Although the blockchain is technically a distributed system, there has been a surprising lack interest from the distributed systems community. Catherine Mulligan explores the implications of the blockchain to distributed systems and explains what needs to be addressed in order to build and maintain them effectively.

Bitcoin showed us a new way of moving value around the internet without intermediaries. Neha Narula explains how this paradigm might apply to our traditional ways of thinking about databases that cross organizational boundaries. As data on the web becomes consolidated around a few key players, the blockchain might help users gain more control.

Matt Lucas demonstrates how to develop a realistic blockchain application using the Linux Foundation's Hyperledger fabric.