April 13, 2018
Market Activity and Trends
IT Giant Tech Mahindra Joins India’s Early Blockchain ‘Bulls’
Coin Desk | April 12, 2018 | https://goo.gl/7R7G7r
Despite a bearish outlook on cryptocurrencies from regulators, progressive Indian states and companies are charging ahead in exploring the applications of blockchain technology. Announced Thursday, Swedish blockchain startup ChromaWay and Indian IT giant Tech Mahindra are joining hands to bring blockchain solutions to the Indian market.
The announcement is a notable one for ChromaWay, which is seeking to position its Postchain technology and its unique combination of SQL database and blockchain technology in a crowded market for enterprise-focused software. Launched last year, Postchain works with established enterprise database systems like Oracle and Microsoft, or open-source databases like PostgreSQL, and already, the technology is being used in limited trials as part of a land registry platform in Sweden and India.
Canada Banks Ban Users from Buying Cryptocurrency
Investopedia | April 11, 2018 | https://goo.gl/v1yWsw
The BMO (Bank of Montreal) Financial Group announced that it would ban credit and debit card customers from participating in cryptocurrency purchases with their cards. Earlier in 2018, Toronto Dominion (TD Bank) blocked customers from buying digital currencies. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has also determined that it would allow cryptocurrency transactions only “in limited circumstances.” The bank bans have led Canadian cryptocurrency buyers to find other means of payment; P2P platform LocalBitcoins has seen a 6x increase in trade activity in the past 3 weeks.
Although the ban on cryptocurrencies from banking institutions creates inconveniences for investors, supporters of cryptocurrency argue that the bank ban may have a positive impact, by forcing investors to remove themselves out of the traditional financial system, decreasing the impact of a market crash.
Ripple looks to back the next Uber by investing $25 million into a blockchain-focused fund
CNBC | April 11, 2018 | https://goo.gl/pABzjK
Ripple is putting $25 million worth of its own cryptocurrency XRP into Blockchain Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to blockchain technology. The company’s aim is to find entrepreneurs who can find additional uses for Ripple’s blockchain technology; currently, Ripple is mostly applied to real-time transaction settlements for banks (with partnerships with companies like MoneyGram and Western Union).
Cory Johnson, chief market strategist at Ripple states that “A lot of people are going to develop things using XRP and because it sits on our balance sheet, it will be helpful for us from a valuation standpoint. If somebody starts the next Uber, or Instagram or Salesforce using XRP, that would be great for us.” The contribution was made in XRP, not USD, but the company says it is not looking to offload its cryptocurrency since they currently own 60 billion of the 100 billion XRP tokens created.
IBM Blockchain Academy
IBM Blockchain for Healthcare and Life Sciences Course
IBM | http://gbslearn.atlanta.ibm.com/iSPO/blockchain_hcls/index.html
Blockchain will play an increasingly significant role in healthcare Information Technology (IT) and will bring beneficial disruption and new efficiencies to every stakeholder in the ecosystem. This course will help you understand the benefits and impact of blockchain and will help you prepare for meaningful conversations with your clients about IBM Blockchain.
IBM Blockchain for Telecommunications, Media and Entertainment
IBM | http://gbslearn-stg.atlanta.ibm.com/iSPO/BlockchainTME/
This course will help you understand the benefits and impacts of blockchain for the TME Industry. These lessons provide information on blockchain for TME, IBM’s TME Blockchain use cases, and resources to assist you. We suggest you take the modules to maximize your learning experience.
Blockchain Education
IBM Zero to Blockchain
Learn how to develop BlockChain solutions using HyperLedger Composer on HyperLedger Fabric Version 1.0+. This 15 chapter tutorial takes you from no experience to building a complete blockchain application.
Inside the Most Disruptive Technology Since the Internet
Blockchain is coming. Like the internet before it, this new shared digital infrastructure is set to transform the economy and revolutionize how you consume media, how you communicate online and even how you vote. So strap in with OZY, and let us catch you up on what it all means and then vault you ahead to the next big cryptotrends.
Blockchain @ IBM Storytelling Team
Blockchain Part I: Evaluate, Engineer, Execute
Pramod Achanta | August 24, 2017
Blockchain Part II: Engineering Transformation; Building out the Blueprint
Pramod Achanta | September 8, 2017
Blockchain Part III: Execution; Breathing Life into Blueprints
Pramod Achanta | September 15, 2017
Blockchain @ IBM Institute for Business Value
Blockchain for Digital Reinvention: Three lessons from Blockchain Explorers
Veena Pureswaran | IBV Global Research
Recently, the IBM Institute for Business Value conducted a global survey of nearly 3,000 CxOs from over 20 industries to understand their strategy for leveraging blockchain as an enabler of Digital Reinvention. Through observing and interacting with these blockchain explorers we’ve identified three lessons learned that further their pursuit of blockchain.
Driving changes
Automation, digital commerce and the Internet of Things are redefining vehicle operation, usage and ownership models.
Advancing blockchain
In this IBM Institute for Business Value Expert Insights report, we share some lessons from a successful, ongoing blockchain initiative between CLS and IBM.
An expanding market
Central banks and financial system regulators around the world are asking themselves how blockchain is going to change their technology underpinnings and those of the commercial banks and financial institutions they regulate. These executives are especially concerned about the non-functional requirements for blockchain.
Tuned to trust
The current model for managing identity is quickly becoming unsustainable — costly, disjointed and all too fallible. Blockchain, the technology underlying distributed ledgers shared across a scalable group of individuals and institutions, takes a new approach. How should organizations approach this new opportunity?
Transparency that engenders trust
There is no doubt that blockchain is about bringing trust to transactions. For almost any supply chain — be it food, medical records, precious gems and minerals, real estate or credit default swaps, to name a few — success depends on the promise of transparency and auditability for all participants.
Fast forward
For centuries, global trade has been the single greatest creator of wealth in human history and market friction the greatest obstacle to wealth. Blockchain technology –which creates a permanent and transparent record of transactions –has the potential to obviate intractable frictions across industries.
Our Contributors
Disclaimer: The postings are of our contributors and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
