My days have been pretty quiet of late. My little man had surgery on his knee so I've been at home and looking after him for the past 3 weeks.
This has meant that my ability to visit local breweries, which I generally write about for my #BeerSaturday reviews, has been severely hampered. One benefit of sitting at home with my pup is that I've been able to spend a lot more time on Steemit and researching cryptocurrencies along with reflecting on some of the cryptocurrency related services that I've been participating in.
And that led me to think about these beer reviews, perhaps it's time to change these up where I'll discuss something that I've encountered in the cryptocurrency space along with the beer that I'm drinking. I feel that this may fit better with the overall theme of my blog.
What will it take for mass adoption of cryptocurrencies to be a thing?
This week saw me enter the
writing contest with this entry. In the entry I discuss the GRAFT Network and their technology which has the potential to greatly aid in the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies. Basically, what they are doing is creating a payment system that will allow businesses to incorporate cryptocurrency payments into their existing Point of Sale (POS) systems, and allow for these currencies to be automatically converted into Fiat or another currency of their choosing. The technology and concept is fantastic, and will greatly help with cryptocurrencies becoming a part of every day society.
Source
But for cryptocurrencies to reach the mainstream and become part of our every day lives, we need to see them in all institutions and markets. So I was really pleased to see in the media yesterday an article about cryptocurrency courses now being offered at Russian Universities. And while this is nothing new in Russia, there was a similar article back in 2017, it is extremely exciting to see that courses are now being developed with a focus on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. It gives me hope that these types of courses will soon be offered across the globe. And if a course is ever offered in Australia, I'll be one of the first to jump in to gain a formal qualification in this field.
And finally, today an article was published where Mike Novogratz (a former Wall Street Executive and founder of Galaxy Digital crypto merchant bank) claims that the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies is five to six years from taking place. This time-frame seems perfectly reasonable to me. Mike believes that cryptocurrencies need to "not feel like something new" before they become an accepted part of our lives.
Source
He also believes that the cost of technical talent and the doubts of conventional investors are holding back the acceptance of cryptocurrencies. And while the cost of talent may not decline any time soon, the doubts of investors (both retail and large scale) will certainly pass as more professional institutions start moving into the cryptocurrency space.
So it seems to me that with new systems being built to allow for easy use of cryptocurrencies for the purchase of goods and services, with educational institutions getting on board with the technology, and with the view that investors, both large and small, will start to be more trusting of the technology, a view that mainstream adoption of blockchain technology is quite realistic in my eyes.
What was I drinking while writing this?
A few days ago, I was able to escape the home briefly to grab some beer for a party that my Wife was holding. I found a Californian craft beer at my local bottle shop that sounded quite interesting. I haven't had many American craft beers so was eager to give it a shot.
Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA
Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA
Ballast Point is a brewery that was established way back in 1996. It was started by a small group of home-brewers, and is now a well established brewery in San Diego.
The Sculpin IPA is their flagship beer and they describe it as:
"inspired use of hops creates hints of apricot, peach, mango and lemon flavors, but still packs a bit of a sting, just like a Sculpin fish."
The beer pours a deep amber, with a decent head that lingers for a while. I love a good aromatic and fruity IPA, it's these traits that keep me coming back to them. But with this beer, I found the aroma to be quite lacking. There were some fruity notes, but it was mild, and there were strange malty notes as well, which don't really belong in an IPA. The carbonation is quite high, which again is a little unusual, and on the palate you'll be hit with a powerful bitterness, fruity flavours, hops and malts.
This is a decent beer, it's quite enjoyable. But the maltiness doesn't belong in an IPA. I found it a little off putting as I know it shouldn't be there. But overall it's still a pleasant brew and I'm happy to still have a couple of them sitting in the fridge.
The Beer Data
| Beer | Type | Origin | ABV | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballast Point Sculpen IPA | IPA | San Diego, CA | 7.0% | 3.8 |
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://cryptonbrews.xopus.io/2018/07/20/beer-and-blockchain-when-will-mass-adoption-happen/