The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is partnering with Ripple Labs Inc. and digital payments firm Coil to implement the Interledger Protocol, the Foundation’s Deputy Director and Principal Technologist Miller Abel tweeted Oct. 17. The Foundation itself has not made a formal announcement regarding the partnership. Apart from the implementation of Ripple’s Interledger Protocol, which is designed to connect different payment ledgers and enable the faster processing of cross-border transfers, the partnership is set to explore the ways Mojaloop can support “pro-poor payment systems.” We are partnering w/ @ripple and @coil to implement the #Interledger Protocol & explore ways #Mojaloop …

Hydrogen, a NYC-based business that was recently named KPMG’s fintech startup of the year has signed a public blockchain licensing deal with TD Bank – the world’s 12th-biggest bank in terms of market capitalization. Hydrogen is a decentralized ecosystem for financial services that combines artificial intelligence, record keeping, authentication, payments and identity services. The initial phase of the collaboration will integrate Hydrogen’s APIs into TD’s WebBroker program, which will allow all TD clients to design their own financial plans and implement custom investment portfolios. Future developments will include several new capabilities for TD retail banking customers as planned integration of …

It’s been close to 10 years since Bitcoin came into existence, and in that time, major financial institutions have slowly come to grips with blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Some have taken to the industry quicker than others, and some have outright turned their backs on the thought of using or investing in cryptocurrencies. However, the technology underpinning these decentralized digital currencies has been a major focal point, mainly in terms of how it can be used by traditional banking and financial institutions. A number of big name financial companies have actively developed blockchain-based systems used for different operations. JPMorgan’s Quorum …

China has led the way in terms of harsh regulations to quash cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. They were the first country to institute blanket bans on ICOs and exchanges, and have never taken to the decentralized and liberal freedoms that comes from cryptocurrencies. However, that does not mean that China is opposed to the potential revolutionary technology that comes from cryptocurrencies and their underlying base — blockchain. In fact, China is building toward being a nation that separates the decentralized cryptocurrencies from the underlying blockchain. But, in the latest calls from regulators, the bullishness on blockchain has come under some scrutiny …

Recently, much of the news related to cryptocurrencies and blockchain was surrounding their developments in Switzerland. This country — which is widely known in the financial world for its robust financial services offered and for the privacy given to a bank’s clients — is now home to Crypto Valley, which is located in Zug. With conferences and events flourishing throughout the years, Crypto Valley is considered one of the most important hubs for experts, investors and enthusiasts to meet and exchange ideas and information. In this context, the Crypto Valley Association has been created, with the support of the Swiss …

Adrian Hasler, the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, is certain that blockchain technology will have an impact on a variety of areas and is preparing a new blockchain law to provide essential requirements in order to establish a regulatory base for blockchain businesses. The blockchain law — so called Blockchain Act — was announced by Adrian Hasler at this year’s Finance Forum on March 21. According to Adrian Hasler, the new act is about integrating current business models in regulatory terms in order to give companies and their clients a legal base. The planned act is expected to be circulated for …

Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize transaction banking according to a study by major global management consultancy firm Bain & Company, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reports today, June 14. According to Bain, “transaction banking revenues tend to be less volatile than other types of banking revenues, and bankers can cross-sell products, which is critical for client loyalty.” Bain concludes in its study that this particular area of banking will change substantially in the future through the use of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT), like blockchain: “Using this technology, execution, clearing and settlement could occur simultaneously, minimizing liquidity and credit risks. Custody …

Hypothekarbank Lenzburg has become the first bank in Switzerland to provide business accounts to blockchain and cryptocurrency companies, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported June 6. While Falcon Private Bank has provided crypto asset management services since last year, Hypothekarbank Lenzburg CEO Marianne Wildi confirmed that they are first bank in the country to open company accounts for blockchain and crypto-related fintech companies. Wildi said: "As a bank that sets itself up technologically and pursues a cooperative strategy in the field of fintech, it is also a matter of credibility to work together with the young sector of crypto and blockchain companies …

In another win for the adoption of Blockchain technology into the banking and finance world, top hedge fund AQR ($208 bln under management) has announced that it will begin investigating how to incorporate the nascent technology into its trading platforms. The company hopes to use the technology to make its internal systems more efficient, since Blockchain allows for security without the increased hassles that traditional security means employ. Nevertheless, the company has only just begun to test the potential. According to AQR cofounder David Kabiller: “How long [the technology] takes to get there and what becomes the standard is unclear, …

The bond markets are rattled and global yields are rising, signaling a possible reversal of an aging 33 year bull market in bonds that could have a major impact on all other global financial markets resulting in a reprice in asset classes across the board. The price of bonds has been falling in dramatic fashion and the reason for this has varied. Some speculate the bond markets smells economic growth picking up in the second half of 2015, while others believe inflation expectations are picking up. Bond market liquidity (or the lack thereof) has been identified by many market experts …

Two of Australia's "big four banks," Westpac Banking Corporation and the Australia and New Zealand Bank Group (ANZ), are trialing Ripple payments for faster and lower-cost cross-border payments. Westpac, which is ahead of ANZ in its intention of integrating Ripple, said it is in the early stages of a proof-of-concept where staff members are testing the system by making small international payments to other countries. Speaking with the Australian Financial Review, Rachel Slade, general manager of global transactional services at Westpac, said that Westpac has been satisfied by the experiment so far noting that integrating Ripple would allow the bank …

Beyond the business opportunities, financial innovations have a larger socio-economic role to play and could help pull billions of people out of poverty, according to a new report. Both corporate and VC firms have put their bets on the burgeoning fintech industry, which seeks to reinvent the way people bank and transact, all thanks to technological innovation. The growing interest in financial technologies has led investors to pour billions into the space. And the amount is not expected to decrease any time soon, according to a recent report from Accenture. The digital era The attractiveness of fintechs can be explained …