Will blockchain replace banks? Well, actually, the European Commission has just joined five European banks in a new Blockchain App association that aims to lead the blockchain sphere, including banks. So, the question is not why blockchain is the future, but when. The new association will start next year, and BBVA and Santander are two out of the five participants. The initiative came from the recent EU blockchain roundtable called “Bringing industries together for Europe to lead in blockchain technologies," held in Brussels, Belgium, the last November 20. Now it is becoming the IATBA, a European platform to promote the use of blockchain. According to the press release published by the BBVA, "the purpose of this publicly-sponsored initiative is to garner support from private blockchain and DLT experts to contribute to outline the EU’s strategy regarding these technologies." The bank also stated that "the European Union does not want to miss the blockchain train". Joint venture, private plus public sector The platform will be developed by representatives from the private sector, governments and public bodies to "foster" innovation and promote the possibilities that the Blockchain offers. In the European Commission website, the venture affirms that "Europe's leadership in the development and uptake of this new technology requires close cooperation between the public and private sectors." Previously, the European Commission created the European Blockchain Partnership, which has 27 countries involved by the moment. The objective of the partnership "is to develop a trusted, secure and resilient European Blockchain Services Infrastructure meeting the highest standards in terms of privacy, cybersecurity, interoperability and energy efficiency, and fully compliant with EU law," the website says. More actors involved in Blockchain and Bitcoin On a previous note, We reported that Christine Lagarde was advocating for digital coins provided by Central Banks. In a speech called "Winds of Change: The Case for New Digital Currency," Lagarde affirmed that the IMF supports the creation of digital currencies. Lagarde said that "a state-backed token, or perhaps an account held directly at the central bank, available to people and firms for retail payments? True, your deposits in commercial banks are already digital. But a digital currency would be a liability of the state, like cash today, not of a private firm." Finally, KPMG is urging their clients and investors to invest in cryptocurrencies as they do believe in the future of the blockchain. "Nevertheless, crypto continues to garner both good and bad press, and the debate between supporters and detractors is far from settled," the report quoted by KPMG. Colorado court hits four more ICOs The Colorado Division of Securities published new cease-and-desist orders as "ICO Task Force" is investigating allegedly fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICOs) as they “investigate potentially fraudulent activity targeting investors excited about the prospects of financial windfall through the cryptocurrency market. Today, the following four orders were signed against the following coin offerings." Colorado has now reached 18 ICOs campaigns with the cease-and-desist orders. Also, two more orders are expected to be announced soon. This time, Global Pay Net, Cred, CrowdShare Mining, and CyberSmart Coin Invest are the new ICOs programs that have gotten the order. "The sheer number of orders entered against ICOs should be a red flag to all investors that there is a real risk that the ICO you are considering is a fraud,” said Commissioner Rome from the agency.