DCI Newsletter Issue #7 - Q2 2020

Hello,

We at DCI continue to focus (remotely, 121 days but who’s counting) on empowering users to move value over the internet the way they can move information, by researching the scalability and privacy of digital currency design and contributing to Bitcoin development.

This quarter’s newsletter includes a pointer to Utreexo, a project conceived of by DCI research scientist Tadge Dryja. Utreexo makes it easier to run a fully validating Bitcoin node by reducing storage requirements. This project represents concrete steps towards improving in the way individuals can validate the Bitcoin blockchain, and thanks to the work of Tadge and several other open source contributors you can download it and test it out. 

I’d also like to thank two long-time DCI members who will be moving on: Robleh Ali joined us in 2016 after being one of the first proponents of central bank digital currency, at the Bank of England. His work has laid the foundations for the CBDC work we’re doing today (he also made us a lot of tea). James Lovejoy finished his MEng in EECS at MIT in June, after working with the DCI since his freshman year. Check out his master’s thesis on double spend attacks in proof-of-work cryptocurrencies below. We’ll miss you both but are also excited to see what you’ll do next.

Thanks as always for your curiosity and a special thank you to our member companies and donors for their support. Please let us know if you have any feedback, questions, or if we can help you in any way. We’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
Neha