How did regulation shape the early days of the web, and what might crypto entrepreneurs today similarly (or not so similarly) expect as the technology matures?
The rise of crypto has introduced into the tech world a new lexicon, often adapted from fields as diverse as cryptography, finance and game theory. From nodes and proof-of-work to the Byzantine Generals’ Problem and zero-knowledge proofs, we provide concise yet in-depth explanations to help navigate the quickly changing landscape.
In the wake of the initial coin offering (ICO) boom of 2017, attention turned to how the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would view the new fundraising tool. How do such SEC investigations happen, how does network usage impact whether cryptocurrencies are deemed securities or not, and what the industry might expect next?
The combination of cloud, social, and mobile took gaming beyond a small base of just console- and PC-gamers to a massive player base. But the underlying business model — the concept of “free-to-play”, built on top of games-as-a-service — may have been the real innovation that led us to the global gaming phenomenons we have today.
Unfortunately, this means game developers have to balance the gamers who aren’t paying with those who are, so incentives between them aren’t aligned. Yet what if we could re-align those incentives — really, the economic relationships — in a more balanced way, thanks to blockchain technology and cryptoeconomic business models? It could also lead to new forms of collaboration, community, and creativity…
Crypto is early in its development, and the challenges of scaling decentralized networks are still being worked out by developers, UX designers, and others. What are the roadblocks — and opportunities — to building out a new computing platform?
