Some entrepreneurs have been trying to increase data privacy by combining encryption and blockchain technology. There are projects like Oasis Labs and Enigma that focus entirely on preserving users’ privacy. Meanwhile, others have been focusing on preventing data retention by companies. Thus, there is no way to guarantee that personal data is deleted in a company’s data system. Blockchain technology’s reliable consensus ensures that people’s data is used correctly. Protection against software and hardware attacks Companies like Oasis Labs, which designed the Ekiden system, run smart contracts outside the blockchain within a Trusted Execution Environment, or TEE, node to enable …

From a technical viewpoint, blockchain is a growing records list that is cryptographically tied to and managed by a peer-to-peer network. At the same time, they join a protocol of communication among nodes to validate new blocks. Essentially, a blockchain is a way of validating data transactions in a permanent and immutable manner to guarantee that the transaction: Has not been corrupted. Avoids double-spending. May transfer value. We can also say that blockchain technology is a decentralized network where all the records are engraved in a distributed way and shared in several devices spread throughout the world. The records are …

Several data violations, like the Cambridge Analytica scandal, have brought forth questions regarding how companies and governments should deal with the data entrusted to them, and they have also increased the search for the development of new technologies to preserve the privacy of companies and users. Consequently, countries and regulators have rushed to set new compliance requirements to deal with user privacy and data collection — like the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe or the General Data Protection Law in Brazil, to name a couple. Parallel to that, there has been a new trend to seek new technologies like …

Peer-to-peer, or P2P, crypto-powered wireless network Helium announced its expansion to Europe after launching in North America. According to a June 18 announcement shared with Cointelegraph, Helium will start shipping its network’s Hotspots to Europe in July. The announcement also notes that the firm just launched Helium Tabs. Helium Tabs are devices that leverage the decentralized network for tracking purposes. According to the official website, they have a battery duration of over 6 months. The hotspots are both low-power wireless access points accessible from up to 10 miles away and nodes on the Helium blockchain. Node operation is rewarded using …

Across Europe, a privacy row has been brewing over various efforts to use coronavirus contact tracing technology. Contact tracing is the cornerstone of the efforts to track the spread of COVID-19 in an attempt to prevent a second wave by quarantining those exposed to the infection. After all, it proved to be successful in China and South Korea. However, the contact tracing efforts in China and South Korea are generally considered to breach user privacy to an extent that’s culturally and legally unacceptable across much of Europe. Nevertheless, it seems that many governments are now prepared to compromise on their …

Estonia, one of the European Union’s most crypto-friendly countries, is cracking down on hundreds of licensed crypto companies in response to a $220 billion money laundering scandal, according to Bloomberg. Estonia was among the first EU countries to license crypto companies but has been forced to clamp down after hundreds of billions of dollars of dirty money was detected in the Estonian unit of Denmark’s largest lender Danske Bank A/S. It’s put the country at the center of Europe’s biggest money laundering scandal. License to ill Madis Reimand, Head of the Baltic country’s Financial Intelligence Unit revealed that regulators suspect …

London-based ETC Group will list the first crypto exchange-traded product on Germany’s Xetra digital stock exchange this month. Traders in the United Kingdom, Italy and Austria will also be able to deal in shares of the new product. According to ETF Stream, ETC Group announced on June 9 that Bitcoin Exchange Traded Crypto, or BTCE, an exchange-traded product, will launch on Deutsche Börse Xetra after it receives approval from German financial regulators. BTCE tracks the price of Bitcoin (BTC) and is physically backed by the cryptocurrency. The Bitcoin will be held in cold storage by digital asset custodian BitGo. ETC …

Luxembourg-based startup ANote Music will launch a blockchain-based platform that allows its users to invest in music royalties on July 28. In an announcement on June 4, CEO and co-founder at ANote Music Marzio Schena said that the platform aims to “bridge the gap between the music industry and capital markets.” The platform reportedly helps artists, record labels, publishers, and songwriters become financially independent by allowing them to access funding through royalty sales. After investing, users receive a share of rights and can trade them with others on the platform at prices determined by supply and demand. Schena explained: “Our …

As a sector, plastic cryptocurrency cards have had a bumpy ride. While for some they are the perfect way to spend those hard-stacked sats, it has evidently been a struggle for crypto companies to provide such a service. Wracked by regulation, supplier issues and the volatility of digital assets, crypto debit cards have had a rough start. Nonetheless, crypto debit card use is growing and is considered an important development for the growth in the adoption of crypto around the world. So, in which countries are most of the crypto cards available? Wirex Wirex is a London-based crypto debit card …

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success” — the words of Henry Ford give expression to the spirit of collaboration that defines human progress. His ethos around unity extends to many societal strands, including endeavors of profit, community initiatives and far-reaching government policies. When navigating uncharted territory, such as the handling of technological innovation from a regulatory perspective, different stakeholder groups must resist the urge to remain siloed in their strategies and lean into Ford’s vision for shared success. The art of enacting legislation requires strong cooperation and delicate management of stakeholder interests, …

Regulations are not going anywhere. On the contrary, financial service providers face more regulatory challenges and higher costs than ever before. During the early days of cryptocurrencies, a “Wild West” culture emerged when regulators, uncertain on how to tackle this thing called blockchain, paid little attention to the thefts, scams and hacks plaguing the virtual-asset market. Today, this is no longer the case. No matter their roots, every virtual asset project from Telegram to Shapeshift to Libra is ramping up compliance while regulators continue to issue guidance, enforce regulations and pay closer attention to digital securities platforms, crypto exchanges and …

Equigy, a blockchain platform for managing batteries connected to the electric grid, is expanding its operations in the European Union. Ecologic technology news outlet, Green Tech Media, reported on May 29 that three major European Union’s electricity transmission system operators, or TSOs, joined Equigy’s platform. More precisely, TSO with operations in Germany and the Netherlands TenneT, Swiss TSO Swissgrid and Italian TSO Terna all joined the network. According to company data website Owler, TenneT has an estimated annual revenue of $1 billion, while Terna $2.3 billion. Furthermore, Energinet — a Danish TSO with an estimated annual revenue of $8.6 million …