Crypto-friendly fintech startup Revolut has obtained a banking license in Lithuania, technology news outlet TechCrunch reported Dec. 12. As the report states, the startup obtained a license through the Bank of Lithuania and “is leveraging passporting rules to operate in other European countries.” The mentioned “passport rules” are laws permitting the operation of banks that are part of the European free market on the territory of other member states. In the coming months, Revolut’s users in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland are expected to get a “true current account and a non-prepaid debit card.” Additionally, users’ deposits will …

The director and chief executive of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has expressed concerns about cryptocurrencies and disintermediation, English-language Nigerian news outlet The Sun reported Dec. 12. Disintermediation is when consumers begin investing directly in markets, rather than through intermediates like banks. The NDIC was established in 1988 to ensure safety in the just-liberalized banking sector. This corporation has a supervisory role over insured banks and it reports to the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Finance. During an NDIC forum, Ibrahim Umaru described his concerns about Bitcoin (BTC), disintermediation and fintech in general: “The partial disintermediation of the banking system …

The Gibraltar Blockchain Exchange (GBX) announced that it is offering insurance on all of the assets listed on its platform, in an official GBX blog post Dec. 10. The exchange reports that it will use local firm Callaghan Insurance Brokers to insure its assets, specifying that “all assets in the custody of the GBX are fully insured, including both hot and cold wallets.” The policy also reportedly “covers all forms of professional indemnity.” GBX, a subsidiary of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange (GSX), opened in July of this year and has raised a total of $27 million in funding. In the …

U.S.-based insurance company State Farm is testing a blockchain-based solution to speed up the subrogation process for auto claims, according to an announcement published Dec. 10. State Farm is a large group of insurance and financial services firms that provides auto insurance in the U.S. The organization was ranked 38th on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of companies. Per the company’s website, it processes 38,300 claims per day and has nearly 519,000 accounts in mutual funds. State Farm is working on blockchain-based solution to speed up the subrogation processes in the insurance industry. Subrogation is a legal right held by …

26 French companies and five major banks have completed a Know Your Customer (KYC) test based on blockchain, according to a press release by the entrant firm RCI Bank and Services released Dec. 3. RCI Bank and Services, a French automotive financing and insurance firm unveiled details of a customer knowledge-focused blockchain solution trialed in partnership with blockchain consortium R3. According to the press release, the Proof-of-Concept (PoC) test has been conducted in cooperation with the Association Française des Trésoriers d'Entreprise (AFTE), a local network of treasury and finance professionals. As revealed by a participant of the test, RCI Bank …

Major U.S. healthcare companies have formed an alliance to trial blockchain solutions in order to improve data quality and reduce costs, U.S. weekly news outlet Modern Healthcare reports Monday, Dec. 3. The Synaptic Health Alliance group consists of Humana, Multiplan, UnitedHealth Group's Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Quest Diagnostics, and has recently been joined by Ascension — the largest not-for-profit health system in the U.S. according to Modern Healthcare — and CVS Health-Aetna, which has an estimated 22 million of members. According to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, who analyzed data provided between September 2016 and August 2017, at least half of …

Japanese insurance company Sompo has partnered with pan-African digital payment platform BTC Africa, also known as BitPesa, according to Sompo’s press release published Nov. 9. As Cointelegraph Japan has confirmed, Sompo Holdings Inc. invested 570 million yen ($5 million) Nov. 8 to acquire a 10 percent stake in BitPesa. BitPesa is anAfrican Bitcoin (BTC) startup that was founded in 2013, with an initial focus on crypto-enabled fiat remittances between the U.K. and Kenya. In a statement accompanying the investment, Sompo outlined that the partnership is focused on the “digitalization of global remittance services,” and that: "Using BitPesa's technology, developed through …

Prominent cybersecurity firm Group-IB has graded the security of top crypto exchanges, U.S.-based tech news media the Next Web reported Tuesday, Nov. 6. According to research conducted by the Moscow-based firm in partnership with crypto asset insurance platform CryptoIns, the Kraken platform is the safest crypto exchange. In contrast, OKEx — the now-second crypto exchange by daily trade volume — as well as Huobi Pro and CoinCheck are the riskiest crypto trading spots, the report says. Per the Next Web, Group-IB made its determinations with a newly developed assessment system that calculates insurance premiums to cover cryptocurrencies held by major …

The Australian federal government is exploring the use of blockchain-based “smart money” for use in its National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), according to an Oct. 9 press release. The trial, dubbed “Making Money Smart,” has been jointly developed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and Data61. The latter is a digital innovation center that forms part of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) — an Australian government corporate entity that undertakes scientific research to advance diverse local industries. In CSIRO’s press release, Data61 has defined smart — or programmable — money as currency that “knows what it …

Cryptocurrency exchange and custodian Gemini Trust Company, LLC (Gemini) has secured insurance coverage for custodied digital assets from lending services firm Aon, according to a press release published Oct. 3. Founded in 2014 in New York by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini is now the 50th largest digital currency exchange by 24 hour adjusted trade volume, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Per the press release, Gemini’s digital insurance coverage will complement the already available Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured U.S. dollar deposits. Yusuf Hussain, Gemini’s Head of Risk, said: “Consumers are looking for the same levels of insured protection they’re …

Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm Marsh announced it would extend its partnership with IBM as part of its proof-of-insurance blockchain solution, a press release confirmed Wednesday, September 26. Marsh, which began working with IBM in April this year to develop the blockchain service, will now take advantage of IBM’s links with customer relationship management giant Salesforce. The release notes that “Marsh will work with IBM to extend its commercial proof of insurance blockchain solution to be directly accessible to Marsh clients through the Salesforce Platform.” In April of this year, Salesforce had noted that it hoped to include …

‘Big Four’ audit and consulting firm Deloitte will help The Institutes RiskBlock Alliance blockchain consortium expand into Canada, according to an announcement published September 25. RiskBlock Alliance is a U.S.-based consortium launched in 2017, which focuses on the application of blockchain technology in the insurance industry, with more than 30 participant organizations. The alliance is reportedly looking to launch blockchain-based applications, including a proof of insurance app, which is “a first notice of loss data-sharing process and a smart contract-enabled subrogation tool.” In the coming months, Deloitte will reportedly help RiskBlock Alliance to bring its operations to Canada within its …