Elastos with Rong Chen

Every now and then we come across a project that cannot be rightly summarised in a single blog piece. Elastos is one of those projects. In this episode of CRYPTO101 Matthew spoke with Rong Chen, CEO of Elastos about what they call the “safe and reliable internet of the future”. 

Chen’s story is actually quite remarkable. Growing up during the cultural revolution in China (between 1966-1976), Chen witnessed remarkable, rapid infrastructural and political change. Post-1976 there was an explosion of growth, transforming cities at a breakneck pace. Below is a GIF that showcases the before and after of the city of Shanghai from 1987 to 2013: 

Chen was also a noteworthy individual throughout all this change. Despite beginning as a labourer in his local village he was an outstanding student and through the Chinese National Entrance Exam he tested into the prestigious Tsinghua University of Beijing, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science. He was later sponsored by the Chinese Government to attend the University of Illinois and completed his Master’s Degree, also in computer science. He has since worked with Microsoft where he developed an interest in understanding and implementing operating systems. He worked on developing a “network OS” that was designed to be an operating system that could function on top of a network of computers rather than individual clients. 

It wasn’t until the he learned of Ethereum and the promised “world computer” that what had been decades of thought and work culminated into the Elastos project. 

Elastos markets itself as the “smart web powered by blockchain” and Chen stresses that this smart web is a “web of apps”. The name “smart web” implies there is something not so smart about the current web. There are good reasons for this focus and Chen does an excellent job of articulating some of them throughout the interview. 

For the sake of simplicity the problems with the current internet can be categorized into three “evils”.  

1. The software: The applications we use that are downloaded from, and then used while connected to, the internet pose a number of security risks including data vulnerabilities and gateways for malicious software. They can (and do!) track your interactions with the app and hoard the data you create/input and then use that data to their advantage without any ethical overwatch.
2. The server: The servers that run the apps or provide the software for download are not tamper-proof and can themselves be vulnerable to malicious attacks and downtime as well as storage of your personal data.
3. The Carrier: The ISPs and communications companies that facilitate the relationships between you and the applications you want to use day-to-day also have their hand in the jar and can acquire your data, throttle your access or cut you off altogether.

Chen also brought up a fascinating point about property rights and ownership on the internet. Which seemed alien to me when I heard it but then it became so obvious. The difference between a physical book and an Amazon ebook highlights the difference. I can re-sell a physical book but do I actually own the ebook? Chen argues that digital ownership is more like a “lease for life” you are just permanently borrowing assets that are susceptible to the “three evils” listed above. Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook, all oversee a giant web of products for infinite reduplication and lease — all the while accumulating data and onselling it to advertisers. 

“There is no capitalism on the Internet, only cartels.”  

It is with all this in mind that Chen and the team behind Elastos want to create a “new web” that will work solely with decentralised apps, or dApps. These dApps will be completely offline in the traditional sense and available only by being a participating node on the Elastos blockchain. 

“The whole internet will be turned upside down” 

They have their own Elastos software development kit with a beta browser launching next month. People will be able to build apps that remain offline and free from the “three evils” by relying on a completely decentralised “Elastos carrier” — which is simply the network of nodes (computers) running the Elastos blockchain software. Chen makes an interesting claim that those of us in the space need to do what we can to secure a basic “computing 101” before we dive headfirst into blockchain projects because a basic awareness of how computing works allows us to see the problems and benefits of blockchain initiatives more clearly. 

The whole thing is incredibly ambitious, but that’s what we in the blockchain universe get excited about  — new ways to create a better future. Cheng’s insight and experience really shine through in this interview. Whether you believe Elastos is the project to tackle the “three evils”, even if you don’t think they are that evil, the podcast is well worth a listen. 

Be sure to check out Matthew Aaron’s roundup of the interview on our youtube channel too.