Dec 11, 2019 - This case study covers the challenges facing the cobalt industry and explains how blockchain technology can help by tracking the chain of custody, exposing unethical practices, and improving governance across the cobalt supply chain. The blockchain start-up Circulor combines rigorous processes with smart technology to implement ethical sourcing solutions.

Dec 23, 2019 - This research explores how blockchain technologies could address the challenges of the market for life insurance. Through initiatives such as open IDL and consortia such as B3i and The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative, the insurance industry is exploring use cases where blockchain could deliver near-seamless automated processes, more secure data sharing, uniform compliance, and better fraud prevention. New business models such as peer-to-peer insurance and insurance-as-a-service will likely gain traction as insurance technology start-ups move into life insurance.

Feb 18, 2020 - This research describes many industry consortia within the blockchain enterprise space and describes the goals of three in particular—Blockchain Insurance Industry Initiative, Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, and Hyperledger, hosted by the Linux Foundation. The project involved interviews with twenty-five executives and thought leaders who are innovatively deploying blockchain technology in industries ranging from artificial intelligence to healthcare. It lays out the business case for joining blockchain consortia including developing standards for technologies and building trust and confidence in new technology solutions. It distills the best...

Jun 28, 2021 - This project reports on the state of the enterprise blockchain space. It begins with commentary on the state of the world writ large—from the pandemic’s effects on the economy and the global need for vaccinations to the K-shaped recovery and the consequences of helicopter money (e.g., inflation). It covers a series of developments relevant to enterprise users: the price volatility of cryptocurrencies, the shortcomings of consensus mechanisms for enterprise needs, the growth of stablecoins, the status of tokenless blockchains and blockchain-as-a-service offerings, and the latest on central bank digital currencies (e.g., China’s digital c...

Nov 13, 2020 - For cryptocurrencies and other blockchain technologies to scale in adoption as the Internet did, people need more human-friendly ways to use them. We believe that the digital wallet is one such way. Digital wallets are pieces of software that hold digital things of value for us, such as money, ID cards, and documents such as receipts. They enable us to make payments, prove our identities, record and verify our actions and transactions, and aggregrate and manage our cryptoassets such bitcoin, ether, or derivatives of cryptocurrencies. Eventually, we expect them to capture and protect our Internet browsing, online shopping, and other streams of...