Bitcoin and blockchain articles
Cryptocurrency, sometimes called crypto-currency or crypto, is any form of currency that exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography to secure transactions. Cryptocurrencies don't have a central issuing or regulating authority, instead using a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units. Cryptocurrency is a digital payment system that doesn't rely on banks to verify transactions. Instead of being physical money carried around and exchanged in the real world, cryptocurrency payments exist purely as digital entries to an online database describing specific transactions.
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Content:
- Bitcoin and blockchain: Risks and opportunities
- Blockchain beyond the hype: What is the strategic business value?
- The rise of using cryptocurrency in business
- Blockchain Technology in Healthcare: A Systematic Review
- A Review on Blockchain Technology and Blockchain Projects Fostering Open Science
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- The Latest Cryptocurrency Articles from The Ascent
Bitcoin and blockchain: Risks and opportunities
Speculation on the value of blockchain is rife, with Bitcoin—the first and most infamous application of blockchain—grabbing headlines for its rocketing price and volatility. Cryptocurrency market value is subject to high variation due to the specific volatility of the market. Yet Bitcoin is only the first application of blockchain technology that has captured the attention of government and industry.
Blockchain was a priority topic at Davos; a World Economic Forum survey suggested that 10 percent of global GDP will be stored on blockchain by Deep shift: Technology tipping points and societal impact , World Economic Forum, September , weforum.
Multiple governments have published reports on the potential implications of blockchain , and the past two years alone have seen more than half a million new publications on and 3. Most tellingly, large investments in blockchain are being made. Despite the hype, blockchain is still an immature technology , with a market that is still nascent and a clear recipe for success that has not yet emerged.
Unstructured experimentation of blockchain solutions without strategic evaluation of the value at stake or the feasibility of capturing it means that many companies will not see a return on their investments. With this in mind, how can companies determine if there is strategic value in blockchain that justifies major investments? Our research seeks to answer this question by evaluating not only the strategic importance of blockchain to major industries but also who can capture what type of value through what type of approach.
In-depth, industry-by-industry analysis combined with expert and company interviews revealed more than 90 discrete use cases of varying maturity for blockchain across major industries see interactive. With the right strategic approach, companies can start extracting value in the short term. Dominant players who can establish their blockchains as the market solutions should make big bets now.
With all the hype around blockchain, it can be hard to nail down the facts Exhibit 1. Blockchain is a distributed ledger, or database, shared across a public or private computing network.
Each computer node in the network holds a copy of the ledger, so there is no single point of failure. Various consensus protocols are used to validate a new block with other participants before it can be added to the chain.
This prevents fraud or double spending without requiring a central authority. For example, smart contracts could be used to automate insurance-claim payouts. It allows information to be verified and value to be exchanged without having to rely on a third-party authority. Rather than there being a singular form of blockchain, the technology can be configured in multiple ways to meet the objectives and commercial requirements of a particular use case.
To bring some clarity to the variety of blockchain applications, we structured blockchain use cases into six categories across its two fundamental functions—record keeping and transacting Exhibit 2. Some industries have applications across multiple categories, while others are concentrated on only one or two. This framework, along with further industry and use-case level analysis, led to our key insights on the nature and accessibility of the strategic value of blockchain.
Benefits from reductions in transaction complexity and cost, as well as improvements in transparency and fraud controls can be captured by existing institutions and multiparty transactions using appropriate blockchain architecture. The economic incentives to capture value opportunities are driving incumbents to harness blockchain rather than be overtaken by it.
Therefore, the commercial model that is most likely to succeed in the short term is permissioned rather than public blockchain. Public blockchains, like Bitcoin, have no central authority and are regarded as enablers of total disruptive disintermediation. Permissioned blockchains are hosted on private computing networks, with controlled access and editing rights Exhibit 3. Private, permissioned blockchain allows businesses both large and small to start extracting commercial value from blockchain implementations.
Dominant players can maintain their positions as central authorities or join forces with other industry players to capture and share value. Participants can get the value of securely sharing data while automating control of what is shared, with whom, and when. For all companies, permissioned blockchains enable distinctive value propositions to be developed in commercial confidence, with small-scale experimentation before being scaled up. Current use cases include the Australian Securities Exchange, for which a blockchain system is being deployed for equities clearing to reduce back-office reconciliation work for its member brokers.
The potential for blockchain to become a new open-standard protocol for trusted records, identity, and transactions cannot be simply dismissed. Blockchain technology can solve the need for an entity to be in charge of managing, storing, and funding a database.
However, the mentality shift required and the commercial disruption such a model would entail are immense. If industry players have already adapted their operating models to extract much of the value from blockchain and, crucially, passed on these benefits to their consumers, then the aperture for radical new entrants will be small. The degree to which incumbents adapt and integrate blockchain technology will be the determining factor on the scale of disintermediation in the long term.
Blockchain might have the disruptive potential to be the basis of new operating models, but its initial impact will be to drive operational efficiencies. Cost can be taken out of existing processes by removing intermediaries or the administrative effort of record keeping and transaction reconciliation.
This can shift the flow of value by capturing lost revenues and creating new revenues for blockchain-service providers. Based on our quantification of the monetary impact of the more than 90 use cases we analyzed, we estimate approximately 70 percent of the value at stake in the short term is in cost reduction, followed by revenue generation and capital relief Exhibit 4.
Major current pain points, particularly in cross-border payments and trade finance, can be solved by blockchain-based solutions, which reduce the number of necessary intermediaries and are geographically agnostic.
Further savings can be realized in capital markets post-trade settlement and in regulatory reporting. These value opportunities are reflected in the fact that approximately 90 percent of major Australian, European, and North American banks are already experimenting or investing in blockchain.
Public data is often siloed as well as opaque among government agencies and across businesses, citizens, and watchdogs. In dealing with data from birth certificates to taxes, blockchain-based records and smart contracts can simplify interactions with citizens while increasing data security. Many public-sector applications, such as blockchain-based identity records, would serve as key enabling solutions and standards for the wider economy. More than 25 governments are actively running blockchain pilots supported by start-ups.
Within healthcare, blockchain could be the key to unlocking the value of data availability and exchange across providers, patients, insurers, and researchers. Blockchain-based healthcare records can not only facilitate increased administrative efficiency, but also give researchers access to the historical, non—patient-identifiable data sets crucial for advancements in medical research.
Smart contracts could give patients more control over their data and even the ability to commercialize data access. For example, patients could charge pharmaceutical companies to access or use their data in drug research.
Blockchain is also being combined with IoT sensors to ensure the integrity of the cold chain logistics of storage and distribution at low temperatures for drugs, blood, and organs. Over time, the value of blockchain will shift from driving cost reduction to enabling entirely new business models and revenue streams.
One of the most promising and transformative use cases is the creation of a distributed, secure digital identity—for both consumer identity and the commercial know-your-customer process—and the services associated with it. However, the new business models this would create are a longer-term possibility due to current feasibility constraints. The strategic value of blockchain will only be realized if commercially viable solutions can be deployed at scale.
While many companies are already experimenting, meaningful scale remains three to five years away for several key reasons. However, where there is strong demand and commitment, work is already under way to resolve this issue.
Standards can be established with relative ease if there is a single dominant player or a government agency that can mandate the legal standing. For example, governments could make blockchain land registries legal records.
When cooperation between multiple players is necessary, establishing such standards becomes more complex but also more essential. Strong headway has already been made by industry consortiums, as seen with the R3 consortium of more than 70 global banks that collaborated to develop the financial-grade open-source Corda blockchain platform.
Such platforms could establish the common standards needed for blockchain systems. Globally, regulators have taken varying positions, but most are engaged rather than opposed.
Securities and Exchange Commission, December , sec. In , Standards Australia took a leadership position in developing a road map of priorities on behalf on the International Organization for Standardization and helping establish common terminology as a key first step. So far, many governments are following a technologically neutral regulatory approach—not promoting or banning specific technologies like blockchain. The relative immaturity of blockchain technology is a limitation to its current viability.
The misconception that blockchain is not viable at scale due to its energy consumption and transaction speed is a conflation of Bitcoin with blockchain. In reality, the technical configurations are a series of design choices in which the levers on speed size of block , security consensus protocol , and storage number of notaries can be selected to make most use cases commercially viable. These trade-offs mean blockchain performance might be suboptimal to traditional databases at this stage, but the constraints are diminishing as the technology rapidly develops.
The immaturity of blockchain technology also increases the switching costs, which are considerable given all the other system components. Organizations need a trusted enterprise solution, particularly because most cost benefits will not be realized until old systems are decommissioned.
Currently, few start-ups have sufficient credibility and technology stability for government or industry deployment at scale. Major technology players are strongly positioning themselves to address this gap with their own blockchain as a service BaaS offerings in a model similar to cloud-based storage.
Asset type determines the feasibility of improving record keeping or transacting via blockchain and whether end-to-end solutions require the integration of other technologies. The key factor here is the digitization potential of the asset; assets like equities, which are digitally recorded and transacted, can be simply managed end to end on a blockchain system or integrated through application programming interfaces APIs with existing systems.
However, connecting and securing physical goods to a blockchain requires enabling technologies like IoT and biometrics. This connection can be a vulnerability in the security of a blockchain ledger because while the blockchain record might be immutable, the physical item or IoT sensor can still be tampered with. For example, certifying the chain of custody of commodities like grain or milk would require a tagging system like radio-frequency identification that would increase the assurance being provided but not deliver absolute provenance.
The nature of the ecosystem is the fourth key factor because it defines the critical mass required for a use case to be feasible. For example, a blockchain solution for digital media, licenses, and royalty payments would require a massive amount of coordination across the various producers and consumers of digital content. Natural competitors need to cooperate, and it is resolving this coopetition paradox that is proving the hardest element to solve in the path to adoption at scale.
The issue is not identifying the network—or even getting initial buy-in—but agreeing on the governance decisions around how the system, data, and investment will be led and managed. Overcoming this issue often requires a sponsor, such as a regulator or industry body, to take the lead. Furthermore, it is essential that the strategic incentives of the players are aligned, a task that can be particularly difficult in highly fragmented markets. Critical mass is much lower in some industries and applications than in others, while in some cases, networks need to be established across industries to achieve material benefits.
Our research and emerging insights suggests following a structured approach to answer the classic questions of blockchain business strategy. There is a plethora of use cases for blockchain; companies face a difficult task when deciding which opportunities to pursue. However, they can narrow their options by taking a structured approach through a lens of pragmatic skepticism. The first step involves determining whether there is sufficient accessible value at stake for a given use case.
Companies can only avoid the trap of developing a solution without a problem by rigorously investigating true pain points—the frictions for customers that blockchain could eliminate. Identification of specific pain points enables granular analysis of the potential commercial value within the constraints of the overall feasibility of the blockchain solution. If a use case does not meet a minimum level of feasibility and potential return, then companies do not even have to consider the second step of which blockchain strategy to adopt.
Once companies have identified promising use cases, they must develop their strategies based on consideration of their market positions relative to their target use cases.
Blockchain beyond the hype: What is the strategic business value?
The rise of using cryptocurrency in business has been saved. The rise of using cryptocurrency in business has been removed. An Article Titled The rise of using cryptocurrency in business already exists in Saved items. An increasing number of companies worldwide are using bitcoin and other digital assets for a host of investment, operational, and transactional purposes.
The rise of using cryptocurrency in business
Edition: Available editions Global. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. For the metaverse to work, people need to own their virtual bodies and possessions and be able to spend money. The same cryptographic technology behind bitcoin will make that possible. Plus, a philosopher explains the history of the idea that we might all be living in a simulation. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. The craze among celebrities for Bored Ape NFTs suggests speculation has become completely detached from any idea of fundamental value. The market for cryptocurrencies has expanded dramatically in the last year. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will announce a comprehensive reform of regulations governing the payments system, to bring it up to date with innovations such as digital wallets and cryptocurrency.
Blockchain Technology in Healthcare: A Systematic Review
Stay up-to-date with the latest business and accountancy news: Sign up for daily news alerts. Any items below that aren't hyperlinked are only available to Tech Faculty members, Faculties Online subscribers or Digital Essentials subscribers. To access them, you'll need to log in or subscribe. The increased interest in Cryptocurrency raises many interesting tax issues for professional and amateur investors investing in cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs creating new crypto businesses.
A Review on Blockchain Technology and Blockchain Projects Fostering Open Science
Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system. A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain. Blockchain is a type of DLT in which transactions are recorded with an immutable cryptographic signature called a hash. This means if one block in one chain was changed, it would be immediately apparent it had been tampered with. If hackers wanted to corrupt a blockchain system, they would have to change every block in the chain, across all of the distributed versions of the chain.
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Cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that generally only exists electronically. There is no physical coin or bill unless you use a service that allows you to cash in cryptocurrency for a physical token. You usually exchange cryptocurrency with someone online, with your phone or computer, without using an intermediary like a bank. Bitcoin and Ether are well-known cryptocurrencies, but there are many different cryptocurrency brands, and new ones are continuously being created. People use cryptocurrency for quick payments, to avoid transaction fees that regular banks charge, or because it offers some anonymity.
The Latest Cryptocurrency Articles from The Ascent
Bitcoin was created to obliterate the type of control that the FATF seeks to enforce. What can Bitcoiners learn about agriculture, compassionate care of the soil and the food supply? The key to Bitcoin lies in the keys — and scaling based upon the understanding of current shortcomings and where improvements are needed. Sign up to receive Bitcoin Magazine content directly in your inbox and follow us on social to keep up with the latest!
This plan will then provide a structure for your answer. Cryptocurrency is an intangible digital token that is recorded using a distributed ledger infrastructure, often referred to as a blockchain. These tokens provide various rights of use. For example, cryptocurrency is designed as a medium of exchange. Other digital tokens provide rights to the use other assets or services, or can represent ownership interests. These tokens are owned by an entity that owns the key that lets it create a new entry in the ledger.
Unlike dollar bills and coins, cryptocurrencies are not issued or backed by the U. The lack of a physical token to count and hold may confuse some. Rather, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are a form of digital currency used in electronic payment transactions—no coins, paper money or banks are involved; there are zero to minimal transaction fees; transactions are fast and not bound by geography; and, similar to using cash, transactions are anonymous. Digital currencies are stored in digital wallets, which are software or apps installed by users on their computer or mobile device. Each digital wallet contains encrypted information, called public and private keys, that is used to send and receive the digital currency. Miners are awarded digital currency, like Bitcoin, Ripple, Dogecoin, and Litecoin, in exchange for verifying each transaction and adding it to the blockchain.
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