As headlines spotlight spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows and institutions revealing their exposure to BTC ETFs, financial service infrastructure providers are quietly integrating blockchain technology into their systems.

According to a recent report from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the firm conducted a pilot program named Smart NAV in collaboration with Chainlink (LINK). This initiative aimed to extend the capabilities of DTCC’s Mutual Fund Profile Service I (MFPS I), the industry standard for transmitting ‘Price and Rate’ data, also known as ‘NAV data.’

DTCC’s Mutual Fund Services business currently operates MFPS I, offering fund companies an automated solution to deliver prices and daily distribution rates to numerous clients for tens of thousands of mutual fund securities. Traditionally, DTCC collects price and rate data from funds/service providers and distributors, then aggregates and disseminates it at regular intervals through its message queue (MQ) and file-based methods.

The Smart NAV Pilot served as a digital extension of the existing MFPS I service, aiming to broaden and complement its current capabilities. DTCC recognized the growing interest in mutual fund tokenization and saw an opportunity for on-chain price and rate data to facilitate new initiatives. Taking a ‘chain-agnostic’ approach, meaning the ability to disseminate NAV data across virtually any blockchain, was crucial for enabling other use cases to build upon Smart NAV’s foundations.

Ten market participants, including major names like American Century Investments, BNY Mellon, and JP Morgan, collaborated with DTCC and Chainlink on the pilot. They evaluated the feasibility and industry value of implementing a distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based price and rate dissemination solution to unlock new benefits and support experimentation in the asset management space.

The pilot results demonstrated that delivering structured data on-chain and establishing standard roles and processes enabled foundational data to be integrated into various on-chain use cases, such as tokenized funds and bulk consumer smart contracts. This capability can fuel future industry exploration and empower numerous downstream use cases, including brokerage portfolio applications.

The simplest application of Smart NAV is to provide trusted, verifiable data on virtually any blockchain network to support its use in business workflows. During the pilot, DTCC acted as both the provider and governor of the on-chain data solution, while Chainlink’s CCIP served as the interoperability layer. The core capability explored is adaptable across a wide range of use cases, potentially enhancing operational efficiency and streamlining processes.

Based on the positive findings, DTCC sees an opportunity to expand the scope of the pilot to explore broader use cases beyond price and rate data dissemination and across more blockchains.

Source: kitco.com

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Presidential candidate Donald Trump recently made a surprising endorsement of crypto, suggesting that he would ease hostility towards cryptocurrencies in the US if re-elected.

Trump stated, “If we’re going to embrace it, we have to let them be,” and urged crypto supporters to vote for him. This marks a significant shift from his previous criticisms of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in 2019, where he labeled them as “not money” due to their volatility and lack of intrinsic value, expressing concerns about their potential use in illegal activities like drug trafficking.

Crypto’s Impact on Voter Preferences
With approximately 20% of American adults reportedly holding crypto, candidates are taking notice. Markus Levin of XYO Network sees embracing crypto and implementing solid regulation as a strategic move in elections and sound policy overall. He believes Trump’s apparent positive stance towards the industry will sway some voters in his favor.

Jonathan Thomas of Blueberry suggests that Trump’s crypto-friendly rhetoric may attract voters who prioritize crypto as a single-issue matter.

Skepticism Surrounding Trump’s Crypto Support
However, not everyone is convinced by Trump’s newfound endorsement of crypto. NFT enthusiast Thorne Melcher views it as “flimsy” and warns against the potential for conservative politics to restrict crypto due to its use in areas such as trans hormone replacement therapy and abortions.

While some may see Trump’s support for crypto as a reason to vote for him, others like Stephanie Vaughan of Veda caution against assuming substantial benefits from this endorsement alone. Vaughan highlights the Biden Administration’s hardline stance on crypto regulation by enforcement, which she believes is unworkable and could push voters towards Trump.

Trump’s Strategy to Attract Crypto Voters
Trump’s pivot from crypto skeptic to NFT enthusiast reflects a strategic move to appeal to voters interested in crypto. Vaughan suggests that many crypto-focused voters may have supported Biden in the last election, but Trump is actively courting them by recognizing the industry’s significance.

By acknowledging crypto’s growing influence on voters, Trump aims to draw support away from Biden, positioning himself as the candidate more aligned with the interests of the crypto community.

Source: cryptonews.com

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droppGroup, a trailblazer in amalgamating blockchain and artificial intelligence, has unveiled droppLink, an innovative service platform poised to potentially revolutionize AI management and development across various blockchains. The architecture of droppLink empowers users with control over data contributions, abstracts computational requirements, and streamlines micropayments.

Stakeholders, dubbed Computational Resource Patrons (CRPs), contribute to the infrastructure costs and share profits from the facilitated AI operations.

As a web3 development firm, droppGroup specializes in deploying patented innovations in AI, machine learning (ML), object recognition, streaming, crypto, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). droppGroup is now advancing multi-modal AI systems with droppLink.

Gurps Rai, co-founder and CEO of droppGroup, explains that droppLink tokenizes each stage in an AI model’s lifecycle across multiple blockchains, such as Solana, Polygon, Ethereum, Base, and Hyperledger Fabric 2.5, ensuring unparalleled data integrity and expediting AI development.

Rai added, “This process upholds data ownership rights while establishing a transparent, immutable usage record via our Proof of Gen and Data Genesis protocols.”

Christopher J. Kelly, co-founder and president of droppGroup, underscores the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of multi-modal AI systems at the convergence of physical and digital realms, introducing cutting-edge solutions to the market.

Scheduled to speak on the monitoring and evaluation panel at the AWS Summit on May 22, Kelly will address topics like data integrity in AI and its alignment with the company’s mission.

With the AI market projected to reach $297 billion by 2027, ethical considerations such as data provenance, intellectual property protection, and fair compensation are paramount.

Accessible through droppPhygital, droppLink leverages multi-chain integration and robust tokenization to bolster data integrity. By melding blockchain technology with artificial intelligence, droppLink establishes an ethical management layer, aiming to reshape the AI landscape by fostering trust, transparency, and innovation.

Source: cryptotimes.io

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