Changpeng Zhao called 2018 a “correction year” for cryptocurrencies while expressing optimism for the future of the crypto industry during a Bloomberg interview published on Dec. 19. Zhao spoke in reference to the bear market plaguing traders this year, which took a turn for the worse in mid-November, when markets crashed even further. Zhao, the CEO and co-founder of major cryptocurrency exchange Binance, said that “it’s a correction year.” He noted that, while “price is a very strong attraction” for speculators, the industry will grow thanks to builders who make applications and “real use cases” that drive the further adoption …

A recent Bitcoin scam on Twitter that compromised several major companies verified accounts came from a third-party app, tech news outlet the Next Web (TNW) reports Friday, Nov. 16, citing social media officials. Speaking to TNW, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed that the attack came from an outside software provider and not from Twitter’s own system. However, the official refrained from naming the app. The spokesperson reportedly explained that the attackers exploited a third-party marketing solution to launch a Bitcoin (BTC) giveaway from several verified accounts, including Google’s G Suite and major U.S. department store retailer Target. The information was implicitly …

The global residential mortgage market is estimated to be worth $31 trillion. 66 percent of all Americans have a mortgage on their house while in the UK and China it’s as high as 70%. It’s a segment of the financial markets that hits close to home for a large portion of the global population. The average mortgage closing costs would typically vary between 2 and 5 percent of the price of the property, including broker fees, loan origination fees, underwriting fees, surveyor fees, legal fees, and title fees. That means on a house of $250,000, the buyer can expect to …

Blockchain-based systems’ decentralized nature makes for their formidable resiliency to the outsiders’ attempts to infiltrate or take down such networks. Governments, law enforcement agencies and even military leadership around the world seem to be embracing a more blockchain-friendly way of thinking as they realize that the power of distributed ledger technology (DLT) could be harnessed to advance their goals in numerous ways. This generates increased demand for security-enhancing solutions, which pushes the private sector to come up with such products at an ever-increasing pace. The latest use case – Israel’s securities regulator introducing a blockchain-powered messaging system in order to …

A new platform is using artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to address the “growing class divide” in education — helping all students access equal opportunities and unlock their full potential. Õpet says it wants to address the “confusion and apprehension” teenagers face when they finish high school and simultaneously offer smart revision tools that will help these students get the best grades possible in crucial exams, resulting in a wider range of options when they are contemplating their first steps. The company says an educational chatbot will be the beating heart of its ecosystem. Digitally available to students at all …

Lithuania-based company carVertical, who developed a platform for used car history reports, has been granted a ticket to the Volkswagen (VW) Future Mobility Incubator in Dresden, as the company became the winner of a manufacturer’s pitch competition, says the official press release. The event was held on May 31 in Riga, Latvia. According to the press release, the decision was announced after numerous teams of entrepreneurs held their presentations at the event organised by German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce. As the expert jury noted, carVertical convinced them with their idea of using blockchain to record vehicle histories. carVertical will begin work …

Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure formally announced the release of its blockchain app creation service, Azure Blockchain Workbench, on May 7. In a press release, the company highlighted blockchain as a “key topic of interest” as it also kicks of its annual Microsoft Build conference this week. Workbench will allow businesses looking to create bespoke blockchain apps to speed up the development process by automating infrastructure setup. This, Microsoft Azure general manager Matthew Kerner says, means “developers can focus on application logic, and business owners can focus on defining and validating their use cases.” The computing giant’s optimism around both …

Banking group Santander will be partnering with Ripple to release an international money transfer app using Ripple’s Blockchain xCurrent and RippleNet platforms, Business Insider reports today, March 24. When speaking about the upcoming app release at the International Fintech conference in London yesterday, March 23, Nathan Bostock, the UK CEO of Santander said: “This spring, if not [sic] one beats us to it, we will be the first large retail bank to carry out cross-border payments at scale with Blockchain technology.” At the end of January of this year, Ana Botin, the CEO of Santander, had mentioned the app launch …

A team of software developers supported by serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban has launched the digital currency Ethereum-based Mercury Protocol for the communication industry on Aug. 24. The protocol’s system is underpinned by the ERC20 token called the “Global Messaging Token” (GMT). According to Mercury Protocol lead Blockchain developer Preethi Kasireddy, the protocol uses the GMT token as a utility metric for communication platform participation. Concept of Mercury Protocol Based on the white paper released by the protocol’s developers, Mercury Protocol is designed as an alternative to centralized communication platforms that aims to ensure the privacy of its users. By using …

Online guide platform wikiHow and the Blockchain startup Civic are partnering up in their bid to bolster users’ login security. Under the collaboration, users of wikiHow will be able to swap out their old login methods for Civic’s mobile application (app). wikiHow offers various guides and how-to articles on different subjects. The website was founded by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick in 2005. According to Civic, wikiHow users who use its app can avoid the pitfalls of handling passwords and usernames that are vulnerable to cyber theft. "The simple, quick process verifies Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to ensure ownership of the …

Ethereum was the darling of cryptocurrencies for the first half of the year but has fallen on hard times. Multiple hacks and huge losses, as well as the announcement of security regulation by the SEC, have left the system a bit undervalued according to some analysts. Unhindered ETHWaterloo, however, continues to market itself as the largest Ethereum hackathon in the world. Set to kick off in October of this year, the gathering will include a chance for developers to work alongside some of the biggest names in the Ethereum world. Speakers at the event include Vitalik Buterin, Joseph Lubin, Jeff …

The number of Blockchain technology and digital currency-related applications that were filed with and published by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) between January and July 2017 has almost doubled. Based on data from the agency, there were 390 applications filed during the period, up by 90 percent from the 204 applications in the same period in 2016. In the conducted analysis, the dataset includes combined keyword search results using such terms as “distributed ledger,” “Bitcoin,” “Blockchain,” and “Ethereum.” Based on the results, there is currently a boom in research and development (R&D) focusing on Blockchain technology and digital …