Author Archives: Dr Martin Hiesboeck

Cashier Number Four Please!

Zero Knowledge is a dangerous thing. We started this crypto journey with hifalutin ideals about #transparency. Blockchain, we said, would eliminate the need for #trust, make everything more efficient, and do away with corruption and fraud, because everything would be visible to anyone on-chain.  Well, turns out we don’t want that much transparency. We have known forContinue reading “Cashier Number Four Please!”

Coinbase’s Masterstroke

Welcome to marketing one-on-one. It feels like I’m back running my marketing firm 15 years ago when we had a “head of #contentmarketing” giving the presentation “creating digital customer engagement”.   What Coinbase did this week is a stroke of genius.  Remember, Coinbase isn’t an independent exchange, Coinbase is a permanent link in the EthereumContinue reading “Coinbase’s Masterstroke”

The Bank Strikes Back

Most people didn’t read the press release by the Bank of England last week carefully enough to be shocked by the admission that even though one wanted one’s digital pound and one wanted it by 2030 and trusted, wholeheartedly, that one’s educated loyal subjects were already used to fast digital payments via their portable telephones,Continue reading “The Bank Strikes Back”

Meta’s Massive Miscalculation

Meta’s Massive Miscalculation I try not to disparage projects I disapprove of because let’s face it — who am I to tell you where to waste your money. Besides, I am, admittedly, frequently wrong on almost all predictions, in particular those about the future. My ascorbic criticism of incumbents and their ass-saving last minute foraysContinue reading “Meta’s Massive Miscalculation”

An irreverent lock back at DAS:London 22

Two days of mingling with institutions and digital asset service providers at the beautiful Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. (Seriously, stunning 1970s architecture, balustrades, and chandeliers, you’d expect Roger More and Pussy Galore walking down the central staircase any time.)

Layer 4 is a Policeman!

Ethereum is now a government information system In October 2022, two separate news items flashed across the crypto ticker: one, that the CFTC was studying the feasibility of real-time monitoring all Ethereum transactions, and two, that the EU Commission was tendering a feasibility study for the very same. No further details were given. When aContinue reading “Layer 4 is a Policeman!”

My Main(net) Impressions

Mainnet 22 was my first conference post the Ethereum Merge. I came back from it with a mixed patchwork of emotions and ideas. The same patchwork Ethereum and DeFi overall is now. Three things stand out: Fore one, the absolute unwillingness of speakers to engage with other projects or viewpoints. Every panel was a shillContinue reading “My Main(net) Impressions”

Ethereum changed the world — It’s time to change it again

Ethereum brought us the functionality of smart contracts and the silliness of NFT art. These features are changing the way humans conduct business, sign contracts or identify themselves in real life as well as in the metaverse. But Ethereum has shortcomings no bridge or layer solution can ever solve. Thankfully, there is a new sheriff in town now.

On Oracles

The future according to XYO Even though we aren’t experiencing the global adoption bull-run we may have wanted in 2022; we see extensive innovation and recognition. The industry is innovating quickly, whether it is legal regulation, a faster and more scalable network, or a potential blockchain interoperability solution. Today, we are here to talk aboutContinue reading “On Oracles”

DAG for Dummies

Of Freeways and Helicopters DAG technology or directed acyclic graph models are the future of blockchain, as they are on track to providing solutions to fulfill some of these common problems we commonly see in the space.  The solution pertains to the overall structure of how the technology integrates, communicates, and connects.   As blockchainContinue reading “DAG for Dummies”

In Defense of Apeism

When the first apes appeared, we ignored them. When they procreated at the speed of mice, we called it a fad. When the bored early hominids became zombies, got stoned, and brought along their dogs and other friends, furry or not, hilarious or gruesome, or well, just bored, we said: that’s not going to last. Continue reading “In Defense of Apeism”

Forget TA for crypto

Why technical analysis doesn’t work for crypto (at least not as well) In the stock market, technical analysis is predicated on the completeness of information model, meaning that all the information that can be had about the stock is already priced in. Companies need to publish results, their results are audited, important announcements have toContinue reading “Forget TA for crypto”

Unstructured data provides equal risk and opportunities for businesses

This article is originally posted on Nightfall.ai Unstructured data is projected to account for approximately 80% of the data that enterprises will process on a daily basis by 2025. Data breaches and other security issues get a lot of attention in the media, but all businesses working with data, especially data in the cloud, are at riskContinue reading “Unstructured data provides equal risk and opportunities for businesses”

IoT, Cybersecurity and Manufacturing: War is Coming

The Internet of Things or IoT is being hailed as the next big thing changing our world: our daily lives, the way we shop and consume information, and, finally, manufacturing. Increasingly however, issues with data security, privacy, and hacking of connected systems, are making it clear that the rollout of a globally interconnected Internet ofContinue reading “IoT, Cybersecurity and Manufacturing: War is Coming”