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World Economic Forum Blockchain Lead Explains: To What Extent Can Blockchain Solve Supply Chain Issues?
Blockchain.News exclusively interviewed the World Economic Forum’s blockchain project lead, Nadia Hewett, to get to know more about the Forum’s current blockchain development in the supply chain, and the organization’s future roadmap. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently published a new blockchain deployment toolkit aimed to help governments, major institutions, and companies of any size to be able to maximize the benefits of integrating blockchain technology in the supply chain sector. The Forum also highlighted the importance of blockchain for addressing the disruption of supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UAE's Central Bank Completes Wholesale CBDC Pilot Program
UAE's Central Bank has completed running its wholesale CBDC trials, readying for the next development phase.
Bank of Russia Delays CBDC Pilot Rollout
The Bank of Russia's CBDC pilot rollout has been delayed indefinitely due to legislation only passing through the first reading. The number of participating private banks has also changed to 13 from 15, with the pilot involving real operations and limited consumers.
OKX Wallet Integrates Oxalus, Aark Digital, KiloEx, and Pendle in One Week
OKX Wallet has partnered with Oxalus, Aark Digital, KiloEx, and Pendle in just one week, solidifying its position in the blockchain and cryptocurrency landscape.
Standard Chartered's Virtual Bank, Mox Will Usher in New Era of Banking for Hong Kong
Mox Bank Limited, or Mox, the new virtual bank in Hong Kong recently launched by Standard Chartered, has now been made available to select customers via invitation in an external pilot. The aim of the pilot is to prepare the state-of-art virtual bank for the public launch scheduled for later this year.
NBG Georgia Shortlists Ripple Among Tech Firms for CBDC Pilot
The National Bank of Georgia progresses with its Digital GEL Pilot Project, focusing on the exploration of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) technology. Nine technology firms, including Ripple Labs, Inc., have been shortlisted for potential collaboration. The initiative mirrors global trends in modernizing financial infrastructures to meet the digital economy's evolving demands.
Chinese State-Owned Banks Start Exploring Digital Yuan Use-Cases for Buying Investment Funds & Insurance Products
Two Chinese state-owned banks have begun working to fund management and insurance companies to explore the use cases of digital yuan CBDC for purchasing investment funds and insurance products online.
R3 Highlights the Transformative Potential of Tokenization in Finance
R3, a leading enterprise blockchain software firm, discusses the transformative potential of tokenization in the financial sector. The company emphasizes the need for regulatory frameworks and industry standards to unlock the full benefits of digital assets. According to a June 2023 report from Bernstein, $5 trillion in assets could be tokenized in the next five years, offering significant opportunities for market participants.
AI's 2024 Outlook: Insights from Germanidis, Hooker, Liang, Luccioni, Moiloa, and Scott
Batch Issue 229 envisions AI's 2024 vision, emphasizing inclusive, transparent, and ethical development, focusing on multimodal models, real-time interactivity, language gap, transparency, governance, and human contributions.
Binance Labs Invests in AltLayer, KiloEx, Kinza, and Sleepless AI as Part of the MVB Program
Binance Labs invests in AltLayer, KiloEx, Kinza, and Sleepless AI in the MVB Program's sixth season, supporting DeFi, infrastructure, and Web3 gaming.
Tackling DeFi Scams: Making Pre-sale Ecosystems Safer
Investors are aware that “rug pull” scams have negatively affected the reputation of the DEFI/DEX space in recent times. But liquidity protocols could be an effective solution.
Morgan Creek Digital to Raise $250m, Balancing BlockFi's Bailout from FTX
Bailing out the crypto lending platform BlockFi has come off as one of the most significant endeavours for early investors in the company such as Morgan Creek Digital.
In Talks with "Interested Parties" for Bailout, Says Zipmex
Zipmex cryptocurrency trading platform is looking ahead as it has confirmed that it is in talks with interested parties who would like to bail out the platform from its recently identified woes.
GitHub Copilot X: The Future of AI-Powered Software Development
GitHub Copilot X is an AI pair programmer integrating into developers' workflow. It offers context-aware conversations, personalized documentation, pull request support, and CLI assistance, aiming to enhance productivity and code quality.
US-Based Mortgage Firm Permits Homebuyers to Use Crypto Holdings as Collateral
Milo, a financial technology company that reimagines mortgage credit, removes the obstacle for down payments if homebuyers use crypto holdings as collateral for home loans.
Microsoft Unveils Free Copilot AI App for Android, Featuring GPT-4 and Challenging Paid Alternatives
Microsoft's Copilot AI app for Android, incorporating GPT-4, challenges paid alternatives with advanced text and image capabilities, enhancing the Microsoft ecosystem and preparing for an iOS version.
Ghana Confirms Its Interest in Piloting Central Bank Digital Currency
Ghana has confirmed that it is on the hunt for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The Bank of Ghana’s deputy governor, Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, recently revealed that the country’s central bank remains committed to piloting a national digital currency. He made such remarks during a virtual stakeholder workshop on payment systems and services as reported by GhanaWeb local news outlet.
NVIDIA and NSF Launch Groundbreaking NAIRR AI Research Initiative
NVIDIA and the NSF partner to launch the NAIRR pilot, a major initiative to advance AI research in the U.S. by providing resources and promoting responsible AI innovation, strengthening America's global AI competitiveness.
Ethereum Layer 2s Surpass Prominent Layer 1s in Total Value Locked
The surge of Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum, Optimism, and BASE, overtaking Layer 1 blockchains Solana and Avalanche in terms of Total Value Locked (TVL) as of September 25, 2023, highlights the pivotal role of Layer 2s in augmenting the scalability and transactional efficiency of the Ethereum network. The data underscores a growing preference for Layer 2 solutions, demonstrating their potential in enhancing the blockchain technology landscape.
Australia Sponsors Two Blockchain Pilot Projects for AU$5.6M
The Australian government has allocated more than 5.6 million Australian dollars to support two domestic blockchain pilot projects, enhancing the domestic productivity and competitiveness of the Minerals and Food and Beverage sectors.
Microsoft Copilot: SMEs with Affordable AI Integration
Microsoft's introduction of Copilot AI for SMEs, with individual subscriptions at $20 and business plans at $30 per month, brings advanced AI capabilities, including GPT-4 Turbo, to small and medium-sized businesses, enhancing productivity and decision-making.
Shiba Inu Prepares NFT Crypto Game Shiba Eternity’s Last Pilot Test in Australia
The first testing of Shiba Eternity took place in Vietnam, where in the recent past Axie Infinity, a blockchain-based play-to-earn game, exploded as a viable source of income among users.
Australias Commonwealth Bank Halts Crypto Rollout
CBA conducted an initial pilot but paused the project with no time set when the second pilot would take place.
McDonald's, Subway and Starbucks Among the First to Trial China's Digital Yuan
Mcdonalds has been named along with coffee giant Starbucks as one of the 19 restaurants that will be first to try out China’s Digital Yuan in the new district of Xiong’An.
Bank of Korea Initiates CBDC Pilot Plan on Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
Samsung Electronics will participate in South Korea’s Central Bank Digital Currency pilot project. The electronics tech giant will help to determine whether CBDC transactions could be conducted on smartphones without the availability of an internet connection.
China's Central Bank Says Digital Yuan Will Not Raise Inflation
Bank of China claims that the introduction of digital yuan will not cause the occurrence of inflation.
FTX Proposes Joint Proposal to Bailout Bankrupt Voyager's Customers
FTX has announced a joint plan that seeks to see Voyager digital customers immediately receive some of their funds. The proposal expects Voyager to continue pursuing Three Arrows Capital for additional recoveries.
Startup Nilos Raises $5.2M in Funding Round for Business Development
Nilos has announced that the funds will be used for bringing in new clients, finance research and development, and building the sales and marketing team.
Yellen Works with Regulators to Address Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is working with regulators to address the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), one of the top 20 largest banks in the US. Yellen has stated that they are focused on protecting depositors, particularly small businesses that employ people across the country, and that they are considering a range of available options, including acquisitions from foreign banks.
Bailout Might Not the Best Option for Saving Poor Crypto Projects, Says CZ
Binance boss Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said not all firms are meant to be saved, and he implied that this current economic meltdown that has rubbed off on the crypto industry is just a way to expose the firms without concrete business models.
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.
South Korea’s Central Bank Launches Central Bank Digital Currency Pilot Program in Case of Future Necessity
South Korea’s central bank recently announced that it has launched a pilot program assessing the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The Bank of Korea has stated that there are no immediate plans to launch a CBDC, however, the pilot program will allow the central bank to be prepared in the future if the changing market conditions require its issuance.
Determinism: The Philosophy of Blockchain
Determinism, free will, and blockchain? What do these seemingly disparate concepts have in common? A lot, as it turns out.
eBay Acquires AI-Powered Digital ID Prvoder Certilogo
eBay Inc., a global commerce leader, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Certilogo, an AI-powered provider of digital IDs and authentication for apparel and fashion goods. This move is set to bring new, 'Secure by Design' digital ID technology to eBay's fashion category, expanding opportunities in the circular economy.
India’s Central Bank to Begin Testing Its CBDC in December
The governor of India’s central bank recently said that the regulator is preparing to start trial programs for its digital rupee by December. The central bank revealed that it will examine the functionality of the national central bank digital currency to ascertain the suitability of the underlying technology.
Santa Cruz Adopts Blockchain for Govt Services
Santa Cruz County in California is set to launch a pilot program using a blockchain-powered digital wallet for government services, including bicycle registration and RV parking registration. The program, powered by HUMBL, will launch in July 2023 and run a three-stage pilot program. The county aims to provide a formal report and rollout plan for the digital wallet by September 2023.
Ukraine Plans to Pilot CBDC Digital Hryvnia for Salary Payments
Ukraine has announced pilot testing plans for central bank digital currency to pay the national digital currency (CBDC) to its workers' salaries.
Tron Founder Justin Sun Wants to Spend $5B to Save Distressed Crypto Firms
While there has been no news of Tron bailing out any crypto firm thus far, Sun said he is willing to commit as much as $5 billion to save distressed crypto outfits
FTX Still Has a Few Billion to Spare for Struggling Crypto Firms, Sam Bankman-Fried Says
FTX, a leading crypto exchange, is willing to splash a few billion to help struggling companies amid the present cryptocurrency winter, according to the exchange’s CEO and founder, Sam Bankman-Fried.
JICWEBS Blockchain Pilot Project Attracts Four Media Gurus
JICWEBS blockchain pilot project is touted to be a gamechanger in digital advertising as it will optimize transparency, productivity, and trust. This aspect has, therefore, made four media agencies, namely Havas, OMG, Zenith, and Mindshare, to join this initiative.