Binance Research, the research arm of the major crypto platform Binance, has reported that no bank account will be necessary to use China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC). Loose coupling and anonymity Binance Research shared its findings on Aug 28. According to the report, China’s CBDC will be transferable without a bank due to its loosely coupled design. As explained by the researchers, a loosely coupled design refers to a system of components that do not all depend on each other. The upshot is that users will reportedly be able to transfer the CBDC to one another without needing a …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a primary governmental regulator, has settled charges with digital assets company Bitqyck Inc. and its founders. Smart contracts and crypto mining? The SEC announced the development in a press release on Aug. 29. According to the announcement, Bruce Bise and Sam Mendez­ are the founders of Bitqyck — a company that provided security offerings for digital assets Bitqy and BitqyM in Dallas, Texas. The company claimed that Bitqy tokens gave investors fractional shares of company stock via a smart contract. Additionally, Bitqyck said that BitqyM tokens would give holders interest in a …

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has reportedly granted two banking and securities dealer licences to crypto-focused banks. Two Swiss crypto-specializing firms, Seba Crypto AG and Sygnum have received banking and securities dealer licenses, the banks said in separate statements on Aug. 26. With the new license, Seba expects to officially launch its new trading platform platform in early October 2019, the company stated. Seba’s plans include the establishment of a digital asset platform for professional traders, firms and institutional clients, as well as custody storage and asset management. Sygnum said that regulatory approval will allow it to bring …

Despite all of the bad press that the digital asset industry continues to receive on an almost daily basis, it appears as though the overall sentiment of the online communities in regard to this burgeoning domain is still pretty positive. For example, Comparitech — a research firm that provides its consumers with a host of specialized data that allows one to make more informed decisions — recently used a machine learning-based analysis tool to study more than 48K Reddit posts to determine which cryptocurrencies were viewed most favorably by the masses. Not only that, the study also took into consideration …

Since Bitcoin (BTC) came into the world back in 2009, the digital asset industry as a whole has grown quite exponentially — with the market reaching its apex on the break of 2017-2018. Additionally, in the midst of all this, there has been a rise in the crypto trading sector, with the total capitalization of this domain currently pegged around the $277.90 billion mark. In its most basic sense, cryptocurrency trading can be compared to forex trading because it allows enthusiasts to purchase digital assets using fiat currencies. Not only that, investors can also choose to make use of a …

In a world where the global crypto community continues to face a growing number of regulatory hurdles with each passing day, the term “virgin Bitcoin” is starting to become more common among digital currency enthusiasts. However, it is of utmost importance to clarify what this term actually means and the significance it carries. According to Dave Jevans, the CEO of CipherTrace, virgin Bitcoins are essentially BTC tokens that do not have a transaction (TX) record associated with them. As a result of this, coins lack a defined attribution history, making them extremely useful for money launderers as well as other …

Huobi Group is jointly developing a new public blockchain for decentralized financial (DeFi) services, according to a press release on July 1. Major global digital asset financial service provider Huobi has partnered with Chinese blockchain startup Nervos enabling companies to deploy their own blockchains, tokenized assets, as well as DeFi services, according to the announcement. The joint initiative, provisionally called “Huobi Finance Chain,” is targeting enterprises, financial institutions, as well as exchanges, and is set to operate as a regulatory-compliant financial blockchain network. Specifically, Huobi is planning to enable regulators to access the network and contribute to it as validators. …

Seychelles-based securities exchange MERJ will purportedly list the first regulated security token on a national stock market, according to a report by Bloomberg on June 25. As per the report, these security tokens are digital asset shares that will trade alongside stock for MERJ Exchange Ltd, the company behind the MERJ exchange. The report notes that no specific date has been given for a planned listing, but the MERJ website says that it will add markets for security tokens, digital assets, and hybrid options in H1 2019. According to its website, MERJ’s vision includes an issuing and distribution platform for …

Digital asset cybersecurity startup Fireblocks announced its launch out of stealth mode with $16 million in funding, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on June 11. Per the release, Fireblocks obtained the capital during its Series A funding round from Cyberstarts, Tenaya Capital, EightRoads (Fidelity INTL), Swisscom Ventures and MState. The startup reportedly counts crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital, over-the-counter digital trading platform Genesis Global Trading and others among its customers, with the company declaring: “Currently, Fireblocks is integrated with 15 digital asset exchanges and offers support for over 180 cryptocurrencies, tokens, and stablecoins.” The author of the …

A blockchain-based alternative investment provider that tokenizes commercial debt is being listed on the Bloomberg Terminal, according to a news release published on June 4. Cadence is believed to be the first digital asset to obtain a Financial Instrument Global Identifier (FIGI), enabling professionals who use the Bloomberg Terminal to research its offering and execute trades. The company connects investors with businesses that need to borrow money in order to plug temporary gaps in their cash flow. On its website, Cadence says the minimum investment amount is $500, giving consumers “opportunities traditionally reserved for institutions.” Currently in private beta, Cadence …

BitMEX Ventures has invested in a crypto exchange licensed by the central bank of the Philippines, the company announced in a news release shared with Cointelegraph on June 3. The release notes that the financial backing will help the Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX) develop a marketplace for digital assets beyond cryptocurrencies — including tokenized commodities, real estate equities and debt securities. The co-founder and CEO of PDAX, Nichel Gaba, says a limited infrastructure in the country has left consumers struggling to access financial products and services. He added: “Through digital assets and blockchain, we want to even the playing …

83% of decentralized applications (DApps) on the Ethereum network are “not in the most productive uses,” according to Ernst & Young’s (EY) head of innovation. Paul Brody, Global Innovation Leader for blockchain at Big Four audit firm EY, spoke about developments in the blockchain and digital asset industries during a Fintech Forum hosted by the United States’ Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) on May 31. The event was organized by the SEC’s Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (Finhub, which) launched in October 2018 to facilitate the commission’s engagement in the fintech space, including distributed ledger technology (DLT) and …