Category Archive: 6c) Crypto Currencies English

Bank of China and UBS Issue First Fully Digital Tokenized Structured Notes in Hong Kong

BOCI (Bank of China) has successfully issued CNH 200 million fully digital structured notes, making it the first Chinese financial institution to issue a tokenized security in Hong Kong. The product was originated by UBS and placed to its clients in Asia Pacific, marking a long-term collaboration between BOCI and UBS in the space of digital structured notes. UBS had issued a USD 50 million tokenized fixed rate note in December 2022 under English...

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Blockchain Zug Initiative sichert sich vom Kanton 40 Millionen CHF

Der Zuger Regierungsrat will sich während fünf Jahren mit total 39,35 Millionen an den Aufbaukosten der «Blockchain Zug – Joint Research Initiative», einem gemeinsamen innovativen Projekt der Universität Luzern und der Hochschule Luzern, beteiligen. Dadurch wird das Crypto-Valley international zum Zentrum für die Blockchain-Forschung. Der Regierungsrat beantragt dem Kantonsrat die Gründung eines Zuger Instituts an der Universität Luzern mit neun...

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Illicit Crypto Volume Reaches All-Time High Despite Markets Slump

In spite of a market downturn and a prolonged “crypto winter”, the volume of illicit cryptocurrency transactions continued to rise in 2022, reaching an all-time high of US$20.6 billion, new data released by blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis show. Total cryptocurrency value received by illicit addresses, 2017-2022, Source: The 2023 Crypto Crime Report, Chainalysis The sum represents a 13.8% increase from the previous all-time high of US$18.1...

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Formula 1 Sponsorship Deals with Blockchain Companies Shrink Amid Crypto Scandals and Bear Market

After a buoyant year 2022, sponsorship deals with blockchain and cryptocurrency companies for the Formula One (F1) race are shrinking this year on the back of high-profile collapses and turbulent markets. A Bloomberg analysis found that while all teams had at least one crypto-native sponsors in 2022, that proportion declined to 70% this year, as of June. The trend suggests that F1 may be re-evaluating its ties with the crypto industry amid the FTX...

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30 Must-Attend Sessions at Money20/20 Europe 2023

Money20/20, one of the world’s largest fintech event series, is coming back on June 06-08 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre in Amsterdam for its annual European edition. This year’s event is expected to host over 300 industry-leading speakers, including visionary executives from global banks like HSBC, Barclays, and J.P. Morgan; trailblazing fintech companies like GoCardless, Stripe, and Plum; as well as representatives from national and...

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Swiss Banks Unlikely to Migrate to Blockchain, DLT Systems, Says SNB Advisor

While some banks have started experimenting with blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), widespread migration to these systems are unlikely to occur due to a number of roadblocks, including regulatory and compliance challenges, the high costs of the endeavor, as well as uncertainties about the long-term benefits and potential disruption of the technology on existing business models, Benjamin Müller, an advisor on banking operations for...

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Kanton Zug Increases Maximum Tax Payment Amount With Cryptos to CHF 1.5 Million

The Canton of Zug is increasing the transaction limit for tax payments with the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ether from CHF 100,000 to CHF 1.5 million with immediate effect. This measure will facilitate access to digital means of payment and meet the increasing needs of Zug’s population and companies. Heinz Tännler “We are proud that the Canton of Zug has been a pioneer in the use of cryptocurrencies for years. With the increase in the transaction...

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The Top 50 Crypto VC’s in 2023

The USA is dominant in the cryptocurrency venture capital (VC) game, representing more than 71% of the total amount of capital under management from the top 50 crypto-focused VC funds, a new report by Coinstack Partners, a boutique investment bank for crypto and Web 3.0 companies, shows. Global crypto VC by city – Top 50 firms, Source: The Crypto VC List 2023, Coinstack, March 2023 The report, which looks at VC funding activity in the crypto space,...

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Frankfurt University Forms Master in Blockchain & Digital Assets

Frankfurt School of Finance Center and its Blockchain center designed a new four semester long post-experience master program (MSc) last year. The Frankfurt School’s goal is to provide the expert knowledge necessary to students looking to shape and lead blockchain innovation around the globe and in all industries. Technical and economical understanding on the topics of blockchain, digital assets (including Bitcoin and Ethereum), DeFi, Web3,...

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User Authentication Enters New Era, Enabled by Biometrics, Blockchain, AI

Technological advancements, including biometrics, blockchain, encryption and artificial intelligence (AI), are fueling the advent of more efficient and secure authentication mechanisms. New methods and trends including passworldless authentication are already seeing significant traction from customers, which perceive them as not only more convenient than traditional authentication methods but also more reliable, a study by Entrust, an...

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Ondato Rolls Out Its Know Your Business Solution in Poland

London-based regtech firm Ondato has launched an expanded Know Your Business (KYB) solution to give local and international organisations operating in Poland automated tools for fully compliant business customer onboarding. The extended coverage provides complete data about Polish entities, including the latest sanctions lists. This enables online banks, Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), credit institutions, cryptocurrency marketplaces,...

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SweePay and SMART VALOR Brings Crypto to Masses at National Railways, Retailers

The Swiss crypto exchange SMART VALOR and the financial intermediary SweePay has partnered to ensure that the purchase of cryptocurrencies at Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) ticket machines is simple, smooth and secure. Since 2016, it has been possible to buy crypto at the 1,500 (expected number of ticket machines as of 2023) ticket machines of the SBB. At the SBB ticket machines, users will receive their Bitcoin in a secure paper wallet when they buy...

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Swiss Central Bank Payment Vision Outlining Focus on DLT, Tokenization and Instant Payments

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has shared how it intends to “future-proof” the domestic payment ecosystem, outlining its ambition to leverage technologies and processes including tokenization and distributed ledger technology (DLT) to establish an “efficient, reliable and secure ecosystem” that’s geared towards “the future of cashless payments in Switzerland,” SNB governing board member, Andréa Maechler, said during an event on March 30, 2023. The...

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The Top 3 European Wealthtech Trends

By 2030, affluent clients with assets of EUR 100,000 and up will have access to a highly diversified range of alternative assets comprising private debt, venture capital (VC), real assets, and more. They will benefit from highly personalized financial plans and advice, enabled by automation technology and data analytics. Additionally, advanced digital platforms and features like portfolio aggregation will provide them with a more frictionless...

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Incore Bank Signs Maerki Baumann as First Client For SDX Ethereum Staking

InCore Bank can now offer Ethereum staking capabilities that are fully compliant with Know-Your-Client (KYC) and Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) regulations to their clients. In this collaboration, InCore Bank provides crypto brokerage, banking operations and custody services, while SDX Web3 provides crypto custody and non-custodial-staking services. The Zurich-based private bank Maerki Baumann launched its crypto strategy in 2019. Apart from corporate...

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Postfinance Partners With Sygnum Bank to Offer Cryptocurrencies

PostFinance partners with Sygnum, the world’s first digital asset bank, to offer its customers a range of regulated digital asset banking services via Sygnum’s B2B banking platform. PostFinance’s partnership with Sygnum Bank enables the launch and ongoing expansion of regulated, bank-grade digital asset products and services for its customers PostFinance’s customers will be able to buy, store and sell leading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and...

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UBS Completes Cross-Border Intraday Trade On Broadridge’s Blockchain-Powered Platform

Global financial technology company Broadridge Financial Solutions announced that UBS and a global Asian bank have successfully executed a cross-border intraday repo transaction on its blockchain-enabled platform. This intraday trade marks the launch of the next phase in the rollout of Broadridge’s Distributed Ledger Repo (DLR) platform. This platform provides a utility where market participants can agree, execute, and settle repo transactions,...

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With SIC5 Around the Corner, Experts Weigh in on Possible Impact of Instant Payments in Switzerland

Instant payments are scheduled for rollout in Switzerland in the summer 2024, opening up new opportunities in payment transactions, digital commerce and customer experiences. But the new standard will also put pressure on banks’ lucrative card businesses and will cost financial institutions a stiff amount in implementation, industry experts warn. Starting August 2024, all banks operating in Switzerland and processing over 500,000 payments per year...

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CV Labs Selects 9 Startups for the Fifth Batch of Its Blockchain Accelerator

CV Labs, the international ecosystem builder of blockchain venture capital firm CV VC, announced the fifth batch of its global blockchain business accelerator. Nine startups were selected from over sixty countries for the Batch_05 based on the impact and utility that their solution will bring. The CV Labs Accelerator provides each participant up to US$135,000 capital, access to other capital avenues, one-on-one mentorship, and customised growth...

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8 Hot DeFi Startups in Europe to Watch in 2023

Despite slumping markets, the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry continued to grow last year, driven by sustained funding activity and increased user adoption. In 2022, DeFi users growth averaged 44% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), according to a report by crypto fund HashKey Capital. In Q3 2022, the industry reached a milestone, surpassing the five million DeFi wallet threshold. This growth came amid sustained support from investors in the...

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