After months of intense attention on blockchain technology and the Ethereum blockchain, we pull together statistics from across the network to provide a snapshot of Ethereum today, its past, and its roadmap ahead.

New Zealand fintech businesses are working toward an inclusive society despite some experts saying the gap between the have and have nots is getting wider, FintechNZ general manager James Brown says.

Initial Coin Offering earned the reputation as a legitimate way of fundraising. In this guide, I will explain the essentials on how to pick the right ICO investments. Read on to find the guidelines.

Dec 19, 2017  -  Bitcoin: Flipping the Coin  - You must be familiar with the above quote if you’ve watched the Christian Bale movie The Big Short. Does that mean the Bitcoin is a bubble waiting to burst? Maybe. The truth is no one knows just yet. It’s difficult to assess whether something is a bubble by simply reading the news or following the market. So, let’s begin by understanding what is a Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a decentralized, digital cryptocurrency. Confused? Let’s take an example. Let’s say that you are ordering headphones from Amazon via a seller and you want…

Nov 23, 2017  -  Air New Zealand is exploring the use of blockchain-based systems within its business, reinforcing its global reputation for innovation and embracing new and emerging technology.  Blockchain is being used globally to build encrypted, shared platforms, providing a secure and efficient way to track the exchange of goods or information. Air New Zealand is looking at a number of potential use cases for the distributed ledger technology including cargo and baggage tracking, retail, distribution and loyalty programme opportunities. Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan says applications of blockchain are developing rapidly, and the airline is…

17 Nov 2017  - American Express business customers will be able to then to make “instant, trackable, cross-border payments” to Santander UK accounts.  American financial services giant American Express has announced that it has teamed with Ripple and Santander UK to develop a blockchain-based solution for instant business-to-business cross-border payments between the US and the UK. In a statement published today, the US revealed that Ripple’s blockchain technology had been integrated into its FX International Payments (FXIP) platform, meaning that payments made by business customers of the service will now be routed through Ripple’s enterprise blockchain network, known as RippleNet. …

4 Nov _ As blockchain and IoT converge, the push to commercialize applications leveraging both technologies grows. The latest industry to embrace this confluence is the transportation and logistics industry. In late August, the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance (BITA) launched with 150 or so member organizations — including transportation management companies, brokers, carriers, shippers and technology vendors. BITA’s stated goal is to create standards and educate industry stakeholders about the promise of blockchain. And at last week’s Connected Fleets USA event in Atlanta, BITA co-founder Craig Fuller, CEO for TransRisk, stressed that the combination of IoT and blockchain in logistics…

The Sunday Times Business Section Cover Story today headline "Banks brace for DISRUPTION".  The accompanying article, wrtten by Rob Stock,  takes a look at the advent of "open banking", technology. This is technology  that could spell the end of the massive profits the banking giants have been raking in,he writes.  Embraced in Europe, with a former ASB banker leading the way,  here in New Zealand the banks appear to have responded with a deafening silence.     Open banking is the term used for interface systems like Revolut, which offer payments, money management and banking services, without being a bank.  Well worth…

Machines that can think, learn and adapt are coming -- and that could mean that we humans will end up with significant unemployment. What should we do about it? In a straightforward talk about a controversial idea, futurist Martin Ford makes the case for separating income from traditional work and instituting a universal basic income. VIEW HERE on TED2017 14:37 minutes    

Following others in the financial services industry, Mastercard unveiled its own blockchain distributed ledger for cross-border payments. Mastercard is launching its own blockchain network to enable partner banks and merchants to make cross-border payments faster and more securely. The Mastercard blockchain service can be used to clear credit card transactions, eliminate administration tasks using smart contract rules and thus, speed transaction settlement. "By combining Mastercard blockchain technology with our settlement network and associated network rules, we have created a solution that is safe, secure, auditable and easy to scale," Ken Moore, executive vice president for Mastercard Labs said in a…

German's largest airlines, Lufthansa, is investing into an ICO pre-sale and teaming up with a Swiss startup on bookings on Ethereum. One of Europe's leading airlines, Lufthansa, will be buying into an ICOs and teaming up with a startup on bookings on the blockchain. Winding Tree, a Swiss-based startup, is building a marketplace on the ethereum blockchain to connect businesses and suppliers. The deal between was announced today. Together with Lufthansa Group, the pair is exploring a decentralized booking platform. The two companies met through Lufthansa's Innovation Hub. Both firms view this collaboration as an overall win-win. Lufthansa hopes to…

New Ripple (XRP) gateway being developed by Ripple Exchange LLC.  The company goal is to allow everyone to have the opportunity to purchase and sell XRP in a fast, secure, affordable, and enjoyable way. It was announced from a California-based company Ripple Exchange, LLC that their new Ripple (XRP) gateway will be unveiled this month around the time of the inaugural Ripple Conference known as Swell. The company shows limited information but on a timeline from their official website, it’s documented that back in April they began development and experimenting with Ripple blockchain integration and started creating some test applications…

Sparkle Coin has introduced its eponymous cryptocurrency, the first of its kind backed by diamonds. The launch is the initial step toward the company’s goal of creating more efficient global economic growth to promote societal advancement by developing a platform that brings cryptocurrencies into the mainstream business and consumer markets. Sparkle Coin is a hybrid cryptocurrency possessing the best qualities of both POW (Proof of work) and POS (Proof of stake), providing rapid adoption through mining of Sparkle Coin as well as long-term sustainability through minting. Founded by business and technology veterans, Sparkle Coin is designed to be a part…

International payments provider Veem has announced an integration with New Zealand cloud-based accounting software Xero. The integration will enable Xero users and accounting professionals to automatically sync vendor bills from Xero into Veem to streamline international payments, save time and money, and limit human errors. With the Veem integration, Xero users can seamlessly pay international bills through the Xero platform. When a user enters a bill in Xero, the bill automatically can be paid through Veem’s global payment platform. The Veem platform supports global payments in US Dollars as well as multiple currencies to over 60 countries. Users are able…