Trends Identified
Blockchain As A Service
In 2019 we will begin to see the first practical implementations of blockchain, beyond the cryptocurrency use case, and unlock distributed marketplaces and computing systems that leverage communities for sharing of resources in both a cost- and resource-efficient manner. These technologies will be enabled through the blockchain-as-a-service platforms being unveiled by IBM, Azure and AWS.
2018
2019 Tech Forecast: 11 Experts Predict The Next Wave Of Breakout Technologies
Forbes
Blockchain Finally Understood and Flops (kind of)
Forget everything magical I ever said about blockchain. Just kidding—kind of, but bear with me here. As we continue to explore this technological miracle worker, we’ve come to realize that blockchain is kind of a mess. It’s too complicated for lay people to use right now, and there’s no standard way to use it because we all want to use it different. The only way to get mass blockchain adoption is to create a plug-and-play version that all of us can use and understand. I’m watching closely as leading technology firms like IBM continue to make massive commitments to the potential of Blockchain for applications beyond cryptocurrency. The financial industry are also looking at this closely as well as a mass of applications in transportation of goods and services. However, to this point, it seems more of a marketing ploy than a bonafide technology offering. My guess is a lot of smart developers will continue to work on realizing the potential of blockchain in 2019, but I’m of the mindset that it will be 2-3 more years before we start to see the traction that has been promised.
2018
Top 10 Digital Transformation Trends For 2019
Forbes
Blockchain Finds Its Way
While its more popular cousin Bitcoin continues to blow away stock market analysts, Blockchain may finally find its place in 2018. Gartner shows that as of February this year, blockchain was the second top search term on its website, increasing 400% in just 12 months. To me, it’s no surprise. While the financial industry will be the first to begin utilizing this amazing tool, numerous others — from healthcare to entertainment to hospitality — will not be far behind. Granted, the move to blockchain will not come overnight either — just 20% of trade finance globally will use it by 2020. But once it finds its sea legs — most likely this year — there will literally be no turning back.
2016
Top 10 trends for digital transformation in 2018
Forbes
Blockchain Moves into the Food Chain
Blockchain provides a tamper-proof way of tracking the source of foods. The indelible nature of the blockchain record, linked to technologies like RFID for automated tracking of food pallets and items, means that foods can be tracked and linked easily from place to place. The Blockchain record is intended to provide a single electronic point of reference for the whole food supply, from farm to processing to stores. The irrevocable process, tied to automation, can provide huge cost savings for the food tracking process, as well as making the food audit trail both digital and robust. We believe that 2019 will be the year this technology begins its worldwide roll-out; tracking around $150 million worth of food by the end of the year. We have also seen several pilot projects carried out and brought to satisfactory completion by a wide range of platform providers throughout 2018. 2019 will see the first deployment of these technologies at full commercial scale and used for producers. We expect solutions from IBM and Alibaba to be used next year, as well as a ramping up of deployments from IP Australia and the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Related Research: The Future of Blockchain: Key Vertical Opportunities & Deployment Strategies 2018-2030
2019
Top Tech trends 2019
Juniper Research
Blockchain projects produce early results
Many financial institutions and blockchain/ distributed ledger technology labs have been working on proof of concept (PoC) and pilot projects, and some are starting to produce early results. A goal of this work is for parties to form consortia and set up commercial networks on shared infrastructure based on the blockchain. Multiple blockchain technologies are now emerging with different implementations and consensus algorithms. As certain projects may require interoperability between these different implementations, Nasdaq recently completed a PoC with the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) demonstrating cross-blockchain settlement. This indicates that blockchain can provide a supporting role in the next generation CSD and the transfer of digital asset ownership. The emergence of different types of tokens is another trend. Some link directly to a fiat currency, while others are tokenized assets. In response, regulators worldwide are trying to build a legal framework for payment, security and utility tokens. Going forward, blockchain will likely be used as a solution for managing new types of financial and non-financial assets in markets everywhere – potentially including real estate, insurance and loyalty points. The token ecosystem will support the entire life cycle of the asset – from issuance and price discovery to execution and settlement, and perhaps corporate actions. Payments will either be done on the same network, via a link to an external payment network such as T2S or Swift, or via a utility settlement coin. Yet, some important questions remain unanswered. Who will take on the custodial aspects of dematerialized physical assets and digitized tokens on a blockchain, and manage know your customer and anti-money laundering compliance? The traditional custodians could assume that role, but disrupters could appear in markets that do not have custodians. Another question is who will be the arbitrator if and when a smart contract goes wrong? The smart contract hype cycle has nearly peaked, and the trough is about to begin. Technologists need to think about where smart contracts make sense and whether the programming languages should be Turing complete so they can run any program given enough time and memory. In the next few years, expect to see the major cloud providers supply the infrastructure for blockchain, and blockchain software companies consolidate as funding becomes more difficult.
2019
NASDAQ DECODES: TECH TRENDS 2019 -The technology trends that are driving the world of markets forward
Nasdaq
Blockchain Systems
Blockchain systems use a distributed ledger technology to promote transparency, trust, and decentralized validation among members of the digital network.
2017
Beyond the Noise- The Megatrends of Tomorrow’s World
Deloitte
Blockchain to blockchains- broad adoption and integration enter the realm of the possible
Blockchain technologies are on a clear path toward broad adoption, with proofs of concept shifting toward production and leading organizations exploring multiple concurrent use cases of increasing scope, scale, and complexity. Moreover, initial coin offerings and smart contracts are finding more applications and creating more diversity throughout the blockchain ecosystem. Now is the time for organizations to begin standardizing on the technology, talent, and platforms that will drive future blockchain initiatives. Likewise, they can begin identifying business consortia to join. Beyond these immediate steps, they should also look to the horizon for the next big blockchain opportunity: coordinating, integrating, and orchestrating multiple blockchains working together across a value chain.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
Blockchain: Democratized trust - Distributed ledgers and the future of value
Trust is a foundational element of business. Yet maintaining it—particularly throughout a global economy that is becoming increasingly digital— is expensive, time-consuming, and, in many cases, inefficient. Some organizations are exploring how blockchain, the backbone behind bitcoin, might provide a viable alternative to the current procedural, organizational, and technological infrastructure required to create institutionalized trust. Though these exploratory efforts are still nascent, the payoff could be profound. Like the Internet reinvented communication, blockchain may similarly disrupt transactions, contracts, and trust—the underpinnings of business, government, and society.
2016
Tech trends 2016 - innovating in the digital era
Deloitte
Blockchain: Trust economy - Taking control of digital identity
Blockchain is outgrowing its adolescent cryptocurrency identity, with distributed consensus ledgers becoming smart contracts facilitators. Beyond creating efficiencies by removing the legal and financial intermediary in a contractual agreement, blockchain is assuming the role of trusted gatekeeper and purveyor of transparency. In the emerging “trust economy” in which a company’s assets or an individual’s online identity and reputation are becoming both increasingly valuable and vulnerable, this latest use case may be blockchain’s most potentially valuable to date.
2017
Tech trends 2017 - the kinetic enterprise
Deloitte
Blockchains and trust: a revolution, reformation or just another tech-toy?
OECD statistics show a constant decline in trust in national governments since 2007. Recent scandals such as the Panama Papers play their part. However, the issue goes much deeper when corruption and fraud govern. Then, societal perceptions change even faster in search of solutions to poverty, inequalities and vulnerabilities in infrastructure. Here, the blockchain technology that undergirds crypto-currencies could have a far-reaching impact as it is a cheap, tamper-proof and data based technology that can replace trust with transparency. It is a breakthrough that will fundamentally change people’s notions of centralised authority. Hence, zero-trust computing, digital public ledgers and self-executing smart contracts are emerging, blockchain-based trends that will be increasingly important in the coming years — by 2023 at the latest, according to the World Economic Forum.
2016
Global Trendometer - essays on medium- and long-term global trends
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)