Distributed Ledger Foundation Launches To Improve Governance Of Decentralized Networks

NEW YORK, March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Distributed Ledger Foundation (DLF), a non-profit, technology-agnostic organization devoted to the mission of securing distributed ledger systems and shaping their future governance, announced its launch today in New York.  The DLF aims to be a global resource for its members and policy makers, and to provide awareness, information and education on business, legal, and technology issues surrounding decentralized networks.

"We are trying to align the disruptive power of the technology with innovation in governance, trust, and privacy," said Don Thibeau, DLF's Acting Chairman. "We as an industry have both an incentive and responsibility to enable these new systems to function in full compliance with the rules by which all businesses and transactions are governed. The DLF's implementation-neutral policies will allow for participation by all who are investing in, regulating and governing distributed ledger technologies, as well as by the greater community of users of all forms of distributed ledger technologies."

The Foundation is partnering with others who share its goal of building a center of excellence that will accelerate the development of open standards and best practice guides on key governance issues like liability, voting and fairness in systems that apply distributed ledger systems and architectures.

Free and Fair Voting Initiative

One of the first initiatives the DLF will focus on is a Free and Fair Voting Initiative, funded by a $500,000 challenge grant from the Hedera Hashgraph Council (Hedera).

"The mission of bringing freedom and fairness to elections worldwide is one that strongly resonates with our ethos, and is something the entire distributed ledger community can contribute to," said Tom Trowbridge, President of Hedera. "We are excited to support this new initiative, as part of our objective to make the world freer and fairer."

"This grant will help develop new governance models, open standards, and best practice guides responsive to the challenges these new technologies bring to governments worldwide. If we get it right, we can inform public policies that align the voting and economic interests of all stakeholders," continued Thibeau. "We welcome others with interests and investments in distributed ledger technology to support this foundational  work." 

The Free and Fair Voting Initiative will begin with an international consultation of business, legal, and policy experts, through a series of workshops coordinated with the Open Identity Exchange, to help inform policy makers, legislators, and regulators.

Throughout 2018, the DLF will build its partnerships, agenda, and leadership, with the aim to refine its mission and provide demonstrable value to the public and private sectors. Interested parties may contact the DLF's Executive Director Kay Chopard Cohen for more information at [email protected]

"The launch of the DLF is very timely, given that interest from regulators in evaluating implementations of distributed ledger technologies is rapidly growing," said Helen Disney, member of the DLF board of advisors. "There's a need for technology agnostic governance expertise for government decision makers and industry leaders, and the DLF can play a key role in shaping that vital debate on governance, identity, and trust. I'm dedicated to building bridges and international links between the DLF and European policymakers and industry associations such as the British Blockchain Association and the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Blockchain."

About the Distributed Ledger Foundation
The Distributed Ledger Foundation aims to promote reliable, predictable and secure distributed ledger systems and shape tomorrow's governance. It will be an open resource for the distributed ledger community, building governance best practices and informing governments, commercial organizations and others on issues critical to the success of widely distributed networks. For more information, visit www.distributedledgerfoundation.org.   

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SOURCE Distributed Ledger Foundation