Blockchain

Blockchain is a horizontal innovation whose impacts are spreading like a bushfire leaving a mark wherever it touches. The technology has been around for a little over a decade, and innovators are constantly looking for ways to use it in various industries.  The blockchain industry has grown exponentially over the last few years. Today, there are more than 5500 cryptocurrencies, and the blockchain roots continue to spread.  The technology has been most disruptive in the financial, health, and supply chain…

"An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods" - this is the literal definition of an oracle. When moving to the software world, the word keeps much of what it used to mean, with a few tweaks here and there. Leaving aside predictions and Godly figures, Oracles are, in a strict software sense, external data feeds used by software engineers and developers to…

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies became famous in 2008 with Satoshi's whitepaper on Bitcoin. Since then, there have been numerous debates over the two terms. One of the most sought-after answers is which of the two is better. Is it blockchain or cryptocurrencies? Notably, the blockchain is more instrumental in any industry than cryptocurrencies. That's primarily based on the fact that the blockchain is the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies. However, despite being engineered on the blockchain, cryptocurrency's dominance in the fintech industry…

The current crypto and blockchain funding environment consist of initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), and private funding rounds.  In the last few years, the growing and maturing blockchain/crypto landscape have attracted private equity funds to the market. Numerous benefits provided by the emerging blockchain and crypto tech have incentivized businesses and individuals to explore and invest in it.  2017 was when cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and ICOs really began to take off, with most funding raised by blockchain companies…

A Hash is a central concept in all modern communication, storage, and security. Some might even call Hashing the backbone of the internet. But when we say hash, what do we mean? Is it simply something to do with random numbers? Are numbers that important? This introduction may seem challenging, but the concept is not difficult. Of course, we will not enter into the details of the algorithm's functioning, but we will describe it in essence and see what a…

In recent times, the blockchain-based payment network Ripple said it was looking for an individual to occupy the position of a “Director of Product Management, Loans.” The company posted the job opening on its official website some time ago, with a description that shows its plan to introduce a new loan product to assist its users with working capital loans. “RippleNet traditionally served its customers with a cross border payment offering, however Ripple is expanding into loans.  This person will bring a…

Blockchain technology is the underlying tech that introduced cryptocurrencies. The technology, yet so young, has immensely transformed the fintech industry, making it possible for persons to transfer value across the globe without any geographical or third-party limitations. The technology enhances the transparency of transactions not only for the grantee but also for the beneficiary. However, while most people are familiar with Blockchain technology, few understand the two types of transactions necessitated on the blockchain, On-chain, and Off-chain transactions. These two…

A bill to fight coronavirus has been introduced by the United States Congressman Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts. It is towards the establishment of a blockchain network that is able to oversee the distribution of personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators as well as other essential medical equipment during the ongoing pandemic. The National Emergency Biodefense Network was established for the regulation of the supply of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, as well as other supplies. The bill called the “Strategic National Stockpile [SNS] Enhancement and…

The advent of a decentralized, distributed, and self-fulfilling platform, i.e., blockchain, has revolutionized how we exchange value and information with each other for good. In many ways, blockchain will help us move away from the world with central regulatory bodies needed for brokering trust and towards a decentralized trust-less ecosystem. A world where technology shoulders the responsibility of federating trust. The belief is that Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous inventor(s) of Bitcoin and Blockchain technology, wouldn't have imagined that their novel…