Michel Rauchs, CCAF: On Libra, Bitcoin power consumption, and learning from history

Of all the emerging technologies set to transform business
processes, blockchain stands on its own for a variety of reasons. Whereas many
– 5G, cloud, augmented reality – are the next iteration of what has come
before, blockchain stands alone.

As a result, it’s difficult to rely on past laurels. Those at the sharp end need to have interests and expertise in a variety of specialisms, from computer science, to economics, to geo-politics.

Michel Rauchs (left) is a researcher whose focus is predominantly around digital assets and distributed systems. He previously led the cryptocurrency and blockchain research programme at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), where he still resides as a research affiliate.

Rauchs took a year out from his studies to ‘make sense’ of
all the disciplines required to understand blockchain technologies, though
primarily Bitcoin at first. “During…