Summary:
- Nasdaq to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum indices data
- Top Japanese bank to launch blockchain-powered payment network next year
- Most of top cryptocurrencies trade flat
A majority of top cryptocurrencies has begun Thursday trading with no clearer direction. According to CoinMarketCap, the capitalization of the whole market stands around the $121 billion handle whereas the largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin accounts for roughly 52.7% of this value.
Bitcoin (BITCOIN on xStation5) has not experienced any major price moves since the midnight. The cryptocurrency has been trading quite flat in recent days, and it is moving a little above the $3550 handle at press time. Source: xStation5.
Nasdaq to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum indices data
Nasdaq, the US-based top stock exchange, announced on Monday that it would add the Bitcoin and Ethereum indices to its Global Index Data ServiceSM. The Bitcoin Liquid Index (BLX) and Ethereum Liquid Index (ELX) were created by the Brave New Coin which is the NZ-based blockchain and crypto data and research company. Nasdaq said that it would start offering such data on February 25, 2019. The mentioned indices will deliver “a real-time spot or reference rate for the price of 1 BTC and 1 ETH respectively, quoted in USD, and based on the most liquid ends of their markets”, as Nasdaq wrote.
Ethereum (ETHEREUM on xStation5), like its bigger peer Bitcoin, has been trading rather flat thus far today. Let us note that Ethereum price has been moving around its 50-period moving average (a light green line) on a daily chart recently. Source: xStation5.
The largest Japanese bank to launch blockchain payment network in 2020
The Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), which is the largest Japanese bank and one of the largest banks all around the world by assets, announced on Tuesday that it would launch a payment network based on blockchain by the first half of 2020. The Japanese banking giant has created a joint venture with the American company Akamai Technologies to provide such services. The new company, which will allow to provide blockchain-based payment network, will be called Global Open Network, and the system will be able to process over million transactions per second, according to the MUFG’s announcement.
Ripple (RIPPLE on xStation5) has not produced any major changes during Thursday trading so far. The third largest cryptocurrency is trading a notch below the $0.30 mark at press time. Source: xStation5.
