Key Facts Of The Day 09.08.2018

Maersk and IBM Introduce TradeLens Blockchain Solution

IBM and Maersk are tightening their partnership by introducing TradeLens, a collaborative solution for global commerce based on blockchain technology. With the recently unveiled TradeLens platform, companies are addressing to many of the costly, manual and inefficient processes, which impact global freight and global supply chains, particularly in shipping. The goal is to achieve a greater transparency and efficacy in supply chains. The World Economic Forum estimates that global trade could grow by almost 15 percent by removing barriers in international supply chains.

Already 94 organizations in the industry have chosen to use TradeLens, comprising freight forwarders, ports, customs, banks, logistics providers and companies that ship goods worldwide.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

1. TradeLens, which is utilizing blockchain smart contracts gives the perfect opportunity to connect all the parties of the international trade.

2. Since more companies are adopting blockchain to their shipping operations, The whole system will become faster, safer, transparent because of all the data collected and compared it is possible to prevent illegal activities or just a simple human factor mistake.

Microsoft Introduced New Blockchain Product

Computer giant Microsoft introduced a new "blockchain-as-a-service" (BaaS) product, which allows companies to use a flexible version of Ethereum, modified specifically for their business needs. Ethereum on Azure allows companies to create applications based on the Ethereum blockchain network, which does not use the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm and, therefore, does not require mining. These functions are better suited for networks where participants are not inclined to trust each other. Instead, Ethereum on Azure uses a Proof-of-Authority.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

1. Azure protocol greatly simplifies the installation procedure of the blockchain. The network can be adjusted in a few minutes. Such a system provides the company with a blockchain-based solution, which is installed in one click.

2. Microsoft added an ability to create smart contracts using the Parity WebAssembly (Wasm) toolset to increase the ease of use of its product. It allows developers to write smart contracts in familiar programming languages like C, C ++ and Rust, without having to learn Solidity, the main programming language for Ethereum.

ICO-Boom Started in Thailand

Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reported that they are watching an increased demand for licenses to perform initial coin offering (ICO). This happened after the announcement by the Ministry of Finance that it plans to introduce new rules concerning ICO. The SEC secretary-general Rapee Sucharitakul in an interview for Bangkok Post said that nearly 50 ICO projects have expressed interest in certification. He also added that involved companies note high activity in the local cryptocurrency market.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

1. Thailand has demonstrated a positive approach to the regulation of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. The law governing ICO was approved on July 16.

2. Last week, the Bank of Thailand allowed local banks to establish subsidiaries to work with the cryptocurrency. Thai banks can now issue digital tokens, provide crypto-brokerage services and invest in cryptocurrency through subsidiaries.

Dan Morehead: People Overreact About Bitcoin Price

Dan Morehead, the founder and CEO of investment firm Pantera Capital, is confident that investors should focus on the long-term prospects of cryptocurrencies, and not get distracted by insignificant events. He believes that the reaction of digital currency market players to some news about bitcoin is excessively harsh and does not correspond to its significance.

He called for calm after the decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) got postponed. He suggested that the regulator would approve the ETF soon. Morehead mentioned copper as an example, which has existed on the planet for 10,000 years, and was "the last asset class to get approved for ETF certification".

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

1. The crypto market is waiting for the SEC decision on the approval of the application for bitcoin-ETF. The other day it became known that the regulator postponed the hearing till September 30.

2. All news about bitcoin-ETF has a very strong effect on the cost of the first cryptocurrency. In the last couple of days, bitcoin has plummeted in price and is now trading at around $ 6,400.

Brazilian Routers Infected with Mining Malware

Approximately 170,000 machines mined for Monero after being infected with Coinhive Malware in Brazil. After an investigation by Trustwave security company, it turns out that hackers found a Winbox flaw on MikroTik Routers and acquired admin access to the system. This lets them infect the routers with Monero mining malware, basically Cryptojacking the system.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

1. Such attacks allow hackers to have almost full control over the network. After that the whole system is left on the initiate of the hackers, meaning they could damage the network irreversibly instead of using it for mining.

2. Just like normal users, large firms that run hundreds-thousands of devices are in the fishing nets of hackers. Upgrading and protecting come with a cost which is mostly neglected.

At 20:00 (GMT+1) total cryptocurrency market capitalization stands at $228,7 billion

Bitcoin (EXANTE: Bitcoin) $6498 (+2,85%)

Ethereum (ETH/USD) $364 (+1,13%)

XRP (XRP/USD) $0,34 (+3,45%)

Bitcoin Cash (EXANTE: Bitcoin.Cash) $607 (+3,37%)

EOS (EOS/USD) $5,85 (+4,19%)

Cardano (+9,11%) showed the best growth in the top-10

ChainLink (+21,78%) showed the best growth in the top-100

Market Dynamics

The trading volume of cryptocurrencies for 24 hours reached $13,03 (-4 billion per day)

Mining Profitability

BTC $2,5 for 10 TH/s

ETH $0,28 for 10 MH/s

BCH $0,28 for 1 TH/s

LTC $3,6 for 1 GH/s

DASH $0,10 for 1 GH/s

Ongoing ICOs:

Expected ICOs:

Click here for the full list of ongoing ICOs.