Mastering Corda

Foreword

The phenomenon of blockchain is not so difficult to understand, but the intricacies and details of its functioning can be. And then there are several rather distinct blockchains in action and under construction today.

In essence, these blockchains can be viewed as distributed virtual ledgers representing decentralized databases in which every member is at the same level of information through irreversible data entries visible to all. Given that the vast majority of databases are private and centralized ledgers, such as home registries, hospital records, or bank balance sheets, blockchain technology has great potential for disruption. And yet, these centralized ledgers are important and perhaps should not be entirely abandoned. Because of this continued need, some blockchains focus on combining the two worlds and the many institutions involved. One of these blockchains, of course, is Corda.

My own interaction with blockchain technology started a couple of years ago and was not particularly technology-driven. Rather, my interest was led by curiosity about how blockchain could change the architecture of our economies, the modus operandi of commerce and finance, human interaction and contracting, and questions of trust and transparency. This led me to some advisory and board roles and some small investments where the jury is still out on success or failure. But it’s clear to me from these engagements: the blockchain technology wave is only just starting to roll onto the shore. ...