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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.

Exclusive: Access, Connectivity and Inclusion—How UNICEF Leverages Blockchain to Close the Digital Divide

Christina Lomazzo is the Blockchain Lead for UNICEF’s Office of Innovation; whose work mainly involves leading the blockchain efforts at UNICEF Ventures where she heads up a diverse team of six. Together they invest in early technology prototypes that they assess and determine could have an exponential impact on UNICEF’s operations and ability to fulfill its mission across the developing world.

Chinese Bank Issues the First Asset-Backed Commercial Paper in China on Blockchain

China Zheshang Bank, based in Zhejiang province has leveraged blockchain technology to issue the country’s first asset-backed commercial paper in the Chinese financial market. China Zheshang Bank successfully issued the “Lianxin 2020 Lianjie First Phase Asset-backed Commercial Paper,” which was worth 120 billion yuan ($16.93 billion). The asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) was issued as a part of the National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors’ (NAFMII) pilot project. ABCPs are short-term investments issued by financial institutions to support companies in their short-term goals.

Libra Appoints New Chief Compliance Officer, Third C-Suite Executive Appointed with a Strong Compliance Track Record

The Libra Association appointed Sterling Daines as its new Chief Compliance Officer, who is currently the Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Credit Suisse. He is expected to leave his position at Credit Suisse and join the Libra Association later this year. Prior to Credit Suisse, he was the Managing Director and Deputy Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Goldman Sachs and has worked as a consultant to the US Department of Justice and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Ethereum Hits Major Bullish Milestones in Anticipation of the ETH 2.0 Staking Upgrade

Ethereum wallets containing 32 more or more ETH, the amount needed to stake a validator node under the upcoming ETH 2.0 upgrade has hit an all-time high. The number of Ethereum network balances with 32 ETH or more has been nearing 120,000, in anticipation of the proposed ETH 2.0 update. Validating nodes will be replacing miners in the current proof-of-work system to validate transactions to maintain the Ethereum blockchain. Over the year, the number of wallets holding at least 32 ETH has risen around 15 percent, according to Nansen AI. Although the ETH 2.0 upgrade has been delayed several times, the major upgrade is expected to be deployed in July. 

How Can Blockchain Technology End Labour Market Woes?

In its usual bid to take over the technology ecosystem, blockchain technology can be instrumental in the fight against unemployment through a creative aggregation of data for easy verification. This is revealed in a research report published on June 8 and sponsored by the American Council on Education.

Billionaire Shark Tank Investor Mark Cuban Changes Tune on Bitcoin as Store of Value

Mark Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur who is famed for his investor role on Shark Tank - where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business models -has watered down his Bitcoin criticism as he views it as a store of value.

Fintech not Big Tech: Square is a Greater Threat to Banks than Google and Amazon

A recent survey of 300 senior executives at US-based mid-sized financial institutions found that more than half of bank and credit union executives view Big Tech companies like Amazon and Google as significant threats to the banking industry. Meanwhile only a third believe financial technology (fintech) firms will be a threat in the future, but are they sleeping on Square, Jack Dorsey’s financial technology venture whose stock price recently recorded a 20 month high.

Hong Kong Fintechs Embrace Blockchain and DLT

Blockchain firms make up nearly 40% of all new Hong Kong FinTech companies launched in 2019.

Central Banks Could Monopolize Commercial Banking Sector via CBDC, Says Federal Reserve

A new working paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia indicates that the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) may create a fundamental shift in the way banks operate.

Coca-Cola Vendors Accept Bitcoin in Australia and New Zealand

Amatil, the Coca-Cola company's biggest distributor in Australia and New Zealand has partnered with Centrapay, a payment startup to enable customers to pay with Bitcoin and other digital currencies.

Binance Accused by Chinese State Media of Operating Cryptocurrency Exchange in China

Chinese state media has reported that Binance is still supporting local users trading cryptocurrency, despite China banning all exchanges in 2017. 

Fidelity: 60% of Institutional Investors Believe that Digital Assets Have a Place in their Portfolio

Fidelity Digital Assets surveyed 774 institutional investors across the United States and Europe, and 80 percent of those who were surveyed found something appealing about digital assets. The research was conducted from November 2019 to early March 2020 and is the second consecutive year that Fidelity Digital Assets has conducted this survey for US institutional investors and the first for European investors. 

Tether CTO: Moving DeFi forward in Asia

Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Tether gives his take on the Decentralized Finance DEFI Ecosystem in Asia standing on the cusp of a global digital banking revolution.

CBDC for Stimulus Payments Advocates Honorary Christopher Giancarlo

During an open hearing by the House Committee On Financial services yesterday, the Honorable Christopher Giancarlo once again advocated for the use of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), effectively digital dollars, as a solution to directly distribute the COVID stimulus packages to citizens.

Microsoft Bitcoin-Based Identity Tool Launches Beta Version

Microsoft’s decentralized identity (DID) tool, ION which is based on the Bitcoin blockchain, launched a beta version on bitcoin's mainnet on Wednesday. 

China Issues New ‘Bejing Action Plan’ to Accelerate the Inclusion of Blockchain in the Economy

The Chinese government issued a new “Beijing Action Plan” aiming to accelerate the inclusion of new emerging technologies in the country’s economy. China aims to leverage new technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, industrial internet, blockchain, big data, and others to promote the steady growth of Beijing’s economy post-pandemic. 

Bitcoin Billionaires Movie to Tell the Winklevoss Twins’ Story

The Winklevoss brothers have teamed up with Stampede Ventures to bring their best-selling biography, ‘Bitcoin Billionaires’ to the big screen.

CoinMarketCap Users Says Exchange Rankings Make No Sense

CoinMarketCap is a renowned cryptocurrency and exchange data aggregator. Recently purchased by Binance, the site is currently under fire from users who claim that exchange rankings are being manipulated. 

US Stocks, Oil, and Bitcoin Price Plunge, Hinting Second Wave of Coronavirus Cases

Stocks, oil, and Bitcoin price have been plunging, as the market has been concerned about a possible second wave of coronavirus cases as lockdowns have been easing in certain states in the US.

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.”

German Deutsche Borse Exchange Seeks to Launch New Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Product for Trading

Bitcoin the world’s largest cryptocurrency is making another notable milestone in crypto history as it will be the first crypto asset listed as an exchange traded product (ETP). The company announced the exchange-traded product, popularly known as the Bitcoin exchange-traded crypto (BTCE) - is Bitcoin-backed security that would be listed and traded on Deutsche Borse’s Xetra market-based in Germany. ETP is a financial instrument whose value is based on the underlying security (such as currencies, bonds, and stocks) and is traded on stock exchanges. 

China's Tencent Forms Alliance to Boost Blockchain Development in the Country

China remains a pacesetter in the technological landscape. The Chinese government as well as Chinese companies are all in tandem with the fight to push for a whole new world of technological dominance. This developmental posture is also true of Tencent, one of China’s technologically focused firms that announced it has formed an industrial alliance that will help promote the development of blockchain technology. The alliance is set to recruit 100 members before the end of the year to create room for wider representation.

Coinbase Considers Support for 18 New Cryptos Including VeChain, Prompting Higher Prices

Coinbase is considering adding a new range of digital assets, including VeChain, Aragon, Bancor, Siacoin, Origin Protocol, and Ren to its potential listings.

China's Blockchain Initiative Hits Roadblock as Stakeholders Refuse to Share Private Data for Free

China’s blockchain initiative is going ahead full steam, but local and provincial officials are facing some resistance from stakeholders who are not enthusiastic about sharing their data.

Gemini Eyes Singapore Expansion With New Asia Pacific Managing Director

The Gemini crypto exchange, owned and operated by the Winklevoss’ Twins, has set its sights into a further expansion into the Asian market with the hiring of Jeremy Ng as Managing Director for Asia Pacific. Ng was formerly the CEO of Leonteq Asia.

India Darknet Policing Ramps Up Following Drug Racket Arrests

Law enforcement agencies in India are teaming up with national research and academic institutions to enhance their ability to police the darknet.

Chainalysis Adds Compliance Support to Track Privacy Coins Dash and Zcash

Chainalysis has just launched support for two of the most popular privacy coins, Dash and Zcash. Privacy coins are cryptocurrencies with privacy-enhancing features that allow users to gain total anonymity when making blockchain transactions. Privacy coins protect the identity of the users and the origins of the transactions, taking the anonymous and private nature of Bitcoin to the next level. Comparatively, Bitcoin protects some information, hence remaining pseudo-anonymous. The rest of the information, including transactions, addresses, and balances, is recorded in a public and permanently available ledger. 

US Democrat Johnathan Herzog Campaigns on Bitcoin for a Decentralized and Open-Source Future

In Bitcoin news, rising political figure and congressional candidate, Jonathan Herzog has been lashing out at the old guard of the US government, urging them to embrace cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Herzog may be the most crypto-friendly politician the blockchain community has ever encountered.

The Algorand Foundation to Integrate Chainalysis KYT for Transaction Monitoring and Compliance

The Algorand Foundation will be leveraging Chainalysis’ Know Your Transaction (KYT) for transaction monitoring and compliance processes after its integration. 

InvestHK unveils details of virtual StartmeupHK Festival 2020

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced details of its five-day StartmeupHK Festival 2020, which will run from July 6 to 10. Befitting its theme of startups and technology, the festival is making the unprecedented move of transforming from an in-person event to a fully virtual experience.

India’s Government Plans to Bring Back Law to Ban Cryptocurrencies

A report revealed that the Finance Ministry is now inviting other ministries to have a discussion of its earlier draft on the crypto ban introduced a year ago. 

Bitcoin Ransoms Doubled in 2019, New Report Warns Investors

Crypsis Group, a crypto forensics firm, noted in a recently released security report that crypto-ransoms, such as those involving Bitcoin, rose almost 200 percent for last year, compared to 2018. 

Chainalysis正式支持追踪隐私币Dash和Zcash

Chainalysis正式开始支持两种最受欢迎​​的隐私币Dash和Zcash。隐私硬币是具有隐私增强功能的加密货币，可让用户在进行区块链交易时获得完全的匿名性。

中国国有媒体指责币安在中国运营加密货币交易所

中国官方媒体报道称，尽管中国在2017年禁止虚拟货币交易，但币安仍在支持本地用户交易加密货币。

Bakkt And Galaxy Digital Announce New Bitcoin Service Aimed at Institutional Investors

Regulated bitcoin futures provider Bakkt and Galaxy Digital’s trading arm seek to cater to the rising institutional demand for Bitcoin. The two firms have just developed a new service targeting institutional investors looking to purchase and store Bitcoin.

Jun 10: Who says only Irrational Investors trade Bitcoin?

FOMC tonight with consensus heading rather dovish. For example MS expects Fed to switch to a monthly program of Treasury QE at $80bn per month with a dovish bias in projections. Of course, Powell isn't going to offer much clarity in explicit forward guidance. With Nasdaq crossing 10k momentarily last night (just 2 minutes), the market is starting to get excited. Nikola, a electric truck company with 0 earnings, has more than doubled in share price from last week, is now actually worth close to $30 billion (more than Twitter?).

Libra任命新的首席合规官

Libra协会任命斯特林·戴恩斯（Sterling Daines）为新的首席合规官，他目前是瑞士信贷（Credit Suisse）的董事总经理兼金融犯罪合规全球主管。

Ethereum User Paid $2.6 Million in Transaction Fees to Send Just $130

A user paid millions of dollars in Gas fees just to send $130 worth of Ether. 

币安推出季度交割合约

随着比特币（BTC）黎来愈被认可为可行的投资资产，人们期待它的未来价值。自第三次减半以来，比特币的价格在升穿10,000美元受阻；然而市场预计其将很快经历大规模的牛市。加密货币交易所币安推出季度交割合约及衍生品而迎合市场需要。

Binance Unveils Bitcoin Quarterly Futures

World's number one crypto exchange Binance unveils BTC Quarterly Futures for Customers with competitive offerings

Nobel Prize Winner Milton Friedman, Satoshi Nakamoto and Bitcoin

Nobel Prize Winner Milton Friedman, Satoshi Nakamoto and Bitcoin

Blockchain Interoperability—What Are the Key Drivers?

Blockchain Interoperability, the ability to connect different blockchain ecosystems, is gaining a lot of traction today. But, first of all, it is necessary to understand if we need interoperable blockchains. What problems do they solve? Or will they create more troubles? And finally, what are the various challenges involved in going down the path of interconnecting blockchains?