The upcoming fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5) within the European Union (EU) has already spelled the end for smaller crypto firms on the continent.
London has long been a financial stronghold in Europe, with many companies in Asia using the British capital as a stepping stone to reach European markets.
At the end of October 2019, the blockchain-focused media company BLOCKTV announced the November 21, 2019, launch of its native cryptocurrency on Bittrex Global.
![Agoric and Cosmos hash out an interoperable future for 2020 [INTERVIEW]](https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/themes/cryptoslate-2020/imgresize/timthumb.php?src=https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/interoperable.jpg&w=180&h=94&q=75)
On October 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.
Exchanges are eager to increase their trading volume.
A central bank digital currency (CBDC) would see central banks distribute digital money which could be redeemed for their respective domestic fiat currencies.
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.
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.
![Decred Founder Proposes Building DEX as Alternative to Binance [Interview]](https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/themes/cryptoslate-2020/imgresize/timthumb.php?src=https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/decred-dex-cover.jpg&w=180&h=94&q=75)
Decred founder Jacob Yocom-Piatt recently proposed a decentralized exchange (DEX) to the Politeia community.
In its January report, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) explained some of the intricacies of ICOs in modern finance.
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.
Liam is an enthusiastic writer whose primary focus is to deliver skillfully written analysis of emerging technologies, digital weirdness, and the decentralized web. He is also skilled at seeking out Internet-based subcultures, communicating between niche communities, and unearthing incoming trends in technology, culture, and politics. He is based in Berlin, Germany and enjoys playing soccer, making reading lists, and playing solitaire in his local Kneipe.
ConsenSys 
Binance 
Charles Hoskinson 
JPMorgan 
