Thinking of creating a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace? You're not alone. Global NFT transactions have risen from $40.96 million in 2018 to around $25 billion in 2021. Organizations from the NBA to Taco Bell have begun implementing NFT strategies. As blockchain-native artifacts, NFTs' immutability, digital scarcity, and transferability have catalyzed growing interest among consumers and businesses alike, inspiring companies of all sizes to explore potential use-cases ranging from standalone art pieces, to NFTs tied to physical products, to NFTs...

In November 2021 alone, 4.5 million people in the US either quit or changed jobs, continuing a trend of pandemic-related shifts in the labour market. Welcome to the Great Resignation. The November figures are the highest ever recorded since the US Labor Department began tracking these numbers more than 20 years ago. So, why are so many people quitting? Economists and labour experts point to several reasons, including a tighter labour market, low-paid workers looking for better opportunities, employees looking for...

The Russian military’s recent invasion of Ukraine, and the related sanctions against Russia have many companies asking:  how does this chaos impact our workforces in those countries?  This broad question is answered below, with the caveat that these answers are subject to change, given the very fluid nature of the situation. Background As fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues, the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and a host of other jurisdictions have imposed sanctions against certain Russian corporate entities...

Starting in January 2022, several EU Data Protection Authorities, as well as the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), have decided or at least indicated that the use of Google Analytics would not be compatible with GDPR, in particular its provisions on personal data transfers from the European Economic Area (EEA) to the US, as interpreted following the Schrems II decision of the EU Court of Justice (CJEU). Today, Google Analytics is still the most widespread website analytics and advertising tool...

The European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed the Guarantee Agreement on a European Union budget guarantee of €19.65 billion to support investment projects across Europe Investments under the InvestEU programme will focus on four policy areas: sustainable infrastructure; research, innovation and digitisation; small and medium-sized businesses; and social investment and skills. The European Commission and the EIB also signed the InvestEU Advisory Hub agreement which will provide up to...

In this week’s Roar, we’re covering Ukraine and the fall out for supply chains, stress pushing air cargo rates up, more bad news for fuel, President Biden pledging to take on foreign ocean carriers, and a renewed case for blockchain in the supply chain. The list of disruptions that have resulted from the conflict in Ukraine spans borders and modes, and is growing. Carriers are shutting down operations in Ukraine until further notice, including DHL, A.P. Moller-Maersk, FedEx, and UPS. ...

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to intensify, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians fleeing westward to the EU’s eastern borders are being welcomed in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. From there, the refugees are being distributed across European continent. And in a sign of strong EU action on managing the massive refugee stream, Interior Ministers signed off on the Temporary Protection Directive on Thursday evening, giving Ukrainians the right to live and work in the European Union for...

CIOs are making these considerations to create alliances with a subset of strategic suppliers. Questions to ask: As you plan for your industry’s transformation (or future challenges), what capabilities do you or your clients lack? Where are your potential partners headed, and at what levels are they investing in new technologies? When will you be ready to migrate into that next level of trust relationship? During times of change, those who are able to establish trusted relationships often emerge stronger, better...