Recently, I took a great free online course to learn more about blockchain, decentralization, and how it affects libraries and museums. The course is available on Canvas Network, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this technology. Below are some of the things and resources I learned from the course.
About Blockchain
- “Blockchain: how mining works and transactions are processed in seven steps” on Good Audience
- “Blockchain: background, challenges and legal issues” on DLA Piper
- “What is Decentralized Storage? (IPFS, FileCoin, Sia, Storj & Swarm)” on Medium
- “A Comparison Between 5 Major Blockchain Protocols” on Medium
- “What is IPFS?” on Medium
- “Blockchain explained” on Reuters
- “How does blockchain work in 7 steps — A clear and simple explanation.” on Good Audience
- “A Gentle Introduction to Blockchain Technology” on Bits on Blocks
- “Blockchains & Distributed Ledger Technologies” on Blockchain Hub
- “public-key cryptography for non-geeks” on vrypan
- “Introduction to hashing” on The Digital Cat Online
- “Everything* You Always Wanted To Know About Blockchain (But Were Afraid To Ask)” on The Scholarly Kitchen
Libraries, Museums, and Other Applications
- “The Vast Potential for Blockchain in Libraries” on Go To Hellman
- “How libraries can save the Internet of Things from the Web’s centralized fate” on Boing Boing
- “Blockchain” on Library of the Future
- “Ways to Use Blockchain in Libraries” on Blockchains for the Information Profession
- “Blockchain Technology in the Library” on Information Today
- “Does Blockchain Have A Place In Museums?” on Culture Track
- “This startup is creating the cultural cryptocurrency for museums and institutions” on The Next Web
- “Museums in the Blockchain Era” on Medium
- “Blockchain for the Book Biz: The Hype vs. the Reality” on Publisher’s Weekly
- “DECENT Use Case for E-Book Blockchain Distribution” on DECENT
- “Can Blockchain Disrupt The E-Book Market? Two Startups Will Find Out” on Forbes
- “Blockchain and Potential Implications for International Book Publishing” on Publishing Perspectives
- “Blockchain technology may lead to true ebook ownership” on GoodeReader
- “Will MovieCoin’s Blockchain Technology Revolutionize Hollywood Film Production?” on Forbes
- “17 Blockchain Music Companies Reshaping a Troubled Industry” on Built In
- “Blockchain Potential in Scholarly Publishing: New Report from Digital Science” on Publishing Perspectives
- “Will Blockchain Revolutionize Scholarly Journal Publishing?” on The Chronicle of Higher Education
- “Blockchain Solutions for Scientific Publishing” on Medium
- “UK National Archives to Test Blockchain Tech for Official Record Keeping” on CCN
- “A brief history of blockchain, smart contracts and their implementation” on Modex
- “Dive into the Refugee Camp in Jordan that Runs on Blockchain” on Medium
- “How Blockchain Can Solve Identity Management Problems” on Forbes
- “The Impact of Digital Identity” on Blockchain at Berkeley
- “Using Blockchain in Smart Cities” on Meeting of the Minds
- “How Blockchain Will Make Electronic Voting More Secure” on Hackernoon
- “National Action Plan for Blockchain” on Chamber of Digital Commerce
Platforms and Products
- “Blockchain on AWS” on AWS
- “IBM Blockchain Platform” on IBM
- “Blockchain” on Microsoft
- Ethereum
- Blockchain Identity
- Matrix
- Riot
- Civic
- StorJ
- Steemit
- Golem
- Dat Foundation
- Scuttlebutt
- Brave
- CryptoKitties
- Awesome Decentralized Web
- Presearch
- Mycelia for Music
- Publica
Pros / Future of Blockchain
- “Why Blockchains Don’t Suck, and the Perils of Distributed Databases” on Medium
- “The Blockchain Ethical Design Framework for Social Impact” on Beeck Center
- “Why The Internet Needs IPFS Before It’s Too Late” on TechCrunch
- “Blockchain Is Critical To The Future Of Data Storage — Here’s Why” on Forbes
- “Blockchain: Merits, Issues, and Suggestions for Compelling Use Cases” on Library Hat
- “The Future Of Blockchain And Its Potential Impact On Our World” on Forbes
- “Preparing for a Blockchain Future” on MIT Sloan
- “What is the future of blockchain?” on ZD Net
Potential Cons/Downsides of Blockchain
- “Fire (and lots of it): Berkeley researcher on the only way to fix cryptocurrency” on Ars Technica
- “There’s No Good Reason To Trust Blockchain Technology” on Wired
- “The 5 Big Problems With Blockchain Everyone Should Be Aware Of” on Forbes
- “Do you need a blockchain?” on doyouneedablockchain
- “Ten years in, nobody has come up with a use for blockchain” on Hackernoon
- “Blockchain is not only crappy technology but a bad vision for the future” on Medium
- “5 Blockchain Problems: Security, Privacy, Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Issues” on Blocks Decoded
Security
- “Once hailed as unhackable, blockchains are now getting hacked” on Technology Review
- “Yes, the Blockchain Can Be Hacked” on Coin Central
- “Are Blockchains the Answer for Secure Elections? Probably Not” on Scientific American
- “PoW 51% Attack Cost” on Crypto51
