An interview with Steve Olson, Enterprise Architect and Head of the Project Management Office for the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a service unit with the Library of Congress. Steve provides an in depth perspective of blockchain activities within the US government.  We have a wide ranging discussion covering the value of blockchain to Copyrights, Patent & Trademarks, and how blockchain would function in the government.  We cover a number of ideas on where value is added by government (digital identities) as well as pitfalls and concerns about blockchain implementation by government.

THIS PODCAST IN CONJUNCTION WITH Ep. 15 with Congressman Jared Polis gives a good feel for where blockchain and the government are working.

The key takeaways from this conversation are:

• Blockchain & smart contracts can revolutionize the fundamental mechanics of our democracy and the downstream legal system in its capacity to accurately track Laws (L), Regulations (E), and Rulings/Opinions (J) over time.
• Blockchain can provide transparency into government activities to help expose waste, fraud and abuse which *could* make the federal government more efficient.
• Blockchain will have a widespread impact across the entire federal government.
• Blockchain projects are already underway within the federal government.

URL: Congress.gov URL:  Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

In a short interview with Congressman Jared Polis, one of the founding members of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, we get the legislators perspective on the 'awareness of the legislative branch' about blockchain and its potential with the US government.  

The key takeaways from this conversation are:

• Blockchain is too new of a technology for use by the government
• Blockchain is NOT on any legislative agenda for discussion
• Blockchain has no proof-of-concepts working in the legislative branch of the US government
• Implementation of blockchain is 10+ years away.

Website: www.Polis.House.Gov   Twitter: @RepJaredPolis

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

We interview Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock.com   In this interview, we discusses how he positioned Overstock as the first billion dollar company to accept Bitcoin.  As well as a free ranging discussion on blockchain, investments, and the recently announcement that Overstock is now accepting up to 45 different crypto-currencies.  Here are 7 key take-aways from the conversation:

1. com is one of the 3 largest retailers who accept cryptocurrency payments.
2. Overstock has almost 2 million in cryptocurrency sales annually.
3. Overstock retains up to 50% of cryptocurrency as a 'reserved hedge' against market and systemic risk
4. Blockchain will help make government honest
5. Medici Ventures is Overstock's investment arm, having invested 60 million in 7 blockchain companies
6. Medici's investments have a strategy to disrupt the capital markets with their investments.
7. The ICO world is currently the "Wild West"

https://www.overstock.com/ http://www.mediciventures.com/ https://tzero.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsky_moment  

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

We interview Gerard Dache, Chairman of the Government Blockchain Association.   In this interview, we discusses the role of suppliers and their need to work with government on blockchain.  Her are 3 key insights from the conversation:

1. There is a high level of interest with both the government and contractor on Blockchain. The Government Blockchain Association (GBA) promotes blockchain related solutions to governments
2. Civil servants are pushing back at any blockchain adoption.
3. The GBA is promoting courses on Blockchain Development, Blockchain Consulting and Transformational Leadership in Blockchain.

URLs: www.GovernmentBlockchain.org

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

An interview with Omkar Naik, leads Microsoft's Data Platform and Blockchain strategy in the Midwest.   In this interview, we discusses the need for blockchain in the enterprise.  Her are 3 key insights from the conversation:

1. Enterprises are looking at blockchain as a technology but they are getting lost with the noise around them around cryptocurrencies that's making people in the business more confused
2. Enterprises fear their existing IT investments and how they fit blockchain within that scenario
3. Companies want to do so much more with their data, so they are used to architecting solutions that are able to do that, such as taking data off chain, transactions off chain, add ML, Analytics, and visualization for various business needs, so teaching them about the canvas size they can paint on with their enterprise needs is critical for the blockchain adoption.

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

An interview with Marta Piekarska, Director of Ecosystem at Hyperledger, part of the Linux Foundation.  In this interview, she discusses the current state of Hyperledger and her perspective that 2018 will be the year of deployment.  Her are her 5 key insights

1. Hyperledger is an umbrella organization that is not "pay to play". We encourage people to work with us in an opensource community, members get access to the additional services, but everyone's welcome to submit patches, download code and contribute.
2. Hyperledger has 8 running projects and more to come. We have working groups that try to narrow down the scope of upcoming projects. Our main advantage is that we have diversity of members. From that diversity comes variety of backgrounds, knowledge, experience which leads to open, interesting and much wider collaboration than in case of closed source projects
3. We are not competitive towards any of the other platforms
4. The industry needs more collaboration less of pissing contests. Only that way we can advance the technology. Blockchain is based on pure cryptography, mathematics and opensource algorithms. It is about how we creatively use them. As with any security applications, there is no point in obscurity, everything lays in collaboration.
5. Blockchain is a tool, not a solution. Don't rush to just deploy your solutions and sprinkle blockchain dust. Come up with good ideas of why you need Blockchain there.

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

Len Steinmetz, Grant Thornton's Director in Financial Advisory Services practice says that every business should be in fear of blockchain and it should absolutely keep them awake at night.

Generally speaking, blockchain is the new, disruptive technology in finance and legal services. In industries like financial services, which often rely on a central clearinghouse to verify transactions, a blockchain eliminates the middleman, slashing administration time and costs. 

Consumer loans and retail other retail industries – like insurance – is probably the next industry to be disrupted by blockchain technology.

The legal industry is slow entering the age of the digitized economy with "smart contracts" and other trust based tools.

Authorities must get ready for software-driven regulation

An argument can be made and a key driver of lower costs - access to a shared blockchain may be all a regulator may need to supervise the banking system. This will allow banks to shift the load back to the authorities – in total or in part - but certainly lighten their compliance burden.

Website: https://www.grantthornton.com/

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

In a value based care world, seeing the entire patient care pathway is critical. Simply Vital Health is a leading blockchain solution provider developing a solution that could impact the way patient records are maintained and how health care is delivered.  Simply Vital Health was the Best-in-Class winner of the October 2016 Distributed Health Hackathon.  The leadership has been acknowledge in both Medium and Forbes as leaders in changing Health Care. Simply Vital Health is also apart of the BoostVC Tribe9 coheart.

Website: https://www.simplyvitalhealth.com

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

Most people do not think of banking regulation as "fun," but the bright green walls covered with hand drawn cartoons about FATCA and CCAR indicate that 8of9 and its maverick leader, Mary Kopczynski, is ushering in something the world has never seen before. She wears bright colors in a sea of dark grey suits. She asks memorably tough questions of regulators at major industry conferences. She is relentless in her mission to make regulation easier and while she certainly raises eyebrows, most people get drawn into her vision of a future world of smart contracts and automated compliance.

Website: www.8of9.com Twitter: @marykopczynski

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com

Symbiont is a play on the word "symbiosis" – marrying the best of financial market experts with distributed ledger technology experts.  Symbiont has built truly differentiated tech that is addressing real-world problems in a decentralized way.

Website: www.symbiont.io

Twitter: @CaitlinLong

Our URL: www.Blockchain360.co Twitter: @blockchain360 be sure to #blockchain360 when posting comments

Facebook: Blockchain360

Sponsor:  www.TheBlockchainAcademy.com