Bitcoin Deathwatch: Banks Partner with IBM

Intro:

If you think Bitcoin will make any headway in the west, think again. Quantum computing, scale, and permissions from the bank oligarchy is needed for that to happen. Banks and coopted global governments will squash Bitcoin and its brethren. 

And frankly you are sorely undereducated if you think in any way a crypto currency is a substitute for Gold. 

Trade them to make money, but the choice  is between Cryptos and Nasdaq. NOT Cryptos and Gold.  - Soren K.

Banks' Blockchain Consortium Picks IBM For Trade Finance Platform

Jemima Kelly -  Reuters

Tech giant IBM is building a blockchain-based platform for seven big European banks, including HSBC and Deutsche Bank, that is aimed at simplifying trade finance transactions for small- and medium-sized companies.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin Scaling: SegWit Passes Emergent Consensus At Last

William Suberg - The Coin Telegraph

Bitcoin miners are now signaling more commonly than ever for Segregated Witness than Emergent Consensus.

FAO: Interesting to watch this.

Vendors

FAO: Giants joining efforts to disrupt the disruptors…?!?

IBM Landed A Big Win In The Race To Sell Blockchain To Wall Street

Oscar Williams-Grut - Business Insider

IBM has been selected to build a new blockchain-based international trading system for a consortium of global banks, a major win for the tech giant in the race to sell blockchain to Wall Street.

FAO: ...nevertheless this is big.

R3 And Four Banks Test Euro Commercial Paper Issuance On Corda DLT platform

Finextra

Enterprise software firm R3 and four of its member banks have built a prototype solution for issuance of Euro Commercial Paper (ECP) on R3’s Corda distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform.

FAO: Another box checked on R3’s long checklist, I suppose.

Minereum's Token Service Makes It Possible to Create Your Own Ethereum Token

Shivdeep Dhaliwal - The Coin Telegraph

Minereum now enables anyone to create their own coin, which could be named after them if they so wished. In order to create your own coin, you can access the first version of the service by clicking here. The cost of the service is 1 MNE (approx $5).

BitPeople

Litecoin’s Charlie Lee Refutes Rumours He Is Satoshi Nakamoto

Charles Dearing - The Coin Telegraph

“Before this gets too out of hand... No, I'm definitely not Satoshi Nakamoto”, says Litecoin’s Charlie Lee in response to rumours that started circulating in the crypto community.

Latest Developments & Agreements

Quantum Computing Key to Secure Blockchain: Carnegie Mellon Chief Scientist

Charles Dearing- The Coin Telegraph

While Blockchain technology is a relatively new innovation, it has been steadily gaining recognition recently. According to Gregory Shannon, Chief Scientist of Carnegie Mellon University, Blockchain is a technology that has now found its way out of the encryption community and into other sectors as well.

Regulation

Lack Of Oversight A Key Challenge For Blockchain: Europex

S&P Global Platts

Lack of oversight in blockchains may be perceived as an advantage but it comes with risks, according to energy exchange association Europex in a new report, Our Vision of an Evolving Energy Sector.

FAO: I can name at least 5 of my daily activities where I am facing risks. You cannot evade confronting with risks. You cannot evolve without taking risks.

Startups, Accelerators & Hubs

Blockchain Research Lab To Combat Financial Fraud In Shenzhen

Chuan Tian - CoinDesk

A group of think tanks and universities are co-launching a new blockchain research lab in Shenzhen, China.

FAO: This can only help, I presume.

Analysis

Ethereum Is Crashing By 20% Right Now After Confidence In Bitcoin Rival Shaken

Evelyn Cheng - CNBC 

Bitcoin rival ethereum plunged Monday despite a major exchange's efforts to shore up confidence by announcing a credit for customers who lost money during last week's flash crash.

Something Called Ethereum Is Suddenly All Over The News — Here's What The Bitcoin Rival Is All About

Frank Chaparro - Business Insider

Just when you thought you had your head around bitcoin, along comes Ethereum.

FAO: I really like this definition: “something called Ethereum”...

Other news

FAO: Just take a quick look at this section’s content and send me your first thoughts after reading it...Where do you think we will find ourselves in 5 years from now?

New Cyberattack Goes Global, Hits WPP, Rosneft, Maersk

Giles Turner, Volodymyr Verbyany, Stepan Kravchenko - Bloomberg

A new cyberattack similar to WannaCry is spreading from Europe to the U.S. and South America, hitting port operators in New York, Rotterdam and Argentina, disrupting government systems in Kiev, and disabling operations at companies including Rosneft PJSC, advertiser WPP Plc. and the Chernobyl nuclear facility.

FAO: No comment.

Indian States Look to Launch Blockchain Land Registry Efforts

Wolfie Zhao - CoinDesk

New details have emerged about some of the blockchain applications being pursed by state governments in India.

Blockchain Set To Disrupt Aviation Within 2 Years Claims Accenture

David Reid - CNBC

Consultants in the aerospace industry are backing blockchain technology to drive down the huge cost of plane maintenance.

U.S. Navy Looks To Blockchain Revolution

The Maritime Executive.

The U.S. Navy has revealed plans to trial blockchain technology to bring added security to its manufacturing systems.

Bitspark Embarks On Blockchain Remittance Trial With UN In Tajikistan

Wolfie Zhao - CoinDesk

Blockchain startup Bitspark has revealed is working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a trial focused on promoting financial inclusion in Tajikistan.

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