A closed-door meeting was held by Nasdaq Inc. this week to discuss steps for legitimizing the crypto industry in global markets, Bloomberg reports today, July 27. Around half a dozen representatives from both traditional finance and the crypto industry firms –– among them reportedly the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini –– held a closed meeting in Chicago this week. As Bloomberg reports, Nasdaq Inc. held the meeting as a way to “get the industry on the path to legitimacy.” Nasdaq confirmed that the event took place, but declined to comment, Bloomberg notes. An unnamed source “familiar with the event” told Bloomberg that …

IT providers for stock markets and exchanges have been slow to adopt blockchain technology, Nasdaq told The Wall Street Journal June 26. According to a study commissioned by Nasdaq and carried out by financial and technology research firm Celent, the majority of stock-infrastructure suppliers globally are still in the very early stages of exploring benefits of distributed ledger technology (DLT). The report says that only five percent of firms polled have implemented blockchain in some form, compared with 40 percent already using cloud computing, 70 percent deploying robotic process automation, and 35 percent providing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Despite 70 …

This interview has been edited and condensed. Cointelegraph had the opportunity to speak to ConsenSys’ Ajit Tripathi at BlockShow Europe 2018 about his experience leaving Wall Street for the crypto world, what new ConsenSys projects he’s most excited about, and why crypto regulation changes from country to country. Molly Jane: Could you tell us a little bit more about what ConsenSys does and what your role is there? Ajit Tripathi: ConsenSys is a venture production studio based in Brooklyn, and now we have offices in London, in about 30 countries, including London, Paris, South Africa, Australia, and Singapore — we're …

U.S. crypto entrepreneurs Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss have won a patent for a system to provide crypto-based exchange-traded products (ETPs), according to a patent filing published by the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) June 19. The new patent represents systems, methods and program products for using ETPs that hold “digital assets” and “other products and/or services related to ETPs holding digital assets,” such as Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), and Litecoin (LTC). Filed on Nov. 27, 2017 by Winklevoss IP, the patent includes both brothers as the inventors, as well as Evan Louis Greebel, …

Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman recently claimed that initial coin offerings (ICOs) pose “serious risks” for retail investors, CNBC reports June 20. Speaking at the Future of Fintech conference in New York on Wednesday, Friedman expressed “real concern” about ICO projects, saying that they can seriously defraud retail investors. Friedman said this is mostly the result of insufficient public information, as well as a lack of transparency, regulation, and accountability. "To make it no rules at all, when companies can just willy-nilly take people's money and offer no information at all, with no governance, that sounds to me like you're taking …

Stock exchange operator Nasdaq has successfully tested a blockchain-based Proof-of-Concept (PoC) that provides an efficient 24/7 securities collateral solution, according to a press release published Tuesday, June 19. The new blockchain platform has been jointly developed by Nasdaq, ABN AMRO Clearing, EuroCCP and Euroclear, and aims to address the challenges facing Central Counterparties (CCPs) when it comes to making margin calls after stock exchange trading hours are over. Margin calls are made when an investor who holds a margin account with a brokerage firm is required to deposit additional funds in order to satisfy a ‘maintenance margin’ - a minimum …

In an interview on Bloomberg Businessweek on June 5, Adena Friedman, president and CEO of Nasdaq Inc., said that cryptocurrencies are at “the height of a hype cycle” and can become a “financial element of the Internet.” Speaking on how Nasdaq looks at disruptive technologies and instruments like cryptocurrencies, Friedman said that the corporation has been taking a research-oriented approach to when and whether they want to be involved in digital currencies. Friedman said that she believes the construct of cryptocurrency is beginning to become one the company can understand, and has potential to become a financial element of the …

The CEO of Nasdaq said that the stock market could become a platform for trading cryptocurrencies in the future, if the market becomes more regulated, CNBC’s Squawk Box reports Wednesday, April 25. Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman said during an interview that “certainly Nasdaq would consider becoming a crypto exchange over time.” Friedman believes that cryptocurrencies “will continue to persist,” the only caveat being the amount of time it will take for the crypto sphere to mature. Once that kind of institutional regulations set in, according to Friedman, Nasdaq can say: “‘It's time, people are ready for a more regulated market, …

The festive season is in full swing and those who celebrate Christmas have enjoyed turkey dinners, presents under the tree and long Christmas specials on TV. But for many of us involved in the world of cryptocurrencies, this has been one Christmas Special we will never forget. November was an extraordinary month, as Bitcoinsmashed barrier after barrier on its way to the $11,000 mark. Despite multiple corrections, time after time, the virtual currency bounced back from volatile swings in price. Some called it a bubble, others said is was just the tip of the iceberg, but no one predicted the …

Nasdaq has named blockchain API developer Chain as the first company that will be trialing a blockchain backed version of the group's Private Market for trading pre-IPO company's shares. Nasdaq embraces blockchain tech In an announcement on June 24, Nasdaq OMX Group explained that Chain would be the first company on the Private Market to be issuing, cataloging, and managing transactions of their privately issued shares through blockchain technology. The problem the companies are trying to solve is the difficult bookkeeping and paperwork currently associated with issuing shares in a private company. The paper records used are frequently outdated as …

On June 5, retail giant Overstock became the first company to offer a corporate bond, valued at US$25 million, as crypto securities to qualified institutional investors. The offering is part of the company’s bitcoin blockchain-based initiative called Medici. Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne stated in a press release: "The crypto revolution has arrived on Wall Street. We're making it official by offering the world's first crypto security.” The crypto securities, or stocks, will be powered and issued by Overstock’s TØ.com platform, which Overstock said “refers to the fact that trades on the system securely settle same day, as opposed to three …

Unredacted Adult FriendFinder hacked Data is on offer for 70 Bitcoin, a 1959 IBM Model 1401 mainframe can mine bitcoin, and more top stories for May 26. Adult FriendFinder hacked, sensitive data on offer for 70 BTC A hacker going by the username of ROR[RG] has revealed to be in possession of confidential data from Adult FriendFinder, a dating site that helps users find partners who meet their sexual fetishes. The data is up for sale at the price of 70 bitcoins. Given that the information on the site is extremely personal in nature, many of its users have reasons …