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BIS Calls for Central Bank Digital Currencies Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has issued a report arguing in favor of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and digital payments amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The bulletin published by the BIS, a 600-member international financial institution representing the central banks of 60 countries, urges central banks to consider developing CBDCs in light of concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus through existing payment methods.BIS warns of COVID-19 transmission via credit card terminalsThe report notes a significant negative change in consumer attitudes regarding the use of cash in response to the World Health

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

Blockchain Provides Trusted Data to Counter Spread of Coronavirus

With each passing day, new data regarding the coronavirus pandemic is being brought to the public’s attention. From the number of cases in various regions to ever-changing safety procedures like wearing masks in public, COVID-19 data is clearly present, yet remains inconsistent.While a lack of accurate information may be frustrating on a personal level, ever-changing data is taking a toll on the health officials and researchers working effortlessly to help subdue the coronavirus crisis. To combat the issue, the San Francisco-based blockchain security company Hacera launched a data analytics platform

Market Volatility Continues Amid COVID19 Uncertainty

In times of deep crisis such as this it’s important to stay true to who we are and that seems to get more and more difficult the deeper we get. Last night, I engaged in an interesting discussion on social media when Bruce Fenton posed the question “Are mandated lockdowns right or wrong?” This is something that another bitcoin though leader, Jimmy Song, is on record as being staunchly against and the libertarian in me tends to agree. Jimmy’s point here is simply that a pattern has arisen throughout history

Battle of Elrond Launches on Samsung Galaxy Store

The Battle of Elrond, a blockchain-based game from Elrond Network, is now available on Samsung dApp store to give users of the Samsung Galaxy and Note, the opportunity to interact with a medieval multiplayer 5v5 PVP arena. The development, according to the announcement today, is a product of a collaboration between Samsung and Elrond. The game will support a blockchain-based in-game economy integrated by the Samsung Blockchain Wallet and new players will receive $ERD, Elrond’s native token, as a welcome bonus for 5 PvP games.  The move was first revealed

Google Chrome Leads the Pack, but Privacy-Oriented Browsers Gain Traction

In recent months, big-name players like Google and Apple have been going the extra mile to showcase their privacy features to the world. However, as most people are now aware, these multinational companies have business models that are centered around collecting and aggregating the data of their customers. In this regard, growing interest in privacy-first browsers like Brave clearly suggests a collective increase in internet users’ concern over how their personal information is being accumulated, stored and utilized on a day-to-day basis.Individuals all over the globe have become so accustomed to

Is Blockchain Necessary? An Unbiased Perspective

Yes, that’s the question we are asking today. Is blockchain technology necessary? The answer is tricky. To arrive at the conclusion takes an unbiased perspective. Bankers and people in the stock market will tell you that it’s the epitome of evil. Blockchain engineers and enthusiasts will tell you it’s the future of the world. The government, as usual, will be indecisive.Both are overly eager in their opinions, and both are unfortunately wrong. Blockchain is wonderful and revolutionary, no doubt there. But it has some very serious cons that are underplayed

AT&T Starts Appeal to Dismiss Crypto Investor’s SIM Swapping Case 

AT&T has moved to have a long-standing negligence case against it dismissed. Earlier this week, the company filed a motion to dismiss claims that it was complicit in a SIM swapping case that resulted in millions in crypto stolen from its customers. The case itself originated back in 2018, when crypto investor Michael Terpin sued the telecoms giant of negligence and accused it of being complicit in two separate SIM swapping operations. A Timeline of Terpin’s CaseAt the time, Terpin claimed to have lost almost $24 million, but was suing the firm

The Sandbox Sells 3400 Ether Worth of Virtual Land in Five Hours

The Sandbox (TSB), a mobile creation game on Ethereum, announced on April 1 that its third presale of virtual land had generated 3,400 Ether ($450,000) in sales.The March 31 presale sold 12,384 pieces of LAND — virtual spaces in the game — in just five hours. That equates to approximately 10% of the total 166,464 pieces in the game, with most of it snapped up in the first thirty minutes. TSB has quickly become one of the most coveted blockchain games on the market, with more than 40 million downloads. The