We sat down with Ulrike Huemer, the CIO of Austria’s capital city Vienna, to talk blockchain and to elaborate on its role as part of the Smart City initiative. Austria is Europe’s leader in terms of applying modern day technology to better the all-around welfare of its citizens. Making cities “smart” and digital is a key part of transforming public goods and services in order to reach that goal. Vienna is especially keen on innovation, trying to find new solutions by way of digitization. Easy access and clear-cut […]

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Goldman Sachs-backed crypto finance startup Circle has published the latest third-party audit of its USD-pegged stablecoin USD Coin. Goldman Sachs-backed crypto finance startup Circle has published the latest third-party audit of its USD-pegged stablecoin, USD Coin (USDC). The company reported the update in a blog post published on May 17. USD Coin is an Ethereum-based token compliant with the ERC20 standard that was first announced in May last year and released in September. Per this week’s announcement, the audit of the coin’s fiat reserves was conducted by major Chicago-based accounting firm […]

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SEC-approved LTSE stock exchange could link crypto firms and the capital of traditional investors. One of the most significant introductions that blockchain has made available in recent years is adding new tools through which companies can raise capital. The technology has made it possible to raise funds for a project from investors of just about any pocket size through initial coin offerings (ICOs) as well as security token offerings (STOs). Typically, these investors put in their money not just in return for a big payday, but they’re […]

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sponsored A private digital currency provider says peer-to-peer technology ensures every user’s account is kept “out of reach to any prying eyes.” The team behind a private digital currency for secure payments says its goal is to make every consumer their own bank — enabling them to send and receive crypto with the gadget of their choice. Xeonbit says its peer-to-peer technology ensures that every user’s accounts and transactions are “out of reach to any prying eyes.” A feature known as “ring signatures” means public keys are […]

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Bitcoin exchange and alleged scam Goxtrade advertises staff who do not work for them. Purported bitcoin (BTC) exchange Goxtrade has been accused of being a scam, technology news publication TechCrunch reported on May 17. Chief among the report’s revelations is that Goxtrade takes photos of unaffiliated people from social media sites and compiles them to make its online staff gallery. Goxtrade reportedly even retains some of their real names. Amber Baldet, co-founder of blockchain startup Clovyr, is one person whose name and picture were featured on Goxtrade’s […]

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Coinbase has opened its Coinbase Earn program to the public in over 100 countries. Major crypto platform Coinbase has opened its Coinbase Earn program to the public in over 100 countries, according to a press release on May 17. As Cointelegraph reported, Coinbase first announced the program at the end of 2018 as an invite-only initiative. This pilot period let users earn cryptocurrency by learning about the ERC-20 token “0x” (ZRX). Coinbase stated that according to a survey they conducted, uninformed users were reluctant to invest in […]

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Russia’s largest bank Sberbank has asked a client to provide detailed information on their cryptocurrency revenue. Russia’s largest bank Sberbank has requested that a client provide information on their income from cryptocurrency, the Russian version of Forbes reported on May 17. Co-founder of cryptocurrency trading platform Toxenbox.io, Vladimir Smerkis, told Forbes that the unnamed client received a letter from Sberbank requiring disclosure of their crypto revenue. The letter based its demand on Federal Law No. 115, “On Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing.” The client had reportedly […]

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