Aug 21, 2020 - This project explains the key interoperability challenges that the blockchain pioneers need to solve. It covers the business and technical foundations of interoperability, namely decisions about user identity (keys and signatures), security of assets (cryptography), notaries of off-chain events (oracles and Byzantine committees), block relays (sidechains and pegs) between a local chain and a foreign one, gateways of communication, and network architecture. It surveys the five major interoperability projects, and it explores the use case of cross-border trade, defining the problem it solves as well as the advantages of the solution it provides...

Aug 31, 2019 - This project explores how blockchain technology will optimize the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), including those with electric vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. It looks at the Mobile Open Blockchain Initiative, which involves 80 percent of world’s auto manufacturers and leading tech firms. It covers such implementation challenges as blockchain latency and scalability, communications network latency, device security, and regulation. Finally, it raises concerns about data privacy on immutable distributed ledgers as well as the legal liabilities of CAV ownership and usage.

Jun 02, 2020 - Countries with universal background checks and gun registries experience significantly fewer gun-related deaths. As a highly encrypted, tamper-resistant, and decentralized database, distributed ledger technology has the potential to serve as a distributed registry of guns. DLT could allow gun buyers to prove a lack of a criminal record (the equivalent of a background check) without giving up personal information. This survey of the blockchain landscape highlights several start-ups such as VeriTransfer and BitRail that are experimenting with DLT to do for firearms provenance what other blockchain innovators have done with food, cannabis, and p...

Jul 31, 2020 - This research takes a fresh look at the Bitcoin network and its native currency, bitcoin. Its authors argue that, while the Bitcoin protocols have proven successful for financial applications, they have hindered scalability, privacy, and programmability. Because of these implementation challenges, some enterprise leaders have looked to Ethereum and other blockchain solutions. But other development teams have found innovative ways to evolve the Bitcoin network and its enterprise capabilities. By building directly on top of existing Bitcoin infrastructure, businesses can profit from its security and network effects without incurring the costs a...