The BSV Association: The Open-Source Body of the BSV Blockchain Ecosystem

The BSV Association is the open-source body of the ecosystem. We want to be for the BSV blockchain what the Linux Foundation is for operating systems.

The BSV Association wants to lead the BSV blockchain ecosystem in the same way that the Linux Foundation leads the operating systems domain, according to Thomas Giacomo, the Association’s Director of Utility.

Giacomo was speaking to CoinGeek Backstage at the BSV DevCon 2024, where he discussed the role of the BSV Association in shaping the future of the BSV blockchain.

“We want to be that neutral entity in the ecosystem that’s focused on building the open-source components,” he explained.

These components include the node software, the overlay services, and the SPV wallets. The Association also plays a role in standardizing the BSV libraries, making the core features of the BSV blockchain available to developers in their preferred programming languages and reducing the barriers to entry.”

In recent years, regulators have become increasingly focused on the cryptocurrency industry, leading to dozens of convictions, imprisonments, and billions of dollars in penalties. One area of contention is on what digital currencies qualify as securities under U.S. law, and at the BSV DevCon, Giacomo explained why BSV passes the Howey test due to its set-in-stone protocol.

“If no one can change the rules, then you don’t have centralization of power. As you can’t change the rule, you can’t affect the price of BSV [as an individual]. That’s the reason BSV shouldn’t be considered as a security,” he said.

The debate over whether tokens are securities has seen Gary Gensler become the ‘crypto’ sector’s biggest enemy, a role he has embraced and even capitalized on to bring down some of the industry’s kingpins, from SBF to CZ.

In his presentation, Giacomo also discussed transitioning the BSV topology to a Mandala network. In this model, first proposed in May, a core node center acts as the foundational layer, with sublayers built on top of it.

“The Mandala network has small-world capabilities, meaning that the distance between two participants is very low. It’s considered one of the most resilient networks on earth,” Giacomo explained.

Watch: Teranode & the Web3 world with edge-to-edge electronic value system

New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.