Liam Kelly

At the end of October 2019, the blockchain-focused media company BLOCKTV announced the Nov. 21, 2019, launch of its native cryptocurrency on Bittrex Global. The BLTV token will reportedly be used by creators, advertisers, and creators to improve engagement on the platform. Since the announcement, some commentators have, however, picked apart the real utility of […]

On Oct. 21, 2019, representatives from Agoric, Tendermint, FOAM, and oscoin gathered at Full Node in Berlin, Germany, to discuss the blockchain space’s current need for interoperability protocols. Although technical in nature, hashing out an inter-blockchain communication standard is as critical as the TCP/IP model was for the Internet. Pundits of both IBC, Cosmos’ interoperability […]

Exchanges are eager to increase their trading volume. Higher volume results in more liquidity, which attracts more traders and ultimately results in higher revenue.  Although many in the industry have pointed out the flaws in these metrics, there is evidence that some exchanges are structured to encourage wash trading. Attracting New Traders A handful of […]

A central bank digital currency (CBDC) would see central banks distribute digital money which could be redeemed for their respective domestic fiat currencies. In the case of an American CBDC, this would be the US dollar or in Russia, this would be a “Cryptoruble.” These digital currencies would be maintained on any number of blockchain […]

Former vice president of payments at Starbucks, Maria Smith, promised that Starbucks would play a “pivotal role in developing practical, trusted and regulated applications for consumers” to pay for coffee with Bitcoin. However, tax regulations in the United States are still blocking the way to fulfilling that promise. Accepting Bitcoin Means a Mountain of Paperwork […]

The launch of Binance’s decentralized exchange and JP Morgan’s proprietary cryptocurrency, JPM Coin, have raised fundamental questions about where the crypto industry is headed. Both products fall short of traditional definitions of decentralization, and instead, stake territory somewhere between the Facebooks and the Bitcoins of the Internet. JPM Coin and the Definition of Cryptocurrency When […]

Decred founder Jacob Yocom-Piatt recently proposed a decentralized exchange (DEX) to the Politeia community. The initiative hopes to cut high-listing fees, front-running high-frequency traders, and third-party rent-seeking. A product that could overcome these barriers would be an ideal alternative to centralized exchanges, but Yocom-Piatt admits the community could still reject the proposal. Politeia in Action […]

In its January report, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) explained some of the intricacies of ICOs in modern finance. Although ICOs still offer advantages for startups, it comes at a steep cost. The organization concluded that ICOs can’t be properly harnessed until there is regulatory consensus internationally and it is unlikely to […]

Hyperledger—an open-source project spearheaded by IBM—announced the launch of its Grid framework, a new set of tools designed for optimizing supply chain applications of the software. The new project will introduce new aids and “smart contract based business logic” to promote experimentation with Hyperledger’s suite of technologies. Greenhouse of Tools As noted in the group’s […]