one of the main obstacles to any value transfer network, a fundamental requirement for frictionless digital capital markets.

The eThaler can be divided, just like Bitcoin, in the decimals required by the issuing bank. This feature will make it suitable for micro transactions. The eThaler is fungible by design and will have the value of the underlying asset (in this case, US-Dollar). However, it can also be suspended or paused by reducing the decentralization of the project. About the project and the idea of issuing a digital dollar, Bharathan said:

It may not start off with a bang with a wallet holding a trillion dollars. But over time, it may.

The information currently available are very limited. Moreover, it seems questionable whether a digital US dollar could really be realized within some days. The developments therefore remain to be seen.

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Last Updated on 26 March, 2020

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Digital Dollar could be issued on the Ethereum blockchain - Crypto News Flash

A little less than a decade ago, the term blockchain meant nothing to people all over the world. However, with interest in crypto-enabled technologies soaring in recent years, blockchain has become a key driver across a whole host of niche domains such as AI, machine learning, supply chain management, etc. This is because investors have started to recognize the monetary potential of this future-enabled tech.

Some core facets of blockchain worth highlighting:

To put it simply, one should not think of Blockchain as a singular piece of technology, but rather as a broad term that encompasses several different technologies. For example, blockchain can be used across a host of industries such as healthcare, logistics, video games, advertising, etc.

If that wasnt enough, some of the worlds most prominent developers to are making use of blockchain to create open-source projects. Then there are those people who are using the technology within corporate frameworks. The point here is that, as the use of blockchain continues to grow, players from different spaces will continue to utilize this novel tool to gain a competitive market edge.

Payment processor Square might be best known for its fiat offerings, however, in recent years the firm has become a leader within the blockchain/crypto market. Not only that, but Square has also become a leader within other niche domains such as business lending and peer-to-peer payments thereby making it one of Venmos biggest competitors today.

Concerning why crypto enthusiasts should consider buying Square's stock options, the company has created a special app only for digital currencies called Square Crypto. This platform aims to help people facilitate their crypto-fiat, crypto-crypto transactions seamlessly.

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that Square processes approximately $100 billion worth of gross payments every year a figure which many analysts believe will keep growing as the use of crypto continues to increase.

Nvidia has had a special relationship with cryptocurrency miners as it is one of the biggest GPU (graphic processing unit) makers in the world and has been a company that has done extremely well in providing the necessary gear for the growth of bitcoin and crypto assets worldwide.

There are many reasons to be bullish about the future of NVDA stock as the need for chips regarding artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and blockchain (DLT) will not be going away anytime soon. Be on the look out for an innovative company like Nvidia and their ability to adapt, adjust and accelerate the emerging blockchain industry in more than one way in 2020 and beyond.

One of the biggest names in the crypto market today, the Grayscale Investment Trust came into existence back in 2013 and is one of the few publicly-traded companies that store bitcoin as its primary asset. Additionally, it bears mentioning that over the years the firms overall reputation has grown steadily with the company even holding an SEC-compliance certificate.

Lastly, from a monetary standpoint, the Grayscale Investment Trust has in its coffers, a total of $2.16 billion in assets under management (figures accurate as of September 2017). Also, to make use of the companys services, individuals need to invest a minimum of $50,000 with the firm.

For more than three decades now, the name Microsoft has been at the forefront of cutting edge computer innovation. In this regard, the tech giant is also currently focusing a lot of its efforts on matters related to blockchain dev. For starters, Microsofts Azure cloud uses blockchain technology, while the firms BaaS platform is also being used by established players like Nasdaq, AT&T, etc.

To be a bit more technical, it is worth pointing out that the companys Azure platform has been devised atop the Ethereum blockchain which means that as ETH continues to grow, Azures overall usability will also increase.

Since the end of 2017, the folks over at Mastercard have been working to create novel blockchain-based monetary pathways that can be used by traditional payment processors. As per a spokesperson for the firm, the use of blockchain technology will not only allow Mastercard to increase the speed of its native transactions but also lower transaction costs and minimize the risk of fraud greatly (it is worth pointing out that the company loses over $23 billion to fraud per annum).

Last but not least, Mastercards core dev team has created APIs that allow users to create their very own blockchain-related apps in a highly streamlined manner.

As most of our readers are probably well aware of, the CME Group is one of the leading names when it comes to buying/selling bitcoin futures. In this regard, it bears mentioning that the CME Group was one of the first entities to allow investors to speculate on the future price of bitcoin that too in a fully regulated environment.

And even though bitcoin futures account for a small fraction of the companys general trading operations, it has been reported that the CME Group continues to rake in significant profits through the sale of its bitcoin futures alone.

Everybody knows that IBM is one of the biggest players in the tech market today. However, over the last 3-4 years, the company has delved deeply into the domain of blockchain technology particularly concerning how this new tool can be used to serve clients from diverse industries such as data management, cloud security, BaaS, etc. Additionally, from a financial standpoint, IBM currently boasts of the largest blockchain patent portfolio among all publicly traded companies. This has given the multinational a clear lead when it comes to issuing long-term licensing deals, etc.

Last but not least, the folks over at IBM recently revealed that they are currently involved with a total of 500+ blockchain projects including the IBM Food Trust platform (which is currently being used by Walmart).

Even though a lot of people may not think of Bank of America as being an active player within the global tech arena, the financial institution currently holds a massive portfolio of blockchain patents. To put things into perspective, BAC is currently in possession of more blockchain patents than Google or Microsoft two of the biggest companies active within the tech industry today.

With that being said, many experts believe that the BAC might have hoarded upon so many blockchain patents primarily as a way to generate revenue for itself in the future by dishing out licensing deals.

Even though Alibaba operates mostly within domains that are not directly linked to the blockchain, the company has made significant investments into this burgeoning technology. For example, by the end of 2018 alone, the company had filed more than 100+ blockchain-related patents.

If that wasnt enough, Alibaba is also making use of different blockchain solutions across a number of its subsidiaries such as Lynx International (Alibabas logistics division) and T-Mall.

Other points worth highlighting

From the early days of Peter Thiel or Elon Musk, PayPal may seem like a direct competitor to cryptocurrency or fear the presence of bitcoin in general, but PayPal has been no stranger in making strategic investments into blockchain-based companies, brands, and projects.

Back in April 2019, PYPL got involved with the Cambridge Blockchain project via a Series A investment round where the global payments giant funded the startup that helps institutions and payment companies make transactions on distributed ledger technologies. They followed that up within March 2020 by adding on experts in the blockchain industry to help discover financial fraud and crime prevention too.

Fujitsu is a Japanese firm that has focused a lot of its financial resources on blockchain-related research. For those of our readers who may not be aware of how big the firm is, Fujitsu is currently the seventh-largest IT services provider in the world. And in terms of its blockchain development efforts, the company was recently chosen as one of the prime vendors for the development of a transfer settlement system for the Japanese Bankers Associations (JBA) Collaborative Blockchain Platform.

Last but not least, Fujitsu also recently created its very own Blockchain Innovation Centre in Belgium. The institution has been tasked with the creation of various blockchain projects both big and small.

Known formerly as Leeta Gold Corp, the HIVE Blockchain Technology is a Canadian firm that has partnered with several prominent companies as well as crypto mining operators. For example, one of Hives current partners includes Iceland-based Genesis Mining Ltd.

From a technical standpoint, it is worth mentioning that since 2017, HIVEs native stock prices have doubled in value.

Even though the name Broadridge might ring a bell for a lot of people, the popular company has partnered with several prominent financial entities that are currently making use of blockchain technology (such as the Northern Trust and JPMorgan). In addition to this, Broadridge also offers several DLT solutions of its own including proxy voting protocols.

Coinsilium Group is one of the worlds foremost blockchain developers that came into existence in 2014. Even though the London-based company operates primarily within the UK, it has partnered with some crypto firms all over the world. As things stand, the companys shares can be acquired via the NEX Exchange Growth Market. Alternatively, Coinsilium shares can also be bought/sold via a host over the counter markets (OTCMKTS).

Many of our readers may not know that Innovation Shares NextGen Protocol ETF (KOIN) is one of the worlds first blockchain ETFs. Despite its high expense ratio, the fund recently showcased good market growth reaping a dividend ratio of around 1.5%.

Lastly, it is worth pointing out that some big-name companies that have invested in the fund include Intel (INTC), Microsoft (MSFT), and Salesforce (CRM).

Dutch banking giant ING Groep has been all-in on blockchain tech since the start of 2017 a time when the term was just starting to gain mainstream prominence. Also, the financial entity has partnered with Easy Trading Connect (ETC), a platform that allows investors to trade a wide array of commodities.

Not only that, as things stand today, but ING is also working on 50+ blockchain concept projects including platforms related to client data privacy, collateral lending, debt tracking, etc.

Simply put, BLCN is a highly attractive investment option these days due to the simple fact that it is one of the few ETFs that allow investors to benefit directly from the blockchain. To be a bit more specific, the company has witnessed a lot of growth over the last 2-3 years offering dividend rates of up to 2%. From a financial standpoint, it is worth pointing out three of BLCNs top investors include Microsoft, Fujitsu, and AMD.

Quite like the option above, LEGR too is an ETF that routinely invests in technology stocks. Additionally, it needs mentioning that LEGR deploys a blended financial strategy wherein it invests in both growth and value stocks.

BitFarms is a Canadian company that is currently in possession of various mining farms throughout Quebec a region where, not only, is the real estate cheap but even the electricity rates are extremely affordable. As per the companys annual profit reports, BitFarms was recently able to provide its clients with dividends up to 18% (an impressive number, to say the least).

Another Canada-based crypto mining venture, Hut 8 is currently listed in the stock market under the ticker TSX. The companys farms are based out of Alberta primarily in towns like Drumheller and Medicine Hat. Over the past couple of years, the firm has entered into partnerships with several prominent crypto entities such as BitFury.

When it comes to computer devices, AMD is considered to be somewhat of a household name. Even though the firm is known primarily for its high-quality motherboards, graphics cards, etc, over the years, the company has started producing its very own crypto miners and GPUs.

Despite Riot Blockchains stocks plummeting quite heavily over the past couple of years, the company has continued to offer interested individuals with a host of quality investment options. Essentially, the firm deals with the creation of blockchain platforms and has partnered with several companies like Coinsquare, Verady, and TessPay in the past.

Want to learn more? head here to read more about the Investment of the Decade.

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Top Blockchain Stocks of 2020: Best Investment of the Decade Options to Buy - CryptoGround

IBM has actually developed a brand-new blockchain system together with Ford, Huayou Cobalt, LG Chem, and also RCS Global in an effort to develop a clear approach of monitoring cobalt manufacturing from the mine to the end customer.

IBM exposed the pilot blockchain business as a prospective supply chain remedy for mapping and also validating useful resources the whole time its manufacturing trip.

Marketlines Global Metals & &(********************************************************************************************************* )(*************************************************************************************************************** )(******************************************************************************************************* & )&(*********************************************************************************************** )(************************************************************************************************************************************* )Analysis had actually valuedthe worldwide mining and also steels market at US$ 1.8 trillion in 2018, yet the sector has actually commonly struggled under inadequacies in the pipe many thanks to a reliance on paper-based, hands-on procedures and also an absence of openness in between the differed supply chain individuals located in various components of the globe.

The pilot job is developed on top of the IBM Blockchain Platform, and also each firm included stands for vital companions from every phase of the supply chain, consisting of a cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cobalt remains in high need in the production of digital customer items, significantly as a vital active ingredient in creating lithium ion batteries, with need for the mineral predicted to rise eight-fold in between currently and also 2026.

However, the high need has actually seen cobalt connected with honest concerns going back to at the very least 2012, when UNICEF approximated that 40,000 youngsters were operating in Congolese mines, acknowledged websites for the manufacturing of cobalt.

IBM is more working with the Linux Foundations Hyperledger Fabric to established the decentralized journal structure that will inevitably lead to a blockchain platform that could ultimately be used to trace and validate a range of minerals used in consumer products, according to IBM representative Hannah Slocum.

Initially, the miner in this case, Huayou will add data into the blockchain at the point cobalt is bagged and tagged, Slocum informed Supply Chain Dive For key events like smelting, refining, etc., the inputs and corresponding outputs are added to the blockchain.

Shipping information are additionally being annotated in the journal, along with various other information from companions along the supply chain path. The record is automatically updated each time a transaction is recorded and made visible to the permissioned participants in real time, Slocum stated.

Blockchains decentralized modern technology has actually been hailed as a protected video game changer, yet not everybody is persuaded of the modern technologys preparedness to be applied in supply chains, with research study from Gartner anticipating blockchain fatigue throughout sectors by 2023.

This cobalt campaign is among numerous blockchain tasks IBM is running with numerous companions, and also the modern technology titans representative Slocum increased down on guarantees that the systems chain is protected.

In a permissioned blockchain network, which is what we have announced, participants are known to one another, so were there a bad actor trying to alter the ledger, the actions could easily be seen by other participants, Slocum stated.

Furthermore, if fraudulent, or even accidental, activities occur off-chain, the system will show an incomplete chain, giving the network insight as to where an issue may be happening so it can be addressed. This way, users can ensure that the data on the blockchain maintains its integrity.

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Ford teams with IBM to trace cobalt on the blockchain - The Union Journal

Block.one, a Cayman Islands-registered firm that developed EOS, a leading platform for creating decentralized applications (dApps), has been working on a new blockchain-enabled social media platform, called Voice, for more than a year.

Block.one reports that it has invested $150 million in Voice, which was introduced in June 2019 during a presentation made by Brendan Blumer (the CEO at Block.one).

The investment will help Voices management to conduct operations in an independent manner so that it no longer relies completely on Block.one.

As mentioned in a company release, Voice is a social news platform that will reward users and content creators in cryptocurrency tokens for their contributions.

As explained in the announcement:

The [Voice] platform, which aims to address many of the flaws in todays media world, including data ownership, fake news and bot manipulation, was conceived of and incubated by Blumer and CTO Dan Larimer.

Blumer noted that Voice aims to create living journalism instead of static news platforms.

He claims that Voice will fundamentally change how media platforms are working.

Blumer says that this is the right time for Block.one to hand over management duties to Voice CEO Salah Zalatimo and allow the social news platform to grow under his leadership to create a truly unique experience for content creators everywhere.

Voice will be managed as a separate business entity. It will use the $150 million in funding to grow its operations and add more team members.

Salah remarked:

Todays media and social media landscapes are rapidly converging and the resulting digital forums for engagement are broken.

He continued:

Weve witnessed a profound loss of trust on social media sites given their opaque use of personal data and capricious content regulation rules: If you need to hire armies of people to remove disturbing content, then theres something fundamentally wrong with the platform.

Salah explained that Voice aims to bridge divisions and rebuild trust in media platforms by promoting authenticity, transparency and humanity within its community.

Voices beta version was introduced in the US on February 14, 2020. The platform is being rolled out in different phases in order to obtain real-time feedback from users, perform testing and make the necessary updates or changes.

The Voice platform has been built on Block.ones EOSIO protocol. Its notably one of the first large-scale projects that aims to promote the mass adoption of blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT).

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Block.one Invests $150 Million in Voice, a Blockchain-based Social News Platform - Crowdfund Insider

Big names including IBM, Oracle and the World Health Organization (WHO) are among the collaborators on an open-data hub that will use blockchain technology to check the veracity of data relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

The solution, dubbed MiPasa, is launching as a COVID-19 information highway, said Jonathan Levi, CEO of Hacera, the company that built the platform.

MiPasa, built on Hyperledger Fabric, is expected to evolve as a range of data analytics tools are added, followed by testing data and other information to assist with the precise detection of COVID-19 infection hotspots.

We feel that there isn't enough information out there to make informed decisions, said Levi. How can we help all the people that would like to get access to data, analyze it and provide insights?

Enterprise blockchain consortia of the type IBM normally inhabits can take months to assemble, but in this case, Big Blue enlisted a range of heavy hitters in no time at all.

Other players involved in the platform include: Microsoft, Johns Hopkins University, Chinas National Health Commission and more. WHO did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

IBM Blockchain CTO Gari Singh said everyone he had spoken with agreed it was important to kickstart a consortium as soon as possible.

We started off brainstorming ideas on how to collect, provide and use verified information about the virus, said Singh. It's not that we were trying to force blockchain into this solution, but we thought we need to replicate data, we need to have trusted sources, we need to make sure it can't be tampered with.

IBM is also bringing the Call for Code initiative to work on the platform to rapidly create tools that might be able to help stem the crisis. Looking ahead to the coming weeks, Singh said things like coronavirus testing data could be added to the platform.

You could think of a simple set of applications for the drive-through testing, he said. Using an iPad you could enter some information without having to know who the person was. We can start to collect that and build new applications off that.

Haceras Levi said analytics tools can provide powerful insights, provided everyone can be sure and agree all the data on the platform (which is entirely open and free to use) is correct and consistently versioned. He said a host of companies are offering their data smarts to help curb the virus.

Lots of data tool providers are getting involved. Everybody is rushing to help and nobody is charging a cent, said Levi.

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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World Health Organization Teams With IBM, Oracle on Blockchain-Based Coronavirus Data Hub - CoinDesk

Blockchain startup Block.one today announced it has invested $150 million into its blockchain-powered social media networkVoice.

Launched in 2019, Voicewas pitched as ablockchain-based social media application designed with users of the platform in mind. Said to be a more transparent social media platform for the world, the service is currently available only in the U.S. in closed beta testing.

The service itself is more Twitter in its presentation than Facebook but with the added ability for users to be rewarded for their content through the Voice Token cryptocurrency. Users verified in Voice obtain the tokens daily based on their participation but at the moment the tokens have no monetary value,according to Somagnews. Any tokens earned during the beta test will be reset once the service launches with users said to be able to convert them to money.

The investment into Voice is to allow the social network to operate independently of Block.one.

We are creating living journalism instead of static news platforms, Block.one Chief Executive Officer Brendan Blumer said in a statement. With Voice setting out to fundamentally change how media platforms are working, it was the right time for Block.one to hand the reins to (Voice CEO) Salah Zalatimo and allow Voice to grow under his leadership to create a truly unique experience for content creators everywhere.

On the blockchain side, Voice was built on Block.onesEOSIO protocol best known for the EOS token. EOSIO is designed for both public and private blockchain networks and can be customized to suit business needs. The platform is scalable, with secure processing for mass adoption at claimed industry-leading speeds.

Block.one itself is notable as still holding the record for the biggest initial coin offering of all time: $4.2 billion in June 2018. The company was last in the news in September when it paid the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $24 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed that its ICO was an unregistered security in breach of U.S. securities law.Block.one neither admitted nor denied the SECs claims under the terms of the settlement.

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Block.one invests $150M into its blockchain social media network Voice - SiliconANGLE

By Mohua Sengupta

In November 2018, purely out of my keen interest in Blockchain and a little influence from my daughters MUN (Model United Nations) preparation in WHO committee, I had written an article, Unleashing Blockchain for cross-border surveillance & reporting of Communicable Diseases.It was pure research at that point and seemed like a perfect use case for Blockchain.Today this COVID-19 crisis suddenly makes me wonder, that if we had a blockchain based real time reporting of Communicable Diseases, maybe we could have avoided a pandemic?

The Big Challenge

There are two major challenges with communicable diseases: First in todays globalized world, communicable diseases are extremely hard to contain.They spread like wildfire and moves across political and geographical boundaries at ease, infecting people across countries.

Secondly, there is a huge social stigma around Communicable Diseases even today.Man by nature is a social animal and the idea of being separated from fellow human beings is scary to all.So there is a tendency to hide. This tendency is further aggravated by the fact that most people do not respect privacy.Maintaining privacy in case of sharing information about communicable diseases is of utmost importance.

The Start, Spread & the Pandemic

While there are various opinions about this matter and many conspiracy theories are floating around, lets for now just consider the proven cause.The disease started from the wet markets of Wuhan, China, where live and dead animals and birds are sold daily.The virus most likely has originated from Bats, but since bats are not sold in that market, the scientists think that the bat must have bitten a bird or animal that got sold in the Wuhan wet market.

This much we have seen many a times when any new disease hit us.But then whats different with this?How has this virus brought the world to a standstill?We have seen its more dangerous cousins, MARS, SARS etc., but they didnt bring the world to a standstill.Then why Covid 19?The difference is that its very highly contagious, much more than its close cousins.So when one person got infected, he started infecting many in a day and each one of them infected that many and very soon there were thousands of people in Wuhan who were infected.

Since the symptoms are typically like simple flu, people continued to travel and China missed sending the warning to the rest of the world and did not restrict travel to and fro.So, international travelers kept on coming to China and vice versa.More than a month went by before the world woke up to realize that this is a serious threat and by then the disease has already spread to many countries like Italy, Spain, UK, US, Iran and a few others too.

And then while the news of Wuhan epidemic as well as the challenges in the other countries came out, travel was not restricted.It took a couple of more weeks for the travel restrictions to start and by then the virus has travelled to 20 odd countries.Now the world really wakes up and every country starts taking measures to do lockdown by restricting travel and also taking various other measures to reduce spreading of the virus within the country.

But by then its a pandemic!The entire world gets introduced to a very different challenge, business suffers, stock market tanks across the world, many people lose their jobs, not to speak of the enormous loss of life and pressure on the healthcare system of all affected countries.

Could Blockchain Have Helped?

As we all know, with Blockchain we can share any transaction / information, real time, between relevant parties present as nodes in the chain, in a secure and immutable fashion.In this case, had there been a blockchain where WHO, Health Ministry of each country and may be even relevant nodal hospitals of each country, were connected, sharing real time information, about any new communicable disease, then the world might have woken up much earlier.We might have seen travel restrictions given sooner, quarantining policies set sooner and social distancing implemented faster.And may be fewer countries would have got impacted.

What every country is doing now fighting this pandemic, would have been restricted to fewer countries and in a much smaller scale.The usage of a Blockchain to share the information early on, might have saved the world a lot of pain.

Why Blockchain?

Blockchain technology offers (a) greater transparency, (b) enhanced security (c) improved traceability (d) increased efficiency and speed and (e) reduced costs. Arent they all supremely important for reporting cross-border Communicable Disease cases?

The world had not seen anything like this Covid 19 pandemic before.Today we need to take a hard look at the reporting infrastructure available for communicable diseases, both technology and regulations and improve upon that, such that we do not need to face another pandemic like this in the future.

But of course Blockchain, in this case, like any technology is not a solution, its just an enabler.An enabler that would ensure the security and efficiency needed for sharing something so sensitive. Finally it would depend on the goodwill of people and governments.

Wish we come out of this crisis soon and as unscathed as possible!

(Disclaimer: The author is the Co-founder of Ventures, a platform for theatre and theatre based behavioural coaching. She was previously the EVP and Global Head of Services at 3i Infotech. Mohua has over 24+ years of experience in Banking and Financials Services Industry and IT Services industry, across the globe. The views expressed here are her own)

Excerpt from:

Could Blockchain be the Panacea to Covid-19 pandemic? - CXOToday.com

Futurex, a leader in hardened, enterprise-class data security solutions, today announced that it is partnering with R3, the enterprise blockchain software firm, to deliver a secure foundation for the Corda Enterprise platform, with integrated Futurex hardware security modules (HSMs).

HSMs from Futurex add an essential layer of security to blockchain implementations by providing FIPS 140-2 Level 3-validated cryptography. This enables R3s banking customers to perform peer-to-peer, intra-bank, and cross-enterprise transactions securely, quickly, and cost-effectively using Futurexs HSMs to handle transaction signing and cryptographic key lifecycle management.

R3s Corda Enterprise is a blockchain platform that enables businesses to transact directly and in strict privacy using smart contracts, reducing transaction and record-keeping costs, and streamlining business operations. Futurexs HSMs provide two key steps for securing the blockchain: digitally signing transactions or blocks added to the blockchain using strong cryptography and managing the full lifecycle for the keys used in securing the blockchain, from generation to rotation to retirement.

We deliver the highest assurance method of verifying blockchain integrity with our financial-grade HSMs. For lifecycle management, certificate authority, and data protection, we are proud to integrate with R3s Corda Enterprise to deliver the best of blockchain technology with the highest levels of security. Ryan Smith, vice president, global business development at Futurex

Futurexs HSM solutions that integrate with Corda Enterprise include the Vectera Plus, Excrypt Plus, and Excrypt SSP Enterprise v.2. All HSMs in these product lines are FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated and offer functionality suited for both financial and general-purpose cryptographic ecosystems.

By integrating directly with Futurexs Key Management Enterprise Server (KMES) Series 3 for key lifecycle management and Guardian Series 3 for centralized cryptographic infrastructure management and high availability, these HSMs form the cornerstone of a robust data security ecosystem.

With Corda Enterprise, we are delivering on our banking customers robust security needs in order to perform intra-bank transfers without the hassle. Together, with Futurex handling key management, we are delivering unprecedented levels of trust and security to ensure protection for signing keys. Cathy Minter, CRO of R3

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Futurex and R3 bringing HSM-backed security to Corda blockchain

The US Department of Homeland Security included blockchain technology among the critical and essential infrastructures for the Covid-19 emergency.

According to the official document published by the CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), the President has issued the Coronavirus Guidance for America, a document that lists the critical production sectors, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, which must continue to remain operational without blockages, limitations or interruptions.

In this regard, the CISA has drawn up a list of essential critical infrastructures, necessary to guarantee continuity of key functions for health, public safety, and economic security, and the operational roles that must continue to work.

Among these roles, blockchain managers have also been included in the section dedicated to Food and Agriculture infrastructure.

Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse workers, vendor-managed inventory controllers and blockchain managers.

The list of sectors defined as essential and strategic was then also shared on Twitter by the official profile of the Department of Homeland Security.

In light of this, blockchain operators cannot stop operating, not even where there is already a lockdown in the United States, because their role within the agricultural and food supply chain has been considered essential.

Moreover, it has probably also been considered necessary for the proper functioning of logistics, and in particular of the various supply chains.

Furthermore, the US government also received a suggestion from the CEO of Binance US, Catherine Coley, to use stablecoins to provide money directly to citizens.

Coley imagines a way to financially support American citizens, through universal payments or basic income. However, this should be done online only and exclusively, so that people dont have to physically move around in order to collect these funds, which is a sterile, efficient and accessible distribution.

That is why she proposes to use stablecoins, so that transactions can also be traced publicly and immediately.

In addition, since these transactions are blockchain transactions, they cannot be counterfeited and, thanks to smart contracts, they can also be programmed over time.

To date, however, there is still no official statement from the US government on this point.

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USA: blockchain among key infrastructures for the Covid-19 ...

New York, USA, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theglobal Blockchain IoT market is anticipated to reach $5,802.7 million by 2026 from $ 32.0 million in 2018, at a CAGR of 91.5% during the forecast period, 2019-2026, according to a report published by Research Dive. The report offers a brief overview of the market, its primary characteristics and differentiators, recent developments, segment analysis, and sheds light on the various facets of the competition the market has been going through. It also includes a summary of the market scope, size, trends and opportunities in the market.

Growth of the market

Blockchain IoT market is estimated to grow at a higher pace over the projected period, this is majorly due to the key factors such as raise in the implementation of IoT by various end-use industries. The growing necessity for IoT security and streamlining the business process across the world in order to improve work efficiency is another key factor that will upsurge the market growth in the near future. Additionally, the major growth prospects for the blockchain IoT market comprises of swift growth in the adoption of blockchain services for digital identity, rising government initiatives, and smart contracts.

Factors affecting the market growth

In spite of the wide range of advantages, major factors affecting the market growth are the lack of awareness and acceptance of blockchain technology. Higher latency with a rise in the number of nodes and uncertain regulatory status possess the major challenges for market growth.

Download Sample Report to Get Market Drivers and Restrain info.https://www.researchdive.com/download-sample/45

Key Segments

The report offers an overview of the global blockchain IoT market with a precise outlook of its primary segments. The report segments the market by offering, application, end-use, and region. Based on offering, the report bifurcates the market into hardware, software, and service. Based on application, the market is divided into smart contracts, data security, data sharing, and asset tracking and management. By end-use, the market is divided into energy & utility, transportation & logistics, manufacturing, building management, healthcare, retail, wearable and mobile devices, combined mode, volume mode combination, and others.

The hardware segment is expected to register the highest growth

The hardware sub-segment is expected to register the highest growth rate over the forecast period growing at a CAGR of 93.6%. This is majorly due to the task performed by the hardware in the IoT systems, such as fetching the data from the source location and deliver it to the cloud systems where the required tasks are being performed.

Smart Contracts segment is expected to grow at a lucrative rate

The blockchain IoT is widely used for asset tracking and management in the application segment and accounted for the largest market value in the year 2018 for $8.3 million. The data security is further anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 93.4% over the forecast period, accounting for $1,377.9 million.

Smart Cities segment is going to held the largest market share

The smart cities' end-use segment is further expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period accounting for $639.4 million growing at a CAGR of 39.9% over the forecast period.Smart cities are adopting blockchain widely due to various advantages such as smart connectivity, which helps in tracking the data, provides undisruptive transactions and decreases the security breaches.

Asia-Pacific to dominate the market during the forecast period

the Asia-Pacific market is expected to experience a swift growth over the forecast period, majorly due to the growing awareness among the people and increases in the adoption of IoT in various sectors such as healthcare, retail, and smart cities among others in the countries such as China and India.

Get a deeper dive on a specific application, geography, customer or competitor, 10% OFF on Customization:https://www.researchdive.com/request-for-customization/45

The report also highlights Top 10 Leading market players.

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Blockchain IoT Market to Flourish at a CAGR of 91.5% during ...

Don Tapscott, Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute, discusses the potential of blockchain technology. He explains how blockchain could be applied in the case of Coronavirus to provide transparency into product supply chains. He also discusses how blockchain can be used to ensure authentic COVID-19 testing supplies and accurate, digital medical records. In addition, Tapscott goes into detail about the promise of blockchain, the reality and blockchain and whats in store for the future. He ends by discussing COVID-19s impact on cryptocurrencies.

Don Tapscott, Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute, is one of the worlds leading authorities on the impact of technology on business and society. He has authored 16 books, including Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, which has been translated into over 25 languages.

Dons most recent book was authored alongside his son, Alex Tapscott, a globally-recognized investor, advisor and speaker on blockchain technology and cryptoassets. Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies is Changing the World was published in May 2016 and is, according to Harvard Business Schools Clay Christensen, the book, literally, on how to survive and thrive in this next wave of technology-driven disruption. The paperback version of the book, updated with new material covering recent developments in the blockchain industry, was published in June 2018.

In 2017, Don and Alex co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute, whose 100+ projects are the definitive investigation into blockchain strategy, use-cases, implementation challenges and organizational transformations.

Don is a member of the Order of Canada and is ranked the second-most influential Management Thinker and the top Digital Thinker in the world by Thinkers50. He served as Chancellor (2013 2019) of Trent University in Ontario, and is currently an Adjunct Professor at INSEAD. It is hard to imagine anyone who has been more prolific, profound, and influential in explaining todays technological revolutions and their impact on the world.

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Blockchain in the Age of Coronavirus - The Bad Crypto Podcast

Forte has established partnerships with five more game studios to make blockchain-based games that are integrated with Fortes technology. These companies will also benefit from grants from Fortes partnership with cryptocurrency Ripple to create a $100 million fund to invest in blockchain games.

The game studios include Hi-Rez Studios, maker of Smite; Netmarble, making of Marble Future Fight; Magmic, maker of card games like Simple Spades; nWay, maker of Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid; and Deca Games, maker of Realm of the Mad God.

These companies will try to unlock new economic and creative opportunities with blockchain, the transparent and secure decentralized ledger technology. Blockchain can authenticate digital items, such as virtual goods or characters in games. If you buy a blockchain-based item in a game, you can own it for good, and transfer it to other games (theoretically). You can also verify how rare it is, as it is uniquely identifiable.

We feel so privileged to be able to kind of partner with such a great group of developers, said Kaiser Hwang, vice president of marketing at Forte, in an interview with GamesBeat. Weve been looking for the most talented people and are trying to build partnerships. These developers represent a lot of diversity in terms of company size, experience, developing games, and also game experiences.

Other deals have not been announced.The developers are a mix of mobile game makers and triple-A makers of console and PC games.

Deep down, this has to be worked across any game platform, Hwang said. We want to build a platform that would work for anybody, any kind of developer in any type of game, and so it was kind of really critical for us to find developers who have that wide range of experience.

Above: Netmarbles Marvel Future Fight is a huge hit.

Image Credit: Netmarble

Forte chairperson Kevin Chou started the company as a way to help fix the problems in the industry, which is overly dependent on a small number of players to produce revenues in free-to-play games, where perhaps 2 percent of players will pay real money for a digital item. Chou believes that blockchain could build new monetization foundations for games, such as peer-to-peer economies.

He also sees it as a way to empower communities. In a multiplayer game, players often form groups like clans or guilds. The clans might be able to use blockchain rewards or items to incentivize their own players to go on a quest or do something for the clan. That means the players would have control over what happens with the blockchain items, rather than just the game developers.

We believe blockchain technology by itself as a technology is not enough, Hwang said. We believe this technology can have a really transformative impact on the industry in a way that benefits players and the developers. Thats why we work with the best game creators.

Above: Realm of the Mad God, a game where emergent player behavior became a significant factor.

Image Credit: Kabam

Earlier, Forte announced it was working with game developer partners: Disruptor Beam, Other Ocean, and Kongregate. Chou started as CEO, but he handed the reins over to Forte cofounder Josh Williams.

Fortes blockchain platform benefits both existing and future titles. The company said it unlocks never-before-possible revenue streams in traditional game designs, while being versatile enough to serve as the economic and creative foundation for blockchain-native experiences. In addition, it provides players with newfound benefits by giving their time and effort spent in games real-world relevance.

Hwang said blockchain brings a lot of unique benefits to games.

I think you hear a lot about digital ownership, but theres also provenance, he said. We see this as much deeper than just, Hey, I own something and then I can sell it. We want to unlock new creative possibilities. Maybe we can create a player-driven marketplace. Maybe we can offer in-game services. A developers can leverage those aspects to create new gameplay. If I track the history of item and whats happened to it, I can maybe integrate that into the lore and make it part of a VIP system. Theres so many different ways.

Above: Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is a cross-platform game.

Image Credit: nWay

As for the skepticism around blockchain and cryptocurrency in general, Hwang said, I think what weve generally found not even specific to games is that once people are actually educated on how the technology works and understand the benefits that it brings to games, a light bulb goes off and the person says, Oh, I get it. I just didnt understand it before. And so even when we talk to developers, a lot of it is just proper education.

Through its $100 million developer fund (announced a year ago at the Game Developers Conference), Forte is providing grants to qualifying game developers to integrate blockchain technology into both existing games, as well as bespoke projects. Forte does not ask for or require equity, revenue share, or other form of recuperation from developers.

Forte has about 90 people.

As for how much is being invested in each game, Hwang said, The blockchain technology will actually manifest in games in very different ways. Its kind of more of a creative decision. So we basically look at what at the game and decide what are the resources required to do this right. So the amount can vary.

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Forte recruits 5 more high-end game studios to make ...

Manufacturing processes are growing increasingly complex especially as the coronavirus pandemic spreads in todays global marketplace. With so many moving parts, its becoming more difficult to reliably and efficiently track actions and data along the supply chain. Blockchain-enabled smart contracts are emerging as a solution one that provides transparency and ensures everyone along the supply chain is following the same set of agreed-upon rules.

With everyone on the supply chain sharing the same logic and data, manufacturers can automate time-sensitive processes and avoid costly dispute resolutions. Blockchain is on the rise, and Gartner predicts that 30% of manufacturing companies making more than $5 billion in revenue will have invested in blockchain-powered projects by 2023.

Implementing the technology and data infrastructure to convert processes into smart contracts can seem daunting, and companies that dont hit the $5 billion mark will be slower to catch up.

The fear of failing after the investment can be a serious deterrent. But smart contracts save enough time and money for manufacturers that the costs of waiting might be greater than the upfront investment needed to get started.

The core values of blockchain are transparency and trust, and smart contracts play a pivotal role in providing these benefits. Taken together in a business context, blockchain-based smart contracts make it possible to avoid disputes. A smart contract is software that automates a single trusted version of an agreement between parties. They might rely on one version of data about whats happening (or has happened) and record the results of the contract, such as funds being transferred in exchange for using a piece of equipment.

Without smart contracts, businesses working together in manufacturing have to maintain separate systems that encode business rules with slight differences. The data they use might also vary from the data other companies use, making it difficult to reconcile any issues. These differences lead to disputes that require significant time and effort to resolve.

The automation and data standards that smart contracts provide allow manufacturers to consider different ways to work with partners along their supply chain. Their partnerships can be based on performance or quality in ways that would have been impossible to implement much less trust without the use of blockchain and smart contracts.

In a blockchain system, the word contracts doesnt carry the same meaning as legal contracts. Instead, smart contracts are more broadly used to encode logic that often isnt written explicitly in a contract. Unlike traditional software, theyre used to create business logic that multiple parties can rely on and trust.

Many of us are familiar with the concept of business rules in software systems. In the blockchain world, smart contracts are the business rules shared by the users of the blockchain. Think of blockchain like a shared database: Smart contracts are the rules that define how data can be entered or changed in the shared database. Within the supply chain, smart contracts are typically the rules shared by multiple businesses in the supply chain that are also users of the blockchain system.

For most applications, smart contracts can be executable versions of traditional business contracts, or they might be new logic that coordinates long-running processes and activities across different businesses. Theyre trusted because theyre created and housed on a blockchain, which means the code is typically visible to system developers, business analysts, and auditors.

Although smart contracts are triggered by some external event, such as a users action or a change in external data (a commoditys price, for example), the code they run is normally approved in advance by all businesses involved. Currently, businesses are already utilizing blockchain-secured smart contracts for a range of supply chain processes.

For example, some companies combine smart contracts with Internet of Things sensors to record the movement of supplies into a manufacturing facility. Then, they automate payment for those supplies. Others record the operating conditions of a machine to determine if maintenance is required or gauge the condition of manufactured products to ensure standards are met.

Such contracts produce equipment usage records and quality control checks in real-time, and parties on all sides of the contract can trust the data. How we handle everything from securing supplies to monitoring equipment and manufacturing products can be improved with the strategic use of blockchain-powered smart contracts.

As companies convert more intrabusiness processes into smart contracts, the benefits of doing so grow easier to recognize. Shipments and payment approvals can be verified in real-time, and disputes are eliminated or resolved immediately with no intermediaries. The time and cost savings are substantial.

By using these strategies to determine where to use smart contracts, companies of all sizes have a better chance at reaping the benefits much sooner:

1. Break down costs before the converting starts. The first time a company implements a smart contract, the costs of establishing the blockchain system will be relatively high. These initial costs can often be the biggest deterrent, especially for smaller, less tech-driven companies. Over time, though, the incremental costs of automating smart contracts will go down. Account for this initial cost by taking time to identify the contracts that are currently the most costly to execute.

2. Prioritize external contracts over internal ones. Not every contract needs to be a smart one. In fact, the costs of executing some processes might not justify the investment in automating them. Focus on agreements, contracts, and other expectations that are between the company and another business (or better yet, where more than two businesses are involved), and rule out internal agreements between departments. Because trust is less of an issue, internal disputes can be reconciled relatively easily. Putting them on a blockchain would just be overkill.

3. Focus on contract difficulty not frequency. Because the goal of automation is to create less work, its tempting to go straight for the contracts that are executed most often. Instead, focus on the amount of effort it takes to use each contract rather than how often its used. High-frequency contracts might be executed with few or no disputes, whereas low-frequency ones might be costly to manage due to complex and/or unclear terms. These are much better candidates.

4. Start with material sourcing for maximum impact. To know for sure which processes can benefit most from conversion into smart contracts, look for people throughout the organization who deal with reconciliation, quality control, and/or audit support. Also, consider the data used in each transaction. Between both parties, how important is trusting that data? Material sourcing is often ripe for improvement, and trust in data is critical to the relationship between manufacturer and supplier.

The ability to create smart contracts is becoming one of the best-known benefits of using blockchain technology in the manufacturing realm. Investing in the technology might be costly at first, but getting in on the ground floor will be easier if you use it to turn the right processes into irrefutable smart contracts.

____________________________________________________________

Alex Rosen is the vice president of business development at Chainyard, a blockchain consulting company focused on delivering production solutions that address financial services, supply chain, transportation, government, and healthcare pain points.

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How to Save Time and Money with Blockchain Smart Contracts - Global Trade Magazine

Tether, the world's largest stablecoin by market value, is now live on the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network.

Announced Thursday, Tether is using the Simple Ledger Protocol (SLP) as the technical means to launch its tether stablecoins (USDT) on the BCH blockchain. Tether aims for the token's price to consistently match the U.S. dollar on a 1:1 ratio and backs its value with assets.

Running directly on the BCH blockchain, SLP allows users to issue and manage tokens of various types. Tether said the launch means bitcoin.com wallet users which supports BCH and bitcoin (BTC) will be able to to send and receive USDT via SLP tokens, without the need for other applications.

Tether is currently live on the Algorand, EOS, Ethereum, Liquid Network, Omni and Tron blockchains with a total market capitalization total units in circulation multiplied by spot price of more than $5.6 billion, according to Tether Inc.'s treasury data. However, that does not seem to include any tokens on BCH as yet.

Our latest collaboration with Bitcoin Cash will provide Tether with a variety of benefits," said Paolo Ardoino, Tether CTO. "We expect the adoption after launch to be pretty easy for any integrator. The launch will also support more applications on the Bitcoin Cash chain, with Tether facilitating payment for these applications.

Data aggregators such as Nomics, Messari and CoinMarketCap display differing data for Tether's market cap.

Nick Gauthier, CTO and co-founder and Nomics, told CoinDesk the firm's API now tracks Tether's total liabilities. The firm is now displaying around $5.6 billion for USDT, matching Tether's stated figure.

CoinMarketCap, meanwhile, is currently displaying $4.6 billion, while Messari is closer to Tether's figure with $5.2 billion.

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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Tether Stablecoin Launches on Its Seventh Blockchain - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

NEW YORK, NY, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- iQSTEL Inc. (OTC: IQST), in conjunction with its recently acquired subsidiary ItsBchain, is pleased to announce the Pre-Beta test release of the blockchain-based mobile number portability and administration platform.

Smartphone shipments worldwide are projected to add up to around 1.7 billion units in 2020. By 2021, 40 percent of the world's population is projected to own a smartphone according to Statista.com. Global smartphone sales reached $522 billion in 2018. Claiming a 44 percent share smartphones, mobile phones and wearables are still the powerhouse in the $1.2 trillion technical consumer goods (TCG) market as GfK research noted.

While almost 40% of the worlds population owns a smartphone, changing carriers and maintaining the same number is still processed via an archaic days to weeks 2-party verification system. itsBchains developed mobile number portability application will allow the client to switch carriers in as little as 3 clicks, reducing the mobile number porting to mere minutes. The platform brings about an unprecedented level of transparency and security to the market using a combination of mobile applications with smart contracts and blockchain technology.

Mr. Iglesias, the Companys CEO, commented, We are very pleased with the rapid development and completion of the Alpha-testing phase. Our intimate knowledge of the industry along with extensive client and consumer discussions, brought about this highly in-demand platform. The blockchain-based platform is just the first of multiple platforms itsBchain and iQSTEL are working on to bring the telecommunications market into the 21st Century. We plan to offer this mobile application and blockchain platform to our current customers, the largest mobile operators in the word, as Vodafone, Telefonica, Millicom, among others.

About iQSTEL Inc.:

iQSTEL Inc. (OTC: IQST)www.iQSTEL.com is a Publicly Listed Company in US. iQSTEL is aleading-edge 21stCentury Enhanced Telecommunications Service Provideroffering a wide range ofcloud-based enhanced services to the Tier-1 and Tier-2 carriers,enterprise market, as well as the retail market. iQSTEL through its subsidiaries(www.etelix.com;www.SwissLink-Carrier.com;www.QglobalSMS.com;www.itsBchain.com) offers a one-stop-shop for international and domestic VoIP services, SMS exchange for A2P and P2P, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, 4G & 5G international infrastructure connectivity, as well as blockchain-based payment and phone number mobility platforms to international and domestic Tier-1 carrier for VoIP, SMS, and Data.

About Etelix.com USA, LLC:

Etelix.com USA LLCwww.etelix.comis wholly owned subsidiary of iQSTEL Inc. Etelix.com USA, LLC is a Miami, Florida-based international telecom carrier founded in 2008 that provides telecom and technology solutions worldwide, with commercial presence in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Enabled by its 214-license granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Etelix provides International Long-Distance voice services for Telecommunications Operators (ILD Wholesale), and Submarine Fiber Optic Network capacity for internet (4G and 5G). Etelix was founded in 2008 and has been profitable since inception.

About SwissLink Carrier AG:

SwissLink Carrier AGwww.swisslink-carrier.comis a 51% owned subsidiary of iQSTEL Inc. SwissLink Carrier AG is a Switzerland based international Telecommunications Carrier founded in 2015 providing international VoIP connectivity worldwide, with commercial presence in Europe, CIS and Latin America. SwissLink Carrier AG is a Swiss licensed Operator, having a domestic Interconnect with Swisscom, allowing their international Carrier Customers direct terminations via SwissLink into all Switzerland Fix & Mobile Networks. Since the takeover from Swissphone in November 2018 and the rename into SwissLink, they operate on a profitable level.

About QGlobal SMS LLC.:

QGlobal SMS LLCwww.qglobalsms.comis a 51% owned subsidiary of iQSTEL Inc. QGlobal SMS is a USA based company founded in 2020 specialized in international and domestic SMS termination, with emphasis on the Applications to Person (A2P) and Person to Person (P2P) for Wholesale Carrier Market and Corporate Market in US. QGlobal SMS has commercial presence in Europe, USA and Latin America. QGlobal SMS has robust international interconnection with Tier1 SMS Aggregators, guarantying its customers high quality and low termination rates, over more than 100 countries worldwide.

About itsBchain LLC.:

itsBchainLLCwww.itsBchain.comis a 75% owned subsidiary of iQSTEL Inc. itsBchain is a blockchain technology developer and solution provider, with a strong focus on the telecom sector. The company is the final stage of development of a series of blockchain solutions aimed at using the blockchain ledgerand smart contract solutions to enable more efficiency, quickness in execution and fraud-prevention in the telco industry. Specifically, the company is developing a solution that will enable users and carriers to transfer mobile phone numbers with just a few clicks, allowing users and carriers the ability to transfer retailusers from one mobile carrier to another instantly. Additionally, the company is finalizing a carrier-grade marketplace solution to procure payments between carriers for cross-traffic of VoIP, SMS and data realtime as traffic is crossed between carriers. This marketplace will allow for instant payment settlement as well as the prevention of fraud between carriers.

Safe Harbor Statement:Statements in this news release may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express our intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions or any other statements relating to our future activities or other future events or conditions. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and are likely to, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and iQSTEL Inc. undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release.

iQSTEL Inc.

IR US Phone: 646-740-0907, IR Email: investors@iqstel.com

Source: iQSTEL Inc.

http://www.iqstel.com;www.swisslink-carrier.com;www.etelix.com;www.qglobalsms.com;www.itsBchain.com

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iQSTEL, Inc. and itsBchain Announce the Pre-Beta Test of the Blockchain-based Mobile Number Portability and Administration Platform Has Been Released...

Despite the outbreak of coronavirus, China has clarified that it will be launching its national blockchain network in April 2020, as scheduled earlier. The Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform developed by the Chinese government in conjunction with tech companies and financial institutions.

The blockchain network will make it easier for users to deploy their applications without having to build their own distributed ledgers from the get-go. This will help blockchain-based firms in the country reduce their cost of operations. Unlike blockchain networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, which are public networks, BSN will adopt a permissioned system controlled by the government of China.

Despite the privacy lapse, the founding members of the BSN, which include the Chinese National Information Center, China UnionPay, Red Date and China Mobile, have said that the network users will greatly benefit in terms of cost reduction. According to the BSN whitepaper, most firms spend around $14,000 to develop, operate and maintain their blockchain networks for just one year. Thanks to the new network, businesses will be able to deploy their blockchain-based apps for just $300.

BSN users will only be able to share data with their trusted partners. However, the government will possess the root key of the platform, allowing them to monitor all transactions on the network. The BSN Development Alliance says that the network will have at least 100 functional nodes with thousands of users each by next month.

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Coronavirus will not delay the launch of Chinas national blockchain network - FXStreet

Asheesh Birla thinks blockchain technology is poised to dramatically overhaul the global financial sector.

Ripples senior vice president of product recently talked with SiriusXM business news host Randi Zuckerberg about his predictions for the space.

I think that this is going to really start taking off in the next two years, and within anything that is done in the financial space today via Citibank or the HSBCs and the JP Morgans of the world, its going to be reinvented using this technology.

And theres going to be a reshuffling of the world order, meaning maybe some of the largest banks today wont have that kind of role in the future as this world gets reinvented using technology in the blockchain.

Birla says Ripple is pushing to be the blockchain version of Amazon. The San Francisco startup currently has just over 300 banks and money transfers on its platform, RippleNet, according to the SVP.

However, Birla says there is work to be done by the US government which needs to establish clear regulations if it wants to take the lead when blockchain-based platforms and services proliferate across the global financial infrastructure.

Really, for the massive players to start coming in in droves, you need clear regulations, and I think the UK has done great in terms of a digital asset framework. I think that Singapore is really close. Asia in general is leading the pack, which is really different than the internet, when the US led the pack.

I think the US will find its way, but its taking a long time in terms of the US paving the way with clear regulations for institutions to use digital assets.

And until you have that youre not going to see some of the bigger players come in and transform the space.

The rest is here:

Ripple Executive Says Crypto and Blockchain Will Transform World of Finance, Changing the Way Banks Do Business - The Daily Hodl

Harmony, an open blockchain infrastructure, hazs recently announced that it will be working with Suterusu to incorporate new privacy features on its blockchain. Suterusu is a well-known blockchain privacy specialist.

cThe partnership is expected to add ZCash-level privacy to the Harmony protocol via trustless zk-SNARKs integration. Suterusu provides privacy protection services for major blockchains already. It will bring anonymous payments and confidential transactions to the Harmony network by establishing a privacy-preserving layer-2 protocol on top of Harmony blockchain.

A fully transparent layer-2 privacy-preserving of Harmony will help in facilitating DeFi and other decentralized applications more efficiently. The Harmony team noted:

We believe this kind of partnership will expand our ecosystem and enable better occupancy for confidential assets. The future of privacy is already here but unevenly distributed. This partnership comes to support our fundamental goals to be achieved within 2020, as outlined within the Harmony 2020 Roadmap, and includes: cross-border utility, decentralized development, and auditable privacy.

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Harmony blockchain has partnered with Suterusu - FXStreet

Blockchain Holdings (CSE: BCX) CEO Wayne Lloyd joined Steve Darling from Proactive Vancouver to discuss the acquisition of a company called TraceSafe. That company has patented technology that makes it easier for countries to track people who have been put in quarantine.

Lloyd talks about how the technology works and what he will be focussing on for the foreseeable future asthey plan to grow the company.

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Blockchain Holdings acquires TraceSafe and their patented technology - Proactive Investors USA & Canada