ICON is a blockchain technology and network framework designed to allow independent blockchains to interact with each other. ICON is supported through a cryptocurrency token, called ICX. ICON is a South Korean-based company that developed a blockchain technology and accompanying cryptocurrency token called ICX. The company bills itself as an interconnected blockchain network, allowing participants in a decentralized system to “converge” at a central point. This is done by connecting a community to other communities through ICON Republic and Citizen Nodes. While blockchains are most commonly associated with cryptocurrencies, enthusiasts point out other areas where the technology can be applied. Any exchange of information can technically be added to a blockchain, though adding some types may not be cost-effective. Transactions involving securities, currencies, business contracts, deeds and loans, intellectual property, and personal identification could be “tokenized. ICON’s blockchain is more like the Plasma or Ontology blockchain in that its purpose is to act as an intermediary between other blockchains and networks. This interconnectability makes the ICON project worth keeping an eye on over the next decade. ICON sports its very own decentralized exchange. This DEX sets currency reserves for each blockchain community so that ICON communities can exchange value in real time through the ICON Republic. In this way, DEX complements C-Rep portals by establishing another gateway for ICON Communities to connect to the ICON Republic.
PolySwarm in 60 Seconds. Polyswarm is a decentralized threat intelligence market made possible by Ethereum smart contracts and blockchain technology. Polyswarm incentivizes rapid innovation in the $8.5B/yr anti-virus and automated cyber threat intelligence space with precise economic incentives that reward timely and accurate threat intelligence concerning the malintent of files, network traffic and URLs. PolySwarm defines a real-time threat detection ecosystem involving enterprises, consumers, vendors and geographically-diverse security experts. Experts develop and hone competing “micro-engines” that autonomously investigate the latest threats, attempting to outperform their competition. PolySwarm’s “Proof of Work” is threat detection accuracy: the market rewards experts who are best able to defend enterprises and end users. Relative to today’s ad hoc market, PolySwarm will lower the barier to entry, provide broader coverage options, discourage duplicative effort and ensure interoperability among products and threat intelligence feeds. Economically, PolySwarm functions as a skill-required twist on a prediction market2 with thousands of micro-engines (“workers”) investigating the latest in malware evolution at machine speed - no human in the loop. PolySwarm will be developed by Swarm Technologies, Inc. (“Swarm Technologies”) with funding derived from the sale of ERC20-compatible Nectar (“NCT”) utility tokens. As a utility token, PolySwarm economically disincentivizes Nectar speculation by rewarding honest market participation through the collection and distribution of Fees (details on page 6) to valueadding, active participants.