News
How Microsoft Adopted Blockchain – TheStreet Crypto: Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News, Tips, Analysis & More
Microsoft’s adoption of blockchain technology may seem obvious today, but just a decade ago it was a far-fetched idea. Roundtable host Rob Nelson recently sat down with Yorke Rhodes, who leads Microsoft’s blockchain practice, to discuss it.
Microsoft’s Rhodes explained his decision to dive into the blockchain space after rejoining Microsoft in 2014. His journey was marked by the challenge of integrating blockchain into Microsoft’s broad range of businesses, including gaming, LinkedIn, GitHub, and cloud services.
“Part of that was I was going to educate and see what we could do,” Rhodes shared, noting the diverse applications of blockchain on Microsoft platforms. One of the pioneering efforts was decentralized identity work, which initially found applications in humanitarian cases. This protocol has matured over the past decade and is now embedded in many Microsoft products.
Nelson then turned the discussion to the broader implications of this technology. He noted the fascinating transition of the tech giants from Web1 and Web2 to Web3, drawing a parallel with Mark Zuckerberg’s rebranding of Facebook to Meta. Despite the challenges, similar to “turning the Titanic,” he said, Microsoft’s evolution is notable for its pivotal role in technology.
Scroll to continue
Rhodes explained how Microsoft was instrumental in the Web2 era, with the launch of Windows 95. With its essential components for accessing the Internet, it laid the foundation for how we experience the Internet today. “It’s just an evolution of the Internet,” Rhodes said, referring to computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee’s vision for an improved digital identity and continued technological advances.
Reflecting on the early 2000s, Rhodes drew parallels between the post-dot-com boom and the current phase of the internet. “We’ve improved the technologies,” he noted, pointing to the validation of new models and the emergence of companies like Amazon and Uber. Rhodes said we’re now in a similar phase where blockchain technology is poised to transform a range of economic sectors, building on the strong technological foundations laid over the past few decades.