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We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry\u2026 and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes!<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This week, our <\/b>6 Questions go to <\/b>Kim Hamilton Duffy, director of identity and standards at Centre Consortium \u2014 an open-source technology project designed to create a more inclusive global economy.<\/b><\/p>\n Kim is a leader in the emerging decentralized identity field and has architected successful open-source projects such as Verite, Blockcerts and the Digital Credential Consortium toolkit.<\/span><\/p>\n Rather than assessing this through the narrow lens of whether certain crypto transactions are taxed, I think about whether countries are supporting innovation in blockchain \u2014 and, more broadly, decentralized architectures \u2014 in a collaborative, responsible, sustainable way that can benefit individuals and businesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A repeated theme: Regulatory clarity is key for individuals and businesses to build and innovate confidently. But this must be based on nuanced, balanced approaches that pull in a range of stakeholders \u2014 technologists, regulators and privacy experts \u2014 and must be sufficiently future-proofed to accommodate emerging technology. Anti-patterns \u2014 that is, examples of approaches that are uneven, overly restrictive or reactive \u2014 include banning specific implementations or types of mining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s split among interoperability, usability and trust.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, we\u2019re moving beyond the discussion of which blockchain will \u201cwin,\u201d understanding that different blockchain characteristics may be best suited to different use cases. But this underscores the importance of interoperability \u2014 and for this, open standards and protocols are key.<\/span><\/p>\n The other aspect is the need for improved usability and trust, which are interwoven. Despite the transparency enabled by blockchain-based technologies, the technical barriers to entry and overwhelming amount of information to absorb make those benefits unrealizable to many. Determining how to prioritize the user experience to convey trust (as an analogy, you can think of the \u201cbrowser lock\u201d icon signifying a secure connection) will be critical to success.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Yes! The first NFT I minted\/bought was a Crypto Coven\u2026 and then I ended up minting and buying a few more. I fell in love with the aesthetics and thoughtfulness of the project. It was clearly a labor of love \u2014 so much care went into generating the design elements, attributes and mythology that formed each individual witch. Even the contract code was beautifully written.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also, its Discord is an incredibly positive, supportive place, with some of the best Web3\/Ethereum technical discussions as well.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Being swarmed and tackled by a grumble of 100-plus pugs is probably near the top. A more modest goal is getting a pie in the face, a la 1970s slapstick comedy. Yet somehow, this hasn\u2019t happened yet.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019d spend extra time writing. Decentralized identity standards and technologies are new, and it\u2019s hard for people to get access to information through an objective, not commercial or vendor, lens. While the technical specifications are available, these are not accessible to broader audiences. More critically, these don\u2019t provide context and tribal knowledge from the many years of deliberations that went into design decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n The risk in rolling out transformative technologies understood by a select few is that they cannot be adapted and refined with other experts (privacy, regulatory, etc.) whose input is essential to adoption. I\u2019ve spent a lot of time thinking about the boundary between technical solutions and what\u2019s required for real-world adoption, and I\u2019d like to make more time to write about this.<\/span><\/p>\n On a more personal side, I\u2019d spend at least four hours a day practicing the Bach Cello Suites.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I feel confident that we\u2019re on a path toward more decentralized underpinnings of social media networks, where your data, connections, reputation and experience are increasingly under your control \u2014 not under the control of a company that\u2019s incentivized to treat you as the product.<\/span><\/p>\n Christine Lemmer-Webber, a leader in decentralized identity (especially integrating capability-based approaches), has also been a pioneer of decentralized social media efforts, including Mastodon and ActivityPub. This work is continuing and thriving through efforts like BlueSky.<\/span><\/p>\n The challenge, of course, will be identifying sustainable models to support such networks. This introduces an exciting opportunity to develop new approaches that do not rely on aggregating huge data silos \u2014 instead, ones that respect privacy and informed consent.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\n1 \u2014 Which countries are doing the most to support blockchain, and which ones will be left behind?<\/h4>\n
2 \u2014 What is the main hurdle in the way of mass adoption of blockchain technology?<\/h4>\n
3 \u2014 Have you ever bought a nonfungible token? What was it? And if not, what do you think will be your first?<\/h4>\n
4 \u2014 What\u2019s the unlikeliest-to-happen thing on your bucket list?<\/h4>\n
5 \u2014 If you didn\u2019t need sleep, what would you do with the extra time?<\/h4>\n
6 \u2014 What\u2019s the future of social media?<\/h4>\n