Tag: FinTech & Blockchain

This Week: CDX Accelerate Digital Transformation Summits to Discuss Blockchain, NFTs, The Metaverse & More

NEW YORK, May 25, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – CDX Accelerate – The premier conference series focusing on digital business transformation – opens this Wednesday, May 26 at 2pm ET on Zoom with a powerhouse speaker lineup which can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3yu8t3U.



The virtual event will bring together leading national and global brands including Heineken, Charles Schwab, Manchester United, Aflac, Kellogg's, American Airlines, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC., as well as leading media companies such as Telemundo, Simulmedia, PBS, NPR and others to discuss the acceleration digital business transformation, emerging tech, and the post-pandemic consumer economy.

CDX is also pleased to welcome leading agency executives from Leo Burnett, Carat, Universal McCann, and The 4A's well as leading industry influencers and analysts including Author & Futurist, Rishad Tobaccowala, Canvas Worldwide CEO Paul Woolmington, Author & Columbia Business School Distinguished Professor, Rita McGrath and veteran Internet economy Wall Street Analyst, Evercore ISI's Mark Mahaney.

CDX Founder and Conference Chairman Drew Ianni noted, "We are thrilled to present this uniquely diverse, cross-industry virtual event to discuss the acceleration of digital business transformation, emerging technologies and platforms and engaging the post-pandemic consumer."

The conference takes place May 26-27 2pm et – 5pm et daily on Zoom and the full conference agenda and registration can be viewed and accessed at: bit.ly/3yu8t3U

About: We have been producing content and hosting conferences since 2013. Our goal is to curate best-in-class content and showcase thought leaders to inform, educate and inspire. We deliver informative, educational and actionable content to help you manage and accelerate digital transformation and your teams, more effectively.

CONTACT:
Drew Ianni / Founder, GM
CDX Summits
drew@cdxforum.com

Source: Plato Data Intelligence: https://platoaistream.net/ (bit.ly/3vj36Tj)

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Sweet Expands NFT Marketplace to Shopify Ecosystem

NEW YORK, NY, May 20, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Sweet, the leading enterprise NFT solutions provider, announced the integration of its NFT distribution platform into the Shopify marketplace, empowering brands, shop owners, and IP holders to sell NFTs through existing online store-fronts. The addition of Sweet into the Shopify platform enables global retail and entertainment brands to capitalize on the growing demand for NFTs while keeping consumers in their own branded checkout experience.



According to Tom Mizzone, CEO and founder of Sweet, "To date, NFTs have been primarily sold through third-party crypto marketplaces, forcing brands to make the hard choice of directing consumers to an off-brand experience.

"Additionally, broader consumer bases want to buy and own NFTs but are confused by complex and intimidating blockchain wallet setup, and don't know how to get started. Now anyone can get into the NFT game through the familiar Shopify checkout experience, furthering Sweet's commitment to brand partners by prioritizing the consumer experience."

Sweet's scalable NFT platform is democratizing NFTs and creating broader ways for retail and consumer brands to offer digital collectables to their users. The ability to sell and distribute through Shopify's e-commerce platform not only enables direct NFT sales but also enables gamified, bundled, "gift with purchase" NFT experiences with physical merchandise.

"Imagine randomizing and bundling digital assets with t-shirts, vinyl albums, sneaker drops, and more," said Ken Ellis, CTO of Sweet. "Now imagine gamifying the merch store by hiding Willy-Wonka style golden ticket NFTs in the bundles, surprising and delighting consumers with one-of-a-kind experiences.

"Not only can brands use Sweet's technology to create engaging consumer experiences, drive sales, and drive profit margins, but the NFT can serve as a cryptographically secure digital certificate of authenticity. The NFTs are publicly verifiable and can't be counterfeited, and packaging them with physical goods also ensures the authenticity of those goods."

Sweet's blockchain-agnostic, eco-friendly NFT solution is bringing digital collectables to the masses by offering retailers flexible distribution options and the ability to mint cost-effective branded NFTs across multiple blockchains. Sweet's magic is in making these unique digital assets easy for consumers to acquire and receive with no crypto knowledge or expertise needed.

The integration of Sweet's NFT platform into the Shopify marketplace means that retail brands of all shapes and sizes can now offer NFTs to their consumers in use-cases that are specific and unique to their brand's aesthetic and personality. According to CNBC, NFT sales in the first quarter of 2021 eclipsed $2 billion. Brands leveraging Sweet's consumer-first solution are poised to capture a large percentage of sales as NFTs extend into the lives of everyday consumers.

About Sweet

Sweet is the broad-scale enterprise NFT solution taking a user-friendly, consumer-first, eco-conscious approach to digital collectables. Sweet's blockchain agnostic platform leverages multiple chains, each for the right use-case, allowing Sweet's enterprise clients to create holistic, long-term NFT strategies that attract both high-end crypto enthusiasts as well as everyday loyal fans. Please visit www.Sweet.io.

Media Contact:

Peter Keiser, EVP of Marketing, Sweet
E: press@sweet.io, Web: https://sweet.io

Distributed for Sweet by Bitcoin PR Buzz (https://bitcoinprbuzz.com).

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

The Impact of Cryptocurrency Adoption on Government

Ireland, May 19, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Cryptocurrency use is growing exponentially, and governments may want to consider the benefits. Why are blockchain and cryptocurrency so popular right now? Why have business whales and finance execs invested large cash reserves into cryptocurrency? They hope to benefit from this colossal opportunity. Visual Capitalist, in an April 2021 article, remarks that Bitcoin, compared to other tech companies, is the fastest asset to reach a $1 Trillion market cap.




In March of 2020, Bitcoin's price was coming in at around $3K. As of May 11, 2021, Bitcoin was $56,551.44. Per coin. And Bitcoin is only one of over 4,000 cryptocurrencies according to Investopedia in a January 2021 article. This growing trend presents a new challenge for governments.

Cryptocurrency sits on top of a technology called blockchain. Blockchain is a database network that supports the transfer of value in a digital format. It is an independent system not owned by any institution, individual, bank, or entity, (read, government). As more cash moves into this crypto arena, governments will lose visibility and control of their national currency. How will that affect them?

The Government Blockchain Association, (GBA)?s Tax Working Group has written a Whitepaper entitled, 'The Impact of Cryptocurrency Adoption on Government'. This 138-page document is the result of a full year's worth of research and analysis, done by a team of authors with expertise in tax risk analysis, data, research analytics, cryptocurrency, digital assets, business, and blockchain. This report was not financed by any major corporation or interest group. The authors were all volunteers and were not influenced by a sponsor?s desired outcome. This paper was written to find an answer to a question.

How will this monumental transfer of fiat money into cryptocurrency affect governments and their citizens? Be assured, it will affect them, and the governments that understand this change can better prepare for what is coming.

The Impact of Cryptocurrency Adoption on Government whitepaper is available for download purchase.

About The Government Blockchain Association GBA

The Government Blockchain Association GBA is a non-profit business association with chapters in 120 cities around the world and over 50 Working Groups, where the public and private sectors can connect, communicate, and collaborate.

Source: Plato Data Intelligence.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Blockchain Ireland 2021: Blockleaders’ founder Jillian Godsil to speak on ‘Why Blockchain needs Women’

Ireland, May 19, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Now in its third year, Blockchain Ireland is hosting a week-long series of digital events to celebrate and educate the Irish audience on Blockchain, a truly transformational technology. This year the theme is: Blockchain: Foundation of Trust. Blockchain is most often recognised as the technology that underpins Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.



Jillian Godsil, co-founder and editor in chief of Blockleaders says: "I frequently speak on a global basis on why Blockchain needs Women and I am delighted to address this issue on home soil. While blockchain and cryptocurrency are one of the most dynamic and exciting industries today, there is sadly a huge dearth of women represented in this sector. Blockchain is too important to be left to men alone."

The Blockchain Ireland week runs from May 24 until May 27 and will offer digital events across the country covering social impact and public services, sustainability, start-ups and innovation, enterprise, developers and more. There is an impressive array of some X Speakers drawn from the World Economic Forum, the European Commission, Irish government, industry, academia, entrepreneurs, and the indigenous technology sector.

The line of up international speakers from Africa, Asia, Australia, and the United States will join speakers from Ireland to speak on use cases and experiences from craft brewing and bloodstock sales, to green energy and agri-food traceability.

The event is organised by Blockchain Ireland which is a non-profit organisation of state agencies, corporates, academics, and industry professionals, is working to share insights and expertise and to promote blockchain technology in Ireland.

For more information, please visit:
Event Link: www.blockchainireland.ie/blockchain-ireland-week-2021/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/35460107/
https://twitter.com/blockchain_irl

Source: Plato Data Intelligence

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Ireland GBA Chapter Established

Ireland, May 19, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The Government Blockchain Association (GBA) is pleased to announce a new Ireland Chapter headed by Jillian Godsil (Chair) and Lisa Gibbons (Deputy Chapter Leader).



Jillian Godsil and Lisa Gibbons



Gerard Dache, executive director of GBA globally, welcomed the news: "Jillian has been a supporter of GBA for more than two years and we welcome her formal appointment as chapter lead with the support of Lisa Gibbons. Ireland is well known internationally as a hub for technology and it is great to see an active GBA chapter in-country."

Jillian is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author. She chairs and speaks at Blockchain conferences internationally and is frequently listed in the top people of Blockchain globally. She changed the law in Ireland to allow bankrupts to run for public service in 2014 and ran in the European Parliamentary Elections in the same year, earning 11,500 a year in votes: not enough to get elected but enough to make a difference.

Lisa has more than 12 years' experience in the marketing space. Lisa currently offers her expertise to niche businesses focused on technology, eCommerce and start-ups and manages all European partnerships for Spendabit.co. Previously she managed ecommerce for CaminoWays.com, managed the Canadian market for Taxback.com and developed business and sports tourism for Campus Life Services at the University of Limerick.

Both Jillian and Lisa will take the lead in establishing meaningful engagement for individuals and organizations (government, private, and non-profit) who are interested in developing and implementing blockchain technology within Ireland.

The GBA is an international non-profit professional association with members located in 75+ countries. GBA's focus is on cultivating professional workflows between technologists, public policymakers, application specialists, and those who want to learn about new and emerging digital currencies. Furthermore, GBA acts as a catalyst in creating a public dialogue around the creative, profitable, and positive use of blockchain technology at the intersection of government, finance, and the law.

Membership is available to government employees along with student organizations, private sector professionals, and corporations. Membership fees are waived for government employees. https://www.gbaglobal.org/membership

Source: Plato Data Intelligence

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Commodities Intelligence Centre and ZALL Group Wins Gold and Silver Awards at The 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

SINGAPORE, May 14, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), a physical commodities B2B e-trade platform, announced today that it has won the prestigious Gold Stevie(R) Award for "Innovation in Business-to-Business Services". Its parent company, ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL Group), a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group with a global presence, has also received the Silver Stevie Award winner for "Best Corporate Response" in fighting against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. CIC and ZALL Group were conferred this honour at the 2021 Asia Pacific Stevie Awards, which publicly recognises the achievements and positive contributions of organisations and working professionals worldwide.

Peter Yu, Chief Executive Officer of Commodities Intelligence Centre and Vice President of ZALL Group, shared, "CIC and ZALL Group are deeply honoured and proud to win the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. During the height of the pandemic, our teams at ZALL Group and CIC played a key role as the first responder towards government efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The team delivered millions of masks and emergency medical supplies to countries worldwide by tapping on our global technology-enabled ecosystem, network and resources."

"Amid supply chain disruptions, CIC continued to drive innovation with its B2B service offerings, empowering SMEs in Singapore and in Asia with their digital transformation journeys, reinventing their business models with more substantial global supply chain capabilities from sourcing to last-mile delivery and fulfilment during such challenging times. The awards not only affirms the hard work of our teams, but it also validates our global technology leadership position within the B2B etrade segment," added Peter.

Being part of the global supply chain ecosystem, ZALL Group was able to tap on CIC's integrated online platform and offline global supply chain logistics capabilities to mobilize immediate efforts for the Group's international procurement and supply of medical supplies. As such, ZALL Group was able to provide humanitarian assistance in areas where there was greatest shortage in medical aid and equipment. ZALL Group also managed to secure assistance from governments, embassies and civil aviation authorities around the world for designated green lanes for expedited customs clearance amid global lockdown restrictions.

ZALL Group has since delivered 11 air cargo shipments and over 8.75 million quality personal protective equipment (PPE) worth RMB185 million (S$38.1 million), including masks, protective clothing, goggles, gloves and disinfectants, to China, and over 5 million masks to 16 countries around the world. The Group was also among the first to set up seven emergency hospitals and three shelter hospitals in China, and published two e-books on Emergency Hospitals and Fangcang Shelter Hospitals to support the global fight against the pandemic. There were more than 1 million downloads for these e-books worldwide.

Supporting Asia's SME Ecosystem With Technology

A joint venture between ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL Group), Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX), CIC uses blockchain technology to offer a one-stop integrated value-added services that aims to revolutionise commodities trading by facilitating cross-border business-to-business (B2B) trades, helping companies to uncover new business opportunities, reduce transaction costs and achieve greater trading synergies globally. Its platform and technologies have helped SMEs to accelerate their digital transformation and safeguard their business risks amid global disruptions, enabling companies to trade with confidence with greater transparency, traceability and security. In 2020, the number of customers on CIC's platform grew by 26 per cent as compared to 2019 to reach over 5800 registered users.

Over the past year, CIC has partnered with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) via their "Rising in Support of Enterprises (RISE)" Programme to help SMEs cope with the challenges of the pandemic by tapping on CIC's business intelligence service DataPro, providing SMEs access to a wide database of over 2 billion records of customs and trade data from more than 110 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas. It has also jointly launched a "Digital Silk Road" initiative led by ZALL Group, and joined Singapore's Blockchain for Trade & Connectivity (BTC) Network, which aims to help SMEs embrace adopt CIC's blockchain solution TradePro for their business needs and to promote greater trading efficiency and transparency across global supply chains.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards for 19 years.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for "crowned," the winners will be celebrated during a virtual (online) awards ceremony on Wednesday, 14 July.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 100 executives around the world acting as judges in March and April. Information about the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards can be found at this link, https://www.asia.stevieawards.com/2021-stevie-winners.


About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.4 billion (S$17.6 billion), with over 5,800 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, among other countries in Asia.

About ZALL Smart Commerce Group

ZALL Smart Commerce Group is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (ranked 166th of Fortune China 500 companies) with a global footprint across the world and is listed on three exchanges on HKSE, NYSE and SSE. ZALL Group develops and operates Asia's largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 mil SME customers worldwide. ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China's Top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SME and individual customers.

Since 2018, ZALL has invested in five projects in Singapore, including the Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), Singapore's first physical commodity eTrading platform (B2B) powered by blockchain technology; ezbuy.sg, Singapore's leading global online shopping platform; ZMA Smart Capital, an online trade finance company; ZALL Chain Technology, a blockchain solutions company. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/

About the Stevie Award

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors and partners of the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards include Adobo Magazine, PR Newswire Asia, and the Korea Business Communicators Association.

For media queries
Email: ZALL@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Opimas estimates that over US$190 billion worth of Bitcoin is currently at risk due to subpar safekeeping

US, May 9, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Safekeeping of cryptocurrencies presents a challenge for institutions holding cryptocurrencies on their clients' behalf. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible and anyone with full access to a wallet's private key controls the cryptocurrencies that reside within it. Frighteningly, a number of institutional participants and even some large cryptocurrency exchanges rely on subpar custody approaches, leading Opimas to estimate that over US$190 billion worth of Bitcoin is currently at risk due to subpar safekeeping.
Figure 1: Custody Methods Utilized by Institutional Investors


Figure 2: A Comparison of HSM and MPC Technology Providers


Figure 3: The Market for Crypto Custody & Prime Brokerage Services Is Growing


Figure 4: Institutional Cryptocurrency Holdings Over Time



Luckily, a number of companies have emerged to address this problem. A new research report from Opimas–Crypto Custody: No More Excuses (http://www.opimas.com/research/653/detail/), authored by analysts Suzannah Balluffi and Anne-Laure Foubert–looks at the landscape of cryptocurrency custody-enabling technology providers and institutional-grade cryptocurrency custodians as well as the size of the market for cryptocurrency custody and brokerage services.

Some key findings in the report include:

Many of even the largest holders of Bitcoin and other digital assets continue to rely on storage devices meant for individual investors. Although some of these self-custody devices and wallets are secure and reputable, the operational risk posed by this approach is significant for institutional investors. Furthermore, a chunk of institutionals' cryptocurrency holdings sit in hot wallets on exchanges. In total, about 22% of institutional cryptocurrency holdings are safeguarded in these relatively risky manners (Figure 1).

There are no more excuses for lackadaisical safekeeping – institutions can now choose from several reputable cryptocurrency custody-enabling technology providers and institutional-grade cryptocurrency custodians. Yet no custody solution is equal – there is still no best practice when it comes to security and governance relating to private keys. For example, some providers may rely on time-tested Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), while others use a newer technology known as Multi-Party Computation (MPC) – see Figure 2.

Some cryptocurrency custodians have followed in the footsteps of traditional capital markets by adding prime brokerage services to their offerings, including trading and settlement, lending, margin finance, staking, reporting, and capital introduction services. Opimas estimates that the current annual revenues generated by the institutional crypto brokerage and custody market are roughly US$2 billion and will grow to nearly US$8 billion by 2026 – a sizeable portion of this coming from brokerage services (Figure 3).

Regulations surrounding institutions' ability to store cryptocurrency have become clearer (and in some cases more favorable) in numerous jurisdictions. Notably, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) ruling in the US has allowed banks to store cryptocurrencies for their customers. This regulatory clarity has led a number of financial institutions around the world to provide trading and custody for digital assets. With the advances in brokerage and custody solutions, Opimas expects institutional cryptocurrency holdings to grow from 20% of the cryptocurrency market cap to over 50% by 2026 (Figure 4).

Source: PlatoData Intelligence (bit.ly/3xXPK0r)

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Moonstake Partners with IOST Blockchain, Soon to Enable Support for IOST Staking

SINGAPORE, May 7, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Today, Moonstake announces it has formally joined an alliance with the IOST blockchain. Through this partnership, Moonstake will collaborate with the IOST development team to enable staking functionality for IOST coin on our wallets.



Moonstake started in the staking business last year with the aim to create the largest staking network in Asia. Since then, Moonstake has developed the most user-friendly wallets for both Web Wallet and Mobile Wallet (iOS/Android) that are compatible with over 2000 cryptocurrencies. After a full-scale operation launched in August 2020, Moonstake's total staking assets now sit at over $900 million and the Moonstake platform is now one of the top 10 largest staking service providers globally in just one year. The Moonstake's staking community can easily earn staking rewards from all the high-demand PoS coins on the market including Cosmos, IRIS, Ontology, Harmony, Tezos, Cardano, Qtum, Polkadot, Quras, Centrality, Orbs, and soon, IOST.

Meanwhile, IOST is an enterprise-level blockchain network developed for online service providers. It utilizes a unique, breakthrough consensus algorithm called "Proof of Believability" (PoB) that allows high transaction throughput speeds while all the nodes stay compliant.

With seasoned development teams and robust enterprise partnership networks across the globe, the collaboration between Moonstake and IOST promises to bring about a satisfactory staking experience for IOST holders on Moonstake Wallet.

Mitsuru Tezuka, Founder at Moonstake says: "We're excited to partner with IOST, an esteemed leading blockchain platform, to enable the IOST staking for token holders on Moonstake Wallet. The demand for IOST staking has been on the rise on the market recently following the many great strategic achievements of the IOST network and we can't wait to bring this much-requested feature to our users. Moonstake also looks forward to potential deeper collaboration opportunities in different fields of decentralized technology with the innovative experts at IOST."

Jimmy Zhong, CEO at IOST says: "We're pleased to collaborate with Moonstake, one of the world's top 10 largest staking providers with user-friendly, secure, and highly powerful staking wallets. IOST is always looking to partner with reputable projects and so far, we are very much impressed with the market position Moonstake has achieved in just one year since launch. We look forward to increased adoption of IOST staking and the IOST network following the launch of IOST staking on Moonstake Wallet as well as further collaboration opportunities with the Moonstake team."

About Moonstake

Moonstake was recently established to develop a staking pool protocol to satisfy increasing demands in regional and global blockchain markets. Moonstake develops a staking pool protocol and provides business services through partners and companies.

Moonstake aims to be the largest staking pool network in Asia by providing an active environment for crypto asset holders. Establishing a clear partnership roadmap with Moonstake represents another significant milestone for continuing to strengthen ties with leading platforms across Asia's burgeoning Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ecosystem. Partnership has been announced with Emurgo, Ontology and NEO to boost staking adoption, Binarystar, Japan's biggest blockchain hub, OIO Holdings Limited (SGX: OIO), a Singapore-listed company. Industry's reputed advisors, such as Lisk and Lawrence Lim of RAMP DEFI support Moonstake's innovative journey.

With a full-scale operation launched in August 2020, we expanded our business and as of now, our total staking assets exceeded over USD 900 Million. https://www.moonstake.io/

About IOST

Supported by Sequoia, Matrix, ZhenFund, and other major investors, IOST is an enterprise-level blockchain platform developed for online service providers.

The IOST project team is currently mainly composed of R&D personnel focusing on blockchain distributed technology. The team is formed by experienced blockchain industry experts who have graduated from world top universities such as Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Tsinghua University, and Beijing University.

With a two-year-old mainnet, IOST has swiftly risen to become a world-leading public chain renowned for its numerous government collaborations and enterprise partnerships around the world. IOST is one of the Big Four public chains with a rich user base and real applicability alongside Ethereum, EOS, and TRON. 500,000 community members, over 20 countries worldwide, over 400 nodes, top staking economy, and growing. https://iost.io/

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Blockchain and Liberty for All

Washington, D.C., May 7, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Broadcast live from Washington DC, June 18-19, 2021, with contributions from chapters around the globe, GBA will virtually present its annual state of the union to the world. The GBA global leadership team will present their blockchain results so far and discuss where we are headed for the next decade.



Dr. Robert J. Brown



The featured Keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Brown will share his wisdom gained from decades of working with world leaders, industry titans, and civil rights leaders. The Washington Post called him a "World Class Power Broker". Just some of his many accomplishments include:
– Key advisor to the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
– Involved in the Robert Kennedy campaign
– Special Assistant to President Richard Nixon
– Close friend and confidant of Nelson Mandela
– Consulted with many prominent US corporations on race relations and crisis management
– Worked on the committee that established the legislation creating the Office of Minority Business Enterprise within the US Department of Commerce
– He signed the documents that increased funding for historical black colleges & universities under President Nixon
– Serves on the boards of numerous universities and corporations
– He holds eleven honorary doctorate degrees from prestigious institutions of higher learning.

Dr. Brown has handled communications and race relations during pivotal moments of the civil rights movement. His ability to build bridges between Democrats and Republicans during the Civil Rights heyday, makes him an exceptional choice for blockchain leaders who will face inevitable backlash as this technology revolutionizes the landscape for many in power. How are we to move forward in a respectful and mutually beneficial manner?

As blockchain technology continues to disrupt every industry, GBA influencers will need to hear the lessons learned from this icon of history.

The Government Blockchain Association, (GBA), is honored to have Dr. Brown as a keynote speaker for Blockchain and Liberty for All.

"Political freedom must be accompanied by economic freedom for people to be truly free. Blockchain Technology is a new frontier in the economic landscape," says Gerard Dache, Executive Director, GBA.

You do not want to miss this event. For more information, go to http://bit.ly/block4all

Source: Plato Data Intelligence (bit.ly/3xRnnRv)

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Butterfly Protocol Announces New Program to Allow Full Blockchain Top-Level Domain Sponsorship and Control

Saint Kitts and Nevis, May 7, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Butterfly Protocol (www.butterflyprotocol.io), the blockchain-based web naming system built for the decentralized internet, today announced that it is opening up additional sponsorship options for top-level domains (TLDs), allowing anyone to create and totally control their own decentralized, token-powered ecosystem. This move compliments the original sponsorship option where TLDs can be sponsored and are controlled by the common governance contract.

The movement to a decentralized web has been accelerating recently due to highly visible censoring such as Facebook's ban on allowing Donald Trump access to posting, the takedown of the Parler social media app and the continuing restrictions on free speech by authoritarian governments. Blockchain domain systems such as Unstoppable Domains, Handshake and ENS have been paving the way for making the decentralized and distributed web accessible and Butterfly is taking that access to a new level.

As opposed to the existing platforms, Butterfly allows for the sponsorship of practically any TLD. Rather than being stuck in the confines of .crypto or .eth as TLDs, sponsors can create their own such as .token, .defi or even .trump, .biden, or .obama. As a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), Butterfly does not limit the community to what can be created but there are measures being initiated soon to discourage the use of existing TLDs from other sources and those that are clearly trademarked.

The process to sponsor TLDs can come in two forms. The light version where anyone can go to the ButterflyProtocol.io domain panel and contribute approximately 9000 BFLY tokens to initiate the creation. Or the custom option where it requires 100,000 BFLY tokens for complete control of that TLD's domain environment. For custom requests, Butterfly support works directly with the sponsor for the creation of the TLD and the subTokens associated with that name.

To learn more about the Butterfly Protocol, the BFLY token and how to participate in the quickly evolving decentralized web, please click here.

About Butterfly Protocol

Butterfly Protocol is a blockchain-based web naming system built for the decentralized internet. Butterfly's Decentralized Autonomous Organization offers a registry platform that allows people to purchase top-level domains using cryptocurrency in the form of its utility token, BFLY. Butterfly Protocol uses blockchain technology to create a system similar to ICANN without centralized control. Butterfly Protocol allows anyone to suggest, sponsor, or bid on the creation of new top-level domain names, and receive a share of the tokens associated with the name, which they can use to create subdomains and continue growing the decentralized web. Along with domain names, Butterfly allows for each domain address to be used for several unique functionalities, including cryptocurrency transactions, messaging, and social media.

COMPANY CONTACT: info@bproto.io

Source: Plato Data Intelligence (bit.ly/2RsurmV)

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com