The Taipei Medical University Hospital has rolled out a blockchain-powered platform to improve medical record-keeping, Taipei Times reported August 31. The so called “Healthcare Blockchain Platform” was reportedly developed in order to support the government’s Hierarchical Medical System policy, improve patient referral services, and integrate individual healthcare networks to enable people to access their medical records in an easier way. To make a request for their records, patients can log in to a password-protected mobile app. The project involved over 100 clinics, which deploy blockchain technology to address major issues in healthcare, such as data transfer between medical establishments and …

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a leading producer of microchips, has decreased its annual revenue and capital expenditure estimates following growth rate reduction in the smartphone and cryptocurrency mining fields, Business Times reported July 19. TSMC produces chips for tech giants like Nvidia Corp., Apple Inc., and Qualcomm Inc. TSMC cut its revenue growth forecast for 2018 to “a high single digit percent” from ten percent, and lowered its expected capital expenses volume to $10-10.5 billion from $11.5-12 billion. According to analysts, the company could face slowing demand for high-end chips used in crypto mining, as miners choose lower-powered chips …

The world's four largest auditing firms — Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PwC —have joined 20 Taiwanese banks to pilot blockchain technology for fiscal audits, local news outlet CTEE reports July 19. The “big four” will join a consortium of major Taiwanese banks to test a blockchain solution for auditing companies’ interim financial reports, focused on streamlining so-called ‘external confirmation’ processes. These currently require an auditor to manually obtain and verify audit evidence of companies’ transactions with third parties. The pilot — which has been developed by the banking consortium alongside Taiwan's Financial Information Service Co. (FISC) — harnesses …

Electronics giant HTC will not be releasing a smartphone with a native blockchain network for crypto trading between users as previously announced, The Verge reported July 10. Instead, the company will introduce a smartphone containing a cryptocurrency wallet and CryptoKitties, the Ethereum-based decentralized application (DApp) game. On May 15, the Taiwan-based electronics firm had first unveiled its blockchain smartphone project, the HTC Exodus, that would reportedly include support for both the Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) networks. The Verge wrote in May that the company planned on creating a product with “a native blockchain network that uses Exodus phones as …

Sirin Labs, a Swiss-based smartphone developer, will release a blockchain-based phone in November this year, the company told Cointelegraph on July 11. In December 2017, Sirin Labs raised $157.8 million for the project during their Initial Coin Offering (ICO), with $110 million gathered over the first 24 hours. Sirin Labs had also previously released a privacy-focused smartphone in 2016, with a market price of $16,000. The new blockchain-based phone, called Finney, is scheduled to go to market with an expected price of $1,000, Sirin Labs told Cointelegraph. Based on the Android system, Finney will run on SIRIN OS and include …

The Taiwanese subsidiary of tech giant Microsoft has partnered with tech investment company China Binary Sale Technology and High Cloud to create a platform for enterprise blockchain development, according to a press release from Microsoft June 28. Microsoft will provide its Azure cloud platform as a base for China Binary’s blockchain service. The three-part partnership reportedly intends to transform various industries such as finance, e-commerce, and entertainment, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan Microsoft’s general manager Sun Jikang expressed his confidence about Microsoft’s ability to improve the security and operation speed of China Binary’s blockchain service. He also highlighted the …

Taiwanese legislators have formed a parliamentary blockchain group to promote the development of the industry, according to a Facebook announcement by MP and legislator Jason Hsu Yu-Jen today, May 22. The new Taiwan Parliamentary Coalition for Blockchain (TPCB), headed by Hsu, hopes to achieve cross-party consensus among Taiwanese politicians to decide on a clear, “friendly” and robust regulatory framework for the blockchain sector and cryptocurrencies. A joint founding ceremony was held yesterday in Taipei for both TCPB and a newly established Taiwan Crypto Blockchain Self-Regulatory Organization (TCBSRO), whose members will be required to comply with transparency, data security, and investor …

Taiwanese Minister of Justice, Chiu Tai-san, said that the country will roll out new regulations for virtual currencies later this year, Taiwan Central News Agency reported April 20. Today, at a conference dedicated to anti-money laundering (AML) in the financial industry held by the Taiwan Financial Services Coalition, Chiu Tai-san said that the country will develop and launch new regulations on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The regulations will aim to prevent cryptocurrencies from becoming instruments for money laundering and reportedly will take effect in November. The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), with the consultation of the Ministry of Interior, the Central …