HM Land Registry is exploring how blockchain technology could be used to to provide quicker and simpler services.

From:

HM Land Registry



Spainter_vfx/Shutterstock.com

HM Land Registry is partnering with software company Methods, who will utilise R3’s blockchain platform, Corda, for the second phase of HM Land Registry’s groundbreaking research and development project, Digital Street.

Methods will be supported by a team of global experts from R3, Blockchain Digital, and their wider partner network. The organisations will bring their blockchain expertise to HM Land Registry, enabling Digital Street to fully explore the potential benefits of the new technology.

Digital Street will work with the industry to understand how the innovative use of technology, such as blockchain, distributed ledgers and smart contracts, could revolutionise the land registration and property buy-sell process.Graham Farrant, Chief Executive of HM Land Registry, said:

Our ambition to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, ease of use and an open approach to data requires HM Land Registry to be at the forefront of global innovation in land registration. By working with Methods on Digital Street we are taking another step toward that goal, as we explore how new technologies like blockchain can help us to develop a faster, simpler and cheaper land registration process.

Peter Rowlins, Chief Executive Officer of Methods, commented:

When we read the HM Land Registry requirement, we recognised that the unique features offered by Corda in terms of security, privacy, interoperability and the smart contract flow framework, originally designed for financial services, would be an excellent fit.

David Rutter, Chief Executive Officer of R3, commented:

We are pleased to see another innovative deployment of Corda in the public sector and look forward to working with the world’s most well-recognised land registry, HM Land Registry. Blockchain holds the potential to transform land registry services by improving speed, simplicity and efficiency. We will be working closely with HM Land Registry, Methods and our partners over the coming months to turn this potential into reality.

John Reynolds, Blockchain Digital’s Innovation & Delivery Director, commented:

Digital Street and blockchain has the potential to synchronise and optimise the way all participants in the property market interact, from solicitors to banks, from surveyors to estate agents. Over the coming months, and in support of HM Land Registry’s commitment to open data and open innovation, we will be announcing a programme of innovation and collaboration events that enable the property eco-system to join the Digital Street Community.

Notes to editors

Digital Street

HM Land Registry’s ambition is to be at the forefront of innovation by exploring how land registration and conveyancing can be made easier and how technology and data could revolutionise the process.

Digital Street is HM Land Registry’s research and development project designed to make buying and selling property simpler, quicker and cheaper through the innovative use of technology.

Now in its second year, the project is exploring the use of blockchain technology and smart contracts to bring greater transparency, speed, and trust to property transactions.

The project has already created a digital register for a small selection of properties, which is a first step towards establishing a register that is fully machine-readable and able to be updated instantly.

Methods was selected following a tender process which attracted 22 bids to support the Digital Street project team and develop greater in-house expertise.

HM Land Registry

HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for more than 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.

HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services.

Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.For further information about HM Land Registry visit gov.uk/land-registry.Follow us on: Twitter @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook.

HM Land Registry Business Strategy

Digital Street is just one of many projects being developed by HM Land Registry as part of the organisation’s Business Strategy. The organisation is exploring a number of potential services to make the buying, renting, selling, financing, building and managing property easier.

The first digital mortgage was signed in April using HM Land Registry’s ‘Sign your mortgage deed’ service. The initial mortgages have signed by customers of Coventry Building Society and Enact Conveyancing, HM Land Registry is now actively expanding the number of lenders and conveyancers who are using the service.

The recently launched Local Land Charge Register brings data from 326 local authorities to a central database, removing the need for manual searches in overworked local offices and removing weeks of potential delays from each sale.

Homebuyers can use the ‘Find property information’ service to quickly find information about properties they are interested in at the start of the transaction, rather than waiting until an offer has been accepted.

Working in collaboration with key stakeholders from across the industry, including property technology (PropTech) specialists, data experts, conveyancers, property developers, mortgage lenders and others, over the coming years HM Land Registry will be exploring innovative uses of technology.

Methods

Methods is the leading digital transformation partner for the UK public sector. We bring innovation, bespoke development, and service management capability to align UK public services around citizens and safeguard them for future generations.

R3

R3 is an enterprise blockchain software firm working with a broad ecosystem of more than 200 members and partners across multiple industries from both the private and public sectors to develop on Corda, its open-source blockchain platform, and Corda Enterprise, a commercial version of Corda for enterprise usage.

R3’s global team of over 180 professionals in 13 countries is supported by over 2,000 technology, financial, and legal experts drawn from its global member base. R3 is backed by investment of over $120 million from more than 45 firms.

The Corda platform is already being used in industries from financial services to healthcare, shipping, insurance and more. It records, manages and executes institutions’ financial agreements in perfect synchrony with their peers, creating a world of frictionless commerce.

Persistent Systems

Persistent Systems, a $470 million listed company, builds software that drives the business of our customers; enterprises and software product companies with software at the core of their digital transformation.

Blockchain Digital

Blockchain Digital is the leading business process innovation and service design consultancy, focused on the application of blockchain in the public sector and enterprise.

Contact

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Emmer Spearheads Groundbreaking Legislation to Support Blockchain Technology and Digital Currencies

WASHINGTON, DC - Today Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06), who was just named a co-chair of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, announced he will introduce three groundbreaking bills to support blockchain technology and digital currencies.


Specifically, the legislation expresses support for the industry and development of these promising technologies in the United States, provides clarity to entities that never take control of consumer funds, and establishes a safe harbor for taxpayers with “forked” digital assets.


“The United States should prioritize accelerating the development of blockchain technology and create an environment that enables the American private sector to lead on innovation and further growth, which is why I am introducing these bills,” said Congressman Emmer.


“Legislators should be embracing emerging technologies and providing a clear regulatory system that allows them to flourish in the United States.”


About the bills:


Resolution Supporting Digital Currencies and Blockchain TechnologyExpresses support for the industry and its development in the United States. Like the internet, the federal government should provide a light touch, consistent, and simple legal environment. Read more here.


Blockchain Regulatory Certainty ActAffirms that certain blockchain related entities that never take control of consumer funds do not need to register as a money transmitter. Examples of these entities include "miners" that validate network integrity and multisignature providers that provide enhanced asset security to users. Read more here.


Safe Harbor for Taxpayers with Forked Assets Act Taxpayers can only comply with the law when the law is clear. This bill will provide a safe harbor for taxpayers with "forked" digital assets. Further it will restrict fines against individuals that attempt to report these assets until the IRS provides any type of guidance regarding the appropriate means of reporting them.

Read more here: 
https://emmer.house.gov/sites/emmer.house.gov/files/EMMER_056_xml.pdf

It hasn’t been long since we offered the Dutch government a blockchain based solution for the border control issue, as we believe that introducing real world use cases is the way towards mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.In March 2018, Essentia attended four meetings with representatives of the Finnish MTK organization, discussing possible ways of utilizing the Essentia framework.

As a result, after a month of brainstorming and discussions, it was agreed that Essentia would become the first blockchain startup to help the Finnish organization in its key objective of reducing the unemployment rate.The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) has announced its readiness to become Finland’s first organization to launch a blockchain based e-government solution.

“In blockchain, we see a number of features which could lend themselves well to the needs of entrepreneurs and citizens in the countryside as well as in the cities,” — MTK’s director of business development Marko Mäki-Hakola.

Combining with the ToitaSuomesta.fi employment service developed by CoReorient Oy, Essentia will be used by employment offices, employers and suchlike as a platform for managed employment in the local community.There are many ways in which Essentia could be useful for MTK.

Let us go through all of them.First of all, any worker can save certificates of their performed jobs to the Essentia platform and allow their future employers and employment office to view these. This way we can ensure easier and safer cooperation.

The employer can view and also add a job certificate(s) even if they are not a user of the ToitaSuomesta work mediation service. This option grants security and is actually a real time-saver both for employers and employees. Last but not least, employment offices can view the progress of the employee across all work mediation services and confirm that he/she fulfills benefits criteria.

From now on it won’t be necessary to share an individual’s entire job records between services and there will also be no need for a new database at the employment office. MTK, whose members hail from various regional and local organizations, believe that this is only the start of real life testing for MTK’s main interest lies in other areas.

One of them is managing and sharing machine-generated data from tractors, dairy, and other equipment. They are also tracking production chains, for example, forest side products from the owner to the refinery, or end-user land registries that will no longer need field sizes regularly updated; the future possibilities for blockchain technology are endless.

The Essentia framework provides the much-needed security in accessing sensitive data, as well as granting full control of the user’s private information and their digital identity in general.We look forward to working together with the Finnish organization and moving a step closer to the idea we believe in.

This is not the end, though, as we will continue searching for the best ways to utilize blockchain technology and Essentia in particular in various spheres of our day-to-day life.

Stay tuned for more information concerning the pilot implementation!Seeking more information? Our website and the Essentia Telegram will do the trick.


This is a sponsored press release and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or views held by any employees of The Merkle. This is not investment, trading, or gambling advice. Always conduct your own independent research.

The ORS GROUP explains to us their expertise in delivering sophisticated AI-based optimisation software solutions to a large international client base, including how AI & blockchain will empower 1 billion entrepreneurs by 2040

In its simplest terms, a blockchain is a new means of structuring and distributing data. The technology enables financial companies and other institutions to create a digital ledger guarded by cryptography, which can be shared among participants during transactions.

This allows authorised participants to alter the ledger without awaiting approval from a central authority, often resulting in faster and more secure transaction that saves financial institutions time and money.

Since the mysterious origins of Bitcoin in 2009, numerous cryptocurrencies have been thrust upon the marketplace, allowing transactions to take place directly between users and can be exchanged – as regular currency can be – for goods and services.

So why is there such on-going hype around cryptocurrency and is it masking the power behind blockchain technology?

This year has commenced with a lot of turmoil in the cryptocurrency world. However, that has been necessary to preserve the long-term health of the market. Bitcoin is already amidst the throw of a turbulent year, with the recent ban on cryptocurrency advertising from the world’s biggest search engine Google and social media platform Facebook to proceed in June 2018.

There are also rumours that Twitter will soon follow suit. Despite the industry currently in overdrive, key observers of the blockchain say the technology is bound to not only survive but thrive.

The general outlook for blockchain in 2018 looks to be increasingly positive: Fiat service provider, Robinhood, of which over 1 million people have signed up for, announced their zero-fee crypto trading on February 22nd; March 15th saw the official release of Lightning Network’s first beta implementation for the Bitcoin mainnet, securing $2.5 million in seed funding; and one of the most important Polish cryptocurrency exchanges, Bitbay, has decided to add support for Ripple (XRP) and Infinity Economics Token (XIN), impulsing the internet of things (IoT) to the mass market. It is clear that the production of mass-market-focused products will finally be launching this year, making it a lot easier for the wider public to start building on and using the blockchain.

What does this imply about the future of work?

As widely proposed in recent news, the future is autonomous. We are already moving towards a workforce that could be purely operated with the combined use of artificial technology and robotics. The study of 46 countries and 800 occupations by the McKinsey Global Institute found that up to one-fifth of the global workforce will be affected by robot automation. 

According to the report, 39 to 73 million jobs may be eliminated by 2030 in the US alone, but about 20 million of those displaced workers may be able to easily transfer to other industries.But what if there was a way that the inevitable influx of automated workforces didn’t have to affect the world’s rate of human employability? What if there was a solution that could effectively convert the masses into fully equipped entrepreneurs, by applying one straightforward concept?

Meet the man on a mission to change the world, one entrepreneur at a time

President and Executive Chairman of ORS GROUP, a leading Artificial Intelligence software company, Fabio Zoffi is on an incredible mission to empower 1 billion small entrepreneurs by the year 2040.In the words of Fabio Zoffi: “The future doesn’t have to be dystopian.

”How will he do it?

By making the algorithms his company currently uses for the world’s largest companies (which until now have been extremely protected) available to small businesses and entrepreneurs by connecting them with the blockchain technology.

ORS GROUP’s innovative new concept of Hypersmart Contracts will provide the mechanism by which they will do this: connecting Artificial Intelligence and blockchain together to make use of big data and powerful algorithms for turning businesses of all sizes highly competitive on a global scale.

President Zoffi says: “We are creating a global community of like-minded developers, entrepreneurs and crypto enthusiasts, who want to embrace the new digital alphabet “ABC – AI, blockchain and cryptocurrency”, to create and successfully run a business in almost every possible industry sector.”

The power of algorithms

Founded in Italy, ORS GROUP is a leading global supplier of cross-industry software solutions for optimising and automating business processes. For over 20 years the company has delivered sophisticated solutions using proprietary Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics algorithms.ORS GROUP’s large international client base includes that of Fortune 2000 enterprises and span industries including retail, energy, finance and manufacturing. ORS GROUP’s software solutions save their clients over $1 billion yearly.

Small entrepreneurs’ new digital alphabet empowering a global decentralised network – it’s easy as ABC

Imagine the possibility of a future decentralised network of small companies on a planetary scale, empowered by technologies which enable the “little guy” to put their big ideas into action and to be competitive against the “big boys”. For example:

A farmer living in a small village in Southeast Asia, running a family business that has carried on for generations.

In light of increasing competitive pressure from global farming companies and distributors, the farmer is now struggling to make the necessary business decisions needed to survive and thrive in his industry.

Thanks to ORS GROUP’s new digital alphabet, he would be given the power to successfully compete and grow his business:

Hypersmart contracts can act as intelligent connectors, which activate AI algorithms (off-chain) to solve complex efficiency/optimisation problems utilising data stored on-chain. They can also release instant crypto payments. Together, these technologies can lead to significant improvements in global value chains, which even small farmers can benefit from.

For example, algorithms can be used to predict crop yields and for dynamic price optimisation, blockchain can be used for providing transparency about the whole food chain and cryptocurrency used for receiving immediate payments. As an end result, small farmers can regain negotiating powers against distributors and compete globally.

Individual entrepreneurs will become empowered once they are provided with the technology to educate themselves, resulting in the establishment and growth of fully optimised and successful businesses.

ORS GROUP continues to dedicate itself to ensure that any entrepreneur with a dream will be able to compete on a global scale and in an autonomous world.

Please note: this is a commercial profile Fabio ZOFFI
President and Executive Chairman
ORS SA
[email protected]
orsgroup.io
ORS SA Twitter @ORS_Fabio
Dr. Zoffi Twitter @ORS_ICO

LONDON, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4226790


The global blockchain market size is expected to grow from USD 411.5 million in 2017 to USD 7,683.7 million by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 79.6%.


The demand for distributed ledger technology, reduced total cost of ownership, rising cryptocurrencies market cap and initial coin offerings, increasing demand for simplified business processes, transparency and immutability, faster transactions, and Blockchain-as-a-Service are said to fuel the growth of this market.


In addition, rising importance and adoption of blockchain for communication service providers, transformation of international trade and supply chain management, new breed for programmable blockchain platforms, and high adoption of blockchain for payments, smart contracts, and digital identities would create opportunities for the growth of this market.


However, uncertain regulatory status and a common set of standards might hinder the overall growth of the market


Payments application segment is expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period


The blockchain is a peer-to-peer technology with nodes supporting the ledger and the mining process, and enables connectivity that significantly transforms the payment industry.


The integration of the technology provides real-time payments against assets with an immutable state and digital identity, and result in substantial cost savings in the context of reconciliation and settlement for many financial institutions and banks.


In addition, blockchain automates the payment processing activities, eliminates the need for intermediaries, and reduce the administrative costs and time for providers and payers.


All these factors are expected to be fueling the overall growth of this segment in the blockchain market


Asia Pacific (APAC) is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period


Blockchain solution providers in the APAC region, design and develop user-friendly, cost-effective, and faster processing cryptocurrency platforms to enhance the application reach of blockchain in multiple industry verticals.


Large enterprises and SMEs have been adopting venture funding strategies and are investing in R&D activities in an effort to provide technologically advanced blockchain solutions.


In addition, the rapid transformation of the potential countries from semi-transparent to transparent real estate sector has propelled the market growth of blockchain in the APAC region.


In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted with key people. 


The break-up of the profiles of the primary participants is given below:
• By Company: Tier 1: 55%, Tier 2: 20%, and Tier 3: 25%
• By Designation: C-level: 60%, Director level: 25%, and Others: 15%
• By Region: North America: 10%, Europe: 20%, APAC: 40%, and ROW: 30%


Following are the key vendors profiled in the report:

• 1. Abra (US),
• 2. AlphaPoint (US),
• 3. Amazon Web Services, Inc. (US),
• 4. Bitfury Group Limited (US),
• 5. BTL Group Ltd. (Canada),
• 6. Chain, Inc. (US),
• 7. Coinbase (US),
• 8. Digital Asset Holdings LLC. (US),
• 9. Earthport PLC (UK),
• 10. Factom (US),
• 11. International Business Machines Corporation (US),
• 12. Microsoft Corporation (US),
• 13. Ripple (US)

Research Coverage


The report segments the blockchain market based on provider into application and solution provider, middleware provider and infrastructure and protocol provider. Based on organization size, the market has been segmented into large enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).


Further, under industry verticals, the market includes Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI); telecommunication and IT; retail and eCommerce; healthcare and life sciences; government; energy and utilities; media and entertainment; real estate, travel and hospitality, transport and logistics, and others (automotive, energy and utilities, and education).


Based on application, the market is segmented into payments, exchanges, smart contracts, documentation, digital identity, supply chain management, governance risk and compliance management, and others. The regions have been segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa(MEA), and Latin America.


Reasons to Buy the Report
The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:

• 1. This report segments the blockchain market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and subsegments across different industry verticals and regions.
• 2. The report helps stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.
• 3. This report will help stakeholders to better understand the competitors and gain more insights to enhance their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes new product launches/developments; partnerships and collaborations; mergers and acquisitions; and expansions.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4226790


About Reportbuyer


Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers 


For more information: 
Sarah Smith
Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com 
Email: [email protected]  
Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 
Website: www.reportbuyer.com

Blockchain technology that was developed to reinforce digital currency bitcoin,  is picking up pace in India. A recent effort in this area is the setting up of The Blockchain Foundation of India (BFI) is a community effort to promote the growth of blockchain-based initiatives in India.


While relatively nascent in India, it is considered the most efficient technology against cyber fraud that allows financial transactions to be verified electronically over a network of computers.


BFI was launched formally on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 in New Delhi, India. The aim of BFI is to connect all blockchain-based startups and their CXOs, government bodies, blockchain enthusiasts at one single platform to inspire, participate and collaborate in each other’s success in this growing industry.


The executive members of BFI are Velix.ID, a blockchain startup working with the mission to build a global platform for frictionless identity verification, CoinSecure, a leading Bitcoin exchange in Indiaand OneCo.


Work, a startup working to promote startup culture in India by solving basic startup problems.Manav Singhal from Velix.ID  said, “Blockchain is the future of technology itself. We have a lot of talent working with blockchain in India; what we truly needed was a platform to collaborate and encourage.


Through the BFI platform, we will be able to accelerate the growth of blockchain technology in India remarkably. ”Already several banks in India have started experimenting with the new tech. ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, YES Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank are using it in areas such as international trade finance and vendor financing.


In India, 56 percent of companies surveyed by research firm PwC said blockchain is part of innovation strategy, though not many may have implemented it. The PwC Survey counts the most common uses as those for fund transfers, digital identity and payments infrastructure.


The Mission of BFI is to spread awareness in the technology and related practices. Even though blockchain technology has been around for a while globally, the technology has not quite caught up in India.


One of the goals of BFI is to dispense information about the blockchain technology in a more Indian context.Secondly, this can help in building a Community: At present, the Blockchain Community in India is divided into motley groups with no uniformity.


By bringing the community together, BFI aims to advocate for improved blockchain reception in India.


BFI is also expected to accelerate Blockchain Growth. Blockchain, as a technology, is still in its nascent stage in India.


There is a remarkable leeway to make innovations in the blockchain sphere; by promoting promising startups, BFI shall help accelerate the growth of the technology.

Rupee Coin is a decentralized open-source blockchain cryptocurrency and has no relation to fiat rupee currencies (backed and issued by their respective governments).


The Rupee Cryptocurrency is seen as a major disruptor of the Global Banking Industry, especially in South Asia. Mumbai, India – The cryptocurrency revolution has reached a myriad of industries and many global locations. It was only a matter of time that a forward-thinking team of Blockchain & Technology professionals would launch a solid crypto coin in the South Asia region, including India of course.


Rupee Coin capitalizes on the well-known fiat brand known as Rupee. Throughout the South Asia and India region, fiat Rupee has been in use for many decades. Thus, the name is readily accepted and therefore had built in credibility.


The Rupee Blockchain is not a startup or an ICO. It is a well-established Cryptocurrency Coin and is presently available on several exchanges. It was originally launched in 2016 and there are roughly 21 million Rupee Coins in circulation. Rupee is an open-source cryptocurrency based on the Litecoin source code.


In 2017, a motivated team from the US, Europe, India, and Israel realized the potential of Rupee and started working on the project. They spearheaded a relaunch initiative in September 2017. Besides code improvements, many features and benefits were added to the original Rupee Coin concept.In recent times, the term “Unbanked” has become very relevant in terms of building financial platforms based on blockchain technology.


Mainstream banking has not been very successful, either by design or otherwise, in opening up their doors to people of all regions and of all income levels. This leaves tens of millions of global consumers without the use of a system of currency transfer. All that was available was the archaic centralized system where huge fees are levied for every conceivable transaction, and the rules and decisions are in the hands of the few powerful corporate giants.


Many people travel outside of their native country for employment. When they transfer money back to their family they are hit with third-party fees that account for billions of dollars of wasted money.


The use of a decentralized blockchaincryptocurrency will enable millions of people all over the planet to transfer funds almost instantaneously with little or no fees. Merchants will be able to accept the Rupee Coin along with other crypto and fiat currencies. An eCommerce platform, rupeebase.com, is in the works that will become a major marketplace for citizens of the world. Like an Amazon in the crypto space.


Rupeebase.com will also be an exchange for easier conversion to and from fiat currencies (INR, USD etc.) for merchants and buyers.No doubt that the Rupee Coin has the potential to become as popular and valuable as Bitcoin. After all, with built-in name recognition and the fact that it is already trading on several exchanges, Rupee has already accomplished what other cryptocurrency projects dream of.


Unlike fiat currencies, the total supply of Rupee Coin is limited and no more will ever be created. A detailed discussion on the Rupee Concept can be viewed in the Rupee Whitepaper here.


For complete information, please visit: http://rupeeblockchain.org/

Media Contact:

Rupee Blockchain
Attn: Media Relations
Seattle, USA
+1.872.333.9076
[email protected]

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global travel & tourism industry is a US$7.6 trillion market, roughly 10% of the world's GDP. Global brands and local hotel owners are facing fierce competition in the internet era.


Over decades, hotels need to manage their own booking reservations from many channels and spend long hours sorting out the room availability and customer schedules.


OwlTing, a Taiwanese technology company focusing on blockchain & e-commerce, is launching "OwlNest Blockchain Hotel Management Service," an integrated lodging management platform to help hotels worldwide improve brand awareness and customer satisfaction.

Global Tourism Continues to Grow and Challenge the Hotel Booking Systems


With the rise of various online travel agencies (OTA), hotels must be able to strike a balance between pricing for visibility on major OTA channels and pricing for profitability on their own websites.


Hotels also need to better understand their returning customers and adjust marketing strategy more proactively, which incumbent technology solutions cannot fulfill. OwlTing is answering this need by leveraging innovations in global blockchain communities.


By subscribing to OwlNest, hotels can reduce operating costs and improve customer experience and profitabliy via a cloud-based, integrated platform.


Integrated Hotel Management System built on OwlNest Blockchain Service

OwlTing's product suite covers mobile e-commerce, local travel experiences and blockchain services. "OwlTing's deep engineering experiences enable us to provide innovative blockchain solutions for the global hospitality industry," said Darren Wang, founder and CEO of OwlTing.


"With the launch of OwlNest, our team, already working with hotels and hostels in the United States, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, will bring OwlNest to over 30,000 hotels by 2019.


We expect the advanced blockchain technology behind OwlNest to create huge value for hotels and travelers by solving critical pain points. We are excited to offer the world a really awesome choice.

"OwlNest is the world's first all-in-one Ethereum-based hotel management service with Booking Engine and Property Management System(PMS). Smart contracts in Ethereum allow flexible inventory management and efficient booking transactions, with enhanced customer privacy and transaction security, thanks to blockchain.


Staffing costs can be greatly reduced by integrating hotel management systems (Booking Engine, PMS and Channel Manager) on a shared ledger, while consolidating orders from official hotel portals, OTAs or other distribution channels.

OwlNest blockchain services also allow hotels to design customized pricing packages, identify returning customers, collect customer preferences and automatically adjust promotion campaigns by seasonality and customer behavior more easily.


OwlNest's scalable design also enables hotels to earn more revenue by adding on-premise services, local experiences and other travel partners to an integrated dashboard, providing an one-stop shopping experience on their own portals (Booking Engine).


OwlNest also supports multiple payment gateways such as credit card, PayPal, WeChat, Alipay, Apple Pay, Bitcoin and other blockchain-based payment services in the future. Hotels and hoteliers will be able to take full advantage of the online PMS and Booking Engine just like the Amazon Web Services (AWS) for small businesses, anytime, anywhere.


Taiwan as an Innovation Island for the Global Blockchain Industry


"OwlTing is an important strategic investment in our investment portfolio," said Thomas Hu, founder and CEO of Kyber Capital. "Builidng a sustainable business model by solving real problems is the central issue facing the global blockchain industry. OwlTing has set a new commercial benchmark to which all aspiring blockchain entrepreneurs should be measured.


We are proud to say that once again, our portfolio company has demonstrated the strength and potential of Taiwan in the field of blockchain."


About OwlTing

OwlTing is a technology company focusing on e-commerce and blockchain. OwlTing's services include social platform, marketplace, global travel experiences and blockchain solutions. OwlTing's global travel experiences platform is already the top & fastest-growing travel platform in Asia since its launch in 2017


The Taiwan Milk Map and Fruit Map have broken the barrier of conventional methods of regional retailing and distribution, helping farmers and manufacturers quickly transition into mobile e-commerce and earn more. 


In 2017, OwlTing has released the world's first Ethereum-based food provenance system OwlChain in May and launched the world's first blockchain hotel management service OwlNest in November.


Headquartered in Taipei,Taiwan, OwlTing operates globally with branch offices in USA, Japan and Malaysia, we will further expand to Europe in 2018.
https://www.owlting.com/about/

THE LONDON HUB IN SHOREDITCH HAS SPACE FOR 60 CONSENSYS MEMBERS AND SPONSORED PROJECTS.

By Brinkwire
Posted on 26 November 2017


Ethereum design studio ConsenSys is expanding its global physical presence by opening a hub in London, in the heart of the technology hotbed of “Silicon Roundabout”.


The London hub has space for 60 ConsenSys members and sponsored projects. The firm already has major hubs in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Dubai, Singapore and Brisbane.


ConsenSys, which has quadrupled in size to 450 employees in 27 countries over the past 12 months, is quickly emerging as one of the fastest growing technology firms globally, driven by the rapid adoption of the Ethereum blockchain, said a statement.


Joseph Lubin, ConsenSys founder and Ethereum co-founder, said: “The European Hub signifies not only our commitment to servicing and investing in key European enterprises, governments, and partners, but also a recognition of the depth of blockchain talent and entrepreneurship in London and across Europe.


”In launching the European Hub, ConsenSys is bringing each ‘pillar’ of its innovative mesh-services model to Europe:Julio Faura, Head of Innovation and Research & Development at Banco Santander and Chairman of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance said:


“I am delighted to see ConsenSys’ commitment to Europe. ConsenSys has been an incredible asset, both to Banco Santander and to the global blockchain community.


It has been a true partnership together, and at Banco Santander we benefit greatly from working directly with the authors of many of the key Ethereum technologies and tools who reside at ConsenSys


ConsenSys will engage with leaders of industry and government in Europe to illustrate the transformative potential of blockchain technology, develop open and enterprise ready platforms built on Ethereum blockchain technology, and provide insights as to how decentralised organisations can innovate and operate successfully.


ConsenSys Chief of Staff and Enterprise Ethereum Alliance co-founder Jeremy Millar, based in London, said:


“European blockchain start-ups will have the opportunity to join the ConsenSys mesh as ‘spoke projects’ in our European Hub or work with ConsenSys Token Foundry and ConsenSys Ventures on developing their projects.”

ZUG, Switzerland, Nov. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at Blockchain Summit - Crypto Valley, Blue Foundation announced the launch of the Bluenote, a new blockchain-based currency to stimulate investment in zero-emission cities.


The first Bluenote projects leveraging the blockchain platform will be investments in emission-reducing technology upgrades of commercial office buildings. The initial coin offering (ICO) for the Bluenote token sale has already launched for private investors and will be open to the public shortly.


Thirty percent of global CO2 emissions are caused by buildings and the electricity they consume. At the same time, energy-efficiency investments have been shown to be the least-expensive method of reducing CO2 emissions.


The initial building retrofit projects will demonstrate how the platform can create new markets to identify, finance and implement replicable projects that achieve environmental, economic and social benefit.


The Bluenote will operate on an open and transparent platform, allowing any number of "Blue" projects to upload their raw performance data and receive a community-verified calculation of the carbon-emission reduction or social impact – a permanent, tradable attribute that is traceable to its data source.


The launch of Bluenote comes on the heels of last week's discussions among international climate experts at the 23rd annual COP23 conference in Bonn, Germany, where the world's climate negotiators sounded a clarion call for major new investment in low-carbon strategies.


Bluenote will fulfill the need articulated by the conference's attendees – in particular by unlocking the opportunity for $1.5 trillion in new climate investments each year in order to meet the goals of the Paris Accords. "If the world is going to succeed in meeting its climate goals, someone needs to prove that investing in carbon reduction is good for the bottom line," said Michiel Frackers, chairman of the Blue Foundation.


Jeremy Adelman, energy venture capitalist and Bluenote co-founder adds: "Markets will only open up to a broader range of greenhouse gas-reduction strategies with greater, more-granular transparency. You need to build trust that the impacts are real and that the investments pencil out.


"Private capital and markets have played a role in carbon emission reduction policies when outcomes are easy-to-measure – such as renewable energy-generation at its meter – but fail to take off when results are harder to measure.


The Bluenote data-analysis platform will bridge this gap, leveraging the transparency and auditability of blockchain to help users streamline and even automate data analysis and gain insights to fuel and justify investments.


Third parties will be able to develop other modules to analyze their own unique emission reduction projects.


The Bluenote Team: Includes seasoned entrepreneurs, energy and technology executives from the United States, Europe and Asia.


Blue Foundation. The Blue Foundation is a Swiss-based foundation working to lead the transition to zero-emission cities by 2050.


The Foundation focuses on global projects that can identify and accelerate the best solutions that achieve the triple-bottom line of the "Blue" economy: environmental value, economic value and social value.

For More Information:


[email protected]


Website: www.bluenote.world

LANHAM, Md., and CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Nov. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 2U, Inc.

(NASDAQ: TWOU), a global leader in education technology, launched a new partnership between its recently acquired wholly owned subsidiary GetSmarter and the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.


GetSmarter is a leader in collaborating with universities to offer premium online short courses to working professionals.

Blockchain technology is a digital, decentralized ledger that helps to build trust and eliminate the need for third-party intermediaries in trust-less environments. The software permanently stores and distributes transactions, creating an immutable, auditable and tamper-proof digital trail.


It has the potential to radically overhaul the nature of business, changing the job landscape and causing disruption across industries, which is why Saïd Business School, University of Oxford is launching a new digital blockchain strategy short course to prepare executives for the blockchain revolution.

With a McKinsey report predicting that blockchain will "generate $80-$110 billion in impact" by 2021, the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme will offer a fundamental understanding of where blockchain can be used, how it works, and its structural and market implications.

Blockchain is at a tipping point where clarity is emerging about its potential use across multiple industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, energy and financial services. While there's excitement associated with the opportunities for new business models and technologies to be created, there is also a fear of job losses and massive industry disruption.


"With 80% of banks developing blockchains, and industries from law to aerospace exploring possibilities, the next 5 to 10 years will see massive disruption from blockchain adoption as jobs are automated and new industry applications are created," Associate Fellow at Oxford Saïd and Course Co-Convenor of the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme David Shrier said.

"When the internet was born, people used it to email one another.


Businesses like Amazon and Uber were inconceivable. Blockchain is a revolution of similar proportions, with undetermined potential, ramifications and opportunities.

"The short course has been designed for senior executives and managers – as well as professionals with a keen interest in blockchain – to understand how blockchain will affect and shape business. It will provide them with an actionable strategy to respond to blockchain and incorporate it into their long-term planning.


"The application of the core technology behind bitcoin – blockchain – extends much further than the widely recognized cryptocurrencies," Associate Professor of Business Economics and Co-Convenor of the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme at Oxford Saïd Nir Vulkan said.


"Blockchain has the potential not only to change how we transfer value, but could shift our systems of trade, identity, efficiency and governance across all sectors, radically transforming traditional approaches to management. What participants will understand from our course is what is on the horizon for their business and how to prepare for that.

"Teppo Felin, Professor of Strategy at Oxford Saïd, will provide a framework for companies to capitalize on the blockchain opportunity. The short course will also feature insights from guest speakers such as Meltem Demirors, Director at the Digital Currency Group, and Professor Sandy Pentland, one of the world's leading data scientists, as well as a number of practicing entrepreneurs, technologists and financiers in the blockchain sector.


In addition to the insights and advice these global authorities will share in the short course through both video interviews and lectures, participants will learn about two strategy frameworks developed specifically for the short course: the Oxford Blockchain Strategy framework and the Oxford Blockchain Regulation framework.


On successful completion of the short course, participants will receive a certificate of attendance from Saïd Business School and access to the Oxford Saïd Executive Education alumni network.


"Technology and the mobile revolution are rapidly transforming financial markets, institutions, and business models," Peter Moores Dean at Saïd Business School Peter Tufano said.


"Drawing upon the expertise of leading academics and practitioners from Oxford Saïd and colleagues from across the University, our new digital programs, supported by our partner GetSmarter, will provide entrepreneurs and executives with the insights and knowledge necessary to navigate this changing landscape, and adapt and progress in their careers.

"The short course will begin on February 28, 2017 with six modules over six weeks.


About Saïd Business School, University of Oxford


Saïd Business School blends the best of new and old. Deeply embedded in an 800-year-old world-class University, Oxford Saïd strives to educate people for successful business careers. As a community, Oxford Saïd seeks to use business acumen and global networks to address long-horizon phenomena like demographic change, new technologies and natural resource scarcity.

Saïd Business School is committed to delivering cutting-edge education and ground-breaking research that transforms individuals, organisations, business practice and society.


About GetSmarter


GetSmarter is an online education company collaborating with leading universities to present career-focused online short programmes. GetSmarter's high-touch, people-driven approach to online learning – centered around the importance of human support – has resulted in an aggregate completion rate consistently above 90% serving more than 48,000 participants over almost a decade.


About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU)


2U partners with great colleges and universities to build what we believe is the world's best digital education. Our platform provides a comprehensive fusion of technology, services and data architecture to transform high-quality and rigorous campus-based universities into the best digital versions of themselves.

2U's No Back Row® approach allows qualified students and working professionals around the world to experience a first-rate university education and successful outcomes.


To learn more, visit 2U.com.

Media Contacts:


Saïd Business School

Josie Powell
[email protected] or [email protected]
+44 (0)7711 387215; Tel: +44 (0) 1865 2884032U, Inc.
Molly Greenberg
[email protected]
339-927-5436SOURCE 2U, Inc.

Related Links

http://2u.com

DALLAS, Nov. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WaterToken, one of the most highly anticipated, green technology ICOs, launches today.

The whitepaper has been downloaded over 91,000 times and explains the next generation technology that is available for clean renewable water worldwide.

The WaterToken technology has been tested and used in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Mexico for over three years and now is ready for a global rollout in conjunction with IoT (Internet of Things) verifiable data.

The 20 percent discount per WaterToken has yielded thousands of pre-subscribers and is poised to be one of the largest asset-based ICOs the blockchain has realized.

"The world wants green technology now; and with our low cost, highly advanced system that utilizes no chemicals and can be solar powered, we can clean toxic water for reuse all over the world," says Ron Price CEO of Genesis Research & Technology Group.





Genesis Research & Technology Group

Today, Nov. 13, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, the world will be able to become part of history as Genesis Research & Technology Group and the WaterToken will change our water supply forever.

The reason for WaterToken to debut on the blockchain is very simple; people need undisputable, verifiable results that the water being reused is safe for the environment. The IoT system not only analyzes the contaminants before cleaning, but, most importantly, sends the results to the blockchain showing the amazing effects of the Genesis System once the water is cleaned.

Darren McVean, CEO of MVP Asia Pacific, LLC states, "We believe the blockchain solves the serious issues around trust and verification of environmental impact monitoring. With the introduction of blockchain and smart sensor devices, ultimately environmental regulation will require real-time monitoring of equipment sensors to ensure instant access to accurate environmental statistics.

" Genesis Research and Technology Group senior executives approached MVP and Universal Media Group 18 months ago because Genesis was exploring a new technology partner with experience in IoT (Internet of Things) smart devices. MVP and Genesis made the commitment to explore the storing of valuable environmental records to the blockchain.

MVP was able to develop the IoT and blockchain platform for Genesis along with access to MVP's massive electrical engineering team that worked closely with the technology department to test and simulate the water readings from the Genesis system.In 2008, roughly 25 billion barrels of polluted water was produced in the United States alone.

This year, it is estimated that the number of barrels of produced water will number in the 31 billion barrels. In response to this immense threat to the environment, Genesis Research and Technology Group has developed sole-sourced, green, state-of-the-art Industrial Water Treatment Technologies that treat produced and frack water and return it to a reusable state.

The water, in the past, used to produce the chemical fluids required for the fracking process either came from nearby groundwater and surface water or brought in by the truckloads from other freshwater sources.

"Genesis has developed a game-changing technology that eliminates the use of chemicals and restores the water to a natural state without transportation," states Billy Hood, VP of Marketing for Genesis Research and Technology Group.

Considering that fracking-produced water accounts for roughly 98 percent of all waste products generated by the petroleum industry and 40 billion per annum to dispose of fracking polluted water, the Genesis system is a win-win.

About Genesis Research and Technology Group:

Genesis Research and Technology Group is a U.S.-based company that has developed a patented, state-of-the-art technology that provides clean reusable water for the world's population.

The Company exploits its CHEMICAL-FREE technology as its efforts are being recognized by several leading government agencies developing and implementing Green technologies to protect and preserve our Earth's resources.

Genesis Research and Technology Group provides custom-built state-of-the-art water treatment technologies for all types of water.

Years of research and development go into perfecting this technology that allows Genesis to offer its clients a sole source, reusable water filtering and cleansing technology that is totally chemical-free.

For more information: watertoken.io/genesis

Media Contact: 
Patricia Almand 
Phone: 855-8100UMG
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Genesis Research & Technology Group

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 09, 2017


(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cuba Ventures Corp. (TSXV:CUV) (OTCBB:MPSFF) (the “Company”)  is pleased to announce that it’s Fintech Division plans to develop a revolutionary Blockchain-based mobile application called Revolupay® and an analogous web based system, to target Cuba’s USD $3.4 Billion remittance market and the USD $750 Million private sector. Associated with the structure will be the introduction of the proprietary cryptocurrency ₡CU Coin for a planned deployment into the tourism markets of the Caribbean and Cuba.


Blockchain technology has the potential to be highly disruptive in the multi-billion dollar remittance market and the Company plans to be the first to implement a blockchain-based platform specifically for the Cuban market. Cuba Ventures has signed an MOU with Vesilen Investments (“Vesilen”) for co-development of this Blockchain platform and Revolupay® app.


PDF rationalization of Revolupay® & ₡CU Coin


Current Stage of Development of Blockchain-based Revolupay® & ₡CU Coin:

• Internal and external software engineer team assembled with project approved and currently underway
• Signed MOU with Vesilen Investments for co-development of the Blockchain platform and Revolupay® app.
• Revolupay® name and design mark filed with Canadian Intellectual Property Office
• Revolupay® name and design mark filed with U.S Patent and Trademark Office
• Revolupay® in process of Trademark filing worldwide
• Registered all popular domain name iterations and www.CCUCoin.com
• Registered all popular domain name iterations and www.RevoluPay.com
• Shareholder & Investor blockchain disruptive technology rollout chronology website www.DisruptN.com with planned $10 billion market for 2018.
• Complete update of www.CubaVentures.com to reflect the enhanced direction of the company.

Learn more here: https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/11/09/1178518/0/en/Cuba-Ventures-to-Develop-Blockchain-P...

Nov 06, 2017

Foreign Affairs: Blockchain and Global Health


Brian M. Till, medical student and research associate at Boston Children’s Hospital; Salim Afshar, attending plastic and oral surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital and faculty member at Harvard Medical School’s Program in Global Surgery and Social Change; Alex W. Peters, resident at Weill Cornell Medicine and Paul Farmer Global Surgery research fellow at Harvard Medical School’s Program in Global Surgery and Social Change; and John G. Meara, Kletjian professor of Global Surgery at Harvard Medical School and plastic surgeon-in-chief at Boston Children’s Hospital“…

Together with inadequate government spending, corruption and inefficiency help explain why most of the world’s health care systems are underfunded — and why many states continue to suffer preventable outbreaks of deadly diseases … For too long, donors have focused on getting grants out the door instead of maximizing the returns on their investments.

Blockchain, the technology best known for underpinning Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, could help change that.

By allowing donors to track money, goods, and treatment in real time, blockchain could transform how organizations fund and execute health programs, curbing waste, saving money, and bringing better care to billions. …

Aid groups could similarly use the technology to oversee medical supplies as they travel from factory to patient. … By streamlining supply chains and making it easier to oversee them, blockchain could help free up funds to spend on patients. … Adopting blockchain could also make ministries of health more efficient. … Translating [health care investments] into health and prosperity will require ending fraud and transcending the barriers to accessible, equitable funding. Blockchain offers a way to start” (11/3).

Business schools are getting pressure from two sides: growing student population interest in cryptocurrencies, and successful companies, looking to hire graduates with practical knowledge in the technology (tech) undergirding the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin.Also read: Over One Million People Enroll in Online Crypto Class

Bitcoin Tech Accepted at Ivy League Schools

“We believe it will have the biggest impact on contracting, logistics and supply chains, healthcare, public administration, assets clearing, property, transactions,” Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley lecturer Greg LaBlanc told Agence France Presse, speaking about technology undergirding bitcoin, the blockchain.

“When people think about blockchain they think about cryptocurrencies,” Mr. LaBlanc continued. “Pretty much every function of businesses are going to be affected by this.”Next semester, Haas School of Business  “will offer its first ever course in blockchain software,” AFP’s Luc Olinga writes.

The school “will handpick 60 students from the departments of business, engineering and law and split them into groups of six to explore possible applications of the technology.”Haas is ranked in the top ten business schools, seventh to be exact, according to US News & World Report.

Cliche as a Way to Cryptocurrencies

Blockchain, for whatever reason, is the most-oft put cliche in crypto circles. It’s almost a watchword when deciding how new someone is: the more they pepper sentences with phrases such as “blockchain technology,” the more keen listeners understand they’re probably lacking in real-world bitcoin knowledge.

Precisely because its been picked up by corporate business types, ironically, it has become a way for that community to embrace cryptocurrencies … which carry stigmas of unofficial or the anarchic (or can).



“It was originally developed as the accounting method for bitcoin,” Mr. Olinga explains. “But while that cryptocurrency remains controversial with some players in finance, bankers increasingly see exposure to blockchain as a must.”

Yale, Wharton, Oh My!

It’s a new world for business students, and a great deal of that change is due to bitcoin. As AFP notes, students “who wish to work in trading must learn how to code, while bankers need to understand algorithms and big data to be able to attract new clients and devise strategies for fast-changing markets.”“At Yale, about 20 percent of 2016 graduates found jobs in finance,” according to AFP.





Yale School of ManagementYale School of Management’s Stephen Daffron puts a finer point on it, saying if students “don’t understand how to evaluate a company that tries to employs blockchain, then they won’t probably be a good fit for us. ” .The Wharton School’s Barbara Hewitt explains,

“I increasingly see students opting to explore technical minors, such as in computer science, to be well prepared for the growing use of technology in many fields.”

Discover more stories on Bitcoin.com here: https://news.bitcoin.com/bitcoin-ivy-league-yale-wharton-haas-offer-courses-on-blockchain-tech/

DALLAS, Oct. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The much-anticipated launch date of the WaterToken has finally arrived. One of the largest investment-grade ICOs in blockchain history goes live today at 6:00 p.m. PDT.

Over 21,000 people have downloaded the whitepaper and the numbers are still rising. Ron Price, CEO of Genesis Research & Technology Group says, "There has been so much excitement on the Internet and by investors to be a part of our green IoT system and we are excited that we can produce systems that will clean water worldwide.


" The patented, proven Genesis System has been used in Mexico, Eastern Europe, and Asia. The oil and gas industry will benefit immensely with the systems since toxic fracking water can now be cleaned and reused over and over again.


The whitepaper, which can be found at WaterToken.io/genesis describes in detail the enormous productivity of these portable and scalable systems which can be scaled to clean up to 20,000 barrels of water an hour. "Toxic water is a real problem that affects the environment and our parks at large," says Marlon Rollins, Dallas Park Member.

The oil and gas industry has wanted a green technology to clean fracking water, but the portable platform was not available. The Genesis System cleans toxic frack water, which is water contaminated in oil production and returns it to a usable state without using chemicals in the system. Clean, chemical-free water is a precious commodity; and, worldwide millions of barrels of water are made toxic and every month must be dumped into disposal wells back into the Earth.

Dr. Jean-Phillipe Nicot, senior research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin states, "Because of the potential toxicity to water-borne organisms, frack water cannot simply be disposed of in surface waters. There are chemicals, oil droplets, rock fragments, polymers and a bunch of gunk you need to get rid of.


" The Genesis patented technology in a portable, scalable unit resides on-site and treats the water which can then be reused for multiple purposes.


Darren McVean, CEO of MVP Asia Pacific, LLC states, "We believe the blockchain solves the serious issues around trust and verification of environmental impact monitoring. With the introduction of blockchain and smart sensor devices, ultimately environmental regulation will require real-time monitoring of equipment sensors to ensure instant access to accurate environmental statistics.


" Genesis Research and Technology Group senior executives approached MVP and Universal Media Group 18 months ago because Genesis was exploring a new technology partner with experience in IoT (Internet of Things) smart devices. MVP and Genesis made the commitment to explore the storing of valuable environmental records to the blockchain.


MVP was able to develop the IoT and blockchain platform for Genesis along with access to MVP's massive electrical engineering team that worked closely with the technology department to test and simulate the water readings from the Genesis system.


In 2008, roughly 25 billion barrels of polluted water was produced in the United States alone. This year 2017 it is estimated that the number of barrels of produced water will number in the 31 billion. In response to this immense threat to the environment, Genesis Research and Technology Group has developed sole-sourced, green, state-of-the-art Industrial Water Treatment Technologies that treat produced and frack water and return it to a reusable state.


The Genesis process relies on three licensed purification methods: ozone (O3) generation, coagulation, and ultrafiltration. Using these cutting-edge technologies, Genesis can offer the following services:

• Frack and produced water recycling for reuse
• Desalination
• Drinking water sterilization and treatment
• Wastewater treatment and recycling
• Meat and product sterilization for the food industry
• Industrial, petrochemical and refinery wastewater recycling
• The whitepaper has also detailed one of the largest bounty campaigns in the history of the blockchain. An astounding $12,500,000 USD awaits bloggers, journalists, along with Twitter and Facebook enthusiasts. "The green technology WaterToken is one in which we need to share the excitement and the rewards with the world," says Billy Hood, Chief Marketing Officer for Genesis Research & Technology Group. The criteria for the bounty program is available on the Water Token ICO webpage and are viewable at the Bounty Campaign Terms page. Along with the various nuances of the Water Token, visitors can view the technology and worldwide expansion that Genesis Research & Technology Group will roll out with the ICO.

About Genesis Research and Technology Group:Genesis Research and Technology Group is a U.S.-based company that has developed a patented, state-of-the-art technology that provides clean reusable water for the world's population.


The Company exploits its CHEMICAL-FREE technology as its efforts are being recognized by several leading government agencies developing and implementing Green technologies to protect and preserve our Earth's resources.


Genesis Research and Technology Group provides custom built state-of-the-art water treatment technologies for all types of water. Years of research and development go into perfecting this technology that allows Genesis to offer its clients a sole source, reusable water filtering and cleansing technology that is totally chemical-free.


For more information: watertoken.io/genesis

Media Contact:
Patricia Almand
Phone: 855-8100UMG
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE Genesis Research & Technology Group

Gibraltar becomes first jurisdiction to regulate blockchain technology such as Ethereum and Bitcoin

    Gibraltar has made a groundbreaking step towards the future of our global financial markets the government has been working with Ellul & Co to become the first jurisdiction to regulate blockchain technology also known as Distributed Ledger Technology.

Trent Challis, who is an independent advisor on cryptocurrency had this to say on the new regulations: “I am delighted that Gibraltar has taken it upon themselves to show the world what necessary steps should be taken towards adopting Distributed Ledger Technology in a safe and meaningful way.


GIBRALTER (PRWEB) OCTOBER 15, 20

With the demand for cryptocurrencies heating up worldwide, Gibraltar has made a groundbreaking step towards the future of our global financial markets. Ahead of all other countries, Gibraltar is the first to lay out a complete set of regulations for all forms of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). These laws will come into effect from the 1st January 2018.


The news may come as a surprise to many who have been closely following the developments in other, larger nations, which are more dominant in the cryptocurrencies markets. However, by working closely with Ellul & Co Law Firm, Gibraltar will be setting the standard for other countries which need to take note and speed up their actions. 


Having only recently been announced, it is as of yet unclear as to how this move will shake up the DLT industry, but no doubts investors will see Gibraltar as a tantalising place to move some of their operations. DLT markets offer numerous benefits and exciting investment opportunities, but without regulation in place, criminal activity still plays an unwanted role. 

To see examples of the dangers of unregulated crypto markets, one needs to look no further than BTC-e which, in the six years it was active, was responsible for laundering more than $4 billion in cash. 38 year old Alexander Vinnik is still under custody regarding his actions, which have brought about a great deal of unwanted bad press surrounding DLT. Vinnik is certainly not the first to use Blockchain technology for illegal means and, without suitable global regulations, he will almost undoubtedly not be the last to do so. 


These new regulations will affect all areas of Blockchain, and, as such, all individuals and companies who utilise DLT to store and transfer values which belong to others. Blockchain technology is the very system upon which cryptocurrencies are based, and by regulating all individuals and companies using them, it sets the path for a far safer financial system for all parties. The Gibraltar Government, alongside the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, has laid out nine principles that must be adhered to by all DLT firms.


Amongst other things, these nine principles outline a need to protect customer assets, ensure the highest possible security protocol at all times, have suitable solvency plans in place to protect investors and customers, ensure proper protocol to protect against money laundering and other criminal activities.

The Gibraltar authorities are well aware of the rapid change and expansion of DLT firms and so will review them all on a case-by-case basis. What this means is that, if they deem it necessary that certain businesses carry unique risks or threats, then the regulations placed upon them can be different to other firms. 


It should be noted that not only do these new regulations help benefit consumers, but they also play a crucial role in helping businesses prosper and flourish. Clear rules and guidelines remove any unwanted “grey areas” of legal activity and allow them to operate in confidence that they are obeying the law. It also allows them to compete with one another within the confines of the law and avoid being outmanoeuvred by firms operating illegal practices. 

Beyond setting up teams responsible for monitoring DLT firms, local authorities have also established an “Innovate and Create Team”. This team is there to discuss new financial business ideas and offer feedback and support in setting up in Gibraltar. This move is another great way to secure budding business growth at an early stage ahead of competing nations.

Trent Challis, who has is an independent advisor on cryptocurrency had this to say on the new regulations:


“I am delighted that Gibraltar has taken it upon themselves to show the world what necessary steps should be taken towards adopting Distributed Ledger Technology in a safe and meaningful way. By taking these pioneering first steps, it is our hope that other nations follow suit and innovate in much the same way.”Cryptocurrencies offer an exciting new future for the way in which the world carries out transactions, and you only need to look at the soaring value of Bitcoin to see the incredibly high demand that currently exists.


However, countries like South Korea, Russia and China seem to be taking steps to further restrict their use, rather than incorporate them and accepting change. Experts who understand these markets have warned that such measures will do little to reduce illegal activity, but instead increase it, as firms have little legal guidelines in which to operate. 


It is likely that, following this very recent announcement, nations like those listed above may be quick to review their plans. For now, however, Gibraltar offers the most exciting opportunity for new financially-savvy enterprises and it is likely that the “Innovate and Create Team” will have their work cut out for them in the months to come.

Source: PRWEB : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/10/prweb14802562.htm

Rent Your Next Apartment with Cryptocurrency
PR Newswire
Oct. 10, 2017, 09:00 AM

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stayawhile, a New York-based company building a global network of furnished apartment rentals for medium-term lengths of stay, will become the first real estate platform to utilize blockchain-based utility tokens as a store of value and security measure. The company announced the launch of Stayabit, an ERC-20 Ethereum token, which will be sold in a crowdsale beginning on October 30.

"Stayawhile's mission is to create a world with fewer borders. Our Stayabit token will help to eliminate many of the obstacles our international clientele often encounter when attempting to rent apartments in markets where they do not own assets," said Janine Yorio, the company's Founder and CEO.

By integrating blockchain technology into its platform, Stayawhile will help facilitate seamless cross-border payments and security deposits, assess creditworthiness of individuals who may not have a U.S. credit score, and be able to offer booking priority and discounts.

Token Sale
Stayabit (STAY) tokens will be sold starting at a price of $1 per STAY token during the sale, which will run from October 30 through November 30. Pricing discounts will be available to early buyers and there will be additional bonuses for large purchases. A private pre-sale will begin on October 15, during which time tokens will be offered at discounted rates of up to 40%. Detailed pricing information is available at https://token.stayawhile.com and purchase inquiries can be made directly to rel="nofollow">[email protected].

About Stayawhile
Stayawhile is a global network of furnished, branded, designer apartments. The company currently operates apartments in New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, with plans to expand to Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Berlin in the near future. The apartments are joined by both aesthetic and technology, which makes moving between them seamless and hassle-free. Stayawhile is based in New York City and led by an experienced management team with a depth of experience in real estate, hospitality and technology development. The company is based in New York City and was founded in 2016.

Read the whitepaper here: https://token.stayawhile.com/pdfs/whitepaper.pdf
Join the discussion on Telegram: https://t.me/stayawhiletoken

Media Contact  
Name: Eli Nemzer
Email: rel="nofollow">[email protected]

Follow on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/thestayawhile
Follow on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/thestayawhile/

View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rent-your-next-apartment-with-cryptocurrency-300532924.html

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MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monash University, one of Australia's leading universities, opened its joint blockchain cryptocurrency research and development lab at Monash’s Clayton campus with a node at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

This multimillion-dollar venture was funded by Collinstar Capital, an Australian asset management company and a market leader in Fintech, specializing in blockchain infrastructure, digital currency investments, and relevant consulting services.

The lab will focus on developing cryptographic technologies that will enhance and strengthen the Hcash blockchain.

“The blockchain technology used to develop Hcash is superior to that of the Bitcoin technology”

The Hcash project is one of the most advanced blockchains that took advantage of many technological breakthroughs that were not available to early blockchain developers.

The main mechanism behind Hcash is a distributed ledger that connects block-based and blockless-based Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) systems, allowing ledger assets and information to be transferred between multiple cryptocurrencies.

It has also adopted a hybrid Proof-of-Work (PoW) + Proof-of-Stake (PoS) for securing, governing and upgrading the network. As a result, Hcash is able to apply a more open governance model, where stakeholders have more input in the future direction of the protocol.

In addition, Hcash transactions and smart contracts can be conducted with an extra layer of cryptographic protection, affording its users enhanced privacy.

This is made possible by implementing a technology called zk-SNARKs, a novel form of zero-knowledge cryptography that allows fully encrypted transactions to verified as valid under the network’s consensus rules using zk-SNARK proofs.

“The blockchain technology used to develop Hcash is superior to that of the Bitcoin technology,” said Dr. Joseph Liu from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology, “We aim to make Hcash a connecting point for all existing blockchain systems, potentially allowing Hcash to function as a virtual cryptocurrency exchange.

Up until now, existing cryptocurrencies could only be exchanged within their own systems.”“I am delighted that Dr. Joseph Liu’s work has been recognized.

It is a testament to the wonderful young researchers we have in the Faculty of IT at Monash University who are leading the way in disrupting almost every industrial sector through new digital technologies,” said John Whittle, Dean Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University.

About HcashHcash, a "New Standard of Value", is a prominent open blockchain / cryptocurrency that is currently number 23 on the cryptocurrencies worldwide chart with a coin market cap of $253,285,351.

Contacts

Hcash
Gary Liu
[email protected]

TwoGap, a blockchain-based asset management platform, says it expects the blockchain economy to reach USD1 trillion by 2017.

The blockchain economy currently exceeds USD100 billion on the market, which is an enormous inflation in a single year. It isn’t surprising that another huge increase is expected in the next few years.
 
According to a company executive with TwoGap, “Blockchain-based asset management will go to USD1 trillion in 2020.” USD100 billion is a small number compared to what can be expected in upcoming years, but this startling increase won’t occur without a few factors to support it.
 
“Large industries like banks and healthcare must participate. The problem with these industries is that they need to prove identity. It’s simply a requirement when dealing with insurance, home loans, hospitals, etc. Photos of a government ID are usually needed to process these types of transactions or services.

Government regulatory requirements must be met before services can be provided and cryptocurrency is inherently anonymous. TwoGap utilises blockchain technology to provide the safety and privacy needed to eventually open up these industries to the option of cryptocurrency.
 
Blockchains need to be easier to understand. They consist of complex processes that clients don’t need to fully grasp; they just need to know that they are using a trustworthy company that can securely handle those details. Companies that have the ability to mask those complexities and also do faster, cheaper, transactions, like TwoGap, will see success in the future.
 
“ICOs need to settle a bit more for people to trust them. ICOs, or initial coin offerings, are an unregulated way to raise money for a cryptocurrency venture. They have the potential for massive ROI and are all the rage at the moment. Popularity, however, makes ICOs a huge temptation for scam artists. There must be several stable companies with valid ICO successes in the next little while for the blockchain economy to expand further.
 
“Many clients are challenged by asset management companies that charge high fees, have vulnerable security and privacy, and long waits for trade settlements. TwoGap utilises blockchain technology to provide solutions to these problems and sets users up with tools to view data and analytics, create content, and choose from a wide selection of distributed digital assets.

An investor base can be created by sharing content with the community. Security and privacy are a non-issue with TwoGap's platform. Transactions will be verified and sellers will be proven trustworthy, which will make the search for sellers much simpler.”

Continue reading: 
http://www.institutionalassetmanager.co.uk/2017/09/25/256392/twogap-expects-blockchain-economy-reach...

The Burger King chain of international fast food restaurants in Russia has announced that it is now offering its own cryptocurrency, called Whoppercoin, in honor of the signature sandwich and best-selling burger at Burger King.

According to reports from local news, the new cryptocurrency was launched on the Waves blockchain platform. To date, there are only one billion Whoppercoins issued, but the developers do not exclude the possibility of additional emissions. 

Customers of Burger King in Russia can now get Whoppercoins on a special digital wallet when they are buying Whoppers. For each "Whopper" bought, the visitor will receive one Whoppercoin. Starting today, August 22, customers can send a photo of the check paid for the order at Burger King and the address of their cryptocurrency wallet to receive new cryptocurrency. 

A representative of Burger King specified that the initial application of the new cryptocurrency is a new loyalty program that will allow customers to pay for fast food using collected cryptocurrency. However, it is still unclear what exchange rate will be implemented. 

The representative of Burger King in Russia commented: "We will test the [system] first, and then we will have an understanding.

" Burger King in Russia previously planned to accept bitcoin starting 2017  because of the growing popularity of the digital currency. In June, Dmitry Medvedev, General Director of Burger King Russia, said that the company will announce the winner of a tender for the development of the software that should allow restaurants to accept bitcoin as a payment for fast food by August 10.

However, it seems that the best option to introduce cryptocurrency in Burger King chosen so far is to issue their own cryptocurrency.

NECKER ISLAND, British Virgin Islands, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Identity Network (WIN) has been launched today during the Blockchain Summit organized on Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island.

The key objective of this global initiative is to catalyze progress towards universal ID and robust, secure, digital identification systems using 21st century technology solutions, such as the distributed ledger technology (DLT).

The initiative will be led by Mariana Dahan, former World Bank official and a prominent figure in the digital identity ecosystem. Dahan was the driving force behind the Identification for Development (ID4D) agenda – a global program she initiated that is now broadly embraced by the international donor community.

The United Nations Executive Director / Under-Secretary General, UNOPS Grete Faremo, commended WIN:

"The international community has yet to fully explore blockchain technology. Quite simply the potential is immense – more transparency and greater efficiency could deliver real benefits to billions of people.

So at UNOPS we are proud to support global initiatives like WIN aiming to bring these benefits to countries across the world, to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities."    

"In this fast-paced environment, WIN has a critical contribution to make to promote cutting-edge knowledge on identity management and leverage the potential of new technologies, such as the blockchain," said Carlos Santiso, Head of the Innovation for Citizen Services Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

A number of developing nations in Latin America region, and elsewhere, have already expressed interest in accessing WIN's advisory services and technical assistance. 

Technology-agnostic and a neutral knowledge broker, WIN is working across the DLT spectrum, partnering with technology companies that do not only operate on the Bitcoin Blockchain but also use Ethereum and other open-source platforms, helping decision-makers to choose a solution that fits best their needs.

To this end, the company is set to collaborate with the BitFury Group, ConsenSys uPort, IOTA, the Sovrin Foundation and the Secure Identity Alliance members.

“Blockchain creates a breakthrough opportunity for digital identity,” said David Treat, a managing director in Accenture’s blockchain business. “It has the unique ability to give individuals control over their personal information.

Organizations like WIN play an important part in enabling the public and private sectors to work together to create high impact solutions with new technologies. We are very pleased to support and contribute to these efforts.”

"The Secure Identity Alliance welcomes this new initiative and is looking forward to collaboration to explore the potential of the distributed ledger technology for inclusive development," stated Jean-Claude Perrin, Vice-President of Strategy at Gemalto.

"We too share WIN's mission to bring the world a secure universal digital identity solution and are excited to partner towards building the expertise needed to make blockchain identity a reality for everyone," said Rouven Heck, Co-Founder and Project Lead at ConsenSys uPort."

By coupling the experience of international programmes on rolling out electronic identity - like eIDAS in the EU countries - with innovative technologies like blockchain, WIN has the potential to be a game changer in the area," said Andrea Servida, leading the eGovernment & Trust Unit in DG CONNECT at the European Commission.

"The Blockchain Summit on Necker Island is a very special venue for innovative projects to emerge. The BitFury Group is supportive of WIN mission and strongly believes in the power of the blockchain technology to change the world," said Valery Vavilov, CEO of BitFury Group and co-host of the Blockchain Summit.

About the Blockchain Summit 
https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/necker-blockchain-summit

About World Identity Network
For more information, please visit www.win.systems

Media contact:
Mariana Dahan
World Identity Network Co-founder & CEO
[email protected]

Continue reading: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-identity-network-launched-on-sir-richard-bransons-neck...