In the context of many protocols being developed to complement or upgrade Bitcoin, there are a few that seem to be the ones with better chances of perpetuating themselves either in a specific function or as a broad platform in finance or the Internet of Things (IoT).

The main contenders, in my humble opinion, are Bitcoin as the one with the most network effects, Ripple as a global inter-bank value exchange system, Ethereum and its quasi-Turing-complete programming language, and Sidechains which will leverage the existing installed capacity of the Bitcoin network.

In this interview I talk to David Schwartz, Chief Cryptographer at Ripple Labs, for an explanation of how it works and how entrepreneurs can use it as a business opportunity.