Blockchain

If the Federal Reserve and other central banks began issuing their own digital currencies, they could benefit consumers, boost the economy and fight financial crime. But not without risks to cybersecurity, individual privacy — and possibly bank profits.

Companies that fail to understand blockchain and distributed ledger technologies risk making expensive missteps.

You may not know it by looking at bitcoin’s recent price surge, but the infrastructure underpinning the world’s most popular virtual currency is teetering.

The question is more than academic. At stake is the role blockchain technology can play in lowering the costs of raising money.

San Francisco-based Align Commerce, which leverages blockchain and other technologies to enable cross-border payments for small- to midsize businesses, has rebranded itself as Veem and landed $24 million in funding to expand its operations.

A previously unreleased paper lays out the pros and cons for banks of technologies designed to restore confidentiality on shared ledgers.

Chinese financial-technology investments this year may exceed 2016’s record $10 billion as companies continue to raise funds for expansion and big banks grow their digital services, according to Accenture Plc.

Banks have signaled bullishness for blockchain tech. But some say ignorance is leading to ill-informed choices.

Bank blockchain leaders say the technology is solid and privacy's been solved mostly. They’re focused now on integration, collaboration and saving money.

The Canadian bank completed a months-long trial of technology developed by AlphaPoint, the tech startup said.