Blockchain Blawg

I recently took a course on banking law and am convinced that big banks are evil. But that's not what's important here. What is important here is that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, one of the primary federal regulators of national banks, has recently published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in anticipation of its plans to review its regulations on digital banking activities. The ANRP essentially invites input from the public (read: banking and tech firms) on how the OCC should consider current technological advancements in the regulatory framework. Lots of technologies get a "shout out" in the notice--clouding computing, artificial intelligence, biometrics, data analytics and our beloved distributed ledger and technology. Along with the "shout outs," the notice touches on the benefits of all this new technology (new products, more efficiency, further reach) and the inherent challenges (cybersecurity risks, increased competition f...

Imagine if Nemo was a salmon born and raised in a fish farm in Norway. And imagine if his life, including how many roommates he had, his environment and every meal he ate, was recorded. His death (mainly manner and date) were also recorded. His post-mortem journey to the U.S. was recorded, including where he may have stopped along the way, before making his way to the seafood section of your local grocery store. Now imagine if you could scan a QR code to get a snapshot of Nemo's life, death and journey to the U.S. before deciding to purchase him and do so knowing that his provenance is accurate and reliable. If you're lucky enough to patronize certain Whole Foods, you may be able to do this soon. A major producer of salmon in Norway is working to bring more transparency to its practices using blockchain as the infrastructure. As increasing numbers of consumers become mindful of environmental sustainability and ethical eating, these types of supply chain efforts will become mo...

The past few weeks of widespread social and political unrest sparked by the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have taken me on an emotional rollercoaster. And there is no blockchain cure for my emotional unrest or the systemic and systematic racism that permeate every institution in this country. As such, this isn't a regular (well, semi-regular) post about how blockchain is the best thing since sliced bread. Instead, I'm taking this opportunity to answer the question that has been on the minds of many of my friends and professional colleagues. And that question is, "What can I do?" I'm not a movement lawyer. I don't work for an advocacy or activist organization. But I'm a doer and I have a lifelong history of doing. So here are some things that I've done and/or will do to support the movement for Black lives, justice and equality and turn my #ragetoaction . Educate Yourself Learn about the current issues. There is ample liter...