# March 2025
Construction Blockchain Newsletter
Welcome to our March CBC Newsletter! This month's highlights significant blockchain developments globally. Sonic Blockchain progresses with an algorithmic stablecoin promising yields above 23%, despite lingering stability concerns. Paul Atkins, Trump's SEC nominee, pledges favourable crypto regulations to encourage capital formation. The FBI attributes a record $1.5 billion cryptocurrency exchange hack to North Korea. PwC Italy collaborates with SKChain Advisors on a blockchain-based EU digital identity solution. Argentine trust in President Milei declines significantly amid the Libra scandal. Research features include blockchain adoption in smart construction, automated smart contracts, and stealth construction technologies. Notable upcoming events include Paris Blockchain Week.
World & Blockchain
Worldwide
Sonic Blockchain is moving forward with the development of an algorithmic stablecoin that offers potential annual yields exceeding 23%, even as concerns over the stability of such financial instruments persist. The initiative emerges against the backdrop of the 2022 Terra-Luna collapse, which resulted in billions of dollars in losses and a significant shake-up in the cryptocurrency sector.
North America
.Paul Atkins, a former Wall Street regulator whom President Donald Trump has tapped to run the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has pledged Wednesday that regulations under his leadership would benefit the crypto sector and prevent politics from "stifling" capital formation, according to prepared testimony made public by the Senate.
Asia
North Korea behind $1.5bn hack of crypto exchange ByBit, says FBI
North Korea was behind the theft of approximately $1.5bn in virtual assets from a cryptocurrency exchange, the FBI has said, in what is being described as the biggest heist in history. The haul, which reportedly has since lost some of its value, exceeded the previous record sum of $1bn stolen by the dictator Saddam Hussein from Iraq’s central bank before the 2003 war, and underlines the North’s growing expertise in cybercrime.
Europe
PwC Italy, SKChain Advisors to Build Blockchain-Based EU Digital Identity Product
PwC Italy is building a digital identity product for use in the European Union (EU) alongside blockchain consultancy firm SKChain Advisors. The product is being developed on World Mobile Chain, a layer-3 network built on Coinbase's Ethereum layer-2 Base. Blockchain technology underpins self-sovereign identity in that it allows for users' data to be distributed and stored securely, removing the need for centralized identity providers.
South America
Argentine poll suggests 57% don’t trust President Milei after LIBRA scandal
Nearly 58% of Argentinians said they don’t trust President Javier Milei following his involvement in the $4.6 billion Libra crypto scandal, according to a recent poll. “More than a month after the crypto fraud scandal broke out, how much do you trust Milei today?” polling platform Zuban Córdoba asked 1,600 respondents in its recently released March survey, to which 57.6% replied that they disapprove of him, while 36% said Milei still has their trust.
Research & Development Digest
This monthly Research Digest features some notable papers produced or suggested by our academic and industry Members and Partners that we hope will be of interest.
Blockchain & Smart Construction
A. M. Alawag, W. S. Alaloul, B. N. Saleh Al-dhawi, A. O. Baarimah, M. A. Bazel and A. W. Mushtaha,, 2024
Construction, like any other industry, is prone to conflicts. The construction industry has witnessed a rapid transformation driven by advancements in technology, with a particular focus on smart construction projects aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and collaboration. Blockchain technology offers a decentralized method of managing the data and promotes the performance and sustainability of building projects. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of the present status of blockchain research integration has not been undertaken utilizing scientometric analysis. This paper presents a comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis of blockchain technology adoption within the context of intelligent construction projects from 2018 through 2023. A total of 1079 papers were extracted from the Scopus database. The VOSviewer tool was used to visually represent the literature including various countries, scholarly publications, and keywords. Moreover, using an analysis of often-used phrases, three significant study fields associated with blockchain have been identified “Management,” “Project,” and “Building.”. This article contributes to the existing body of knowledge by synthesizing the current state of research on blockchain technology in smart construction projects, offering a holistic view of its applications, and highlighting areas that require further investigation.
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICETSIS61505.2024.10459703
Smart Construction Contract Generation Framework for Improved Decision-Making Processes
Erfan Moayyed and Eva Agapaki, 2024
Infrastructure, which encompasses highways, rails, ports, terminals, energy, and telecommunication systems, is critical to sustaining productivity expansion, living standards, and stability. These projects widely rely on different skills and sources of capital. There is also widespread consensus that infrastructure complexities are often difficult to predict. Managing and controlling all these inputs for balancing different project sides play critical roles in this context. These processes can, however, be automated, and their duration and costs are reduced with emerging technologies, specifically blockchain technology and digital twins for infrastructure projects. Using decentralization in the construction industry can be advantageous for applications that make subjective and transparent decisions on complex and large infrastructure projects. There are currently no systems that can process large amounts of data efficiently while simultaneously taking into account user information to facilitate the development of such technologies. This research focuses on identifying data-driven techniques for automating data extraction from decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO), using volunteers (voters) for assistance.
https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485231.040
Smart Infrastructure and Development in Stealth Construction
Stephen, S.S., Oke, A.E., Aigbavboa, C.O., Akinradewo, O.I., Adetoro, P.E. and Ikuabe, M., 2025
The chapter explored integrating smart construction techniques in achieving stealth construction objectives, emphasising the development of building cross-sections, visibility management, energy transmission optimisation, and countermeasure implementation. It delved into the multifaceted aspects of smart construction towards achieving stealth construction goals, including environmental protection, enhanced construction safety, accelerated construction duration, cost-effectiveness, and aesthetic considerations. Furthermore, the chapter underscores the importance of leveraging innovative approaches and advanced technologies to meet the evolving demands of stealth construction projects and pave the way for sustainable, safe, and aesthetically pleasing built environments.
Events Agenda
The Linux Foundation Member Summit
18-20 March 2025. Napa, California.
An annual gathering for Linux Foundation members that fosters collaboration, innovation, and partnerships among the leading projects and organizations working to drive digital transformation with open source technologies.
Paris Blockchain Week 2025
8–10 April 2025. Paris, France.
Paris Blockchain Week is Europe’s biggest blockchain and digital assets event, covering all aspects of blockchain technology, including NFTs."
2025 European Conference on Computing in Construction
14-17 July 2025. Porto, Portugal.
EC³ is the premier European Conference for information, communication and technological research, innovation and policy for the Construction Sector as a whole in Europe.
Knowledge Upgrade
Is Bitcoin’s future in circular economies or national reserves?
Some Bitcoin advocates say that the cryptocurrency has gotten away from its roots as a payment instrument and has become more akin to digital gold.
What are crypto payment gateways, and how do they work?
Learn about crypto payment gateways, their operation, benefits, and how they compare to traditional payment systems in business transactions.
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