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…

IBM and Stellar Are Launching Blockchain Banking Across Multiple Countries.  The news also comes as an important validation of blockchain technology.  In a breakthrough for payments technology, IBM and a network of banks have begun using digital currency and blockchain software to move money across borders throughout the South Pacific. The significance of the news, which IBM announced on Monday, is that merchants and consumers will be able to send money to another country in near real-time, accelerating a payments process that typically takes days. The banking network includes “12 currency corridors” that encompass Australia and New Zealand, as well…

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…

This  morning, New Zealand-based cryptocurrency brokerage BitPrime has released a new service that now allows Kiwis to buy and sell Litecoin (LTC) and Ethereum Classic (ETC) using New Zealand Dollars. BitPrime is a full-service brokerage offering phone and email support, in addition to facilitating cryptocurrency trades. BitPrime has launched these new coins alongside the Ripple, Ethereum and Bitcoin they already stock on their site. The innovative business can also source almost any cryptocurrency from this snowballing asset-class to customers via custom orders. Litecoin and Ethereum Classic are considered Bitcoin alternatives and they have been quickly gaining traction with investors in…

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…