Telco interest in blockchain technology is rising for services from mobile finance, Internet of Things payments and security. Now three of them – Softbank, Sprint and Far EasTone, together with blockchain specialist TBCASoft – have launched a new consortium, the Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG). The founders have already demonstrated a cross-carrier payments platform system targeted at applications like top-ups, mobile wallet roaming and IoT payments. It will now invite other telcos to help define the requirements for a far broader platform based on this first proof of concept. The CBSG is building on work done in February by Softbank of Japan, its US subsidiary Sprint and TBCASoft, which agreed an alliance to develop blockchain technology for telcos and kicked…