Note: I wrote "embracing crypto currencies", I meant "Distributed Ledger Technology"

Just like many getting familiar with crypto-currencies, I went down the rabbit hole for some time. It was so much to take in. Weeks after weeks, spending many hours every day researching the field. Trying to grasp what it all meant.

Even if you like the tech, who else can give more credit than banks? national banks? governements? even better: the IMF and the World Bank.

So I went down the rabbit hole and searched for answers. Here are some of the links I found:

Banks

http://blockchaingers.org/posts/worldbank-procurement-call-for-distributed-ledger - Worldbank procurement call for distributed ledger technology or blockchain services

http://fortune.com/2017/10/02/bitcoin-ethereum-cryptocurrency-imf-christine-lagarde - IMF Head: Cryptocurrency Could Be the Future. Really.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-banks-blockchain-r3-exclusive/exclusive-blockchain-platform-developed-by-banks-to-be-open-source-idUKKCN12K17E - A distributed database technology company called R3 leads a consortium of more than 70 of the world's biggest financial institutions in research and development of blockchain database usage in the financial system

http://entethalliance.org/members - some members of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance: BP, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, UBS, BBVA, ING, Santander, Accenture, Intel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Scotiabank, Deloitte, and so on

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cme-group-bitcoin/cme-to-launch-bitcoin-futures-in-push-for-currencys-wide-adoption-idUSKBN1D01UG - CME group launch Bitcoin futures

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-05/tokyo-financial-exchange-takes-first-step-toward-bitcoin-futures - Tokyo Financial Exchange launches Bitcoin Futures

http://blockapps.net - "BlockApps is the easiest way to build Ethereum apps for any platform or device”. BlockApps is the leading provider of Ethereum blockchain development solutions. Displaying in their customers: Banco do Brasil, Microsoft, Fidor Bank, RedHat and John Hancock

http://themerkle.com/accenture-and-bnp-paribas-actively-experiment-with-nxt-blockchain-technology - Accenture and BNP Paribas Experiment with Nxt Blockchain Technology

http://coindesk.com/new-banks-join-ubs-backed-blockchain-trade-finance-platform - New Banks Join UBS-Backed Blockchain Trade Finance Platform

http://coindesk.com/project-jasper-lessons-bank-of-canada-blockchain-project - Project Jasper: Lessons From Bank of Canada's First Blockchain Project

http://coindesk.com/jpmorgan-ethereum-blockchain-quorum - JP Morgan developing a private blockchain

http://businessinsider.de/blockchain-ripple-series-b-standard-chartered-accenture-scb-digital-ventures-2016-9 - Ripple raises $55 million through Standard Chartered, Accenture, and SCB Digital Ventures

http://cointelegraph.com/news/how-do-we-best-implement-blockchain-deloitte-approach - deloitte and the blockchain

http://ripple.com/insights/santander-becomes-first-uk-bank-use-ripple-cross-border-payments Santander Becomes the First U.K. Bank to Use Ripple for Cross-Border Payments

http://ripple.com/customer-case-study/reisebank - ReiseBank uses Ripple to make international payments faster and more convenient for travelers visiting Germany

http://ripple.com/customer-case-study/sbi-remit - Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), SBI and Ripple launch first blockchain-powered payment service between Japan and Thailand

http://barclayscorporate.com/content/dam/corppublic/corporate/Documents/insight/blockchain_understanding_the_potential.pdf - Barclays - Blockchain: understanding the potential

http://bbvaresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/150710_US_EW_BlockchainTechnology.pdf - BBVA - Blockchain Technology: The Ultimate Disruption in the Financial System

http://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/tech-trends/2016/blockchain-applications-and-trust-in-a-global-economy.html - Deloitte - Blockchain: Democratized trust

http://finextra.com/finextra-downloads/newsdocs/document-1063851711.pdf - Credit Suisse - Blockchain: The Trust Disrupter

http://scribd.com/doc/313839001/Profiles-in-Innovation-May-24-2016-1?referrer=clickid%3dwvu3mK2N9X1Ew4mxNdWhfzRQUkSXB6xyX10wT80&campaign=4417&partner=10079&ad_group=Online+Tracking+Link&source=impactradius&irgwc=1 - Goldmann Sachs - Blockchain: Putting Theory into Practice

http://fortune.com/2017/03/20/bitcoin-gdax-margins - GDAX exchange backed by the New York Stock Exchange & venture capitalists like Andreesen Horowitz

http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/20/coinbase-confirms-75m-raise-from-dfj-nyse-strategic-banking-partners - GDAX exchange back by Former Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandi, former Thomson Reuters CEO Tom Glocer, New York Stock Exchange, United Services Automobile Association, Andreesen Horowitz VC, Union Square Ventures, and Ribbit Capital

http://nasdaq.com/article/nasdaq-and-citi-announce-pioneering-blockchain-and-global-banking-integration-cm792544 - Nasdaq and Citi Announce Pioneering Blockchain and Global Banking Integration

http://techcrunch.com/2017/09/28/fidelity-ceo-abigail-johnson-says-the-company-is-mining-cryptocurrencies - Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson says the company is mining cryptocurrencies

http://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-21/bitcoin-mania-hits-main-street-as-client-calls-bombard-advisers - Wealth managers are being inundated with calls about bitcoin

Governments

http://businessinsider.de/bitcoin-price-spikes-as-japan-recognizes-it-as-a-legal-payment-method-2017-4 - April 2017 - Bitcoin spikes after Japan says it's a legal payment method

http://reuters.com/article/us-russia-bitcoin/russia-to-regulate-bitcoin-market-finance-minister-idUSKCN1BJ1WB

http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/25/coinbase-us-bitcoin-exchange - GDAX first regulated crypto exchange in the US

http://medium.com/singulardtv/5-governments-that-actually-support-blockchain-innovation-d4b3c1e27119 - 5 governments supporting blockchain

http://cointelegraph.com/news/suddenly-vladimir-putin-meets-vitalik-buterin-endorses-ethereum - Putin Meets Vitalik Buterin, Endorses Ethereum

http://bangkokpost.com/tech/local-news/1189341/thailand-prepares-for-blockchain - Thailand prepares for blockchain

http://coindesk.com/south-korean-regulator-issues-ico-ban - South Korean Regulator Issues ICO Ban

http://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/919247873648283653 - Julian Assange “My deepest thanks to the US government, Senator McCain and Senator Lieberman for pushing Visa, MasterCard, Payal, AmEx, Mooneybookers, et al, into erecting an illegal banking blockade against @WikiLeaks starting in 2010. It caused us to invest in Bitcoin -- with > 50000% return."

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/business/technology/76459/malta_set_for_revolutionary_national_blockchain_strategy_#.WhNagkEVSEe - Malta embraces crypto currencies

Governments: Switzerland

Switzerland has decided to dive head first into the crypto currencies world. It has created "the crypto valley", an area near Zurich promoting itself as a very "crypto friendly", trying to attract as many projects as possible. Ethereum and dozen of other projects are now based there.

http://cryptovalley.swiss
http://coindesk.com/blockchain-innovation-switzerland-crypto-valley-new-york - Switzerland Crypto Valley
http://news.bitcoin.com/bitcoin-companies-legally-operate-switzerland - low regulations on crypto companies in Switzerland