[LINK] Workin' on the Chain-Gang

[Roger Clarke]

About 5-6 years back, I decided to write my one, only, ever piece on
Blockchain.  (There are real things to do.  No time to waste, etc.):

Deconstructing Blockchain
http://www.rogerclarke.com/EC/BCD.html
26 Feb 2016, rev. 29 September 2016

> ... The blockchain movement has all the hallmarks of a short bubble.
It is mystical. It is promoted by means of invocation of ideas in good
standing that have very tenuous connections with the notion and the
technology. The interests of many of the organisations that are
supporting it would appear to be served by the movement (if it is what
it says it is) being still-born.
> As with all movements that are driven by marketing hype and attract
investment, there will be spin-offs of value. So watch the spin-offs,
and ignore the fluff projected about blockchain.


I was very soon trumped by a local ace, of this parish:

Wilson S. (2016) 'Blockchain really only does one thing well' The
Conversation, 20 July 2016, at
http://theconversation.com/blockchain-really-only-does-one-thing-well-62668


But, yet again, bloody Bruce Schneier writes what one needs to read:

There's No Good Reason to Trust Blockchain Technology
Opinion: Cryptocurrencies are useless. Blockchain solutions are
frequently much worse than the systems they replace. Here's why.
BRUCE SCHNEIER
OPINION
Wired Magazine
6 Feb 2019
https://www.wired.com/story/theres-no-good-reason-to-trust-blockchain-technology/

> I have looked at many blockchain applications, and all of them could
achieve the same security properties without using a blockchain — of
course, then they wouldn’t have the cool name.


I only fell over Bruce's 2019 article because of this lovely piece of
work in my mailbox this evening:

I Am Not Satoshi Nakamoto
https://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram/archives/2021/1015.html#cg7


-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University