EU MEP proposes €1 million budget to create blockchain-focused task force

A European Parliament representative has proposed a budget amendment to spend €1 million to create a task force aimed at studying blockchain and distributed ledger technologies. MEP Jakob von Weizsäcker says regulators and legislators lack the technical expertise and capacity to fully understand the technology and its potential.

U.S. Department of Health announces winners of blockchain challenge

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), a division of Department of Health and Human Services, announced winners of blockchain research challenge. The ONC selected 15 winners for the ‘Use of Blockchain in Health IT and Health-related Research Challenge’ from over 70 submissions from a wide range of individuals, organizations and companies.

Top executives vow to facilitate healthy blockchain ecosystem

A group of blockchain practitioners, advocates, theorists and policy experts, calling themselves the “Muskoka Group”, met at the family compound of Don and Alex Tapscott to discuss how the blockchain ecosystem can most effectively move forward to ensure that this technology fulfills its potential. 14 executives signed the ten major recommendations and actions discussed during the meeting mainly focused on improving the health of blockchain ecosystem.

Australia’s new cyber team to target money laundering and financial fraud

Australian Transaction Reports & Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has established a new cyber team that will focus on identifying financing activities, money laundering and financial fraud. The announcement about the new cyber team was made recently by Minister for Justice Malcolm Keenan. He said that the initiative forms part of the Australian Government's Cyber Security Strategy, announced by the Prime Minister in April.

Apple wants Dash out of Jaxx cryptocurrency wallet

Canadian innovation hub Decentral has revealed that iPhone-maker Apple has asked it to remove cryptocurrency Dash from its Jaxx interface. Jaxx, a multi-plaform cryptocurrency wallet, completed  integration with Dash – the speedy, open source, and decentralized digital currency rapidly growing in popularity – in August. Dash became the fourth cryptocurrency supported by Jaxx wallet.

Research Studies:

• Digital banking of the future unimaginable without using digital currency: MIT paper
   
• Virtual currency exchange rate to stabilize with more widespread adoption: BoC Working Paper
   
• Distributed ledger technology could transform capital market structure: JPX Working Paper
   
• 33 pct bitcoin exchanges hacked, around 50 pct closed during 2009-2015: Research
   
• General perception of cryptocurrencies not very encouraging: Survey

Blockchain Events:

• Russia to host blockchain hackathon on 17-18 September
   
• Cryptocurrency PubCon conference to address bitcoin, blockchain and Ether

Important deals, partnerships, and more:

• China Merchants Bank joins R3 blockchain consortium
   
• Microsoft looks to improve smart contracts security, launches working group
   
• Airbitz debuts first bitcoin wallet with foolproof password recovery
   
• Visa partners with BTL Group for blockchain-based interbank transfers
   
• Bitland partners with CCEDK to improve blockchain land registry in West Africa
   
• Coinfirm and Billon collaborate to provide compliance solutions for blockchain and cryptocurrency transactions
   
• R3 welcomes first multinational insurer MetLife to its blockchain consortium
   
• Terepac, Nuco team up to bring blockchain capabilities to IoT
   
• Morgan Stanley veteran joins blockchain startup Symbiont, contributes to series A funding
   
• Samsung SDS, Netki and 15 other organizations join Hyperledger blockchain project
   
• LOFT, indico data solutions partner to accelerate business adoption of AI, VR and blockchain