The Technical Standards Committee (TSC) plays a pivotal role in the BSV Blockchain Association’s mission to enhance interoperability across the entire blockchain ecosystem.
As part of the committee, volunteers with a proven track record and experience in working with the BSV Blockchain work diligently to create and provide standards that serve as valuable tools for developers.
These standards enable smooth integration within the ecosystem and foster collaborative solutions among different stakeholders. At this year’s London Blockchain Conference, we spoke to Angus Brown, Chair of the Technical Standards Committee, to find out more about the work of the TSC.
The committee’s core responsibility is to evaluate standard proposals and identify solutions that address significant challenges faced by the community. In the interview, Brown pointed out that the protocol might be set in stone. However, this aspect differs from technical standards, which are subject to iterative design, dependent on feedback and the needs of the ecosystem:
‘Although the protocol might be set in stone and the BSV Association’s role is to safeguard and protect that protocol and to ensure that it is stable and strong, the role of the Standards Committee is to work with that but to propose standards that are not necessarily set in stone. We are not enforcers of a standard. We are suggesters of proposed solutions, which people can use, and we are quite willing to move a standard to adjust a standard.’
The TSC follows a structured and thoughtful approach to create standards that facilitate efficient integration and collaboration within the ecosystem. Brown outlines the process of standard creation, which begins with reviewing requests for standards and identifying problems that require solutions.
Working groups, comprising individuals with different experiences and perspectives, collaborate to design and refine the proposed standards. These standards are then subjected to public review, incorporating valuable feedback from the community before being published.
The Chair of the Technical Standards Committee also hinted at the multifaceted nature of technical standardisation, which requires working closely with the community and other entities involved.
The TSC collaborates with various stakeholders, including miners, processes, wallets, developers, academics, and major firms. This way, the TSC gains insights into the most pressing issues and establishes a roadmap to prioritise the most urgent challenges.
Collaboration with the community is essential for the TSC’s success. To create effective standards, the TSC actively seeks input and feedback from the broader community. The committee encourages developers, entrepreneurs, regulators, and businesspeople to participate actively and share their perspectives on what standards are necessary and how they can be improved.
By involving the community in the standard-setting process, the TSC ensures that the proposed solutions align with real-world needs and remain relevant in a rapidly evolving ecosystem. The active engagement of stakeholders also serves as a signal to investors and regulators that the blockchain industry is mature and committed to professionalism and interoperability.
The recent addition of new members to the TSC has been met with enthusiasm. These members bring diverse skills and experiences to the committee, reinforcing its multifaceted nature. Together they complete the existing team reasonably. Here are brief profiles of the new members:
Jack Davies, as Senior Strategy Manager at nChain, brings extensive research and development work on BSV, granting him a profound understanding of the technology and its applications.
Marcin Dyba, Co-Founder and CEO of 4chain, showcases an impressive range of technical expertise and experience in delivering blockchain solutions for businesses, ensuring a comprehensive approach to standard development.
Bryan Daugherty, Founder of SmartLedger and Global Policy Director for the BSV Blockchain Association, offers valuable insights into blockchain information security and regulatory compliance, connecting the TSC to policymakers and industry professionals.
Technical expertise within the committee helps in understanding the intricacies of technical challenges and proposing effective solutions. However, it is equally important to have members with business skills and industry knowledge to evaluate whether the proposed solutions address the most material problems and align with the needs of the wider market.
Angus Brown gives his perspective on why technical expertise is a necessary competency of the Technical Standards Committee, but not sufficient for the effort and success of Technical Standardisation.
‘[We] have a mission to improve the interoperability across the ecosystem of all of the participants in the ecosystem. So to do that, we need to be representative of the ecosystem. We need to have people on the committee who are technical experts. We need to have people who are business experts, people who understand the industry, industry lobbying, people who understand the process of creating standards.’
The multifaceted nature of the TSC is its strength. While the most advanced technical knowledge resides with developers and companies actively building and innovating, the TSC’s role is to review and propose standards that enhance interoperability.
Through a collaborative and iterative approach, the TSC develops and proposes technical standards that address real-world challenges and cater to the needs of various stakeholders. The committee actively engages with the community, seeking input and feedback to ensure that the proposed standards remain relevant and effective.
Visit the Technical Standards Committee’s website if you are interested in the work of the TSC or if you would like to propose a standard.
