= November 2019=
Blockchain news from across Asia and Australasia
– the distributed ledger in applications spanning agriculture, finance, food provenance, logistics and far beyond.
- Fujitsu partners Switzerland’s Rice Exchange for blockchain-backed rice trading platform, scheduled to launch in 2020
- US Dep’t of Homeland Security awards $182K to Canada’s Mavennet Systems to integrate blockchain solution for tracking cross-border oil imports
- TATTOO Wine marketplace launches on public Ethereum blockchain network, enabling traceability via the EY OpsChain platform
- HSBC partners Singapore Exchange and Temasek sovereign wealth fund explore the use of blockchain for issuance and servicing of fixed income securities
- Gartner estimates blockchain will generate $3.1TN in new business value by 2030
- Nestlé partners France’s Carrefour supermarket chain to put baby milk formula on IBM‘s food-tracking blockchain, to ensure supply chain from dairy to shelf
- ICYMI: Germany’s Hahn Air becomes the first airline to issue tickets using blockchain technology
- ICYMI: Portugal’s BetProtocol blockchain-based startup raises $3M via private token sale to help developers deploy decentralized gaming applications, no coding needed
- ICYMI: Ubisoft video game publisher to join Ultra blockchain platform as a corporate block producer during testnet period
- ICYMI: Franklin Templeton Investments to track shares of a money market fund on the Stellar blockchain, with Curv wallet service provider to safeguard shares
- A brief overview of the synergies arising from combining AI and blockchain, in robotics, drones and more
- ICYMI: European Commission and European Investment Fund to launch €2BN fund to invest in fundamental technologies including AI and blockchain
- Bethereum social sports betting platform wins Best Blockchain Startup at CESAwards Grand Finale, securing a spot in December’s Global Startup Awards in China
- A brief look at Asia’s gaming trends involving blockchain tech
- A look at how 8kun, formerly 8chan, has experimented with blockchain and p2p tech to build a site resistant to deplatforming and censorship
- Australia: Block2 blockchain firm implements EY’s OpsChain Tesseract blockchain for 2Mota vehicle services marketplace
- Australia: Monash University launches Monash Blockchain Technology Centre, building outwards from faculty-level internal research lab
- Blockchain: “If you hold crypto in a Chinese exchange, for example, your data will probably be examined by Chinese state authorities”
- China’s Xunlei Limited, operator of ThunderChain platform, to establish $100M fund to invest in blockchain tech
- China: Tencent gains tax regulator approval for blockchain-based invoicing tech and standards
- China’s Nervos Network blockchain startup to launch Lina mainnet, following $72M fundraise via token sale
- If we have blockchain with these Chinese characteristics, we eschew the central ethos of cryptocurrency and blockchain and the technology that underlines it
- ICYMI: Shenzhen Taxation Bureau states it has issued over 10 million blockchain-based invoices, used on-demand without the purchasing of physical tax invoices
- China: Huawei launches blockchain directory and data exchange platform for government in Beijing, linking more than 50 institutions
- China: Ruikang Pharmaceutical partners Zheshang Bank on Jixiangtian platform, blockchain-based solution focused on supply chain finance
- China: Global Digital Bank Consortium Blockchain Investment Fund launches, aimed at building a digital bank which can later be transformed into main blockchain node
- China: Tens of thousands of blockchain companies may have tried to issue their own cryptocurrencies, says Beijing Blockchain Application Association
- Andreessen Horowitz boosts crypto bet with launch of new cryptocurrency startup school to help entrepreneurs get blockchain projects off the ground
- Visa’s R&D arm outlines LucidiTEE, a blockchain-based system allowing financial institutions to share data without the need for financial data aggregators
- HSBC launches Digital Vault, custody blockchain platform to digitise transaction records of private placements, sale of stock shares or bonds to pre-selected entities
- CargoSmart, COSCO, HSBC and PwC complete blockchain interoperability trial using Hong Kong Monetary Authority trade finance blockchain, eTradeConnect
- India: Tamil Nadu working on state-level policy for key emerging technologies including blockchain and artificial intelligence, given likely impacts on governance
- Japan: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group leads 22-member Security Token Research Consortium to develop standards and technology around security token management
- Korea Internet Security to provide $9M in funding to 6 startups across 10 projects, with digital tokens assisting with funding
- South Korea: FirmaChain digital contract management startup gains backing with Stabledocs, blockchain-based electronic contract solution
- South Korea: Shinhan Bank to build a blockchain-based loan management platform
- Video: Samsung Blockchain’s official introduction
- Bison Trails blockchain protocol provider and Libra Association member gains $25.5M Series A; set to contribute to building the new system with Facebook
- ICYMI: Brave web browser 1.0 released, delivering privacy-first ads, beating Chrome for speed, and providing cryptocurrency-based rewards system
- ICYMI: BlockShow Asia 2019 Conference set for November 14-15 in Singapore
- Monetary Authority of Singapore completes development of blockchain-based cross border payments system, in partnership with JPMorgan and Temasek
- Sri Lanka: Oxfam, Etherisc and Aon announced the success of the first season of blockchain-based microinsurance delivery to smallholder paddy field farmers
- Thailand trials blockchain to boost efficiency of cross-border trade
- Thailand: Finance Ministry partners Krungthai Bank for 3 DLT-based projects, including VAT refund service for tourists
- Thailand: government to use blockchain tech for production-to-export traceability of agricultural products, starting with organic rice
- Australia: Blockchain Australia National Meetup Roadshow’s Perth edition set for December 3rd
Other subject-specific news from November 2019:
Blockchain in Asia / Crypto in Asia
Artificial Intelligence in Asia / Fintech in Asia
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