#which is why dot and bubble was really good in comparison - it was very simple; here's a girl in the bubble here are slugs here's racism

[theskoomacat]

ah, it's Saturday, or how I like to call it, "Emotionally Torture The Doctor Day"

[the-ghost-king]

do you ever think about how it’s canon that will actually looks a lot like apollo that apollo-lester himself confirmed this. Like Nico grows into a striking resemblance of his mother but Will Solace resembles Apollo in his looks.

Sorry to burst your bubble anon, but Nico doesn’t canonically look more like Maria- it’s just an idea I like. Nico canonically speaking resembles Hades more than Maria, while Bianca resembles Maria more so. I can’t find the exact line where this is confirmed, but in one instance Percy only took time to note Nico had Maria’s eyes, but even then Percy took time to note that Nico had Maria’s eyes, but when he looked into them he seen Hades. Which detracts away from the previous statement, and in fact, the only statement where Nico's been compared to Maria by anyone in the books.

I don’t think Will’s looks are so simple to explain... Because he doesn’t really resemble Apollo that much:

In Blood of Olympus, we of course have the iconic “Apollo is hot” thoughts from Nico:

I don’t think this necessarily means Will looks like Apollo, I think it just means he thinks Will’s hot, and with the sun in the background and the knowledge of Will’s lineage, Nico’s brain is just connecting practical dots. I don’t think this scene stands as sufficient evidence for anything besides Nico is very gay and is mistaking his attraction for frustration. There’s also another thing going on here, I’ll get to that later. 

The other time we see Will compared to Apollo is from Apollo himself:

Even here, the comparison isn’t really about Will’s looks, but about his mannerisms, personality, and interests. Although mannerisms and facial expressions are somewhat inherited traits, that’s not the same as appearance. 

“Kind eyes” isn’t all that descriptive, and many different things can be considered “kind” in regards to facial features. Also just because one persons facial features are described as kind this doesn’t mean that someone with different facial features aren’t also kind, this doesn’t however mean that they have the same facial features. 

“Healer’s hands” this doesn’t mean anything more than his hands are steady and “true”, healer’s hands is also commonly used when describing reliability and attentiveness. It could also be a reference to quick movements, or an even a light pressure. Again however, this doesn’t imply a certain appearance of Will’s hands but more so the mannerism and actions of Will through his hands. 

“Sun-warm demeanor” I could go into this and what Apollo means by that in comparison to himself, and I could elaborate on this in parallel to the actual sun (Helios, in this case) but I can sum it up by saying demeanor =/= looks. 

So from this scene in Tower of Nero, we can’t actually determine anything about Will’s appearance itself, however we can determine that Will at least shares some of Apollo’s more positive aspects in his mannerisms and behaviors. 

We only actually get one scene where Will's appearence is described in more detail beyond "blonde haired, blue eyes, athletic build", and that's also from Apollo in The Hidden Oracle:

Only Will and Apollo know Naomi, from what we can understand, it's unlikely anyone else does. Although Nico may have seen a photo of her or something since he and Will have started dating, Nico definetly hadn't seen one before then.

This brings us to the point I mentioned, previously during the "Apollo's hot memory" scene. If you meet someones parents, you immediently compare their features to that of there family, or at least I do this and I'm assuming it's a normal thing. Well, if Nico doesn't know Naomi, he would only have Apollo to compare and relate Will to, hence why Nico might think Apollo and Will look more alike than they really do- he simply doesn't know who Will actually looks like, his mother.

Apollo however, does know Will looks like his mom, and there's something incredibly intamate about the moment. You can almost see how Apollo scans his eyes acorss Will's features, his brow furrowed and his lips lightly parted in thought, for the moment when Will's face must catch in the light just so, and Apollo sees a glint of Naomi.

Apollo even calls Will, Naomi's son before he calls Will his own son. There's something about this scene, that does a good job of showcasing the love Apollo feels for his children, and the distance as well. And although Apollo and fatherhood is an interesting topic I'd love to discuss, the point of this scene in our current discussion is Will doesn't really look like Apollo, he just shares some of his behaviors and mannerisms.

Although I personally like the idea of Will and Nico both resembling their mothers in looks the most, canonically speaking Nico probably actually looks more like Hades while Will resembles Naomi more closely.

Again, sorry to burst your bubble anon, but no, Will looks like Naomi to those who know both of them. I would be willing to agree to the possibility that Will looks like an even mixture of both of his parents, but not that Will more closely resembles Apollo.

We do know however that he has a blend of mannerisms from both of them, which is an interesting and fun thing to note because it's such a small and intimate detail about a person.

[ionica01]

19! (For the winter prompts) & todomomo as the pairing! I am obsessed with your writing on AO3 and I just need moreeeee. Love all your work xx

I’m sorry this took me forever, but this piece is almost 5k so I hope it makes up for it! Thank you for all your support, and from now on I’ll have more time, so expect more requests to be answered!

Without further ado, here you go: TodoMomo (quirkless AU, sorry for that) for prompt 19: Meeting your so’s parents on Christmas! Enjoy!

Momo tightens the elastic around her ponytail for the third time that morning and checks her makeup and outfit again, using the mirror over her seat to see her reflection. She’s wearing a red, knee-length skirt and a creamy sweater, and she matched the Christmasy vibe with eyeliner and red lipstick. Simple but classy, as her mom always says. She just hopes simple is good enough. Scratch that, good isn’t good enough, it has to be perfect.

The driver notices- or maybe he feels the stress emanating from her, which wouldn’t surprise Momo, her feelings are that intense- and glances at her sideways, not averting his eyes from the road for longer than a second. “You look great, Yaoyorozu.”

She whips her head around to him, so fast that she has to check her hair again to make sure she didn’t ruin it. “I’m sorry for exasperating you,” she sighs. “I just really want to not disappoint them. After all, this is your family, Todoroki-kun.”

Todoroki’s eyes soften. He doesn’t smile often, but Momo has picked up the signals that his face gives instead of smiling: there’s the way his mouth relaxes and his eyes become warm, and the ease that takes over his entire being when he’s happy. The subtle twinkle in his eyes reminds Momo of diamonds, a fit comparison given how precious his smile is. These details are probably part of the reason why Momo finds herself falling deeper in love with him each passing day.

“They’re gonna love you anyway,” he says, and his calm and confident tone eases the clutch in her stomach a bit. “Well, except for my father. He doesn’t love anyone,” Todoroki shrugs.

Momo shakes her head and bites her lower lip. “Very helpful,” she mutters, but knows Todoroki has no bad intentions. He’s just direct like that, and that’s another part of his hard to define charm.

One of Todoroki’s hands leaves the wheel to plug in an USB and he presses a few keys, probably in hopes that music will ease the tension in the car. Momo easily recognizes Next to Me, one of the songs that easily entered her top upon the first listening. Under any other circumstances, she’d sing along, but now she only clutches her hands together in her lap and closes her eyes, letting the lyrics wash over her.

A few months ago, Momo would have politely chuckled if someone were to tell her she’d be spending Christmas with her boyfriend’s family, mainly because she didn’t have a boyfriend all the way up to July and no interest in boys whatsoever until June, when she happened to stumble across a certain red and white haired boy. Literally.

A smile sneaks onto Momo’s nervous face as she remembers their first meeting. It couldn’t have been more anticlimactic even if they had followed a script. She was walking down the winding library halls while carrying a pile of books obscuring her view. She should have known that wouldn’t end well, but the library wasn’t usually brimming with people, not at the start of the vacation, at least.

Her calculations proved to be wrong, however, the moment she walked into someone and lost her balance. With books scattered all over the floor and her ankle stinging, Momo raised her eyes to a handsome face and different coloured eyes looking at her with worry. And that’s how they met.

Thinking back on it, Todoroki could have been angry, or he could have just picked up the books and walked away, or he could have not kept in touch with her. Momo is glad he did neither of the above-mentioned, because taking her to the infirmary turned into taking her home and that turned into a tea date that escalated into a movie date and a stolen kiss during the credits.

And that all led to her sitting in his car, riding to his house in the outskirts of Tokyo, with her clothes packed for a four-days-long trip. A trip that scares her more than getting a bad grade did and that stirs up more butterflies in her stomach than her first kiss.

“We’re almost there,” Todoroki’s voice breaks through Momo’s loud thoughts and she realises the song changed to Bubbly quite some time ago.

The landscape changed, too. The tall skyscrapers have vanished behind the dense clouds, and Todoroki’s black car is now slowing down on a quiet street, disturbed only by the sound of the car engine and the songs of birds who weren’t scared away by the cold. The houses are a far cry from the overcrowded city, and the wooden constructions make it easier for Momo to breathe.

“Is this where you grew up?” she asks, almost pressing her nose against the window.

“Yes. My parents were both brought up in typical Japanese houses.” Momo should have guessed- his apartment is furnished with tatami mats and low tables, and he sleeps on a futon. “This is it,” he announces as he stirs the wheel into an alleyway leading up to an impressive house, to say the least.

There was no way Momo could have mentally prepared herself for it. The house is the same size as hers, if not smaller, but the bamboo rooftop and the windscreens, as well as the two dragons guarding the front door are on a whole new level. Her heart squeezes uncomfortably, and she unconsciously grips Todoroki’s right hand. He squeezes her hand back and turns the keys in the gear.

“Come on,” he says and nudges her shoulder gently with his other hand. “Fuyumi-nee can’t wait to meet you!”

Momo gulps- her throat is dry. She’s heard a lot about Fuyumi-san though, and the stories Shouto tells her range from funny to endearing to slightly crazy. It feels like she already knows her, and this thought is enough to help her get out of the car and pick up her luggage from the back trunk.

Their arrival doesn’t go unnoticed, as proven by the swing of the front door before Momo gets to steel herself or secure her hand in Shouto’s for good luck. He’s locking up the car when the massive wooden doors open, reveal a woman- petite next to the imposing entrance- with white hair and red spots. Two other men are standing on each side of her, and Momo finds herself surprised by the fact that they aren’t wearing yukatas or samurai swords.

“Shou-chan!” the woman exclaims and jumps down the steps with calculated precision. Momo doesn’t need long to connect the dots, and by the time the woman is done hugging Shouto, she has recognized the red-haired older brother as Hoshi and his white-haired twin as Satomi.

“And you must be Yaoyorozu-chan!” Fuyumi spins on her heels with the energy of a toddler and catches Momo in an unexpected warm hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you! Shou-chan has told me so much about you, it feels like you’re already my little sister!”

“I didn’t say that much,” Todoroki quietly protests, but his attack is weak against his sister.

“Oh please! You’ve never brought a girl home before, Shouto,” Hoshi adds with a knowing grin and shakes Momo’s hand, all the while offering her a dazzling smile. Momo never thought handshakes could be this warm, but Hoshi manages to convey just as much warmth as Fuyumi through his simple gesture.

While Hoshi joins his little sister in the complex process that is teasing Todoroki, Satomi offers to pick up Momo’s luggage and leads her inside. Momo needs a total of ten seconds to figure that he’s the calmer, more reserved twin, and that none of his words are wasted. He doesn’t engage in small talk, much like Todoroki, but his actions speak for themselves, and Momo feels calm envelope her as he opens the door for her.

Todoroki jons her quickly, apparently exhausted from Hoshi and Fuyumi’s never ending string of questions. He brushes his shoulder against Momo’s to announce that he won’t leave her side again, and she smiles back, without having to force herself this time. The impossibly grande house is populated with warm people- and she’s starting to think feeling comfortable won’t be that hard of a task.

“Where’s mother?” Todoroki asks Satomi, picking up Momo’s luggage from his hands.

“She’s probably-”

“Shouto,” a female voice rings from the top of the stairs and both Momo and Todoroki whip their heads around to the speaker.

If Momo had any face associated with the word “beauty”, then it was instantly replaced with the image of Todoroki’s mother. She’s not taller than Todoroki, but her slender figure and delicate features give her an elegance that leaves a mark on Momo. She moves down the stairs one by one, with the grace of a falling snowflake, and opens her arms in a quiet invitation. Todoroki hugs her just as wordlessly, but a coy smile blooms on his mother’s face and a bond seems to be reinforced right before Momo’s eyes.

Once she lets go of her son, the woman looks at Momo and offers her a gentle smile. “You must be Yaoyorozu-san. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Momo breathes out as she bows, lower than the etiquette suggests. She feels a hand on her jaw, rising her face up, and before she can say anything else, she finds herself between the arms of Todoroki’s mother.

“Don’t bow, child. You’re a welcomed guest in our house.” The hug is warm, yet Momo can find no better comparison for it than a winter day. Maybe it’s because the woman’s hair is as white as snow, or because the contrast between her cold elegance and warm humanity is as stark as the one between fluffy mufflers and cold snowflakes, or perhaps it’s all because of the calm she bestows upon Momo.

“Welcome to our house. Please, make yourself at home,” she says as she lets go of her, and her voice is like bells jingling in the clear air of winter. “Shouto, you two can share your former room.” She turns back to look at Momo, “If you need anything, just say the word. We’ll be having dinner soon- I’d like to get to know you better.”

“We all would,” Hoshi singsongs as he waves the two goodbye.

***

Shouto hasn’t missed his house or his room in particular, but he surely likes the sight of Yaoyorozu glued to his window, her lips slightly apart as she marvels the skyscraper-less landscape. He could get used to watching her watch the city, the place he grew up in, imagining what it must have been like to live there.

Apart from his family, he has missed his cat, who is now rubbing its head against his trousers. He kneels to pet it, and she nudges him with her wet nose, sniffing at his palm. A happy meow escapes her when she recognizes the smell.

“So this is your famous cat,” Yaoyorozu leaves her spot at his windowsill. It’s as if a work of art has been disturbed when the gift of life was bestowed upon it, and Shouto now regrets not having taken any pictures. She joins him on the tatami mat and scratches Eri between her ears, eliciting a purr out of her. “Aw, isn’t she the cutest!” she gushes.

“I knew you’d love her,” Shouto says with confidence. Somehow, he knew she’d like his family in general, and that the feeling would be mutual. Still, he can’t get rid of the anxiety that comes with his father’s arrival the next day. But for now, she’s engaged in a match of who can meow the cutest with his cat, and he’s not going to let Endeavour spoil his entertainment.

Shouto decides he could watch her like this forever. He’s not sure what about her made him ask her out- he didn’t consider himself superficial enough to say it was just her beauty, but he’d be lying if he said that didn’t play a part in his decision. Whatever it was, though, he’s glad he did, because Yaoyorozu may just be one of the best thing that has ever happened to him, and her smile and melodious voice is enough to make a miserable day that much better.

He curses his growling stomach for interrupting the display of affection between his cat and his girlfriend, but she laughs it off with her jingling giggle. “I think your mother mentioned dinner in-” she checks her watch “-10 minutes. Let me freshen up and we can go downstairs?”

“Sure.”

This is all new to him- to them. Holding her hand as they climb down the stairs in his house. Her meeting his family. He remembers he’ll have to meet hers for New Year’s and feels a knot in his stomach, squeezing her hand tighter subconsciously. She interprets it as an encouragement for herself and smiles reassuringly.

This dinner must be the best one Shouto’s ever had, even taking first place from his fourth date with Yaoyorozu- the one where he finally asked her out properly. His sister presents Iida-san to them and Yaoyorozu relaxes upon finding out she’s not the only date here. Hoshi asks all about their relationship, making Shouto wonder whether he has some sort of gossip diary he gathers this information in. Satomi’s lips curve into a smile every now and then, and when Momo tells them the amusement park story, he outright laughs.

“I had never been on a roller coaster before, how was I supposed to know they were gonna let us fall?” Shouto protests quietly.

“You freezeed,” Momo giggles, a hand covering her mouth as to stifle the laughter that Shouto loves so much. Her beautiful chuckles are overpowered by Hoshi’s full laughter.

“You did the same thing when you saw a spider for the first time,” Fuyumi wheezes out between laughs.

“You’re scared of spiders?” Yaoyorozu asks.

“I used to be when I was younger. While I may not hate them as much anymore, I still prefer not seeing them.”

“You asked a nurse to kill the one that sneaked into my hospital room, though,” his mother sabotages him.

Yaoyorozu chuckles again, rendering it impossible for Shouto to pout.

The subject changes to Hoshi’s fear of shadows, though he insists he’s cured it, then to Satomi’s wife who is coming back from France the next day- no one knows how the eldest Todoroki married a photo model, because he keeps as quiet as he can about his private life, and Shouto isn’t sure whether he’s truly doing it just for her sake. Fuyumi can’t evade the wedding talk for too long, either, and dessert finds the Todorokis planning the only daughter’s floral arrangements.

“What about Zinnias?” Yaoyorozu muses. Curious looks make her continue, “They mean lasting love and goodness in the language of flowers.”

“That sounds lovely!” Fuyumi claps her hands together, pleased. “Momo-chan, you need to help me plan this wedding!” Shouto isn’t sure when his sister has gotten so chummy with his girlfriend, but women have an uncanny way of forging bonds and he’s just glad they’re getting along.

He steals a glance at his mother, who’s watching the two girls with a content smile. It’s only after dinner, when his siblings catch Yaoyorozu into their pace and whisk her away to the living room, that Shouto gets to talk to his mother.

They’re both quiet as they do the dishes, simply passing the bowls from the one to the other, the same way they used to do when Shouto was just a child, only now, he’s taller than his mother and he doesn’t need a chair to perk up on in order to reach the sink. There’s something oddly comforting about doing the dishes, and his mother’s words flow just as effortlessly as the water from the tap.

“She’s a nice girl.” He just hums in agreement. “I like her. But more importantly, you seem to really like her, too.” Shouto’s hand stills, the towel wet in his hands. His arched eyebrow is enough of a question, “It’s the cliched ‘the way you look at her’,” his mother explains with a small smile. “It’s like she’s your world, and your eyes really warm up when she laughs.”

Shouto’s eyes melt again when his mother smiles, and she tilts her head, “Just like that.”

***

Momo doesn’t need long to decide she loves this family. There’s something she noticed at Todoroki, too, that characterises all of them- the way they speak honestly, not saying what they don’t mean to say, but not beating around the bush, either. The way the siblings interact gives her more context for his ability to read her like an open book, and the strong bond they share makes her understand why his eyes light up when he brings them up in discussions.

After one of the best dinners she’s ever had- and she isn’t only talking about the quality of the food- she finds herself in the living room, sitting on a tatami mat- they cover every inch of the house- discussing which Christmas movie to watch. Shouto joins them just as they’ve decided to put Home Alone on.

“We watch this every year,” Fuyumi explains as she pulls her knees to her chest and rests her head on Iida’s shoulder. Momo feels Todoroki’s arm sneak around her waist and she nestles into him, the way they do whenever they marathon Disney movies. And just like she does then, she falls asleep right before the credits roll.

She wakes up to a bed she recognizes as not being her own, and it takes her a good minute to remember where she is. The futon next to hers is empty, and Momo guesses she slept in after the exhaustion of meeting the Todorokis yesterday.

Momo quickly brushes her teeth, pulls on a pair of jeans and her favourite, white turtleneck sweater, and she takes down the stairs two at a time. At the end of the hallway, chatter rolls out of the kitchen in waves, accompanied by the inviting smell of fresh coffee and toast.

“Morning,” she says as she slips into the full kitchen. The others greet her with wide smiles, while Todoroki pats the spot next to his. It’s only after she sits down that Momo notices a new person at the table- a gorgeous woman sitting next to Satomi, definitely his wife.

Introductions are made again, but Momo is used to them by now. So many things have changed in the span of a day: the wooden entrance doors aren’t imposing anymore, and she has enough courage to decorate them with a Christmas bell. The tatami mats don’t feel foreign under her feet any longer, and the kotatsu must be the warmest place ever.

Christmas Eve is spent decorating the house and, to Momo’s delight, she’s allowed to partake in the family traditions. The tree is white and red, which gives Fuyumi a reason to make fun of Todoroki for the aesthetic goals, calling him “Little Light”. Hoshi points out that she’s not that far from a lollipop herself, but she states that nothing can beat Shouto’s hair.

As the oldest son, Hoshi puts the first globe on the tree, then Satomi adds a candle shaped decoration, Fuyumi decorates the tree with a blue glass globe, the kind which has “snowflakes” inside, and Todoroki is allowed to put on the star. Even Satomi’s wife- Haruki- puts on a red globe, and Iida seems to have taken a liking to a plastic Santa.

Todoroki’s mother holds out the box of decorations to Momo. “Everyone puts the same thing on the tree each year, before we start the real decorating,” she explains. “You should choose yours, Yaoyorozu-san.”

Momo’s eyes grow wide. Todoroki’s mother nods encouragingly, as does Todoroki himself, so Momo peeks into the box. There are a tone of tasteful decorations there, but a glass angel attracts her attention. “This one,” she confirms and gently hangs it in the middle of the tree.

The entire family applauds, and Todoroki wraps an arm around her waist. A burst of something warm feels her insides as she understands that this is her ‘initiating’ ritual in the Todoroki family, and she leans into her boyfriend’s frame. The angel watches them all, and she prays it protects this wonderful family.

***

Shouto grows increasingly apprehensive as the evening approaches, and with it, his father’s arrival. His reaction is the only one he’s afraid of- and not because he cares about it that much. In fact, how his father perceives Yaoyorozu couldn’t matter less- to him. To her, however, he knows it’s important. And he prays his father won’t ruin Christmas for the most important person in his life.

Yaoyorozu has relaxed a great deal around his family. She, Fuyumi, Haruki and his mother even had their afternoon tea together and forbad the boys from entering- Shouto is sure this means a ton of embarrassing stories about him have reached Yaoyorozu’s ears and he’s currently running a checklist through his mind, preparing himself for the worst.

They’re in his room, him swiping through social media and her reading, head against his chest, when she suddenly puts down the book and rolls around on her stomach. He sets the phone aside as she starts talking. “I think I’m starting to understand some things.”

“Like what?”

She rolls back into her spot and Shouto starts playing with her untied hair, running his fingers through the silky black. “Where you get your careful side from. Your entire family is gentle, just like you.” He knows she’s being genuine, because she has that faraway look that means she’s emptying her soul. Eyes set on a spot on the ceiling, she continues, “And your manners are just like Satomi-san’s and your mother’s. Fuyumi-san is and Hoshi-san are much more energetic, but they also know how to listen when needed. And you have the same laugh as Fuyumi-san, you know?”

She finally looks up to him, flashing her white teeth in a heartfelt smile. Shouto can’t help but kiss her, and he feels her giggling under his lips. There’s nothing he can do but laugh as well.

***

Shouto should have known good things can’t last for too long. The sun set a few hours ago, and Hoshi’s fear of shadows comes to life as a huge one is cast over the entrance gates.

The first sign he’s here is the force with which the door is closed downstairs, the sound so loud that it startles Yaoyorozu from her playing with Eri. The cat hides behind Shouto, but he soon leaves her without cover, because he gets up and steels herself for what’s coming. Heavy steps cause crackling sounds in the floor and a deep voice growls downstairs.

Shouto’s head is spinning, and he vaguely hears Yaoyorozu’s voice. A part of him realises she’s talking to him, but the other part is trying really hard not let himself be overwhelmed by all the memories this man has engraved in his mind.

Yaoyorozu pulls his arm and her blurry face appears in his field of vision. “Todoroki-kun!” is all she says, and all he needs to hear. The fog in his mind slowly clears, and he puts up a barrier against the tornado of bad memories.

“I’m okay,” he manages. She still holds his hand though, and it takes a minute of more closed doors downstairs and Satomi’s voice for Shouto to finally ask. “Do you want to-?” he points towards the door.

She nods and squeezes his hand, and they make it down the stairs together. If that same morning holding her hand seemed magical, he deems it as necessary now.

***

The head of the Todoroki family is huge, but his presence is even bigger. As soon as Momo sees his back, she feels a shudder pass through her and digs the nails of the hand not holding Todoroki’s into her palm.

“Welcome home, father,” Todoroki says in a dry voice.

The man turns around and glares- or at least that’s how Momo interprets it. “Shouto,” is all he says as a greeting, as if acknowledging the existence of his son is more than enough. “And this is your-” he seems to struggle to get the word out “-girlfriend?”

“Yaoyorozu Momo, a pleasure to meet you,” she has enough presence of spirit to say and bows.

“I see,” is all the man says before whipping his head around and growling, “Meet me after dinner. Both of you.”

***

Hate is a strong word, even stronger than love. Shouto loves several people and things, but he only hates one, and that is his father.

A part of him -a small part of him- wants to forgive him, if only to experience a normal father-son relationship. But every time that part acts up, his scar burns and the pain in his mother’s eyes stings Shouto so deeply that he knows he can’t forgive the man who calls himself his father but never acts like one.

Sitting across from him now, Shouto feels like laughing. The man scrutinising his girlfriend puts up the act of a real father when he asks, “For how long have you two been dating?”

“Five months,” Shouto informs him.

For a moment, he ponders the information, and then he addresses her, “You said you were a Yaoyorozu, right?” She nods. “They’re good business partners. And I heard their daughter is fairly intelligent, so I suppose there’s nothing wrong with your relationship.”

Shouto knows what he means- healthy offsprings to carry on the Todoroki name. He’s glad his father at least had enough decency to keep that for himself, but the practical way in which he regards Yaoyorozu ticks him off. She’s so much more than a name and an IQ- she’s kind, and understanding, funny and gentle, elegant and cute at the same time, and Shouto feels like he wants to tell his father all of this and hide Yaoyorozu from him at the same time.

“I would like a word with you, Shouto,” the man says and Yaoyorozu knows it’s her cue to go. She bows again, and Shouto wants to tell her she’s wasting such gestures on this man, but he bites his tongue.

As soon as the sound of the closed door reaches their ears, the oldest Todoroki says, “How have you been?”

It’s weird that he worries about something like this, and Shouto wonders if it’s a trap. “Fine,” he says drily.

“And college?”

“It’s my second to last year,” he informs his father. There’s no use in telling him he’s one of the firsts in his class- if he wasn’t, he’s sure his father would have known.

“Have you thought about what you’ll do afterwards?”

Of course it is about his future. But with Endeavour, it never is the sort of paternal worries about his son’s future, but the selfish wish that Shouto would take over the family business when his older brothers weren’t deemed “good enough”.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Shouto says instead of an outright no, because he loves the business itself. He wants to keep the labs alive and could lose himself in research, but he hates the idea of doing it like his father did: ignoring the people completely and focusing only on the results.

His father lets out something akin to a sigh and Shouto tilts his head curiously, but doesn’t let it show on his face. Endeavour never sighs. He never lets any sign of weakness show, in fact. But he follows his strange manifestation by an even stranger line, “I want to change.”

Shouto thinks he didn’t hear right at first, but his father continues, “I want to become a person you’ll be proud of calling your father.”

It’s all he says, but he does make an attempt to pat Shouto’s head. The latter dodges, and to his surprise, his father only nods. “That’s all,” he eventually admits, and Shouto gets up lightheaded.

He doesn’t know when he made it up the stairs or if he closed the door, but he collapses on the futon and drapes a hand over his eyes.

“Are you okay?” Yaoyorozu’s soft voice asks, and she feels her next to him, head lowered over his face. He doesn’t need to open his eyes to know she’s worried, and he blesses her presence with every ounce of his being.

“Just overwhelmed,” he admits and inhales deeply. If what his father said was true, Christmas miracles really do exist. “I’m sorry for the way he treated you,” he continues. “That’s just what he sees people for- resumes and the ability to make a profit off their work.”

“He wasn’t as bad as you make it sound. Maybe he’s just socially inept,” she says with what Shouto interprets as a small smile. He slowly opens his eyes to see her healing face. “I’m here, okay?”

She really is- she always is there, and Shouto is has been aware of how much it means to him for awhile now, but never put it into words. It’s cheesy, but she is his Christmas miracle. Not that he’ll ever say that out loud. Instead, he says the closest thing to it, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[bad0mens]

Title: Pas de Deux II - Act I

Pairings: Fluri

Warnings: Unbeta’edness

Authors’ Notes: I’ve been sitting on this follow up for years now, so here it finally is. It’s 3 parts total that I will be posting today, Friday the 22nd, and Saturday the 23rd. The very last (planned) Encore will be going up the 24th to round out the series at this time. Thanks for reading and sticking with me during my dry spells.

Disclaimer: Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

His focus was fixed, the goal ahead of him, and the goalie waiting to intercept. The goalie must have thought his defenses were flawless, impervious to any attack, but Flynn could see the opening.  The goalie's left leg was the less steady so he overcompensated with his right. If he needed to move suddenly, if Flynn could manage the feint, he could score. And if they could score, the Knights would be capable of an overwhelming victory against the Dragoons.

He shot left. Hachette dodged one of the opposing team, ricocheting the puck off his stick and to LeBlanc. Rammed hard into the glass a second later, LeBlanc shot it back to Flynn, who had skidded in close enough to the goal to line up his shot. A pair of the Dragoons tried to intercept, but it was too late. Flynn was already following through with his first swing, and sliding forward to dodge them. Just as he had expected, as he feinted left, and the goalie moved to far to overcompensate for his leg. It gave Flynn the edge he need, the sparse seconds and the barest inches of space.

One good slap was all took to send the puck careening into the goal, hitting the net so hard that it bounced backward. The siren buzzed in their favor and the shouting that came over the stadium between the spectators and the announcer signaled their win.

It was a victory, and a welcome one that added another tally mark to the Zaphias Knight's ever growing streak. They had rough games, they lost, but overwhelmingly, they were a forced to be reckoned with and that fact wasn't lost among the opponents they had faced and those that they would in the future. It was something to look forward to.

But winning wasn't really what Flynn cared about. Oh, he liked it. Even loved it. The cheer of the crowd and that praise, but it was the game itself, the rush it gave him, the thrill that sang in his blood like a war cry when he played. He played for that. Winning was a bonus, and a bonus that the Knights were enjoying. They never would have made it to the semi-finals of the state championship without it. And with it, they might go even further. All in all, things were looking up for the formerly struggling minor league team.

The hot shower that followed brought him back down out of the high he experienced when he played and allowed him to feel a little more comfortable in the skin that was his own after being pure energy on the ice.

It was a pity that Yuri hadn't been able to make it to the away game. He made it to as many of them as he possibly could, but it couldn't be avoided this time. The Halure Dance Troupe was in the midst of practice for the next big show, although Flynn hadn't been able to learn exactly which ballet they would be doing next. Whatever it was though, Flynn was looking forward to it. And he was looking forward to getting home.

"Hey, Flynn!" LeBlanc called across the locker room. "Someone's here to see you!"

His heart jumped, fumbling over a slew of beats. Had Yuri made it after all? It wasn't the first time he had showed up unexpectedly during an away game, but it was always welcome.

He slammed his locker a little too hard and moved a little too quickly to not seem excited. Of course he was. No doubt any of his teammates would have felt the same in their loved ones showed up unexpectedly.

He passed the last row of lockers and his hurried steps came to a cold, stunned standstill. It was not Yuri. He sunk at the sight of two older men that he had never met before, but squared himself instantly in their presence.

"Are you Scifo?" The first asked.

"Yes, sir."

The man reached out and shook his hand. "I'm George Bryant, owner of the Slyvanrant Rhyards. This is Alden Warner, the team's coach. We have a proposition for you."

The Slyvarant Rhyards were a championship team, and more importantly, a major league team. The proposition they had offered Flynn was hard to ignore, and harder not to be interested in. The major leagues were serious business and the goal to which all minor league players aspired. Flynn was no different. The offer was impossible to deny, and he didn't. They did allow him time to think about it, and he had been since the moment he walked back into the locker room to the encouragement of his teammates.

The unexpected meeting left his brain brimming with possibilities, the advantages of which were hard to ignore.

Playing in the major leagues meant a broader range of teams to play against, a raise in his pay that was high enough to seem surreal in comparison to what he made now. It could mean fame and fortune, and playing with, and against, some of the most talented people in the sport. It would also mean moving.

Zaphias was comfortable and homey and Slyvarant was big and sprawling and foreign. But Zaphias had felt that way once before. That was before Yuri.

What would he have to say when Flynn told him? How would he react? Some months ago, he had been offered something similar, so it might not even come as a surprise. Yuri hadn't taken his opportunity, and gave flimsy excuses as to why, but never elaborated further. Flynn was taking this seriously.

He didn't like the prospect of leaving Yuri behind and attempting a long distance relationship. Zaphias felt like home because of Yuri, so maybe Slyvarant would, too. He hadn't thought much before on asking Yuri to move in with him. Yuri practically lived there anyway, and had a key so he could come and go as he pleased. The next step was making it official, and this could be the chance for that.

While in Slyvarant, before the team took the bus home, Flynn took a day to tour the city. It was nice enough, maybe not as clean as Zaphias, but respectable in its own way. With the idea of he and Yuri both moving here, Flynn looked at living costs and grabbed apartment guides. He even spoke to the director of a local dance troupe about the possibility of Yuri moving. Overall, this was promising and Flynn couldn't keep his mind off the matter during the whole bus ride back to Zaphias. He would have to bring Yuri along to tour. He was already planning it, but he wanted it to be a surprised. He wanted just the right time to break the news to Yuri.

Flynn texted Yuri as soon as he got back into town. It was late now, so he might have been asleep.

[I just got in. Are you up?]

It was a few minutes before a reply came. Flynn put away his travel bag and began thinking that Yuri was probably long asleep at this late hour, until the chime on his phone rang out through the silence of his apartment.

[At practice.]

[Still?]

[Never played this role before]

[Oh. Would you be up for a late night dinner afterward?] He hesitated in asking that, because the excitement bubbling up inside of him would have made keeping his secretly nearly impossible. It would have to come out.

[Sorry. Don't know when I'll be done. How was your game?] He must have been very busy prepping for the new show this late at night. He practiced hard and frequently, and he danced every role perfectly. Yuri was no stranger to late nights when he felt a dance needed work. He was certainly dedicated.

[Great. I'll tell you all about it later.]

[Don't wait up for me.]

A smile tugged at Flynn's lips as he typed in the reply. Three simple little words that so perfectly described how he felt. [I love you.]

[Good night.] The answer he wanted never came, but it didn't bother him now.

With the possibilities singing in his brain, bubbling over and pouring out and overwhelming his every nerve like a flood, it was nearly impossible to sleep. The thought was terrifying and wonderful, nerve-wracking and exciting. The next morning did little to dull his enthusiasm, even waking alone. It was nothing unusual for Yuri to return to his own apartment after a long night of practice rather than come to Flynn's. That could change.

He texted Yuri again. The proposition of a date, a nice dinner out together. Tolbyccia Pizza was their usual haunt, but this called for something a nicer. Between their busy schedules, they didn't often have a chance for a finer meal. When Yuri texted back, they agreed on a time and a place. Flynn couldn't say that he wasn't nervous about breaking the news, but he hoped that it was merely excitement in disguise. He had no idea how Yuri would react to the news, but he was hopeful, and that hope drove him for the rest of the day.

Why Flynn wanted a fancy dinner out, Yuri couldn't guess, but it was going to be a nice change of pace from their usual, not that he ever got sick of Don's pizza. Yuri even bothered to dress up, even though the button up shirt and blazer felt more restrictive than his skin tight dance clothing. The tie felt like it was strangling him, but he put up with it anyway. With the way their dates usually went, it would end up being used for more than wearing later on.

Flynn picked him up and went then together to one of fine dining restaurants that dotted Zaphias's downtown area. The car ride was strangely quiet, Flynn's eyes fixed hard on the city streets before him and his fingers drumming nervously against the steering wheel. The press of his foot on the brake, and then the shift to gas a little too sudden, not at all as smooth as they usually were.

Even after being being seated, Flynn was still fidgeting, a ball of nervous energy across the table. If it wasn't the anxious twitch of his fingers over the tablecloth, it was the nervous rocking of his leg just beneath the table. By the time their soup arrived, Yuri couldn't handle it anymore and just asked.

"So what's with the sudden interest in fine dining?"

"N-Nothing. I mean, we don't usually come to a place like this. I thought it would be a nice change."

Yuri didn't take that at face value, but waited a moment before proceeding with his line of questioning. "Seriously. What's going on?"

Flynn bit his lower lip, something he only did when he was nervous. If he thought that Yuri couldn't read his body language after all these months, and all their intimacy, he was wrong.

He smiled a little, a better sign than a grave look. "Our away game went well. Really well... So well that the owner of the Slyvarant Rhyards wants to sign me."

Yuri had to forcibly stop himself from dropping his spoon in surprise.

"They're offering me a chance at the major leagues. It would mean moving--" he didn't stop talking, but Yuri stopped listening.

His heart stopped, cold and unable to move in his chest, frozen with a strange panic and fear that flooded his ears and veins. His mouth dried out completely and he found himself guzzling down his water to quench the nervous thirst that filled him. He couldn't panic. He had always known this would happen anyway.

"--and I want you to come with me."

"What?"

"I want you to come with me. To Slyvarant."

His words dried up as quickly as his mouth had.

"There's a really famous troupe there and they even agreed to let you audition and I think that this could be really good for the both of us and well, I guess what I'm trying to say is... I think we should move in together."

There was silence. Was he waiting for a reaction for Yuri? Yuri didn't know what to do or say. There was certainly no appropriate word to explain what he was feeling and if there was, it was too gentle for the harshness that rocked him. He put on a calm face, but when he didn't speak, Flynn continued.

"I don't want to rush things. I'm just putting the idea out there and I haven't decided definitely on anything yet."

"This is... sudden." He finally managed, but it wasn't an answer or a real response.

"I know, but we've got some time to think about it. I've been invited back for a proper tryout next weekend." Flynn's hand reached across the table and fell over his. The tender shock sunk deep. "I'd really like it if you came with me."

His appetite was gone and his stomach wound in knots. Conflicted was not a strong enough word to describe how he felt. There was no need to be panicked. This was bound to happen. This was inevitable. Flynn had bigger and better prospects ahead of him, but why he seemed so keen on dragging Yuri along, was a mystery.

"So, what do you say?"

"Sure."

He wished that he could have stopped himself from saying that, but the brightness in Flynn's eyes was radiant and Yuri couldn't bear to look at him anymore. There was no reason for him to feel so awful about this news. Maybe the trip would change his mind. Maybe Yuri could finally find himself being open and honest. Maybe.

A few days hadn't eased his worry, even while immersed in the steps of the Halure Dance Troupe's newest production. Persephone was a lesser known ballet, and as always, the director chose to use her own take on the story. Yuri didn't care much one way or another. He was just glad that they were done with Romeo and Juliet. The part of Hades was one he hadn't played before, so the distraction of practice at least allowed him to pull away from the shock of Flynn's news and think about it clearly. But no amount of dancing was able to make it leave his mind completely. It remained as a dark pool in the very back of his mind, just waiting for the moment when he would stop and it could attempt to sink him once more.

Flynn had already had his heart set on going, on leaving. Yuri could see it in his eyes, filled with the dreams that would come with his bright future. And it was radiant like the sun, like Flynn himself, and that brightness reduced Yuri to a fading shadow.

Yuri's mind was already set, too, even before the trip. He didn't want to go. He wanted to stay. He had made that decision once before and Flynn hadn't had any bearing on it then and he sure as hell didn't now. But he had still agreed to the trip to Slyvarant, to the place that Flynn would go to. It couldn't hurt to see that which was going to pull Flynn away.

With no one else to talk to about it, and the need to get it off his chest burning holes in him, he confided in Estelle. It was a mistake. Bottling it up inside would have been better. Once he told her everything, she was only supportive and enthusiastic.

"That's so exciting, Yuri!" Estelle said over her cup of tea. "You could be famous in a city like Slyvarant."

"Yeah, I guess." He didn't care about fame. If he had, than he would have just accepted the offer months earlier from Yeager, the talent scout from the famous Dahngrest ballet.

Flynn had nearly begged him to stay once before, and now he was the one on the other side, the one with bigger and better prospects ahead of him and with nothing to lose.

"And Flynn's already scheduled you an audition with the biggest troupe in Slyvarant. They put on the biggest, most expensive productions I've ever seen. Imagine what they could pay you, what they could offer you."

It wasn't like he hadn't. But he wasn't in dance for the money. He liked the struggling little troupe he worked for, with it's interesting and diverse productions.

"But those aren't really reasons that you care about." She was unnecessarily astute at times.

"Not really."

"If not those things, Flynn then? I know he wouldn't have asked you if he wasn't absolutely serious."

"It... it's not that. It has nothing to do with Flynn." It had everything to do with Flynn no matter what Yuri said and they both knew it.

She let out a soft, sort of discontented sigh, blowing steam away from her tea in the same breath. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." That was a lie also. His mind was made up.

"Maybe you'll change your mind when you're actually there. It's a great opportunity for the both of you." She was trying to help. "It can't hurt to go and look." She didn't understand. She didn't know.

"I suppose." Another lie.

"It'll be okay."

When he couldn't reply, Estelle let it rest at that and eventually had to leave him alone once more. The gym was his next destination. Pounding the sandbag, the fire it ignited in his muscles, maybe that could burn away this... whatever it was. He was done feeling like this. It was stupid and wrong and annoying and painful. It's not like Flynn was abandoning him. Why did it feel like that? Flynn wanted to live with him. Flynn wanted more than what they already had. Flynn wanted things that Yuri couldn't give him, no matter how hard he tried.

When the flame of his energy finally burned out, he felt no better. But Estelle had been right. It couldn't hurt to go. There was no harm in entertaining these ideas, the notion that maybe this could work, that maybe this was right, that maybe he deserved to be happy. It was too late to back out now. He had already taken the weekend off and packed and Flynn had already booked them hotel reservations. He could handle this, even if his mind was set. How bad could it be? There was no reason for him to be so concerned. Things were different now and Flynn actually wanted to be with him. Flynn may have even--

Yuri stopped himself there. Flynn said it often, that thorny, three word phrase that reopened old wounds and scratched in new scars. Those oppressively hot and unfair words threatened to smother him. Those weapons were too strong for Yuri to fend off.

When it was said and done, he returned home, to the quiet cold of his own bed without Flynn's warmth and words there. This place was nearly alien now. He barely knew it. Dust covered surfaces before kept clean. The shower was bone dry. So many of his nights were spend in Flynn's bed, in his arms, and that made all of this sting even more.

The car was packed with his own bags and he had the hotel papers in hand. Even though the drive was a long one, he was looking forward to it, to the prospect that lay ahead in Slyvarant for him, for Yuri, for both of them.

Yuri had been too busy with practice in the days before the trip for the two of them to discuss plans for their future and the possibility of Slyvarant. Even the very night before their departure, he practiced late and told Flynn not to wait up for him. That was easier said that done, as sleep proved elusive with the trip and the destination and the future at the forefront of Flynn's mind, driving out all else. He wished they had had time to talk about the trip at least the night before, instead of all the thoughts brewing in Flynn's brain making him feel restless and senseless and crazed. But he got into the car and drove to pick up Yuri at his own apartment.

He was waiting out front, his single, beaten up black suitcase at his feet, watching the road listlessly as Flynn pulled into the first available parking spot. Yuri was pulling open the trunk and tossing his bag in unceremoniously before Flynn could even get out of the car, but he caught him just as Yuri was about to slam the hatch closed.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

It was a few seconds before Yuri spoke, glancing at him. "No."

"Do we need to pick up anything last minute before we leave town?"

"I'm good."

Flynn resisted asking again. It was just his nerves making it difficult for him to be sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. He let a little sigh escape his lips, a breath of relief. Everything was going to be fine. They were doing this. They were doing this together.

Yuri started around the car, but Flynn stopped him again, pulling him closer by the wrist. He managed a brief kiss before pulling away, a smile on his lips where Yuri's had just been. "I'm glad we're doing this."

Yuri didn't smile.

"Is everything okay?" Worry knotted up his stomach, squeezing like a vice.

A slight shake of his head as if startled, brought Yuri's attention back up. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I'm just tired after last night's practice."

Flynn eased, letting his hand slide from Yuri's wrist down, and curling their fingers together. The warmth of Yuri's hand in his sparked against his fingertips. This was really happening. "It's a pretty long drive there, so you can relax and nap while we're on the road."

"Thanks," Yuri pulled back after a second, brushing his hair back with the hand that left the lingering warmth in Flynn's hand, "I might just take you up on that."

"Let's get on the road then. Check in is at four and I want us to have plenty of time to relax before tomorrow." The simplest thought of what the next day's dawning would bring jumbled up his innards again, but with excitement rather than worry. He had their entire weekend mostly planned, but that hadn't made the nervousness ease.

Yuri slid into the car and Flynn a moment later on the driver's side. He took one last, deep breathe of the air of Zaphias before starting the car and getting on the road.

It was a five hour drive. He honestly hoped that sleep would take hold with the rocking of Flynn's car across the pavement and the soft hum of his radio, but the hours slipped by with barely a nap. He tried, squeezing his eyes closed and forcing his body at rest, and it would take hold for a moment or two, and then his consciousness would be back in full force.

Scenery zipped by at sixty, seventy miles per hour. Blurs of green and black, expanses of forest and pavement abbreviated by stark blue road signs. Three hundred miles. Two hundred fifty four. One hundred and ninety four. One hundred and twenty eight. Seventy three. Forty two. Twenty seven. Fifteen. Five. They pulled off the highway and Yuri felt his lungs seize.

The city of Slyvarant engulfed them, surrounding them on all sides with gridlocked traffic and smog and densely packed steel and stone and glass buildings that rose to the sky. Zaphias was a big city with thousands of buildings and millions of people, but even it dwarfed in comparison to the metropolis that was Slyvarant. The honking and screeching and back and forth stopping and starting made further sleep impossible even when they weren't actively going anywhere so Yuri resigned himself to staring out the window into the narrow streets of traffic and electric billboards. Flynn's spirits hadn't dampened at all. Yuri's had never risen.

It was another hour of stop and go traffic before they made it anywhere. Flynn pointed out a few landmarks as they went, the stadium, a real one, where he was going the next morning for his try out, the park, public works, and monumental corporate buildings. Finally, they got to the hotel, another tower of shimmering glass and lights in the afternoon sun. Yuri was instantly glad to be out of the car and able to stretch his legs, but the plush carpeted and marble tile lined halls of the hotel weren't much comfort. He and his beaten up suitcase were regarded suspiciously by the bellhop as he unloaded their bags and took their keys to get the car parked.

He suppressed a shudder as Flynn took his hand. The sparks of static that flew made him pull away, his cool fingers slipping out of the warmth of Flynn's hands. Taking one of the bags of hockey equipment in hand, he didn't wait for Flynn to question him about the sudden motion. Everything was fine. Nothing was wrong.

Yuri loafed around the lobby while Flynn got them checked in. The piano tinkling over the intercom was starting to grate on his nerves when Flynn made it back and they took the glass and gilded steel elevator up in silence. Flynn touched him again, those finger tips sending jolts of electricity over the back of his hand, through paper thin skin, and against his already jostled nerves. Yuri held firm, even as Flynn stole a sideways glance at him. He couldn't look him in the eye, so he pretended not to notice. This lasted a dozen or so floors before the elevator stopped and the disembarked.

Their room was at the end of the hall. The door opened to a spacious and meticulously decorated suite, furnished in gold and green, with floor to ceiling glass windows that gave a view overlooking the whole city.

He didn't remember putting the bags down and moving to the window, but he was suddenly there, the tips of his fingers against the cool glass and his eyes gazing out to the horizon dotted endlessly with buildings and signs and hazed with the layer of smog that covered the city. What did Flynn see in this place? Was it more than just a job opportunity? What about this buzzing and busy, grimy and crowded city drew him in, made the prospect of moving here, of him leaving, painfully real? What part of him no longer wanted Zaphias and what it had to offer? Yuri hadn't been in this place a full day and he didn't like it.

The warmth of Flynn's arms around him, of his body pressed against Yuri's back, drew him back into reality. His face and breath were hot against his neck, nestled there affectionately.

"I love you."

That vine tightened, cradling as solidly as Flynn's arms did, spotted and sharp with thorns. The ache in his chest squeezed, drawing out his breath. If only he had never gotten his hopes up, then this would never have to hurt. If only he had never had a heart at all.

Flynn drew him away from the window, away from the harshness of the outside world, and pulled the curtains close with the ease that Yuri wished he had been able to use to separate himself from it. Strength and confidence in his limbs, he pulled Yuri in, an embrace so hot, so tender that he felt himself dissolving away. He needed solidness, he needed a world ground in reality and concrete, and world of black and white without emotional grey areas that trembled in his chest and built a wall around his heart. Not the emotional, but the physical, the pain and the pleasure, the fire and the flood of it to wash away all of this. He needed Flynn, and for a little while, at least this one last night, he could have him.

[teiraymondmccoy78]

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

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If blockchain is so cool then why aren’t more people using it?

A shift from individual solutions towards broader “blockchain-ification” is allowing for better economy of scale.

The concept of collaboration is integral to blockchain as both an ethos and a practical tool.

Advancing blockchain governance models and changing attitudes are both needed to unlocking the collaborative potential of the technology.

A decade after bitcoin stepped into the world, blockchain is starting to see uptake in a range of applications. But for the most part these are still more in the nature of (very promising) tests than wholesale migration.

If blockchain is so great, why aren’t more people using it?

What’s the big hold up?

Cost for one, says Mark Parzygnat, IBM Blockchain program director.

“Complexity and cost… can box ideas out,” he explains. “While I’m excited to see more industries, companies, non-profits and startups harness the power of blockchain, we still need to make the platform more accessible.”

Signs are encouraging though, he notes. One of the major developments arriving in now is a renewed focus on “blockchain-ification” rather than niche solutions. One of the factors driving this shift is that more businesses are starting to envision blockchain as a system rather than a case-by-case tool to point at specific problems.

When used from this direction, one can start thinking about blockchain at scale and how to solve a wide range of problems with one big system. The result is much more bang for buck.

“The most encouraging aspect of adoption is that everything’s getting blockchain-ified. We aren’t talking anymore about how blockchain can address the challenge of food safety or cross-border payments,” Parzygnat says. “We are now asking ‘how can we do this at scale?’ That’s an incredible step forward for blockchain as more organisations and industries see the technology as a valuable and trusted tool. And consumers are getting into it, too. From tracking diamond verification for Hong Kong wedding jewelry to people selling their homes using blockchain, the idea of using digital ledger technology to simplify and safely track every element of a purchasing process is crossing into mainstream consumer uses.”

This might be a significant shift from the earlier days of probing individual blockchain applications. Essentially, the question of whether blockchain can work for enough specific use cases has been adequately settled, and now it’s time to start rolling out systems that can deliver these applications.

This has benefits beyond the immediate economy of scale advantages, because it goes right to the centre of what makes blockchain different – or one of those centres at least.

There’s no i in blockchayn

The cryptocurrency boom is often compared to the dot com bubble. It’s not a bad comparison. But one of the main differences that’s most often highlighted by those who have lived and worked through both is that blockchain is collaborative by nature.

Teamwork is a powerful force of nature, but technological limitations and business realities have often precluded it, even where it would be extremely useful. And on a broader scale, the usual paradigm of business as a purely competitive activity is quite wasteful for both businesses and not really in the best interests of individuals.

Blockchain is a team sport.

“We believe that blockchain is a team sport. For a blockchain-based solution to work successfully, it requires multiple entities to come together in a symbiotic relationship and agree on common principles, operating model and governance,” Parzygnat says. “The very nature of blockchain-based solutions require the vision and leadership of a governing body to convene the ecosystem in a common blockchain-based network. Then it requires each enterprise member to acknowledge their core competencies and compete in the market by defending or enhancing them.”

Australia’s energy markets provide a decent example of the purely competitive old way versus collaborative blockchain hotness.

The problem

The situation is basically that energy prices are rising.

As energy prices rise higher and faster, more homes and businesses are installing solar panels and reducing their consumption while others are unable to keep up and are going out of business.

This means the energy companies are losing revenue and losing customers, which means they raise prices to compensate. This means prices rise even higher and faster, which means more people go solar and go under, which means energy companies lose more customers, which means they raise prices to compensate… and so on. It’s a quintessential death spiral.

Like most things that can be described as a “death spiral,” it’s not good for anyone. It has also seen a lot of pushback against renewables from the Australian government and the established energy industry which similarly isn’t good for anyone.

The classic solutions

The solutions that come within the classic bounds of competitive business realities suffer from some problems. Some people are starting entirely new energy companies focused on giving customers a fair shake, but these can only do so much and don’t necessarily escape the cycle. There’s also talk of nationalising the energy grid but this might similarly be less than ideal, and could suffer from ongoing policy backflips.

Energy companies themselves could start investing in renewables, and they are, but the economics of this might not be ideal given the rapid pace of technological development and other factors. So a more rational option might be to hang on to the old ways as long as possible, even if it’s not in the best interests of customers or the planet. The most optimal solutions might require a level of collaboration and joint investment from competing energy companies that just isn’t on the cards.

And even some of the more tailored solutions suffer from practical shortcomings. For example, the feed-in tariff policy that lets consumers sell energy back to the grid was envisioned as a happy compromise to help both consumers and utilities by encouraging people to go renewable while also keeping them on the grid. But counter-intuitively, it can actually be a lose-lose sometimes. During times of low-demand and high-supply from feed-in tariff households you can end up with a glut of essentially worthless energy that still costs money to move.

And so the world suffers for no real reason other than because that’s the way things are done.

Blockchain collaboration

Mutually-beneficial collaborative models present a potential solution and blockchain presents a suitable medium for these models.

For example, Power Ledger is trying to get right to the heart of the problem by creating a blockchain system for collaboration between stakeholders at all levels, including consumers and energy companies, to let everyone benefit without compromising their competitiveness.

It does this by using the blockchain to bridge the gap between the consumers going home solar and the energy companies, and creating a neutral and more efficient marketplace on the blockchain.

The use of blockchain architecture creates a neutral and transparent playing field for all participants, accentuated by some other benefits that weren’t achievable by top-down measures such as feed-in tariffs.

The end result is collaboration for a win-win, bringing the on- and off-grid participants into the same marketplace, letting energy companies reach more customers they would otherwise have lost, balancing prices at a more realistic level to prevent the shocks that drive people out of the market and delivering additional efficiencies such as a system that lets consumers sell their home-made energy to their geographically nearest neighbours at market prices rather than wastefully pump it back in when it’s not really needed.

In a sense, the reason it’s so potentially efficient relative to existing systems is because it’s all about teamwork between consumers and energy companies, for the potential enrichment of all. This kind of thing is the power of blockchain collaboration.

Where to?

The reason blockchain is so good at building these collaborative systems, Parzygnat explains, is because its inherent transparency and immutability essentially allows the creation of trust from nothing.

Compared to simple shared databases, he says, “the most notable difference is trust”.

“Blockchain is a disintermediating technology, where each transaction is crytographically signed, and always appended to an immutable ledger, which is visible to all participants, and distributed across boundaries of trust. All parties involved in a transaction agree that a) the transaction occurred, and b) that it occurred correctly – or the transaction is not committed to the ledger. Once in the ledger, it is set in stone.”

“In other words, all parties agree – so there’s no disputing it later. The upshot? Parties that do not necessarily trust one another can still do business without a team of lawyers, because they don’t have to trust one another. They just have to trust the technology! The level of transparency built into Blockchain enables this.”

But once again, if blockchain and its collaborative magic is so good then why aren’t more people using it? In this respect, it might be because it’s just a very challenging paradigm for businesses who are more familiar with turf wars than collaboration.

The problem might be that businesses are still looking at how blockchain can help them get one up on the competition, rather than how blockchain can benefit both them and the competition. There’s a definite competitive edge in blockchain, but by exploring it solely as a competitive tool one also misses some of its most powerful possibilities.

After all, do you think an energy company would have envisioned and created something like Power Ledger? And even if they did, do you think the other energy companies would have wanted to participate in a marketplace owned by a competitor? Blockchain can allow for the efficiencies of teamwork where it used to be impossible.

There have been some teething issues around this area though, and it might be one of the tougher obstacles for blockchain. This is where things are still very much early days, Parzygnat says, but fortunately things are still progressing well, largely thanks to the companies like IBM and Power Ledger who are going out of their way to get stakeholders on the same page.

It’s not quite as simple as getting everyone in the same room though, and developing acceptable governance models is an ongoing technical chore, especially for public blockchains.

“Whether you’re deciding between a public or permissioned network, who holds the ‘final say’ in a blockchain consortium, or even broader global regulatory oversight, the technology is still in early stages. We’re making headway on that with a number of consortia who utilise IBM Blockchain, and those founders who pave the way will leave a good handbook for us all,” Parzygnat says.

“I believe blockchain, and the new business models that are being shaped by the technology, could democratise access to data and improve trust and accountability, across our digital economy. This will have major benefits for business and society.”

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Crypto explained

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Latest cryptocurrency news

Picture: Shutterstock

Source link http://bit.ly/2RhBwWo

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Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

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If blockchain is so cool then why aren’t more people using it?

A shift from individual solutions towards broader “blockchain-ification” is allowing for better economy of scale.

The concept of collaboration is integral to blockchain as both an ethos and a practical tool.

Advancing blockchain governance models and changing attitudes are both needed to unlocking the collaborative potential of the technology.

A decade after bitcoin stepped into the world, blockchain is starting to see uptake in a range of applications. But for the most part these are still more in the nature of (very promising) tests than wholesale migration.

If blockchain is so great, why aren’t more people using it?

What’s the big hold up?

Cost for one, says Mark Parzygnat, IBM Blockchain program director.

“Complexity and cost… can box ideas out,” he explains. “While I’m excited to see more industries, companies, non-profits and startups harness the power of blockchain, we still need to make the platform more accessible.”

Signs are encouraging though, he notes. One of the major developments arriving in now is a renewed focus on “blockchain-ification” rather than niche solutions. One of the factors driving this shift is that more businesses are starting to envision blockchain as a system rather than a case-by-case tool to point at specific problems.

When used from this direction, one can start thinking about blockchain at scale and how to solve a wide range of problems with one big system. The result is much more bang for buck.

“The most encouraging aspect of adoption is that everything’s getting blockchain-ified. We aren’t talking anymore about how blockchain can address the challenge of food safety or cross-border payments,” Parzygnat says. “We are now asking ‘how can we do this at scale?’ That’s an incredible step forward for blockchain as more organisations and industries see the technology as a valuable and trusted tool. And consumers are getting into it, too. From tracking diamond verification for Hong Kong wedding jewelry to people selling their homes using blockchain, the idea of using digital ledger technology to simplify and safely track every element of a purchasing process is crossing into mainstream consumer uses.”

This might be a significant shift from the earlier days of probing individual blockchain applications. Essentially, the question of whether blockchain can work for enough specific use cases has been adequately settled, and now it’s time to start rolling out systems that can deliver these applications.

This has benefits beyond the immediate economy of scale advantages, because it goes right to the centre of what makes blockchain different – or one of those centres at least.

There’s no i in blockchayn

The cryptocurrency boom is often compared to the dot com bubble. It’s not a bad comparison. But one of the main differences that’s most often highlighted by those who have lived and worked through both is that blockchain is collaborative by nature.

Teamwork is a powerful force of nature, but technological limitations and business realities have often precluded it, even where it would be extremely useful. And on a broader scale, the usual paradigm of business as a purely competitive activity is quite wasteful for both businesses and not really in the best interests of individuals.

Blockchain is a team sport.

“We believe that blockchain is a team sport. For a blockchain-based solution to work successfully, it requires multiple entities to come together in a symbiotic relationship and agree on common principles, operating model and governance,” Parzygnat says. “The very nature of blockchain-based solutions require the vision and leadership of a governing body to convene the ecosystem in a common blockchain-based network. Then it requires each enterprise member to acknowledge their core competencies and compete in the market by defending or enhancing them.”

Australia’s energy markets provide a decent example of the purely competitive old way versus collaborative blockchain hotness.

The problem

The situation is basically that energy prices are rising.

As energy prices rise higher and faster, more homes and businesses are installing solar panels and reducing their consumption while others are unable to keep up and are going out of business.

This means the energy companies are losing revenue and losing customers, which means they raise prices to compensate. This means prices rise even higher and faster, which means more people go solar and go under, which means energy companies lose more customers, which means they raise prices to compensate… and so on. It’s a quintessential death spiral.

Like most things that can be described as a “death spiral,” it’s not good for anyone. It has also seen a lot of pushback against renewables from the Australian government and the established energy industry which similarly isn’t good for anyone.

The classic solutions

The solutions that come within the classic bounds of competitive business realities suffer from some problems. Some people are starting entirely new energy companies focused on giving customers a fair shake, but these can only do so much and don’t necessarily escape the cycle. There’s also talk of nationalising the energy grid but this might similarly be less than ideal, and could suffer from ongoing policy backflips.

Energy companies themselves could start investing in renewables, and they are, but the economics of this might not be ideal given the rapid pace of technological development and other factors. So a more rational option might be to hang on to the old ways as long as possible, even if it’s not in the best interests of customers or the planet. The most optimal solutions might require a level of collaboration and joint investment from competing energy companies that just isn’t on the cards.

And even some of the more tailored solutions suffer from practical shortcomings. For example, the feed-in tariff policy that lets consumers sell energy back to the grid was envisioned as a happy compromise to help both consumers and utilities by encouraging people to go renewable while also keeping them on the grid. But counter-intuitively, it can actually be a lose-lose sometimes. During times of low-demand and high-supply from feed-in tariff households you can end up with a glut of essentially worthless energy that still costs money to move.

And so the world suffers for no real reason other than because that’s the way things are done.

Blockchain collaboration

Mutually-beneficial collaborative models present a potential solution and blockchain presents a suitable medium for these models.

For example, Power Ledger is trying to get right to the heart of the problem by creating a blockchain system for collaboration between stakeholders at all levels, including consumers and energy companies, to let everyone benefit without compromising their competitiveness.

It does this by using the blockchain to bridge the gap between the consumers going home solar and the energy companies, and creating a neutral and more efficient marketplace on the blockchain.

The use of blockchain architecture creates a neutral and transparent playing field for all participants, accentuated by some other benefits that weren’t achievable by top-down measures such as feed-in tariffs.

The end result is collaboration for a win-win, bringing the on- and off-grid participants into the same marketplace, letting energy companies reach more customers they would otherwise have lost, balancing prices at a more realistic level to prevent the shocks that drive people out of the market and delivering additional efficiencies such as a system that lets consumers sell their home-made energy to their geographically nearest neighbours at market prices rather than wastefully pump it back in when it’s not really needed.

In a sense, the reason it’s so potentially efficient relative to existing systems is because it’s all about teamwork between consumers and energy companies, for the potential enrichment of all. This kind of thing is the power of blockchain collaboration.

Where to?

The reason blockchain is so good at building these collaborative systems, Parzygnat explains, is because its inherent transparency and immutability essentially allows the creation of trust from nothing.

Compared to simple shared databases, he says, “the most notable difference is trust”.

“Blockchain is a disintermediating technology, where each transaction is crytographically signed, and always appended to an immutable ledger, which is visible to all participants, and distributed across boundaries of trust. All parties involved in a transaction agree that a) the transaction occurred, and b) that it occurred correctly – or the transaction is not committed to the ledger. Once in the ledger, it is set in stone.”

“In other words, all parties agree – so there’s no disputing it later. The upshot? Parties that do not necessarily trust one another can still do business without a team of lawyers, because they don’t have to trust one another. They just have to trust the technology! The level of transparency built into Blockchain enables this.”

But once again, if blockchain and its collaborative magic is so good then why aren’t more people using it? In this respect, it might be because it’s just a very challenging paradigm for businesses who are more familiar with turf wars than collaboration.

The problem might be that businesses are still looking at how blockchain can help them get one up on the competition, rather than how blockchain can benefit both them and the competition. There’s a definite competitive edge in blockchain, but by exploring it solely as a competitive tool one also misses some of its most powerful possibilities.

After all, do you think an energy company would have envisioned and created something like Power Ledger? And even if they did, do you think the other energy companies would have wanted to participate in a marketplace owned by a competitor? Blockchain can allow for the efficiencies of teamwork where it used to be impossible.

There have been some teething issues around this area though, and it might be one of the tougher obstacles for blockchain. This is where things are still very much early days, Parzygnat says, but fortunately things are still progressing well, largely thanks to the companies like IBM and Power Ledger who are going out of their way to get stakeholders on the same page.

It’s not quite as simple as getting everyone in the same room though, and developing acceptable governance models is an ongoing technical chore, especially for public blockchains.

“Whether you’re deciding between a public or permissioned network, who holds the ‘final say’ in a blockchain consortium, or even broader global regulatory oversight, the technology is still in early stages. We’re making headway on that with a number of consortia who utilise IBM Blockchain, and those founders who pave the way will leave a good handbook for us all,” Parzygnat says.

“I believe blockchain, and the new business models that are being shaped by the technology, could democratise access to data and improve trust and accountability, across our digital economy. This will have major benefits for business and society.”

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Crypto explained

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Latest cryptocurrency news

Picture: Shutterstock

Source link http://bit.ly/2RhBwWo

[courtneyvbrooks87]

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

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If blockchain is so cool then why aren’t more people using it?

A shift from individual solutions towards broader “blockchain-ification” is allowing for better economy of scale.

The concept of collaboration is integral to blockchain as both an ethos and a practical tool.

Advancing blockchain governance models and changing attitudes are both needed to unlocking the collaborative potential of the technology.

A decade after bitcoin stepped into the world, blockchain is starting to see uptake in a range of applications. But for the most part these are still more in the nature of (very promising) tests than wholesale migration.

If blockchain is so great, why aren’t more people using it?

What’s the big hold up?

Cost for one, says Mark Parzygnat, IBM Blockchain program director.

“Complexity and cost… can box ideas out,” he explains. “While I’m excited to see more industries, companies, non-profits and startups harness the power of blockchain, we still need to make the platform more accessible.”

Signs are encouraging though, he notes. One of the major developments arriving in now is a renewed focus on “blockchain-ification” rather than niche solutions. One of the factors driving this shift is that more businesses are starting to envision blockchain as a system rather than a case-by-case tool to point at specific problems.

When used from this direction, one can start thinking about blockchain at scale and how to solve a wide range of problems with one big system. The result is much more bang for buck.

“The most encouraging aspect of adoption is that everything’s getting blockchain-ified. We aren’t talking anymore about how blockchain can address the challenge of food safety or cross-border payments,” Parzygnat says. “We are now asking ‘how can we do this at scale?’ That’s an incredible step forward for blockchain as more organisations and industries see the technology as a valuable and trusted tool. And consumers are getting into it, too. From tracking diamond verification for Hong Kong wedding jewelry to people selling their homes using blockchain, the idea of using digital ledger technology to simplify and safely track every element of a purchasing process is crossing into mainstream consumer uses.”

This might be a significant shift from the earlier days of probing individual blockchain applications. Essentially, the question of whether blockchain can work for enough specific use cases has been adequately settled, and now it’s time to start rolling out systems that can deliver these applications.

This has benefits beyond the immediate economy of scale advantages, because it goes right to the centre of what makes blockchain different – or one of those centres at least.

There’s no i in blockchayn

The cryptocurrency boom is often compared to the dot com bubble. It’s not a bad comparison. But one of the main differences that’s most often highlighted by those who have lived and worked through both is that blockchain is collaborative by nature.

Teamwork is a powerful force of nature, but technological limitations and business realities have often precluded it, even where it would be extremely useful. And on a broader scale, the usual paradigm of business as a purely competitive activity is quite wasteful for both businesses and not really in the best interests of individuals.

Blockchain is a team sport.

“We believe that blockchain is a team sport. For a blockchain-based solution to work successfully, it requires multiple entities to come together in a symbiotic relationship and agree on common principles, operating model and governance,” Parzygnat says. “The very nature of blockchain-based solutions require the vision and leadership of a governing body to convene the ecosystem in a common blockchain-based network. Then it requires each enterprise member to acknowledge their core competencies and compete in the market by defending or enhancing them.”

Australia’s energy markets provide a decent example of the purely competitive old way versus collaborative blockchain hotness.

The problem

The situation is basically that energy prices are rising.

As energy prices rise higher and faster, more homes and businesses are installing solar panels and reducing their consumption while others are unable to keep up and are going out of business.

This means the energy companies are losing revenue and losing customers, which means they raise prices to compensate. This means prices rise even higher and faster, which means more people go solar and go under, which means energy companies lose more customers, which means they raise prices to compensate… and so on. It’s a quintessential death spiral.

Like most things that can be described as a “death spiral,” it’s not good for anyone. It has also seen a lot of pushback against renewables from the Australian government and the established energy industry which similarly isn’t good for anyone.

The classic solutions

The solutions that come within the classic bounds of competitive business realities suffer from some problems. Some people are starting entirely new energy companies focused on giving customers a fair shake, but these can only do so much and don’t necessarily escape the cycle. There’s also talk of nationalising the energy grid but this might similarly be less than ideal, and could suffer from ongoing policy backflips.

Energy companies themselves could start investing in renewables, and they are, but the economics of this might not be ideal given the rapid pace of technological development and other factors. So a more rational option might be to hang on to the old ways as long as possible, even if it’s not in the best interests of customers or the planet. The most optimal solutions might require a level of collaboration and joint investment from competing energy companies that just isn’t on the cards.

And even some of the more tailored solutions suffer from practical shortcomings. For example, the feed-in tariff policy that lets consumers sell energy back to the grid was envisioned as a happy compromise to help both consumers and utilities by encouraging people to go renewable while also keeping them on the grid. But counter-intuitively, it can actually be a lose-lose sometimes. During times of low-demand and high-supply from feed-in tariff households you can end up with a glut of essentially worthless energy that still costs money to move.

And so the world suffers for no real reason other than because that’s the way things are done.

Blockchain collaboration

Mutually-beneficial collaborative models present a potential solution and blockchain presents a suitable medium for these models.

For example, Power Ledger is trying to get right to the heart of the problem by creating a blockchain system for collaboration between stakeholders at all levels, including consumers and energy companies, to let everyone benefit without compromising their competitiveness.

It does this by using the blockchain to bridge the gap between the consumers going home solar and the energy companies, and creating a neutral and more efficient marketplace on the blockchain.

The use of blockchain architecture creates a neutral and transparent playing field for all participants, accentuated by some other benefits that weren’t achievable by top-down measures such as feed-in tariffs.

The end result is collaboration for a win-win, bringing the on- and off-grid participants into the same marketplace, letting energy companies reach more customers they would otherwise have lost, balancing prices at a more realistic level to prevent the shocks that drive people out of the market and delivering additional efficiencies such as a system that lets consumers sell their home-made energy to their geographically nearest neighbours at market prices rather than wastefully pump it back in when it’s not really needed.

In a sense, the reason it’s so potentially efficient relative to existing systems is because it’s all about teamwork between consumers and energy companies, for the potential enrichment of all. This kind of thing is the power of blockchain collaboration.

Where to?

The reason blockchain is so good at building these collaborative systems, Parzygnat explains, is because its inherent transparency and immutability essentially allows the creation of trust from nothing.

Compared to simple shared databases, he says, “the most notable difference is trust”.

“Blockchain is a disintermediating technology, where each transaction is crytographically signed, and always appended to an immutable ledger, which is visible to all participants, and distributed across boundaries of trust. All parties involved in a transaction agree that a) the transaction occurred, and b) that it occurred correctly – or the transaction is not committed to the ledger. Once in the ledger, it is set in stone.”

“In other words, all parties agree – so there’s no disputing it later. The upshot? Parties that do not necessarily trust one another can still do business without a team of lawyers, because they don’t have to trust one another. They just have to trust the technology! The level of transparency built into Blockchain enables this.”

But once again, if blockchain and its collaborative magic is so good then why aren’t more people using it? In this respect, it might be because it’s just a very challenging paradigm for businesses who are more familiar with turf wars than collaboration.

The problem might be that businesses are still looking at how blockchain can help them get one up on the competition, rather than how blockchain can benefit both them and the competition. There’s a definite competitive edge in blockchain, but by exploring it solely as a competitive tool one also misses some of its most powerful possibilities.

After all, do you think an energy company would have envisioned and created something like Power Ledger? And even if they did, do you think the other energy companies would have wanted to participate in a marketplace owned by a competitor? Blockchain can allow for the efficiencies of teamwork where it used to be impossible.

There have been some teething issues around this area though, and it might be one of the tougher obstacles for blockchain. This is where things are still very much early days, Parzygnat says, but fortunately things are still progressing well, largely thanks to the companies like IBM and Power Ledger who are going out of their way to get stakeholders on the same page.

It’s not quite as simple as getting everyone in the same room though, and developing acceptable governance models is an ongoing technical chore, especially for public blockchains.

“Whether you’re deciding between a public or permissioned network, who holds the ‘final say’ in a blockchain consortium, or even broader global regulatory oversight, the technology is still in early stages. We’re making headway on that with a number of consortia who utilise IBM Blockchain, and those founders who pave the way will leave a good handbook for us all,” Parzygnat says.

“I believe blockchain, and the new business models that are being shaped by the technology, could democratise access to data and improve trust and accountability, across our digital economy. This will have major benefits for business and society.”

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Crypto explained

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Latest cryptocurrency news

Picture: Shutterstock

Source link http://bit.ly/2RhBwWo

[vanessawestwcrtr5]

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

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If blockchain is so cool then why aren’t more people using it?

A shift from individual solutions towards broader “blockchain-ification” is allowing for better economy of scale.

The concept of collaboration is integral to blockchain as both an ethos and a practical tool.

Advancing blockchain governance models and changing attitudes are both needed to unlocking the collaborative potential of the technology.

A decade after bitcoin stepped into the world, blockchain is starting to see uptake in a range of applications. But for the most part these are still more in the nature of (very promising) tests than wholesale migration.

If blockchain is so great, why aren’t more people using it?

What’s the big hold up?

Cost for one, says Mark Parzygnat, IBM Blockchain program director.

“Complexity and cost… can box ideas out,” he explains. “While I’m excited to see more industries, companies, non-profits and startups harness the power of blockchain, we still need to make the platform more accessible.”

Signs are encouraging though, he notes. One of the major developments arriving in now is a renewed focus on “blockchain-ification” rather than niche solutions. One of the factors driving this shift is that more businesses are starting to envision blockchain as a system rather than a case-by-case tool to point at specific problems.

When used from this direction, one can start thinking about blockchain at scale and how to solve a wide range of problems with one big system. The result is much more bang for buck.

“The most encouraging aspect of adoption is that everything’s getting blockchain-ified. We aren’t talking anymore about how blockchain can address the challenge of food safety or cross-border payments,” Parzygnat says. “We are now asking ‘how can we do this at scale?’ That’s an incredible step forward for blockchain as more organisations and industries see the technology as a valuable and trusted tool. And consumers are getting into it, too. From tracking diamond verification for Hong Kong wedding jewelry to people selling their homes using blockchain, the idea of using digital ledger technology to simplify and safely track every element of a purchasing process is crossing into mainstream consumer uses.”

This might be a significant shift from the earlier days of probing individual blockchain applications. Essentially, the question of whether blockchain can work for enough specific use cases has been adequately settled, and now it’s time to start rolling out systems that can deliver these applications.

This has benefits beyond the immediate economy of scale advantages, because it goes right to the centre of what makes blockchain different – or one of those centres at least.

There’s no i in blockchayn

The cryptocurrency boom is often compared to the dot com bubble. It’s not a bad comparison. But one of the main differences that’s most often highlighted by those who have lived and worked through both is that blockchain is collaborative by nature.

Teamwork is a powerful force of nature, but technological limitations and business realities have often precluded it, even where it would be extremely useful. And on a broader scale, the usual paradigm of business as a purely competitive activity is quite wasteful for both businesses and not really in the best interests of individuals.

Blockchain is a team sport.

“We believe that blockchain is a team sport. For a blockchain-based solution to work successfully, it requires multiple entities to come together in a symbiotic relationship and agree on common principles, operating model and governance,” Parzygnat says. “The very nature of blockchain-based solutions require the vision and leadership of a governing body to convene the ecosystem in a common blockchain-based network. Then it requires each enterprise member to acknowledge their core competencies and compete in the market by defending or enhancing them.”

Australia’s energy markets provide a decent example of the purely competitive old way versus collaborative blockchain hotness.

The problem

The situation is basically that energy prices are rising.

As energy prices rise higher and faster, more homes and businesses are installing solar panels and reducing their consumption while others are unable to keep up and are going out of business.

This means the energy companies are losing revenue and losing customers, which means they raise prices to compensate. This means prices rise even higher and faster, which means more people go solar and go under, which means energy companies lose more customers, which means they raise prices to compensate… and so on. It’s a quintessential death spiral.

Like most things that can be described as a “death spiral,” it’s not good for anyone. It has also seen a lot of pushback against renewables from the Australian government and the established energy industry which similarly isn’t good for anyone.

The classic solutions

The solutions that come within the classic bounds of competitive business realities suffer from some problems. Some people are starting entirely new energy companies focused on giving customers a fair shake, but these can only do so much and don’t necessarily escape the cycle. There’s also talk of nationalising the energy grid but this might similarly be less than ideal, and could suffer from ongoing policy backflips.

Energy companies themselves could start investing in renewables, and they are, but the economics of this might not be ideal given the rapid pace of technological development and other factors. So a more rational option might be to hang on to the old ways as long as possible, even if it’s not in the best interests of customers or the planet. The most optimal solutions might require a level of collaboration and joint investment from competing energy companies that just isn’t on the cards.

And even some of the more tailored solutions suffer from practical shortcomings. For example, the feed-in tariff policy that lets consumers sell energy back to the grid was envisioned as a happy compromise to help both consumers and utilities by encouraging people to go renewable while also keeping them on the grid. But counter-intuitively, it can actually be a lose-lose sometimes. During times of low-demand and high-supply from feed-in tariff households you can end up with a glut of essentially worthless energy that still costs money to move.

And so the world suffers for no real reason other than because that’s the way things are done.

Blockchain collaboration

Mutually-beneficial collaborative models present a potential solution and blockchain presents a suitable medium for these models.

For example, Power Ledger is trying to get right to the heart of the problem by creating a blockchain system for collaboration between stakeholders at all levels, including consumers and energy companies, to let everyone benefit without compromising their competitiveness.

It does this by using the blockchain to bridge the gap between the consumers going home solar and the energy companies, and creating a neutral and more efficient marketplace on the blockchain.

The use of blockchain architecture creates a neutral and transparent playing field for all participants, accentuated by some other benefits that weren’t achievable by top-down measures such as feed-in tariffs.

The end result is collaboration for a win-win, bringing the on- and off-grid participants into the same marketplace, letting energy companies reach more customers they would otherwise have lost, balancing prices at a more realistic level to prevent the shocks that drive people out of the market and delivering additional efficiencies such as a system that lets consumers sell their home-made energy to their geographically nearest neighbours at market prices rather than wastefully pump it back in when it’s not really needed.

In a sense, the reason it’s so potentially efficient relative to existing systems is because it’s all about teamwork between consumers and energy companies, for the potential enrichment of all. This kind of thing is the power of blockchain collaboration.

Where to?

The reason blockchain is so good at building these collaborative systems, Parzygnat explains, is because its inherent transparency and immutability essentially allows the creation of trust from nothing.

Compared to simple shared databases, he says, “the most notable difference is trust”.

“Blockchain is a disintermediating technology, where each transaction is crytographically signed, and always appended to an immutable ledger, which is visible to all participants, and distributed across boundaries of trust. All parties involved in a transaction agree that a) the transaction occurred, and b) that it occurred correctly – or the transaction is not committed to the ledger. Once in the ledger, it is set in stone.”

“In other words, all parties agree – so there’s no disputing it later. The upshot? Parties that do not necessarily trust one another can still do business without a team of lawyers, because they don’t have to trust one another. They just have to trust the technology! The level of transparency built into Blockchain enables this.”

But once again, if blockchain and its collaborative magic is so good then why aren’t more people using it? In this respect, it might be because it’s just a very challenging paradigm for businesses who are more familiar with turf wars than collaboration.

The problem might be that businesses are still looking at how blockchain can help them get one up on the competition, rather than how blockchain can benefit both them and the competition. There’s a definite competitive edge in blockchain, but by exploring it solely as a competitive tool one also misses some of its most powerful possibilities.

After all, do you think an energy company would have envisioned and created something like Power Ledger? And even if they did, do you think the other energy companies would have wanted to participate in a marketplace owned by a competitor? Blockchain can allow for the efficiencies of teamwork where it used to be impossible.

There have been some teething issues around this area though, and it might be one of the tougher obstacles for blockchain. This is where things are still very much early days, Parzygnat says, but fortunately things are still progressing well, largely thanks to the companies like IBM and Power Ledger who are going out of their way to get stakeholders on the same page.

It’s not quite as simple as getting everyone in the same room though, and developing acceptable governance models is an ongoing technical chore, especially for public blockchains.

“Whether you’re deciding between a public or permissioned network, who holds the ‘final say’ in a blockchain consortium, or even broader global regulatory oversight, the technology is still in early stages. We’re making headway on that with a number of consortia who utilise IBM Blockchain, and those founders who pave the way will leave a good handbook for us all,” Parzygnat says.

“I believe blockchain, and the new business models that are being shaped by the technology, could democratise access to data and improve trust and accountability, across our digital economy. This will have major benefits for business and society.���

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Crypto explained

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Latest cryptocurrency news

Picture: Shutterstock

Source link http://bit.ly/2RhBwWo

[bobbynolanios88]

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

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If blockchain is so cool then why aren’t more people using it?

A shift from individual solutions towards broader “blockchain-ification” is allowing for better economy of scale.

The concept of collaboration is integral to blockchain as both an ethos and a practical tool.

Advancing blockchain governance models and changing attitudes are both needed to unlocking the collaborative potential of the technology.

A decade after bitcoin stepped into the world, blockchain is starting to see uptake in a range of applications. But for the most part these are still more in the nature of (very promising) tests than wholesale migration.

If blockchain is so great, why aren’t more people using it?

What’s the big hold up?

Cost for one, says Mark Parzygnat, IBM Blockchain program director.

“Complexity and cost… can box ideas out,” he explains. “While I’m excited to see more industries, companies, non-profits and startups harness the power of blockchain, we still need to make the platform more accessible.”

Signs are encouraging though, he notes. One of the major developments arriving in now is a renewed focus on “blockchain-ification” rather than niche solutions. One of the factors driving this shift is that more businesses are starting to envision blockchain as a system rather than a case-by-case tool to point at specific problems.

When used from this direction, one can start thinking about blockchain at scale and how to solve a wide range of problems with one big system. The result is much more bang for buck.

“The most encouraging aspect of adoption is that everything’s getting blockchain-ified. We aren’t talking anymore about how blockchain can address the challenge of food safety or cross-border payments,” Parzygnat says. “We are now asking ‘how can we do this at scale?’ That’s an incredible step forward for blockchain as more organisations and industries see the technology as a valuable and trusted tool. And consumers are getting into it, too. From tracking diamond verification for Hong Kong wedding jewelry to people selling their homes using blockchain, the idea of using digital ledger technology to simplify and safely track every element of a purchasing process is crossing into mainstream consumer uses.”

This might be a significant shift from the earlier days of probing individual blockchain applications. Essentially, the question of whether blockchain can work for enough specific use cases has been adequately settled, and now it’s time to start rolling out systems that can deliver these applications.

This has benefits beyond the immediate economy of scale advantages, because it goes right to the centre of what makes blockchain different – or one of those centres at least.

There’s no i in blockchayn

The cryptocurrency boom is often compared to the dot com bubble. It’s not a bad comparison. But one of the main differences that’s most often highlighted by those who have lived and worked through both is that blockchain is collaborative by nature.

Teamwork is a powerful force of nature, but technological limitations and business realities have often precluded it, even where it would be extremely useful. And on a broader scale, the usual paradigm of business as a purely competitive activity is quite wasteful for both businesses and not really in the best interests of individuals.

Blockchain is a team sport.

“We believe that blockchain is a team sport. For a blockchain-based solution to work successfully, it requires multiple entities to come together in a symbiotic relationship and agree on common principles, operating model and governance,” Parzygnat says. “The very nature of blockchain-based solutions require the vision and leadership of a governing body to convene the ecosystem in a common blockchain-based network. Then it requires each enterprise member to acknowledge their core competencies and compete in the market by defending or enhancing them.”

Australia’s energy markets provide a decent example of the purely competitive old way versus collaborative blockchain hotness.

The problem

The situation is basically that energy prices are rising.

As energy prices rise higher and faster, more homes and businesses are installing solar panels and reducing their consumption while others are unable to keep up and are going out of business.

This means the energy companies are losing revenue and losing customers, which means they raise prices to compensate. This means prices rise even higher and faster, which means more people go solar and go under, which means energy companies lose more customers, which means they raise prices to compensate… and so on. It’s a quintessential death spiral.

Like most things that can be described as a “death spiral,” it’s not good for anyone. It has also seen a lot of pushback against renewables from the Australian government and the established energy industry which similarly isn’t good for anyone.

The classic solutions

The solutions that come within the classic bounds of competitive business realities suffer from some problems. Some people are starting entirely new energy companies focused on giving customers a fair shake, but these can only do so much and don’t necessarily escape the cycle. There’s also talk of nationalising the energy grid but this might similarly be less than ideal, and could suffer from ongoing policy backflips.

Energy companies themselves could start investing in renewables, and they are, but the economics of this might not be ideal given the rapid pace of technological development and other factors. So a more rational option might be to hang on to the old ways as long as possible, even if it’s not in the best interests of customers or the planet. The most optimal solutions might require a level of collaboration and joint investment from competing energy companies that just isn’t on the cards.

And even some of the more tailored solutions suffer from practical shortcomings. For example, the feed-in tariff policy that lets consumers sell energy back to the grid was envisioned as a happy compromise to help both consumers and utilities by encouraging people to go renewable while also keeping them on the grid. But counter-intuitively, it can actually be a lose-lose sometimes. During times of low-demand and high-supply from feed-in tariff households you can end up with a glut of essentially worthless energy that still costs money to move.

And so the world suffers for no real reason other than because that’s the way things are done.

Blockchain collaboration

Mutually-beneficial collaborative models present a potential solution and blockchain presents a suitable medium for these models.

For example, Power Ledger is trying to get right to the heart of the problem by creating a blockchain system for collaboration between stakeholders at all levels, including consumers and energy companies, to let everyone benefit without compromising their competitiveness.

It does this by using the blockchain to bridge the gap between the consumers going home solar and the energy companies, and creating a neutral and more efficient marketplace on the blockchain.

The use of blockchain architecture creates a neutral and transparent playing field for all participants, accentuated by some other benefits that weren’t achievable by top-down measures such as feed-in tariffs.

The end result is collaboration for a win-win, bringing the on- and off-grid participants into the same marketplace, letting energy companies reach more customers they would otherwise have lost, balancing prices at a more realistic level to prevent the shocks that drive people out of the market and delivering additional efficiencies such as a system that lets consumers sell their home-made energy to their geographically nearest neighbours at market prices rather than wastefully pump it back in when it’s not really needed.

In a sense, the reason it’s so potentially efficient relative to existing systems is because it’s all about teamwork between consumers and energy companies, for the potential enrichment of all. This kind of thing is the power of blockchain collaboration.

Where to?

The reason blockchain is so good at building these collaborative systems, Parzygnat explains, is because its inherent transparency and immutability essentially allows the creation of trust from nothing.

Compared to simple shared databases, he says, “the most notable difference is trust”.

“Blockchain is a disintermediating technology, where each transaction is crytographically signed, and always appended to an immutable ledger, which is visible to all participants, and distributed across boundaries of trust. All parties involved in a transaction agree that a) the transaction occurred, and b) that it occurred correctly – or the transaction is not committed to the ledger. Once in the ledger, it is set in stone.”

“In other words, all parties agree – so there’s no disputing it later. The upshot? Parties that do not necessarily trust one another can still do business without a team of lawyers, because they don’t have to trust one another. They just have to trust the technology! The level of transparency built into Blockchain enables this.”

But once again, if blockchain and its collaborative magic is so good then why aren’t more people using it? In this respect, it might be because it’s just a very challenging paradigm for businesses who are more familiar with turf wars than collaboration.

The problem might be that businesses are still looking at how blockchain can help them get one up on the competition, rather than how blockchain can benefit both them and the competition. There’s a definite competitive edge in blockchain, but by exploring it solely as a competitive tool one also misses some of its most powerful possibilities.

After all, do you think an energy company would have envisioned and created something like Power Ledger? And even if they did, do you think the other energy companies would have wanted to participate in a marketplace owned by a competitor? Blockchain can allow for the efficiencies of teamwork where it used to be impossible.

There have been some teething issues around this area though, and it might be one of the tougher obstacles for blockchain. This is where things are still very much early days, Parzygnat says, but fortunately things are still progressing well, largely thanks to the companies like IBM and Power Ledger who are going out of their way to get stakeholders on the same page.

It’s not quite as simple as getting everyone in the same room though, and developing acceptable governance models is an ongoing technical chore, especially for public blockchains.

“Whether you’re deciding between a public or permissioned network, who holds the ‘final say’ in a blockchain consortium, or even broader global regulatory oversight, the technology is still in early stages. We’re making headway on that with a number of consortia who utilise IBM Blockchain, and those founders who pave the way will leave a good handbook for us all,” Parzygnat says.

“I believe blockchain, and the new business models that are being shaped by the technology, could democratise access to data and improve trust and accountability, across our digital economy. This will have major benefits for business and society.”

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Crypto explained

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Latest cryptocurrency news

Picture: Shutterstock

Source link http://bit.ly/2RhBwWo

[mccartneynathxzw83]

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

Why more people aren’t using blockchain, according to IBM

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If blockchain is so cool then why aren’t more people using it?

A shift from individual solutions towards broader “blockchain-ification” is allowing for better economy of scale.

The concept of collaboration is integral to blockchain as both an ethos and a practical tool.

Advancing blockchain governance models and changing attitudes are both needed to unlocking the collaborative potential of the technology.

A decade after bitcoin stepped into the world, blockchain is starting to see uptake in a range of applications. But for the most part these are still more in the nature of (very promising) tests than wholesale migration.

If blockchain is so great, why aren’t more people using it?

What’s the big hold up?

Cost for one, says Mark Parzygnat, IBM Blockchain program director.

“Complexity and cost… can box ideas out,” he explains. “While I’m excited to see more industries, companies, non-profits and startups harness the power of blockchain, we still need to make the platform more accessible.”

Signs are encouraging though, he notes. One of the major developments arriving in now is a renewed focus on “blockchain-ification” rather than niche solutions. One of the factors driving this shift is that more businesses are starting to envision blockchain as a system rather than a case-by-case tool to point at specific problems.

When used from this direction, one can start thinking about blockchain at scale and how to solve a wide range of problems with one big system. The result is much more bang for buck.

“The most encouraging aspect of adoption is that everything’s getting blockchain-ified. We aren’t talking anymore about how blockchain can address the challenge of food safety or cross-border payments,” Parzygnat says. “We are now asking ‘how can we do this at scale?’ That’s an incredible step forward for blockchain as more organisations and industries see the technology as a valuable and trusted tool. And consumers are getting into it, too. From tracking diamond verification for Hong Kong wedding jewelry to people selling their homes using blockchain, the idea of using digital ledger technology to simplify and safely track every element of a purchasing process is crossing into mainstream consumer uses.”

This might be a significant shift from the earlier days of probing individual blockchain applications. Essentially, the question of whether blockchain can work for enough specific use cases has been adequately settled, and now it’s time to start rolling out systems that can deliver these applications.

This has benefits beyond the immediate economy of scale advantages, because it goes right to the centre of what makes blockchain different – or one of those centres at least.

There’s no i in blockchayn

The cryptocurrency boom is often compared to the dot com bubble. It’s not a bad comparison. But one of the main differences that’s most often highlighted by those who have lived and worked through both is that blockchain is collaborative by nature.

Teamwork is a powerful force of nature, but technological limitations and business realities have often precluded it, even where it would be extremely useful. And on a broader scale, the usual paradigm of business as a purely competitive activity is quite wasteful for both businesses and not really in the best interests of individuals.

Blockchain is a team sport.

“We believe that blockchain is a team sport. For a blockchain-based solution to work successfully, it requires multiple entities to come together in a symbiotic relationship and agree on common principles, operating model and governance,” Parzygnat says. “The very nature of blockchain-based solutions require the vision and leadership of a governing body to convene the ecosystem in a common blockchain-based network. Then it requires each enterprise member to acknowledge their core competencies and compete in the market by defending or enhancing them.”

Australia’s energy markets provide a decent example of the purely competitive old way versus collaborative blockchain hotness.

The problem

The situation is basically that energy prices are rising.

As energy prices rise higher and faster, more homes and businesses are installing solar panels and reducing their consumption while others are unable to keep up and are going out of business.

This means the energy companies are losing revenue and losing customers, which means they raise prices to compensate. This means prices rise even higher and faster, which means more people go solar and go under, which means energy companies lose more customers, which means they raise prices to compensate… and so on. It’s a quintessential death spiral.

Like most things that can be described as a “death spiral,” it’s not good for anyone. It has also seen a lot of pushback against renewables from the Australian government and the established energy industry which similarly isn’t good for anyone.

The classic solutions

The solutions that come within the classic bounds of competitive business realities suffer from some problems. Some people are starting entirely new energy companies focused on giving customers a fair shake, but these can only do so much and don’t necessarily escape the cycle. There’s also talk of nationalising the energy grid but this might similarly be less than ideal, and could suffer from ongoing policy backflips.

Energy companies themselves could start investing in renewables, and they are, but the economics of this might not be ideal given the rapid pace of technological development and other factors. So a more rational option might be to hang on to the old ways as long as possible, even if it’s not in the best interests of customers or the planet. The most optimal solutions might require a level of collaboration and joint investment from competing energy companies that just isn’t on the cards.

And even some of the more tailored solutions suffer from practical shortcomings. For example, the feed-in tariff policy that lets consumers sell energy back to the grid was envisioned as a happy compromise to help both consumers and utilities by encouraging people to go renewable while also keeping them on the grid. But counter-intuitively, it can actually be a lose-lose sometimes. During times of low-demand and high-supply from feed-in tariff households you can end up with a glut of essentially worthless energy that still costs money to move.

And so the world suffers for no real reason other than because that’s the way things are done.

Blockchain collaboration

Mutually-beneficial collaborative models present a potential solution and blockchain presents a suitable medium for these models.

For example, Power Ledger is trying to get right to the heart of the problem by creating a blockchain system for collaboration between stakeholders at all levels, including consumers and energy companies, to let everyone benefit without compromising their competitiveness.

It does this by using the blockchain to bridge the gap between the consumers going home solar and the energy companies, and creating a neutral and more efficient marketplace on the blockchain.

The use of blockchain architecture creates a neutral and transparent playing field for all participants, accentuated by some other benefits that weren’t achievable by top-down measures such as feed-in tariffs.

The end result is collaboration for a win-win, bringing the on- and off-grid participants into the same marketplace, letting energy companies reach more customers they would otherwise have lost, balancing prices at a more realistic level to prevent the shocks that drive people out of the market and delivering additional efficiencies such as a system that lets consumers sell their home-made energy to their geographically nearest neighbours at market prices rather than wastefully pump it back in when it’s not really needed.

In a sense, the reason it’s so potentially efficient relative to existing systems is because it’s all about teamwork between consumers and energy companies, for the potential enrichment of all. This kind of thing is the power of blockchain collaboration.

Where to?

The reason blockchain is so good at building these collaborative systems, Parzygnat explains, is because its inherent transparency and immutability essentially allows the creation of trust from nothing.

Compared to simple shared databases, he says, “the most notable difference is trust”.

“Blockchain is a disintermediating technology, where each transaction is crytographically signed, and always appended to an immutable ledger, which is visible to all participants, and distributed across boundaries of trust. All parties involved in a transaction agree that a) the transaction occurred, and b) that it occurred correctly – or the transaction is not committed to the ledger. Once in the ledger, it is set in stone.”

“In other words, all parties agree – so there’s no disputing it later. The upshot? Parties that do not necessarily trust one another can still do business without a team of lawyers, because they don’t have to trust one another. They just have to trust the technology! The level of transparency built into Blockchain enables this.”

But once again, if blockchain and its collaborative magic is so good then why aren’t more people using it? In this respect, it might be because it’s just a very challenging paradigm for businesses who are more familiar with turf wars than collaboration.

The problem might be that businesses are still looking at how blockchain can help them get one up on the competition, rather than how blockchain can benefit both them and the competition. There’s a definite competitive edge in blockchain, but by exploring it solely as a competitive tool one also misses some of its most powerful possibilities.

After all, do you think an energy company would have envisioned and created something like Power Ledger? And even if they did, do you think the other energy companies would have wanted to participate in a marketplace owned by a competitor? Blockchain can allow for the efficiencies of teamwork where it used to be impossible.

There have been some teething issues around this area though, and it might be one of the tougher obstacles for blockchain. This is where things are still very much early days, Parzygnat says, but fortunately things are still progressing well, largely thanks to the companies like IBM and Power Ledger who are going out of their way to get stakeholders on the same page.

It’s not quite as simple as getting everyone in the same room though, and developing acceptable governance models is an ongoing technical chore, especially for public blockchains.

“Whether you’re deciding between a public or permissioned network, who holds the ‘final say’ in a blockchain consortium, or even broader global regulatory oversight, the technology is still in early stages. We’re making headway on that with a number of consortia who utilise IBM Blockchain, and those founders who pave the way will leave a good handbook for us all,” Parzygnat says.

“I believe blockchain, and the new business models that are being shaped by the technology, could democratise access to data and improve trust and accountability, across our digital economy. This will have major benefits for business and society.”

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Crypto explained

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Latest cryptocurrency news

Picture: Shutterstock

Source link http://bit.ly/2RhBwWo