Last week of June is bringing new set of news from blockchain world. Chained Weekly Digest #4, new about blockchain technology found, read and summarized for You, 25th June – 1st July.

„Blockchain’s Impact on Food and Farming, Explained”

Author: Connor Blenkinsop
Source: Blockchain’s Impact on Food and Farming, Explained
Date of publication: June 2018

Key points:

• Blockchain can be helpful when it comes to tracking the food chain;
• Technology would allow consumers to find information they can trust,about the product from its source to destination on market shelf;
• „Smart agriculture solutions (…) are thriving, and it is predicted that this industry could be worth up to $26,76 billion by 2020”;
• With the same basic foundations – removing middlemen and decentralization – using blockchain in supply chain would minimize transaction fees, and it would make it easier for smaller farmers to be competitive on the market;
• Blockchain may also lead to a transparency in terms of worth of crops / products, allowing to compare money being offered by a distributor to the sums paid to their rivals in earlier purchases;

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„Crypto Industry Group Blasts Banks for Refusing Accounts to Crypto Businesses”

Author: William Suberg
Source: Poland: Crypto Industry Group Blasts Banks for Refusing Accounts to Crypto Businesses
Date of publication: June 2018

Key points:

• Polish Bitcoin Assocation (PBS) filled a formal complaint to a Polish government for fifteen „financial institutions”;
• PBS claimed that mentioned banks were deliberately denying service to cryptocurrency entities and selectively closing accounts;

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„Hyperledger Executive Explores Real-World Uses of Blockchain”

Author: Tim Copeland
Source: Hyperledger Executive Explores Real-World Uses of Blockchain
Date of publication: June 2018

Key points:

• Brian Behlendord – Executive Director of Hyperledger said: „With blockchain technology, we’re not just getting to one blockchain that everything is on. We’re going to see maybe even a hundred thousand of these private ledgers out there that solve problems in all different sectors.”;
• Behlendorf pointed out that blockchain has solved the key issue in the diamond industry of blood diamonds;
• In diamonds industry so called „Kimberley process” was in place to issue certificates as a valid proof – it wasn’t working very well;
• According to Behlendorf, implemented blockchain technology in diamond industry has stopped millions of dollars of fraud from being perpetuated;
• Another two industries that can be disrupted by blockchain is supply chain – example of project run by Intel in fishing industry, and personal identity;

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„Blockchain and Engineering”

Author: Thomas Wendling
Source: Blockchain and Engineering
Date of publication: June 2018

Key points:

• Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) and Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) industry as a place where blockchain may come in handy;
• According to an author, „blockchain may be not only about technology, but about social science and incentivization of behavior changes in the gig economy”;
• Smart contracts can be used in AEC industry to incentivize and structure high quality engineering work;
• „Blockchain’s true calling may be social science sandwiched between two layers of technology.” Blockchain underneath and AI above it.;
• Thomas Wendling, presents an idea of microtargeting work assignments and matching of skill sets with microtasks through predictive scoring of engineers with a use of deep learning algorithms;

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„Andreessen Horowitz Has Launched a $300 Million Crypto Fund”

Author: Stan Higgins
Source: Andreessen Horowitz Has Launched a $300 Million Crypto Fund
Date of publication: June 2018

Key points:

• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has launches $300 million fund focused on cryptocurrencies;
• Kathryn Haun, former federal prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney will play a role of one of a co-leads. Kathryn Haun was also named as the firm’s latest general partner;
• According to Chris Dixon: „We plan to invest consistently over time, regardless of market conditions. If there is another 'crypto winter,’ we’ll keep investing aggressively.”
• Dixon said that this new fund (a16z) would focus its efforts on projects with a „non-speculative use case.”.