Week ending September 30, 2016

Three things to know

Widespread use of blockchain continues to move closer to reality.  This week revealed more evidence of the benefits of blockchain and also the increasing support for blockchain.

Standard Chartered completed a cross-border, real-time payment via its blockchain network in “less than 10 seconds”.  Standard Chartered has partnered with Ripple and used their enterprise blockchain solutions for the transaction.  Standard Chartered stated that payments innovation is a “key area of focus” as the global bank endeavors to make the client experience more cohesive, with less risk, and more transparency.

With transaction speed moving from days to seconds, it’s easy to understand why some 200 banks interviewed by IBM plan to roll-out blockchain solutions sooner than had been expected. According to the survey, 15% of “top global banks” plan full-scale commercial deployment of blockchain in 2017.  Within 3 years, 65% of the banks surveyed plan to have major blockchain projects in production.

One particular development that could accelerate the aggressive plans revealed in the IBM survey, Congress has formed a bipartisan Blockchain Caucus. The stated mission of the Caucus is the “advancement of sound public policy toward cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based technologies”.

The positive momentum of blockchain continues.  One potential catalyst which could potentially have a significant impact on adoption is guidance from the Federal Reserve.  A favorable view or solution from the central bank could potentially crystallize usage parameters and spur widespread adoption.


Blockchain
 Just Made Some New Friends in Congress

Bipartisan Blockchain Caucus formed in Congress

Standard Chartered Completes Cross-Border Blockchain Payment in 10 Seconds

https://www.sc.com/en/news-and-media/news/global/2016-09-27-our-first-real-time-cross-border-payment.html

Banks adopting blockchain ‘dramatically faster’ than expected: IBM

 

Weekly Blockchain

Financial Services

Microsoft and BAML team up on blockchain-based trade finance project

R3, eight banks successfully test Intel blockchain platform for bond trading

Blockchain in Capital Markets

BNP Paribas Announces Multiple Blockchain Pilots for Transaction Banking

Banks Will Start Actually Using Blockchain Next Year: IBM Report

Blockchain Will Be Used By 15% of Big Banks By 2017
Banks like to talk about blockchain, but none wants to be the first to actually use it

UBS to Build Blockchain-Based Trade Finance System

New Banking Partnership Puts Us One Step Closer to a Global Blockchain Payments Network

Global

Blockchain drives Wanxiang’s $30B smart city project

Leading Spanish bank Santander announces its digital cash project on the Ethereum Blockchain.

Sberbank sets out its blockchain strategy

Blockchain Gets a Push in Shanghai: ‘A Shared Version of the Truth’

Six Global Banks Take Lead in Standardizing Global Payments on a Blockchain

ASX Sets Date for Decision on Blockchain Transition

Russia’s Biggest Bank Joins the Hyperledger Blockchain Project

Government

In Washington, Momentum Grows for Blockchain Action

US Central Bank Chair: Blockchain Could Have ‘Significant’ Impact

Washington DC Launches First Blockchain Innovation Center

New Bipartisan Blockchain Caucus Will Promote the Use of Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology 

Uses and Applications

Blockchain Entrepreneurs Launch Blockgeeks, Offering Expertise to Companies

Blockchain Talent Marketplace Blockgeeks Launched in Toronto

UnionPay and IBM Tap Blockchain to Solve Unspent Loyalty Points Problem

Jaxx Blockchain Wallet Now Supports LiteCoin and Ethereum Classic

Blockchain startup Synereo discloses distributed storage protocol

Solar Energy Producers to Get Blockchain-Based Currency Wallets in Space

Hyperledger Adds to Blockchain Group in Time for Sibos

Marine Transport International brings blockchain to shipping industry

Microsoft boosts blockchain efforts with Ethereum-based Project Bletchley

Blockchain Startups Want to Solve Cannabis’ Banking Problem

Markets CLS dips into blockchain to net new currencies

Juzhen Raises $23 Million to Bring Blockchain Post-Trade to China

ICONOMI ‘Uberizing’ Blockchain Platform Eclipses $6m in Fintech Crowdsale

ASX completes blockchain trading platform prototype

Public blockchain investments heat up: $5 million in 5 minutes

Euroclear Blockchain targets bullion markets

Blockchain Sets a New Standard for Health Record Operability, Says New Research Paper

Is blockchain the key to paperless travel?

Can Blockchain Prevent Money Laundering?

Could Blockchain Transform the Art Market?

Thought Leadership

The Looming War for Blockchain Patents
Unpicking the Gordian knot around blockchain patents

Banks struggle to make blockchain fast and secure

Blockchain’s inefficiencies provide a security lesson

Coinkite CEO Heavily Criticizes Editable Blockchain by Accenture

Can a blockchain-IoT hybrid finally give us smart guns?

Don’t let banks fool you, the blockchain really does have other uses

The hype and potential behind blockchain technologies

Blockchain Just Got Much More Powerful

Bigger than bitcoin: Here comes blockchain

Blockchain Demonstration Highlights Potential Loan Market Improvements

Everything you need to know about the blockchain

Inquiring minds want to know: can blockchain reconcile 200% institutional ETF ownership?