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Are PewDiePie, Manny Pacquiao and Spencer Dinwiddie riding the blockchain wave?

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.
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Ep. 1 | Spencer Dinwiddie, SEC on IEOs and Bitwise investor bulletin

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

Digital commerce leader ‘gravely concerned’ over U.S. losing edge in tech, global reserves

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.

Swiss stock exchange SIX wants to democratize digital assets

SIX Digital Exchange’s blockchain-based digital assets platform and distributed central securities depository are designed to democratize investment. The digital exchange platform is a subsidiary of leading Swiss stock exchange SIX.

Switzerland is a blockchain haven, but government lags behind, says Trust Square CEO

Although Switzerland’s Crypto Valley may seek to become a global blockchain hub, its government is too slow to adopt the technology even as Facebook’s Libra incorporates in the country, according to Trust Square cofounder Daniel Gasteiger.

China’s blockchain talent is driving an investment boom

Investment in Chinese blockchain projects reached USD$367.7 million in the first half of 2019. Blockchain Global CEO Sam Lee says Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent have fueled a breadth of tech talent.

ConsenSys, R3 and Digital Asset execs say enterprise blockchain is changing finance world

From supply chain to finance, implementation of the technology is building trust, efficiency and new opportunities.

ConsenSys founder Joseph Lubin says Ethereum can be a trust layer for the planet

Ethereum has amassed a nearly unbeatable network effect, but regulatory compliance is still a major hurdle.

Gibraltar is pioneering creation of blockchain ecosystems, says FM

“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.”

Security Token Offerings — The What and the Why, Vol. 3: How are Security Tokens Created as a Matter of Law?

If I buy a token in an asset-based security token offering, will I own a piece of the property? Am I tokenizing the asset? No. Let’s take real estate as an example. Tokenising the underlying real estate would require tokenization of the Land Registry. This is not what happens. You will most likely own an […]

How Catalonian Minister Jordi Puigneró is Using Blockchain to Change Governance

Catalonian Minister of Digital Technology and Policies Jordi Puigneró talks regulation, popular appeal, and what blockchain can do for a country. As a member of an elected public administration, Puigneró believes that he has the obligation to serve the people. In the case of blockchain, Puigneró expects that the technology will create a new class […]

In Conversation with Joseph Lubin, Founder of ConsenSys: Blockchain is a Paradigm Shift for the Planet

What is the next big thing? As far as Joseph Lubin, Founder of Consensys, is concerned, we are already experiencing it as you read this. Lubin shares how blockchain is already a killer app, being used globally as a new database technology. He notes cryptocurrency is already enabling cross-border transactions that help facilitate trade and […]

China Telecom Introduces its Blockchain SIM Card Project

In anticipation of China Telecom’s new blockchain SIM card project, Director of its Blockchain Research and Development Departments, David Wei Liang, peaks to Angie Lau, Editor-in-Chief of Forkast.News, about the reasoning behind embarking on the project, the product’s uses and implications, and the timeline of its adoption. The time is ripe for telecom companies to […]

WATCH: OECD: The Next Big Thing — Major Developments in DLT from Industry & Governments in the Year Ahead

To celebrate the end of 2020, here is a Forkast.News editor favorite from our archives — a story that still rings fresh, true and — in a world now measured in nanoseconds — timeless. What is holding back mainstream adoption? What role do governments need or want to play? The Next Big Thing plenary panel […]

What Regulators Think at OECD and Why it Matters; R3’s Regulatory Head Says Adoption Relies on Governments

What are the rules? For most blockchain companies and projects, the complex landscape of regulation and policy creates business risk, which impacts not only innovation but also ultimately, mainstream adoption.  But at OECD’s second Global Blockchain Policy Forum, regulators are increasingly becoming aware of the need for concerted efforts at every government and agency levels. […]

Security Token Offerings — The What and the Why, Vol. 2: Tokenizing Real Estate

Why would tokenization of real estate be attractive? Fractional ownership will allow part of an asset to be made available by tokenization. This provides the asset owner with different choices on how to approach the market. For instance, an anchor investor could hold a 40% interest, 30% could be released to other key investors, and […]

LISTEN: Why Blockchain Compares to the Rise of the Internet, with Steven Nerayoff

Key Highlights Digital currencies on the blockchain can only go global if transactions can be expedited Mass adoption could yield micro-economies, where millions of public businesses could theoretically take off Blockchain technologies are in their infancy, but are projected to yield a 17 trillion-dollar economy when combined with AI and the Internet of Things In […]

WATCH: Why Blockchain Compares to the Rise of the Internet, with Steven Nerayoff

Key Highlights Digital currencies on the blockchain can only go global if transactions can be expedited Mass adoption could yield micro-economies, where millions of public businesses could theoretically take off Blockchain technologies are in their infancy, but are projected to yield a 17 trillion-dollar economy when combined with AI and the Internet of Things In […]

Opinion | Why the Security Token Industry Hasn’t Taken Off

Trustless payment methods were the first disruption blockchain brought to the financial industry. The second wave of disruption came about when the ICO boomed in 2017 as a way to reach a larger market of investors through crowdfunding smart contracts on Ethereum. In 2017 alone, ICOs raised around $7 billion. More recently, we’re seeing the […]

LISTEN: Are We Ready for Cryptocurrencies as an Alternative Asset Class?

Key Highlights As a non-sovereign, decentralized, and digitally native asset, Bitcoin has a strong value proposition to hedge against any risk of a major currency devaluation Cryptocurrency is censorship-resistant; it’s accessible to everyone, and anyone can acquire it, making it powerful for long-term wealth storage for both companies and individual Quantitative easing and the Federal […]

Security Token Offerings: The What and the Why, Vol. 1

This is the first part of an insight series by Tanner De Witt partner, Pádraig Walsh, in which he gives his legal perspective on security token offerings. In this article, he starts from the basics, and asks and answers what are security token offerings and why we should care. What is a token? A token […]