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Tag: Blockchain

  • The Problem: Decentralized, Trustless Last-Mile Logistics

    The Problem: Decentralized, Trustless Last-Mile Logistics

    Companies like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Flex have solved the last-mile delivery problem using a centralized, server-based architecture. A central server, owned by the company, is the trusted intermediary that holds all the data: customer orders, restaurant/merchant locations, driver locations, driver reputations, and payment information. It acts as the “brain,” dispatching orders to drivers based on a proprietary algorithm.

    From first principles, design a system that accomplishes the same goal—efficiently matching customers who want items delivered with a fleet of independent drivers—but without a central server or trusted intermediary.

    Your proposed system must solve the following core problems from the ground up:

    1. Discovery: How does a customer’s order request get broadcast to nearby, available drivers without a central server to see everyone’s location? How does a driver “see” available orders?
    2. Selection & Bidding: How is a driver selected for an order? Does the customer choose? Is there a bidding system? How do you prevent a single malicious actor from accepting all orders and never completing them (a Sybil attack)?
    3. Reputation & Trust: Without a central database of star ratings, how is driver reputation established and verified in a decentralized manner? How can a customer trust a driver they’ve never met? How can a driver trust that the customer will pay? Reputation must be resistant to manipulation.
    4. Payment: How are payments processed trustlessly? The customer needs to be sure they won’t be charged until the item is delivered, and the driver needs to be sure they will be paid upon successful delivery. Design a payment-in-escrow mechanism that doesn’t rely on a central company holding the funds. Consider using smart contracts or a similar cryptographic method.
    5. Efficiency & Scalability: Centralized dispatch algorithms are highly optimized. How can a decentralized, peer-to-peer network achieve comparable route and batching efficiency without a god’s-eye view of the entire system? How does your system scale from a single neighborhood to a whole city?

    Your answer should focus on the fundamental architecture, protocols, and incentive structures, not just the user interface of an app.

    David Gross

    Follow me at https://x.com/dgapps and https://davidgrossapps.com

  • Crypto for Conflict: A Proposal to Restrict Digital Assets to Wartime Use

    Crypto for Conflict: A Proposal to Restrict Digital Assets to Wartime Use

    Many have spoken about the need for American leadership in technology and the potential of digital assets. Vice President Vance has a point about paying attention to what global competitors like China are doing in the crypto space. However, the current conversation around cryptocurrency for everyday infrastructure and investment is a distraction from its most strategic and vital use case: national security.

    Instead of trying to fit this technology into a peacetime financial system, we should be harnessing its power for when we need it most. I propose we treat the infrastructure of cryptocurrency like a strategic military asset, to be deployed only in times of war, much like war bonds. This isn’t about the coins themselves, but about the underlying technology and ASICs – a decentralized, resilient network that can be activated by the military upon a formal declaration of war.

    This approach addresses the national security risks of unregulated crypto, while giving the U.S. a powerful economic and strategic tool in a time of conflict. It’s not about stifling innovation; it’s about focusing that innovation where it can have the most decisive impact for our nation.

    Proposed Legislation: The Wartime Digital Asset Act

    A BILL

    To restrict the use of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins to times of declared war, and for other purposes.

    BE IT ENACTED BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED,

    SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the “Wartime Digital Asset Act”.

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  • Ethereum Classic on Coinbase: Seriously? Let’s Talk About That Hash Rate and the 2020 Ownage.

    Forget the deep history lesson. Let’s talk about the here and now, and the flashing red warning light whenever Ethereum Classic (ETC) pops up on major exchanges like Coinbase: its security is fundamentally shaky.

    Why? It boils down to one critical factor in Proof-of-Work cryptocurrencies: Hash Rate.

    Hash Rate = Security (or Lack Thereof)

    Think of hash rate as the total computing power protecting the network. Miners use this power to validate transactions and add blocks to the chain.

    • High Hash Rate (like Bitcoin): Makes it incredibly expensive and difficult for anyone to gain 51% control and attack the network (e.g., reverse transactions, double-spend coins).
    • Low Hash Rate (like ETC): Makes it comparatively cheap and easy for attackers to rent enough computing power to overwhelm the network and launch a 51% attack.

    And with ETC, this isn’t just some abstract threat. It’s a documented reality. Remember August 2020? Ethereum Classic didn’t just get 51% attacked once – it happened three times within that single month. Yes, you read that right. Attackers repeatedly gained majority control, reorganized thousands of blocks, and successfully double-spent millions of dollars worth of ETC. The very ledger that’s supposed to be immutable got forcibly rewritten, not just once, but again and again in rapid succession. It got owned. Publicly and embarrassingly.

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