Blog 2 Columns

As the application deadline of 22nd December is fast approaching for the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator program being run from April-June 2022 in Ireland, the local Techstars team have been busy engaging and sharing insights with the global Web3 community. Pete Townsend, who’s leading the program, recently published his ‘Web3 Investment Thesis‘ with a look inside the two […]

UPDATE: What a swell evening at Gallery of Photography on Thursday 16th Dec. BCIRL #Startups ecosystem was delighted to participate at the aftershow talk for the Galleries With[out] Walls exhibition (live stream video here). Fiona Delaney, our local expert was greatly impressed with the innovative and practical aspects of the international collaboration. The process involved […]

ConsenSys is creating 400 jobs globally as part of its bid to make blockchain and decentralised finance mainstream, reports Silicon Republic. The US blockchain software company plans to create 400 jobs across its global locations, including several positions at its growing Dublin base. Silicon Republic describes the company as a major player on the Web3 […]

Athlone IT’s Dr Saeed Hamood Alsamhi is researching the feasibility of applying blockchain tech to robotic systems, which could be used in areas ranging from smart manufacturing to disaster monitoring, reports Silicon Republic. Dr Alsamhi has been around the world on a research journey that brought him to the areas of blockchain and robotics, the […]

Non-fungible tokens, the unique digital assets, like artwork and sports trading cards, that are verified and stored using blockchain technology, exploded in popularity in 2021, according to an article from CNBC. People create, collect and trade NFTs for millions of dollars, some with the hopes to profit in the future. But experts are still sceptical […]

In October 2020, the European Blockchain Observatory and Forum circulated its inaugural “Report on EU Blockchain Ecosystem Developments”.  Ash Costello is a member of its Expert Panel and is currently updating Ireland’s chapter in the report, to be uploaded to the website in early 2022.  Any organisation (company, university, etc) which would like to include details […]

According to various reports, Irish payments firm Stripe is expected to resume taking crypto currency payments having previously suspended them in 2018. CNBC reports that co-founder and chief executive officer John Collison said at a Dubai event, “Crypto obviously means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” noting that the majority […]

Speaking to CNBC, author and economist Eswar Prasad said the pandemic has not only accelerated the shift toward digital and contactless payments, but also led to a more mainstream acceptance of physical cash alternatives, such as cryptocurrency, that will likely endure. “For many consumers and businesses that made the switch to digital payments, there is […]

India is set to adopt a wide ranging ban on crypto currencies, according to BBC News. A long-awaited bill is expected to cover private cryptocurrencies, with certain exceptions, to allow the promotion of the underlying technology, such as blockchain, and its uses. Expectations had grown in recent months, reports BBC News, that the Indian government […]

Banks are betting big on cryptocurrency, aggressively ramping up hiring of professionals with crypto expertise amid the rise of digital currencies, reports Juliette Faraut, associate editor, Global Projects,  LinkedIn. Financial services firms will add more than three times as many staff with digital-asset experience this year than in 2015, according to research from LinkedIn’s Economic […]

Amid widespread adoption of non fungible tokens (NFT), Indian news site Business Standard reports that the Indian government is examining the proposal to tax the blockchain ecosystem, which includes cryptocurrencies and such digital tokens. It cites an official who said, the use of NFTs has picked up at a large scale, with celebrity endorsements and […]

Reuter reports that the French company Crypto Blockchain Industries (CBI) is to list on the Paris Euronext Growth stock market, highlighting the burgeoning appeal of cryptocurrencies around the world. The company said it would list its shares at a price of €2, giving it a market capitalisation of around €38.7 million. CBI develops, operates and […]