Blockchain in the Enterprise:

Lessons from the Trenches

Invector Labs
About Invector Labs
• Bringing deep-tech to the enterprise
• Focused on groundbreaking technology trends:
• Artificial intelligence
• Blockchain technologies
• Internet of things
• Cybersecurity
• Advanced cloud computing
• ….
• http://invectorlabs.com
Agenda
• Blockchain in the enterprise: Challenges
• Permissioned blockchain platforms
• Permissioned blockchain runtimes
• Permissioned blockchain stacks
Key Challenges of Real World Blockchain
Solutions…
 Network
Provisioning

Smart Contract
Data Storage
Development

Testing Integration

Identity Deployment

dApp
Monitoring
Key Decisions

Selecting a Selecting a Selecting a

Blockchain Blockchain Complementary
Platform Runtime Technology Stack
Selecting a Blockchain Platform…
 Permissioned
Blockchains

Hyperledger Ethereum R3 Corda Dfinity EOS

Fabric Sawtooth Quorum Parity Pantheon

Selecting a Blockchain Platform…
 Hyperledger Fabric
Key Capabilities
• Based on the open source Hyperledger implementation
• Supports smart contracts via chaincode and containers(Java, Go, NodeJS)
• Identity and privacy based protocols
• Networks can be segmented in channels
• Advanced toolset with products like Composer

Strengths
• Integration with external systems
• Solutions portfolio
• Partner community

Weaknesses
• Smart contract model
• Toolset for app lifecyle management
• Lack of support for public blockchain topologies
 Hyperledger Sawtooth
Key Capabilities
• Based on the open source Hyperledger implementation
• Supports for EVM smart contracts
• Native supply-chain like tracking capabilities
• PoET consensus model
• Native support for Docker containers

Strengths
• Simple programming model
• Interoperability with Ethereum
• Flexible network topology using validators

Weaknesses
• Lack of developer community
• Limited toolset
• Integration with external systems
 Quorum
Key Capabilities
• Permissioned version of the Ethereum blockchain
• Various consensus mechanisms(Raft and Istanbul BFT implementations)
• Privacy protocols based on zk-SNARKs
• Support for private smart contracts
• Access control policies

Strengths
• Ethereum interoperability
• Privacy
• Deployment and configuration

Weaknesses
• Small core development team and community
• Integration with external systems
• Management toolset
 Parity
Key Capabilities
• Integration with both permissioned and public versions of Ethereum
• Support for side chains
• IPFS supports
• Messaging capabilities
• Privacy using secret stores

Strengths
• Ethereum interoperability
• Developer friendliness
• Tollset

Weaknesses
• Small core development team and community
• Integration with external systems
• Management toolset
 Pantheon
Key Capabilities
• Integration with both permissioned and public versions of Ethereum
• Support for various consensus protocols
• Java-based extensibility
• Messaging and RPC interfaces
• Deployment via Docker containers

Strengths
• Ethereum interoperability
• Proof-Of-Authority consensus
• Whitelist-based access control

Weaknesses
• Small core development team and community
• Integration with external systems
• Management toolset
 Corda
Key Capabilities
• Identity and access control via certificates
• Support for transaction workflows via the flow framework
• Integration with external systems via Oracles
• Application encapsulation via CorDApps
• Private node databases using Vaults

Strengths
• Privacy and access control
• Network topologies
• Workflow automation

Weaknesses
• Limited smart contract support
• Integration with external systems
• Small developer community
Selecting a Blockchain Runtime…
 Blockchain
Runtimes

On-Premise Cloud

Default
Azure AWS
Platform Kaleido IBM BlockApps
Blockchain Blockchain
Networks
 Azure Blockchain as a Service
Key Capabilities
• Support for different blockchains
• Integration with popular development frameworks
• Deployment and app lifecycle management
• Integration with Azure services
• Identity and access control

Strengths
• Tooling
• DApp lifecycle management

Weaknesses
• Limited smart contract support
• Integration with external systems
• Small developer community
 AWS Blockchain as a Service
Key Capabilities
• Integration with AWS Services
• Identity and access control
• Integration with Quantum ledger
• Rapid provisioning
• Support for Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum

Strengths
• AWS developer and partner communities
• Integration with external services
• Identity and access control

Weaknesses
• Small number of supported blockchain runtimes
• Limited tooling
• Basic integration with blockchain development tools and frameworks
 IBM Blockchain Cloud
Key Capabilities
• Robust support for Hyperledger Fabric
• Integration with Bluemix services
• DevOps and automation processes
• Identity and access control
• Monitoring

Strengths
• Scalable Hyperledger Fabric topologies
• Privacy and security
• Fabric development workflow

Weaknesses
• No support for other blockchain runtimes
• Limited developer community
• Lack of support for open source blockchain development frameworks and tools
 Kaleido
Key Capabilities
• Support for different variations of Ethereum blockchains
• Integration with open source enterprise systems and services
• Blockchain first capabilities like wallets or block explorers
• Integration with IPFS
• Native support for AWS

Strengths
• Native blockchain components
• Development tools and interfaces
• Rapid provisioning and deployment

Weaknesses
• Lack of support for non-Ethereum blockchains
• Small developer and partner communities
 BlockApps
Key Capabilities
• Rapid Dapp development process
• Messaging interfaces via Kafka
• Compatibility with the EVM
• Monitoring tools
• Simple REST APIs

Strengths
• Simple Dapp lifecycle
• Docker support
• Toolset

Weaknesses
• Lack of support for non-EVM runtimes
• Limited developer and partner communities
• Very limited integration with external systems, security and other enterprise critical features
Selecting a Development Stack…
 Relevant
Blockchain
Stacks

Security &
Integration Testing Storage Data Access Monitoring
Privacy

Corda Testing Hyperledger Hyperledger

ChainLink Oraclize Truffle Ganache IPFS BigChainDB Swarm TheGraph Ursa AZTEC
Tools Composer Caliper
Integration
• Connecting to mainstream line of
business systems
• On-demand and scheduled execution
• Integration with data storage systems
• Bidirectional communication
 Blockchain Implementing Line of Business IPFS/Swarm On-Demand and
Technology Support Custom Integration Integration Scheduled Activation
ChainLink 6 8 6 8 8
Oraclize 4 5 4 6 5
Azure Enterprise Smart Contracts 6 5 6 6 5
Aetirnity 4 4 5 4 4
Testing
• Run and execute tests for smart
contracts
• Smart contract logging and
instrumentation
• Block exploration
 Test Automated Smart Contract
Technology Creation Test Execution Instrumentation Block Explorer
Hyperledger Composer 5 4 2 2
Corda Testing 6 7 6 4
Ganache 8 8 7 7
Ether Tester 8 8 5 4
Data Access

• Querying blockchain data on-

demand
• Interact with blockchains via APIs
• Map blockchain data to queryable
attributes
 Querying Interact with
Smart Execute Complex Blockchain Data via Add Semantic Info to
Technology Contract Data Queries APIs Smart Contracts
The Graph 8 6 7 6
Security and Privacy
• Ability to perform computations over encrypted data
• Hide specific aspects of blockchain transactions
• Use different privacy and encryption models in blockchain data
 Integration with
Support Different Cryptographic Different
Technologies zk_SNARKs Methods Blockchains
Hyperledger Ursa 7 8 2
AZTEC 8 5 4
Data Storage
• Associate large datasets with blockchain
transactions
• Querying blockchain data on-demand
• Backup, restore and replicate large
datasets in a blockchain network
 Unstructured Data Semi-structured Data
Technologies Storage Storage Immutability Data Querying Scalability
IPFS 9 8 9 5 8
Swarm 7 7 9 5 7
BigChainDB 8 8 8 8 7
Quentum Ledger 7 8 9 8 6
Summary
• The permissioned blockchain ecosystem is really crowded
• When establishing a blockchain strategies organizations should
consider the following steps:
• Select a blockchain platform
• Select a blockchain runtime
• Select complementary technology stacks
• Start small…iterate
Thanks!