The digital currency has blown through $100 milestones nearly every day

  

That’s how long it took the cryptocurrency bitcoin,

back in April 2013, to rise from $100 for a single bitcoin to $200.

Six hours—that’s how long it took for it to rise by its latest $100.

While the latter is an easier accomplishment—bitcoin only needed to rise 3.7% to add another $100 to its price, compared with 100% when it doubled to $200—it is also indicative of just how astonishingly fast the digital currency has been rising lately. It is up nearly 500% over the past 12 months, a sixfold rise, according to pricing site CoinDesk. Thus far in 2017, it is up 187%. Over just the past 10 days, it is up more than 60%. Here’s what gains like that translate to, If an investor were to have put $1,000 into bitcoin in 2010, that stake would be worth tens of millions of dollars today. Earlier this week, Charlie Bilello, a research director at investment adviser Pension Partners, created a table to show just how quickly Bitcoin has been bursting through $100 milestones. It hasn’t needed a double-digit number of days since April when it took nearly two months to move from $1,200 to $1,300.

Bitcoin BTCUSD, -0.57%   jumped another 12% on Thursday, an increase of $300. The speed and scale of the rally have raised questions about whether prices could possibly be sustained around current levels, something analysts seemed mixed on.“We’ve watched the volatility in Bitcoin ever since we first bought it, and we’re not blind to the fact that prices are driven by speculation to a certain degree. However, we think its utility is very underappreciated, and that there isn’t as much speculation as people think, necessarily,” said Cathie Wood, chief executive officer of ARK Investment Management.

ARK has two actively managed exchange-traded funds that offer indirect exposure to bitcoin, counting the Bitcoin Investment Trust GBTC, -7.23%  among their holdings. The BIT trades on the over-the-counter market and operates as a private, open-ended trust that invests solely in Bitcoin, with the value of its shares entirely derived from price moves in bitcoin.  The BIT typically trades at a high premium to bitcoin itself, but it has nonetheless followed the cryptocurrency higher in 2017—much higher. It is up more than 300% thus far this year, and it has more than doubled this week alone.

What is the future of bitcoin?he gains in bitcoin have been so large that the trust has become one of the top holdings of both the ARK Web x.0 ETF ARKW, +0.85%  and the A Innovation ETF ARKK, +0.18% the two actively managed funds that own What is the future of bitcoin?he gains in bitcoin have been so large that the trust has become one of the top holdings of both the ARK Web x.0 ETF ARKW, +0.85%  and the A Innovation ETF ARKK, +0.18% the two actively managed funds that own the trust (the ETFs only hold the trust, not bitcoin itself).the trust.

The trust is the largest holding of the Web ETF, comprising 8.24% of the portfolio. At 7.8%, the trust is the second-largest holding of the Innovation Fund. According to Wood, the ETFs both first bought the trust in July 2015, when it comprised 1% of the portfolios. Both ETFs have gained more than 40% in 2017, in large part due to the gain in the trust. And because they are among the few vehicles available for investors to get some kind of Bitcoin exposure—without buying it directly, something that can be complicated and risky—both have seen heavy increases in investor interest. The Web fund has seen inflows of $10.8 million in 2017, with $6.5 million of that coming over the past month, according to FactSet data. The Innovation ETF has had inflows of $16.6 million years to date, with $12 million of that coming over the past month.

Both funds have less than $30 million in assets, meaning the inflows this year have increased their size by about 50%. Wood said ARK may sell some of its BIT holdings soon, as the rules of the funds stipulate that it can’t have more than 10% of its holdings in an illiquid security—something the trust qualifies as. Despite the recent rally, she said she wasn’t necessarily worried that prices had gotten ahead of themselves. “Bitcoin is less than 50% of the crypto space; it used to be 80%,” she said. “That happened while its price was escalating; it’s just that the price of other crypto assets has escalated more, which suggests more speculation in those. But you can see that bitcoin transactions relative to the trading volume have been moving up, while developers are developing more. Both of those are good fundamental signs.”

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
Please click either Link to Learn more about – TCC-Bitcoin.

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

Bitcoin is soaring —
Here's what the Cryptocurrency is all about

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

Russian Central Bank Wants to Treat Bitcoin As Digital Commodity

  

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

Bitcoin Price $4,500 In South Korea As Uptake Race Continues

  

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

Bitcoin surges 12% to all-time high above $2,700; has now doubled in May

• Bitcoin rose more than 12 percent to a record $2,791.70 before losing some ground, according to CoinDesk.
• That's more than twice its April 30 price of $1,347.96.
• The currency has gained more than 45 percent in a week amid strong demand from Asian investors and two digital currency conferences in New York.

In another intraday jump of more than $300, Bitcoin surged to a record Thursday on strong Asian demand overnight.
Bitcoin jumped more than 12 percent to an all-time high of $2,791.70, more than twice it's April 30 price of $1,347.96 according to CoinDesk. The digital currency later lost some ground to trade at $2,779.81. At Thursday's record, Bitcoin has now gained more than 45 percent in a week and more than 180 percent this year.

Bitcoin 30-day chart

"There is no question that we are in the middle of a price frenzy,"

Brian Kelly of BKCM said in a note to clients Thursday. "There will be a correction and it could be severe, but it's unclear if that correction will start from current prices of $2700 or from some place much higher." Kelly, a CNBC contributor, manages a hedge fund focused on digital currencies. The globally traded asset swept past $2,400 and $2,500 on Wednesday Eastern Time, following a late Tuesday announcement that brought some resolution to a heated debate about the future development of the digital currency. The Digital Currency Group said in an online Medium post that 83 percent of bitcoin miners supported a "Bitcoin Scaling Agreement" for a specific technological upgrade.

Bitcoin prices then pushed higher overnight as demand from Japan, China, and South Korea remained solid.
Trade denominated in Japanese yen accounted for about 31 percent of trade volume Thursday morning Eastern Time, while Chinese yuan and Korean won accounted for 16 and 12 percent, respectively, according to CryptoCompare.
Japanese interest in bitcoin has risen ever since the government approved bitcoin as a legal payment method in April. Over the weekend, yen-denominated trade volume accounted for more than half of total volume, helping send Bitcoin above $2,000 for the first time. Gains in bitcoin accelerated this week amid two major digital currency conferences in New York: Consensus and the Token Summit.

Digital currency enthusiasts at the summit's pre-event reception Wednesday evening attributed bitcoin's rise to increased uses for the currency, the scaling agreement, and interest in other cryptocurrencies such as ethereum, which some see as a potential structure for a decentralized, next-generation Internet. Also called ether, the currency has run up more than 2,000 percent this year, while bitcoin has more than doubled in price. "I think there's a lot of hype around this," Sebastian Wain, business development manager at Argentina-based developer CoinFabrik, told CNBC. He's cautious but a buyer of digital currencies in the long run as "the fundamentals of the technology are here to stay." Wain said he has mostly sold bitcoin to buy other digital currencies and has about $100,000 in ethereum.

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
Please click either Link to Learn more about – TCC-Bitcoin.

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

7 Steps To Getting Started With Trade Coin Club

*These instructions were written at the very beginning of the pre-launch of TCC with limited information available about the program and while some of the website was still in Portuguese and Spanish. So please be lenient on the accuracy of my instruction steps. Also, keep in mind that website updates and program changes may occur which could also change the process. As needed, I will make updates to this document and make it available here.  [7 Steps Version 1.4, Updated on 3-11-17]

This is a written reference to accompany the Youtube video playlist found here:

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyc3WvQz66K-spYcsdlNBLg

Covered in this manual:

TCC Step 1: How To Sign Up Correctly In Trade Coin Club

TCC Step 2: How To Obtain Bitcoin To Purchase A Trade Coin Club Plan

TCC Step 3. How To Select And Buy A Plan In Trade Coin Club

TCC Step 4: How To Complete Your Trade Coin Club Account Profile

TCC Step 5: Trade Coin Club Back Office Dashboard Overview

TCC Step 6: How To Transfer Your Earnings & Commissions In Trade Coin Club

TCC Step 7: How To Introduce Other People To Trade Coin Club

TCC Step 1: How To Sign Up Correctly In Trade Coin Club

Step 1 Video: 

How To Sign Up Correctly In Trade Coin Club

• Use the referral link from the person who invited you. It should look something like mine: https://office.tradecoinclub.com/register/chuck212 or if they’ve shortened the invite link to a forwarding link, then the final landing page URL should still look like the URL above. (The last word or letters after the last slash is your sponsor’s personal invite code. “chuck212” in my case.)

• Fill out all of the information on the form

• Use your main email address! (You can only sign up for one spot in TCC, so make sure you take your time and do it right the first time. It is virtually impossible for the TCC tech support staff to make corrections and changes in the position of people in the network. You are only allowed one account.)

• In the “Type Your Log In” field, you can set it to whatever invite code you want. (It will automatically set it to your first initial and last name if not customized.)

• In the ID space, type your driver’s license number or your passport number

• IMPORTANT: At the bottom where it says “Click here to accept the terms stated in the contract” you need to click on it, then review the terms and conditions and scroll all the way to the bottom of it and type in your name in the signature field and click I Accept.

• After you’ve filled out all of the form, click submit (Save).

• You will then be sent an email from TCC. Check your email inbox and open the email. Copy your login credentials at the bottom, along with the login URL (back office) and past them to a notepad or word document. Keep them safe and secure. Then click the confirmation link inside the email and this will confirm your account.

• You can now log into the back office with the credentials you created.

Learn more about the process of how to join Trade Coin Club here: http://TheCryptoCoinExchange.com/how-to-join-trade-coin-club/

TCC Step 2: How To Obtain Bitcoin To Purchase A Trade Coin Club Plan

Step 2 Video:

Obtaining Bitcoin:

In order to purchase a trading plan in Trade Coin Club, you need to be able to pay for it with Bitcoin. There are several different websites and services that offer an online Bitcoin wallet. I use Coinbase. It is one of the most popular Bitcoin wallets.

To open a Coinbase account, sign up here: http://bit.ly/CoinbaseAcct

However, Coinbase only allows a maximum of a $250 deposit per weeks for new accounts. Click Here and I will fund your account.

You will need to verify your account and add a payment method such as an online bank account and/or a credit card number. When I started mine a couple of years ago, I used a bank account since I didn’t have a credit card at the time. Back then at least, it took a few days for the Bitcoin to show up in my wallet after making the transfer from my checking account.

However, if a credit card (not a debit card) was used, then the Bitcoin wallet would be funded right away. So if you want a quick transfer of funds, then I suggest using a credit card to make your initial deposit.

Another service I’ve used is CEX.io. You can open an account with CEX.io here: http://bit.ly/joinCEXIO

One of the advantages with CEX is that you can use a debit card and still fund the account right away. (Although they charge a higher fee than Coinbase.)

Blockchain.info is another popular Bitcoin wallet. You can sign up for an account there by visiting: https://blockchain.info

Another route to take is using a Bitcoin ATM. I understand that you don’t even need an online wallet for this type of transaction. For example, you could simply create a hash in Trade Coin Club to fund the account to buy a plan, (Step 3) and create a hash for it, then go to a Bitcoin ATM and deposit your local currency in cash and send it to the Bitcoin hash you created in TCC. (Of course, you would still need to eventually open an external online wallet in order to verify your TCC account and be able to withdraw funds.

You can find local Bitcoin ATMs and learn how to use each brand of them on the Coin ATM Radar website: https://coinatmradar.com/

TCC Step 3. How To Select And Buy A Plan In Trade Coin Club

Step 3 Video:

To Purchase A Plan In TCC:

• Log into your TCC back office
• Click on Plans -> Buy on the top of the page
• Enter the value of Bitcoin you will be depositing (Or click on one of the three plans to select one.)
• *Make sure you take into account a 0.05 Bitcoin registration fee (for any package) and add that amount to the amount being deposited. (TCC will automatically deduct 0.05 BTC as a registration fee when you purchase your first plan.)
• Confirm the amount
• Generate Hash
• Copy that hash number onto a notepad
• If I’m funding your account and paying your hash, then send that hash to me in a message.
• If funding the hash yourself: Sign into your external Bitcoin wallet (Coinbase, etc.)
• Choose to Send Funds
• Enter the total amount of Bitcoin you will be sending to TCC (including the 0.05 registration fee)
• Send that amount to the Hash you just created
• Then go back to TCC and click “Confirm Payment”
• *Your account should be upgraded. If your plan isn’t actually purchased yet and the Bitcoin were just sent to your main “Funds” wallet, then you’ll need to go to Plans -> Buy, then select a plan and when it asks from which wallet you want to take the Bitcoin from in order to pay for it, you can select the Funds wallet, and type in the amount you want to use underneath it in the field, and pay with it.

There are actually a couple of different ways to complete the task of buying a plan. You can also go to the “Deposit Funds” link under Plans and generate a hash there. Then you would need to send Bitcoin to that hash from an external source: Coinbase, Blockchain.info, Bitcoin ATM, etc. and send the funds to the hash you created. The Bitcoin would then be deposited to your Funds wallet, where you can use them to purchase a plan or upgrade your current plan.

The idea is to get familiar with how to move funds around within TCC. You need to understand what the Counter Sign code is, (next step) and what Tokens are, (next step). You will need to use these as security measures when transacting in TCC.

Moving funds may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get familiar with how the system works, and what to do when moving funds, it’s fairly easy to use.

*After buying the plan: Another important thing you need to do in order to begin trading is to select your trading risk level. This needs to be done sometime between Sunday at 4PM PST / 7PM EST and Monday  at 4PM PST / 7PM EST.

On the dashboard section, on the right side of the page, is the risk level section. Make sure to choose your level, (I always recommend High risk) and set the trading to automatic. You simply want to make sure that your account is turned on and actively trading. (The yellow gear icons in that section will be turning if everything is turned on and the trading is going.)

TCC Step 4: How To Complete Your Trade Coin Club Account Profile

Step 4 Video:

*NOTE: This step is not necessary at first. You can still do the daily trading and also refer people to earn commissions without completing it. The only time this step needs to be finished is when you go to extract profits out of the system and send them to an external bitcoin wallet.

There are 4 main steps to completing your TCC account profile.

1. Buy a package

This process was covered in the last step

2. Enter an address

Click on the “My Profile” link at the top of the page, then scroll down to the bottom of the page, under the Address section and enter your physical address and your phone number.

3. Send a Document

This is a picture you need to take and send in. It has instructions on the page, but I will cover it here as well. You need to take a clear, high-resolution photo of yourself holding up a government issued ID next to your face that has your picture and address on it. You can use your driver’s license or passport, or state-issued ID card.

I used my driver’s license and held it up next to my face and took a selfie with my phone. Since my driver’s license address matches the address I have on file in TCC, and the picture was clear and able to be zoomed in on, they accepted it right away. This way is fine, but don’t take a picture in the mirror. (The image of your ID would be backwards.)

However, if you have a separate address from your driver’s license or if you go by your middle name for example, then you’ll need to send in supporting documentation to prove your ID and address. If this is the case, then just contact TCC support and email them a couple good photos of yourself holding up each supporting document so they can easily tell everything is legitimate. And make sure to explain the situation and each document in the email, so that everything is crystal clear to them.

4. Add your BTC wallet

This is simply your deposit hash for your external Bitcoin wallet. (Every Bitcoin wallet, (Coinbase, Blockchain.info, etc.) has a unique hash number assigned to your account. (Similar to an online checking account number). You can easily find this in the back office of your chosen external Bitcoin wallet. Just copy that Hash number and paste it into TCC in the BTC wallet section

And that’s it. After completing these simply steps, your account will be verified and you’ll be able to withdraw funds when you want.

TCC Step 5: Trade Coin Club Back Office Dashboard Overview

Step 5 Video:

Take a tour of the TCC back office dashboard and get familiar with all of its sections and functions.

Here you’ll learn about the platform’s back office dashboard and what all of its sections do. Watching the video for this step is the easiest way to take the tour. But here are written summaries of each section that you can use as a reference:

Dashboard

The Dashboard section gives you a quick snapshot of the balances of your 5 wallets. It also shows you where your profile is at in the stages of profile verification. It also shows you where you’re at within the cycle of your agreement (how many trading days have been completed) and lets you set your risk level and manage the trading settings.

My Network

The My Network section consists of 4 areas: My Network: this shows your overall network downline on your left and right legs. Matrix Network: Shows your 3X12 network of the people on your teams. Unilevel Network: Allows you to search specific members and view the points earned there. Qualification Plan: Shows you where you’re at in the number of cycles completed and what benefits and bonuses you’ve earned.

Financial

The Financial section shows records of your transactions and allows you to move funds. The Financial Extract section shows where you’ve moved money within TCC. The Pay Hash section allows you to search for a pre-generated hash and pay it with one of your wallets. And the Request Withdraw section allows you to extract funds from TCC and send them somewhere.

Plans

The Plans section allows you to Buy Plans and Deposit Funds. The Buy Plans process was covered in Step 3. (It’s where you choose a plan to purchase or upgrade your existing plan). And the Deposit Funds page lets you generate a hash to deposit Bitcoin into TCC from an external wallet.

Tools

The Tools section contains 4 pages: News, Videos, Downloads and Tutorials. Each page’s content is self-explanatory with the title and will be fleshed out with more content as time goes on. (Some of those pages are completely empty at the time this manual was created.)

My Profile

The My Profile section allows you to manage your Profile and Password. The instructions on how to complete your profile and verify it were covered in Step 4. Make sure this information is accurate and up to date.

Language

The Language section allows you to select your language. As time goes on, more languages will be available.

Support

This is where you contact support. Currently, it is simply an email address to use.

Sign Friend

This link opens in a new window and brings you to your sign up page with your personal invite code already embedded in the sponsor field of the form. This is the link you give others to sign up with.

Account

In the top right of the site, you can access the main aspects of your profile and log out.

TCC Step 6:
How To Transfer Your Earnings & Commissions In Trade Coin Club

How to make your first transfer, How to make other transfers after your first. One of the most powerful concepts of this opportunity is the concept of earning compound interest. So the idea is to transfer your daily trade earnings (and referral commissions if any) into your Exchange Wallet so you are trading with a higher and higher amount of funds every day throughout your 8 or 12-month agreement.

Here are the steps to transfer earnings within TCC wallets:

Step 1: Update your Countersign password if needed and make sure you have it handy. (This only needs to be done once. You do not need to do it every time you transfer your earnings.)

Step 2: Go to your Dashboard and look at your wallets and write down the amount of BTC you want to move. If you are moving BTC from more than one wallet, (example: your trading account plus your commission account to send into the exchange), then you need to add the totals and write down the sum.)

Step 3: Go to the Plans section, and then select the Buy link.

Step 4: Generate Hash. Type in the total amount of Bitcoin you want to move. (Remember if it is less than one Bitcoin, then you need to put a zero and then a decimal point, and then the amount.) Make sure the amount is correct and then click Generate Hash. And copy it to a clipboard. (Make sure you only copy the exact hash and not any spaces or other characters.)

Step 5: Go to the Financials Section and select Pay Hash. Paste in the hash code into the field and click the search button. (This will make TCC search its system and locate that hash transaction.)

Step 6: Enter the amounts under each Wallet that you want to move. (They should total the amount that you summed earlier.) Once you’re satisfied that all the numbers and amounts are correct, then click Pay.

Step 7: Then you’ll need to enter your “X-Pass”. This is your Counter Sign code that you set earlier. You may also need to confirm at Token. (A token for the transaction may need to be sent to your email.) So you may need to confirm the transaction with a Token also. (Check your email for a token number and paste in I the token field in TCC.) After you’ve confirmed the transaction, the funds will be moved and you will see that the totals in your Wallets are updated.

TCC Step 7:
How To Introduce Other People To Trade Coin Club

This step is of course optional. You are never required to introduce other people to TCC. You can simply deposit your Bitcoin in order to passively gain trading earnings. However, since the trading alone is so powerful and profitable, many people eventually tell others about their own success and offer an invite to their friends. This section of the 7 Steps will definitely be updated and improved as time goes on, but in this early stage, I thought it was important to at least have some rudimentary structure or outline for a basic process of how to introduce other people to TCC.

Step 1: Show them this short Introduction Video:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hAYr3pjt4

Step 2: Show them a recording of an official TCC webinar Video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTVUq-3om9s

Step 3: Give them your invite link and have them sign up and create a free TCC account.

Step 4: Give them the 7 Steps To Getting Started With Trade Coin Club page:
http://thecryptocoinexchange.com/trade-coin-club-tutorials/7-steps-getting-started-trade-coin-club/

Step 5: Show them how to buy a plan and start trading. (Make sure they actually buy a plan and get started trading.) If you need to help them obtain Bitcoin and follow the 7 Steps, then coach them along the way. Touch base regularly and help them with each step until they have funded their account and are actively trading.

Step 6: Follow up with them regularly, helping them along the way. Once their account is active and trading, stay in touch. Make sure they have studied the 7 steps and know how to use their TCC account. Make sure they know how to move funds within TCC. Make sure they know the importance of transferring their daily trading earnings into their exchange account each day in order to maximize their profits. The important thing here is to keep the communication line open, so they keep moving forward and never get stuck.

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
Please click either Link to Learn more about – TCC-Bitcoin.

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

While blockchain is most notably used in the financial sector,

I have been studying the application of blockchain technology in various industries.   According to an article on the Oracle website titled The Benefits of Blockchain Across Industries. (n.d.). there are benefits to be derived in the public sector by the use of this technology.

The blockchain is an encrypted, distributed database shared across multiple computers or nodes that are part of a community or system. Transactions and data that use blockchain technology do not allow changes to data once it is written unless all or a majority of participating computers agree to the change. Blockchain has the ability to make the secure transfer of data simpler and easier between entities. This article notes the potential uses of blockchain technology in the defense, legal and energy industries.

It also discusses that the ability of blockchain to link data between government departments that typically work is silos. This can benefit citizens because the exchange of information between departments is in real time, after the agency and the citizen agree to share data. Information would no longer be delayed, resulting in greater efficiency and better service to citizens. It could also increase transparency and reduce fraud and abuse.  It is clear that blockchain holds much promise in the ability to provide secure and transparent transactions. We will continue to study the evolution of this technology.

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
Please click either Link to Learn more about – TCC-Bitcoin.

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

The World’s Top Energy Companies Look to Blockchain to
‘Fuse the Physical With the Virtual’

  

A new coalition links up energy companies with leading blockchain experts.

Earlier this month Shell, Statoil, Tepco, Centrica and a half-dozen other energy companies the Energy Web Foundation, an alliance devoted to bringing blockchain to the grid. The companies donated $2.5 million to the organization. The foundation was set up in February this year as a collaboration between Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Austrian blockchain developer Grid Singularity to “accelerate the commercial deployment of blockchain technology in the energy sector.”

The companies and organizations involved think blockchain will be a game-changer for energy, and e working together to provide the frameworks and standards to help ensure that outcome. Jesse Morris, principal for electricity and transportation practices at RMI and co-founder of the Energy Web Foundation (EWF), said the foundation's immediate aim is to garner more affiliates and funding, while developing an open-source blockchain application for use in the energy sector. Initially, partner organizations will evaluate the software, and potentially release it to the public in 2019 or 2020, if all goes well. Blockchain is best known as the platform for Bitcoin. It is an encrypted, distributed database that allows all users to track every transaction — thus eliminating the need for an intermediary.

Blockchain enthusiasts believe the technology can also be used to seamlessly transact electrons between consumers on the grid, while keeping an accurate, incorruptible tally of where they came from and where they went. It could encourage greater peer-to-peer sales on the grid and lay the foundation for microgrids and distributed renewables. “We have a strong hypothesis that blockchain will solve a lot of long-running problems in the energy sector,” said Morris. “Overcoming these challenges could make small, incremental changes to energy infrastructure and markets in the ar term, while others would be more far-reaching and disruptive."

Certificates (also known as guarantees) of origin would assure the user that a particular megawatt-hour of electricity was produced from renewables. According to Morris, the U.S. alone has 10 different tracking systems, Asia-Pacific has several more, and each European country has its own system of certification. Blockchain could be used to transparently guarantee the origin of the electrons. Longer-term, and more radically, RMI sees the future of electricity networks being driven by the billions of energy storage and HVAC units, EVs, solar roof panels and other devices and appliances at the grid edge.

Blockchains can allow any of them to set their own level of participation on the grid, without the need for an intermediary. And crucially, they can be configured so that if a grid operator needs guaranteeing capacity, the grid-edge unit can communicate back to the grid whether or not it’s up to the task. This is an example of what Morris described as blockchain’s ability to “fuse the physical with the virtual” via machine-to-machine communication. However, these are still early days. Foundation members have a lot of work to do in order to ensure its credibility, prove the technology works for energy applications and lay down the foundation for widespread adoption.

“Think of it like the App Store,” remarked David Peters, director of strategy and innovation at grid owner-operator Stedin B.V. “We at the EWF are building a shared infrastructure where we can build on top the developed code.” Stedin joined EWF because it believes in blockchain’s potential. “It gives us access to the best blockchain people in the world,” Peters said.   He hopes the widespread adoption of the technology will “lower the barriers of participation” for the grid. Engie, the French multinational electric utility, had already conducted its own blockchain research projects before joining EWF. Among them was a program to track smart meters in Burgundy, keeping detailed tabs on solar panel electricity production, and facilitating transactions of a small peer-to-peer community energy trading project in Belgium.

Engie's Director of Research and Technologies Raphael Schoentgen explained that blockchain is a promising technology to track smart meter data. “It contributes to better management of electrons over the grid,” he remarked. The technology’s ability to automate transactions for peer-to-peer trading is of key interest to Dr. Hans-Heinrich Kleuker, the CEO of Technische Werke Ludwigshafen, whose company is now also part of EWF. “We’ll see many more consumers with either an energy deficit or a surplus in the near future, and the desire to trade that energy,” he said. “Machine-to-machine communication, such as that offered via blockchain, will be essential to manage the vast number of transactions needed.”

Such trades would certainly be beyond the capabilities of a small, local utility such as TWL, said Kleuker.  “We are looking at the convergence of different electricity markets, which are very different right now, but longer-term will be facing similar challenges,” Kleuker concluded, convinced that the application of blockchain can meet those challenges. EWF will meet at the end of May to decide which use-case scenarios from around the world it will employ to take the project forward. In the coming years, the foundation will decide on norms and standards that may allow blockchain to be used in a truly universal way and “move beyond the hype.”

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
Please click either Link to Learn more about – TCC-Bitcoin.

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

Blockchain and the airline industry:
ready for take-off?

Let’s first look at where the airline industry is now

For every traveller’s ticket, airlines conduct various business-to-business (B2B) transactions that touch other business and government entities. From booking to arrival, players include online travel platforms, government agencies, airlines, card providers, airports, car rental agencies, immigration hotels and more.

The industry is powered by data sharing among multiple actors and touchpoints. Information both on the traveller and overall operations is continually collected, stored and “disseminated” by each of the actors involved at some point. They will need to go through complex data reconciliation processes between a multitude of systems to ensure operations and security and facilitate the successful departure of the traveller.

Airlines alone house data in numerous siloed systems from passenger service to crew management Each airline system is characterized by a mix of data that it stores to facilitate a travel. It may vary from crew departments to passenger services. With multiple systems in play and massive data stored in multiple single systems makes the exchange at times difficult. For airlines, not only operational integrity and revenue generation may be endangered when something goes wrong, but also safety and security.

Accenture: Why blockchain for the airline industry

According to Accenture in its report “Beyond the Buzz: The potential of Blockchain Technology for Airlines”, there is a very strong similarity between the airline industry operations and what blockchain technology has to offer. Therefore “it is fair to say that blockchain and other distributed ledger technology has the ability to improve transactional flows, improve trust and provide immutable record retention”.

With the complexity of information and the delicate state of affairs in the airline Industry, blockchain technology incorporation for comprehensive data sharing and reconciliation may prove to be very beneficial. One of the advantages is cutting down complexities associated with cross-enterprise business processes. Use of blockchain techniques can help enhance reconciliation and data sharing.  “Using blockchain technology for enhanced reconciliation and data sharing is a compelling value proposition for this industry. The most creative and disruptive possibilities go beyond pure financial transactions,” Accenture 

Blockchain technology can also create new efficiencies and services models for airlines.

 “On a basic level, interoperability between programs and partners that use the same dataset to record and transfer value will result in enhanced efficiencies in transaction processing and invoice reconciliation” “For travellers, this will result in quicker availability and better usability of their points and miles”, Robert Moerland, EVP – Global Business Development, Loyyal Another attraction of blockchain technology for the airline industry is that it allows “privacy by design” so that passenger data can be secure, encrypted, tamper-proof and unusable for any other purpose. Once information has been entered, it cannot be changed. At the same time, it eliminates the need for a single authority to own, process or to store the data.

Capco –IATA Research

Capco, the global business and technology consultancy for the financial services industry, has conducted a report on behalf of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to determine how blockchain will impact the airline industry and how this technology can be used to benefit them. Key findings include blockchain’s potential to make the industry faster and more cost efficient and enhance customer experience, as well as a number of uses of blockchain and its value. One area IATA is currently exploring refers to how this technology can help optimize the money flows between partners in the travel industry value chain. 

“Blockchain is a disruptive technology and represents a great opportunity for digital innovation. Every single industry, from the financial sector to aviation, is trying to understand where this technology will best fit and where to start the innovation journey. Distributed ledger technology – including blockchain – is already proven to reduce transaction fees when transferring money across borders and currencies,” “That represents a great promise, particularly for global businesses and industries.” Assad Mahmood, senior consultant, Capco. “The value of having a single ’source of truth’ that all business partners trust can dramatically simplify reconciliation, invoicing and settlement in our industry,” Juan Iván Martín, IATA head of Innovation, Financial and Distribution Services. 

Lufthansa introduces Blockchain for Airlines Initiative (BC4A)

German airline company Lufthansa has introduced the BC4A or Blockchain for Airlines initiative. The Main goal is to bring together all areas in the industry and collectively investigate the potential of the blockchain. Potential participants are software developers, aircraft builders, MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) service providers, logistics, leasing companies or regulators. Our Aim is to collect use cases of blockchain in the airline industry and come to common standards for its use.

Where can blockchain be used in the airline industry?
There are a  large number of promising cases where blockchain technology could be used in the airline industry. “The most creative and disruptive possibilities go beyond pure financial transactions.” “They may include use cases in ticketing, loyalty schemes, security, and identity, as well as maintenance”, Accenture

Identity Management

Blockchain technology could solve the problems related to identity management. It could even revolutionize identity management in combination with biometrics technology. Once validated on the blockchain, it would make it harder to “impersonate” or commit fraud. Companies such as uPort4 are designing systems to allow users to create digital verification of individuals on the blockchain. This would drastically reduce the current friction and burden of processing paper passports and relying on human checks to validate passenger identification.

Security

The security and privacy of information in all Industries are vital, in particular for the airline industry. Data privacy is a critical issue for passenger records, flight manifests, and crew information. There are also security implications if this data is not properly protected. Security and privacy can be significantly enhanced by using blockchain technology. Blockchain technology with a security wrapper (that requires security authorization to access and even disseminate information) creates a very different and safer way to manage and share this information through authorized access requirements.

Ticketing.

The blockchain can tokenize the present e-ticket and further dematerializing these tickets. Through the use of smart contracts associated with the tokenized tickets, airlines can add business logic and their terms and conditions for how the ticket will be sold and used by different partners across the value chain, and in real time, from any location in the world in a secure and efficient manner. This opens the possibility of one purchasing airline tickets from a host of partners from any part of the world.

Loyalty

By tokenizing loyalty points on a blockchain, travellers get immediate value as they can redeem and use the points instantly on the spot. They can also use them more broadly through a user community of partners (marketplace or exchange model). With points accepted as sort of “currency” among more providers, travellers have a faster-to-use, easier and more extended spending program that is better suited to their personal preferences.

 “One example is the possibility of multi-branded points that have a special value or benefit associated with them, potentially for a limited period of time. This means for travellers that more relevant targeted offers with an increased value will become available in a higher frequency,” Robert Moerland.

Luggage custody-change tracking

Luggage change custody through their journey between airlines, airport, and ground handlers. When something goes wrong with a passenger’s luggage it is important to have a log of custody changes to be able to determine who is responsible. A (semi-private) blockchain can cater for this as a neutral ground for reporting custody changes throughout the value chain. A blockchain-based solution for tracking luggage would smooth the hand-off points where different teams take over responsibility for passenger items. All airlines could track luggage handling on a single blockchain which is readable by the passenger. The traveller could even be able to see if their luggage is on the plane.

Maintenance

Another case study would be aircraft parts as they change custody between manufactures, traders, maintenance service providers, and airlines. Blockchain technology can move maintenance logs out of existing “bulky” cumbersome databases and paper binders. This may enable airlines to safeguard the validity of procured parts. It can ensure that parts procured are legitimate and can provide a “virtual copy” immutable record of the provenance of each part on the plane, every time it has been handled and by whom, from the beginning of the aircraft existence. This would mean that the provenance of every part of the aircraft is instantly available and would speed up due diligence around future lifecycle events. Maintenance events could be set in advance and non-conformity would appear within the aircraft maintenance record. This visibility can firmly improve maintenance, safety, and security.

Air cargo

The air cargo industry could benefit from Blockchain both as a tool for saving money and offering monetary protection and could transform, how cargo is nowadays managed. Blockchain technology could increase efficiency, cut down on costs, and reduce fraud.

In addition to reducing costs and time, blockchain would allow for complete consolidation of air cargo records, with verification. Blockchain would remove the need for costly and inefficient paper work and for the various and multitude time-consuming verification steps. In order to verify the origins and legitimacy of the products taking on board, blockchain could be used to track every step of the process: from origin through shipping, all the way to the arrival at the airport. Blockchain also could protect against any alterations, additions, or subtractions to the products in the meantime, cutting down on smuggling and theft. This transparency and validation will allow for faster processing and a reduction in paperwork. It might be possible to speed customs clearing with any import duty paid via the blockchain.

Other use cases

Apart from these applications blockchain technology can also be used for other cases. These may include Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM),  In-flight entertainment, traveler compensation, flight planning etc.

SITA Project

Travel technology provider SITA is exploring the potential of blockchain technology as part of its single token efforts. This technology provides the opportunity to allow secure biometric authentication of passengers throughout the journey across borders, which could help eliminate the need for multiple travel documents without passengers having to share their personal data. “Now blockchain technology offers us the potential to provide a new way of using biometrics. It could enable biometrics to be used across borders, and at all airports, without the passenger’s details being stored by the various authorities.” Jim Peters, SITA’s Chief Technology Officer

SITA Lab, along with blockchain start-up ShoCard, is now researching how using virtual or digital passports in the form of a single secure token on mobile and wearable devices could reduce complexity, cost, and liability around document checks during the passenger journey. What the SITA Lab team is looking at is how the air travel industry – airlines, airports and government agencies – can take advantage of blockchain technology where the underlying blockchain provide trust so that individuals or authorities don’t have to. “If this new approach to identity management and passenger processing gains the support of the wider air transport industry and government agencies, it would make sense for the technology to be trialed as a next step” SITA

 Blockchain may revolutionize airline industry

Blockchain technology may become a disruptive force that may revolutionize the airline industry. Blockchain has the potential to play a leading role in disrupting many facets of the way they nowadays do business. Airlines – a data intensive industry with complex procedures and requirements – will certainly benefit from paying attention to the new potentials available and therefore have to reckon with this new technology. “Blockchain technology will continue to take flight in airlines over the next decade. Use cases not even conceived of today will become every day, reducing complexity and costs while improving the travel journey with real-time travel experiences,” Accenture Accenture sees an opportunity for major expansion. But it will still take a number of years before a real take off will be seen in the airline industry!

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
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