D4D, founded by Ken Yamada and Tetsuji Kobayashi, two longtime friends passionate about blockchain, is redefining how time is used and secured in the Web3.0 ecosystem. After discovering the potential of this technology, the two founders created Clockchain, an innovative platform dedicated to securing and tracking time. Based in Neuchâtel since June 2023, their company, D4D, draws inspiration from the region’s rich watchmaking tradition to offer precise, verifiable time services that are essential to many industries.
In this interview, Ken and Tetsuji share their vision and explain how D4D is revolutionizing the way we use time in the digital world.
Who are you?
We are a blockchain company specializing in time, seeking to secure and ensure the safe use of time and all time-related services (e.g., timestamping, smart contract scheduling) within the Web3.0 ecosystem.
How was D4D founded?
D4D was founded by two longtime friends who were initially interested in Bitcoin but fell in love with blockchain technology. We realized that it was an extremely secure and accurate way to track digital assets. With this discovery came the idea that we could use blockchain technology to track time, down to the second. By recording every second in a block, we realized we could transform those seconds into a digital asset that could then be tracked securely and accurately via the blockchain. With this new implementation of secure and traceable time, we hope to enable Web3.0 to use time more securely and accurately in new and critical situations. We call our blockchain clock “Clockchain,” a blockchain network focused on secure and accurate time.
In what industry does your company operate? What are your main activities? What services do you offer?
We operate in three main areas of blockchain technology: timestamping, smart contracts, and verifiable time services.
The main services we offer are:
Timestamping and logging: We enable customers to log their data on our Clockchain and “timestamp” it using blockchain technology and our Clockchain’s time. By logging their data on the Clockchain, users can “prove” that their data was recorded at a specific point in the past on an immutable ledger. This service helps users authenticate their data irrefutably and in real time with great ease.
Smart Contract Scheduling: Users can schedule smart contracts for future execution using the verifiable, secure, and precise time provided by the Clockchain. Additionally, they can record the execution of smart contracts on our timestamping and logging service to prove that the smart contract was executed at the correct time.
Verifiable Time Services: This allows users to retrieve a secure, verifiable, and precise time, ensuring that the time used is not tampered with and that they can safely use it in critical situations. Users can also record the use of this time with our real-time logging system to “prove” that the time was used at the correct moment.
Why did you choose the canton of Neuchâtel as the location to establish and grow your business?
We initially wanted to open our headquarters in Switzerland because of the favorable environment for blockchain and the world-class financial sector. However, after speaking with the team at the Neuchâtel Canton Economic Development Office (NECO), we quickly realized that we had an additional synergy with the canton of Neuchâtel: time! As we began to define and distribute our new version of secure, verifiable, and accurate time—and given the long and prestigious history of the Neuchâtel region with watchmaking, timepieces, and the definition of time—we realized there was only one place to launch a new type of blockchain-based clock: the Canton of Neuchâtel!
Who are your main customers and competitors right now?
Among our potential clients, we are in discussions with an IT company based in Neuchâtel, a global tax firm in Fribourg, an Italian travel and camping company, and a real-time mapping and location services company based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Some might say that blockchain companies are our competitors, but we don’t see it that way. Each blockchain focuses on a specific area, whether it’s sequencing, proof of work, proof of stake, or transaction settlement. For our part, we focus on time. So, if a user is looking for security, accuracy, verifiability of time, and peace of mind when using time in critical situations, we believe that nothing is more secure, accurate, or immutable than the Clockchain network.
How do you view and foster innovation within your company?
We see innovation as the result of happiness and security. We believe that everyone has a vivid imagination. That every wrinkle and every bump that makes us different is another opportunity to see the world in a different and innovative way. And that every different perspective is just as valuable. Change only makes us stronger.
We make this possible by ensuring that everyone on our team—as well as outside voices—feels safe to speak up. We believe that everyone is just as intelligent and creative as everyone else, that every opinion and comment is valuable, and that everyone is equal and has the right to express themselves and share their ideas.
What is the technological model behind D4D?
We believe that time is an important planning tool—perhaps one of the most important. So we wanted to ensure its reliability in critical situations. We understand that new users will have trust issues at first, so we’ve spent a lot of time addressing any doubts about the quality and consistency of our time. First, we record it on an immutable public ledger so that it’s visible to everyone, all the time, for verification and proof. Furthermore, to dispel any doubts about the accuracy of our time, we also stamp the UTC time on our blocks every second, in addition to our Clockchain time, so that users can see that our time is accurate and comparable to traditional reliable time sources like UTC. We wanted to speak the language of Web3.0 and allow users to harness the power of blocks rather than real-time, if they prefer. By gradually alleviating users’ fears, we hope to become a pillar of Web3.0 security.
How do you see your company in 5 to 10 years?
Over the next 5 to 10 years, D4D Clockchain will become the global standard for timestamping and data logging. Our cutting-edge technology will enable businesses worldwide to authenticate their data in real time with unmatched certainty. We are revolutionizing the concept of time by creating a secure, reliable, and verifiable standard that will support critical operations with absolute confidence.
As Web3.0 economies and ecosystems expand, we will be at the forefront, providingthe robust security infrastructure essential to the protection and growth of digital assets. The Web3.0 community will recognize D4D Clockchain as an indispensable pillar, relying on our network as the authoritative standard for time and data authentication. Our advancements will cement our position as a crucial force in building the digital future.
In what ways could the canton of Neuchâtel improve to make itself more attractive to businesses?
That’s a tough question because we love the canton of Neuchâtel and the NECO team. We feel warmly welcomed and supported with genuine kindness. The NECO team has excelled in communication and has been honest and straightforward about its intentions. Local banks and institutions are willing to work with us, as is a blockchain company; the local environment is favorable to blockchain. It’s been a pleasant and productive experience for us.