Enterprise blockchain applications are slowly but surely making their way to public networks, especially as new upgrades and features are being implemented into the Ethereum ecosystem. While Eth2 promises to bring scalability, security and capacity across the Ethereum network to advance enterprise use cases, other techniques are being developed to help enterprises properly leverage the Ethereum network. For example, the Baseline Protocol is a set of techniques using advances in peer-to-peer messaging, zero-knowledge cryptography and blockchain to coordinate complex and confidential workflows between enterprises. While the Baseline Protocol can be leveraged with any blockchain network, it operates well alongside the …

The highly anticipated security and scalability upgrade to the Ethereum network launched as planned on Dec. 1, marking a huge milestone for the Ethereum community. On the surface, the Eth2 Beacon Chain will help ensure an increase in scalability and capacity across the Ethereum network. However, the initial launch of the Beacon Chain signifies much more than promised network benefits, and could potentially drive enterprise blockchain adoption even further. Corey Petty, chief security lead at Status — a globally distributed collective working to build products, tools and infrastructure for Eth2 clients — told Cointelegraph that Phase 0 of the launch …

On Nov. 18, blockchain solutions provider BlockApps launched a blockchain-based agricultural crop tracking network called "TraceHarvest" — and one of the largest companies in the world, Bayer, is among its first users. TraceHarvest reportedly provides users with the ability to trace the life cycle of agricultural products starting from the source of seeds, all the way to defining the responsibilities of each party involved in the supply chain. The platform also provides users with information in real-time, ideally mitigating problems associated with manually tracking crops. TraceHarvest is open to all participants in the supply chain such as farmers, dealers, manufacturers, …

Major cloud computing and virtual machine firm VMware has launched VMware Blockchain, an enterprise-ready blockchain platform. Owned by Dell, the billion-dollar company first teased the blockchain’s development in 2018 through its Project Concord, promising an enterprise-grade platform that can enable secure inter-organization data sharing. VMware joins the ranks of IBM and other global tech conglomerates that have launched their own blockchain platforms. The firm identified highly complex and fragmented multi-party enterprise workflows that resulting in delays, increased costs and hindered innovation as core problems they aim to solve with its blockchain solution. VMware Blockchain is now available for commercial use, …

Blockchain is one of the biggest buzzwords in business right now. As Deloitte’s annual survey revealed, 55% of leaders say this technology is critical to the future of their operations — so much so that it’s in their top five strategic priorities. There’s just one problem: blockchain is complicated and it takes immense expertise to build one of these networks from the ground up. Platinum Software Development Company, which describes itself as a leader in DeFi and blockchain software development, says its goal is to deliver complex products for businesses of all sizes. Platinum has been developing enterprise-level blockchains and …

Two of the world’s largest container carriers announced a full integration onto IBM and Maersk’s TradeLens blockchain platform. CMA CGM, a French container and shipping company, along with MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company have joined the TradeLens network to enable a complete digital transformation of their supply chains. Marvin Erdly, head of TradeLens for IBM Blockchain, told Cointelegraph that as supply chains become digitized, manual paper-based processes, like processing bills of lading, are removed from the equation. “These processes are now embedded in blockchain networks and smart contracts that are trusted by all parties involved,” he said. Erdly further shared that …

Pennsylvania State University, a U.S. university touting more than 100,000 students, has agreed to operate as a signing node for GoChain's proof-of-reputation, or PoR, blockchain. Constructed as a fork of the Ethereum blockchain's code, GoChain is secured by selected entities that run their own nodes, Marie Gonzalez, GoChain's senior vice president of marketing, told Cointelegraph. GoChain's blockchain uses a consensus mechanism called PoR, which calls on a set number of approved signing nodes to help run the network. The blockchain aims to eventually function with 50 of these nodes. "We set the bar high so it'll take time to get …

A new enterprise initiative launched by IOVLabs, the company behind the RSK Bitcoin sidechain, seeks to simplify blockchain development for governments and enterprises. The joint venture, called Extrimian, was established with Argentinian software provider Grupo Sabra to create the RSK Enterprise Cloud platform. The blockchain-as-a-service platform is designed to allow governments and businesses to develop decentralized solutions and set up permissioned networks with ease. The platform is said to help integrate blockchain DApps into existing infrastructure used by enterprise and government entities. Guillermo Villanueva, the CEO of Extrimian and co-founder of Grupo Sabra, told Cointelegraph that the focus of the …

The first stage of the highly anticipated upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain, Ethereum 2.0, is expected to launch by the end of this year. Promising to increase the throughput and lower the latency of the Ethereum mainnet, these steps are likely to bring wider adoption in business and commerce. Ben Edgington, product owner for Teku — an Ethereum 2.0 client designed for enterprise and institutional stakers — told Cointelegraph that Ethereum 2.0 will indeed resolve key barriers for enterprises looking to deploy use cases on the Ethereum mainnet. “We expect it will accelerate the convergence of private chains with the …

Economists, pundits, institutions and investors often talk about the global financial system. When stocks go up and trade thrives, they applaud its contributions to prosperity; when the markets crash and stocks dip, they blame its inhuman scale or its untrustworthy manipulators. But anyone who has attempted to diversify their portfolio with foreign stocks or acquire another nation’s bonds quickly comes to the same conclusion: The global financial system isn’t a single entity. “The system,” singular, is really “The systems,” plural. How do the pieces of the global financial system interact? Not always as well as might be hoped, as exemplified …

Of all the developments in blockchain technology over recent years, enterprise adoption has perhaps been the most anticlimactic. As the initial coin offering bubble started to inflate during 2017, blockchain entrepreneurs and commentators alike were hyping the technology as a solution for almost every industry and business problem in existence. Fast-forward to 2020, and progress in enterprise blockchain has been lethargic at best. Almost without exception, notable implementations of enterprise “blockchain,” such as IBM’s Food Trust or Maersk-led Trade-ins, have used distributed permissioned ledgers. Proponents of blockchain technology point to various reasons why businesses have been slow to adopt decentralized …

Many members of the blockchain community have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ethereum 2.0, the major upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain set to be released in multiple phases. Phase 0 is the first expected release on the Ethereum 2.0 roadmap, scheduled to launch this year. While speculation around the exact release date remains, Ethereum co-founder and founder of software company ConsenSys, Joseph Lubin, revealed in a recent interview on the Baseline Protocol YouTube channel that Ethereum 2.0 will indeed arrive soon: “Ethereum 2.0 is coming. We are now in the middle of what we believe to be the final …