Advocates argue that

現在比特幣區塊鏈大小已經來到了220 GB，或許大家會認為這是一個不大的數字，但假設在比特幣運作的那一年開始區塊鏈一直保持在滿載的狀況下，以每十分鐘增加1MB計算到滿十週年的今天，應當要超過525.6 GB，十年前的525.6 GB 是一種奢侈，當今的社會一人1TB、2TB 的硬碟或許是一件很正常的事情。 對我而言，「這是中本聰跟儲存和計算成本的對賭」，他在賭硬碟空間的製作工藝促使的單位空間的成本降低這件事的速度比較快，還是區塊鏈成長的速度比較快，倘若區塊鏈的成長速度較快的話，我相信這世界上不存在儲存完整區塊鏈的硬碟，這使得去中心的區塊鏈更難以被實現出來。 所以對我而言，如果要再創造一個新的區塊鏈的應用，必須要尋找一個低訊息產出速度，也就是低 TPS，且單位訊息的大小不能太大，越小越好。以降低頻率、降低單位訊息大小的方式抑制區塊鏈大小的成長速度，屆時巡找的目標或許就是一個低頻率高單價的應用場景。

若先不論這些國家實踐國家數字貨幣的可能性，比特幣這種無主權的貨幣背後的區塊鏈技術，確實勾起了這些反美國家的興趣。 在數位化時代下，透過分散式帳本技術，它賦予了國家發行具有主權性質的密碼貨幣的能力，這也讓國際政治之間的糾紛多添了一些變數。 一方想要透過區塊鏈自建金融體系，一方想要強烈抵制這樣的行為，區塊鏈作為達到開放性金融（Open Finance）的一種「手段」，而美國作為目前世界的霸權，反美政權有機會挑戰該國對於世界經濟的「完全主導權」？還是對於透過區塊鏈創造金融壁壘的想像只是曇花一現？值得關注。

计算机领域在分布式处理过程中追求高效、一致。对错误数据记录的修复和更正，通常会另行设计一套机制来保证。相对传统数据库，区块链由于需要保证事后数据的不可篡改，引入了共识机制，为错误的出现和修复提供更多的容忍度。这一重要思想通常被许多区块链设计者所忽略，众多项目纷纷追求提高短交易及确认速度，这会导致弱化甚至牺牲其他节点对数据的验证过程。同时，更早更快的确认也会带来问题。参与生成数据的节点需要满足生成数据不能出错等更严苛要求，导致现在很多区块链项目的在落地过程中出现困难。因为系统使用方会背上了数据必须一次性正确输入的包袱，需要非常保守和谨慎地选择上链数据。最终，区块链落地应用范围的狭窄，许多存在出错可能性的数据难以结合区块链的优点参与业务升级改造。

Freedom to organizeAragon lets you freely organize and collaborate without borders or intermediaries. Create global, bureaucracy-free organizations, companies, and communities.

The world’s first digital jurisdictionAragon organizations are not only great because they are decentralized, global and unstoppable. They will also benefit from the Aragon Network, the world’s first digital jurisdiction.

援引《彭博社》消息，華爾街證券研究公司 Fundstrat Global Advisors 的聯合創辦人 Tom Lee 12 月 13 日向客戶發電郵時透露，已經厭倦人們不斷詢問目標價格，有鑑於加密貨幣的內在波動性，該公司將停止提供任何「實現公允價格」的時程表。 換句話說，這表示華爾街最著名的比特幣預言家，已經決定放棄對其價格進行預測。 原因很簡單，若回顧 Tom Lee 過去的研究報告，我們會發現他曾預測比特幣的價格將在 2018 年終達到 20,000 美元的目標價格；而年終的預測價格則為 25,000 美元。到了 11 月，他將目標價格削減至 15,000 美元，但比特幣當時的交易價格僅為 5,500 美元，隨後更跌至 4,000 美元左右。總體而言，比特幣價格全年下降超過 70%，而 Tom Lee 最近一次預測的「公允價格」範圍在 13,800 美元到 14,800 美元之間。

Blockchains are NOT about cutting computational costs (at least relative to centralized servers). Blockchains are about incurring a sacrifice in the form of INCREASED computational costs to achieve a *decrease* in *social costs*.

区块链技术仍然能在解决移民问题方面发挥不可替代的作用，这项神秘的无政府主义者和密码朋克们创造出的去中心化技术，赋予了民众挑战国际政治与金融体系的权利，而这些权利本来就是人民赋予的。 区块链技术能够帮助难民保存本就应是属于他们的、不可篡改的身份信息，帮助他们获得本就应该送到他们手里的国际援助，帮助他们在新国家尽快开始正常人的生活。或者简单来说，为他们所承受的痛苦和对新生活的憧憬之间，搭起一条希望的桥梁。

I respect the idealism of blockchain developers who, I believe, are sincere in their faith that they are building a better world. But I am confounded by their inability to see that they are falling victim to exactly the same fallacies their hacker forebears embraced: this notion that we can code ourselves out of the deep holes we’ve dug; that we are building utopias in our virtualities that will finesse away the imperfections of human character.

项目参与者报告称，通过应用区块链技术，可确保地籍数据更高的透明度，并可在房地产登记期间避免未经授权的变更。此外，参与者一致认为，通过区块链技术创建单一登记处的所有好处将对乌兹别克斯坦的投资环境产生积极影响。

在整个过程中，中心化交易所不但是现实世界与区块链世界的出入口，还是不同区块链网络的连接器。简单来说，交易所决定了一个新的 Token 是否有资格接入其他 Token 以及法币共同构成的清算网络。很多区块链项目的发展在被扭曲为满足交易所需求的方向上越走越远。区块链经济网络急需分布式的清算机制加入，其意义不在于要迅速替代中心化的交易所，而是带来一种新的选择与制衡，让区块链的真正价值被再次发掘，让用分布式的方式解决分布式的问题成为可能。

塔塔首席數字官C.R. Srinivasan表示：「《發展周期》像是對企業發出的警告，提出了由於革新的出現組織中不同層面開始浮現的『理想與現實』間的差距，他還表示：「這種差距表明，企業決策者和各個部門主管應該主動向企業 CEO提出其面對物聯網和人工智能技術時遇到的困難。」

Contrary to mainstream thinking that this new technology is unregulated, it’s really quite the opposite. These systems apply the strictest of rules under highly deterministic and predictable models that are regulated through mathematics. In the future, industry will be regulated not just by institutions and committees but by algorithms and mathematics. The new technology will gradually out-regulate the regulators and, in many cases, make them obsolete because the new system offers more certainty. Antonopoulos explains that “the opposite of authoritarianism is not chaos, but autonomy.”

“You cannot look at ‘web 3.0’ without looking at blockchain or without looking at AI (Artificial Intelligence),” he said. “So, our hope is that through this discussion of these various digital domains, the business models, the opportunities and the risks and the unintended consequences in terms of human rights, in terms of privacy, in terms of subversion of democracy, we are able to come out with some common principles...of strengthening cooperation across borders.”

Blockstream announced through a press release that they have added a fifth satellite to their network. Their broadcast can now reach most of the world. Their previous satellite formation allowed them to share their blockchain broadcasts to most of North and South America, Europe and Africa. Company’s fifth satellite allows them to reach the Asia-Pacific region, including China, India, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Australia.

区块链社群的玩法可能会向传统领域的社群靠近。有文章指出：“社群经济就是将满足于用户生活的不同形态需求圈层化，牢牢锁定老用户，实现持续的转介绍拉新和复购，从而不断支撑企业发展的经营模式”。其实这样的理念也与区块链行业有一些交叉点，资深的意见领袖应该带领新成员学习正向的区块链知识，而不是仅仅将注意力集中在炒币方面；针对不同知识基础和不同诉求的社群成员，也应该认真分层，在内容、激励方式等层面进行差别对待。比如年内某多多的社群玩法就很成功，区块链社群在原有模式下已然“前途渺渺路茫茫”，从传统社群模式中汲取经验或许才能有一些新进展。

Gunosy

It's called Decenturion, and, if its representatives at Consensus are to be believed, it's a decentralized society backed by real people buying up real property and opening physical embassies around the globe with the stated goal of creating a community of "innovators." 

This is Colony.A platform foropen organizations.

Blockchains, for instance, enable permissionless entry, data storage, and computing, but with a propensity to concentration with respect to interfaces, governance, and wealth.

Can Education Keep Up with Technology?

John wants to upload a PDF file to IPFS but only give Mary accessHe puts his PDF file in his working directory and encrypts it with Mary’s public keyHe tells IPFS he wants to add this encrypted file, which generates a hash of the encrypted fileHis encrypted file is available on the IPFS networkMary can retrieve it and decrypt the file since she owns the associated private key of the public key that was used to encrypt the fileA malicious party cannot decrypt the file because they lack Mary’s private key

A peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol to make the web faster, safer, and more open.

promuoverne

Approachable consumer experience. If you’ve ever tried to make a dApp transaction, you know how painful the process is. You need to set up an account to purchase coins, make the purchase, create a MetaMask account, send the coins to MetaMask, and, finally, verify the transaction. This is too much friction for the mainstream user.

What has changed, what remains the same, and what general patterns can be discerned from the past twenty years in the fast-changing field of edtech?

The hype cycle for the technology known as Blockchain has reached a fever pitch, but it remains misunderstood by many. What is blockchain? What value could it bring to information management and library services? And, why should information professionals be interested? Jason Griffey will discuss the potentials and pitfalls of blockchain, focusing on its ability to decentralize and upend a number of assumptions about the way digital goods and services are implemented. He will also look at the problems of blockchain technologies; give some guidelines on separating hype from reality; and talk through what libraries should be watching for – and helping to build – over the next several years.

In theory, photographers will be able to upload their images to a platform called KodakOne, create a blockchain-based license for each image, and use web-crawling software to scour the internet looking for copyright violations. Instead of using dollars, photographers can have clients pay them in KodakCoins.

有別於比特幣、以太幣之公開交易特性，Hyperledger屬於認許制區塊鏈（permissioned blockchain），透過建置共享式帳本與共同系統，節省共識機制運作的時間與工作量，同時兼顧安全性，讓參與者能在單一社群中共享資料，並能即刻處理迫在眉睫的問題。 (來源： IBM )

The number of transactions the blockchain can process can never exceed that of a single node that is participating in the network.

Although language seems to us so obviously useful that its cost is hard to discern, there is some truth to Thomas Hobbes’s explanation of why humans find it so much more difficult to cooperate than ants do. Ants don’t require a tyrannical monster to enforce cooperation, Hobbes argued in Leviathan (1651), mainly because they don’t talk. They can be harmed but not offended; they can’t make agreements and therefore cannot break them; and they don’t ‘strive to reform and innovate’ – all of which spares them quarrels, disagreements and generally bad feelings.

Ian O’Byrne, an assistant professor of literacy education at the College of Charleston, replied, “In the future we’ll see more opportunities for online, personalized learning. This will include open, online learning experiences (e.g., MOOCs) where individuals can lurk and build up capacity or quench interests. I also believe that we’ll see a rise in the offering of premium or pay content that creates a space where one-to-one learning and interaction will allow mentors to guide learners while providing critical feedback. We will identify opportunities to build a digital version of the apprenticeship learning models that have existed in the past. Alternative credentials and digital badges will provide more granular opportunities to document and archive learning over time from traditional and nontraditional learning sources. Through evolving technologies (e.g., blockchain), this may provide opportunities for learners to document and frame their own learning pathways.”

STRENGTH THROUGH DECENTRALIZATION

Ethereum,

They think blockchains could make things as varied as financial trades, digital health records, and manufacturing supply chains more efficient and powerful.

many visions for blockchain in education seem to advocate writing it all to the blockchain

blockchain applications are most efficient in dealing with relatively small amounts of structured data. The average transaction (database entry) in the Bitcoin blockchain, e.g., is a mere 500 bytes (give or take) and is highly structured. The structure of the data allows for the development of independent applications to analyze the data on the blockchain.

Unfortunately, such a cavalier approach to ‘throwing it on the blockchain’ flies in the face of the realities of distributed computing

Too bad its unlikely to come true.

While the technical know-how to develop a blockchain application is significant, the success of a blockchain is at least as dependent on the continuous social negotiations required to meet the needs of its user base. And, there is little self-executing about that…

Many of the issues that blockchain developers grapple with have profound implications for users and not every user would prioritize future blockchain developments in the same way

blockchains require a system of governance and community engagement to foster continual technical and social development, including a process for communicating with and providing support to users

We see plans like the R3 Consortium as a counter-productive grab to maintain centralized control. There are already reports and rumors that things aren't going according to plan.

As a conclusion, it's better to rely on a private blockchain than no cryptographic system at all. It has merits and pushes the blockchain terminology into the corporate world, making truly public blockchains a bit more likely for the future.

Bitcoin Magazine spoke with  some well-known blockchain thinkers on their opinions of what the uses for a private blockchain might be. 

they are totally orthogonal, both can coexist in the same time, and therefore there is no need to oppose them as we can often see it.

The consortium or company running a private blockchain can easily, if desired, change the rules of a blockchain, revert transactions, modify balances, etc. In some cases, e.g. national land registries, this functionality is necessary

voters have little incentive to vote at al

Why the Bitcoin Blockchain? Why not Ethereum?

Over the past year, we have been working on a set of tools to issue, display, and verify digital credentials using the Bitcoin blockchain and the Mozilla Open Badges specification. Today we are releasing version 1 of our code under the MIT open-source license to make it easier for others to start experimenting with similar ideas.

electronic coin

mechanism exists to make paymentsover a communications channel without a trusted party

With the possibility of reversal, the need for trust spreads.

financial institutions serving astrusted third parties to process electronic payments

proof-of-work chain

We

This post is the third in a series of five blog posts designed to explore, inform, and encourage public discussions about the possibilities, opportunities, and challenges arising at the intersection of Open Badges and blockchain technology.

Use of blockchain technology has recently been shown to provide an immutable ledger of every step in a clinical research protocol, and this could easily be adapted to basic and experimental model science. All participants in the peer-to-peer research network have access to all of the time stamped, continuously updated data. It is essentially tamper proof since any change, such as to the prespecified data analysis, would have to be made in every computer (typically thousands) within the distributed network. All of the data would be in a findable, machine readable format. More importantly, with every step of a research path digitised and shared, we have a platform well suited for rapid, independent verification of methods and results.

How Blockchain Will Disrupt the Higher Education Transcript

Recent posts by Adrian Hope Baille and Sina Motamedi have got me thinking again about the idea of the Federal Reserve (or any other central bank for that matter) adopting bitcoin technology. Here's an older post of mine on the idea, although this post will take a different tack.

Now fintech platform OpenLedger and Danish bitcoin exchange CCEDK are joining forces with MUSE, a music-tailored blockchain, to make monetizing music as easy as new peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms made distributing it 15 years ago.

This has implications far beyond the cryptocurrency

the journalistic fetish for ‘impartiality’, which frequently means that anyone who has a strong opinion is ‘biased’, so ‘equal time’ is given to the ‘two sides’, without considering the possibility that if one side is a small minority who the experts are all strongly opposed to it might be because they are, you know, wrong.

Blockchains can also implement business rules, such as transactions that take place only if two or more parties endorse them, or if another transaction has been completed first.

Blockchains are also the latest example of the unexpected fruits of cryptography. Mathematical scrambling is used to boil down an original piece of information into a code, known as a hash. Any attempt to tamper with any part of the blockchain is apparent immediately—because the new hash will not match the old ones. In this way a science that keeps information secret (vital for encrypting messages and online shopping and banking) is, paradoxically, also a tool for open dealing.

The blockchain is an even more potent technology. In essence it is a shared, trusted, public ledger that everyone can inspect, but which no single user controls. The participants in a blockchain system collectively keep the ledger up to date: it can be amended only according to strict rules and by general agreement. Bitcoin’s blockchain ledger prevents double-spending and keeps track of transactions continuously. It is what makes possible a currency without a central bank.

But most unfair of all is that bitcoin’s shady image causes people to overlook the extraordinary potential of the “blockchain”, the technology that underpins it. This innovation carries a significance stretching far beyond cryptocurrency. The blockchain lets people who have no particular confidence in each other collaborate without having to go through a neutral central authority. Simply put, it is a machine for creating trust.