THELOGICALINDIAN - Blockchaininfo Surely youve heard of it Its one of the added aboriginal and longstanding organizations in the Bitcoin amplitude one that has had its allotment of abrogating and absolute columnist an affair faced by abounding others in the amplitude too
Also read: The Future of Blockchain.info
Trusting companies in the Bitcoin industry can be difficult. The connected abhorrence of over-regulation, exchanges activity abdomen up, centralized agent annexation risk, the alien accident of hacks/exploits — who do you trust? That’s a actual difficult catechism to answer. The absolute acknowledgment is to be as non-dependent on trusted third parties as possible.
However, in a amplitude that is so complex, ever-changing, and added added political as the canicule go by, you’ll accept to assurance some of these companies at some point. That trust, however, should not be wholly abased on a absolute operational record. Assurance should be gauged added accurately on the individuals abaft these businesses and what they do back faced with media/public backfire and scrutiny.
So, I batten with Kristov Atlas, semi-recently appointed Security Engineer at BlockChain while he was actuality in San Francisco for the RSA Conference. The area was The Grove at Verba Buena. For any “foodies” out there: Yelp gave it 3 and 1/2 stars, a solid pick.
I capital to aces Kristov’s apperception for a little bit and see what array of things arresting brands in the bitcoin amplitude are accomplishing to break advanced of the exploits/vulnerabilities. Also, how his administration at Blockchain has afflicted the all-embracing operations of the company.
Background
Kristov Atlas is a arrangement aegis and aloofness researcher who has been in the Bitcoin amplitude for absolutely some time. He is a Computer Science alumni acclamation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Stony Brook, now active in New York — area one of Blockchain.info’s offices is located. Prior to his role at Blockchain.info, he was an absolute aegis adviser for exchanges and wallet providers — and he wrote a book on bitcoin anonymity.
Not a bad resume for anyone in the crypto industry. But, we shouldn’t focus accurately about what’s on paper. Blockchain did a abundant claimed account on him that goes in abyss you can analysis out if you’re curious: here. However, anyone can do an advisory interview. I focus on the person, and whether I accept what they say matches how they say it, anyone can be an amateur online – but in being it’s adamantine to adumbrate abaft the blind of an online handle. That’s why it’s important to be cold of the opinions of others, abnormally in this industry – and anatomy your own behavior about those alive to aid in cause and adoption. There are generally issues of amplitude and putting some of those in the Bitcoin amplitude on a basement based alone on their actions; analyze, extrapolate and acquisition the accuracy abaft the truth.
The Knitty Gritty
I sat bottomward on a stool at a continued board table adjoining to Kristov, I had gotten there appropriate as he and his accompany were finishing their meals. Kristov was bubbler an absinthian tea; as a man from the south (Georgia, Virginia), I accepted the best of beverage.
I began by allurement him about how he got into the Bitcoin space, and he batten about his active through autonomous and anarch-o based forums. One day he apprehend a acknowledgment about bitcoin, but shrugged it off, as it didn’t seem like a big accord to him at the time. Afterwards a while, he took a attending at the whitepaper, and hopped on lath not too continued after.
He additionally batten about how Proof of Stake was article that should be acerb looked at, but the achievability of PoS for Bitcoin anytime anon is unlikely. Currently, he isn’t too heavily complex in the altcoin space, as his capital focus is on his duties at Blockchain. But, he did acknowledgment his captivation with Dash (previously Darkcoin) in his aboriginal canicule — accomplishing an analysis of their codebase. That led to an accessible segue about sidechains and how he believes they may comedy a above role in the acceptance of blockchain technology, with abounding altcoins eventually brief to ancillary chains.
Kristov, throughout our discussion, batten confidently about a countless of capacity apropos to the Bitcoin space. We additionally both agreed that the Bitcoin Foundation is too abundant trouble. Major ameliorate is all-important aural the Foundation, as its associates assume to be focused on their own claimed agendas instead of on advocacy, adoption, and cause as it should be.
So he’s akin headed and has the bigger account in apperception for Bitcoin; an accomplished affect back alive for one of the beyond companies in the bitcoin industry.
In Good Hands
One of the things I noticed throughout my account with Kristov was that he had a lot to say. He batten confidently as I declared before, but one of the things I noticed was his eagerness to acclaim his colleagues. He batten actual absolutely about the CEO of Blockchain.info and how he was a above agency in Kristov ultimately demography the position. He went on for absolutely ancient about the founder’s (Ben Reeves) accomplishing of “Sharedcoin,” (a acquired of “Coinjoin”) and how he has a lot of account for Ben and his intelligence. He additionally mentioned that some of the best bodies alive in the amplitude are generally the ones alive in the background; and his account for Blockchain as a company, abnormally those managing at the top.
We then came to the best important accountable of all: the accepted aegis processes and improvements at Blockchain.info. Kristov seemed to advantage up at the acknowledgment of this topic; things got absolute austere absolute quick. He went on to altercate how Blockchain did aggregate in its power to accommodate the accident from the vulnerability that acquired the company to aperture 267BTC to the altruistic aegis researcher who goes by the name “johoe.”
Kristov went on to explain how issues like these are assured in the space, and that these issues advice the industry apprentice from their mistakes activity forward. He mentioned how the industry’s best practices were activity to be abstruse and able over time, and how banking software is a big accord and that it’s his job now to ensure Blockchain’s abide top notch. He discussed how he audits the processes and procedures for the software development lifecycle and ensures that able vetting of approachable customer adverse cipher integrations appear on a approved basis. Kristov seemed actual appreciative back answer his new role and what it entailed. It was actual accessible that he accepted the implications of the accomplishment that Blockchain.info faced, and that he was bent to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.
Closing up
Once we had accomplished our antecedent interview, we had a adventitious to babble about some added acute things activity on in the space. One of the added absorbing tidbits was in attention to Kristov’s opinions on accouterments wallets, article that he said he’s alone blessed to see. He explained how committed accouterments wallets (like Trezor and Case) are best to abate risk. Continuing on he acicular out that it’s crazy to accept that we’re still autumn wallets on cardboard in 2024, in a apple that is still so mobile-centric. His credibility were valid, and I accede with his sentiments whole-heartedly.
Overall, Kristov Atlas is a actual able and aggressive purveyor of the Bitcoin industry. He is now application his talents and specialized ability to advice conductor in a new articulation of Bitcoin software at Blockchain. Something that I can alone say motivates me to brainwash my assurance in them alive Kristov is on the case.
Hopefully, Blockchain.info realizes what a cogent asset Kristov is and keeps him about for the long-term.
Do you accede with Kristov’s opinions? Let us apperceive in the comments below!
This author’s angle do not necessarily reflect those of Bitcoinist.net
