Richard Gendal Brown is a technologist, writer, and former CTO of R3 who explores the intersection of finance, blockchain, and distributed systems on his long-running blog gendal.me. Through clear, insightful essays, he breaks down how modern financial infrastructure really works — from settlement networks and payment rails to digital assets and central bank innovation. His writing bridges the gap between software engineering and financial theory, offering readers a rare mix of technical depth and real-world context. A must-read for anyone interested in how technology is reshaping money and the global financial system.
10 articles from this blog
A simple, intuitive explanation of public key cryptography using analogies and a number game to explain how to prove a secret without revealing it.
The author reflects on coining the term 'Central Bank Digital Currency' and critiques a controversial hypothetical use case involving 'digital meat rations'.
A CTO's experiment integrating AI with blockchain to create 'purpose bound money', challenging the idea that the two technologies are incompatible.
A personal guide offering ten practical tips for improving your writing, focusing on the process of thinking and editing.
Argues that traditional B2B app development is flawed for multi-party interactions and calls for a new platform.
Analyzes the recent surge of criticism against 'Web3' and explores the reasons behind the tech community's negative reaction to crypto's rebranding.
An exploration of how viral vector vaccines work, focusing on why the injected virus doesn't replicate and the immune system's response.
A personal exploration of how the AstraZeneca viral vector COVID-19 vaccine works, detailing the mechanism and the author's questions.
Traces the evolution of enterprise middleware from the 1990s to today, drawing parallels to modern enterprise blockchain solutions.
Argues that public blockchains like Ethereum are unsuitable for business due to security risks, lack of finality, and better enterprise alternatives.
