ENTERPRISE
IBM Joins Trade Finance Blockchain Platform We.Trade As New Shareholder
IBM has announced a new collaboration with blockchain-based trade finance platform, we.trade to enhance network capabilities and accelerate the global growth of the platform. We.trade was designed to connect buyers, sellers, banks, insurers, and other organizations in a network, simplifying cross-border trading. Built on the latest version of the IBM Blockchain Platform, IBM has been the platform’s technology partner since the beginning. We.trade was also the first enterprise blockchain consortium to go live, back in early 2018.
China’s WeBank Makes its First Move to Take its Blockchain Global, Partnering with Singapore's OpenNodes
China’s top digital bank WeBank has announced its partnership with Singaporean government-backed OpenNodes. This partnership will allow China’s FISCO BCOS blockchain platform to be brought to Singaporean academics for innovation and new initiatives. FISCO BCOS was deemed to be China’s version of Hyperledger Fabric when it was launched in 2018. The Financial Blockchain Shenzhen Consortium (FISCO) is backed by more than 100 Chinese organizations, including Huawei, Tencent, JD Finance, and WeBank, which is partly backed by Tencent. Developed by FISCO, the enterprise blockchain protocol was the first blockchain to be supported by China’s Blockchain Service Network.
Japanese E-book Publisher Turns to Blockchain for Distributiion in the Pandemic Era
A Japanese book distributor is mulling an investment in a blockchain-based platform to distribute e-books, as partial lockdowns due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue in Japan.
Visa Applies for Blockchain-Based Digital Currency Patent to Potentially Remove Physical Currency
Visa has filed a patent application to create a blockchain-based digital currency on a centralized computer, according to a publication by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patent was originally filed in November 2019, and was described as “Digital Fiat Currency.” The US dollar was mentioned as one of the fiat currencies to be used potentially, although the patent could also apply to other central bank digital currencies including the pound, yen, and the euro.
DBS Bank Joins R3-Backed Blockchain Trade Finance Network Contour Built on Corda
Singapore’s biggest bank, DBS Bank joined R3-backed Contour Network known for digitalizing global trade processes. Previously known as Project Voltron, Contour is a blockchain-based trade finance platform, built over R3’s Corda blockchain and was founded by R3 and major global institutions, including HSBC, ING, Standard Chartered, Citi Ventures, BNP Paribas, and Bangkok Bank, Bain & Company, and CryptoBLK. DBS Bank became the first Singaporean bank to join the network.
Could IBM’s Blockchain Platform be the Solution to Disrupted Healthcare Supply Chains Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic?
IBM’s Rapid Supplier Connect leverages the existing IBM’s blockchain platform, Trust Your Supplier, which is a blockchain-based trusted digital identity and supplier information that simplifies the supplier onboarding and supplier management processes while reducing risks. IBM is allowing qualifying suppliers to use Rapid Supplier Connect free of charge until August 31. New York’s largest nonprofit healthcare group, Northwell Health recently joined IBM’s Rapid Supplier Connect Network, a blockchain project that aims to tackle the disrupted healthcare supply chains caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Toyota Leasing Issues Debentures Using Blockchain in its $16 Million Thai Market
Toyota Leasing Thailand Co Ltd, the automotive leasing arm of Toyota Motor Thailand, has offered debentures through blockchain’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) in its 500 million baht or $16.4M market.
Ant Blockchain Open Alliance Seeks to Minimize Costs for SMEs
Ant Blockchain Open Alliance, an enterprise blockchain platform by Chinese financial giant Ant Financial, is purported to aid SMEs in generating their own blockchain applications at minimal costs.
UK’s First Regulated Crypto Bank to be Launched by Former Barclays Tech Head
The former Head of Technology for the Barclays group, and former CTO at Starling Bank in the UK, Mark Hipperson is planning to launch a regulated crypto bank with his digital banking venture Ziglu.
