Epicenter – Podcast on Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed Technologies

Melonport, a team based out of Zurich, has taken up the challenge of deploying the Polkadot network and also building decentralized asset management software on the same network. In this episode we converse with Mona El Isa and Reto Trinkler, co-founders of Melonport, in order to discover more about the overall vision.

Support the show, consider donating: 145PoPHFLFYTTRe1wMZtdzYqsgptgfTKmY (http://bit.ly/2fWcvKF) System scalability and extensibility of system features are two central problems around which research in the cryptocurrency / blockchain industry has centered. For example, the Blockstream sidechains project foresaw hundreds of blockchains coordinating together to form an ‘Internet of Chains’ delivering extensibility to the Bitcoin system. Recently, Dr. Gavin Wood, co-founder of Ethereum and Parity, put forth Polkadot, a technical vision to achieve the similar end-goals using different system architecture. Polkadot could enable individual blockchain networks to share security and communications infrastructure with other blockchain networks, forming in effect an ‘Internet of Blockchain networks’. Melonport, a team based out of Zurich, has taken up the challenge of deploying the Polkadot network and also building decentralized asset management software on the same network. In this episode we converse with Mona El Isa and Reto Trinkler, co-founders of Melonport, in order to discover more about the overall vision. Topics discussed in this episode: - Melonport, a team based out of Zurich, has taken up the challenge of deploying the Polkadot network and also building decentralized asset management software on the same network. In this episode we converse with Mona El Isa and Reto Trinkler, co-founders of Melonport, in order to discover more about the overall vision. - Description of problem(s) Polkadot seeks to resolve - Analogous design problems from technological history - Overview of Polkadot network - Overview of Melonport asset management software - How Melonport and Polkadot connect with each other - Next steps for the team Links mentioned in this episode: - Melonport website: https://melonport.com - Melonport white paper: https://melonport.com/melonprotocol.pdf - melonproject on GitHub: https://github.com/melonproject - Melonport explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG6LISz1iyw - Polkadot Network: http://polkadot.network - Polkadot white paper: http://polkadot.network/PolkaDotPaper.pdf - Parity and Melonport joint press release: https://ethcore.io/press.html/ Sponsors: - Ledger: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EPICENTER - http://ledgerwallet.com - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices - http://jaxx.io This episode is also available on : - Epicenter.tv: https://epicenter.tv/158 - YouTube: http://youtu.be/rfRufqN8S9c - Souncloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-158 Watch or listen, Epicenter is available wherever you get your podcasts. Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

Support the show, consider donating: 128EF4NQNc5ZjvBZ6u11inbRE9SQyU6BPe (http://bit.ly/2eT3d3j) String Labs founders Tom Ding and Dominic Williams joined us to discuss their project DFINITY, a next-generation blockchain network. Through leveraging technological advances, DFINITY aims to deliver an infinitely scalable decentralized cloud that will be able to power applications from decentralized search to supply chain applications. We covered DFINITY's approach to scalability, interoperability, consensus as well as their sophisticated approach to governance: The Blockchain Nervous System. Topics discussed in this episode: - Tom and Dominic ended up founding String Labs - The DFINITY project and objective of an infinitely scalable decentralized cloud - How consensus works in DFINITY - Governance in DFINITY through the Blockchain Nervous System - Threshold Relay signatures and other new technologies that are part of DFINITY - The importance and mechanics of public/private blockchain interoperability - DFINITY's business model Links mentioned in this episode: - String Technology: http://bit.ly/2eyZA3E - DFINITY Shanghai Talk: http://wi.st/2ez0gGg - DFINITY Shanghai Presentation Slides: http://bit.ly/2frVj1j - Introducing Random Beacons Using Threshold Relay Chains: http://string.technology/2016/09/14/threshold-relay-random-beacon.en/ - Random Beacons in Decentralized Networks: http://bit.ly/2fScNod Sponsors: - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices - http://jaxx.io - Ledger: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EPICENTER - http://ledgerwallet.com This episode is also available on : - Epicenter.tv: https://epicenter.tv/157 - YouTube: http://youtu.be/fzG9L4Ry6O4 - Souncloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-157 Watch or listen, Epicenter is available wherever you get your podcasts. Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

String Labs founders Tom Ding and Dominic Williams joined us to discuss their project DFINITY, a next-generation blockchain network. Through leveraging technological advances, DFINITY aims to deliver an infinitely scalable decentralized cloud that will be able to power applications from decentralized search to supply chain applications. We covered DFINITY's approach to scalability, interoperability, consensus as well as their sophisticated approach to governance: The Blockchain Nervous System.

Support the show, consider donating: 1KF4BfKqsejkWQJqE6atoZVkmU11bhPKLJ (http://bit.ly/1tvuPiQ) As is the case with most luxury goods, the diamond industry is faced with the issues of theft, fraud, and counterfeiting. Illegal activity is present at every level of the supply chain, which collectively costs the industry and its insurers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. In recent years, international treaties and regulation have been put in place in an attempt to combat illegal activity, but criminals are most often a step ahead. Leanne Kemp, CEO of Everledger, joins us to explain how her company is using advanced geological techniques, and blockchains, to bring more traceability to the diamond industry. Everledger, whose clients include many of the largest insurance companies, builds software which allows for a diamond's unique characteristics to be hashed and notarized in the blockchain. Hence, a stone's provenance, and the trail of ownership can be traced, therefore limiting the opportunities for fraud and making it difficult for stolen diamonds to re-enter the market. Topic's covered include: - Leanne's background as a technologist - A broad overview of the diamond industry - A look at the diamond supply chain - What roles banks and insurance companies play in the supply chain - How diamonds are uniquely fingerprinted - The Kimberly process and other regulations - Everledger's technology stack and business model - Other sectors which can also benefit from increased traceability Links mentioned in this episode: - Everledger: http://everledger.io - Kimberley Process: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Process_Certification_Scheme Sponsors: - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/156 YouTube: http://youtu.be/UOKYUY7_Gd4 SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-156 Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

As is the case with most luxury goods, the diamond industry is faced with the issues of theft, fraud, and counterfeiting. Leanne Kemp, CEO of Everledger, joins us to explain how her company is using advanced geological techniques, and blockchains, to bring more traceability to the diamond industry.

Attracting over 70 of the world's biggest financial institutions to its consortium in just over a year, R3 has accomplished a formidable task. Aiming to rethink the fabric of the financial system, they first conducted experiments testing blockchain platforms for their member and last year began developing their own distributed ledger platform: Corda. The effort to build Corda was lead by R3 CTO Richard Brown and the former Bitcoin developer and R3 lead architect Mike Hearn.

Support the show, consider donating: 17QpAaTfUn4kTCwjFcoCHvxjrs8EAxmNkh (http://bit.ly/1tvum0a) Attracting over 70 of the world's biggest financial institutions to its consortium in just over a year, R3 has accomplished a formidable task. Aiming to rethink the fabric of the financial system, they first conducted experiments testing blockchain platforms for their member and last year began developing their own distributed ledger platform: Corda. The effort to build Corda was lead by R3 CTO Richard Brown and the former Bitcoin developer and R3 lead architect Mike Hearn. In a wide-ranging discussion, we covered the vision of the project and why it represents a radical departure from existing blockchain platforms. Topics covered included: - The origin story of R3 - Why existing blockchain designs didn't meet their needs - How the R3 team lead a design effort to develop a new platform from scratch - The business problem Corda is aiming to solve - The components of Corda's architecture - How Corda handles privacy - Notaries and preventing double spends - Open sourcing Corda and the plan to join Hyperledger Links mentioned in this episode: - R3 Corda: What Makes it Different http://bit.ly/2f1SamA - Introducing R3 Corda: A Distributed Ledger for Financial Services http://bit.ly/2dSqrYm (APRIL) - Corda: An Introduction [PDF] http://bit.ly/2eR4ky5 (AUGUST) - R3 Website http://bit.ly/2dVJiRX - E151 - Ian Grigg: Ricardian Contracts and Digital Assets Prehistory http://bit.ly/2f1V6ji - Smart Contract Templates: Foundations, Design Landscape & Research Directions http://bit.ly/2f0wCY1 Sponsors: - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io - Ledger Nano: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EPICENTER at http://ledgerwallet.com Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/155 YouTube: http://youtu.be/3YTSwB5UrEI SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-155 Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

As content becomes more and more abundant and immediately available at our fingertips, our limited attention is a barrier for those whose business it is to attract and harness it. In this context, large (social) media companies understand that attention is a scarce commodity, and, as has been demonstrated, those who control attention wield enormous power over our society. We're joined by Greg Meredith, CTO of Synereo, to talk about how this new Blockchain platform rebuild the attention economy.

Support the show, consider donating: 1JUBPSscvZzTEoraGbPkMJeeYUgeWCmuww (http://bit.ly/2eBzrRb) As content becomes more and more abundant and immediately available at our fingertips, our limited attention is a barrier for those whose business it is to attract and harness it. In this context, large (social) media companies understand that attention is a scarce commodity, and, as has been demonstrated, those who control attention wield enormous power over our society. We're joined by Greg Meredith, CTO of Synereo, to talk about how this new Blockchain platform rebuild the attention economy. In a sense, Synereo is to attention, what Bitcoin is to money, in effect, removing intermediaries from the transaction between those who have attention, and those who wish to attract it. Greg, also gives his insights on how functional programming languages could allow for verifiable computational smart contracts. Topics discussed in this episode: - Greg's background as a mathematician and his work on Microsoft's BizTalk Process Orchestration - How he transitioned into the crypto-currency space - What is Synereo and what the project is trying to achieve - Greg's thoughts on the attention economy and how it is fundamentally broken - Synereo's technology stack - How Vlad Zamfir's Casper consensus algorithm influenced Synereo - Rholang, Synereo's functional smart-contracting language - Synereo's economic model and product roadmap Links mentioned in this episode: - Synereo: https://synereo.com - Synereo White Paper: https://github.com/synereo/synereo.github.io/raw/master/whitepapers/synereo.pdf - Logic as a distributive law: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1610.02247v2.pdf - Quit social media by Dr. Cal Newport: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7hkPZ-HTk - Deep Work by Dr. Cal Newport: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692 Sponsors: - Ledger Nano: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EPICENTER at http://ledgerwallet.com - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/154 YouTube: http://youtu.be/0jRNSEt-D9A SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-154 Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

Support the show, consider donating: 1CdQ9yZbxzAKS3J894CHYXbpxmCz7D4Q75 (http://bit.ly/2egPjtA) A topic which is often discussed is the limited use of Ethereum applications without stable cryptocurrencies. Prediction markets are a prime example of this. When one makes a prediction using Ether, he or she is in fact entering into to speculations: one being the outcome of the actual prediction, the other being the price of Ether when the prediction resolves. Projects like Maker DAO try to solve the problem by developing complex systems to ensure that a blockchain token keeps its value in sync with fiat currencies. But Decentralized Capital is taking a different approach by issuing fiat-pegged tokens on Ethereum that are backed by bank deposits. CEO Alex Wearn joined us to explain their approach to providing a fundamental piece of Ethereum infrastructure. Topics covered included: - The problem Decentralized Capital is trying to solve - What the architecture of Decentralized Capital looks like - The relationship between Crypto Capital and Decentralized Capital - Why the ability of freezing and confiscating assets is required - Some of the best use cases for Decentralized Capital - The regulatory environment of Decentralized Capital - The Decentralized Capital business model Links mentioned in this episode: - Decentralized Capital Website: http://bit.ly/2eNq41f - Decentralized Capital is Live article http://bit.ly/2doN5SX - Introducing Decentralized Capital Video http://bit.ly/2eiPYe8 - Decentralized Capital and Dapp Integration http://bit.ly/2eiPJjn - Compliant Decentralized Exchange IDEX http://bit.ly/2doPmxw - Decentralized Capital's DVIP Memberships http://bit.ly/2eiPQeN Sponsors: - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/153 YouTube: http://youtu.be/JZse9JlZPuI SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-153 Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

A topic which is often discussed is the limited use of Ethereum applications without stable cryptocurrencies. Decentralized Capital is addressing this by issuing fiat-pegged tokens on Ethereum that are backed by bank deposits. CEO Alex Wearn joined us to explain their approach to providing a fundamental piece of Ethereum infrastructure.

In 2012, a year after discovering Bitcoin in Argentina, Dutch economist Tuur Demeester became one of the first people to advocate investing in Bitcoin to a mainstream audience. Tuur joined us to discuss his thesis for investing in Bitcoin and how it has evolved over time.

Support the show, consider donating: 17JDvCdr45fkEppAtJpx8fuCcezvY6WFgg (http://bit.ly/2dZUdqN) In 2012, a year after discovering Bitcoin in Argentina, Dutch economist Tuur Demeester became one of the first people to advocate investing in Bitcoin to a mainstream audience. Tuur joined us to discuss his thesis for investing in Bitcoin and how it has evolved over time. We also talked about the road ahead and how other cryptocurrencies and Ethereum compare as investment opportunities. Topics covered included: - How Tuur discovered Bitcoin in Argentina in 2011 - The case for investing in Bitcoin - The current state of Bitcoin and metrics he looks at - Projections for the Bitcoin price - How Bitcoin compares to gold - The current state of the financial markets Links mentioned in this episode: - How to Position for the Rally in Bitcoin Report http://bit.ly/2dra54G - Why I'm Short Ethereum (and long Bitcoin) http://bit.ly/2d7Ns4p - Why Bitcoin is the Petroleum of Our Time http://bit.ly/2e0CWwE - Bitcoin - Why It Now Belongs in Every Porfolio http://bit.ly/2dEgb4L - Adamant Research Podcast on Soundcloud http://bit.ly/2ekfQ8f - Tuur Demeester Twitter http://bit.ly/2dPaYp8 Sponsors: - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io - Hide.me: Protect your privacy and personal data with a free VPN account at Hide.me/epicenter Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/152 YouTube: http://youtu.be/45TVlYsXgCU SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-152 Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

Support the show, consider donating: 12yXxgTFJ8ZCz9ysSA59XRHLonP5SFNGVq (http://bit.ly/2drGQjb) Before 2013 few people paid attention to Bitcoin and blockchain, yet even back in the 1990s a vibrant group of prioneers pursued the vision of financial cryptography and digital cash. One of these was financial cryptographer and software developer Ian Grigg, who today works as an architecture consultant for R3. Grigg joined us for a discussion of the history of the digital cash, Bitcoin and his work on Ricardian Contracts, which foreshadowed today's smart contracts. Topics covered included: - The origin story of financial cryptography - DigiCash and the startup scene around it in the 1990s - Ricardian Contracts and why contracts are central to digital assets - Ricardian Contracts vs blockchain Links mentioned in this episode: - Ricardian Contract Paper http://bit.ly/2cOnQsU - Financial Cryptography Website http://bit.ly/2dM4men - Financial Cryptography in 7 Layers http://bit.ly/2d9GRXT - R3CEV http://bit.ly/2dVJiRX - Brown, Carlyle, Grigg & Hearn: Corda - An Introduction http://bit.ly/2dmtPLP Sponsors: - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io - BitFiniti Conference in Miami Beach Oct 30 - Nov 2: Go to bitfiniti.com/epicenter for discounts on registrations and presenter packages Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/151 YouTube: http://youtu.be/wokvO1ptE1k SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-151 Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.