IOTA and Linux Foundation partner for “edge computing” project

The internet-of-things cryptocurrency IOTA, and the Linux Foundation, the team behind the developer-friendly operating system, have joined forces, according to a blog post. Combined, they will work to integrate IOTA into LF Edge, Linux’s platform for edge computing.

Edge computing is tech’s latest buzzword. The sales pitch is that cloud computing relies on centralized storage in big data warehouses, owned by Amazon, IBM and other blue chip giants. The issue, apparently, is that these data warehouses are often far away from the customers who use them. Edge computing however, promises to use computing power at the ‘edges’ of the network—physically much closer to customers—offering a host of benefits including reduced latency time and less bandwidth. 

“We’re excited to be integrating more closely with the IOTA Foundation and are eager to further open innovation and leveraging the unique capabilities that IOTA brings to the LF Edge table,” said Arpit Joshipura, general manager, Edge.

LF Edge is an attempt to create open-source standards for edge computing by providing a ready-to-use technology stack—a set of tools that developers can use. Because IOTA uses blockchain technology, it can provide a way for technology to share data (and value) without requiring the trust of a third party.

IOTA’s aim is to combine the “Internet of Things”—think smart fridges and Fitbits—with blockchain technology. IOTA promises more scalability by using a DAG, a type of blockchain that does away with mining, using a system known as “gossiping” to move transactions through the network. But is its partnership with Linux a breakthrough for blockchain, or just another round of crypto hype?