Crypto and Blockchain News | Adrealm
November 29 — December 6, 2018
Dear Adrealm Community,
Punctual as always, herewith our weekly mishmash of news that is blighting or brightening up the advertising industry as well as the cryp’chain space.
Our weekly picks contain several items from Europe, regarding the business and technological development of blockchain “solutions,” as well as the emergence and evolution of the European legal framework for blockchain tech and the advertising ecosystem. (As for how eco the system is at the moment, we have our doubts.)
The two topics are obviously related.
While blockchain technology is presented as the (still imperfect) bulwark of data privacy, the advertising industry — or better said, its stakeholders — very often clash with personal data protection safeguards.
In fact, last week we mentioned the controversial support and priority given by the US Federal Trade Commission to the interests of advertisers. Their position on the sometimes blurred line between privacy and surveillance is also noteworthy. Indeed, this is one of the main killer-factors of the sentimental relationship between governments and blockchains.
We sprinkle also some hocus-pocus vis a vis efforts to plug blockchains privacy gaps, as well as bridge the legal gap between the IAB and the GDPR.
L.
World Wide Hot Spots
ON THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY
French data authority CNIL vs. the IAB
From Marketing Land
Mammon, now in two flavours
The CNIL (La Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés) recently ruled against a small ad-tech firm for not complying with regulations apropos of personal data obtained without consent.
The decision may be problematic for the AIB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) since the legal framework of the latter seems to have “coordination loopholes” with the GDPR (Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation). According to Article 7 of the GDPR, “you cannot pass consent to another controller through a contractual relationship.”
This is not provided for by the TCF.
Changing ROI in digital advertising
From Martechadvisor
Big flippers
The President of Unicorn Innovations, Max Finn, offers some insights into the best digital advertising strategy. According to Mr Finn, the acquisition- or retention-oriented strategy should be articulated according to the company’s numbers. The most important KPI for the most successful brands is their CLV (customer lifetime value) — thanks to their (unicorn’s) with solid financial resources, of course.
Digital advertising fees in Europe?
From VentureBeat
Fee, fi, fo, fum
France and Germany have proposed the introduction of a 3% fee on digital ads, after their respective attempts to compel ad-tech giants to pay fees failed. If no tax on income is possible, the two most influential countries in Europe are trying to impose alternative fees on advertising sales. If the regulation passes, it will be enforced in 2021.
Read the proposal here.
A partnership for music ads: Deezer and Triton Digital
From Business Wire
Digital records don’t skip
In an effort to improve advertising quality for its non-paying users, Deezer, a music streaming catalogue, has partnered up with Triton Digital, a major service provider in the audio industry. The Deezer app contains non-skippable and unique audio ads. Deezer has also decided to embrace programmatic advertising to improve the advertising experience both for users and advertisers-publishers.
Rewarded video ads: A change in the nature of mobile advertising
From Emarketer
High-diggers
We tried to convince you last week — as well as in our AMA video — that the mobile advertising industry is the proverbial goose that lay golden eggs. With the advent of rewarded video ads, this statement increases in value and companies are accordingly investing considerable amounts of money in video ads (+ 61.5% in the first two quarters of 2018).
A reward for what? Your attention.
What kind of reward? Extra in-app coins, uninterrupted entertainment, or even a coupon.
In other words, time is money; but it’s the consumer who’s being compensated.
Still, the questions pile-up:
How much are 30 seconds of imposition worth?
How are our perceptions of time likely to change?
Is such a monetary reward actually adding value to our time, or cheapening our valuation of time?
Being and Time, Ads and Time, Being and Ads: Where are we heading to?
An infographic to induce you to invest in digital advertising
From PR Daily
98% of China’s Internet users are mobile fast-fingers, and the trend towards mobile internet penetration is skyrocketing. The infographic by PR Daily offers some pretty persuading facts on the potential of the mobile industry.
More:
Mobile Marketing and Ad-sizing in India: Report by the Mobile Marketing Association and GroupM
Skyrocketing video-ad spend in China
Australia trespassed the 2 billion benchmark in mobile ad revenues
ON CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN COMPANIES
Blockchain for Europe thanks to Ripple and NEM
From CCN
The same Ripple that is undergoing a lawsuit (read here), and the same New Economic Movement (NEM) that recently founded a Blockchain hub in Melbourne (read here), have cofounded the “Blockchain for Europe” lobbying group in partnership with Fetch.AI and EMURGO.
The goal? To support the EU regulators in their effort to comprehend, embrace, and cleverly accommodate blockchain technology, and fit it in the European and global agenda.
Last week we introduced the spotlights on blockchain by the European Law Institute, whose biggest challenge may be the one of integrating blockchain technology into its legal framework, which was designed before the digitalization of our lives, minds, and systems.
They now seem to have found some private friends who share some stakes in the game.
First blockchain phone for 999 USD by Sirin Labs to be available starting December 2018
From Coindesk
After an ICO that raised 157 million USD, SIRIN LABS launched its blockchain smartphone, Finney, to be shipped to customers starting next December.
Mr Finney’s key features had been already disclosed prior to this announcement, such as its cold storage wallet physically separated from the main hardware and the AI-based cyber-threat detection function.
The icing on the cake: it supports the direct exchange of specific cryptos — Ethereum, Bitcoin, SRN — without the need for a centralized exchange platform.
It’s a ledger, a computer, a wallet software, as well as an exchange all in one.
And Lionel Messi likes it a lot.
When Harry Potter meets cryptocurrencies (and it’s not a trick to make them disappear)
From CryptoNinjas
@Mimblewimble is a privacy-preserving protocol that aims to solve the privacy and scalability problems that are not still fully ensured by blockchain technology. The company’s founder — aka “entrepreneurial Voldemort” — wants to address the issue that is still plaguing even some of the most locked blockchains circulating in the block-market, such as Zcash and Monero Gold.
Will the wily wizard succeed in his attempt?
“The Privacy Issue” of a not-fully-ripe technology is addressed by many, but will authorities allow it?
And can it be directly proportional to the level of trust among its participants?
More:
Huawei blockchain-powered cloud solution
ON GOVERNMENTS, CRYPTO, AND BLOCKCHAIN
US Crypto Regulations
From Coindesk
How will the US adjust its laws in terms of crypto regulations?
Jay Clayton, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, gave some hints at CoinDesk’s Consensus: Invest event on November 27 in Manhattan. Coindesk published the six key takeaways from his speech about the stance of the US government in regard to cryptocurrencies, ICOs, and crypto trade.
7 South European States signed the Declaration to Promote Blockchain Use
From Financial Times
France, Italy, Spain, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal — the Mediterranean Seven — signed an agreement in Brussels to boost the adoption of blockchain technology by these governments. Their hope is to invigorate the economy of Southern Europe.
Malta is regarded as the “Blockchain island,” and it seems to agree with the position taken by several governments of supporting blockchain and despising cryptos.
Caesar thumbs up, Caesar thumbs down. Oh, what the hell. Just seize ‘er.
More:
Malta to use Stablecoins for business boost
Belarus high tech park to introduce Blockchain and Crypto Regulation
Bank of Ghana to support blockchain development
We hope you enjoyed the selected topics!
À bientôt!
The Adrealm Think Tank AEIOU: Cryptos creating harmony: Cryptocurrencies as Ideal Money vs USD or CNY and Democratic Radicalism vs Libera Radicalism
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