30 Mar 2020 Josphat Kariuki
Microsoft To Use Human Body Activities To Mine Cryptos
One of Silicon Valley’s tech hegemons, Microsoft, filed a patent for developing a “Cryptocurrency system using data on body activity,” aimed at rewarding users for their interactions with various devices.
Тhe patent paper describes that the whole environment would be created around the cryptocurrency system and communication network, which Microsoft describes in details.
According to the tech giant, the cryptocurrency system would rely on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) “and would utilize the use of various communication channels, such as, and not limited to, computer networks, public and private wireless networks, mobile data networks, as well as any combination of these technologies.”
Microsoft proposes incorporating sensors for measuring user activity in order to validate transactions. The sensors may include brain wave monitoring (both MRI and EEG sensors), blood flow sensors, temperature sensors, radio frequencies sensors, as well as movement sensors.
The activities, which could be anything from watching ads, or using wearable sensors, will result in a reward for the user. When a user completes a task, the data gathered via the sensors would be used as a “proof-of-work” (PoW) mechanism to validate transactions and the data on the distributed ledger.
According to the patent paper, “the new approach would substitute the massive computation power that the traditional mining sector requires with a new PoW algorithm.”
Microsoft claims some of the wearables will be able to gather blood flow data, as well as pulse and blood pressure data. However, Microsoft also entered the field of “Subconscious mining,” using different types of brain wave activity as a proof-of-work.
Some of the newly proposed for patent sensors will interact with beta and gamma brain waves, which are associated with memory, logical thinking, and learning. When the brain uses the memory blocks, it emits distinct waves, which indicate whether the brain is recording or replaying bits of information.
However, alpha waves, which are associated with the subconscious processes in the human brain, are among Microsoft’s top priorities. Alpha brain waves occur when the brain is concentrated on completing a task, and remain as a background process.
Alpha waves allow users to validate transactions when they are focused on doing something else – working, sport activities, or combining eye, blood, and brain sensors while watching ads, for example.
Being one of the leading companies in both software advancements and hardware development, Microsoft is no stranger to cryptocurrencies. Recently Microsoft was announced as one of the prominent investors during a $300 million Series B funding by Bitcoin futures trading platform Bakkt.
However, the race to gain a leading edge amid global stock market crashes and the recent COVID-19 outbreak, other technology giants are also setting their eyes on the world of cryptocurrencies and patents.
Recently, IBM secured a patent for a so-called “self-aware token” – a token system, which would eliminate the hassles regarding validation ability, authentication, as well as transaction coordination within a given system.
Coinbase’s CEO Brian Armstrong also secured a patent, allowing BTC to be sent via e-mail to a wallet address without any fees.
Since the start of the patent frenzy in the crypto sector in the United States, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) gave “green light” to 227 blockchain-related patents. The patents were filed from January 2014 to December 2019, data from the PTO shows.
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