We're joined by Rob Dawson, Head of Product at PegaSys. PegaSys is the protocol engineering spoke of ConsenSys, and the team building Pantheon, a Java implementation of the Ethereum client. The Pantheon client was built from the ground up as both a mainnet, and consortium chain client. Written in Java with an Apache 2.0 license, it benefits from being easily accessible to enterprises, who predominantly use that language. The PegaSys team has built additional features into the Pantheon client like privacy, permissioning, and the ability to deploy chains on IBFT, a consensus algorithm better suited for consortium networks of up to 40 validators. Working closely with other protocol teams (Geth and Parity), and being a founding member of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance, PegaSys is also working towards Ethereum 2.0.
Topics covered in this episode:

Rob’s background as an enterprise Java developer and how he became involved in the blockchain space
The role of PegaSys in the broader ConsenSys ecosystem
The Pantheon client and why they chose to build a new Ethereum client
The case for Java and why enterprise has a preference for this language
Pantheon’s unique features of privacy, permissioning, and performance
What is Istanbul BFT and how it differs from Parity POA and Tendermint BFT
The types of applications which are better suited for IBFT
The Ethereum Enterprise Alliance (EEA) and PegaSys’ work on standards
PegaSys’ work on Ethereum 1.x and Ethereum 2.0
The team's recently announced certification program

Episode links:

PegaSys Website
Introducing Pantheon, a Mainnet Java Client - Demo & Roadmap (Devcon4)
Another day, another consensus algorithm. Why IBFT 2.0?
Scaling Consensus for Enterprise: Explaining the IBFT Algorithm
Blog Posts and Webinars - Pantheon
PegaSysEng/pantheon: An enterprise-grade Java-based, Apache 2.0
licensed Ethereum client
PegaSysEng/artemis: Java Implementation of the Ethereum 2.0 Beacon
Chain
Komgo

Sponsors:

Trail of Bits: Trust the team at the forefront of blockchain security research - https://trailofbits.com
Azure: Deploy enterprise-ready consortium blockchain networks that scale in just a few clicks - http://aka.ms/epicenter

This episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/294