Too Long; Didn't Read
Access to off-chain data sources is one of the perennial challenges of blockchain applications. Oracles are the component of blockchain runtimes responsible for interacting with external data sources without violating the integrity of the blockchain. Incorporating access to off-chain information within smart contracts is, in my opinion, one of the key capabilities needed to streamline the adoption of blockchain platforms. In the context of security tokens, the oracle challenge is greatly magnified as external information plays a fundamental role in the lifecycle of many crypto-securities.