Blockchain Won't Save the World

The potential for decentralised networks and using protocols to open the floodgates for transparent and fair data monetisation has been a promise made by many over the years.... Streamr are the latest to take on the challenge, focusing initially on Telecoms, Banking and IoT, and are making use of Blockchain within their platform, but possibly not the way you'd expect. Shiv Malik takes us through the opportunity for decentralised data monetisation and the unique concept of Data Unions that Streamr are trying to enable. In this episode we cover: - The opportunity for individuals and enterprises around data monetisation - The role of Blockchain in enabling large scale data monetisation - Definitions of Data Unions and Data Cooperatives - Case study examples of data monetisation in Telco and Banking, and scaling decentralised IoT networks for Smart Cities - Creating 'Monoplasma' side chains for micro payments  - Overcoming scaling and pricing issues with Ethereum  - Comparing Streamr's architecture with DAGs and DAOs - is it one, the other, or both? - How to form, price and scale your own enterprise Data Union Links to topics discussed in the show: Shiv's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivmalik Shiv's Twitter: @shivmalik Streamr: https://streamr.network/

Henkel is a $35bn company and has one of the most diverse Blockchain portfolios in the enterprise space. Rodolfo, Head of Blockchain at Henkel, talks us through their investments in Sustainability, Supply Chain, Tax and Recycling, and notable collaborations with BASF, Siemens, GS1 and Plastic Bank. An essential episode for anyone looking to understand how Blockchain is being used in Consumer Goods today. In this episode we cover: - The role of internal Blockchain teams in a company like Henkel - Henkel's notable Blockchain platforms: Recichain (Recycled Plastic), Tax Chain (European Tax and Cross-border Exchange), Plastic Bank (Circular Economy and Social Impact), Anti-counterfeit for Specialty Products - How Blockchain is helping Henkel to achieve its sustainability goals - How to pitch use cases to internal stakeholders, prospective partners and crafting the business case - Future opportunities for Blockchain in CPG, notably data and loyalty - Rodolfo's key learnings from deploying Blockchain technology in an enterprise context (MVE, Focus, Expectations Management) Links for topics discussed on the show: Rodolfo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolfo-quijano-4044a61 Blockchain at Henkel: https://www.henkel.com/spotlight/2018-12-10-blockchain-launchpad-for-a-connected-future-894756 Plastic Bank: https://plasticbank.com Good Chain Foundation: https://thegoodchain.io She256: https://she256.org Jeremy Waite: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremypaulwaite

Sheila (former Joe Biden campaign manager) and Jason (ex-FBI cyber security agent, focused on Bitcoin and nation state election fraud) give us a detailed view into how Blockchain is already being used in state and local elections in the US, what the key capabilities are for mobile voting platforms, and how they have overcome bias and challenges around security, UX and standards to drive transformation in the US and Europe. In this episode we discuss: - The issues with voting security and accountability today - How the FBI evaluates Blockchain, Bitcoin, and nation state attempts to influence elections - Blockchain voting pilots in West Virginia (military and ex-pats) and Denver (mayoral and municipal elections) - Key components of a mobile voting platform (voter authentication, ballot marking, data management, threat monitoring) - Which Blockchain platforms and node configurations are used to underpin mobile voting propositions - Would democratic and republic parties consider hosting election nodes and what voter data is actually stored on-chain - Common issues, challenges and misconceptions around Blockchain from stakeholders in the political sphere - What more is required in terms of functionality, security, standards, open sourcing etc. to scale use of mobile voting - Other applications outside political voting (corporate governance, universities, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) Links to topics discussed in the show: Sheila's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-nix-83399424 Tusk Philanthropies: https://tuskphilanthropies.com Mobile Voting.org: https://mobilevoting.org Jason's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasontruppi ShiftState Security: https://www.theshiftstate.com Voatz: https://voatz.com West Virginia Case Study: https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/10/18080518/blockchain-voting-mobile-app-west-virginia-voatz Denver Case Study: https://cointelegraph.com/news/denver-municipal-election-another-small-stop-on-the-road-to-universal-blockchain-voting

We take a drive through the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative's (MOBI) work to-date on blockchain for automotive and mobility, and their imminent crossover into developing Smart Cities technology platforms. Chris and Tram talk about Citopia - an open Blockchain platform for multi-modal ticketing and with scope to expand into infrastructure monetisation and use of gamification to drive citizens' behaviour. We also hear about a top secret Citopia deal that could be coming to a country near you... This episode covers: - The origins of MOBI - from small gatherings to global automotive consortium - The ups and downs of being a couple in emerging tech - The 4 main benefits of Blockchain for Smart Cities - The BIG opportunity - optimising and monetising $26Tn of road infrastructure globally  - Citopia: the first Smart Cities mobility platform using Blockchain and open APIs - A sneak preview of a Top Secret national project where Citopia will be launched in the near future - The contrast of developing technology with the public and private sectors  - Example pain points in West Hollywood (Through traffic) and Manhattan (Deliveries and parking fines) - The importance of tokens, cryptocurrency, digital twins and verifiable ID for enabling Smart Cities use cases - Other innovations that Blockchain can help scale today: distributed electric charging, virtual battery storage, provision of city services and marginal cost pricing, incentivisation of citizen behaviour, drone deliveries and taxis Links to topics discussed in this episode: Tram's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tram-vo-6abba310 Chris' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ballinger-5aa38912 MOBI Website: https://dlt.mobi MOBI YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeme5eBgtJA6Q5qaZ8G8ZQg

MakerDAO predates Ethereum and Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) are one of the least understood but potentially most disruptive implementations of Blockchain technology. Rune Christensen talks through the history of MakerDAO, the mechanics of the stablecoin, voting, lending and the potential move towards accepting tokenised real-work collateral. We also discuss why Central Banks are interested, how the crypto crash only strengthened the MakerDAO platform, and how DAOs could be applied in government and legal services.  *Apologies for the sound quality - Rune was recording in a very echoey room* In this episode we cover: - MakerDAO's history from the pre-Ethereum era up to the $250m capitalisation it has today - Why Argentina and Buenos Aires has become an early cluster for MakerDAO adoption - The mechanics of the DAI Stablecoin, Vaults, and MKR Governance Tokens - Examples uses of DAI loans: buying a car, mortgage refinancing or buying more crypto - How MakerDAO solves the principle agent problem by having MKR holders accountable for risk taking - How to manage the issue of voter turnout in a DAO, how votes are initiated, and how to cultivate a community - The upcoming vote on using real world, tokenised assets as collateral such as ConsolFreight (Trade Finance) & PaperChain (Music Royalties) - Launching just before a crash: how the worst possible market conditions actually proved MakerDAO's robustness - Feedback and interest from the US Federal Reserve and People's Bank of China in DAOs and DeFi  - How to look at DAOs from a legal and regulatory perspective - Other areas where DAOs can be disruptive: Global monetary policy, government, anti-corruption, legal services - The one thing that Blockchain does better than anything else Links to topics discussed on the episode: Rune's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runebentsenchristensen/ MakerDAO: https://makerdao.com Maker Forum: https://forum.makerdao.com ConsulFreight: https://www.consolfreight.io PaperChain: https://paperchain.io/

Rob Massey may be one of the most influential people in Blockchain that you've never heard of. The man responsible for advising some of the largest ICOs, token issuances, exchanges, consortia and regulators gives us the lowdown on why tax is critical to consider in the digital asset space, and how it can be an agile and collaborative initiative, even where regulation or guidance is limited in a particular jurisdiction. In this episode we discuss: - Different digital asset structures and the various tax considerations - The process of engaging with regulators where guidance is thin on the ground - How enterprises are looking at digital assets and tokens to create liquidity, capital or new business models - An introduction to the implications of tax for security tokens, 'property' tokens and utility tokens - How to 'draw out' the tax implications of different digital asset models and business flows - Example tax engagements and the differences between enterprises, consortia and foundations - Tax implications for Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and Distributed Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) - Different tax considerations for different geographies (the humans, tax treaties, network, and feeling 'natural') - The potential for digital assets in Financial Services and for IP rights management Links to topics discussed in this episode: Rob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-massey-7571b7b/ Deloitte's 2020 Blockchain Survey: https://www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/technology/articles/Global_Blockchain_survey.html

The fascinating story of how a $1bn company, famous for sticker books and trading cards, launched its own Blockchain business. Brendan is incredibly knowledgeable about Blockchain, DLT and Crypto, and he managed to convince a very traditional business to take the leap straight into Crypto Collectables - and he's got much more planned for the future. We talk about why they chose Hyperledger Sawtooth, how he helped Panini Executives to 'level up', and where wallets, mirror nodes and Zero Knowledge Proofs fit in his technology roadmap. In this episode, we discuss: - The history of the Panini collectables business - Brendan's early Blockchain inspiration from Crypto Pepe - Important adjacencies: Rare cars, artwork and fractional ownership - Why 'Panini Coin' (or CoopCoin) never made it into production and the problem with the 'Crypto' moniker - 'Levelling' up the Panini Executive Team to become Blockchain experts - The reaction of traditional customers and the crypto community - Why Panini's platform uses Hyperledger Sawtooth, Ethereum's UX and scaling challenges, and using mirror nodes for public verification - Collectables technologies to keep tabs on: public protocols, crypto collectables, privacy solutions, DeFi and ZDP - Future considerations - bearer instruments, custodial services, live sports feed oracles, full crypto, DAOs? - What Fortnite should have learned before launching digital collectables Links to topics mentioned in this episode: Brendan's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendantcooper Panini Blockchain - https://www.paniniamerica.net/blockchain OpenSea - https://opensea.io Starkware - https://starkware.co International Standard Content Code - https://iscc.codes Social Identity of Objects - https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170024485A1/en

Alison McCauley, trained organisational psychologist and Blockchain thought leader, explains why companies and executives find it so hard to understand and adopt Blockchain technology. We discuss the barriers to embracing emerging technology, why Blockchain's hype cycle has been uniquely unhelpful, and predict how and where Blockchain adoption will be most impactful. In this episode we cover: - How senior leaders think, and why emerging tech (and Blockchain specifically) doesn't fit their mental model - Where hype comes from, and why Blockchain hype isn't comparable to that of AI or Cloud - The psychology behind driving change and creating burning platforms - The external factors impacting demand and peoples' expectations for Blockchain technology - How Blockchain incentive models could be the missing ingredient for Contact Tracing apps - Alison's most impactful use cases: voting, credentials, carbon credits, digital identity, DAOs - What is the place for crytocurrencies in an enterprise context Links to topics discussed in the show: Alison's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/unblocked Alison's Twitter: @unblockedfuture Edelman Trust Barometer: https://www.edelman.com/trustbarometer

Getting the inside track on the Open Source movement and some of the Hyperledger Projects you may never have heard of... Marta is an Ecosystem Director for Hyperledger and is responsible for growing the community, progressing projects from ideas to Labs to Projects, and has worked with developers, enterprises and consortia worldwide. She also supports technical governance for Sovrin, and shares her views about the intersections between Sovrin, Hyperledger and Indy. In this episode we talk about: - The importance of open source technology for developers, enterprises and governments - The mission and goals of the Hyperledger Foundation - The process and governance for starting and progressing Hyperledger Projects  - The origins of Cactus, the latest project in the Hyperledger 'greenhouse' - A comparison between Sovrin and Hyperledger, and where they intersect with Hyperledger Indy - Encouraging diversity, growing a Blockchain community and how to keep the peace - Key learnings from Marta's past projects, including Caliper ('A Working Group that did real work'), Iroha ('Hyperledger's Greatest Hidden Secret') and Ursa ('Don't Implement Your Own Crypto') - What's Next: Why interoperability and on-chain governance are needed, but the importance of defining 'how' and 'where' Links to content discussed on the show: Marta's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/martapiekarska Hyperledger YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_X0WkMtkWzaVUKF-PRBNQ Hyperledger Website (for Developers): https://wiki.hyperledger.org Hyperledger Website (for non-Developers): www.hyperledger.org Marta's New Book: https://www.manning.com/books/permissioned-blockchains-in-action

This is one for the culture! Veteran inventor and holder of numerous Blockchain patents, Keir Finlow-Bates takes us through what it takes to innovate in the Blockchain space, why some of the world's largest companies are rushing to create Blockchain patents, and what it takes to get one. We also talk about Keir's approach to identifying where Blockchain can be disruptive, using the subconscious mind to create content, and why it's better to invent in a van than in a shed! In this episode we cover: - Why companies like Visa, GM, Baidu and Walmart are churning out Blockchain patents - Why Vitalik Buterin is wrong on patenting Blockchain innovations - The process for patenting Blockchain propositions - Why Keir became an inventor and how to generate new-to-world inventions - Some of Keir's most famous Blockchain inventions (Proof of Location, Alternative Mining Power) - How Blockchain could support the patent value chain (registration, licensing, transfer of ownership) - Where P2P Networks, Asymetric Key Cryptography, Hash-Linked Lists and Byzantine Fault Tolerance provide most value - The source material for Kier's legendary Blockchain vlogs - The power of subliminal processing (this one is really cool!) Links to topics discussed in this episode: Keir's Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/keirf/ ChainFrog: www.chainfrog.com ThinkLair: www.thinklair.com