Blockchain Won't Save the World

Latest Episodes:

S2E2 - Blockchain in Malta: The Rise and Pause of 'Blockchain Island' Dec 26, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we uncover the surprising ingredients behind Malta's rise as one of the 'go to' destinations for Blockchain businesses. It's a story of economics, politics, law, technology, a little bit of hype, and the critical issue of how to virtual world of protocols and digital assets co-exists with the physical world or national borders and regulation. This is one of the deepest episodes yet, and there are some fundamental Blockchain learnings in here that everyone needs to know! In this episode we cover:

- Malta's constant struggle to find it's economic niche, and how its specialty in technology and law created advantage

- The role Malta played in supporting Blockchain businesses during the emergence of Bitcoin, ICOs and virtual financial assets

- The founding of the Maltese Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) and how it evaluates Blockchain companies against Maltese regulation

- The rush of ICOs, crypto and Blockchain businesses to Malta, and the 'thinning of the heard' since 2016

- Blockchain use cases for the island of Malta, including Financial Services, Real Estate and Social Care

- Examples of Blockchain businesses in Malta, and their experience of trying to become regulated

- The role of the Blockchain community and academia in supporting further scaling of Blockchain in Malta

- The future of Blockchain and Virtual Financial Assets, and how Malta's law and regulation may yet play a global enabling role

Shout to all the amazing guests who were part of this episode: Max Ganado, Joshua Ellul, Dave Pulis, Beata Young, Kenneth Farugia, Jonathan Galea, Sandro Psaila and Jean-Michelle Azzopardi

S2E1 - Blockchain in Brazil: A Hidden Blockchain Powerhouse Nov 28, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to Season 2! New theme music, more guests, and a different way of looking at Blockchain technology, culture and community through the eyes of Blockchain experts in the less-publicised nations around the world - and we're starting with Brazil. There is more Blockchain activity happening in Brazil than almost anywhere in the world, and Brazil has produced some of the most talented minds in Blockchain. Adoption of the technology is tightly linked to the strengths and deficiencies of Brazil as a nation, and it's fascinating to observe.

In this episode we cover:

- Brazil's relationship with technology, and how Brazil is a Blockchain leader despite lagging behind tech adoption in other areas

- Examples of national Blockchain use cases in Public and Private sector - from National Identity to Agri Business to Finance and Crypto Assets

- How Blockchain is spoken about in society and the press

- The make-up of Brazil's Blockchain community: Fintechs, Cypherpunks, Gov-techs and Enterprise Adopters

- The main personalities in Brazilian Blockchain, and who you should be following

- Case studies on start-ups in Agri-business and Renewable Energy, and Henkel's 'Reci-Chain' for Recycling

- What more is needed to bring Blockchain initiatives to scale in Brazil, and key learnings for other countries

Shout to my guests: Mauricio Magaldi, Rosine Kadamani, Gladstone Arantes, Tatiana Revoredo, Renato Lopes, Deborah Aguirre, Kiko Duarte, Isaque Eberhardt and Igor Ferreira

S1E23 10 [More] Things I've Learned About Blockchain - The Best of Season 1 Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

After 22 episodes and 1 Roast, I've learned a lot more about Blockchain and DLT from those in the industry doing real work, running global platforms, and taking the technology into production. I've tried to summarise 10 new or updated observations about Blockchain in enterprise from Season 1. Some of the key topics include:

- Strategies for scaling

- Blockchain for social impact

- UX challenges with Public Blockchains

- Self-sovereign Identity

- My favourite quote from Season 1

- How to think about Token business models

- Scaling IoT and Blockchain

- How to solve problems in your sleep

Thanks to all my guests from Season 1, and thanks to all those listeners from around the world you provided feedback and ideas to help improve the series. See you all for Season 2!

S1E22 - Season 1 Finale - The Roast of Blockchain with 6 Blockchain All-stars Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

What do JP Morgan, Sex Workers, Squirrels, Timestamping, Space Force and 'The Power of Ethereum' have in common?... It's the Roast of Blockchain, and you're about to find out... I'm joined by Keir Finlow-Bates (inventor), Irina Heaver (lawyer), Samson Williams (start-up / space cadet), Anne T. Griffin (product manager), Marta Piekarska-Geater (Hyperledger ecosystems) and Antonio Senatore (Deloitte CTO) to talk through Blockchain's most epic fails, and also where the experts see Blockchain technology is likely to succeed.

In this roast we cover:

- Which super heros do my guests think are most like them

- Blockchain for Blockchain's sake

- Tokens for tokens' sake

- Not considering scaling and commercial models for Blockchain platforms

- How Banks turned from hate to love on Blockchain and digital assets

- KYC and Digital Identity for Sex Workers (and their customers)

- The questionable use of private timestamping

- Intermediaries using Blockchain to disintermediate themselves

- Where Blockchain will have the most positive impact in the years to come

Please take the time to check out and follow my guests, and we'll be back for Season 2:

Keir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keirf

Irina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaheaver

Samson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samson-williams-axesandeggs

Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetgriffin

Antonio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-senatore-b759273

Marta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martapiekarska

S1E21 Blockchain, Data Monetisation and Data Unions with Shiv Malik from Streamr Jul 25, 2020

Show notes

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/

S1E20 Blockchain for Recycling and Circular Economy with Rodolfo Quijano from Henkel Jul 18, 2020

Show notes

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

S1E19 Blockchain for Voting with Sheila Nix from Tusk Philanthropies and Jason Truppi from ShiftState Security Jul 11, 2020

Show notes

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

S1E18 Blockchain for Smart Cities and Mobility with Tram Vo and Chris Ballinger from MOBI Jul 04, 2020

Show notes

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

S1E17 Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) and DeFi with Rune Christensen, Founder of MakerDAO Jun 27, 2020

Show notes

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/

S1E16 Tax Matters for Blockchain and Digital Assets with Rob Massey from Deloitte Jun 20, 2020

Show notes

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

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