IBM Blockchain Platform
Blockchain and letters of guarantee
Paper-intensive financial instruments, especially those that require back-and-forth negotiations between parties, are ripe for digitization and blockchain. Add in the potential for fraud with paper processes, and the rationale for blockchain is even greater. The bank guarantee, or letter of guarantee, is just such an instrument. Bank guarantees facilitate doing business by adding trust to […]
Blockchain newsletter for March: Exploring blockchain and interoperability
Moderna and IBM plan to collaborate on smarter COVID-19 vaccine management. Initial focus is on IBM Blockchain capabilities in end-to-end vaccine traceability in the supply chain and the IBM Digital Health Pass. IBM Digital Health Pass is the technology behind New York State’s Excelsior Pass, successfully piloted at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden. Would […]
Creating a more interoperable blockchain future
Calls for interoperability began almost as soon as the second blockchain framework was built. Today there are permissioned blockchains (like The Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric) which are preferred for many enterprises solutions, public blockchains for cryptocurrencies, and emerging blockchain identity frameworks that hold great promise for streamlining transactions in nearly every industry. In the world […]
Blockchain and trade finance
According to the 2020 Global Trade Survey from the International Chamber of Commerce, trade and trade finance are in a state of global uncertainty, in part due to COVID-19. While many banks surveyed expressed concern over pandemic-related declines in trade flows and revenues, the survey also found that lockdowns and working from home are hastening […]
Helping artists sleep at night: Digital rights management with blockchain
Like many of you, my family and I have used the stay-safe-at-home months to re-bond with our TV, and the vast array of mini-series, movies, and other options for viewing in the evenings and on the weekends. We have also had to navigate content disappearing or moving from one content provider to another. A little […]
Blockchain Newsletter for February: Sustainability, COVID-19, crypto and digital events
Of the 96 companies that have been included in the Forbes Blockchain 50 since 2019, only 12 have made the list for all three years — including IBM. Three other 2021 listees have partnered with IBM for their claims to Forbes fame. A.P. Moller-Maersk made the list for TradeLens, the international shipping platform co-created with […]
Blockchain Newsletter for January: Looking ahead with 2021 predictions
Predicting the future is a dicey business. Nonetheless, we see pundits of all stripes putting forth 2021 forecasts for blockchain. For example, as cryptocurrency creeps to the mainstream, 2021 predictions for bitcoin valuation vary wildly, from $46,000 to $146,000 to a hard fall reminiscent of 2018. Projections for blockchain in business are more stable, with […]
Blockchain and sustainability through responsible sourcing
Mining for cobalt, an essential raw material for lithium-ion batteries, carries a high cost in human suffering. More than 60 percent of the world’s supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with about 45 percent coming from large-scale mining operations. The remaining 15 percent comes from small-scale mines in the DRC, where children […]
Serving up new business practices for restaurants with blockchain
Has the pandemic changed the way we dine, forever? Restaurants from formal dining to fast casual, sole proprietors to national chains, are making the adjustments for survival and growth. Diners, employees, and executives are all working through the pandemic to deliver great tasting food, provide more transparency to the menu, and deliver a work environment […]