Blog 2 Columns

The African Blockchain Institute, in association with Algorand Foundation, has released the Africa Blockchain Report 2022. Analysing the blockchain scene across four countries, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Tunisia, shows that almost half of (49.2%) of the companies participating in the study are at the growth stage, indicating the high level of activity in the […]

A report from Blockchain.News, reveals that blockchain application in the energy market was worth $518.6 million in 2018 and its value will reach $6.29 billion (€5.53 billion) in 2024. Based on research from BIS Research, its report ‘Global Blockchain in Energy Market – Analysis and Forecast, 2018-2024’ says the market growth witnessed is primarily linked […]

Less than four months after its last funding round, San Francisco-based Alchemy raised another $200 million investment led by Lightspeed and Silver Lake, reports CNBC. It comes amid a wave of venture capital interest in crypto, as investors look for winners in what some describe as the future of the internet. Competition for back-end, blockchain […]

Register: #Startups Networking_IRL: Web3 innovators Catered event. Free-of charge. Many thanks to host and sponsor @Defactor. Date: Tuesday 22/2/22 Venue: Dogpatch Labs, D1. Time: 230-5.30 Activities: 1. Community building Micro-pitching and #Startups speed-dating. 2. Knowledge-sharing Enterprise NFT applications. Panel and Q+A. Chair: Brendan Bonner, Chief Technologist, IDA. 3. Workshop Irish blockchain readiness – Gap Analysis […]

According to CNBC, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Sequoia Capital, has led a $450 million investment in the blockchain network Polygon. Polygon serves as a support layer to Ethereum, the platform behind the ether cryptocurrency, helping it process transactions at scale. The Ethereum network is different from bitcoin’s in that it supports applications for […]

An EU-funded certification scheme using blockchain is being developed for rare earths as automakers demand proof that materials used to make magnets for electric vehicles (EVs) are not linked to toxic pollution, reports Reuters. The system will set global standards and give confidence to consumers demanding sustainable products, two of the organisers told Reuters ahead […]

The Forbes 50 in Blockchain for 2022 is out and features companies as diverse as Breitling and Boeing, Meta and Nornickel. Forbes characterises the list with: ”You’ve come a long way, blockchain!” An article on its website says since the inaugural roundup of the Blockchain 50, in 2019, the billion-dollar companies (minimum, by sales or […]

Bluesky, a Twitter Inc-funded project that seeks to rebuild how social media companies operate, has said Twitter co-founder and former chief executive Jack Dorsey will join the company’s board, reports Reuters. Bluesky is working to build a technology that would allow different social media companies to operate on the same standard, which would enable developers […]

The Eisenhower Fellowship (EF) is a programme to identify, empower and connect innovative leaders through a transformative fellowship experience and lifelong engagement with a diverse, dynamic, global network of change agents committed to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous and just. The EF was founded by a group of Philadelphia businessmen in 1953 to celebrate […]

Facebook’s Diem cryptocurrency, originally called Libra, is being sold to Silvergate bank, reports Silicon Republic. Since its launch by Facebook in 2019, Diem has faced setbacks and resistance from regulators. After years of setbacks, the cryptocurrency project started by Facebook is coming to a close, writes Leigh McGowran. The group behind Diem has sold its […]

The European Union Blockchain Observatory and Forum (EBOF) has announced its recent activity via its January newsletter. EBOF reports that it is currently working on several reports. First, there is a “thematic report focused on Blockchain applications in the healthcare sector. The report, expected to be published by end of January 2022, covers challenges in […]

Professor Joyce O’Connor has received an Ambassador Award from Women 4IT. Steering Group member and chair of the Education, Skills and Innovation Working Group at Blockchain Ireland, Prof O’Connor was recognised for her work in IT to promote gender equality, youth employment, and in addressing the ICT specialist gap in Ireland and Europe. Prof O’Connor […]