Blockchain in Education

136 page publication from Alexander Grech and Anthony F. Camilleri published via the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, who's aim is to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process.

American Express announce blockchain-enabled business-to-business cross-border payments system

In announcing a partnership involving Santander in the UK, American Express will provide real-time payment processing, instantly connecting U.S. customers to the UK, via blockchain enabled tech.

Digital Diploma debuts at MIT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is have announced that following a pilot progam 111 of their graduates have been given the option to receive their diplomas on their smartphones via an app, in addition to the traditional format.

Blockchain predictions: Rethinking Trust and Intermediaries

Blockchain technology will be as revolutionary as the internet, or maybe even the steam engine, predicts Andreas Freund, Ph.D., a senior manager for Tata Consultancy Services' blockchain advisory.

Blockchain in academia: Training for students and educators

As interest in blockchain grows, so does demand for a skilled technical workforce that can use the technology to bring networks into production.

Bitcoin's Academic Pedigree

Article from Arvind Narayanan and Jeremy Clark which challenges the view that bitcoin is built on new ideas by showing that nearly all of the technical components of bitcoin originated in the academic literature of the 1980s and '90s.

Resources: Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies provides a comprehensive introduction to the revolutionary yet often misunderstood new technologies of digital currency.

New Tech Taps Blockchain to Secure Student Data

Sony Corporation and Sony Global Education have finished developing a cloud-based platform built on IBM Blockchain that allows a secure exchange of educational data.

What Advisors Need to Know About Cryptocurrencies

You may have heard about bitcoin, the cryptocurrency whose mysterious creator, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, has been nominated for a Nobel Prize – even though his, her or their true identity remains stubbornly unknown.

Realizing the Potential of Blockchain

Whitepaper from the World Economic Forum subtitled:A Multistakeholder Approach to the Stewardship of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies.

Blockchain-Based Music Sharing Platform Aims At Putting Musicians At Helm

Blockchain technology continues to find inroads into different areas of business and society, especially through the token crowdsale model. The latest company to announce a token sale is Musiconomi (MCI), the Blockchain-based music ecosystem.

The Blockchain Revolution and Higher Education

From Don and Alex Tapscott: The blockchain provides a rich, secure, and transparent platform on which to create a global network for higher learning. This Internet of value can help to reinvent higher education in a way the Internet of information alone could not.

Read via Educause.

Project Jasper: Are Distributed Wholesale Payment Systems Feasible Yet?

Article from The Register about Project Jasper, a proof of concept of a DLT-based wholesale payment system (bitcoin), carried out by Bank of Canada.

Russia Opens the Door to Cryptocurrencies

Another example of blockchain moving to the mainstream.  This article from Antonia Colibasanu at Geopolitical Futures gives some background to the reasons why Russia has announced that it will legalise the use of cryptocurrencies.

Letting Students Own Their Credentials

Very soon this nascent technology could securely enable registrars to help students verify credentials without the hassle of ordering copies of transcripts.

How Will Blockchain Impact HR?

Of all the emerging technologies, blockchain is the least exciting as a technology, but potentially the most impactful on society. Blockchain doesn’t converse with you, it won’t 3D print your house or cut out your kidney stones with precision while the surgeon has a cup of tea. In terms of technology, it is about as exciting as relational databases.

When you think of blockchain, you might think of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that requires a maths degree to buy and ownership of a laptop that never crashes. Yet Bitcoin is just one of many different cryptocurrencies that uses blockchain as its core technology. And blockchain technology is also being used outside of financial services.

Read the full article from Andrew Spence on HRN Blog. 

Bitcoin: Commodity, Store of Value or Digital Currency?

Article from Vinny Lingham that looks at whether we can class Bitcoin as a commodity, a store of value or a currency, looking at the properties of each and wondering what should be the aim moving forward.