Banking On Blockchain

As part of an emerging industry, blockchain companies face both legal and reputational risk in the public sphere. With the spectres of data breaches, litigious behaviour, and regulatory uncertainty ever present, how can blockchain companies best prevent crackdowns by governments, handle media scrutiny, and shape public opinion? We talk to our own insiders about how these companies can define themselves as good actors and improve public perception of their work.   Our guests this week are: Jaime Watt, Executive Chairman, Navigator Ltd. Mike Van Soelen, Managing Principal, Navigator Ltd. Danielle Parr, Principal, Navigator Ltd. A portion of our discussion with Jaime Watt is transcribed below. Subscribe here to have the Navigator's latest insights delivered right to your inbox. Clare: I want to talk about reputation today because it's something many blockchain companies don't often think about but probably should. You've shepherded a number of organizations through high profile public facing crises an

We tackle the regulatory environment for cryptocurrency and blockchain - how it's currently treated by Canadian law and where the big questions remain for Canadian regulators. In some areas, the industry is operating in a "wild west" without clear oversight or consideration for the public interest. Where will Canada land on regulating this new technology?   Our guests this week are: Dr. Shamsul Alam, Associate Dean, Dhillon School of Business, University of Lethbridge Jason Dearborn, Chairman, Dominion Bitcoin Mining Company Aaron Grinhaus, Partner, Grinhaus Law Zach Masum, Manager, Legal Services (Capital Markets Advisory), B.C. Securities Commission

According to Deloitte, 35 per cent of the healthcare industry is aggressively planning deployments of blockchain solutions by 2018. The sector receives mountains of data every day, including patient data, clinical data, and medical research. So what happens when you use blockchain solutions to give patients their data or help patients navigate mental health services? Our guests this week include: Dr. David Jaffray, Executive Vice President, Technology and Innovation, University Health Network Dan Matlow, President & CEO, VitalHub (excerpt below) A portion of our discussion with Dan Matlow is transcribed below. Subscribe here to have the Navigator's latest insights delivered right to your inbox. Clare: Before we dive into the nitty gritty of what your company does and the many platforms that it's developed let's look at 50000 feet up in the air. How do you think blockchain technology could help the health sector. Dan: You know we started getting an industry research and started reading reports, that w

As we move from the age of the Internet of Information to the age of the Internet of Value, we are no longer relying on centralized networks. This trend isn't only true of information – it's true of the energy world too. Where previously we all relied on the local power plant for our electricity, today home owners can install solar panels on their roofs and hospitals can generate their own power. So what happens when you use blockchain technology to power the energy sector? Or vice versa?   This week's guests are: Paul Ghezzi, CEO, Kontrol Energy Michael Marcovici, Co-CEO, HydroMiner Shidan Gouran, CEO & President, Global Blockchain Technologies

While the front-end experience may be seamless for the user, modern payment systems are not so modern on the back end. Cross-border bank wires can go wrong, remittance fees cut deep into money sent back to one's home country, and assets can be seized by warring governments. In this week's episode, we explore how payments on the blockchain ensure frictionless transactions that are cheaper, faster, and free of institutional baggage. Our guests this week are: -Miro Pavletic, Co-Founder and CEO, STACK -Nilesh Dusane, Chief Revenue Officer, nanopay -Karsten Arend, President and CEO, Just In-Genius   Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Navigator or its affiliates. 

In this week's episode, we explore how blockchain technology can help you create a digital fingerprint. Blockchain technology can help secure that personal information and empower users to control their own identity and share it between trusted entities with meaningful consent. Innovators in Canada are leading the way in building digital identity solutions on the blockchain. Blockchain can change the game in a digital age where many believe the notion of privacy is dead.   Our guests on this week's episode are: Andre Boysen, Chief Identity Officer, SecureKey Joni Brennan, President and CEO, Digital Identity and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) Franklin Garrigues, Vice President, Digital Channel, TD Bank   Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Navigator or its affiliates.  A portion of our discussion with Andre Boysen is transcribed below. Subscribe here to have the Navigator's latest insights delivered right to your inbox. Clare: Andre could you tell our listeners a little

In Episode 4, we explore new crowdfunding mechanisms made possible by the advent of blockchain technology and smart contracts called Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and Initial Token Offerings (ITOs). We speak to the leaders of two regulated platforms that seek to employ this new mechanism to help entrepreneurs in Canada and how they're playing by the rules amid all the hype. We also speak to  a blockchain-based social media network who used their tokens to sponsor a Canadian athlete. Our guests on this week's episode are: -Christopher Kramer, President and CEO, OneName Global -Adrian Rosenbusch, Chief Visionary Officer, OneName Global -Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, President and CEO, FrontFundr -Alan Wunsche, CEO and Chief Token Officer, Token Funder (exerpt below) Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Navigator or its affiliates.  A portion of our discussion with Alan Wunsche is transcribed below. Subscribe here to have the Navigator's latest insights delivered right to your inbox. Clare: I

Could virtual cats break the Internet? In this episode of Banking on Blockchain, we explore the world of Ethereum, a blockchain-based platform developed by two Canadians, Anthony Diiorio and Vitalik Buterin. You'll learn about how Canadian innovators are leading the charge in developing smart contracts and digital collectibles that will change financial markets, government records, and mobile gaming. We talk with our guests about the challenges that face Ethereum with respect to governance and scalability, while hearing how our country can best cultivate more unicorns in this space. Our guests for this episode: Moe Adham, Co-Founder, Bitaccess Bryce Bladon, Director of Communications, Axiom Zen; Co-Founder, CryptoKitties Benjamin Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO, Citizen Hex Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Navigator or its affiliates.

Would you dig through your attic for an old hard drive if it had bitcoin on it? In this episode, we explore why Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have become so valuable and why Canadian investors are watching the space with interest. We take a look at new financial products being built around these cryptocurrencies now arriving on the scene - ETFs, futures contracts, trust funds, and new vehicles for investing in blockchain technologies. Find out why Canada could beat the United States in bringing regulated bitcoin products to market.   Our guests for this episode: Karsten Arend, President, Just In-Genius Inc. Karl Cheong, Head of ETFs, Canada (exerpt below) Shidan Gouran, President, Global Blockchain Technologies Elliott Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Evolve ETFs   Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Navigator or its affiliates.  A portion of our discussion with Karl Cheong is transcribed below. Subscribe here to have the Navigator's latest insights delivered right to you

Navigator is launching a brand new series to talk about the technology that is changing the way we do business in Canada and around the world. These are the untold Canadian stories about the next wave of Internet innovation – and how it’s happening right here in our backyard.

Navigator is introducing a new podcast series to talk about the advent of blockchain technology. Over the next 10 weeks, we will explore what this technology means for Canada and how it will position us on the global stage. In this introductory episode, we talk about what listeners can expect to hear and learn through the series. It’s all about answering the fundamental questions about the technology, how it will disrupt traditional institutions, and bring a host of benefits to everyday Canadians.