Support the show, consider donating: 145PoPHFLFYTTRe1wMZtdzYqsgptgfTKmY (http://bit.ly/2fWcvKF) System scalability and extensibility of system features are two central problems around which research in the cryptocurrency / blockchain industry has centered. For example, the Blockstream sidechains project foresaw hundreds of blockchains coordinating together to form an ‘Internet of Chains’ delivering extensibility to the Bitcoin system. Recently, Dr. Gavin Wood, co-founder of Ethereum and Parity, put forth Polkadot, a technical vision to achieve the similar end-goals using different system architecture. Polkadot could enable individual blockchain networks to share security and communications infrastructure with other blockchain networks, forming in effect an ‘Internet of Blockchain networks’. Melonport, a team based out of Zurich, has taken up the challenge of deploying the Polkadot network and also building decentralized asset management software on the same network. In this episode we converse with Mona El Isa and Reto Trinkler, co-founders of Melonport, in order to discover more about the overall vision. Topics discussed in this episode: - Melonport, a team based out of Zurich, has taken up the challenge of deploying the Polkadot network and also building decentralized asset management software on the same network. In this episode we converse with Mona El Isa and Reto Trinkler, co-founders of Melonport, in order to discover more about the overall vision. - Description of problem(s) Polkadot seeks to resolve - Analogous design problems from technological history - Overview of Polkadot network - Overview of Melonport asset management software - How Melonport and Polkadot connect with each other - Next steps for the team Links mentioned in this episode: - Melonport website: https://melonport.com - Melonport white paper: https://melonport.com/melonprotocol.pdf - melonproject on GitHub: https://github.com/melonproject - Melonport explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG6LISz1iyw - Polkadot Network: http://polkadot.network - Polkadot white paper: http://polkadot.network/PolkaDotPaper.pdf - Parity and Melonport joint press release: https://ethcore.io/press.html/ Sponsors: - Ledger: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EPICENTER - http://ledgerwallet.com - Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices - http://jaxx.io This episode is also available on : - Epicenter.tv: https://epicenter.tv/158 - YouTube: http://youtu.be/rfRufqN8S9c - Souncloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-158 Watch or listen, Epicenter is available wherever you get your podcasts. Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

Support the show, consider donating: 1FNPtiqcHnNW2Bxx27T3UTNiJNVAmRkvPv (http://bit.ly/1N6TbI9) With Proof-of-Stake (PoS) a blockchain is secured not by spending an external resource such as electricity but by using value internal to the chain itself. The promise of higher security at a lower cost is what also drives Ethereum to plan a move away from Proof-of-Work to PoS in the future. Ethereum researcher Vlad Zamfir, who leads their effort in the complex search for the optimal PoS consensus system joined us for an in-depth discussion of the challenges of PoS, the approach Casper is taking and what consensus in Ethereum land could look like in the future. Topics covered included: - How he became interested in consensus and Proof-of-Stake (PoS) - Why Ethereum plans to switch to the PoS systems Casper in the future - What the Long-Range Attack and Nothing-at-Stake problems are and how Casper addresses them - How a betting mechanism is used to get validators to reach consensus - What centralization pressures exist for validators and what operating a validator will look like - The role of security deposits in Casper - The difference between Tendermint and Casper - Whether forks create big UI/UX issues for Casper - Why Casper is very light client friendly Links mentioned in this episode: Links: - Introducing Casper - Ethereum Blog http://bit.ly/1ONermJ - Review of Casper, Ethereum’s proposed Proof of Stake Algorithm http://bit.ly/1YcWG1G - Casper Protocol Specification http://bit.ly/1Nzi8GI - Slasher, Ghost and Other Developments in Proof-of-Stake http://bit.ly/1NziInC - Epicenter Bitcoin Episode 58 with Vitalik Buterin on Proof-of-Stake http://bit.ly/1PKdHNK Sponsors: - Hide.me: Protect your privacy and personal data with a free VPN account at Hide.me/epicenter Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/105 SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-105 Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc