South Korean technological holding SK Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ConsenSys for blockchain business cooperation, according to a SK Group official press release published today, Dec. 4. SK Holdings C&C is the information technology solutions arm of the SK Group, one of the the largest conglomerates in South Korea. The entity has partnered with ConsenSys, an Ethereum (ETH) software technology company based in U.S., to create and develop an “enterprise blockchain development hub.” The MoU is aimed at building an enterprise blockchain business model by using smart contracts, the press release notes, adding: “The two companies …

American trading-communications firm IPC Systems has partnered with enterprise blockchain software consortium R3, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph Dec. 3. IPC is a trading technology service company known for producing trading turrets, which are communications systems used by financial traders on their trading desks. Through the Partnership, IPC plans to support the consortium’s Corda blockchain networks on its Connexus platform. Connexus Cloud is a financial markets cloud-based platform for data, voice, and business communications and compliance. The product includes financial industry firms, liquidity revenues, energy firms, and market data and clearing companies. The Corda blockchain network uses …

The Japanese arm of computer giant Microsoft has partnered with nascent blockchain startup LayerX to “accelerate” uptake of the technology, Cointelegraph Japan reported Nov. 30. LayerX, which formed in August as a joint venture from news curation app Gunosy and advisory service AnyPay, oversees blockchain integration for enterprise, including areas such as smart contracts and general consulting. Using Microsoft’s Azure Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution, the companies will seek to promote the technology further in the domestic economy. “We will support the introduction process in its entirety, even down to technical support of finished implementations,” an accompanying press release stated, adding: “Both …

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)’s fintech innovation hub LabCFTC has issued a Primer on Smart Contracts, according to an official announcement Nov. 27. The primer is LabCFTC’s second fintech-educational publication, the first being its October 2017 primer on virtual currencies. As outlined by the lab’s director Daniel Gorfine, the new primer engages with blockchain-enabled smart contract technology, which he notes “[Is] being used to drive further automation in our markets and may have an impact across a range of economic activities.” LabCFTC’s primer opens with a definition of smart contracts as “a set of coded computer functions” that …

The South Korean branch of the Tezos Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yonsei University to collaboratively work on the development of blockchain talents, says a Tezos official press release published Nov. 21. The new agreement between the Tezos Korea Foundation and Digital Society Research Center at Yonsei University in Seoul aims to provide “blockchain education cooperation, training of OCaml [Objective Calm] and smart contract experts.” The MoU is primarily focused on human resources and education in the blockchain technology industry. The press release states: “Through this agreement, both sides will strengthen the expertise of the blockchain …

Bitcoin-based smart contract protocol Rootstock (RSK) is integrating with spin-off project RIF OS to expand its scope of operations, the parties confirmed in two separate blog posts Nov. 18. As part of the deal, RIF Labs, the structure behind off-chain infrastructure layer RIF OS, will acquire RSK’s counterpart RSK Labs. RIF started out as a side project from the same executives who held senior positions at RSK. Together, they plan to enable the RSK protocol to go beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum network support and include various P2P functions. “The three principal components to the RIF OS announcement include the integration …

Bilbao, the largest city in northern Spain, has launched a €150,000 (around $171,000) tender to develop a blockchain for public services, Bilbao’s municipal authorities announced Monday, Nov. 12. Officials of the largest city in Basque country want to create a decentralized platform, designed to allow one to act with “power of attorney” online. The deadline to apply for the tender is set on Nov. 23. A company that will be awarded the contract has to develop the blockchain network within six months. According to the technical description of the tender, the winning company should build a network similar to EJIE …

International charity Oxfam officially launched its BlocRice blockchain supply chain solution for Cambodian rice Nov. 15, Cambodian daily media outlet Khmer Times reports. BlocRice, which aims to use smart contracts to provide transparency and security between rice growers and purchasers in the Netherlands, has been under development and should expand to 5,000 farms by 2022, the outlet notes. “The project aims to test blockchain technology and its smart contracts, a digital 3-way contract farming arrangement between primary producer, Cambodian rice exporter and retailer in Europe, to improve farmers’ livelihood and their supply conditions,” an information brochure from Oxfam explains. The …

American software corporation Microsoft has released a serverless blockchain-powered Azure development kit, according to an announcement published Nov. 15. The new product dubbed the “Azure Blockchain Development Kit” purportedly improves the capabilities of Microsoft’s Azure Blockchain Workbench. It contains features like off-chain identity and data, monitoring, and messaging application programming interfaces (API) in a format that can be used to develop blockchain-based apps. Per the blog post, the initial release will focus on three core objectives, such as “connecting interfaces, integrating data and systems, and deploying smart contracts and blockchain networks.” The product will purportedly enable individuals, organizations, and devices …

A blockchain-based startup which bills itself as “the future of real estate” has announced that its project has been legalized by Japanese regulatory bodies, including the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission. Ruden Holdings says inaccurate information, poor record management and inefficient processes are currently blighting the property sector – costing businesses time, money and even credibility. Data cannot be shared easily between organizations – and some cases have seen property owners struggle to prove their ownership of a building. The company has a goal of creating digital identities for real estate properties, helping to enhance the quality and consistency of …

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 …

The government of Austria is supporting a U.K. cancer research company using blockchain to detect the disease. The government’s support comes as part of its drive to promote the technology, a press release shared with Cointelegraph confirms Nov. 10. Lancor Scientific, which has developed a device to detect multiple cancer types and record screening results with smart contracts on blockchain, plans to open a research laboratory in the city of Graz. Like Google’s Lymph Node Assistant, the cancer screening tool released in October using artificial intelligence (AI), Lancor Scientific’s offering aims for 90 percent accuracy. Lancor will additionally work with …