Giving Thought

In this episode (number 29), I chat to Ben Joakim and Paul Currion from Disberse - a fintech startup applying blockchain technology to the international development and aid sector. We had a wide-ranging chat about the challenges they have found in getting beyond the hype surrounding blockchain, and the genuine opportunities they believe the technology has to offer. Including: -Why blockchain? What can you do with a blockchain in an aid context that you can't do with another, simpler technology? -The last mile problem: how do you get money and goods to where they are actually needed when using blockchain, assuming that people and communities on the ground are not themselves using the technology? -Regulation: how are governments and regulators approaching blockchain technology? What challenges does this present for those trying to use it in a civil society context? -Cryptocurrency: Why have Disberse chosen not to work with existing cryptocurrencies? What are the opportunities and pitfalls of doing so? -State of