So, Ethereum’s Blockchain is Still Under Attack…
What began over two weeks ago with spam attacks has escalated into a battle pitting ethereum developers against unknown antagonists.
Tagged: Blockchain Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
-
user
-
user
United Nations Lab Testing Blockchain for Remittances
The worldwide development network for the #United #Nations is pursuing a series of #blockchain-focused projects.
-
user
Federal Reserve Governor to Address Blockchain in New Speech
#Federal #Reserve board member Lael Brainard is scheduled to issue new remarks on #blockchain #technology later this week.
-
user
Devcon2 and Ethereum and the Future
There is a sense of deflation following Devcon2. I think it is because the “killer app” did not appear, and the incremental improvements, while real, were already baked into the cake. What did emerge is a more comprehensive sense of where the “walls” are. One of them is the difficulty figuring out how to monetize an open platform. Not easy.
This means that IBM and Microsoft can wedge themselves into the ecosystem and become an essential part of it by providing the support and infrastructure for development tools and data transfer for a plethora of proprietary blockchains. It also means that proprietary blockchains that are being developed by Accenture and others may become the default for innovators and suck up the creative energy we hoped would be invested in evolving open systems. For those of us who envisioned the democratization of banking and other transactions and data sharing, this is disheartening.
Those who start a new #blockchain with a few integral smart contracts can make money for the first group of investors if their blockchain gains traction and continues, but the income is front loaded to such an extent that the second or third funding tranches will have significantly diminished potential for a sizable return. I can see why most Venture Capital firms are passive about blockchain – there is no business to build that will enable the VC to cash out in a three to five year horizon. By that time, almost any business model and method can be replicated by a competitor using open source tools.
So content is still “king.” It is the businesses that link content – preferably proprietary content – to the blockchain that will be sustainable. The blockchain(s) and their applications will probably be a variant of a public utility. I look forward to reviewing counter-arguments that any of you offer. My best response is to encourage you to explore the concept of the #DADE (Distributed Application Development Entity) where a royalty income stream is democratically generated from crowd sourced software innovation and business development activities for consumer facing applications developed through smart contracts on the #Ethereum platform.
[linkedinbadge URL=”https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/devcon2-ethereum-future-stan-smith-knowledgelevers” connections=”off” mode=”icon” liname=”Stan Smith Knowledgelevers”] is Co Founder at Kleverer.com – blockchain and distributed application development entities – the DADE
-
user
Blockchain: The Next Great Leap in Supply Chain Transparency
It’s no secret that transparency is the name of the game in today’s world-class Supply Chains. More and more consumers are demanding accountability and openness about where their products come from. More world-beating companies are recognizing that the goodwill you get from transparency in your #Supply Chain can be a major source of competitive advantage – while also helping to make the world a more humane place.
Today, we wanted to write about an emerging Supply Chain #technology – as we love to do – that’s poised to offer unparalleled transparency to companies and consumers. It’s a technology that the Supply Chain trade press is buzzing about, and also one that lots of companies are taking a closer look at:
#Blockchain.
If you’re a Supply Chain professional and you haven’t heard of Blockchain yet, it’s fairly safe to assume you’ll be hearing a lot more about it soon (starting with us!). It can be slightly difficult to wrap one’s head around, but maybe not for all those Supply Chain professionals who are at this point quite used to understanding the new software and database systems that have been providing additional value to Supply Chains for years. If you’ll follow us into the weeds for a second here, you’ll probably start to see some of the huge possibilities for transparency that this technology allows:
Blockchain is a database technology with its origins in #Bitcoin, the popular encrypted, decentralized alternative currency that seemed quite close to catching on in the mainstream a few years ago, but hasn’t quite made it there yet. Put simply, Blockchain began as the technology behind Bitcoin that allows the electronic currency to record transactions in a fool-proof way without a central entity (say, a central bank) keeping track of, and verifying, every transaction. It’s an encrypted ledger that’s distributed across a network, providing a concrete and verifiable record of transactions.
This Wall Street Journal definition works pretty well: “A blockchain is a data structure that makes it possible to create and share a digital ledger of transactions. It uses cryptography to allow anyone granted access to add to the ledger in a secure way without the need for a central authority. Once a block of data is recorded on the blockchain ledger, it’s extremely difficult to change or remove.”
In the past few years, Financial Services companies have begun to see the possibilities of Blockchain technology – not just for Bitcoin. Blockchains are full of transaction data that are extremely difficult to modify because the data exists on a number of systems at once. Any change in a Blockchain has to be verified by a majority of other systems on the network, and the data is also encrypted. This makes the technology ideal for secure, fast transactions like verifying contracts and cross-border payments. In Financial Services, another key factor is that the ledger data behind Blockchains is open. It’s transparent, which makes it valuable for audits.
Which is where the applications for Supply Chain transparency start appearing as well. More companies are recognizing that Blockchain has immense potential as a technology to boost Supply Chain transparency. More startups and social enterprises are offering Blockchain-based solutions to help companies track and monitor exactly where their products are coming from, with the goal of helping eliminate unsustainable practices, slavery and environmental degradation in their Supply Chains.
An article in CIPS’ Supply Management magazine recently profiled a social enterprise called Provenance, which has deployed Blockchain technology on a trial basis to help provide transparency in the notoriously opaque Tuna fishing industry – a sector that’s been known to carry a high risk of modern slavery in some east Asian countries. At the point of catch, fishermen used SMS to record the name of the fisherman, where it was caught, its material attributes, and other relevant audit info. This info then followed the product throughout the Supply Chain through RFID tag or QR code, and Provenance piloted a few different ways of making this data available to consumers. Another startup called Everledger has set up Blockchain technology to create a permanent record of transactions in the Supply Chain for diamonds, a notoriously slavery and conflict-prone good.
Pretty cool.
While the ideas behind Blockchain and its application still goes over the head of many in the corporate world, it’s clear that those who are able to harness this technology can make huge gains in innovation and transparency.
[linkedinbadge URL=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwenhannargentussearch” connections=”off” mode=”icon” liname=” Bronwen Hann”], Bronwen Hann has over 35 years experience in the recruitment industry. She’s the President and Senior Partner at Argentus Supply Chain Recruiting, a Toronto-based recruitment firm that specializes in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Logistics, Operations and Planning. Prior to starting Argentus, Bronwen founded The Pinstripe Group of Companies, which became one of the largest temporary staffing agencies in Canada.
-
user
How Switzerland’s First Financial Markets Blockchain Was Born
A prototype currently being developed by Six Securities provides one of the #first examples of how FMIs are investigating #blockchain.
-
user
Demand for Zcash Mining Grows as Blockchain Launch Approaches
With less than a month to go before its #launch, momentum is continuing to build around the anonymous #cryptocurrency #Zcash.
-
user
Dubai Wants All Government Documents on Blockchain By 2020
The United Arab Emirates city of #Dubai has announced plans to move all of its #government #documents to a #blockchain by #2020.
-
user
No R3: Overstock Plots Blockchain Consortium For ‘Everyone Else’
Online retail giant and upstart #blockchain innovator #Overstock has begun working to build its own blockchain #consortium.
-
user
Sydney Stock Exchange Completes Blockchain Prototype
The #Sydney #Stock #Exchange has successfully prototyped a #blockchain for equity securities.
Reply