Digital Currency and Blockchain Weekly Round-Up – May 3rd, 2019

Global fintech sandbox GFIN considers blockchain projects for cross-border testing pilot

The Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN), a global fintech sandbox formed last August, is considering a number of blockchain-based tests for cross-border testing pilot. The tests currently under consideration for the cross-border trials include those proposed by AlphaPoint, Ascent RegTech, ATLANT, Coinvestion, DACX, Onfido, Starling Trust, and Tradle.

Eight blockchain and DLT-focused projects selected for UK FCA’s fifth cohort of regulatory sandbox

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced the names of the firms that have been selected for the fifth cohort of its fintech regulatory sandbox. Of the total 29 projects, eight are focused on blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT).

MAS and BoC complete cross-border payment trial using DLT and CBDCs

The Bank of Canada (BoC) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore have successfully completed a distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based trial on cross-border and cross-currency payments using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The BoC and the MAS linked their respective experimental domestic payment networks – Project Jasper and Project Ubin – built on two different DLT platforms.

Finland to introduce regulation for crypto service providers on May 01

Finland has approved a law to introduce regulation for cryptocurrency service providers, Bitcoin.com reported. The Act on Virtual Currency Providers will come into effect on May 01, 2019, and covers exchanges, custodian wallet providers, and issuers of cryptocurrencies.

Events/Conferences

• Blockchain-based news technology company PUBLISH, Inc. to speak at 'Publish Asia 2019' in Singapore on May 8

Funding/Investments/Acquisitions

• Blockchain scaling startup Matic Network secures investment from Coinbase Ventures

• ErisX launches crypto spot market, raises another $20M in Series B round

• Digital Assets Data secures $6M to build crypto data platform

• Binance Labs backs crypto anti-phishing solutions provider ‘PhishFort’

• Blockchain powered app for digital collectibles ‘Editional’ launches with $1.5M seed funding

• Bakkt acquires Digital Asset Custody Company; seeks qualified custodian license from NYDFS

Partnerships/Consortiums

• 12 crypto exchanges join CoinMarketCap-led Data Accountability & Transparency Alliance

• ‘Big Four’ firm KPMG joins blockchain IoT consortium

Digital Currency and Blockchain Initiatives

• HTC to release second generation of Exodus blockchain smartphone in H2 2019

• R.A.C. and Goldroom’s new record label to distribute music on Ethereum blockchain

• Blockchain-based ID verification system ‘Verified.Me’ goes live with five Canadian banks

• Fenergo to deploy blockchain-based national eKYC utility in Bahrain

• AWS opens up Amazon Managed Blockchain service for general availability

• New technical tests underway at Italian interbank blockchain project ‘Spunta’, says ABI Lab

• Paxos to issue up to 100M of PAX tokens on Ontology blockchain

• SABB rolls out Ripple-powered cross-border instant payments service

• Jaguar Land Rover partners with IOTA Foundation to bring cryptocurrency to drivers

• Nike makes inroads into blockchain and crypto space with “CryptoKicks”

• Volkswagen to pilot blockchain-based solution for tracing lead

• Indian IT firm Tech Mahindra to launch blockchain-based anti-spam call solution

• Qtum launches full suite of blockchain developer tools on Google Cloud

• Diamond Standard launches blockchain-powered fungible diamond commodity

• Microsoft announces JPMorgan’s Quorum as the first blockchain platform on Azure Blockchain Service

• Kaspersky Lab rolls out services to protect blockchain and crypto businesses from cyberattacks and fraud