What We're Reading
How Much Will Blockchain Really Affect Digital Marketing? by Kristofer Jones with Forbes
"Under a blockchain-powered network, arbitrage would shift from an established middleman to users themselves. Users would engage in smart contracts directly with advertisers to receive targeted ads."
Crypto For the People, By the People: How Blockchain Subverts Today’s Entrenched Power Structure by Gabriel Dusil & John McLeod with Irish Tech News
"We have reached a unique point where the traditional power brokers who normally put the brakes on disruptive technologies have been sidelined in favor of a newly defined crypto power hierarchy. Neither governments nor banks control the crypto sphere, but they maintain partial control of cyberspace and the real world."
The Latest Course Catalog Trend? Blockchain 101 by Sarah Gonser with WIRED
Blockchain Can Add $1 Trillion to World Trade by 2028, Says World Economic Forum by William Suberg with Cointelegraph
Hurricane Victims Edge Closer to Automated Insurance Payouts With Ethereum by Michael del Castillo with Forbes
Check out Etherisc and B3i to learn more about the growing global effort to automate parts of insurance processes through the use of smart contracts.
Citigroup has created a new, less risky way of investing in crypto — and it may be a game changer for the industry by Dakin Campbell & Frank Chaparro with Business Insider
“Citi has developed an instrument it is calling a digital asset receipt. It works much like an American depositary receipt, which has been around for decades to give US investors a way to own foreign stocks that don't otherwise trade on US exchanges. The foreign stock is held by a bank, which then issues the depositary receipt.”
ConsenSys Partners With Online Education Platform to Launch Blockchain Course by Ana Alexandre with Cointelegraph
JPMorgan's Balancing Act Between Blockchain & Crypto by Gareth Jenkinson with Cointelegraph
"The application of this technology in business is more important to us than the technology itself. We are looking not only for cost reduction, but also for opportunities to develop new products.” - Lori Beer, CIO, J.P. Morgan
Regulatory uncertainty and trust are barriers to blockchain adoption amongst business by PwC
Regulatory uncertainty, lack of trust among users, and ability to bring a network together were ranked as the top three barriers to blockchain adoption in the latest PwC study.
Catalysts of Global Change: Blockchain, Women Entrepreneurs, And Mentorship
"What women often have to manage, more so than men, is perception. Because there are fewer successful female entrepreneurs running successful venture-backed companies, less venture capital tends to go toward female entrepreneurs looking for funding. As a result, fewer female entrepreneurs end up looking for capital (being discouraged by the lack of role models), and therefore less success stories are created. We need to actively fight to change that perception by highlighting success stories.” - Kate Mitselmakher, CEO & Founder of Bloccelerate
3 Tips for Staying on Top of the Rapidly Changing Blockchain Industry by Samantha Radocchia with Forbes
"It’s not easy to stay up-to-date in an industry that evolves as quickly as blockchain—especially as its rise has coincided with that of fake news and propaganda online. Still, a strong dose of skepticism and a habit of checking multiple sources are the best ways to combat falsehoods while staying on the cutting edge of the space."
Vitalik Buterin On The State of Ethereum, The Future of Blockchain and Google Trying to Hire Him by Rachel Wolfson with Forbes
"The amount of sustainable usage of blockchain is very low. Although it exists, there are a lot of people giving value to cryptocurrencies, yet the amount of useful stuff happening is still much lower than the $200 billion market cap makes it seem. The main challenge for the industry as I see it is basically understanding how to bridge that gap and get to point where there is $200 billion in some sense of actual final value being generated" - Vitalik Buterin, Cofounder of Ethereum Foundation & Bitcoin Magazine
The 6 Major Blockchain Trends for 2018 Outlined by Deloitte by Andrew Arnold with Forbes
No matter what your opinion is when it comes to the future of blockchain technology, this article is worth the read.
Blockchain Gains Currency in Higher Ed by Lindsay McKenzie with Inside Higher Ed
"The number of universities with dedicated blockchain research centers is small but growing as more businesses look to engage with universities in blockchain technology research and development."
The Rise of Blockchain Courses at Top American Universities by Paul Andrew with Coin Central
Whether you want to learn on campus or online, Blockchain courses are on the rise in higher education across the United States.
Starting a Business on the Blockchain? Here's What You Need to Know by Ali Ayyash with Hackernoon
“Despite the vast numbers of people now starting blockchain-powered businesses, there remain misconceptions around what the process is actually like — what is unique about it, what sorts of mindsets are required. It’s important to understand because misguided expectations can doom your company before it even gets started.” - Ali Ayyash, Founder & CEO at Lumeos
These Are The World's Top 10 Blockchain Cities by Boyd Cohen with Breaker
"There is much greater distribution of blockchain ecosystems across the globe compared with the Silicon Valley dominance of web 2.0. Regulatory framework is critical for blockchain startups to thrive, and if you are an aspiring blockchain entrepreneur, you may be willing to do more than incorporate an offshore company. Maybe you actually want to establish a main base of operations as well."
Blockchain Could Help Millennials Build a World They Trust by Adam Winfield with Forbes
“There’s a sense that millennials are willing to take a chance on blockchain. They want a future to believe in, a future defined not by shady global politics, all-powerful central banks and corporate dominance, but by the renewed community spirit, social trust and technological liberation decentralized blockchains could bring.”
How Aussie Women Are Breaking Ground in The Blockchain Sector by Yolanda Redrup with The Australian Financial Review
“We get told all the time that we [as women] don't exist in the sector, but we get tired of that. We're building really powerful businesses and we work on problems that are suitable for blockchain technology and that's why we're successful." – Katrina Donaghy, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Civic Ledger
"[Blockchain] is something females can be passionate about and interested in. It's all about a trustless, secure system and traceability. This kind of concept where no one can interfere and there's no middlemen, resonates with females more than the internet era did." – Grace Wong, Co-Founder, Liven
Women and the Future of Cryptocurrency: A Case Study in Everyday Digital Asset Payments by Lisa Bowman with BTCManager
Mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies - meaning common, daily transactions - is absolutely critical to the industry’s success. Women make up to 70-80% of all consumer purchases, making them one of the strongest driving forces towards widespread crypto adoption. If companies want faster implementation, involving women at all levels of the company is fundamental to capturing that female market.
One teacher's idea to lift poor students: A starter stash of Zcash by Heather Long with The Washington Post
“Carlos Acevedo wants his students to learn more than just buying and selling cryptocurrency as if it were gold or a stock. He wants them to learn how to build apps on the blockchain, the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies, much as a previous generation learned to make apps for the Internet.”
“I’m trying to get blockchain a foothold in the Bronx. I’m trying to get these students in on the ground floor. They could really become a bankable programmer.” – Carlos Acevedo, English Teacher at Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies
Don't Be Discouraged: There Are Opportunities For Women In Crypto by Dr. Jemma Green with Forbes
“There’s so much blank space that needs different types of thinking, experience, and different world views. It’s easier than ever to build your brand and share your views via Medium, Twitter, and other social channels – you just need to invest the time and energy to do it. Get the biggest megaphone you can, and shout as load as you can. Change doesn’t happen by sitting back and complaining behind closed doors. Ideas are no good in your head. Get them out into the world.” - Meltem Demirors, Chief Strategy Officer at CoinShares
Blockchain beyond the hype: What is the strategic business value? by Brant Carson with Digital McKinsey
"Our research seeks to answer this question by evaluating not only the strategic importance of blockchain to major industries but also who can capture what type of value through what type of approach."
Why the LGBT Community Is Launching Its Own Cryptocurrency by Zoë Henry with Inc. Magazine
"The goal is to help LGBT people realize their full economic potential, or what's sometimes referred to as the 'pink dollar.' This is about taking our destiny into our own hands, and I see our power as a community if we come together." - Christof Wittig, President, LGBT Foundation
Blockchain and Crypto Offering Opportunities to Women Not Seen Elsewhere by Darryn Pollock with CryptoComes
“For pregnant women, mothers of young children, or even stay at home moms, there is opportunity to work in a busy and burgeoning space just with a laptop from any location.”
These Startups Are Defying The Status Quo In Crypto And Building Diverse Teams by Jeff Kauflin with Forbes
“If you don’t start recruiting a diverse team in your startup’s early days, it becomes extremely difficult to catch up, because people tend to refer and hire others who look like them.” - Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO of BitPesa