{"title":"Transitioning to a Hyperledger Fabric Quantum-Resistant Classical Hybrid Public Key Infrastructure","authors":"Robert Campbell","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-2-(4)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-2-(4)2019","url":null,"abstract":"This research has two parts; the first is to identify enterprise Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) blockchain cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats, and legal obligations in a Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) world. HLF is a permissioned blockchain designed by IBM and uses Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), for digital signatures, and digital identities (X.509 certificates), which are critical to the operational security of its network. On 24 January 2019, Aetna, Anthem, Health Care Service Corporation, PNC Bank, and IBM announced collaboration to establish a blockchain-based ecosystem for the healthcare industry [1]. Quantum computing poses a devasting impact on PKI and estimates of its large-scale commercial arrival should not be underestimated and cannot be predicted. The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), requires “reasonable” measures to be taken to protect Protected Health Information (PHI), and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). However, HLF’s ecosystem is not post-quantum resistant, and all data that is transmitted over its network is vulnerable to immediate or later decryption by large scale quantum computers. The second part of this research is the independent evaluation and testing of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), based Second Round Candidate PQC, lattice-based digital signature scheme, qTESLA. It’s, second-round submission is much improved, however; its algorithm characteristics and parameters are such that it is unlikely to be a quantum-resistant “as is,” simple “plug-and-play” function and replacement for HLF’s PKI. This work also proposes qTESLA’s public keys be used to create a quantum-resistantclassical hybrid PKI near-term replacement.","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"121 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77065761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Singapore’s Open Digital Token Offering Embrace: Context & Consequences","authors":"R. Greene, David Lee Kuo Chuen","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-2-(3)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-2-(3)2019","url":null,"abstract":"The overall global public’s ability to purchase some portion of a digital token project’s initial batch of tokens is the defining feature of an open digital token offering. Using a dataset that differentiates this token distribution model from other varieties – a distinction often underemphasised in regional analyses of digital token sale trends – this research estimates 2017-18 open digital token offering activity by jurisdiction, finding that Singapore-registered projects accounted for 21 percent of Q3/Q4 2018 dollar-volume, more than any other country. Conversely, by late 2018, previous hubs of this distribution model represented a much smaller share. Reasons for Singapore’s rise as a global hub of the open digital token offering are explored, with a particular focus on examining contrasting regulatory approaches to distinguishing between this token distribution model and traditional securities offerings. Notably, 11 percent of Singapore-registered Q3/Q4 2018 token offering dollar-volume was purely-private, versus 94 percent in the U.S. Policy considerations related to this distribution method and the open digital token offering are presented, as are contrasting outcomes: this research estimates that over 70 percent of Singapore’s one-to-two-year-old open token offerings resulted in operational networks or minimum-viable-products, versus fewer than 40 percent of U.S. private sales. Also, about 40 percent of smart contract platform projects that conducted 2017-18 token sales were Singapore-registered – many more than in any other country. For reasons explored in this research, these findings support the view that open digital token offerings benefit projects aiming to concurrently raise funds, build up a user-base, and incentivise technologists to contribute to project development. Moreover, risks to retail participants posed by this distribution method are manageable. Singapore’s policy approach towards open digital token offerings has benefited the Lion City, which was likely home to more digital token projects that conducted 2018 token sales than any other city in the world.","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"445 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82896529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cryptocurrency Investing Examined","authors":"J. Liew, R. Li, T. Budavári, Avinash Sharma","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-2-(2)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-2-(2)2019","url":null,"abstract":"In this work we examine the largest 100 cryptocurrency return series ranging from 2015 to early 2018. We concentrate our analysis on daily returns and find several interesting stylized facts. First, principal components analysis reveals a complex return generating process. As we examine our data in the most recent year, we find that surprisingly more than one principal component appears to explain the cross-sectional variation in returns. Second, similar to hedge fund returns, cryptocurrency returns suffer from the “beta-in-the-tails” hidden risk. Third, we find that predicting cryptocurrency movements with machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms is marginally attractive with variation in predictability power per cryptocurrency. Fourth, lower volatile cryptocurrencies are slightly more predictable than more volatile ones. Fifth, evidence exists that efficacy of distinct information sets varies across machine learning algorithms, showing that predictability may be much more complex given a set of machine learning algorithms. Finally, short-term predictability is very tenuous, which suggests that near-term cryptocurrency markets are semi-strong form efficient and therefore, day trading cryptocurrencies may be very challenging.\u0000\u0000Keywords: cryptocurrency, blockchain, machine learning, bitcoin, beta-in-the-tails, risks","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90327654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Full Text PDF of The JBBA Vol 2, Issue 1, May 2019","authors":"N. Naqvi","doi":"10.31585/jbba-2-1-(8)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/jbba-2-1-(8)2019","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77767437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Application of Behavioural Heuristicsto Initial Coin Offerings Valuation and Investment","authors":"Maxwell Stanley","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(7)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(7)2019","url":null,"abstract":"Blockchain projects have seen a rush of investment in the form of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in 2016 and 2017, yet little is understood about how to valuate these projects. This research explored the application of behavioural heuristics to ICO valuation and investing. Identified were six variables that may impact investment decision making due to key behavioural biases. These variables - coin value, market capitalisation, ease of understanding, market sentiment, maximum ICO bonus level, and pre ICO social media levels - were analysed using Pearson’s Correlation against return on investment (ROI). The data was collected from numerous ICO websites and Twitter. Fundamental analysis was taken from Coincheckup due to it being a major source of information for many retail investors and using a well-defined methodology. Sentiment data was collected from Twitter and assessed using Crimson Hexagon’s social sentiment analysis tool. Ease of understanding was evaluated using AWS Blockchain business canvas. All information was compiled into a single dataset and the top 47 projects in terms of ROI were utilised for this research. Ease of understanding was found to be significantly correlated with ROI. Ease of understanding was then combined with fundamental analysis to develop a hybrid model of evaluation for cryptocurrency projects. This model substantially outperformed fundamental analysis alone, with a 33.6% improvement on ROI. In conclusion, current methods of fundamental analysis for blockchain projects are an inadequate method for capturing their full potential future value. Investors lacking appropriate tools and with limited knowledge and experience - along with the relatively recent advent of cryptocurrencies - are being influenced by behavioural factors such as ease of understanding. It is therefore important that investors and entrepreneurs alike take such factors into consideration.","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88640725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Parameters for Building Sustainable Blockchain Application Initiatives","authors":"Lewis Laidin, K. Papadopoulou, N. Dane","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(6)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(6)2019","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the demand and interest for the blockchain technology, there are still major challenges for blockchain application initiatives (projects and ventures) to be sustainable and reliable. While starting a non-blockchain initiative already comes with its own sets of challenges and has around 50% failure rate, starting a blockchain initiative rises the rate to 90% due to additional variables and confusion on top of this. Such a situation deters innovators and eventually dampens innovation, requiring priority for actions. This paper attempts to contribute by compiling and outlining the various key variables to be considered, as a set of parameters for blockchain initiators. Through secondary data collection: literature reviews, report studies and primary data collection: interventional and observational case study, interviews with blockchain researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs, this paper categorises variables into blockchain-related and business-related categories, outlining consideration points for each of the variables. By summarising and integrating the variables and referring to theories of innovation and adoption, it is concluded that concept validation entailing both initiative feasibility and user- demand, is of key importance for blockchain innovations.","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89704675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of Post-Quantum Distributed Ledger Cryptography","authors":"Robert Campbell","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(4)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(4)2019","url":null,"abstract":"This paper evaluates the current cybersecurity vulnerability of the prolific use of Elliptical Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (**ECDSA**) cryptography in use by the Bitcoin Core, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and enterprise blockchains such as Multi-Chain and Hyperledger projects Fabric, and Sawtooth Lake. These blockchains are being used in media, health, finance, transportation and government with little understanding, acknowledgment of the risk and no known plans for mitigation and migration to safer public-key cryptography. \u0000\u0000The second aim is to evaluate ECDSA against the threat of **Quantum Computing** and propose the most practical National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Post-Quantum Cryptography candidate algorithm lattice-based cryptography countermeasure that can be implemented near-term and provide a basis for a coordinated industry-wide lattice-based public-key implementation. Commercial quantum computing research and development is rapid and unpredictable, and it is difficult to predict the arrival of fault-tolerant quantum computing. The current state of covert and classified quantum computing research and advancement is unknown and therefore, it would be a significant risk to blockchain and Internet technologies to delay or wait for the publication of draft standards. Since there are many hurdles Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) must overcome for standardisation, coordinated large-scale testing and evaluation should commence promptly.","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"131 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73819619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"JBBA: Creating a Global Impact","authors":"N. Naqvi","doi":"10.31585/jbba-2-2-(post-265)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/jbba-2-2-(post-265)2019","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78628681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Blockchain Research: Engaging at Scale with the Communities that Matter","authors":"N. Naqvi","doi":"10.31585/jbba-2-2-(post-266)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/jbba-2-2-(post-266)2019","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74652700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Valuation Method of Equity-based Security Token Offerings (STO) for Start-Up Companies","authors":"J. Pazos","doi":"10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(2)2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31585/JBBA-2-1-(2)2019","url":null,"abstract":"The major difficulty to value equity security token offerings (STOs) is the gap in the corpus of finance theory to quantify the discount rate for start-up companies. In this paper, we develop a novel valuation method of equity-based securities token offerings (STO) for start-up companies. The closed-form discount rate function discovered in this paper is time-dependent and piecewise. The first part of the function is exponential; the second part is a power function. The reason is that, in the early years, the probability of survival of start-up firms descends more rapidly than in late years. The probability of survival function discovered has a remarkably good fit with empirical data- for the total of firms and ten industry sectors for which data is available. For the total of firms, we found that the highest discount rate has a 27.0 to 31.8% range when the liquidation value of the non-surviving start-up project is zero; this is considerably higher than observed discount rates of projects for mature firms (7.5%) but considerably less than some published discount rates for start-up projects financed by Venture Capital firms (40.6 to 70% range). To demonstrate the model, we work a valuation example in section six. A valuation method for equity STOs will help to develop a more transparent market for start-ups wanting to raise capital. Most importantly, our results show that for many start-up firms, equity STOs could be an economical alternative to raise capital.","PeriodicalId":33145,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of The British Blockchain Association","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84662547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}