Tag: Blockchain

Mastercard launches Mastercard Crypto Credential to boost trust in blockchain The Block

Duncan MacRae

Mastercard has introduced Mastercard Crypto Credential, a set of common standards and infrastructure that will help verify interactions among consumers and businesses using blockchain networks. Mastercard Crypto Credential aims to provide a foundation for financial institutions, governments, brands, and crypto players, ensuring that those interested in interacting across web3 environments are meeting defined standards for the types of activities they’d like to pursue. Raj Dhamodharan, executive VP, Blockchain and Digital Currencies at Mastercard, said: “Setting up and scaling trusted ecosystems to enable commerce is not new to Mastercard. “We’ve done…

Solana launches emissions dashboard to spur blockchain carbon footprint transparency

Tristan Greene

The Solana Foundation, in collaboration with data platform Trycarbonara, announced the launch of a real-time tracking dashboard to measure carbon emissions on the Solana blockchain.  1/ Today, the Solana Foundation is leading the charge in the climate fight by making Solana one of the first blockchains to have its emissions measured in real time, thanks to a new data portal created with TryCarbonara. Learn more: https://t.co/k4QsZmtjHn pic.twitter.com/gqPwpKtv3u — Solana (@solana) April 21, 2023 According to a blog post from the foundation, this represents the first “major smart-contract blockchain” to measure…

BIS, Bank of England concludes blockchain int’l settlements pilot

David Attlee

The Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub London Center have tested a distributed ledger technology-powered settlements system between the institutions. The insights of the project will be used by the Bank of England in its real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system. On April 19, BIS published a report about the joint pilot project with the Bank of England called Project Meridian. According to the 44-page document, the banks have successfully purchased houses in Wales and England through the synchronization network using distributed ledger technology (DLT).…

Blockchain platform for trading securities OTC moves forward with SEC approval

Ana Paula Pereira

A Delaware company is seeking registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to carry out over-the-counter (OTC) stock trading on-chain.  BlackStar Enterprise Group has been developing the platform since 2018 and spent almost two years in communication with the regulator, answering dozens of questions and comments from examiners. Recently, the company has taken the next step in providing a detailed plan to the SEC Trading and Market division about how its platforms will be operated. BlackStar CEO Joseph Kurczodyna told Cointelegraph that he sought the SEC’s permission…

Arizona governor vetoes bill targeting taxes on blockchain node hosts

Turner Wright

Katie Hobbs, the governor of the state of Arizona, has vetoed legislation that would have largely stopped local authorities from imposing taxes on individuals and businesses running blockchain nodes.  In an April 12 decision, Governor Hobbs issued a veto to Arizona Bill 1236, first introduced in January. The legislation aimed to revise sections of statutes pertaining to blockchain technology, largely reducing or eliminating regulation and taxation of node operators at the state level. “A city or town may not impose a tax or fee on any person or entity for…

Ethereum’s Shanghai Upgrade or `Shapella.’ Here’s Our Guide to Watch Parties, Blockchain Tools

Anthony B

As these things go, various factions of the Ethereum and blockchain communities are planning watch parties, while crypto analysts and blockchain historians are getting bearings on the best tools for monitoring the first-ever withdrawals of staked ether (ETH). (Trust us, it’s a big deal for Ethereum, and for the crypto industry in general.) Author: Margaux Nijkerk, Sage D. Young Source link

Polygon becomes second-largest gaming blockchain after user activity surges in March

Brian Quarmby

Surging user activity on Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Polygon in March saw the network become the second-largest blockchain gaming network in terms of unique active wallets (UAWs). According to the “Blockchain Games Report” published by decentralized application (DApp) analytics platform DappRadar, the number of UAWs engaging with games on Polygon hit 138,081 in March, marking an increase of 53% from February. That figure places Polygon well ahead of third and fourth-ranked Hive and BNB Chain at 84,000 and 80,000 UAWs, respectively, while first-placed Wax is well ahead of the pack…

Germany plans to issue electronic shares on blockchain, boost startups

Ana Paula Pereira

The German government is pushing for more welcoming regulations for startups working with financial innovation in the country, according to the newly drafted legislation of the “Future Finance Act” introduced by the finance ministry on April 5.  Key goals of the legislation include capital markets digitalization through the issuance of electronic securities on a blockchain and improved portability of crypto assets. According to a translated version of the draft bill, Germany’s “capital market should become more modern and efficient in order to mobilize more private capital for future investments.” Among…

Avalanche introduces ‘Evergreen’ subnets to connect institutions on blockchain

Helen Partz

Ava Labs, the developer of the Avalanche layer-1 blockchain platform, is introducing new institutional deployments to improve the blockchain environment. On April 6, Ava Labs introduced Avalanche Evergreen Subnets, a suite of institutional blockchain tooling and customizations designed to address company-specific requirements for financial services. The new product aims to allow institutions to maintain control over their blockchain environment while enabling intercompany communication, Ava Labs’ institutional business development director, Morgan Krupetsky, told Cointelegraph. “Currently, many institutions are building use cases on enterprise blockchains such as Corda, Hyperledger, Quorum or R3, which…

A spotlight on Binance, Galaxy Digital swings to profit, China’s blockchain push

Ana Paula Pereira

Regulators in the United States have a fresh target on their radar: Binance. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has sued the world’s biggest crypto exchange by trading volume for regulatory violations. Accusations range from insider trading to concealing office locations around the world to evade authorities’ oversight.  Binance denies the claims, suggesting another court battle between crypto firms and U.S. regulators is just around the corner. On another front, Binance’s U.S. arm must wait to close its $1 billion deal for Voyager Digital’s assets until the Department of Justice…