Category: Blockchain

Tech giant Dell EMC Technologies plans to remain a leader in the Indian server market by introducing products that have blockchain capabilities, local news outlet Economic Times India reports September 26. Dell has identified blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and cloud-compliance as key features that the firm will push forward with in order to retain its edge. According to the Economic Times India, Dell had the highest overall market share of the Indian server market in Q1 2018 at 28.3 percent, up from 19.4 percent in the previous quarter.…

Read More

Blockchain has been receiving attention well beyond cryptocurrencies, and the focus has shifted in part to patent filings. Though it may seem that China has dominated patent filing activity in recent weeks, a number of firms (not Alibaba) have been making their own way across the patent landscape. In the latest news germane to intellectual property and blockchain, Mastercard has filed three patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as reported this week. Amid those patent filings came details that the payments giant has developed a blockchain-based system,…

Read More

LG Uplus has joined with global partners in Japan, Taiwan and the United States to offer subscribers a blockchain-based overseas payment service. The trial service, scheduled to start early next year, is based on a cross-carrier blockchain platform called CCPS (cross-carrier payment system), enabling subscribers from one carrier to complete purchase transactions on the payment networks of another carrier. It would mark the first time a Korean mobile carrier has offered such an advanced service to subscribers. Seoul-based LG Uplus signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Thursday with Taiwan-based Far…

Read More

A portion of the cybersecurity industry seems to be stuck in a cycle. When a new technology comes along, a chorus of vendors jumps into the fray essentially proclaiming: “This technology is different than the others. If you buy it, you’ll be safe.” Some years later, the explanation for that particular technology, whether it is public key infrastructure, firewalls, intrusion prevention and detection, antivirus software or network access control, becomes something like: “Well, the last technology you adopted is helpful, but you need another layer of defense.” Bolt-On Security And…

Read More

There are many potential uses for blockchain in IoT, but for widespread adoption as part of IoT deployments, the technology needs to overcome scalability and interoperability issues. Blockchain technology (also called distributed ledger) is commonly associated with Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital currencies. These digital currencies established the viability of distributed ledger as a means of conducting, verifying and permanently recording transactions without the need for a trusted third party. Beyond digital currencies, blockchain has many other potential applications. Many players are now starting to explore opportunities to apply blockchain…

Read More

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation has announced it is developing a blockchain invoice system. Right now, China Aerospace’s electronic invoices are end-to-end. They cover issuance, delivery, filing, inspection, and reimbursement. So far it has issued around 2.5 billion invoices, and their levels of issuance are in-line with other major Chinese corporations. The electronic invoicing system that is commonly used in China is subject to over-reporting, false-reporting, and problems with chain-of-custody. China Aerospace created a blockchain invoice system to augment its electronic invoices, so they can better track their invoices…

Read More

Following on from their January 2018 commitment to develop a blockchain solution for international cargo transportation, Maersk and IBM have launched TradeLens. The shipping tool has been designed to streamline global trade, secure cargo during transit and support information sharing and transparency across the supply chain. IBM and Maersk have confirmed that 94 separate organisations have either been involved or are set to participate in the TradeLens early adopter program. These parties include major port and terminal operators worldwide; global container carriers such as Pacific International Lines; customs authorities from…

Read More

Japanese electronics giant Sony has filed two patents for boosting blockchain-based ecosystems, according to filings 20180218027 and 20180219686 published by the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) Aug. 2. Through the patents, Sony intends to improve the design and structure of blockchain hardware by introducing new circuitries to the processes of distributed ledger technology. The first application, entitled “Electronic Node and Method for Maintaining a Distributed Ledger,” describes an electronic device for maintaining a blockchain based on multiple electronics nodes, including multiple blocks associated with at least one of the…

Read More

Google has joined a growing number of cloud service providers who are offering blockchain to enterprises. Google has announced the second of two partnerships that will allow it to offer the financial services industry and others a cloud-based platform on which they can develop and run blockchain-based applications. In a blog post ahead of its Google Cloud Next ’18 conference this week, the search giant said it is partnering with Digital Asset and BlockApps to enable customers to “explore ways they might use distributed ledger technology (DLT) frameworks on Google’s…

Read More

On July 17, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded a patent to Mastercard that would provide “for linkage of blockchain-based assets to fiat currency accounts.” As noted in the background section of the patent, blockchain currencies have “seen increased usage over traditional fiat currencies by consumers who value anonymity and security.” However, the limitations of blockchain are also noted, with traditional payment networks having processing times measured in nanoseconds, whereas blockchain transactions can take a significant amount of time to verify. This inconsistency could persuade businesses and consumers to…

Read More

Among the first beneficiaries of the new fund will be the UDAP Foundation and the TokenX Community. Nanjing, the capital of the Chinese province Jiangsu, is setting up a 10 billion yuan ($1.48 billion) blockchain investment fund to support public blockchain projects in the country. ZDNet reports that the new fund will be launched in cooperation with Zhongguancun Blockchain Industry Alliance, a Beijing-based organization formed by blockchain companies and government research institutes. The new project was announced at the Industrial Public Chain Summit (IPCS), which was attended by high-level functionaries…

Read More

The US Patent and Trademark Office published an application submitted by Mastercard Inc. to allow the company to patent a “method and system for anonymous directed blockchain transaction.” The patent proposes to protect the identifying details of individuals who make blockchain transactions. The application states that under existing systems, if a buyer desires to remain anonymous, as in the cases when businesses hope to conceal their practices and partners from competitors, they need to go through a third party. However, the issue with this model is that it requires a…

Read More

Its initial coin offering is still in progress, but a new announcement indicates that the team behind KODAKCoin is working to put the forthcoming cryptocurrency to use. WENN Digital – the company that licensed the photo-centric KODAK’s brand for a cryptocurrency and associated digital rights management platform – announced Monday that it is working with Oak View Group to bridge the sports world with the upcoming KODAKOne platform. The idea is that fans and photographers at the six participating arenas, including the San Antonio Spurs’ AT&T Center, can upload and…

Read More

China’s Google, as Baidu is commonly referred to, announced that they have released a blockchain-based protocol dubbed “Super Chain.” The solution is intended to resolve the issues related to mining energy consumption. Speaking at an event in China, Xiao Wei, chief scientist of Baidu’s blockchain division, announced the first release of the company’s new blockchain protocol called “Super Chain.” Wei spoke of the capabilities of the new release, outlining its attempts to handle the critical issue of the high energy consumption of cryptocurrency mining operations: This compatible developer ecosystem of…

Read More