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Free Webinar: Spiritual Discovery: How you can better the world" – Patch.com

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

The Darien Christian Science Church is sponsoring a free, online talk via Zoom, given by Tom McElroy, CSB, on Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. The talk, entitled Spiritual Discovery: How you can better the world, can be accessed at zoom.us/webinar ID 933 238 675. You can also listen in by phone by dialing 301-715-8592 or 646-876-9923 and using the same webinar ID.

The talk will focus on universal healing precepts found in the Holy Bible, especially in Christ Jesus life and teachings, and show how they are available for anyone to understand and experience through the lens of Christian Science.

Spiritual discovery is about understanding more of what God is and learning to see our lives and the world through Gods all-good nature, says McElroy. Its about stripping away surface-level appearances in order to discern what actually IS. Spiritual discovery reveals what is substantial, lasting, and powerful and this leads to healing. Whats the outcome? Progress. Transformation. Wholeness. For anyone.

Sharing examples of healing from his own life and professional practice of Christian Science, McElroy will explain why Christian Science is both Christian and scientific, meaning that people can prove its effectiveness for themselves, as fully described in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, written by the founder of the Christian Science movement, Mary Baker Eddy.

McElroy will also touch on the life of Mary Baker Eddy, a mid-nineteenth century woman from New England, who came to understand, confirm, and teach what she felt was original Christian healing. Eddy herself said she was especially inspired by Christ Jesus demand, He that believes on me, the works that I do will he do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go unto my Father (found in the Gospel of John 14:12 in the Bible).

For over 150 years, people around the world have worked to follow Christ Jesus in this practice of Christianity and continue to do so today, with healings of physical ills and personal difficulties.

McElroy, a Christian Science practitioner and teacher, helps people on a daily basis through this scientific approach to prayer. He travels from his home base near Boston, MA, to speak to audiences around the world as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.

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Free Webinar: Spiritual Discovery: How you can better the world" - Patch.com

Just Call Me Pastor: Strengths of head, heart and hand – La Grande Observer

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

As Mothers Day passes, I think of Kathleen, my wife of 72 years, my daughter, Carolyn, daughters-in-law, June and Jan, and the younger mothers in the family. I pay them all tribute with these words of wisdom from Proverbs 31: Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all (verses 28-29).

This chapter is entitled in the New International Version The Wife of Noble Character. It is cast in the form of Hebrew poetry and is lodged in the ancient wisdom literature of the Bible.

There is nothing in this poem about faith or salvation or the life to come. Only once the fear of the Lord is mentioned. There is not even a word about romance. It focuses instead on character traits.

Proverbs 31 was written well over two thousand years ago and yet appears to extol what I taught my children to look for in their life partners, whether husband or wife strengths of head, heart and hand. That is, look for someone who has a thoughtful grasp on life, who at the same time has deep moral and relational principles, and who is energetic and not afraid of hard work. Such a partner will bring blessings on their spouse and family in their work and relationships.

I have read this wisdom poem many times across a lifetime, but my most recent reading left me at first perplexed: Where is the young woman who meets all these qualifications: She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family (verse 15). She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard (verse 16). She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue (verse 26). And so on. The demands on her are overwhelming. Can such specific qualifications be met?

But looking deeper into these many fine qualities sheds more light. I look more clearly and see that the issue is not the specific actions but the traits they represent: She is to be energetic, wise, resourceful, noble, and so forth. She has much to bring to a marriage, family, the work world, and society: When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet (verse 21).

The composer of this poem closes with a cautionary word plus a generous commendation.

The warning: Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting (verse 30a). That is, as enticing as charm or beauty may be, dont let them be primary goals in your search for a noble partner. Look rather for the deeper strengths of head, hear, and hand. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue (verse 26).

The poets commendation follows: But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (verse 30b). Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate (verse 31). And dont overlook the central requirement that she have a heart that fears the Lord.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donald N. Bastian is bishop emeritus of the Free Methodist Church of North America. For more of his writings, go to justcallmepastor.wordpress.com.

National Intelligence Report Shows The FBI Never Gets Warrants For Its Backdoor Searches Of NSA Collections – Techdirt

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

from the 'shows'-is-perhaps-a-strong-word-for-something-hidden-17-pages-in... dept

The Intelligence Community's latest transparency report [PDF] contains even more evidence of the FBI's inability to follow the law when helping itself to the NSA's collections. The infamous "backdoor searches" of the NSA's Section 702 collections -- which sweep up millions of electronic communications every year -- have always been a problem for the FBI. (But it's a problem the FBI likely doesn't mind having.)

Communications and data related to US persons are supposed to be minimized before being accessed by the FBI. The FBI may have permission to access this collection, but the impossible-to-stop "incidental" collection of US persons' communications means the FBI is supposed to use warrants when searching the data using US person queries. This mandate only applies to certain cases: criminal investigations not related to national security. The built-in minimization procedures are supposed to take care of the rest of the agency's backdoor searches, supposedly ensuring the FBI can't use a foreign-facing communications collection to spy on Americans.

In practice, this almost never works. It certainly didn't work in every case listed in the ODNI's latest report. Elizabeth Goitein, writing for Just Security, says the report contains more depressing admissions from the FBI. Every time the FBI has accessed US persons communications in cases where it's required to get a warrant, it hasn't bothered to get a warrant.

As minimal as this requirement is, the 2019 statistical transparency report reveals that the FBI has failed to comply with it in literally every relevant case. According to a table in the report, there were six instances in 2018 in which the FBI reviewed the contents of Americans communications after conducting a backdoor search in a criminal, non-national security case.

[...]

The same table indicates that the FBI obtained a warrant to review the contents of those communications exactly zero times. Similarly, for 2019, the table lists one instance in which the FBI ran a backdoor search in a criminal, non-national security case and reviewed communications content, but zero instances in which it obtained a warrant.

There's another caveat that could have salvaged these warrantless backdoor searches, making them compliant with the law. But, nope. This one doesn't work either.

[T]he requirement to obtain a warrant applies only when the investigation has reached a particular stage (namely, when it is designated as a predicated investigation). A footnote in the ODNI report, however, states that the Department of Justice reported each instance to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as a compliance incident. That means the warrant requirement appliedand was violatedin each case.

The news that the FBI violated the warrant requirement in every backdoor search fitting these parameters should have been front page news for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But the ODNI apparently doesn't want this sort of information to be easily discernible in its ironically-named "Transparency Report." As Goitein points out, this news was buried in a footnote and inferred from a table on page 17. No public statement has been made by the ODNI or the FBI about its inability to secure warrants when warrants in the few instances are required.

Some may shrug this off as being of limited importance because there were only six violations. But that number only covers a single month in 2018 and those were only discovered because the DOJ decided to engage in some oversight for a change.

It's not like it's tough to adhere to the minimal demands Congress has made of the FBI when searching 702 collections. But apparently the FBI isn't up to it.

[T]here is nothing complicated about the requirement Congress imposed; it should have been an easy matter to educate FBI agents about their new obligation. There is no imaginable excuse for a compliance rate of zero percent.

The requirement has been on the books since the beginning of 2018. The FBI still couldn't find a way to comply with the warrant mandate several months later. This isn't acceptable, not when the agency is using a foreign-facing collection that's subject to almost zero oversight to search for communications incidentally swept up by the NSA's dragnet. It has continually abused this privilege to search unminimized communications and engage in domestic surveillance while pretending to be only interested in foreign terrorists. The FBI is a serial domestic abuser. For too many years, Congress and the FISA Court have been its enabler.

Filed Under: 4th amendment, backdoor searches, constitution, fbi, nsa, surveillance, warrants

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National Intelligence Report Shows The FBI Never Gets Warrants For Its Backdoor Searches Of NSA Collections - Techdirt

Q&A: What is ‘unmasking’? – The Southern

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Answer: During routine, legal surveillance of foreign targets, names of Americans occasionally come up in conversations. Foreigners could be talking about a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident by name, or a foreigner could be speaking directly to an American. When an American's name is swept up in surveillance of foreigners, it is called "incidental collection." In these cases, the name of the American is masked before the intelligence is distributed to administration officials to avoid invading that person's privacy.

Unless there is a clear intelligence value to knowing the American's name, it is not revealed in the reports. The intelligence report would refer to the person only as "U.S. Person 1" or U.S. Person 2." If U.S. officials with proper clearance to review the report want to know the identity, they can ask the agency that collected the information perhaps the FBI, CIA or National Security Agency to "unmask" the name.

Unmasking requests are common, according to Michael Morell, former CIA deputy director and host of "Intelligence Matters" podcast.

"Literally hundreds of times a year across multiple administrations. In general, senior officials make the requests when necessary to understand the underlying intelligence. I myself did it several times a month and NSA adjudicates the request. You can't do your job without it," he said.

Morell emphasized that unmasking is not the same as declassification. "When a name is unmasked, the underlying intelligence to include the name remains classified so leaking it would be a crime."

Q&A: What is 'unmasking'? - The Southern

The NSA has Values and Baby Monitors Go Hi-Tech – CTech

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Interview | Former NSA chief: Values must not be compromised in the name of security, not even during a pandemic. Mike Rogers, who was named head of the NSA at the height of the Snowden scandal is acutely aware of how fragile the public trust is in the intelligence entities of the democratic nations. Read more

AI baby monitor startup Nanit raises $21 million. Nanit develops a machine learning and computer vision-based monitor that tracks and analyses babies sleep. Read more

Israel Innovation Authority doubling down on strapped tech startups. Sagi Dagan, Vice President, Growth Division says the authority is determined to give the industrys good companies a longer runway to survive the pandemic. Read more

Bucking the trend, Spot.IM announces major employee recruitment. "We have the power to recruit workers, even at times like this, because we are funded by people and companies that believe in us and our unique solution," says CEO. Read more

Automated legal contract startup LawGeex raises $20 million. LawGeex develops software that automates legal contract reviews for customers including HP and General Electric. Read more

Pitango leads $5 million seed round for digital health startup Alike. Currently still in stealth mode, Alike develops an AI-based system that helps patients monitor their own condition. Read more

Fuson leads $17 million round for Israeli autotech company IRP. IRP develops energy-efficient high-performance engines and controls for electric vehicles. Read more

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The NSA has Values and Baby Monitors Go Hi-Tech - CTech

NSA Ajit Doval packs in 3 blunt messages to Pak in daily PoK weather forecast – Hindustan Times

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

The Centres decision to ask television channels to include weather reports and forecasts for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Northern Areas signals a significant shift in Indias strategy on Imran Khans Pakistan, people familiar with the development told Hindustan Times on Friday.

The move was conceived by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval some time back, a top government official said.

The formal proposal, crafted a little over three months back, went out from Deputy National Security Adviser (Strategic Affairs) Rajinder Khannas office on 3 February to the secretaries of foreign and home ministries apart from chiefs of Indias two lead intelligence agencies: Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing.

Their formal approvals came last week.

At one of the early discussions that were held to finetune the proposal, the official recalled how Doval had spoken of the multiple messages that this one move would send.

Doordarshan News has included towns of territories occupied by Pakistan in its daily weather bulletins(DD News/Screengrab)

The central point, the official said, is that this is my area and I am asserting my sovereignty by taking all the steps.

This week, the government told public broadcaster Doordarshan to include weather forecasts of Mirpur and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit in the Northern Areas that are described by Pakistan as Gilgit Baltistan. Some private news channels have already told the government that they will also make changes to their weather bulletins.

Doordarshan was also told to use weather maps that include the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir that would serve as a daily, and public reiteration of Indias stand.

Doordarshan News has started putting out weather reports for three Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Gilgit as part of its weather report in different parts of the country(DDNews/Screengrab)

A second senior government official said the move marked a shift in Indias approach that had been perceived to be hesitant to go all out to hammer the message to Pakistan, its allies and the world that Islamabad was in illegal occupation of over 86,000 square km of Jammu and Kashmir.

This changes.

For one, the assertion of sovereignty becomes particularly important because of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through the Northern Areas or, the expansive Gilgit-Baltistan region that is almost twice the size of Kerala.

When China floated the Belt and Road Initiative a few years ago, it had expected India to be part of the project though it passes through the Northern Areas under Pakistani control. When India protested, Beijing told New Delhi to still join in because this would not affect the status of Kashmir as a dispute between the two countries.

The daily weather map reinforces Indias message on the entire territory of J&K, every day, the official said.

The daily weather forecast, and the map of India on the television screens, also underlines Indias strong views on the occupied territory but also the fact that Pakistan was making material changes to the region and exploiting the population of this region.

In many ways, the official said, the map of India on the television screens also spotlights the plight of the people living in these areas whose rights are violated by Islamabad on a daily basis.

There is another constituency that India hopes to message: the political establishment in the United Kingdom to ask them to not take sides.

A large proportion of the Pakistani expatriate population in the United Kingdom is from Mirpur who have close links with Labour Party leaders such as Jeremy Corbyn who had gone to the extent of passing a resolution to seek international intervention after India scrapped Jammu and Kashmirs special status.

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NSA Ajit Doval packs in 3 blunt messages to Pak in daily PoK weather forecast - Hindustan Times

NSA welcomes start of trade talks with the US – Darlington and Stockton Times

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

A SHEEP farming group has welcomed the news that trade discussions with the US are due to start following disruptions caused by Covid-19.

Phil Stocker, chief executive of The National Sheep Association (NSA), has said they are pleased to hear these negotiations are now beginning after the delays caused by the pandemic.

He said: "We believe there are valuable opportunities for both our industry and the US sheep industry, in Britain, getting access for lamb and mutton into the US.

"The US sheep meat market is highly underdeveloped with very low lamb consumption across the country, and I am convinced that our genetics and British lamb and mutton, very different products to those produced by most US sheep farmers, could help stimulate real interest among American consumers and in turn help US sheep farmers see some growth.

For us, access into the US could create demand for those high-value cuts, particularly sheep meat with provenance and a story simply because of the close connections between our countries and the huge interest in our culture and heritage an aspect which sheep farming is steeped in.

He said the NSA is clear that market access to the EU is a priority but is enthusiastic to expand and build stronger connections further afield.

We dont see this as an alternative to the EU market," said Mr Stocker. "But it would be a positive trade that would complement both our exports and our domestic market. This is particularly prudent at current as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has shown how reliant our industry is on the catering and hospitality market and I could see future US demand for British lamb and mutton coming in alongside our own catering markets, all of which help to balance carcase demand and optimise value across the entire sheepmeat product range.

The NSA has previously expressed concerns about the quality of standards UK producers expect importers to meet.

Mr Stocker said: We welcome statements from Ministers and Government officials that in terms of reciprocal trade our standards will be protected and, while as a general statement, the Government is enthusiastic about free and open trade it does recognise that agriculture and food, like the NHS, is an industry that requires a level of protection and I do expect the commitments not to undermine our unique approach to farming, food, and the environment to be upheld.

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NSA welcomes start of trade talks with the US - Darlington and Stockton Times

Blame NSA for May 9 Disaster – Referee Wilson Sey, man in centre of the fateful game – GhanaWeb

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Sports News of Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

Referee Jacob Wilson Sey

Retired referee Jacob Wilson Sey, who was at the centre of the May 9 Disaster game between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko that saw 127 football fans lose their lives, has fingered the then National Sports Council (NSC) now Authority, as the main course of the disaster.

Opening up on the events that led to one of the worst stadium disasters in Africa 19 years ago, he stated emphatically that the then NSC simply did not take their responsibilities seriously enough, insisting that the blame should be laid at their doorstep.

The then NSC at that time did not play their role well at all. How can all exit gates be locked at that particular point in time when the game was over,? he quizzed, adding that is not the practice across the world.

Throwing light in an interview with Kumasi-based FOX Fm on the purported incident that led to the crowd violence on the day, the then Takoradi-based referee revealed that he ignored an infringement in the lead-up to the Ishmael Addo equaliser.

Hearts made a move towards the goal area of Kotoko. During that move, there was an infringement which my assistant F.D. Arthur raised his flag and that foul was going the way of Hearts and not Kotoko as being stated in some quarters.

According to him, Hearts Emmanuel Osei Kuffour had the power to move on; so I signaled my assistant to put down the flag and allowed play to continue and the fast-paced Ishmael Addo picked the ball and scored.

The thing is that the normal Ghanaian football fan will say because the flag was raised the goal should not be allowed without knowing the reason behind the decision.

In refereeing, if you are about to take an infringement that would be a disadvantage to the attacking team, you do not have to whistle but rather give them the advantage and that is what I applied during the game. Most fans got the interpretation wrong on the day.

Revealing how he was appointed as the centre-man for the game, Mr Sey said he together with referee McCarthy and Essel Walker were the three centre referees and two assistants picked for the game. However, on the morning of the game at the pre-match, a lot was cast and the mantle fell on him.

He stated that as match officials, they did their work to the fullest according to the dictates of the trade.

The educationist further revealed that on that fateful day, comments before and during the game from persons whom he thought were so responsible, affected the game.

People were preaching blood-bath should they lose. Hearts were on top during that time even though both teams played well. However, because Kotoko had some back-up players, most people felt that was their time. The manner Kotoko defended in that game was so good and beautiful.

He expressed no regrets for officiating that particular game, but was sad seeing innocent souls perish because of the negligence of the Sports Authority.

Send your news stories to and via WhatsApp on +233 55 2699 625.

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Blame NSA for May 9 Disaster - Referee Wilson Sey, man in centre of the fateful game - GhanaWeb

3 Blockchain Stocks to Watch in 2020 – Investment U

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Tech Stocks

By Brian M. Reiser

Originally posted December 20, 2019

Updated on January 13 at 9:11 am

If tech stocks or cryptocurrency are areas of interest for you, you may have considered looking into blockchain stocks as well. After all, blockchain technology is truly revolutionizing how people can account for, store and protect their data. And even as interest in bitcoin has waned, blockchain continues to remain a strong contender as one of the most important technologies going forward. Other technologies of note will include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, the cloud and several others.

Before I get into the list of the best blockchain stocks to watch for 2020, lets take a look at what, exactly, blockchain technology is and why its going to be huge.

To understand why blockchain stocks could be major moneymakers in the future, you need to understand the very basics of the technology. At its most fundamental level, blockchain technology is a type of system for keeping records or information.

A block on the blockchain is a set of digital information or records that are stored together. It can be information of any kind. For a basic example, lets imagine it is a record of several Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) stock transactions. In this example, every time some Apple stock is sold, a new transaction is added to the block. And each transaction contains information about who bought and sold the stock, the date, time, and at what price the shares were sold.

After a number of transactions, the block is finished and is given what is known as a hash code. The hash is a unique identifier that tags the block. Think of it as the blocks digital fingerprint.

Once completed, this block gets connected to a new block, forming a chain of blocks. Hence the name blockchain. The blockchain is the complete chain of blocks of information in the system.

The information in the blocks is stored in cryptographic code. And heres a key point the blockchain is not stored on one centralized computer or database, nor is it in the possession of any one owner.

The blockchain is often called a distributed ledger because it replicates itself on each and every computer, or node, in the network.

Now in contrast, think of a spreadsheet or perhaps a database. Or even a paper ledger of transactions. These are all tools you can you use to keep track of information (like transactions).

There are several significant problems with such systems. For starters, lets say I am the owner of the ledger or the database. What is to stop me from falsifying my own data or cooking the books?

If Im the one with sole control over the ledger, it becomes easy for me to commit fraud. And speaking of fraud, heres another problem: Whats to prevent an external hacker from coming in and changing or deleting data in my database?

In order to falsify the data on the blockchain, an owner or a hacker would need to simultaneously hack information in every single block on every single computer where the information is replicated. In the case of bitcoins blockchain system, that would be millions of computers.

The sheer amount of computing power you would need to hack such a system makes such a possibility prohibitive. Thats the safety and security of the blockchain network. Its as unhackable as you can get right now.

The transparency, immutability and security of blockchain technology makes it attractive for use in a variety of different cases far beyond cryptocurrencies. It can be used in everything from stock trading to food safety to healthcare data security.

In fact, the World Economic Forum projects blockchain will store 10% of global GDP within the next decade. It could save the finance industry billions of dollars by cutting out middlemen. And it can be used to better manage supply chains and trace contaminated foods back to their sources.

The improvements in speed and security could be revolutionary as transaction times and trade costs decrease. You could even use blockchain to track property ownership in less developed nations and prevent concert or sports ticket counterfeiting right here in the United States.

Virtually any situation where transactional information needs to be securely stored is a prime candidate to benefit from blockchain technology. And with so much opportunity out there for growth, there is immeasurable opportunity for you to profit from the coming revolution.

So how do you play blockchain as an investor on the markets?

Whether you have been looking for an alternative to direct investment in cryptocurrency or seeking an opportunity in blockchain itself, there are a variety of ways to play it

If youve been interested in investing in bitcoin but feel nervous about direct investment, investing in blockchain technology is an attractive alternative. But blockchain technology is promising in its own right.

The technologys cost and speed efficiencies, along with its transparency and security, will likely lead many companies to adopt the technology. Getting in on blockchain stocks now is a great way to be in on the ground floor when the technology really takes off. Brian M. Reiser,Investment U Contributing Writer

To keep getting the best coverage of blockchain, artificial intelligence and other tech stocks, make sure to subscribe to our free daily e-letter in the signup box below.

Brian M. Reiser has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a concentration in finance from the School of Management at Binghamton University.

He also holds a B.A. in philosophy from Columbia University and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of South Florida.

His primary interests at Investment U include personal finance, debt, tech stocks and more.

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3 Blockchain Stocks to Watch in 2020 - Investment U

Blockchain-facilitated sharing to advance outbreak R&D – Science Magazine

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Timely and widespread dissemination of resources and information related to pathogenic threats plays a critical role in outbreak recognition, research, containment, and mitigation (1, 2), as stakeholders from government, public health (PH), industry, and academia seek to implement interventions and develop vaccines, diagnostics, and drugs (3). But there are ersistent barriers to sharing and cooperative research and development (R&D) in the context of epidemics, rooted in a lack of trust in confidentiality and reciprocity (4, 5), ambiguity over resource ownership (6), and conflicting public, private, and academic incentives (24, 6). Here, we suggest how recent advances in blockchain and related technologies can enable decentralized mechanisms to help break down these systemic and largely nontechnological barriers. These mechanisms resolve scalability, energy consumption, and security concerns of early blockchain models and may be applied to underpin and interconnect, rather than supersede or conflict with existing, well-established systems and practices for storing, sharing, and governing resources.

As opposed to centralized databases that are maintained by a single party, a blockchain involves an infrastructure of different parties (nodes), each maintaining an identical copy of a distributed ledger. Once time-stamped into the ledger, records cannot be altered or removed unnoticed, owing to cryptographic data-structuring. A one-way algorithm processes data into cryptographic identifiers (hash codes), which are unique for an input value, that is, the algorithm will have a different output if the input is altered in any way. There is no way to reconstruct underlying data content from a hash code. In a blockchain, the hash code of the preceding record is included in the new record before hashing and time-stamping it, making the ledger evolve as a chained, time-stamped record-keeping system that is tamper-resistant by design: The hash of an altered ledger will deviate from the hash of the consensually verified ledger as maintained by the rest of the nodes. Hence, blockchains enable proof of the existence of specific data objects and their content at specific points in time while data itself may remain concealed. This distributed infrastructure offers a common and inviolable source of records that can be verified by (permitted) network entities, removing the necessity of having a mutually trusted, centralized intermediary for verification and record-keeping of exchanges.

Outbreak R&D depends on access to pathogen samples, data, and information, which are shared through physical collections of microbial and viral cultures (biobanks), open-access or restricted genetic sequence databases, or ad hoc peer-to-peer exchanges, and often only after having been shared through scientific publishing or patenting. The following barriers hamper timely and widespread sharing through these systems.

Rapid international cooperation during outbreaks is challenged by a lack of trust in reciprocity, with countries fearing unfair sharing of benefits arising from the use of their local resources by foreign parties. A prominent example arose in 2006, when the Indonesian government denied foreign access to H5N1 influenza samples because of concerns about the unaffordability of resulting vaccines (4). Such concerns underlie the Nagoya Protocol (NP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which stipulates that access to genetic resources must be preceded by consent from providing countries and (bilateral) agreements on access and benefit-sharing (ABS). Users are responsible for tracing rights holders to negotiate and obtain certificates and permits for any sample (5). Partial implementation, lack of transparency in national legislations, and divergent interpretations of rights and obligations under the NP can delay this process (6) and thus, for example, obstruct the validation of diagnostics (7). The NP's central information system, the ABS Clearing-House, lacks a complete picture of national ABS conditions (5). Moreover, the commercial nature and prospects of R&D are hard to determine ex ante, complicating ABS negotiations. Reliable mechanisms for tracking resources and access to those resources across storage systems are lacking (8) but called for to (temporarily) suspend negotiations, rapidly share, and allow for formalizing intent retrospectively. If the NP's scope is expanded to include genetic sequence data (GSD)as currently debatedfree sharing and rapid exchanges or data risk additional obstruction (2, 5).

Timely sharing of data and information on emerging pathogens can be frustrated by individual (competitive) interests, reinforced by systemic incentives (2, 6). Researchers have an incentive to publish peer-reviewed papers and demonstrate scientific priority (2, 9). Preprint platforms and close interactions between publishers and the PH community accelerate dissemination timelines but can still delay sharing until raw data or materials have been analyzed and processed unilaterally into publishable formats. Governments and researchers lack trust in reciprocity for shared resources and especially for GSD, because reliable mechanisms to track access and use across (public and private) systems remain absent (8). Even in the presence of designated portals hosted by PH authorities, lack of trust in database security and confidentiality can keep researchers from sharing (6). Closed data hubs developed for fast sharing offer limited means for managing and monitoring access of individual resources on a case-by-case basis (9). For severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequences, a closed hub was created under the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) that controls access and prohibits redistribution. Commercial aspirations can also cause sharing delays, as patent incentives impede open dissemination before patent applications are drafted and submitted (6). Reluctance in sharing is further explained by data sensitivity. Countries may fear impaired trade and tourism, and criticism on the appropriateness of measures taken (6). Source tracing or data triangulation can unintentionally lead to the identification of affected regions or individuals (2, 10). Furthermore, actors risk infringing on ethical and legal frameworks (e.g., the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation), especially once outbreak emergencies and any data privacy exemptions have expired.

Competition between labs can lead to fragmentation of intellectual property rights (IPRs) over GSD-based inventions and to time-consuming legal procedures to determine who has priority for each claim (3). Uncertain ownership rights translate into uncertain accessibility and affordability of building-block resources, subsequently delaying investments by downstream developers (3). For Middle East respiratory syndromecoronavirus (MERS-CoV), conflicts over ownership delayed sharing, leading to persistent knowledge gaps on viral origins and transmission dynamics and hampering the development of vaccines and treatments (11). Yet, IPRs remain an important incentive for necessary industry investment in high-risk R&D to develop and produce diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics (3).

Blockchain could help address root causes by underpinning the outbreak R&D ecosystem as a common, privacy-preserving, inviolable, and verifiable layer for records of objects and identities (e.g., resources, individuals, and organizations), rules (e.g., access permissions and ABS provisions), and events (e.g., access and benefit-sharing). Some have expressed concern about the cost and sustainability of implementing blockchain systems, but advanced models have appeared that do not rely on energy-guzzling algorithms to operate the distributed ledger and assure the integrity of its records. For instance, the necessary software and servers to implement a blockchain network can be hosted by a consortium of known, reputable, and preappointed authority node operators (ANOs), and network access can be restricted to permitted entities (i.e., those registered in the system and holding the right permissions). Such a federated, permissioned network model offers superior scalability, sustainability, and options for confidentiality as compared to permissionless systems such as the Bitcoin or public Ethereum blockchains. Current open-source technologies exist that allow for integration with traditional database management systems and appear fit for cost-effective and compatible prototyping and implementation of an outbreak R&D blockchain infrastructure (ORBI). We discuss key concepts and features of a possible ORBI [elaborated on in the supplementary materials (SM)].

An ORBI would enable actors to anchor hashed records of their digital or physical resources to establish time-stamped proof of their existence, integrity, and (scientific) priority in the blockchain. Records themselves would be kept in an off-chain repository (9) and include indexing metadata (i.e., fields that systematically describe the resource, for example, pathogenic properties, provenance, and ownership) to enable querying and analysis by permitted entities only. Records would also include hashes of and pointers to the underlying resources themselves, which could be stored in any existing storage service. Depending on the preferences of resource providers (e.g., desired level of confidentiality), these may be open-access repositories [e.g., of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC)] or restricted systems (e.g., private encrypted data vaults or semi-open platforms like GISAID).

Data privacy and sensitivity concerns would be addressed through decentralized identity and access management: Only entities that can cryptographically authenticate with a decentralized identifier (DID) that meets the right conditions are granted permission to discover and/or access records and underlying resources. DIDs are globally unique identifiers that are registered on the blockchain for all network entities (e.g., individuals, organizations, devices, resources, or any other digital or physical objects). DIDs contain no personally identifiable information, can point to external locations (e.g., storage services or other service end points), and enable universal authentication of identities and their attributes (e.g., qualifications, permissions, or other credentials). Required credentials or other access conditions can be controlled by resource providers to meet (confidentiality) requirements of any applicable ethical or legal (IPR) framework. Conditions would be deployed through smart contracts: blockchain-registered scripts that can trigger an action (e.g., grant access) on recording conditionally relevant events (e.g., authenticating with the required credentials) (9, 12). These mechanisms could incentivize actors to rapidly time-stamp recordsespecially when contributions by data collectors and repositories would become adopted into the norms for scientific attribution or claiming ownership of inventions. Next to records of samples and sequences, researchers could register analyzed data before writing and publishing (preprint) papers. PH centers could register raw epidemiological datasets before analyzing and processing into aggregated country-level reports, enabling integrated analyses by authorized entities or analysis support when centers are heavily burdened during a PH crisis. The mechanisms would offer actors fine-grained control over exposure, for example, enabling instant selective disclosure of sensitive data to supranational coordinating bodies only, offering a head start while countries prepare their official public response and measures.

ILLUSTRATION: LUCKYSTEP/SHUTTERSTOCK

As suggested by MiPasa, a recent multistakeholder initiative for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance, blockchain-facilitated sharing can feed into improved and accelerated analyses of PH data, a use case for which blockchain has also been considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States on a national level. This use case can be extended to enhance resource sharing and collaboration among public, private, and academic actors throughout the outbreak R&D chain.

DIDs offer decentralized control over identity attributes and service end points, complementing and integrating key (centralized) tools for resource traceabilitynotably the INSDC's accession number for sequences, digital object identifiers for publications, and the internationally recognized certificate of compliance (IRCC) for NP access permits. Existing identifiers could be attributed to a DID hosted in the common ORBI to establish stable links, addressing fragmentation and redundancy issues of the current system (8) and reducing administrative burden.

Paired with a time-stamped audit log, DIDs and smart contractcoordinated permissions would enable a reliable tracking system for both resources and access events across storage systems (8). Access interfaces can be offered for existing database management systems and their users who want to verify identities and permissions on the blockchain (12), allowing data to be stored as before but increasing monitoring options. Access events would be recorded to shape an immutable audit trail (i.e., who accesses what and under which conditions). Such a shared identity and access management system enables secure interconnections between storage systems that are currently siloed or only integrated at national or regional levels (2, 8). Although unintended circulations outside the tracking system (e.g., offline) are hard to rule out completely, blockchain mechanisms offer to strengthen the chain of custody tool kit of existing systems. They offer verifiable records (e.g., all parties with unique access keys) should disputes arise and be resolved under any existing legal framework, reducing reluctance to share and bringing data resources within the scope of NP principles of fair ABS (8). Foul play would be further discouraged when disclosing audit trails becomes expected in GSD-based publishing and patenting.

Smart contracts would be applied to automate identification and authorization processes, accelerating, easing, and reducing transaction costs of compliance procedures. For instance, contracts could generate (and record) a unique access key for network entities on signing for the required ABS provisions, or trigger ABS obligations (e.g., payment) on recording actual access. This would enable users to demonstrate and assert compliance for both public and protected resources without the current administrative burden, substantially reducing sharing timelines. Blockchain prohibits unilateral changes to deployed smart contracts, clarifying and enforcing permissions, rights, and obligations for network entities. With the DIDs and audit log, the system could rebuild trust in agreements being upheld, incentivizing the input of resources.

Though smart contracts would allow for bilateral terms and conditions, a lack of alignment and harmonization in ABS provisions would impede the efficiency of an ORBI. Progress by governments and PH authorities on defining the scope, alignment, and harmonization of governance structures, and especially legal global frameworks, thus remains crucial (1, 5). An ORBI offers to facilitate policy implementation and promote compliance by translating best practicessuch as the standardized material transfer agreements for research and commercial use under the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Frameworkinto a certified library of smart contract templates, along with user interface components to modify the values of prespecified template attributes. In the Indonesian H5N1 case, such a system could have assisted in granting prompt access for entities involved in a noncommercial response while triggering conditional ABS provisions for any commercial follow-up.

Blockchain could further contribute to trust and reciprocity by mapping contributors and their agreements throughout the outbreak R&D chain, avoiding time-consuming procedures for clarifying ownership such as those that were needed during the MERS-CoV emergency (11). R&D records could be stored in a repository that is optimized for directed acyclic graphs, which allows related records to be linked, capturing the evolution of R&D branches over time. A similar mechanism is applied by GitHub and finds support in recent literature (13). The audit log would affirm appropriate links and rightful contributions, and foul play could be further discouraged by algorithmically identifying probable links based on record metadata (probabilistic graphical modeling). Graphs may even assist in consolidating IPRs over ensuing inventions when smart contracts that define how to equitably distribute ownership among contributors are properly designed, certified, and offered in the system as configurable templates. These could coordinate auditable distribution of arising benefits (e.g., royalties) to all contributorsfrom those who register samples to those committing evidence of scientific value and/or patentability, and all stakeholders in between. In response to SARS, aggregating all fair contributors into a single patent-holding consortium (a patent pool) could have reduced risks for licensees and accelerated follow-on R&D (3). R&D graphs could thus support complex multistakeholder networks such as the WHO's R&D Blueprint and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in prioritizing R&D while respecting individual ownership, by recording public and private contributions that can be accounted for retrospectively.

Key concepts we have discussed have been explored in recent efforts (9, 12, 13) and fit with existing open-source technologies (see SM). However, designing and implementing an ORBI-like system raises sociopolitical, legal, and technical issues that need effective resolution. Political willingness and involvement of stakeholders at the global governance level (e.g., WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Organisation for Animal Health, World Intellectual Property Organization, and CBD) will be essential for aligning with existing (legal) frameworks and procedures and for coordinating pilots demonstrating system functioning in (simulated) practice. Adopting a multistakeholder governance model analogous to the Global Health Security Agenda, embodied by a dedicated steering group (SG) that includes a fair, global representation of acknowledged stakeholders, seems promising (see SM). An SG could oversee the appointment of ANOs and facilitate in-system design, implementation, and promotion through technical and policy working groups. Standardization of key enabling technologies (e.g., through the International Organization for Standardization, World Wide Web Consortium, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and interfaces with existing storage systems (e.g., INSDC, GISAID, and COMPARE) will determine success and sustainability, as will intuitive user clients and graphical user interfaces (2). Increased restrictions on sharing through strengthened access control could emerge but seem unlikely because this may conflict with legal obligations under the International Health Regulations and principles of cooperation, transparency, and openness. Finally, blockchain is not a panacea. Efforts to address market failures and regional capacity building to improve R&D are essential for long-term preparedness (14, 15).

Acknowledgments: We acknowledge M. Koopmans, K. Hamilton Duffy, N. Klomp, J. Laros, M. Kroon, J. Flach, R. van der Waal, and anonymous referees for discussion and feedback. M.B.W. and C.S.R. contributed equally to this work. M.B.W., L.H.M.B., and E.C. codevelop blockchain-based solutions for clinical trials (Triall). C.S.R. and G.B.H. codevelop a European platform for detecting and analyzing outbreaks (COMPARE). M.M. is the applicant of a patent on managing IPRs using blockchain.

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Blockchain-facilitated sharing to advance outbreak R&D - Science Magazine

What To Watch at Consensus: Distributed Day 4 – IBM and the World Economic Forum – CoinDesk – CoinDesk

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Top Shelf

On Wednesday we learnedless than a 1% of the totalsuspicious activityreportsfiled with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network since 2013 were crypto-related.

Speaking at a workshop on FATF's Travel Rule,FinCEN Director Kenneth Blanco said the financial watchdog uses these reports to map out IP and wallet addresses that are linked to potential criminals.Other speakers pointed out such regulations may violatethe Fourth Amendment, which protects against surveillance without cause.

You're readingBlockchain Bites: Consensus Editiona twice daily roundup of all the notable news out of Consensus: Distributed. You can sign up for this, and all of CoinDesk'snewsletters here.

The debate between privacy and transparency is likely to continue today, with two workshops dedicated to reading blockchain data. Stream thefull day of events here.

Here is what CoinDesks Head of ResearchNoelle Achesonlooks forward to today:

Weve all heard the gentle warnings to pace ourselves at the beginning of a marathon. Yet, so many of us treat marathons like sprints anyway. Consensus: Distributed is no different, and there was so much going on over the first couple of days that pacing ourselves just wasnt an appealing option.

Today, we have deep dives into token standardization, hosted by our content partners the IEEE, and into blockchain use cases, hosted by the World Economic Forum. Christine Kim and Galen Moore from CoinDesk Research host sessions on crypto metrics and market data. You think crypto charts are confusing? These talks will make them less so.

We also have insight from enterprise executives, consortium leaders and industry economists about the sectors challenges and opportunities, and how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted efforts. And well hear from our partners Huobi and Abu Dhabi Global Market on crypto market evolution and building digital financial services.

Keep your energy up itll be worth it!

What To Watch

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET Joining Forces on Token Standardization - Hosted by IEEEFigures from Microsoft, Securitize, R3 Corda, Hedera Hashgraph and Digital Asset, among others, will appear during this program dedicated to the wide world of token issuance.9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Research Hub: Workshopping Famous MetricsCoin Metrics Nic Carter is joined by other data experts from Glassnodes, Amberdata and BurgerCrypto.com to discuss transparency and the metrics that rule the crypto economy.11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Research Hub: How To Read Crypto Market DataSimilar in theme to the program above, this panel will host Skew, Kaiko and Delphi Digital executives in a discussion about reading the ledgers.12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Going Live: Vicarious Learning for Blockchain Deployment - Hosted by World Economic ForumWEFs Sheila Warren returns for another star-studded affair to discuss the World Economic Forums trials and errors with blockchain technology. Featuring notables from InBev, Deloitte and the Ethereum Foundation.2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Enterprise Blockchain: The Path to MonetizationEnterprise blockchain isnt dead. Salesforce, IBM, EY, ING Bank and Tradelens authorities will stream a discussion about their companies forays into capitalizing on distributive technologies.

The CoinDesk 50

The CoinDesk 50is an annual list celebrating the most important organizations in crypto. We've been announcing five nominees per day, and have highlightedBinance,Cosmos,Brave,Bitmain,MakerDAO,Besuand thePeoples Bank of Chinaas particularly noteworthy. Today we honor Silvergate Bank.You can read thefull list here.

CoinDesk COVID Response

#NYBWGivesCoinDesk has joined Gitcoin, The Giving Block and Ethereal Summit to support charities helping communities in difficult times. We're raising $100,000 and giving you a voice through the quadratic funding model.Learn how it worksand how to donate.

In addition,New York-based abstract artist Mr. Star Citycreated an original piece of artwork, shown above, as a part of Consensus: Distributed. The art, inspired by love, unity and technology, will be up for auction this week. Follow@coindeskon Twitter to find out how to bid the proceeds will go to the same cause.

Consensus Magazine

Generation CryptoFreelance journalist Jess Klein writes about an emerging psychographic of people who see the world through the lens of decentralization. In a series of eight profiles, Klein examines Generation Crypto, a diffuse grouping of people of all ages, races and sexes, bound together as children of Satoshi.

SpankChain's Ameen Soleimaniis the subject of thisexcerpted profile. Read thefull series here.

It was only February when the founder of the blockchain sex worker platform SpankChain, Ameen Soleimani, helped throw a coronavirus-themed party at an Airbnb-ed church during the ETHDenver conference in Colorado drinking Corona beers with his shitcoin trading friends, protocol developers, and bitcoin OGs but it feels like a lifetime ago.

It was weeks before several of the conferences attendees went on to EthCC in Paris and got infected with the coronavirus, and one week before Soleimani convinced his mom to take a mass shopping trip to Costco to prepare for a lockdown in California that hadnt started yet. I probably could have done more to raise awareness and make people take it seriously, he says of the church party.

But still, he was prepared. In addition to the Costco trip, he stockpiled drugs including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine both under testing to see how effective they could be in treating COVID-19 patients, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against using them at home and even bought an oxygen tank. On the off-chance my mom is dying of coronavirus Id rather have an oxygen concentrator than $400, he reasons.

A couple months out from moving out of the apartment hed shared with SpankChain co-Founder Wills de Vogelaere in Los Angeless Venice Beach, Soleimani has been isolating at an Ethereum friends mansion in West Hollywood. The friend isnt there its just Soleimani, two other friends, a heated pool and a steam room. I sort of hit the quarantine jackpot, he says.

Like many others in his industry, Soleimani was able to prepare so thoroughly thanks to a combination of a global network and shared prepper mentalities. Ive been in a Telegram Doomsday Prepper group for, like, a month and a half, he says, where members share raw feeds from doctors Twitters and the like. It turns out to be better intel, a lot of the time, than if you listen to the World Health Organization.

Being a young entrepreneur in the crypto space generally means avoiding the establishment ethos for a more progressive outlook. For instance, Soleimani posted his first porn video to PornHub back in January. Starring him and SpankChain adviser/adult film star Brenna Sparks, it features the pair role playing as themselves (a boss hooking up with his sexy adviser). It took a year for Soleimani to muster the courage to post it online but he has no regrets its helping normalize the stigmatized industry his company operates in, he figures.

The old guard is like: Hes ruined his career, hes fucked, nobody will take him seriously, says Soleimani. Meanwhile, younger people in the space found the move iconic and admirable.

Soleimani sees this divide as indicative of business culture moving forward, particularly in the crypto space. Eventually the old people will die, the rules will go with them and newer generations will set the cultural norms, he said in February. As entrepreneurs, its part of our role to bring those new concepts into the world.

In light of the pandemic, this makes for an exceptionally bleak and insensitive take. But in a world where people are only dressing from the waist up for conference calls, rolling with changing cultural norms has become inevitable.

Money Reimagined

Is bitcoin the answer for a global monetary system not longer served by the dollar standard? Airing Friday, May 15, episode 3 of The Breakdown: Money Reimagined examines bitcoin and permissionless stablecoins, both of which are forcing the global monetary system to examine deeply ingrained beliefs.

The Breakdown: Money Reimagined is a podcast crossover micro-series exploring the battle for the future of money in the context of a post COVID-19 world. The four-part podcast features over a dozen voices including Consensus: Distributed speakers Niall Ferguson, Nic Carter and Michael Casey. New episodes air Fridays on the CoinDesk Podcast Network. Subscribe here.

How to Use Brella

To access all of the deeper cuts available through Consensus: Distributed,you'll need to log in through Brella, our virtual conferencing platform.You can create an account through Gmail, LinkedIn, Facebook or set one up manually onBrella. Your profile will be the way you match and network with others. As soon as you're set up, youll be directed to a dashboard showing other registrants.

Brella is easy to use and has a number of features to help you through this virtual experience. There are multiple tracks of simultaneous programming happening inside Brella. Youll also be able to browse the entire agenda, bookmark sessions and build your own schedule.

Brella is a great networking tool as well, be sure to check out some of the social features available in-page, and reach out to the people and organizations that pique your interest.Celo, for one, is hiring. So is IOV Labs.

Market Intel

Many Ether Whales Might Be Leaving for BitcoinWhile ethers (ETH) price has risen by nearly 50% this year, the number of addresses holding large amounts of the currency, popularly known as whales, has declined significantly. The seven-day average of the number of unique addresses holding 10,000 ethers or more fell to 1,050 on Tuesday. That's the lowest level since January 2019, according to data provided by the blockchain intelligence firm Glassnode.

Media Diet

Fund Manager Got NY BitLicense 11 Months After Hiring Its ArchitectBenjamin Lawsky, the former financial regulator whocreated New Yorks BitLicensein 2015, joined New York Digital Investment Group Asset Advisory LLC (NYDIG) nearly a year before the bitcoin fund manager applied for, and received, that license.

Reddit Rolls Out Community Points on Ethereum to Incentivize Positive BehaviorThe social platform has expanded its "community points" trial, offering users a way to earn a "piece of their favorite communities,"built on top of the Ethereum blockchain.

History Has Repeated: F2Pool Explains Message in Last Block Before Bitcoin HalvingUshering in bitcoin's third "halving," mining pool F2Pool rooted a message into the blockchain that will now reside there forever. Preceded by a fish emoji signifying the company's logo, the mining pool added the text to a headline from The New York Times: "NYTimes 09/Apr/2020 With $2.3T Injection, Fed's Plan Far Exceeds 2008 Rescue,"echoing the message Satoshi Nakamoto left on Bitcoins genesis block.

Who Won #CryptoTwitter?

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 the rest here:

What To Watch at Consensus: Distributed Day 4 - IBM and the World Economic Forum - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

Staying Alive: Why the World of Enterprise Blockchain Has Turned to Collaborations – CoinDesk – CoinDesk

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

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.

Read this article:

Staying Alive: Why the World of Enterprise Blockchain Has Turned to Collaborations - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

Blockchain Bites: Making Sense of the Halving, Consensus Distributed’s First Day – CoinDesk – CoinDesk

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Were not even halfway through the first full day of Consensus: Distributed and the world may never be the same.

The most ambitious conference of its kind kicked off with CoinDesk TV, a full 24 hours of programming featuring European central bankers, former CFTC chairmen and celebrity guests including Akon and Michelle Phan.

You're reading Blockchain Bites: Consensus Edition a twice daily roundup of all the notable news out of Consensuse Distributed. You can sign up for this, and all of CoinDesk's newsletters here.

History is being made elsewhere, too, with the Bitcoin networks third programmable halving going off without a hitch.

Bitcoin halved: Here's what that means

CoinDesks Wolfie Zhaobreaks it down:

Miners racing on the network to compete for freshly minted bitcoin produced the 630,000th block at 19:23 UTC on May 11, which triggered the programmed halving event, marking the currency's third halving in its 11-year history.

The first block in the new 6.25-bitcoin-per-block mining cycle was mined and relayed by China-based Antpool, the fourth-largest mining pool by total computing power.

In an homage to Satoshi Nakamoto's iconic "brink of a second bailout" message in the 2009 genesis block, f2pool, which mined the 629,999th block (the last before the halving), embedded a reference to the current financial crisis: "NYTimes 09/Apr/2020 With $2.3T Injection, Feds Plan Far Exceeds 2008 Rescue.

The immediate implication after the third halving is that the newly minted bitcoin in a day will fall from 1,800 to 900 units. That would also mean mining operators will see their daily total revenue at bitcoin's current price of $8600 reduced from $15 million to $8 million.

As such, it has been expected the computing power connected to the Bitcoin network will fall significantly after the halving as the revenue decrease will squeeze out those miner operators who lack efficient resources to cut their electricity costs.

Three halving-related events worth knowing about

A once-in-four-years event deserves a celebration:

The keynote

This morning we heard from influential economist Carlota Perez, who broke down her theory of tech revolutions driven by boom and bust cycles.

She was joined by Placeholders Chris Burniske and they discussed automating administrative infrastructure as a way to modernize the state.

Competing sides: The privacy of money

European Central Bank executive Yves Mersch saidEuropes central bank is looking into CBDCs. A retail CBDC, accessible to all, would be a game changer, and is now a primary area of research.

Mersch said a eurozone CBDC could be based on a digital token circulated "in a decentralized manner," without a central ledger.

Other economic leaders arent so attracted by the possibility of taking all cash digital through the central bank. Avantis Caitlyn Long said CBDCs could be turned into a surveillance tool and as a way to exert undue economic pressure on citizens.

Former U.S. Treasury SecretaryLawrence Summers isnt worried about a privacy-corroding CBDC proposal.He thinks there may be too much privacy associated with government-issued cash already.

In a world of inordinate tax evasion, trillions of dollars of laundered money around corruption and the drug trade, the last objective of government policy should be the promotion of anonymity with respect to large financial transactions, Summers said.

Inside Consensus: Distributed

Joon Wong was one of the heavy lifters that made today such a success. One of the first CoinDesk employees, back when the company was still London-based, Joon knows the crypto industry inside and out. Hes now running programming for our events. Heres what he has to say about the first day ofConsensus: Distributed:

Consensus has always been about convening the disparate fields that make up the cryptocurrency industry. The first edition of Consensus, which I started in 2015, was the first time a major global bank Citi got publicly involved with blockchain technologies. This sixth edition of Consensus, held virtually, was no different.

We saw a member of the European Central Bank's executive board announce that the institution would investigate retail digital currencies; we watched our own conference inside a virtual conference center within Decentraland; and we heard from the influential economist of technology Carlota Perez about her views on blockchain technologies for the first time.

And that's not to mention the slew of figures from the mainstream who have been increasingly drawn to our world: beauty mogul and YouTube pioneer Michelle Phan; NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie; electronic music sensations The Chainsmokers.

Consensus can only convene this breadth of speakers because of the underlying robustness of this industry. And if this year's speaker lineup is any indication, the business is in rude health.

How to use Brella

To access all of the deeper cuts available through Consensus: Distributed,you'll need to login through Brella, our virtual conferencing platform.

You can create an account through Gmail, LinkedIn, Facebook or set one up manually onBrella. Your profile will be the way you match and network with others. As soon as you're set up, youll be directed to a dashboard showing other registrants.

The best backgrounds of Consensus: Distributed

Wild horses are the way to go when you live in Wyoming.

Peep Erik FIATSUX Voorhees' vanity plates.

The CoinDesk 50

26. The Peoples Bank of ChinaChina leads in the world in the development of national digital currencies. While other central banks are talking about CBDCs, the Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) is already trialling its toolkit. Just recently,screenshots emergedof a digital yuan interface being piloted at the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), one of four state-owned banking giants. That PBoC is first to the CBDC starting line is not surprising. It has been working on the project forsix years. Meanwhile, Chinas government has made blockchain a national priority in several directions, including the recently launchedBlockchain Services Network(BSN), which is now being piloted in Chinese cities and along its Digital Silk Road trade routes.FULL STORY

The CoinDesk 50is a selection of the most innovative and consequential projects in crypto/blockchain. See the other nominees here.Well announce more tomorrow.

A tour of Cryptovoxels

This afternoon I took a guided tour of crypto art hanging across galleries in Cryptovoxels. One of the most inspiring and innovative sub-economies within crypto, blockchain-based artworks are proving their value in a time when most museums are shuttered.

Here are some of my favorite installations, and where to find them.

These three photos are all part ofNisslas CryptoWiener Art Gallery found in Cryptovoxels at 304E,137N.

Welcome to Skeenees Skull Gallery (202E,347S)

Media diet

Hedge Fund Pioneer Paul Tudor Jones Says He Holds 1%-2% of Assets in BitcoinSpeaking to CNBC in an interview on Monday, Paul Tudor Jones II expressed some concerns with bitcoin, but he still praised its potential, when confirming his allocation in crypto. Theres very little trust in it [bitcoin]," he said. However, were watching the birthing of a store of value, and whether that succeeds or not only time will tell."

Vitalik Buterin Says Much-Delayed Ethereum 2.0 Still on Track for July LaunchEthereums creator said the Ethereum 2.0 protocol upgrade, which will change the consensus mechanism to proof-of-stake (PoS),is well on its way to launchingsometime in July. Sometimes known as Serenity, the update has long been subject to delays, with July a target date for developers since the beginning of the year.

Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Phan Invest in Lollis $3M Seed RoundThe$3 million seed roundwith Phan and Ashton Kutchers VC firm, Sound Ventures, marks roughly $5.4 million in total capital raised by Lolli so far. Pathfinder, the early-stage investment arm of Peter Thiels Founders Fund, led this recent round with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Craft Ventures and Digital Currency Group, CoinDesks parent company.

Zcash Alliance Aims to Bring Privacy Tech to Bitcoin, Cosmos and EthereumTheElectric Coin Company (ECC) announced Monday the launch of the Zcash Developers Alliance(ZDA), an invite-only working group that includes the Lightning Network startup Bolt Labs, the cross-chain technology startup Thesis, the Ethereum conglomerate ConsenSys and two leading startups working on the Cosmos project, Agoric and Iqlusion, just to name a few.

Binance.US Launches OTC Trading Desk for Large TradesThe feature will allow users of Binances US affiliate to process orders worth $10,000 or more directlybetween customers, off of the normal exchanges order book. Catherine Coley, CEO of Binance America, said the launch comes at an opportune time for large value traders given increasing interest in bitcoin from well-known investors, such as hedge fund pioneer Paul Tudor Jones II.

ErisX Announces Launch of First U.S. Ether Futures ContractsThe new contracts, thefirst futures contracts for the second-largest cryptocurrencyby market cap in the U.S., will begin trading effective immediately, ErisX announced. The move comes a few days after ErisX announced it had received a virtual currency license from the New York Department of Financial Services, and would begin offering trading services in what is the nation's most stringent regulatory regime.

Crypto.com Lands Record $360M Insurance Cover for Offline Bitcoin VaultsThecrypto finance platform accessed the coverthrough institutional custody provider Ledger Vault, which offers $150 million of pooled insurance cover to clients, and Lloyds of London underwriter Arch Insurance.

CME Says Volume Surge Shows Strong Institutional Interest Before Bitcoin HalvingIn a note sent out late on Sunday, the derivatives exchange saida strong "ramp up" in volumes over the past week showed institutional investors were getting exposureto bitcoin, most likely in preparation ahead of the supply-cutting event. CME said 844 unique accounts have begun trading bitcoin derivatives since the start of 2020 more than double the number of new market entrants compared to the same period last year.

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Blockchain Bites: Making Sense of the Halving, Consensus Distributed's First Day - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

Monsoon Blockchain to Revolutionize Next Generation of Fin Tech in US and Asia – Business Wire

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monsoon Blockchain Corporation, Asias premier blockchain company, has worked with the worlds largest insurance broker and risk adviser, Marsh. This signifies a major move for the blockchain and insurance and risk management sectors globally.

Monsoon will work with Marsh to offer a range of risk management and risk transfer solutions for digital assets and investments. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with risk solutions and advisory services.

SinChee Saw, Director of Partnerships at Monsoon Blockchain Asia, said: There has been a net expansion of insurance capacity available for digital asset risks in the past twelve months and the insurance and risk management programs and risk advisory offered with the Monsoon solution is supported by insurance markets with superior financial strength ratings. The amount of overall capacity will depend on a risk-by-risk basis. That said, there is up to $1 billion USD in potential insurance capacity available across the specie, financial institutions, and insurance markets.

We are delighted to work with Marsh, who is transforming the Insurance and Risk Management industries using the Blockchain, Monsoon CEO Dr. Donald Basile added.

Monsoon Blockchain Corporation is focused on innovative cloud solutions in the blockchain ecosystem. Dr. Donald Basile, its CEO and founder, is the former CEO of Fusion IO, a company known for playing a major role in implementing the cloud systems at Apple and Facebook as well as partnerships with HP, IBM, and Dell. Recently, Monsoon Blockchain added advisory board members Ken Goldman, President of Hillspire (Eric Schmidts family office), and former CFO of Yahoo and Fortinet, and Xiaoma Lu, former Dalian Wanda Investments CEO and former board member of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange to their team.

Marsh is the worlds leading insurance broker and risk adviser. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data driven risk solutions and advisory services. Marsh is a business of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With annual revenue approaching USD $17 billion and 76,000 colleagues worldwide, MMC is comprised of four market-leading businesses: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman.

Monsoon Blockchain to Revolutionize Next Generation of Fin Tech in US and Asia - Business Wire

Grant Thornton introduces blockchain platform for managing intercompany transactions – Accounting Today

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Grant Thornton has released inter.x, a blockchain platform for managing intercompany transactions. The firm has implemented the new platform in-house, but it is also available to clients to manage dealings between financial entities of a business, which account for 30 to 40 percent of the global economy.

Inter.x delivers real-time data-analytics dashboards that monitor these intercompany transactions, including transfer-pricing compliance and treasury management. Grant Thornton approaches new technology by looking at the global business problems its clients are facing, according to chief transformation officer Jamie Fowler. The business problem here had to do with intercompany transactions, particularly for our multinational clients, she said. They were having difficulty making sure both sides of the intercompany transactions matched, they were properly accounted for, and that they could feel assured they were good.

Fowler explained that although intercompany transactions seem easy, they are the fifth largest cause of financial restatements. We find that a lot of our clients dont have extra personnel to make sure these transactions flow properly through their ERP systems and are correct.

The inter.x solution integrates with a businesss ERP systems, aggregates data, and then creates an end-to-end workflow that behaves as a single transaction. This allows companies to recognize and make immediate decisions rather than waiting until a monthly or annual accounting cycle.

Because it is built on a blockchain, inter.x allows users to track and account for intercompany transactions with an audit trail that is immutable that is, the integrity of the audit data persists over time. The result is a permanent and unforgeable audit trail for transaction information.

The response from treasury management has been the most interesting, Fowler noted. I think because its just really hard to get our arms around everything these days during the pandemic, organizations are struggling to make sure they get every part of their response right. Cash is moving so quickly, changes are happening quickly, and cash needs are at the forefront of everybodys thought process right now.

For more information, visit gt.com/interx.

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Grant Thornton introduces blockchain platform for managing intercompany transactions - Accounting Today

Blockchain Market by Component, Provider, Type, Organization Size, Application Area and Region – Global Forecast to 2025 – ResearchAndMarkets.com -…

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Blockchain Market by Component (Platform and Services), Provider (Application, Middleware, and Infrastructure), Type (Private, Public, and Hybrid), Organization Size, Application Area (BFSI, Government, IT & Telecom), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global blockchain market size is expected to grow from USD 3.0 billion in 2020 to USD 39.7 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 67.3% during the forecast period.

Various factors, such as increasing venture capital funding and investments in the blockchain technology, growing need to simplify business processes and create business transparency and immutability, reduction in operational cost, and increasing popularity of blockchain technology in retail and supply chain management are expected to drive the market. However, uncertain regulatory and compliance environment and limited availability of technical skillsets for implementing the blockchain technology may restrain the blockchain market growth.

Based on application area, the retail and eCommerce segment to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on application area, the retail and eCommerce segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the blockchain market during the forecast period. Retail and eCommerce organizations are making huge investments to enhance customer experience. The use of blockchain payments in the retail and eCommerce industry has increased during COVID-19 as several end-users are opting for use of cryptocurrency over conventional payment options. The blockchain technology is progressively elevating the customer experience. With positive customer experience, retail and eCommerce businesses are expected to achieve customer loyalty. The blockchain technology enables retailers to use smart contracts for settling any conflict related to customers without any intervention of the court.

Based on organization size, the large enterprises segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period

Based on organization size, the large enterprises segment is expected to hold a larger market size in the blockchain market during the forecast period. The availability of sufficient capital and other resources to incorporate newer technologies is expected to enable large enterprises to take the lead in the market. Another factor that contributes to a higher market share of large enterprises in the blockchain market is the high investments in R&D activities to develop best-fit technology to enhance an organization's business efficiency.

Among regions, North America to account for the largest market share, whereas Asia Pacific (APAC) to grow at the highest CAGR

North America is estimated to hold the largest market size and dominate the global blockchain market in 2020, as the region is an early adopter of the blockchain technology. North America is considered the most advanced region in terms of technology adoption and infrastructure. The regional presence of key industry players offering blockchain technology solutions is the main factor driving the North American blockchain market.

Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Several new startups in APAC have entered the blockchain market and started developing blockchain solutions. Investors are investing in startups that are helping these small firms innovate the blockchain technology. The integration of the blockchain technology to transform business processes in the developing countries of APAC could boost the blockchain market growth in APAC.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Restraints

Opportunities

Challenges

Companies Profiled

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d82edm

Blockchain Market by Component, Provider, Type, Organization Size, Application Area and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

NREL researchers evaluating blockchain for transactive energy applications – Green Car Congress

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are evaluating the use of blockchain for transactive energy using hardware in the laboratorys Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF).

Distributing grid operational decision-making is revolutionary. Its really like somebody in the 1980s expounding on the economic opportunity of the Internet. Everyone would have laughed at you. Thats kind of whats happening right now with blockchain applicationsthe foundational tools for another technology revolution are emerging, and this could be one of them.

Dane Christensen, a mechanical engineer in NRELs Residential Buildings Research Group and a principal investigator on a blockchain pilot project

Blockchain serves as a distributed digital record of actions agreed and performed by multiple parties. Blockchains primary value is providing mathematical proof about the state of data, so that different parties to a transaction can agree on the outcome even if they do not know or trust each other. Though commonly associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, blockchain technology can be used with virtually any type of transaction involving digital ownership in real time. These technologies rely on established cryptography and consensus mechanisms to ensure transactions remain secure, and an entire industry has emerged to apply blockchain technology in resolving real-world challenges.

Potential opportunities abound for the use of blockchain in the energy sector. The Congressional Research Service last year noted increasing interest among producers of distributed energy resources (DERs)such as rooftop solarto sell electricity to neighbors. Congress public policy research arm predicted that if this approach proves practical and economical, blockchain technology could alter the manner in which electricity customers and producers interact.

Today, utilities use complex software platforms called an energy management system (EMS) and advanced distribution management system (ADMS) to manage the demand, supply, and reliable delivery of electricity on the power grid. But it is difficult to scale EMS and ADMS to interoperate transactions between thousands of homes, let alone the millions of connected devices in use in those homes.

When you have hundreds of thousands or millions of devices out there that want to interact, you face a significant trust challenge. Trust between devices can only be achieved through methods that verify and enable proof that each system does what it said it was going to do. With blockchain, we may have a path to achieve secure, trusted communications between players without a need for central control.

Tony Markel, a senior engineer in the Energy Systems Cyber-Physical Security Research Group at NREL

An illustration of two connected homes sharing electricity. Source: NREL.

Hardware in the ESIF used to simulate actual homes proved key to showing how blockchain technology can enable peer-to-peer energy transactions.

NREL researchers conducted experiments to learn what could happen when two homes were connected via a blockchain with the ability for one to sell excess solar power to another. This required two blockchain transactions: a secure transmission of data about the amount of energy generated, and a payment to the seller.

Central to this research is an NREL-developed software solution called foresee. As a secure home automation system, foresee coordinates the operation of connected appliances, home batteries, and rooftop solar, satisfying homeowner values and preferences along with utility grid needs.

NRELs software uses algorithms that learn each home, and its occupants schedules and patterns, so foresee can predict future energy consumption in homes. Thus, foresee enables highly accurate predictions of comfort needs, energy costs, environmental impacts, and grid service availability by leveraging machine-learning algorithms, advanced data analytics, and physics-based modeling and simulation to derive data-driven appliance models and usage patterns.

In the blockchain experiment, foresee alerted the second home when it would be cheaper to buy renewable energy from its neighbor rather than paying the utilitys charges, then used a digital currency to complete the transaction. The demonstration showed the ability to automatically match energy generation and demand between these two homes.

The results highlighted the path for future research. Notably, Dylan Cutler, principal investigator on the project, pointed out, the use of blockchain in the energy markets will require an examination of grid reliability and resiliency and cybersecurity concerns. One area Cutlers initial research did not consider was the role a utility would play in peer-to-peer energy transactions, and that is something he said a future study must consider.

Cutler, a senior researcher in NRELs Integrated Applications Center, said the emergence of blockchain technology requires a newly designed market. While the common assumption of blockchain is the end user holds sway over the distributed control of energy, in reality it is likely that electric power utilities will at minimum be responsible for coordinating these neighborly transactions.

NREL is building on this work to study the benefits for building owners and utilities. Using a blockchain-based market technology, the research centers on the operation of the electrical grid as homes and businesses continue to adopt rooftop solar generation, battery storage, electric vehicles, and smart appliances. The laboratorys partners are Exelon Corporation, a utility based in Chicago, and Energy Web Foundation, which develops open source blockchain software solutions.

Christensen and Sivasathya Pradha Balamurugan, NRELs co-principal investigators on the project, said the use of blockchain would allow increased coordination between utilities and customers to achieve mutual benefits. Electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar and wind that customers cannot use can be diverted to the grid, but there are limits. Feederswhich carry voltage from a substation to transformerswere not designed for the bidirectional flow of electricity.

There will soon be feeders in the US where if you plug in one more electric car, you could damage transformers or activate safety cutoffs because were reaching the limits of the capacity of the distribution grid. Utilities are very interested in how to manage electric service without having to up-size all the grid equipment. Coordination of buildings energy use is a way to keep costs down, make better use of distributed generation, and improve reliability of the power grid.

Dane Christensen

Using NRELs ESIF systems, the research team is examining how blockchain-based energy markets can allow buildings to coordinate within a distribution feeder, under appropriate constraints defined by the utility. In particular, the team will explore how a blockchain-based approach to digital identity can help utilities verify the attributes and the operations of distributed energy resources in their territory.

The project goal is to allow high levels of solar and flexible loads to be installed in buildings, while eliminating the occurrence of energy backfeed into the bulk power grid. If successful, this will allow building owners and utilities to work together to accelerate adoption of advanced energy technologies. It may also unlock new opportunities for customers with solar or storage assets to earn money or lower their bills by providing grid services.

By relying on blockchain, Christensen said, utilities could integrate many different types of DER with core operational tools (such as EMS and ADMS software) securely and efficiently.

Traditionally, integrating new resources into the grid comes at a substantial cost for a utility. A large part of that cost is driven by custom and manual processes for different DER types. Every feeder is different. Every home is different. As more renewables are adopted, as more electric vehicles are adopted, continuous expert engineering has to be done.

Dane Christensen

The engineering to ensure one feeder operates efficiently and effectively in balancing supply and demand does not necessarily translate to another feeder. What blockchain allows, Christensen said, is a scalable solution that you can easily set up on another feeder because it can be self-customizing.

NREL and Exelon said a utility can use the findings of the new blockchain research to make a case for allowing a pilot project.

BLOSEM. NREL has also embarked on a two-year effort with other national laboratories to accelerate the use of blockchain in the energy sector. A new collaborative effort called Blockchain for Optimized Security and Energy Management (BLOSEM) intends to develop the architecture and infrastructure so that utilities can safely explore the technology.

NRELs initial role in BLOSEM expands on the laboratorys previous accomplishments, with additional simulations planned to expand the use of blockchain. The National Energy Technology Laboratory is the lead organization on the project, with Ames Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory also part of the research team. The Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium is funding BLOSEM. US Department of Energy offices funding this project include the Office of Fossil Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

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NREL researchers evaluating blockchain for transactive energy applications - Green Car Congress

How combining blockchain technology and AI could benefit patent analysis – Lexology

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

There has been much heated debate over the co-existence of blockchain technology with IP management. In simple terms, the blockchain technique can be described as a system in which a record is maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network. This illustrates the manner in which bitcoins or digital currency are monitored by distributing the data over various hubs or stations.

In a competitive world, where the value of time and information is so great, disputes often arise over the ownership of inventions and the grounds for infringement of such ownership.

Requirements of blockchain

In the IP world, any small difference from the time or date of filing to the field of invention or modification of any conventional art tends to define the novelty of a patent application. The time of implementation of any invention is a major concern. The foremost issue during the scrutinisation of any patent is generally the date or time at which the application was filed at the patent office. Thus, the primary concern of the patent application is often ensuring that the invention had similar features on the date of filing.

The main driver behind the use of blockchain technology in regard to intellectual property is to feed all relevant data of an invention into the respective databases. The storing of information for a patent application can be done directly by the appellate board or the patent office. As mentioned above, blockchain technology distributes the entered data over various hubs and stations so as to provide a higher level of security than that of storage techniques in a centralised database.

Fusion of AI and blockchain

With ongoing technical advancements, IP processes are becoming swifter and easier. There have been numerous developments with regard to the integration of data from intellectual property into blockchain technology. A combination of AI and blockchain technologies would be very exciting from an IP standpoint. The main purpose of the AI would be to assist in the analysis of various applications submitted at the patent office. As stated above, blockchains provide data with a higher precision but users are still required to create a query of keywords to find the most relevant data for their needs. With the involvement of AI, the amount of labour and time required for patent analysis or scrutiny would be reduced.

Patent analysis or scrutiny involves recording the results of patentability tests and many other types of analysis, such as landscape or freedom to operate. In daily practice, an analyser creates a list of queries or scripts in a search engine to find the relevant results for the invention. The results are then analysed and submitted with the conclusion of the analysis for the respective patent application. This process is costly and time consuming. From varied databases, the analyser reviews each individual prior art based on the query in order to submit a conclusive result. In the case of scrutinisation, data for the analysis is retrieved from the various data sets that are present in the blockchain technology.

AI technologies can bypass the task of analysing every relevant prior art and quickly reach a final conclusive result after the data is provided through the blockchain technique. AI technologies can also help to design better search queries, thereby saving time and costs for users and reducing the likelihood of human error when preparing a search strategy.

Inventors and researchers focus on the conclusive results obtained from a patent analysis in order to make decisions on further proceedings. The simultaneous use of blockchain technology and AI in the world of intellectual property will provide a much more advanced method of analysing and managing prior art and concurrent applications. From a controller perspective, this amalgamation of technology will reduce the likelihood of human error. The data stored through the blockchain technology will be much more secure and intact than that stored in centralised databases or data sets. The data field of knowledge and inventions, as well as any other research material, is vast and there is no guarantee of finding a result with existing technology. However, by using blockchain and AI, results may be achieved at a 95% accuracy.

Avishek Singh Samanta,Abhishek Sharma

Effectual Knowledge Services Pvt Ltd

This article first appeared inIAM. For further information please visithttps://www.iam-media.com/corporate/subscribe

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How combining blockchain technology and AI could benefit patent analysis - Lexology

Guidehouse Insights Report Shows Blockchain-Based EV Charging & Grid Integration Market Is Expected to Experience a 78% Compound Annual Growth…

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new report from Guidehouse Insights provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from electric vehicle (EV) charging and integration applications through 2029.

More and more traditional energy stakeholders are experimenting with blockchain technology. Whether in house or in partnership with an industry consortium or energy blockchain startup, EV charging and integration use cases have emerged as technologically sound and feasible within the regulatory and technical constraints of the energy system. According to a new Guidehouse Insights report, the combined market for blockchain-based EV charging and grid integration is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2029 at a 77.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

The potential for blockchain technology as a positive force in EV charging and integration, and in mobility and transportation overall, should not be underestimated, says Johnathon de Villier, research analyst with Guidehouse Insights. Beyond contributing efficiencies to the information management layer of EV charging and integration solutions, blockchain technology can enable owners of EVs to take advantage of new revenue streams in the form of peer-to-peer charging applications and grid services.

According to the report, EV charging and integration use cases for blockchain technology benefit from clear technological objectives and a straightforward development roadmap. This roadmap begins with one-way charging services and grows in complexity toward the full integration of EVs into the grid as distributed assets capable of responding to grid signals and providing auxiliary services such as frequency regulation and demand response.

The report, Market Data: Blockchain-Enabled EV Charging and Integration, provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from EV charging and integration applications between 2020 and 2029. Forecasts cover five global regions and three industry segments: home charging (including a separate subsegment for peer-to-peer charging), public charging, and fleet charging. It concludes with recommendations for actions that vendors and service providers can take to accelerate the development and deployment of blockchain-based EV solutions. An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Guidehouse Insights website.

About Guidehouse Insights

Guidehouse Insights, the dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, provides research, data, and benchmarking services for todays rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. Our insights are built on in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The teams research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research, and demand assessment, paired with a deep examination of technology trends, to provide a comprehensive view of emerging resilient infrastructure systems. Additional information about Guidehouse Insights can be found at http://www.guidehouseinsights.com.

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. We help clients address their toughest challenges with a focus on markets and clients facing transformational change, technology-driven innovation and significant regulatory pressure. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and technology/analytics services, we help clients create scalable, innovative solutions that prepare them for future growth and success. Headquartered in Washington DC, the company has more than 7,000 professionals in more than 50 locations. Guidehouse is led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit: http://www.guidehouse.com.

* The information contained in this press release concerning the report, Market Data: Blockchain-Enabled EV Charging and Integration, is a summary and reflects the current expectations of Guidehouse Insights based on market data and trend analysis. Market predictions and expectations are inherently uncertain and actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release or the report. Please refer to the full report for a complete understanding of the assumptions underlying the reports conclusions and the methodologies used to create the report. Neither Guidehouse Insights nor Guidehouse undertakes any obligation to update any of the information contained in this press release or the report.

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Guidehouse Insights Report Shows Blockchain-Based EV Charging & Grid Integration Market Is Expected to Experience a 78% Compound Annual Growth...

Blockchain technology adoption is growing fast as a result of the pandemic – Crypto News Flash

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Danzig

During the past months, the traditional way of operating for companies and workers around the world has changed its regular modus operandi. Due to the recent pandemic that came to light in the world, COVID-19, companies have seen the need to digitize their processes. Some have even given their operations a business turn to be able to carry them out day by day digitally, implementing the home office so that workers can carry out their functions from home. And so, that businesses do not collapse and can avoid the need of closing the companies.

Several companies around the world are adopting blockchain technology as a preventive measure against the pandemic. Currently, there are companies that provide blockchain based services. For example, Traxalt, a blockchain company that is growing at a very fast pace in the market, provides a blockchain protocol that could fit with companies that generate massive scale payment, but without the need of physical contact that banks would require. IBM is also developing a blockchain protocol for optimizing and tracking supply chains in a safe way, as it is one of the industries that have been the most affected by COVID-19.

A company that will implement blockchain technology in their daily operations is PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers), located in Spain. To facilitate the entrance of the employees to their offices, PwC will carry out a health passport which is blockchain-based. This health passport is basically a personal credential in the form of a QR code which will allow workers to show their state of health while COVID-19 alert is on.

This initiative is being implemented in conjunction with public administration companies and health centers. The COVID-19 test results that will be done to the employees by hospitals or medical labs, will be automatically recorded on a private blockchain platform, and these results will generate a QR code, which is the credential all employees will have to show every time they arrive to the office or whenever it is required.

One of the most important prevention measures of the pandemic is self-isolation and social distancing. Because of this powerful measure, companies have the need to implement solutions that can work together with this measure. A company that is embracing blockchain technology is World Sustainability Organization, specifically with its project Friend of the Sea. The solution to counterattack the effects of COVID-19 that Friends of the Sea implemented, involves video-recording and blockchain-based audits, instead of having a physical team developing the audit.

The demand for online courses has also exploded. Udemy, the popular online learning platform, has recently explained that the most requested courses are the ones related to Bitcoin and blockchain technology. This represents the interest that people have in learning about this technology, which they can implement in their businesses.

This virus is changing the traditional way businesses and companies operate. It is changing the way children learn. It is basically changing the MO by which the world works. It has revealed the weaknesses of daily operations and the way data is shared and managed. But it has also shown us that there are a lot of opportunities that are not being taken advantage of, such as the implementation of blockchain technology at the core of businesses. Blockchain provides endless solutions and advantages that can improve how things are done, and it is contributing to the battle that the pandemic has waged against the world.