JPMorgan’s blockchain spin-off Kadena has fully launched its public blockchain, completing what it calls the “industry’s first hybrid blockchain platform.” Launched on Jan. 15, Kadena’s public blockchain includes full transactions and the ability to write smart contracts, the firm’s CEO co-founder and Will Martino said in a press release shared with Cointelegraph. The company claims the product is the first sharded Proof-of-Work Layer 1 network to make it to market. Kadena’s hybrid blockchain seamlessly integrates a public chain with a private network As the launch completes Kadena’s hybrid blockchain platform, the fully functional hybrid blockchain enables the connection of a …

Blockchain has become a buzzword in the startup ecosystem and multinationals alike. Numerous benefits provided by the technology has incentivized businesses and governments to adopt, explore or invest in it. However, a surprising turn of events took place in 2019 when it comes to the amount invested into blockchain technology and companies behind them. After the incoming funds peaked in 2018 with $5.5 billion in capital raised, this year saw a sharp decline — with less than $3 billion of capital flowing into the ecosystem. There are numerous reasons to explain this, however. The bullish hysteria around Bitcoin was over …

Blockchain infrastructure startup Alchemy has garnered investments from multiple notable mainstream entities, including Stanford University, as well as leaders from other top businesses. “Our vision is to push the entire ecosystem forward by providing core infrastructure and developer tools,” Alchemy co-founder and Stanford alum Joe Lau told Cointelegraph in a Dec. 17 email. Alchemy has amassed $15 million in contributions from influential mainstream business leaders, such as Yahoo’s co-founder Jerry Yang and LinkedIn’s co-founder Reid Hoffman, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 17. Bloomberg also noted financial powerhouse Charles Schwab’s place on the list of entities investing in Alchemy as part of …

Eight companies gathered on stage at Elev8CON in Las Vegas on Dec. 10 to demonstrate how they are applying blockchain technology to solve real-world problems and improve financial industries. The startup showcase session featured Gridfinity, a cloud-based mining company; Appliqate, a blockchain-based affiliate marketing solution; TemTum, a scalable blockchain network; DreamView Studios, a computer-generated imagery company for e-commerce; Knowbella Tech, a blockchain-based intellectual property platform; System9, a blockchain solution for institutional marketing; NGRAVE, a military-grade hardware wallet; and BlocWatch, an enterprise-blockchain focused security company. While all of the startups demonstrated a variety of solutions to advance enterprise and financial services …

Space-as-a-service-focused blockchain startup SpaceChain has sent its hardware wallet technology to the International Space Station (ISS). As part of the CRS-19 commercial resupply service mission, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is delivering SpaceChain’s hardware wallet technology to the ISS, according to a Dec. 6 press release. The move purportedly marks the first tech demonstration of blockchain hardware on the ISS and the third blockchain payload by SpaceChain over the past two years. Acceleration of space-as-a-service adoption The technology will then be installed on the commercial platform on Station provided by commercial utilization of space firm Nanoracks. The initiative is set …

On Nov. 18, Big Four auditing firm KPMG released its 2019 Fintech100 ranking, which lists the top 100 fintech firms in the world. The list saw a drop in Bitcoin-related companies but reinforced innovation in the payments industry. As was the case in 2018, AntFinancial — owned by Jack Ma of Alibaba — led the ranking. AntFinancial controls Alipay, one of China's leading payment systems, and is valued at $83 billion. Among the companies that offer innovation through blockchain and cryptocurrency, JD Finance was best placed in third place, surpassed by Grab, an Uber-like rideshare app that also functions as …

The Kadena network, which is led by JPMorgan blockchain veterans, has gone live on Monday, with the firm announcing a new $20 million token sale. Kadena mainnet launch unlocks mining Kadena coins According to an announcement on Nov. 4, Kadena has launched its mainnet Chainweb alongside the Kadena token wallet Chainweaver. The firm is also planning to carry out its third token sale from Nov. 5–Nov. 22. As specified on Kadena’s website, the launch of Kadena’s mainnet means that miners can participate in the Kadena public blockchain network and mine for real Kadena coin. Co-founded in 2016 by early JPMorgan …

Bitcoin-friendly Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has made a direct investment in a fledgling cryptocurrency company as part of its latest funding round. CoinList to launch crypto exchange and wallet Dorsey, who has become increasingly well known for his support of Bitcoin (BTC), injected an undisclosed amount in token sales startup CoinList, the Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 30. CoinList serves as a platform for other startups to raise capital via tools such as token sales, airdrops and hackathons. The company raised a total of $10 million in the latest round, having operated on the market since 2017. It will …

Ethereum venture production studio ConsenSys has selected seven new Ethereum-based projects to support with $175,000 of funding. ConsenSys recognizes “more unique ideas” Speaking to crypto industry media outlet CoinDesk on Oct. 10, the company’s head of experiential marketing Yadira Blocker confirmed the latest round of startups to receive cash. ConsenSys has been funding what it considers to be promising projects since February. Since the launch, the ConsenSys Grants scheme has spent $330,000 on 15 startups. “In Wave 1, we saw a lot of applications but they weren’t super strong. In Wave 2, we started to see more credible teams and …

At a time when the term “fake news” has become a household name thanks to its repeated use by President Donald Trump, deepfakes — i.e., seemingly realistic videos that are in fact manipulated — can further escalate the problem associated with distrust of media. Technologists are looking at the inherent nature of blockchain as aggregators of trust to put more public confidence back into the system. Truth is increasingly becoming a relative term. When everyone has their own version of the truth, democracy becomes meaningless. The advent of deepfakes is surely pushing society to a point where facts can be …

Startup accelerator Techstars has cancelled its year-old partnership with the firm owned by early Ethereum advisor Steven Nerayoff. Techstars ditches the joint accelerator According to cryptocurrency news outlet The Block on Oct. 8, Nerayoff’s arrest on suspicion of extortion had forced Techstars to reconsider its association with Alchemist, a blockchain advisory startup. The two joined forces in July 2018, creating the Alchemist Blockchain Techstars Accelerator based in New York. Last month, Nerayoff was arrested in connection with the alleged plans to bring down another United States startup. Together with Michael Hlady, the entrepreneur is said to have demanded $4.45 million …

The largest shareholder in Overstock-funded blockchain wealth management startup Bankorus has claimed that the firm has no money left. In a statement issued on Oct. 6, Sonic Zhang said that previous funding deals for Bankorus had fallen through and that all its employees have resigned. Zhang: Bankorus “has run out of cash” As a contributor of more than $1 million to the company, Zhang said that he learned of the problems from its co-founder, Gregory Van den Bergh, in July. “Bankorus has run out of cash, because the second round investors pulled their funds,” Zhang wrote. Overstock STO fails to …