Bitcoin smart contract network RSK is to see its infrastructure utilized by yet another ambitious pilot project. EVShare, a blockchain energy and transportation startup that’s built on RSK, is to participate in a $20M project that’s been funded by the California Energy Commission. The commission’s $9 million grant will support a novel energy-community pilot in a disadvantaged Los Angeles neighborhood, while showcasing RSK’s capabilities.
EVShare is on a mission to help cities transition to a cleaner, more sustainable economy that’s powered by renewables such as solar and where ridesharing and electric cars are the norm. To create a vibrant network where energy usage can be monitored and credits tracked and traded, EVShare is using RSK, whose smart contract network is anchored to Bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work chain, providing robust security assurances.
Blockchain Deployed in Ambitious Pilot Scheme
Blockchain will be just one component of the multi-faceted pilot project taking place in Basset, Los Angeles. Having been approved and funded by the state of California’s Energy Coalition and Community Electricity, the scheme will involve a consortium of partners including Google, Space AI, StrongBlock, Tetra Innovations Group and Winn Energy Control.
The first phase of the project actually began two years ago, but the second phase, which has just been approved, is where EVShare will come into play, providing a testbed for RSK’s blockchain infrastructure. RSK’s network provides many of the same capabilities as Ethereum’s EVM, but delivered in a secure environment. Crucially, the network enables micro transactions, high throughput and low fees, making it ideal for projects such as the California renewable energy scheme, which will be reliant on a high volume of transactions.
The RSK chain will be used to record electricity usage and rides and services that form part of the renewable energy pilot, and to trade credits that can be used to pay for energy consumption. Vehicle and device data will also be stored on-chain using RIF Identity, a reputation and identity later developed by RSK.
Crypto Networks See Enterprise Action
Blockchain networks have begun to be routinely utilized in environments far beyond the transmission of cryptocurrencies. NGOs, enterprises and governments are now routinely exploring the benefits of distributed ledger technology, and whereas three years ago such initiatives were favored for the publicity they generated, today’s pilots are more focused on the tech benefits.
Jelurida’s Ardor blockchain is currently being used for secure data communication for a Covid-19 related project. Launched by Austrian Trust Service Provider in partnership with a local university, the project aims to secure communication channels for data exchange between citizens, governments and institutions in times of crisis. China, meanwhile, has been investing heavily in blockchain at government level and across industries spanning equity markets to automobile production.
Crypto-focused companies such as RSK and Jelurida, which are developing enterprise-optimized blockchain solutions, have been joined by tech giants such as IBM. The latter’s own enterprise blockchain is being used by coffee producers to enable track-and-trace, proving the provenance of beans cultivated on small Colombian farms.