A snapshot of the Bitcoin codebase will be encoded onto film reels and stored for a thousand years under the arctic ice in Svalbard, Norway. The move is part of the GitHub Archive Program, with a mission to preserve open-source software, for future generations to learn about the culture of today. GitHub has partnered with institutions such as the Software Heritage Foundation, Arctic World Archive, and Oxford University’s Bodleian Library to ensure the long-term preservation of code, which could otherwise be abandoned, forgotten or lost. With the ephemeral nature of much of today’s modern storage media, a solution requires the …

Three national units of the Red Cross — the largest humanitarian donor after the United Nations — are backing a blockchain-based currency scheme to enhance aid delivery and boost local economies. According to a report from the Thomas Reuters Foundation on Nov. 26, the Red Cross societies of Norway, Denmark and Kenya have launched a two-year plan to replace cash and voucher provision in aid and development efforts with blockchain-backed "local currencies." Plans to onboard 320,000 users As the report outlines, the Red Cross currently distributes $1 billion annually as cash and vouchers, either specifically targeted at disaster relief or …

The case of an attempted robbery that ended with a cryptocurrency multimillionaire jumping from his second-floor balcony will be heard in Norwegian courts next month. Local broadcaster TV 2 reported on Sept. 8 that the victim was an individual in his 40s who had been in the public spotlight for having made his 100 million NOK ($11.2 million) fortune through his ten-year involvement in the crypto space. “Lie down, or I’ll shoot” According to TV 2, the attempted robbery occurred on May 14. The would-be robber is reported to have entered the victim’s housing block and rang directly at his …

Ethereum-based layer-two blockchain scaling platform nahmii has onboarded the Norwegian Block Exchange (NBX) as the first member of its governing association, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Aug. 16. Created by Hubii, nahmii is designed to solve the transaction speed issue on the Ethereum network, which can reportedly manage only 15 transactions per second. This, the release notes, makes Ethereum unsuitable for large-scale commercial deployment. Explaining the principle behind its solution, nahmii said: “Nahmii fixes that by moving transactions away from the main chain to a second network that sits on top of the main Ethereum chain. …

Bitcoin (BTC) payments should be coming to Norway’s low-cost airline Norwegian Air this year, after its co-founders set a date for opening their own cryptocurrency exchange. According to local finance newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, the Kjos family intend to launch trading on their nascent NBX exchange in August. Swiftly expanding into neighboring countries, the publication said the Kjoses, who are already known to have purchased considerable amounts of Bitcoin, will integrate cryptocurrency into Norwegian Air’s payment options. NBX was already public knowledge, but the exact date and crypto payment plans represent a renewed commitment to the industry from the family. Bjorn …

Finland-based cryptocurrency firm Prasos has secured a payment institution license via the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FFSA). The news comes by way of an official announcement via its crypto exchange website on July 12. According to the announcement, Prasos is now the third crypto firm in Europe to secure a payment institution license. According to its website, Prasos operates a crypto exchange, a crypto investment platform, and Bitcoin (BTC) ATMs. Prasos stated that, thanks to its new license, its crypto investment platform Coinmotion is now capable of supporting a payment service in the European Economic Area, which includes EU member …

Norway-based internet browser company Opera has launched the iOS version of its mobile web browser, Opera Touch, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph. Opera Touch reportedly supports the Ethereum (ETH) protocol and the Ethereum Web3 application programming interface (API). This means that the browser accommodates Ethereum-based decentralized applications (DApps) and all ERC-20 tokens, stablecoins, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The browser also is said to feature a cryptocurrency wallet for storing Ether, the “Opera Crypto Wallet.” Opera released the Android version of its mobile browser at the end of 2018, which offers these same Ethereum-related capabilities. Opera Touch, however, …

A blockchain project developed to safeguard the integrity and accessibility of digital government records of national archives worldwide will soon present the results of a successful trial deployment in the United Kingdom, Estonia and Norway. The news was revealed in an official press release published on May 29. The project, named ARCHANGEL, involves the U.K. National Archives, the University of Surrey and the U.K. Open Data Institute, with funding from the The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Its trial deployment in the U.K., Estonia and Norway focused on leveraging blockchain and other technologies to tackle the long-term future …

American blockchain startup Data Gumbo Corp. has raised $6 million from major energy companies, including the venture wing of Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company Saudi Aramco. The news was published by energy-focused news outlet Worldoil on May 8. In a Series A equity funding round, Data Gumbo ostensibly raised $6 million from companies such as Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, the venture subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, and Equinor Technology Ventures, the venture subsidiary of Equinor, a Norwegian multinational energy operator. The new investment purportedly brings Data Gumbo’s total funding up to $9.3 million. The funds will be used …

63% of Europeans are confident that crypto will still exist in 10 years, according to new research from bitFlyer. London-based fintech publication FStech reported on the survey on April 24. Tokyo-based crypto exchange bitFlyer, which was licensed to operate in the European Union in 2018, reportedly polled 10,000 respondents in Europe to find out what they think about cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin (BTC). The exchange reportedly surveyed the following ten countries: the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Spain. When asked about crypto in general, the majority of Europeans claimed that they believe that crypto …

Liberstad — a private, anarcho-capitalist city in Norway — has adopted a cryptocurrency native to its blockchain-powered smart city platform as its official medium of exchange, according to a press release published on Feb. 12. Founded in 2015, Liberstad is the outcome of the Libertania project, run by the nonprofit Liberstad Drift Association, which aims to create a city-society autonomous from government interference — eschewing taxes in favor of private sector funded services. As reported, the city’s freehold plots were first sold for either Bitcoin (BTC) or Norwegian krone in 2017, with around 100 prospective residents said to have bought …

The Android version of major web browser Opera now integrates a function that lets its users purchase Ethereum (ETH) through the browser, a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Feb. 6 reveals. According to the press release, the new service is available to users based out of Sweden, Norway and Denmark due to Opera’s new partnership with brokerage firm Safello. Safello, according to Opera, is registered with the Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) in Sweden. Julia Szyndzielorz, senior PR manager at Opera, told Cointelegraph in an email that Opera’s addition of ETH purchasing through its browser allows users to immediately buy …