Articles by Olga Kharif

Walmart Ready to Mandate Blockchain for Certain Food Suppliers

After several years of tests, Walmart Inc. is ready to mandate use of blockchain technology by a swath of its U.S. suppliers, marking one of its biggest commercial uses. Starting in September 2019, Walmart and its Sam’s Club division will …

Interest in Crypto Insurance Grows, Despite High Premiums, Broad Exclusions

In the staid and buttoned-up world of insurance underwriting, few want to talk about it. You won’t find many ads promoting it or details on company websites offering it. But according to industry insiders, there’s a hot new business that …

What’s Next for Major Blockchain Firm R3? IPO or Sale?

R3, a blockchain-software company that works with more than 200 heavyweights such as Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., US Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Co., is considering going public, according to people familiar with the matter. The company is speaking with …

Custody Protection, Regulation, Insurance Seen Paving Way for Shift to Cryptocurrencies

Hedge fund manager Kyle Samani embraces his job making multimillion-dollar bets on the wild market for cryptocurrencies, but he’s long contended with a headache: Ensuring his holdings aren’t stolen. Samani, a managing partner at Multicoin Capital, hopes to offload that …

Previous Telecom Efforts Flopped But Google, Apple See Future for Telemedicine

Google and Apple Inc. have some bright ideas about the future of health care. Not so long ago, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. had similar ideas: a networked world of devices and services that would revolutionize how medicine is …

Shopping, Banking from Car Dashboards Opens Door to Identity Theft

Hackers can already take control of a car. And as vehicles become rolling shopping malls, cybercriminals will have an opportunity to snatch your identity, too. Eager for a cut of drivers’ purchases of fast food, gas and more, automakers have …