The Year of Blockchain and a pessimistic forecast (wrong, I hope)
After the cryptocurrencies race in 2017, many newspapers and medias (even mainstream) announced 2018 as the Year of Blockchain. Surely in the last weeks many projects going to use the blockchain technology have been announced - and not focused on a new cryptocurrency.
Uses for blockchain
Articles have been published announcing or imagining a use of blockchain for
- Healtcare
- Elections
- Property certificates
- Insurance
- Rights ownership
- Identity documents
- Notary
- Supply Chain Management
- Research data
- Private Transport and Ride Sharing
- Cloud Storage
- Charity and Philantrophy
- Energy Management
- Crowdfunding
- Trading
- And, last but not least, I don't forget about the use of blockchain for Social Media, like Steem, Yoyow and others are showing already.
Cross borders co-ops?
Probably there will be more applications for the blockchain technology we can't imagine today. And probably there will be problems and bugs no one can foresee at the moment. I don't know.
What I'm trying to think about is the meaning of such a technology for our societies.
Which is the core of the blockchain system? Shortly, it is the managing and moving data on a decentralized network of online computers managed by private individuals around the world. Well, this is the way I'd describe it simply.
The first topic always emphasized about blockchain tech is the decentralization: a task is done for us by a network of people in a public way and using a common set of rules. No central authority or government. An efficient anarchy working for a virtuous circle, somehow. Or a group of international co-ops.
I don't think this point of view describes what is going to happen with a larger spread of the blockchains. I see official and authorized blockchains, working on a network of authorized and controlled nodes, going to prevail in managing most of the tasks and applications listed above.
This is maybe the pessimistic landscape. But, who knows?, it is just a matter of strenght and weakness of the institutions, companies and governments. I can't honestly say who will win and who will fall apart. What I'm ratherly sure of is that who holds the power doesn't give it up without fighting.
What do you think?
Image source: https://www.crypto-news.net/how-the-blockchain-network-can-change-up-the-digital-advertising-market/
At the end of the day the government will find a way to accommodate the blockchain technology and probably use it to meet their own needs.
Blockchain is a great technology, it's revolutionary and even bound to change a number of things but the government will still find a way to own it, that's quite certain.
I've written numerous times that ALL institutions have 2 fundamental flaws built in- it's unavoidable- first is that they inevitably become self-serving out of necessity (survival)... Second is the human factor- people suck and every institution falls prey to its least desirable element, people who will subvert it for their own purposes!
well, I thought to be the pessimistic one...! ;)
I'm optimistic about cryptos... I just know better than to trust institutions (I learned that from Jesus)
This is a great list of resources @paolobeneforti on the latest good work some of these sites are a big deal as for the technology who knows but what I do know is as with everything some will use it for good others will use it for bad things.
From past experience decentralization movements are always compromised and used for maintaining power for the status quo😏 I’m waiting to see what happens.
Yeah the only aspect of it for me that I loved was the decentralization part of blockchain but its going to be hard with governments intervening in it like is starting to happen now... it might be the year of blockchain for the already 1% at best...
Your publications at the level are always enjoyed @paolobeneforti
I do not want to be pessimistic in this regard! :)
nice sharing, thank you
It is so interesting to see you writing more and more about crypto and blockchains. Me too! It shows that we've received, not only friends and financial rewards from Steemit but also an education!
How cool is that! Yes indeed Steemit is The Trojan Horse of crypto!!!!!
It seems to me that a permissioned blockchain with only authorized nodes is pretty much just a centralized database. If changes to the ledger must be authorized by a trusted party, why use a blockchain?