NBL is Google translate for computer languages.

Babel fish for machines is no longer science-fiction. Now you write & read blockchain.

Our “Blockchain Knowledge Foundation” (Dutch: BKS) builds the natural blockchain language called “NBL). Everyone can write NBL-English using our editor, with spell checker. Our compiler compiles to Solidity code that can be executed on Ethereum blockchain.

Managers can and should write & read smart contracts themselves

NBL enables managers, legal and financial professionals can read and write their smart contracts in a manner close to their own professional practice. NBL is legal and blockchain specification language at the same time. Stakeholders give their input using the conference table. Specialized lawyers, accountants or process managers feel comfortable again. Programming skills are not needed.

NBL is a natural business process specification language.

You can compile NBL to executable code for a blockchain. When your team is done with the modelling you compile it to Solidity (this is the code used to program Ethereum). NBL is like using a template for building a website, you do not need to understand code if you want to build a website. A more flexible translator for programming the blockchain and smart contracts comes exactly now we need it.

There are 14 job openings for every one blockchain developer to save 50 billion in B2B transactions, tells Mckinsey

Mckinsey writes that adoption of blockchain technologies and smart contracts, which are expected to reduce business costs by at least $50 billion by 2021 in B2B transactions alone. Business capital disproportionately outweighs the number of developers. 14 job openings for each programmer writes Techcrunch. With this disparity showing no signs of slowing down, competitive salaries keep rising, and it means a lot of industries are going to fall behind, fast.

NBL gives better results than direct Ethereum or Corda programming.

NBL prevents errors. Programmers are used to write code & test it afterwards. Does it sound familiar ? The problem with testing is that you can find one error or even a few, but you can never be sure you found all all of them. NBL checks your output code and even forces programmers to work structured. Blockchain is great, but garbage in is garbage out is valid more than ever. To program blockchain nowadays. programmers need to work more secure. You see this testing mindset also elsewhere. Latest Intel / Heartbleed scandal shows that software is critical to our society. We cannot have that someone “forgets something” like, in this case, a security layer. When you program a blockchain wrong, you get a terrible repetitive error, like Heartbleed. Blockchain errors are even worse, real contract are lost. Who to sue ?

NBL reduces your dependence on technology. All can write/read NBL and compile to Ethereum, Corda & Hyperledger

BKS now creates a library of reusable code for solutions like compliance, certification and data federations and of course building value chains. We will also provide other compilers like: Kotlin(Google) for Corda, Simvolio for Apla and Go for Hyperledger is planned this summer.

NBL stops hypes & evangelization of the blockchain. NBL brings back corporate control to the boardroom.

Building blockchains means mostly (90%) drafting smart contracts wrapped in business models. Therefore this work should be done in the conference room. I ‘m amazed companies run their business from the server room nowadays, blinded by techno hypes and blockchain evangelization. Directors loose all your control a board by getting down in the server room.

The definition of a smart contract is a written procedure that can can perform all kind of complex operations on the blockchain like facilitating, executing, and enforcing the negotiation or performance of an agreement. (i.e. contract). To get the big picture I add: Blockchain knows 2 main applications fields: coins & smart contracts. Digital coins or certificates are handled by or just a subset of a smart contract. If you master smart contracts you seldom want to use or need coins. You use a mechanism like proof of value (POV). It’s like value added.

You cannot hold a (scarce) programmer responsible for not understanding complex business models dictated by nervous management written in legal code lawyers use. When your corporate value added chain leaks because of technical issues your complete internal organisation is a mess. To sue the programmer or hang the lawyer is not wise. NBL solves this Babel fish problem and lets all talk and work the new way together.

Use our “conference table technique” let lawyers, managers and accountants write & read smart contracts themselves.

Exactly those people who sign contracts now, should sign the smart contracts of the future. Smart contracts are real contracts. Legal focus will be upfront, ensuring Smart Contract compliance. The audit proof DLT record is perpetually available.

Organizations are alive. Everything alive needs digital contract evolution to adapt.

NBL has “digital smart contract evolution” build in. Digital evolution keeps your organization alive. Organizations need to evolve & adapt. Digital products are alive too, adapting to the market. NBL takes care that you can adapt your smart contracts or compliance procedures real time and manage changes.

Evolution is the key to stay alive for everything that is alive. Like DNA present in life. Everything alive has DNA. Organisations are living things too. A mechanism we programmed. DAO (Digital anonymous organisations) or “digital change” is hard to understand without “digital evolution”. For example: Many talk about DAO or “digital change (management)”. But no one talks about the digital evolution mechanism needed to stay alive and adapt to the environment ?

Practical explained: Generating mass blockchain code is great. But, we do not want to stumble over all those versions we generate. Some smart contract change daily. How to handle ? A parallel example. Our society makes laws. The change mechanism or evolution from the old to the new law is most complex, there is where it goes wrong.

Another advantage of digital evolution is that some business models are better implemented in parts. It’s like first building “small” life, like a seed or a baby ;-). Then let it grow. Programmers used to build “concrete models”. We learned from decades of struggling with corporate systems like ERP or CRM that does not work. Building fixed ICT systems or products is the wrong paradigm programmers probably took from engineers in 1880. Nice someone invents a tool like blockchain, but you also need training & manual how to use it.

Also great when you build blockchain is that:

NBL contract evolution let you sail around the concept of the immutability of the blockchain.

NBL evolution enables you to change organic and split up your modelling and programming tasks.

Your company as “a priori” pre- programmed industry leader.

Once up and running, a blockchain based organisation becomes a total different organization. Organisation control is defined upfront or “a priori”. All compliance issues are checked at light-speed. Like a mean lean deterministic T-Rex banking machine. A mortgage process on the blockchain will be like a roller-coaster. The old way of working is “ex post”( after) and stochastic and that way of working cannot survive.

NBL contract evolution will give you control over nowadays feared external dynamics

NBL has sustainable, resilience or an innovation throttle build in. You can split up & merger tasks and models. We let your management built resilient business models unknown to your industry.

Corporate knowledge domain experts are key for building blockchains.

We learn organizations to work organic and build implementable models using NBL. We call our way of working the “conference table” approach to emphasize that digital companies should not be build in the server room, but in the conference or board room. A captain also does not run his ship from the engine room. Team members need a background similar to lawyers, accountants or a business process managers. You should discuss the compliance rules at a conference table. It would be great when members know exactly how your business works and how to bend. If you cannot imagine 30 pages mortgage compliance rules, then you should involve a mortgage expert.

NBL brings changes for the legal and accounting industry as to management. A priori means that there is no more need for third-party representation, monitoring, or signoff. Smart Contract terms will dictate actions, transactions, reconciliations, next steps, permissions, perishability, and resolutions. To learn to work with NBL takes a week course, some guidance.

Operational business thinking will never be the same for managers when they start using NBL. An example:

With NBL you work 10 times faster than a regular dedicated Ethereum programmer.

Johan Pouwelse of Delft University wrote in the FD newspaper he needs 2 years to write a mortgage blockchain. ABMAMRO is his lab partner. Many banks run similar blockchain projects. I compare the TU Delft technical way of working versus business process modelling approach our NBL uses.

NBL is a blockchain business process specification language (code can execute) Using NBL , the same job as technical TU Delft did takes only 2 month. Or 30 pages NBL-english. The NBL compiler generates Solidity (Ethereum) code. Same result. The excellent professor in Delft builds like he builds a concrete building, no evolution or DNA inside. His great technicians(maybe the best of the world) do not understand the lawyers. The concept of “digital evolution” is not included. Imagine that mortgage conditions change now and then. Does he need another 2 years ? How to handle his versions ? The whole mechanism of change management in NBL is real time. I miss the discussion in the blockchain industry on digital evolution or digital DNA.

80% of the job of building blockchain applications means just writing NBL.

We can also guide you in selecting blockchain software. It must be great to know that by using NBL you can all easier switch between al those chains. Guru mr. Nolan of IBM compared blockchain now with databases of the seventies. You better not be too dependent on on technology and the IT company glued to their product, pushing it.

NBL is extremely powerful integrating your corporate data federations.

The time of building a global database management system on top of your current database management is done. It never worked, but now we have the tools. NBL enables you can decentralize and connect best of class ICT systems.

Learning NBL takes a one or two week course, some guidance. Your business thinking will never be the same. We build and teach you how to build fast. You can take a first day course from us.

NBL and the BKS foundation grounded in solid research at Groningen University.

Founded 1614, a top global top 100 university, is the place were we worked. Dutch are just great combining math and buisness. Dutch Théodore Limperg invented modern bookkeeping. Dutch invented the first global multinational VOC, dated 1600, with a fleet of 20.000 ships. Bookkeeping was necessary to control the VOC, just as blockchain “bookkeeping” is unmissable in our global digital world today. Watch on youtube colleague BKS founder Herman Balsters at Blockchaingers Legal Deep Dive at the AFM. Herman knows his math too. We help run your business better.

BKS is a non-profit research foundation and NBL is semi-open source.

Semi — open software means that we need 2 years to get the community up and strong. Only then it cannot be hijacked by the big commercial companies, who just re-wrap open source and buy talent. In approximately 2 years we release the code, this is the same time it takes to figure out how NBL is build we guess. We already got NBL users among top enterprises & government. We have a partner model. We educate a lot. We redo our website for the event below, where we give a masterclass and are event Jedi.

I have enriched this story, it became our site. https://www.blockchainstichting.nl/ Thanks for the feedback! Connect: LinkedIn company page Facebook, Twitter