Blockchain

The initiative pushes open and collaborative development of uses cases for the distributed ledger technology in financial services and payments.

Alipay's deal to buy MoneyGram for $880 million may be the centerpiece of its strategy to expand beyond China's borders, but it's not its first move in recent months. The Alibaba payments affiliate has already extended its reach in several other ways.

Chinese's largest online payments company to get a footprint in the U.S.; Believers in blockchain bemoan the lack of global cooperation.

The fleet card provider WEX isn't sure how blockchain can help its business, but it's confident enough in the technology's promise to move forward.

Bank consortium R3 CEV, one of the most well-funded blockchain working groups, has endured criticism for its meticulous process. But if blockchains are most valuable with a network effect, maybe forgoing some agility is worth the long while.

The parent of Alipay is also investigating uses for biometrics and artificial intelligence.

Justin Newton, founder and CEO of Netki, discusses the barriers to commercialization of bitcoin, how his startup is trying to solve the problem, why private blockchains are useful and why public ones will eventually become more valuable.

HSBC has formed an advisory board to guide it on fintech, cybersecurity and IT infrastructure issues.

Host Brett King chats with TheFinanser.Com's Chris Skinner and American Banker's Penny Crosman. Then, Brett reports from the floor of the Computer Electronics Show, where he spoke to Guy Kawasaki, a VC who drives a semi-autonomous Mercedes.

The goal of Deloitte's new blockchain-focused lab in New York is to turn proofs of concepts into real solutions.