Enterprise blockchain isnt dead, but survival has meant more collaboration and some smart pivots.
That was the prevailing sentiment in the enterprise-focused corners of this weeks Consensus: Distributed conference.
Back in 2015, a large amount of hype was generated as whole industries, starting with finance, began espousing the technology behind bitcoin, which would transform business processes and herald a global technological upgrade.
A recalibration of expectation followed as the technology entered Gartners infamous trough of disillusionment. There was also a narrowing down of the space into three quite separate enterprise-focused blockchain networks: R3 Corda, Hyperledger and enterprise Ethereum.
But these days, we are starting to see players putting their tribal instincts aside often by necessity.
For instance, Kaleido, the blockchain cloud service backed by ConsenSys, revealed a partnership Tuesday with R3 to run on the latters Corda network. Enterprise Ethereum and R3 Corda have always been rivals and such a collaboration would have been unthinkable a year ago. (Tuesdays reporting also revealed Kaleido had been spun out of the ConsenSys mothership in early April.)
Its no secret ConsenSys has been undergoing cuts, including being forced to shutter operations in the Philippines late last year. Thats where Kaleido was involved in the i2i payments and remittance project with UnionBank.
R3 does not miss an opportunity and could now be in the frame to poach the i2i project from Ethereum. Asked if this was the plan during a workshop at Consensus: Distributed, R3 co-founder Todd MacDonald admitted he liked the i2i project but would not be drawn further.
Kaleido CEO Steve Cerveny went on to say the i2i project was alive and well.
The successful pivot
Interoperability is a concept often spoken of as though its a mountain top on some distant horizon.
However, Hyperledger, the Linux Foundations blockchain factory, announced this week a new DLT integration protocol called Cactus, a pluggable way of connecting multiple blockchain ledgers, including Hyperledger Besu, Hyperledger Fabric, Corda and Quorum.
Hyperledger Executive Director Brian Behlendorf commented that smaller firms might do better by switching away from building their own ledgers and focus instead on creating software that will run across other blockchains.
Take a lesson from seminal blockchain firm Digital Asset, Behlendorf said, which has successfully pivoted with the DAML smart contract language that runs across multiple systems.
I suspect a lot of these companies, especially the smaller ones that are less flush with cash and frankly who isnt these days will probably follow moves like Digital Asset has made, Behlendorf said in an interview.
A similar approach has been taken by Skuchain, as an early player in the trade finance blockchain space. Skuchain has teamed up with the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) to create a new digital standard, the Distributed Ledger Payment Commitment (DLPC). The new DLPC standard is now finding its feet on Corda following a deal with R3 last month.
Skuchain was on a panel at Consensus to showcase some $50 million worth of COVID-19 relief PPE consignments to the U.S. that have been shunted across its platform with HSBC. Asked if this meant Skuchain was now interoperating with R3s other trade finance networks such as the multi-bank consortium Marco Polo, Skuchain founder Srinivasan Sriram said, Not quite yet.
Mastercard and Libra
Mastercard was also at Consensus, showing off its own enterprise blockchain chops and exploring ways to leverage its vast reach into the retail sector. The card companys blockchain bid: a food track-and-trace platform built by Envisible and Wholechain.
Mastercard spun up its own blockchain solution rather than use something from Hyperledger or a variation of Ethereum, demonstrating a retrenchment towards more of a can do attitude.
On the subject of leaving the Libra Association last October, Mastercard Labs EVP Ken Moore said the company is keeping a close eye on the progress of the Libra project as it enters a new phase of regulatory appeasement.
We just have to be careful how our brand is perceived by global regulators, Moore said, suggesting that rejoining Libra was not out of the question.
Salesforce monopoly
Other enterprise highlights at Consensus included the pairing of platform giant Salesforce with platform giant killer Dfinity.
Dfinity CEO Dominic Williams wants to tear up the enterprise playbook and start over with an Internet Computer protocol, reminiscent of the early world computer ambitions of the Ethereum Foundation.
Dfinity, which created in January an open version of LinkedIn called LinkedUp, has also been engineering Sales Machine, a completely decentralized version of Salesforce a company Williams referred to as a ravenous monopoly.
Adam Caplan, Salesforces blockchain and emerging technology lead, kept a cool head, saying the tech giant was sticking to its mission of innovating on behalf of its 150,000 customers.
Also looking to shake up big business: John Wolpert of ConsenSys and Paul Brody of EYs interesting Baseline protocol, which uses the public Ethereum blockchain as an immutable shared record of big companies procurement efforts.
Brody pointed out that enterprise blockchains have not scaled well because nobody wants to join someone elses private network. Most enterprise blockchain efforts have an average of 1.5 members, he said. Another data point on consortiums being a particularly human problem.
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.
Read this article:
- Blockchain: The Complete Guide | WIRED - February 6th, 2018 [February 6th, 2018]
- What Is Blockchain Technology? - cbinsights.com - February 6th, 2018 [February 6th, 2018]
- 7 Ways Blockchain Will Enable Entrepreneurs in 2018 | Inc.com - February 6th, 2018 [February 6th, 2018]
- Blockchain technology | Microsoft Azure - March 26th, 2018 [March 26th, 2018]
- Blockchain Wallet on the App Store - itunes.apple.com - May 5th, 2018 [May 5th, 2018]
- Bitcoin and Blockchain - Bloomberg - May 5th, 2018 [May 5th, 2018]
- Blockchain - The Daily Reckoning - May 5th, 2018 [May 5th, 2018]
- BIS show London - Blockchain Conference London | FinTech ... - July 14th, 2018 [July 14th, 2018]
- 2018 Bahamas Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Conference - July 27th, 2018 [July 27th, 2018]
- WORLD BLOCKCHAIN CONFERENCE - August 20th, 2018 [August 20th, 2018]
- Azure Blockchain Workbench | Microsoft Azure - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- Crypto Guru on Bitcoin, ICOs, Blockchain, ETFs, & More ... - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- Dot Blockchain Media - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- 75 banks join JPMorgan-led blockchain payment project ... - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- Walmart will use blockchain to ensure the safety of leafy greens - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- Malta wants to become 'Blockchain Island' - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- Walmart is betting on the blockchain to improve food safety ... - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- From Farm to Blockchain: Walmart Tracks Its Lettuce - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- The Truth About Blockchain - Harvard Business Review - October 2nd, 2018 [October 2nd, 2018]
- Blockchain.io | Your Gateway to the Internet of Value - October 17th, 2018 [October 17th, 2018]
- Blockchain Whispers: The Most Accurate Crypto Signals - December 8th, 2018 [December 8th, 2018]
- MLG Blockchain - Expert Blockchain Consulting & Development - December 10th, 2018 [December 10th, 2018]
- What Is The Blockchain? - Pixel Privacy - December 27th, 2018 [December 27th, 2018]
- Blockchain Wallet: Bitcoin on the App Store - January 13th, 2019 [January 13th, 2019]
- The Ultimate Guide To Understanding What A Blockchain Is ... - March 20th, 2019 [March 20th, 2019]
- Amazon Managed Blockchain - March 20th, 2019 [March 20th, 2019]
- What Is Blockchain? The Complete WIRED Guide | WIRED - March 20th, 2019 [March 20th, 2019]
- Symmetry - March 28th, 2019 [March 28th, 2019]
- What is Blockchain Technology? A Beginners Guide - April 18th, 2019 [April 18th, 2019]
- Yosemite X uses blockchain tech to shorten payments trip ... - April 20th, 2019 [April 20th, 2019]
- BitcoinSVs blockchain is struggling with its enormous 128MB ... - April 20th, 2019 [April 20th, 2019]
- Jimmy Song discusses Bitcoin, blockchain, and the crypto space - April 20th, 2019 [April 20th, 2019]
- Blockchain on AWS - May 5th, 2019 [May 5th, 2019]
- Blockchain Login Blockchain - June 7th, 2019 [June 7th, 2019]
- German telecom giant hires blockchain professor hopefully, its a good thing - The Next Web - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Israeli Startup Creates Offline Wallet With Access to the Blockchain - CoinDesk - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Overstock seeks blockchain stock registration with SEC - CoinGeek - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Telefnica Making Provisions Not To Miss The Blockchain Boat - Forbes - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Verizon and Wells Fargo Are Getting on the Blockchain - Market Realist - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Blockchain Mortgages Could Help The Impending Recession - Forbes - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- The Smartest Way to Buy Blockchain Stocks - Zacks.com - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Vodafone litters London with blockchain tokens in new augmented reality game - The Next Web - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- 5 Enterprise Blockchain Stories of the Week - Forbes - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- ternity Partners with Uruguay Can to Track Cannabis Production on the Blockchain - GlobeNewswire - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Putting blockchain technology to good use - ComputerWeekly.com - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Blockchain simplified: How it eliminates the middleman - Big Think - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Building On Blockchain Without Code: Proxeus Goes Live - PRNewswire - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Googles Quantum Computing Breakthrough Brings Blockchain Resistance Into the Spotlight Again - Forbes - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Five things to know about blockchain and CRE - REjournals.com - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- Blockchain Technology Is Already Improving Lives At 22 Hospitals - Forbes - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- How Blockchain Is Changing The Game For Social Impact Initiatives - Forbes - September 25th, 2019 [September 25th, 2019]
- The Shift Toward Decentralized Finance: Why Are Financial Firms Turning To Crypto? - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Could Blockchain Revolutionize the Real Estate Industry? - RisMedia.com - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Cross Reality And Blockchain - A New Era Of The VR Industry - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Vontobel to offer structured product using blockchain technology - Investment Europe - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- MineRP to partner with Karuschain to adopt blockchain platform - Mining Technology - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Stellar Development Foundation proposes to disable inflation mechanism from its protocol - The Block Crypto - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- BurstIQ raises $5.5M to bring blockchain to the healthcare space - VatorNews - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Blockchains Next Frontier: Saving the Planet (and Possibly Pandas, Too) - Observer - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Mark Cuban bullish on blockchain, but would take bananas over bitcoin - The Block Crypto - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Energy Industry Blockchain Landscape - The National Law Review - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- US Homeland Security grants blockchain credentialing contract to Danube Tech - Ledger Insights - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- U Wyoming Spurs Blockchain Development with Hackathon 'Stampede' - Campus Technology - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- How the blockchain is inspiring organizational design - Quartz - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Blockchain At The United Nations Leading Solutions To The Global Crisis - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Exploring cryptocurrency and blockchain in Iceland - Penn: Office of University Communications - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Will Facebook's Libra Overtake Bitcoin Cryptocurrency And The Ethereum Blockchain? How Will It Work? - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Overstock.com Hones In On Blockchain Identity With Medici Ventures And Evernym Partnership - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- How Blockchain Is Affecting The Marketing And Advertising Industry - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Japanese Messaging App LINE Positioning Itself As Leader In Blockchain and Crypto Space - Forbes - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Could Blockchain Help the Cannabis Industry? Were About to Find Out - Observer - October 1st, 2019 [October 1st, 2019]
- Energy Blockchain Applications Expected to Experience a 67% CAGR - Transmission & Distribution World - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Blockchain Technology is Disrupting the Startup Ecosystem - Times of India - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Is blockchain the answer for sustainability in the cocoa sector? - ConfectioneryNews.com - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Blockchain voting is vulnerable to hackers, software glitches and bad ID photos among other problems - The Conversation US - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Blockchain is not the only solution for better and faster payments - Euromoney magazine - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Can blockchain restore trust to the fund management and audit industries? - Accountancy Age - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Smart contracts and blockchain will provide needed trust, says Princeton professor - TechRepublic - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2019: Blockchain strategy must evolve at the same pace as technology - TechRepublic - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]
- Binance CEO: Putin Is the Most Influential Person in Blockchain - Cointelegraph - October 24th, 2019 [October 24th, 2019]