Bank Account Based Blockchain (BABB) and CryptoAM.io have launched a fundraising initiative on March 31 to help vulnerable and elderly people living in Canary Wharf, Poplar and the Isle of Dogs in London, United Kingdom. According to the announcement, BABB’s native cryptocurrency utility token, BAX, is the parent of the project, where transactions will be made quickly, regardless of whether they are low amounts, in addition to being an expedited and free way for the donor. Many vulnerable people reside in the Isle of Dogs CryptoAM’s Crypto Insider, James Bowater, realized that many older adults are outside the country’s health …

The final stage of London Blockchain Week looked as if it would be the latest victim to the coronavirus crisis. Many of the events that had initially been set to take place physically were held online. Others were canceled outright. But the jewel in the crown of blockchain week in London, CryptoCompare’s Digital Asset Summit, went ahead as planned. Rumors swirled that there would be poor attendance and mass dropouts from panelists. Many of the week’s previous events had suffered from coronavirus fears, and venues were often half-empty. The massive Magazine London space, in the shadow of the city’s iconic …

On March 11, the co-founder of decentralized login service provider TorusLabs, Zhen Yu Yong (Zen), tweeted that he had been diagnosed with coronavirus COVID-2019. Zen urged people who may have been in contact with him during the ETHLondon hackathon held from Feb. 28 until March 1, or the Ethereum Community Conference (ECC) held from March 3 to March 5 in Paris, to take “extra precautions and/or get tested.” ECC exempt from French ban on large indoor gatherings The coronavirus threat has impacted several major cryptocurrency conferences in recent weeks, with the Paris Blockchain Week 2020 recently being postponed until Dec. …

In 2007, Lebanese-American essayist, statistician and risk analyst Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduced the world to the notion of a “black swan.” A black swan is Taleb’s metaphor for large, unexpected events that wreak havoc across finance, science and technology. Thirteen years on, the world is reeling from its latest black swan in the form of coronavirus, with London Blockchain Week as the latest event in crypto to feel the effects. With public events being canceled around the world and with many people reluctant to travel until the Covid-19 scare blows over, event organizers at the summit must adapt to keep …

Day One, March 5 The world has a fever. A fever for blockchain. But that’s not the only infectious substance in the room. The spectre of the spiralling Coronavirus crisis looms large over today’s conference in the United Kingdom. London has sold out of hand sanitizer and some of blockchain’s biggest names are fist-bumping and elbow-tapping at London Blockchain Week to avoid hand contact. Although the summit is about extolling the virtues of blockchain, coronavirus is the elephant in the room. And there’s certainly room for an elephant in the cavernous main hall of 8 Northumberland Avenue, in the beating …

A company that uses smart contracts to manage arbitration and dispute resolution around blockchain transactions announced on Jan. 17 its intention to list on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Proof of Trust Ltd did not give any financial details or timetable for the listing, but CEO Dean Armstrong said that the company was excited at the prospect of the listing and “look[s] forward to providing investors with the opportunity to share in this groundbreaking project." Insurance protocol for smart contracts and blockchain transactions The company describes its proprietary technology as standing to be the first-ever “insurance protocol …

The cryptocurrency sector has many criticisms. One is that it can appear impenetrable to newcomers. Another is that it is probably easier to lose money investing in crypto than in most other areas of finance. What’s more, these issues can combine to create a lucrative environment for hackers with nefarious intentions. Chrome browser extension makes a stink By virtue of the fluctuations and hype that influence the markets, investors are often highly motivated to buy certain cryptocurrencies. Regardless of their background, all face the same initial hurdles: Where to buy the cryptocurrency and where to store it? Due in part …

London has long been one of the world’s most prominent financial hubs. But as the United Kingdom delves further into an uncertain period of political instability that could radically alter the very identity of the country, its attractiveness for business is starting to be questioned. Despite the need to appear as business-friendly and open to innovation as possible due to the ramifications of the ongoing Brexit crisis, the U.K. still lacks a concrete framework for the regulation of cryptocurrency. However, in mid-November, the United Kingdom Jurisdiction Taskforce of the LawTech Delivery Panel published a statement exploring the legal status of …

Blockchain technology is reshaping the face of our global financial system, and it goes far beyond cryptocurrencies alone. Since Bitcoin’s arrival, the conventional finance world has been intrigued by blockchain, Bitcoin’s underlying disruptive technology. Now we are seeing that intrigue being transformed into a full-fledged and active public interest, and the potential onset of popular mass adoption. But why is the white-collar financial world interested in adopting the very technology that holds profound implications for permanently altering “business as usual?” We headed to London in attendance of a conference called Sibos 2019 to find out. Sibos is the premiere financial …

According to a senior advisor at consultancy firm McKinsey, John Straw, blockchain could make the City of London irrelevant in the near future. He made the claim at a Computing.co.uk Live Event on Oct. 24. Straw added that this could result in a breakdown of the United Kingdom’s tax system, and ultimately the demise of the country’s National Health Service. The straw that breaks the camel’s back Straw sees a huge potential for disruption if a scalable blockchain-based financial system gains popularity: “Let's say that somebody actually does produce a working blockchain peer-to-peer system. It'll be a lending system that …

Nickel Asset Management, a United Kingdom-based hedge fund manager, has raised $50 million for its newly launched digital assets arbitrage strategy fund. The fund breaks new ground because it is the first run by a UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)-regulated manager. According to a report from Finance Magnates on Sept. 9, the hedge fund has raised $50 million for its newly launched crypto investment fund, Nickel Arbitrage Fund, which aims to take advantage of arbitrage trading in digital assets. In arbitrage trading, traders buy an asset on one exchange and sell it on another at a higher price, thereby profiting …

New York-based enterprise software firm R3, known for its enterprise blockchain platform Corda, has doubled the size of its London Wall office. Business intelligence firm Mondo Visione reported on the company’s new hiring goals on Aug. 1. According to the report, R3 has increased the size of its London branch as partial accommodation for the company’s intended 85 global hires by the end of 2019. Out of the 85, over half are intended to be installed in the company’s London office. R3 is reportedly primarily recruiting software engineers, but will also onboard some commercial and client-facing professionals. Additionally, the report …