Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8kzxnm/understanding) has announced the addition of the “Understanding Bitcoin: Blockchain Applications Beyond Payments” report to their offering.
In the last few years, whenever the topic of Bitcoin arose among financial services industry professionals, it provoked either negative connotations associated with reputed criminal uses such as money laundering or outright dismissal as something only Silicon Valley tech-libertarians would be interested in. In the last year or so, the tone of conversation on the topic has shifted as respected names in the industry like NYSE and Goldman Sachs have revealed not just interest in Bitcoin but plans to invest in the technology.
Bitcoin is innovative because it allows individuals to exchange value across the Internet without the involvement of trusted third parties that may impose costs or delays. The most obvious application of such a technology would be in the payments space, particularly in enabling cross-border remittances. However, the most recent research report, Understanding Bitcoin: Blockchain Applications Beyond Payments argues that this is just one of the many applications possible with this technology and by no means the most interesting one. The blockchain could fundamentally alter a whole range of services that today require middlemen to maintain centralized databases. These applications range from using bitcoins to trade real-world assets like securities or land titles to structuring smart contracts that could pave the way for on-demand services like Airbnb without the need for an Airbnb to act as the middleman.
Highlights of this report include:
– An easy-to-understand explanation of the cryptography behind Bitcoin and why the technology represents a fundamental innovation
– Breakdown of the key elements in a Bitcoin transaction and the role that miners play in the Bitcoin ecosystem
– Analysis of how Bitcoin compares to card networks in facilitating retail payments and where it falls short
– Explanation of ways in which the blockchain could be used to build digital asset exchanges to trade anything from securities to land titles
Key Topics Covered:
1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction: Why Bitcoin Is Worth Paying Attention To
3. State of the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem
4. Understanding Bitcoin: Key Elements
5. Bitcoin Mining and the Blockchain
6. Immutability and Decentralization: Key Attributes of the Blockchain
7. Bitcoin for Payments
8. Alternative Applications of the Blockchain When Decentralization Is Useful
9. Conclusion
Companies Mentioned
– Circle Financial
– Coinbase
– Coinprism
– Ethereum
– Factom
– MasterCard
– Ripple Labs
– Visa
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8kzxnm/understanding
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