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Other top news: Blockchain in TV and film. Going Dutch on Covid. Nodle’s new network. BMW tracking auto parts. House rentals in new intelligent city

Investment totals are down, but deals are still being inked and alternative fundraising methods are flourishing. What kind of investments will thrive? And which ones will likely flop?

The financial watchdog’s ruling would prevent cash from being loaned out for bitcoin and other cryptocurrency. Forkast.News analyzes its likely impact on the sector.

As Covid-19 roils markets and currencies, next-generation algorithmic stablecoins may offer a smoother ride.

China is trying to grow its blockchain industry, but are all these startups for real? Forkast.News dives into the data to find the truth behind the numbers.

Other top headlines from around the world: Microsoft wants to power mining with brain waves. Crypto exchanges Huobi and OKEx under fire. China shifts to digitally sweep ancestral graves.

How are crypto companies complying with the travel rule, and what does it mean for decentralization and privacy? In a Forkast.News exclusive, industry experts analyze FATF’s impact on regulations around the world and what to expect next.

BTC’s recent tumbles and movements with the rest of market may be an anomaly and opportunity for investors.

In this newsletter and podcast, we bring you top headlines around the world, including: A new proposal to create a digital dollar. Coinbase’s legal chief heading U.S. Treasury. A Bitcoin-Red Cross coronavirus fundraiser in Italy. Universal basic income’s revival. Steem’s hard fork into Hive, and more.

Coronavirus’ impact on the U.S. economy might hasten the creation of a digital dollar.

Coronavirus fears spread panic as well as infection. Face masks, hand washing and social isolation are best practices.

Robotics and blockchain will unleash massive job losses as workers struggle to adjust. Should society offer UBI to ease the economic pain?

Also: Blockchain voting after the Voatz debacle, IOTA limps back after cyber attack, smart cities in China, and Forkast.News insights to help you make sense of the top headlines.

A decentralized, digitized and secure voting system could make elections more transparent, honest and trusted. But can blockchain voting also stem violence against voters — and overcome stains from the Voatz debacle?

Despite all signs that interest just isn’t there for STOs, and ICOs are too tarnished by scams to be a legitimate investment vehicle, this investor thinks there’s life left in both.

In the third installment of this special three-part Forkast.News series, we look at some phones on the market that bill themselves as ‘blockchain’ but are only doing a disservice to the industry.

What’s up with South Korea’s new blockchain regulations? And where is bitcoin now legal tender? (Mai oui!) Other headlines around the world: a storm over STEEM, the new Baseline protocol for privacy, HTC’s Exodus 5G Hub, and how the coronavirus has affected blockchain firms in China.

Gold bars are unwieldy. Gold futures and ETFs carry risks. Can gold-backed crypto, or tokenized gold, be a safer hedge during the current market tumult?

CEO of Hedera Hashgraph explains how distributed ledgers can help front-line doctors and scientists in the battle against Covid-19, and how the emerging techology may be the future of international disaster relief.

Blockchain technology now offers hope to radically transform the African remittances industry in favor of migrant workers and their families.

India’s crypto sector saw a major boost after its Supreme Court ruled to lift a ban on crypto trading, paving the way for more blockchain development.

Coronavirus fears are sending markets tumbling. Could tokenized gold, or gold-backed crypto, be the next-generation investment in times of economic trouble?

Blockchain phones aren’t yet able to offer the ability to provide total security for your data.

Specific identification, hard forks and mainstream use: U.S. crypto investors are scrambling to figure out how new guidelines will affect their tax returns.

The uncertain legal status of cryptocurrencies is under the microscope in India.

As increasingly useful and potentially destructive data migrates onto the internet, more and more countries will deploy cyber weapons. Could blockchain provide a defense against future incursions?

In this first article of a three-part Forkast.News series, we will examine how blockchain can — and can’t — disrupt the world’s telecom industry, and take a closer look at where efforts are falling flat.

In this episode: Lightning Loop as the Visa of bitcoin, SEC’s crypto safe harbor, and Zcash voting to give 20% of funds to developers

What are the best face masks to wear to protect against Covid-19, and how to wear them? Which masks are the worst and could increase your risk of illness? A medical doctor and face mask researcher explains all.

Blockchain has had an interesting, albeit slightly paradoxical journey in India. On one hand, the technology itself has seen great support from the startup ecosystem as well as the Government. On the other hand, cryptocurrencies have faced huge regulatory hurdles in India, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing a directive to ring-fence regulated entities like banks from the risk of trading virtual assets.

Public health coins could motivate more people to interact honestly with the health care system during crises like the coronavirus epidemic.

Smart-contract platform Ethereum’s new version is set to operate on a Proof of Stake system that may be released in 2020 according to Andrew Keys, co-founder of ConsenSys Capital. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum explained that Ethereum 2.0 will provide added capacity for users through sharding and scaling, privacy features and more alongside the new Proof of Stake system.

As bold-face names in entertainment and sports like PewDiePie, Manny Pacquiao and Spencer Dinwiddie dabble in blockchain technology, their use of cryptocurrency signal a growing shift toward grassroots financing and cutting out traditional middlemen. But some celebrities are finding a legal minefield.

Xiang Hu Bao policyholders use Alipay to claim a 100,000 yuan disbursement through a blockchain-powered system, demonstrating the technology’s potential in health care.

Welcome to The Current Forkast series with Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau and Brian Lio, CEO of blockchain research group Smith + Crown. In this episode we talk about: NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie’s token release, SEC’s warning on Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), Bitwise investor bulletin

Taiwan’s cryptocurrency evangelist and former congressman says the island is falling behind in STO guidelines, fintech regulations and forming a tech hub.

Distributed ledger technology could be used by front-line health care responders dealing with the coronavirus epidemic to submit information in real-time around the world regardless of censorship. HashLog, a dashboard designed to publicly track coronavirus developments via distributed public ledger Hedera Hashgraph, could mitigate political influence involved in spreading information, according to Hedera Hashgraph cofounder and CEO Mance Harmon.

IowaReporterApp developed by Shadow Inc. failed to deliver timely results of the Iowa Democratic caucus. Blockchain-enabled voting systems could mitigate similar mistakes.

The Chamber of Digital Commerce is “gravely concerned” about how the U.S. Government is addressing technological challenges and opportunities posed by blockchain according to founder and president Perianne Boring. The U.S. could be ceding technological leadership as well as the dollar’s reserve currency status to other nations including China if it does not revamp policies toward emerging blockchain innovation.

As China, Singapore, Canada and other countries develop digital currencies in part to facilitate cross-border transactions, Ripple’s managing director of South Asia and EMEA Navin Gupta said these currencies would primarily only be used domestically.

The modern convenience of Alibaba enables rapid, on-demand consumerism that’s worth tens of billions of dollars. So what if Alibaba — and its competitors — turned the technological might that it used to develop modern Chinese consumerism over to developing modern Chinese charity?

Not enough startups and young talent are as gung ho about blockchain as they are about hotter categories such as such as AI, media or the sharing economy.

China hopes to provide affordable basic health care to all its citizens by 2020. Now that the private sector has joined public initiatives, the country is starting to see medical care efficiencies thanks to blockchain implementation.

Telecom operators are using blockchain technology for digital identity management, more efficient roaming and combating fraud.

China has received the largest number of patent applications globally. Intellectual property applications themselves are a revenue source for the government, which generated $35 billion in fees paid for using IP rights.

China’s blockchain policy for enterprises is similar to that of the public sector: provide more efficiency and disintermediation. What’s different about enterprise policy is the added element of competitiveness.

Around the world, the used-car industry is notorious for being one of low trust and high incidences of fraud. That also makes it an industry ripe for innovation as it has not adopted effective enough technology to prevent fraud and contain costs.

Having a high standard in food safety and security demands that the food is of good quality, free from disease or infection, and safe for consumption. Keeping up with this standard is a matter of international concern and the responsibility of food producers and governments.

After their panel on how blockchain technology is changing the world of finance and enterprise at Hong Kong FinTech Week 2019, Digital Asset cofounder and CEO Yuval Rooz and R3 CEO David Rutter answered follow-up questions.

Innovations in privacy-enhancing technology can address the challenges confronting enterprises from a regulatory, security and competitive perspective, writes Jonathan Rouach, CEO and cofounder of QEDIT.

Smith + Crown focuses its attention on headlines and projects it considers as key developments likely to prove influential in determining the course of blockchain events in 2020.

As China’s digital currency is said to be “progressing smoothly,” Indonesia is also working on releasing their own white paper this year, according to Indonesian Blockchain Association cofounder Pandu Sastrowardoyo.

Indonesia is a country of 17,508 islands and 260 million people, including 171 million internet users. It’s a huge market, dominated by the digital economy that’s ripe for blockchain disruption.

Universities simply haven’t caught on to the need for blockchain education as they grapple with teaching other emerging technologies, such as big data or AI.

As protests continue to rock Hong Kong and China’s economy slows, concerns are rising about the Special Administrative Region’s future as Asia’s premier financial hub.

The Chinese government has identified blockchain technology development as an issue of national importance, along with other emerging technologies such as AI, deep learning and IoT. President Xi Jinping has outlined the importance of blockchain technology to China’s industrial maturity, urging continued development so China can lead the way in defining international standards.

Getting blockchain right is hard enough – not to mention building consortium, says Steve Cerveny, founder and CEO of Kaleido, a Consensys Enterprise Business that offers blockchain as a service.

Blockchain technology and digital assets have the potential to change the entire finance industry. These blockchain-powered payments networks enable cross-border payments to be hassle-free by having a standard set of technical specifications and standards – reducing confusion and ensuring that all members of the network have access to the same technology, says Ripple’s Navin Gupta.

The central bank’s digital currency efforts, ironically, would give it more control over the economy.

Identification on a protocol level could help blockchain become mainstream for blue-chip companies like MasterCard, Volvo and Geely if international regulations are met. Anonymity is “exactly what is hindering wider use of blockchain,” said Concordium CEO Lone Fonss Schroder.

The Fintech Advisory Services monthly report details the main crypto-metrics and indicators for the past month: News, Market Performance, Networks, Mining Activity, Public Sentiment, and Academic Publications. The report also covers the latest “Hot Topics” in the crypto space. This month: Facebook’s Libra, Telegram’s TON, China’s CBDC, and quantum computing.

Building artificial intelligence is a game of “surveillance machine learning” that exploits common users’ data. But blockchain technology systems promise to help compensate users for it.

Executive Summary It has been 40 years since Deng Xiaoping launched China’s Open Door Policy. By several metrics, China’s economic miracle has been extraordinary, with some 800 million people lifted out of poverty in just a few decades and the country playing a critical role in the global economy. But this growth was neither stable […]

Public support in India is strong for cryptocurrency ownership. But regulators’ blanket ban may lead to a gray market, increasing the chances of fraud.

The crypto exchange has a presence in China, but not an official registration.

There has been a resurgence of AI during the last five to six years.  I use the word resurgence because we have had previous eras when AI was seen as being imminent. Alan Turing devised the eponymous Turing Test in 1950 and brought mainstream attention to the possibility of machines that could think. The Dartmouth […]

“We want to keep at the forefront of the regulatory framework to make sure that what we’ve got is fit for purpose and works well for our stakeholders.”

Over the past few decades, the internet boom has been helping fill the information gap in our society. Online businesses such as those in e-commerce and social media emerged to help the world share information more efficiently, allowing for the digital transformation of traditionally “offline” industries. Despite the many years of effort, however, this digital […]

Speaking from the main stage of Hong Kong FinTech Week, Securities Futures Commission (“SFC”) CEO Ashley Alder said the SFC will publish a new regulatory framework that would allow it to regulate virtual asset trading platforms. In a highly anticipated keynote speech at Asia’s largest global financial technology conference, Alder noted the new regulations will […]

The imminent economic collapse in Lebanon which the Lebanese Central Bank Governor has warned of may be averted as Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation amid the country’s largest protests in 15 years. These protests were in response to Hariri’s government announcing austerity measures which included a tax on WhatsApp calls. Protesters demanding Hariri’s […]

While many other countries have been taking a back seat and waiting to decide how exactly they should approach blockchain technology, China has been proactively exploring its application in decentralized finance. This week China announced a certification system to regulate a broad range of fintech products. China is clearly priming itself to become a leader […]