According to a patent application published on Thursday, April 12, Bank of America is considering using distributed ledger technology to replace parts of existing data-sharing systems.

The patent application, which was originally filed by the banking giant in 2016 and published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, detailed plans for a permissioned blockchain that would securely record and authenticate both personal and business data. “Permissioned” in this case means that only parties who are granted access to the  Blockchain  Blockchain Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others. Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others. Read this Term will be able to access the data.

Coindesk reported that the system would reportedly be used to combine separate channels of data storage into a “single secure network,” streamlining all of a user’s data into one location.

The document reads: "...the individual or entity may securely store on the blockchain all records relevant to service providers, then provide the service providers with secure access to said records such that the providers may access only the specific records for which they are authorized, e.g. a healthcare provider may access only the healthcare records on the blockchain."

Banking Systems Increasingly Consider Blockchain Solutions; Patent Grab Ensues

Banking systems the globe over are increasingly considering the adoption of blockchain technology after an industry-wide shift toward  Cloud  Cloud The cloud or cloud computing helps provides data and applications that can be accessed from nearly any location in the world so long as a stable Internet connection exists. Categorized into three cloud services, cloud computing is segmented into Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). In terms of trading, the versatility of the cloud service allows retail traders the ability to test out new trading strategies, backtest pre-existing concepts performing run time series analysis (or trend analysis), and execute trades in real-time.Advantages of Cloud Computing in TradingAn advantage that stems from cloud computing would be that entities don’t need to construct a data center infrastructure themselves.Instead, entities can conduct trials and perform refinements, and should no solutions pan out then the cloud may be shut down while the payment terminated at the same time. This methodology of renting virtual space and time in cloud tends to be far more appealing than the costs, time, and resources required with constructing hardware and software infrastructures.These also happen to be the exact concept used in SaaS with trading related software.While executing trades via the cloud is an important capability to keep intact, most retail traders are drawn to the cloud for the research, backtesting, and analytics advantages that stem from using the cloud. In forex, traders that use Expert Advisors (EAs) and automated trading software are uploading their solutions onto a broker’s cloud account. The cloud is an ecosystem for multiple industries, sectors, and niches. Its versatility has not been peaked while in trading many retail traders are transitioning to cloud computing as a means to reduce expenditures, optimize efficiency, and maximize available resources. The cloud or cloud computing helps provides data and applications that can be accessed from nearly any location in the world so long as a stable Internet connection exists. Categorized into three cloud services, cloud computing is segmented into Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). In terms of trading, the versatility of the cloud service allows retail traders the ability to test out new trading strategies, backtest pre-existing concepts performing run time series analysis (or trend analysis), and execute trades in real-time.Advantages of Cloud Computing in TradingAn advantage that stems from cloud computing would be that entities don’t need to construct a data center infrastructure themselves.Instead, entities can conduct trials and perform refinements, and should no solutions pan out then the cloud may be shut down while the payment terminated at the same time. This methodology of renting virtual space and time in cloud tends to be far more appealing than the costs, time, and resources required with constructing hardware and software infrastructures.These also happen to be the exact concept used in SaaS with trading related software.While executing trades via the cloud is an important capability to keep intact, most retail traders are drawn to the cloud for the research, backtesting, and analytics advantages that stem from using the cloud. In forex, traders that use Expert Advisors (EAs) and automated trading software are uploading their solutions onto a broker’s cloud account. The cloud is an ecosystem for multiple industries, sectors, and niches. Its versatility has not been peaked while in trading many retail traders are transitioning to cloud computing as a means to reduce expenditures, optimize efficiency, and maximize available resources. Read this Term storage for data. However, Bank of America has been leading the pack--in mid-January of 2018, Bloomberg reported that Bank of America had filed for more blockchain-related patents than any other company in the world.

“The Charlotte, North Carolina-based lender has applied for or received at least 43 patents for blockchain, the ledger technology used for verifying and recording transactions that’s at the heart of virtual currencies,” the report read.

The South Korean Intellectual Property Office reported last month that more than 1240 applications for blockchain-related patents were filed in the year 2017, up more than 200% from the 594 applications that had been filed in 2016.

Some voices in the blockchain industry have begun worrying about the possibility of upcoming ‘patent wars,’ a problem that has plagued the tech industry for several years.

“The race to patent [blockchain] could lead ultimately to the next big battle over technology standards and who owns them,” said a report by Alix Partners entitled “The Race to Patent the Blockchain.”