The Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, has announced that the island nation’s upcoming rent law reforms will require all tenancy contracts to be registered on the blockchain. According to Malta Today, Muscat stated: “Every rent contract in Malta will be registered. The system we will be using to register the contracts is blockchain – distributed ledger technology.”...
Su Zhu, the CEO of FX hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, has said that Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the global market, is also the most trusted among investors within the digital asset community. Citing a poll ran by a small cryptocurrency exchange, Zhu said: Interesting that @binance, a lightly regulated exchange, has also become the most trusted crypto exchange among actual users. You...
It seems that Malta is about to get a bank that will finally begin servicing crypto and blockchain companies as well as high net worth individuals, who until recently, have been shunned by traditional banks on the so-called ‘Blockchain Island’. OK Group’s investment arm, OK Blockchain Capital Limited, announced that it is the anchor investor in RnF Finance Limited, a Maltese based company...
On December 4, seven EU countries led by Malta and France have established a group called the “Mediterranean seven” to encourage and promote the usage of blockchain technology. In the months to come, the seven countries that include France, Italy, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Portugal and Spain, will work to implement the blockchain in education, transport, mobility, shipping, Land Registry, customers...
Malta. The Blockchain Island. A postage-stamp-sized nation nestled in the Mediterranean famous for its rocky coastline, Baroque cathedrals, Megalithic temples, and centuries of culture. It’s a veritable mishmash of graying British expats, luxurious hotels, exotic women, cars that drive on the left, and a host of other legacies left by the various civilizations that invaded the rock over the years...
In a bit of news that is tinged with irony, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has been denied in court its record $35 million AUD fine against Westpac Bank. Irony because the reason the court rejected the fine, in addition to the Commission’s failure to prove that Westpac was guilty of any wrongdoing, was that the Commission did not demonstrate to the court how it had...
The harsh cryptocurrency regulatory climate in India has turned out to be a gift for the self-styled blockchain island of Malta as one of the cryptocurrency exchanges that recently shut down in the world’s second-most populous country has decided to move operations there. First reported by Quartz, Zebpay, one of the biggest exchanges in India, has registered an office in Malta with a view of...
At the UN General Assembly, Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stated that blockchain technology will allow crypto to inevitably become the future of money. He stated: “I passionately believe technology revolutionizes and improves systems. This is why in Malta, we have launched ourselves as the blockchain island. By being the first jurisdiction worldwide to regulate this new technology that...
As an engineer at SpaceX, Joshua Greenwald was charged with spearheading automation and propulsion on the aerospace startup’s Moonraker project. Now, he is directing his efforts toward a radically different industry, albeit one that also has lunar ambitions. Greenwald, who spent more than a decade as a trader prior to his stint at SpaceX, has founded a cryptocurrency exchange, LXDX, that seeks to...
It looks like Malta’s reputation as “Blockchain Island” is continuing to gain impressive traction, with a new development that could potentially see the state begin to adopt a cryptocurrency- and blockchain-based mechanism for its services and operations. The team from Waves — a decentralised cryptocurrency platform providing a complete ecosystem for blockchain developers...
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volume has announced a partnership with the Malta Stock Exchange to launch a new digital exchange specifically for security token trading. The agreement was signed on Tuesday through a memorandum of understanding between MSE chairman Joseph Portelli and Binance chief financial officer Wei Zhou. Prof Edward Scicluna...
French soccer giant Paris Saint-Germain football club (PSG) will launch its own cryptocurrency with a token offering that aims to incentivize its supporters over a blockchain. The development sees a new partnership between top French Ligue 1 club, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and blockchain company Socios.com which is based in Malta. The partnership is based on the ‘socios’ concept that already...
The Korean Blockchain Business Association (KOBEA) and the government of Uzbekistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s first government-licensed crypto exchange. The National Agency of Project Management (NAPM) under the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan settled a direct partnership with KOBEA to facilitate the growth of the country’s cryptocurrency...
It seems that Malta continues to steal the headlines for innovative projects in the blockchain space with the most recent offering being a huge palazzo in the heart of Valletta being offered for sale with a $3 million price tag. The mansion can only be purchased in Bitcoin, with the property going on sale for 550 BTC. The 860 square-meter historic building in the heart of the Mediterranean...
Bittrex, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, has just bought a 10 percent stake in Palladium, a Malta-based blockchain company according to media reports. Palladium was launched with much fanfare in July with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also making a speech during the event. Bittrex, whose technology is designed to build and power crypto trading platforms to provide...
Malta continues to take the lead in attracting innovative blockchain and cryptocurrency ventures and now also in the upcoming Islamic finance scene. A new digital exchange aims to attract listings from sharia-compliant financial technology startups, its chief executive said, part of a growing number of firms looking to modernize Islamic finance with cryptocurrency and blockchain at the heart of...
Another day passes by and although August is a traditionally slow month in the business and finance circles, Malta does not seem to be resting on its laurels at all. After several announcements regarding cryptocurrency exchanges and crypto banks, we now have the announcement coming that ZB.com, the world’s fith-largest cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volume, is setting up shop on the...
Roger Ver, a prominent cryptocurrency investor who has backed some of the largest companies in the global crypto sector such as Blockchain, Zcash, BitPay, and Kraken, recently sent the governor of Jeju Island of South Korea $100 worth of bitcoin cash at a public event. Humorous Kim Yeong-Ran Rule Banter Over the weekend, Ver visited Jeju Island to promote the usage of cryptocurrency and discuss...
Malta continues to be the center of attraction for innovative solutions in the crypto space with yet another announcement that promises to provide a solution for cryptocurrency exchanges to provide fiat withdrawal solutions. This time it will be a partnership between the Berlin-based Neufund company and the Polish cryptocurrency exchange Bitbay who have teamed up together to set up what they are...
It appears that the crypto waters are getting slightly muddy in the ‘Blockchain Island’ of Malta of late. Although just a few days ago, it was announced that a new crypto bank – which claimed to be the world’s first decentralized bank – would begin operations soon, it appears that the Malta Financial Services Authority which is spearheading the implementation of newly approved crypto and...
The blockchain story in Malta continues unabated with yet another announcement in relation to the sector, this time on the charity front. Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by daily trading volume and a marked presence in Malta, has teamed up with the President’s Trust to create the Blockchain Charity Foundation. This foundation which was announced through an MOU signing...
The Malta Financial Services Authority is currently involved in a consultation exercise to ensure that all stakeholders are well informed on what the three blockchain and crypto laws that were passed recently, entail. Reports in the local media have interpreted this situation as a stalling on the MFSA’s part but this is quite a normal procedure according to sources in the industry who spoke to...
Another day, another crypto-forward development in Malta, as it backs its promise to become the world’s ‘blockchain island.’ CCN can exclusively reveal that Neufund, a German-based blockchain protocol for securities tokenization and issuance will be partnering with MSX, an innovation vehicle of the Malta Stock Exchange. MSX is also in partnership with Binance which claims to be...
The Maltese islands continue to be a hotbed for crypto activity. After the enactment of three new crypto and blockchain laws that set the standard for regulation of these spaces, we have now had the launch of the first two-way Bitcoin ATM by the innovative company MoonZebra. It’s situated at the flagship Quicklets offices on Tower Road in Sliema, an iconic location on the island. Moon Zebra is a...
The hype surrounding the little island of Malta where the crypto space is concerned continues to take new turns with the announcement of a token-based bank now on the horizon. One of the main stumbling blocks for the so-called ‘Blockchain Island has been the difficulties encountered by blockchain and crypto companies to gain access to bank accounts. That, however, is about to change, it seems...
The Maltese Islands continue to be among the prime movers in the crypto and blockchain space with new developments occurring almost every day. In fact, Tuesday was another landmark as a company called Palladium claimed to launch what it has called as the world’s first Initial Convertible Coin Offering or (ICCO) platform. In this innovative case, what has been termed as the ‘tokenized convertible...
A new decree signed by the President of Uzbekistan will encourage the integration and development of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in the country. On July 3, Uzbekistan president Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree to advance efforts toward building a digital economy that embraces blockchain technology and the mining, trading, issuance and adoption of cryptocurrencies. The decree...
Malta is making quick progress in establishing itself as the world’s friendliest jurisdiction for cryptocurrency firms. In a press conference today, Malta’s prime minister Joseph Muscat confirmed the parliament will favor and approve three cryptocurrency bills designed to embrace the blockchain sector. The Mediterranean island nation’s prime minister revealed the bills will pass the third and...
The Maltese Parliament yesterday voted unanimously to approve three cryptocurrency and blockchain bills. These bills that are designed to make Malta one of the most important and desirable locations in the blockchain space should now facilitate the setting up of further companies in this sector. In a tweet shortly after the vote, Parliamentary Secretary for Digital Innovation Silvio Schembri said...
The Maltese Parliament will be passing the three cryptocurrency and blockchain bills through their second reading later on today, CCN can exclusively reveal. This important development was announced by Parliamentary Secretary for Digital Innovation Silvio Schembri in his opening speech at the Malta Institute of Management Cryptocurrency Considerations for Management Conference. These bills are...
Malta continues to move ahead in the crypto space with cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance now confirming that it will be supporting the country’s Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) in an innovative blockchain and crypto-related project. The MSE recently announced that Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is backing its newly launched program to support fintech and crypto start...
Earlier this month, Binance, one of the most widely utilized multi-billion dollar cryptocurrency trading platforms alongside the likes of Coinbase and Bitfinex, has established a bank account in Malta. Malta’s Pro-Blockchain Legislation As a part of the European Union (EU), Malta is a country with a strong financial industry and economy which contribute to the global financial structure...
Poland’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, BitBay, is moving on to greener pastures. The company announced the suspension of its operations in Poland, where banks have been less than cooperative. BitBay is headed to the island country of Malta, which has given itself the nickname of Blockchain Island. BitBay is leaving the city of Katowice where it was founded in 2014 to bring cryptocurrency...
Another major cryptocurrency exchange is about to set up shop in Malta, cementing the small Mediterranean island nation’s status as a burgeoning hub for cryptocurrency startups. OKEx, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange as measured by daily trading volume, on Thursday announced that it will open an office in Malta and make it a “foundation for further OKEx growth.” “Malta’s Virtual...
This week, Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange with a $1.7 billion daily trading volume, has relocated its headquarters to Malta, a region that has always been friendly to cryptocurrency businesses and investors. Along with its current team, Binance has moved its resources over to Malta, and has decided to employ more than 200 full-time employees to fully establish the company in...
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has received a formal warning from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) for operating in the country without registering with the regulatory agency as a cryptocurrency trading platform. In a letter dated March 23 and addressed to Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, the FSA warned the exchange operator to cease operating in Japan without a license. The company had said...
Malta has received its first bitcoin ATM as the Maltese government unveils plans to make it the first country to embrace the blockchain. According to a report from the Malta Chamber, the bitcoin ATM is located in the town of Sliema where it is operated by Venture Trading. Services include the option of converting bitcoin to euro. Introduced by local startup Ivaja, through a crowdfunding campaign...
Malta’s government is reportedly developing a broad national strategy that will see the government embrace bitcoin and blockchain innovation to promote and adopt the technology. According to a report by Malta Today, the island nation’s Cabinet has approved the first draft of a national strategy to promote blockchain. The revelation was made by Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, speaking at an...
The Malta Stock Exchange has announced that it has created a Blockchain Committee to formulate a strategy geared towards addressing the blockchain technology. The committee, which will consist of members of the Exchange’s Board, chairman and chief executive, and outside experts, will be chaired by Dr. Abdalla Kablan, a Malta Stock Exchange Director, an entrepreneur and academic specializing in...
The Gaming Industry is keen to embrace technological advances, says the executive chairperson of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Joseph Cuschieri. However, there should be flexible regulatory frameworks that would innovate the industry to take advantage of the full developments that should also minimize risks to consumers. One area the structures would be considered is the use of...