Tag: Blockchain

Blockstream Opens R&D Center in Lugano to Advance Bitcoin Innovation

Summary

To support Bitcoin layer-2 developments and the expansion of financial technology, Blockstream, a well-known Bitcoin infrastructure company, has established a new research and development facility in Lugano, Switzerland.

Blockstream’s Strategic Move in Lugano

Blockstream’s R&D hub in Lugano aims to boost innovation in Bitcoin’s Liquid and Lightning networks. The center will bolster Lugano’s position as a center for blockchain development by providing grants, mentorship, and assistance to local startups. The city is also well-known for launching a statue of Satoshi Nakamoto and holding recent Bitcoin events.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Chainlink and AI Join Forces as Big Banks Tackle $3.1 Trillion Challenge

Funding and Layer-2 Development

The new R&D center follows Blockstream’s recent $210 million funding to drive Bitcoin layer-2 growth, expand its BTC holdings, and enhance mining operations. Blockstream’s previous investment rounds centered on cryptocurrency mining and growing the Bitcoin finance ecosystem are complemented by this endeavor.

Tools for the Bitcoin Community

Blockstream’s product suite includes Blockstream Green, a secure BTC wallet, and Greenlight, which simplifies BTC payment integration for developers. Additionally, the Liquid Network, launched in 2018, provides a platform for inter-exchange transactions, supporting brokers and market makers within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Galaxy Digital Turns to AI Innovations Amid Bitcoin Mining Challenges

Chainlink and AI Join Forces as Big Banks Tackle $3.1 Trillion Challenge

Summary

Chainlink is taking in charge of a huge issue in finance, the data fragmentation. Its solution includes blending AI , oracles and blockchain techs. According to them, Chainlink’s Oracle protocol will give financial institutions access to real time and standardized data and it even automates every validation making everything much faster and way more accurate. Its definitely a game changer for cutting through the messy data systems that banks have struggled with for years.

Rise of artificial intelligence has no doubt gained major traction by investors and businesses alike over the past year. AI makes every thing much easier by giving quick solutions to most daily internet surfing problems, this might be the reason why chatGPT is so mainstream right now. Its amazing search engine has made lives of millions easier and hence have uplifted the “AI” name as a whole.

Financial industry have always faced a daunting challenge named, fragmented data concerning with corporate actions such as mergers, dividends, and stock splits. These fragmentations leads to a very messy and inaccurate calculations which often lead to institutions losing $3 million to $5 million every year. In the midst of this Chainlink emerged as the savior as it has taken responsibility to solve this with an innovative solution.

Basically Chainlink plans on mixing AI, oracles and blockchain to create a single, reliable data source, or “Unified Golden Record,” for financial info. Its reportedly working with big names such as Swift, Euroclear and UBS which helps in Chainlink’s oracle to pull real world data into its blockchain systems. This really makes everything more accessible and trustworthy for banks, asset managers, and investors as a blockchain system is transparent and secure. Additionally it is also integrating popular AI models like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini to further boost data accuracy and transparency across both private and public blockchains. This behind-the-scenes innovation could completely streamline outdated financial workflows.

Read more about : Chainlink Merges AI, Blockchain, and Oracles to Deliver Real-Time Market Data On-Chain

Layer 2 Network Taiko Achieves Remarkable 1,000% Growth in TVL on Ethereum

Summary

Taiko’s Ethereum Layer 2 network is going absolutely bonkers right now! Its total value locked (TVL) shot up by over 1000%, reaching a crazy height of $81 million. That’s not it, as their daily transactions have also skyrocketed to 5 million which indicates more people joining in on Ethereum Layer 2 to make their lives easier through faster and cheaper transactions. Taiko’s big numbers are huge flex in the L2 game and signals huge adoption in the Ethereum ecosystem.

Taiko is an L2 scaling solution for the Ethereum Blockchain. In simple words, its designed to make transactions faster and more affordable while keeping Ethereum’s security and decentralization. Reports say it has seen major growth over the last month, according to DefiLlama, the total value locked on Taiko has increased more than 1,000% which led it to reach cross its all time high and stay at $81 million.

Main reason behind this is its big moves on Ethereum’s Layer 2. Its native decentralized exchange (DEX), Panko Finance, and lending platform Avalon Finance are leading the charge and reports say each of these platforms holds over $30 million in total value locked (TVL). According to a report Taiko network has crossed a record breaking 5 million transactions on November 4 2024. Well, this just shows how popular its becoming with both users and investors. Its clear Taiko is becoming an obvious go-to for anyone looking to seriously scale on Ethereum Layer 2.

Read how: Trump Victory Creates Over 11K New Bitcoin Millionaires

Arkham Launches Perpetuals Exchange with On-Chain Auditing and Rewards

In brief

According to a release from Arkham Intelligence, the Arkham Perpetuals Exchange, a platform for trading spot and perpetual futures, will launch on Wednesday. The proof of reserves and on-chain auditing elements of the exchange will provide transparency for users. Arkham will also have a point-based rewards system that lets users trade points for the ARKM token, but access may vary by region.

Arkham Perpetuals Exchange: Transparent, On-Chain Auditing

The new Arkham Perpetuals Exchange is built for spot and perpetual futures trading, focusing on transparency with on-chain auditing and verifiable proof of reserves. This setup aims to meet demand for secure, accountable trading environments, providing users with insights directly from Arkham’s blockchain-based verification tools.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: MANTRA and Libre Capital Partner to Launch Tokenized Money Market Funds

Integrated Analytics for Enhanced Trading

Arkham’s platform integrates seamlessly with its existing analytics suite, offering users research and investigative tools to support trading decisions. This combination allows traders to access data-driven insights and track trends without leaving the platform, creating a more robust trading experience.

Point-Based Incentives and Restriction by Jurisdiction

Arkham Points, which are obtained through trading volume and exchanged for ARKM tokens after 30 days, are being introduced by Arkham in an effort to increase involvement. VIP accounts are rewarded much more. However, regulatory limitations limit distribution in some areas, like as the U.S., highlighting Arkham’s dedication to operating in a compliant manner in the crypto arena.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Kraken, Galaxy Digital, and Robinhood Back New USDG Stablecoin via Global Dollar Network

MANTRA and Libre Capital Partner to Launch Tokenized Money Market Funds

Summary

Using MANTRA’s blockchain and Libre’s tokenization capabilities, MANTRA and Libre Capital have partnered to provide institutional and accredited customers with on-chain access to tokenized real-world asset (RWA) investments, such as money market and hedge funds.

Institutions’ Tokenized Investment Access

The partnership between UAE-based Libre Capital and Layer-1 blockchain MANTRA aims to offer tokenized investment options in hedge funds, money market funds, and private credit to MANTRA’s accredited and institutional customers. In order to increase on-chain investment access, our collaboration integrates Libre’s issuance capabilities with MANTRA’s RWA-focused blockchain.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Kraken, Galaxy Digital, and Robinhood Back New USDG Stablecoin via Global Dollar Network

The Libre Gateway DeFi Solution

The Libre Gateway DeFi dApps, developed by Libre, will serve as the integration tool to allow eligible institutional investors on MANTRA access to top-tier, tokenized money market funds. This compliant access will bring institutional-grade finance to the blockchain ecosystem.

Statements from Executives at MANTRA and Libre

John Patrick Mullin, co-founder and CEO of MANTRA, highlighted the collaboration, saying it will provide users with the tools they need to grow the RWA economy. Dr. Avtar Sehra, the CEO of Libre, expressed optimism about expanding Libre’s tokenized asset offering by utilizing MANTRA’s RWA infrastructure.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Bitcoin Surges as Election Day Voting Boosts Market Hype

RWA Expansion with MANTRA’s Accelerator Initiative

Since MANTRA Chain’s mainnet became live in October, the network has partnered with Google Cloud as an infrastructure partner and validator. The accelerator program, which is scheduled to begin in early 2024, is intended to support MANTRA’s RWA market.

Kraken, Galaxy Digital, and Robinhood Back New USDG Stablecoin via Global Dollar Network

Summary

Paxos created USDG, a regulated stablecoin that is supported by well-known cryptocurrency companies Kraken, Galaxy Digital, and Robinhood. As a member of the Global Dollar Network, the stablecoin is expected to face competition from big heavyweights like Circle and Tether.

USDG Launch with Industry Support

Prominent crypto companies including Kraken, Galaxy Digital, and Robinhood are supporting USDG, a newly launched dollar-backed stablecoin from Paxos. According to a Nov. 5 announcement, the Global Dollar Network—a consortium of firms backing USDG—has been formed, with partners like Anchorage Digital, Bullish, Nuvei, and DBS Bank. USDG is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and backed by liquid U.S. dollar reserves.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Polkadot Teams Up with SP Negócios to Boost Crypto Economy Growth

Compliant and Globally Expandable

USDG began operations on the Ethereum blockchain on October 31 and intends to spread to other networks as stablecoin laws change. Managed by DBS Bank in Singapore, the stablecoin is redeemable for fiat currency and is compliant with Singapore’s regulatory framework.

Addressing Market Gaps

In order to assist the stablecoin market reach its full potential, the consortium intends to solve “the lack of competition,” according to Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi. Sethi believes USDG will foster mainstream adoption and “accelerate new use cases” for digital assets.

Growth Driven by Consortiums

The USDG reserve yields will be used to reward consortium members, promoting worldwide adoption. Exchanges, banks, fintech companies, and payment providers are among the areas the network plans to onboard partners from, even though it is presently in an invite-only phase.

Going up against Circle and Tether

Since USDG is Paxos’s second stablecoin, it can rival well-known stablecoins like Tether and Circle’s USDC. With the planned entry of new players like Ripple with RLUSD and Stripe through its acquisition of stablecoin provider Bridge, the competition is anticipated to get more fierce.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: JPMorgan to Launch Dollar-Euro FX Settlements on Kinexys Blockchain

JPMorgan to Launch Dollar-Euro FX Settlements on Kinexys Blockchain

An overview

Using its digital token JPM Coin, JPMorgan Chase will soon launch quick dollar-euro foreign exchange settlements on its Kinexys blockchain. The bank wants to advance blockchain-based financial products and access FX revenue.

Instant Dollar-Euro FX Settlements

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is set to roll out blockchain-based foreign exchange settlements for dollar-euro transactions via its Kinexys platform. According to a Nov. 6 Bloomberg report, Kinexys—formerly known as Onyx—will use JPM Coin, JPMorgan’s dollar-pegged digital token, to process FX transactions instantly. After regulatory approval, the bank intends to launch sterling settlements.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: AI Tokens Surge as Nvidia Overtakes Apple in Market Valuation

Generating Revenue through FX Spreads

Naveen Mallela, JPMorgan’s global co-head of Kinexys, shared the bank’s goal to open new revenue streams through FX spreads on its blockchain platform. Launched in 2020, Kinexys was designed to facilitate digital payments and streamline currency exchanges with JPM Coin, adding efficiency and speed to traditional banking services.

The Cautionary Approach of Institutional Traders

Institutional traders are still wary of blockchain’s potential despite JPMorgan’s blockchain projects. According to a recent JPMorgan study of more than 4,000 institutional traders, only 7% believe blockchain will be a valuable asset in the next three years. This outcome demonstrates the general reluctance of the industry.

JPM Coin’s Growing Achievement

In mid-October 2023, JPMorgan released a report highlighting JPM Coin’s increasing use in digital settlements and the potential of blockchain technology to transform financial infrastructure. The report indicated that JPM Coin handles more than $1 billion in transactions every day.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Wiz Khalifa’s Socials Hacked in New Scam Promoting Phony WIZ Meme Coin

Standard Chartered and Ant International Settle SGD Transaction on Blockchain

Summary

Standard Chartered and Ant International successfully completed SGD liquidity transfers via Ant’s Whale platform, enhancing cross-border transaction efficiency and transparency. The companies aim to expand their blockchain partnership in Singapore.

Blockchain-Based SGD Settlement Completed

British banking giant Standard Chartered and Ant International, a division of Ant Group, have completed an SGD-denominated liquidity transfer using Ant’s blockchain-powered Whale platform. The transaction aims to improve the transparency and efficiency of fund transfers between bank accounts, according to a Nov. 5 report by The Asian Banker.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Internet Computer Reports 1,230% Surge in Cross-Chain Activity with Chain Fusion Protocol

Enhanced Liquidity Management

The integration of Standard Chartered with Ant’s Whale platform optimizes intra-group liquidity management for cross-border transactions. Mahesh Kini, global head of cash management at Standard Chartered, highlighted blockchain’s transformative impact, stating, “The technology is revolutionizing treasury management, and we are pleased to be early adopters of its use cases to enable our clients to take advantage of its extensive benefits.” Kini emphasized the goal of providing real-time, transparent liquidity flows.

Expanding Collaboration to Singapore

Following successful tests in Hong Kong, Kelvin Li, head of platform tech at Ant International, revealed plans to extend blockchain-based settlements to Singapore. “We hope to build on the momentum of our previous collaboration and continue developing new solutions to make global liquidity management even more seamless and secure,” said Li.

Participation in Ensemble Sandbox Project

Both Standard Chartered and Ant International are active in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Ensemble Sandbox, where they explore various tokenization use cases. Standard Chartered’s Hong Kong branch has been involved in Project Ensemble since May, working to establish industry standards for tokenized transactions with Ant International’s Whale platform supporting two use cases.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Bittensor’s TAO Soars with Major Gains and Trading Volume Spike: What’s Next?

Internet Computer Reports 1,230% Surge in Cross-Chain Activity with Chain Fusion Protocol

To put it briefly

The DFINITY Foundation’s 2024 Ecosystem Report highlights the growing importance of blockchain in interoperability, citing a 1,230% increase in cross-chain activity on the Internet Computer’s Chain Fusion protocol. Despite difficulties in the Web3 labor market, the study also reveals a rise in developer excitement.

Major Growth in Cross-Chain Interoperability

The Swiss-based DFINITY Foundation has reported significant growth in cross-chain activity on its Internet Computer (ICP) blockchain platform. ICP’s Chain Fusion protocol, which allows smart contracts to directly connect with other blockchain networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum, saw a 1,230% increase in activity over the past year, according to a press release. The report also shows an increase in developer excitement despite challenges in the Web3 labor market.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: exSat Network Launches Bitcoin Staking Services for BTC Holders

The Chain Fusion Protocol’s Impact on Developer Activity

ICP’s Chain Fusion handled 2,040% more messages in the past year, in addition to the 1,230% increase in activity, suggesting a spike in developer interest and adoption. As seen by the report’s 150% rise in overall network activity and 30% growth in full-time developers on the platform, ICP is positioned as a strong development environment during a slowdown in employment in the Web3 industry.

Direct Bitcoin Integration Increases the Allure of ICP

One of ICP’s most notable characteristics is its direct interaction with Bitcoin, which enables developers to incorporate the security of Bitcoin into decentralized applications without the need for risky “bridges.” Projects like Rainbow Protocol and Tap Protocol have been able to leverage ICP’s smart contract functionality to safely and effectively expand the use cases of Bitcoin by bringing sophisticated financial applications to the network.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Bitcoin Surges as Election Day Voting Boosts Market Hype

Bybit is fined $2.4 million by the Dutch Central Bank for a regulatory violation.

In brief

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) fined cryptocurrency exchange Bybit $2.4 million for operating in the Netherlands without requiring registration. The fine is an example of how anti-money laundering regulations are strictly enforced in order to prevent illegal financial activities in the bitcoin industry.

X (formerly Twitter) post about Dutch Central Bank

Bybit’s breach of Dutch legislation resulted in their punishment

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the central bank of the Netherlands, fined Bybit €2.2 million ($2.4 million) for providing bitcoin services in the country without the necessary registration. The Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act requires cryptocurrency providers to register with the DNB in order to prevent illicit financial activity, and Bybit was fined on October 22 for breaking this law.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Solana Breaks Records Across the Board – Is SOL About to Skyrocket?

In order to prevent illicit money transfers, registration is required

Bybit’s noncompliance, according to DNB, made it more difficult for the business to record odd transactions, which is a crucial legal requirement in the Netherlands. Given that “Bybit was unable to report unusual transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit-Netherlands during the period of non-compliance,” DNB emphasized the dangers associated with the absence of regulatory control in the cryptocurrency sector.

Consideration of Severity and Mitigation Measures in Fine

The fine amount, according to the central bank, is indicative of the “severity, extent, and duration of Bybit’s non-compliance.” However, DNB pointed out that Bybit’s efforts to resolve the matter resulted in a minor reduction in the punishment, since the company moved its Dutch clients to SATOS B.V., a local partner that possesses the required registration to serve Dutch clients.

Bybit’s Response and Committed Adherence

In reaction to the penalties, Bybit reaffirmed its commitment to regulatory compliance and acknowledged DNB’s ruling. The firm stated in a news release that “remediation efforts were initiated in 2022 to minimize potential financial damage.” Bybit CEO Ben Zhou emphasized the company’s dedication to “responsible growth” within the EU regulatory framework, saying, “We remain committed to working closely with European regulators to build a responsible and transparent ecosystem.”

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Forexeko by Avenix Fzco: Revolutionizing Forex with AI-Powered Strategies for the Modern Era

Exit mobile version