Cardano CEO Charles Hoskinson announced that New Balance will be using the Cardano blockchain to help authenticate its products. The announcement According to a Sept. 28 article by Crypto Briefing, Charles Hoskinson, CEO of blockchain engineering startup IOHK, announced that American footwear brand New Balance will use the Cardano blockchain to allow its customers to verify the origins of an range of products. Cardano and New Balance are planning to roll out the program globally. However, current plans do not entail using the ADA token during this pilot. Hoskinson reportedly made the partnership announcement during Cardano’s 2nd anniversary event at …

Blockchain startup MediConnect has completed the workflow for the Proof-of-Concept (PoC) designed to track medications through the supply chain and begun integration of online pharmacy UK Meds’ processes to its platform. Tracking medication through the supply chain Per a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Sept. 26, MediConnect established a foundation and methodology for proof of concept finalization, which will enable tracking and managing of prescription medication through the supply chain — from manufacturer to end users. In 2020, MediConnect is also planning to complete a pilot scheme, which includes up to 10 participants. As part of the pilot, MediConnect …

Alipay operator Ant Financial has partnered with pharmaceutical giant Bayer Crop Science, Monsanto’s owner, to develop a blockchain solution for the food and crop industry. Letter of intent Enterprise blockchain news outlet Ledger Insights reported on the partnership on Sept. 26, also noting that the two firms signed a letter of intent to develop their solution to increase traceability and transparency. Per the report, the initiative was announced at this week’s Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, China. Ant Financial also reportedly informed the public that it intends to extend its partnership with Hyperledger to work on interoperability, standards and blockchain applications. …

Decentralized application (DApp)-focused blockchain Aeternity will be used to track the supply chain of Montevideo-based medical and recreational cannabis producer Uruguay Can. Aeternity announced in a press release published on Sept. 25 that it is creating a supply chain management platform for the partner combining the Internet of Things and DApps. Aeternity Americas CEO Pablo Coirolo explained: “We want to be the first to offer a business-level solution in partnership with leading technology providers and cannabis producers, processors and distributors. [...] æternity technology is ideal for tracking the entire cannabis production process, from seed to full plant growth, throughout the …

Agricultural startup GrainChain backed by Medici Ventures, the blockchain venture arm of online retail giant Overstock, plans to unite the coffee industry of Honduras by delivering its blockchain platform to a network of local stakeholders. The firm has signed several agreements with the aim of bringing the entire coffee supply chain of Honduras together on its blockchain platform, according to the press release published on Sept. 24. One of the world’s biggest coffee producers By launching the initiative, GrainChain intends to facilitate multiple processes in the coffee supply chain of Honduras, where coffee has historically been one of the major …

British blockchain-enabled supply chain firm Everledger has raised $20 million in a new funding round participated by Chinese Internet giant Tencent. “Everledger and Tencent are a natural fit” Following the investment, Tencent will now be represented in the Everledger board, the company said in a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Sept. 24. The new funding will help Everledger to continue improving transparency, sustainability and traceability across global supply chains. Leanne Kemp, founder and CEO of Everledger, also pointed out the importance of Tencent’s participation, outlining the potential synergies of the partnership with the company. “Everledger and Tencent are a …

A group of global coffee companies is aiming to launch a blockchain platform to track coffee using an IBM-developed app by early 2020. Building on IBM Food Trust Platform Farmer Connect, a tech startup developing farm-to-client traceability tools, has teamed up with the world’s top coffee firms such as Jacobs Douwe Egberts and Smucker's to apply blockchain to coffee supply chain tracking using the IBM Food Trust Platform, it was announced on Sept. 18. According to a news release by Farmer Connect, the startup has worked with IBM to build the “Thank My Farmer” app, which provides consumers with detailed …

Dutch company Waste2Wear says it has created the world's first collection of recycled fabrics, made from ocean plastics, that can be traced via blockchain. Demand for tracing recycled materials The eco-friendly firm is hosting an exhibition from Sept. 17-19 in Paris at the international textile fair Première Vision, American publication FashionUnited reported on Sept. 17. First revealed on Aug. 20, the collection was specially developed by Waste2Wear in response to customer demand for recycled materials used in fabrics to be traceable. The company announced the launch of the beta version of its proprietary blockchain system for the new collection on …

Thailand-based multinational energy conglomerate PTT and blockchain energy nonprofit Energy Web Foundation (EWF) are jointly building a blockchain-based renewables platform. According to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Sept. 11, the parties are developing a regional solution based on the Energy Web Chain. The new product will also be compliant with the International Renewable Energy Certificate (I-REC) Standard, which certifies renewable energy sources. I-REC certificate demand Energy producers can apply for I-REC tracking certificates from an issuer appointed by a government or trade organization. Once the tickets are submitted to a central registry, energy suppliers and purchasers can prove …

Amazon Web Services, Inc., an Amazon.com company, announced that the Amazon quantum ledger database (QLDB) was now available. Transparent and immutable transaction log According to a post on Sept. 10 from Amazon Web Services (AWS), the newly available Amazon QLBD is a new class of database that provides a transparent, immutable and cryptographically verifiable transaction log ‎owned by a central trusted authority. The post continues to explain that Amazon QLBD eliminates the need to engage in the complex development effort of building one’s own ledger-like applications or rely on the capabilities of a blockchain framework. Shawn Bice, a VP at …

A consortium of oil companies including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell looks to blockchain to manage water used in oil extraction in North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields. Oil and water As Reuters reported on Sept. 10, the Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) Oil & Gas Blockchain Consortium has awarded a contract to blockchain startup Data Gumbo to pilot water handling technology in North Dakota’s oil fields. Per the report, Data Gumbo will use blockchain to automate payments and deploy their GumboNet platform to manage and synchronize wastewater data. One member of the consortium, Norway’s state-owned Equinor, expects to save …

Switzerland-headquartered food retail giant Nestlé says it has had to adopt a “start-up mindset” in order to push ahead with its challenging blockchain venture. Insights into the retailer’s blockchain development work were revealed by Nestlé Digital Technology Manager Armin Nehzat in a Sept. 5 interview with TechWire Asia. A long-term journey, not a short-term bet Last month, Nestlé Australia’s “Chain of Origin” initiative to implement blockchain technology for supply chain management was nominated for a digital transformation award by United States-based market intelligence firm, the International Data Corporation. The project aims to enable Nestlé customers to track their products using …