How IBM’s blockchain investments are paying off
https://diginomica.com/2018/01/12/how-ib...aying-off/
Quote:But, perhaps the biggest winner among the tech giants now transitioning is probably IBM, which was ranked number one among blockchain technology providers in 2017 in an enterprise survey by Juniper.
IBM was one of the first big companies to recognize the potential of distributed ledgers, contributing code to the Linux Foundation’s HyperLedger open-source effort, and encouraging startups to try the technology on its cloud for free. The effort is paying off.
Demand for blockchain technology, originally known for being the underlying “trust” core of Bitcoin, is growing so much that the company believes it will be one of the largest users of capacity this year at the 60 or so data centers it rents to other companies around the globe.
Seems that I was right about IBM being the future leader in Blockchain tech, at current valuation (~13 P/E, ~3.7% Dividend Yield), IBM may explode suddenly (as with "Blockchain" related stock) once speculators caught on on this. And if IBM could reverse its
22 straight quarter of revenue decline this time (very likely).
Next earnings release date:
18th Jan 2018.
Also Blockchain tech deployment seems to be a possible huge future driver of Cloud infrastructure adoption, interesting.
(no position; monitoring)
i think it's premature to be right or wrong about anything in blockchain at this point but IBM's definitely one of the early gamers. so many companies are hopping onto the bandwagon.
IBM has been investing greatly in Blockchain related tech since at least 2016 when I started flowing them.
Forgotten to mention: they also have poor leadership (
poor Glassdoor score) and a legion of
disgruntled ex-IBMer, moral is at
all time low. Which is why I divested out of them.
They probably need a Satya Nadella-esque leadership change for me to reconsider investing in them again.
5 Blockchain Developments Coming in 2018
Peter Loop Jan 16, 2018 at 05:00 UTC
https://www.coindesk.com/5-blockchain-de...ming-2018/
Quote:1. Asia and the Middle East will aggressively push blockchain
Interest in blockchain continues to be very high in Asia and the Middle East, where some of the largest banking institutions are forging ahead with blockchain projects or service offerings, particularly in payments.
For example, banks in Japan and South Korea have just begun testing a blockchain technology that could achieve same-day international transfers and cut costs by nearly 30 percent.
2. Cybersecurity will amplify blockchain adoption
With the rise of ransomware attacks demanding cryptocurrencies, blockchain and IoT cybersecurity will emerge with defenses based on cryptocurrency technologies.
While this may sound fantastical and futuristic, the emergence of blockchain cybersecurity tools may be the next big thing in blockchain. With major breaches such as Equifax proving that companies generally cannot safeguard current identity data systems, the need for a more secure blockchain-based identity approach, in which no one holds all the keys, will emerge.
3. ICOs will take off
There was a seismic jump in ICOs in 2017, and the ecosystem of cryptocurrencies has expanded in a huge way. In the next year, the pace of ICOs will grow significantly faster, and will overtake venture capital funding.
4. Finance and insurance will go all in
The insurance and finance sectors are two of the most likely to experience deep, and threatening, disruption from blockchain technology.
Insurance will emerge as a hot area as claims processing and complex multi-party processes like subrogation will show the business value of blockchain-based automation. And, JPMorgan will open a cryptocurrency trading desk, despite Jamie Dimon's viral comments dismissing the validity of cryptocurrencies.
5. Automation, privatization are coming
Blockchain will drive digital transformation of the enterprise specifically with automation, digitization of processes, tokenization of physical assets and activities and codification of complex contracts.
In addition, governance issues will continue to plague bitcoin (Segwit2x), ethereum (frozen Parity funds) and others as new challenges emerge. This will drive enterprises to "private" blockchains but will not slow down the growth of core cryptocurrencies.
Nice short video of the present and future of Blockchain tech (also added to page 1 for easy reference):
IBM And Maersk Start Promised Blockchain Supply Chain Company
https://cointelegraph.com/news/ibm-and-m...in-company
Jon Buck 3 HOURS AGO
Quote:IBM and Danish transport and logistics company Maersk announced Jan. 16 that they are teaming up to create an as-yet-unnamed Blockchain-based shipping and supply chain company. The goal of the venture is to commercialize Blockchain for all aspects of the global supply chain system, from shipping to ports, and banks to customs offices.
Blockchain technology is uniquely able to provide special control for the logistics industry, since it can replace tedious and insecure paperwork with secure digital records that are also transparent.
Maersk’s chief commercial officer Vincent Clerc, who will serve as chairman of the newly formed board for the joint venture, was quoted in the official announcement saying:
“The potential from offering a neutral, open digital platform for safe and easy ways of exchanging information is huge, and all players across the supply chain stand to benefit.”
The company had promised to make delivery of the new project by the end of last year. The offering is the fulfillment of a year’s worth of planning by both companies, each of whom have invested in Blockchain in various other ways as well. The joint venture is hoping to start offering their software solutions by Q3 2018.
IBM Shares up 2% premarket (already up 15% from lows 3 months ago). 2 more days to earnings release.
(not vested)
Bank of America beats IBM and Mastercard on blockchain patents
https://www.cbronline.com/news/bank-amer...in-patents
TOM BALL 17TH JANUARY 2018
Quote:Industries across the globe have been abuzz with plans for blockchain innovation, with use cases being presented all the time. None, however, have surpassed the number of patents filed or received by Bank of America.
Even IBM falls in behind the American bank, despite its many partnerships and projects geared toward widespread industrial use of distributed ledger technology.
According to the New York law firm specialising in intellectual property, Envision IP, Bank of America is responsible for a leading 43 patents out of a total 1045. IBM and Mastercard have been jointly the next most active, each commanding 27 patents.
Quantity ≠ Quality though.
If success is purely based on quantity of patents, IBM would be the most successful tech company right now.
That said, this article shows that we are still very early in the game, the biggest winner may not even exist yet.
For those interested in Bitcoin and Distributed Ledger Protocol (Blockchain is just one of the possible variant of DLP), I would highly recommend you to read this paper by Erik Townsend. This is one of the best articles on the subject. Well analysed and articulated thoughts compared to many others. For those who are too busy to read this 20 pages paper, just read the introduction and the conclusion.
https://www.macrovoices.com/macrovoices-...unked/file
Highlights:
In my first career I was a distributed systems architect (software guy focused on network stuff). These days I manage a hedge fund and produce the MacroVoices financial podcast. Since my background seemingly makes me a natural for translating the technology lingo to finance speak, people frequently ask why I’ve never done a podcast episode focused on Cryptocurrencies. The short answer is because I think Bitcoin is an idiotic mania and I don’t want to waste perfectly good air time on it. On the other hand, Distributed Ledger Protocols (pioneered by Bitcoin’s Blockchain) represent a one of the most profound technological advancements of our time.
This paper will differentiate Distributed Ledger Protocols (such as Blockchain) from the Cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin) they enable. It will explain why DLPs are actually a far more important invention than the cyrptocurrencies that are currently in the public spotlight. Perhaps most importantly, it will explain why the design of Bitcoin’s Blockchain DLP is seriously flawed, not scalable, and generally only worthwhile as a proof-of-concept prototype or until something better comes along.
My prediction is that we’re headed for a modern day “Space Race”. It will be a race among nations to create The Orwell – the digital currency that will eventually be accepted by international treaty as the new global reserve currency. By the way, the People’s Bank of China is already hiring Blockchain engineers to design the Digital RMB. The PBOC “gets it”. They see what’s coming and they’re taking the lead. Other central banks will soon follow suit.