Ethiopian Airlines Group has partnered with Loyyal to leverage the latter’s blockchain infrastructure for its customer loyalty program. The partnership, which is earmarked for Ethiopian Airlines’ Shebamiles members, enables them to earn rewards daily, driving further engagement and loyalty. Three-Way Partnership One of the leading African airlines, Ethiopian Airlines Group, has appointed blockchain-based loyalty rewards […]
Bitcoin News
DTCC Smart NAV Pilot Utilizes Chainlink for Blockchain-Based Mutual Fund Data
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has announced the successful completion of its Smart NAV pilot, leveraging Chainlink’s technology to enhance its Mutual Fund Profile Service I (MFPS I). The initiative aims to bring trusted data to blockchain ecosystems, facilitating more efficient data dissemination and consumption. Chainlink Boosts DTCC’s Smart NAV Pilot DTCC’s Smart […]
Bitcoin News
Deutsche Bank Explores Blockchain-Based Asset Tokenization
Deutsche Bank has announced its collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Project Guardian, a multi-year initiative aimed at exploring the potential of asset tokenization in regulated financial markets. The banking giant will test an open architecture and interoperable blockchain platform for servicing tokenized and digital funds. This move signifies Deutsche Bank’s commitment to leading […]
Bitcoin News
Nigerian Blockchain-Based Payment Startup, Ivorypay, Partners With Stablecoin Issuer, Tether
A Nigerian startup specializing in blockchain-based payments and remittances has entered into a partnership arrangement with the stablecoin issuer Tether. The arrangement is expected to extend the benefits of stable digital transactions to a larger number of consumers and businesses across the African continent. Ivorypay, Tether Partnership Aims to Boost User Confidence Ivorypay, a Nigerian […]
Bitcoin News
Kremlin Reveals Plans to Create a “Politics-Free” BRICS Blockchain-Based Payments System
Yury Ushakov, an aide of Russian president Vladimir Putin, revealed plans to create a digital blockchain payment system for the BRICS bloc. Ushakov remarked that the countries of the group would benefit from implementing such a system for the use of governments, common people, and businesses, stating that it would be convenient, cost-effective, and “free […]
Bitcoin News
Blockchain-Based Loyalty Rewards Foster Brand-Customer Connection, Accelerate Web3 Adoption — Gennady Volchek
Universal loyalty programs can serve as potent tools, not only forging a direct link between a brand and its consumers but also influencing the latter’s shopping behaviour, Gennady Volchek, the CEO of the loyalty rewards app Shping, has said. However, by harnessing the power of blockchain and cryptocurrency, these loyalty programs empower brands to connect […]
Bitcoin News
Blockchain-Based Ride Apps Could Restore Confidence in Ride-Hailing Industry, Says Firdosh Sheikh
According to Firdosh Sheikh, the co-founder and CEO of DRIFE, blockchain-based ride-hailing platforms could disrupt and revolutionize the industry, much like Uber and Lyft did to the traditional taxi industry over the past decade. To support this argument, Sheikh, whose ride-hailing platform is already taking on Uber in markets like India, pointed to how the […]
Bitcoin News
Buenos Aires to Bring Blockchain-Based Digital ID to Millions of Citizens
The city of Buenos Aires has announced that it will roll out a blockchain-based, privacy-focused digital ID wallet starting in October. The Quarkid project, previously known as Tangoid, will allow its users to download a “self-sovereign” wallet to hold their birth and marriage certificates, with more digital documents to be added later this year.
Buenos Aires to Roll Out Blockchain-Based ID Program
The City of Buenos Aires government announced the deployment of a digital, blockchain-based “self-sovereign” ID project for its citizens. The wallet, called Quarkid, formerly known as Tangoid and scheduled to be operating by last January, will supposedly allow its users to exert full ownership of their data, granting only trusted and permissioned third parties access.
The Quarkid wallet will use Zksync Era, a zero-knowledge (ZK) Ethereum L2 (Layer 2) protocol, as its base, allowing the use of this kind of mathematical proof for privacy and confidentiality purposes. Quarkid was co-created by Extrimian, an Argentine institutionally focused blockchain services company, which aims to extend this service to the whole country.
On the significance of this move, Extrimian CEO Guillermo Villanueva stated:
This is a monumental step towards a safer and more efficient future for government services in Latin America. Quarkid creates a closer relationship between a government and its citizens while also bringing digital identity practices and security standards to Latin America.
Document Availability and Future
The first phase of the rollout of Quarkid will start in October, with the government of Buenos Aires allowing citizens to claim basic documents, including birth and marriage certificates. However, later this year, in November, citizens of Buenos Aires will be able to claim documents like proof-of-income and academic verification using their Quarkid wallets. At the end of this year, the government will design a roadmap to expand its services to more than 2.5 million citizens.
Diego Fernandez, Secretary of Innovation of Buenos Aires and one of the supporters behind the idea of digital identity, explained that with this innovation, the city would “set the standard for how other countries in the region should use blockchain technology for the benefit of their people.”
Furthermore, Quarkid hopes to extend its implementation to all 45 million citizens in Argentina eventually. From there, it aims to use this experience as a launchpad for a potential collaboration with the market in Latin America.
What do you think about Quarkid and the adoption of digital identity in Buenos Aires? Tell us in the comments section below.
Tackling the Ticket Scalping Scourge With Blockchain-Based Solutions a ‘No-Brainer’ Says Mohammed El Kandri
According to Mohammed El Kandri, event organizers battling the ticket scalping problem have a greater chance of overcoming this challenge if they deploy a blockchain-based ticketing solution. A blockchain-based solution allows event organizers to issue digital tickets that are “tamper-proof and traceable.”
Growing Dissatisfaction With the Way Tickets Are Distributed
Blockchain is a technology with the potential to turn the tide against ticket-scalping syndicates, Mohammed El Kandri, the founder of the blockchain startup Ir4lab, has said. Since transparency and traceability are some of the key attributes of blockchain, using this tech to tackle the ticket scalping scourge is a “no-brainer,” El Kandri added.
El Kandri and others’ call on event organizers to adopt blockchain-based solutions is coming at a time when fan dissatisfaction with the way tickets to events like music concerts or football matches are distributed is on the rise. Some event goers accuse shadowy groups of deliberately starving the primary market where tickets are sold at official prices.
According to critics of the current ticketing system, this situation often results in some concertgoers paying up to ten times more than the official price to get a ticket to an event. To back these claims, a 2020 report by Technavio estimated the value of the global ticket secondary market to be just over billion.
Blockchain Transparency and Traceability
Therefore, to counter this problem, some consumer advocacy groups have called for the passage of so-called anti-scalping laws. El Kandri, however, told Bitcoin.com News that a blockchain-based anti-scalping solution such as that of his startup, Doccerts, has a greater chance of succeeding. He explained:
By using the solution, we have been able to have visibility on the issuance process end to end, allowing everyone on the process to have a line of sight on what’s going on and this [in] real-time in a very transparent way. Blockchain also provides the much-needed security in a digital way without the complexity of paper-based security and verification measures available today.
To prove that a blockchain-based ticket system is what the events industry needs, El Kandri’s startup is set to “enable” its blockchain ticketing solution at an upcoming Web3 summit to be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
In addition to tackling the problem of ticket scalping, a blockchain-based solution allows event organizers to issue digital tickets that are “tamper-proof and traceable,” according to El Kandri. It also enables organizers to keep track of a ticket’s lifecycle from its creation to its redemption.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Opera Launches Blockchain-Based Wallet Enabling Rapid P2P Stablecoin Transfers for African Users
The creator of the Opera Mini web browser recently announced the launch of a blockchain-based wallet which makes it possible for African users to rapidly transfer stablecoins. Integration of the stablecoin wallet into the Opera Mini browser is expected to expose users to decentralized apps (dapps) and projects built on the Celo network.
Rapid P2P Stablecoin Payments
Opera, the global web innovator, recently announced the launch of a blockchain-based wallet built on the Celo blockchain. In a press statement, Opera said the wallet known as Minipay makes it easier and more affordable for people “across Africa to acquire and to send or receive stablecoins.”
The wallet, which is incorporated into the Opera Mini web browser, will initially enable “rapid and seamless P2P [peer-to-peer] stablecoin payments.” According to the press release, the integration of Minipay into the Opera Mini browser will also expose both current and new users of the browser to decentralized apps (dapps) and projects built on the Celo network.
‘Pivotal Moment in the World of Digital Finance’
Commenting on what has been described as a “cutting edge partnership” between Opera and the Celo Foundation, Jørgen Arnesen, the EVP Mobile at Opera, said:
Users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have indicated that there are lingering concerns about high fees, unreliable service uptimes, a lack of transparency around transaction progress, and a lack of access to mobile data. This partnership therefore represents a pivotal moment in the world of digital finance, with the ability to send, receive, and ultimately earn money in a permissionless way.
Hailing the partnership with Opera, Celo Blockchain co-founder Rene Reinsberg said his team is relishing closely collaborating with a company which has a global footprint, local insights, and technical capabilities. Reinsberg also suggested that the integration of the Minipay wallet into the browser could turn out to be “the ‘killer’ use case the Web3 industry has been waiting for.”
Meanwhile, the press statement also revealed that the stablecoin wallet will initially be operational in Nigeria only before expanding to Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and other African countries.
Register your email here to get a weekly update on African news sent to your inbox:
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.