Building the Decentralized Internet with Brittany Laughlin from Blockstack

Guest: Blockstack’s Brittany Laughlin

On the heels of Blockstack’s historic SEC token raise approval, Blockstack’s Brittany Laughlin explains why the decentralized computing platform represents the next evolution of computing.

Key Takeaway:

A decentralized internet is the key to unlocking sovereign digital rights and reducing the power of platforms such as Google, Amazon and Facebook.

Why you should listen:

Brittany has some great stories from her time as a VC and founder in New York’s start-up scene. Why Donald Trump’s tweets about Bitcoin are a game-changer, and why Facebook’s Libracoin is a boost to the crypto ecosystem. We finish with a round of crypto hot takes and learn why Neal Stephenson’s peerless Cryptonomicon is Brittany’s favorite science fiction book. But this one is all about Blockstack and the importance of decentralization.

“Blockstack is a set of tools that allows developers to leverage decentralized tech in a very easy to use way,” says Laughlin. “Users can access the Blockstack ecosystem using a decentralized, secure ID with a single sign-on which is your log-in to any of the Blockstack applications. The advantage for users is that every time you use a different Blockstack app you don’t have to set up a new ID, a new password, give away more data, you can simply use the same one.”

In July, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave Blockstack the green light to conduct a $28 million digital token offering under Regulation A+. It was the first digital token offering to be approved by the SEC. On the Crypto Conversation podcast, Laughlin told host Andy Pickering, “This regulatory framework has never before been used for a crypto project. The fact that the SEC has qualified our offering means that we’re really making history for crypto. It means that decentralized tech can move forward in a regulated way in the US which is huge. It means we’re able to open our offering to smaller, individual investors. And not just for Blockstack, it means there is now a framework for other crypto projects to put together a compliant offering in the US which is good for the wider community.”

There’s also a robust discussion on the importance of decentralization, the chicken and egg problem (what comes first – apps or users?) and Laughlin talks about her experiences as a VC and founder in New York’s start-up scene.

Supporting Links

blockstack.org
www.lattice.vc

medium.com/s/story/why-decentralization-matters-5e3f79f7638e

Social

twitter.com/br_ttany
twitter.com/bravenewcoin
twitter.com/AndyPickeringNZ