When we talk about blockchain preparation, are the tides turning into corporate IT organizations? A survey by Deloitte in August 2018 found that about three quarters of digital companies see an irresistible commercial case for blockchain, with 34% saying that implementation is already under way. Another 41% said they expected to increase the distribution of the blockchain within a year. These figures are interesting, given that at the start of this year, only 13% of senior IT executives surveyed had clear and current plans to implement the blockchain, according to IDG Connect's research.
[ Can you explain blockchain to non-techies? Read our related story, How to explain blockchain in plain English. ]
Another recent PwC survey cites an even higher number: 84% of the surveys of the 2018 Global Blockchain Survey states that their organizations have at least some involvement with blockchain technology. According to the report, "Everyone talks about blockchain and nobody wants to be left behind". Naturally, nobody wants to drown in the hype.
If you're among those who feel a little bit about how Blockchain really works and what will happen next, it's time to start educating yourself using smart resources. TED Talk is a great place to start. We have collected six interviews that will allow you to speed up quickly and answer some basic questions while browsing or even driving blockchain conversations in your organization.
If you still do not understand what is blockchain
How the blockchain will radically transform the economy
Wired has exploited Bettina Warburg, researcher and co-founder of Animal Ventures, for a difficult challenge: to explain blockchain in sufficiently clear terms that even a child could understand. Warberg rose to the challenge: his TED Talk is another great example of his ability to frame the concept of blockchain in understandable and easy to understand terms. Using useful comparisons and charts, Warburg explains how the blockchain can reduce uncertainty and increase transaction transparency. It's a quick clock that can answer many basic blockchain questions.
[ Where is blockchain making tangible progress? Read Blockchain in action: 5 interesting examples. ]
How the blockchain is changing money and business
Many of the conversations around blockchain focus on the potential to change and shape the way people exchange money. But money is not the only thing that will change with the expansion of the blockchain. Don Tapscott, author of "Blockchain Revolution", not only provides another great, simple overview in English of what blockchain is in this TED Talk, but also outlines five of the many potential blockchain opportunities. They range from allowing people to own their data to make sure that content creators, like musicians, have control and are fairly compensated for their work.
If you are skeptical
Bitcoin. Sweat. Tide. Meet the future of the currency of the brand
Skeptical of a future without banks? It's already happening. Think about how many people buy their morning coffee with Starbucks Rewards. In this TED Talk, Paul Kemp-Robertson offers several examples that demonstrate greater comfort in the currency of the brand and a decrease in confidence in the government, in banks and other institutions. It is a convincing case that paper money is starting to feel outdated in the digital age.
We have ceased to trust institutions and have begun to trust strangers
For those who delete the blockchain as nothing more than a word of order, this TED talk by Rachel Botsman does a great job explaining how the new era of trust we are living opens the way to the blockchain to catch on in the future. In particular, we had a wave of significant changes in our everyday lives – from how we book trips, where we stay and how we get there – all started by huge leaps of faith in others (thinks Airbnb, Uber, etc. .). The leap of confidence in the blockchain has not yet fully happened, notes Botsman, but it will come.
If you ask yourself what will happen to the works
Blockchain and the Middleman
This is a quick explanation of what the increase in blockchain will mean for intermediaries. These brokers have done important work for decades: they establish trust, ownership and transaction history. Blockchain can replace these intermediate activities, faster, more easily and with fewer errors. You can not understand the blockchain without understanding the dramatic impact it will have on these institutions. As the video notes: it is no longer a question of whether blockchain can replace these intermediaries, it is what and when.
If you want a look ahead
The future of money
If only I want to know what all this could mean to you, Neha Narula outlines what the future of money will include. She believes that we have been burdened by the institutions and, once removed, the future of money will be programmable. The money will be directed by the software and will flow safely and securely. In particular, Narula thinks that the first examples of blockchain, like Bitcoin, come with their quirks, and she predicts that the next iterations will always be better. Of course, not everything can be foreseen and there will be compromises, she says. But in the same way that the rise of the Internet has made us all more productive, creating at the same time new ways to waste time, she believes that good will overcome evil.
