Ripple Hosts Blockchain Gathering At USC Berkeley

In recent days, Ripple hosted a gathering of 200 developers, researchers and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley campus for its first annual University Blockchain Research Initiative conference. This meeting of the minds is Ripple’s major academic conference focused on blockchain and digital assets from a multidisciplinary perspective. At the event, there were representatives from 40 schools across 14 different countries to discuss blockchain and crypto across the business, law, and engineering. 

U.K Crypto Derivatives To Be Banned? 

The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), which is a global trade association of publicly regulated exchanges, is urging the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) not to restrict cryptocurrency derivatives for retail investors.  The World Federation of Exchanges offered an array of recommendations such as the implementation of standards, consideration of underlying market structures, and a review of the ban — if it is introduced — to ensure consumer choice and access.

South Korean Platform Brings Crypto Payment into 13,500 Stores

Mobile payments app Chai is launching mobile blockchain-based payments at 13,500 CU convenience stores in South Korea. Chai — which operates on the Terra blockchain — will now be accepted as a means of payment at the major convenience store chain. App support will be added at CU by the end of 2019 following a partnership between Chai and convenience store operator BGF Retail, which owns the stores in question.

Sacramento Kings Moving Into Blockchain Space

The Sacramento Kings has teamed up with New Jersey-based blockchain ticketing platform Blockparty to add blockchain-based rewards to its prediction game Call the Shot, The new program will be available in the upcoming 2019–2020 season. During the season, Blockparty will be tracking Kings fans’ activity while they are betting on Call the Shot — and players will be able to accumulate points in a virtual wallet within the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center app. 

U.S. Government Libra Treatment A Threat To National Security

The ex-federal prosecutor and now Andreessen Horowitz partner Katie Haun have argued that the United States blocking Facebook’s Libra digital currency will have national security implications. Andreessen Horowitz is a founding member of the Libra Association. Speaking of the planned cryptocurrency, Haun noted that the social media giant’s project was facing “the same criticisms” and misperceptions that the asset class faces more broadly. The push/pull between Libra and the people who hold legislative power in Washington continues to be an issue.