The Real Business of Blockchain


Book Description

Blockchain is transforming business. What's your strategy? Leaders of forward-thinking organizations are exploring how blockchain can transform the way they create and seek value. Whether it's used to streamline multiparty processes, create and trade new assets, or leverage artificial intelligence and the internet of things, blockchain enables entirely new business opportunities. This is just the start. As blockchain becomes more widely adopted, it has the potential to radically change the way companies and societies operate, as transformative a paradigm shift as the launch of the internet. The Real Business of Blockchain is one of the first books on this transformative technology written for business leaders. Authors David Furlonger and Christophe Uzureau--both of Gartner, the world-renowned research and advisory company--will help you: Assess how blockchain will impact your business Explore the value proposition that blockchain offers Make smart near- and midterm investments Position your organization in a new competitive landscape Timely, visionary, and accessible, The Real Business of Blockchain cuts through the hype and helps you unlock the vast capabilities of this powerful and potentially world-changing technology.




Blockchain for Business


Book Description

The Pragmatic Guide to Driving Value and Disrupting Markets with Blockchain "Blockchain’s potential to transform businesses has generated a tremendous amount of excitement across industries. However, it can be difficult for decision makers to develop a practical approach to blockchain for their specific business requirements. By identifying and clearly describing the value of blockchain for enterprises, as well as the processes required to harness blockchain to achieve business objectives, Blockchain for Business presents a startlingly concise yet comprehensive roadmap for business leaders. This book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to leverage blockchain to transform their business." —Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, President & CEO of Samsung SDS “Much has been written about blockchain in the past few years: what it is and what it is not (at various levels of detail), as well as the technology’s long-term strategic value for companies, industries, and economies. However, what we’ve been missing is a practical, operational, ‘how to’ set of steps for creating, implementing, and operating a blockchain-based solution. This book aims to fill that gap. It’s an invaluable tool for anyone ready to take the plunge and start taking advantage of this remarkable technology.” —Irving Wladawsky-Berger, research affiliate, MIT; columnist, WSJ CIO Journal; VP Emeritus, IBM "I will never be able to adequately express how useful this book will be to my class. In addition the great chapters on cybersecurity, I loved the Integration Models, especially 'Coexistence with Systems of Record.' Legacy integration with Blockchain is a critical barrier, and you nailed it!" —Thomas Doty, JD, LLM - Adjunct Professor, University of New Hampshire Law Blockchain enables enterprises to reinvent processes and business models and to pursue radically disruptive applications. Blockchain for Business is a concise, accessible, and pragmatic guide to both the technology and the opportunities it creates. Authored by three experts from IBM’s Enterprise Blockchain practice, it introduces industry-specific and cross-industry use cases, and reviews best-practice approaches to planning and delivering blockchain projects. With a relentless focus on real-world business outcomes, the authors reveal what blockchain can do, what it can’t do yet, and where it’s headed. Understand five elements that make blockchain so disruptive: transparency, immutability, security, consensus, and smart contracts Explore key use cases: cross-border payments, food and drug safety, provenance, trade finance, clinical trials, land registries, and more See how trusted blockchain networks are facilitating entirely new business models Compare blockchain types: permissioned, permissionless, private, public, federated, and hybrid Anticipate key technical, business, regulatory, and governance challenges Build blockchain financial models, investment rubrics, and risk frameworks Organize and manage teams to transform blockchain plans into reality Whether you’re a senior decision maker, technical professional, customer, or investor, Blockchain for Business will help you cut through the hype and objectively assess blockchain’s potential in your business. Register your product for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available.




Blockchain for Business


Book Description

The book focuses on the power of business blockchain. It gives an overview of blockchain in traditional business, marketing, accounting and business intelligence. The book provides a detailed working knowedge of blockchain, user cases of blockchain in business, cryptocurrency and Initial Coin Offering(ICO) along with the risks associated with them. The book also covers the detailed study of decentralization, mining, consensus, smart contracts, concepts and working of distributed ledgers and hyper ledgers as well as many other important concepts. It also details the security and privacy aspects of blockchain. The book is beneficial for readers who are preparing for their business careers, those who are working with small scale businesses and startups, and helpful for business executives, managers, entrepreneurs, bankers, government officials and legal professionals who are looking to blockchain for secure financial transactions. The book will also be beneficial for researchers and students who want to study the latest developments of blockchain.




Handbook of Research on Blockchain Technology


Book Description

Handbook of Research on Blockchain Technology presents the latest information on the adaptation and implementation of Blockchain technologies in real world business, scientific, healthcare and biomedical applications. The book's editors present the rapid advancements in existing business models by applying Blockchain techniques. Novel architectural solutions in the deployment of Blockchain comprise the core aspects of this book. Several use cases with IoT, biomedical engineering, and smart cities are also incorporated. As Blockchain is a relatively new technology that exploits decentralized networks and is used in many sectors for reliable, cost-effective and rapid business transactions, this book is a welcomed addition on existing knowledge. Financial services, retail, insurance, logistics, supply chain, public sectors and biomedical industries are now investing in Blockchain research and technologies for their business growth. Blockchain prevents double spending in financial transactions without the need of a trusted authority or central server. It is a decentralized ledger platform that facilitates verifiable transactions between parties in a secure and smart way. - Presents the evolution of blockchain, from fundamental theories, to present forms - Explains the concepts of blockchain related to cloud/edge computing, smart healthcare, smart cities and Internet of Things (IoT) - Provides complete coverage of the various tools, platforms and techniques used in blockchain - Explores smart contract tools and consensus algorithms - Covers a variety of applications with real world case studies in areas such as biomedical engineering, supply chain management, and tracking of goods and delivery




Blockchain for Business


Book Description

This book sets out to explain blockchain for the non-technical expert, to decipher the dense technicalities that dominate the field and to present the opportunities for busy professionals using practical applications and case studies. Presented in a clear and structured way and with documented real-world cases, the book is a practical reference guide that can be used across different industries. It offers both a constructive and critical review of the pain points blockchain is facing today, illustrates the pitfalls as well as the opportunities for business and describes the steps towards overcoming them. It also aims to provide a unique view of both the intersection and synergy of blockchain with other emerging technologies and the wider digital ecosystem, as we see increasingly that blockchain alone won’t be able to deliver business solutions. Most important, the book identifies trends and a path for the future of blockchain and its impact on society as a whole. The book is written for business audiences across all sectors. It is not a technical guide to blockchain, but it enables businesspeople to be better informed and prepared to plan ahead and develop strategies using blockchain.




The Business Blockchain


Book Description

The definitive pioneering blueprint covering the what, why and how of the blockchain. Blockchains are new technology layers that rewire the Internet and threaten to side-step older legacy constructs and centrally served businesses. At its core, a blockchain injects trust into the network, cutting off some intermediaries from serving that function and creatively disrupting how they operate. Metaphorically, blockchains are the ultimate non-stop computers. Once launched, they never go down, and offer an incredible amount of resiliency, making them dependable and attractive for running a new generation of decentralized services and software applications. The Business Blockchain charts new territory in advancing our understanding of the blockchain by unpacking its elements like no other before. William Mougayar anticipates a future that consists of thousands, if not millions of blockchains that will enable not only frictionless value exchange, but also a new flow of value, redefining roles, relationships, power and governance. In this book, Mougayar makes two other strategic assertions. First, the blockchain has polymorphic characteristics; its application will result in a multiplicity of effects. Second, we shouldn’t ask ourselves what problems the blockchain solves, because that gives us a narrow view on its potential. Rather, we should imagine new opportunities, and tackle even more ambitious problems that cross organizational, regulatory and mental boundaries. Drawing on 34 years of technology industry experience as an executive, analyst, consultant, entrepreneur, startup mentor, author, blogger, educator, thought leader and investor, William Mougayar describes a future that is influenced by fundamental shifts brought by blockchain technology as the catalyst for change. William Mougayar has been described as the most sophisticated blockchain business thinker. He is a blockchain industry insider whose work has already shaped and influenced the understanding of blockchain for people around the world, via his generous blogging and rigorous research insights. He is a direct participant in the crypto-technology market, working alongside startups, entrepreneurs, pioneers, leaders, innovators, creators, enterprise executives and practitioners; in addition to being an investor, advisor, and board member in some of the leading organizations in this space, such as the Ethereum Foundation, OpenBazaar and Coin Center. Just as the Internet created new possibilities that we didn’t foresee in its early years, the blockchain will give rise to new business models and ideas that may still be invisible. Following an engaging Foreword by Vitalik Buterin, this book is organized along these 7 chapters: 1. What is the Blockchain? 2. How Blockchain Trust Infiltrates 3. Obstacles, Challenges & Mental Blocks 4. Blockchain in Financial Services 5. Lighthouse Industries & New Intermediaries 6. Implementing Blockchain Technology 7. Decentralization as the Way Forward The Business Blockchain is an invitation for technologists to better understand the business potential of the blockchain, and for business minded people to grasp the many facets of blockchain technology. This book teaches you how to think about the blockchain.




Blockchain Applied


Book Description

Blockchain is the popular name given to the exciting, evolving world of distributed ledger technology (DLT). Blockchains offer equitable and secure access to data, as well as transparency and immutability. Organisations can decide to use blockchain to upgrade whatever ledgers they are currently deploying (for example, relational databases, spreadsheets and cumbersome operating models) for their data and technology stack in terms of books and records, transactions, storage, production services and in many other areas. This book describes the applied use of blockchain technology in the enterprise world. Written by two expert practitioners in the field, the book is in two main parts: (1) an introduction to the history of, and a critical context explainer about, the emergence of blockchain written in natural language and providing a tour of the features, functionality and challenges of blockchain and DLT; and (2) a series of six applied organisational use cases in (i) trade finance, (ii) healthcare, (iii) retail savings & investments, (iv) real estate, (v) central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and (vi) fund management that offer the reader a straightforward, easy-to-read comparison between 'old world' technology (such as platforms, people and processes) versus what blockchain ledgers offer to enterprises and organisations in terms of improved efficiency, performance, security and access to business data. Blockchain is sometimes tainted by association to Bitcoin, Onecoin and others. But as cryptocurrencies and stock markets continue to rise and fall with volatility and the world economy emerges changed by coronavirus, working from home and the threat of inflation, many enterprises, organisations and governments are looking again at the powerful features of blockchain and wondering how DLT may help them adapt. This book is an ideal introduction to the practical and applied nature of blockchain and DLT solutions for business executives, business students, managers, C-suite senior leaders, software architects and policy makers and sets out, clearly and professionally, the benefits and challenges of the actual business applications of blockchain.




Commercializing Blockchain


Book Description

The accessible, non-technical guide to applying and benefiting from blockchain technology. Blockchain has grown at an enormous rate in a very short period of time. In a business context, blockchain can level the playing field between small and large organisations in several ways: Exact copies of the immutable, time-stamped data is held by all parties, all transactions can be viewed in real time, data blocks are cryptographically linked, all raw materials are traceable and smart contracts ensure no middle-men, ease of audit and reduced friction. The trust, transparency, security, quality and reduced costs of blockchain make it a game-changing technology that crosses sectors, industries and borders with ease. Even though the technologies are ready for adoption, businesses remain largely unaware of their full potential and effective implementation. End users require accurate and up-to-date information on the practical applications of blockchain — Commercializing Blockchain provides it. A practical and easy-to-understand guide to blockchain, this timely book illustrates how this revolutionary technology can be used to transform governments, businesses, enterprises and entire communities. The author draws from his experience with global retailers, global technology companies, UCL Centre for Blockchain technologies, the government of the UK, Retail Blockchain Consortium and many other sources to present real-world case studies on the use and benefits of blockchain. Topics include financial transactions, tokenisation, identity management, supply chain transparency, global shipping and freight, counterfeiting and more. Provides practical guidance for blockchain transactions in business operations Provides practical guidance for blockchain transactions in business operations Demonstrates how blockchain can add value and bring increased efficiency to commercial operations Covers all of the essential components of blockchain such as traceability, provenance, certification and authentication Requires no technical expertise to embrace blockchain strategies Commercializing Blockchain: Strategic Applications in the Real World is ideal for enterprises seeking to develop and deploy blockchain technology, particularly in areas retail, supply chain and consumer goods.




Blockchain Success Stories


Book Description

Accessible and fun to read, this practical book contains a collection of stories of organizations using blockchain technology in practice. Through deep research and firsthand interviews, authors Sir John Hargrave and Evan Karnoupakis show you how leading-edge organizations have worked to integrate blockchain into their businesses. You'll start by exploring the origins of blockchain, with plain-English descriptions of industry terminology like bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts. Then you'll dive into 10 story-driven case studies that will teach you easy-to-understand blockchain best practices. Explore real-life examples of companies developing and integrating blockchain applications for mobile voting, credentialing, supply chains, and a $100 million virtual cat collectible marketplace Discover how blockchain is transforming industries like banking, communications, government, logistics, and nonprofits Learn about engaging blockchain success stories, such as Binance, Ethereum, and Circle Examine common blockchain best practices, with illustrations for easy reference, and learn how to apply them in your business, government project, or charitable foundation




The Emerald Handbook of Blockchain for Business


Book Description

This handbook equips academics, practitioners, and students with an understanding of the cutting-edge developments and applications of emerging blockchain technology. Covering the basic concepts while showcasing practical applications in intricate real-world situations, readers benefit from a useful balance of detailed and user-friendly coverage.