Photo by AbsolutVision on UnsplashI interviewed industry professionals at top law firms, investment funds, exchanges, and various decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, in addition to attending panels and conducting independent research, to better understand the the emerging DeFi industry. DeFi: What it Is and Isn’t is the first of a three part series that draws upon the insights derived from this research.The article that follows will outline the differences between the DeFi dream and the DeFi reality and highlights 7 of the most pertinent challenges the industry must overcome before bridging ..read more

Let me start with one of my favorite visualizations of surveillance (not my original idea). In the late 18th century, an English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, designed a brutally efficient prison architecture. The main innovation is quite simple: prison cells are arranged in a circular format surrounding a central watchtower. The watchtower theoretically only needs to be manned by one person, who is obscured from view from the inmates. At any given moment in time, the watchman can observe any prison cell, while the inmates cannot see which way the watchman is looking.Panopticon (Wikipedia)It’s ..read more

If there is one area where blockchain technology seems to have not only direct relevance but also an enormous potential, it is ultimately developmental economics. Because blockchain’s purpose is to remove the middleman in transactions, in other words removing the need for institutions, it seems particularly relevant to use blockchain in developing countries where institutions might not always be trustworthy and efficient. Blockchain furthermore provides the possibility of using alternative cryptocurrencies instead of national currencies, which can be especially beneficial in countries where in ..read more

In Spring 2019 semester, Blockchain at Berkeley continued its journey in Blockchain space. With the goal of becoming a center for blockchain innovation, we helped launch the first Blockchain-focused accelerator at UC Berkeley through a joined effort with Berkeley Engineering’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Haas School of Business. In addition, we have held regular events and meetups that are accessible to students and professionals interested in blockchain. Internally, with Blockchain at Berkeley’s powerful alumni network and plentiful resources, our members never ceased to exp ..read more

After 2017’s Crypto-Optimism and 2018’s Crypto-Pessism, it is time for Crypto-Realism ..read more

http://desertbeagle.tumblr.com/post/143123884182The work token has emerged as a novel way of interacting and contributing to decentralized applications.Before we can dive into current work token implementations, we have to take a step back and analyze early token economic models.Current Problems:Fundraising Tools: Many projects simply created tokens as fundraising tools rather than using fiat/ETH. Raising via a traditional equity round or an existing token was more difficult so projects simply released a new token. As a result, even if these projects attain their technological roadmap, they wi ..read more

Our electricity grid is one of the most complex technological innovations of the 20th century. Figuring out how to use blockchains most effectively might end up being one of the biggest technological innovations of the 21st century. So what better way to really give yourself a headache than try and combine the two? That’s exactly what over 150 companies (according to the November 2018 report from SolarPlaza — up from 90 in January of the same year) are trying to do.In the last year, it’s been exciting to see a lot of the research move towards commercial pilots around the world, from New York t ..read more