Quant Network: The Man On a Mission
3…2…1… Houston we have liftoff! We are on a moon mission! Well maybe not literally, but you’ll understand what I mean in a minute. While what we will discuss here isn’t Apollo 18 finally launching once and for all, it is in fact something even more exciting. The project I’m referring to is Quant Network — the up and coming solution to blockchain interoperability. I’m sure you have heard of this ambitious project by now, or at least their CEO Gilbert Verdian as he has been spotted in the headlines recently for his blockchain standardization efforts.
“Quant” has been on the radar from the get-go because its fundamentals were on par with some of the big players in the crypto space. What first caught my eye was Overledger, Quant Network’s new operating system designed to sit on top of existing blockchains and be a kind of universal interface. It is a new way of approaching blockchain interoperability, which immediately sparked my interest. Little did I know, I hadn’t realized how well connected and prestigious the designer actually behind the project was.
Now when considering the qualities that define the title of Chief Executive Officer, it’s common to associate traits like “leadership,” “maturity,” and “optimistic,” to this role. But, let’s be honest, most CEO’s of blockchain-based projects seem to be a bunch of whiz kids who, with little to no experience, have pulled off quite unprecedented feats. Vitalik Buterin, the mastermind behind Ethereum, is a model example of this archetype — he is a computer science guru, but would the average person choose him first as most qualified to run a multi-billion dollar company? Probably not. The question is, what happens when you are able to find an individual who understands the complicated crypto space and is highly qualified to lead? Well, great things are born, and Verdian is the man of the hour.
Gilbert Verdian considers himself a “technologist with an upbringing in business and a deep background in technology and security.” To validate this claim, Verdian has put in twenty years of experience across both the public and the private sectors, working for many of the most prestigious organizations around the globe and collaborating with Governments on three continents. Now that’s a mouthful, but this doesn’t nearly shed the light on Verdian that he deserves, in fact, it’s a humble summary at best.
To put this into some context, it wouldn’t be out of line to say he has been at the top of the game throughout his entire career. When looking closer at his career it is striking to see how many of the most high profile organizations Verdian has worked for. Highlights of his work experience include: Ernst & Young, Strikeforce (Lead Security Architect), HM Treasury (CSO and Deputy CTO), HSBC (Security Projects & Programmes), BP (Digital Security), Protego Security (Co Founder), CxO (Advisor), Chair of NSW (New South Wales) Government Security Council, and Vocalink Mastercard (CISO).
Indeed, the names on the list are not just impressive; they highlight that Verdian is a man in extreme demand, and allude to his ability to bridge the divide between Governments and the most powerful of private sector organizations.
Between his expertise in business, technology, security, and his global work history in both the private and public sector, Verdian is strongly positioned to bring blockchain to the global stage. Thus, it’s only fitting that Verdian’s project Quant Network is an interoperability solution that seeks to bridge blockchains of all kinds — from entirely private chains to decentralized chains like Ethereum. While Quant is an ambitious, career defining project, it’s also one that just makes sense as a next step in Gilbert’s career. Who better to bring blockchain to the forefront of technology than one who, as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Vocalink, a mastercard company, “was responsible for the Security of the UK’s payment infrastructure for the Bank of England”?
Perhaps the strongest example of Verdian’s evolution into a leading figure in Blockchain is his work as founder of the Blockchain ISO Standard TC307. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental organisation with a membership of 161 national standards bodies that has, since its inception in 1946, published 22,147 International Standards covering all aspects of technology and manufacturing. In short, it consists of governments coming together to decide how best to adopt new technologies.
Moreover, it should be stressed that ISO actively works with numerous global organizations such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, The EU (European Commission), The International Federation of Surveyors, The International Telecommunication Union, and SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication). To EVEN FURTHER strengthen Gilbert’s position, in 2017 he was made the Chair of the United Kingdom’s delegation to the research into the ISO Standard Blockchain TC/307. This is where Verdian’s connections get particularly interesting.
As Chair of the UK’s delegation he is tasked with enabling the UK to become a leader in the standardization of blockchain technology, and is required to report his findings and research back to the UK Government. This puts Verdian not just in regular contact with an extremely influential body of people, but actually places him at the forefront of worldwide blockchain adoption.
In the context of cryptocurrency’s looming, unformed global regulatory landscape, the quality of Verdian’s network is both rare and priceless. So here we have a man at the nexus of blockchain and cybersecurity, who personally founded the ISO Standard Blockchain TC/307, tasked with reporting back to the legislators who will eventually decide which blockchain standard will be nationally and internationally adopted. It doesn’t really get any better than that. It’s one thing for him to be a benefactor to the modern world, but to also lead an all star project like Quant Network? That’s a lot to digest.
While your food for thought is going down, let’s recap. Gilbert Verdian has strategically placed himself in the middle of all the action, developing a web of connections to all sorts of influential organizations in the process. His ties to industry experts and Governments, coupled with his knowledge of security, technology, and business equips him with everything he needs to introduce blockchain technology to the new world. He is a man that knows how to act and deliver, which is why his involvement with Quant Network is so exciting.
Verdian’s journey will continue to be interesting to say the least. His highly accomplished career and connections to multiple industries gives him the credentials to make things happen. There is no doubt his vision for Overledger can radically change the way we connect blockchains and finally achieve a uniform interface.
Erring on the side of caution and being aware that over-hyping a project or its team often raises people’s expectations, we should, as objective analysers, attempt to at least keep our head on our shoulders. That being said, there isn’t a better individual to lead a project of such magnitude. Time will tell how much Verdian achieves with blockchain standardization and Quant Network, but if his past experience is foreshadowing of the future, his name and the project’s he’s actively working on are things to keep in the back of your mind.
