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Discussion
The vast majority of the population associates Blockchain with
cryptocurrency Bitcoin; however, there are many other uses of
blockchain; such as Litecoin, Ether, and other currencies. In
this discussion, please describe at least two cryptocurrencies
with applicable examples. Discuss some similarities and
differences. Lastly, discuss if you have any experience using
any cryptocurrencies.
Please make your initial post and two response posts
substantive. A substantive post will do at least TWO of the
following:
· Ask an interesting, thoughtful question pertaining to the topic
· Answer a question (in detail) posted by another student or the
instructor
· Provide extensive additional information on the topic
· Explain, define, or analyze the topic in detail
· Share an applicable personal experience
· Provide an outside source that applies to the topic, along with
additional information about the topic or the source (please cite
properly in APA)
· Make an argument concerning the topic.
At least one scholarly source should be used in the initial
discussion thread. Be sure to use information from your
readings and other sources. Use proper citations and references
in your post.
300 words and 2 references.
Attached all the required documents.
computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 21
Industry experts believe blockchain is a technology that has the
potential to affect the business of most IT profession-als in the
next five years. Analyst Gartner has forecast that by 2023,
blockchain will support the global movement and
tracking of $2tn of goods and services.
It is regarded by many industry watchers as a disrupting force
in the financial world. A PwC global financial technology
(fintech)
survey found that 56% of respondents recognise the importance
of blockchain. At the same time, however, 57% admit to being
unsure about or unlikely to respond to this trend.
Start witH tHe HaSH
Blockchain is effectively a shared ledger between a group of
people – for example, a group of companies that work together
to produce a service or product. What makes blockchain differ-
ent is the fact that the history of the changes – past transactions,
for example – are immutable.
Essentially, the historical entries become read-only and
unchangeable. This is due to the fact that each blockchain
entry relies on the hash – a computed value including part of a
previous block as part of its hashing calculation for the current
block. This means that if a previous block is somehow modi-
fied or corrupted, its hash value will change and therefore the
values after that point become broken, making the tampering
evident for all to see.
One example where blockchain technology can be used is
where several companies come together to provide or consume
Blockchain:
hype vs reality
Regarded by many as a
disruptive force in finance
and beyond, blockchain
technology presents a number
of complex challenges that
must be overcome before
it can truly deliver on its
promises. Stuart Burns reports
BUYER’S GUIDE TO BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY | PART
1 OF 3
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the-blockchain-hype
https://www.computerweekly.com/ehandbook/Cutting-through-
the-blockchain-hype
https://www.techtarget.com/contributor/Stuart-Burns
computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 22
Home
News
HMRC under fire
over ‘scaremongering’
IR35 letters targeting
GSK contractors
Ransomware has
evolved into a serious
enterprise threat
How Defra has
been preparing its
IT systems for any
Brexit eventuality
Editor’s comment
Buyer’s guide
to blockchain
Chasing down
hackers through
security analytics
How councils are using
technology to support
adult social care
Downtime
services, usually under long-term contracts. It can be complex
and cumbersome to manage contracts involving several
individu-
als, when multiple documents are involved and everyone needs
to agree on the same contract versions and details. Over time,
changes will occur that also need to be managed and agreed on.
Managing contracts in blockchain, however, means that rather
than physical bits of paper being passed around, it becomes
possi-
ble to mathematically guarantee the
contract documents are as intended
and the appropriate (digital) sign-
off is a part of the chain. That chain
can be verified by any of the parties
as required. This is a key part of the
whole blockchain concept.
an early trial
In 2016, Barclays and Wave com-
pleted what they described as a
“world first” by using blockchain
technology to handle the docu-
mentation to approve a fund trans-
action, which was made through the Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift). The letter of
credit transaction between Ornua (formerly the Irish Dairy
Board) and Seychelles Trading Company used distributed ledger
technology via the Wave platform to enable all parties involved
to see the documents they needed and transmit them where
required on a decentralised network. This removed some of
the inefficiencies of traditional international trade and brought
completion timescales down from weeks to a few hours. It is
not hard to see how the use of blockchain could be extended to
include many different types of information, eventually encom-
passing the general public.
For instance, an article by McKinsey estimates that using block-
chain to sign up new retail banking customers has the potential
to
create up to $1bn of savings in oper-
ating costs globally and reduce reg-
ulatory fines by between $2bn and
$3bn. “In addition, we expect block-
chain solutions to reduce annual
losses from fraud by $7bn to $9bn,”
McKinsey stated.
management cHallengeS
However, setting up and managing
blockchain is a complex process
that requires skilled design. As
Gartner notes, a distributed ledger
requires the recording and replicat-
ing of data in a secure manner. This is a complex mechanism
with significant computational load (called mining). As such,
blockchain has rather large scalability issues. Verification of
blocks can take several minutes, which makes blockchain inap-
propriate for real-time transactions.
Each blockchain consumer may need to verify an entire trans-
action history, which is very inefficient and requires a high
A distributed ledger requires
the recording And replicAting
of dAtA in A secure mAnner. this
is A complex mechAnism with
significAnt computAtionAl loAd.
As such, blockchAin hAs rAther
lArge scAlAbility issues
BUYER’S GUIDE
http://www.computerweekly.com
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450303841/Barclays-
uses-blockchain-for-trade-finance-transactions
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450422267/Lloyds-
Bank-joins-Swift-blockchain-proof-of-concept-project
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252451581/UK-
government-cryptoassets-taskforce-commits-to-distributed-
ledger-technologies
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252451581/UK-
government-cryptoassets-taskforce-commits-to-distributed-
ledger-technologies
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-
insights/blockchain-and-retail-banking-making-the-connection
https://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Dont-let-
blockchain-complexity-bog-down-business-applications
https://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Dont-let-
blockchain-complexity-bog-down-business-applications
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner-
Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner-
Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise
computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 23
Home
News
HMRC under fire
over ‘scaremongering’
IR35 letters targeting
GSK contractors
Ransomware has
evolved into a serious
enterprise threat
How Defra has
been preparing its
IT systems for any
Brexit eventuality
Editor’s comment
Buyer’s guide
to blockchain
Chasing down
hackers through
security analytics
How councils are using
technology to support
adult social care
Downtime
computational workload. New platforms are being developed
that explore alternative approaches to verifying the integrity of
blockchain transactions. These include massively diverse public
ledgers for verifying historic transactions.
Other ideas include having a random pool of machines that vali-
date the blockchain and publicly announce the results of the
vali-
dation, saving everyone repeating the same compute-intensive
functions. The very nature of these random machines and
frequency with which they are rotated means that discovering
and
trying to attack verification hosts should be extremely difficult.
All current blockchain systems have some limitations in terms
of scaling. So, such techniques may not scale to the level
needed
for blockchain to be a viable replacement to existing payment
processing networks. However, there is now growing interest in
new distributed processor workload platforms, such as Golam,
and the use of hardware-based acceleration, application-specific
BUYER’S GUIDE
IU
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IM
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TO
V/
A
D
O
BE
All current blockchAin
systems hAve some
limitAtions in terms of scAling
http://www.computerweekly.com
https://golem.network/
computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 24
Home
News
HMRC under fire
over ‘scaremongering’
IR35 letters targeting
GSK contractors
Ransomware has
evolved into a serious
enterprise threat
How Defra has
been preparing its
IT systems for any
Brexit eventuality
Editor’s comment
Buyer’s guide
to blockchain
Chasing down
hackers through
security analytics
How councils are using
technology to support
adult social care
Downtime
integrated circuits (Asics) and graphics processing units
(GPUs),
all of which aim to accelerate processing for blockchain.
Beyond BuSineSS contractS
There are many uses for blockchain technology in finance and
beyond, but currently most of these technologies, with the
exception of cryptocurrencies, are aimed squarely at the busi-
ness to business market (B2B).
For blockchain to move beyond
small-scale trials and experimenta-
tion, the whole software and hard-
ware infrastructure stack needs to
scale to support larger and larger
volumes of transactions.
In 2018, a KPMG paper looking
at uses for blockchain described
the challenges of integrating
blockchain into existing, legacy
processes. The paper warned that
organisations need to be aware
that their legacy systems may not
be designed to interact with block-
chain systems or capitalise on the advantages they offer.
“Comprehensive examination of interoperability and integra-
tion is essential,” the KPMG paper stated. “Given the immuta-
bility of transactions, it is essential that the proper mechanisms
are in place to prevent incorrect data from being written onto
the blockchain.”
Another area of concern is the privacy of financial transactions.
According to PwC, the business benefits for many players, or
even the industry, will not materialise if the “trust issue” is not
addressed effectively. For PwC, the hurdles that lie ahead
include
understanding whether or not the public ledger can be hacked.
From a privacy perspective, if several different organisations
are involved in a transaction that uses blockchain, not all group
members should have access to
the data held within the blockchain.
However, they still need to verify the
blockchain’s integrity. Such secrecy
flies in the face of the classic block-
chain ethos.
Any transactions that go through
Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies
are recorded as part of the block-
chain process. Information such as
wallet transactions, IP address and
other details are collected. Being
able to trace all wallet transactions
could allow any interested parties
to infer not only spending patterns,
but also socio-economic status and similar. It may not give
away
exactly what is being purchased, but this information can help
build an overall picture of someone’s online spending habits.
Today, it is very much an exploration of what is possible. As
with
any technology, over time blockchain will become more refined
and
mature, and no doubt privacy capable and expandable as
needed. n
BUYER’S GUIDE
the business benefits
of blockchAin will not
mAteriAlise if the trust issue
is not Addressed effectively.
hurdles include understAnding
whether or not the public
ledger cAn be hAcked
http://www.computerweekly.com
https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/Computer-
Weekly/Blockchain-expands-reach-beyond-finance
https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/Computer-
Weekly/Blockchain-expands-reach-beyond-finance
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner-
Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner-
Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise
https://home.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/co/pdf/2018/09/kpmg-
realizing-blockchains-potential.pdf
https://home.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/co/pdf/2018/09/kpmg-
realizing-blockchains-potential.pdf
https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/252443993/McAfee-
details-rise-in-blockchain-threats-cryptocurrency-attacks
Copyright of Computer Weekly is the property of TechTarget,
Inc. and its content may not be
copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's
express written permission. However, users may print,
download, or email articles for
individual use.
benefits magazine may 201920
C OM ING T O GR IP S W I T H
BLOCKCHAIN
by | Michael Stoyanovich and Frank E. Tanz
may 2019 benefits magazine 21
Blockchain is more than just a buzzword, and benefits
organizations should begin
familiarizing themselves with the concept. The authors explain
the basics of this
much-hyped technology and describe its potential applications.
benefits magazine may 201922
N
o doubt you’ve heard or read
about blockchain technol-
ogy.1 There’s certainly been a
lot of hype. But you’re prob-
ably more than a little fuzzy on what
blockchain is and what, if anything, it
can do for your organization now. You
have a lot of questions, which we will
try to answer.
While it’s still too early for you to
worry about adopting blockchain in
your benefits-centric organization, it’s
not too soon to start learning what it is,
to educate yourself and to be prepared.
Remember where cloud computing
stood six or seven years ago? Everyone
was talking about it, but relatively few
organizations used it, let alone under-
stood it. That’s where blockchain is to-
day. Like the cloud, blockchain is more
than just a buzzword. It may have great
potential to transform your organiza-
tion. Just not yet.
What Is Blockchain?
Simply put, blockchain is a new
form of ledger. Remember that led-
gers are a collection of accounts, a list
of events and transactions. They used
to be books. Today they’re databases.
In the future, in many cases, they’ll be
blockchain.
A defining characteristic of block-
chain is that instead of storing and pro-
cessing data in a centralized database
(with a backup, of course), as we do to-
day, it uses distributed ledger technology.
This means that data is shared member
to member (more properly described as
peer to peer), across all the members of
a network (also known as nodes). See
Figure 1.
Any approved user can add or
change data in the blockchain and
instantly view transactions made by
other users. The data is replicated and
synchronized, all greatly minimizing
any chance of discrepancy or manipu-
lation.
Every piece of information a user
adds is mathematically encrypted.
Moreover, every time a user changes
a unit of data (a block) it automatically
re-encrypts all of the previous trans-
actions (the chain). As a result, the
blockchain data gets more secure every
time a user makes a change to the led-
ger. This significantly reduces the risk
of privacy breaches and unauthorized
data manipulation.
blockchain
FIGURE 1
This is how data is
processed and stored today.
This is how data is processed
and stored using blockchain.
Backup
Database
Node
Node
Node
Node
Node
Node
Node
may 2019 benefits magazine 23
Data cannot be manipulated without network consensus2
from most contributors to the blockchain. This ensures the
blockchain is transparent, consistent and almost completely
immutable3 without going through a centralized authority,
like a bank. See Figure 2.
What Are the Advantages of Blockchain?
In addition to giving users access to up-to-date informa-
tion, blockchain creates trust by providing a verifiable, de-
centralized record of transactions. The four key benefits are:
1. Transparency. Any user can examine the entire trans-
action history of the blockchain.
2. Integrity. Users are required to rely on the network’s
shared protocol.
3. Efficiency. Eliminating third parties minimizes settle-
ment times and reduces payment and processing fees.
4. Security. Verified transactions can’t be modified.
Blockchain is particularly valuable in low-trust envi-
ronments where participants can’t transact business di-
rectly or lack a trusted intermediary. For example, the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) used it in
Serbia alongside several nongovernmental organizations.
People were allowed to receive remittances from their
families through a UNDP portal. The funds were sent di-
rectly to individuals’ digital identity cards, which could be
used to buy groceries and electricity and pay bills. Block-
chain was used to keep record of how the funds were al-
located, and it enabled everyone to trade where money
was spent.
Can Anyone Join a Blockchain?
That all depends on whether the blockchain is public or
private.
A public blockchain (like the cryptocurrency Bitcoin) is
open to all participants, and network expansion is encour-
aged. Anyone can run a node on the network. The complete
transaction history is visible to all. Consensus is achieved
through decentralized methods, such as proof of work, which
requires some type of work from the participants or proof
of stake, in which the creator of a new block is chosen in a
predetermined method, based on the existing wealth of the
participant.
On the other hand, a private blockchain is open only to
allowed participants. These are typically business partners
learn more
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blockchain
FIGURE 2
A Digital Ledger
It maintains a record
of all the transactions
on a peer-to-peer
network.
Immutable
All the data on
a blockchain is
encrypted, and every
change is recorded
so it can’t be changed.
Decentralized
There’s no
need for a
principal authority.
Versatile
Much more than
the platform for
cryptocurrencies,
blockchain can
be used to share
contracts, records
and other data.
Safe
Information is
encrypted so it can
be shared among
numerous members
in complete privacy.
benefits magazine may 201924
whose integrity is assumed. In a private blockchain, nodes can
have different levels of privileges and permissions. Consensus
can be achieved through a wider variety of methods (not nec-
essarily decentralized or computer-intensive methods).
Who Uses Blockchain?
Today, blockchain is being used most widely and aggres-
sively by many cryptocurrencies. However, it is being studied
for use in:
• Supply-chain management—to validate the sources
and quality of goods as they move from suppliers to
end users
• Financial services—to reduce the cost of real-time
transfers between bank accounts while mitigating
transactional risks
• Property rights—to register ownership by verifying
identity and preventing fraud and error
• Retail—to protect consumers who will not need to
provide personal information to make purchases.
Common examples of potential applications include:
• Smart contracts.4 Blockchain could expedite bicycle-
sharing systems 5 and automatically unlock the door to
rented lodgings.
• Cloud storage. Users could earn tokens (cryptocur-
rency) for storing other people’s data on their unused
hard drive space.
• Payroll. Cryptocurrencies make it easy to pay interna-
tional workers.
• Voting. Blockchain elections would be virtually un-
hackable.
• Business process management. Processes such as
claims adjustments could stretch across multiple orga-
nizations more fluidly and easily than today.
That said, aside from the cryptocurrencies, no major block-
chain initiatives have advanced beyond the research or beta
(limited testing) phase. There is no widespread market adop-
tion. Although there have been a slew of business press articles
purporting to describe how companies “use” blockchain, they
all describe planned initiatives, prototypes or limited imple-
mentations, not robust functioning environments.
Some of the possibilities for the use of blockchain in
health care, highlighted in a 2018 CB Insights6 report,
include:
• Managed-provider information management
• Drug supply-chain application
• Claims-management payments and prior authorization
• Patient health records and other patient-specific
applications.
While some of these initiatives may be available in the
near term, most are targeted as future endeavors.
Then Why All the Hype?
Blame it on the cryptocurrencies, which use blockchain,
especially bitcoin. In fact, blockchain and bitcoin are often
confused (See the sidebar “What’s the Difference Between
Blockchain and Bitcoin?”).
As of this writing, there were approximately 2,520 crypto-
currencies with market capitalization of $114.4 billion,7 but
the number and value of these cryptocurrences can fluctuate
drastically. The mostly positive coverage cryptocurrencies
have received has facilitated their rapid growth. This has led
to vast investments for blockchain startups, rising consumer
awareness and government support.
According to Bain & Company research, 80% of financial
executives think this new technology will be transformative.8
Moreover, 41% of respondents to a Deloitte global survey say
they expect their organizations will bring blockchain into
production within the next year, although 39% think the
technology is overhyped.9
Are There Any Drawbacks to Using Blockchain?
That depends on how you use it. When it comes to da-
tabases, blockchain’s advantages come with significant
takeaways
• Blockchain is a new form of ledger that shares mathematically
encrypted data across all members of a network. Data in the
ledger cannot be manipulated without network consensus from
most contributors to the blockchain.
• Key advantages of blockchain are transparency, integrity,
efficiency and security.
• Blockchain is used most widely by cryptocurrencies but is
being
studied for business uses including supply-chain management,
financial services, property rights and retail.
• Traditional databases may perform better than blockchain in
some
instances because they have faster processing times.
• Because the market for blockchain is not mature outside of
cryptocurrency, the technology will not make its way into
benefits
for some time.
blockchain
may 2019 benefits magazine 25
trade-offs. In some instances, traditional databases may
perform better than blockchain. This is because traditional
databases are usually centralized, which makes processing
time exponentially faster. This is an extremely important
consideration, especially if a transaction has to be com-
pleted quickly. For example, blockchain is not well-suited
for booking reservations or purchasing goods and servic-
es that are needed right away since the amount of time it
would take for consensus to be realized may be unaccept-
able.
In addition, like any database model, blockchain is not
100% immutable. System security depends on the adjacent
applications, which can be attacked and breached.
So What’s the Bottom Line About Blockchain?
While blockchain has real promise, much of its value has
yet to be realized. Pure potential is great for discussion but
poor for production.
To unlock the value of blockchain, you will need to un-
derstand how and if it aligns with your organization. For
example, blockchain works to solve trust problems by pro-
viding a verifiable, decentralized record of transactions and
allowing network members to post transactions directly to
other peers without having to go through an intermediary.
If you don’t require that kind of functionality, you may not
need blockchain.
When organizations determine they can benefit from
blockchain, it is important to beware of blockchain vapor-
ware (products that are marketed and either not delivered
or fail to even minimally meet expectations). As always,
buy only from vendors that present real solutions to real
problems rather than offering the latest “blockchain secret
sauce.”
For now, however, it is enough to know the technology.
Don’t feel pressured to adopt it yet. The market is not mature
outside of cryptocurrency, and it will take a while for viable
blockchain solutions to make their way into employee ben-
efits design and administration.
Endnotes
1. Blockchain technology will be referred to as blockchain
throughout
the article.
2. Consensus is a mechanism in which participants on the
blockchain
reach agreement on the validity of the ledger. It is a critical
feature of a
blockchain.
3. Immutable means not capable or susceptible to change.
4. Smart contracts are self-executed protocols that are activated
when
predetermined conditions are met. They add significant value to
blockchain
by allowing transactions to take place automatically without
human inter-
ference.
5. A bicycle-sharing system is a service in which bicycles are
made avail-
able for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis. They
are in use in
many major metropolitan areas.
6. “How Blockchain Technology Could Disrupt Healthcare,”
CB insights,
Research Report, accessed March 4, 2019. Available at
www.cbinsights.com
/research/report/blockchain-technology-healthcare-disruption/.
7. Investing.com, accessed Februar y 1, 2019,
www.investing.com
/crypto/currencies.
8. Thomas Olsen, Frank Ford, John Ott and Jennifer Zeng,
“Blockchain
in Financial Markets: How to Gain an Edge,” Bain & Company
Brief, Febru-
ary 9, 2017.
9. Linda Pawczuk, Rob Massey, David Schatsky, Breaking
blockchain
open—Deloitte’s 2018 global blockchain survey, January 2018.
Michael Stoyanovich is a vice
president and senior consultant with
the administrative and technology
consulting practice at Segal Consult-
ing. He has more than 20 years of
experience in the technology and benefits indus-
try, including extensive expertise in technology
and working with multiemployer plans. He can be
reached at [email protected]
Frank E. Tanz is a vice president and
senior consultant with Segal
Consulting. He has more than 20
years of experience in the Taft-
Hartley multiemployer industry
and is an expert in multiple disciplines, including
software engineering, database administration,
networking and system administration. He can
be reached at [email protected]
b
io
s
What’s the Difference Between Blockchain
and Bitcoin?
Blockchain is best known as the driving force behind the
dominant
cryptocurrency Bitcoin. But it’s not the same thing.
The confusion began in 2008 when a single white paper
introduced
both Bitcoin and blockchain. The first Bitcoin transaction took
place
the next year.
The proliferation of Bitcoin and the resulting media attention
led to
the incorrect assumption that Bitcoin and blockchain are
synony-
mous. Although blockchain powers Bitcoin, cryptocurrency is
but
one application of the technology. It has many other
applications.
blockchain
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Foundation of Employee
Benefits and its content may not be copied or emailed to
multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written permission.
However, users may print,
download, or email articles for individual use.
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO BLOCKCHAIN
“BLOCKCHAIN” HAS MANY MEANINGS
“To understand the power of blockchain systems, and the things
they can do, it is
important to distinguish between three things that are commonly
muddled up, namely
the bitcoin currency, the specific blockchain that underpins it
and the idea of
blockchains in general.”
The Trust Machine, THE ECONOMIST, Oct. 31, 2015
“BLOCKCHAIN” HAS MANY MEANINGS
Phone
• The idea of a
phone network
• A specific phone
network (e.g.,
AT&T)
• A specific use of
the phone network
(e.g., fax)
Blockchain
• The idea of
blockchain
• The specific
blockchain that
underlies Bitcoin
or another coin
offering
• Bitcoin or another
cryptocurrency
WHAT IS BLOCKCHAIN?
A technology that:
permits transactions to be
gathered into blocks and recorded;
allows the resulting ledger to be
accessed by different servers.
cryptographically chains blocks
in chronological order; and
WHAT IS A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER?
Centralized Ledger
Bank
Client A
Client
C
Client D
Client
B
Distributed Ledger
Node A
Node B
Node CNode D
Node E
• There are multiple ledgers, but Bank holds the “golden record”
• Client B must reconcile its own ledger against that of Bank,
and
must convince Bank of the “true state” of the Bank ledger if
discrepancies arise
• There is one ledger. All Nodes have some level of access to
that
ledger.
• All Nodes agree to a protocol that determines the “true state”
of
the ledger at any point in time. The application of this protocol
is
sometimes called “achieving consensus.”
WHAT IS A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER?
Single Entity Multiple Entities
HOW MIGHT A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER WORK?
Users initiate
transactions
using their Digital
Signatures
Users Broadcast
their
transactions to
Nodes
One or more
Nodes begin
validating each
transaction
Nodes aggregate
validated
transactions into
Blocks
Nodes Broadcast
Blocks to each
other
Consensus
protocol used
Block reflecting
“true state” is
chained to prior
Block
WHERE MIGHT BLOCKCHAIN USE CRYPTOGRAPHY?
• Digital Signatures
• Private/Public Keys
Initiation and Broadcasting
of Transaction
• Proof of Work and certain alternativesValidation of
Transaction
• Hash FunctionChaining Blocks
THE POWER OF DISTRIBUTED LEDGERS
BLOCKCHAIN
It can be used to allow
owners of assets to
exercise certain rights
associated with
ownership, and to
record the exercise of
those rights.
•Proxy Voting
It can be used to
record those
transfers of value or
ownership of assets
•These records may be
very difficult to alter,
such that they are
sometimes called
effectively immutable
It can be used to
transfer value or the
ownership of assets
•A human being or a
Smart Contract can
initiate the transfer
It can be used to
create value or issue
assets
It can be used without a central
authority by individuals or
entities with no basis to trust
each other
The degree of trust between users determines the technological
configuration of a distributed ledger.
HOW MIGHT DISTRIBUTED LEDGER PROPOSALS DIFFER?
Participation Open Closed
Permission Permissionless Permissioned
Ledger Design One ledger One ledger or Segregated ledgers
Validation Methodology depends on degree of trust between
nodes. Where there is no basis
for trust, may be achieved through proof of work, which
requires the algorithmic
solving of a cryptographic hash.
Consensus Mechanism Mechanism depends on degree of trust
between nodes. Where there is no
centralized authority, consensus may be determined
algorithmically.
References
• Stoyanovich, M., & Tanz, F. E. (2019). Coming to Grips with
Blockchain. Benefits Magazine,
56(5), 20-25. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=135900272&site=eds
-live
• Waldo, J. (2019). A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain
Universe. Communications of the
ACM, 62(3), 38–42. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1145/3303868
• Burns, S. (2019). Blockchain: Hype Vs Reality. Computer
Weekly, 21-24. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=138564674&site=eds
-live
• Tarzey, B. (2019). Inside Blockchain and Its Various
Applications. Computer Weekly, 16-20.
Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=138681123&site=eds
-live
• Carson, B., Romanelli, G., Walsh, P., & Zhumaev, A. (2018).
Blockchain beyond the hype:
What is the strategic business value? McKinsey Quarterly, (4),
118–127. Retrieved from http://
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=buh&AN=133693412&site=ed
s-live
A Brief Introduction to Blockchain“blockchain” Has many
meanings“Blockchain” has many meaningsWhat is
Blockchain?What is a Distributed Ledger?What is a distributed
ledger?How might a distributed ledger Work?Where might
Blockchain use cryptography?The power of Distributed
ledgersHow might distributed ledger proposals
differ?Questions?
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Two Cryptocurrencies Discussed

  • 1. Discussion The vast majority of the population associates Blockchain with cryptocurrency Bitcoin; however, there are many other uses of blockchain; such as Litecoin, Ether, and other currencies. In this discussion, please describe at least two cryptocurrencies with applicable examples. Discuss some similarities and differences. Lastly, discuss if you have any experience using any cryptocurrencies. Please make your initial post and two response posts substantive. A substantive post will do at least TWO of the following: · Ask an interesting, thoughtful question pertaining to the topic · Answer a question (in detail) posted by another student or the instructor · Provide extensive additional information on the topic · Explain, define, or analyze the topic in detail · Share an applicable personal experience · Provide an outside source that applies to the topic, along with additional information about the topic or the source (please cite properly in APA) · Make an argument concerning the topic. At least one scholarly source should be used in the initial discussion thread. Be sure to use information from your readings and other sources. Use proper citations and references in your post. 300 words and 2 references. Attached all the required documents. computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 21
  • 2. Industry experts believe blockchain is a technology that has the potential to affect the business of most IT profession-als in the next five years. Analyst Gartner has forecast that by 2023, blockchain will support the global movement and tracking of $2tn of goods and services. It is regarded by many industry watchers as a disrupting force in the financial world. A PwC global financial technology (fintech) survey found that 56% of respondents recognise the importance of blockchain. At the same time, however, 57% admit to being unsure about or unlikely to respond to this trend. Start witH tHe HaSH Blockchain is effectively a shared ledger between a group of people – for example, a group of companies that work together to produce a service or product. What makes blockchain differ- ent is the fact that the history of the changes – past transactions, for example – are immutable. Essentially, the historical entries become read-only and unchangeable. This is due to the fact that each blockchain entry relies on the hash – a computed value including part of a previous block as part of its hashing calculation for the current block. This means that if a previous block is somehow modi- fied or corrupted, its hash value will change and therefore the values after that point become broken, making the tampering evident for all to see. One example where blockchain technology can be used is where several companies come together to provide or consume Blockchain: hype vs reality Regarded by many as a disruptive force in finance
  • 3. and beyond, blockchain technology presents a number of complex challenges that must be overcome before it can truly deliver on its promises. Stuart Burns reports BUYER’S GUIDE TO BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY | PART 1 OF 3 Home IU RI IM O TO V/ A D O BE http://www.computerweekly.com https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Blockchain https://www.computerweekly.com/ehandbook/Cutting-through- the-blockchain-hype https://www.computerweekly.com/ehandbook/Cutting-through- the-blockchain-hype https://www.techtarget.com/contributor/Stuart-Burns
  • 4. computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 22 Home News HMRC under fire over ‘scaremongering’ IR35 letters targeting GSK contractors Ransomware has evolved into a serious enterprise threat How Defra has been preparing its IT systems for any Brexit eventuality Editor’s comment Buyer’s guide to blockchain Chasing down hackers through security analytics How councils are using technology to support adult social care Downtime services, usually under long-term contracts. It can be complex
  • 5. and cumbersome to manage contracts involving several individu- als, when multiple documents are involved and everyone needs to agree on the same contract versions and details. Over time, changes will occur that also need to be managed and agreed on. Managing contracts in blockchain, however, means that rather than physical bits of paper being passed around, it becomes possi- ble to mathematically guarantee the contract documents are as intended and the appropriate (digital) sign- off is a part of the chain. That chain can be verified by any of the parties as required. This is a key part of the whole blockchain concept. an early trial In 2016, Barclays and Wave com- pleted what they described as a “world first” by using blockchain technology to handle the docu- mentation to approve a fund trans- action, which was made through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift). The letter of credit transaction between Ornua (formerly the Irish Dairy Board) and Seychelles Trading Company used distributed ledger technology via the Wave platform to enable all parties involved to see the documents they needed and transmit them where required on a decentralised network. This removed some of the inefficiencies of traditional international trade and brought completion timescales down from weeks to a few hours. It is not hard to see how the use of blockchain could be extended to include many different types of information, eventually encom- passing the general public.
  • 6. For instance, an article by McKinsey estimates that using block- chain to sign up new retail banking customers has the potential to create up to $1bn of savings in oper- ating costs globally and reduce reg- ulatory fines by between $2bn and $3bn. “In addition, we expect block- chain solutions to reduce annual losses from fraud by $7bn to $9bn,” McKinsey stated. management cHallengeS However, setting up and managing blockchain is a complex process that requires skilled design. As Gartner notes, a distributed ledger requires the recording and replicat- ing of data in a secure manner. This is a complex mechanism with significant computational load (called mining). As such, blockchain has rather large scalability issues. Verification of blocks can take several minutes, which makes blockchain inap- propriate for real-time transactions. Each blockchain consumer may need to verify an entire trans- action history, which is very inefficient and requires a high A distributed ledger requires the recording And replicAting of dAtA in A secure mAnner. this is A complex mechAnism with significAnt computAtionAl loAd.
  • 7. As such, blockchAin hAs rAther lArge scAlAbility issues BUYER’S GUIDE http://www.computerweekly.com https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450303841/Barclays- uses-blockchain-for-trade-finance-transactions https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450422267/Lloyds- Bank-joins-Swift-blockchain-proof-of-concept-project https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252451581/UK- government-cryptoassets-taskforce-commits-to-distributed- ledger-technologies https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252451581/UK- government-cryptoassets-taskforce-commits-to-distributed- ledger-technologies https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our- insights/blockchain-and-retail-banking-making-the-connection https://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Dont-let- blockchain-complexity-bog-down-business-applications https://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Dont-let- blockchain-complexity-bog-down-business-applications https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner- Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner- Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 23 Home News HMRC under fire
  • 8. over ‘scaremongering’ IR35 letters targeting GSK contractors Ransomware has evolved into a serious enterprise threat How Defra has been preparing its IT systems for any Brexit eventuality Editor’s comment Buyer’s guide to blockchain Chasing down hackers through security analytics How councils are using technology to support adult social care Downtime computational workload. New platforms are being developed that explore alternative approaches to verifying the integrity of blockchain transactions. These include massively diverse public ledgers for verifying historic transactions. Other ideas include having a random pool of machines that vali- date the blockchain and publicly announce the results of the vali-
  • 9. dation, saving everyone repeating the same compute-intensive functions. The very nature of these random machines and frequency with which they are rotated means that discovering and trying to attack verification hosts should be extremely difficult. All current blockchain systems have some limitations in terms of scaling. So, such techniques may not scale to the level needed for blockchain to be a viable replacement to existing payment processing networks. However, there is now growing interest in new distributed processor workload platforms, such as Golam, and the use of hardware-based acceleration, application-specific BUYER’S GUIDE IU RI IM O TO V/ A D O BE All current blockchAin systems hAve some limitAtions in terms of scAling
  • 10. http://www.computerweekly.com https://golem.network/ computerweekly.com 10-16 September 2019 24 Home News HMRC under fire over ‘scaremongering’ IR35 letters targeting GSK contractors Ransomware has evolved into a serious enterprise threat How Defra has been preparing its IT systems for any Brexit eventuality Editor’s comment Buyer’s guide to blockchain Chasing down hackers through security analytics How councils are using technology to support adult social care
  • 11. Downtime integrated circuits (Asics) and graphics processing units (GPUs), all of which aim to accelerate processing for blockchain. Beyond BuSineSS contractS There are many uses for blockchain technology in finance and beyond, but currently most of these technologies, with the exception of cryptocurrencies, are aimed squarely at the busi- ness to business market (B2B). For blockchain to move beyond small-scale trials and experimenta- tion, the whole software and hard- ware infrastructure stack needs to scale to support larger and larger volumes of transactions. In 2018, a KPMG paper looking at uses for blockchain described the challenges of integrating blockchain into existing, legacy processes. The paper warned that organisations need to be aware that their legacy systems may not be designed to interact with block- chain systems or capitalise on the advantages they offer. “Comprehensive examination of interoperability and integra- tion is essential,” the KPMG paper stated. “Given the immuta- bility of transactions, it is essential that the proper mechanisms are in place to prevent incorrect data from being written onto the blockchain.”
  • 12. Another area of concern is the privacy of financial transactions. According to PwC, the business benefits for many players, or even the industry, will not materialise if the “trust issue” is not addressed effectively. For PwC, the hurdles that lie ahead include understanding whether or not the public ledger can be hacked. From a privacy perspective, if several different organisations are involved in a transaction that uses blockchain, not all group members should have access to the data held within the blockchain. However, they still need to verify the blockchain’s integrity. Such secrecy flies in the face of the classic block- chain ethos. Any transactions that go through Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies are recorded as part of the block- chain process. Information such as wallet transactions, IP address and other details are collected. Being able to trace all wallet transactions could allow any interested parties to infer not only spending patterns, but also socio-economic status and similar. It may not give away exactly what is being purchased, but this information can help build an overall picture of someone’s online spending habits. Today, it is very much an exploration of what is possible. As with any technology, over time blockchain will become more refined and
  • 13. mature, and no doubt privacy capable and expandable as needed. n BUYER’S GUIDE the business benefits of blockchAin will not mAteriAlise if the trust issue is not Addressed effectively. hurdles include understAnding whether or not the public ledger cAn be hAcked http://www.computerweekly.com https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/Computer- Weekly/Blockchain-expands-reach-beyond-finance https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/Computer- Weekly/Blockchain-expands-reach-beyond-finance https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner- Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252464948/Gartner- Blockchain-lacks-functionality-needed-by-enterprise https://home.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/co/pdf/2018/09/kpmg- realizing-blockchains-potential.pdf https://home.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/co/pdf/2018/09/kpmg- realizing-blockchains-potential.pdf https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/252443993/McAfee- details-rise-in-blockchain-threats-cryptocurrency-attacks Copyright of Computer Weekly is the property of TechTarget, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
  • 14. without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. benefits magazine may 201920 C OM ING T O GR IP S W I T H BLOCKCHAIN by | Michael Stoyanovich and Frank E. Tanz may 2019 benefits magazine 21 Blockchain is more than just a buzzword, and benefits organizations should begin familiarizing themselves with the concept. The authors explain the basics of this much-hyped technology and describe its potential applications. benefits magazine may 201922 N o doubt you’ve heard or read about blockchain technol- ogy.1 There’s certainly been a lot of hype. But you’re prob- ably more than a little fuzzy on what
  • 15. blockchain is and what, if anything, it can do for your organization now. You have a lot of questions, which we will try to answer. While it’s still too early for you to worry about adopting blockchain in your benefits-centric organization, it’s not too soon to start learning what it is, to educate yourself and to be prepared. Remember where cloud computing stood six or seven years ago? Everyone was talking about it, but relatively few organizations used it, let alone under- stood it. That’s where blockchain is to- day. Like the cloud, blockchain is more than just a buzzword. It may have great potential to transform your organiza- tion. Just not yet. What Is Blockchain? Simply put, blockchain is a new form of ledger. Remember that led- gers are a collection of accounts, a list of events and transactions. They used to be books. Today they’re databases. In the future, in many cases, they’ll be blockchain. A defining characteristic of block- chain is that instead of storing and pro- cessing data in a centralized database (with a backup, of course), as we do to- day, it uses distributed ledger technology.
  • 16. This means that data is shared member to member (more properly described as peer to peer), across all the members of a network (also known as nodes). See Figure 1. Any approved user can add or change data in the blockchain and instantly view transactions made by other users. The data is replicated and synchronized, all greatly minimizing any chance of discrepancy or manipu- lation. Every piece of information a user adds is mathematically encrypted. Moreover, every time a user changes a unit of data (a block) it automatically re-encrypts all of the previous trans- actions (the chain). As a result, the blockchain data gets more secure every time a user makes a change to the led- ger. This significantly reduces the risk of privacy breaches and unauthorized data manipulation. blockchain FIGURE 1 This is how data is processed and stored today. This is how data is processed and stored using blockchain.
  • 17. Backup Database Node Node Node Node Node Node Node may 2019 benefits magazine 23 Data cannot be manipulated without network consensus2 from most contributors to the blockchain. This ensures the blockchain is transparent, consistent and almost completely immutable3 without going through a centralized authority, like a bank. See Figure 2. What Are the Advantages of Blockchain? In addition to giving users access to up-to-date informa- tion, blockchain creates trust by providing a verifiable, de- centralized record of transactions. The four key benefits are: 1. Transparency. Any user can examine the entire trans-
  • 18. action history of the blockchain. 2. Integrity. Users are required to rely on the network’s shared protocol. 3. Efficiency. Eliminating third parties minimizes settle- ment times and reduces payment and processing fees. 4. Security. Verified transactions can’t be modified. Blockchain is particularly valuable in low-trust envi- ronments where participants can’t transact business di- rectly or lack a trusted intermediary. For example, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) used it in Serbia alongside several nongovernmental organizations. People were allowed to receive remittances from their families through a UNDP portal. The funds were sent di- rectly to individuals’ digital identity cards, which could be used to buy groceries and electricity and pay bills. Block- chain was used to keep record of how the funds were al- located, and it enabled everyone to trade where money was spent. Can Anyone Join a Blockchain? That all depends on whether the blockchain is public or private. A public blockchain (like the cryptocurrency Bitcoin) is open to all participants, and network expansion is encour- aged. Anyone can run a node on the network. The complete transaction history is visible to all. Consensus is achieved through decentralized methods, such as proof of work, which requires some type of work from the participants or proof of stake, in which the creator of a new block is chosen in a
  • 19. predetermined method, based on the existing wealth of the participant. On the other hand, a private blockchain is open only to allowed participants. These are typically business partners learn more Education 65th Annual Employee Benefits Conference October 20-23, San Diego, California Visit www.ifebp.org/usannual for more information. blockchain FIGURE 2 A Digital Ledger It maintains a record of all the transactions on a peer-to-peer network. Immutable All the data on a blockchain is encrypted, and every change is recorded so it can’t be changed. Decentralized There’s no need for a
  • 20. principal authority. Versatile Much more than the platform for cryptocurrencies, blockchain can be used to share contracts, records and other data. Safe Information is encrypted so it can be shared among numerous members in complete privacy. benefits magazine may 201924 whose integrity is assumed. In a private blockchain, nodes can have different levels of privileges and permissions. Consensus can be achieved through a wider variety of methods (not nec- essarily decentralized or computer-intensive methods). Who Uses Blockchain? Today, blockchain is being used most widely and aggres-
  • 21. sively by many cryptocurrencies. However, it is being studied for use in: • Supply-chain management—to validate the sources and quality of goods as they move from suppliers to end users • Financial services—to reduce the cost of real-time transfers between bank accounts while mitigating transactional risks • Property rights—to register ownership by verifying identity and preventing fraud and error • Retail—to protect consumers who will not need to provide personal information to make purchases. Common examples of potential applications include: • Smart contracts.4 Blockchain could expedite bicycle- sharing systems 5 and automatically unlock the door to rented lodgings. • Cloud storage. Users could earn tokens (cryptocur- rency) for storing other people’s data on their unused hard drive space. • Payroll. Cryptocurrencies make it easy to pay interna- tional workers. • Voting. Blockchain elections would be virtually un- hackable. • Business process management. Processes such as claims adjustments could stretch across multiple orga- nizations more fluidly and easily than today.
  • 22. That said, aside from the cryptocurrencies, no major block- chain initiatives have advanced beyond the research or beta (limited testing) phase. There is no widespread market adop- tion. Although there have been a slew of business press articles purporting to describe how companies “use” blockchain, they all describe planned initiatives, prototypes or limited imple- mentations, not robust functioning environments. Some of the possibilities for the use of blockchain in health care, highlighted in a 2018 CB Insights6 report, include: • Managed-provider information management • Drug supply-chain application • Claims-management payments and prior authorization • Patient health records and other patient-specific applications. While some of these initiatives may be available in the near term, most are targeted as future endeavors. Then Why All the Hype? Blame it on the cryptocurrencies, which use blockchain, especially bitcoin. In fact, blockchain and bitcoin are often confused (See the sidebar “What’s the Difference Between Blockchain and Bitcoin?”). As of this writing, there were approximately 2,520 crypto- currencies with market capitalization of $114.4 billion,7 but the number and value of these cryptocurrences can fluctuate drastically. The mostly positive coverage cryptocurrencies have received has facilitated their rapid growth. This has led to vast investments for blockchain startups, rising consumer
  • 23. awareness and government support. According to Bain & Company research, 80% of financial executives think this new technology will be transformative.8 Moreover, 41% of respondents to a Deloitte global survey say they expect their organizations will bring blockchain into production within the next year, although 39% think the technology is overhyped.9 Are There Any Drawbacks to Using Blockchain? That depends on how you use it. When it comes to da- tabases, blockchain’s advantages come with significant takeaways • Blockchain is a new form of ledger that shares mathematically encrypted data across all members of a network. Data in the ledger cannot be manipulated without network consensus from most contributors to the blockchain. • Key advantages of blockchain are transparency, integrity, efficiency and security. • Blockchain is used most widely by cryptocurrencies but is being studied for business uses including supply-chain management, financial services, property rights and retail. • Traditional databases may perform better than blockchain in some instances because they have faster processing times. • Because the market for blockchain is not mature outside of cryptocurrency, the technology will not make its way into benefits
  • 24. for some time. blockchain may 2019 benefits magazine 25 trade-offs. In some instances, traditional databases may perform better than blockchain. This is because traditional databases are usually centralized, which makes processing time exponentially faster. This is an extremely important consideration, especially if a transaction has to be com- pleted quickly. For example, blockchain is not well-suited for booking reservations or purchasing goods and servic- es that are needed right away since the amount of time it would take for consensus to be realized may be unaccept- able. In addition, like any database model, blockchain is not 100% immutable. System security depends on the adjacent applications, which can be attacked and breached. So What’s the Bottom Line About Blockchain? While blockchain has real promise, much of its value has yet to be realized. Pure potential is great for discussion but poor for production. To unlock the value of blockchain, you will need to un- derstand how and if it aligns with your organization. For example, blockchain works to solve trust problems by pro- viding a verifiable, decentralized record of transactions and allowing network members to post transactions directly to other peers without having to go through an intermediary. If you don’t require that kind of functionality, you may not
  • 25. need blockchain. When organizations determine they can benefit from blockchain, it is important to beware of blockchain vapor- ware (products that are marketed and either not delivered or fail to even minimally meet expectations). As always, buy only from vendors that present real solutions to real problems rather than offering the latest “blockchain secret sauce.” For now, however, it is enough to know the technology. Don’t feel pressured to adopt it yet. The market is not mature outside of cryptocurrency, and it will take a while for viable blockchain solutions to make their way into employee ben- efits design and administration. Endnotes 1. Blockchain technology will be referred to as blockchain throughout the article. 2. Consensus is a mechanism in which participants on the blockchain reach agreement on the validity of the ledger. It is a critical feature of a blockchain. 3. Immutable means not capable or susceptible to change. 4. Smart contracts are self-executed protocols that are activated when predetermined conditions are met. They add significant value to blockchain by allowing transactions to take place automatically without human inter- ference. 5. A bicycle-sharing system is a service in which bicycles are made avail-
  • 26. able for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis. They are in use in many major metropolitan areas. 6. “How Blockchain Technology Could Disrupt Healthcare,” CB insights, Research Report, accessed March 4, 2019. Available at www.cbinsights.com /research/report/blockchain-technology-healthcare-disruption/. 7. Investing.com, accessed Februar y 1, 2019, www.investing.com /crypto/currencies. 8. Thomas Olsen, Frank Ford, John Ott and Jennifer Zeng, “Blockchain in Financial Markets: How to Gain an Edge,” Bain & Company Brief, Febru- ary 9, 2017. 9. Linda Pawczuk, Rob Massey, David Schatsky, Breaking blockchain open—Deloitte’s 2018 global blockchain survey, January 2018. Michael Stoyanovich is a vice president and senior consultant with the administrative and technology consulting practice at Segal Consult- ing. He has more than 20 years of experience in the technology and benefits indus- try, including extensive expertise in technology and working with multiemployer plans. He can be reached at [email protected] Frank E. Tanz is a vice president and senior consultant with Segal Consulting. He has more than 20 years of experience in the Taft- Hartley multiemployer industry
  • 27. and is an expert in multiple disciplines, including software engineering, database administration, networking and system administration. He can be reached at [email protected] b io s What’s the Difference Between Blockchain and Bitcoin? Blockchain is best known as the driving force behind the dominant cryptocurrency Bitcoin. But it’s not the same thing. The confusion began in 2008 when a single white paper introduced both Bitcoin and blockchain. The first Bitcoin transaction took place the next year. The proliferation of Bitcoin and the resulting media attention led to the incorrect assumption that Bitcoin and blockchain are synony- mous. Although blockchain powers Bitcoin, cryptocurrency is but one application of the technology. It has many other applications. blockchain Copyright of Benefits Magazine is the property of International
  • 28. Foundation of Employee Benefits and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO BLOCKCHAIN “BLOCKCHAIN” HAS MANY MEANINGS “To understand the power of blockchain systems, and the things they can do, it is important to distinguish between three things that are commonly muddled up, namely the bitcoin currency, the specific blockchain that underpins it and the idea of blockchains in general.” The Trust Machine, THE ECONOMIST, Oct. 31, 2015 “BLOCKCHAIN” HAS MANY MEANINGS Phone • The idea of a phone network • A specific phone
  • 29. network (e.g., AT&T) • A specific use of the phone network (e.g., fax) Blockchain • The idea of blockchain • The specific blockchain that underlies Bitcoin or another coin offering • Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency WHAT IS BLOCKCHAIN? A technology that: permits transactions to be gathered into blocks and recorded; allows the resulting ledger to be accessed by different servers. cryptographically chains blocks in chronological order; and
  • 30. WHAT IS A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER? Centralized Ledger Bank Client A Client C Client D Client B Distributed Ledger Node A Node B Node CNode D Node E • There are multiple ledgers, but Bank holds the “golden record” • Client B must reconcile its own ledger against that of Bank, and must convince Bank of the “true state” of the Bank ledger if discrepancies arise • There is one ledger. All Nodes have some level of access to
  • 31. that ledger. • All Nodes agree to a protocol that determines the “true state” of the ledger at any point in time. The application of this protocol is sometimes called “achieving consensus.” WHAT IS A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER? Single Entity Multiple Entities HOW MIGHT A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER WORK? Users initiate transactions using their Digital Signatures Users Broadcast their transactions to Nodes One or more Nodes begin validating each transaction
  • 32. Nodes aggregate validated transactions into Blocks Nodes Broadcast Blocks to each other Consensus protocol used Block reflecting “true state” is chained to prior Block WHERE MIGHT BLOCKCHAIN USE CRYPTOGRAPHY? • Digital Signatures • Private/Public Keys Initiation and Broadcasting of Transaction • Proof of Work and certain alternativesValidation of Transaction • Hash FunctionChaining Blocks
  • 33. THE POWER OF DISTRIBUTED LEDGERS BLOCKCHAIN It can be used to allow owners of assets to exercise certain rights associated with ownership, and to record the exercise of those rights. •Proxy Voting It can be used to record those transfers of value or ownership of assets •These records may be very difficult to alter, such that they are sometimes called effectively immutable It can be used to transfer value or the ownership of assets •A human being or a Smart Contract can initiate the transfer It can be used to create value or issue assets
  • 34. It can be used without a central authority by individuals or entities with no basis to trust each other The degree of trust between users determines the technological configuration of a distributed ledger. HOW MIGHT DISTRIBUTED LEDGER PROPOSALS DIFFER? Participation Open Closed Permission Permissionless Permissioned Ledger Design One ledger One ledger or Segregated ledgers Validation Methodology depends on degree of trust between nodes. Where there is no basis for trust, may be achieved through proof of work, which requires the algorithmic solving of a cryptographic hash. Consensus Mechanism Mechanism depends on degree of trust between nodes. Where there is no centralized authority, consensus may be determined algorithmically. References • Stoyanovich, M., & Tanz, F. E. (2019). Coming to Grips with
  • 35. Blockchain. Benefits Magazine, 56(5), 20-25. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=135900272&site=eds -live • Waldo, J. (2019). A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain Universe. Communications of the ACM, 62(3), 38–42. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1145/3303868 • Burns, S. (2019). Blockchain: Hype Vs Reality. Computer Weekly, 21-24. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=138564674&site=eds -live • Tarzey, B. (2019). Inside Blockchain and Its Various Applications. Computer Weekly, 16-20. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=138681123&site=eds -live • Carson, B., Romanelli, G., Walsh, P., & Zhumaev, A. (2018). Blockchain beyond the hype: What is the strategic business value? McKinsey Quarterly, (4), 118–127. Retrieved from http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=buh&AN=133693412&site=ed s-live A Brief Introduction to Blockchain“blockchain” Has many meanings“Blockchain” has many meaningsWhat is Blockchain?What is a Distributed Ledger?What is a distributed ledger?How might a distributed ledger Work?Where might Blockchain use cryptography?The power of Distributed ledgersHow might distributed ledger proposals differ?Questions?