The Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator, an incubator program for distributed ledger technology, or DLT, startups run out of UC Berkeley, has welcomed Snark Health into its spring cohort. Snark Health seeks to combat COVID-19 by “building a framework for data-driven discussions and shared learnings” to enable the “rapid dissemination of information to improve patient outcomes.” Health startup fighting coronavirus joins UC Berkeley blockchain incubator Snarks platform aims to facilitate the sharing of best practices and information regarding the coronavirus pandemic between individuals, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies at local, state, and national levels. Snark’s website states: “There remain many unanswered questions …

“How could I possibly do this?” — That is what I asked myself when the opportunity presented itself to leave my 14-year career in corporate and investment banking to join the startup world. It was certainly one of the biggest decisions of my life. I chewed on it for a month, which in my world of decision making, is quite a long time. One of my most active clients at the time was a TSX-listed DirectCash Payments Inc, a global payment processing company with operations on multiple continents and valued at $460 million when sold to Cardtronics in early 2017. …

Somnium Space sold 110 Ethereum (ETH) worth of virtual land plots during the first seven days of its multi-week affair. “During the first week of Road to SLO we have sold a total of 25 parcels for 110 ETH,” a Somnium representative told Cointelegraph. “Moreover we have seen a record high sale of a Bundle of 10 parcels from one user to another for whooping 100 ETH.” Last week, blockchain-based VR game, Somnium Space, completed the first week of its Road to Secondary Land Offering, a March 13 statement detailed. During this event, the startup sells 25 virtual land parcels …

Open-source project Celo is calling on blockchain innovators to participate in CeloCamp, an entrepreneurial initiative that seeks to highlight the potential of global financial inclusion, mass adoption of digital money and the acceleration of blockchain startups. With its new phase announced on March 20, the initiative is reportedly backed by more than 80 companies, venture firms, experts and individuals. CeloCamp aims to help decentralized technology entrepreneurs, speeding up their projects and supporting them through funding. The “CeloCamp Blockchain Accelerator” website says that they will distribute $25,000 in contest prizes during the eight weeks of the virtual boot camp, which is …

Billionaire investor and the winner of thousands of Bitcoins (BTC) in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2014 Silk Road auctions, Tim Draper, has set his sights on India’s nascent cryptocurrency industry. On March 22, the venture capitalist tweeted that the Supreme Court’s recent reversal of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ban on banks providing financial services to crypto companies will drive a renaissance for the country’s cryptocurrency sector. In a March 21 interview with Inc42, Draper stated that he “met several Bitcoin and crypto startups” during a recent trip to India, adding that he “hope[s] to be able to …

The governor’s office of Hawaii revealed its new ‘Digital Currency Innovation Lab’ on March 17 — a blockchain and cryptocurrency incubator developed through collaboration between the state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Division of Financial Institution (DFI), and the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC). The initiative will run for two years, and will allow “digital currency issuers to do business in Hawaii without obtaining a state money transmitter license during the effective period of the pilot program.” Through the program, Hawaii aims to “achieve a more in-depth perspective of digital currency” and inform future cryptocurrency regulation in the state. …

Republic, a platform letting users invest in early-stage companies, announced plans to launch its own digital asset on Algorand’s blockchain. “We are excited to be using their cutting edge blockchain technology to enable the creation of a new dynamic digital asset,” Republic co-founder Kendrick Nguyen said of Algorand in a March 17 statement provided to Cointelegraph. The asset will allow the public access to the success or failure of Republic through investment. The digital asset will be a security, Republic associate general counsel and partner Jed Halfon confirmed to Cointelegraph via email. Republic has seen success so far With help …

The Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator announced the selection of 17 startups for its third cohort, scheduled to take place in the spring of 2020. The accelerator is a joint venture between organizations on the California-based UC Berkeley campus. The venture, made up of the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, Berkeley Engineering, the Berkeley Haas School of Business, and Blockchain at Berkeley, announced the selections in an official statement on March 11. Projects were chosen from a list of 140 startups that applied for a coveted spot in the cohort. A wide range of industries represented in Berkeley’s Spring 2020 cohort …

StormX has announced the integration of StormShop for its iOS and Android users, allowing them to earn cryptocurrencies back when they shop online, as the company has announced. The platform aims to improve the eCommerce experience for consumers and merchants, who offer up to 40% cashback in five different digital assets, including BTC, ETH, LTC, DAI and STORM. StormShop is complemented with StormPlay’s mobile app, which has attracted more than 2.5 million users since its launch in January 2014. StormX’s CEO and co-founder, Simon Yu, gave his input on the new mobile integration: “We are now able to reward shoppers …

A UK tech company recently announced a blockchain ecosystem for farmers in Haiti, bringing clarity to the supply chain while bolstering sales. Agriledger, a blockchain outfit based in the UK, was responsible for building this new ecosystem. Their goal was ensuring that farmers receive adequate pay for their crops, a Feb. 28 post from Spring Wise stated. “The solution being delivered to Haiti in the fresh fruit value chain is the blueprint for a number of target markets locally and globally,” a representative from Agriledger told Cointelegraph. “The approach is to create trade and financial opportunities for farmers but then …

CoolBitX, creator of the cryptocurrency-storing CoolWallet, continues to be popular with investors. In a press release today, the Taiwan-based startup announced that it had secured additional funding for expansion. Led by Japan-based SBI Crypto Investment Co. Ltd., the Monex Group, BitSonic, and the National Development Fund of Taiwan, the group provided CoolBitX $16.75 million from the Series B funding round. To date, the company has raised $30.25 million: $500,000 from a seed funding round, $13 million from Series A, and the most recent round. With this new funding ready, CEO of CoolBitX Michael Ou spoke to Cointelegraph on the future …

Seba, a young Swiss-based digital asset bank holding regulatory licensing, looks to attempt a secondary capital raise to garner over $95 million in additional funds. During the raise, Seba aims to secure 100 million Swiss francs, equivalent to $96.5 million, “from new investors, including financial institutions, family offices and individuals,” Financial News London wrote in a Jan. 17 brief. Recent launch Crypto friendly startup SEBA Bank AG announced its launch on Nov. 12, 2019 after Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) approved the outfit to operate in the world of securities and banking. Seba raised significant capital in its first …