Blockchain 2025

In 2017, Global Financial Integrity estimated the global drug industry added up to $652 billion of trade per year, making it the second biggest underground market after the counterfeit and pirated goods market. When you add in the domestic and household economy of the world’s households, the “under the table” economy, you get something that adds up to 3/4 of the world’s total economic activity. What role will blockchain play in our black market transition to the information age?

Stuart tells us some stories about Scotland's pride: Buckfast tonic wine, which is prone to causing poor behavior. From there, we tackle: The traditional wine market: the exporter, the importer, the distributor, the store, the customer ... a long supply chain that can be improved to be more efficient Avoiding fraud with blockchain technology: the corks and their fingerprint The potential to decentralize trust in supply chains and bring measurable benefits and value to the public and private sectors.

Healthcare is quite problematic in the United States, so we invited an expert: Ryan Kuriakose of the Open Health Exchange. Ryan and I talk about the challenges of the current ecosystem and examine where blockchain tech may be able to help: Lowering costs Data efficiency and control the Big Pharma industry Help for the underinsured Service providers and the middlemen Blockchain opportunities in the industry The Open Health Exchange, Ryan's platform

Crowdfunding emerged after the 2008 financial crisis in response to the difficulties faced by early-stage enterprises attempting to generate marketing traction and funding. Crowdfunding allows nonprofits, artists, musicians and businesses to form a community of investors and/or fanbase before they launch. Is blockchain the next level? We have a look at ICOs. Can we democratize funding for everything?

Bonus interview: Matt speaks with Jared Tate, founder of DigiByte. Jared is arguably the world's leading expert on blockchain technology. Jared talks about blockchain and it's role for the future: Cybersecurity Insurance International Trade Identity China's "One Belt, One Road" He also has a book coming out with a title that hits close to home: Blockchain 2035

To close out season 1, we will be talking about the original and most popular blockchain use: currency.  Remember, the word "blockchain" came from Satoshi's orginal whitepaper on Bitcoin. Can "digital money" disrupt state-backed currencies like the U.S. Dollar? We look at the impact of cryptocurrency in developing countries and corrupt governments. How is blockchain changing the current industry? Unprecedented speed, low fees, remittance (Intl) payments, and censorship resistance.

We take a look at the dating industry: Nick tells us how he met his wife, his own experience with algorithms, and the science of compatibility. Identity on the blockchain could lower dating fraud. Decentralized personal information will enhance security for users. New ways where blockchain can take this industry to another level: Sexual consent, true matches, validating reputation and matchmaking. Projects: Ponder App Loly Hicky Luna

20 years ago, Napster and the MP3 crushed record labels and artist revenue. With Spotify, the revenue model is finally recovering (slightly). Still, iTunes, YouTube, Ticketmaster, and Live Nation control (monopolize?) the music and concert ticket industry. Smart contracts can hold music rights information to ensure that artists, songwriters, producers, and everyone involved in the creation of a musical work get paid out correctly and efficiently.

Currently, with centralized ad platforms, there is no way to verify data. Advertisers really don’t know what they’re always paying for. Same goes for the publishers. As the popular media has shown, users have very little control over their personal information.  Facebook Ads and Google AdWords are incredibly powerful platforms.  Can they be disrupted? Decentralized advertising projects: AdEX Brave

You may be wondering why we chose this industry. Many crypto debit cards are emerging, and some with their own token and blockchain including TenX and Monaco. The ability to spend cryptocurrency via a debit card helps with user adoption. The Comit network is on its way. A revolutionary instant payment processing network attempting to replace Visa and Mastercard. Centralized payment processing networks work fairly well in the U.S. But it’s a different story in developing countries.

Blockchain technology will be impacting the identity verification industry. We revisit the Equifax hack and the downsides of the current industry: companies becoming custodians of our data. Your data can live in a centralized company data system forever, vulnerable to data thieves. High school and college kids; Fake ids may be a thing of the past... Two blockchain projects offering a solution to verify identity cheaper, faster, and MUCH more securely: Persona and Civic

Today, we’ll be talking about decentralized publishing platforms vs. centralized publishing platforms. Let’s take a look at YouTube. Essentially, you’re building a house on somebody else’s land. You’re at the mercy of Google, their algorithms, and their rules. Competitors flagging content for removal or “spam” is a serious problem which threatens business-minded content creators. Crypto startups trying to solve the current challenges of publishing: STEEMIT, Props, Po.et, Flixxo

Fine art is a 3 trillion dollar industry.  The market can be illiquid and difficult for collectors to not only find pieces they're looking for, but difficult for owners to sell. Art galleries and dealers typically make the market. Galleries and dealers can run up the prices for inexperienced buyers and put them at a disadvantage. What if a fan could by a fractional share of their favorite painting? A crypto company that is trying to solve the current challenges of art: Maecenas

Traditional gambling hasn't changed much over the years. Trust, counterparty risk, inefficiency, regulation and fees continue to plague the gaming industry. We take a look at projects like FunFair and Virtue Poker. Gambling is one industry where decentralization, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrency can be utilized to elevate everything.  

Amazon and eBay are leaders in the online marketplace industry. They have both been around for over 20 years! Could blockchain tech disrupt centralized online marketplaces and pave the way for decentralized marketplaces to take over? • The history of Amazon and eBay • Current pros/cons of centralized marketplaces • Disrupting physical goods • Disrupting digital goods • The gig economy (Upwork Fiverr) • Coin startups like Particl, Syscoin, and District0x