As part of its pivot into security and computing, software company and former smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry has released a blockchain-powered platform. The new product focuses on the healthcare field, according to a press release published Oct. 4. Per the announcement, BlackBerry has partnered with technology firm ONEBIO to develop a blockchain-backed “ultra-secure” ecosystem. The system is designed for the storage and sharing of medical data, where information can be entered by patients, laboratories, and Internet of Things (IoT) biometric devices. Once entered, data will further be anonymized and shared with researchers. BlackBerry CEO John Chen said: "We are applying our …

U.S. pharmaceutical company Verseon has become the latest medical organization to experiment in blockchain technology, it confirmed in a press release Tuesday, September 18. Verseon’s main product is its proprietary physics-based drug discovery platform. The company was established in 2002 and it now trades on the London Stock Exchange, boasting a market cap of £211 million ($277 million). Part of a growing trend among major pharmaceutical players to leverage blockchain’s data and security benefits, the company’s subsidiary BlockRules will facilitate what it describes as technology which “supports the sale, launch, and trading of securities on a public blockchain.” This, the …

In an era of hotly contested debates surrounding data ownership, privacy and monetization, one particular piece of data could be said to be the most personal of all: the human genome. While we are 99.9 percent identical in our genetic makeup across the species, the remaining 0.1 percent contains unique variations in code that are thought to influence our predisposition toward certain diseases and even our temperamental biases — a blueprint for how susceptible we are to everything from heart disease and Alzheimer’s to jealousy, recklessness and anxiety. 2018 offered ample examples of how bad actors can wreak havoc with …

The Taipei Medical University Hospital has rolled out a blockchain-powered platform to improve medical record-keeping, Taipei Times reported August 31. The so called “Healthcare Blockchain Platform” was reportedly developed in order to support the government’s Hierarchical Medical System policy, improve patient referral services, and integrate individual healthcare networks to enable people to access their medical records in an easier way. To make a request for their records, patients can log in to a password-protected mobile app. The project involved over 100 clinics, which deploy blockchain technology to address major issues in healthcare, such as data transfer between medical establishments and …

Singapore-based digital innovation center Lumenlab is testing a blockchain-enabled insurance solution for diabetes sufferers, according to a press release published August 20. Lumenlab is a subsidiary of financial services provider MetLife and has reportedly developed the new project within the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) regulatory sandbox. The pilot, dubbed Vitana, is a parametric, automated insurance product targeting those who develop gestational diabetes - a condition that is said to affect one in five pregnant women in Singapore. It has been co-developed with insurance firm SwissRe, UK tech and blockchain specialists Cognizant, and electronic medical records (EMR) provider Vault Dragon. …

Food safety firm ZEGO is using blockchain to test products for residue of a deadly chemical tied to a recent $289 million Monsanto lawsuit, according to a press release published August 16. Earlier this month, Monsanto was fined $289 million in damages after a court ruled in favor of a plaintiff’s claims that the company’s use of a herbicide containing glyphosate had caused his cancer. ZEGO reportedly has a patent-pending blockchain system that would allow companies to test foodstuffs for glyphosate. The company says it had initially developed the solution to enable consumers to make better informed choices about the …

A new blockchain-driven company has bold plans to establish a global network of health centers designed to help people lead active and longer lives. Although life expectancies around the world are soaring, BitVit argues that many of these extra years are dominated by sickness for too many years. Research cited in its white paper suggests German women can currently expect to live until they are 83, but only 72 of those years will be in good health. For men the average lifespan is 78 years, with nine of them blighted by sickness. BitVit hopes to offer a “holistic solution” which …

Data storage in healthcare industries is of critical importance. Security breaches in this sector will not only have an impact financially — in terms of health insurance — but could also compromise patient safety. The new platform Timicoin aims to enhance patient data safety through blockchain technology. Describing themselves as the “Tokenized Healthcare Ecosystem,” Timicoin claims to offer a solution to the current fragmented and isolated nature of patient health data, which results in inefficient and ineffective use of the information. For example, medical institutions transferring information on patients is currently more complex than it should be, because of isolated …

Nebula Genomics and Longenisis, two leading firms in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology for healthcare, are developing a platform for the storage and exchange of genomic data, according to an announcement May 15. According to the release, they also aim to establish a new research field of “life data economics.” Nebula Genomics is a San Francisco-based biotechnical company that uses blockchain to “build a marketplace” for clinical data. Longenesis is a Hong Kong-based partnership between Insilico Medicine and the Bitfury Group, which makes blockchain platforms for the exchange of health data. The companies will reportedly apply artificial intelligence and blockchain …

German Camelot Consulting Group has developed a Blockchain-based solution for the management of sensitive medical data, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported Monday, April 9. With its Hypertrust X-Chain data management system, the company aims to offer the healthcare industry a secure digital platform for the exchange of patient data. It aims to provide all actors that are authorized to participate in the therapy process with decentralized data storage based on Blockchain technology. All data transactions are encrypted and stored on an unchangeable Blockchain and will be carried out directly between the authorized participants, the company says. It will also allow the …

Blockchain-based record keeping service Factom has today announced its latest partnership with major US medical services provider HealthNautica. The deal, revealed exclusively to Cointelegraph, will see HealthNautica documents, which range from medical bills and client-physician communications to claims and disputes, imprinted on the blockchain, helping add security and guarantee authenticity of sequence of events. “We are excited to insert Factom’s technology into the healthcare industry, as one of our goals while developing this software was to offer a way to ensure the integrity of medical records, while still maintaining patient privacy,” Factom’s president Peter Kirby said in an exclusive press …

[Note: Brawker and BillPayForCoins are both now closed. Do not attempt to send money to any site posing as either.] As someone who's gotten two mothers to use Bitcoin, I thought I'd offer up a few tips on what seems to entice the maternal amongst us. It's a falsehood that only the young (and male) are fans of digital currencies. If all goes well, you mother may not start waxing technical about the subtleties of Merkle trees, but she will no doubt rave about how easy it is to send payments online. And she'll feel extremely cool while doing it. …