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://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
~~~ embed: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." twitter metadata: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 ~~~
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