Unless you’ve been living under a series of highly distributed rocks, you’ll be aware that blockchain (or at least the group of technologies known as Distributed Ledger Technologies or DLTs) is causing a huge stir in the tech world.  Almost daily, we see the launch of potentially game-changing new cryptocurrencies or announcement from major corporations of significant new DLT trials or implementations. However, another major force shaping the digital world is the ever-strengthening focus on…

In terms of real-world applications, much of the blockchain activity is in fintech and among startups.  But earlier this week, two global companies discussed how they plan to use blockchain.  As Techcrunch reported, Rakuten is planning a new cryptocurrency called Rakuten Coin — built on blockchain technology and the company’s existing loyalty program, Rakuten Super Points — which it plans to use to encourage loyalty services globally and to help customers to buy goods across…

According to a Bloomberg report, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. said they’re halting purchases of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on their credit cards.  The banks do not want the credit risk associated with the transactions.  There is also the risk that thieves will abuse cards that were purloined or based on stolen identities, turning them into crypto hoards.

Government issued identification is one of the areas that garners a lot of attention in terms of the potential uses of blockchain technology outside the world of fintech.  One driver is the susceptibility of existing systems to hacking and the attendant risk of identity theft.  Another is the simple unwieldly system of so many government issued IDs — birth certificates, drivers licenses, passports, social security cards — all of which are paper-based in the U.S. …