May 2019
Decentralization - 1 Year Later
One year ago, our newsletter was on the subject of decentralization. We are keeping a close eye on this megatrend, because it will impact every industry, including (and some would say, especially,) the financial investment and monetary sectors. As such, we are taking a deeper dive into the subject in this newsletter.
What has changed in the last year? As it turns out - a lot. It is taking some time, but distributed ledger/distributed application technologies are beginning to emerge that are able to fulfill some of the promises made when blockchain technology exploded onto the scene a few years ago. Fintech architecture 1.0 (blockchain) was improved by 2.0 (Ethereum), which is now being further improved by more scalable DLT and DHG solutions.
It still is a wild world in Fintech, so caution is advised! Good things will come to those who wait...
PMs, Cryptos, and FinTech
Gold Price & Silver Outlook
Interesting patterns in gold and silver markets showing gold's breakout still holding...
Amplats CEO "Very Bullish" on Platinum and Palladium
Despite pullbacks in the price of both metals due to short term trade concerns, the fundamentals for both remain strong. Might be time to diversify into these metals which are now available on the OWNx platform.
3 Charts Suggest Silver is Ready to Move Higher
"In this article, we'll take a closer look at several silver-related charts and suggest why it is likely too early to give up on silver's move higher."
Decentralization Has Gone Mainstream
This is a good place to start. A brief article that summarizes why the idea of "decentralization" is moving into nearly every industry on the planet.
JPMorgan Quietly Reboots the Blockchain Behind Its JPM Coin Cryptocurrency
"JPMorgan Chase has quietly replaced the guts of its blockchain." Interesting, as the firm initially built their DLT tech on a private version of the Ethereum blockchain (how many people knew that?). Why the need to gut it? Maybe scaling issues? Security? "Big banks always know best" mentality?
Identifying Fake "Decentralization"
Is it real or is it Memorex? There is so much out there on the topic of decentralization, it's important that you are able to see through the fake hype, and start to build a grid for what is practical. This article helps begin to build that grid.
Crypto Regulation Experts Debate State vs. Federal Regulation in the Blockchain Era
Regulation will be key to adoption of DLT tech in the future. The SEC has given some guidance. Still, the waters remain murky as State and Federal regulators give mixed signals and jurisdictional boundaries blur.
Suggested Reading
The Current vs. Future State of Distributed Ledger Technology
This is a blog article, but a long one. It also provides a fair and comprehensive overview of the challenges that face DLT technologies as they seek to solve the problems of scale and adoption.
Why Disruption Is Coming for Your Industry -- And How to Embrace It
A megatrend that will accelerate in 2019 is a broadening of industries that feel "disruption" via advances in technology. Many will have to decide if this disruption is a net positive over the long term or not.
OWNx closure dates:
- May 27th. Memorial Day