Blockchain

Bank of Japan, the country’s central bank, has announced it will launch a proof of concept (PoC) pilot programme for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Blockchain protocol firm, Connext Labs, known for its pioneering work in Web3 interoperability, has successfully raised $7.5m in a strategic funding round. This brings the company's overall valuation to a whopping $250m, reinforcing its position in the FinTech industry.

Danish blockchain payments service provider Coinify has landed $4m in a Series A round. The investment comes from Sweden’s SEB Venture Capital and SEED Capital Denmark.

Paris-based network solutions provider Stratumn has received €7m in its Series A funding round.

Blockstream has formed a new partnership with Japan-based Digital Garage, alongside an injection of capital.

Singapore-based Bluzelle has closed a $1m investment round from Chinese blockchain platform NEO Global Capital.

Skale Labs, a developer of decentralised applications, has scored $9.65m in a funding round led by Multicoin Capital.

New research from investment platform Outlier Ventures reveals that 3,738 new blockchain enterprises have seen capital injections of $23.7bn since 2013.

The top UK financial services watchdog is putting the screws on cryptocurrency companies and has increased the number of businesses under investigation by 74% in the past year.

Blockchain-powered payments platform Paystand has scored $20m in its Series B round which will help it expand its team.