According to a PlanetWatch post on Jan. 23, the current state of air monitoring is unresponsive to today’s needs. Large government stations occur are available in cities and transport hubs. Data might not be released for a whole day.
Yet poor air quality poses dire health issues, especially for children – infant mortality, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and childhood cancers, according to PlanetWatch.
Citing the inadequate weather data collection, an international partnership is testing the world’s first air quality ledger and trying to stem a global crisis.
Air quality as public health crisis
PlanetWatch announced earlier today the battle-testing of air quality monitors linked to research firm Algorand’s blockchain.
“It is currently operating in several Italian cities (fixed installations and mobile ones on trolleys and buses), plus a long-term installation test in the Arctic”, Algorand’s Kati Callaghan told Cointelegraph.
Looking ahead
The goal for the partnership is “a global network of air quality sensors and environmentally-conscious people.” The sensors can be installed in private homes or even carried on one’s person, which allows data to be uploaded in real time.
“The sensors have been thoroughly tested and the data is publically available”, PlanetWatch founder Claudio Parrinello, a former research scientist, told Cointelegraph.
The sensors collect data using Boston-based Algorand’s blockchain, “creating the first global, open, immutable $225 historical air quality repository.” The validated data will then be transcribed onto the blockchain. This database will then be readable to all users. Sensor owners will receive PLANET tokens in exchange for collecting data.
PlanetWatch is reportedly in talks with institutional investors about where the token will function. “Ultimately”, Parrinello said, “streaming air quality data to PlanetWatch will be the main mechanism to get PLANET tokens. Sensing is mining!”
The big question, of course, is whether there will be much interest.
“We’ve been getting a lot of interest already”, Parrinello said. “We might be taking pre-orders.”
Square’s Cash App Is Testing a Stock Trading Feature
Square’s cryptocurrency-friendly payment app Cash App is reportedly testing a new feature allowing customers to buy and sell stocks.
Expanding Cash App
Citing a source familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 12 that the San Francisco-based startup’s employees began testing the new feature in recent weeks. Once released, it will allow Cash App users to make free stock trades.
Square has reportedly not yet determined the exact date of the new option launch.
Cash App and crypto
Square made Bitcoin deposits available on Cash App in late June. At the time, deposits were limited to $10,000 worth of Bitcoin in a seven day period, while transfers could take several hours to be confirmed on the blockchain.
In July, Cash App announced a giveaway of $50,000 worth of BTC following the continued growth of its stock price. At the time, Square’s stock was up about 56% in 2019, having started the year at $57.2 and trading at $81.8 at the time, according to MarketWatch data. Bitcoin, on the other hand, increased its value by about 157% over the same period.
Jack Dorsey and crypto
Also this summer, Square’s founder Jack Dorsey – who is also the creator of social media giant Twitter – was putting together a team dedicated to improving crypto infrastructure in general. Back then, Dorsey commented on the advantages for Square too, saying:
“Just from a business perspective, we don’t look like an Internet company today. An Internet company can launch something and it’s available around the world. Whereas with payments, you have to go to each market and pay attention to regulators. You need a partnership with a local bank. This is a very slow process in any new market.”
