A blockchain-powered platform is vowing to tackle some of the biggest problems facing global healthcare right now — with the long-running coronavirus pandemic exposing some of the inefficiencies and fatal flaws that exist within this system. Radiologex says R-DEE streamlines communication, collaboration and data transmission, meaning patient files become truly interoperable and available anywhere in real time. This is a stark contrast to fax machines and couriers that hard-pressed medical facilities currently depend upon. But beyond providing unmatched security and unrivaled speed, the project’s founders also say that they are determined to eradicate manual documentation errors that can have a …

A decentralized communication hub is delivering DeFi for digital supply chains — eliminating the time consuming and complex processes that are associated with keeping businesses running smoothly and safely. Obortech is creating infrastructure known as the Smart Hub, allowing key players at every point of a supply chain to share information and collaborate through easy-to-use mobile and web interfaces. All of this can help deliver efficiencies that are crucial for companies running on razor-thin profit margins, and deliver verifiable product traceability from end to end. This cutting-edge approach means that documents can be exchanged through a tamperproof, joined-up system. Smart …

The year 2020 was certainly lonely for many people around the world, as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of almost all social events and gatherings. As a result, online events have become the new normal for almost every industry. While some may view this as an innovative development, many industries have struggled to exist due to a lack of ticket sales for events. For instance, the billion-dollar concert and event promotion industry has seen a decline in revenue at an annualized rate of 11.5%, reaching $17.1 billion in 2021. Data further shows that this decline is a direct …

It has been four months since the Brexit trade deal came into effect between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The deal, in common with other free trade agreements, does very little to support the export of financial services from the U.K. into the single market. As a result, spring has seen financial services firms, including those in financial technology adjusting to different trading relations with the EU, while also managing the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Most notably, U.K. financial services have lost their automatic rights to service EU clients from their U.K. base, using the so-called passporting rights that …

A 24-year-old New York resident has pleaded guilty to acquiring more than $7 million in COVID-19 relief through fraudulent loan applications and misleading investors in a fraudulent initial coin offering during 2018. According to a Tuesday announcement from the United States Department of Justice, Taiwanese national, Justin Cheng — also known as “Justin Jung” — submitted a series of online loan applications accompanied by forged tax and payroll records between May and August of last year. Cheng’s applications featured fraudulent Internal Revenue Service tax and payroll records purporting to document the names of 200 employees earning $1.5 million in monthly …

China’s central bank is looking to enable foreign athletes and visitors to use the country’s digital currency during the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, according to a top central bank official. Li Bo, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, said that the upcoming Winter Olympics could potentially become the first test of China’s central bank digital currency, or CBDC, by foreign users. “For the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, we were trying to make e-CNY available not only to domestic users, but also to international athletes and like visitors,” Li said Sunday at a CNBC panel at the Boao …

A nightclub in Miami is set to return from a COVID-19-related shutdown of over a year by accepting Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies as a form of payment. Luxury nightclub E11even Miami announced Tuesday that it will soon start accepting cryptocurrency as payment for tables, drinks, merchandise and other services. According to the official announcement, the list of supported cryptocurrencies will include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), XRP and Dogecoin (DOGE). In order to provide the new payment method, E11even has partnered with a major cryptocurrency processing company, but did not specify the name of the payment processor. “With the tremendous …

South Korea, which has begun its COVID-19 vaccine rollout for residents over 75 years of age, has revealed plans to use blockchain technology to certify forthcoming vaccine passports for immunized citizens. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a government meeting that a new mobile app will be used to manage digital proofs of vaccination, and is expected to launch later in April. Blockchain technology will be used to ensure that citizens are not able to forge evidence of having ostensibly received a jab. “The introduction of a vaccine passport or ‘Green Pass’ will only allow those who have …

The European Securities and Markets Authority, the European Union's independent financial authority, has warned about the high risk of cryptocurrency investment. In its latest “Trends, Risks and Vulnerabilities” report published Wednesday, the ESMA analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on financial markets, highlighting the increased risks linked with investment in “non-regulated crypto-assets.” The authority mentioned that crypto assets saw a massive surge in value and trading volumes during the second half of 2020, with Bitcoin reaching all-time highs. The ESMA stated that the surge was driven by “positive newsflows in the crypto sector,” including PayPal’s move to roll out its crypto …

A decentralized non-fungible token project says it is committed to lowering barriers to entry for artists, creators and photographers — making it easier for them to mint their own NFTs. Unique.One says interest in digital art is continuing to accelerate, and there is an “incredible opportunity” for creatives to reach new audiences and earn an income. Although an array of NFT platforms already exist, the volunteer founding team behind Unique.One argues that some of these marketplaces overcharge creators, censor their work, or have too much of a corporate backing to truly represent the community’s needs. It has embraced a different …

There’s a rumbling in the crypto world. Long perceived — not unjustly — as a boys’ club, 2020 has seen more women entering Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies than ever before. If the trend continues, we’ll see a welcome influx of women in the space. A recent survey by Gemini reports that women’s investment in cryptocurrency has surged 20% over the past year among a nationally representative sampling of United Kingdom investors. Among those planning to invest in crypto, 40% are women. Crypto trading platform eToro also reported a sharp rise in the rate at which women signed up to …

A sense of relief has begun to emerge as COVID-19 vaccinations continue to be administered across the world. While hopeful, a new challenge remains: distinguishing between individuals vaccinated and those unvaccinated. Various statistics claim that very little of the world’s population has been fully vaccinated as of the start of March 2021. While this number is still low, some regions like Texas have optimistically begun lifting mask mandates in hopes of resuming normal lifestyles. Other states across America, however, have started taking safer precautions to ensure normalcy following the COVID-19 vaccination rollouts. For example, New York governor Andrew Cuomo recently …