CoinGeek Conversations

Elas Digital co-founder Mohammad Jaber is carving a unique path in the world of digital consultancy, leveraging blockchain technology to solve complex problems across various sectors. In a recent episode of CoinGeek Conversations, Mohammad shared insights into the Elas approach to business and his journey within the Bitcoin SV ecosystem.

As he tells Charles Miller, "Elas is a digital consultancy company that focuses on building its own proprietary technology, using blockchain to help businesses and governments of all sizes to leverage off this revolutionary technology, to solve problems that they otherwise could not solve with legacy technology.” 

One example of Elas' work revolves around combating counterfeiting in the luxury goods industry. Mohammad explains the collaboration with Ali Beydoun, founder and CEO of Manufact, who approached Elas with an issue. "Manufact facilitates authenticity in the luxury goods market in a way that undeniably gives confidence to all stakeholders in the industry," Mohammad explains. Elas’ solution not only safeguards brands but also assures consumers of impeccable provenance.

A live demonstration at the London Blockchain Conference showcased how Elas is revolutionizing authenticity verification. While opening a sealed box of Vinyl Cigars, a boutique cigar manufacturer in Los Angeles, Mohammad demonstrated blockchain’s tamper-evident capabilities, coupled with digital twin pairing and the technology’s ability to record events in real-time.

As Mohammad recounts, "we leveraged off the existing hardware and processes and configured it to be able to also interact with the blockchain once a trigger was done, such as opening the box". This innovation not only enhances transparency but also records supply chain events onto the blockchain for future reference.

For consumers, accessing product information is a breeze. When Charles inquired, “You don't need any special downloads or anything to make this work?” Mohammad agreed adding, a simple tap, even before purchase, reveals a wealth of information—production date, country of origin, product details, and supply chain history.

Another noteworthy collaboration involves Tokneovate, a pioneer in voluntary carbon credit derivatives trades. "Tokenovate wanted to revolutionize the entire financial and trading world. They had some very, very ambitious milestones," Mohammad proudly announces. Elas is executing the first live trade using Bitcoin script and smart contracting on the blockchain - a monumental achievement in the carbon credits trading domain.

Despite the demanding workload, Mohammad is thrilled about Elas' growth. "We are attracting a lot of interest and engagement. It's very exciting," he says. 

As for life in the business world, Mohammad says it’s "survival of the fittest." He acknowledges the challenging times but underscores the importance of providing value and maximizing opportunities.

Furthermore, Elas unveils a groundbreaking offering—a private ledger on the public blockchain. Mohammad explains, "We use the Satoshis on the Bitcoin network to create private compartmentalized zones." This innovation guarantees impeccable provenance, a crucial factor for governments and enterprises seeking unparalleled transparency.

"For certain types of customers, it is a recommendation that we will make," Mohammad adds, emphasizing the flexibility of this solution across diverse industries.

As an independent company, Elas is always on the lookout for opportunities and like-minded partnerships: "we're still rolling along, and the future's looking very bright." 

Darren Kellenschwiler’s long BSV history runs from the tumultuous days of the BCH-BSV split to his current role as a technical lead at the BSV Blockchain Association.

On this week’s CoinGeek Conversations, Darren takes a trip down memory lane with Charles Miller, recalling the end of 2018 when he hosted Bitcoin meet-ups in London. It was during this period that the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin SV (BSV) split occurred, resulting in heated debates and ideological divisions within the community. Darren recalled the atmosphere, when "everything was a little tumultuous, and people were taking different ideological stances. There were very strong arguments - over a beer! That's the sort of atmosphere at that time. It was the hash wars era."

Darren was on the Bitcoin SV side of the divide, firmly believing in Dr Craig Wright as the inventor of Bitcoin. As he explained, "I had made my mind up years before that this chap, Dr Wright is the inventor of Bitcoin. So I didn't really waste my time with the crowd that were somehow rebelling against him."

As Bitcoin SV emerged, Darren took “a leap of faith” despite the ongoing debates about Dr Craig Wright. As he says, “there wasn't a lot of public detail with respect to the evidence for Dr Craig Wright having invented Bitcoin." This period also marked the birth of the "Bitcoin protocol is set in stone" campaign.

One of Darren's notable contributions to the BSV community was Baemail, an email application integrated with micropayments. He explained his motivation behind it: "I don't like spam. I hate reading emails that are not relevant to me. So I thought, attach some value to it. We'll create ‘inbox economics’, where the highest in the inbox is the person who paid you the most for you to read it." While Baemail gained quick adoption within the BSV community, it faced challenges in achieving widespread usage due to limitations in BSV wallet adoption.

Darren's journey continued when he met Brendan Lee from ELAS Digital at a conference in London. Brendan bought Baemail and hired Darren, making him a co-founder of the company. Together, they delved into building Metanet applications and experimenting with hosting entire websites on the Metanet, a concept that was both groundbreaking and esoteric at the time.

Today, Darren serves as the technical lead of the utilization value stream at the BSV Blockchain Association. He described his role as multifaceted, involving contributions to various aspects of the BSV ecosystem. He also emphasized the Association's responsibility to ensure that the user experience and businesses built on BSV remain intact and thrive.

Darren also highlighted his passion for tackling complex challenges and his role in documenting, analyzing, and improving wallet architectures within the BSV ecosystem. He mentioned the importance of effective communication and collaboration with developers, including discussions with Dr Craig Wright, to advance the ecosystem's growth and development.

Darren Kellenschwiler's journey in the Bitcoin SV ecosystem exemplifies the resilience and dedication of individuals committed to the vision of a stable, scalable, and innovative blockchain. As Bitcoin SV continues to evolve, Darren and others like him play a pivotal role in shaping its future. 

Swiss entrepreneur Bernhard Müller’s app, Centi, built on the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain, is a platform that offers financial services which combine the revolutionary capabilities of digital money with the trust and security of traditional banks.

Centi's creation of the Centi Franc Stablecoin (CCHF), a stablecoin connected to the Swiss franc is a significant achievement for the BSV blockchain. According to Bernhard, the Centi Franc is a "stablecoin of a new category, which is fiat guaranteed". He stressed that this guarantee provides peace of mind, saying, "you know exactly how you can get your money as it is backed by a Swiss bank guarantee."

On this episode of CoinGeek Conversations, Bernhard details the process behind the Centi franc, explaining that for every token issued, the bank provides an equivalent amount of money as a guarantee in the event that Centi defaults. He outlined the steps involved, from contacting the bankruptcy trustee to the bank's role in collecting data and distributing funds. Bernhard emphasized, "you have this guarantee, which is quite unique".

Bernhard also points to the Centi Franc’s capability to handle micropayments, not just for trading between cryptocurrencies. "It's a direct-to-consumer stablecoin," meaning that users don't need to have large amounts of money to interact with it. Bernhard aims to get more people, including developers and businesses, to use Centi Franc.

Presenter Charles Miller suggested that the Centi Franc represents "genuine digital cash." Bernhard agreed and pointed out that when you use cash, you don't have to share your ID or leave behind any digital traces, as opposed to other financial transactions, such as with banks, where you need to share all sorts of personal information.

Centi does not rely on loans from banks, instead, it front-loads the money. This not only minimizes the bank's risk but also ensures Centi maintains sufficient reserves. The Centi Franc's real power is in its versatility. As Bernhard points out, "If you want to have a Swiss franc that's ultra-versatile and can be used for micropayments...that's not something you can do with money in a bank account because it's not cash." 

Bernhard also unveiled Centi's merchant list, highlighting its growth. He explained that consumers can directly pay merchants, and Centi's competitive pricing is one of the reasons merchants choose to accept it. It’s also good to note that the absence of chargebacks and faster access to funds is an added advantage to merchants of Centi.

Furthermore, Centi has partnered with Centbee, a wallet provider based in South Africa focused on facilitating cash payments and remittances within Africa. Bernhard described their partnership as an opportunity to create a remittance product that fits well with Switzerland’s unique remittance landscape. Switzerland is a significant source of remittance payments, surpassing even the entire United Kingdom, despite its smaller size. This is due to Switzerland's diverse society, comprised of both locals and international workers, including refugees. Centbee, on the other hand, offers cash, bank payments, and mobile money services in sub-Saharan Africa, and now expanding to countries like Brazil. 

Combining Centi's infrastructure in Switzerland with Centbee's offerings, the collaboration aims to create a remittance product that can meet the demands of the current remittance market.

Bernhard Müller's Centi combines the best of traditional finance with the possibilities of the digital age. As he notes, Centi offers its users the convenience of web3 technology while maintaining the familiarity of web2, making it an exciting prospect in the world of digital finance.

Musician-turned-tech-entrepreneur Shem Booth-Spain demonstrates his passion for revolutionizing the music industry through Blarecast, a music platform poised to empower artists and content creators by enabling them to own and monetize their data using the power of Bitcoin SV. 

Shem's journey began in the world of music. From a young age, he immersed himself in creating music, from traditional rock and roll to electronic sounds. His experience as an independent, unsigned musician in London made him aware of the challenges musicians face in self-distribution. As he points out, blockchain's potential in the arts is still largely untapped, and he is passionate about leveraging technology to empower content creators. Shem believes that Bitcoin can play a significant role in this transformation. As he says, "Bitcoin is a medium, and our understanding is growing of what we conceive Bitcoin to be able to do."

His initial encounter with blockchain came when he and his band inscribed a message onto the BTC blockchain. He thought of storing more substantial data on the blockchain, however, as he points out, BTC had its limitations. It wasn't until the restoration of the original Bitcoin protocol on Bitcoin SV in 2019 that Shem and his team embarked on the "Data blast" operation, where they stored various data types on the BSV blockchain. This led Shem to realize that Bitcoin's potential goes way beyond data inscriptions. "I think that's actually a very interesting story of how we now understand Bitcoin in a lot bigger viewpoint than just inscribing little bits of information," he says. 

Funded by venture capitalist firm Ayre Ventures, Blarecast is developing both iOS and Android apps, with a focus on ensuring a seamless and enjoyable user experience. Blarecast facilitates instant payments for music consumption, eliminating the lengthy delays often associated with traditional music distribution systems. As Shem puts it, "Bitcoin is a technology of empowerment," and Blarecast aims to simplify and streamline the payment process for both artists and listeners.

When asked about approaching big record companies, Shem says that the key lies in conveying the usefulness and applicability of blockchain technology rather than delving into its technicalities. The music industry has experienced challenges, from piracy to the emergence of streaming platforms like Spotify. Now, with Web 3 technologies and the introduction of peer-to-peer payments and NFTs, more business opportunities are coming to light. As he states, "it's about why this technology is useful and important to a prospective partner or a client."

Blarecast will allow users to make micropayments using a BSV wallet. However, Shem acknowledges the need for user-friendly payment options, "multiple tokens, multiple currencies, any fiat currency, so that whatever the consumer wants to pay, there's a seamless choice to do that." Blarecast will ensure a seamless payment experience for a global audience. 

Currently living in Japan, Shem is optimistic about blockchain adoption in the country. He notes that past crypto speculative bubbles have tainted perceptions of blockchain technology, leading businesses and individuals to be more cautious. However, he believes that once a few businesses experience the speed and efficiency of blockchain technology, more will follow. 

Blarecast's goal is to build a stable business that benefits artists worldwide, and Shem envisions a modular ecosystem that can adapt and evolve with emerging technologies. He stresses, "we're trying to build something that's got longevity."

In a recent episode of CoinGeek Conversations, Charles Miller sat down with Rafal Gelner, the co-founder and CEO of Zetly Fueling Sports, to delve into the exciting world of merging real and virtual experiences for sports enthusiasts, with a particular focus on football. 

Zetly Fueling Sports is exploring various avenues to create immersive experiences for sports fans, incorporating elements like NFT gating and NFC (Near Field Communication), a wireless technology that enables devices like smartphones and contactless cards to exchange data when close together.

As Rafal explained: "let's say a user has a favorite jersey or sports jacket, that will be connected to the NFT. When the user goes into a match or an area where this can be scanned, you can have access to the areas to take part in reward programs". He emphasized the endless potential of this approach, comparing it to a ‘golden ticket’ that provides access to VIP areas and other club offerings.

Zetly is gearing up to launch a pilot sports metaverse in collaboration with Robert Rice’s Transmira and Omniscape. Transmira is creating digital replicas of entire stadiums through photography, allowing users to virtually explore these venues. 

Zetly wants to make sports experiences more accessible to everyone. As Rafal noted, "Zetly gives access to the people that cannot afford to go to the real match or real stadium." Furthermore, users in the virtual realm will have the unique ability to interact with those attending the real event, and vice versa. This bridging of the physical and digital worlds enhances the sense of community for sports enthusiasts” and "if you've got a family member or a friend who's actually at the game, you can sort of be there with them - or at least see them."

Rafal envisions the metaverse expanding not only within the stadium but also encompassing an entire city, making the digital twin concept a tourism attraction. As he explained, Zetly's all-in-one platform will include NFT gating, utilities, sports quizzes, and support for sports clubs to tokenize and engage their fans.

BSV (Bitcoin SV) is Zetly’s blockchain of choice. For Rafal, BSV’s enterprise-level capability and ability to scale exceptionally allows for fast and cost-effective transactions. This choice to build on BSV not only guarantees streamlined transaction handling but also positions Zetly to easily accommodate substantial growth and adoption.

Rafal was enthusiastic to share news that Zetly will showcase their innovative solutions and pilot program in Seville, Spain, this month. This opportunity will give them substantial exposure to some of the world's largest and most renowned sports clubs. 

However, Rafal acknowledged a challenge in blockchain education. "People like the idea but they don't understand blockchain," he noted. To bridge this knowledge gap, he emphasized the need for education and awareness, especially within the sports community.

Rafal Gelner's vision for Zetly Fueling Sports aims to engage sports fans through tokenization while giving a full-on immersive experience to users in the real and virtual worlds. With a focus on BSV's capabilities and a commitment to user-friendly subscription models, Zetly aims to revolutionize the way sports enthusiasts experience their favorite events. As Rafal says, "the sky's the limit," and Zetly is well on its way to soaring high in the world of sports technology.

Blockchain technology promises innovative solutions to long-standing problems across various industries. To learn about the work of a blockchain consultant, Charles Miller sat down with IBM blockchain specialist Agata Slater in this weeki’s CoinGeek Conversations. In the interview, Agata talks about her role, IBM's approach to blockchain and the implications for Web3 technology.

As a blockchain consultant at IBM, Agata focuses on helping enterprise clients design and implement blockchain solutions. This includes everything from identifying use cases and architectural design to the actual implementation and ongoing technical support. 

According to Agata, IBM assists a diverse range of clients with varying levels of blockchain knowledge. Some approach IBM with a vision for implementing blockchain while others have specific problems they need to solve, with blockchain potentially being just one piece of the solution. Agata emphasizes that the primary goal should always be addressing the client's problems effectively, even if it means advising against blockchain when it's not the right fit. 

Agata’s department, IBM Consulting, remains technology agnostic. This means they can propose solutions from IBM's software portfolio but are not limited to them. They can leverage existing solutions from the market or partner with technology providers to best address the client's needs. For Agata, this flexibility allows them to serve and support clients in the most effective way possible.

When it comes to selecting the right blockchain solution, Agata points out that many enterprise clients prefer permissioned blockchains like Hyperledger Fabric due to their focus on privacy, control, and compliance. She acknowledges that while permissionless blockchains have their place, enterprises often require a high degree of control and stability, which permissioned blockchains can provide.

Agata also discusses the concept of Web3 what she sees as its four pillars: identity, tokenization, traceability, and payments. She sees Web3 as a promise of what the internet could become and believes these pillars are essential enablers for realizing that promise. While solutions for these aspects already exist, she believes that Web3 can bring them together in a decentralized ecosystem.

Interestingly, Agata holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh, where she studied the language of the Caribbean. She explains how her academic background focused on language and identity, which involved ethnographic research and the analysis of grammatical features in vernacular speech. While her academic journey may seem unrelated to blockchain, she points out that understanding cultural nuances and effective communication are essential skills when dealing with diverse clients and communities in the blockchain ecosystem.

While Agata acknowledges the passion around the different blockchain technologies and protocols, she says she refrains from getting caught up in debates over which blockchain is superior. As for her thoughts on Bitcoin SV’s capabilities, she acknowledges its potential in terms of scalability. She anticipates that only when more enterprises with substantial scale requirements enter the ecosystem will BSV’s full potential be realized.

In the concluding episode of Coingeek Conversations' summer series, Charles Miller engages in a discussion with Amy Bowe, the entrepreneur behind Block Dojo's innovative blockchain platform, GHGBlaze. GHGBlaze is dedicated to assisting companies in obtaining precise assessments of the carbon emissions associated with their products.

As Amy says, the need for accuracy is gaining traction as companies are faced with mounting pressures to disclose their carbon emissions. With the growing mandate for these disclosures, there is a heightened legal liability linked to their precision, she points out.

Amy also draws attention to regulations implemented in European Union nations, which effectively impose taxes on the carbon emissions of imported goods.  To determine the tax obligations for imported goods, a comprehensive understanding of their associated emissions is imperative, she notes.

Furthermore, Amy underscores an emerging commercial demand for low-carbon commodity products. To cater to this demand, she emphasizes, it is imperative to be well-informed about the emissions tied to the products one is marketing.

GHGBlaze aims to enhance operational efficiency by offering a centralized and standardized solution for the storage of emissions data. This centralized repository can then be accessed by relevant parties to extract the necessary data.

The primary source of revenue for GHGBlaze is anticipated to be derived from subscription agreements. As Amy explains, companies keen on accessing this data will be required to pay an annual subscription fee.

In addition, GHGBlaze plans to leverage the tokenization aspect of blockchain technology. Under this framework, each emissions data point will be assigned a value based on its perceived utility, thereby incentivizing companies to provide this valuable service.

Amy firmly believes that blockchain technology is a valuable component of GHGBlaze. As she points out, “the immutability aspects are valuable but when it comes down to these incentive payments and having effectively creating a market through tokenization, that can't be done with a centralized database," she says.  

In summary, GHGBlaze, under the leadership of Amy Bowe, is poised to play a pivotal role in helping companies accurately assess and disclose their carbon emissions, while also aligning with emerging regulatory and market demands. Through blockchain technology and tokenization, GHGBlaze aims to revolutionize the way emissions data is stored, valued, and shared within the business landscape.

Carby is the first marketplace for future carbon credits, solving liquidity, scalability and transparency issues of the market. It’s CEO and Co-founder Mark Moores believes more carbon projects are needed to fight climate change. Speaking as a father, Mark tells Charles Miller on this episode of CoinGeek conversations, “when you have a child, you re-evaluate things and you think about the future and one thing you've got to think about is what type of planet are we bequeathing our children?”  

With Carby, a platform that connects carbon projects with carbon credit buyers, Mark is addressing climate challenges by scaling the voluntary carbon market. The platform will help provide project developers with funding to overcome cashflow challenges while giving them access to liquidity solutions in the market. In effect, the platform will encourage project developers to increase the supply of carbon credits as buyers signal a future demand.

Project developers will be able to sell NFT’s that represent a specific carbon credit in a specific future year. Attached to the NFT is an advance purchase agreement that gives project developers a legal obligation to deliver the carbon credit to the buyer once it's been produced. 

CyberXchain looks to incentivize ethical hackers using blockchain technology 

Cybercrime is a massive problem, says Jean Lehmann, Founder and CEO of CyberXChain, a marketplace that brings together ethical hackers and businesses. 

As defined by Jean, “ethical hackers are essentially professionals, security experts, consultants looking to flag, fix and identify vulnerabilities in computer systems so companies can be better informed of the vulnerabilities and the steps on how to fix them.” 

As Jean explains, “everyday brings in new headlines of cyber-attacks, we are observing a never ending cycle of cyber-attacks and the cyber arms race between the attackers and the defenders.” 

Jean’s solution is to create a trust and economic layer between ethical hackers and businesses. With CyberXchain, ethical hacking is democratized, made more accessible and cost effective for both businesses and ethical hackers, he says. 

The platform will have its own token that ethical hackers can directly be rewarded with upon job completion, through their digital wallet. According to Jean, using blockchain technology will improve operational efficiency and create economic incentives . “I look at blockchain as a way to create an economic policy, governance and technology ledger, which is going to bring various types of efficiency and benefits around smart contracts for rule based automation of security events,” he says. 

After many years of working in cybersecurity, Jean realized that the service model to counter cyber-attacks is not scalable. For his part, CyberXChain will address the cybersecurity challenge while creating economic incentives, ultimately improving security posture. 

Watch the full episode of CoinGeek Conversations’ third installment of its summer special series featuring Block Dojo entrepreneurs here: 

On the second installment of CoinGeek Conversations Block Dojo series, Charles Miller speaks to two entrepreneurs who are looking to improve business efficiency with blockchain technology.  

Sports Finex is a platform that enables quicker and cost-effective business deals between financial institutions and football clubs. According to its Founder and CEO, Nico Malgeri, the platform aims to streamline the tedious part of the dealmaking process. “We simplify the whole process of finding opportunities in the football market for financial institutions that want to invest in football,” he says.  

As Nico points out, Sports Finex solves a recurring problem in football clubs. “When football clubs sell a player, they don’t get the money all in one chunk, usually in installments, this process involves many intermediaries and takes a lot of time,” he says. With Sport Finex’s invoice financing solution, both parties will be able to close deals faster and players will be able to receive payments seamlessly.  

In addition, the platform will make use of an AI machine learning system to match financial firms to football clubs while also leveraging blockchain technology to validate stakeholders and store data. As Nico explains, blockchain will provide that extra layer of security to avoid leaking deals to the public. 

Sports Finex will charge both stakeholders a subscription fee and take a small percentage in commission from both parties.  

Similarly, BizCrunch facilitates deals but this time, between investors and the businesses they want to acquire. According to its Founder and Head of Growth, Alfie Lambert, the subscription-based platform offers investors information and an analysis of companies that are not listed for sale, but perhaps interested in selling.   

As Alfie explains, the platform will use algorithms to find data that companies don’t usually highlight in their portfolio’s.  

As for the use of blockchain technology, Alfie says “One problem is trust from either end, that’s where we want to harness the immutability power of blockchain.” 

Currently in beta, BizCrunch plans to launch its platform in September.  

On this episode of CoinGeek Conversations, two entrepreneurs from London’s incubator program Block Dojo speak to Charles Miller about their start-ups and how they can solve real world problems. 

First up is Ditto, an AI-powered platform that aims to help people combat loneliness. “We are in a global epidemic of loneliness,” says James Kirk, Ditto Founder and CEO. Research suggests that over half the adults living in the United Kingdom experienced loneliness in 2022. The platform which focusses on companionship and mental well-being will utilize advances in AI technology, allowing users to have human-like conversations with Ditto. 

The platform, which is connected to the internet, will have access to real time information, but unlike Amazon’s cloud-based voice service Alexa, it will proactively learn about its users’ lives. The platform will ask questions about the users’ likes and dislikes, store and remember this information and eventually match up users with other human beings with shared interests and experiences.  

James is currently working with a team of experts which includes an engineer with expertise in AI technology and a professor working in the intersection of AI and healthcare. 

According to James, there’s a role for technology in companionship. Some studies even show that people feel more comfortable speaking to a machine than a human being. As he points out, technology “is always there, it’s always going to say the right thing and it’s non-judgmental.” 

On the second part of the show, Tristan O’Dwyer, Founder and CEO of Vymt, talks about his platform for social media influencers who operate in the gaming sector. 

As he explains, today influencers receive all the revenue, leaving their followers unincentivized. Vymt takes a different approach by rewarding viewers with a blockchain-based token for discovering and following new talents. 

A QR code will randomly pop up on the screen while viewers are engaged in a video. The viewer will then scan the QR code and be directed to either a multiple choice question, an opinion poll or a feedback survey based on the content. If answered correctly, the user will be rewarded with a token that has real world utility.   

According to Tristan, the business model essentially allows users to move around the platform and find influencers. In turn, viewers’ attention is distributed equally and advertising revenue is likewise spread out. 

Catch these Dojo entrepreneurs on the first of four CoinGeek Conversations Summer Special Episodes.