Facebook's foray into the world of cryptocurrency is a fascinating story. Diem, previously known as Libra, is a digital coin that aims to facilitate fast and low-cost transactions globally.
Diem is built on a blockchain, a decentralized and secure way of recording transactions. This technology allows for peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries.
The coin is designed to be used for everyday transactions, such as buying coffee or sending money to friends. It's also intended to be used for international transactions, where traditional payment methods can be slow and expensive.
Diem's creators envision a future where digital currency is widely accepted and used as a means of exchange. This could potentially disrupt traditional payment systems and offer a more inclusive and accessible way of making transactions.
What Is Diem?
Diem is a proposed cryptocurrency currently in development by the Diem Association, a group of tech and finance companies.
The Diem Association rebranded from Libra, its former name, in early 2020. Facebook was heavily involved in the project early on, leading to concerns about data handling.
The idea behind Diem is pretty sound, with a proposed cryptocurrency that includes international and multinational stablecoins backed by a reserve of cash and cash equivalents called "The Libra Reserve".
This unique approach aims to make Diem a low-cost cryptocurrency that anyone can use anywhere, including in transactions made by users operating in different currency zones.
Diem will also protect its price from the volatility experienced by other cryptocurrencies, potentially including other stablecoins.
How Diem Works
Diem transactions are digitally minted coins, similar to other cryptocurrencies, but with a focus on seamlessly exchanging different currencies.
Diem is run by the Diem Association, a known group, which is unique in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The association is working with compliance groups and governments, making the project a long time in production.
Diem transactions will be blockchain-based, but the Diem Association focuses on compliance and the prevention of illicit activity, unlike other cryptocurrencies that use blockchain for anonymity.
The Diem Association's CEO, Stuart Levey, has experience in compliance and financial regulation, serving as Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence for the United States Department of the Treasury.
Technological Infrastructure
Diem transactions will be blockchain-based, ensuring the safety and transparency of transactions. This is a deliberate choice, as blockchain itself is inherently transparent, potentially making it a tool for observation and enforcement.
The Diem Association focuses on "compliance and the prevention of illicit activity", which is a unique aspect of the project. Most other cryptocurrencies have historically used blockchain to afford anonymity.
Diem's technological infrastructure is robust, allowing it to manage and process transactions efficiently. This ensures smooth and secure operations.
Here are the key features of Diem's technological infrastructure:
- Blockchain-based transactions for safety and transparency
- Compliance-focused approach to prevent illicit activity
- Robust infrastructure for efficient transaction management
Move Language Programmability
The Libra Blockchain uses a new programming language called Move, which allows for customizing transaction types.
Move is specifically designed for financial transactions, making it a powerful tool for the Libra ecosystem.
With Move, you can implement custom transaction logic and smart contracts on the Libra Blockchain, giving you more control over how transactions are processed.
This is particularly useful for businesses and developers who want to integrate Libra into their existing systems.
The Libra Documentation highlights the importance of Move in enabling the Libra Blockchain's flexibility and scalability.
The Move language has been built with security and safety as top priorities, making it an ideal choice for financial transactions.
Here are some key features of the Move language:
- Prevents assets from being cloned
- Enables "resource types" that restrict digital assets to retain the same properties as physical assets
- Restricts digital assets to have a single owner, can only be used once, and constrains the building of new resources
These features make Move a robust and reliable choice for financial transactions on the Libra Blockchain.
Benefits and Features
Libra Coin offers a stable and reliable option for daily transactions, thanks to its backing by real-world assets that minimize value fluctuations.
This stability is a significant improvement over other cryptocurrencies, which can experience wild swings in value.
The Libra Blockchain is a key feature that enables secure and efficient transactions, making it an innovative tool in the digital currency landscape.
Its design facilitates high transaction speeds and strong security protocols, bringing financial services to a broader audience.
Decentralization is another important aspect of the Libra Blockchain, which is pivotal to its functionality.
Governance and Regulation
Libra is not a free-for-all system, but rather governed by the Libra Association, a group of companies that oversee the currency.
Their role is crucial in maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of Libra.
Libra Coin is built with security as a priority, using blockchain technology to protect against fraud and unauthorized access.
Regulation of Libra Coin is subject to ongoing discussions with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with global financial regulations.
Governance and Regulation
Libra is governed by the Libra Association, a group of companies that oversee the currency and ensure it operates smoothly and aligns with financial regulations.
The Libra Association plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of Libra.
Libra Coin is built with security as a priority, using blockchain technology to protect against fraud and unauthorized access.
Regulation of Libra Coin is a subject of ongoing discussions with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with global financial regulations.
Association
The Libra Association is an independent group that oversees the Libra currency, ensuring it operates smoothly and aligns with financial regulations.
It's a collaborative effort, initially conceived by Facebook, that brings together diverse organizations, from tech giants to non-profits, with a common goal of making financial services accessible to everyone.
The association's role extends beyond one company, promoting fairness and decentralization, key tenets of digital currency philosophy.
To join the Libra Association, prospective members must be ready to invest significantly, supporting the network's development and maintenance.
Members must also align with the vision of the Libra network, believing in making financial services accessible to all, which is fundamental to the network's ethos.
The Libra Association is a beacon of collaboration and innovation in the digital currency world, poised to play a role in the future of finance.
Why Centralise?
Libra needs to be centralised to handle a large number of transactions at once. For example, the Visa payment network can support up to 24,000 payments per second, whereas a decentralised system like the Bitcoin blockchain can only process about seven payments per second.
This is a significant difference in capacity. Libra aims to initially handle about 1,000 transactions per second, which is a compromise between decentralisation and scalability.
It's not that Libra wants to be centralised, but rather it needs to be in order to meet its current goals.
Trust Consensus Mechanism
The Libra Blockchain uses a consensus mechanism to validate transactions, ensuring every transaction is agreed upon by multiple parties.
This group decision-making process provides an added layer of security and trust, making Libra a more reliable option for digital transactions.
The consensus mechanism helps to prevent unauthorized transactions and ensures that all parties involved are in agreement.
This approach is similar to having multiple copies of a document for safety, rather than just one, which is how the decentralized network of Libra operates.
The Libra Association, a group of companies that oversee the currency, plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of Libra through its governance and regulatory framework.
Regular audits and compliance checks are also implemented to ensure that Libra operates smoothly and aligns with financial regulations.
The Libra Blockchain is fortified with robust security measures, including a high-tech security system for digital transactions, which protects against fraud and hacking.
The blockchain technology itself is inherently secure, making Libra a safe option for users.
Comparison and Future
Diem has undergone a significant transformation since its initial unveiling, losing several high-profile members and executives, including Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.
The project has also suffered notable departures, such as Kevin Weil, the head of Facebook's planned digital wallet Novi, and Dante Disparte, Diem's public affairs chief.
Diem is now in talks with Swiss financial regulators to secure a payment license, a crucial step toward launching its digital currency project.
The phased approach to launch involves experimenting with a small number of users and partners, with a focus on ensuring the technology and reserve system operate as expected.
Diem plans to bring in merchants and other partners, although it's staying tight-lipped on who they are for now.
Libra Coin's future looks promising, with its blend of stability, security, and ease of use positioning it as a potentially major player in the digital currency space.
Future Upgrades
The Libra Blockchain is designed to be adaptable, allowing it to evolve with changing technological trends. This flexibility is similar to how smartphones receive updates to stay current.
This adaptability will enable the Libra Blockchain to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring it remains a viable and secure option for users. The Libra Blockchain's ability to receive future upgrades will be crucial in its long-term success.
The Libra Blockchain's adaptable design means it can easily incorporate new features and technologies as they become available. This will allow it to stay competitive in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
As we look to the future, it's clear that the Libra Blockchain's adaptability will be a key factor in its success.
The Future of
The Future of Diem looks promising, with a phased approach to launch and rigorous anti-money laundering checks in place. This ensures that the technology and reserve system operate as expected.
Diem is rebranding from Libra, which was initially met with skepticism, but has since attracted big hires like CEO Stuart Levey, formerly HSBC's chief legal officer.
The project is now in talks with Swiss financial regulators to secure a payment license, a crucial step toward getting its digital currency project off the ground. This license would place Diem further along the path to launching its digital currency.
Diem plans to start with a small pilot, experimenting with a small number of users and players, before expanding to merchants and other partners. The goal is to ensure that the technology operates as expected.
The Libra Blockchain is designed to be adaptable, allowing it to evolve with changing technological trends, similar to how smartphones receive updates to stay current.
Bitcoin Volatility: A Problem?
Bitcoin's price swung between £920 and $20,000 in 2017, which is a huge swing for any currency.
This kind of volatility is not ideal for a global payment network, especially when you have 2.4 billion users relying on it.
The value of Libra, on the other hand, will be tied to the value of real-world assets like dollars, euros, and pounds.
The Libra Association will store a basket of these currencies and low-risk government securities to determine the value of Libra.
Every time a user trades cash for Libra, that cash will be added to the Libra Association's reserves.
Libra doesn't launch until 2020, but people are already worried about how it will work.
Central Banks and Industry
Central banks and industry leaders are not thrilled about Facebook's Libra coin. France has underlined that only governments can mint money.
Regulators are also skeptical about Libra's potential impact. The bank of England said that Libra will have to meet very high financial standards to be allowed in the UK.
Industry leaders are concerned about Facebook's expansion into the financial domain. Lawmakers in both the US and the EU are worried about Facebook's potential misuse of power.
The bank of England's statement highlights the high bar that Libra must clear to gain regulatory approval. This suggests that Libra will face significant scrutiny in the coming months.
Sources
- https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/20/facebook-backed-diem-aims-to-launch-digital-currency-pilot-in-2021.html
- https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-the-facebook-backed-diem-cryptocurrency-and-can-you-trust-it/
- https://webisoft.com/articles/libra-coin/
- https://www.leewayhertz.com/facebook-libra-coin/
- https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-libra-cryptocurrency-explained/
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