Hans-Arno Jacobsen is a professor in Computer Engineering and Computer Sciences. His pioneering research lies at the interface between computer science, computer engineering, and information systems. He holds numerous patents and was involved in important industrial developments with partners such as Bell Canada, Computer Associates, IBM, Yahoo, and Sun Microsystems. His principal areas of research include the design and the development of middleware and distributed systems, event processing, service computing, and applications in enterprise data processing. He held endowed faculty positions, such as the Bell Canada Chair in Software Systems at the University of Toronto and the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship at the Technical University of Munich.
Deconstructing Blockchains: Concepts, Applications, and Systems
Popularly known for powering cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, blockchains are seen as a disruptive technology capable of impacting a wide variety of domains, ranging from finance to governance, by offering superior security, reliability, and transparency in a decentralized manner. In this talk, we take a comprehensive look at all aspects related to blockchains by deconstructing the system into 6 layers: Application, Modeling, Contract, System, Data, and Network. We will review potential applications which can benefit from blockchains, and describe the associated research challenges. Finally, we will conclude with reviewing ongoing research, such as providing a decentralized messaging service using blockchains.