Many of the conversations surrounding blockchain focus on the disruptive potential of decentralization. However, at the same time, many of the biggest cloud providers are either planning to offer blockchain-based services in the near future or already have them rolled out. This creates an interesting tension that we will be exploring on today’s show. We start by reviewing where Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are in their process toward the provision of blockchain products. Amazon is currently taking the lead and we touch on the use cases for their Quantum Ledger Database and Managed Blockchain for Hyperledger Fabric offerings. From there, we highlight the fact that 25% of Ethereum nodes run on the Amazon Managed Blockchain for Ethereum. This is an interesting concept considering Ethereum’s apparent decentralization, but it also points to a tradeoff that has to be made by anybody who wants to run Ethereum nodes. We wrap up on the idea that decentralization might not have the moral valence it is often given. For engineers, the debate between decentralization and centralization centers on performance rather: which architecture can best offer a level of resiliency combined with the ability to recover?
Key Points From This Episode:
Many of the conversations surrounding blockchain focus on the disruptive potential of decentralization. However, at the same time, many of the biggest cloud providers are either planning to offer blockchain-based services in the near future or already have them rolled out. This creates an interesting tension that we will be exploring on today’s show. We start by reviewing where Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are in their process toward the provision of blockchain products. Amazon is currently taking the lead and we touch on the use cases for their Quantum Ledger Database and Managed Blockchain for Hyperledger Fabric offerings. From there, we highlight the fact that 25% of Ethereum nodes run on the Amazon Managed Blockchain for Ethereum. This is an interesting concept considering Ethereum’s apparent decentralization, but it also points to a tradeoff that has to be made by anybody who wants to run Ethereum nodes. We wrap up on the idea that decentralization might not have the moral valence it is often given. For engineers, the debate between decentralization and centralization centers on performance rather: which architecture can best offer a level of resiliency combined with the ability to recover?
Key Points From This Episode: