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Analyzing Token Sale Models

Note: I mention the names of various projects below only to compare and contrast their token sale mechanisms; this should NOT be taken as an endorsement or criticism of any specific project as a whole. It's entirely possible for any given project to be total trash as a whole and yet still have an awesome token sale model. The last few months have seen an increasing amount of innovation in token sale models. Two years ago, the space was simple: there were capped sales, which sold a fixed number of

Hard Forks, Soft Forks, Defaults and Coercion

One of the important arguments in the blockchain space is that of whether hard forks or soft forks are the preferred protocol upgrade mechanism. The basic difference between the two is that soft forks change the rules of a protocol by strictly reducing the set of transactions that is valid, so nodes following the old rules will still get on the new chain (provided that the majority of miners/validators implements the fork), whereas hard forks allow previously invalid transactions and blocks to become valid, so clients must upgrade their clients

A Note On Charity Through Marginal Price Discrimination

Vitalik Buterin via the Vitalik Buterin Blog Updated 2018-07-28. See end note. The following is an interesting idea that I had two years ago that I personally believe has promise and could be easily implemented in the context of a blockchain ecosystem, though if desired it could certainly also be implemented with more traditional technologies (blockchains would help get the scheme network effects by putting the core logic on a more neutral platform). Suppose that you are a restaurant selling sandwiches, and you ordinarily sell sandwiches for $7.50. Why did

Plato Data Intelligence Leverages Vectara to Power its Data-As-A-Service / DaaS Platform

From development to launch, Vectara’s GenAI technology and team help innovators get to market faster. The announced partnership breaks new ground towards deploying a next generation of GenAI tools with Vertical focus. Vectara, the Trusted Generative AI Product Platform, and Plato Data Intelligence, creators of PlatoAi, have entered into a commercial agreement to unlock the power of Vectara via Plato AI’s Generative Intelligence platform. With an emphasis on secure, trustworthy, and transparent GenAI for enterprises, Vectara was the clear choice for developers who want a trusted provider to count on

Walking the Tightrope

As we stand on the verge of a new era in crypto, it’s crucial to reaffirm the importance of decentralization. Beyond being a mere aspiration, decentralization serves as the lifeblood of the crypto world, standing as the pivotal force that draws the line between freedom and control. Amidst the hype surrounding the impending approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF in the United States, accompanied by the influx of capital from behemoths like BlackRock, the immediate market surge raises a serious question for the future of crypto. Are people here for

Paribus. Trust Less.

One month ago, Jerome Powell, head of the Federal Reserve in the US, announced that the banking system was sound and robust despite the collapse of several large banks. After raising rates a further 0.25%, he said, “We’re committed to learning the lessons from this episode and to work to prevent events like this from happening again.” As we prepare for another potential 0.25% rate hike on May 3rd, another major bank in the US, First Republic Bank, has collapsed. Its collapse is part of a larger trend of consolidation

Drawing Parallels

For many people in crypto, the way that regulators are approaching the industry is unique and can at times seem unnecessarily adversarial. For those with prior experience in nascent industries, it bears remarkable similarities to how other technologies have seen regulations imposed on them. For many people in crypto, the way that regulators are approaching the industry is unique and can at times seem unnecessarily adversarial. For those with prior experience in nascent industries, it bears remarkable similarities to how other technologies have seen regulations imposed on them. Five years