Australia’s coastal city of Fremantle has kicked off a trial that will allow some residents to trade solar power on a blockchain-based platform provided by renewable energy-focused crypto startup Power Ledger. According to the Minister for Finance, Energy and Aboriginal Affairs in the government of Western Australia, Ben Wyatt, around 40 households in Fremantle will participate […]

Mastercard has filed a patent for a method of anonymizing transactions on a blockchain, according to an application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Dec. 9. The filing outlines that “the use of one or more intermediary addresses to obscure the source and destination of funds in a blockchain transaction” can be used in order to “increase anonymity of […]

WASHINGTON  – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday sounded an optimistic note about trade negotiations with China as two of his top economic advisers downplayed friction from the arrest of a senior executive of Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies. “China talks are going very well,” Trump said on Twitter, without providing any details. Major […]

Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, is facing fraud charges relating to alleged breaking of US sanctions on Iran, a Canadian court has heard. Details of the charges were revealed when a publication ban was lifted by a judge in Vancouver. Ms Meng, daughter of Huawei’s founder, was arrested in the […]

Russia will develop missiles banned under a Cold War agreement if the US exits the pact, President Vladimir Putin has warned. His comments follow Nato’s accusation on Tuesday that Russia has already broken the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Signed in 1987 by the US and USSR, it banned both countries’ use of all short […]

Star Wars is a compelling story about a little kid called Anakin Skywalker. Branded ‘the Chosen One’, Anakin is the saga’s messiah who holds great promise to bring balance to the force and ensure peace throughout the galaxy. (SPOILER ALERT) Except he doesn’t quite live up to the hype. In the end, Anakin’s individual complexity, lack […]

On November 26, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan held an internal meeting to discuss the possibility of allowing private crypto initial coin offering (ICO) projects. Nikkei exclusively reported that local financial authorities are actively exploring the legalization of ICOs for institutional investors and accredited investors, as long as they are lawfully conducted within the boundaries […]

Global retail giant Auchan is expanding TE-FOOD’s blockchain solution to improve the transparencyof products’ history, U.S.-based news agency Cision PRWeb reports today, Dec. 4. The French retail group, which is reportedly the 13th largest food retailer globally with operations in 17 countries, has extended TE-FOOD’s FoodChain solution to five more countries. FoodChain is the international traceability information ledger by TE-FOOD, first applied by Auchan in its Vietnam branch. After a 18-month […]

Some of the world’s most unusual sharks and rays are on the brink of extinction because of threats such as commercial fishing, scientists have said. A shark that uses its tail to stun prey and a ray half the length of a bus are on the list of 50 species. The scientists say sharks have […]

Saudi Arabian developmental institution the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) has partnered with a Tunisian startup to develop interbank blockchain tools, a press release confirmed Nov. 29. IsDB, which will conduct the project through its private sector subsidiary, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector (ICD), wants to improve Islamic financial institutions’ liquidity management and increase overall efficiency. The institution […]