Blockchain limits – Dapps grow up – ETH highs

February 15th, 2017 "Do you know what my favorite renewable fuel is? An ecosystem for innovation." – Thomas Friedman Got this from a friend? SUBSCRIBE HERE Blockchains have limitations. That seems to be the conclusion of the National Securities Depository (NSD), the largest clearing securities depository in Russia, after two years of experimenting with the technology. CoinDesk spoke to the NSD's director of innovation, Artem Duvanov, about the experience. One of his main takeaways, he explained, is that recording data on a blockchain is pointless unless the information has legal value. Another is that blockchains are not yet able to replace intermediaries, and are best used for "non-functional requirements" in a multi-party environment. However, while Artem points out that the privacy problem has yet to be solved, he recognizes that blockchains can play an important role in mitigating operational risks, and highlights the NSD's most compelling use cases.   Read the whole story Tweet Share OUR SPONSOR The World Blockchain Forum, one of the most important events for blockchain in the Middle East and Asia, returns to Dubai at the prestigious Burj Al Arab in 2017. Join us and position yourself to capitalize on this massive investment in the region. The opportunities are enormous for those that understand the potential. Readers save 20% with VIP code WBFCD20. Wait, there's more: Will New Regulations Help or Hurt Bitcoin Startups in the Philippines? *Opinion*: Luis Buenaventura, author and CTO of remittance firm BloomSolutions, gives his take on new regulations aimed at bitcoin businesses that are due to take effect in the Philippines at the end of the month. On balance, in spite of the additional compliance costs, the change is seen as positive in that it will grant legitimacy to virtual currency startups. Read more. Why Blockchain Firms Shouldn't Ignore New EU Cybersecurity Laws *Opinion*: Jacek Czarnecki, a fintech and blockchain attorney, discusses some of the new laws outside industry-specific legislation that are under review in Europe, and how they could impact blockchain businesses. The new data protection laws, for example, could cause conflicts, as could the EU's directive on network security. Read more. Ethereum Dapps are Entering a New Stage The recent wave of applications built on ethereum (dapps) entering alpha and beta in part demonstrates the increasing maturity of the ecosystem, and in part highlights the technical improvements still needed. CoinDesk spoke to the founders of some of the more prominent dapps for their take on the progress thus far and the barriers they've encountered. Read more. Vitalik Buterin Issues Update on Ethereum's 'Metropolis' Upgrade The release date is still unknown, but a new blog post from the ethereum creator offered new details on development efforts and a look at some of the upcoming changes. Read more. Microsoft Teams With KPMG to Launch Blockchain Workspace Network Dubbed "Blockchain Nodes", the physical workspaces (initially in Frankfurt and Singapore, with a future location planned for New York) are intended to serve as innovation hubs for collaborative work on use cases, particularly those focused on finance applications. Read more.   Ethereum IoT Project Wins $100k in Dubai Blockchain Hackathon Project Oaken, a startup building an ethereum-based platform for IoT applications, demoed an app in which a Tesla automatically paid its road toll through a sensor-triggered smart contract. Read more.   China's Bitcoin Traders Are Losing Confidence in Exchange Prices Representatives from some of China's major OTC traders confirmed to CoinDesk that the inability to withdraw bitcoins from the country's leading exchanges means that the price is not reliable. Several are now using the USD rate, in what some describe as an atmosphere of uncertainty. Read more. The Price of Ether Just Hit a New 2017 High The cryptocurrency closed yesterday almost 19% up from its opening price, on increased volume in a relatively illiquid market. Read more. Another Central Bank in Africa is Warning About Onecoin Uganda has joined the list of countries warning its citizens about digital currencies, drawing special attention to Onecoin, a digital currency scheme widely accused of being a scam. Read more.   Go to CoinDesk BTC: $1,009.20 +0.2%  ETH: $12.77 +1.8% @10:00 EST - More price details JOB LISTINGS GENESIS TRADING - Sales Marketing Associate The Sales and Marketing Associate is a sales-support position, responsible for identifying and contacting prospects, with the expectation of bringing revenue-producing clients into Genesis' digital currency business lines. More info. GENESIS TRADING - Research Associate The Research Associate will support the continued growth and expansion of the business, and will proactively assess new market opportunities and products within the digital currency space. More info. Are you looking for talent? Let jacob@coindesk.com know if you're interested in posting job opportunities here. PRESS RELEASES   15, Feb - Press Release: EquiChain - A global capital markets infrastructure platform to drive market efficiency and improve global investor access in emerging and frontier markets 15, Feb - Press Release: Blockchain regtech startup Coinfirm secures VC funding in ongoing seed round to continue growth 13, Feb - Press Release: Whaleclub, the Etrade of Bitcoin, Crosses $1 Billion in Volume Traded How are we doing? Anything you'd like to see here that we're currently missing? Just hit "Reply" and let us know. Copyright © 2017 CoinDesk, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you subscribed for updates on our website. Our mailing address is: CoinDesk 636 Avenue of the Americas New York City, NY 10011 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list