Interview with Max Kordek, co-founder and president of the Lisk Foundation

Mastering blockchain: Meet Lisk, a blockchain platform for JavaScript developers

Max Kordek

Blockchain has the ability to transform our daily lives along multiple verticals. We talked with Max Kordek, co-founder and president of the Lisk Foundation, about Lisk, the importance of open source, and how we can make blockchain more accessible and relevant to the mainstream.

JAXenter: How do you think blockchain will affect our daily lives? Max Kordek: Blockchain technology has the ability to transform our daily lives across multiple verticals. Technology applications that we have become accustomed to using such as social networks, gaming platforms and financial applications can all be improved upon using blockchain technology. The end user may not notice any superficial change but will benefit from efficiencies created through decentralized applications. The efficiencies will come in the form of speed, security and the removal of unnecessary third parties, as well as decreasing associated third party fees. With blockchain, we will become more educated on the goods and services we purchase and how we engage with our surroundings, for example, we will know exactly where the food we buy comes from; we will be fully in control of our data on social media accounts and the technology will also free us from time constraints enabling 24/7 transactions and engagements.

Mastering Cloud Native Architectures, the Kubernetes Ecosystem and Functions CI/CD for Serverless Applications on AWS Marcia Villalba (AWS) Performing Chaos in a Serverless World Gunnar Grosch (Opsio AB) Service Mess to Service Mesh Rob Richardson (MemSQL) Berlin Program »



JAXenter: A lot of people say that blockchain is quite difficult to understand and that might be one of the reasons why not many developers are interested in cultivating this skill. How can we make this technology more digestible?

Kordek: Blockchain is still in its infancy, therefore lacking the infrastructure that supports other more mature technologies. There are still many barriers to entry for developers, which is a major problem, meaning the technology is yet to reach its full potential.

At Lisk, we are actively working to change this, translating blockchain to the masses and giving developers the access they require to be successful. Javascript is an already existing and simplistic language which is in widespread use, thus making it ideal to achieve widespread adoption by developers.

JAXenter: What is Lisk and what isn’t it?

Kordek: Lisk is a blockchain application platform that enables its users to build applications from the ground up in JavaScript. The decentralized platform will allow for the deployment and distribution of sidechains onto the Lisk blockchain which can act independently from the mainchain.

Lisk is also designed with the intention of facilitating this trend, allowing up and coming projects, seeking funding, to conduct ICOs on our blockchain network. The project incorporates all aspects of existing blockchain projects such as decentralized storage on a standalone blockchain, anonymous transactions and a social blogging system.

Lisk is based on its own blockchain and was not created as a consequence of a fork. The Lisk code base was forked from a project called Crypti, a project which myself and Oliver Beddows were part of for 18 months before launching Lisk.

If a developer has basic knowledge of JavaScript, they will be able to build applications on the Lisk Platform efficiently.

JAXenter: Why should developers give it a try?

Kordek: Lisk aims to simplify the development process, thus reducing the current technical barriers to entry. Lisk makes access to Blockchain intelligible technology allowing developers to unleash the potential of this revolutionary technology. Developers using the Lisk platform will be among the first designers of blockchain applications, thus positioning themselves at the forefront of one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

JAXenter: How does Lisk want to make blockchain more relevant to the mainstream?

Kordek: We strongly believe that teaching the public about blockchain technology and all of its benefits will be crucial for mass mainstream adoption. Giving access to blockchain applications will mean that user-friendly end products will become a reality to the mainstream, which is now isolated due to significant barriers to entry.

Lisk is striving to educate the wider public on blockchain and besides simplifying the development process, we have begun work on the Lisk Academy, which actively seeks to inform non-developers.

JAXenter: Is Lisk a suitable platform for all developers or only for JavaScript developers?

Kordek: We focus on user friendliness, thus the simplicity of the Lisk platform will suit all those wishing to develop Blockchain applications. Lisk, therefore, targets all developers but especially those with JavaScript experience. If a developer has basic knowledge of JavaScript, they will be able to build applications on the Lisk Platform efficiently.

JAXenter: How important is the open source character and why?

Kordek: Transparency is at the heart of the Lisk project. As a decentralized platform, we offer our code through the open source model providing insight into what we as a company have built and are building. This transparency instills public trust, an important step towards achieving our goal of accelerating mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

Transparency instills public trust, an important step towards achieving our goal of accelerating mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

JAXenter: Could you name some of the advantages of being open source?

Kordek: Transparency supports the saying that ‘trust is good, control is better’. We aim to be fully transparent and accountable to all stakeholders as blockchain is a trustless technology. The open source model supports this philosophy and makes Lisk an open book, contributing to the development of the industry as a whole by providing a guideline to up and coming talent. Lisk actively promotes the development of blockchain technology and contributes through open source to the learning curve of new entrants.

JAXenter: Why is Lisk better than other blockchain frameworks?

Kordek: The Lisk Platform targets the common developer looking to create blockchain applications or experiment with blockchain. We aim to be simpler than other blockchain frameworks, translating the technology to the masses. Lisk also uniquely enables developers to deploy their own sidechain, which enhances security and allows for significant scalability, with a custom token onto the Lisk network enabling experimentation and creativity. Our project like no other strives to make blockchain a reality for all and enable mainstream adoption.

JAXenter: What is the biggest misconception about blockchain?

Kordek: The biggest misconception would be that it’s mainly used as a safe haven for illegal unregulated trading. Blockchain has come a long way from its early days of illegal unregulated trading and many of the blockchain startups are working with their governments to discuss unhindered regulation that could stifle innovation.

Blockchain, in fact, creates value to the economy and financial efficiencies as a whole and facilitates all sectors from supply chain all the way to the banking industry. Blockchain also offers heightened security which works, not only because it’s encrypted, but also because it’s decentralized.

Thank you!

If you’d like to know more about the blockchain and meet the top movers and shakers in the global blockchain scene, join us in London in October.

hey baby i just met you and this is crazy