Build Blockchain Tech

Build Blockchain Tech https://www.buildblockchain.tech/ Every newsletter issue and blog post from Build Blockchain Tech, an archived newsletter and blog by Ben DiFrancesco. en Sat, 22 May 2021 18:25:25 -0400 Code, Law, and the Nature of Consensushttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/code-law-and-the-nature-of-consensushttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/code-law-and-the-nature-of-consensusSat, 22 May 2021 18:25:25 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn cryptonetworks, is code law, or is it all social consensus? The answer is yes. Let's explore why. 🦄 Revenge of the Unicorn — Issue No. 109https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-109-revenge-of-the-unicornhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-109-revenge-of-the-unicornSun, 27 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Wednesday, September 16th, 2020, the team building Uniswap launched a token and airdropped it to every address that had ever executed a trade using the protocol. 🍣 The Sushi Saga and the Future of DeFi — Issue No. 108https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-108-the-sushi-saga-and-the-future-of-defihttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-108-the-sushi-saga-and-the-future-of-defiSun, 13 Sep 2020 03:01:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week has been one of the wildest in crypto, and that really is saying something. I'm talking about SushiSwap— a fork of the Uniswap decentralized exchange— and the incredible drama around its creation and launch. 🦊 MetaMask Changes Its License — Issue No. 107https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-107-metamask-changes-its-licensehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-107-metamask-changes-its-licenseSun, 30 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn August 20th, 2020, the team behind MetaMask— the most popular dApp-enabled wallet in the Ethereum ecosystem— announced a change to their software license. 🦏 Medalla Goes Live — Issue No. 106https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-106-medalla-goes-livehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-106-medalla-goes-liveSun, 16 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Tuesday, August 4th, the Medalla ETH 2.0 testnet was launched. If all goes well, this will be the final testnet before the launch of the “Phase 0” mainnet. 🔩 Augur v2 Launches — Issue No. 105https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-105-augur-v2-launcheshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-105-augur-v2-launchesSun, 02 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe team behind Augur has launched the next version of their decentralized betting market protocol. 🌾 What The Heck is Yield Farming? — Issue No. 104https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-104-what-the-heck-is-yield-farminghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-104-what-the-heck-is-yield-farmingSun, 26 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoDecentralized Finance, or DeFi, has long been the dominant narrative in the Ethereum ecosystem. Over the last couple of months, it's become the leading trend in all of the crypto world. This is not that surprising. The most interesting experiments in crypto have been happening in DeFi for quite… 🧨 Twitter Attacked — Issue No. 103https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-103-twitter-attackedhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-103-twitter-attackedSun, 19 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Wednesday, July 15th, 2020, a hacker succeeded in compromising Twitter. The hacker gained access to seemingly all accounts on the platform, and used this power to tweet a Bitcoin giveaway scam, first from the accounts of crypto personalities and exchanges, and later from the accounts of high… 🚎 The State Of State Channels — Issue No. 102https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-102-the-state-of-state-channelshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-102-the-state-of-state-channelsSun, 12 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoWe'll learn the basics of how state channels work, and why they're complex to implement. We'll discuss how they're used in Bitcoin's Lightning network for payments, and how they can be leveraged for more complex applications when backed by Ethereum smart contracts. We'll close by looking at why… 🧱 The Weird World Of Cryptovoxels — Issue No. 101https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-101-the-weird-world-of-cryptovoxelshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-101-the-weird-world-of-cryptovoxelsSun, 28 Jun 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIn recent months, the quirky crypto world-building game called "Cryptovoxels" has garnered increasing attention. 💯 A Montage Of The First 100 — Issue No. 100https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-100-a-montage-of-the-first-100-issueshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-100-a-montage-of-the-first-100-issuesSun, 21 Jun 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoI sent the first issue of Build Blockchain out to fifty subscribers on June 3rd, 2018. Two years and thousands of subscribers later, I get to send the 100th issue, and you're reading it now! 2️⃣ Validium And The Layer 2 Two-By-Two — Issue No. 99https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-99-validium-and-the-layer-2-two-by-twohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-99-validium-and-the-layer-2-two-by-twoSun, 14 Jun 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoEarlier this month, the team at StarkWare announced they were pushing their novel layer 2 scaling solution to the Ethereum mainnet. 👩‍💻 HackMoney Recap — Issue No. 98https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-98-hackmoney-recaphttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-98-hackmoney-recapSun, 07 Jun 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn June 2nd, 2020, a livestream was held to mark the end of the month-long HackMoney virtual hackathon. 📤 Antifragile — Issue No. 97https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-97-antifragilehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-97-antifragileSun, 31 May 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis year is shaping up to be one filled with intense upheaval and colossal societal shifts, and it’s not even June yet. As the tumultuous and tragic year that is 2020 continues to unfold, I can’t help but notice how crypto seems “antifragile” to some of these accelerating trends. 👻 The Ghost Of Satoshi — Issue No. 96https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-96-the-ghost-of-satoshihttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-96-the-ghost-of-satoshiSun, 24 May 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Wednesday, May 20th, 2020, someone moved Bitcoin that had not been touched since being mined in February of 2009, a mere month after Satoshi launched the network. 📼 Tapes And Tokens — Issue No. 95https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-95-tapes-and-tokenshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-95-tapes-and-tokensSun, 17 May 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Monday, Grammy Award winning artist RAC used a token to sell a limited edition cassette tape of his new album. 🏦 The Internet's Reserve Currency — Issue No. 94https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-94-the-internets-reserve-currencyhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-94-the-internets-reserve-currencySun, 10 May 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoSometime in the next couple of days, the 630,000th Bitcoin block will be mined. In that block, and in all subsequent blocks, the miner creating it will receive 6.25 newly minted BTC, which is half of what miners have been receiving for the last four years. 🛳️ Checking In On 2020's Crypto Must Ship List — Issue No. 93https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-93-checking-in-on-2020s-crypto-must-ship-listhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-93-checking-in-on-2020s-crypto-must-ship-listSun, 03 May 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoBack in January, I wrote about four projects on the "must ship list" for 2020. We're now one third of the way through the year, and while it feels like the time has flown by, it also somehow feels like January was a decade ago. Let's check in on these projects now. 🚪 Reentrancy Returns — Issue No. 92https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-92-reentrancy-returnshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-92-reentrancy-returnsSun, 26 Apr 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIn the past week, there have been two notable hacks of Decentralized Finance smart contracts running on Ethereum, both involving a token called imBTC. ♨️ Steem's Demise And Hive's Rise — Issue No. 91https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-91-steems-demise-and-hives-risehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-91-steems-demise-and-hives-riseSun, 19 Apr 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoAs the world turned its attention to the unfolding coronavirus crisis, one of the most fascinating stories in crypto went mostly overlooked. The hostile takeover of the Steem network, and the ensuing community response, might just be the most interesting example of decentralized governance we've… 🍌 Could The US Dollar Be Crypto's Killer App? — Issue No. 90https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-90-could-the-us-dollar-be-cryptos-killer-apphttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-90-could-the-us-dollar-be-cryptos-killer-appSun, 12 Apr 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoAs the western world enters its second month of the coronavirus crisis, it seems the absolute worst case public health scenarios have come off the table. 🏰 Keep: The Tech Bringing Bitcoin To Ethereum — Issue No. 89https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-89-keep-the-tech-bringing-bitcoin-to-ethereumhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-89-keep-the-tech-bringing-bitcoin-to-ethereumSun, 05 Apr 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the Thesis team, which is behind the TBTC project, announced they had raised $7.7 M via a token sale. TBTC is a project which aims to create a trust minimized bridge allowing Bitcoin to be transferred to the Ethereum network. 🏴 How MakerDAO Survived Black Thursday — Issue No. 88https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-88-how-makerdao-survived-black-thursdayhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-88-how-makerdao-survived-black-thursdaySun, 29 Mar 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Thursday, March 12th, 2020, as the seriousness of the emerging covid19 pandemic began to set in around the world, global markets sold off. Stocks, bonds, precious metals, and commodities all dropped precipitously. Crypto was not immune. 🦠 What The Hell Just Happened? — Issue No. 87https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-87-what-the-hell-just-happenedhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-87-what-the-hell-just-happenedSun, 22 Mar 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIt's mid-morning on Friday, March 20th, 2020… ⚙️ The Messy Work Of Decentralized Governance — Issue No. 86https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-86-the-messy-work-of-decentralized-governancehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-86-the-messy-work-of-decentralized-governanceSun, 08 Mar 2020 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIn recent weeks, a debate has been reignited amongst members of the Ethereum community over whether or not to change the mining algorithm used on the network. 📸 Flash Loan Attacks — Issue No. 85https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-85-flash-loan-attackshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-85-flash-loan-attacksSun, 01 Mar 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoLast month, the smart contract based lending protocol called Fulcrum, which is built on top of Ethereum by the team at bZx, was exploited on two separate occasions. In total, nearly $1 Million worth of ETH was taken. In both instances, the attacker (or attackers) leveraged so-called "flash loans"… 🦄 Reflections On ETHDenver — Issue No. 84https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-84-reflections-on-ethdenverhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-84-reflections-on-ethdenverSun, 23 Feb 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoLast weekend, from February 14th through 16th, several thousand enthusiasts gathered in Colorado's capital for the third annual ETHDenver conference and hackathon. 🔷 Aztec Brings Confidential Transactions To Ethereum — Issue No. 83https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-83-aztec-brings-confidential-transactions-to-ethereumhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-83-aztec-brings-confidential-transactions-to-ethereumSun, 09 Feb 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the Aztec Protocol went live on the Ethereum mainnet. Aztec is a smart contract toolkit for building privacy centric assets on top of the Ethereum Virtual Machine. 🎟️ Weird DeFi — Issue No. 82https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-82-weird-defihttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-82-weird-defiSun, 02 Feb 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the total value of the Dai stable coin held in PoolTogether— a smart contract based "no loss" lottery built on Ethereum— reached $1 Million for the first time. 🔏 The State Of Privacy In Crypto — Issue No. 81https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-81-the-state-of-privacy-in-cryptohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-81-the-state-of-privacy-in-cryptoSun, 26 Jan 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, in tech news outside the cryptocurrency world, Reuters reported that Apple scrapped plans for end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups under pressure from the FBI. 🍱 Rollup Roundup: Understanding Ethereum's Emerging Layer 2 — Issue No. 80https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-80-rollup-roundup-understanding-ethereums-emerging-layer-2https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-80-rollup-roundup-understanding-ethereums-emerging-layer-2Sun, 19 Jan 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, The Plasma Group announced they are pivoting away from their state channel based layer 2 scaling solution, choosing instead to pursue a scaling solution using Optimistic Rollups. The public benefit company has also rebranded under the name "Optimism.” 🚢 The 2020 Crypto Must Ship List — Issue No. 79https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-79-the-2020-crypto-must-ship-listhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-79-the-2020-crypto-must-ship-listSun, 12 Jan 2020 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThe New Year is here, and Build Blockchain is back to break down dense technical topics, along with their implications, in an approachable manner. I hope you're ready, because 2020 is shaping up to be a critical year for crypto. A number of high profile projects, many of which have been under… 💠 Crypto's Most Underrated In 2019 — Issue No. 78https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-78-cryptos-most-underrated-in-2019https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-78-cryptos-most-underrated-in-2019Sun, 22 Dec 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoAs 2019 comes to a close, plenty of outlets will be recapping the biggest stories of the year. From DeFi to Libra, the most obvious stories have been thoroughly discussed. In this year's final edition of this newsletter, I'd like to do something different. What were the most underrated and… 🌸 Zcash: Blossoming Or Wilting? — Issue No. 77https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-77-zcash-blossoming-or-wiltinghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-77-zcash-blossoming-or-wiltingSun, 15 Dec 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the Zcash network — known for using a mind bending form of cryptography called zero knowledge proofs to enable privacy preserving transactions — successfully executed an upgrade hardfork. 🦚 Istanbul Hardfork — Issue No. 76https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-76-istanbul-hardforkhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-76-istanbul-hardforkSun, 08 Dec 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoBy the time this newsletter reaches your inbox, the Ethereum network's "Istanbul" hardfork will be several hours in the past. If all goes smoothly, the upgrade will bring a number of low level improvements to the network, including two changes that can be leveraged by developers to enhance privacy. 🍗 Thankful For Crypto — Issue No. 75https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-75-thankful-for-cryptohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-75-thankful-for-cryptoSun, 01 Dec 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoLord knows there's plenty to be dismayed by in the crypto world right now. In the spirit of the season, though, I'd like to spend a little time engendering a sense of gratitude for decentralized cryptonetworks, and for the whole community of enthusiasts, technologists, and early adopters that has… 😎 Why Dai Matters — Issue No. 74https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-74-why-dai-mattershttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-74-why-dai-mattersSun, 24 Nov 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week saw the successful launch of Multi-Collateral Dai (MCD), the upgraded version of the decentralized, dollar-pegged Dai stablecoin built with smart contracts on Ethereum. 🌶️ Return Of The DAO — Issue No. 73https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-73-return-of-the-daohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-73-return-of-the-daoSun, 17 Nov 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThree years after "The DAO" was hacked, leading to a hardfork that recovered the stolen funds but split the Ethereum community, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations are undergoing a renaissance. 😬 Two New Networks — Issue No. 72https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-72-two-new-networkshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-72-two-new-networksSun, 10 Nov 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoIn the coming weeks, two new blockchain networks will launch, and both are positioning themselves as practical alternatives that combine and improve upon the best parts of Bitcoin and Ethereum. 🦊 MetaMask Extensibility — Issue No. 71https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-71-metamask-extensibilityhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-71-metamask-extensibilitySun, 03 Nov 2019 04:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoOn October 10th of this year, the team behind the MetaMask browser wallet announced an upcoming change which may prove pivotal for the advancement of the Ethereum ecosystem. 🔋 Power Plays: Libra And China — Issue No. 70https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-70-libra-and-chinahttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-70-libra-and-chinaSun, 27 Oct 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the United States Congress for a marathon six hour session, ostensibly to discuss the company's digital currency project, Libra. 🎞️ Optimistic Rollup — Issue No. 69https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-69-optimistic-rolluphttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-69-optimistic-rollupSun, 20 Oct 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoEarlier this month, during the Devcon conference, the folks at Plasma Group teamed up with the developers of the Uniswap Exchange to run a demonstration they called the "Unipig Exchange". 🔮 Future In Flux — Issue No. 68https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-68-future-in-fluxhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-68-future-in-fluxSun, 13 Oct 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, a broad swath of the cryptocurrency community met in Osaka, Japan for Devcon, a mega-conference hosted by the Ethereum Foundation. 🍰 Layered Limitations — Issue No. 67https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-67-layered-limitationshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-67-layered-limitationsSun, 06 Oct 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Friday, September 27th, Bitcoin developer Rusty Russell disclosed the nature of a critical vulnerability in all major Lightning Network implementations. 📂 Filecoin And Fork Dates — Issue No. 66https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-66-filecoin-and-fork-dateshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-66-filecoin-and-fork-datesSun, 29 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the team behind Filecoin launched a test network and laid out a schedule for a real mainnet launch as early as March 2020. 7️⃣ Seven Clients — Issue No. 65https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-65-seven-clientshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-65-seven-clientsSun, 22 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoEarlier this month, members of seven different teams developing Ethereum 2.0 clients met for a week-long event, to code and debug together, and succeeded in getting all seven clients talking to each other. 💔 Breaking Changes — Issue No. 64https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-64-breaking-changeshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-64-breaking-changesSun, 15 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week saw the completion of two audits of the "ProgPoW" hashing function, which might replace Ethash as the algorithm used for mining on the Ethereum network. 📙 Just Bitcoin Things — Issue No. 63https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-63-just-bitcoin-thingshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-63-just-bitcoin-thingsSun, 08 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoProminent Bitcoin developer Pieter Wuille recently announced a project, called Miniscript, which aims to make writing Bitcoin smart contracts easier. 🔐 Compounding Lock-In — Issue No. 62https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-62-compounding-lockhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-62-compounding-lockSun, 01 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Dharma Protocol team announced this week that they're shifting the vision of their product. Discussion: What's In A Node, With Anthony Lusardihttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/discussion-whats-in-a-node-with-anthony-lusardihttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/discussion-whats-in-a-node-with-anthony-lusardiThu, 29 Aug 2019 16:14:08 -0400Ben DiFrancescoBen and Anthony have a chat about what it means for a node to be a "full node," especially the differences between fast sync nodes and fully validating nodes in Ethereum. 🗳️ DeFi Governance — Issue No. 61https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-61-defi-governancehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-61-defi-governanceSun, 25 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the MakerDAO community completed a series of on-chain, token-weighted polls related to the assets which will be added to the forthcoming multi-collateral Dai upgrade. 🌉 Building Bridges — Issue No. 60https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-60-building-bridgeshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-60-building-bridgesSun, 18 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the teams at Summa and Keep announced their collaboration on a trust minimized Bitcoin-Ethereum bridge called tBTC. 🏋️ Weighing The Downsides — Issue No. 59https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-59-weighing-the-downsideshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-59-weighing-the-downsidesSun, 11 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe security team at Coinbase published a detailed post-mortem on a hacking attempt they thwarted in June. 💰 Future Funding — Issue No. 58https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-58-future-fundinghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-58-future-fundingSun, 04 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Zcash community is debating whether to extend its protocol level developer funding mechanism. 🧱 Money Legos — Issue No. 57https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-57-money-legoshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-57-money-legosSun, 28 Jul 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIt's one of those weeks where nothing jumped out at me in the crypto world on the technical front. 👁️‍🗨️ Political Ruminations — Issue No. 56https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-56-political-ruminationshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-56-political-ruminationsSun, 14 Jul 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the sitting President of the United States weighed in on Bitcoin. ❄️ Frozen — Issue No. 55https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-55-frozenhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-55-frozenSun, 07 Jul 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe team of researchers developing the specifications for Ethereum 2.0 has announced they've frozen the spec for the network's initial phase. ♎ Libra Announced — Issue No. 54https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-54-libra-announcedhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-54-libra-announcedSun, 23 Jun 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the tech news cycle was dominated by the announcement of the long rumored, highly anticipated cryptocurrency from Facebook. 📈 Up And To The Right — Issue No. 53https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-53-up-and-to-the-righthttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-53-up-and-to-the-rightSun, 16 Jun 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the team behind MakerDAO published an updated set of metrics tracking the adoption of the decentralized DAI stablecoin. 🍞 Upgrades Baked In — Issue No. 52https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-52-upgrades-baked-inhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-52-upgrades-baked-inSun, 02 Jun 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the Tezos blockchain network successfully deployed its first backwards incompatible upgrade via an on-chain vote. 🦈 SNARK Bites — Issue No. 51https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-51-snark-biteshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-51-snark-bitesSun, 26 May 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, cryptography researchers from Microsoft published a paper detailing a method for generating efficient zk-SNARK proofs without a trusted setup. 🦃 Istanbul Sneak Peek — Issue No. 50https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-50-istanbul-sneak-peekhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-50-istanbul-sneak-peekSun, 19 May 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis past Friday marked the deadline for submitting Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) to have them considered for inclusion in the network's next upgrade. ☯️ Bitcoin And Ethereum — Issue No. 49https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-49-bitcoin-and-ethereumhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-49-bitcoin-and-ethereumSun, 12 May 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week brought the publication of an important new Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP). ♎ Libras And Beacons — Issue No. 48https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-48-libras-and-beaconshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-48-libras-and-beaconsSun, 05 May 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Wall Street Journal reported this week that Facebook's internal blockchain project (codenamed "Libra") is aiming to be a full blown payments network. 📛 ENS Upgrades — Issue No. 47https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-47-ens-upgradeshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-47-ens-upgradesSun, 28 Apr 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has announced they are rolling out a major upgrade to their smart contract based registrar system next week. 🎭 Decentralization Theater — Issue No. 46https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-46-decentralization-theaterhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-46-decentralization-theaterSun, 21 Apr 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, Binance launched the mainnet of its own blockchain-- Binance Chain. 💞 Friendly Forks — Issue No. 45https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-45-friendly-forkshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-45-friendly-forksSun, 14 Apr 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week, an active member of the Zcash community proposed a "friendly fork." 🥩 What's At Stake — Issue No. 44https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-44-whats-at-stakehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-44-whats-at-stakeSun, 31 Mar 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoCoinbase has announced a new feature for its "Coinbase Custody" customers: staking as a service. ⚒️ Mining Machinations — Issue No. 43https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-43-mining-machinationshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-43-mining-machinationsSun, 24 Mar 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe privacy focused Monero network successfully executed another of its semi-annual maintenance hardforks. 🔭 Cosmos Goes Live — Issue No. 42https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-42-cosmos-goes-livehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-42-cosmos-goes-liveSun, 17 Mar 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis week marked the mainnet launch of the Cosmos Hub, the first piece of the broader Cosmos ecosystem its creators hope to enable. 🥊 DeFi's Heavyweight — Issue No. 41https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-41-defis-heavyweighthttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-41-defis-heavyweightSun, 10 Mar 2019 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThere wasn't much technical news to focus on this week in the blockchain world. Rather than weaving a narrative where there isn't one, or recounting less technical happenings that other outlets cover adequately, I've decided to focus this issue on the biggest player in Decentralized Finance… 🍾 Constantinople Is Live — Issue No. 40https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-40-constantinople-is-livehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-40-constantinople-is-liveSun, 03 Mar 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThe long-planned, twice-delayed Constantinople network upgrade has successfully activated on the Ethereum main network. 📻 Bitcoin Radio — Issue No. 39https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-39-bitcoin-radiohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-39-bitcoin-radioSun, 24 Feb 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoOn February 12th, a well known Canadian Bitcoin hacker who goes by @nvk on Twitter revealed he'd sent $40 worth of BTC via amateur shortwave radio. 🗃️ Filecoin Opens Up — Issue No. 38https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-38-filecoin-opens-uphttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-38-filecoin-opens-upSun, 17 Feb 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoProtocol Labs has open sourced the code behind Filecoin, which is still under heavy development. 🤫 Privacy Problems — Issue No. 37https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-37-privacy-problemshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-37-privacy-problemsSun, 10 Feb 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, the team at the Zcash Company revealed a critical security vulnerability which had existed in Zcash. 💶 Broke Moneymakers — Issue No. 36https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-36-broke-moneymakershttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-36-broke-moneymakersSun, 03 Feb 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoLast week Michael Cordner, one of the lead developers behind the Grin cryptocurrency, initiated a fundraising campaign to pay for his work. 😃 Grin — Issue No. 35https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-35-grinhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-35-grinSun, 27 Jan 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoOn January 16th, the Grin mainnet was launched and the first block was mined. 🛑 Constantinople Stopped — Issue No. 34https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-34-constantinople-stoppedhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-34-constantinople-stoppedSun, 20 Jan 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoEthereum core developers were forced to delay this week's network upgrading hardfork, codenamed Constantinople, after a security vulnerability was discovered at the 11th hour. ⚔️ Attacks — Issue No. 33https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-33-attackshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-33-attacksSun, 13 Jan 2019 15:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week saw a successful 51% attack against the Ethereum Classic network. 🛸 Beam Me Up — Issue No. 32https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-32-beam-me-uphttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-32-beam-me-upSun, 06 Jan 2019 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week saw the mainnet launch of a new cryptocurrency called Beam. 🕵️‍♀️ Private Premine — Issue No. 31https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-31-private-preminehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-31-private-premineSun, 30 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThe team at Coin Metrics published an extremely well researched and clearly written report detailing a discrepancy they discovered in the Bitcoin Private blockchain. 🦌 Zuck Bucks — Issue No. 30https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-30-zuck-buckshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-30-zuck-bucksSun, 23 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoBloomberg published a scoop reporting that Facebook is developing "a cryptocurrency that will let users transfer money on its WhatsApp messaging app." 🎬 Constantinople Take 2 — Issue No. 29https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-29-constantinople-take-2https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-29-constantinople-take-2Sun, 16 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoEthereum core devs have scheduled the Constantinople upgrade hardfork to activate in the first few weeks of 2019. 🌀 Attacks & Death Spirals — Issue No. 28https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-28-attacks-death-spiralshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-28-attacks-death-spiralsSun, 09 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week saw a successful, sustained, mining attack against the once-popular altcoin called Vertcoin. 🗡️ Sneak Attack — Issue No. 27https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-27-sneak-attackhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-27-sneak-attackSun, 02 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoLast week, it was revealed hackers used a sophisticated attack vector to sneak malicious code into open source Bitcoin wallets developed by the company Copay. Webinar: EtherDelta And The Regulation Of Decentralized Systems, With Andrew Bull, ESQ.https://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/webinar-etherdelta-and-regulationhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/webinar-etherdelta-and-regulationSat, 01 Dec 2018 14:20:54 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week, I was joined on a livestream by Andrew Bull, ESQ., to discuss the SEC settlement with the founder of EtherDelta.videoregulationethereumsmart contracts ⏫ Ethereum Upgrades — Issue No. 26https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-26-ethereum-upgradeshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-26-ethereum-upgradesSun, 25 Nov 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThe minutes of several "private" Ethereum developer meetings that took place at the Devcon4 conference in October have been published. 🏢 Building Beats Forking — Issue No. 25https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-25-building-beats-forkinghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-25-building-beats-forkingSun, 18 Nov 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week's crypto news cycle was dominated by a contentious hardfork of Bitcoin Cash, which is itself a contentious hardfork of Bitcoin. 🚔 Enforcement Arrives — Issue No. 24https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-24-enforcement-arriveshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-24-enforcement-arrivesSun, 11 Nov 2018 03:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the creator of EtherDelta with running an unregulated securities exchange. 📜 Founding Document — Issue No. 23https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-23-founding-documenthttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-23-founding-documentSun, 04 Nov 2018 04:00:00 -0500Ben DiFrancescoThis week marked the 10 year anniversary of the publication of the Bitcoin Whitepaper by Satoshi Nakamoto. 🛡️ Bulletproof — Issue No. 22https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-22-bulletproofhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-22-bulletproofSun, 28 Oct 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoMonero, the popular privacy-centric cryptocurrency, has been successfully upgraded to use a cutting edge cryptographic technique called Bulletproofs. 🍴 What the fork? — Issue No. 21https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-21-what-the-forkhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-21-what-the-forkSun, 21 Oct 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe planned Ethereum hardfork, codenamed Constantinople, activated on the Ropsten test network on Saturday, October 13th. 🔍 Detecting DApp Usage — Issue No. 20https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-20-detecting-dapp-usagehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-20-detecting-dapp-usageSun, 14 Oct 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe development team behind Augur-- the decentralized Ethereum based prediction market that launched 3 months ago-- announced a roadmap to version 2 of the platform. 🏰 Constantinople Cometh — Issue No. 19https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-19-constantinople-comethhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-19-constantinople-comethSun, 07 Oct 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Ethereum Core Dev team voted unanimously this week to execute the Constantinople hardfork on the Ropsten testnet. 🐜 More About Bugs — Issue No. 18https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-18-more-about-bugshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-18-more-about-bugsSun, 30 Sep 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoFallout and discussion continued in the wake of "CVE-2018-17144", the Bitcoin vulnerability which was revealed and patched last week. Five Technical Takeaways From The Bitcoin Bughttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/bitcoin-bug-takeawayshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/bitcoin-bug-takeawaysFri, 28 Sep 2018 16:44:20 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIt’s been more than a week since the initial disclosure of CVE-2018-17144.articlebitcoindevelopmentsecurity 🐛 Bugs Happen — Issue No. 17https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-17-bugs-happenhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-17-bugs-happenSun, 23 Sep 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Tuesday, September 18th, the Bitcoin Core team released an urgent update to the Bitcoin full node software to patch a critical vulnerability. Radical Markets: The Good, The Bad, And The Blockchainhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/radical-markets-blockchainhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/radical-markets-blockchainFri, 21 Sep 2018 16:32:11 -0400Ben DiFrancescoGlen Weyl is a researcher at Microsoft and the co-author of “Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society”.articledecentralization 🏗️ Bitcoin Core Infrastructure — Issue No. 16https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-16-bitcoin-core-infrastructurehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-16-bitcoin-core-infrastructureSun, 16 Sep 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe third release candidate for the next version of the Bitcoin Core software is out. Talking Smart Contracts, Software Development, And The Future Of Cryptohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/quantlayer-podcasthttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/quantlayer-podcastFri, 14 Sep 2018 13:50:43 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis past summer, I was a guest on the QuantLayer podcast talking about software development and the broader crypto ecosystem.audiosmart contractsdevelopment 🐕 Such Technology — Issue No. 15https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-15-such-technologyhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-15-such-technologySun, 09 Sep 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoA team of developers has successfully launched and demonstrated a decentralized bridge between the Ethereum and Dogecoin blockchains, dubbed "Dogethereum." 🗄️ Filecoin Files An Update — Issue No. 14https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-14-filecoin-files-an-updatehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-14-filecoin-files-an-updateSun, 02 Sep 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoAfter a long period of relative silence, the Filecoin team has published an update on their progress. Thoughts From Coinvention: It's 1993 And This Is An Internet Conferencehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/2018/9/1/thoughts-from-coinvention-its-1993-and-this-is-an-internet-conferencehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/2018/9/1/thoughts-from-coinvention-its-1993-and-this-is-an-internet-conferenceSat, 01 Sep 2018 18:09:32 -0400Ben DiFrancescoYesterday, I had the pleasure of attending Coinvention, a blockchain conference in my hometown of Philadelphia.articleeventscommunityphiladelphia 🌱 Zcash Sapling — Issue No. 13https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-13-zcash-saplinghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-13-zcash-saplingSun, 26 Aug 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Zcash team has released version 2.0.0 of the network's node software, codenamed Sapling. A Striking Exchange From The Ethereum Core Dev Discussion Of Block Rewardshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/eth-core-devs-block-rewardhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/eth-core-devs-block-rewardFri, 24 Aug 2018 17:10:14 -0400Ben DiFrancescoToday, the Ethereum Core Dev team held a meeting to discuss lowering the block reward given to Ethereum miners.articleethereumproof-of-stakeproof-of-work 🐢 Slow And Steady Bitcoin — Issue No. 12https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-12-slow-and-steady-bitcoinhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-12-slow-and-steady-bitcoinSun, 19 Aug 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoBitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) #156 is nearing completion, with the pull request having been opened this week. Ethereum, Proof-of-Stake, And The "Free Hard Fork" Problemhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/free-hard-fork-problemhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/free-hard-fork-problemFri, 17 Aug 2018 17:08:54 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThis post will outline an issue with the aspiration to move the Ethereum network to full Proof-of-Stake.articleethereumproof-of-stakeconsensus 🌹 What's In A Nameservice? — Issue No. 11https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-11-whats-in-a-nameservicehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-11-whats-in-a-nameserviceSun, 12 Aug 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Ethereum Name Service (ENS) announced a partnership with a traditional DNS registrar to create a top-level domain, ".luxe", that will resolve on both systems. A Developer's Guide To Running A Bitcoin Full Node And Local Block Explorerhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/btc-node-developers-guidehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/btc-node-developers-guideFri, 10 Aug 2018 22:56:36 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe goal of this guide is to set up a Bitcoin Node that is useful for tinkering with as a developer.tutorialbitcoinnodedevelopment 🌺 A Thousand Flowers Bloom — Issue No. 10https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-10-a-thousand-flowers-bloomhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-10-a-thousand-flowers-bloomSun, 05 Aug 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe team behind TRON announced their plan to integrate BitTorrent into the protocol, providing an incentive layer for seeding files on the platform. The Two Views Of Crypto: Sound Money Vs. Global Computerhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/two-views-of-cryptohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/two-views-of-cryptoFri, 03 Aug 2018 00:18:06 -0400Ben DiFrancescoEach of us has a unique personality and history that influences the way we perceive the world-- our own set of lenses through which we view reality.articledecentralizationbitcoinethereumsmart contracts 🛍️ Ethereum Proposal Grab Bag — Issue No. 9https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-9-ethereum-proposal-grab-baghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-9-ethereum-proposal-grab-bagSun, 29 Jul 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe ERC-777 token standard is nearing finalization. The standard is backwards compatible with the widely adopted ERC-20, but adds features like single step transfers, hooks for transaction notifications, and the ability to assign third party "operators". What If We're Wrong? Steelmanning The Case Against Cryptohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/what-if-were-wronghttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/what-if-were-wrongTue, 24 Jul 2018 12:46:48 -0400Ben DiFrancescoAugur, the decentralized prediction market built on Ethereum, has been running for two weeks.articledecentralization 👩‍💻 Developer Incentives — Issue No. 8https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-8-developer-incentiveshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-8-developer-incentivesSun, 22 Jul 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoA tweet by Naval Ravikant sparked a heated discussion about developer incentives in the crypto world. 🎰 A Busy Week For DApps — Issue No. 7https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-7-a-busy-week-for-dappshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-7-a-busy-week-for-dappsSun, 15 Jul 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe high-profile Augur project has launched. Do We Need A Blockchain To Be Decentralized? A Conversation With Alex Hillman.https://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/need-blockchain-decentralizedhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/need-blockchain-decentralizedTue, 10 Jul 2018 15:54:09 -0400Ben DiFrancescoAlex Hillman is the co-founder of IndyHall-- one of the earliest, longest running, and most respected coworking communities in the world.videodecentralizationsmart contracts 🌐 Is the web right for crypto? — Issue No. 6https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-6-is-the-web-right-for-cryptohttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-6-is-the-web-right-for-cryptoSun, 08 Jul 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoPopular Ethereum web wallet MyCrypto.com has announced they're deprecating the ability to authenticate the wallet by providing your private keys. Against Narrow Minded Maximalismhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/narrow-minded-maximalismhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/narrow-minded-maximalismMon, 02 Jul 2018 15:50:04 -0400Ben DiFrancescoWhat is a Bitcoin Maximalist? Some insist the term is derogatory, akin to a slur.articlebitcoinsmart contracts 🔬 Zcash Under The Microscope — Issue No. 5https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-5-zcash-under-the-microscopehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-5-zcash-under-the-microscopeSun, 01 Jul 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe Zcash network successfully completed its first hardfork, coinciding with Zcon0, the first conference for the Zcash community. Introducing An Experienced Developer To Ethereum Smart Contract Coding In Solidityhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/2018/6/28/introducing-an-experienced-developer-to-ethereum-smart-contract-coding-in-solidityhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/2018/6/28/introducing-an-experienced-developer-to-ethereum-smart-contract-coding-in-solidityThu, 28 Jun 2018 11:16:31 -0400Ben DiFrancescoI had the pleasure of introducing my friend and fellow software engineer John Feras to smart contract development on the Ethereum network using Solidity.videosoliditysmart contractsprogramming ⚡ Lightning In A Bottle — Issue No. 4https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-4-lighting-in-a-bottlehttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-4-lighting-in-a-bottleSun, 24 Jun 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoBitcoin's layer two Lightning Network is having its Cryptokitties moment, as "Satoshi's Place" has gone viral. From Apps to dApps - An Intro To Blockchain For Mobile Developershttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/apps-to-dappshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/apps-to-dappsTue, 19 Jun 2018 13:59:51 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Thursday, June 14th, 2018, I had the pleasure of speaking at Philly CocoaHeads.videodappssoliditydevelopment ⚖️ Security And Securities — Issue No. 3https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-3-security-and-securitieshttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-3-security-and-securitiesSun, 17 Jun 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoObelisk, a company which makes mining hardware, is starting a program to develop new hashing algorithms and accompanying ASIC miners simultaneously, and in secret. Apple has the Incentives, Values, & Tech to Bring Blockchain Mainstreamhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/apple-and-blockchainhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/apple-and-blockchainThu, 14 Jun 2018 17:24:11 -0400Ben DiFrancescoHere's a thought experiment: imagine Apple buying Brave, the privacy-focused browser company that uses a cryptocurrency to compensate content creators.articleappledecentralizationprivacy 💎 EOS is No-Go...for now — Issue No. 2https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-2-eos-is-no-go-for-nowhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-2-eos-is-no-go-for-nowSun, 10 Jun 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoThe launch of the EOS mainnet was pushed back again last week. What the Crypto Community Should Learn From GitHub's Acquisitionhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/crypto-learn-from-githttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/crypto-learn-from-gitThu, 07 Jun 2018 11:27:56 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOn Monday, Microsoft announced that it had acquired code-collaboration site GitHub.articledecentralization 🔒 Blockchain Protocol Security — Issue No. 1https://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-1-blockchain-protocol-securityhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/newsletter/issues/no-1-blockchain-protocol-securitySun, 03 Jun 2018 03:00:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoOver the past couple of weeks, a number of high profile security incidents have led to a discussion on the security of blockchain protocols themselves. Has The Window For Bootstrapping A Proof-of-Work Coin Closed?https://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/pow-window-closedhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/pow-window-closedWed, 30 May 2018 17:00:36 -0400Ben DiFrancescoIn the wake of three high profile mining-related attacks on notable alt-coins, one can't help but wonder: is the window for bootstrapping a new proof-of-work cryptocurrency closed?articleminingPoWsecurity Why Developers And Entrepreneurs Should Be Excited By Blockchainhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/why-developers-blockchainhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/why-developers-blockchainFri, 25 May 2018 14:59:00 -0400Ben DiFrancescoTo kick off the Build Blockchain Tech initiative, I hosted a webinar discussing why developers and entrepreneurs should care about this stuff in the first place!video Taking The Red Pillhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/the-red-pillhttps://www.buildblockchain.tech/blog/the-red-pillMon, 14 May 2018 17:18:45 -0400Ben DiFrancesco"This is your last chance," Morpheus tells Neo, in the iconic 'red pill/blue pill' scene in The Matrix.