Blockchain

7 Blockchain questions for the boss

By Bret, December 28 2018

Blockchain technology is still in its infancy but is growing at a rapid pace. It is hard to be an expert in the field, but you should at least know the basics. 

At the core, Blockchain uses a shared ledger managed by multiple computers that are networked. This is much different from current systems that rely on one central system with a database.

Leading companies advocating for and working on blockchain projects are IBM, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Intel. This will likely continue to grow to include smaller businesses as well.

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7 things you want your boss to know about blockchain
Blockchain
Technology
Business

Blockchain Banking In Japan 2020

By Bret, October 26 2018

Blockchain refers to an expanding list of blocks where each one contains records. They are secured and linked to each other using cryptography. Within each block, you will find at the most basic level a hash of the previous block, timestamp, and the transaction data.

The origins of the blockchain technology are mysterious. Legend has it that Satoshi Nakamoto wrote the bitcoin white paper, developed bitcoin, and was behind the implementation and deployment of the original bitcoin.

The largest bank in Japan wants to switch to blockchain payments in 2020. This is an aggressive move and schedule as well. If successful Japan will find itself well ahead of other nations in terms of security and digital payments.

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Japan's Biggest Bank to Switch on Blockchain Payments in 2020
Blockchain
Banking
Bitcoin
Technology
Fintech

Blockchain technology in space

By Di, May 28 2018

Future spacecraft could think for themselves using the same technology that powers Bitcoin.

A new $330,000 NASA grant supports work to develop autonomous spacecraft that could make more decisions without human intervention. One example could be enabling spacecraft to dodge space debris faster than a human on Earth could help out the far-away probe.

"I hope to develop technology that can recognize environmental threats and avoid them, as well as complete a number of tasks automatically," principal investigator Jin Wei Kocsis, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at The University of Akron in Ohio, said in the statement. 

If proven, Wei Kocsis' early-stage research would be especially useful in deep-space environments, where spacecraft communicating back to Earth must currently wait for hours for a response.

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Debris-dodging spacecraft could use Bitcoin-like technology
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Blockchain
Intermediate
Advanced

Using blockchain to track tuna

By Jeremy S, January 23 2018

​It seems like everyone is getting into blockchain these days. After all, companies claim to like "transparency", "security", and anything to do with the roller coaster ride that is Bitcoin. But consider this: Tuna.

There are now several blockchain-based projects that aim to stop illegal tuna fishing. The idea is that blockchain-verification would assure consumers and others that the fish were ethically sourced. Or maybe it's just PR, who knows.

Blockchain is essentially a shared digital database that can be updated, but stored entries can't be changed or deleted. It's prohibitively hard to fake information that's tracked using blockchain. In this case, it can certify that something is legit and ethically sourced, such as tuna. Visser and Hanich continue:

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Even The Tuna Conservationists Want A Piece Of This Blockchain Action
Technology
Blockchain
Environment
Ethics

Putin Regulates Cryptocurrencies

By Rob, November 19 2017

On Saturday Oct. 21st—just two weeks after a top Russian banking authority hinted that Bitcoin exchanges would be banned in the country—Russian President Vladmir Putin released five Presidential orders related to the regulation of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

National regulations have been proposed as mechanisms to reduce scams and crime facilitated by cryptocurrencies, but in the case of Russia it may be tied up in the country's alleged plans to launch a national cryptocurrency.

Putin also called for proposals for a special regulatory platform known as a "sandbox"—where blockchain developers can basically demonstrate new technologies or applications to the Bank of Russia so they can be regulated appropriately—before the end of the year.

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Putin Will Require Cryptocurrency Miners to Register With the Government in 2018
Cryptocurrency
Blockchain
Russia