Innovation

Tim Draper: Pandemic Could Be The Tipping Point For Bitcoin

The global spread of the coronavirus played a major role in the dramatic 2020 stock market crash. The bailout bill for saving the world’s economy is $7 trillion and rising fast. Bitcoin bull Tim Draper believes this confluence of factors may be the tipping point that allows innovations such as Bitcoin and smart contracts to flourish.In an interview on April 6, the global venture capital investor said he was skeptical about the government’s infinite money printing bailout plan and said it would take years before that money “permeates” the global

Japanese Tax System Not Equipped to Handle Cryptocurrencies

Japan is planning to enforce new cryptocurrency regulations in the country in May but its existing tax system may not be properly equipped to handle digital currency transactions. According to a top government official, the system still needs some tweaks before it can manage crypto taxes.Japanese taxation regime needs a changeRepresentative Shun Otokita of the Japan Innovation Party held a Q& A session at the Financial Statements Committee on April 6. Therefore, he talked about the value of market research before introducing a separate tax regime for digital currencies. He

Investigating Digital Assets in Japan Stymied by Nature of Crypto

According to top government officials in Japan, the current national tax system is not yet capable of accepting declarations of digital assets, potentially leading to outflows overseas.In a Q&A session at the Financial Statements Committee on April 6, Representative Shun Otokita of the Japan Innovation Party pointed out the importance of market research for the introduction of separate taxes for crypto currencies.Otokita was concerned with the current high-tax system in Japan. He acknowledged that it would be difficult to quickly change the tax code to apply to digital assets, and

US Congressional Watchdog Quietly Reveals DLT Prototype Development

The United States Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Innovation Lab posted ads for job positions to develop “use case prototypes” for blockchain technologies in late-March.GAO is the supreme audit institution of the U.S. government and provides evaluation and investigative services for Congress.GAO to explore prototype applications for DLTThe two positions seek an ‘Interdisciplinary Computer Engineer/Computer Scientist’ and an ‘Interdisciplinary Assistant Director, Computer Scientist/Engineer’ to explore “emerging technologies” including blockchain.Both roles will be overseen by GAO’s Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA) Team’s Innovation Lab.The listings show that the lab is creating

Bank of Korea Launches Experimental Trial for National Cryptocurrency

The central bank of South Korea has announced the launch of its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project to determine the requirements of issuing a government-backed cryptocurrency in the future.  According to a report by Yonhap today, the trial which commenced last month is a 22-month program focused on the technological and legal provisions needed to launch a CBDC. The Bank of Korea (BoK) believes the possibility of issuing a CBDC in the future is slim because of the increased demand for fiat currencies, the competitive nature of the global

Ripple Funds Blockchain’s Disruption of the Legal Industry

A new blockchain course offered by the Australian National University (ANU)’s law school commenced this year with support from Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI).Cointelegraph spoke to Lauren Weymouth, the senior manager of the UBRI’s University Partnerships Program, and Scott Chamberlain, the academic running the curriculum, to find out more about how blockchain can disrupt the legal industry and the partnership between the ANU and UBRI.Chamberlain will be working alongside the developer behind the Toast XRPL Wallet, Richard Holland, to develop and deliver the course.ANU law school launches blockchain courseChamberlain

Staking, Consensus and the Pursuit of Decentralization

Oh, the wonders of decentralized consensus — that dream of permissionless blockchains to be censorship-resistant, trustless, collaborative and egalitarian for a potentially global community of users. While lofty in ideals, consensus is foundational for each crypto network, which must agree upon that most basic question of who decides what on the network.Decentralized consensus in the form of a proof-of-work mechanism was at the core of Satoshi Nakamoto’s innovation when creating Bitcoin — all additional protocol elements stem from PoW’s ability to reach consensus regarding the digital ledger through the computational work

Blockchain Experts Weigh in on Russia’s Controversial Coronavirus Tracking App

Experts suggest that blockchain technology could have been a better solution for handling coronavirus-related data in Russia.Moscow’s COVID-19 App is pulled from Google PlayOn March 25, an app called “Social monitoring” appeared in Google Play store. According to the app’s description, it was designed for social monitoring as well as for providing access to emergency services.Users soon noticed that the app required many sensitive permissions, including geolocation, bluetooth pairing, biometric data, and calls. Notably, the data was also being openly transmitted without encryption. The backlash against the app led to

Talking Digital Future: Smart Cities

My journey into smart cities and their future development was a really big surprise, as the way I arrived there was not something that I had planned. I was working as the chief information officer for a company in Northern California called O'Reilly Media when I got a call from a headhunter who asked if I would consider being the chief information office for the City of Palo Alto. I can vividly remember — it was only about eight years ago — my feeling when she asked the question. The

South African National Blockchain Alliance Holds Online Launch

The South African National Blockchain Alliance carried out an online livestream launch while the country is in the midst of a 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The organization was due to be launched at the beginning of April in Johannesburg but had to be taken online as South Africa and the world tackles a global health crisis.The launch happened during a livestream on YouTube on April 3, which included a panel of speakers elaborating on how SANBA will help nurture blockchain-focused startups and companies that

As Malta Delays Regulatory Clarity, Fewer Firms Remain on ‘Blockchain Island’

It seems that Malta is becoming both less popular among and less populated with crypto firms. The European Union country attracted dozens of industry players in 2018 on the back of the “blockchain island” agenda championed by the local government, but the relevant framework has not yet proven to be effective. Meanwhile, the official rhetoric apparently started to shift away from the blockchain sector, as the government now aims to consolidate it with “other niche sectors.”Meanwhile, the Malta Financial Services Authority, continues to pluck out non-registered crypto agents — be