April 2019 Summaries

The panel discussion held during Consensus 2019 in New York featured key figures from the blockchain industry, including Sergey Nazarov of Chainlink, Aaron Wright of OpenLaw, and Johann Eid of Wanchain, who explored the intersection of smart contracts, interoperability, and law. The event, organized by OpenLaw and Wanchain, aimed to address how smart contracts can enable interoperability across various blockchains, empower deterministic legal agreements, and integrate external data to enhance their utility. Chainlink, known for its decentralized oracle network providing secure off-chain data access, was represented by its CEO, Sergey Nazarov, who highlighted its role in supporting enterprises and smart contract development. OpenLaw's Aaron Wright discussed the use of blockchain for legal agreements, and Johann Eid of Wanchain emphasized the importance of connecting digital assets across different blockchains to foster an open financial system. The event concluded with a Q&A session, providing participants an opportunity to engage with the panelists on these transformative blockchain technologies.

Chainlink participated in the ETHParis Hackathon, rewarding innovative uses of its technology on the Ethereum blockchain, with two standout projects receiving accolades. Initially set to award a single $1,000 prize, the judges were impressed by the submissions and decided to add a $500 prize for the second-place team, SmartKek from Russia. SmartKek's Cleanedapp Dapp allows users to post write-ups about tokens only after burning a portion of them, using Chainlink oracles to verify project authenticity and prevent spam. The first-place prize of $1,000 went to Nanti, a French team whose Dapp enables companies to use corporate bonds as collateral for instant payment channels, leveraging Chainlink oracles to integrate off-chain LIBOR rates into smart contracts. Both projects exemplify how Chainlink facilitates the interaction between on-chain smart contracts and off-chain data, bridging traditional financial systems and blockchain technology.

An evening meetup at EDCON 2019 featured an interactive panel discussion with representatives from three prominent projects developing on the Ethereum blockchain: Chainlink, Parity Technologies, and Zeppelin Solutions. The panel, including Dan Kochis from Chainlink, Wei Tang from Parity Technologies, and Dennison Bertram from Zeppelin Solutions, explored the use of decentralized systems' security and smart contracts to merge emerging and legacy industries through blockchain technology. Chainlink is renowned for its decentralized oracle network that links smart contracts with off-chain data, Parity Technologies is advancing blockchain infrastructure with projects like Parity Ethereum and Polkadot, and Zeppelin Solutions provides frameworks and tools for developing upgradeable smart contracts. The event included networking opportunities and discussions on leveraging blockchain for innovative industry solutions.