On Thursday, HSBC and IBM announced the successful test of an advanced token and digital wallet settlement between two central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, in a cloud environment. The experiment consisted of transactions between CBDCs, eBonds, and forex. IBM's Hyperledger Fabric and enterprise technology provider R3's Corda served as the basis of the distributed ledger facilitating the transactions. The project was overseen by central bank Banque de France as part of a series of tranche projects to implement a digital Euro. Previously the French and Swiss central banks reported positive results on a pilot run of the digital Swiss …

Haiti, a Western Caribbean country torn by a tragic past, natural disasters, poor leadership, and ineffective foreign aid, is not a country that comes to people's minds when they think of blockchain adoption. For years, Haiti has been among the world's poorest countries in terms of GDP per capita, as per data from the World Bank. But Haitian-Canadian entrepreneur Nandy Martin, colloquially known as Captain Haiti for wandering the streets of his community in his superhero attire and signature shield prop, has ambitious goals to change that. Operating from the sunny domains of his humble abode in Miami's Little Haiti, …

One under the radar cryptocurrency-powered payment app that's been gaining traction across Latin America is Reserve. The platform acts as a convenient way for people to convert their local currencies, which may be undergoing high inflation levels, to the United States Dollar via the Reserve stablecoin (RSV). The network also features the Reserve Rights token (RSR), which is used for protocol governance. Since its launch in March 2021, the platform says it has seen 367,000 total signups. Meanwhile the number of weekly active users has surpassed 100,000, with most located in Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia. In the past 30 days, …

The continuing transition to digital finance is likely to affect sectors across the board. Artisans, or skilled craftsmen and women, are no exception. According to Kristalina Georgieva, managing director for the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, digital money for these skilled workers hinges on a tetrad of factors. “The artisan’s digital future will rest on four cornerstones: private sector innovation, public sector involvement, regulatory and legal frameworks, and international cooperation,” Georgieva said on Friday during a BlockShow conference segment. How do online payments and finance affect skilled workers though? Digital transactions and capabilities hold the potential to speed up the …

Chile’s National Economic Prosecutor’s Office, or FNE, has granted approval to nine national freight maritime cargo companies to establish a joint venture to develop a blockchain platform, the first of its kind in the region. According to Mundo Maritimo, the platform will be named Global Shipping Business Network, or GSBN. It aims to handle all the processes related to maritime cargo, such as document issuance and cargo clearance, among other services. The solution is also expected to be offered to other companies in the industry and not just those involved in its development. As per the resolution issued by the …

International and Public Affairs professor, Ronaldo Lemos, a recent addition to the Stellar Development Foundation, or SDF, said his personal interests align more with industry growth than asset holding or trading. "I'm more into using crypto as a tool to improve public institutions," Lemos told Cointelegraph when asked about his crypto holdings and trading activities. Lemos has worked with blockchain for governmental use cases The professor detailed a specific example of his blockchain endeavors, which includes working on signature verification via blockchain technology. "I am one of the co-founders of Mudamos.org, a blockchain-enabled platform that allows citizens to propose draft …