The lasting value of bitcoin
Bitcoin, the original tool of blockchain, ended 20 16 in a high profile, which is a good sign.
Shortly after the New Year, Fortune reported that,
"After experiencing the prosperity of 20 16, the price of Bitcoin has reached 1000 USD, and it has reached the highest point in three years since the beginning of this year, and has risen by 120%. The reasons include the devaluation of RMB, the risk of currency control in China and geopolitical instability, which are considered as the key factors for the success of cryptocurrency. Another reason for the iconic year of Bitcoin is its retention time-the longer it is, the more familiar it is, and it is more like a real value storage means. "
Whether it is fair or not, the feasibility of blockchain technology is always inseparable from the performance of Bitcoin. If the distributed database can be successful in the financial field, it can also be widely used in other places. Traditionally, the healthy development of digital currency has triggered a discussion on how to integrate blockchain into new fields. With a healthy bitcoin, the blockchain can expand rapidly in other fields.
Existing participants
Of course, this situation has existed for some time, because the blockchain has been firmly bound to Bitcoin. Over the years, many organizations have invested a lot of money to apply this technology to a wider range of fields, while adding new functions and creating new applications. If 20 17 is a great year for blockchain, these existing participants must be prepared to grow with it.
The sign of this trend is that before the end of 20 16, the Hyperledger project added eight new members. Software company CA technologies, blockchain project Factcom Foundation, healthcare alliance Hashed Health, Korea Koscom, accounting company LedgerDomain, trade ecosystem developer Lykee, Sovrin Foundation and telecom company Swisscom all joined the top 100 of this project.
The Hyperledger project entered 20 17 with an eye-catching member list, and plans to introduce the blockchain feasibility case study into practical use cases.
New investment
The sign that this technology will make progress this year is that companies around the world have laid the foundation for using blockchain identity. According to Bloomberg Science and Technology, global companies applied for or accepted 356 patent applications related to blockchain or digital currency in June last year, almost twice as many as in the first month of 20 16.
Mark Kaufman, an intellectual property expert in Reed Smith's financial technology field, told Bloomberg:
"We have witnessed an exponential growth in the number of patent applications. It is expected that in the next five years, we will see thousands of blockchain patents."
The company applied for a patent in such a fast way because the blockchain finally achieved the goal of a digital ledger tool from an ideal utopia. The increase in the number of patents indicates that the new development of blockchain will now enjoy wider legitimacy in 20 17.
Only time will tell the development trend of 20 17 blockchain, and vice versa, but it is obvious that the status of blockchain technology is obvious to all, which also proves the expectation of early investors for its potential and may develop new potential in the future.
Blockchain has also become the darling of financial circles and a hot topic in China. All major financial institutions in China have tested the water blockchain project. China Post cooperated with IBM to develop a blockchain asset custody system; Puyin Group launched digital currency Puyin, which is a tea-based company.