development
President Xi Urges Expedition of Blockchain Development in China
On Oct. 25, China’s President Xi Jinping said at the study session of the Politburo held on Thursday that the nation should accelerate the development of blockchain technology.
MoneyGram Continues to Receive Millions in Development Fees From Ripple
Ripple continues to pump money into MoneyGram remittance services in market development fees as compensation for providing liquidity to its ODL XRP network.
Bank of Japan Sets Up New Research Team For Digital Yen CBDC Development
Japan’s central bank has recently revealed that it has created a new team to research on Central Bank Digital Currencies.
COVID-19 Relief Spurs Federal Reserve Towards Digital Payments with FEDNow
The Federal Reserve is accelerating towards digital payments technology as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to provide faster methods of relief. The United States central bank has announced the development of its own platform—FedNow.
Hong Kong's Crypto Rise: Harbinger for China?
Hong Kong's rising status as a crypto hub amidst regulatory amicability sparks speculations on China's evolving stance towards digital assets. The significant crypto activity in Hong Kong, combined with its thriving Over-The-Counter market, reflects a conducive environment for both institutional and retail crypto engagements. As Hong Kong continues to bolster its crypto market, it might be hinting at China's exploratory approach towards understanding and possibly embracing digital assets in the long term.
Mercado Bitcoin, Stellar Team Collaborate on Brazil’s CBDC Project
Mercado Bitcoin and the Stellar Development Foundation will explore the possibility of developing CBDC solutions to meet Brazilian future payments needs in a digital economy.
Mysten Labs Partners with Alibaba Cloud to Bolster Sui Blockchain Ecosystem
Mysten Labs collaborates with Alibaba Cloud to enhance the Sui blockchain ecosystem, introducing AI-assisted development tools, educational programs, and global infrastructural support.
Bank of Japan Wants to Hear From Public About Digital Yen Development
The head of Bank of Japan (BOJ)’s payments and settlement systems department, recently said that the Central Bank was seeking public opinion on the digital yen.
Microsoft Develops Secret AI Chips to Reduce Development Costs
Microsoft has been developing its own AI chips since 2019 to reduce reliance on Nvidia’s GPUs due to rising costs. The project, called “Athena,” is already being tested by Microsoft’s machine-learning staff and OpenAI developers.
Hong Kong Boosts Web3 with New Task Force
On June 30th, 2023, Hong Kong's government revealed the creation of a pivotal initiative - the Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development. This significant step, led by Financial Secretary Paul Chan, includes fifteen non-official members selected from relevant market sectors, plus key government and financial regulatory officials.
Mongolia’s Oldest Bank Will Soon Offer Comprehensive Crypto Services
Mongolia’s Trade & Development Bank (TDB Bank), one of the oldest and largest banks in the nation, has announced plans to enter the crypto space.
Virginia Tech Study Reveals Geographic Biases in ChatGPT's Environmental Justice Information
Virginia Tech study reveals ChatGPT's limitations in providing local-specific info on environmental justice, highlighting geographic biases.
Singapore Unveils Ambitious National AI Strategy 2.0 for Future-Ready Innovation
Singapore's updated National AI Strategy 2.0, launched on Dec 4, focuses on expanding AI talent to 15,000, building an AI community hub, and integrating AI across various sectors for public good.
China to Strengthen Artificial Intelligence Development with New Legislation
China has included a draft AI law in its legislative agenda for the State Council in 2023, which will be reviewed by the National People's Congress.
SBI Holdings to Launch Investment Fund for Emerging Companies like Web3, AI, and Metaverse Startups
SBI Holdings plans to invest 100 billion yen in startups focusing on Web3, AI, and metaverse, with financial institutions supporting Japan's goal to nurture its startup ecosystem and enhance its Asian startup hub position.
National Bank of Georgia Considers Launching Its Own Central Bank Digital Currency
The National Bank of Georgia believes that the CBDCs have become essential for the financial ecosystem to improve financial inclusion and enhance domestic payment systems.
Binance CEO Emphasizes Importance of Understanding Crypto for Proper Regulation
During a fireside chat at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) discussed the importance of regulators having a deep understanding of the crypto industry to properly regulate it. He emphasized the need for regulatory clarity and engagement with regulators. CZ also suggested that government efforts to restrict traditional financial markets may push more people towards crypto, ultimately leading to mass adoption.
China intensifies focus on blockchain despite cryptocurrency stance
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology aims to improve its blockchain technology standards by 2025, calling for public opinion on the draft guidelines. Blockchain is listed as a target industry for growth in the country's 5-year plan.
Bluzelle Launch Looms as Decentralized Storage Goes Mainstream
Bluzelle, the decentralized data storage platform, is preparing for the launch of its mainnet on February 3, ushering in a new era for censorship-resistant data storage.
Washington Developer Harbor Custom Development to Accept Payments in Crypto
Real estate investors in Washington will have more options by paying cryptocurrencies, as the Washington-based Harbor Custom Development Inc is launching the service by the end of January.
Bangladesh Cashing in into the Blockchain Bandwagon Ahead of the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'
Blockchain technology has seen an increasing amount of adoption, from large conglomerates researching its uses and testing it out, to officials such as President Xi Jinping, endorsing and seizing the opportunities that it may bring. Dr. Mohammad Saifur Rahman, the US-based blockchain expert, said that blockchain can have applications in financial industries, including remittance, credit, and payment industries, as well as e-governance in Bangladesh.
SEC Files Motion Against Terraform Labs and Luna Founder Do Hyeong Kwon
The SEC has filed a motion in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Terraform Labs and Do Hyeong Kwon. The commission is seeking the court's permission to notice a deposition from Kwon or to preclude the defendants from using a declaration from him. The defendants have until September 26, 2023, at 12:00 pm to respond.
Stellar Development Foundation Invests in International Transfer Giant MoneyGram
Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) becomes a minority investor in MoneyGram during its go-private deal with Madison Dearborn Partners. This move strengthens SDF's role in MoneyGram's digital journey and fintech innovations.
Bank of England is for Stablecoin and CBDC, but Says ‘Bitcoin Has No Connection at All to Money’
The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, shared his views on Bitcoin and said that the cryptocurrency “had no connection at all to money.”
Polygon Labs Proposes Celo's Transition to Ethereum L2 Using Their Chain Development Kit
Polygon Labs has proposed a technical upgrade for Celo, transitioning from an independent EVM-compatible L1 to an Ethereum L2. The proposal uses the Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK), an open-source toolset that allows developers to create a ZK-powered L2 for Ethereum. Key benefits include enhanced collaboration, an EVM-equivalent environment, security, low fees, a unified L2 ecosystem, customization, fast transactions, and high standards of support. The proposal aims to achieve optimal technical upgrades for the blockchain community.
Head of Chinese Investment Firm Believes Blockchain will "Lead" China's Economy, Here's Why
China’s blockchain push seems never-ending, various governmental and financial officials of the country have, in recent times, spoken on the merits of blockchain technology and how a distributed ecosystem may help bolster the ongoing “fourth industrial revolution.”
PayPal May Be Considering Launching Its Own Stablecoin
PayPal may be looking to launch its own stablecoins in the future, as it has been reportedly been meeting with stablecoin developers.
Making Sense of the Cryptocurrency Market as a Beginner
The cryptocurrency industry can be a daunting place for beginners. Given the breakneck pace of development, sheer number of cryptocurrencies, and staggering wealth of information available, it’s not easy to keep up.
US NIST Initiates AI Safety Consortium to Promote Trustworthy AI Development
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched the Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium to promote safe AI development and responsible use, inviting organizations to collaborate on identifying proven safety techniques by December 4, 2023.
ECB's Digital Euro Development: An In-Depth Look at the Rulebook's Progress
The European Central Bank's Rulebook Development Group is enhancing the digital euro framework, focusing on operational models, technical architecture, and participant rights for seamless integration into the financial system.
Bahamas Ranks First as The Country with Most Advanced Retail CBDC Development
The Bahamas narrowly beats Cambodia because its CBDC is available to all citizens.
Allianz Advances with Blockchain-Based Token System
As the growing adoption of blockchain technology approaches the mainstream enterprises, the insurance giant, Allianz has also entered the blockchain sector.
Fed Chair Powell Asserts Money Supply is for Central Banks not Private Sector
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell asserted that the private sector has no place in money issuance and by extension the development of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
Chinese Premier Li Qiang Advocates Ethical AI Boundaries at Davos
Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Davos Forum calls for establishing ethical boundaries and good governance in AI development, emphasizing the need for global cooperation and inclusivity.
Japanese Lawmaker Urges Digital Yen Development to Curb China Dominance
Japanese Lawmaker, Kozo Yamamoto has called for the expedited development of Japan’s digital yen as the race to be the first nation with an operating central bank digital currency (CBDC) heats up.
Voltage Park's $1 Billion Cloud Infrastructure Targets ML Compute Shortage
Voltage Park, launching on October 29, 2023, introduced a $1 billion cloud infrastructure housing around 24,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs, aimed at redressing the ML compute resource crunch. A subsidiary of the Navigation Fund, Voltage Park aspires to democratize ML compute access, thereby catalyzing AI innovation across the spectrum.
Goldman Sachs Explores Development of its Own Digital Token
Leading global investment bank Goldman Sachs is examining options of creating its own cryptocurrency. The bank has appointed Mathew McDermott as the worldwide head of digital assets to spearhead the realization of this dream.
The Sandbox Appoints Nicola Sebastiani as Chief Content Officer
The Sandbox announced the appointment of Nicola Sebastiani as its Chief Content Officer to bolster its global content development. With a notable background from Sony PlayStation Studios and Apple, Sebastiani is set to enhance The Sandbox’s creator and content ecosystems. Alongside, executive promotions were announced with Mathieu Nouzareth now as Chief Business Officer and Amit Kumar as Chief Marketing Officer, marking a strategic move towards expanding its global community and fostering user-generated content in its decentralized virtual platform.
NEAR and Polygon Partner to Launch zkWASM
NEAR Foundation and Polygon Labs are collaborating on zkWASM, a zero-knowledge prover for WASM blockchains, to enhance interoperability with Ethereum and improve scalability and decentralization.
Coinbase's Base Bootcamp Launches to Address Onchain Developer Shortage
Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network, has announced the launch of Base Bootcamp, an eight-week, cohort-based program aimed at transforming experienced software developers into smart contract developers. The initiative comes as the blockchain industry faces a significant talent gap, with fewer than 30,000 onchain developers compared to nearly 30 million traditional software developers.
Elon Musk Moves Forward with AI Plans for Twitter
Elon Musk’s recent purchase of nearly 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) indicates his commitment to an AI project at Twitter. The project is reportedly in its early stages and uses a large language model. Musk has previously expressed concerns about AI and signed an open letter to halt its development.
Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey to Fund Bitcoin Development in Africa and India with $24.5M
To enable the penetration and adoption of Bitcoin on African and Indian soils, Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey are to give away $24.5 million in BTC.
TRON Launches Sidechain Solution & Aims to List on Coinbase
Tron (TRX) announced the launch of Tron’s sidechain solution, the Sun Network, as revealed in the company’s blog on 11 August.
Xbox Teams with Inworld AI for Game Dev AI Tools
Xbox and Inworld AI have partnered to develop AI tools for dialogue and narrative creation, aiming to empower creators in the gaming industry.
Arbitrum Community Pilot: Voting on the Distribution of 25 to 45 Million ARB in Long-Term Incentives
Arbitrum community votes on a pilot program to distribute 25 to 45 million ARB tokens as long-term incentives to protocols on its platform, aiming to enhance ecosystem growth and innovation.
Brazil Highlights Blockchain Technology as a Digital Strategy Goal
Last week, Brazil unveiled its Digital Government Strategy that highlighted the use of distributed ledger systems and blockchain technology to transform major parts of the economy, especially in a post-COVID-19 environment.
OpenAI Initiates Preparedness Team to Address AI Catastrophic Risks
OpenAI has launched a new Preparedness initiative, led by Aleksander Madry, to address catastrophic risks associated with AI models. The initiative will monitor, evaluate, and mitigate potential dangers, develop a Risk-Informed Development Policy, and launch an AI Preparedness Challenge to recruit talent.
UN convenes AI High-level Advisory Body for Global Governance
The UN Secretary-General is convening a High-level Advisory Body on AI to analyze and advance recommendations for global AI governance. Comprising up to 38 international experts from government, private sector, and civil society, the body aims to harness AI for humanity while addressing its risks. The initiative, which underscores the importance of a globally inclusive approach, seeks to align AI governance with human rights and Sustainable Development Goals.
DFINITY Unveils $20 Million ICP Asia Alliance to Propel Web3 Adoption
DFINITY Foundation launches the ICP Asia Alliance and a $20 million fund on September 28, 2023, to accelerate Web3 and AI adoption in Asia. The alliance aspires to unite diverse stakeholders, foster innovation, and catalyze the growth of the Internet Computer blockchain across the region, underlined by the establishment of multiple ICP.Hubs and strategic partnerships.
Here’s A Look at The Top Outlets For Blockchain Developers To Source Grants
Monetary grants are extremely important in any field - be it the arts, media, technology - especially nascent ones where there is a lot of scope for growth and development. For example, blockchain is one such domain which over the course of the last decade or so has seen an incredible output of innovation (ala smart contracts, decentralized finance, etc) from relatively independent developers working with limited resources.
Tertiary institution Signs MOU with Cryptography Development Initiative in Nigeria
As the rest of Africa makes an effort to secure a position of relevance in the blockchain space, Nigeria based Nile university has gone into partnership with Cryptography Development Initiative in Nigeria
How Blockchain Can Help with Vaccine Development Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
The need of the hour to combat the pandemic is a potent vaccine which needs to be available in a short span of time, yet developed by following rigorous regulatory procedures and in a trustworthy manner. How can technologies like Blockchain help in such an accelerated vaccine development process?
China’s Blockchain Services Network Now Under Major Development Alongside "Digital Fujian" Project in the Province
China’s Blockchain Services Network has been in development in the Fujian province, recently along with its 20 main blockchain projects.
United Nations Development Programme to Conserve and Increase Kazakhstan’s Forestland Using Blockchain
BitFury, a blockchain development firm has been making plans to get into partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in an effort to help the country reduce its greenhouse emissions by more than 15 percent as this would conserve and boost Kazakhstan’s Forestland.
Stellar Development Foundation Injects $5 Million Into Crypto Wallet Abra to Leverage Products Expansion
Abra is a crypto-financial services app that gives users exposure to cryptocurrency and stock investments. On the other hand, The Stellar Development Foundation is a non-profit, which supports the development of the Stellar network. The Stellar Development Foundation said that its investment would help Abra to expand its services and products on the Stellar network. Abra CEO Bill Barhydt stated that his team will leverage Stellar’s ability to use traditional banking infrastructure as it builds yet more banking tools.
Official State-Run Publication Reports Blockchain Development in China to Reach $2 Billion In 2023
Chinese publication, Xinhua, reports that blockchain technology will reach $2 billion in 2023 as well as this, blockchain development in China is expected to increase by a compound annual growth rate of 65.7% from 2018 to 2023.
Libra Association Appoints Steering Team to Oversee Its Cryptocurrency Network Development
The Libra Association has appointed a five-member technical steering team to oversee the ongoing development of the Libra project. Late last year, Libra made some important changes, including forming new firms and updating its mission to emphasize on payments instead of currency.
Twitter Takes on Decentralization with New Social Media Development Project
Bluesky – the new social media decentralized initiative, endorsed by Jack Dorsey of Twitter and five other programmers. Dorsey has dedicated funds for this new project, which ultimately will put social media platforms on blockchain.
France Seeks to Block Development of Libra in Europe
While speaking at a recent conference in Paris on virtual currencies, Bruno Le Maire, French Finance Minister said, “In these conditions, we cannot authorise the developments of Libra on European soil.