ConsenSys Update: Civil, Kaleido, Viant, EEA, Ujo, and Ethereal NY
Blockchain takes on journalism and music, while Amazon partnerships and architectural stacks make news after Ethereal NY 2018
The ConsenSys Mesh is made up of over 50 projects, groups, initiatives, hubs and spokes — all of which are building the platforms, dApps, and services of the decentralized future.
Because there’s so much going on at Consensys around the world, every two weeks, we’ll be highlighting ten projects from around the mesh with important and exciting updates by covering everything from tech development to community outreach and hiring.
In this edition, we’ve got updates from journalism platform Civil (who wants your feedback), a hiring call from uPort, a recap of speakers from Ethereal NY, and other news from around the ConsenSys Mesh.
Now, for updates from the week of May 14…
Civil is a decentralized marketplace for sustainable news, enabling journalists to focus on journalism rather than the clicks-over-quality model enforced by today’s publishers and third parties. They recently announced the formation of Civil Studios, a journalism-focused venture builder for the decentralized web (Fortune Magazine’s coverage of the announcement here). Its mission is to study and accelerate the potential for blockchain technology to reinvent journalism.
And as if that didn’t keep the team busy enough, Civil also published their Civil Constitution last week. The document will determine what does and does not constitute “ethical journalism” on the Civil platform. Civil has published the foundational document in an open Google Document file that is open to the public so anyone can access, view, and provide their thoughts.
ConsenSys Spoke Kaleido made headlines this week by announcing a partnership with Amazon Web Services to provide Blockchain-as-a-Service solutions to millions of users. The partnership will launch a platform that integrates with native AWS solutions to enable enterprise large and small to launch blockchain networks and blockchain-based solutions in minutes. The “All-in-One Blockchain Platform” is currently available in the AWS marketplace across all regions.
Last week, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance announced the release of its architectural stack, a major step in creating a modular and open-sourced infrastructure of enterprise adoption of blockchain solutions built on Ethereum. With over 500 members in the EEA —including giants like Microsoft and Mastercard —and a developer pool topping 30,000 and growing, the release of the EEA Stack provides a more universal framework for companies around the world to integrate Ethereum into their business models.
Kauri is building a network of technical knowledge, helping developers build off Ethereum and the blockchain. They have officially launched on Rinkeby! Read in detail about their architecture, platform, and vision here. Already Kauri has compiled 100 articles, 50 requests, and 15 bounties for more content. Curious how you can get involved? $3000 worth of bounties currently lives on the mainnet, ready to be claimed. Want to learn a bit more before diving in? Listen to Kauri’s talk at EdCon on May 5.
Identity platform uPort recently published Entering the Age of Data Privacy, a look into the effect GDPR could have on identity management and verification. The team has also published a discussion on Github about the ERC-1056 token protocol, a standard to quickly and efficiently update identity metrics with a limited use of blockchain resources. Follow and contribute to the active discussion here. UPort is hiring, among other positions, a Product Designer, Platform Product Manager, Test Engineer, and Front End Developer. Check out all the positions here.
In case you missed it, Ethereal NY 2018 just happened last weekend. From across the world, builders, thinkers, leaders, and artists came together to celebrate and discuss the future of the Ethereum network. Speaker videos from Joe Lubin, Amber Baldet, Aya Miyaguchi, Yorke Rhodes, and others are available on the ConsenSys Youtube Channel.
Last weekend at Ethereal, Viant — a platform to track supply chain assets on the blockchain — flew in sushi-grade tuna from Fiji and tracked its progress on Ethereum. Attendees were able to try the sushi and scan a QR code that showed them the exact journey of the fish from “bait to plate.”
Ujo — the decentralized music platform empowering artists and fans alike — announced their launch on the mainnet during Ethereal. The Creator’s Portal allows artists to upload their content, retain rights and control over its spread, and connect more directly with fans. Read more about what happened at Ethereal NY.
ConsenSys Energy is an initiative to redesign the energy industry with the help of blockchain. They just announced the formation of the Energy Working Group (EWG), a part of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance (EEA). The kickoff event is the week of May 21 in Houston, TX, where the group will focus on the roadmap for Ethereum integration in energy, the development of tools, and the legal framework for those tools. Get in touch with ConsenSys Energy for more information.
In closing, check out Vanessa Grellet of Blockchain for Social Impact’s talk at Ethereal NY on the impact of digital currency and blockchain of giving. The Blockchain for Social Impact Conference is in Washington DC on June 1st, and registration is now open.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author above do not necessarily represent the views of Consensys AG. ConsenSys is a decentralized community with ConsenSys Media being a platform for members to freely express their diverse ideas and perspectives. To learn more about ConsenSys and Ethereum, please visit our website.
