Carlo R.W. De Meijer Owner and Economist at MIFSA
In my last blog BAAS and SMEs: New Opportunities I explained what Blockchain-as-a-Service is, where it could be used for and what the benefits are for SMEs. But another question is: how should SMEs select BAAS providers and their offerings. What are the various issues they should look at to get the most out of it. In other words: how should SMEs d...
30 May 2020 /crypto Blockchain Observations
One of the recent promising blockchain trends is the growth of Blockchain-as-a Service (BAAS) platforms and software. This is highlighted by the recent release of the Second Annual Blockchain 50 list by Forbes. Several of the entrants on this year’s list offer blockchain-as-a-Service, including global players such as Microsoft, Amazon and IBM. The...
14 May 2020 /crypto Blockchain Observations
In response to a call last year October by the G20 to examine regulatory issues raised by so-called global stable coin arrangements and to advise on multilateral responses ‘as appropriate’, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) recently published ten high-level recommendations for consultation for effective regulatory and supervisory treatment of st...
30 April 2020 /regulation /crypto Blockchain Observations
The European Banking Federation (EBF), the European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB) and the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) point out that the crisis has brought to the fore the importance of well-functioning payments services. The three groups have put together their vision for payments in the EU over the next five years...
08 April 2020 /payments Blockchain Observations
The sudden emergence and rapid but uncontrolled worldwide spread of the Corona virus shows us the failure of existing healthcare surveillance systems to timely handle public health emergencies. Though improvements in healthcare surveillance have been realised, these still fall short in preventing pandemonium. Lack of necessary steps taken to ensure...
24 March 2020 /covid-19 Blockchain Observations
Blockchain consortia are creating a massive hype in the market. Many enterprises are highly interested in this type of network willing to join these consortia in order to gain optimal benefits of this technology. However, there is still a large uncertainty among them how these consortia work and how they are governed. Up till recently the focus w...
13 March 2020 Blockchain Observations
A growing number of companies have expressed their will to enter the blockchain arena. But after some number of years in which their focus was mainly on the benefits of blockchain in various areas, in terms of speed, costs, streamline operations and increased efficiency, their attention is now turned to the various challenges and bottlenecks that ...
29 February 2020 Blockchain Observations
In one of my earlier blogs, I mentioned that Facebook’s efforts to launch its Libra cryptocurrency triggered intense debates over who would control money in the future. It has also forced Central Banks to think about and explore their own digital currency. According to recent research, at least 18 central banks are currently developing digital curr...
12 February 2020 Blockchain Observations
In my last Blog I suggested that regulation of the crypto markets would be one of the main issues for 2020 and beyond. There seem to be urgent need for more clarity on many cryptocurrency issues. The EU Fifth ALM Directive came into effect early January, while ESMA announced its plans to develop a legal framework for cryptocurrencies in 2020. In t...
20 January 2020 /crypto Blockchain Observations
2019 has almost come to an end and we can safely say that this was a remarkable year for blockchain technology. A lot of things, some unexpected, happened. But now it is time to bring our attention to the New Year 2020. Just like last year, and the year before, we try to predict what awaits the blockchain industry. So, let’s look at what does 2020...
30 December 2019 Blockchain Observations
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