Blockpool: Leveraging Blockchain Technology for Real World Impact

Blockchain technology is evolving with the advancement of modernization and innovative techniques. We have started experiencing the utilization of this unique technology in numerous fields from business to education. Many companies specializing in this field are emerging and thriving with the development and adaptation of better technology. Among the few prominent companies is Blockpool who possess the breadth of knowledge and depth of experience to help its clients harness the incredible potential of blockchain technology. Their consultancy skills, proven API and trusted expertise enable you find new and innovative ways to create currencies, establish contracts, prove provenance, improve transparency and more. As we put together their journey, and a few interesting insights from the expert himself, Ken Foster, the Founder of Blockpool, we are certain that their success story will inspire and motivate every aspiring individual to follow their dreams.

The Foundation of Blockpool

After their work with Audiocoin (ADC), they were approached by some key figures in the music industry (most notably Kevin Bacon) about developing solutions for various verticals in a real world B2B environment. At the same time, the concept of DPOS blockchains was gaining traction and they saw these delegated networks as being appropriate for many businesses use cases. It was under this principle that they formulated the company business plan. ADC was an early crypt coin and was at one point the most profitable coin to trade on the digital currency exchanges. So Blockpool saw the potential of the technology quite early on. The possibilities of ethical wealth decentralization and benefits to business disintermediation processes (through things like smart contracts) indicated that the technology was one part of the new holy trinity in technical innovation, viz-a-viz: Blockchain, AI/Machine Learning, Quantum computing.

Blockpool had to face a few roadblocks as they began, however they were determined to overcome every hurdle and attain success. Technological innovations have this protracted incubation phase with slow adoption and lack of awareness. When you dip your toe into a swimming pool and feel it is too cold to jump in, everyone tends to copy. As soon as a few people jump in they realize it isn’t too bad and start enjoying themselves. Finally, everyone jumps in and it kind of spoils the party a bit. With blockchain, people are still testing the water, but like any superior technology it will inevitably become a part of everyone’s day to day routine. Adoption and acceptance are still some way off. Institutional and regulatory bodies (who effectively influence the media) are doing their best to undermine the technology whilst secretly investing large amounts of funding to see how it can benefit them. The devolution of monetary control away from fiat will be the biggest global event since the industrial revolution and protectionism will ensure that it is hampered for as long as possible.

To overcome these challenges, they look for forward thinking companies who are already at the leading edge of technical innovation. The sales process is generally very arduous with workshops and seminars to educate potential customers before looking at practical ways of using the blockchain to help or innovate their business processes.

The Outstanding Blockpool Services

Blockpool provides B2B blockchain solutions underpinned by their BPL token. Most of their current work is around provenance within supply chains (with their partners Opsec) and deploying bespoke DPOS sidechains in an efficient and easy to implement manner. Their smart contract and plugin library will enhance the functionality of these chains whilst providing a menu of revenue options for existing BPL delegates. As each customer is acquired the value of a delegate position on the BPL chain, it will be enhanced. Customers can choose to delegate network consensus to the master chain to lessen the infrastructure costs or they can firewall it in the case of bigger customers. BPL delegates will be able to choose to forge on multiple chains without the need to set up new instances. They believe delegate positions will be in demand and so their token will thrive in this kind of ecosystem. Revenue from clients will be used to fund the business and sustain BPL in a prudent way that respects the profitability of BPL delegates.

The Leader of Passion

Like most kids, Ken wanted to be a racing driver or an astronaut. He was fortunate to have a solid family and good education and when reality set in after University, he went through a series of jobs but crucially he ‘fell’ into computers. His first technical or IT role was developing a computerized estimating system on the old Burrough’s mainframes. He is not a developer by any stretch of the imagination, but he always felt in-tune with that crowd.

ADC was an idea, Ken had to make the music industry more open, ethical and honest, but any kind of social ethic in business is often frowned on. He is a strong believer in social justice and admires people like John Ruskin who were essentially members of the elite but who fought for social values and justice. They’ve just acknowledged the 100th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre in Manchester where ordinary people were slain just for peacefully protesting in support of social justice. “I believe Blockchain can help with the redistribution of wealth away from the privileged elite and will do everything in my power to further that cause.”, he adds.

His role in the company has moved on from being close to the technical team into more of an advocate position. He has given seminars on Blockchain technology at Manchester University and has also become a trustee for Enduring.net which is looking at ways to combat modern slavery with blockchain technology. “With Blockpool we’ve moved into a phase that is the most exciting thus far. There are many reasons to join the Blockpool community at this point. I’d like to think these reasons are ideological as well as the obvious profit potential. There is no crystal ball to predict where it will go but I’m confident we now have the right team to give it our best shot.”, Ken shares.

Ken describes his journey in a few words, “Very difficult and challenging but also enjoyable. Much of our R&D work was hampered by infrastructure and stability issues. It has taken us 3 years to get to a point where we have a robust feature packed solution and we feel the Blockpool V2 blockchains will give us a unique advantage in the marketplace.”

The Driving Factor for Ken and His Team

The Blockpool development team have outperformed in recent months and they are on the cusp of a truly unique proposition that sets them apart from competing protocols. Combined with the growth (albeit slow) of Blockchain in general, they are well positioned to take advantage of future business requirements. Cashflow has been an issue for them and blockchain development isn’t cheap. They have evolved into a team that takes a broader view of the possibilities and much of their work in recent months has been driven by committed members of their community. They are now in a 2nd round of fundraising that will enable them to drive forward with their technology in a more pro-active way. The company vision that has been undoubtedly enhanced by their CTO Tim Shank and which has resulted in the new litepaper heralds the most exciting phase of their company to date.

When they announced the project with Bjork’s record label, Ken had no idea of the PR it would generate. However, Blockpool headlined in the London Standard and were covered in most of the national broadsheets in the UK and US. “We were inundated with calls and emails. The 2nd time I realised we really had something was after brainstorming with the Opsec team and coming up with a solution to marry digital and physical provenance.” He says.

The main driving force is the evolution of their strategy into the current litepaper and the remarkable progress of the development team lead by Tim.

The Vision for the Future for Blockpool

“I’ll support the company and offer my input as long as it is needed.” Ken affirms. One thing they’ve been particularly bad at is self-PR and Marketing. Blockpool’s next funding round will redress these deficiencies and help them get the name out. “Sometimes you become the victim of working in a bubble, afraid to shout about anything until you are happy with the technology.” There is a younger generation coming through now, so the chain evolves under the auspices of exceptionally bright people and he hopes this team will grow and flourish in tandem with the global redistribution of wealth. He thinks the major gains (as a result of technologies like blockchain) will happen as a result of the work of the current generation and he sadly may not be around to see the fruits.