German Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer Audi is testing Blockchain technology for its physical and financial distribution processing, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported today, March 30. With its new solution, Audi aims to increase the security and transparency in its global supply chains. The car manufacturer released a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) of its Blockchain system last year, after successfully testing the technology based on Hyperledger Fabric. Due to positive feedback, Audi’s management decided to advance the project beyond the PoC stage. The research team comprised of representatives from various organizational units such as finance, production, logistics and IT are currently exploring the representation and …

Late last year, when interest in Bitcoin and its price was at its peak, France’s finance minister suggested that there be a public debate of Bitcoin at the G20 summit which concluded this week. The conclusion of this meeting, in regards to where the nations now stand on cryptocurrencies, is that a firm July deadline has been put forward for recommendations on how to regulate cryptocurrencies globally. There was some general uptake and interest in approaching this hitherto unknown and confusing space as countries had, up until now been forging forward mostly on their own in terms of regulations. However, …

Blockchain is coming up to its 10th birthday, having been born conjoined to Bitcoin. The issue is that in these years of evolving technology Blockchain has not yet found its killer app or been picked up as a disruptive technology that has led to another technology becoming obsolete. Cryptocurrencies have grown and expanded, with a lot of attention being heaped on them, growing that sector of ecosystem well. Meanwhile, the base technology has been heralded and innovated with, but the execution of it has largely been a damp squib. There are a number of reasons to delve into why the …

German car manufacturer BMW has allegedly closed a second partnership with a Blockchain startup, this time to source ethical cobalt for its products, Reuters reports March 5, citing the startup’s CEO. Just a week after the automotive giant unveiled a deal with Chinese Blockchain supply firm VEChain, Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, the CEO of little-known UK-based startup Circulor, told Reuters they are collaborating with BMW to track so-called ‘clean’ cobalt supplies in order to ensure their ethical provenance. Cobalt is sourced overwhelmingly from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, where some supplies are reported to involve the use of child labor and …

This idea that simply plugging your computer or nowadays, specialized mining rigs into the Internet and making money out of thin air is extremely attractive. However, it is obviously not as simple as it sounds, and the mining sector is one that has become very competitive and sophisticated. Despite this individuals who are interested in mining can still join in, and by narrowing their margins, there is the potential to make a decent profit. It all comes down to cheap resources though, and in the case of mining, that resource is electricity. The disparity between electricity prices around the world …

Power Ledger, an Australian renewable energy company expects the Blockchain to improve efficiency in the market by enabling peer to peer trading, to make solar panels cheaper. Now it is seeking support through the pre-sale of POWR tokens. The ultimate aim of the POWR token is to enable peer to peer energy trading. Blockchain is becoming a hot topic in the power industry today. For example, Austrian and German energy provider Switch has recently begun accepting Bitcoin for gas and electricity bill payments. Energy trading Excess electricity generated by individuals (say through a solar panel on the rooftop) may be …

A little bit over a week is left to wait until the largest Blockchain-related event Blockshow Europe 2017 will commence in Munich. Cointelegraph Events aspires to educate and connect people in the Blockchain industry to advance technology which is already changing the world. Blockshow Europe 2017 is certainly to become the largest international platform for showcasing established Blockchain solutions. Cointelegraph Events team is looking forward to greeting more than 500 guests and 24 exhibitors at Alte Kongresshalle in Munich. Partnership with Deloitte Germany Cointelegraph Events is extremely honored to get support from Deloitte Germany. Deloitte needs no introduction. It is …

Blockchain technology is gaining more and more acceptance worldwide. We have witnessed a boost in the adoption of Blockchain by many businesses not limited to the area of finances. Cointelegraph is on a daily mission to socialize and popularize the technology and contribute to its even wider acceptance. That was our motivation for the Helsinki Blockchain Conference, and that is exactly the reason why we are flying to Munich in April next year. An opportunity not to be missed We are happy to invite you to BlockShow Europe 2017, which is expected to become the largest platform for showcasing established …

The second-largest German exchange Tradegate has implemented KNC’s XBT Provider ETN, the first regulated Bitcoin exchange-traded note. The move sees Germany overtake the pioneering Swedish market to become the largest worldwide, where both small- and large-scale investors can bet on the Bitcoin price via an ETN. BitcoinCommodities CEO Dennis Daiber told local news resource Bitcoinblog.de: “As soon as an ETN is created somewhere in the world, theoretically it can be introduced on any German exchange — there just has to be the demand from someone.” Demand for ETN from the Swedish Nasdaq has been brisk since its introduction on May …

No sane person can deny the many benefits of cryptocurrency compared to fiat, and certainly the government can’t deny them, either. The age of e-money seems to be taking off. Although the government of Ecuador banned Bitcoin in July 2014, for example, it rolled out its own e-currency, an “electronic money system” (SDE in Spanish), in December. Among the reasons cited for doing so, one is how much cheaper it is to renew the country’s deteriorating notes, on which Ecuador spends more than US$3 million yearly. On another note (pun intended), German economist Peter Bofinger, has argued in favor of …

German e-bank Fidor has announced end-to-end support for Bitcoin transactions directly linked to one of their regular bank accounts alongside plans of US expansion. Samsung acquires over-the-counter payment system LoopPay. Bitcoin companies may be vulnerable to Equation Group style attacks, and other top stories for February 23. E-bank Fidor announces ‘express’ and insured bitcoin trading, expanding to the US German e-bank Fidor has been working with Bitcoin.de since last July aiming to launch a service offering end-to-end Bitcoin services linked to one of their regular bank accounts. This is the first time in the world a regulated bank has offered …