Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba announced its import e-commerce platform Koala has updated its products to include a full-link traceability blockchain system on March 16, according to a Sina Finance report from March 17. Blockchain increases logistic transparency The report revealed that the integration of Ant Financial’s blockchain in the Koala platform allows online buyers to find out the purchasing goods detailed logistic information through scanning a QR code with Alipay. The updated Koala application is designed to provide consumers with a traceable icon after completing the purchase on the order page. A blockchain QR code and an anti-counterfeit fingerprint sign …
Decentralization is not a luxury; it is a necessity. In a prescient article in The Atlantic back in 2012, science fiction writer Bruce Sterling referred to the likes of Amazon, Facebook and Google as “The Stacks,” predicting the insidious power grab that has happened in the last decade. As the giant tech companies consume more and more of our lives, the fact that technologies that enable us to push back against them are being developed is not only encouraging: it is essential. Since Bitcoin (BTC) began the process of decentralizing payments in 2010, we have seen the process of disintermediation …
Blockchain firm QuarkChain has announced a partnership with the ecological department of Northeastern Chinese province Shanxi. QuarkChain and the Shanxi province will jointly develop an environmental governance platform on blockchain (EGPB). This platform will be used by the local administration for construction resource management and trading. QuarkChain stated that, while limited construction materials are mostly located in a specific area, they are widely distributed to many places, creating the need for a management system that can better supervise the development and use of those resources. EGPB will be used for tracking resources along their supply chain. The network’s node operators …
China’s biggest port operator, China Merchants Port, reached a deal on May 28 with the e-commerce giant, Alibaba Group, and its affiliate, Ant Financial. This deal will allow for the development of a blockchain-based platform, which will target a number of different use cases. According to local media, the platform will allow buyers, sellers, logistic companies, banks, customs, and tax officials to conduct contactless digital export and import transactions. The companies will promote an in-depth integration of blockchain technology in the port industry. Their goal is to become the world’s first blockchain-based digital port with an open collaboration network. Implementing …
Following the announced integration of the payment app Strike with e-commerce platform Shopify to accept Bitcoin (BTC) through the Lightning Network, the crypto community raised concerns over the legal implications of the move. Crypto researcher Matt Ahlborg believes that the event is a very significant development for BTC as it allows the offloading of BTC without the need to go through the know-your-customer (KYC) process. What Jack Mallers is really saying is that you will be soon be able to offload your Bitcoins in the real world without KYC'ing through an exchange first. If this is true, it is actually …