Wednesday, March 20 — cryptocurrency markets are seeing mixed signals today after moderate growth yesterday. Most top coins are slightly down, with Bitcoin (BTC) trading at around $4,060 at press time. Market visualization from Coin360 BTC is down around 0.13 percent over the last 24 hours, and is trading at around $4,063 at press time. The leading digital currency has seen low volatility during the day, having dropped to as low as $3,993, while the intraday high reached $4,079. As reported earlier today, multiple respondents have filed comments with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on the latest proposed …

Thursday, March 14 — cryptocurrency markets are trading sideways, with some major coins making minor gains on the day, according to data from Coin360. Market visualization from Coin360 Bitcoin (BTC) is up less than one percent over the past 24 hours, and is trading at $3,921 at press time. The major cryptocurrency has seen small volatility over the day, having dipped to as low as $3,901, while the intraday high reached $3,946 as of press time. Bitcoin 24-hour price chart. Source: CoinMarketCap Ethereum (ETH), the second top cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has gained 0.30 percent over the day, trading at …

Thai petroleum refining firm Bangchak Corporation Public Co. Limited (BCP) is testing a blockchain-based energy trading platform and commercial microgrid, distributed energy news site Microgrid Knowledge reports on March 7. BCP is testing the new platform at a shopping mall attached to one of its fuel stations in Bangkok. The new system will purportedly combine 280.9 kW of commercial rooftop and canopy solar photovoltaics with 913 kWh of lithium-ion, nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide and 92 kWh of lithium-iron-phosphate battery energy storage capacity. In other words, the microgrid generation and distribution platform will support the basic electricity needs of an average BCP fuel …

Seven global oil and gas firms, including American industry giants ExxonMobil and Chevron, have partnered to form a blockchain consortium, according to a press release on Feb. 26. The so-called Oil & Gas Blockchain Consortium, residing under the Offshore Operators Committee (OOC), intends to conduct proofs of concept (PoC) in order to explore and apply the benefits of blockchain, as well as contribute to global adoption of the tech. According to the press release, the consortium represents the first initiative of its kind in the oil and gas industry in the United States. The founding members include Chevron and ExxonMobil, …

Vakt, a blockchain-based post-trade platform for oil, has signed up four new clients, according to a statement published on the platform’s website on Feb. 25. As per Etienne Amic, Vakt’s recently appointed CEO, the company has partnered with four new clients prior to its official launch at International Petroleum Week, which starts in London today, Feb. 26. The new users of the platform join major industry players that initially backed Vakt, including BP, Shell and Total, along with traders Gunvor and Mercuria, the press release notes. Other Vakt investors reportedly include industry giants Chevron, Equinor and Reliance Industries. The new …

The Russian State Duma (the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia) plans to review and adopt new cryptocurrency regulation in March. The former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov is also proposing an oil-backed crypto, Russian financial outlet Rambler reported on Feb. 21. Furthermore, Rambler reports that the head of the Energia investment-oriented corporation, former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, also has tangible prospects for proposing an oil-backed cryptocurrency. The construction of the project’s roadmap is reportedly almost at the final stage. In an interview with Rambler, Yusufov reportedly said that the introduction of a crypto settlement system on the energy …

Feb. 1 — Markets are relatively quiet, as major coins are trading sideways, with most seeing small gains over the 24-hour period. Market visualization from Coin360 The top cryptocurrency Bitcoin (BTC) is hovering below the $3,500 mark, trading at $3,492 at press time. The coin is up by .71 percent on the day and is still down by 2.85 percent on its weekly chart. Yesterday, the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s (CBOE) re-submitted its application with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). CBOE had initially withdrawn its request, as the U.S. government …

Chevron, one of largest American multinational energy corporations, and two other major energy companies have joined Vakt, a United Kingdom-based blockchain platform for energy commodity trading. Reuters reported on the development on Jan. 16. Along with Chevron, Total, a leading French multinational integrated oil and gas company, and major Indian refiner Reliance Industries have become members of the Vakt platform. The article stresses that the agreement is a step towards quicker and safer logistical operations. The Vakt platform, backed by JPMorgan’s Quorum blockchain technology, aims to become a digital transaction platform that would transform the oil business worldwide. Thomas Waymel, …

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has successfully collaborated with IBM to pilot a blockchain supply chain system, according to an ADNOC press release published on Dec. 9. The release notes that ADNOC — a state-owned oil company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — is reportedly among the world’s leading energy and petrochemical groups, with a daily output of about 3 million barrels of oil and 10.5 cubic feet of natural gas. The pilot project has “provided a single platform that tracks the quantities and financial values of each bilateral transaction” between the involved companies automating the accounting, …

Post trade management platform VAKT has launched its blockchain-based processing tool to an initial group of crude oil industry clients, a press release reports Nov. 29. VAKT, which uses JPMorgan’s Quorum blockchain technology to run, has rolled out to BFOET crude participants. The press release reports that energy giants BP, Equinor, Shell, Gunvor and Mercuria are participating as the platform’s first users. The companies will use the blockchain tool in tandem with their existing systems, VAKT planning a larger rollout in January next year. In future, the company aims to expand from oil to “all physically traded energy commodities.” “We’ve …

The Russian subsidiary of Raiffeisen Bank International has partnered with local state-owned oil giant Gazprom Neft to issue a bank guarantee on blockchain, Russian business newspaper Kommersant reported Nov. 12. According to Kommersant, the bank guarantee was issued to conduct a trade finance transaction involving four parties, Raiffeisen, Gazprom Neft, Belarusian firm Mozyr Oil Refinery, Priorbank of Belarus. Raiffeisen acted as an advising bank for the Russian oil company, while Priorbank of Belarus, which is part of Raiffeisen bank group, issued a bank guarantee for the deal via blockchain. The system used was reportedly developed by Raiffeisen, on the basis …

Major oil companies BP, Shell, and Equinor have united with large banks and trading houses to launch a blockchain-driven platform Vakt for energy commodity trading. The partnership was reported by independent news agency covering energy and commodities markets S&P Global Platts Monday, Nov. 12. Apart from the three oil companies mentioned above, Vakt includes banks ABN Amro, ING, and Societe Generale, along with trading houses Gunvor, Koch Supply & Trading, and Mercuria. The blockchain solution, first announced in November 2017, will enable major industry players to move from “cumbersome” paperwork to smart contracts, thereby helping to reduce time spent on …