The Bitcoin White Paper was published by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008; the first Bitcoin block got mined in 2009. Since the Bitcoin protocol is open source, anyone could take the protocol, fork it (modify the code), and start their own version of P2P money. Many so-called altcoins emerged and tried to be a better, faster or more anonymous than Bitcoin. Soon the code was not only altered to create better cryptocurrencies, but some projects also tried to alter the idea of blockchain beyond the use case of P2P money.  

The idea emerged that the Bitcoin blockchain could be in fact used for any kind of value transaction or any kind of agreement such as P2P insurance, P2P energy trading, P2P ride sharing, etc. Colored Coins and Mastercoin tried to solve that problem based on the Bitcoin Blockchain Protocol.

The Ethereum project decided to create their own blockchain, with very different properties than Bitcoin, decoupling the smart contract layer from the core blockchain protocol, offering a radical new way to create online markets and programmable transactions known as Smart Contracts. Private institutions like banks realized that they could use the core idea of blockchain as a distributed ledger technology (DLT), and create a permissioned blockchain (private or federated), where the validator is a member of a consortium or separate legal entities of the same organization.

The term blockchain in the context of permissioned private ledger is highly controversial and disputed. This is why the term distributed ledger technologies emerged as a more general term.

Private blockchains are valuable for solving efficiency, security and fraud problems within traditional financial institutions, but only incrementally. It’s not very likely that private blockchains will revolutionize the financial system.

Public blockchains, however, hold the potential to replace most functions of traditional financial institutions with software, fundamentally reshaping the way the financial system works.

OECD (13.02.2019) Many OECD countries need to urgently scale-up and upgrade their adult learning systems to help people adapt to the future world of work, according to a new OECD report. Getting Skills Right: Future-Ready Adult Learning Systems says that new technologies, globalisation and population ageing are changing the quantity and quality of jobs as well as the skills they require. Providing better skilling and re-skilling opportunities to workers affected by these changes is essential to make sure the future works for all.

BusinessMirror (14.02.2019) The Philippines needs to spend an average of 3.48 to 5.58 percent of its GDP to fill its social protection gaps up to 2030, according to estimates by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In a report, titled “Asia’s Fiscal Challenge: Financing the Social Protection Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs],” the ADB said addressing the fiscal challenges in providing social protection is key to achieving Agenda 2030.

EurActiv (12.02.2019) The future landscape of work in Europe will undoubtedly include a significant increase in robotics technologies – and this could bring major benefits if the right policies are in place to ensure people have the best skills to thrive in Europe’s new world of work.

Le Monde (13.02.2019) Selon les derniers chiffres de l’Insee, la proportion de salariés embauchés en contrat court s’est stabilisée depuis les années 2010 après avoir été multipliée par quatre.

EurActiv (12.02.2019) Finland is the first country to complete a nation-wide experiment on universal basic income. With the first results in, Finnish finance minister Petteri Orpo told EURACTIV.com that the largest parties in his country don’t support the idea anymore

OECD (January 2019) This review assesses Chile's public health system, highlights areas of strength and weakness, and makes a number of recommendations for improvement. The review examines Chile's public health system architecture, and how well policies are responding to significant population health challenges including high rates of overweight and obesity, and relatively high smoking rates. In particular, the review assesses Chile's policies designed to tackle obesity and improve healthy diets. The review also examines Chile's cancer screening and prevention system and, finally, looks at how genetic and genomic medicine are being used to strengthen public health and preventive care in Chile

Financial Times (08.02.2019) There was good news from Brazil this week when a draft emerged of the government’s plans to overhaul the country’s deficit-ridden pensions system. The reform, under new president Jair Bolsonaro, would be a big step in setting the country back on the path to growth after its crushing recession of 2015-2016, raising hopes of investors who have seen several attempts to get the changes through congress fail over the past quarter of a century.

EurActiv (08.02.2019) Selon une enquête Domplus-BVA pour La Tribune de janvier 2019, sur 1 000 jeunes actifs de moins de 35 ans interrogés sur leur rapport au travail, 80 % placent leur carrière professionnelle au centre de leurs préoccupations

oecd (28.01.2019) The notion that social protection is “universal” rests on two elements, namely that “everyone” is “covered.”

Le Temps (07.02.2019) Le numérique est-il utile en médecine et si oui, pour faire quoi ? Poser la question pourrait passer pour de l’idiotie tant le discours ambiant est que le numérique va tout révolutionner, y compris la santé.

Alternatives Economiques (05.02.2019) Les modalités de calcul des allocations chômage pour les contrats courts peuvent, dans certaines situations, générer des effets d’aubaine. Mais dans l’immense majorité des cas, il est impossible de gagner plus au chômage qu’en travaillant.

ILO (07.02.2019) The importance of ensuring adequate social protection for children has long been high on the agenda of both the ILO and UNICEF. For children, social protection takes on a special significance, since the negative effects of poverty and deprivation in childhood have ramifications that can last a lifetime.

ILO (07.02.2019) To end poverty, ensure social protection for all and make good on international commitments made in 2015, countries around the world have been urged at a ministerial-level conference at the International Labour Organization to take five actions towards universal social protection.

cae-eco (Janvier 2019) Les politiques d’allègements de cotisations sociales se succèdent, mais les créations d’emploi, ou les exportations, ne sont pas pour autant au rendez-vous.

Development Pathways (06.02.2019) The big story in the social protection world last week was the news that Mexico’s Prospera programme is to be abolished after 21 years. Formerly known as Progresa and Oportunidades, it had become an iconic programme for advocates of conditional cash transfers (CCTs) and widely disseminated internationally. 

socialeurope (07.02.2019) Full employment could become a new target for an insecure Europe. A European employment guideline would provide the means to hit it

Le Figaro (06.02.2019) Un étude sur la fraude au travail détaché en France, et l'insuffisance des sanctions, en nombre et en montant, pour être dissuasives. Pour lutter contre la fraude au détachement, la Cour des comptes prône dans son rapport annuel un renforcement des sanctions administratives et pénales, notamment en termes de fermeture de chantiers ou d'établissements, et de mise en cause des donneurs d'ordres et maîtres d'ouvrage

ilo.org (06.02.2019) A new report by UNICEF and the ILO highlights the critical need to extend social protection to all children.

Reuters (04.02.2019) Brazil’s government has opened discussions with congressional leaders, state governors and mayors on a pension reform bill that would set the minimum retirement age for men and women at 65, a government official said on Monday.

McKinsey (February 2019) Process automation and technologies based on artificial intelligence can bring benefits across numerous functions of government.

Healthy DEvelopments - BMZ (January 2019)  Key points for further thought and discussion

• Is the USP2030 goal (SDG 1.3) realistic?
• How to provide USP in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) including to people in the informal sector?
• What is the role of targeting in USP?
• What problems can hamper the development of USP?
• Has the focus on the official shared goal of USP2030 improved coordination among development partners?

Les Echos(05.02.2019) rois à quatre millions d'Allemands pourraient voir leurs pensions revalorisées très fortement. L'idée est de récompenser ceux qui ont travaillé par rapport à ceux qui bénéficient de l'aide sociale de base. Mais l'Union démocrate-chrétienne se montre sceptique.

le360 (05.02.2019) Le montant de la cotisation n’a pas encore été arrêté, ce qui suscite de vives inquiétudes. Selon les premières simulations, il serait de 733 dirhams minimum par mois, sur la base d’un barème correspondant à une fois et demi le Smig.

socialprotection.org (05.02.2019) Universal social protection (USP) is essential to the economic and social development of individuals, communities and nations. It is also a human right. We call on all countries to live up to their commitment to develop nationally owned social protection systems for all, including floors, as articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.