NEW YORK, August 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a report published by Netscribes Inc., the blockchain market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 42.8% and reach USD 13.96 Billion by 2022. The blockchain technology has been increasingly used in the financial sector, healthcare sector, supply chain management, energy, media, retail and informatics. The Banking Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) segment dominates the market as the blockchain technology help secure payments, maintain customer identities and settle cross-border payments. The North American region held the largest shares in the blockchain market and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast years. Victory Square Technologies Inc. (OTC: VSQTF), Seven Stars Cloud Inc. (NASDAQ : SSC ), HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (OTC: HVBTF), Overstock.com Inc. (NASDAQ : OSTK ), Appian Corporation (NASDAQ : APPN )
Recently, the World Bank announced that bond-i, the world's first global blockchain bond, raised USD 110 Million. Arunma Oteh, World Bank Treasurer, said: "I am delighted that this pioneer bond transaction using the distributed ledger technology, bond-i, was extremely well received by investors. We are particularly impressed with the breadth of interest from official institutions, fund managers, government institutions, and banks. We were no doubt successful in moving from concept to reality because these high-quality investors understood the value of leveraging technology for innovation in capital markets."
Victory Square Technologies Inc. (OTCQX: VSQTF) also listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker (CSE: VST). Earlier last week, the Company announced, "A dynamic new technology and promotional partnership between its portfolio company FansUnite Entertainment Inc. ("FansUnite") and the Leicester City Football Club, the 2016 English Premier League Champions.
The partnership will introduce the FansUnite brand to Leicester City FC supporters through targeted promotions and co-branded activations both in and outside the stadium."
"Leicester City FC is a truly special story and a premier global sports brand," said FansUnite CEO, Darius Eghdami. "Not only are The Foxes one of just six clubs to hoist the Premier League Trophy since its inception in 1992, they are at the forefront of innovation, incorporating new technology to help improve player performance and fan engagement."
Eghdami added: 'Partnering with a globally-recognized brand such as Leicester City that shares our commitment to improving conditions for sports fans through the application of new technology was a natural fit and a win-win for both companies.'
FansUnite (http://www.fansunite.com), a blockchain protocol on target to disrupt and revolutionize the sports betting and sports data markets, is pioneering a tamper-proof and transparent global store for sports data. The FansUnite model will have far-reaching implications in a world that is increasingly conscious of data rights and sports integrity. Sports betting, daily fantasy and betting exchanges will be built atop the FansUnite Protocol.
"FansUnite has set their sights on powerfully transforming the entire sports betting and sports data marketplaces with their proprietary blockchain protocol and we couldn't be happier to welcome Leicester City to the Victory Square family," said Shafin Diamond Tejani, CEO of Victory Square. "The global reach and influence of The Foxes will expose FansUnite to millions of sports fans around the world. It serves as a great validation of their continued growth and success."
The FansUnite sports betting protocol will launch before the end of 2018. It will allow operators and government-run wagering sites around the world to offer bettors lower fees and increased payback percentages directly to the waging public.
"We take the saying 'Better for Bettors' seriously," said FansUnite CEO Eghdami. "FansUnite truly is 'Better for Bettors.'"
In addition to the sportsbook offering, the FansUnite Protocol serves as the blockchain-based infrastructure for sports data applications, daily fantasy sports and a variety of other applications reliant on receiving secured sports data. Following their Series A financing of CAD 4.45 Million, FansUnite has been developing the protocol in preparation for their regulatory-compliant token launch later this calendar year."
Seven Stars Cloud Inc. (NASDAQ : SSC ) is a global fintech and asset digitization services company focused on digital asset production and distribution. Recently, the Company announced a ground-breaking, three-year, exclusive USD 24 Billion deal with National Transportation Capacity Co Ltd (NTS) to issue fixed income lease financing-based products, through a global strategic alliance network which operates in a regulatory compliant manner, for large-scale electric bus upgrades, as part of the Chinese government's regulations for all buses to be replaced with electric buses by 2021 (within the next three years). The deal includes lease financing-based fixed income products, through SSC's blockchain ecosystem, to support large-scale upgrading of electric buses within China.
HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (OTC: HVBTF) is a growth-oriented, TSX.V-listed company building a bridge from the blockchain sector to traditional capital markets. HIVE is strategically partnered with Genesis Mining Ltd. to build the next generation of blockchain infrastructure. Recently, the Company announced it will launch 200 Petahashes of cloud-based SHA-256 mining power in September 2018. The Cloud Mining is an amendment to the terms of HIVE's previous December 2017 agreement with Genesis Mining Ltd. to add 200 PHs of SHA-256 capacity in Sweden. Under the revised agreement, 200 PHs will be provided pursuant to a cloud hosting arrangement until delivery of the mining rigs occurs within the next twelve months. The amendment allows for lower operating costs than was previously expected of taking delivery of the miners in Sweden and gives HIVE flexibility to install the future delivery of the mining rigs in an advantageous region, which is anticipated to be in a facility in North America. As previously announced, production is expected to commence on September 30th, 2018.
Overstock.com Inc. (NASDAQ : OSTK ) earlier this month announced that its blockchain-meets-property rights subsidiary, Medici Land Governance, has signed an agreement with the World Bank to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of pilot programs that will create systems to ensure secure land tenure. Recent advances in technology, including increased mobile internet penetration and distributed ledger technology, can secure property rights at scale in ways unimaginable even a decade ago. To unleash this potential, Medici Land Governance will collaborate with the World Bank to conduct national-level pilots that will address both regulatory and technological innovation. The World Bank will also oversee careful evaluation of the pilots to assess their social and economic impacts. Medici Land Governance (MLG) was founded in 2018 and is the 14th portfolio company incubated by Overstock's blockchain technology accelerator Medici Ventures. MLG's mission is to help individuals around the world connect with the global economy by using blockchain and other technologies to help record rightful ownership of property.
Appian Corporation (NASDAQ : APPN ) provides a leading low-code software development platform that enables organizations to rapidly develop powerful and unique applications. The applications created on Appian's platform help companies drive digital transformation and competitive differentiation. Recently, Luxoft Holding Inc., a global IT service provider, announced it has built a blockchain adapter for Appian's rapid application development platform. It is now available exclusively to businesses using Appian's Business Process Management (BPM) tool and will allow its users to integrate a blockchain network into their day-to-day business processes, creating a secure, digital environment that facilitates data sharing. Luxoft built the Adapter on Appian's Platform, as it's used extensively across a variety of industries, from financial services to healthcare, in areas such as providing data management, medical management and clinical trials. The move is part of a push to commercialize Distributed Ledger Technologies and accelerate its deployment in established business processes.