This is a Charles Brett’s start-of-the-week Enterprise Times ‘blockchain catch-up’ for Week 41. Necessarily it is idiosyncratic and selective.
It is not intended to be comprehensive but does seek to highlight ‘Quick Takes’ on specific developments as well interesting pieces to read, a listing of some (not all) announcements/press releases and pointers to upcoming events.
Quick Takes – Charles Brett’s Blockchain Catch-up Week 41
TCS launches blockchain quality engineering services suite
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has introduced a composite quality engineering (QE) service for blockchain applications. It calls this ‘TCS Blockchain QE Services’ and it combines smart contract auditing with cloud deployment design, API audits, and usability testing. The objective is to help enterprises safeguard against security, privacy and reliability threats.
Quick Take: By leveraging its experience with (and the capabilities of) its engineering and transformation platform, the new services seek to cater for a wide variety of application types running on a range of blockchain platforms. According to TCS its approach ‘reimagines testing by leveraging methods developed from its proven Quality Engineering Platform ecosystem’.
Of specific relevance to enterprises is that TCS can provide smart contract testing services in order to minimise vulnerabilities in the business logic codified in the tested smart contracts. TCS claims it can also ring-fence an entire blockchain solution at the protocol and ecosystem level – to ensure safety and security of applications.
IBM and R3 to expand blockchain capabilities and services across hybrid cloud
R3 has introduced a new open (beta) program to bring Corda Enterprise to IBM LinuxONE. This will run across the hybrid cloud—both on-premises and the IBM Cloud—delivered via IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services. This ‘R3 on IBM LinuxONE beta program’ will open on November 2, 2020, be available on IBM Cloud and on-premises and IBM/R3 expect general availability in Q1 2021.
Quick Take: Enterprises, especially those in regulated industries, increasingly look to build blockchain solutions with advanced security and data privacy features. A key concern remains, however, performance.
For enterprises with highly sensitive data and workloads – such as digital identity, digital assets, central bank digital currencies, tokens, payments information or smart contracts being spread across hybrid cloud environments – IBM believes LinuxONE provides a highly secured platform certified to meet the highest level of security certification commercially available. This could extend enterprise confidence in blockchain. As important – while Corda Enterprise will come to LinuxONE IBM will launch Corda Enterprise services offerings. Hence the partnership…
To read – Charles Brett’s Blockchain Catch-up Week 41
- Explainer – How does China’s digital yuan work?
- Japanese payments firm JCB and Mizuho Bank test blockchain-based ID
- Analysis: Is PayPal’s crypto move a game-changer for bitcoin? Probably not, say experts
- In China, most blockchain R&D funds are going toward this segment
- A blockchain-enabled smart meter for clean power trading?
- Blockchain beyond crypto – key factors for policymakers to consider
- Siemens launches local power trading platform with German utility
- DLT security standards may turn legacy industries into blockchain innovators
- Institutional frenzy: CME becomes 2nd biggest Bitcoin futures market
- EPA response to HMT Payments Landscape Review
- New Zealand has no imminent plans to issue CBDC, says central bank exec
- Tradeshift Q3 Global Index of trade health
Selected announcements/press releases – Charles Brett’s Blockchain Catch-up Week 41
- Mphasis and R3 partner to develop a blockchain-based payments and financing network for global supply chains
- MF DOOM announces augmented reality blockchain auction
- JBS will use blockchain technology to enhance conservation of the Amazon
- “We’re ready for Decentralised Finance,” claim traditional financial service institutions
- Open-sourced blockchain technologies bring back cross-border tours between Chinese Mainland and Macao
- Blockchain market to reach US$69B by 2027; high demand for blockchain-as-a-service to aid growth
- Openfinance Securities receives FINRA approval for new digital securities Alternative Trading System (ATS) process
- Electroneum prepares for major announcements in coming weeks
- Bolero to provide electronic bill of lading as-a-service to R3 Corda based trade platforms in Latin America and Australia
- Decentralized Lending Network announces litepaper for zero percent interest micro-loans
- Bison Trails – introducing QT: connect(ing) to real-time blockchain data from 20+ protocols
- Ontology boosts security and compliance through integration with Chainalysis
- GFT partners with Digital Asset to resell DAML for Corda globally.
Selected upcoming events
- Futurist Conference Digital — Canada’s blockchain and emerging technologies event: November 11-12, 2020
- Web Summit December 2-4th (tickets)
- Virtual International Payments Course: December 2nd, 4th & 8th, 2020 – key principles, concepts, practices and current developments
- Paris Blockchain Week summit launches hybrid event on December 9th & 10th, 2020 (more info here)
- Crypto Finance Conference Returns to St. Moritz in January 2021.
