Blockchain – The Gateway to Trust-Free Cryptographic Transactions

Recently, the Bitcoin-underlying blockchain technology gained prominence as a solution that offers the realization of distributed trust-free systems, where economic transactions are guaranteed by the underlying blockchain. We are still at an early stage and thus require a deeper understanding of how the blockchain potentials can be realized, and what are the opportunities and challenges in so doing. Following a design science approach, we developed a proof of concept prototype that has the poten-tial to replace a trust-based coffee shop payment solution that is based on an analogue, pre-paid punch card solution. The demonstrator provides a starting point to evaluate the strengths and weak-nesses of the blockchain technology when replacing a trust-based by a trust-free transaction system. We conclude that the secure and trust-free blockchain-based transaction has the potential to change many existing trust-based transaction systems, but that scalability issues, costs, and volatility in the transaction currency are hindrances

Somalis in Copenhagen

Somalis in Copenhagen explores the views and experiences of Somalis living in Copenhagen and the challenges and successes of integration policies. The report focuses on six areas of local policy—education, employment, housing, health and social protection, policing and security, and citizenship and participation—as well as broader themes of belonging and identity and the role of the media. Immigration from Somalia to Denmark is a new phenomenon very much linked to the political situation in Somalia. The Danish Somali population in Copenhagen is small and faces social and economic disadvantages, particularly a very high level of discrimination and stereotyping. The study reveals institutional gaps across different areas that need to be addressed urgently but also good practices at the local level. Somalis in Copenhagen is part of a comparative seven-city research series entitled Somalis in European Cities, by the Open Society Foundations' At Home in Europe project, which examines the realities of people from Somali backgrounds in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Malmo, Leicester, London, and Oslo

Somalis in Copenhagen: Executive Summary

Somalis in Copenhagen explores the views and experiences of Somalis living in Copenhagen and the challenges and successes of integration policies. The report focuses on six areas of local policy—education, employment, housing, health and social protection, policing and security, and citizenship and participation—as well as broader themes of belonging and identity and the role of the media. Immigration from Somalia to Denmark is a new phenomenon very much linked to the political situation in Somalia. The Danish Somali population in Copenhagen is small and faces social and economic disadvantages, particularly a very high level of discrimination and stereotyping. The study reveals institutional gaps across different areas that need to be addressed urgently but also good practices at the local level. Somalis in Copenhagen is part of a comparative seven-city research series entitled Somalis in European Cities, by the Open Society Foundations' At Home in Europe project, which examines the realities of people from Somali backgrounds in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Malmo, Leicester, London, and Oslo

Blockchain – The Gateway to Trust-Free Cryptographic Transactions

Recently, the Bitcoin-underlying blockchain technology gained prominence as a solution that offers the realization of distributed trust-free systems, where economic transactions are guaranteed by the underlying blockchain. We are still at an early stage and thus require a deeper understanding of how the blockchain potentials can be realized, and what are the opportunities and challenges in so doing. Following a design science approach, we developed a proof of concept prototype that has the potential to replace a trust-based coffee shop payment solution that is based on an analogue, pre-paid punch card solution. The demonstrator provides a starting point to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the blockchain technology when replacing a trust-based by a trust-free transaction system. We conclude that the secure and trust-free blockchain-based transaction has the potential to change many existing trust-based transaction systems, but that scalability issues, costs, and volatility in the transaction currency are hindrances