ANTONY WELFARE

Breaking the Financial Status Quo with Central Bank Digital Currencies
Nasdaq
October 22, 2020

Blockchain technology is now over a decade old. As the technology approaches the 12th anniversary of the publication of Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper, it is clear that the technology has entered a new mature phase of significant development.

Many emerging technologies follow a similar path of development to adoption. For blockchain, this trend is evident in the significant levels of enterprise and institutional blockchain adoption we are starting to see globally.

The adoption of Blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) use-cases by enterprises, financial institutions, and global corporations has reached a peak in 2020 which we have not seen before. For example; PayPal recently announced that it will bring crypto trading to its 325M+ users, Visa has filed a patent for its own blockchain based digital dollar and Walmart has incorporated blockchain into its supply chain systems.

While these use-cases all represent valuable means of making many enterprise operations fit for purpose in the 21st century, the ultimate use-case of blockchain may be one that is still in development. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) may indeed be the blockchain application to profoundly shape the way our society operates.

NEM HUB — Forging the NEM Community with Reward Incentives & Social Mining
Import from medium.com
August 17, 2020

NEM HUB — Forging the NEM Community with Reward Incentives & Social MiningI have been in the Blockchain space for over five years and lived through (and survived!) the “Crypto Winter”. I have focussed on growing business solutions using Blockchain technology and kept in touch with man

NEM HUB: The Silver LBCOIN — The FIRST physical CBDC from the Bank of Lithuania
Import from medium.com
August 11, 2020

NEM HUB: The Silver LBCOIN — The FIRST physical CBDC from the Bank of LithuaniaThe FIRST physical CBDC from the Bank of LithuaniaThe beautifully presented Silver LBCOINI am very excited the receive the first physical Silver LBCOIN, minted by the Bank of Lithuania, as part of their #CBDC (Cent

The worlds FIRST CBDC is launched by Bank of Lithuania on NEM Blockchain
Import from medium.com
July 23, 2020

Lietuvos Bankas (Bank of Lithuania), has launched LBCOIN — the first Central Bank Digital CurrencyThis morning, July 23rd 2020, Lietuvos bankas / Bank of Lithuania, using NEM Blockchain, launched the worlds first #DigitalCoin testing the real world use for the future of #CDBC (Central Bank Di

Symbol and NEM — The Enterprise-Grade Hybrid Blockchain solution
Import from medium.com
July 14, 2020

Symbol and NEM — The Enterprise-Grade Hybrid Blockchain solutionWelcome the Hybrid Blockchain solution where Symbol Platform and the NEM public network (NIS1) work seamlessly to deliver solutions to Enterprise challengesIn 2019, I published my book “Commercializing Blockchain: Strategic Appl

The world’s First CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency)?
Import from medium.com
July 10, 2020

Meet LBCOIN the new Lithuanian Government backed Coin, built on the NEM BlockchainWhat an exciting time in the Blockchain world and the world of Crypto Currencies…..Whilst the Crypto Currency market has seen a decent return from the early 2018 lows, and Bitcoin is seeing a great comeback, there ha

CHAPTER ONE — COMMERCIALIZING BLOCKCHAIN COMPLIMENTARY FROM WILEY
Import from medium.com
July 10, 2020

CHAPTER ONE — COMMERCIALIZING BLOCKCHAIN COMPLIMENTARY FROM WILEYI am very excited to share Chapter One of #commercializingblockchain compliments of the global publishing giant Wiley.com, the publishers of this bookClick here to download Chapter One: Commercializing Blockchain — WileyY

BIENVENIDO 2020’S — #THEBLOCKCHAINDECADE
Import from medium.com
July 09, 2020

BIENVENIDO 2020’S — #THEBLOCKCHAINDECADEHere’s to a new decade and the future world built on blockchain technologyAdios 2010’s the decade where I pivoted my lifetime Retail career and welcomed the world of #Blockchain technologyIn 2011 I published The Retail Handbook First edition (in sh

BLOCKCHAIN AND DIVERSITY
Import from medium.com
July 09, 2020

Commercializing Blockchain — DiversityOne area in which Blockchain technology is a massively important topic is around the diversity of the new world and the ecosystem. Within the Blockchain community, there is no old school stereotypical majorities and ownership. The fact that this is a new a

Welcome to Symbol — The Enterprise Blockchain solution from NEM
Medium
July 05, 2020

Enterprise Blockchain solutions have matured over the last couple of years, and Symbol is a next generation Enterprise Blockchain solution, capable of simplifying enterprise systems and enabling them to benefit from the trust, transparency and efficiency that Blockchain technology delivers.
With a significant history (in Blockchain terms)from 2015, when NEM first launched its Blockchain, Symbol has taken the learnings from all the important challenges and opportunities experienced over the last few years of continuous Blockchain usage and up time.
This native experience, together with the learnings from the current landscape of Enterprise Blockchain solutions, enables Symbol to leap-frog the iterative versions, by building a brand new Enterprise Blockchain, built for success from day one.
From small transactions in a peer to peer International payments, to the tracking of valuables, to proving the authenticity of artworks, to delivering the platform for CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currencies), to managing property records, to tracking medical history, to maintaining an enterprise ledger — Symbol is powerful, and yet simple enough, to deliver all these solutions plus many more — at scale and with credibility.

Welcome to Symbol — The Enterprise Blockchain solution from NEM
Import from medium.com
July 05, 2020

My Thoughts on the brand new Symbol Platform — https://symbolplatform.com/Welcome to Symbol — The Enterprise Blockchain solution from NEMEnterprise Blockchain solutions have matured over the last couple of years, and Symbol is a next generation Enterprise Blockchain solution, capable of

Ecosystem Or Consortium? How To Build An Ecosystem To Make Your Blockchain Solution A Success
Forbes
January 24, 2020

We are at the point of “consortium fatigue,” which is a phrase from one of my clients that really hits home with me. Since the start of the DLT and blockchain journey, many companies have set up consortiums, and I’m told on many occasions, “We must join a consortium."

Let me tell you something: For blockchain technology to achieve your business goals, you do not necessarily need a consortium.

If you don’t need a consortium, then what do you need?

To make your blockchain solution a success, you need an ecosystem, which can be different from a consortium. An ecosystem is required because the benefits of blockchain technology are derived from trusted and transparent transactions within a network (a.k.a. an ecosystem).

For blockchain solutions to make sense, you need a group of parties who do not necessarily trust each other but need to transact in a secure, simple, fast and immutable manner

This is what an ecosystem is: A network of parties you interact with, and once you implement a blockchain solution between these parties, they become the blockchain ecosystem

What are the different types of consortiums?

There are many different types of consortiums, but here are four of them, based on my experience:

1. Industry leader consortiums: This is the most common type I have seen. This is where an industry leader forms a consortium to solve an issue (e.g., supply chain issues). They become the central authority and dictate the rules of engagement and how the participants operate within the consortium.

2. Industry expert consortiums: An industry expert organization builds a consortium around a specific industry and leads the solutions for that industry, hoping that as many members as possible join the consortium.

3. ‘I want to make money’ consortiums: Unfortunately, this has been very common. This is where an entity has a financial and control incentive. It sets up a consortium with the goal of generating a financial benefit and trying to build a network around this. The entity often has no intention of building a solution that works and, even worse, doesn't create anything related to blockchain or DLT solutions.

4. ‘We need a consortium to fix this problem’: This is the best type of consortium. This is where a group of entities gets together to solve a common problem. They have a particular solution required and work together to develop and build this consortium. They are often very hard to manage and take a lot of time (I can personally vouch for that!), but they are focused on achieving a solution for the network and strive for the best outcome for the network.

No. 4 is the one I think is the best long-term solution, but it takes time and resources to make any of these successful.

The Future Of IoT Security Using Blockchain Technology Via The Chip
Forbes
December 18, 2019

By 2020, 20.4 billion IoT devices will be in use around the world.

From your smartphone to your toaster, TV, curtain rail, car and toothbrush — the time is coming when all "things" will always be connected.

Though it is an exciting time in technology, it is also a critical time to look at the way our data is owned and used as it passes through "things."

If we continue connecting everything we possibly can, letting anyone control our devices and data, we will face an array of potentially serious problems. After all, our data is our most important asset. If we allow our data to "flow freely," we will lose control of it. And though our personal data can be used for good reasons, it can also be exploited.

As with all new technologies, industry leaders are still developing the best long-term solutions at scale. Trust, transparency and immutability are the characteristics that make blockchain technology the perfect partner for managing all the data flowing through all devices.

As with any great building, you need a strong and deep foundation.

A natural place to start is at the “chip” level — and I do not mean the variety that you eat. This is the foundation of any device. All are operated by embedded chips. If you can control the data from the silicon chip that sits in the device, then you have an extremely important device identity foundation.

Imagine a chip that is immutable, programmable and smaller than a pinhead.

Why Members Of The Blockchain Ecosystem Should Focus On Education
Forbes
October 25, 2019

We are approximately five years into the blockchain revolution, and the hype curve “peak of inflated expectations” has passed. We are now starting to see blockchain solutions appear across a multitude of industries. From the supply chain to healthcare to financial transactions to manufacturing and many more, there are now numerous blockchain solutions that are solving real-world problems.

Here are several current examples:

• Did you know that you can control what identity data is shared using blockchain solutions? You can therefore share only parts of your identity data rather than sharing your entire passport or driver's license.

• You can scan a product and see where the raw materials came from, where it was made and how it arrived in your local shop. As an example, Oracle has created a blockchain-based system to improve the traceability of olive oil.

• It's also now possible to track your luxury clothing items using a certificate issued at the point of purchase, meaning you can sell your item on a preowned marketplace with an accurate price to know the item is authentic.

• The messaging app Keybase allows you to send messages, files and passwords more securely using its blockchain-based solution.

• Did you know you know there's an actual blockchain smartphone? The HTC Exodus One is the world's first blockchain smartphone. It uses built-in blockchain technology to help secure your data and keep your identity private and controlled by you.

Why Education Is The Key

Commercializing Blockchain book extract: Exploring enterprise blockchain and trust
The Block
October 23, 2019

Enterprise blockchain is needed for the same reason as public blockchain – the world of trust has changed and we live in a ‘trustless’ World.

Enterprise organizations are complex and global – they span many divisions, teams, and entities internally AND they span many different external partners and organizations.

An enterprise network spans a significant number of different ‘parties’, the majority of which do not trust each other. Even intercompany is a trustless world – even though you are part of the same group company, you are still governed and incentivized by different people and leaders.

Outside the internal network, trust is extremely low – even though these organizations are your partners, you still do not fully trust them.

Where Should You Start With Enterprise Blockchain Technology For Your Business Challenges?
Forbes
August 05, 2019

I have been working with enterprise blockchain since 2016, when I became obsessed with understanding the technology behind Bitcoin. I joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance in early 2017 and joined Oracle in late 2017, where I started to work with hyperledger fabric and a large number of enterprise customers who were exploring blockchain solutions. In my new role at my current company, I am fully responsible for driving the blockchain practice, and one of the first questions I am often asked is: Where do I start with the enterprise blockchain journey?

Is enterprise blockchain a good solution to my business challenges?

There is a significant increase in blockchain solutions for enterprise organizations, and I want to share my advice on where to start. As with all emerging technologies, blockchain is still in the growth-and-development phase. This means that we as a community are still building solutions for use cases and working with different platforms to deliver the correct blockchain solution for the business challenge.

Commercializing Blockchain
Commercializing Blockchain
June 27, 2019

Welcome to “Commercializing Blockchain – Strategic applications in the Real world”

The Blockchain world is about Trust and Transparency, and this new book will help you to understand how this transformational technology will change your lives, business’s and communities forever.

Mastering omnichannel retail with blockchain technology
The Telegraph
February 21, 2019

Omnichannel retailers can beat the big online stores. However, in an ever-complex retail world, the basics are critical and you must have one view of your customer and one view of your stock
Is your supply-chain inefficiency and lack of transparency resulting in dissatisfied customers and lost profits?

Understanding the complexity of the entire supply chain in an omnichannel world is critical. High customer expectations, product provenance, authenticity, traceability and inventory management are all pain points in any retail business that can lead to customer disappointment and wildly inefficient processes.

Omnichannel retailers have a complex supply chain, which limits their ability to compete with the efficiency of the likes of Amazon. Elements such as physical stores, lockers, home delivery and click-and-collect all comprise a complex network of data points, many of which are on different systems and in different entities.

Transparency, real-time data and shared ledgers will enable you to know where your stock is and where your customers interact at any stage, anywhere in your supply chain or selling channels
This complex world of data and transactions needs to be merged, with the goal being one view of stock and one view of the customer. Today’s cloud technology allows retailers to bring together disparate data and systems, which enable a retailer to then use the latest transformational technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things and blockchain.

Blockchain has a number of business benefits for retailers and supply-chain companies. With blockchain technology, transparency, real-time data and shared ledgers will enable you to know where your stock is and where your customers interact at any stage, anywhere in your supply chain or selling channels. This real-time knowledge leads to a faster, more transparent and more compliant supply chain.

Blockchain technology is developing at speed, with many start-ups and large tech companies working on use cases and proofs of concept. Oracle is working with retailers, CPGs and supply-chain companies to develop enterprise-level blockchain technology solutions – improving customer satisfaction and business efficiency.

Watch the video masterclass series below, as Antony Welfare, innovation strategy director and author of The Retail Handbook, explores the many benefits of blockchain technology for omnichannel retailers.

The Circular Economy And Sustainability Powered By Blockchain
Forbes
January 13, 2019

There is an increasing focus on and awareness of the damage humans are causing the planet. Whether you believe the extent of this or not, I am sure you agree that we should become better planet citizens and start to reduce, recycle and reuse more than we do today.

As the damaging effects of climate change are becoming more obvious, the pressure to innovate and adapt to a circular economy is starting to become a significant priority business practice.

Even though I work with blockchain, my background is in retail (being born into a retail family), and I am pleased to see that more and more brands are adopting a more sustainable, circular economy-driven practice.

The Circular Economy

The notion of the circular economy can be described by the three R’s: reducing materials and waste, reusing products, and recycling materials. So, products and services are traded in closed loops or cycles. The Ellen MacArthur foundation illustrates that there is a continuous flow of materials through the value circle.

Today’s customers are demanding more product transparency from brands, and roughly 60% of them are inclined to buy products that have a clearly defined sustainability policy as shown by the success of fashion brands like Allbirds and Veja.

How companies handle the disposal or reuse of their products is important today. They must quickly adapt and innovate, using disruptive business models and technologies to support the movement.

Blockchain technology can be applied on multiple fronts to this problem, with wide-ranging benefits of the circular economy. As we know, blockchain technology originally spread through the emergence of bitcoin and cryptocurrency but is now widely used in applications like voting, health records, supply chain, ownership and identity management, energy supply, and protection of critical civil infrastructure.

Omnichannel retailers can now compete and beat Amazon!
Import from medium.com
October 03, 2018

https://youtu.be/frdBcYqEJzQOver the last few weeks I have been presenting my thoughts on Blockchain in Retail Value chain, and sharing the use cases which are being looked at in Retail. I have also shared what Oracle is building for clients using Blockchain technology, which provides details on som

Three Reasons Why Enterprise Blockchain Is Failing
Forbes
June 17, 2018

After working with enterprise blockchain technology for over three years, I am becoming a little frustrated with its rate of growth. While there is evidence of growth, there is still too much holding this technology back.

Current Research

In its March report, IDC shared some positive findings for enterprise blockchain adoption, stating that in many cases, the use of blockchain has returned better results than the status quo. The firm said it expects blockchain spending to increase through 2022, with total spending reaching $12.4 billion that year. The report also noted that the technology is maturing rapidly and implementations of it are advancing quickly beyond the pilot and proof of concept phase.

So What’s Holding It Back?

I often hear, “Blockchain is a solution looking for a problem.” It is, and that is fine! When you have a new capability, old issues might actually become irrelevant (as happened with telegraphs, fax machines, etc.). It takes innovators to realize this change and make a shift. Blockchain is about new business models and accelerating the digital transformation process.

Another comment I often see is, “Blockchain projects are failing.” It’s not that they are failing, it’s that they are, for the most part, not making progress quickly (i.e., not demonstrating significant returns) precisely because their approach is wrong.

My personal view is there are three things impeding faster adoption of enterprise blockchain. Overall, “old-school mentality” is the biggest factor holding back this transformational technology. The past is not the future, and we all need to be more open and adaptive to new technologies, which can transform lives.

Three Reasons Why Enterprise Blockchain Is Failing

The Answer To Digital Identity Lies Within Blockchain Technology
Forbes
December 31, 1969

How can we manage our online identity safely? This is a big question in the current world of fake news, tech giants and a massive tsunami of change across the political systems of the world.

Many people are becoming not only aware of the value their data has online, but also the fact that they can do little to protect it (whether they want to or not). By agreeing to pages and pages of terms and conditions, we grant big tech companies the right to use our data. If we do not accept their Ts & Cs, then we do not have access to their services. It's an all or nothing policy. Once you accept (the Ts & Cs) a tech services company can use your data and will then be able to track your online activity and use that for commercial purposes. This is often how your activity data is aggregated and sold to retailers and consumer brands that then target you with adverts, based on your online activity. This can give you some great offers you may like, but often these companies will bombard you with products "a person like you" may be interested in.

These companies will build a more complex picture of your online activity and then start to look into your behaviors and habits, make assumptions on your financial status and your propensity or likelihood to buy certain types of products and offers. This uses vast amounts of your online data, which you may not realize is even happening. Have you ever wondered why a Facebook advert shows something you were just thinking about purchasing? Is it a sign you should buy this? Or could it be you just had a conversation on Facebook about really wanting to buy that new red dress?

My question is: Why are you not rewarded for sharing this data? Your data has value but you do not benefit from this value.

Commercializing Blockchain – Strategic applications in the Real world
John Wiley & Sons
July 29, 2019

Blockchain has grown at an enormous rate in a very short period of time. In a business context, blockchain can level the playing field between small and large organisations in several ways: Exact copies of the immutable, time-stamped data is held by all parties, all transactions can be viewed in real time, data blocks are cryptographically linked, all raw materials are traceable and smart contracts ensure no middle-men, ease of audit and reduced friction.

The Retail Handbook (Second Edition): Master omnichannel best practice to attract, engage and retain customers in the digital age
Rethink Press
January 30, 2018

In The Retail Handbook, Antony Welfare shares a unique view of retailing from the 1930s up to today's cutting edge best practice. With insights drawn from his wide experience of working with global retailers and consumer brands in the digital transformation arena, Antony offers practical solutions to the challenges of retailing in the digital age.

ENTERPRISE BLOCKCHAIN ADOPTION STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES
Commercializing Blockchain
August 01, 2023

Four years ago I launched Commercializing Blockchain: Strategic Applications in the Real World at a fantastic event in Las Vegas, followed by a private event at the US senate and a number of launches across the USA and back to London, U.K. for the final launch event at the Post museum
I chose the venues for the launches carefully – they were all places where the existing world can benefit from Blockchain Technology and all of them were institutions which can steer the development and adoption of Enterprise blockchain
We are now four years on, and whilst Enterprise Blockchain adoption has grown, it is still not where I, and my contributors, thought it would be
Whilst writing the book, I asked all my contributors to share their thoughts on “What does Blockchain technology look like in five years?”
They unanimously said that we would just be using the technology and not even saying the word blockchain
With one year to go – we are not there – and a long way off this goal in many areas

Blockchain Expo
Blockchain Expo
May 08, 2019

Antony is one of the leading experts in Enterprise Blockchain technology across the world, starting in 2017 with Oracle corporation and authoring Commercializing Blockchain in 2019, Antony is the Co-Founder of the Retail Blockchain Consortium and advises for the APPG Blockchain.

Blockchain Conferences
Blockchain Conferences
March 05, 2019

Antony Welfare is one of the leading experts in Enterprise Blockchain technology across the world. Managing Director Blockchain Practice at Global Technology consultancy, Luxoft, Antony is leading the strategy to deliver Enterprise grade Blockchain solutions across all sectors and using various leading edge Blockchain solutions, including Hyperledger Fabric, Indy, Corda, and Sovrin.

There are very few people in the world, with his practical experience of the revolutionary Blockchain technology and Antony brings this to life for Enterprise organizations, with real strategies to successfully implement Blockchain solutions.