# Digital Currency and Blockchain Weekly Round-Up – March 15th, 2019 By Shampa Mani Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/1474 Published: 2019-03-15T12:13:08.000Z Updated: 2019-03-15T12:13:08.000Z Section: Technology > German Finance Ministry seeks to introduce regulation for blockchain-based securities The German Federal Ministry of Finance has published a paper that discusses the introduction of regulation for blockchain-based sec… [German Finance Ministry seeks to introduce regulation for blockchain-based securities]() The German Federal Ministry of Finance has published a paper that discusses the introduction of regulation for blockchain-based securities. The regulator underscored the need to open up the country’s law to include electronic securities. It said that the key objective is to position Germany has a leading digitization and fintech location and develop a blockchain strategy. [U.S. SEC Chairman agrees with staff analysis that Ethereum is not a security]() The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s chairman Jay Clayton has agreed to the analysis by the SEC staff that found that Ethereum is not a security, saying “I agree that the analysis of whether a digital asset is offered or sold as a security is not static and does not strictly inhere to the instrument.” [Colorado Governor signs bill to exempt certain cryptocurrencies from state securities laws]() Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the Digital Tokens Act into law last week, excluding some cryptocurrencies from state securities laws. Senate Bill 19-023 or the "Colorado Digital Token Act" is expected to come into effect on August 02, 2019. [Thai SEC seeks to standardize data submission by digital asset businesses and ICO portals]() The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking public comments on the proposed rules for data submission by digital asset business operators and initial coin offering (ICO) portals. It aims to promote a standardized protocol for monitoring and supervision of digital asset businesses, and to reduce the necessity for case-by-case data submission. [Maltese financial regulator MFSA partners with CipherTrace to regulate licensed crypto businesses]() The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) is teaming up with blockchain security company CipherTrace to monitor and manage business risks related to licensed virtual asset businesses and cryptocurrencies. According to the official release, CipherTrace is an effective Supervisory Technology (SupTech) tool which will enable MFSA to manage the risk associated with virtual asset businesses. [Saudi Arabia trials blockchain for ensuring quality in oil and gas sector]() Saudi Arabia is trialing blockchain technology to track quality in oil and gas industry, Ahmad Khowaiter, CTO of Saudi Aramco – a Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company, told Sputnik. Khowaiter said that blockchain technology has a number of advantages in ensuring the quality of the product and the source of the product. [Applications open for Isle of Man Blockchain Office and Sandbox]() Digital Isle of Man, an executive agency of the Department for Enterprise, has announced that the recently announced Blockchain Office and Sandbox are now open and are ready to receive joining applications. The sandbox will give businesses a live test environment, the ability to run pilots, a restricted licence prior to production, early feedback, and alignment with modern software development. [Is New York Times mulling to enter blockchain space?]() The New York Times, the second-largest newspaper in the U.S. by circulation, recently revealed its plan to trial blockchain technology for publishing in a new job posting, CoinDesk reported. However, in an update, CoinDesk said that the NYT has taken down the job posting after its article was published. Research Studies [UK FCA]() explores consumer attitudes to cryptoassets in latest research Funding/Investment/Acquisition Crypto investment firm Paradigm leads [Tendermint’s $9M Series A round]() [Waves Platform]() seeks $120M in second investment round for enterprise blockchain solution ‘Vostok’ Digital Currency Group, Polychain back crypto futures exchange [CoinFLEX]() OVO’s new unit Kaluza acquires minority stake in [blockchain energy startup Electron]() [Medici Ventures]() buys equity stake in blockchain banking platform Bankorus [NEM Foundation]() attempts to get out troubled waters with $8M funding, layoffs and more Kakao's blockchain unit [Ground X secures $90M]() in private coin offering Partnerships/Consortiums Qatar’s Commercial Bank joins [R3 blockchain consortium]() EnBW, Total and State Grid EV Service Co. [join EWF]() to harness blockchain technology Universal Protocol Alliance announces [Ethereum-compatible ‘Universal Bitcoin’]() Digital Currency and Blockchain Initiatives [Thai Stock Exchange]() plans to launch digital asset platform in 2020 [Forte and Ripple's Xpring]() seek to accelerate blockchain adoption in games, set up $100M fund PUBLISH, Inc. enters into strategic [partnership with Alexandria.io]() to develop extended OIP specification for blockchain news dissemination The Interchain Foundation announces launch of [“Internet of Blockchains” Cosmos Network]() [Microsoft, Cargo Community Network]() launch blockchain system for air cargo industry Blockchain firm [Kaleido]() announces Microsoft Azure integration [French National Council of Clerks]() of Commercial Courts successfully trials blockchain solution with IBM Indian IT firm [TCS taps Microsoft and R3]() technology for cross-industry blockchain platform solutions Spanish bourse [BME]() trials blockchain technology for collateral pledges Hyundai-backed [Hdac Technology]() announces plan to provide enterprise blockchain solution [HSBC seeks South Korean banking partners]() for blockchain platform ‘Voltron’ Deutsche Börse, Swisscom and Sygnum partner to build [DLT-based digital asset ecosystem]() [CULedger, IBM]() partner to build permissioned blockchain network for credit unions [Samsung SDS]() to unveil blockchain-based supply chain traceability system Bumble Bee Foods becomes the first food company to [implement SAP blockchain technology]() [Elwood Asset Management]() seeks to target institutional investors with new crypto offerings Initial Exchange Offering (IEO): Crypto exchanges [OKEx, KuCoin]() announce fundraising platforms Invesco launches [blockchain ETF on London Stock Exchange]() [Burj Khalifa owner Emaar Group]() to develop Ethereum-based loyalty token ## Links in this article - [German Finance Ministry seeks to introduce regulation for blockchain-based securities](https://tokenpost.com/German-Finance-Ministry-seeks-to-introduce-regulation-for-blockchain-based-securities-1430) - [U.S. SEC Chairman agrees with staff analysis that Ethereum is not a security](https://tokenpost.com/US-SEC-Chairman-agrees-with-staff-analysis-that-Ethereum-is-not-a-security-1462) - [Colorado Governor signs bill to exempt certain cryptocurrencies from state securities laws](https://tokenpost.com/Colorado-Governor-signs-bill-to-exempt-certain-cryptocurrencies-from-state-securities-laws-1434) - [Thai SEC seeks to standardize data submission by digital asset businesses and ICO portals](https://tokenpost.com/Thai-SEC-seeks-to-standardize-data-submission-by-digital-asset-businesses-and-ICO-portals-1435) - [Maltese financial regulator MFSA partners with CipherTrace to regulate licensed crypto businesses](https://tokenpost.com/Maltese-financial-regulator-MFSA-partners-with-CipherTrace-to-regulate-licensed-crypto-businesses-1440) - [Saudi Arabia trials blockchain for ensuring quality in oil and gas sector](https://tokenpost.com/Saudi-Arabia-trials-blockchain-for-ensuring-quality-in-oil-and-gas-sector-1456) - [Applications open for Isle of Man Blockchain Office and Sandbox](https://tokenpost.com/Applications-open-for-Isle-of-Man-Blockchain-Office-and-Sandbox-1448) - [Is New York Times mulling to enter blockchain space?](https://tokenpost.com/Is-New-York-Times-mulling-to-enter-blockchain-space-1458) - [UK FCA](https://tokenpost.com/UK-FCA-explores-consumer-attitudes-to-cryptoassets-in-latest-research-1417) - [Tendermint’s $9M Series A round](https://tokenpost.com/Crypto-investment-firm-Paradigm-leads-Tendermints-9M-Series-A-round-1473) - [Waves Platform](https://tokenpost.com/Waves-Platform-seeks-120M-in-second-investment-round-for-enterprise-blockchain-solution-Vostok-1468) - [CoinFLEX](https://tokenpost.com/Digital-Currency-Group-Polychain-back-crypto-futures-exchange-CoinFLEX-1467) - [blockchain energy startup Electron](https://tokenpost.com/OVOs-new-unit-Kaluza-acquires-minority-stake-in-blockchain-energy-startup-Electron-1457) - [Medici Ventures](https://tokenpost.com/Medici-Ventures-buys-equity-stake-in-blockchain-banking-platform-Bankorus-1441) - [NEM Foundation](https://tokenpost.com/NEM-Foundation-attempts-to-get-out-troubled-waters-with-8M-funding-layoffs-and-more-1433) - [Ground X secures $90M](https://tokenpost.com/Kakaos-blockchain-unit-Ground-X-secures-90M-in-private-coin-offering-1432) - [R3 blockchain consortium](https://tokenpost.com/Qatars-Commercial-Bank-joins-R3-blockchain-consortium-1461) - [join EWF](https://tokenpost.com/EnBW-Total-and-State-Grid-EV-Service-Co-join-EWF-to-harness-blockchain-technology-1455) - [Ethereum-compatible ‘Universal Bitcoin’](https://tokenpost.com/Universal-Protocol-Alliance-announces-Ethereum-compatible-Universal-Bitcoin-1460) - [Thai Stock Exchange](https://tokenpost.com/Thai-Stock-Exchange-plans-to-launch-digital-asset-platform-in-2020-1463) - [Forte and Ripple's Xpring](https://tokenpost.com/Forte-and-Ripples-Xpring-seek-to-accelerate-blockchain-adoption-in-games-set-up-100M-fund-1451) - [partnership with Alexandria.io](https://tokenpost.com/PUBLISH-Inc-enters-into-strategic-partnership-with-Alexandriaio-to-develop-extended-OIP-specification-for-blockchain-news-dissemination-1428) - [“Internet of Blockchains” Cosmos Network](https://tokenpost.com/The-Interchain-Foundation-announces-launch-of-Internet-of-Blockchains-Cosmos-Network-1472) - [Microsoft, Cargo Community Network](https://tokenpost.com/Microsoft-Cargo-Community-Network-launch-blockchain-system-for-air-cargo-industry-1471) - [Kaleido](https://tokenpost.com/Blockchain-firm-Kaleido-announces-Microsoft-Azure-integration-1470) - [French National Council of Clerks](https://tokenpost.com/French-National-Council-of-Clerks-of-Commercial-Courts-successfully-trials-blockchain-solution-with-IBM-1469) - [TCS taps Microsoft and R3](https://tokenpost.com/Indian-IT-firm-TCS-taps-Microsoft-and-R3-technology-for-cross-industry-blockchain-platform-solutions-1466) - [BME](https://tokenpost.com/Spanish-bourse-BME-trials-blockchain-technology-for-collateral-pledges-1465) - [Hdac Technology](https://tokenpost.com/Hyundai-backed-Hdac-Technology-announces-plan-to-provide-enterprise-blockchain-solution-1454) - [HSBC seeks South Korean banking partners](https://tokenpost.com/HSBC-seeks-South-Korean-banking-partners-for-blockchain-platform-Voltron-1445) - [DLT-based digital asset ecosystem](https://tokenpost.com/Deutsche-Brse-Swisscom-and-Sygnum-partner-to-build-DLT-based-digital-asset-ecosystem-1439) - [CULedger, IBM](https://tokenpost.com/CULedger-IBM-partner-to-build-permissioned-blockchain-network-for-credit-unions-1438) - [Samsung SDS](https://tokenpost.com/Samsung-SDS-to-unveil-blockchain-based-supply-chain-traceability-system-1437) - [implement SAP blockchain technology](https://tokenpost.com/Bumble-Bee-Foods-becomes-the-first-food-company-to-implement-SAP-blockchain-technology-1429) - [Elwood Asset Management](https://tokenpost.com/Elwood-Asset-Management-seeks-to-target-institutional-investors-with-new-crypto-offerings-1459) - [OKEx, KuCoin](https://tokenpost.com/Initial-Exchange-Offering-IEO-Crypto-exchanges-OKEx-KuCoin-announce-fundraising-platforms-1452) - [blockchain ETF on London Stock Exchange](https://tokenpost.com/Invesco-launches-blockchain-ETF-on-London-Stock-Exchange-1444) - [Burj Khalifa owner Emaar Group](https://tokenpost.com/Burj-Khalifa-owner-Emaar-Group-to-develop-Ethereum-based-loyalty-token-1443)