July 20: Bitcoin (BTC) has split off from other top cryptocurrencies and shows markedly more resilience in holding on to gains secured in the major upswing that kicked off earlier this week. Market visualization from Coin360 As Coin360 data shows, the top coin is an island of green, while most major alts are struggling to maintain positive momentum. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $7,398, up a fraction of a percent over the 24 hour period to press time. The leading cryptocurrency has been trading sideways as of early trading hours July 18, following an impressive uptick on July 16 that …

The U.K. Law Commission will review legal frameworks to ensure that British courts remain a “competitive” choice for businesses that use smart contracts. The announcement was made in the Commission’s 2018 report released July 19. The Law Commission was established in 1965 with the main tasks of monitoring the laws of the U.K. and recommending reforms. According to the Commission, smart contract protocols presage an era of trustless and more efficient business transactions that compels lawmakers to ensure that existing frameworks have the necessary flexibility and clarity to keep pace with innovation. Initial research into the matter is reportedly due …

Barclays has filed two patent applications relating to the transfer of digital currency and blockchain data storage, both published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) July 19. The first patent describes a system for transferring digital currency from payer to recipient that would securely authenticate the identities of both, as well as validating and recording transactions using public-key cryptography and a digital currency ledger. Beyond currency transfer, the patent goes on to describe a wide range of use cases for securely and privately processing data in a trustless manner using a blockchain system. One illustration outlines how claims …

British pop star Peter Gabriel has invested in blockchain startup Provenance, according to a press release July 18. The amount of his investment has not been disclosed. Gabriel joins a group of investors led by Working Group Capital Fund, Digital Currency Group, Merian Ventures, and Plug and Play. With the new investment, U.K.-based Provenance hopes to expand their products. Provenance’s goal is to create better transparency in food transportation by applying blockchain technology. The company will use the funding from the former Genesis frontman to implement its blockchain-based application with over 1,000 food and beverage businesses by 2025. Gabriel remarked …

China will lead an international research group on the standardization of the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technology, local news outlet Science and Technology Daily reports July 18. The joint technical committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have adopted the proposal for the creation of this international research group after a month of a discussion by committee members. Science and Technology Daily, the official newspaper of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, writes that the creation of this group means China has won “discourse power” in technology integration: “It …

A new report states the UK has the potential to become a leader in blockchain technology and the crypto economy by 2022, The Guardian reported July 16. The new report was conducted by the Big Innovation Centre, DAG Global, and Deep Knowledge Analytics, all companies aimed to connect business, academic, and public agencies to provide insights on new innovative technologies. According to the group’s analysis, Britain has the governmental, technological, and industrial resources to become a leader in the crypto economic ecosystem and a global hub for the development of blockchain technology within the next few years. The report states …

Dublin-based major consultancy firm Accenture has partnered with French multinational aerospace firm Thales Group to update aircraft supply chains using blockchain, according to a press release July 16. Based on Hyperledger Fabric and set for its debut at the UK’s Farmborough Airshow July 21-22, the solution will use blockchain in tandem with Thales’ physically unclonable function (PUF) tool to “track, trace and authenticate aircraft parts and materials.” “The aerospace and defense industry has one of the world’s most vast and complex supply chains,” John Schmidt, global managing director for Accenture’s Aerospace and Defense practice said, continuing: “Blockchain technology offers a …

Coming every Sunday, the Hodler’s Digest will help you to track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions, and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week US Charges 12 Russian Intelligence Officers With Crypto-Funded Election “Interference” The U.S. Department of Justice released an indictment this week that charged twelve Russian nationals with the intention to “interfere” in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. According to the indictment, Russian officials from the government’s Main Intelligence Directorate mined cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in …

The U.S., Switzerland, and Singapore were ranked as the top three “most favorable” countries for Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) in a recent report, according to a press release the researchers shared with Cointelegraph July 14. Analysts associated with the Crypto Finance Conference compiled the research based on publicly available data of the top 100 ICOs by country in terms of funds raised and ranked them by number of projects launched. The report highlights the U.S. as the most favorable country for ICOs with a total of 30 companies launched in the field. The second country is Switzerland, which is responsible …

Sirin Labs, a Swiss-based smartphone developer, will release a blockchain-based phone in November this year, the company told Cointelegraph on July 11. In December 2017, Sirin Labs raised $157.8 million for the project during their Initial Coin Offering (ICO), with $110 million gathered over the first 24 hours. Sirin Labs had also previously released a privacy-focused smartphone in 2016, with a market price of $16,000. The new blockchain-based phone, called Finney, is scheduled to go to market with an expected price of $1,000, Sirin Labs told Cointelegraph. Based on the Android system, Finney will run on SIRIN OS and include …

The London School of Economics (LSE) will be offering an online course on cryptocurrency investing, starting in August 2018, Financial Times reports Monday, July 9. According to the announcement, the new course dubbed “Cryptocurrency Investment and Disruption,” will help students learn some “practical skills to interact with cryptocurrency exchanges,” including how to use cryptocurrency wallets, as well as “evaluate the analytics” of initial coin offerings (ICOs). The LSE, which is alma mater to 36 “world leaders” and 18 Nobel Prize laureates, claims it is known for its motto to “understand the causes of things.” By introducing the course, the university …

UK housing minister Eddie Hughes released a report into blockchain July 4, calling on the government to “show leadership” by making the technology and its benefits a priority. The report, ‘Unlocking Blockchain,’ makes several key proposals, using state projects currently underway in Estonia as the standard authorities should follow at home. “The state should focus its attention on using blockchain to enable social freedom, to increase efficiency, and to rebuild societal trust,” Hughes summarizes. “The state should not be allowed to use such technology to intrude into the lives of individuals—but rather the technology should be used to empower individuals …