Shunning new technologies and ways of doing business has never yielded positive results; crypto is no different.
Given the deluge of crypto coverage and analysis recently, between legislation, regulation, and market opinions, it would be understandable if a certain thread had slipped under the radar; the connection between cryptoassets and national security. Something that has been stated on several occasions at this point is that the continuing integration and utilization of cryptoassets – be it bitcoin or stablecoins – poses a systemic threat. This threat is stated to apply to the financial markets, the US dollar’s status as the global reserve currency, and the strategic success of the United States abroad.
This could not be further from the truth.
Blockchain and crypto have proven themselves to be perhaps the most disruptive technology since the development of the internet, with applications and use cases still being discovered on a daily basis. With such fundamental disruption there will invariably be some dislocations and changes to the status quo, but that is not the equivalent of being a national security risk. Rather, the continued development and proliferation of cryptoassets brings with it the potential for new and innovative applications across virtually every economic sector.
Let’s take a look at how and why cryptoassets should be viewed as a national strategic asset, and why its further development should be encouraged and nurtured.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/seansteinsmith/2021/08/17/crypto-is-a-national-security-asset-not-a-liability/?sh=517e072e606f

Humans love tools. They enable us to do what we have to do and what we like to do. From the chisel to virtual assistants, we have created our tools with the same objective: improving our lives.
Internet of Things (IoT) emerged from this mindset: a global network consisting of billions of physical “things” embedded with sensors and connected via the Internet. This ecosystem is replete with these new kinds of tools and is poised to impact our lives significantly. It can advance everything from health and security to convenience and comfort. In fact, by 2030, smart devices are expected to outnumber humans 10:1. There is obvious value in harnessing these tools to our advantage.
There is, however, a risk. These devices are not perfect. We are quick to welcome them into our homes, even on our bodies, but we do not always consider our privacy and security implications.
Data Value
Our data is precious. Big Tech profits immensely from commodifying and analyzing the data we create online. With the proliferation of smart devices, these companies now have access to our physical data. They can see us with their cameras, hear us with their speakers, and sense us with their fitness trackers. To make matters worse, recent large-scale hacks should make our hair stand up at the idea of holding sensitive information with a singular third party.
IoT can be a handy place for new tools, but we have to use it correctly. Fortunately, when IoT is coupled with another influential technology, it retains its benefits without eliminating the right to own your data. Blockchain can ensure smart devices serve us instead of encroaching on our most private selves.
Continue reading: https://www.iotforall.com/civil-liberties-blockchain

Many of us have increasingly become used to making transactions using digital wallets and online payment systems. We are also exhorted to never share our PIN numbers and passwords to prevent hackers and fraudsters from breaking into out account and stealing money. So, while the transactions are digital, the fears are pretty analog, akin to having our pocket picked or property burgled. Such worries though are largely non-existent in the world of cryptocurrency for all the talk of the unsavory ways in which they are used. That is because of the blockchain technology underlying cryptocurrencies, which ensure that it is terribly difficult to tamper with records or get away with unauthorized transactions.
WHAT IS THE BLOCKCHAIN?
It’s a combination of two words ‘block’ and ‘chain’, and the meaning is quite direct. To begin with, what you need to know is that Bitcoin — the earliest and the most valuable cryptocurrency — records transactions in tranches known as ‘blocks’, and then adds such one block to another in a continuing ‘chain’ of all transactions. Much like a ledger or an account book, where entries are listed one below the other. Except that here there is no single person who records the entries but everybody who owns the cryptocurrency gets to play an active role in the upkeep and fidelity of the account book.
WHY WAS THE BLOCKCHAIN CREATED?
Any cryptocurrency is a digital token. That is, say you own 10 Bitcoins, you don’t actually hold them in your hands. Your crypto assets will exist as lines of code on a computer and any transaction you make will have to be digitally executed and verified.
Now, to have a purely digital currency, which exists only as code, can be more complicated than physical money. That is because with physical money, if you have a Rs 10 note and you gave it to a shopkeeper to buy a pen, you will not be able to use the same note again because you have lost, or exchanged, custody of the Rs 10 note for the item you bought. However, with a digital currency there is a problem that the same line of code, which represents a set monetary value, can be sent to multiple people. How would they know that one hasn’t already spent the money that is being offered afresh?
Continue reading: https://www.news18.com/news/explainers/explained-why-the-best-thing-about-cryptocurrency-may-be-the-blockchain-tech-that-anchors-it-4098050.html

Across the globe, women have been sidelined when it comes to finance and technology, and the Middle East is no exception. Luckily, things are changing, and the internet is providing new opportunities for learning and inclusion. 
Blockchain offers a blank slate in the Middle East: a new industry where the rules have not yet been fully defined and where women can get involved and make it their own when given the right tools. 
It is no secret that in areas of the Middle East, women have far less financial autonomy in society than men. A 2020 McKinsey report on “women at work” in the Middle East found high inequalities persist, most notably in legal protection and financial inclusion with a significant number of women in the region remaining unbanked. 
The distribution of knowledge is more egalitarian nowadays, as anyone with access to the internet can learn to code or trade. Decentralized finance (DeFi) can help to level the playing field when it comes to women’s finances, removing the need for intermediaries and reliance on centralized institutions that often fail to safeguard their money. 
Continue reading: https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-empowers-women-middle-east

In the middle of rural Texas, a cryptocurrency mine is currently under construction.
Hundreds of machines more powerful than the average computer will soon be housed in this 320-acre mining facility in Dickens county, where they will work day and night to solve a complex series of algorithms. If successful, the reward will be newly minted bitcoin, currently worth about $44,000 each.
Kevin Brendle, Dickens county’s top elected official, embraced the idea of the mine when Argo Blockchain, a Canadian cryptocurrency mining company, first approached him with the idea of building a facility in the area. Dickens county, population 2,300, “is mostly improved pasture and grassland”, Brendle said.
“It’s wide-open range land, it’s cattle country with a little farming,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of economic development.”
A mine could help stimulate the economy, creating jobs and improving the county’s tax base. And in return, the mine will be powered by some of the cheapest electricity in the world.
Continue reading: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/aug/17/bitcoin-cryptocurrency-mining-texas

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with dual degrees, Claire McAfee’s post-collegiate job search was buoyed by a desire to find a role with ample opportunities for learning. Since coming aboard Austin-based Acrisure Technology Group as a software engineer a year ago, McAfee has not only found that those learning opportunities have materialized but that she and her team members are well-positioned to make a significant impact in risk distribution.
“We have a lot of autonomy. People’s voices go a long way here,” McAfee said. “We pivot from one thing to the next quickly, and we have the resources to propel us in the direction we’re trying to go.”
At high-growth insurance broker Acrisure, team members said they are developing a large collection of mapped business and individual risk data and are using AI to transform prospecting, retention and client service for their network of Agency Partners — the brokers who make up Acrisure’s global distribution network.
Seasoned technology veteran and Principal Product Manager John Cathey said those tech tools can help augment customer acquisition efforts to complement human expertise.
Continue reading: https://www.builtinaustin.com/2021/08/17/spotlight-acrisure-technology-group-team

Even though Frank Pica has spent much of his career in tech-enabled marketing and advertising, he realized how difficult it is to understand consumer behavior online after looking at himself in the mirror.
"I took a look at myself, and I was like, 'Man, if I was a freaking company trying to understand my preferences from one day to the next, I'd f------ quit,' " Pica said.
But Pica didn't quit. Instead, he launched a company that uses artificial intelligence to try to gain a deeper understanding of why people do what they do online when looking at food and beverage CPG products and produce. Pica serves as CEO of Native.AI, the company he founded with Sarah Sanders, who is the startup's chief operating officer.
Native.AI uses technology known as natural language processing to try to parse the sentiment and meaning of things that consumers write about products online — on reviews, surveys and online comments. This information comes directly from consumers, meaning it's not filtered through retailers or online services, and can be extremely valuable. But by definition, it doesn't necessarily have a logical structure and requires attention to detail or sophisticated technology to make it useful.
Continue reading: https://www.fooddive.com/news/how-nativeai-is-bringing-consumer-data-closer-to-manufacturers/604977/

Not too long ago, AI was the topic of futuristic movies. What was once a fictional draw at the Box Office is now a reality in offices worldwide. AI is everywhere and rapidly transforming the way we work. What remains scarce though is the technical talent in healthcare to see this tech revolution through. 
AI is quickly expanding into the technical infrastructure of the U.S. healthcare system. Its transformative potential is incredibly promising, from enhancing clinical workflows and streamlining administrative and payment processes to extracting life-saving insights from EHR data and genomic research. As the trust in AI grows, so does its perceived value in the healthcare space.  
A July 2020 Intel survey of U.S. healthcare leaders found that 84 percent of respondents have already deployed or expect to deploy AI into their clinical workflow. Additional findings from Intel conclude that the top areas of application for AI in healthcare would be predictive analytics at 94 percent, and clinical decision support and cross-specialty collaboration to improve patient care, both at 92 percent. But healthcare’s embracement of AI also comes with fears, including improper implementation and underperformance. These noted obstacles make AI executive recruitment even more critical for future solution developers in digital health.
Recruiting already sought-after AI talent can be quite an undertaking, especially for emerging developers who must compete with tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft. Young companies and startups don’t need tons of cash to attract the right talent. What they need is a strategic plan and guide—one that’s deliberate, intentional and honest.
Continue reading: https://hitconsultant.net/2021/08/18/guide-hiring-ai-talent-digital-health-biotech-life-sciences/#.YR0brIhKg2w

Data engineers have an important job of transforming data into valuable insights for businesses.
Given the exponential growth of big data, and the ability of data engineers to manage and manipulate this data, data engineers are essential to a company’s success.
Challenges Of Data Engineering
That said, data engineering is far from easy.
The more data you have, the harder it is to make sense of it. After all, the average person can only focus on four pieces of information at a time. Even if we’re told that “data is the new oil,” more data also means more complexity.
One major obstacle is that the infrastructure needed to handle the data is costly and not available in most organizations. 
This is particularly the case when building artificial intelligence (AI) models, which require a ton of computational power and specialized infrastructure. For instance, when building models for complex tasks like fraud detection, the size of the data required is huge. When you factor in the cost of renting hardware from cloud providers, model training and retraining and deployment, it can get very expensive.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/08/17/how-data-engineers-can-achieve-competitive-advantage/?sh=6293a84a7db5

Successful IoT deployments require expertise and skill across all ecosystem areas, from hardware to software to security, throughout the entire lifecycle from solution design to end-of-life. Most enterprises lack the internal resources needed to ensure success for their IoT initiatives. In addition to staff limitations, many organizations don’t have the experience or expertise to identify and overcome configuration, deployment, and ongoing maintenance challenges.
So how is an organization supposed to deploy successful IoT solutions? By starting with one device and working with a partner who pays close attention to seemingly small details, such as having additional hardware ready in case of a failure, getting devices into the field swiftly, and efficient supply chain management. IoT managed services providers help enterprises do just that through a full suite of forward and reverse logistics that streamline operations and simplify the complexity of IoT deployments.
Continue reading: https://www.iotforall.com/start-with-one-device-iot-managed-services-for-forward-and-reverse-logistics

Standard Chartered Bank UAE has announced the launch of the third cohort of the Women in Tech program, held in partnership with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Fintech Hive and Hub71.
The launch event, which took place at the DIFC Fintech Hive, was attended by several members of the local start-up community, as well as executives from Standard Chartered, Hub71, Fintech Hive and Finyal Media. In its third year, Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech program aims to promote the economic and social development of women entrepreneurs in the UAE through innovation and technology-led entrepreneurship.
The UAE-leg of this program is part of the bank’s global Women in Tech initiative that is live across nine markets, including Standard Chartered New York, Kenya, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bahrain. In the UAE, the program is focused on capacity building for women-owned enterprises and targets female-led entrepreneurial teams to provide them with training, mentorship and seed funding. In addition to mentorship programs, Standard Chartered, DIFC Fintech Hive, and Hub71 will be giving away a total of $100,000 in funding to the winners of this year’s cohort.
Continue reading: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/local/standard-chartered-uae-launches-third-cohort-of-flagship-women-in-tech-programme

Feminist technologies are those technical innovations that empower and bridge the gap between genders. This might make you wonder, why should technology be feminist? Isn’t it already feminist? How can technology be patriarchal at all?
These are all questions that we need to explore in depth. Another important question to be asked in this context is – Have we incorporated patriarchal values inherited from our predecessors into the systems and technology that we create? 
The gender gap in the physical world has been reflected in technology as well. This hitherto hidden face of modern patriarchy was exposed during the pandemic; especially when the vaccination drive began. Access to the internet and technological know-how became indispensable factors to ensure public health, and we observed that the number of women getting vaccinated were far less than the number of men.
In India, 17 per cent more men are vaccinated than women. The reason cited for this disparity is the necessity of men to get inoculated for work and travel. Apart from that, in India, only 14.9 per cent of women use the internet, which is a very skewed statistic considering the digitalized world we are living in. The situation is bleaker for LGBTQIA+ individuals, who are further excluded from the whole scenario. 
Continue reading: https://feminisminindia.com/2021/08/17/women-and-tech-addressing-gender-gap-through-feminist-technology/

We've all heard the common myths why women aren't in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers: young girls aren't interested in such rigorous topics, or women just don't perform as well in them as men. Let's be clear: None of those excuses is based on fact. The point still remains that women are largely underrepresented in these professions. Since 1990, STEM employment has increased by almost 80%, from 9.7 million to 17.3 million STEM jobs. While women comprise 47% of all workers in the U.S., they represent only 24% of the STEM workforce. The percentage of women in STEM is not equally spread out among the disciplines; while women make up three-quarters of the healthcare practitioners and technicians, there is still a shortage of women in other STEM careers, including engineering, computer, and physics. 
This isn't just a conversation for the women. All people must be included in the discussion of how to make STEM an achievable path for young girls and women. This guide discusses the gender divide, its contributing factors and contains some available resources and college programs.
Why are women so underrepresented in STEM?
The reasons women don't pursue STEM careers vary by person and can be attributed to a number of influences. However, some stand out among the list. 
Continue reading: https://www.zdnet.com/article/bridging-the-gender-divide-guide-to-overcoming-broadband-access-to-be-a-woman-leader-in-stem/

Access to technology plays a huge role in giving birth to gender inequality. Women are confined to traditional roles and have limited access to capital, training, and technology that could enhance their lives. Technology always played a variety of roles in supporting the development of women’s capacities and resources. Technology and social media can be powerful tools for women and girls to take part in democracy, civic action, and peacebuilding, as well as to fight for their basic rights and gender equality. Adapting programming and investing in digital literacy for women and girls is the key to ensure that they can meaningfully participate in these newly opened public spheres.
With a constant process of innovation Anuj Sehgal, the Vice President of Strategic Accounts at BayOne Solutions has served in empowering women in the field of technology. As the IT workforce is very heavily dominated by men and women are not getting fair representation in the workplace, he invested a lot of effort in working with the customers in educating them through their hiring process to get more diversity and inclusion in their ranks.
Marking the Beginning of Making the Difference
IT Consulting and Staffing is a very people-heavy industry that focuses on solving real-time problems of hiring key personnel for the customers and delivering value to ensure business continuity for the organizations. But focusing on personnel problems, the industry tends to lose the goal of efficiency and value proposition for all the stakeholders involved.
Continue reading: https://www.analyticsinsight.net/empowering-women-in-technology-innovations-beyond-excellence/

Last June, the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council’s SWAT team went into the South Shore Plaza in Braintree looking for suspects after a shooting, but they didn’t go in blind. They were led by a Franklin Police Department drone.
“It’s a great tactical tool,” said Franklin Police Lt. Jim West, a department drone operator. “The drone was able to go ahead and make sure there was no one waiting for them when they went around a corner.”
Franklin is just one of several local police departments that have added drones to their toolboxes.
The uses of the drones are many, local police chiefs said, from tactical uses - such as the incident at the mall described by West - to social media, community policing and everything in between. 
“It’s going to have unlimited uses,” said acting Milford Police Chief James Falvey, whose department just recently got a drone. “Whatever we can use it for to help people in the community, we will use it.”
What it takes to have a police drone
Other area departments that have drones include Millis, Sudbury and Westborough.
For police, adding a drone to the department's arsenal isn’t a simple process of just buying it and then flying it. All operators need to get Certification of Operations from the Federal Aviation Administration, Westborough Police Sgt. Cliff Luce said.
Continue reading: https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/news/2021/08/16/police-use-tactical-tool-drones-help-dangerous-situations/8095565002/

Thousands of drone cargo aircraft could soon provide rapid deliveries across Europe, but maybe not in the way you expect. DHL has signed a deal with European drone company Dronamics to develop middle-mile transport by uncrewed aircraft.
Amazon’s AMZN -1.1% long-promised drone delivery service seems as far off as ever, with reports of the implosion of the UK-based development team. Meanwhile Google Wing’s delivery drones are confined to a trial scheme in Christiansburg, Virginia. But last-mile deliveries were always a hard target. The middle mile is more straightforward, and drone makers Dronamics have just agreed a deal with DHL to speed transport across Europe. The aim is to enable next-day deliveries for time-critical industries such as pharmaceuticals and perishable goods like fresh fruit and meat.
The plan is to develop a solution which combines DHL's existing first-mile and last-mile services for pick-ups and deliveries linking with Dronamics plans for low-cost drones from European airports. This is more achievable than drone deliveries with existing technology.
“The complexity of flying in low altitudes full of obstacles like the kind you have in urban and suburban environments, is orders of magnitude higher,” says Svilen Rangelov, Dronamics cofounder and CEO. “We fly between populated areas, not inside of them, so both the air risk and the ground risk are lower.”
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2021/08/17/dhl-partners-with-dronamics-for-middle-mile-drone-service/?sh=704b5323362d

Qualcomm is unveiling its platform that enables aerial drones to tap both 5G and AI technologies.
The Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G platform will help accelerate development for commercial, enterprise, and industrial drones. The hope is to enable enterprises to capture data from drone cameras and process that data at the edge of the network.
The platform is powered by Qualcomm QRB5165 processor, and it builds upon Qualcomm’s latest internet of things (IoT) offerings. The aim is to enable a new generation of low-power 5G drones that can capture a lot of data via cameras and transmit that data via 5G to an operator or sent it over longer distances over a network. The platform has AI as well so that it can determine what data is most valuable and send that so it can reduce the amount of raw traffic on a network.
The aim is to use 5G to revolutionize the robotics and drone industry, particularly by enabling drone data to be used in private 5G networks for industrial applications such as factories.
Continue reading: https://venturebeat.com/2021/08/17/qualcomm-readies-5g-and-ai-drone-platform/

For a long time, excitement and potential drove the commercial drone industry in a way that could literally be calculated. Countless reports talked up the billions of dollars that commercial drone technology represented, but whether it was the $82 billion estimated by AUVSI or the $127 billion that PwC predicted, the hype associated with drones was mostly irrelevant to the actual users that wanted to adopt the technology to create value. Plenty have done just that in very defined ways over the past few years, but just as the drone industry was in the midst of fully transitioning from hype to reality, COVID-19 changed the paradigm.
As literal social distancing tools, the pandemic highlighted how drones could be utilized in ways that were never envisioned but nonetheless created real value. However, those new opportunities have been complicated by misconceptions that predate the pandemic. Additionally, the regulatory challenges with legally taking a drone into the sky that users have to sort through are just as relevant now as they were in the midst of that hype cycle. What has this evolution of the commercial drone industry meant to the people that are working to define the value of the technology in the present and future?
That very topic is a focus of numerous conference sessions at the upcoming Commercial UAV Expo, where professionals from across the space will come together for what is now recognized as the world's largest show for professionals integrating commercial drone technology. In preparation of the event, we connected with numerous experts across the space to capture their insights around how expectations associated with the technology will impact the market in the short and long term.
Continue reading: https://www.commercialuavnews.com/infrastructure/has-the-evolution-of-the-commercial-drone-industry-created-opportunities-or-cultivated-misconceptions

In May, Uganda Flying Labs conducted a drone application training course with 75% of the attendants coming from the nation’s agricultural sector. Uganda is not the only nation in Africa taking steps to adopt drone technology. In Togo, in West Africa, e-AgriSky, a vocational farmer’s training school, has recently admitted 16 students from across Africa to learn more about drones. Such private sector-driven initiatives may be the baby steps towards fully adopting the technology in Africa’s agriculture. While some argue that the small-scale nature of most African farms limits the application of drones, offering drones as a service is a viable option that entrepreneurs should consider. This model allows a few drones to be used by many farmers, delivering the benefits of drone technology in agriculture while realizing reasonable profits to ensure sustainability.
Drone technology traces its history to military applications, where it is deployed in aerial surveillance. In recent years, drones have found their way into agriculture in various applications, including land and crop surveying, inspection and monitoring, and agricultural assets and insurance. Previously, other technologies such as satellites and helicopters performed most of these applications at substantial operational costs and limited efficiency. Thanks to drones, which usually come equipped with sensors and software to gather and process data, most of the mentioned agricultural operations are now much easier to conduct and at a lower cost. While the technology’s adoption is at advanced stages in other parts of the world, its application in Africa remains a challenge for various reasons.
Continue reading: https://intpolicydigest.org/drones-in-africa-a-viable-business-model-for-small-entrepreneurs/

The past decade has seen several structural changes in know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations in Europe and globally. High-profile money laundering cases and the penetration of illicit funds into global markets have caught the attention of regulators and the public, and rightfully so.
The Wirecard scandal was a particularly salacious example, in which the investigation into widespread fraud revealed a chain of shell companies involved in illegal distribution of narcotics and pornography. Over at Danske Bank, some $227 billion was laundered through an Estonian subsidiary, going virtually unnoticed for nine years.
In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an action against Ripple Labs and two of its executives, claiming they had raised over $1.3 billion through an unregistered, ongoing digital asset securities offering. That case is ongoing.
As regulators and financial institutions improve their understanding of these criminal practices, AML requirements have likewise been improved. But these adjustments have been an overwhelmingly reactive, trial-by-fire process.
Continue reading: https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/16/regulating-crypto-is-essential-to-ensuring-its-global-legitimacy/

• Microsoft is looking to use the ethereum blockchain to combat digital piracy, according to a recent white paper published by the firm.
• The company is exploring a new system named Argus, which it dubbed as the "first public anti-piracy system."
• Across 11 pages, Microsoft laid out the design, implementation, and evaluation of the new system.

Software giant Microsoft is looking to use the ethereum blockchain to combat digital piracy by relying on the network's transparent and decentralized nature, according to a new paper released by the firm's research department.
The Redmond-based company is exploring a new concrete system named Argus, which Microsoft dubbed as the "first public anti-piracy system."
In the 11-page paper, Microsoft - together with researchers from Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba and Carnegie Mellon University - laid out the design, implementation, and evaluation of the new system.
Continue reading: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/microsoft-msft-ethereum-blockchain-fight-piracy-digital-tech-public-ledger-2021-8

Cryptocurrency and blockchain have become buzzwords these days. While cryptocurrency has been a tad easier to understand as a concept, the blockchain technology that cryptocurrency runs on has been a complex one to grasp. In the simplest of terms, blockchain can be defined as a database that stores data in blocks. The information is recorded in these blocks in a way that makes it difficult to hack or cheat or change the system. Since the blocks of information create a chain, hence the name blockchain.
How Does It Work?
A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger that keeps a record of all transactions carried out on the system. These transactions are then duplicated to be reflected across all computer systems active on the blockchain. Every time a new transaction is carried out the blockchain stores the data on that participant's block and is reflected across all digital ledgers on that network. All transaction data present on the systems of the blockchain can be accessed from any part of the world. 
Continue reading: https://www.ndtv.com/business/what-is-blockchain-and-how-does-it-work-find-out-here-2511764

First-generation blockchains generated some of the biggest hype in the history of IT before flaming out in a morass of abandoned deployments and failed expectations. The lack of enterprise readiness, from inflexible storage solutions to missing compliance regimes to poor scalability and high costs, resulted in many early deployments being abandoned.
What’s changed in blockchain 2.0? The new generation of blockchains are practical, cloud friendly, high performance, software-as-a-service-based and already tackling enterprise use cases around the globe. Blockchain is back, and it's (finally) ready for its close-up.
The Missing Use Case
Blockchain 1.0 lacked actual use cases. Throw in confusion over competing technologies, “public” versus “private” chain debates and more, and it was a frustrating, multi-year detour that soured many IT leaders on even hearing the term “blockchain.”
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/08/17/blockchain-20-finally-ready-for-the-enterprise/?sh=26678f4e158d

We often hear about applications of technology bound to alter the status quo. Blockchain, notably, has had its fair share in the limelight with much focus on cryptocurrency, tokens and mining. But this is misplaced idolatry, and while several crypto-enthusiasts have made bank (pun intended) on decentralized electronic currencies, the real near-term value of blockchain is in tethering the technology to the mitigation of climate change.
How does one get from the current hopped-up non-fungible token craze to a net-zero world in less than 30 years or less? It may start with the Biden Administration. With steep targets to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) to reach net-zero emissions economywide by no later than 2050, global businesses and industrial companies are deeply amid a flurry of churning nerves and strategies aimed at tackling the crisis at hand. Megacompanies — including prominent tech companies — are hot-to-trot to tout progress with emission reduction programs, but there are numerous obstacles. One of the largest issues is that of unreliable or inaccurate data. Another significant obstacle: environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure requirements from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is expected this fall and is already making ripples.
The precipitous rise of ESG has reinvigorated participation in carbon offsetting programs as a steppingstone to make headway on sustainability targets. With this renewal, near-term applications of blockchain can provide immutable veracity (a much-needed and previously missing component) to offsetting practices — and in doing so, can aid in achieving progress on the path to net-zero.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/16/the-near-term-future-of-blockchain-tracking-carbon-offsets/?sh=543775475790

Artificial intelligence has always been met with both excitement and fear. It can make tasks much easier — but it can also replace jobs. It gets the same mixed reception in the world of accounting.
For CPAs who use it well, automation can take over some of the more mundane, time-consuming tasks. For CPAs offering advisory services, an estimated 80% of advisory time is used for processing information — just the sort of thing automation is built for. With so much effort devoted to tasks a machine could do, CPAs and their clients alike may begin to wonder if the CPA could just be replaced by this incredible technology.
For companies who are intrigued by the idea of AI replacing their CPAs (and CPAs who fear as much), it might be time to pump the brakes a little. As with other technologies that have emerged over the years, this tool is only as good as the craftsman who wields it. Here's why every business should have a real, live CPA — even with the advancement of AI.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/16/why-every-business-needs-an-accountant---dont-leave-it-up-to-ai/?sh=13d61b731a83